cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Appropriateness of Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Transfer: A Multicenter Study of Medicare ACO Beneficiaries

Abstract Objectives There is wide variation in long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) use nationwide, the most intensive and expensive post-acute care setting, although appropriateness of use is uncertain. Therefore, we examined the appropriateness and reasons for transfer in a high-use region, and how Medicare criteria for LTACH payment identifies appropriate transfers. Design Multicenter retrospective observational cohort. Setting and Participants Consecutive hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries transferred to an LTACH from 2017 to 2018 from an accountable care organization in Texas. Methods The primary outcome was clinical appropriateness of transfer ascertained by 2 physician reviewers. We abstracted patients’ characteristics and primary reasons for transfer. We examined the positive predictive value (PPV) of meeting Medicare criteria for full LTACH payment [preceding intensive care unit (ICU) stay ≥3 days or prolonged mechanical ventilation] for identifying appropriate transfers, and how this differed if Medicare adopted an 8-day minimum ICU stay criterion recommended by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Results Of 105 LTACH transfers, 33 (31.4%) were clinically appropriate. The most common reason among appropriate transfers was respiratory care (58%), but 42% had other indications. Inappropriate transfers most commonly were for wound care (28%), intravenous medication infusions (28%), or patient (17%) and physician preference (26%). The PPV for meeting Medicare LTACH payment criteria was 55%. The PPV improved to 77% if Medicare adopted the 8-day minimum ICU stay criterion, with only a modest absolute increase in appropriate transfers not meeting the more stringent criteria (12% to 17%). Conclusions and Implications Two-thirds of LTACH transfers in a high-LTACH-use region are clinically inappropriate, and are most commonly transferred for wound care, intravenous infusions, or patient and physician preference. Medicare payment criteria modestly distinguished between appropriate and inappropriate transfers. Adoption of MedPAC's recommended 8-day minimum ICU stay criterion could safely reduce inappropriate transfers, although generalizability to low LTACH-use regions is uncertain.
Commotio Cordis in Athletes

Commotio cordis is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. In commotio cordis, blunt, non-penetrating chest trauma triggers ventricular fibrillation that leads to sudden cardiac death. Victims are predominantly young adolescent males involved in sports. In order to induce sudden cardiac death, the blow must be delivered in a narrow 20 msec window during cardiac repolarization. Additional factors such as location of the impact, velocity, shape, and firmness of the object alter the probability of inducing ventricular fibrillation. On a cellular level, the chest wall impact during a vulnerable time window triggers activation of a mechanosensitive KATP+ channel and leads to inhomogeneous depolarization, thereby creating an arrhythmogenic substrate. Treatment involves timely delivery of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The outcome of resuscitation in commotio cordis is similar to other forms of sudden cardiac death, with better results seen in early use of a defibrillator (within 3 minutes) after the event. Commercially available chest barriers have not shown to be effective in preventing commotio cordis. A biomechanical surrogate is now available to access the ability of chest wall protectors to lower the risk of commotio cordis.
Students, Music and the Net: A Comment on Peer-To-Peer File Sharing

FILE SHARING David L. Lange Duke University School of Law lange@law.duke.edu ¶1 As most of the public now know, the recording industry has lately filed civil suits alleging copyright infringement against hundreds of individual defendants across the country, many (I think most) of them college students and campus hangers-on. Hundreds more such suits are said to be in the offing. The nature of the infringements? Peer-to-peer file sharing via the Internet: a kind of piracy, to use the term favored by the industry, or downloading, as it is generally thought of by the students themselves – but from either perspective, the practice of recording music from the Net while making it available in turn to others, using any of a growing number of computer programs designed to make the practice work. ¶2 Whether these suits are well advised is debatable. No similar litigation against individuals has ever been attempted by any of the copyright industries (publishers, motion picture proprietors or the music business). I think it correct to say that no industry of any sort has ever tried to use mass litigation against individuals in an effort to control the market for its products. The recording industry may prevail in these suits. It is an open question, however, whether the industry will survive its victory. ¶3 But then there is the rub: as scores of accounts in the popular press have reported in recent months, it is an open question whether the recording industry can survive, period. The music business has changed in the last century, and so has copyright. One hundred years ago, the business of music was chiefly about compositions, sheet music and public performances for profit, with the sale of a few piano rolls and Victrola discs thrown in from time to time for good measure. Copyright law protected the musical compositions but provided no protection for recordings as such, and even compositions were subject (after the adoption of the Copyright Act of 1909) to a compulsory license that meant in effect that every song, once recorded by its proprietor, could also be recorded (“covered”) by others upon the payment of two cents per cut. It was 1971 before Congress provided copyright protection for recordings themselves, and that protection was hedged about with limitations that made its coverage less comprehensive than was the case with virtually every other form of copyright. ¶4 Even so, the music business flourished – right up to the moment when cheap and widespread copying technologies made their appearance on the scene, circa 1960’s. Commercial piracy began to flourish then in
Prosecutorial Misconduct in Presenting Evidence: "Backdooring" Hearsay

Rules of evidence are designed to bring about just and informed decisions. One of these rules, the hearsay rule, is designed to ensure that juries receive reliable evidence, and that out-of-court statements ordinarily are inadmissible. Prosecutors are well aware of these evidentiary restrictions, but occasionally seek to circumvent them. The author describes methods used by some prosecutors to manipulate the hearsay rule and thereby distort the truth-finding process of the trial.
On the field‐aligned electric field in the polar cap

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory open-field line particle precipitation model predicts downward field-aligned electric field to maintain charge quasi-neutrality. Previous studies confirmed the existence of such electric fields. However, the present study shows that upward field-aligned electric field can be found within upward field-aligned current (FAC) region. In the upward FAC region, upward electric field that accelerates electron downward is seen with the occurrence rates of 82%–96%. In contrast, the occurrence rates in the downward FAC regions are 3%–11%. Polar rain electrons located in the upward FAC region adjacent to closed field lines often show a ramping up of energy with increasing latitude before reaching a plateau. This plateau may be attributed to the magnetosheath electrons that progressively have higher antisunward velocity and lower density with increasing distance from the subsolar point before they asymptotically reach the solar wind values.
Low-voltage, supply independent CMOS bias circuit

Mixed-signal CMOS integrated circuits for future portable systems will have to operate down to supply voltages just exceeding the MOS threshold voltage. A simple CMOS circuit is reported for generating supply-voltage independent bias voltages and currents, down to a minimum supply voltage of 0.68 V (V/sub T/+2V/sub DSat/). The circuit is compatible with digital processes. Supply interference is rejected by more than 70 dB.
Extreme Sports and Extreme Liability: The Effect of Waivers of Liability in Extreme Sports

Athletes who participate in extreme sports know that by just participating in the sport, they are at a huge risk for injury. This risk for injury, however, should not include the negligent acts of the event’s sponsors and promoters. Before an athlete agrees to compete in an event, the athlete will generally sign a liability waiver that contains language absolving the sponsor from its own acts of negligence. These liability waivers in turn will bar an athlete from imposing liability on a sponsor for any injuries the athlete may sustain as a result of a sponsor’s negligence. The purpose of this article is to show why it is against public policy for sponsors of an extreme sports event to be allowed to contract away their own negligence. Athletes already assume the risks inherent in a sport, but they should not be expected to assume a risk above those inherent in the sport and suffer an injury that has been the result of a sponsor’s negligence. A sponsor, on the other hand, should not be responsible for an athlete’s injury that results from a risk inherent in the sport. This article addresses why a modification of liability waivers in extreme sports is necessary to protect the interests of both the athlete and the sponsor.
Psyche, opioids, and itch: therapeutic consequences.

: A patient's psychological condition can substantially affect the presence and severity of pruritus, a phenomenon thought to be mediated by the central nervous system's (CNS) opioid neurotransmitter system. Specific psychodermatologic disorders associated with psychogenic pruritus, including depression, anxiety, chronic tactile hallucinations, delusions of parasitosis, neurotic excoriations, and other cutaneous compulsions are likely controlled by this pathway. Therefore, in treating these conditions, medications specifically directed at the CNS can be the most effective therapies, whereas topical and supportive therapy may be important adjuncts in targeting the associated pruritus. Furthermore, the impact of an understanding clinician and a good physician–patient relationship cannot be underestimated in determining ultimate prognosis. This review will begin by discussing the relationship between the psyche and pruritus as well as the opioid neurotransmitter system. Following this, several disorders characterized by psychogenic pruritus will be described, and CNS-specific and adjunctive topical and supportive therapies for these conditions will be detailed.
Forward kinematics using IMU on-body sensor network for mobile analysis of human kinematics

The feasibility of large network inertial measurement units (IMUs) are evaluated for purposes requiring feedback. A series of wireless IMUs were attached to a human lower-limb laboratory model outfitted with joint angle encoders. The goal was to discover if large networks of wireless IMUs can give realtime joint orientation data while still maintaining an acceptable degree of accuracy.
Inhibition of feeding by a generalist insect due to increased volatile leaf terpenes under nitrate-limiting conditions

Nitrogen-limited plants ofHeterotheca subaxillaris accumulate greater quantities of leaf volatile terpenes than do nitrogen-rich plants. A series of feeding trials were performed to determine if such nitrate-limited plants are better defended against generalist-feeding insect herbivores. Soybean looper (Pseudoplusia includens) larvae were fed leaves fromH. subaxillaris rosettes grown under high and low nitrate supply regimes. Larval consumption, growth, and survival declined as the leaf volatile terpene content increased. Larval consumption and growth were enhanced by higher plant nitrate supply and with increasing leafage. The results suggest that the higher quantity of volatile terpenes in the leaves of nitrate-limited plants may better defend these leaves against generalist-feeding insects.
Effects of endotoxin challenge on hepatic amino acid transport during cancer.

Abstract Background.The hepatic uptake of amino acids is increased in both sepsis and cancer, and this response appears to be both global and essential in the catabolic host. Because immunocompromised cancer patients are susceptible to episodes of gram-negative sepsis, we examined the capacity of hepatocytes from normal and tumor-influenced livers to respond to the additional challenge of endotoxemia via increases in the Na+-dependent uptake of glutamine and zwitterionic amino acids by System N and System A, respectively. Materials and methods.Fischer 344 rats were implanted with methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcomas. Control rats were sham-operated and pair-fed. Animal pairs (tumor burden = 8–32% carcass weight) were injected intraperitoneally with eitherEscherichia coliendotoxin (10 mg/kg) or PBS, and after 4 h, hepatocytes were isolated from the livers of the animals via collagenase perfusion and placed in primary culture. Three hours later, amino acid transport rates were measured using radiolabeled glutamine for System N and α-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB), a nonmetabolizable substrate specific for System A. Results.Cancer—independent of tumor size—and endotoxin each elicited similar 1.5- to 2-fold inductions of System N activity. When combined, their effects were additive rather than synergistic. In contrast, endotoxin induced an insignificant increase in System A activity, whereas cancer stimulated this carrier 2-fold in either the absence or the presence of endotoxin. Conclusions.The primary glutamine and alanine carriers in hepatocytes are differentially influenced during catabolic states, and the tumor-influenced liver is competent to further increase glutamine uptake in response to additional catabolic insults.
Immigration and internal migration “flight”: A California case study

Recent analyses of 1990 census migration data have pointed up disparities in the way immigration and internal migration contributions affect an area's demographic profile. They show that there is little overlap between states with large population gains from internal migration from other parts of the United States and states with large population gains from immigration from abroad. This emerging pattern, along with the fact that immigration and internal migration select on very different demographic characteristics, could lead toward a "demographic balkanization" of the nation's population. This paper evaluates immigration-induced out-movement from California, based on an analysis of recently released migration data from the 1990 U.S. census. The results presented here suggest that California's out-migration consists of two different migration systems: first, an immigration-induced "flight" that exports lower income and less-educated Californians, primarily, to the nearby states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. And second, a more conventional migration exchange with the rest of the United States that involves the redistribution of better educated, higher income migrants. It is the former migration system which appears to be most responsive to the low-skilled immigration flows, while the latter should be responsive to more conventional labor market employment characteristics. This implies that, irrespective of changing economic conditions in the state, the continued immigration of low-skilled migrants will lead to more losses of native-born internal migrants to neighboring states and metropolitan areas. However, these migrant streams will not be made up of the "best and brightest" residents that characterize most conventional migration streams.
COMPARATIVE CYTOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF THE ULVOPHYCEAE. IV. MITOSIS AND CYTOKINESIS IN ULOTHRIX (CHLOROPHYTA)

SUMMARY Some observations on the cytokinetic and mitotic mechanism in the filamentous green algae Ulothrix zonata (Weber & Mohr) Kutzing and U. tenuissima Kutzing are presented. The general pattern of division appears to be similar in both species, and includes a precocious cleavage furrow formed at late interphase. Cross wall formation is not completed until telophase. By late prophase the centriole pair has duplicated, and each daughter pair migrates to a position distinctly lateral to the spindle poles. As soon as the daughter nuclei have separated, formation of the new septum is completed by coalescence of presumably Golgi derived vesicles in the plane of the pre-mitotically developed cleavage invagination, so there is no ingrowth of the furrow itself. A phycoplast as typically found in certain other filamentous green algae (e.g., Stigeoclonium) is not formed. A comparable division mechanism has been reported previously in four cases, i.e., in Ulva, Pseudendoclonium, Trichosarcina, and in an alga of uncertain identity (UTEX strain LB 653). It is concluded that these taxa are related organisms, and can be referred to as Ulvophyceae sensu Stewart & Mattox. The taxonomic status of a number of doubtful species of Ulothrix is discussed in the light of both light microscopical and electron microscopical evidence.
Technique for determination of depletion depth in Ge(Li) counters

Abstract A method for determining the extent of the compensated region of p-type germanium drifted with lithium is described. It is a non-destructive method which is applied while the crystal is in the drifting apparatus and does not interrupt the drifting process.
Smiling, Deferring, and Flirting: Doing Gender by Giving “Good Service”

Using a gendered organization perspective, this research examines how restaurants structure gendered service encounters and how table servers perform gendered scripts of good service. Interview data from integrated wait staffs in five kinds of restaurants reveal three scripts of good service—friendliness, deference, and flirting. Waitresses were perceived as stereotypically friendly and openly displayed cheerfulness in coffee shops. Resisting subservience was easier for waiters and in restaurants that gender the work role as “waitering.” Waitresses performed a “job flirt” in restaurants that cast the work role as “waitressing.” To give good service is to “do gender” by performing gendered scripts, by differentially applying scripts to waiters and waitresses, and by structuring scripts into waitering and waitressing work roles.
Hepatic Splenosis Diagnosed After Inappropriate Metastatic Evaluation in Patient With Low-risk Prostate Cancer

A man interested in active surveillance of low-risk prostate cancer sought a second opinion after having undergone an inappropriate metastatic evaluation that demonstrated multiple enhancing liver masses. Because of his history of splenectomy for trauma, hepatic splenosis was suspected. Despite reassurance, the patient desired biopsy of the masses to confirm splenosis. The imaging features and pathophysiology of hepatic splenosis are presented. Owing to the low rates of metastatic disease, the current guidelines do not recommend diagnostic imaging for low-risk prostate cancer. The present case illustrates the dangers of the current widespread practice of inappropriate diagnostic imaging of patients with low-risk prostate cancer.
The psychophysics of retrospective and prospective timing.

In two experiments, different groups of subjects heard four musical selections and then estimated the duration of each selection. Some groups made retrospective time estimates while others made prospective estimates. In both experiments, analyses of the psychophysical relation between perceived and actual duration showed that the slopes of straight-line fits were flatter and accounted for a smaller proportion of the variance under retrospective as compared with prospective conditions. In addition, in experiment 1, retrospective subjects were less accurate in rank ordering the selections from longest to shortest. There was also a serial-order effect, with selections estimated longer when they occurred early in the sequence. In experiment 2 the slopes decreased as the selections in a series became longer. Both retrospective and prospective estimates also exhibited a context effect, in that estimates of a given selection were influenced by the relative durations of the other three selections in the series. T...
Pharmacokinetics of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 in dialysis patients

Pharmacokinetics of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 in dialysis patients. Six maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), six continous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and six normal adults underwent pharmacokinetic studies of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Each subject received two separate subcutaneous injections of recombinant human IGF-1 (rhIGF-1) (50 or 100 µg/kg) in random order separated by 7 to 21 days. Two different responses were observed. With the 50 µg/kg dose, serum IGF-1 levels and the pharmacokinetic parameters were not different between the three groups. With the 100 µg/kg dose, peak serum IGF-1 concentrations were significantly greater in the MHD and CAPD patients than in normals. However, by 12 to 14 hours after injection, serum IGF-1 was not different in the three groups. Although the T max , area under the curve and serum clearance of IGF-1 were similar in the three groups, the half-life and volume of distribution of rhIGF-1 was significantly decreased in both MHD and CAPD patients. These data indicate that IGF-1 pharmacokinetics are abnormal in maintenance dialysis patients.
Regional Place and City Space: How Metropolitan Configurations Influence Central City Policy Responsiveness

The debate between proponents of metropolitan consolidation and polyarchic fragmentation poses many conflicting arguments, offers varied hypotheses, and reaches multiple conclusions about the effects of political structures and institutional arrangements on democratic governance. Despite varied and widespread attention to the topic, however, little resolution has been offered to appease either side. Additionally problematic is that implicit in both of these schools of research is the assumption that efficiency, whether achieved in fragmented or consolidated settings, is the prime preference of the citizenry. In this article, I specifically pursue the following research question: How do jurisdictional and metropolitan configurations influence the responsiveness of urban governments to public opinion? My findings illustrate that not only is considering the effect of metro place on city space a necessary and important pursuit, but a broader conceptualization of citizen preferences is of critical importance to scholars of urban politics, especially when assumptions about public opinion motivate choices about institutional sizes and structures.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Cultural Diversity and Special Education

Racial/ethnic diversity in the U.S. society became more pronounced over the past two decades. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2010) reported that between 1980 and 2008 Asians/Pa...
The minimum interval for confident spike sorting: A sequential decision method

This paper develops a method to determine the minimum duration interval which ensures that the process of “sorting” the extracellular action potentials recorded during that interval achieves a desired confidence level of accuracy. During the recording process, a sequential decision theory approach continually evaluates a variant of the likelihood ratio test using the model evidence of the sorting/clustering hypotheses. The test is compared against a threshold which encodes a desired confidence level on the accuracy of the subsequent clustering procedure. When the threshold is exceeded, the clustering model with the highest model evidence is accepted. We first develop a testing procedure for a single recording interval, and then extend the method to multi-interval recording by using both Bayesian priors from previous recording intervals and recently developed cluster tracking procedure. Lastly, a more advanced tracker is implemented and initials results are presented. This later procedure is useful for real time applications such as brain machine interfaces and autonomous recording electrodes. We test our theory on recordings from Macaque parietal cortex, showing that the method does reach the desired confidence level.
A discrete time model for detection of randomly presented stimuli

Considered in this paper is a discrete-time Markov decision process with unobservable states, which occurs in equipment checking, medical diagnosis, signal detection, and reaction time studies. The process is characterized by (i) a state S0 that at some unknown time t, which is determined probabilistically, turns into an absorbing state S1; (ii) observations that provide fallible information about the true state and which are taken sequentially to determine whether or not the change from S0 to S1 has occurred; and (iii) losses for a false alarm and for delays in detecting the change. A response model is proposed, prescribing a terminal decision as soon as the posterior probability that S1 obtains reaches or exceeds a fixed probability boundary. Predictions are derived concerning the probability of false alarm and several conditional distributions of the number of observations taken.
Mutations in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the rod cGMP-gated channel in autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa.

Abstract Mutations in the genes encoding two proteins of the retinal rod phototransduction cascade, opsin and the beta subunit of rod cGMP phosphodiesterase, cause retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in some families. Here we report defects in a third member of this biochemical pathway in still other patients with this disease. We screened 94 unrelated patients with autosomal dominant RP and 173 unrelated patients with autosomal recessive RP for mutations in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the rod cGMP-gated cation channel. Five mutant sequences cosegregated with disease among four unrelated families with autosomal recessive RP. Two of these were nonsense mutations early in the reading frame (Glu76End and Lys139End) and one was a deletion encompassing most if not all of the transcriptional unit; these three alleles would not be expected to encode a functional channel. The remaining two mutations were a missense mutation (Ser316Phe) and a frameshift [Arg654(1-bp del)] mutation truncating the last 32 aa in the C terminus. The latter two mutations were expressed in vitro and found to encode proteins that were predominantly retained inside the cell instead of being targeted to the plasma membrane. We conclude that the absence or paucity of functional cGMP-gated cation channels in the plasma membrane is deleterious to rod photoreceptors and is an uncommon cause of RP.
Resection and transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: factors influencing surgical options

ABSTRACT: The management of hepatocellular carcinoma within the Milan criteria and with well-compensated cirrhosis is a topic of debate. Recent surveillance programs in patients with hepatitis C and cirrhosis have allowed some patients to be diagnosed with early, potentially curable, disease via liver resection (LR), liver transplantation (LT) or liver ablation. LT has excellent outcomes with 5–year survival rates >70% for patients within the Milan criteria. However, its utilization is limited by increasing organ shortages. LR is also effective with 5–year survival outcomes between 50–70% and safe in light of advances in surgical technique, preresection optimization and patient selection. Patients with solitary tumors and well-preserved liver function are good candidates for LR, whereas LT is best reserved for patients with compromised liver function and multifocal disease. LT and LR should not be viewed as competing tools but as complementary tools in the current armamentarium to treat early hepatocellu...
Effects of Certain Herbicides and Their Combinations on Nitrate and Nitrite Reduction

A study was made concerning the effect of various herbicides, when used alone or in combination, on nitrite accumulation in excised leaves of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L., var. `Centurk9). Treatment of leaves with photosynthetic inhibitor herbicides, known to interfere with the transfer of light energy, caused accumulation of nitrite under illuminated, aerobic conditions. When certain other herbicides, which do not interfere with the photosynthetic process, were applied to leaves and incubated under dark, aerobic conditions, nitrite accumulations were enhanced over those treated with photosynthetic inhibitors or the controls. The combination of photosynthetic inhibitor herbicides and certain other “nonphotosynthetic inhibitor” herbicides caused relatively large amounts of nitrite to accumulate in light or in darkness. Nitrite accumulation occurs when nitrate and nitrite reduction are not in balance. The proposed actions of the herbicides used in this study are discussed. This discussion provides a rationale for the accumulation of nitrite by the herbicide-treated leaves.
Unwrapping the "Pojagi": Traditional Values and Changing Times in a Survey of Korean-American Juvenile Literature

This article discusses Korean–American juvenile literature published in the United States in the last century. Teachers and students are invited to discover the knowledge and the pleasure that this collection offers to them. Focusing on the traditional values and changing times in the Korean–American community, this article helps readers understand the dreams, the joy and the tenacity of Korean–American children and families. These books, portraying the fun times and the hard times of Korean–American young people, may also appeal to readers in the other parts of the world.
Generalist versus specialist care for acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract Early studies conflict regarding improved patient outcomes with cardiologist-directed care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We sought to assess the magnitude and mechanism of the influence of physician specialty on inpatient mortality for AMI. Using data from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council and elsewhere, we developed age-stratified logistic regression models of inpatient mortality, utilizing a split sample strategy for model development and validation. Referral bias and physician caseload were explicitly addressed. We analyzed 30,351 admissions for AMI. In patients
Role of bacterial mats in oxygen-deficient marine basins and coastal upwelling regimes: Preliminary report

Bacterial mats play an important role in the sedimentation history of many marine biogenic regimes. Observations of the living mats suggest that in shallow waters they are dominated by photosynthetic cyanobacteria, while in deeper waters the mats are dominated by nonphotosynthetic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Fossilized remains of analogous mat structures from the Miocene Monterey Formation are commonly associated with oil-producing and phosphate-rich zones. Preliminary observations suggest that bacterial mats may be a source of the organic matter that in time is thermally altered to hydrocarbons.
Screening for Hearing Loss in Adolescents

Three-hundred-forty-two adolescents between the ages of 10–20 years were administered an auditory screening protocol consisting of a: (a) noise history questionnaire, (b) otoscopic inspection, (c) ...
URBAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONFLICTS: MOBILIZATION AND STRUCTURATION

(1988). URBAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONFLICTS: MOBILIZATION AND STRUCTURATION. Urban Geography: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 416-428.
The Marijuana Check-up: promoting change in ambivalent marijuana users.

Aims To evaluate the efficacy of a two-session assessment and feedback intervention designed to reach and increase motivation for change in marijuana users who were experiencing negative consequences but were ambivalent about change. Design Random assignment to one of two types of feedback conditions or a delayed feedback control (DFC) with follow-up assessments at 7 weeks, 6 months and 12 months. Setting University of Washington research center in Seattle, Washington. Participants A total of 188 adult male and female marijuana users who responded to advertisements. Interventions A personalized feedback (PF) condition utilizing motivational interviewing was com- pared to an educational control condition labeled multi-media feedback (MMF). Measurements Marijuana use, dependence symptoms, other associated negative consequences and motivational constructs were assessed at all time-points. Findings PF participants reported fewer days of use per week, fewer periods of use per day and fewer dependence symptoms at 7 weeks than those in the MMF and DFC conditions. PF participants also reported fewer days of useperweekcomparedtoMMFparticipantsatthe12-monthfollow-upandfewerdependencesymptomsatboththe 6- and 12-month follow-ups compared to MMF participants. Conclusions The PF intervention, delivered in the context of a check-up, shows potential as a way of reaching and motivating change in marijuana users with a diagnosable disorder who otherwise are not ready to approach treatment. Ways of augmenting the modest absolute levels of change are discussed.
LC–MS–MS Determination of Sanguinarine and Chelerythrine Using a HILIC Column

A simple, rapid and sensitive LC–MS method utilizing electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI–MS–MS) has been developed to determine sanguinarine and chelerythrine in feed samples. Chromatographic separation was performed on a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column using acetonitrile–25 mM ammonium formate buffer pH 3.2 (80 + 20 v/v) as mobile phase. Under these LC conditions, the retention times of chelerythrine and sanguinarine were 3.9 and 4.2 min, respectively. The observed fragment ions were 317, 304 and 274 m/z for sanguinarine and 332, 304 and 290 m/z for chelerythrine. The lowest concentration of standard solution injected on column and detected by LC–MS–MS was 0.15 and 0.10 μg L−1 for sanguinarine and chelerythrine. The limits of detection and of quantification values in feed samples were 7.5 and 25 μg kg−1 for sanguinarine, 5 and 15 μg kg−1 for chelerythrine. The recovery of the method as well as the intra-day and inter-day precision were satisfactory.
Evaluating the In Situ Lateral Stress Coefficient (K0) of Soils via Paired Shear Wave Velocity Modes

AbstractThe utilization of shear wave velocities toward the evaluation of the in situ geostatic horizontal stress state in soils is validated, specifically the lateral stress coefficient K0. Field shear wave velocities from paired sets of different directional and polarization modes are compiled from 16 well-documented test sites involving a variety of geomaterials. Focus is particularly placed on shear wave velocities measured by downhole tests (VsVH), crosshole tests (VsHV), and special rotary-type crosshole tests (VsHH). At these sites, field K0 stress states have been quantified using one or more direct assessment techniques, including self-boring pressuremeter, total stress cells, and hydrofracture in field testing, as well as suction measurements, special consolidometers, and/or triaxial arrangements on undisturbed samples in the laboratory. Although the specific delineation of stress-induced versus inherent or fabric anisotropy may be difficult, it is shown that the ratio of horizontally polarized ...
Early adolescent alcohol abuse in rural northern Michigan

Data concerning several alcohol abuse behaviors were collected from 181 middle school students in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during May, 1982. The findings suggest that alcohol misuse in this region increases significantly with age, and appears to be at rates well above national averages. Examination of gender differences also reveals results which differ from national trends. This paper examines the general alcohol-related abusive behaviors found in this rural youth population, and provides some recommendations for both mental health education program development and therapeutic services.
Runoff and flocculation modify underwater light environment of the Hudson River Estuary

Abstract Spectral quality of underwater irradiance was measured in the Hudson River Estuary at ten stations, which ranged from Albany to Battery Park, Manhattan. Incoming light is attenuated by a large, fluctuating load of terrigenous sediments and by phytoplankton. Photic depth ranged from only 0·6 m in late winter to 4·3 m in summer. All but the yellow and red wavelengths are eliminated near the surface. Much of the suspended material flocculates and settles within a day or more of standing in the laboratory. Floc patterns were also observed in the estuary from the air. Light transmission improves during the summer interval in direct proportion to the size of the algal crop, as measured by chlorophyll concentration. Circumstantial evidence indicates a self-clearing system which is based on co-flocculation of algae with clays and fine silts. The study suggests that a clearer estuary is possible when inputs of algal nutrients and suspended solids are managed.
A Modified Counterconditioning Procedure Prevents the Renewal of Conditioned Fear in Rats.

Abstract Two studies using an ABA design examined the Extinction and renewal of conditioned barpress suppression. Following lights-off and foot shock pairings in Context A, rats were placed in Context B and were given either a standard counterconditioning procedure where the lights-off CS was paired with a novel food US delivered freely or a modified counterconditioning procedure where CS-US pairings only occurred if the rat earned the US by performing a required behavior during the CS. Results indicated that the modified counterconditioning procedure thwarted ABA renewal but the conventional counterconditioning procedure did not reduce ABA renewal any more than nonreinforced exposure to the CS alone. Furthermore, the response required during the modified counterconditioning procedure could be one used as a baseline response during Acquisition of fear or it could be a novel response. Implications of the results for theories of Extinction and renewal of fear are discussed.
Evidence that most radiation-induced HPRT mutants are generated directly by the initial radiation exposure.

Radiation-induced HPRT mutants are generally assumed to arise directly from DNA damage that is misrepaired within a few hours after X-irradiation. However, there is the possibility that mutations result indirectly from radiation-induced genomic instability that may occur several days after the initial radiation exposure. The protocols that commonly employ a 5-7 day expression period to allow for expression of the mutant phenotype prior to replating for selection of mutants would not be able to discriminate between mutants that occurred initially and those that arose during or after the expression period. To address this question, we performed a fluctuation analysis in which synchronous or asynchronous populations of human bladder carcinoma cells were treated with single doses of X-irradiation. For comparison, radiation was delivered during the expression period, either from an initial dose of 1.0 Gy followed by two 1.0 Gy doses separated by 24 h or from disintegrations resulting from I125dU incorporated into DNA. The mutation frequency observed at the time of replating was used to calculate the average number of mutants in the initial irradiated culture by assuming that the mutants were induced directly at the time of irradiation. Then, this average number was used to calculate the fraction of the irradiated cultures that would be predicted by a Poisson distribution to have zero mutants. There was reasonably good agreement between the predicted poisson distribution and the observed distribution for the cultures that received single doses. Moreover, as expected, when cultures were irradiated during the expression period, the fraction of the cultures having zero mutants was significantly less than that predicted by a Poisson distribution. These results indicate that most radiation-induced HPRT mutations are induced directly by the initial DNA damage, and are not the result of radiation-induced instability during the 5-7 day expression period.
MR imaging in clinically suspected brachial plexus tumor.

We performed MR studies on 47 patients who were suspected of having brachial plexus involvement with tumor. Twenty-two of these patients had signs and symptoms suggesting brachial plexus tumor; 25 had known tumors that were juxtaposed to the brachial plexus but that could easily extend into the brachial plexus. These patients had no signs or symptoms. Using a 1.5-T clinical imaging system, we obtained single echo (T1- and T2-weighted) or double-echo (intermediate-weighted and T2-weighted) images in the coronal plane and supplemented these by images in the axial or sagittal planes. MR imaging encompassed the entire brachial plexus including roots, trunks, and cords. The imager body coil and a variety of surface coils were used for signal reception. MR findings were confirmed by surgery (n = 12) or response to radiation therapy on follow-up imaging (n = 3) in cases in which there was tumor involving the brachial plexus and by surgery (n = 9) or follow-up (n = 23) in cases in which there was no brachial plex...
The role of seaweed complexity in structuring Hawaiian epiphytal amphipod communities

Among Hawaiian marine algal species with different morphologies, seaweed complexity (surface area to biomass ratio) is not a consistent predictor of epiphytal amphipod abundance or number of species. Some seaweed species with relatively high complexity supported low numbers of amphipod individuals and species. Hawaiian epiphytal amphipods are not generally seaweed specific to certain seaweeds, rather they are distributed among many species. The results of this study show that the relationships between complexity of algae and the distribution and abundance of amphipods are neither simple nor direct.
Picomole-scale characterization of protein stability and function by quantitative cysteine reactivity.

The Gibbs free energy difference between native and unfolded states (“stability”) is one of the fundamental characteristics of a protein. By exploiting the thermodynamic linkage between ligand binding and stability, interactions of a protein with small molecules, nucleic acids, or other proteins can be detected and quantified. Determination of protein stability can therefore provide a universal monitor of biochemical function. Yet, the use of stability measurements as a functional probe is underutilized, because such experiments traditionally require large amounts of protein and special instrumentation. Here we present the quantitative cysteine reactivity (QCR) technique to determine protein stabilities rapidly and accurately using only picomole quantities of material and readily accessible laboratory equipment. We demonstrate that QCR-derived stabilities can be used to measure ligand binding over a wide range of ligand concentrations and affinities. We anticipate that this technique will have broad applications in high-throughput protein engineering experiments and functional genomics.
Alzheimer’s disease and the blood–brain barrier: past, present and future

Successful prevention and treatment of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a high priority for industrialized societies where the incidence is growing rapidly. Much of the underlying biology leading to AD is unknown, and the more knowledge we gain the more we appreciate the complexities involved. Popular etiologic hypotheses have largely ignored the blood–brain barrier (BBB) as an important factor contributing to the pathologic hallmarks of this most common form of dementia. Evidence identifying BBB dysfunction in AD or patients at risk (i.e., those with mild cognitive impairment) continue to escalate. This review highlights methodological issues facing investigators assessing BBB integrity in living patients while also discussing whether the BBB dysfunction is a cause, effect or epiphenomenon in AD. Rationale for future research pursuits aimed at describing the role of BBB function in AD pathogenesis is also presented.
Reversible covalent modification of DNA

The reaction of bromomethylbenzoyl esters of choline and dimethylaminoethanol with DNA and model compounds led predominantly to phosphotriester formation. In model compounds the phosphotriester formation was verified by uv spectrometry. The bromomethylbenzoyl cationic esters reacted with DNA at room temperature at neutral pH values. The amount of the reagent chromophores was assessed semiquantitatively by spectrophotometry. The maximum binding appeared to be stoichiometric, i.e., one residue per phosphorus. The binding of one mole of reagent per phosphorus was confirmed by electron spectroscopic measurements of the phosphorus atom electron emission of maximally modified DNA. The modified DNA showed altered CD spectra indicating that the reagent chromophores are arranged in an orderly fashion affording a strong (Δϵ > 4), positive, apparently extrinsic CD band at ~240 nm; a double helical array is proposed. The introduced chromophores were readily removed by heat treatment or by treatment with nucleophiles at neutral pH values at moderate temperatures (<37 °C); no measurable fraction of the DNA became dialyzable. A decrease in viscosity accompanied the reversal, indicative of some chain breaking. The modified DNA's show higher Tm values than the native DNA and some display a higher and some a lower degree of cooperativity in their melting curves. No chemically detectable amounts of base alkylation, depurination, or depyrimidination were found when dialyzates of treated DNA and hydrolyzed samples of modified DNA were examined. However, presumptive evidence for some base alkylation by these novel alkylating agents was found utilizing Salmonella typhimurium tester strains sensitive to reversion by alkylation. No comparable binding of benzoylcholine, a nonalkylating analogue, by DNA was seen under conditions utilized here.
Cell-cycle regulation and cell-type specification in the developing Drosophila compound eye

During nervous system development stem cell daughters must exit the proliferative cycle to adopt specific neural and glial fates and they must do so in the correct positions. Cell proliferation in the central nervous system occurs in neuroepithelia such as the neural retina and the ventricular zones. As cells are assigned specific fates they migrate out of the plane of the epithelium to form higher layers. Recent evidence from the Drosophila compound eye suggests that a novel mode of Ras pathway regulation may be crucial in both cell-cycle exit and neural patterning: "MAP Kinase cytoplasmic hold".