cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Representation of the body in the lateral striatum of the freely moving rat: Fast Spiking Interneurons respond to stimulation of individual body parts

Abstract Numerous studies have shown that certain types of striatal interneurons play a crucial role in selection and regulation of striatal output. Striatal Fast-Spiking Interneurons (FSIs) are parvalbumin positive, GABAergic interneurons that constitute less than 1% of the total striatal population. It is becoming increasingly evident that these sparsely distributed neurons exert a strong inhibitory effect on Medium Spiny projection Neurons (MSNs). MSNs in lateral striatum receive direct synaptic input from regions of cortex representing discrete body parts, and show phasic increases in activity during touch or movement of specific body parts. In the present study, we sought to determine whether lateral striatal FSIs identified by their electrophysiological properties, i.e., short-duration spike and fast firing rate (FR), display body part sensitivity similar to that exhibited by MSNs. During video recorded somatosensorimotor exams, each individual body part was stimulated and responses of single neurons were observed and quantified. Individual FSIs displayed patterns of activity related selectively to stimulation of a discrete body part. Most patterns of activity were similar to those exhibited by typical MSNs, but some phasic decreases were observed. These results serve as evidence that some striatal FSIs process information related to discrete body parts and participate in sensorimotor processing by striatal networks that contribute to motor output. Statement of Significance Parvalbumin positive, striatal FSIs are hypothesized to play an important role in behavior by inhibiting MSNs. We asked a fundamental question regarding information processed during behavior by FSIs: whether FSIs, which preferentially occupy the sensorimotor portion of the striatum, process activity of discrete body parts. Our finding that they do, in a selective manner similar to MSNs, begins to reveal the types of phasic signals that FSI feed forward to projection neurons during striatal processing of cortical input regarding a specific sensorimotor event. These findings suggest new avenues for testing feed-forward inhibition theory as applied to striatum in naturalistic conditions, such as whether FSI decreases facilitate excitation of MSNs related to the current movement while FSI increases silence MSNs unrelated to the current movement.
Increased Free Heme Levels and Red Blood Cell Transfusions Are Associated with Thrombosis in Neonates and Infants Undergoing Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Background: Elevated free heme levels have been shown to be associated with thrombosis in a variety of diseases as well being experimentally causative in vitro and in vivo. Stored red blood cells hemolyze both in the bag and in the recipient, raising the question of whether red blood transfusion is prothrombotic. Transfusions have been associated with an increased risk of thrombosis in several patient cohorts, including one randomized trial. While neonates and infants are generally considered to be in a slightly hypocoaguable state, certain complex congenital heart diseases and their surgical repair can put them at increased risk for thrombosis. Red blood cell transfusions may further increase this risk for thrombosis. It is unclear if transfusions result in increased heme levels and if this increase is associated with thrombotic events in this setting. Method: We retrospectively analyzed samples from 39 children who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass from 2009-2010, including 15 children who developed a post-operative thrombosis and 24 age matched controls from the same randomized trial of washed blood transfusions. The infants/children were between 0 days to 60 months of age. All patients received leukoreduced, irradiated and ABO identical red blood cell products. Seven patients in the thrombosis group and 13 patients in the non-thrombosis group received washed products (47% and 54%, respectively, no significant difference). Free heme was quantitated by colorimetric analysis of previously frozen citrated plasma samples pre-surgery, immediately post-operatively and 6 and 12 hours post-operatively. Results: Patients that developed thrombosis post-operatively had significantly greater increased average heme levels over time (pre-surgery to 12 hours post-surgery) compared to patients that did not develop thrombosis (39.8μM vs. 29.3 μM respectively, p Conclusion: Increased cell-free heme levels are associated with a higher risk of thrombosis in a transfused pediatric cardiac surgical cohort. Higher heme levels are also associated with the number and volume of transfusions. This is a potentially important finding since it highlights for the risk for transfusion-associated thrombosis in another vulnerable patient cohort. Further studies are warranted to examine the possible mechanistic role of heme in contributing to thrombosis in transfused patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Connecting Psychological Science With Climate Change: A Persuasion and Social Influence Assignment

Students often have little understanding of the role psychological science plays in informing us about the impact of human behavior when addressing climate change. We designed an assignment for a s...
Gender, Masculinity Threat, and Support for Transgender Rights: An Experimental Study

We explore how gender, attitudes about traditional gender roles, and threats to masculinity and femininity affect U.S. participants’ support for transgender rights. First, we present analyses using data from the 2016 pilot survey of the American National Election Survey (ANES) showing how men and women differ in their attitudes toward transgender people as measured by thermometer ratings toward transgender people and questions about perceptions of whether they are victims of discrimination. Next, we describe our randomized laboratory experiment, testing three hypotheses/predictions: (a) that men are less supportive of transgender people and rights than women are, (2) that threatening a man’s masculinity increases opposition to transgender rights whereas threatening a woman’s femininity has no effect, and (3) that this effect will be stronger among men who report that their gender identity is very important to them. Consistent with existing scholarship, we find that women are more supportive of transgender rights compared to men. More importantly, we also find that threatened masculinity is an even better predictor of opposition to transgender rights than gender identity. In short, we find that attitudes toward transgender people and rights are closely linked with the way people think and feel about their own gender identity and expectations of gender performance.
Statins in Peripheral Artery Disease: What Are We Waiting For?

Article, see p 1435 Atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a growing, yet underappreciated global health issue.1 PAD affects >200 million individuals worldwide,2 and atherosclerotic disease of the lower extremities confers a high risk of cardiovascular events and death.3 Patients with PAD have a 2.5-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction and a 3.1-fold increased risk of stroke in comparison with healthy individuals.3 In addition, individuals with PAD are at heightened risk for lower extremity ulceration, acute limb ischemia, surgical and percutaneous revascularization, and amputation. Given the prevalence and morbidity of PAD, there is a clear need for therapies that improve PAD-specific outcomes, such as amputation, and reduce the risk of other major cardiovascular events that are common among patients with atherosclerosis, as well. Current professional society guidelines recommend statin therapy for all individuals with PAD.4,5 Unfortunately, much of the data regarding lipid-lowering therapy for PAD have been extrapolated from studies of coronary artery disease, and few studies have specifically examined limb outcomes. The Heart Protection Study randomly assigned 20 536 subjects, 6748 of whom carried a diagnosis of PAD, to either simvastatin 40 mg daily or placebo with a mean follow-up of 5 years.6 In the overall study population, simvastatin was associated with a 16% relative risk reduction in peripheral vascular events, which was driven primarily by a 20% reduction in noncoronary revascularization. It is noteworthy that this end point included not only lower extremity arterial procedures, but …
Raman-AFM Instrumentation and Characterization of SERS Substrates and Carbon Nanotubes

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful tool for structural determination at sub-nanometer resolution and nano-mechanical characterization with pico-Newton molecular force sensitivity. Raman spectroscopy, on the other hand, can provide fingerprint chemical information of samples with sub-micron resolution. Through in-house engineering and integration of commercial components, we have developed a multi-modality biological AFM and Raman-spectroscopic instrument featuring a number of unique advantages including an independent closed-loop X-Y scanning stage and Z-piezo control, high-performance optical gratings, thermoelectrically cooled and electron-multiplying charge-coupled detectors (EMCCD), active vibration inhibition, and biological environmental controls. With this new instrument, we have obtained correlated surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) mapping and AFM topographic images of a home-grown gold-on-mica substrate with putative SERS hot spots. We have also investigated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via AFM tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), where the enhancement factor is quantified from the difference Raman spectrum of the CNT’s G-band signature between an engaged and retracted state of a gold-coated AFM tip. The developed instrument can obtain simultaneous nanoscale structural and chemical information under controlled environmental conditions, a capability that is critical for meaningful interpretation of many anticipated biomedical applications.
Reason, Culture and Life in Eichendorff’s Das Schloss Dürande

Weighing reason’s overall role in life and culture, we may conclude (depending, of course, on our point of departure) that its influence has been modest, at best. Indeed, the fact that mankind periodically batters itself with one man-made disaster after another seems to attest to our conspicuous deficiency of reason. Yet we have so far avoided the worst, at least collectively. Granted, there’s been a certain amount of luck involved here, but also, if less spectacularly so, reason — simple common sense. Kant spoke for many of us when he said that only substantial material losses or imminent catastrophe might raise our collective reason to a more desirable level of efficiency. Philosophizing on human nature’s stubborn refusal to let reason play a more significant role in our lives and culture, one might conclude that the human race is only postponing its well-deserved and inevitable doom.
Expression of fibronectin splice variants in the postischemic rat kidney

Using an in vivo rat model of unilateral renal ischemia, we previously showed that the expression and distribution of fibronectin (FN), a major glycoprotein of plasma and the extracellular matrix, dramatically changes in response to ischemia-reperfusion. In the distal nephron in particular, FN accumulates in tubular lumens, where it may contribute to obstruction. In the present study, we examine whether the tubular FN is the plasma or cellular form, each of which is produced by alternative splicing of a single gene transcript. We demonstrate that FN in tubular lumens does not contain the extra type III A (EIIIA) and/or the extra type III B (EIIIB) region, both of which are unique to cellular FN. It does, however, contain the V95 region, which in the rat is a component of FNs in both plasma and the extracellular matrix. Expression of FN containing EIIIA increases dramatically in the renal interstitium after ischemic injury and continues to be produced at high levels 6 wk later. V95-containing FN also increases in the interstitial space, albeit more slowly and at lower levels than FN containing EIIIA; it also persists 6 wk later. FN containing the EIIIB region is not expressed in the injured kidney. The presence of V95 but not the EIIIA or EIIIB regions of FN in tubular lumens identifies the origin of FN in this location as the plasma; tubular FN is ultimately voided in the urine. The data indicate that both plasma and cellular FNs containing the V95 and/or EIIIA regions may contribute to the pathogenesis of acute renal failure and to the repair of the injured kidney.
Studies of Reaction Kinetics in Relation to the Tg′ of Polymers in Frozen Model Systems

The rates of diffusion-controlled processes in a frozen system can be influenced by the presence of glassy states. One characteristic of cryostabilization by this mechanism is a change in the temperature dependence of reaction rates at the Tg′ of the system. The cryostabilization behavior of solutes such as maltodextrin, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and sucrose was studied. Three different model reaction systems (enzyme hydrolysis, protein aggregation, and non-enzymatic oxidation) were used. Maltodextrin had a consistent pattern of cryostabilization behavior at temperatures ranging from −3°C to −20°C for all three model systems. Significant retardation effects were evident in the temperature range corresponding to its glassy states. Sucrose did not show a stabilizing effect in the non-proteinaceous model system (the non-enzymatic oxidation reaction). This could partly be due to the absence of the glassy state, since the storage temperatures were above its Tg′. However, in the protein aggregation model system, sucrose was an excellent stabilizer in protecting actomyosin from aggregation. This may be explained by a “solute exclusion” mechanism. CMC did not show any stabilizing effect in the protein aggregation and non-enzymatic oxidation model systems studied, even though it has a Tg′ as high as that of maltodextrin. These results demonstrated that although the presence of a glassy state may well have a retarding effect on the rates of diffusion processes, just knowing the Tg′ of a polymer is not sufficient for prediction of its stabilization effect in a frozen system.
Non-Invasive Monitoring of Tissue-Engineered Pancreatic Constructs by NMR Techniques

Tissue engineering is an expanding field that combines the principles of engineering and the life sciences towards the fundamental understanding of structure/function relationships in normal and pathological mammalian tissues, and the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain, or improve function (1). There are several critical issues that hamper the development of tissue engineered constructs. These include, but may not be limited to: (i) the source and function of cells employed within the constructs; (ii) the biomaterials used to build the constructs; (iii) the ability to scale up production to a medically relevant scale; (iv) the immune acceptance of a construct; (v) the preservation and subsequent off-the-shelf availability of the construct, and (vi) the ability to monitor the function and integrity of the construct in vivo. In this review we will focus on the issue of non-invasive monitoring.
The Interaction of Calmodulin with Novel Target Proteins

Ionized calcium (Ca2+) is the most common signal transduction element in cells. Intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+] i ), which average ∼ 100 nM in resting cells, are 20,000-fold lower than the extracellular concentrations (Clapham, 1995; Berridge, 1993). Unlike other signaling molecules, Ca2+ cannot be metabolized. Therefore, cells contain numerous specialized extrusion proteins (e.g., pumps and channels) and binding proteins that tightly regulate [Ca2+] i . Ca2+ is required for proliferation and survival of mammalian cells (Takuwa et al., 1995), yet paradoxically, prolonged high [Ca2+]i leads to cell death (Nicotera et al., 1994).
The effects of cryotherapy on quadriceps electromyographic activity and isometric strength in patient in the early phases following knee surgery.

Purpose:To determine the effects of cryotherapy on quadriceps electromyographic (EMG) activity and isometric strength in early postoperative knee surgery patients.Methods:Twenty-two volunteers with...
Effects of Fidelity-Focused Consultation on Clinicians' Implementation: An Exploratory Multiple Baseline Design.

Identification of effective consultation models could inform implementation efforts. This study examined the effects of a fidelity-focused consultation model among community-based clinicians implementing Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up. Fidelity data from 1217 sessions from 7 clinicians were examined in a multiple baseline design. In fidelity-focused consultation, clinicians received feedback from consultants’ fidelity coding, and also coded their own fidelity. Clinicians’ fidelity increased after fidelity-focused consultation began, but did not increase during other training periods. Fidelity was sustained for 30 months after consultation ended. Findings suggest that consultation procedures involving fidelity coding feedback and self-monitoring of fidelity may promote implementation outcomes.
Crystallographic and spectroscopic character­ization of 4-nitro-2-(tri­fluoro­meth­yl)benzoic acid and 4-nitro-3-(tri­fluoro­meth­yl)benzoic acid

The title compounds, both C8H4F3NO4, represent two isomers of nitro tri­fluoro­methyl benzoic acid. The compounds each contain a nitro functionality para to the carb­oxy­lic acid group, with the tri­fluoro­methyl substituent ortho to the acid group in the 2-isomer and ortho to the nitro group in the 3-isomer. The regiochemistry with respect to the tri­fluoro­methyl group results in steric inter­actions that rotate the carb­oxy­lic acid group or the nitro group out of the aromatic plane in the 2- and 3-isomer, respectively. Each mol­ecule engages in inter­molecular hydrogen bonding, forming head-to-tail dimers with graph-set notation R22(8) and donor–acceptor hydrogen-bonding distances of 2.7042 (14) A in the 2-isomer and 2.6337 (16) in the 3-isomer. Recrystallization attempts did not yield untwinned crystals.
The case of the hydrating hydra: Examination and treatment of a Blaschka glass invertebrate model

ABSTRACTLeopold and Rudolf Blaschka were a father and son team of master glassworkers active in and around Dresden in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They made realistic and accurate ...
Greenhouse gas flux from stormwater ponds in southeastern Virginia (USA)

Abstract Stormwater ponds are ubiquitous features of developed landscapes of the eastern United States. Their design specifically controls the pace of water runoff from impervious cover of surrounding watersheds. Ponds accumulate organic matter that typically decomposes anaerobically in bottom sediments, and thus may be significant sources of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4)). We sampled fifteen stormwater retention ponds in southeastern Virginia (USA) during summer 2018 to determine the diffusive emission of greenhouse gases with respect to measured environmental parameters. The equivalent CO2 (CO2e) flux from ponds ranged from 8.3 to 80 mmol m-2 h-1, with CH4 contributing 94%, CO2 6% and nitrous oxide less than 1% of the CO2e flux, on average. From linear mixed-effects modelling, diffusive flux of CO2 was inversely associated with pH. Maximum depth best explained diffusive flux of CH4, with surface area of secondary importance, i.e. CH4 flux was higher in smaller and more shallow ponds. With 300 stormwater ponds in the county where we conducted this study, we estimate that, during a 100-day warm season, these ponds emit 2.3 × 109 ± 1.5 × 109 SD g C as CO2e. As small, human-constructed ponds are becoming common features of urbanizing landscapes globally, results from this study suggest that, collectively, small ponds can contribute substantially to climate forcing. Better pond designs that reduce sediment methanogenesis, however, can mitigate the hypothesized potential disservice of GHG emissions from unvegetated stormwater retention ponds.
A physics-based approach to modeling real-fuel combustion chemistry – V. NOx formation from a typical Jet A

Abstract Real transportation fuels are complex mixtures of a variety of hydrocarbon components. Predicting NOx formation in practical combustors burning real fuels is usually made with the assumption that the NOx submodels developed and tested for small hydrocarbon combustion are applicable to mixtures of large hydrocarbons as found in real fuels. Additionally, NOx data are scarce for flames of real fuels. The aims of the current study are (i) to provide reliable NOx data in flames of a typical jet fuel, and (ii) to test our capability to predict these data by combining a recently proposed HyChem reaction model of jet A combustion (Xu et al., 2018) with the NOx submodel of Glarborg (2018). Specifically, NOx concentrations were measured in stretch-stabilized premixed flames of methane and Jet A (POSF10325) from fuel lean to rich conditions and of ethylene at a fuel-rich equivalence ratio. This range of stoichiometries allows both thermal NO and prompt NO pathways to be tested. The results show reasonably good agreement between the experimental data and model predictions for all flames tested, although the model appears to underpredict NOx concentrations in the Jet A flames under fuel rich conditions. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to illustrate the influence of the reaction pathways and flame boundary conditions on NOx predictions. The analyses also suggest that additional prompt NO reaction pathways may play a role in flames of large hydrocarbons.
Geriatric rehabilitation: gait in the elderly, fall prevention and Parkinson disease

Aging-associated anatomic and physiologic decline begins during the fourth decade of life and progresses over the ensuing decades sometimes to a state of frailty, with the decline amplified when there is deconditioning. Aging-related gait and balance disorders leading to an increased risk of falling can be compensated for with the use of exercise interventions, durable medical equipment, and environmental modifications. Caregiver training is an essential component of geriatric rehabilitation.
Photo Quiz: An Elderly Leukemia Patient with Jaw Pain and Swelling and Subjective Fevers

A 76-year-old man with acute myelogenous leukemia presented to the hospital with 1 week of left-sided jaw pain and swelling and subjective fevers. The patient had been severely neutropenic (i.e., with an absolute neutrophil count of <500/μl) for about 6 months prior to admission. On presentation,
Applying Bayesian Optimization for Calibration of Transportation Simulation Models

The parameters of a transportation simulation model need to pass through a careful calibration process to ensure that the model’s output is as close as possible to the actual system. Owing to the c...
Racial differences in lumbar marrow adipose tissue and volumetric bone mineral density in adolescents and young adults with obesity.

Abstract Background Areal bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine by DXA is greater in Black compared to White adolescents. Bone strength is determined not only by BMD but also its microenvironment, and marrow adipose tissue (MAT) has been shown to be an important determinant of skeletal integrity, independent of BMD. Racial differences in volumetric BMD (vBMD) and MAT in adolescents and young adults with obesity are unknown. Objective To assess racial differences in lumbar vBMD and MAT in Black and White adolescents and young adults with obesity and to assess body composition determinants of bone parameters. We hypothesized that Blacks will have higher vBMD and lower MAT of the lumbar spine compared to Whites. Methods The study group comprised 77 adolescents/young adults, 25 Black and 52 White, (mean age 18.2 ± 2.5 years, range 13 to 24 years) with moderate to severe obesity (mean body mass index (BMI) 46.2 ± 7.3 kg/m2, range 35.5 to 69.7 kg/m2). Groups were similar in age, BMI, and sex distribution (p > 0.84). Subjects underwent QCT of the lumbar spine (L1−L2) for assessment of vBMD with the use of a calibration phantom and 1H-MRS/MRI for quantification of lumbar MAT content (L1-L2) and abdominal fat and thigh muscle mass. Groups were compared by Student's t-test or Wilcoxon test. Correlation analysis was performed to assess associations between bone parameters and body composition. Results Black adolescents/young adults with obesity had higher vBMD compared to Whites (p 0.1). Conclusion There are racial differences in lumbar vBMD in adolescents and young adults with moderate to severe obesity, with Blacks having higher vBMD than Whites, while there were no differences in MAT content. The known inverse association between BMD and MAT was only observed in Whites but not in Blacks, suggesting possible racial differences in stem cell differentiation into the bone and fat lineages.
An octagon containing the numerical range of a bounded linear operator.

A polygon is derived that contains the numerical range of a bounded linear operator on a complex Hilbert space, using only norms. In its most general form, the polygon is an octagon, symmetric with respect to the origin, and tangent to the closure of the numerical range in at least four points when the spectral norm is used.
House Prices and School Finances

In this paper, we examine the effects of house prices on public school finances including tax revenue and expenditures. We find an elasticity of school district revenue with respect to house price growth of 0.2 and a similar elasticity for expenditures. Elasticities for expenditures, however, are much more volatile and correlated with the business cycle. During the Great Recession, the Federal Government acted as a social safety net for local schools. Our results also indicate that there are positive and statistically significant elasticities for teacher salaries with respect to house prices. These elasticities were largest during the Great Recession and the elasticities are even larger for teacher benefits. Findings further suggest that elasticities for school administrator salaries are similar to (and not statistically different from) elasticities for teacher salaries. Elasticities for administrator salaries are smaller (and thus less responsive) than elasticities for teacher benefits.
Combined haploidentical and cord blood transplantation for refractory severe aplastic anaemia and hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation is a potentially curative treatment for patients with refractory severe aplastic anaemia (SAA), but has historically been associated with delayed engraftment and high graft failure and mortality rates. We conducted a prospective phase 2 trial to assess outcome of an allogeneic transplant regimen that co-infused a single UCB unit with CD34+ -selected cells from a haploidentical relative. Among 29 SAA patients [including 10 evolved to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)] who underwent the haplo cord transplantation (median age 20 years), 97% had neutrophil recovery (median 10 days), and 93% had platelet recovery (median 32 days). Early myeloid engraftment was from the haplo donor and was gradually replaced by durable engraftment from UCB in most patients. The cumulative incidences of grade II-IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were 21% and 41%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 7·5 years, overall survival was 83% and GVHD/relapse-free survival was 69%. Patient- and transplant-related factors had no impact on engraftment and survival although transplants with haplo-versus-cord killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligand incompatibility had delayed cord engraftment. Our study shows haplo cord transplantation is associated with excellent engraftment and long-term outcome, providing an alternative option for patients with refractory SAA and hypoplastic MDS who lack human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched donors.
Monetary policy rules in practice: The case of Israel

Abstract This paper presents a case study of how communication on monetary policy rules in Israel allows for discretionary deviations within a rule-like policy framework without impairment to central bank credibility. We quantitatively analyze a monetary policy rule that has described Bank of Israel policy formally since 2012 and informally since 2007. We demonstrate the value of a policy rule as a tool of communication and show how policymakers leverage this rule in times of economic uncertainty. We identify periods of discretionary deviation from the policy rule and show how communication on financial stability concerns derived from monthly interest rate announcements explains these deviations. Finally, we show how policymakers in Israel were able to anchor market expectations, even in times of great economic uncertainty. We assess how market expectations about the future path of the short-term interest rate respond both to communication related to the rule and exercised flexibility during the financial crisis. We use futures contracts on short term interest rates from the inter-bank market and find that monetary policy predictability improves in the period following the publication of this rule. We argue that policymakers in Israel were able to conduct monetary policy consistent with their main long-term objectives while maintain a high degree of transparency on assessments behind interest rate decisions.
Machine Learning-Based Risk Analysis for Construction Worker Safety from Ubiquitous Site Photos and Videos

AbstractThis paper proposes a new method for single-worker severity level prediction from already collected site images and video clips. Onsite safety observers often assess workers’ severity level...
Evidence for a urate reabsorptive defect in patients with Wilson's disease.

Most patients with Wilson’s disease have hypouricemia. The urate pool is diminished and the clearance of urate is increased two to three times normal. Leu (1) suggested that serum urate returns to normal after treatment with D-penicillamine, but some of our patients had continued hypouricemia after many years of treatment. This prompted us to review urate excretion in a group of patients both before and after drug therapy.
Thyrotoxic Crisis: Thyroid Storm

Thyroid storm (thyrotoxic crisis) is a rare but life-threatening condition in which acute severe thyrotoxicosis leads to organ system decompensation. Prompt diagnosis is based on clinical grounds and biochemical evaluation, although there are no specific thyroid function test levels that distinguish this syndrome from uncomplicated thyrotoxicosis. The point scale developed by Burch and Wartofsky (Table 9.2) is a useful objective mean to evaluate the severity of this syndrome. The pathogenesis of thyroid storm is complex and the clinician must be alert to identify precipitant factors. Management requires a multisystem approach in an Intensive Care Unit setting that is targeted to (1) inhibit thyroid hormone synthesis and release; (2) counteract the peripheral and biologic effects of thyroid hormones; and (3) treat systemic complications and precipitant factor(s).
On computing marginal probability intervals in inference networks

Existing methods of parameters and structure learning of probabilistic inference networks assume that the database is complete. If there are missing values, these values are assumed to be missing at random. This paper incorporates the concepts use in Dempster-Shafer theory of belief functions to learn both the parameters and structure of the inference networks. Instead of filling the missing values by their estimates, we model these missing values as representing our ignorance or lack of belief in the actual state of the corresponding variables. There representation allows us to add new findings in terms of support functions as used in belief functions, thus providing a richer way to enter evidence in an inference network.
Libertad, sensualidad e inocencia. Ensayos en antropología del arte II (Ricardo Sanmartín Arce)

Seis anos despues de la obra "Meninas, Espejos e Hilanderas", Ricardo Sanmartin Arce ha sacado a la luz su segundo volumen de ensayos sobre antropologia del arte. Se trata de seis nuevos textos que toman el testigo de la anterior publicacion al explorar los sentimientos y emociones emergentes de la observacion de numerosas obras de arte; procedentes sobre todo de la musica, la literatura, la pintura, la escultura y el cine.
Quality and Grading Risk

Many (perhaps most) sorts of agricultural commodities are not homogeneous, but instead vary according to a set of quality characteristics. Some of these characteristics may be easy to inexpensively measure — many sorts of fresh fruit, for example, are sorted into different sizes by using a sizing belt. However, others may be difficult to measure non-destructively — think of trying to measure the color of flesh of a whole melon. In between these extremes (characteristics that are easily measured and those that are difficult or impossible to non-destructively measure) lie the sorts of characteristics that consumers may place a high value on, yet which can be easily measured only by the prospective consumer, such as the smell of a tomato.
Towards a Comparative Approach to the Crime of Genocide

The annihilation of more than 1.5 million Cambodians at the hands of the Khmer Rouge is widely considered a quintessential case of genocide. Whether these atrocities meet the definition of genocide as a legal matter, however, remains unsettled. As of October 2012, the question of whether genocide occurred in Cambodia within the meaning of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention is pending before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The ECCC will determine this question against the backdrop of an ongoing debate about the appropriate scope of the crime of genocide. This debate pits expansionists, who believe the definition of the crime should be broadened to include mass killings of political groups, against restrictivists, who assert that genocide’s definition must remain tightly tethered to the crimes first articulated in the 1948 Genocide Convention. This Note finds both approaches wanting, and argues that the court should eschew dichotomies in favor of a comparative law approach to the crime of genocide. By approaching the crime of genocide in the Cambodian context as a legal transplant, the ECCC can achieve the uniformity critical to international law without sacrificing the cultural specificity necessary to ensuring that international legal principles remain locally meaningful.
Human critical power-oxygen uptake relationship at different pedalling frequencies.

Critical power (CP) is lower at faster rather than slower pedalling frequencies and traditionally reported in watts (W). Faster pedalling frequencies also engender a greater metabolic rate at low work rates, but with progressive increases in power output, the initial difference in between fast and slower pedalling frequencies is reduced. We tested the hypothesis that CP represents a unique metabolic rate for any given individual which would be similar at different pedalling frequencies. Eleven collegiate athletes (five cross-country runners, END; six sprinters, SPR), aged 18–23 years, performed exhaustive rides at either 60 or 100 r.p.m. on separate days for the determination of the pedal rate-specific CP. The at CP (CP- ) was determined from an 8 min ride at the CP for each pedal frequency. The group mean CP was significantly lower at 100 r.p.m. (189 ± 50 W) compared to 60 r.p.m. (207 ± 53 W, P 0.05). However, when the CP- was scaled to body weight, the END athletes had a significantly greater CP- (41.3 ± 4.1 ml min−1 kg−1 at 60 r.p.m.; 40.8 ± 5.5 ml min−1 kg−1 at 100 r.p.m.) compared to the SPR athletes at both pedal frequencies (27.7 ± 4.6 ml min−1 kg−1 at 60 r.p.m.; 29.4 ± 2.8 ml min−1 kg−1 at 100 r.p.m., P < 0.05). We conclude that CP represents a specific metabolic rate which can be achieved at different combinations of power outputs and pedalling frequencies.
The First Justice Harlan

As a scholar of constitutional law and educational policy, I have been busy trying to sort out a recent Supreme Court decision that lies at the nexus of these areas. I am referring to the Seattle and Louisville voluntary school desegregation cases decided in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1.1 There is a lot to say about the 185 pages of opinions comprising the decision, and you are very brave to let me appear before you with no red or yellow lights on the podium. Actually, my purpose is not to discuss Parents Involved in any detail (I have analyzed it elsewhere2), but rather to focus on a Supreme Court Justice who had a quite palpable presence in the decision. The person I have in mind is not Chief Justice Roberts, whose plurality opinion all but rewrote the history of Brown v. Board of Education;3 not Justice Breyer, whose eloquent dissent sought to keep alive Brown's promise of "one law, one Nation, one people, not simply as a matter of legal principle but in terms of how we actually live";4 and not Justice Kennedy, whose swing opinion rejected colorblindness in student assignment but limited the options available to school officials to achieve integration.5
Stalled on the road to the market: Lessons from a project promoting lighting efficiency in India

Abstract Despite the apparent benefits of energy efficiency as an answer to problems in both environment and development arenas, the diffusion of highly efficient appliances in the developing countries has been limited. This paper describes a field experiment in Bombay designed to overcome barriers to increased energy efficiency through a programme in which high efficiency lamps were to be leased to households where their use would reduce peak evening demand. An examination of the practical progress of the project suggests several issues that proved critical to its success and are likely to be relevant in other attempts to improve energy efficiency in developing countries.
New Color Lines: Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Earnings among College-Educated Men

Using the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates, this study examined four perspectives on new color lines in America—white–nonwhite, black–nonblack, tri-racial, and blurred—among college-educat...
Coastal Erosion Management from a Community Economics Perspective: The Feasibility and Efficiency of User Fees

Coastal communities cannot depend on funding from the state or federal government to maintain high-quality beaches that benefit the public and attract tourist revenues. This article investigates the feasibility and efficiency of beach improvement projects at two Georgia barrier islands through the alternative funding mechanisms of general-revenue financing and user fees. Benefits are calculated from observable sources. The analyses presented support beach improvement as an effective policy on both islands under all scenarios considered.
Surgical revascularization versus amputation for peripheral vascular disease in dialysis patients: a cohort study

Background Surgical treatment of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in dialysis patients is controversial.
Seasonal to multiyear variability of glacier surface velocity, terminus position, and sea ice/ice mélange in northwest Greenland

Glacier ice discharge, which depends on ice velocity and terminus fluctuations, is a primary component of Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss. Some research suggests that ice melange influences terminus calving, in turn affecting glacier velocity. The details and broad spatiotemporal consistency of these relationships, however, is undetermined. Focusing on 16 northwestern Greenland glaciers during 2009 through summer 2014, we examined seasonal surface velocity changes, glacier terminus position, and sea ice and ice melange conditions. For a longer-term analysis, we also produced extended records of four glaciers from 1999 to 2014. There is a strong correspondence between seasonal near-terminus sea ice/melange conditions and terminus change, with rigid ice melange conditions associated with advance and open water associated with retreat. Extended sea ice-free periods and reduced rigid melange are also linked with anomalously large terminus retreat. In all but one case, sustained multiyear retreat of greater than 1 km during both the 15 year and 6 year records was accompanied by interannual velocity increases. Seasonal velocity patterns, however, correspond more strongly with runoff changes than terminus behavior. Projections of continued warming and longer sea ice-free periods around Greenland indicate that notable retreat over wide areas may continue. This sustained retreat likely will contribute to multiyear speedup. Longer melt seasons and earlier breakup of melange may also alter the timing of seasonal ice flow variability.
Additive-Assisted Nucleation and Growth by Electrodeposition I. Experimental Studies with Copper Seed Arrays on Gold Films

Nucleation and growth in the presence of additives during Cu electrodeposition on ordered arrays of Cu seed clusters on a polycrystalline Au film were investigated. The seed clusters, formed by an E-beam lithography method, were 25 nm in diameter and positioned in square arrays (100, 200, or 300 nm spacing) with overall dimensions of 20 × 20 μm. Electrodeposition was carried out in acid sulfate solutions (0.6 M CuSO 4 and 1.0 M H 2 SO 4 ) containing various concentrations of additives [0.1-10 ppm Cl-, 3-3000 ppm poly(ethylene glycol), and 3-50 ppm bis(3-sulfopropyl) disulfide]. Image analysis methods were used to extract quantitative information on the effect of additives, array spacing, and potential on the probability of finding Cu nuclei at a given distance from a Cu seed cluster as well as finding the nearest neighbor to any deposited Cu nucleus. The level of chloride concentration was found to mediate the extent of seed growth vs wild nucleation. Low levels of chloride (0.1 ppm) yielded growth predominantly at the Cu seeds with virtually no wild nuclei. Progressively higher levels of chloride (1 and 10 ppm) yielded lower deposition rates at the Cu seeds and proportionally higher levels of wild nucleation. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations in Part II [Stephens et al., J. Electrochem. Soc., 156, D385 (2009)].
Towards a Stable Nomenclature for the North American Temperate Bamboos: Epitypification of Arundo gigantea Walt. and Arundinaria macrosperma Michx. (Poaceae)

Abstract Arundinaria sensu stricto is a genus encompassing three species that are endemic to the Southeastern United States: A. appalachiana (hill cane), A. gigantea (river cane), and A. tecta (switch cane). The taxonomy of this group has been problematic due to a poor understanding of its phylogeny and genetic variation as well as ambiguity surrounding original protologues and designated nomenclatural type specimens. In particular, the neotype of Arundo gigantea (the basionym of Arundinaria gigantea) and the holotype of A. macrosperma (a synonym of A. gigantea) both provide insufficient morphological characters for species identification. Here we designate epitypes to assist with the correct application of the names of these taxa. A summary of diagnostic morphological features for the three species of Arundinaria and comments on their phylogenetic relationships based on recent molecular and morphological analyses are also provided.
Implantable Electrode Pair for Recording from Intact Small Nerves

The construction of an implantable electrode pair suitable for recording spontaneous multiple fiber activity in intact small nerves is described. Fabrication of the electrodes is not difficult, and implantation is straightforward and causes little nerve trauma. These electrodes give good signal/noise ratio, and are stable over several hours. They allow the experimenter to move the animal during recording.
Listening to linked lists: using multimedia to learn data structures (abstract only)

Everybody teaches linked lists, with homework like implementing duplicate, weave, and reverse. When those nodes contain strings or numbers, these are pretty boring assignments. When these nodes contain music (MIDI), these operations are composing music, which can then be played. This workshop shows how to use music, images, and sounds to teach the basic data structures, including linked lists, circular linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees. These pieces can then be tied together through the use of simulations to generate animated movies. We will be using Java, though many of the methods can also be used in Python.
Diagnostics of KrF- and Nd:YAG-Laser Produced Carbon Plumes by Time- and Spatially-Resolved Spectroscopy

Graphite was ablated by three lasers and the resultant carbon plumes were investigated by time- and spatially-resolved spectroscopy. A KrF excimer laser (248 nm) and an Nd:YAG laser (1064 and 266 nm) were used. Near the target surface, C2 (Swan band) and ionic emissions from the plume produced by the 1064-nm laser at a fluence of 6 J/cm2 were stronger than those produced by the 248-nm and 266-nm lasers. The C emission lines (247.9 and 193.1 nm) produced by the KrF excimer laser were stronger than those produced by the other lasers. The most probable velocity of C+ was highly dependent upon the laser wavelength. The dependence of the most probable velocity on the fluence was small. The velocity of C+ ablated by the 248-nm laser was twice as fast as that ablated by the 1064-nm laser, when the fluence of the 1064-nm laser was six times as large as that of the 248-nm laser.
Release of deoxyribonucleic acid from vaccinia virus by 2-mercaptoethanol and pronase.

IN an earlier report the isolation of a single-stranded DNA from highly purified vaccinia virus was described1. The DNA was extracted under mild conditions with water-saturated phenol and deoxycholate, according to the standard procedure used for obtaining purified and undegraded nucleic acids from many other viruses and micro-organisms2. It was considered unlikely that this single-stranded DNA was derived by denaturation of originally double-stranded DNA as a result of phenol treatment; first, because there are no reports in the extensive literature that phenol extraction at 4° C. can cause such degradation, and secondly because salmon-sperm DNA treated in our laboratory with the identical procedure used for vaccinia showed no evidence of denaturation. Despite repeated attempts to improve the yield of phenol-extracted DNA from vaccinia, the method was quantitatively unsatisfactory as not more than 10–20 per cent of the total viral DNA was recovered. Alternative methods of isolating the DNA from the virus in higher yield and in as pure a form as possible have therefore been investigated.
Prevalence and longitudinal stability of negative symptoms in healthy participants.

Objective Although negative symptoms are prominent in older patients with schizophrenia, it is unknown whether this pattern is prevalent in healthy participants. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether negative symptoms are present in healthy populations and to determine whether they are linked to illness-related processes or normal aging. Methods A systemic review of 26 studies that have administered negative symptom assessments to healthy participants was conducted. In addition, 213 (age > 40 years old) healthy participants completed PANSS and SANS ratings at both baseline and 1-year follow-up. One-hundred participants also completed ratings after 3 years. Results Across all reviewed studies, negative symptoms were absent in the majority of participants. Comparable results were found in the current study's large longitudinal evaluation with middle-aged to older adults. Conclusions Taken together, the data suggest that healthy volunteers do not suffer from prominent negative symptoms. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the greater prevalence and severity of negative symptoms in older patients is not related to normal aging but to illness-related processes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.