cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further evidence of GABRA4 and TOP3B as autism susceptibility genes

Abstract Chromosomal copy number variants (CNVs) are known contributors to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both array comparative genomic hybridization and next-generation sequencing techniques have led to an increased detection of small CNVs and the identification of many candidate susceptibility genes for ASD. We report familial inheritance of two CNVs that include genes with known involvement in neurodevelopment. These CNVs are found in various combinations among four siblings with autism spectrum disorder, as well as in their neurodevelopmentally normal parents. We describe a 2.4 Mb duplication of 4p12 to 4p11 that includes GABRA4 (OMIM: 137141) and other GABA receptor genes, as well as a 246 kb deletion at 22q11.22 involving the TOP3B gene (OMIM: 603582). The maternally inherited 4p duplication was detected in three siblings, two of whom also had the paternally inherited 22q11.22 deletion. The fourth sibling only had the 22q11.22 deletion. These CNVs have rarely been reported in the literature. Upon review, a single publication was found describing a similar 4p duplication in three generations of a family with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as in an unrelated patient with autism (Polan et al., 2014). TOP3B falls within the distal 22q11.22 microdeletion syndrome and has been associated with schizophrenia, neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, and cardiac defects. The identification of this family contributes to the understanding of specific genetic contributors to neurodevelopmental disorders and an emerging phenotype associated with proximal 4p duplication.
An Updated Review of Plastic Surgery-Related Hashtag Utilization on Instagram: Implications for Education and Marketing.

Background The popularity of social media continues to have a significant impact in the plastic surgery industry. Understanding the influence of such platforms and recognizing trends, specifically on Instagram, can reveal significant implications for education and marketing. Objectives This study aims to gather updated information on 3 main questions: (1) what plastic surgery-related content is being posted to Instagram; (2) who is posting this content; and (3) what specific hashtags are they using? Methods This study analyzed 22 plastic surgery-related hashtags on Instagram. Content analysis was then used to qualitatively evaluate each of the 9 "top" posts associated with each hashtag (198). Any duplicates or posts not relevant to plastic surgery were excluded. Results A total of 11,516,969 posts utilized the 22 hashtags sampled. Of the top 198 posts, only 168 met final inclusion criteria (after duplicates and posts irrelevant to plastic surgery were excluded). Plastic surgeons eligible for membership in The Aesthetic Society accounted for only 4.17% of top posts (7 posts), whereas non-eligible physicians accounted for 20.8% (35 posts). Twenty-eight surgeons accounted for the top posts (excluding foreign surgeons); however, only 6 were board certified by either the American Board of Plastic Surgeons or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Conclusions The Aesthetic Society eligible board-certified plastic surgeons are a minority amongst physicians posting top plastic surgery-related content on Instagram.
Respiratory muscle work influences locomotor convective and diffusive oxygen transport in human heart failure during exercise

INTRODUCTION It remains unclear if naturally occurring respiratory muscle (RM) work influences leg diffusive O2 transport during exercise in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). In this retrospective study, we hypothesized that RM unloading during submaximal exercise will lead to increases in locomotor muscle O2 diffusion capacity (DM O2 ) contributing to the greater leg VO2 . METHODS Ten HFrEF patients and 10 healthy control matched participants performed two submaximal exercise bouts (i.e., with and without RM unloading). During exercise, leg blood flow was measured via constant infusion thermodilution. Intrathoracic pressure was measured via esophageal balloon. Radial arterial and femoral venous blood gases were measured and used to calculate leg arterial and venous content (CaO2 and CvO2 , respectively), VO2 , O2 delivery, and DM O2 . RESULTS From CTL to RM unloading, leg VO2 , O2 delivery, and DM O2 were not different in healthy participants during submaximal exercise (all, p > .15). In HFrEF, leg VO2 (CTL: 0.7 ± 0.3 vs. RM unloading: 1.0 ± 0.4 L/min, p < .01), leg O2 delivery (CTL: 0.9 ± 0.4 vs. RM unloading: 1.4 ± 0.5 L/min, p < .01), and leg DM O2 (CTL: 31.5 ± 11.4 vs. RM unloading: 49.7 ± 18.6 ml min-1 mmHg-1 ) increased from CTL to RM unloading during submaximal exercise (all, p < .01), whereas CaO2 -CvO2 was not different (p = .51). The degree of RM unloading (i.e., % decrease in esophageal pressure-time integral during inspiration) was related to the % increase in leg DM O2 with RM unloading (r = -.76, p = .01). CONCLUSION Our data suggest RM unloading leads to increased leg VO2 due to greater convective and diffusive O2 transport during submaximal exercise in HFrEF patients.
Type of feeding provided with dextrose gel impacts hypoglycemia outcomes: comparing donor milk, formula, and breastfeeding

Examine neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) outcomes based on type of feeding provided with first dextrose gel. Retrospective matched cohort study of 99 infants ≥35 weeks gestational age who received dextrose gel in combination with breastfeeding, formula feeding, or donor milk feeding for NH. The exposure was feeding type. The outcomes were: (1) median change in blood glucose (Δ BG) concentration after first gel, (2) odds of second gel, and (3) odds of recurrent NH. Median Δ BG was greater in formula (17.0 mg/dL) and donor milk (19.0 mg/dL) fed vs. breastfed infants (7.0 mg/dL). Donor milk and formula feeding were both associated with lower odds of second gel and recurrent NH. Associations remained significant in late-preterm infants, but only formula feeding remained significant in full-term infants. Formula and donor milk feedings both raised blood sugar concentrations, but the impact differed by gestational age.
Compact instrumentation for experiments on the lunar surface

Increased opportunities to fly payloads on orbital, lander, and/or rover platforms will greatly facilitate the meeting of high priority goals for lunar exploration and lunar science, especially those requiring distributed measurements on multiple platforms to be fully realized. Compact, robust versions of instruments, designed to be integrated with a variety of platforms, or utilized in astronaut-deployed or handheld devices are already under development. These include cameras, spectrometers, particle analyzers, field instruments, and seismometers.
Desde el estallido social chileno a la pandemia COVID-19: aproximaciones de un cambio profundo.

In October 2019, Chile began to experience a process of deep social, political and economic crisis that was triggered by the rise in the price of public transport, one of the most frequently quoted phrases during the beginning of the crisis was “it's not 30 pesos It's 30 years, ”indicating that the crisis is not only explained by the increase in transportation, but by the overwhelming sum of inequalities that the Chilean people have been experiencing for more than 40 years, this is expressed by the extreme indebtedness of households, the high delinquency and low wages, the detestable distribution of wealth.
Change detection, a functional analysis perspective

We develop a new approach for detecting changes in the behavior of stochastic processes and random fields based on tensor product representations such as the Karhunen-Loeve expansion. From the associated eigenspaces of the covariance operator a series of nested function spaces are constructed, allowing detection of signals lying in orthogonal subspaces. In particular this can succeed even if the stochastic behavior of the signal changes either in a global or local sense. A mathematical approach is developed to locate and measure sizes of extraneous components based on construction of multilevel nested subspaces. We show examples in $\mathbb{R}$ and on a spherical domain $\mathbb{S}^{2}$. However, the method is flexible, allowing the detection of orthogonal signals on general topologies, including spatio-temporal domains.
Follow-Up Rates at a Free Ophthalmology Clinic at a Homeless Shelter

Objective Eye health among the homeless community is important, as poor vision makes this population vulnerable and adds significantly to the social and health burden. There is limited knowledge on patient follow-up rates for their eye conditions and barriers to accessing care in this population. The purpose of this retrospective chart review study is to examine follow-up rates and barriers to care for patients referred from a free, medical-student run ophthalmology clinic at a homeless shelter. Methods All patients evaluated at a free ophthalmology clinic from September 2017 to September 2018 were included; no patients were excluded. If indicated, patients were referred for advanced ophthalmologic care at a local county hospital and free eyeglasses at a nonprofit organization. Primary outcomes were follow-up rates at the county hospital and nonprofit organization. Secondary outcomes included prespecified baseline variables hypothesized to be associated with follow-up rates. These categorical variables were compared with Chi-square testing to determine their association with follow-up rates. The hypothesis being tested was formulated before data collection. Results Of the 68 patients, 84% were males with a mean age of 50 years. Overall, 40 patients were referred for free eyeglasses and 17 to the county hospital. Of those referred, 14 patients presented for free eyeglasses and 7 presented to the county hospital. About 79% of patients with a pre-established primary care provider presented to their appointment compared with 20% of those without one (p = 0.03). The 44% of patients with a high school diploma presented while all patients without a high school diploma failed to present (p = 0.04). Vision-threatening conditions identified at the shelter clinic did not affect follow-up rates (p = 0.79). Conclusion Less than half of referred patients in our study presented to their appointments. Barriers to presentation included no primary care provider and lower educational status, with no improvement in follow-up rates among those referred for vision-threatening conditions. Interventions such as health coaching with particular attention to educating patients on the effects of vision-threatening conditions may be warranted, particularly for those not looped into the health care system and those of lower educational attainment.
On Constructing a Corruption Principle: The Importance of History and Theory in Practice

Citizens United has stimulated a cottage industry of legal scholarship on corruption. A prominent stream of this literature is self-consciously atheoretical and suggests that the current state of c...
What we repeatedly do: Evaluating the determinants and consequences of habit enactment during daily goal-pursuit

Many theorists have stressed the benefits of goal-conducive habits. However, past research has not yet demonstrated that habits benefit goal-pursuit in daily life independently of more effortful forms of goal-pursuit. Additionally, it is unclear if habits are triggered independently of conscious self-regulatory processes. To address these issues, we conducted three intensive experience sampling studies. We found that habitual behaviours facilitated goal-progress independently of effortful goal-directed behaviours. Additionally, we evaluated three sets of predictions regarding the relationship between habits and other effortful self-regulatory processes. The goal-independent account suggests that habits function independently of planning and testing processes. The goal-dependent account suggests that habits are influenced by these processes, and the hybrid account suggests that these processes indirectly influence habits through their association with contextual cue exposure. The results were consistent with the hybrid account, in that planning and testing were associated with habit enactment, but this association was mediated by contextual cue exposure. Collectively, our results suggest that one must consider both conscious self-regulatory processes and automatic cue-response associations to understand how the benefits of goal-conducive habits are realized in daily life.
Positive Inotropic Action of Digitalis and Endogenous Factors: Na,K-ATPase and Positive Inotropy; “Endogenous Glycosides”

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the positive inotropic action of digitalis and endogenous factors: Na,K-ATPase and positive inotropy and endogenous glycoside. It is suggested that progress have been made in understanding how cardiac glycosides produce their powerful stimulating action on cardiac contraction. The evidence to date suggests strongly that the Na,K-ATPase is the pharmacological receptor, or if there are multiple mechanisms, one of the pharmacological receptors. It appears that inhibition of Na,K-ATPase enzyme activity and subsequent increase in the activity of Na ion at the inside of the sarcolemmal membrane that in turn activates a Na/Ca exchange “carrier,” represents the sequence of changes that lead from a binding of digitalis to the Na,K-ATPase, to the positive inotropic action. The critical experiments that are now needed to solidify this hypothesis must involve simultaneous measurements of aNai and aCai, contraction, and digitalis binding to Na,K-ATPase and to other suggested sites. These experiments are certainly not easy. They require a relatively simple type of cardiac preparation, such as viable single cells devoid of fibroblasts, in which contraction can be quantitatively measured. The possibility that endogenous substances exist that regulate the pump by an action on the outside of the sarcolemma is very exciting.
Therapeutical effects of pleural injecting recombinant human endostain to malignant pleural effusion nude mice model

Background and objective The prognosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) was poor, injecting anti-angiogenesis agents in pleural cavity might be to reducing the volume of pleural effusion. The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutical effect of pleural injection of recombinant human endostain, cisplatin and recombinant human endostain combined with cisplatin to MPE nude mice. Methods MPE model was built by intrpleural injection of Lewis lung cancer cells (LCC) into BALB/c nude mice. Intrpleural injection of recombinant human endostain (E), cisplatin (P) and recombinant human endostain combined with cisplatin (EP) was performed, MPE volume was measured, immunohistochemistry of CD31 was carried out to calculate micro vessel density (MVD), angiogenesis and apoptosis gene expression was detected. Results MPE volume was reduced by intrapleiral injection of recombinant human endostain and recombinant human endostain combined with cisplatin, MPE volume was positive correlated with MVD. Vescular epidermal growth factor-α (VEGF-α) expression reduced simultaneously with expression of hypoxia induced factor-1 (HIF1-α) elevated at the same time. Conclusion MPE model could be made by intrapleural injection of LLC. Intrapleural injection of recombinant human endostain could reduce MPE volume of nude mice. The potential molecular mechanism of the therapeutical effects of intapleural injection of recombiant endostatin might be related to the downregulation of VEGF-α expression and neovascularization. DOI: 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2015.05.03
Lithium Toxicity and PRES: A Novel Association

We report two cases of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) occurring in association with supra-therapeutic serum lithium levels. Although the neurologic manifestations of lithium toxicity are well known, this is, to our knowledge, the first report describing a link between lithium toxicity and PRES. We discuss the current understanding of the pathogenesis of PRES and suggest mechanisms by which lithium may play a role in its development.
Operations Models for Central Valley Project

System optimizing procedures are being developed for on-line use in the operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP), a complex multiple objective water resource system, in California. The project is subject to requirements and interagency agreements. A practical optimization method must address not only these requirements but also the continuing needs of day-to-day operation, and the necessity for interposing the project managers in monitoring and final decision roles. The basic technical difficulty with an optimizing algorithm for a complex water resource system is the dimensionality which can easily run into the tens of thousands of decision variables and constraints. The method being developed for the project provides the necessary decomposition and involves the project managers, assisted by an integrated group of multiple policies based on interconnected monthly, daily, and hourly models, using iterated linear programming-dynamic programming techniques.
A Review of “The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently”

The Mentor Leader outlines a leadership philosophy, which Tony Dungy credits for his many individual and team successes. Authored by the successful NFL coach Dungy, and colleague Nathan Whitaker, t...
Fuzzy Model Identification Based on Cluster Estimation

We present an efficient method for estimating cluster centers of numerical data. This method can be used to determine the number of clusters and their initial values for initializing iterative optimization-based clustering algorithms such as fuzzy C-means. Here we use the cluster estimation method as the basis of a fast and robust algorithm for identifying fuzzy models. A benchmark problem involving the prediction of a chaotic time series shows this model identification method compares favorably with other, more computationally intensive methods. We also illustrate an application of this method in modeling the relationship between automobile trips and demographic factors.
Why Does Mother's Schooling Raise Child Health in Developing Countries? Evidence from Morocco.

Mothers education is often found to be positively correlated with child health and nutrition in developing countries yet the causal mechanisms are poorly understood. Three possible mechanisms are: (1) Formal education directly teaches health knowledge to future mothers; (2) Literacy and numeracy skills acquired in school assist future mothers in diagnosing and treating child health problems; and (3) Exposure to modern society from formal schooling makes women more receptive to modern medical treatments. This paper uses data from Morocco to assess the role played by these different mechanisms. Mothers health knowledge alone appears to be the crucial skill for raising child health. In Morocco such knowledge is primarily obtained outside the classroom although it is obtained using literacy and numeracy skills learned in school; there is no evidence that health knowledge is directly taught in schools. This suggests that teaching of health knowledge skills in Moroccan schools could substantially raise child health and nutrition in Morocco. (authors)
A Demographic Study of Polish Attitudes Toward Tax Evasion

A number of studies have examined the relationship between tax collection and various demographic variables. However, until recently most of those studies have involved a United States sample population. The Internal Revenue Service provides demographic data for researchers on a regular basis. The present study goes beyond those studies in several important ways. For one, it uses data on Poland taken from the World Values database. Not much work has been done on the post-communist Polish tax or public finance system. Thus, the present study expands on the very limited research done on Polish public finance. The present study expands on existing literature in at least two other ways as well. For one, it examines how various demographics interact with attitudes toward tax evasion. Secondly, we examine several demographic variables that were not examined in prior studies. One of the questions in the World Values database asked whether it would be justifiable to cheat on taxes if it were possible to do so. Respondents were asked to choose a number from 1 to 10 to indicate the extent of their support for tax evasion. This study examines those responses, both overall and through the prism of more than 20 demographic variables. A trend analysis is also done to determine whether Polish attitudes regarding tax evasion have changed in recent years. A comparison is made with other ethical issues to determine the relative seriousness of tax evasion. The study found that attitudes toward the justifiability of tax evasion often do vary by demographic variable. Tax evasion was found to be a less serious offense than wife beating, accepting a bribe or claiming government benefits to which you are not entitled and more serious than avoiding a fare on public transport or prostitution. Tax evasion has become less justifiable since the dismantling of the Berlin Wall but the trend has not been linear. Although the present study focuses on Poland, the methodology used in the present study could serve as a template for research on other countries or regions. A bibliography of further reading is also included, along with links to more than 80 other tax evasion studies.
Wound healing anomalies after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy: correlation of clinical outcomes, corneal topography, and confocal microscopy.

Abstract PURPOSE: To further the understanding of wound healing anomalies affecting visual function after myopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHOD: Analysis of a clinical database of PRK on 133 eyes with myopia of -1.5 to -7.0 D and 43 eyes with myopia of -6.0 to -12.0 D. Visual function was analyzed by subgroups of 1) no topographic anomalies; 2) topographic central islands; and 3) topographic keyhole patterns. The natural course of healing was documented over 6 months with visual acuity measurements, clinical observation, and corneal topography. In vivo clinical-pathologic correlations were made by scanning confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Topographic anomalies were identified 1 month post-PRK in 48 eyes (40.3%) with low-moderate myopia and in 14 eyes (32.5%) with moderate-high myopia. For patients with 6 month follow-up, these rates declined to 25% and 23%, respectively. At 1 month post-PRK, topographic anomalies significantly reduced uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity and refractive predictability. By 6 months post-PRK, the small number of eyes with persistent anomalies had visual outcomes similar to patients with normal topography. A simple approach to anti-island pre-treatment reduced islands slightly and keyhole anomalies significantly (anti-island pre-treatment vs no pretreatment: islands 25% vs 31.8%; keyholes 2.3% vs 17.6%; p = 0.021) but with decreased predictability of induced refractive change at 1 month post-PRK. Confocal microscopy in vivo demonstrated prominent deposition of subepithelial extracellular material 1 to 2 months after PRK that diminished by 6 to 8 months, but persisted in the presence of central islands. Scar formation appeared to represent an elevated plaque of new collagen with active keratocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Topographic anomalies of wound healing are common after PRK. Vision and predictability are reduced by anomalies 1 month post-PRK but anomalies often resolve by 6 months. Marked improvement of vision occurs even when anomalies persist. Central islands appear to consist of persistent dense subepithelial extracellular deposits. Local scars are caused by new collagen deposition.
Application of immunoproteomics to rapid cytokine detection

Cytokines are pivotal to a balanced innate or cell-mediated immune response, and can be indicative of disease progression and/or resolution. Methods to measure key cytokines rapidly with accuracy, precision, and sensitivity are consequently important. The current assay technologies, which are based on RT-PCR, immunoassays, or bioassays, are limited in their use in the clinic, in particular because of the long time (1-3 h) required to carry out the assays. An alternative, semi-quantitative approach described here, uses an immunological capture step and a mass spectral readout. The goal of the assay is speed rather than sensitivity or precision.
Cartilage production by rabbit articular chondrocytes on polyglycolic acid scaffolds in a closed bioreactor system

Rabbit articular chondrocytes were seeded onto three-dimensional polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds and placed into a closed bioreactor system. After 4 weeks of growth, meshes were examined for cartilage formation. Gross examination revealed solid, glistening material that had the appearance of cartilaginous tissue. Histologic examination revealed cell growth and deposition of extracellular matrix throughout the mesh with a less dense central core. Alcian blue and Safranin 0 staining showed deposition of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Immunostaining showed positive reactivity for type II collagen and chondroitin sulfate and no reactivity for type I collagen. Biochemical analysis showed collagen and GAG values to be 15% and 25% dry weight, respectively. Our results indicate that this type of system compares well with those previously described and should be useful for producing cartilage for evaluation in a clinical setting. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Constructive Quasi-Ramsey Numbers and Tournament Ranking

A constructive lower bound on the quasi-Ramsey numbers and the tournament ranking function was obtained in [S. Poljak, V. Rodl, and J. Spencer, SIAM J. Discrete Math., (1) 1988, pp. 372--376]. We consider the weighted versions of both problems. Our method yields a polynomial time heuristic with guaranteed lower bound for the linear ordering problem.
On the Natural History and Functional Morphology of the Clam Shrimp, Lynceus Brachyurus Müller (Branchiopoda: Laevicaudata)

The small bivalved clam shrimp, Lynceus brachyurus Muller, 1776, is seasonally abundant in two long-duration vernal pools in central Ohio, USA. Previously unrecognized anatomical features include dorsal patches of spines or filaments on posterior trunk segments, diverse medial spines on the dorsal lobes of the leg exopods, two-segmented dorso-lateral appendages on the male eleventh segment, and brown coloration on portions of male legs. It can swim actively, but is basically benthic. Females are sometimes totally quiescent. Gut contents, observation, and experiments showed a diet of substrate scrapings, suspended detritus, and small zooplankton. Females ovulate following male stimulation and produce new egg batches without an intervening molt. Repeated matings are needed to produce the large egg masses often carried. Larvae were first collected in late February, and adults in late April. Lynceus was found in nine of the eleven years studied, being absent in the years that followed two years of high rainfall.
A wireless multifunctional radar-based displacement sensor for structural health monitoring

Wireless smart sensor technology offers many opportunities to advance infrastructure monitoring and maintenance by providing pertinent information regarding the condition of a structure at a lower cost and higher density than traditional monitoring approaches. Many civil structures, especially long-span bridges, have low fundamental response frequencies that are challenging to accurately measure with sensors that are suitable for integration with low-cost, low-profile, and power-constrained wireless sensor networks. Existing displacement sensing technology is either not practical for wireless sensor implementations, does not provide the necessary accuracy, or is simply too cost-prohibitive for dense sensor deployments. This paper presents the development and integration of an accurate, low-cost radar-based sensor for the enhancement of low-frequency vibration-based bridge monitoring and the measurement of static bridge deflections. The sensors utilize both a nonlinear vibrometer mode and an arctangent-demodulated interferometry mode to achieve sub-millimeter measurement accuracy for both periodic and non-periodic displacement. Experimental validation results are presented and discussed.
National Study on the Frequency, Types, Causes, and Consequences of Voluntarily Reported Emergency Department Medication Errors

Abstract Background: Medication errors contribute to significant morbidity, mortality, and costs to the health system. Little is known about the characteristics of Emergency Department (ED) medication errors. Study Objective: To examine the frequency, types, causes, and consequences of voluntarily reported ED medication errors in the United States. Methods: A cross-sectional study of all ED errors reported to the MEDMARX system between 2000 and 2004. MEDMARX is an anonymous, confidential, de-identified, Internet-accessible medication error-reporting program designed to allow hospitals to report, track, and share error data in a standardized format. Results: There were 13,932 medication errors from 496 EDs analyzed. The error rate was 78 reports per 100,000 visits. Physicians were responsible for 24% of errors, nurses for 54%. Errors most commonly occurred in the administration phase (36%). The most common type of error was improper dose/quantity (18%). Leading causes were not following procedure/protocol (17%), and poor communication (11%), whereas contributing factors were distractions (7.5%), emergency situations (4.1%), and workload increase (3.4%). Computerized provider order entry caused 2.5% of errors. Harm resulted in 3% of errors. Actions taken as a result of the error included informing the staff member who committed the error (26%), enhancing communication (26%), and providing additional training (12%). Patients or family members were notified about medication errors 2.7% of the time. Conclusion: ED medication errors may be a result of the acute, crowded, and fast-paced nature of care. Further research is needed to identify interventions to reduce these risks and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.
Improvement of a selective media for the isolation of B. anthracis from soils.

Abstract To prove linkage between an environmental sample and an anthrax case, there must be isolates obtained from both that can be compared. Although Bacillus anthracis is easily isolated from powder samples, isolating it from soil is difficult because of the high bacterial count in it. Formulations of PLET were prepared, inoculated with B. anthracis , B. cereus and B. thuringiensis and examined for growth. Two hundred eighty-three isolates including 23 B. anthracis were placed onto one formulation while MICs against trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole were determined. The media supported B. anthracis growth at 30 °C and inhibited almost all other bacterial growth, including closely-related species. Sensitivity for B. anthracis and selectivity against other Bacillus and against non- Bacillus were 96.8%, 100% and 97.2% respectively. Isolates that grew had MICs > 4 and > 76 µg mL − 1 against trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, respectively. Soils spiked with 10 2 B. anthracis spores and suspended in PLET broth yielded a 6–7 log 10 increase in B. anthracis . Other growth was inhibited. PLET supplemented with sulfamethoxazole (38 µg mL − 1 ), trimethoprim (2 µg mL − 1 ), polymyxin B (15,000 U L − 1 ), and lysozyme (150,000 U L − 1 ) can successfully select for B. anthracis and will facilitate agricultural, environmental and forensic investigations of B. anthracis isolates.
Some aspects of the hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters by homogenates of growing and regressing mesonephroi in chick embryos.

L'activite de la phosphatase acide envers leβ-glycerophosphate et le phenylphosphate a ete comparee sous des conditions variees afin de constater si ces deux actions refletent celle de molecules enzymatiques pareilles ou differentes pendant la croissance et la regression du mesonephros chez l'embryon de poulet. Pour elucider cette question, on a etudie les effets de la temperature au pH 5, et du versene, et l'influence d'un substratum sur l'hydrolyse. Les resultats de ces recherches indiquent que la meme enzyme pourrait etre responsable de l'hydrolyse de ces 2 substrats.
The controversy of increased spending for antidepressants.

M ost of the past decade has been characterized by moderating growth in health care spending, enough so that health insurance premiums paid by employers declined between 1997 and 1998. Analysts have traced this moderation in spending growth to the rise of various forms of managed care, a mechanism that mitigates incentives for overuse of health care services through capitation payment, utilization controls, and contracts for discounted services. In the early 1990s many believed that the “managed care effect” would also apply to pharmaceuticals. Spending on pharmaceuticals has grown faster than that for other health spending components, however, with annual growth of about 24 percent between 1996 and 1999 for persons with generous pharmacy benefits. This rise in drug spending has drawn special attention from payers, purchasers, and policymakers. Antidepressant medications provide an excellent case study of the broader issue of drug spending, for a number of reasons. Depressive disorders are common, affecting 5–10 percent of Americans each year, and they are costly in terms of both direct expenditures for medical care and social burden. After thirty years of little innovation, treatment for depressive disorders has changed dramatically over the past twelve years. New treatments, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and brief psychotherapy, offer depressed persons choices for effective treatment. For example, at least eight new antidepressants have been approved for use in the United States since 1987, and more are in the pipeline. There is now evidence that much of the increase in spending for
An Object-Oriented Multiscale Verification Scheme

Abstract Object-oriented verification methodology is becoming more and more common in the evaluation of model performance on high-resolution grids. The research herein describes an advanced version of an object-oriented approach that involves a combination of object identification on multiple scales with Procrustes shape analysis techniques. The multiscale object identification technique relies heavily on a novel Fourier transform approach to associate the signals within convection to different spatial scales. Other features of this new verification scheme include using a weighted cost function that can be user defined for object matching using different criteria, delineating objects that are more linear in character from those that are more cellular, and tagging object matches as hits, misses, or false alarms. Although the scheme contains a multiscale approach for identifying convective objects, standard minimum intensity and minimum size thresholds can be set when desirable. The method was tested as par...
Genetics of childhood disorders: XXIV. ADHD, part 8: hyperdopaminergic mice as an animal model of ADHD.

In 1937, Charles Bradley first observed that Benzedrine (amphetamine) induces a calming effect when used in hyperactive children. It is still not known how these drugs work to increase alertness in normal individuals as well as distractible and overactive children. Numerous studies have shown that psychostimulants exert their pharmacological actions through interaction with plasma membrane monoamine transporters, namely, the dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine transporters. The normal function of these transporters is to provide rapid removal of neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft to permit repetitive synaptic firing. Inhibition of the transporter would prevent the normal reuptake and would lead to markedly elevated extracellular monoamine levels. Because dopamine has been strongly implicated in the control of locomotion, particular attention has been given to the interaction of these drugs with the dopamine transporter (DAT). The elevation of extracellular dopamine levels is believed to be the primary mechanism by which psychostimulants are able to regulate locomotion. This concept, as well as the proven therapeutic efficacy of psychostimulants in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients, has provided the basis for the hypodopaminergic hypothesis of the disorder and suggested a possible connection between DAT and ADHD. Many attempts to clarify the status of the dopamine system in patients with ADHD have been largely unsuccessful. This is generally thought to be due to the fact that many of the current approaches in clinical research, such as the analysis of plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, or computer imaging techniques, provide equivocal estimates of the extracellular levels of dopamine in the major motor areas of the human brain. The hypodopaminergic hypothesis of ADHD, therefore, remains a theoretical concept inferred from an oversimplified understanding of the mechanism of action of psychostimulants in normal subjects. The hypothesized connection between DAT function and ADHD has continued to spark considerable interest. There has been a reported association between a polymorphism in the DAT gene and ADHD. Specifically, a significant association was found by Cook and associates between ADHD and the 480-bp DAT1 allele (48-bp repeat sequence). Other groups of researchers later confirmed these observations in additional cohorts of patients and concluded that the 480-bp allele of DAT1 is preferentially transmitted to ADHD probands. More recently, four different analytical strategies were used to examine the association and linkage of the DAT gene and ADHD in children. Waldman and associates replicated
Two Readiness Measures As Predictors Of First- And Third-Grade Reading Achievement.

Multiple-regression procedures were used to assess the effectiveness of the ABC Inventory and the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT) in predicting first and third-grade reading achievement. Sex and chronological age were included in the first-grade analysis (N = 62) and the first-grade PMA intelligence test score was added to the equation in predicting third-grade reading (N = 65). MRT performance accounted for 11% of the variance in first-grade SRA reading scores (R = .34). In predicting third-grade reading, the MRT accounted for 26% of the variance and the PMA IQ scores accounted for an additional 6% (final multiple R = .57). No other predictor made a significant contribution to explaining variance in first or third-grade reading achievement.
Aspirin for acute stroke of unknown etiology in resource-limited settings: a decision analysis.

Objective: To analyze the potential impact of aspirin on outcome at hospital discharge after acute stroke in resource-limited settings without access to neuroimaging to distinguish ischemic stroke from intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: A decision analysis was conducted to evaluate aspirin use in all patients with acute stroke of unknown type for the duration of initial hospitalization. Data were obtained from the International Stroke Trial and Chinese Acute Stroke Trial. Predicted in-hospital mortality and stroke recurrence risk were determined across the worldwide reported range of the proportion of strokes caused by ICH. Sensitivity analyses were performed on aspirin-associated relative risks in patients with ICH. Results: At the highest reported proportion of strokes due to ICH from a large epidemiologic study (34% in sub-Saharan Africa), aspirin initiation after acute stroke of undetermined etiology is predicted to reduce in-hospital mortality (from 85/1,000 without treatment to 81/1,000 with treatment), in-hospital stroke recurrence (58/1,000 to 50/1,000), and combined risk of in-hospital mortality or stroke recurrence (127/1,000 to 114/1,000). Benefits of aspirin therapy remained in sensitivity analyses across a range of plausible parameter estimates for relative risks associated with aspirin initiation after ICH. Conclusion: Aspirin treatment for the period of initial hospitalization after acute stroke of undetermined etiology is predicted to decrease acute stroke-related mortality and in-hospital stroke recurrence even at the highest reported proportion of acute strokes due to ICH. In the absence of clinical trials to test this approach empirically, clinical decisions require patient-specific evaluation of risks and benefits of aspirin in this context.
Host-plant protein and phenolic resin effects on larval growth and survival of a butterfly

Euphydryas chalcedona prediapause larvae were reared on fertilized and control shrubs of the host plant,Diplacus aurantiacus. Larval growth was enhanced by high leaf nitrogen content and inhibited by high leaf phenolic resin content. Larvae fed less on leaves near the branch tip which contained a higher leaf resin content. The results agree with prior laboratory investigation that the dietary content of nitrogen andD. aurantiacus leaf resin are major determinants ofE. chalcedona larval growth and suggest that the phenolic leaf resin ofDiplacus may both deter and inhibit leaf herbivores.
Privacy issues with DNA databases and retention of individuals' DNA information by law enforcement agencies: the holding of the European Court of Human Rights case S and Marper v. United Kingdom should be adapted to American Fourth Amendment jurisprudence

When law enforcement agencies collect, retain, and use individuals' DNA information in DNA databases for crime prevention purposes the presumption of innocence is reduced for those individuals. Collection and use of DNA information has benefits, greatly assisting law enforcement agencies in their criminal investigations. However, problems arise when DNA information is retained and used for individuals who have been acquitted, have had the charges pressed against them dropped, have been arrested for crimes short of violent or sexual felonies, or have served out the term of their sentence. While federal law has expungement provisions for individuals who are ultimately not convicted, state laws on expungement are often silent or inadequate. In order to prevent the presumption of innocence from being significantly eroded by the improper use of DNA information, US courts should adopt the test elaborated in the European Court of Human Rights case S and Marper v. UK, which may require law enforcement agencies to expunge their databases of DNA information of individuals depending on the individuals' statuses as arrestees, non-convicts, convicts, or ex-convicts, and in consideration of the severity of the offense alleged which provided the law enforcement rationale to extract the individuals' DNA. Adoption of the Marper test will allow US courts to balance the interests of the government in crime prevention and criminal investigation against the privacy interests of the individual citizen with a degree of far greater nuance than the sledgehammer alternative, namely, the universal DNA database proposed by Yale Law School Professor Akhil Amar and Paul Monteleoni.
The use of Spanish language skills by physicians and nurses: policy implications for teaching and testing.

BACKGROUND Language barriers present a substantial communication challenge in the hospital setting.
Psychophysical relationships among mechanisms sensitive to pattern, motion and flicker

Abstract Sensitivity to drifting gratings was measured both before and after adaptation to a uniform flickering field. In the first experiment, it was found that viewing uniform flicker with one eye impaired sensitivity for drifting gratings presented to the same or contralateral eye. Likewise, adaptation to drifting gratings increased flicker detection thresholds. In the second experiment, temporal tuning of the adaptation effect was determined by adapting observers to several different flicker frequencies and testing with gratings of different drift rate. The data suggested the existence of broadly tuned temporal channels which respond to both flicker and motion. In a third experiment, spatial tuning of uniform flicker adaptation was evaluated by employing test gratings of different spatial frequency. The threshold elevation curves were low-pass in shape and exhibited an upper cut-off at 3–4 c/deg. Moreover, the 3–4 c/deg limit was found even when observers explicitly set thresholds for detecting temporal change. The results of the three experiments are consistent with the view that the human visual system contains separate sustained and transient mechanisms. Contrary to previous suggestions that the two systems play specialized roles in perception, however, our data indicate that both transient and sustained mechanisms can signal motion.
Welfare Effect of Productivity Shocks and Policy Implications in a Small Open Economy

AbstractWe examine the welfare effect and policy implications of productivity shocks in a small open economy. With real business cycle models, productivity shocks are generally welfare improving. However, once we assign a big role to financial frictions, productivity shocks may become welfare deteriorating. These results are robust. Moreover, the policy implication hinges on preferences, policy specifications, and financial frictions.
Peptide synthesis based on t-Boc chemistry and solution photogenerated acids.

Solution reactions using photogenerated reagents (PGRs) (Gao, X.; Yu, P. Y.; Leproust, E.; Sonigo, L.; Pellois, J. P.; Zhang, H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 12698) are developed for parallel synthesis of addressable, combinatorial molecular microarrays. To advance the PGR chemistry for general chemical conversions, light-controlled synthesis of peptides, which employs photogenerated acids (PGAs) and/or in combination with photosensitizers for deprotection of N-t-Boc group, is demonstrated. These reactions were performed on resin and glass plates and conveniently monitored by HPLC analysis (reactions on resin) and fluorescence emission after coupling the deprotected NH2 group with 4(5)-carboxyfluorescein. These results demonstrate the potential of the PGA chemistry for parallel synthesis of addressable peptide libraries on a microarray platform.
CARS probe of RDX decomposition

Abstract Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) was used to probe RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine) in a carbohydrate matrix burning unconfined in air. Several spectral regions were scanned in an attempt to document the transient species of the RDX combustion for use in determining decomposition mechanisms.
Extraterrestrial life contradicts dark energy

Extraterrestrial life contradicts the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) Hierarchical Clustering (HC) model for cosmology, as well as its dark energy extension (by the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics) to include an accelerating expansion of the universe (ΛCDMHC). The expansion is driven by the antigravitational property of dark energy that justified Einstein’s cosmological constant (Λ). CDM stars appear only after a dark-age period lasting 300 Myr, rendering cosmic scale extraterrestrial life problematic. Turbulence stresses of Hydro-Gravitational-Dynamics (HGD) cosmology during the big bang are powerful but temporary, so CDM and dark energy are unnecessary. Superclusters fragment at 0.03 Myr. Hydrogen planets in proto-globular-star-cluster (PGC) clumps fragment protogalaxies at the transition to gas (0.3 Myr). The density at 0.03 Myr is preserved by old globular clusters (OGC) as a fossil of first fragmentation. Infrared observations support the HGD prediction (Gibson 1996) and quasar microlensing observation (Schild 1996) that the dark matter of galaxies is Earth-mass gas planets in dense PGC clumps. Water oceans seeded by dust of the first exploding stars at 2 Myr hosted extraterrestrial life spread on cosmic scales. Life anywhere falsifies dark energy.