cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The spectral minimum for random displacement models

Consider a one-dimensional Schrodinger operator with potential V given as follows: Fix a single-site potential f which is supported in an interval of length less than 1. Construct V by placing a translate of f into each unit interval [n,n + 1] for an integer n, where otherwise the positions of each translate are arbitrary. Which configuration of single sites minimizes the spectral minimum of the Schrodinger operator with potential V? This question is equivalent to finding the spectral minimum of the random displacement model. We conjecture that the minimum is realized through pair formation of the single sites. We provide a partial proof of this conjecture and additional numerical evidence for its correctness.
Slow transport of unpolymerized tubulin and polymerized neurofilament in the squid giant axon

A major issue in the slow transport of cytoskeletal proteins is the form in which they are transported. We have investigated the possibility that unpolymerized as well as polymerized cytoskeletal proteins can be actively transported in axons. We report the active transport of highly diffusible tubulin oligomers, as well as transport of the less diffusible neurofilament polymers. After injection into the squid giant axon, tubulin was transported in an anterograde direction at an average rate of 2.3 mm/day, whereas neurofilament was moved at 1.1 mm/day. Addition of the metabolic poisons cyanide or dinitrophenol reduced the active transport of both proteins to less than 10% of control values, whereas disruption of microtubules by treatment of the axon with cold in the presence of nocodazole reduced transport of both proteins to ≈20% of control levels. Passive diffusion of these proteins occurred in parallel with transport. The diffusion coefficient of the moving tubulin in axoplasm was 8.6 μm2/s compared with only 0.43 μm2/s for neurofilament. These results suggest that the tubulin was transported in the unpolymerized state and that the neurofilament was transported in the polymerized state by an energy-dependent nocodazole/cold-sensitive transport mechanism.
Intercultural Competence in Technical Communication: A Working Definition and Review of Assessment Methods

The field of technical communication has made notable progress in researching and teaching intercultural issues. Not enough discussion, however, is available on assessing students’ intercultural competence. This article attempts to start this discussion and invite further research. It suggests a working definition to conceptualize intercultural competence and draws upon diverse disciplines to review different assessment methods, including their strengths, drawbacks, and potential applications in technical communication classes.
Medical and sociological aspects of T's and Blues abuse in New Orleans.

The medical and sociological aspects of T's and Blues abuse in New Orleans were studied to determine the effect of abuse on the medical and psychological status of the individuals involved and the sociological effects on the community in general. Sociologically, the most pertinent findings were an increase in the number of (1) deaths related to the use of T's and Blues, (2) arrests and revocation of parole for possession and/or sale of Talwin, and (3) a decrease in the number of arrests for the possession and sale of heroin. In the medical and psychiatric context of this study, three distinct groups of addicts were found of which the T's and Blues users were the largest. Psychiatrically, the most pertinent observation was the high (30–35%) incidence of paranoid, violence prone life-styles seen among T's and Blues users. This finding certainly is in accord with the increased homicide rate and T's and Blues related deaths noted in other aspects of this study.
Strategic modulation of the fixation-offset effect: dissociable effects of target probability on prosaccades and antisaccades

In several previous experiments examining the effects of participants’ expectations on oculomotor performance, the manipulation of target probability has been confounded with factors such as target occurrence and saccade frequency. We report results from three experiments that manipulated target probability in isolation from systematic variations in such bottom-up factors. We present evidence for trial-by-trial, top-down modulation of the fixation-offset effect in prosaccade latency. Furthermore, fixation-stimulus offset and target-probability manipulations had additive effects on antisaccade latency, suggesting that these factors influence separable neural processes engaged for antisaccade performance. Based on these findings, we suggest that cognitive processes utilizing target-probability information influence task processes engaged for prosaccades that differ from those engaged for antisaccades.
Distal femoral varus osteotomy for unloading valgus knee malalignment: a biomechanical analysis.

Purpose To investigate the biomechanical properties of the load shifting following opening-wedge distal femoral varus osteotomies (DFVOs) and determine the osteotomy correction needed to unload the lateral compartment.
Deficiency of interleukin-1-receptor antagonist syndrome: a rare auto-inflammatory condition that mimics multiple classic radiographic findings

Deficiency of interleukin-1-receptor antagonist (DIRA) syndrome is a newly identified inflammatory disease of the skeleton and appendicular soft tissues presenting in early infancy that has yet to be reported in the radiology literature. The radiological manifestations of DIRA syndrome include multifocal osteitis of the ribs and long bones, heterotopic ossification and periarticular soft-tissue swelling. Thus, the pediatric radiologist should be made aware of this novel disease because its radiographic findings can mimic multiple other disease entities. With knowledge of the unique clinical presentation of DIRA syndrome and its multiple radiographic manifestations, the pediatric radiologist may be the first to suggest the correct diagnosis.
Approaches to intelligent information retrieval

Le concept de recherche documentaire intelligente, recouvre la recherche en intelligence artificielle et en recherche documentaire. Les etudes dans ce domaine sont de 2 sortes: 1) des recherches fondamentales sur un point precis en intelligence artificielle tel que le traitement du langage naturel, la representation de la connaissance ou le raisonnement utilise pour la recherche documentaire; 2) des recherches qui se concentrent sur le developpement des systemes qui allient les techniques traditionnelles de la recherche documentaire a celles developpees en intelligence artificielle. Ces 2 approches contribuent a la construction de systemes plus efficaces. (INTD)
Geophysical Data and the Interior of the Moon

Geophysical data and physical properties of the lunar interior are considered, giving attention to density, gravity field, viscosity, the strength of lunar materials, electrical conductivity, and magnetic properties. Seismic data and structure of the lunar interior are discussed, taking into account moonquakes and lunar tectonism, the velocity structure, and the compositional implications of the velocity structure. Questions regarding the thermal state and the evolution of the moon are also explored. The data and the models presented characterize the moon as a differentiated body which evolved relatively early in its history.
The Complexity of Emotions in Later Life

The complexity of positive and negative emotions was examined in a sample of 40 adults between the ages of 60 and 85 years. Participants' emotional experiences were assessed by use of a 30-day assessment protocol. Results suggest that different vulnerability and resilience factors are implicated in the intraindividual experience of positive and negative emotions. Individual differences in perceived stress and neuroticism were associated with less differentiation and fewer co-occurrences of positive and negative emotional experiences. In contrast, dispositional resilience predicted greater differentiation and more co-occurrences of affective states. Findings are interpreted within the framework of life-span theories of emotions.
Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients Infected With HIV: 2014 Update by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America

It is important to realize that guidelines cannot always account for individual variation among patients. They are not intended to supplant physician judgment with respect to particular patients or special clinical situations. IDSA considers adherence to these guidelines to be voluntary, with the ultimate determination regarding their application to be made by the physician in the light of each patient's individual circumstances.
Downslope Transportation of Metalliferous Sediments Along East Pacific Rise During Messinian: ABSTRACT

The distribution of metalliferous sediments adjacent to active spreading centers is of both scientific and economic interest. Metal-rich waters emanating from active hydrothermal vents have been traced in intermediate level water masses far beyond the ridge crest, but the greatest concentrations of metal oxides in sediments occur near the vents. There, however, it is possible that the oxides may be redistributed and possibly further concentrated by redeposition. We document one such case of redeposition for Messinian sediments cored at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 599, which, along with the other DSDP Leg 92 sites, was the first on the East Pacific Rise to be drilled using the hydraulic piston corer. Site 599 (19°27.09^primeS, 119°52.88^primeW; water depth = 3,654 m), drilled in a small basin about 600 km from the present ridge crest, recovered 41 m of mostly Miocene calcareous oozes characterized by alternating light (mostly yellowish brown to dark yellowish brown) and dark (mostly dark reddish brown) zones from 10 to 100 cm thick and/or bands 2-5 cm thick. A sharp contact at sample point 599-3-3, 21 cm, separates fine-grained light-colored in-situ sediments of calcareous nannofossil Zone CN9b below from a coarser grained and darker metalliferous-rich unit above, which contains older nannofossils derived from Zone CN8b. Indicative of downslope transport of metalliferous materials during the Messininan, this example may explain much of the sediment banding seen throughou the section. End_of_Article - Last_Page 274------------
Development of a modulator pulse stability measurement device and test results at SLAC

In this paper, the development of a pulse stability measurement device is presented. The measurement accuracy is better than 250uV, about 4.2ppm of a typical 60V input pulse. Pulse signals up to +/− 80V peak can be measured. The device works together with an oscilloscope. The primary function of the measurement device is to provide a precision offset, such that variations in the flattop of the modulator voltage pulse can be accurately resolved. The oscilloscope records the difference between the pulse flattop and the reference for a series of waveforms. The scope math functions are utilized to calculate the rms variations over the series. The frequency response of the device is characterized by the measured cutoff frequency of about 6.5MHz. In addition to detailing the design and calibration of the precision pulse stability device, measurements of SLAC line-type linac modulators and recently developed induction modulators will be presented. Factors affecting pulse stability will be discussed.
Metabolism and Testicular Toxicity of 1 ,3-Dinitrobenzene in the Rat: Effect of Route of Administration

Studies investigating the testicular toxicity of 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB) have utilized both the oral (po) and intraperitoneal (ip) routes of administration. These two administration routes could be expected to produce different pharmacokinetic profiles and, potentially, different degrees of toxicity. In the present work, the effect of route of administration upon 1,3-DNB disposition and susceptibility to testicular damage has been investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 25 mg/kg 1,3-DNB either ip or po. Metabolites were quantitated in blood, urine, and feces, and methemoglobin levels were determined. Peak blood levels of 1,3-DNB and its major metabolite were three times higher in ip-dosed rats than in po-dosed rats. While the lower blood levels seen after po administration were maintained for greater than 6 hr, blood levels fell rapidly after ip dosing, reaching po levels at 6 hr postadministration. Peak methemoglobin levels in ip-dosed animals were twice that of po-dosed animals. Route of administration had a minor effect on the levels of urinary metabolites, while there was a significantly higher excretion of metabolites in the feces of po-dosed animals. Despite the markedly higher 1,3-DNB blood levels after ip administration, there were only subtle differences in testicular damage. The data raise the possibility that above a threshold level of 1,3-DNB in the blood, only the duration of testicular exposure to the toxicant may govern susceptibility to testicular toxicity.
Successful treatment of a T4 lung tumor with vertebral body invasion using fiducial markers in the thoracic spine for image-guided radiation therapy: A case report

Paravertebral and paraspinal tumors pose a significant challenge in radiation therapy because of the radiation sensitivity of the spinal cord and the need for maximum treatment accuracy. Implantation of fiducial markers into vertebral bodies has been described as a method of increasing the accuracy of radiation treatment for single-dose stereotactic radiosurgery for spinal and paraspinal primary tumors and metastases. However, utilization of this technique has not been described for conventionally fractionated radiation therapy. This report is the first of its kind in the literature and describes successful treatment of a T4 primary lung tumor with vertebral body invasion with conventionally fractionated, image-guided radiotherapy using fiducial markers implanted in the thoracic spine. Our patient was a 47-year-old African-American man who presented to our hospital with a history of several months of increasing left arm pain, chest pain, dyspnea on exertion, occasional dry cough, and weight loss. He was found to have stage IIIA T4, N0, M0 lung cancer with vertebral body invasion. He had fiducial markers placed in the thoracic spine for image-guided radiation treatment set-up. The patient received 74 Gy radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy, and daily matching of the fiducial markers on the treatment machine allowed for treatment of the tumor while sparing the dose to the adjacent spinal cord. With one year of clinical follow-up, the patient has had regression of the tumor with only asymmetric soft-tissue thickening seen on a computed tomographic scan and grade 1 dyspnea on exertion as the only side effects of the treatment. Fiducial marker placement is a safe and effective technique for maximizing the accuracy and reproducibility for radiation treatment of lesions near the spinal cord. This technique may be used in conventionally fractionated radiation treatment regimens, such as those employed to treat a lung tumor with vertebral body invasion, to potentially improve clinical outcomes for patients.
Electroosmosis and electrolyte conductance in charged microcapillaries

Interactions between the electrostatic double layer and transport rates in long capillary pores were investigated experimentally. Track-etched mica sheets with extremely narrow pore size distribution and large length-toradius ratio were used as model membranes to examine the electrokinetic phenomena enhanced conduction and electroosmosis as a function of pore size and electrolyte (potassium chloride) concentration. Of experimental significance was that the capillary pores were of radius comparable to or even less than the solution Debye length parameter even at moderate (10−4 – 10−3 M) electrolyte concentrations. Heparin, a negatively charged polyelectrolyte, was adsorbed to the pore wall to augment electrostatic effects. The data were compared with numerical calculations based on a diffuse double-layer model, and the unknown pore wall charge densities were computed for each experiment. The results show that the classical analysis is somehow deficient and also that adsorption of the potential determining ion (heparin) is dependent on electrostatic potential at the pore wall.
Historical and current perspectives on bone marrow transplantation for prevention and treatment of immunodeficiencies and autoimmunities

Abstract Primary immunodeficiency diseases often fully meet the definition of "experiments of nature." Much of the expanding understanding of the lymphoid systems and immunologic functions generated in recent years has been derived from studying patients with primary, generally genetically determined immunodeficiency diseases, as well as other relatively rare secondary immunodeficiency diseases. Increasing knowledge of immunologic defenses, their interacting cellular and molecular components, the evolving details of sequential stages of cellular differentiation, and the nature and control of the cellular and molecular interactions in immunity have now made it possible to define precisely many primary immunodeficiency diseases in full molecular genetic terms. With this wealth of scientific information based on experimental and clinical research, incredible advances have also been made in using bone marrow transplantation (BMT) often as a curative treatment for immunodeficiency, some 60 to 70 other diseases, leukemias, lymphomas, other cancers, and a rapidly expanding constellation of metabolic diseases or enzyme deficiencies. Also, progress in applying allogeneic BMT to prevent, treat, and cure complex autoimmune diseases, primary immunodeficiency diseases and certain forms of cancers, is considered. Further, mixed BMT (syngeneic plus allogeneic) that establishes a form of stable mixed chimerism has also been employed in animal experiments, which revealed that BMT can be used to treat not only immunodeficiency diseases, but also systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases, eg, diabetes and erythematous lupus-like diseases. Moreover, performing BMT in conjunction with organ allografts, eg, thymus or pancreatic transplants, has successfully prevented rejection of these allografts, sometimes without recourse to long-term irradiation or toxic chemical immunosuppressive agents. A crucial role for stromal cells in cellular engineering has now also been realized in animal models as a means of preventing graft rejection and promoting full and persistent reconstitution or correction of genetically-based diseases. With all of these achievements, BMT promises continued dramatic and impressive new approaches to clinical and scientific research and reveals an attractive strategy for the treatment and prevention of many currently intractable human diseases. If these achievements can be extended to larger outbred animals and humans, BMT may set the stage for induction of improved immunologic tolerance and for developing treatments for additional intractable human diseases in the 21st century. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2001;7(3):123-35.
Revisiting Jane Austen’s Theory of Marriage Timing Changes in Union Formation among American Men in the Late 20th Century

This article examines union entrance among never-married young men, focusing on whether the importance of a man’s being economically established to marry has decreased in this new era of cohabitation and working wives. The authors test this assumption by examining marriage and cohabitation as competing risks to see whether the importance of employment has changed between the cohorts of the 1970s and 1990s. Data are from the National Survey of the Labor Force Experience of Young Men and the National Survey of Families and Households. The results show that Controlling cohabitation as a competing risk makes some difference in models of marriage, because marriage is somewhat more selective. More important changes reflect the decline in the importance of employment and the increased role of values. Indirect indicators, such as race, region, and childhood family structure, and direct measures of gender role attitudes have become critical influences on men’s likelihood of union formation.
Exacerbation of Lyme Arthritis in Beige Mice

Borrelia burgdorferi-induced disease susceptibility was explored in disease-resistant C57/BL6 (B6) and -susceptible C3H/He (C3H) mice with and without the beige (bg) mutation, which is associated with granulocyte and NK cell dysfunction. Both B6 and C3H mice had more prevalent and severe arthritis than their congenic partners, and B6-bg mice developed arthritis equal in severity to that in C3H mice. Spirochetes were visualized in joint tissue of B6-bg mice but not B6 mice. No differences in spirochete isolation from tissues or immunoglobin titers to B. burgdorferi were noted between groups. Depletion of granulocytes with cyclophosphamide and macrophages with silica in B6 and C3H mice modified arthritis susceptibility, but depletion of NK cells by serotherapy in B6 mice had no effect on disease. This study demonstrates that innate genetic resistance to Lyme arthritis in mice can be overcome by a single gene mutation, which is probably mediated through granulocyte function.
Toward a More Precise and Informative Nomenclature Describing Fetal and Neonatal Male Germ Cells in Rodents

The germ cell lineages are among the best characterized of all cell lineages in mammals. This characterization includes precise nomenclature that distinguishes among numerous, often subtle, changes in function or morphology as development and differentiation of germ cells proceed to form the gametes. In male rodents, there are at least 41 distinct cell types that occur during progression through the male germ cell lineage that gives rise to spermatozoa. However, there is one period during male germ cell development-that which occurs immediately following the primordial germ cell stage and prior to the spermatogonial stage-for which the system of precise and informative cell type terminology is not adequate. Often, male germ cells during this period are referred to simply as "gonocytes." However, this term is inadequate for multiple reasons, and it is suggested here that nomenclature originally proposed in the 1970s by Hilscher et al., which employs the terms M-, T1-, and T2-prospermatogonia, is preferable. In this Minireview, the history, proper utilization, and advantages of this terminology relative to that of the term gonocytes are described.
Lanthanide–Platinum Intermetallic Compounds as Anode Electrocatalysts for Direct Ethanol PEM Fuel Cells I. Synthesis and Characterization of Ln Pt 2 ( Ln = Ce , Pr ) Nanopowders

An aqueous route for producing nanopowders of intermetallic compounds is presented. The method was developed to produce powders of PrPt 2 and CePt 2 for use as anode electrocatalysts in porous direct ethanol polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell anodes. Powders that are relatively pure with average particle diameters of ca. 25 nm and specific surface areas of ca. 15 m 2 /g were produced. X-ray powder diffraction patterns were utilized to verify the structure of the product and conduct rudimentary unit cell refinement. Nitrogen adsorption measurements confirmed the specific surface area that was determined from the X-ray diffraction results.
Growth mixture modeling as an exploratory analysis tool in longitudinal quantitative trait loci analysis

We examined the properties of growth mixture modeling in finding longitudinal quantitative trait loci in a genome-wide association study. Two software packages are commonly used in these analyses: Mplus and the SAS TRAJ procedure. We analyzed the 200 replicates of the simulated data with these programs using three tests: the likelihood-ratio test statistic, a direct test of genetic model coefficients, and the chi-square test classifying subjects based on the trajectory model's posterior Bayesian probability. The Mplus program was not effective in this application due to its computational demands. The distributions of these tests applied to genes not related to the trait were sensitive to departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The likelihood-ratio test statistic was not usable in this application because its distribution was far from the expected asymptotic distributions when applied to markers with no genetic relation to the quantitative trait. The other two tests were satisfactory. Power was still substantial when we used markers near the gene rather than the gene itself. That is, growth mixture modeling may be useful in genome-wide association studies. For markers near the actual gene, there was somewhat greater power for the direct test of the coefficients and lesser power for the posterior Bayesian probability chi-square test.
Ruptured Tendons in Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Users A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Background:Accumulating case reports have described tendon rupture in men who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). However, no controlled study has assessed the history of tendon rupture in a large cohort of AAS users and comparison nonusers.Hypothesis:Men reporting long-term AAS abuse would report an elevated lifetime incidence of tendon rupture compared with non–AAS-using bodybuilders.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Medical histories were obtained from 142 experienced male bodybuilders aged 35 to 55 years recruited in the course of 2 studies. Of these men, 88 reported at least 2 years of cumulative lifetime AAS use, and 54 reported no history of AAS use. In men reporting a history of tendon rupture, the circumstances of the injury, prodromal symptoms, concomitant drug or alcohol use, and details of current and lifetime AAS use (if applicable) were recorded. Surgical records were obtained for most participants.Results:Nineteen (22%) of the AAS users, but only 3 (6%) of the nonu...
Extracting Lexically Divergent Paraphrases from Twitter

We present M ULTI P (Multi-instance Learning Paraphrase Model), a new model suited to identify paraphrases within the short messages on Twitter. We jointly model paraphrase relations between word and sentence pairs and assume only sentence-level annotations during learning. Using this principled latent variable model alone, we achieve the performance competitive with a state-of-the-art method which combines a latent space model with a feature-based supervised classifier. Our model also captures lexically divergent paraphrases that differ from yet complement previous methods; combining our model with previous work significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art. In addition, we present a novel annotation methodology that has allowed us to crowdsource a paraphrase corpus from Twitter. We make this new dataset available to the research community.
Designing materials for biology and medicine

Biomaterials have played an enormous role in the success of medical devices and drug delivery systems. We discuss here new challenges and directions in biomaterials research. These include synthetic replacements for biological tissues, designing materials for specific medical applications, and materials for new applications such as diagnostics and array technologies.
Cerebral abscess--a recurrent otologic problem.

Cerebral abscess represents one of the more serious complications of chronic ear disease. Patient morbidity and mortality is dependent on prompt diagnosis and treatment. The pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of cerebral abscesses have been reviewed in order to refamiliarize the otolaryngologist with the management of this clinical problem.
Arrival times, laying dates, and reproductive success of Snowy Plovers in two habitats in coastal northern California.

Habitat quality, as indexed by the reproductive success of individuals, can greatly influence population growth, especially for rare species near the limits of their range. Along the Pacific coast, the Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) is a threatened species that, in recent years, has been breeding on both riverine gravel bars and ocean beaches in northern California. From 2001 to 2009, we compared the habitat characteristics, breeding phenology, reproductive success, and abundance of Western Snowy Plovers occupying these two habitats. Similar percentages of yearling and adult plovers returned to gravel bars and beaches, but plovers breeding on gravel bars arrived and initiated first clutches 2-3 weeks later than those breeding on beaches. Despite this delay, however, the mean annual fledging success of plovers on gravel bars (1.4 ± 0.4 (SD)) was double that on beaches (0.7 ± 0.3). Differences in cumulative reproductive success produced a stronger pattern. By their sixth year, males on gravel bars had fledged 14.5 ± 2.1 chicks, more than four times the number of young fledged by males on beaches (3.3 ± 3.1). Over 9 years, local population size decreased by about 75%, coincident with a shift in breeding distribution away from high-quality gravel bars to ocean beaches. This unexpected population decline and shift to poorer quality beaches may have been related to occasional low survival of plovers that over-winter exclusively on beaches in our study area. Consistently low productivity of plovers breeding on ocean beaches suggests the need for intensified management to ameliorate the negative impacts of predation and human activity on the recovery of this population.
Origin and homing of intestinal IgA antibody-secreting cells.

The fact that IgA comprises the body's major isotype of antibody on a biosynthetic basis is not widely appreciated because IgG, not IgA, is the predominant isotype in serum. Nevertheless, the bulk of the body's Ig-producing cells reside in the various mucosal and exocrine sites, especially along the
Structural basis for spinophilin-neurabin receptor interaction.

Neurabin and spinophilin are neuronal scaffolding proteins that play important roles in the regulation of synaptic transmission through their ability to target protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) to dendritic spines where PP1 dephosphorylates and inactivates glutamate receptors. However, thus far, it is still unknown how neurabin and spinophilin themselves are targeted to these membrane receptors. Spinophilin and neurabin contain a single PDZ domain, a common protein−protein interaction recognition motif, which are 86% identical in sequence. We report the structures of both the neurabin and spinophilin PDZ domains determined using biomolecular NMR spectroscopy. These proteins form the canonical PDZ domain fold. However, despite their high degree of sequence identity, there are distinct and significant structural differences between them, especially between the peptide binding pockets. Using two-dimensional 1H−15N HSQC NMR analysis, we demonstrate that C-terminal peptide ligands derived from glutamatergic AMPA and...
Two Alternatives to the Shewhart X̄ Control Chart

Average run length (ARL) values are calculated for two X control chart schemes and compared with those of a standard Shewhart chart. Both control charts are based on runs rules and are easily implemented. An out-of-control condition for one of the charts is a run of two of two successive points beyond a special control limit. The other chart uses a run of two of three successive points beyond a different control limit. Both schemes are shown to have better, that is, lower, ARL values than the standard Shewhart chart for process average shifts as large as 2.6 standard deviations from the mean.
The Roles of Maternal Psychopathic Traits, Maternal Antisocial Personality Traits, and Parenting in the Development of Child Psychopathic Traits

SYNOPSISObjective. The development of psychopathic traits in children has been largely understudied compared with the etiology of these traits in adults; therefore, this study aims to elucidate factors that may be involved in the development of psychopathic traits in childhood. Design. The potential impact of maternal personality traits on parenting practices and child personality were examined. Specifically, statistical relations were examined among maternal psychopathic traits, maternal antisocial personality traits, and child psychopathic traits, and the role of parenting as a potential mediator and/or moderator of these relations within an all-male sample (N = 75) between the ages of 7 and 11 years. Results. Parenting mediated the relation between maternal antisocial personality traits and child psychopathic traits, but not the relation between maternal and child psychopathic traits. In addition, positive parenting interacted statistically with maternal psychopathic traits, such that maternal and chil...
Affirmative Action and the Legacy of Racial Injustice

Over 40 years ago, Gunnar Myrdal, in his seminal book An American Dilemma, dissected the moral problem of American racism as it had never been dissected before. His key insight is by now a cliche: that a terrible tension existed in American society between its professed ideals of equality and fairness based on individual merit and the reality of brutal, suffocating oppression based on skin color. This tension was said to create a dissonance in the American psyche so sharp that it threatened to split us asunder, but if we came to grips with it and made genuine efforts to make reality conform to our ideals, it could be the source of our redemption.
The Length of Child Anxiety Treatment in a Regional Health System

Anxiety disorders are often undertreated due to unsuccessful dissemination of evidence-based treatments (EBTs). Lack of empirical data regarding the typical length of treatment in clinical settings may hamper the development of clinically relevant protocols. The current study examined billing records for 335 children ages 7–17 years to quantify the treatment received for newly diagnosed anxiety disorders within a regional health system. The vast majority of patients did not receive a sufficient number of appointments to complete the typical cognitive behavioral therapy protocol or reach the sessions introducing exposure. Although half of the sample received pharmacotherapy, the vast majority received fewer follow-up appointments than participants in pharmacotherapy research studies. Further, the type of treatment (i.e., number of sessions and medication) differed depending on utilization of specialty care. These results underscore the need to develop brief and flexible EBT protocols that can be standardized and implemented in community practice.
Abstract 527: Decay of Hepatic and Serum Apolipoprotein(a) Levels is Slower than ApolipoproteinB Following Inhibition of Lipid Synthesis

The association of Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels and increased cardiovascular risk is substantiated by human epidemiology, genetics and interventional apheresis studies. Lp(a) is a plasma lipoprotein consisting of a Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) particle with one molecule of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) covalently linked to one molecule of apolipoprotein(a). Published studies show that apo(a) synthesis and secretion from hepatoma cells is coupled to triglyceride synthesis and secretion, illustrating a point of control for Lp(a) production. The objective of this study is to compare Lp(a), apo(a) and apoB production, secretion and half-life in vivo to understand mechanisms controlling circulating levels of Lp(a). Since rodent species do not express endogenous apo(a), human apo(a) transgenic mice were created and bred with human apoB100 transgenic mice to generate Lp(a)-producing mice. The circulating level of Lp(a) in the transgenic mice is ~3.7 mg/dL that is comparable to 5.4 mg/dL measured in a healthy h...
Evaluation of standard surgical preparation performed on superficial dermal abrasions.

Objectives: To determine the difference, if any, between the reduction of bacteria on contaminated normal skin and contaminated superficially abraded skin following standard surgical preparations at clinically relevant time points after injury. Design: Prospective animal study. Setting: Laboratory. Subjects: Thirty-two New Zealand white rabbits. Intervention: Two sites, two by two centimeters, one abraded and one nonabraded (control), were studied on each rabbit. Both were inoculated with encapsulated Staphylococcus aureus strain Wood 46. Four six-millimeter punch biopsies were obtained after inoculation, immediately before surgical scrub, and five minutes and then two hours after completion of the surgical scrub, The rabbits were divided into four cohort groups with surgical scrubs performed at six, twelve, twenty-four, and forty-eight hours after inoculation. Bacterial counts were determined. Main Outcome Measurements: Numbers of bacteria on surgical sites. Results: Before surgical preparation, the amount of bacteria on the normal skin (control sites) dropped significantly (p 1 × 10 5 at abraded sites) when compared with the nonabraded skin sites (p < 0.008) at the respective time intervals. Only at the six-hour interval were the bacterial counts reduced similarly at both the abraded and nonabraded skin sites. Conclusions: In a rabbit model the standard surgical preparation using povidone-iodine at six hours after inoculation is effective in reducing the bacterial count on abraded skin to that of surgically prepared nonabraded skin. Beyond that time, the standard surgical preparation is ineffective in reducing counts to those of nonabraded skin at similar time intervals.
The Spatial Distribution of Soil Biota

The diversity of the soil biota far exceeds that of macroscopic organisms; however, the geographic patterns and factors controlling this diversity are only beginning to be examined. Organism abundance, diversity, and activity are not randomly distributed in soil, but vary in a patchy fashion both horizontally across a landscape and vertically through the soil profile. Different groups of soil organisms exhibit different spatial patterns, with the spatial heterogeneity in microbial properties being an inherent feature of soils. Although there are still large gaps in our understanding of how soil organisms are distributed, there has been a dramatic increase in information obtained in this area over the past decade. This chapter summarizes what is known about the distribution of soil biota, from geographic differences at the landscape, regional, and continental scales, down to variability in microbial populations at the aggregate and pore level.
Pulmonary and pleural pathology: Contributions of Dr. Louis “Pepper” Dehner

Dr. Louis Dehner is an internationally renowned surgical pathologist who has published multiple textbooks and has authored or co-authored nearly 400 original articles in the medical literature. While many think of him as a pediatric pathologist, he has contributed to the literature across virtually the entire breadth of surgical pathology, and the lung and pleura is no exception. This review will highlight Dr. Dehner׳s contributions to the pulmonary and pleural pathology literature in the areas of infectious disease, medical lung disease and transplant pathology, and a number of neoplasms of the lung and pleura, with the remainder of this manuscript dedicated to the still evolving story of the pleuropulmonary blastoma as the signature contribution of his long and distinguished career.
Are TMCs the Mechanotransduction Channels of Vertebrate Hair Cells

Sensory transduction in vertebrate hair cells and the molecules that mediate it have long been of great interest. Some components of the mechanotransduction apparatus have been identified, most as deafness gene products. Although prior candidates for the mechanotransduction channel have been proposed, each has faded with new evidence. Now, two strong candidates, TMC1 and TMC2 (transmembrane channel-like), have emerged from discovery of deafness genes in humans and mice. They are expressed at the right time during development: exactly at the onset of mechanosensitivity. They are expressed in the right place: in hair cells but not surrounding cells. Fluorescently tagged TMCs localize to the tips of stereocilia, the site of the transduction channels. TMCs bind other proteins essential for mechanosensation, suggesting a larger transduction complex. Although TMC1 and TMC2 can substitute for each other, genetic deletion of both renders mouse hair cells mechanically insensitive. Finally, the conductance and Ca2+ selectivity of the transduction channels depend on the TMC proteins, differing when hair cells express one or the other TMC, and differing if TMC1 harbors a point mutation. Some contrary evidence has emerged: a current activated in hair cells by negative pressure, with some similarity to the transduction current, persists in TMC knock-outs. But it is not clear that this anomalous current is carried by the same proteins. Further evidence is desired, such as production of a mechanically gated conductance by pure TMCs. But the great majority of evidence is consistent with these TMCs as pore-forming subunits of the long-sought hair-cell transduction channel.
Communications network emulation for smart grid test-bed

Wide Area Monitoring and Control (WAMC) of power grids is one application of emerging smart grid technologies. A key feature of smart grids is the use of two-way digital communication between Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), and system operators and controllers. The performance and security of the communications network is critical in this application. This work developed an emulation of a communication network as a component of a smart grid test-bed. The test-bed consists of a physical emulation of a power system, a number of IEDs, a Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) and user interface for data acquisition and control connected via a local area network. Network emulation was integrated using Riverbed Modeler, a communications network emulator, utilizing the software's SITL (System-in-the-Loop) capability to interface the IEDs and physical hardware with the network emulation using real-simulation gateways. The emulation enables modeling of various networks and the analysis of operation of the communications network for WAMC applications. This paper presents a methodology of network emulation for this application and analyzes the performance of the emulation as a communications network for smart grid test-beds.
A novel Minute Feedback System for medical students.

Abstract Background Medical students often report a lack of timely, useful feedback during clerkship rotations. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel Minute Feedback System and determine whether it would generate frequent, high quality, documented feedback for students during the third year surgery clerkship. Methods The Minute Feedback System was created using the Qualtrics © survey software platform and piloted with surgery clerkship students. These students were surveyed about the frequency and quality of feedback and their overall rating of the surgery clerkship and compared to students who did not use the feedback system. Results The initial pilot of the Minute Feedback System involved 6/34 M3 surgery clerkship students and generated a total of 70 unique comments from faculty and residents over 3 weeks. When the 6 pilot students were compared to the 28 students without access to the Minute Feedback System , they respectively rated the frequency of feedback 4.50 vs 2.83 (p The system was then made available to all students on the M3 surgery clerkship (n = 31) over the subsequent 2 month rotation. 354 unique feedback comments were generated from 399 student requests (89% response rate). Students using the Minute Feedback System (n = 31) compared to students in the previous academic year without (n = 170) rated the quality of feedback (3.76 vs 3.4, p Conclusion The novel Minute Feedback System allows for frequent, timely, useful and documented feedback to medical students.
Opinion Spam Detection in Social Networks

As social media websites have emerged as popular platforms for sharing and spreading real-time information on the Internet, impostors see huge opportunities in taking advantage of such systems to spread distorted information. Online social networks and review websites have become targets of opinion spamming. More and more traditional review websites allow users to “friend” or “follow” each other so as to enhance overall user experience. This has brought significant advances of opinion spam detection using users’ social networks or heterogeneous networks of various entities in a broader sense. In this chapter, different techniques are introduced, such as belief propagation and collective positive-unlabeled learning, that leverage the intricate relations between different entities in the network. We discuss these methods via the application of spam detection on review-hosting websites and popular social media platforms.
Workforce Characteristics in Urology

Abstract Introduction In this study we holistically describe and characterize the current state of urology practice by evaluating compensation, workload and practice factors as they relate to our demographic makeup as a specialty. Methods We collaborated with the American Urological Association to query its domestic membership of practicing urologists regarding socioeconomic, workforce and quality of life issues. The survey consisted of 26 questions and took approximately 13 minutes to complete. A total of 733 responders had complete data for the factors statistically analyzed in the study. Results Mean yearly compensation for urologists surveyed was $404,755 and median compensation was $380,000 (IQR $300,000–480,000). Female respondents had a significantly lower median yearly compensation vs males ($318,422 vs $400,000) on univariate and multivariate analysis. Respondents reported a median of 60 work hours per week (IQR 50–60) and the median number of call days per month was 7 (IQR 5–10). Of the respondents 62% indicated that they use advanced practice providers in their practice. In addition, 30% reported employed status, 49% reported self-employed status and 21% reported academic status. Overall 20% of respondents plan to retire within 5 years and 40% within 10 years. Conclusions Higher income was associated with greater job satisfaction and hourly wage appeared to decrease at increased work hours per week. Several workplace and demographic factors drive compensation, number of hours worked per week, number of call days per month and job satisfaction.