cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Why Do Poor Children Lose Health Insurance in the SCHIP Era? The Role of Family Health.

The broad goal of the 1997 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was to ensure that all poor children have health insurance. This goal has met with mixed success. The rate of poor children in the United States who were uninsured decreased from 23 percent in 1996 to 19 percent in 2002, but over 6 million children who were uninsured in 2002 were eligible for public insurance (Kaiser Commission on Medicaid Facts 2005). Thus, while SCHIP has benefited many children, its reach should be much broader. The problem of low-income children being uninsured is perplexing because most children begin life with health insurance, owing largely to the expansions of Medicaid for pregnant women and their offspring in the 1980s and 1990s (Amy Davidoff et al. 2003), and they should be able to maintain coverage under either SCHIP or Medicaid. In particular, young children who were born after the enactment of SCHIP should have uninterrupted coverage. A number of individual characteristics and programmatic features associated with public insurance coverage among eligible poor children have been identified in past research. No study, however, has examined both the effects of the health of adult family members and the health of the child, each of which has been associated with mothers’ labor supply and public Why Do Poor Children Lose Health Insurance in the SCHIP Era? The Role of Family Health
Schistosoma mansoni: Detection of circulating antigens in murine schistosomiasis by antigen-capture sandwich ELISA using a monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody (MAb) 5H11/B1 that reacts with a repeating epitope on an excretory-secretory (E + S) antigen of adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni was used in the detection of circulating antigen (CA) in sera from S. mansoni-infected mice using an antigen-capture sandwich ELISA. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) pretreatment of sera from mice infected for 8 or 16 weeks precipitated immune complexes and/or dissociated CA and allowed its detection. Sera obtained 8 weeks after infection contained high levels of CA. Upon treatment with praziquantel (100 mg/kg body wt), this level was significantly less within 1 week. A strong correlation was found between the worm count determined by perfusion and the level of antigenemia detected by the 5H11/B1 assay in light and heavy infection (r = 0.80). Based on the results of both TCA pretreatment and sodium periodate treatment, the 5H11/B1 sandwich ELISA assay detects a repeating carbohydrate epitope on an E + S antigen. This system appears to be a sensitive assay for the detection of schistosomal antigenemia in murine schistosomiasis. Studies on the detection of antigenemia in human schistosomiasis using this assay are in progress.
The viability of nearctic freshwater turtles submerged in anoxia and normoxia at 3 and 10°C

1. 1. Survival times of temperature-acclimated freshwater turtles submerged in normoxic and anoxic water were determined. 2. 2. Juvenile Chrysemys scripta from Alabama and adult Chrysemys picta bellii from Wisconsin exhibited the maximal survival times of the 10 species and subspecies investigated, both being able to survive at least a half-year of submergence at 3°C in normoxic water. 3. 3. Minimal viability was exhibited by Sternotherus odoratus and Trionyx spiniferus submerged in anoxia at 10°C (5.2 and 2.6 days, respectively). 4. 4. All species lived longer in normoxic water than in anoxic water, attesting to the importance of extrapulmonary gas exchange during submergence at low temperature. 5. 5. While freshwater turtles are often reputed to overwinter buried in mud, which is an anoxic microenvironment, this behaviour seems unlikely for southern Trionyx and Sternotherus, although it may be possible for northern Chrysemys.
Predicting Cellular Growth from Gene Expression Signatures

Maintaining balanced growth in a changing environment is a fundamental systems-level challenge for cellular physiology, particularly in microorganisms. While the complete set of regulatory and functional pathways supporting growth and cellular proliferation are not yet known, portions of them are well understood. In particular, cellular proliferation is governed by mechanisms that are highly conserved from unicellular to multicellular organisms, and the disruption of these processes in metazoans is a major factor in the development of cancer. In this paper, we develop statistical methodology to identify quantitative aspects of the regulatory mechanisms underlying cellular proliferation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that the expression levels of a small set of genes can be exploited to predict the instantaneous growth rate of any cellular culture with high accuracy. The predictions obtained in this fashion are robust to changing biological conditions, experimental methods, and technological platforms. The proposed model is also effective in predicting growth rates for the related yeast Saccharomyces bayanus and the highly diverged yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, suggesting that the underlying regulatory signature is conserved across a wide range of unicellular evolution. We investigate the biological significance of the gene expression signature that the predictions are based upon from multiple perspectives: by perturbing the regulatory network through the Ras/PKA pathway, observing strong upregulation of growth rate even in the absence of appropriate nutrients, and discovering putative transcription factor binding sites, observing enrichment in growth-correlated genes. More broadly, the proposed methodology enables biological insights about growth at an instantaneous time scale, inaccessible by direct experimental methods. Data and tools enabling others to apply our methods are available at http://function.princeton.edu/growthrate.
Three Mating Systems Compared: I. First-, Second-, and Third-Lactation Milk Yields, Composition, Flow, and Milking Times

Abstract Outcrossing, mild inbreeding, and crossbreeding in a common foundation of Holstein cows were compared in the Beltsville herd from 1957 through 1970. The outcross and mildly inbred systems consisted of four generations, and the crossbred system consisted of two- and three-breed crosses plus the Holstein backcrosses on the three-breed crosses. Sires for the outcross system were selected from among Holstein bulls in artificial insemination. Sires for the mildly inbred system were selected from bulls born in the Beltsville herd with daughters in other herds. Sires for the crossbred system were selected from Brown Swiss and Ayrshire bulls in artificial insemination and some of the Holstein bulls from the outcross system. All sires were selected on yield of milk of their daughters in other herds. Cows in the outcross system outproduced cows in the other two systems by 275 and 429 kg of milk, 18 and 3 kg of fat, 27 and 29 kg of solids-not-fat and 11 and 7 kg of protein. Cows in the crossbred system were .1 to .4% higher in percentage of components. Within the crossbred system, decreasing Holstein blood was associated with lower yield and higher percentages whereas the backcrosses were nearly equivalent to the Holstein outcrosses. Differences among generations within the outcross and mild inbred systems were small for traits of yield and components of milk. Differences among the three systems in two traits of rate of milking ranked as for milk yield.
Cache profiling and the SPEC benchmarks: a case study

A vital tool-box component, the CProf cache profiling system lets programmers identify hot spots by providing cache performance information at the source-line and data-structure level. Our purpose is to introduce a broad audience to cache performance profiling and tuning techniques. Although used sporadically in the supercomputer and multiprocessor communities, these techniques also have broad applicability to programs running on fast uniprocessor workstations. We show that cache profiling, using our CProf cache profiling system, improves program performance by focusing a programmer's attention on problematic code sections and providing insight into appropriate program transformations. >
Effects of ethanol administration on corticosterone levels in adolescent and adult rats

Abstract Adolescent humans and rodents have been shown to consume more alcohol than their adult counterparts. Given that corticosterone (CORT) has been shown to be related to the intake of several drugs of abuse, this study assessed the ontogenetic effects of low–moderate doses of ethanol on CORT increases and recovery. Despite no significant differences in baseline (home cage) CORT levels, CORT responses to ethanol were greater in females than in males and in adult females than in adolescent females; males, however, showed less marked age differences in CORT levels after ethanol consumption. Adolescent blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) were lower than those of adults, although these BEC differences appear insufficient to account for the ontogenetic differences in CORT levels. Collectively, these findings suggest that it is unlikely that age differences in CORT elevations provide a major contribution to the ontogenetic differences in alcohol intake seen between adolescents and adults.
Group theoretic signature analysis

A new class of data-compression techniques called group-theoretic signature analysis (GTSA) for testing a logic network is proposed, and the fault coverage of the method is analyzed. This method is a generalization of accumulator compression testing. Built-in-self-test for processor environments is feasible with GTSA. >
Human CD4+ T-cell recent thymic emigrants are identified by protein tyrosine kinase 7 and have reduced immune function

CD4+ recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) comprise a clinically and immunologically important T cell population that indicates thymic output and that is essential for maintaining a diverse αβ–T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of the naive CD4+ T cell compartment. However, their frequency and function are poorly understood because no known surface markers distinguish them from older non-RTE naive CD4+ T cells. We demonstrate that protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is a novel marker for human CD4+ RTEs. Consistent with their recent thymic origin, human PTK7+ RTEs contained higher levels of signal joint TCR gene excision circles and were more responsive to interleukin (IL)-7 compared with PTK7− naive CD4+ T cells, and rapidly decreased after complete thymectomy. Importantly, CD4+ RTEs proliferated less and produced less IL-2 and interferon-γ than PTK7− naive CD4+ T cells after αβ-TCR/CD3 and CD28 engagement. This immaturity in CD4+ RTE effector function may contribute to the reduced CD4+ T cell immunity observed in contexts in which CD4+ RTEs predominate, such as in the fetus and neonate or after immune reconstitution. The ability to identify viable CD4+ RTEs by PTK7 staining should be useful for monitoring thymic output in both healthy individuals and in patients with genetic or acquired CD4+ T cell immunodeficiencies.
Market for Software Vulnerabilities? Think Again

Software vulnerability disclosure has become a critical area of concern for policymakers. Traditionally, a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) acts as an infomediary between benign identifiers (who voluntarily report vulnerability information) and software users. After verifying a reported vulnerability, CERT sends out a public advisory so that users can safeguard their systems against potential exploits. Lately, firms such as iDefense have been implementing a new market-based approach for vulnerability information. The market-based infomediary provides monetary rewards to identifiers for each vulnerability reported. The infomediary then shares this information with its client base. Using this information, clients protect themselves against potential attacks that exploit those specific vulnerabilities.The key question addressed in our paper is whether movement toward such a market-based mechanism for vulnerability disclosure leads to a better social outcome. Our analysis demonstrates that an active unregulated market-based mechanism for vulnerabilities almost always underperforms a passive CERT-type mechanism. This counterintuitive result is attributed to the market-based infomediary's incentive to leak the vulnerability information inappropriately. If a profit-maximizing firm is not allowed to (or chooses not to) leak vulnerability information, we find that social welfare improves. Even a regulated market-based mechanism performs better than a CERT-type one, but only under certain conditions. Finally, we extend our analysis and show that a proposed mechanism--federally funded social planner--always performs better than a market-based mechanism.
Stability of Cefepime in Peritoneal Dialysis Solution

OBJECTIVE:To determine the stability of cefepime in peritoneal dialysis solution.DESIGN:Cefepime HCl was added to premade bags of Delflex peritoneal dialysis solution with 1.5% dextrose to produce a cefepime concentration of approximately 100 μg/mL. Peritoneal dialysis solution bags were stored at 4, 25, and 37 °C to simulate refrigeration, room temperature, and body temperature, respectively. Samples were drawn at scheduled times up to 336, 168, and 48 hours, respectively, after the addition of cefepime HCl. Cefepime concentrations were measured by HPLC.SETTING:This study was performed at a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital.OUTCOME MEASURE:If the mean concentration of the samples at a given time and condition was >90% of the initial concentration, cefepime was considered stable at that time and condition.RESULTS:The mean HPLC results for samples drawn at each time and condition were all >90%.CONCLUSIONS:Cefepime is stable in peritoneal dialysis solution with dextrose 1.5% for 14 days refrigera...
In quest of benchmarking security risks to cyber-physical systems

We present a generic yet practical framework for assessing security risks to cyber-physical systems (CPSs). Our framework can be used to benchmark security risks when information is less than perfect, and interdependencies of physical and computational components may result in correlated failures. Such environments are prone to externalities, and can cause huge societal losses. We focus on the risks that arise from interdependent reliability failures (faults) and security failures (attacks). We advocate that a sound assessment of these risks requires explicit modeling of the effects of both technology-based defenses and institutions necessary for supporting them. Thus, we consider technology-based security defenses grounded in information security tools and fault-tolerant control in conjunction with institutional structures. Our game-theoretic approach to estimating security risks facilitates more effective defenses, especially against correlated failures.
Accuracy and epidemiological implications of the death certificate diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

The death certificate (DC) diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) has been compared to autopsy findings in 2398 patients dying between 1966 and 1976. Accuracy of the death certificate and the effect of diagnostic misclassification errors on the association between PE and potential risk factors were analyzed in this study. Sensitivity of the DC diagnosis of PE was less than 40% and the predictive value of a positive diagnosis was less than 50%. The epidemiological associations derived using the DC diagnosis of PE were very unreliable for myocardial infarction and malignant neoplasm because errors of diagnostic misclassification were not randomly distributed. Associations with risk factors derived using massive embolism were conservative estimates of the associations derived by using any embolism found at autopsy. We conclude that the death certificate diagnosis of PE is extremely inaccurate and should be used with great caution to study the epidemiology of PE.
Improved performance of GaInN based deep green light emitting diodes through V-defect reduction

The strong correlation between V-defect density in the active region and light output power of GaInN based green and deep green light emitting diodes (LEDs) has been evaluated. The formation of such defects is confirmed as the major cause for rough growth morphology, drift of well and barrier widths, emission linewidth broadening, large color shift with current density, and thus poor light emission performance. We have optimized the epitaxial processes for the active region and successfully eliminated such defects from the entire device structure. The electroluminescence intensities from these V-defect-free devices with dominant wavelengths ranging from 520 to 570 nm, improve by a factor of two under high injection current density up to 100 A/cm2. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Logical basis for morphological characters in phylogenetics

Systematists have questioned the distinction between characters and character states and their alignment with the traditional concept of homology. Previous definitions for character and character state show surprising variation. Here it is concluded that characters are simply features expressed as independent variables and character states the mutually exclusive conditions of a character. Together, characters and character states compose what are here termed character statements. Character statements are composed of only four fundamental functional components here identified as locator, variable, variable qualifier, and character state, and these components exist in only two patterns, neomorphic and transformational. Several controversies in character coding and the use of ‘‘absent’’ as a character state are understood here as a consequence of incomplete character statements and the inappropriate mixing of neomorphic and transformational character statements. Only a few logically complete patterns for morphological character data exist; their adoption promises to greatly reduce current variability in character data between analyses.
Ontogeny of microhabitat use and two-step recruitment in a specialist reef fish, the Browncheek Blenny (Chaenopsidae)

Ecological specialization is common on coral reefs and almost certainly contributes to the high diversity of fishes and invertebrates associated with reefs. Here, the recruitment pathway of an endemic Gulf of California fish, the Browncheek Blenny, Acanthemblemaria crockeri (Teleostei: Chaenopsidae), which specializes as an adult on vacant invertebrate tests or tubes, is reported. Like most reef fishes, Browncheek Blennies have a planktonic larval stage that leaves the reef and later settles on suitable habitat as a fully developed juvenile. These blennies follow a clear, “two-step” recruitment pathway, however, and do not reside in invertebrate tests until reaching an adult body size. Individual juveniles and adults were observed for 3 min intervals in order to develop average time budgets for this species. Members of both sexes and all post-settlement life-history stages were included in the analysis. The difference in habitat use by post-settlement juveniles and adults is striking; the average juvenile spends none of its time inside a test, and the average large adult spends all of its time inside a test. Using data on intermediate-sized individuals, the behavioral change associated with invading a test was determined to be size-cued, and it occurs between 20 and 30 mm standard length. Changes in feeding and predator avoidance behaviors are also associated with the ontogenetic shift from life in the open to life in a shelter. Addition of artificial shelters demonstrated the essential role of access to this specialized resource in the population regulation of adults but not juveniles of these blennies.
Self-control in Relation to Feelings of Belonging and Acceptance

Three studies examined the impact that feelings of acceptance and belonging have on self-control abilities. Study 1 examined the relationship between self-reported selfcontrol in a broad range of day-to-day activities and perceived acceptance by family and friends; results showed a significant positive correlation between perceived acceptance and self-control. Studies 2 and 3 manipulated feelings of belonging and examined subsequent self-control on two separate tasks. Participants in the increased belonging group ate significantly fewer cookies (Study 2) and were more likely to delay gratification (Study 3) than participants in the decreased belonging group. There was no difference between the decreased belonging and control groups on delay of gratification in Study 3. The results from the present studies suggest that greater feelings of belonging and acceptance may bolster one’s ability to exert selfcontrol.
Bayesian analysis revisited: a radiologist's survival guide.

Today’s clinicians are confronted by a bewildering number of new, occasionally intimidating, diagnostic imaging tests. Increasingly, colleagues are calling on the radiologist not only to interpret imaging studies but also to provide guidance in the rational selection of appropriate tests and to offer opinions as to the clinical usefulness of newer techniques. Addressing the latter concerns will be significantly more important for the radiologist in light of present and future economic (and other external) constraints. Although thoroughly trained to perform and interpret diagnostic imaging studies, radiologists in general are not adequately trained to address these important concerns regarding analytic decisions. Much of the radiologist’s advice to the clinician (as well as our enthusiasm for newer imaging techniques) is derived from our review of the radiologic literature. Recently, there has been increasing criticism of this literature with respect to the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of our newer techniques (e.g., MR imaging, transrectal sonography); much of this criticism comes from the same clinicians who depend on radiologists to give them accurate advice [1 -5]. A number of workers have raised serious concerns about the design and interpretation of radiologic experimental studies; they point out that many papers contain significant design errors/biases that make our recommendations (and enthusiasm) regarding certain newer imaging tests suspect [1 , 5]. A review of the radiologic literature supports this concern; many studies reflect a basic misunderstanding of the fundamental principles of Bayesian analysis. This problem is compounded by the fact that most practicing radiologists feel uncomfortable with Bayesian analysis and, as a result, cannot critically evaluate the “validity” of the literature. This ability is crucial for the radiologist, who must make an informed contribution to the clinical management of patients. Thus, it is time to revisit Bayes’ theorem. One reason that radiologists have trouble understanding and correctly using this analytical tool is that we were originally exposed to Bayesian analysis in a rather dry, theoretical manner, with a confusing array ofcontingency tables and equations that soon were forgotten. Although this approach is rigorous, it does not yield an intuitive understanding of the concepts. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is not to give an exhaustive, formal exposition of Bayesian analysis but to g’ve radiologists an intuitive feel for the basic principles involved.
The Quest for Democracy in Iran: A Century of Struggle Against Authoritarian Rule

The Quest for Democracy in Iran: A Century of Struggle Against Authoritarian Rule, Fakhreddin Azimi, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008, ISBN 13-978-0-674-02778-7, 492pp. One hundred yea...
Ghana, China, and the Politics of Energy

Since the discovery of the Jubilee oil fi eld in the Gulf of Guinea in 2007, Ghana has emerged as an oil-rich nation and emerging exporter of high-quality crude oil. Simultaneously the energy supplies available to Ghanaian citizens in everyday life have become increasingly unreliable, marked by persistent rolling blackouts. This article seeks to understand the complex relationship that has developed between Ghana and China, to illuminate Ghanaian perspectives on their energy needs, and to investigate how energy has become entangled in national politics and bilateral relations between Ghana and China. Resume: Depuis la decouverte du gisement de petrole du "Jubilee" dans le golfe de Guinee en 2007, le Ghana se revele etre une nation riche en petrole, et il devient un exportateur de petrole non raffi ne de haute qualite. En meme temps, les ressources d'energie disponibles au quotidien pour les citoyens ghaneens deviennent de moins en moins fi ables, le systeme de distribution etant affecte par des periodes regulieres de black-out. Cet article cherche a comprendre la relation complexe qui s'est developpe entre le Ghana et la Chine, pour illustrer les perspectives Ghaneennes sur ses besoins d'energie et pour examiner comment les ressources energetiques sont enchevetrees dans la politique nationale et les relations bilaterales entre le Ghana et la Chine.
d-Mannitol Metabolism by Aspergillus candidus

Pathways of mannitol biosynthesis and utilization in Aspergillus candidus NRRL 305 were studied in cell-free extracts of washed mycelia prepared by sonic and French pressure cell treatments. A nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked mannitol-1-phosphate (M1P) dehydrogenase was found in French pressure cell extracts of d-glucose-grown cells, whereas a specific mannitol-1-phosphatase was present in extracts prepared by both methods. The existence of these two enzymes indicated that mannitol may be synthesized in this organism by the reduction of fructose-6-phosphate. A specific nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-linked mannitol dehydrogenase was also identified in both extracts. This enzyme may have been involved in mannitol utilization. However, the level of the mannitol dehydrogenase appeared to be substantially reduced in extracts from mannitol-grown cells, whereas the level of M1P dehydrogenase was increased. A hexokinase has been identified in this organism. Fructose-6-phosphatase, glucose isomerase, and mannitol kinase could not be demonstrated.
Why Smiles Generate Leniency

The authors investigated the social significance of human smiles, specifically the penchant for transgressors who smile to be judged more leniently than those who do not. Of particular interest was whether different types of smiles generate different degrees of leniency and what mediated the effect. Subjects judged a case of possible academic misconduct. Materials included a photograph of a female target displaying a neutral expression, felt smile, false smile, or miserable smile. Smiling targets received more leniency than nonsmiling targets, although they were not seen as less guilty. The type of smile did not significantly moderate the amount of leniency shown. Of the variables evaluated for mediating the smile-leniency effect, such as perceiving the target as more likable, submissive, or diplomatic, the one that best accounted for the effect was perceiving the target as a trustworthy person. The implication seems to be—if in trouble, smile.
Origin of Jupiter's Magnetic Field

Plausible theories of non-thermal radio-noise from Jupiter on decimetre and decametre wavelengths invoke a strong and nearly dipolar Jovian magnetic field and an associated system of van Allen-type radiation belts of electrically-charged particles extending beyond and interacting with the first Galilean satellite 10. Data from the recent Pioneer I0 fly-by provide direct evidence for the radiation belts and magnetic field and confirm the values for the strength, position and orientation of the equivalent Jovian magnetic dipole inferred previously by radio astronomers (Smith et al. 1974; Stannard 1975). The apparent absence of a non-thermal component in Saturn’s radio-emission implies that radiation belts cannot form around that planet, possibly because Saturn is non-magnetic, or, more likely, because charged particles in the vicinity of Saturn are rapidly removed through interactions with the rocky fragments that make up Saturn’s rings. Considerations of possible sources of Jupiter’s magnetic field-which theories of Jupiter’s internal constitution and energy sources must now take properly into account -indicate that the most likely mechanism is a magnetohydrodynamic dynamo associated with thermally-driven fluid motions in the electrically-conducting parts of Jupiter’s interior (Hide 1965; see also Runcorn 1968; Smoluchowski 1971 ; Stevenson 1974). It has not yet proved possible in dynamo theory to establish a precise relationship between the strength of the observed magnetic field and other parameters (density, planetary radius, electrical conductivity, rotation rate, etc.), but it proves instructive to compare the observed strength of Jupiter’s magnetic field with approximate theoretical relationships based on general considerations of the equations of magnetohydrodynamics of rotating fluids (Hide 1974) or on more specific dynamo models such as Parker’s (Levy 1972; Roberts 1975).
Retrospective Cost Adaptive Control of Spacecraft Attitude Using Magnetic Actuators

We apply retrospective cost adaptive control (RCAC) to spacecraft attitude control with magnetic actuators. We compare two approaches to address the rank deficiency and time-varying nature of the input matrix. The first approach utilizes an average of the magnetic field based on a-priori knowledge, whereas the second approach uses three multi-input, single-output controllers. RCAC uses no information about the spacecraft inertia, and model information is limited to the input-output relation given by the first Markov parameter, which is computed from an inertia-free linearization of Euler’s and Poisson’s equations. We examine two problems for each of the controllers. For both problems, the spacecraft has an arbitrary initial angular rate and initial attitude. The objective for the first problem is to bring the spacecraft to rest at a specified attitude, while the second problem seeks to bring the spacecraft to spin about an inertially pointed body axis.
Pregnancy Outcomes in HIV-Positive Women in Singapore

Singapore had her first HIV patient tested sero-positive in 1985. Ever since then, the number of new patients being diagnosed has been on the uprising trend. Based on the current evidences in the literature, we look at how our local practice should be positioned. The objective is to study the general profile of all HIV-positive women in Singapore and to compare the difference in vertical transmission rate between women with very low viral count i.e. < 50 copies/ml who underwent caesarean section and normal vaginal deliveries. Also with proper intrapartum and postpartum advice and care, we look at the outcome of unbooked pregnancies. A ten-year retrospective review of HIV-positive women who delivered in KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital (Singapore) was conducted. All case notes were reviewed and data was collected and analysed using Microsoft Excel. A total of 75 deliveries by 67 women were identified. Four neonates were tested HIV-positive, amounting to a vertical transmission rate of 5.3%. Of the 12 women who were found to have viral counts of less than 50 copies/ml before their deliveries, four underwent normal vaginal deliveries while eight underwent caesarean sections. All babies were tested HIVnegative. Among the five unbooked pregnancies and two pregnancies that were booked at term, one neonate was found to be positive (14.3%). There is no difference in perinatal transmission in women with very low viral count irrespective of the mode of delivery. For those women with unbooked pregnancies, proper intrapartum care, neonatal anti-retroviral therapy together with avoidance of breastfeeding reduces vertical transmission rate and improves neonatal outcome.
Once-daily aminoglycoside dosing: An update on current literature

Purpose The advantages and disadvantages of once-daily versus conventional dosing of aminoglycoside antibiotics are reviewed. Summary Although administration of multiple daily doses remains the standard method of aminoglycoside dosing, once-daily dosing may provide enhanced clinical efficacy and reduced toxicity in selected patient populations; demonstrated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic advantages include enhanced postantibiotic effect and an increased likelihood of a high ratio of serum peak concentration to minimum inhibitory concentration. Published evidence identified in a MEDLINE search covering the period 1985–2014 indicates that once-daily high-dose aminoglycoside therapy generally provides clinical effectiveness equivalent or superior to that of multiple-daily dosing. The risk of nephrotoxicity appears to be comparable with once- and multiple-daily aminoglycoside dosing. Several nomograms have been developed to facilitate once-daily dosing; the Hartford nomogram (using a dose of 7 mg/kg) is the most extensively tested and generally considered the most reliable. However, although those nomograms are convenient to use and may reduce expenses, a daily dosing regimen determined by individualized pharmacokinetic monitoring is likely to be more effective for achieving specific serum concentrations and may be a preferable approach for some patients. Patients who are pregnant or have liver failure, severe renal insufficiency, serious illness, or nutritional deficiency are not appropriate candidates for once-daily dosing. Conclusion Once-daily aminoglycoside dosing is an effective, well-established method to achieve therapeutic efficacy while limiting the risk of toxicity and simplifying the processes of dosing and monitoring.
What's the problem? How ‘industrial culture’ shapes community responses to proposed bioenergy development in northern Michigan, USA

Abstract Why do two similar places respond to the same renewable energy technology development proposal in contrasting ways — as a problem in one community, and a non-problem in the other? In response to William Freudenburg's call to examine the role of ideologies in the social construction of both environmental problems and non-problems, and drawing from Ann Swidler's concept of cultural resources, this paper develops and applies an integrative framework the author calls industrial culture. The paper examines how industrial cultures — the stories, discourses, orientations, and practices around industrial development and accompanying environmental degradation that are commonplace in particular locales — shape community responses to proposed future development by both constraining and providing opportunities for new trajectories of action. This process is illustrated with a comparative case study of two adjacent and outwardly similar industrialized northern Michigan communities with legacies of environmental degradation that encounter the same bioenergy development proposal but respond in contrasting ways. Findings suggest community residents construct industrial cultures around both a) past industrial development and environmental degradation and b) the imagined future impact bioenergy development would have on the community. The paper extends the literature on environmental non-problems by showing how the social construction of non-problems is driven not only by explicitly articulated ideologies, but also by unquestioned common sense.
Annual Testicular Cycle and Bill Color Change in the Eastern American Goldfinch

THE avian testicular cycle of seasonally-breeding birds consists of three phases: a regeneration phase when the tissues of the regressed gonad are reorganized, an acceleration phase characterized by development and growth of the testis, and a culmination phase in which the birds are responsive to certain environmental end stimuli that result in their nest building and gamete deposition (Marshall, 1961). Among wild populations of north-temperate passerines such a cycle has been demonstrated by histological examination of the testis in only a few early nesting species (e.g. Blanchard, 1941; Bullough, 1942; Blanchard and Erickson, 1949; Threadgold, 1956a, 1956b; Marshall and Coombs, 1957). Comparative study of the cycles of more species, particularly late nesters, is desirable. An analysis of seasonal changes in external characters that reflect seasonal changes in the gonad may provide an indirect method of determining the testis cycle in other species quickly. Bill color and postnuptial molt are well-suited for such an analysis as, in certain species, they are readily measurable from museum skins. Both characters have been correlated with changes in the titer of one or more of the gonadal hormones (Witschi and Fugo, 1940; Kobayashi, 1954a, 1954b, 1954c, 1958; Witschi, 1961; Engels, 1962), and Marshall (1961) associates the onset of the postnuptial molt with early regeneration phase and the termination of postnuptial molt with the onset of acceleration phase. The Eastern American Goldfinch, Spinus t. tristis, exhibits both a seasonal change in bill color and a late breeding season, and is principally single-brooded. Throughout the northern part of its range this goldfinch generally does not nest until July and later (Walkinshaw, 1938; Stokes, 1950; Nickell, 1951; Berger, 1968), and breeding behavior occurs seasonally later in this species than in other passerines nesting in northeastern North America. Field experiments conducted in Ithaca, New York revealed that not until late June or early July do female goldfinches begin gathering cotton artificially supplied them in their nesting habitat since early June, and they do not begin collecting thistle papus, a major natural nesting material, until July or, more rarely, in the last week of June (Mundinger, 1968). This correlates temporally with the onset of nest construction. In a study field in Ithaca only about 6 percent (2 of 35 nests) of all nests were initiated as early as the period mid-June to 1 July in 1963-65. Likewise the males do not engage in the defense of a geographically fixed area with flight song display and other territorial behaviors until nest construction begins or, in some cases, only a few days
Note on calcium ion requirements for threone activity.

SummaryWhen threone is involved in the conversion of purified prothrombin to thrombin, the optimum calcium concentration ranges from 0.009 M to 0.04 M. This is a much broader range than found when throm-boplastin is used for the activation of prothrombin.
Discriminative hand localization in depth images

We present a novel hand localization technique for 3D user interfaces. Our method is designed to overcome the difficulty of fitting anatomical models which fail to converge or converge with large errors in complex scenes or suboptimal imagery. We learn a discriminative model of the hand from depth images by using fast to compute features and a Random Forest classifier. The learned model is then combined with a spatial clustering algorithm to localize the hand position. We propose three formulations of low-level image features for use in model training. We evaluate the performance of our method by testing on low resolution depth maps of users two to three meters from the sensor in natural poses. Our method can detect an arbitrary number of hands per scene and preliminary results show that it is robust to suboptimal imagery.
Lamotrigme in the treatment of Lennox - Gastaut syndrome.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lamotrigine (LTG) with valproate (VPA) in 9 patients with Lennox- Gastaut syndrome (L- GS) . Methods The study was a single - center, retrospective review of open - label LTG with VPA therapy in patients with LGS. The treatment period was 12 to 76 months. Results Four patients with L- GS became seizure -free , and seven patients had a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. An improved trend of EEG after treatment seemed to be noted. Two patients' quality of life (QOL) were improved during the study. The adverse events reported little. Laboratory parameters showed no consistent findings of clinical significance. Conclusion LTG with VPA was an effective and well - tolerated treatment for seizures associated with the Lennox - Gastaut syndrome.
Recognition of Foreign Administrative Acts in the United States

The legal rules governing recognition in the United States of foreign administrative acts vary sharply depending on whether the foreign administrative act in question is covered by a mutual recognition agreement (MRA), which seeks to eliminate duplicative assessments in international trade of conformity of goods and services with applicable product and service standards, or similar treaties. Such agreements and their implementing legislation and regulation give a clear legal basis for recognition to the extent that they cover foreign administrative acts though in fact many do not. Otherwise, recognition is based on the common law, which provides for recognition--chiefly enforcement of money judgments or collateral estoppel on common issues, but excluding fines and penalties--in order to avoid duplicative litigation in situations in which there has already been a full and fair opportunity to litigate all relevant issues in connection with the issuance of the foreign administrative act. The common law is subject to exceptions to protect crucial U.S. public policies, but the act of state doctrine extends the scope of administrative acts that may be granted recognition in the United States by eliminating the defense of public policy in certain cases.
Comparison of Risks from Use of Traditional and Recycled Road Construction Materials: Accounting for Variability in Contaminant Release Estimates

Recycled materials, such as recovered materials from the transportation sector or secondary or by-product materials from the industrial, municipal, or mining sectors can be used as substitutes for natural materials in the construction of highway infrastructure. Trace metals in these recycled materials may leach out and contaminate the groundwater and soil posing a long-term environmental problem. Environmental risk assessments are necessary to evaluate which recycled material applications are acceptable. The first step for determining the environmental risk of using recycled materials is to characterize the source term. Estimates of contaminant release fluxes can then be used in a comparative risk assessment. This paper will give an example of a comparative, probabilistic approach for exposure assessment. Existing deterministic models for estimating contaminant release will be presented and incorporation of variability in these models will be discussed.
Islamic Terrorism: The Red Menace of the Twenty-First Century

For nearly half a century, Americans were united against a common enemy of the Soviet Union, and more generally against the ideology of communism, also known as the red menace. With the close of the cold war, the shifts in the world required a rewriting and new understanding of the threats toward American national security. Even before September 11, 2001, government rhetoric increasingly focused on Islamic terrorism as the new enemy. Today, the ideology of Islamic terrorism is undoubtedly the enemy of the United States, more so than any sovereign state. It is much easier to declare war on terrorism sponsored by self-proclaimed, mysterious, and dangerous radicals than it is on another sovereign state. For this reason, and the fact that terrorism is perceived as an absolutely deplorable act, it is easy to assert Islamic terrorism as the enemy. It has also been easier to justify foreign policy actions based on the ever present threat of Islamic terrorism, much like the threat of the spread of communism during the cold war. This chapter examines the process of how Islamic terrorism replaced the Red Menace of communism as “the” American enemy in political rhetoric, justifying major shifts in U.S. foreign policy.
Mitotic Protein Kinase 1: Role in Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Revisited.

Cell division is a highly regulated process and involves sequential activation and deactivation of a number of proteins. Mitotic protein kinase (MPS1) is a part of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) activated during prometaphase and metaphase that prevents chromosome misalignment by arresting the cell in mid-mitosis until all of the chromosomes is properly attached to the mitotic spindle [1]. Multiple cancers show alterations of the SAC machinery leading to chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy. MPS1 functions as a dual-specificity kinase that is critical for the recruitment of SAC proteins to unattached kinetochores, proper mitotic progression, and centrosome duplication [2]. Overexpression of Mps1 is observed in a number of cancer cell lines and tumor types, including breast cancer, gastric, colorectal cancer, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, lung cancers and gliomas, also correlating with high histological grade and tumor aggressiveness [3,4]. High levels of Mps1 contribute to tumorigenesis by attenuating the spindle assembly checkpoint [5]. Inhibition of Mps1 activity can result in chromosome missegregation, aneuploidy, and eventually cell death. Thus, MPS1 may be an important target in cancer cells with dysregulated SAC and may be targeted via MPS1 inhibition. Recently several small molecule inhibitors of MPS1 have been developed and tested in pre-clincal models [6–10]. Two of them have entered human clinical trials (BAY 1161909, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02138812","term_id":"NCT02138812"}}NCT02138812; BAY 1217389 ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02366949","term_id":"NCT02366949"}}NCT02366949). Majority of these inhibitors cause massive aneuploidy and cells ultimately succumbed to the mitotic catastrophe-induced activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis [7]. MPS1 inhibitors may exert robust anticancer activity, either as a monotherapy or in combination with other chemotherapy. In combination with an antimitotic cancer drugs it has not only enhanced their efficacy but potentially can overcame resistance to these agents [7,10]. Apart from being a major component of SAC machinery, MPS1 has been shown to be involved in turning on Smad signaling by phosphorylating Smad2/3 proteins [11]. Our own research has shown that MPS1 mediates phosphorylation of SMAD3 protein resulting in micro RNA-21 (miR-21) activation in GBM cells. Downregulation of MPS1 might upregulate the expression of the tumor suppressor PDCD4 and MSH2 genes, by down regulating miR-21 [12]. MPS1-induced Smad2 activation occurs in late G2 or early mitosis, indicating MPS1 mediated Smad activation is cell cycle-specific. This aligns well with the role of MPS1 being a mitotic protein kinase.
Toward run-time assurance in general aviation and unmanned aircraft vehicle autopilots

When compared with most other common methods of travel, travel in general aviation aircraft is relatively unsafe. Fortunately, the most frequent causes of fatal general aviation (GA) mishaps could be significantly reduced with very simple autopilot systems. However, such systems can be prohibitively costly due in large part to the expense of validation and verification required to certify them. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, and the US Air Force have been working to develop alternative certification methods to reduce this cost. In particular, run-time assurance (RTA) methods have recently been gaining momentum as a potential avenue to achieve this goal. This has led researchers from the aforementioned group to propose an RTA system for GA autopilots, which uses the human pilot as the baseline controller and a lesser certified autopilot as the advanced controller. This paper expands on that work by developing a hybrid control model which takes into account the human pilot's variable timing and control ability. Simulation results and a discussion on the impact of these findings are also provided.