cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined “top-down” and “bottom-up” intervention for anxiety sensitivity: Pilot randomized trial testing the additive effect of interpretation bias modification

Abstract Objective Anxiety disorders contribute substantially to the overall public health burden. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a fear of anxiety-related sensations, is one of the few known malleable risk factors for anxiety pathology. Previous AS reduction treatments have primarily utilized “top-down” (e.g., psychoeducation) interventions. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effect of adding a “bottom-up” (interpretation bias modification; CBM-I) intervention to an AS psychoeducation intervention. Design Single-site randomized controlled trial. Participants completed either a 1) Psychoeducation + active CBM-I or 2) Psychoeducation + control CBM-I intervention. Change in AS was assessed post-intervention and at a one-month follow-up. Participants Individuals with elevated levels of AS. Intervention Single-session computer-delivered intervention for AS. Results Accounting for baseline ASI-3 scores, post-intervention ASI-3 scores were significantly lower in the combined condition than in the psychoeducation + control CBM-I condition (β = 0.24, p d = 0.99). The active CBM-I plus psychoeducation AS intervention was successful in reducing overall AS (59% post-intervention; p d = 0.99) and these reductions were maintained through one-month post-intervention (52%; p d = 1.18). Participants in the active condition reported significantly lower rates of panic responding to a vital-capacity CO 2 challenge (OR = 6.34, 95% CI = 1.07–37.66). Lastly, change in interpretation bias significantly mediated the relationship between treatment condition and post-treatment AS reductions. Conclusions The current intervention was efficacious in terms of immediate and one-month AS reductions. Given its brevity, low-cost, low-stigma and portability, this intervention could lead to reducing the burden of anxiety disorders.
Program evaluation of prevention and intervention methods

As Americans continue to grow ever sicker from chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, the need for comprehensive interventions has also grown (Kung, Hoyert, Xu, & Murphy, 2008). An estimated 70 % of deaths each year are attributable to chronic illness, with heart disease, cancer, and stroke accounting for 50 % of those deaths (Kung et al., 2008). Americans spend a large majority of their time in the workplace and, as can be seen in other chapters of this Handbook, that fact has made occupational settings an ideal place for prevention and health intervention programs for many years (Haskell & Blair, 1980). However, the effectiveness of these programs has to be measured and evaluated if they are to survive. The importance of program evaluation, therefore, cannot be underestimated. The purview of program evaluation exists within the social sciences, but also within the private business sector and governmental programs. In fact, The Health Communication Unit at the University of Toronto (2007) goes as far as to define a program as follows: “…any group of related complementary activities intended to achieve specific outcomes or results. For example, community gardens, shopping skill classes and health cooking demonstrations…” (p. 5). Furthermore, they define a program evaluation as, “…the systematic gathering, analysis and reporting of data about a program to assist decision making” (p. 6).
Heartbeat: Diabetes and heart failure.

In this issue of Heart , Skrtic and colleagues1 evaluated data from over 94 thousand primary care patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the Clinical Practice Research Data Link to study the relationship between incident heart failure (HF) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels at the initial diagnosis (baseline), most recent visit (updated latest) and an updated mean level. As shown in figure 1, elevations in all 3 HbA1c levels were associated with a higher hazard ratio for HF, with the strongest association seen for the updated mean value. The authors suggest that ‘hyperglycaemia continues to be a strong risk factor of HF in persons with T2D, and the higher risk estimates for the updated mean HbA1c indicate that there is clinically significant benefit on reducing HF outcomes by implementing glycaemic control.’ They also note that the risk of HF may be underestimated by the baseline or latest HbA1c level. Figure 1 Estimated HRs with 95% CI for each of the three HbA1c variables, across categories of HbA1c level for heart failure events. Reference category is 6%–<7% (42–53 mmol/mol). The dashed line indicates HR=1. In the accompanying editorial2, Rahimi reviews the evidence for an association between glycemic control and HF and then discusses the importance of measurement error and time-varying fluctuations in single measurements of HBA1c. Considering …
The Division Equation

Let A be an elliptic curve defined over a number field K. Let (x, y) be a generic point on A, and let
Narrative Skills, Gender, Culture, and Children’s Long-Term Memory Accuracy of a Staged Event

ABSTRACTThis study examined the extent to which school-aged children’s general narrative skills provide cognitive benefits for accurate remembering or enable good storytelling that undermines memor...
Placement of Balloon Catheter for Brachytherapy

ESSENTIAL STEPS 1. Confirm side of surgery! 2. Familiarize yourself with the specific device to be used. 3. Localize previous biopsy site with ultrasound, measure cavity size. 4. Select appropriate-sized catheter. Test balloon. 5. Open cavity through previous incision site/percutaneous entry of cavity with ultrasound guidance. 6. Excise wall of seroma cavity to create adequate size for balloon. Assure adequate skin margins. 7. Irrigate wound, assure hemostasis. 8. If percutaneous entry, confirm entry with seroma fluid. Check for purulence. 9. Remove trocar. Do not allow cavity to completely collapse. 10. Close wound from medial and lateral corners leaving space for catheter. 11. Insert catheter. Inflate catheter with diluted water soluble contrast solution. Verify positioning.
Intralesional Steroid Injections for Recurrent Vaginal Strictures.

Abstract Background Postoperative complications after transverse vaginal septum excision include stricture formation. The purpose of this report is to describe use of intralesional corticosteroid injections for vaginal strictures. Case A 32-year-old gravida 0 with history of transverse vaginal septum and recurrent strictures presented for follow-up of chronic pelvic pain. After her fourth septum revision, the patient underwent a total of 7 triamcinolone injections at the septum tissue. The course of triamcinolone injections improved the stricture and patient's pain. Summary and Conclusion Steroid injection into the vaginal septum tissue can be a safe and effective adjuvant therapy after septum resection. Although it is an established adjuvant therapy in other specialties, further studies are warranted to show a decrease in the recurrence rate of vaginal strictures.
Al-Farabi's World Historical Travels: From Central Asia and the Middle East, to Europe and Russia, and Back Again

Статья является расширенным трактатом пленарного выступления на 5-ом Ежегодном Международном Фараби форуме (Казахский национальный университет им. аль-Фараби. Алматы, Казахстан, 3-4 апреля 2018 года). Важными причинами исследования аль-Фараби и его трудов стали: много рукописей аль-Фараби недостаточно изучены и недоступны для научного мира или широкой общественности; в бывшей советской Средней Азии, хотя советская наука вносила важный вклад в изучение аль-Фараби, она насильственно отфильтровала свои идеи - точно так же, как она отфильтровала взгляды Фирдоуси, Абая и других - через марксистско-атеистическую идеологию; с западной (евро-американской) перспективы, еще меньше исследований аль-Фараби было сделано из-за «западного евроцентрического» уклона. «Западный евроцентрический» уклон интерпретировал работу аль-Фараби через призму своих различных западных христианских и / или демократических перспектив и ценностей; более строгий «ортодоксальный» мусульманский взгляд поставил под сомнение или полностью отклонил основные аспекты ислледовании аль-Фараби (и других исламских мыслителей этого периода), считая несовместимым с некоторыми учениями Корана, которые понимаются с консервативных улемических богословских традиции.
CLINICAL REASONING IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY: CONSERVATIVE PHYSICAL THERAPY MANAGEMENT OF A TEENAGE ATHLETE DIAGNOSED WITH A PROXIMAL HUMERAL NON-OSSIFYING FIBROMA

Background and purpose There have been few published studies regarding the treatment of patients with non-ossifying fibromas (NOFs), either conservatively or operatively. The purpose of this case report is to discuss the clinical presentation and conservative management of a teenage athlete diagnosed with a proximal humerus NOF. Case description The subject was a 13-year-old male middle school student with a diagnosis of left shoulder pain over the prior year preventing him from participating in sports activities. The combination of radiological findings revealing a NOF and a thorough physical examination allowed for the development of a physical therapy plan of care to address impairments and functional limitations. The subject was seen for eight visits where a combination of manual therapy techniques, neural mobilizations, and therapeutic exercises were administered to the cervical and upper quarter regions. The subject's progress was tracked by measuring pain-free shoulder active range of motion (AROM) and monitoring changes using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NRPS) values throughout sessions. Outcomes After four sessions, AROM shoulder flexion and abduction increased from 123 o and 119 o to 160 o and 180 o respectively, and worst NRPS decreased from 9/10 to 3/10. Upon discharge after the eighth visit, the subject's DASH improved from 11.66 to 2.5. The subject remained pain free at an eight month follow up and returned to activity. Discussion Thorough assessment of both neuromechanical sensitivity and musculoskeletal impairments may provide for the utilization of conservative treatment options for individuals with symptomatic NOFs. Level of evidence 4.
Attack Cone Avoidance During Predator Inspection Visits by Wild Finescale Dace (Phoxinus neogaeus): The Effects of Predator Diet

When confronted by potential predators, many prey fishes engage in predator inspection behavior. Previous authors have argued that by selectively avoiding the predator's head during an inspection visit (attack cone avoidance), individual inspectors may reduce their local risk of predation. In field trials, we investigated the effects of predator diet cues on the presence of ‘attack cone avoidance’ during predator inspection visits. Wild, free-ranging finescale dace (Phoxinus neogaeus) were exposed to the combined cues of a model predator and a distilled water control or the odor of a yellow perch (Perca flavescens) fed dace (with alarm pheromone), swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) (lacking Ostariophysan alarm pheromone), or perch that were food deprived for four days. Finescale dace modified their predator inspection behavior following exposure to the odor of a perch fed dace (fewer dace present, reduced frequency of inspections, and an increased per capita inspection rate) compared to those exposed to the odor of a perch fed swordtails, perch that were food deprived, or a distilled water control. In addition, dace inspected the tail region more often only when the model predator was paired with the odor of a perch fed dace. In all other treatments, dace inspected the head region of the model predator more often. These data suggest that attack cone avoidance of inspecting prey fishes may be more likely to occur in high-risk situations, such as in the presence of conspecific alarm pheromones in the diet of potential predators.
Group-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Nurses and Nurse Aides Working in Long-Term Care Residential Settings.

Objectives: Nurses and nurse aides experience high rates of physical injury, assault, and abuse compared to other occupations. They also frequently have intersectional identities with other groups that experience higher rates of mental and physical health challenges and problems. In addition to belonging to these multiple vulnerable populations, nurses and nurse aides experience high levels of work stress and burnout. These variables are risk factors for injuries associated with lifting and transferring, as well as assault from residents. Given the focus on present moment awareness, commitment to values, and responding flexibly in difficult situations, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be an effective approach for this population. Design: Participants were randomly assigned to either the ACT group condition or a wait-list control condition. Participants completed baseline and one-month follow-up outcome measures. Setting/Location: The interventions were provided at participant work sites (nursing homes and assisted living facilities) that were located in multiple locations across Northern Ohio. Subjects: Seventy-one nurses and nurse aides participated in the study. Of these, 37 were randomly assigned to the ACT group intervention and 34 were assigned to the wait-list control group. Intervention: A two-session group-based ACT intervention. Each session was 2.5 hours long and spaced one-week apart. The intervention topics included acceptance, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, willingness to experience discomfort, present-moment focus, self-as-context, values identification, and values-congruent committed action. Outcome measures: Days missed due to injury, frequency of work-based injuries, musculoskeletal complaints, mental health symptoms, and overall satisfaction with the intervention. Results: Participants in the ACT group reported significantly fewer days missed due to injury and a significant reduction in mental health symptoms compared to the control group. Participants in the ACT group rated the intervention very favorably. Conclusion: A group-based ACT intervention can promote improvements in well-being for nurses and nurse aides working in long-term care settings. Further research in this area would benefit from conducting group-based ACT interventions at different organizational levels.
Family Abduction in the United States

In recent decades, the problem of children who are kidnapped by family members has been a major social problem in society. The abducted child may be missing, or the child’s location may be known (Hammer et al. 2002).
Structure-Functional-Selectivity Relationship Studies of Novel Apomorphine Analogs to Develop D1R/D2R Biased Ligands

Loss of dopamine neurons is central to the manifestation of Parkinson's disease motor symptoms. The dopamine precursor L-DOPA, the most commonly used therapeutic agent for Parkinson's disease, can restore normal movement yet cause side-effects such as dyskinesias upon prolonged administration. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors activate G-protein- and arrestin-dependent signaling pathways that regulate various dopamine-dependent functions including locomotion. Studies have shown that shifting the balance of dopamine receptor signaling toward the arrestin pathway can be beneficial for inducing normal movement, while reducing dyskinesias. However, simultaneous activation of both D1 and D2Rs is required for robust locomotor activity. Thus, it is desirable to develop ligands targeting both D1 and D2Rs and their functional selectivity. Here, we report structure-functional-selectivity relationship (SFSR) studies of novel apomorphine analogs to identify structural motifs responsible for biased activity at both D1 and D2Rs.
An Under-Recognized Sequela of Myocardial Infarction: Lipomatous Metaplasia.

Lipomatous metaplasia is an infrequently discussed condition characterized by adipose tissue replacing scar tissue from ischemic events. Lipomatous metaplasia specifically of the myocardium is an adverse physiological result of myocardial infarction. In the past, several different imaging and diagnostic techniques were utilized to recognize lipomatous metaplasia of the myocardium. The aim of this study is to discuss an individual case with this condition to highlight several key aspects that are under-discussed in current literature, such as determining the most suitable modality for the recognition of lipomatous metaplasia.
Equitable Educational Opportunities in K-12 Schools: West African and U.S. Public Schools Compared:

In an effort to promote public elementary and secondary education that meets world standards where all students have equal access to 21st-century public schools, some countries have adopted Educati...
Prevalence and Trends in HIV Infection and Testing Among Adults in the United States: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1999-2018.

Background HIV antibody testing has been included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, for ages 18-49 since 1999 and for ages 18-59 years since 2009 enabling estimation of trends in HIV prevalence as part of national surveillance in the U.S. household population. Self-reported HIV testing and antiretroviral (ARV) use was also included in the survey since 1999. Setting A continuous household-based probability sample of the U.S. population. Methods From 1999-2018, 29,020 participants age 18-49 years were tested for HIV antibody and 34,092 participants age 18-59 years were asked about self-report of any previous HIV testing. Results HIV prevalence was 0.41% among those aged 18-59 in 2009-2018 with a non-significant trend over time among those aged 18-49 years from 1999-2002 to 2015-2018. However, significant declines in prevalence were seen among those aged 18-39 years (0.37% to 0.11%), women (0.22% to 0.06%) and non-Hispanic black persons (2.14% to 0.80%). Participants age aged 18-39 self-reported a decline in HIV testing while those aged 40-49 and 50-59 years, non-Hispanic black persons and women reported an increase in getting a HIV test. Prevalence of infection and self-reported history of HIV testing varied by demographic and risk groups. HIV testing among HIV positive persons was 83.9%. ARV therapy among those HIV positive was under 50%. Conclusion Though total HIV prevalence and previous self-reported HIV testing remained stable for the last 20 years, there were significant declines in age and demographic subgroups. Prevalence for both outcomes varied by demographic and risk variables.
Optimizing touchscreen measures of rodent cognition by eliminating image bias

ABSTRACT For the last twenty years, the Bussey-Saksida touchscreen-based operant conditioning platform has evolved in close parallel alongside the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to produce batteries of tests for studying complex cognitive functions in rodents that are increasingly analogous to human diagnostic tests and greatly narrow the translational gap in cognition research. Naturally, with this increasing usefulness comes increasing use, particularly by non-experts. This necessitates a greater understanding of, and a better controlling for, confounding factors that may limit the system’s ability to optimally detect cognitive deficits when used as a widely accessible and commercially available standardized task. In the present study, we show a strong image preference bias in a standard pairwise discrimination task with a widely used spider-plane image pairing in a putative animal model for intellectual disability. This bias greatly influenced the performance of our experimental mice, significantly affecting the length of time it took mice to complete the task, their progress over time, and several accessory measures usefully recorded by the Bussey-Saksida touchscreen system. We further show that this bias can be corrected by using more similar image pairings without sacrificing the animal’s ability to learn to distinguish the stimuli. This approach eliminated all significant stimuli specific differences seen with the spider-plane pairing. We then analyzed the pixel composition of the various stimuli to suggest that the bias is due to a difference in image brightness. These findings highlight the importance of carefully modulating paired touchscreen stimuli to ensure equivalence prior to learning and the need for more studies of visual perception in mice, particularly as it relates to their performance in cognitive assays.
Kap-β2/Transportin mediates β-catenin nuclear transport in Wnt signaling

Wnt signaling is essential for many aspects of embryonic development including the formation of the primary embryonic axis. In addition, excessive Wnt signaling drives multiple diseases including cancer highlighting its importance for disease pathogenesis. {beta}-catenin is a key effector in this pathway that translocates into the nucleus and activates Wnt responsive genes. However, due to our lack of understanding of {beta}-catenin nuclear transport, therapeutic modulation of Wnt signaling has been challenging. Here, we took an unconventional approach to address this long-standing question by exploiting a heterologous model system, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which contains a conserved nuclear transport machinery. In contrast to prior work, we demonstrate that {beta}-catenin accumulates in the nucleus in a Ran dependent manner, suggesting the use of a nuclear transport receptor (NTR). Indeed, a systematic and conditional inhibition of NTRs revealed that only Kap104, the orthologue of Kap-{beta}2/Transportin-1 (TNPO1), was required for {beta}-catenin nuclear import. We further demonstrate direct binding between TNPO1 and {beta}-catenin that is mediated by a conserved amino acid sequence that resembles a PY NLS. Finally, using Xenopus secondary axis and TCF/LEF reporter assays, we demonstrate that our results in yeast can be directly translated to vertebrates. By elucidating the NLS in {beta}-catenin and its cognate NTR, our study provides new therapeutic targets for a host of human diseases caused by excessive Wnt signaling. Indeed, we demonstrate that a small chimeric peptide designed to target TNPO1 can reduce Wnt signaling as a first step towards therapeutics.
The Ethics of Trump's Lawyers?

The barrage of failed lawsuits filed by lawyers representing Donald Trump and his allies seeking to overturn the 2020 election results has brought forth numerous calls to sanction these lawyers. Some urge, appropriately in our view, federal judges who dismissed suits to impose sanctions for flagrant violations of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Others call for ethics authorities to impose disciplinary sanctions. In this paper, we analyze potential ethical liabilities under the Rules of Professional Conduct for supervising lawyers in the Trump legal team. We also address whether withdrawal after a bogus suit been filed provides a defense to ethical liability. Finally, we use the purposes of criminal punishment by way of analogy to consider whether and what types of professional discipline are appropriate.
Heterochromatin diversity modulates genome compartmentalization and loop extrusion barriers [preprint]

Two dominant processes organizing chromosomes are loop extrusion and the compartmental segregation of active and inactive chromatin. The molecular players involved in loop extrusion during interphase, cohesin and CTCF, have been extensively studied and experimentally validated. However, neither the molecular determinants nor the functional roles of compartmentalization are well understood. Here, we distinguish three inactive chromatin states using contact frequency profiling, comprising two types of heterochromatin and a previously uncharacterized inactive state exhibiting a neutral interaction preference. We find that heterochromatin marked by long continuous stretches of H3K9me3, HP1 and HP1{beta} correlates with a conserved signature of strong compartmentalization and is abundant in HCT116 colon cancer cells. We demonstrate that disruption of DNA methyltransferase activity dramatically remodels genome compartmentalization as a consequence of the loss of H3K9me3 and HP1 binding. Interestingly, H3K9me3-HP1/{beta} is replaced by the neutral inactive state and retains late replication timing. Furthermore, we show that H3K9me3-HP1/{beta} heterochromatin is permissive to loop extrusion by cohesin but refractory to CTCF, explaining a paucity of visible loop extrusion-associated patterns in Hi-C. Accordingly, CTCF loop extrusion barriers are reactivated upon loss of H3K9me3-HP1/{beta}, not as a result of canonical demethylation of the CTCF binding motif but due to an intrinsic resistance of H3K9me3-HP1/{beta} heterochromatin to CTCF binding. Together, our work reveals a dynamic structural and organizational diversity of the inactive portion of the genome and establishes new connections between the regulation of chromatin state and chromosome organization, including an interplay between DNA methylation, compartmentalization and loop extrusion. HighlightsO_LIThree inactive chromatin states are distinguishable by long-range contact frequencies in HCT116, respectively associated with H3K9me3, H3K27me3 and a H3K9me2 state with neutral contact preferences. C_LIO_LIH3K9me3-HP1/{beta} heterochromatin has a high degree of homotypic affinity and is permissive to loop extrusion but depleted in extrusion barriers. C_LIO_LIDisrupting DNA methylation causes widespread loss of H3K9me3-HP1/{beta} and dramatic remodeling of genome compartmentalization. C_LIO_LIH3K9me3-HP1/{beta} is replaced by the neutral inactive state, which gains CTCF loop extrusion barriers and associated contact frequency patterns. C_LIO_LIDNA methylation suppresses CTCF binding via two distinct mechanisms. C_LI
Noncompete Agreements and the Welfare of Consumers

Employee spinoffs may harm incumbent firm owners for two reasons: first, they increase competition in relevant product markets, potentially decreasing rents associated with market power. Second, the threat of an employee spinoff may prevent a firm owner from making costly, productivity-enhancing investments in their workers. Noncompete agreements (NCAs) solve both problems. From the perspective of a consumer, NCAs may increase prices by decreasing competition, but the investments made by firm owners have the potential to mitigate competitive harms. We develop a model which formally demonstrates this tradeoff to assess the impacts of NCA policy on consumers, and discuss when a ban on NCAs is most likely to be beneficial for consumers. We show that the competitive environment, the nature of investment pass-through, and the benefits of investment play large roles. Counterintuitively, increased benefits of costly investments have the potential to harm consumers, such that industries where NCAs are most important to firms may also be those where harm is greater. Finally, we draw two analogies between NCAs and antitrust (merger analysis and pay-for-delay agreements) and show how insights in those areas may inform NCA policy.
EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL OF COMBINATION CARRIERS FOR TRANSPORTING U.S. OIL IMPORTS

It was the objective of this study to establish whether moderate-sized combination bulk carriers (OBO and O/O vessels) could be expected to carry economically a significant portion of the foreign crude oil imports to the U.S. East and Gulf costs, in competition with very large crude carriers (VLCC). Conclusions are evaluated in light of their implications for the development of ports and superports. Available published material is used to obtain a quantitive analysis of the current role of combination carriers in U.S. foreign trade in bulk commodities. Then, with the assistance of available trade projections, an estimate is made of the potential volume of backhaul cargo available to combination carriers. This is compared with the expected volume of petroleum imports. A general survey is made of suitable triangular routes for combination carriers and an evaluation of transportation costs is made for several specific routes, comparing combination carriers with the use of VLCC vessels.
First-Principles Theoretical Studies and Nanocalorimetry Experiments on Solid-State Alloying of Zr–B

The thermodynamics and kinetics of the solid-state alloying of Zr-B, underlying a variety of synthesis processes of the ultrahigh-temperature ceramic ZrB2, are widely unknown. We investigate the energetics, diffusion kinetics, and structural evolution of this system using first-principles computational methods. We identify the diffusion pathways in the interpenetrating network of interstitial sites for a single B atom and demonstrate a dominant rate-controlling step from the octahedral to the crowdion site that is distinct from the conventional mechanism of octahedral-tetrahedral transition in hexagonal close-packed structures. In the intermediate compounds ZrBx, 0 < x ≤ 2, the diffusivity of B is highly dependent on the composition while reaching a minimum for ZrB. The activation barrier of diffusion in ZrB2 is in good agreement with nanocalorimetry measurements performed on Zr/B reactive nanolaminates.
Learning Programming by Solving Problems

We have been developing tutors to help students learn programming concepts by solving problems. In this paper, we will discuss the use of problem-solving in Computer Science, the effectiveness of using problem-solving tutors to learn programming concepts, and the pedagogical relationship between solving problems and learning to write programs. We will also present the design and results from the evaluation of one of our tutors.
Health information: reconciling personal privacy with the public good of human health.

The success of the health care system depends on the accuracy, correctness and trustworthiness of the information, and the privacy rights of individuals to control the disclosure of personal information. A national policy on health informational privacy should be guided by ethical principles that respect individual autonomy while recognizing the important collective interests in the use of health information. At present there are no adequate laws or constitutional principles to help guide a rational privacy policy. The laws are scattered and fragmented across the states. Constitutional law is highly general, without important specific safeguards. Finally, a case study is provided showing the important trade-offs that exist between public health and privacy. For a model public health law, see www.critpath.org/msphpa/privacy.
Limits to expression in genetic programming: lattice-aggregate modeling

This paper describes a general theoretical model of size and shape evolution in genetic programming. The proposed model incorporates a mechanism that is analogous to ballistic accretion in physics. The model indicates a four-region partition of GP search space. It further suggests that two of these regions are not searchable by GP.
Concurrent persistent trigeminal artery with an intracranial aneurysm

A 61-year-old woman presented for the evaluation of a two-year history of intermittent diplopia. Neurologic examination did not demonstrate any significant findings. Non-invasive imaging revealed an unruptured 1.5 cm left internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm associated with a persistent trigeminal artery (PTA, Fig. 1). The patient subsequently underwent successful endovascular coil embolization of this aneurysm without complication. The PTA is the most common persistent carotid-basilar artery anastomosis, which is a remnant from embryonic development. With a prevalence of less than 0.6 % in the general population, the PTA branches off of the intracranial portion of the ICA and joins the mid-basilar artery. It occurs more commonly among females and can be discovered at any age [1]. Intracranial aneurysms are found in approximately 4.2–14 % of patients with PTAs [1–3]. Common presenting symptoms for intracranial aneurysms associated with PTAs include headache, diplopia, changes in level of consciousness, and visual field defects. In the event of a rupture of an intracranial aneurysm at the PTA-ICA junction the risk of developing a carotid-cavernous fistula
Maximizing capacity with power control under physical interference model in simplex mode

This paper addresses the join selection and power assignment of a largest set of given links which can communicate successfully at the same time under the physical interference model in the simplex mode. For the special setting in which all nodes have unlimited maximum transmission power, Kesselheim [8] developed an constant approximation algorithm. For the general setting in which all nodes have bounded maximum transmission power, the existence of constant approximation algorithm remains open. In this paper, we resolve this open problem by developing a constant-approximation algorithm for the general setting in which all nodes have bounded maximum transmission power.
Dietary Fat Type Affects Vitamins C and E and Biomarkers of Oxidative Status in Peripheral and Brain Tissues of Golden Syrian Hamsters

Oxidative stress is an important trigger in the complex chain of events leading to neurodegenerative diseases. On the other hand, dietary fatty acids play an essential role in brain function. The objectives of this study were to assess the effect of dietary fat type on vitamin C and vitamin E (alpha-and gamma-tocopherol) concentrations in peripheral and brain tissues and its effect on 8-epiPGF(2)alpha (F(2)-isoprostanes). Male Golden Syrian hamsters (n = 120, 8 wk old) were fed diets enriched in butter, hydrogenated fat (margarine), and canola and soybean oils. After 12 wk, hamsters were deprived of food, anesthetized with isoflurane, and killed via terminal exsanguination. Analyses of vitamins C, E, and 8-epiPGF(2)alpha were performed in peripheral tissues and brain. Hamsters consuming the margarine-enriched diet had lower (P < 0.05) vitamin C and alpha-tocopherol concentrations in liver, plasma, and brain, and higher (P < 0.02) plasma 8-epiPGF(2)alpha than groups fed the butter, and the canola and soybean oil diets. Liver and plasma gamma-tocopherol concentration was higher (P < 0.001) among the groups fed the soybean- and margarine-enriched diets compared with the other groups. alpha-Tocopherol was higher (P < 0.05) and 8-epiPGF(2)alpha lower (P < 0.01) among the groups fed the canola and soybean oil diets compared with the other groups. Across the groups, an inverse correlation between plasma levels of vitamin C and 8-epiPGF(2)alpha (r = -0.37, P = 0.03) and a positive correlation between plasma levels of vitamin C and alpha-tocopherol were observed (r = 0.341, P = 0.003). Hamsters fed the butter-enriched diet had a higher (P < 0.03) plasma uric acid concentration than the other groups. The results of this study provide new evidence concerning the effect of dietary fat on antioxidant status, which is important for the maintenance of good health.
The essential Mcm7 protein PROLIFERA is localized to the nucleus of dividing cells during the G(1) phase and is required maternally for early Arabidopsis development.

PROLIFERA (PRL) encodes a homologue of the DNA replication licensing factor Mcm7, a highly conserved protein found in all eukaryotes. Insertions in the PROLIFERA gene are lethal, resulting in decreased transmission through the female gametophyte, and homozygous embryonic lethality. We show here that PROLIFERA is specifically expressed in populations of dividing cells in sporophytic tissues of the plant body, such as the palisade layer of the leaf and founder cells of initiating flower primordia, Gene fusions with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) reveal that the PROLIFERA protein accumulates during the G(1) phase of the cell cycle, and is transiently localized to the nucleus. During mitosis, the fusion protein rapidly disappears, returning to daughter nuclei during G(1), PROLIFERA::GUS fusions are strongly expressed in the central cell nucleus of mature megagametophytes, which have a variety of arrest points reflecting a leaky lethality. Expression is also observed in the endosperm of mutant prl embryo sacs that arrest following fertilization. Crosses with wild-type pollen result in occasional embryonic lethals that also stain for GUS activity, In contrast, embryos resulting from crosses of wild-type carpels with PRL::GUS pollen do not stain and are phenotypically normal. In situ hybridization of GUS fusion RNA indicates transcription is equivalent from maternally and paternally derived alleles, so that accumulation of maternally derived gametophytic protein is likely to be responsible for the 'maternal' effect.
Generalized model for the time pattern of the diffusion process

A number of models in different social-science disciplines have been proposed to describe the time pattern of the diffusion process for an innovation. A generalized model is presented of this time pattern; generalized in the sense that it is developed without reference to a specific technical, organizational, or social context. Moreover, models used in marketing, geography, economics, and sociology are shown to be special cases of this model. It provides a useful means for relating and comparing recent and future empirical work in diffusion. The limitations of the model are also examined.
Thermocouple time constant measurement by cross power spectra

A method of measuring thermocouple time constants is outlined which requires Fourier signal processing. In this method, two thermocouples of differing time constants are placed in a gas flow as closely as possible to one another, and the time constant of the first thermocouple is determined directly from the extremum of the imaginary part of the ratio of the ensemble averaged cross-power spectrum to the ensemble averaged auto-power spectrum of that thermocouple. A coherence function is given for assuring the quality of the data, and results are presented for an experimental test of the method. Some problems with the method are briefly noted.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of the third-order nonlinearity in CdS quantum dots in a dendrimer matrix

We have measured the nonlinear optical response of Cadmium Sulfide quantum dots (CdS QD) in a poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer matrix having diaminobutane (DAB) core. Large refractive nonlinear coefficients and low absorption losses were observed at all wavelengths. Dendrimers are nanosize, highly branched, tree like monodisperse macromolecules that emanate from a central core with a branch occurring at each monomer unit. Dendrimers encapsulations convey stability, control of emission wavelengths by QD size. The branching points in the interior of the dendrimers are occupied by tertiary nitrogen to provide numerous nucleation sites to drive formation of QD clusters of small size. The dendrimer-stabilized CdS QDs were stable at room temperature, both in solution and in solid state for several weeks. Thin films were deposited by spin casting from methanol solutions. The resulting samples consisted of a 1mm thick quartz substrate with a 200-400 a nonlinear optical film on one side. The Z-scan technique was used to characterize the NLO response. A mode-locked YAG laser provided the laser pulses with 30-ps duration at 355 nm, 532 nm and 1064 nm at a 20-Hz repetition rate with energies per pulse ranging from few microjoules to several millijoules. These results indicate relatively large values for the nonlinear response (> 10 -10 esu) at all three wavelengths. Our calculations indicate that quantum dot-organic systems have large optical nonlinearity due to interactions between excitons in the quantum dots and the organic medium. We calculate that an increase of the QD radius to ~4-8 nm will result in a substantial enhancement of the nonlinearity.
Exercise and osteoarthritis

The relation of exercise to osteoarthritis is one of great interest and importance. In this paper, we review two recent studies. One reported that older individuals with normal knee and hip joints who jog for recreational activities do not have an increased risk for the development of osteoarthritis in weight-bearing joints. However, in another case-control study of women with hip osteoarthritis, the risk of hip osteoarthritis increased twofold with high levels of participation in recreational activities before the age of 50 years and fourfold for women with high levels of sporting activities and occupational physical loads. Therefore, participation in certain types of sporting activities and occupations that increase loading to the hip joint before the age of 50 years may be associated with an increased risk of hip osteoarthritis. However, recreational jogging in individuals 60 or more years of age with normal knee and hip joints does not increase the risk for the development of osteoarthritis. These studies add to our knowledge base regarding lifetime and current risk factors for the development of knee and hip osteoarthritis from exercise.
Valence Anion of Thymine in the DNA π-Stack

Most of theoretical data on the stability of radical anions supported by nucleic acid bases have been obtained for anions of isolated nucleobases, their nucleosides, or nucleotides. This approach ignores the hallmark forces of DNA, namely, hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking interactions. Since these interactions might be crucial for the electron affinities of nucleobases bound in DNA, we report for the first time on the stability of the thymine valence anion in trimers of complementary bases possessing the regular B-DNA geometry but differing in base sequence. In order to estimate the energetics of electron attachment to a trimer, we developed a thermodynamic cycle employing all possible two-body interaction energies in the neutral and anionic duplex as well as the adiabatic electron affinity of isolated thymine. All calculations were carried out at the MP2 level of theory with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. The two-body interaction energies were corrected for the basis set superposition error, and in benchmark systems, they were extrapolated to the basis set limit and supplemented with correction for higher order correlation terms calculated at the CCSD(T) level. We have demonstrated that the sequence of nucleic bases has a profound effect on the stability of the thymine valence anion: the anionic 5'-CTC-3' (6.0 kcal/mol) sequence is the most stable configuration, and the 5'-GTG-3' (-8.0 kcal/mol) trimer anion is the most unstable species. On the basis of obtained results, one can propose DNA sequences that are different in their vulnerability to damage by low energy electron.
On the use of microservers in supporting hadoop applications

The use of economical, low-power microservers comprising of embedded CPUs is on the rise in supporting a myriad of applications. State of the art microservers can already match the performance of low-end traditional servers, and have been advocated as an energy-efficient alternative computing substrate for data centers as well. In this paper, we explore whether cluster comprising microservers can support the popular Hadoop platform. We conduct a quantitative study of six representative Hadoop applications on five hardware configurations. To compare the different clusters, we also define a comprehensive metric, PerfEC, which unifies the performance, energy consumption, and the acquisition and operating costs of the applications, and helps identify appropriate clusters for Hadoop applications. Experiments on our test clusters suggest that for applications such as TeraSort, RandomWriter and Grep microservers offer up to two orders of magnitude better efficiency in terms of PerfEC than traditional clusters. Similarly, a 3000-node cluster simulation driven by a real-world trace from Facebook shows that on average the studied microservers can match the performance of standard servers, while providing up to 31% energy savings at only 60% of the acquisition cost. We also compare PerfEC to the extant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) metric, and find that our approach is better able to capture the trade-offs involved.
Acetylation sites in histone H3 from Physarum polycephalum

Histone H3 from Physarum polycephalum was labelled with [3H]acetate in G2 phase of the cell cycle. Only histones H3 and H4 were labelled and the H4 was removed by chromatography. Sequential Edman degradation of labelled H3 showed that acetate was incorporated into residues 9, 14, 18 and 23 which correspond to the sites of acetyl-lysine determined in histones H3 from other organisms. The results confirm the sequence conservation of H3 and support the notion that data on H3 acetylation, obtained with Physarum, can be extrapolated to higher eukaryotes.
Effects of recycling on metallic direct-bond orthodontic brackets.

Abstract Recycling of metallic direct-bond orthodontic brackets is of current interest to the profession. The methods of three recycling companies (Esmadent. Ortho-Cycle, and Ortho-Bonding) as well as the author's flame method were examined for their effects on bracket base torque, slot width, and mechanical properties. There was no statistically significant difference among the four methods of recycling in terms of change in base torque angle and slot width. A slightly statistically significant number of brackets in the control group had a change in slot width of not more than 0.0015 inch (0.038 mm.), and the number of brackets with any change in slot width was less than 20 percent. The recycling methods of the author and Ortho-Bonding caused a loss of ferromagnetism in the recycled brackets, suggesting annealing of the metal. The effect of thermal treatment on brackets was evaluated by measuring hardness and theoretical tensile strength and by evaluating microstructure. The Ortho-Cycle method did not alter the mechanical properties of the bracket metal while the Esmadent method caused subtle changes. The author's process and the Ortho-Bonding method caused carbide separation. While it appears that the amount of dimensional changes in the brackets is of little clinical significance, the changes in the metallurgic microstructure suggest susceptibility to metallic intergranular corrosion.
Formation of Stacking Faults during Ice Growth on Hexagonal and Cubic Substrates

We present a molecular dynamics simulation study of ice growth from supercooled water in contact with: (i) the basal plane of hexagonal ice and (ii) the (111) plane of cubic ice. We observe that, ...
Methanol decomposition on platinum (111)

Abstract The interaction of methanol with clean and oxygen-covered Pt(111) surfaces has been examined with high resolution electron loss spectroscopy (EELS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). On the clean Pt(111) surface, methanol dehydrogenated above 140 K to form adsorbed carbon monoxide and hydrogen. On a Pt(111)-p(2 × 2)O surface, methanol formed a methoxy species (CH 3 O) and adsorbed water. The methoxy species was unstable above 170 K and decomposed to form adsorbed CO and hydrogen. Above room temperature, hydrogen and carbon monoxide desorbed near 360 and 470 K, respectively. The instability of methanol and methoxy groups on the Pt surface is in agreement with the dehydrogenation reaction observed on W, Ru, Pd and Ni surfaces at low pressures. This is in contrast with the higher stability of methoxy groups on silver and copper surfaces, where decomposition to formaldehyde and hydrogen occurs. The hypothesis is proposed that metals with low heats of adsorption of CO and H 2 (Ag, Cu) may selectively form formaldehyde via the methoxy intermediate, whereas other metals with high CO and H 2 chemisorption heats rapidly dehydrogenate methoxy species below room temperature.
Reflections On: Our Planet and Its Life, Origins, and Futures

The theme of the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), “Our Planet and Its Life, Origins, and Futures,” celebrated an enormous breadth of scientific accomplishments that transcends many subdisciplines of the natural and social sciences. It was