cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a Total Worker Health® Intervention on Commercial Construction Sites.

This study evaluated the efficacy of an integrated Total Worker Health® program, "All the Right Moves", designed to target the conditions of work and workers' health behaviors through an ergonomics program combined with a worksite-based health promotion Health Week intervention. A matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted on ten worksites (five intervention (n = 324); five control sites (n = 283)). Worker surveys were collected at all sites pre- and post- exposure at one- and six-months. Linear and logistic regression models evaluated the effect of the intervention on pain and injury, dietary and physical activity behaviors, smoking, ergonomic practices, and work limitations. Worker focus groups and manager interviews supplemented the evaluation. After controlling for matched intervention and control pairs as well as covariates, at one-month following the ergonomics program we observed a significant improvement in ergonomic practices (B = 0.20, p = 0.002), and a reduction in incidences of pain and injury (OR = 0.58, p = 0.012) in the intervention group. At six months, we observed differences in favor of the intervention group for a reduction in physically demanding work (B = -0.25, p = 0.008), increased recreational physical activity (B = 35.2, p = 0.026) and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables (B = 0.87, p = 0.008). Process evaluation revealed barriers to intervention implementation fidelity and uptake, including a fissured multiemployer worksite, the itinerant nature of workers, competing production pressures, management support, and inclement weather. The All the Right Moves program had a positive impact at the individual level on the worksites with the program. For the longer term, the multi-organizational structure in the construction work environment needs to be considered to facilitate more upstream, long-term changes.
AN INCOHERENT RECEIVER FOR LOGARITHMIC WARPED FREQUENCY DOMAIN RULER WAVEFORMS

This paper studies an incoherent receiver for a new class of multicarrier waveforms utilizing frequencies spaced according to a Golomb ruler after a logarithmic warping of the frequency axis. This mapping preserves the Golomb ruler’s autocorrelation and gives the waveform Doppler detection capability. The receiver uses a running Chirp Z-Transform followed by squaring, frequency warping and matched filtering in the warped frequency domain to detect the incoming waveform. Noise and interference between the Doppler shifted warped frequency domain ruler elements are suppressed via a bank of bandpass filters. This paper gives an example of these waveforms, derives the optimal detector, illustrates its performance, and exhibits the receiver’s ambiguity function.
PCIT: Summary of 40 Years of Research

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a manualized behavioral parent training program developed by Dr. Sheila Eyberg in the 1970s. Since its development over 40 years ago, research on PCIT has followed Kazdin’s model for treatment development, progressing from a conceptualization of the problem area and proposed mechanisms of change, to a formalization of the intervention, to outcome studies, and ending with testing the boundary limits of the intervention. PCIT is now recognized as an evidence-based treatment for young children with disruptive behavior disorders and/or a history of harsh physical discipline and child physical abuse, with increasing evidence to support its use for children of diverse cultural backgrounds and with varied presenting concerns. The current chapter reviews 40 years of research on PCIT, beginning with a summary of effectiveness and efficacy trials using standard PCIT, followed by descriptions of adaptation and applications of PCIT for children of diverse backgrounds and with a variety of presenting concerns.
Isolation and Properties of Subunits of Bovine Pituitary Luteinizing Hormone

Abstract Subunits of bovine pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) have been isolated by countercurrent distribution, using a modification of the system employed by Papkoff and Samy (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 147, 175 (1967)) in studies on ovine LH. The subunit having a low partition coefficient was designated C-1, and that with a high partition coefficient, C-2. Gel filtration data indicated intact LH to have a Stokes radius of 2.76 mµ and a molecular weight of 29,258. Each subunit had a Stokes radius of 2.28 mµ and a molecular weight of 14,609. Diffusion coefficients and frictional ratios were also calculated. There were significant differences in chemical composition between the subunits. Subunit C-2 had 2.64 times as much proline and 3.19 times as much leucine as did C-1. The lysine to arginine ratio for C-1 was 3:1, while for C-2 it was 1:3. In addition, the ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic amino acids for subunit C-2 was practically double that found in C-1. No NH2-terminal amino acids could be found for either subunit, but the COOH-terminal amino acids appeared to be serine for C-1 and leucine for C-2, on the basis of carboxypeptidase A digestion and hydrazinolysis studies. Each subunit possessed definite biological and immunological activity. The biological activities of C-1 and C-2 were 30% and 3.9% of intact LH. The immunological activities of C-1 and C-2 were 24% and 2% of intact LH. It was possible to achieve a reassociation of the subunits by incubation in 0.01 m phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, for 16 hours at 40°. This reassociation could be demonstrated by gel filtration and biological measurements. The physical properties of the recombined C-1 plus C-2 subunit molecule were essentially identical with those of intact LH. When combined in a 1:1 ratio by weight, the biological potency of the recombined molecule was augmented 3.35 times over that predicted on the basis of individual subunit potencies. Immunological potencies of the recombined molecule were augmented 3.42 times over predicted values. When compared to intact LH, recovery of biological activity was 57% and immunological activity, 44%.
What Genetic Testing Teaches About Long-Term Predictive Health Analytics Regulation

The ever-growing phenomenon of predictive health analytics is generating significant excitement, hope for improved health outcomes, and potential for new revenues. Researchers are developing algorithms to predict suicide, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cognitive decline, future opioid abuse, and other ailments. The researchers include not only medical experts, but also commercial enterprises such as Facebook and LexisNexis, who may profit from the work considerably. This Article focuses on long-term disease predictions (predictions regarding future illnesses), which have received surprisingly little attention in the legal and ethical literature. It compares the robust academic and policy debates and legal interventions that followed the emergence of genetic testing to the relatively anemic reaction to predictions produced by artificial intelligence and other predictive methods. The paper argues that like genetic testing, predictive health analytics raise significant concerns about psychological harm, privacy breaches, discrimination, and the meaning and accuracy of predictions. Consequently, as alluring as the new predictive technologies are, they require careful consideration and thoughtful safeguards. These include changes to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and the Americans with Disabilities Act, careful oversight mechanisms, and self-regulation by health care providers. Ignoring the hazards of long-term predictive health analytics and failing to provide data subjects with appropriate rights and protections would be a grave mistake.
Development and treatment of two distinct pseudoaneurysms following transradial coronary catheterization in a patient with high bleeding risk: a case report

A pseudoaneurysm is a rare but serious complication after transradial coronary catheterization. Although different treatment modalities have been proposed to treat post-catheterization pseudoaneurysm, only limited data are available to guide the treatment approach. We report a rare case of two distinct pseudoaneurysms complicating transradial percutaneous coronary intervention in a 75-year-old Hispanic woman being treated with dual antiplatelet agents for myocardial infarction and warfarin for atrial fibrillation. The pseudoaneurysms were diagnosed with ultrasound and were successfully treated with a series of Terumo Corporation (TR) band compressions. This case demonstrates the efficacy of compression therapy in managing post-catheterization radial artery pseudoaneurysm in patients with high bleeding risk.
Electrically Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are intrinsically porous extended solids formed by coordination bonding between organic ligands and metal ions or clusters. High electrical conductivity is rare in M...
Can Crystal Oscillators Keep Time Without Power

Accurate timekeeping is a critical challenge for many intermittently-powered computing devices. Current approaches to keeping time across power failures provide either limited resolution or require additional hardware. We would like to introduce one more. Many devices already use a crystal oscillator for accurate timing when powered. In this poster, we explore whether we can use the off-the-shelf oscillators we're already using to keep time even when we don't have power. We present early-stage experimental results, using the oscillator's stabilization time to approximate power outage times. We will also discuss the strengths, weaknesses, likely applications, and future directions of this work.
Incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease within the Vaccine Safety Datalink network and evaluation of association with rotavirus vaccination

Abstract Background Recent studies have reported an increase in Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence in young children, highlighting the need to better understand risk factors for the development of IBD. Licensed for use in infants in 2006, the oral, live-attenuated rotavirus vaccine has biologic plausibility for instigating inflammation of the gut mucosa as a pathway to immune dysregulation. Methods Over a ten-year period, we evaluated incidence of IBD within a cohort of children under the age of ten, enrolled in seven integrated healthcare delivery systems. We conducted a nested case-control study to evaluate the association between rotavirus vaccination and IBD using conditional logistic regression. Cases were confirmed via medical record review and matched to non-IBD controls on date of birth, sex, and study site. Results Among 2.4 million children under the age of 10 years, 333 cases of IBD were identified with onset between 2007 and 2016. The crude incidence of IBD increased slightly over the study period (p-value for trend = 0.046). Of the 333 cases, 227 (68%) were born prior to 2007. Forty-two cases born in 2007 or later, with continuous enrollment since birth were included in the case-control study and matched to 210 controls. The adjusted odds ratio for any rotavirus vaccination in IBD cases, compared to matched controls, was 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.19–2.65). Conclusions Data from this large pediatric cohort demonstrate a small overall increase in IBD incidence in young children over a ten-year period. The data suggest that rotavirus vaccination is not associated with development of IBD.
β-catenin links cell seeding density to global gene expression during mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation

Abstract While cell density is known to affect numerous biological processes including gene expression and cell fate specification, mechanistic understanding of what factors link cell density to global gene regulation is lacking. Here, we reveal that the expression of thousands of genes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is affected by cell seeding density and that low cell density enhances the efficiency of differentiation. Mechanistically, β-catenin is localized primarily to adherens junctions during both self-renewal and differentiation at high density. However, when mESCs differentiate at low density, β-catenin translocates to the nucleus and associates with Tcf7l1, inducing co-occupied lineage markers. Meanwhile, Esrrb sustains the expression of pluripotency-associated genes while repressing lineage markers at high density, and its association with DNA decreases at low density. Our results provide new insights into the previously neglected but pervasive phenomenon of density-dependent gene regulation.
SU‐E‐T‐96: An Analysis of VMAT SBRT Lung Treatment Plans

Purpose: To present an analysis of 218 lung sbrt treatment plans delivered using Varian Eclipse RapidArc software and delivered with Varian linear accelerators. Methods: A retrospective analysis of treatment plans generated using the Varian Eclipse PRO RapidArc VMAT optimization and AAA photon beam calculation algorithms was done for 218 plans delivered using Varian Trilogy and TrueBeam linear accelerators. Some of the patients were enrolled in the RTOG 0813 and RTOG 0915 lung protocols. All of the patients’ plans were optimized using the guidelines outlined by these protocols. The plans presented were normalized so that 95% of the PTV volume received 100% of the prescribed dose. Results: The dose co formality constraints from the RTOG protocols and the number of plans within those constraints were:Tumor dose between 60% of maximum dose and 90% of maximum: 218/218 = 100%.Volume of 105% tumor dose outside put less than 15% of the PTV volume: 218/218 = 100%.Maximum dose 2 cm away from PTV within protocol table guidelines: No minor deviation: 188/218 = 86.2%. No major deviation: 216/218 = 99.1%.Ratio of 50% dose volume to PTV volume less than R50 in protocol table: No minor deviation 148/218 = 67.9%. No major deviation: 213/218 = 97.7%.Percent of lung receiving 20 Gy less than 10% (no minor violation): 218/218 = 100%.99% of PTV receiving at least 90% of the tumor dose: 214/218 = 98.2%. Conclusion: Varian RapidArc VMAT can successfully deliver lung SBRT treatments as outlined in the RTOG 0813 and 0915 protocols. The largest deviations were seen in the R50 constraints for the larger PTV volumes.
Risk factors and outcome of hospital-acquired acute renal failure: Clinical Epidemiologic Study

In order to evaluate potential risk factors for the development of hospital-acquired acute renal failure, a case-control study was performed, comparing patients with hospital-acquired acute renal failure with control subjects matched on age, sex, hospital, service of admission, and baseline renal function. The same patients were then reanalyzed utilizing a cohort study design to investigate outcomes from this syndrome. The following elevated odds ratios (95 percent confidence interval) were found while simultaneously adjusting for possible confounding variables using logistic regression: volume depletion, 9.4 (2.1 to 42.8); aminoglycoside use, 5.6 (1.3 to 23.7); congestive heart failure 9.0 (2.1 to 38.9); radiocontrast exposure, 4.9 (1.2 to 19.7); and septic shock, approached infinity, p less than 0.0001. The effect of volume depletion was markedly accentuated in those with diabetes (odds ratio = 1.9) (p less than 0.05). The risk from aminoglycoside use markedly increased with increasing age (p less than 0.002). Finally, the development of hospital-acquired acute renal failure was associated with a marked increase in the risk of dying--the relative risk (95 percent confidence interval) was 6.2 (2.6 to 14.9)--and a marked increase in length of stay, from a median of 13 days in control subjects to a median of 23 days in case subjects (p = 0.005). In conclusion, hospital-acquired acute renal failure is a serious illness. Attempts to prevent it should focus on proved risk factors.
The Subject of the King and a Mercantile Ideology in Early Modern Spain

Abstract This article proposes an interpretation of Lope de Vega's El Brasil Restituido (1625) that points to the political, military, and economic crises of Spain in Europe as the underlying themes of the representation of the retaking of the Brazilian colony of Bahia from the Dutch. The Spanish monarchy faced a major challenge to its European supremacy during the first two decades of the seventeenth century. Not only was its military power being frontally contested at different sites of Europe, but its political and economic influence was rapidly deteriorating as well. One of the goals of the Count-Duke of Olivares, the powerful prime minister of Phillip IV, was to regain European leadership by mobilizing the mercantile segments of Spain. The play illustrates the confluence of two ideological systems during the transformation of Spanish feudal society. On the one hand, the dominant ideology of blood purity legitimizes the seigniorial structure of lineage; on the other hand, the representation of a new m...
NTWO—A Nitrogen-Properties Package

Cryogenic nitrogen is inert, inexpensive, and generally available in large quanti­ties at many research centers. It is used for cooling equipment, heating or cooling other fluids, as a modeling fluid, and in many cases as the primary test fluid in a heat-transfer and fluid-dynamics research, ntwo is a Fortran iv family of subroutines which was developed on a 7094–7044 DCS machine to determine the thermodynamic and transport properties of nitrogen, and to be used in conjunction with other research programs. The ntwo property package is subdivided into subroutines and functions for computing the individual properties. The individual subroutines may be used independently of subroutine ntwo if the user’s requirements are of a more restricted nature (say, memory- or time-limited). A descriptive breakdown of all the functions and subroutines used by the master subroutine will be given elsewhere [1].
Post-Main Sequence Evolution of Binary Am Stars

Similar post-main sequence evolution is suspected for most binary Am systems, based on orbits and masses of a well-studied sample. More than 2/3 of these stars should begin Roche lobe overflow before the onset of helium burning. It is suggested that Roche lobe overflow, followed by mass loss via a stellar wind from the evolving primary, can lead to the formation of a more widely-separated system comprised of a white dwarf and a main sequence/evolved companion. A simple dynamical model demonstrates how many barium star orbital characteristics might result from Am binary evolution.
Cloning, characterization, and expression in Escherichia coli of the genes encoding the cytochrome d oxidase complex from Azotobacter vinelandii.

Abstract Azotobacter vinelandii is a free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterium that has one of the highest respiratory rates of all aerobic organisms. Based on various physiological studies, a d-type cytochrome has been postulated to be the terminal oxidase of a vigorously respiring but apparently uncoupled branch of the electron transport system in the membranes of this organism. We cloned and characterized the structural genes of the two subunits of this oxidase. The deduced amino acid sequences of both subunits of the A. vinelandii oxidase have extensive regions of homology with those of the two subunits of the Escherichia coli cytochrome d complex. Most notably, the histidine residues proposed to be the axial ligands for the b hemes of the E. coli oxidase and an 11-amino-acid stretch proposed to be part of the ubiquinone binding site are all conserved in subunit I of the A. vinelandii oxidase. The A. vinelandii cytochrome d was expressed in a spectrally and functionally active form in the membranes of E. coli, under the control of the lac or tac promoter. The spectral features of the A. vinelandii cytochrome d expressed in E. coli are very similar to those of the E. coli cytochrome d. The expressed oxidase was active as a quinol oxidase and could reconstitute an NADH to oxygen electron transport chain.
Marketing car love in an age of fear: an anthropological approach to the emotional life of a world of automobiles

The emotional life of car drivers and passengers in the United States is complex, with car marketing and a wider car system of infrastructure, regulation, risk, and profit shaping those affects. Based on anthropological research with drivers, buyers, marketers, and emergency personnel, this paper outlines a political economy of automobile affect in the United States. It focuses on the emotional encapsulation and individualism that car culture encourages, the remaking of the car interior as a highly emotional marketing and political space, and the fear of crime and crashes that car marketing both elides and banks on.
Failure to induce a DNA repair gene, RAD54, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not affect DNA repair or recombination phenotypes

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD54 gene is transcriptionally regulated by a broad spectrum of DNA-damaging agents. Induction of RAD54 by DNA-damaging agents is under positive control. Sequences responsible for DNA damage induction (the DRS element) lie within a 29-base-pair region from -99 to -70 from the most proximal transcription start site. This inducible promoter element is functionally separable from a poly(dA-dT) region immediately downstream which is required for constitutive expression. Deletions which eliminate induction of RAD54 transcription by DNA damage but do not affect constitutive expression have no effect on growth or survival of noninducible strains relative to wild-type strains in the presence of DNA-damaging agents. The DRS element is also not required for homothallic mating type switching, transcriptional induction of RAD54 during meiosis, meiotic recombination, or spontaneous or X-ray-induced mitotic recombination. We find no phenotype for a lack of induction of RAD54 message via the damage-inducible DRS, which raises significant questions about the physiology of DNA damage induction in S. cerevisiae.
Protecting your company with a comprehensive code of ethics

The SEC and others have begun a crackdown on unethical corporate behavior. To protect your company, it's time to think about setting up a comprehensive code of ethics. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Social Actor Conception of Organizational Identity and Its Implications for the Study of Organizational Reputation

The objective of this article is to clarify the conceptual domains of organizational identity, image, and reputation. To initiate this theory development process, we present a “social actor” conception of organizational identity. Identity-congruent definitions of image and reputation are then specified and an integrated model proposed. With the aid of this model, a structural flawin the organizational reputation literature is identified and suitable remedies proposed. In addition, the authors explore the implications of invoking identity and identification in explanations and justifications of organizational reputation.
Spectral theory and stability in astrophysics. I: Ideal magnetohydrodynamics

This paper is part I of a limited review of the applications of the spectral theory of linear operators in an astrophysical context. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations arise in the study of magnetic flux tubes in the solar corona, and in the plasma physics of nuclear containment devices. The system described by these equations is very rich both mathematically and physically, and there are many open problems associated with these models. The underlying mathematical principles are discussed in a qualitative manner in Paper I, and in a more technical manner in subsequent Paper II.
The effects of hormone replacement therapy, lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and other factors on a clock drawing task in older women.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations of a clock drawing task with hormone replacement therapy and other factors in older women. DESIGN: Group comparisons. SETTING: Leisure World Laguna Hills, a retirement community in southern California. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred ninety-two postmenopausal women who were analyzed for lipoprotein levels in 1987–88 were contacted by postal survey, which included a clock drawing task, in 1992; 168 women who drew normal clocks were compared with 46 who drew abnormal or blank clocks. MEASUREMENTS: Clock drawings; lipoprotein cholesterol levels; serum progesterone, estrone, estradiol, and steroid hormone binding globin levels; self-reported data on smoking, alcohol intake, prior medical diagnoses, and use of certain medications including hormone replacement therapy and analgesics. RESULTS: Women with normal clocks had significantly lower total cholesterol (P = .01), LDL cholesterol (P = .03), and serum progesterone levels (P = .03). They weighed, on average, 5 more pounds at the time of last menstrual period (P = .05), were more likely to use combined hormonal replacement therapy (P = .06), and were less likely to use acetaminophen daily (P = .02) than women with abnormal clocks. Serum estrone and estradiol levels did not differ significantly between women with normal and abnormal clocks. CONCLUSION: The associations found here suggest that high serum cholesterol and progesterone levels might have a negative effect on clock drawing performance. Acetaminophen may also be related to worse performance on this task.
Recommendations for management of cystic thyroid disease.

Abstract Background: Thyroidectomy has been advocated for cystic nodules that recur after 2 fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) because of concern for malignancy. Methods: A review of patients with nodular thyroid disease was completed to determine the frequency of cystic nodules, significance of the color and volume of aspirated fluid, frequency and factors predictive of cyst resolution, and incidence of carcinoma in cystic nodules. Results: Thyroid nodules were cystic in 70 (18%) of 389 patients. FNAB was diagnostic in 50 (71%) patients with no false-negative results. Cyst resolution occurred in 10 (14%) patients. The mean volume of fluid aspirated from cysts that resolved was 14 ± 12 mL compared with 8 ± 18 mL from recurrent cysts (P > .05). Thyroidectomy was performed in 28 (40%) patients because of an abnormal or persistently nondiagnostic FNAB or compressive symptoms. Six patients (8.6%) had cancer, with a mean nodule size of 3.8 ± 2.3 cm compared with 3.7 ± 2.6 cm in patients with benign cysts (P > .05). Hemorrhagic fluid was aspirated in 4 patients with and 36 without cancer (P > .05). Conclusions: FNAB of cystic thyroid nodules is rarely therapeutic and is a common cause of nondiagnostic rather than false-negative results. Recommendations for thyroidectomy should be based on FNAB rather than on size, fluid color, or failure of cyst resolution alone. (Surgery 1999;126:1167-72.)
Rimcazole (BW 234 U) and regional monoamine concentrations in mouse brain.

Rimcazole (BW 234 U), a novel agent with antipsychotic potential, was administered i.p. (50 mg/kg) to adult male ICR mice 30 minutes before brain removal. Regional HPLC analysis of central monoamine levels showed no change in the DOPAC/DA ratio for any tissue as compared with values obtained from control saline treated animals. However, the MHPG/NE ratio was increased in the septum, striatum, hypothalamus and thalamus and there was a reciprocal decrease in the 5HIAA/5HT ratio in the septum. The data are consistent with a known lack of rimcazole affinity for dopamine receptors and indicate the involvement of alternate neurotransmitter systems in the actions of this drug.
The growing of 5 kg single crystals of germanium

Consideration of the factors involved in the efficient production of semiconductor devices reveals the desirability of growing large single crystals of germanium. The technical specification for the material demands that this shall not be achieved at the expense of quality, i.e. the germanium must be of the correct resistivity, lifetime and dislocation density. The realization of the potential advantages has involved the solution of a range of problems.In pulling large crystals the growth must be precisely controlled to give the level interface conditions and thermal gradients associated with good crystal perfection and uniform transverse properties.A high-vacuum radiation-heated furnace is used in which the heaterbaffle assembly is fabricated from high-purity graphite, silica and molybdenum. In this assembly the mechanical construction, the heater and the disposition of the baffle system need careful design to obtain the necessary high-temperature rigidity and the correct heat field over the area involved. (The Crucible internal diameter is 150 mm.) Both stationary and rotating crucible systems have been successfully used, the rotating type having several advantages.Melt preparation demands a high standard of chemical cleanliness, and this is more difficult to attain with large quantities than with small quantities of material. A technique has been developed based on a potassium-hydroxide/hydrogen-peroxide etch which is both safe and completely satisfactory chemically.
Nonresolving Fibrotic Disorders: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis as a Paradigm of Impaired Tissue Regeneration

The pathogenesis idiopathic pulmonary of fibrosis and related fibrosis lung disorders are complex and poorly understood. This likely involves cellular mechanisms that result in loss of cellular homeostasis leading to aberrant alveolar wall remodeling through the excessive deposition of connective tissue matrices. Impaired tissue regeneration and dysregulation of cell death in lung fibroblasts and epithelial cells appear to be important in the initiation and progression of these disorders. This review summarizes current understanding in this area to stimulate research into the development of novel therapeutic strategies that prevent, halt or reverse the progression of lung fibrosis.
Sessile serrated adenomas strongly predispose to synchronous serrated polyps in non-syndromic patients.

Pai R K, Hart J & Noffsinger A E (2010) Histopathology56, 581–588 Sessile serrated adenomas strongly predispose to synchronous serrated polyps in non-syndromic patients Aims: To determine the prevalence of various colonic polyps removed during a recent 8-month period; to determine the interobserver agreement in the diagnosis of serrated polyps; and to determine if harbouring a sessile serrated adenoma (SSA) predisposes to the presence of synchronous polyps with similar histology. Methods and results: All polyps resected during an 8-month period at a single tertiary medical centre were analysed. We also analysed all polyps in patients with an SSA or SSA with dysplasia since 2003. SSAs accounted for 4.3% of colonic polyps removed during an 8-month period. A review of 276 serrated polyps by two pathologists revealed good interobserver agreement (κ = 0.66). Patients with one SSA were more likely to harbour additional serrated polyps. After removal of the index SSA, 18% of their remaining polyps were SSAs, SSAs with dysplasia, and traditional serrated adenomas, contrasting with the ∼5% prevalence of these polyps in the control population. The hyperplastic polyps in the study population were also twice as likely to occur proximal to the splenic flexure. Conclusions: These data indicate that there is a strong colonic mucosal field defect in patients with sporadic SSAs that predispose them to develop additional serrated polyps.
A Critical Perspective of Leadership Vision: Its Source and Influence Upon the Educational Reform Movement

Socialization tends to make school administrators protectors of order and the status quo. Leadership for reform requires a "vision"J and philosophy.
Estimation of the Parameters of the Birnbaum–Saunders Distribution

Some alternative estimators to the maximum likelihood estimators of the two parameters of the Birnbaum–Saunders distribution are proposed. Most have high efficiencies as measured by root mean square error and are robust to departure from the model as well as to outliers. In addition, the proposed estimators are easy to compute. Both complete and right-censored data are discussed. Simulation studies are provided to compare the performance of the estimators.
Reactivity of rheumatoid factor with autologous IgG antibodies

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and normal subjects were immunized with sheep cell stromata. The isolated rheumatoid factor (RF) from 6 patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed reactivity with autologous IgG anti-sheep cell antibody coated onto sheep erythrocytes, whereas the whole serum failed to agglutinate antibody coated cells. The Gm type of the antibody, denaturation, and antigen-antibody complex formation could be excluded as factors leading to autoreactivity. Inhibition studies suggested that RF has a greater affinity for autologous native IgG than for isologous IgG.
Reporting and Interpreting Research in PSPB: Practices, Principles, and Pragmatics

This article is designed to provide psychologists who publish articles in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB) with a set of basic issues to consider when reporting their analyses and results. We first assessed the current reporting practices of social and personality psychologists by conducting an analysis of PSPB articles published in the first half of 2007. We evaluated the completeness of these reports with respect to the level of detail in both the Method and Results sections. We then used this information to develop recommendations that we hope will enhance the reporting of quantitative research in social and personality psychology. These suggestions emphasize ways to increase transparency in research reports. Transparency facilitates replication and a critical evaluation of research, thereby promoting scientific progress.
A TEST OF THE EASTERBROOK HYPOTHESIS REGARDING DIVIDEND PAYMENTS AND AGENCY COSTS

Easterbrook (1984) argues that dividend payments may be an ambiguous signal unless the market can distinguish growing firms from disinvesting firms. Shares of growing firms that announce both financing and dividend increases are predicted to rise more in value than shares of firms announcing a dividend increase alone. We examine the relation between prior financing activity and the market response to initial dividends and find evidence consistent with the Easterbrook agency cost model.
The Influence of Coach Expectations on Athlete Development

There are millions of coaches serving athletes from the youth to the professional levels. Regardless of competitive level, a major goal of all coaches is athlete development. Expectancy theory is one method utilized to examine this coach-athlete dynamic. Three lines of research provide results that can maximize player development. One, the sources of information coaches use to evaluate athlete ability are identified. Two, differential patterns of treatment have emerged which demonstrate that athletes deemed high expectancy are afforded better quality feedback than their low expectancy teammates. Three, coaches are inflexible in their perceptions of athlete ability. Based on these findings, practical strategies for coaches are offered.
Proopiomelanocortin Messenger RNA is Decreased in the Mediobasal Hypothalamus of Rats Made Dependent on Ethanol

It is thought that certain actions of ethanol involve an interaction with endogenous opioids, including proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides such as beta-endorphin. To examine this possibility, we used a sensitive and specific assay for proopiomelanocortin mRNA to obtain an estimate of the activity of the endorphinergic system in the mediobasal hypothalamus and the pituitary of rats exposed for 10 days in an inhalation chamber to either ethanol or water. This protocol causes dependence in the ethanol-exposed group, as demonstrated by the presence of withdrawal seizures after cessation of treatment. While ethanol treatment did not affect proopiomelanocortin mRNA levels in the pituitary, the level in hypothalamus was significantly lower in the ethanol-treated animals than in controls. These results suggest that some effect of ethanol may involve the hypothalamic endorphinergic system.
A heterosocial skills behavior checklist for males

Social skills necessary to function heterosexually (heterosocial skills) include at least three overlapping categories of social behavior: initiating a heterosocial relationship, initiating sexual beahvior, and maintaing the heteroscoial relationship over a period of time. The purpose of this experiment was to pinpoint social behaviors important in initiating a heterosocial relationship in males. Ten white and ten black high school and college males, judged socially attractive by a panel of popular females in their schools, were videotaped interacting with female research assistants. Ten patients with sexually variant behaviors who reported and were judged to be heterosocially inadequate were also videotaped interacting with a female. Behaviors in three categories, form of conversation, affect, and voice, significantly discriminated the adequate from inadequate males. The relationship of these data to general social skills training and the importance of investigating other aspects of heterosocial behavior are discussed.
A clinical decision rule in the evaluation of acute knee injuries

Abstract We constructed a clinical decision rule to optimize the use of radiography in patients with acute knee injuries. A prospective observational study at a university hospital ED was conducted over 10 months. Patients 15 years of age and older with acute knee injuries who underwent radiography were included. Patients were excluded if they were intoxicated, had distracting injuries, previous knee surgery, or open wounds. A standardized closed question data collection instrument that recorded 12 historical and 26 physical examination criteria was used. Radiographs were interpreted by two radiologists blinded to each other's diagnosis. The main outcome parameter was the presence or absence of a fracture. We identified 18 fractures in 213 patients (8%). Patients with fractures were more likely to have severe joint line tenderness, severe localized swelling, an effusion, ecchymosis, flexion In conclusion, a clinical decision rule for knee radiography that requires the presence of either an inability to bear weight, an effusion, or an ecchymosis was shown to reduce the need for radiography by 39% while still identifying all fractures. Prospective validation of this model is required.
Modulation of tyramine signaling by osmolality in an insect secretory epithelium.

The control of water balance in multicellular organisms depends on absorptive and secretory processes across epithelia. This study concerns the effects of osmolality on the function of the Malpighian tubules (MTs), a major component of the insect excretory system. Previous work has shown that the biogenic amine tyramine increases transepithelial chloride conductance and urine secretion in Drosophila MTs. This study demonstrates that the response of MTs to tyramine, as measured by the depolarization of the transepithelial potential (TEP), is modulated by the osmolality of the surrounding medium. An increase in osmolality caused decreased tyramine sensitivity, whereas a decrease in osmolality resulted in increased tyramine sensitivity; changes in osmolality of ±20% resulted in a nearly 10-fold modulation of the response to 10 nM tyramine. The activity of another diuretic agent, leucokinin, was similarly sensitive to osmolality, suggesting that the modulation occurs downstream of the tyramine receptor. In response to continuous tyramine signaling, as likely occurs in vivo, the TEP oscillates, and an increase in osmolality lengthened the period of these oscillations. Increased osmolality also caused a decrease in the rate of urine production; this decrease was attenuated by the tyraminergic antagonist yohimbine. A model is proposed in which this modulation of tyramine signaling enhances the conservation of body water during dehydration stress. The modulation of ligand signaling is a novel effect of osmolality and may be a widespread mechanism through which epithelia respond to changes in their environment.
The age of the earth controversy: Beginnings to Hutton

Summary Speculation concerning the age of the earth begins with civilisation itself. The creation myths of ancient Egypt and other early cultures were soon expanded into elaborate cosmologies by Indian, Persian and Greek philosophers. Jewish and, more insistently, Christian scholars long believed that the Bible provided an exact chronology beginning with the Creation (and even foretelling the world's end). Such truncated apocalyptic chronologies were opposed first by Aristotelian advocates of an eternal earth and then by deistic freethinkers who regarded the earth's age as indefinite but immense. As textual scholarship cast doubt upon the literal reliability of Genesis, alternative chronologies arose which depended increasingly upon geological evidence. James Hutton's assertions about the earth's age reflect his awareness of this broader context and define his own important contribution to it.
Stereoscopic applications for design visualization

Advances in display technology and 3D design visualization applications have made real-time stereoscopic visualization of architectural and engineering projects a reality. Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB) is a transportation consulting firm that has used digital visualization tools from their inception and has helped pioneer the application of those tools to large scale infrastructure projects. PB is one of the first Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) firms to implement a CAVE- an immersive presentation environment that includes stereoscopic rear-projection capability. The firm also employs a portable stereoscopic front-projection system, and shutter-glass systems for smaller groups. PB is using commercial real-time 3D applications in combination with traditional 3D modeling programs to visualize and present large AEC projects to planners, clients and decision makers in stereo. These presentations create more immersive and spatially realistic presentations of the proposed designs. This paper will present the basic display tools and applications, and the 3D modeling techniques PB is using to produce interactive stereoscopic content. The paper will discuss several architectural and engineering design visualizations we have produced.
Functional recognition of the neuronal tyrosine hydroxylase cAMP regulatory element in different cell types.

Abstract Transient transfection of pLB 2 CAT constructs bearing short synthetic oligonucleotides derived either from the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter or other sources was used to examine functional cAMP regulatory element (CRE) activity in a variety of cell lines. The region containing only the putative TH CRE was found to be as or more effective in conferring cAMP responsiveness onto pLB 2 CAT (which employs the TK promoter) than the immediate 272 bp region of the TH promoter. Increases in CAT activity of 10- to 20-fold were observed in JEG-3 cells with a single insert of the TH CRE region (−31 to −54) in pLB 2 CAT, and the presence of a second insert generated only a modest further increase. This construct also responded to cAMP in 4 other cell lines tested but the degree of increase was less dramatic. Inserts containing the consensus 8 bp CRE motif embedded in other natural or artificial contexts served generally as weak functional CREs in all cell lines tested. In vitro analysis revealed that a specific protein-DNA complex apparently containing a single protein with a MW of 45–50 kDa was formed equally well with JEG-3 cell nuclear extract and CRE-bearing-TH and other fragments which produced dramatically different cAMP effects in vivo. These results suggest specificity in the effects of cAMP on different CREs which are dictated by contextual differences.
Theory of electron and hole impact ionization in quantum well and staircase superlattice avalanche photodiode structures

An ensemble many particle Monte Carlo simulation of both electron and hole impact ionization superlattice avalanche photodiodes is presented. The effects of the well depth, width, and applied electric field are analyzed for both the electrons and holes in the quantum well structure. The results are consistent with the current theory of impact ionization first proposed by Shichijo and Hess. It is found that the ratio of the electron to hole impact ionization rates is roughly two orders of magnitude in the staircase APD while α/β is enhanced by one order of magnitude in the quantum well device.
Multiple origins of advanced eusociality in bees inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Abstract The remarkably high level of colony organization found in the honey bees and stingless bees (family Apidae) is extremely rare among animals. Yet there is controversy over whether these two groups independently evolved advanced eusocial behavior or inherited it from a common ancestor. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence information from the mitochondrial genome (large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene) of representative apid bees suggest that advanced eusocial behavior evolved twice independently within this assemblage. These results depart from previous hypotheses of apid relationships by indicating a close phylogenetic relationship between the primitively eusocial bumble bees and the stingless bees.
Fitting straight lines to poor quality (Χ,y ) data

Estimating model parameters from poor quality data is an unfortunately common problem in practice. Point estimation procedures like least squares will yield numbers, but their utility as parameter estimates may be highly questionable. If worst-case error limits can be obtained, estimated, or crudely guessed for the available data, set-theoretic (''unknown-but-bounded'') parameter estimation strategies can be used to estimate explicit model parameter bounds. To illustrate the quality of inferences that may be drawn from very poor data (e.g., uncertainties of 100% or more), explicit geometric solutions are developed for the set-theoretic estimation of slope and intercept parameters for linear models of (@g,y) data with arbitrarily large uncertainties in either @g or y or both. This problem is first solved for a single pair of uncertain data points to obtain bounding sets for the slope and intercept parameters of all lines passing through these two regions. These results may be extended to an arbitrary collection of N data points by intersecting the two-point bounding sets obtained for all possible point pairs. In practice, the O(N^2) complexity of this approach is frequently impractical, so intersections over smaller sets of pairings must be used. This paper addresses these issues, presenting the details necessary to obtain worst-case parameter estimates from arbitrarily uncertain data for the problem of fitting (@g,y) measurements to straight lines. One of the interesting results is that parameter estimate sets obtained from highly uncertain data may not be connected, extending the observation of Gay that the solution sets for interval linear equations may be nonconvex.
Social class and arts consumption

The last decade has witnessed a burgeoning of American high culture. The number of museums and theaters has increased, the number of orchestras, opera companies, and dance companies has skyrocketed, and attendance at all of them is up.1 Ironically, however, the upsurge in public enthusiasm has been accompanied by financial tension. Earnings from admission and ticket prices have risen far less quickly than expenses, traditional patrons have been unable or unwilling to bridge the gap, and inherently labor-intensive production systems, inflation, energy costs, urban fiscal crises, and constraints on ticket and admission fees promise to make the situation worse.2 The effect of this fiscal malaise has been to involve the government federal, state, and municipal in American high culture to a degree unprecedented in this country. In twelve years the National Endowment for the Arts' budget has grown from $3 million to $96 million, the number of state arts agencies has increased from 18 to 55, and the number of local arts councils has expanded from 175 to 900.3