cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patellar Morphology and Osteoarthritis: A Cadaveric Analysis

Previous studies have attempted to characterize patellar morphology and its relation to patellofemoral osteoarthritis but have utilized relatively small samples. We designed a large-scale cadaveric analysis to elucidate any potential relationship. Patellar morphology in 1,032 patellae was characterized using patellar facet concavity patterns initially developed by Wiberg and using the ratio of the lateral and medial facet lengths. Patellofemoral arthritis grading for specimens was previously completed based primarily on osteophytic burden. The average age at time of death was 56 ± 10 years. Wiberg's grading returned kappa values of 0.43 for intrarelator reliability and 0.27 for interrelator reliability. Using multiple regression analysis, Wiberg's type II was found to be correlated with patellofemoral arthritis (p = 0.003). Lateral to medial facet ratio measurements returned intraclass coefficients of 0.91 for intrarelator reliability and 0.85 for interrelator reliability. There was no association between lateral to medial facet ratio and osteoarthritis. Regression analysis between Wiberg's typing and lateral-to-medial ratio (L:M) resulted in a coefficient of determination of 0.14. To our knowledge, this is the largest study evaluating the relationship between patellar morphology and arthritis. Although there was a relationship between Wiberg's type II and patellofemoral arthritis, the Wiberg systems was not easily reproducible in our study and returned a correlation with arthritis different then anatomically expected. A more reproducible system of lateral to medial facet ratio was investigated but did not find an association with arthritic changes. Given these findings, we did not find a patella morphology grading system which is both reliable and valid in regard to association with patellofemoral arthritis.
In vivo locus-specific editing of the neuroepigenome

Studies over the past several decades have identified numerous epigenetic mechanisms associated with pathological states in psychiatric and neurological disease. Until recently, studies investigating chromatin-regulatory proteins, using overexpression or knockdown approaches, did not establish causal roles for epigenetic modifications at specific genes because these techniques typically affect hundreds or thousands of genomic loci. In this Review, we describe recent efforts in using locus-specific neuroepigenome editing in vivo to, for the first time, define causal relationships between a single chromatin modification at a specific gene in a defined cell population and downstream measures at the molecular, cellular, circuit and behavioural levels. We briefly introduce three epigenome-editing platforms: zinc-finger proteins, transcriptional activator-like effectors and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). We then explore the development of in vivo neuroepigenome-editing tools and their applications to resolve epigenetic contributions to the pathophysiology of brain diseases. We also discuss technical considerations for in vivo neuroepigenome-editing experiments and ongoing innovations in the field, including new tools to investigate chromatin marks, manipulate chromatin topology and induce epigenetic modifications at multiple genes in the same cell. Lastly, we explore the potential clinical applications of in vivo neuroepigenome editing for treating brain pathology.
Posthuman/transhuman. An inquiry into Gabriele Salvatores’ Nirvana

This essay traces the main differences between transhumanism and posthumanism and brings forward a more coherent definition of both theories by analysing the presence and interplay of transhuman an...
Problems: Quadratic Equations

In this chapter, the basic and advanced problems of quadratic equations are presented. To help students study the chapter in the most efficient way, the problems are categorized in different levels based on their difficulty levels (easy, normal, and hard) and calculation amounts (small, normal, and large). Moreover, the problems are ordered from the easiest problem with the smallest computations to the most difficult problems with the largest calculations.
Remote Patient Monitoring: A Promising Digital Health Frontier

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need to harness and leverage digital tools and technology for remote patient monitoring (RPM). RPM involves the monitoring of biometrics outside of the hospital or clinic setting with the associated transmission of data to clinicians in a manner that allows actionable insights to improve health outcomes [1]. There are many benefits of RPM for clinicians — ease of access to patient data, the ability to deliver higher-quality care to more patients with a lower risk of burnout — and for healthcare providers — lower costs and higher efficiency, to name just a couple. RPM will be limited in its impact until engagement and adherence can be maximized. We report on our ongoing implementation research with multiple academic and community partners to enhance RPM solutions to increase adherence and patient engagement in diverse patient settings. We demonstrate that RPM solution based on health behavior models and personalized coaching is technically feasible with high adherence rates. This work, however, remains in its infancy. Despite growing interest in remote patient monitoring, substantial gaps in the evidence base needed to be addressed using implementation and behavior science methods to support its ability to improve outcomes. Specifically, questions that remain unresolved include: How effective are RPM devices and associated interventions in changing important clinical outcomes of interest to patients and their clinicians? Which elements of RPM interventions lead to a higher likelihood of lasting success in affecting clinically meaningful outcomes? Which patient populations would benefit most? Rigorous, ongoing evaluation of RPM devices and platforms will be essential for elucidating their value and driving coverage decisions and adoption programs for the most effective solutions.
A Comparative Study of Joint Modeling Methods and Analysis of Fasteners

One of the more crucial aspects of any mechanical design is the joining methodology of parts. During structural dynamic environments, the ability to analyze the joint and fasteners in a system for structural integrity is fundamental, especially early in a system design during design trade studies. Different modeling representations of fasteners include spring, beam, and solid elements. In this work, we compare the various methods for a linear system to help the analyst decide which method is appropriate for a design study. Ultimately, if stresses of the parts being connected are of interest, then we recommend the use of the Ring Method for modeling the joint. If the structural integrity of the fastener is of interest, then we recommend the Spring Method.
Pure braids, a new subgroup of the mapping class group and finite type invariants

In the study of the relation between the mapping class group M of a surface and the theory of finite-type invariants of homology 3-spheres, three subgroups of the mapping class group play a large role. They are the Torelli group, the Johnson subgroup K and a new subgroup L, which contains K, defined by a choice of a Lagrangian subgroup of the homology of the surface. In this work we determine the quotient L/K, in terms of the precise description of M/K given by Johnson and Morita. We also study the lower central series of L and K, using some natural imbeddings of the pure braid group in L and the theory of finite-type invariants.
Testing the CAPM with broader market indexes: A problem of mean-deficiency

Abstract This study addresses a problem that can arise when a broader market index is used to test the CAPM: a return series used in the index can exclude part of an asset's return. If the excluded return is constant, then a test of mean-variance efficiency can be constructed, but an additional parameter must be estimated. This point is illustrated in tests with both broader market indexes and stocks-only indexes. The broader indexes exclude the rental return on real estate and durables. The excluded rental return is estimated under the assumption that the index portfolio is mean-variance efficient.
Development of Variant Definitions for Stakeholder Groups with Regard to the Performance of Public Transit in the United States

In the United States, the performance of public transit systems is often characterized, in both the popular press and academic literature, as being mediocre at best and growing steadily worse. Drawing on insights from the extant literature and a census of all U.S. transit systems, this research argues that “multiple definitions” of transit performance exist and are composed of three macro-constructs which are weighted differently by different stakeholder groups and thereby provide unique definitions for each stakeholder group. Statistical analysis of the data suggests that there are differences in both the absolute importance and relative importance placed on the three macro-constructs by U.S. transit stakeholder groups. Therefore, the examination of public transit performance from a multiple stakeholder points-of-view perspective appears warranted in order to better evaluate the performance of public transit systems.
Hepatitis B virus testing by minipool nucleic acid testing: does it improve blood safety?

Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA-positive yield since nucleic acid testing (NAT) implementation (minipools of 16 [MP16]) was reported for the first year. We have updated those figures, evaluated the current value of all HBV tests, calculated the HBV residual risk before and after the introduction of MP-NAT, and estimated residual risks with further improvements in HBV screening for US blood donations. Study design and methods All donations were screened by US-required serologic HBV tests and for HBV DNA by MP-NAT (Novartis/Gen-Probe). Further testing by individual-donation polymerase chain reaction (ID-PCR) confirmed various classes of MP-NAT-reactive or -nonreactive donations. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-yield method was used to calculate incidence and the incidence-window-period model used to define residual risk. Results Of approximately 12.8 million donations screened during 2009 to 2011, a total of 1368 HBV confirmed positives including 941 by MP-NAT were observed (combined 4.32% positive predictive value) of which five were seronegative NAT-yield donations (1:2.6 million) and 25 HBsAg-yield (anti-HBc-nonreactive) donations from which an incidence of 1.62/100,000 person-years (vs. 3.43 during 2006-2008) and residual risk of 1:592,000 to 1:754,000 were calculated. With the addition of MP-NAT, and resulting 8.8-day window-period reduction, residual risks decreased to 1:765,000 to 1:1,006,000. Of the 1368 positives, 99.6% were detected by serology and 68.8% by MP-NAT; ID-PCR detected 427 more infected donors than MP-NAT. Conclusions HBV MP-NAT and decreases in HBV incidence (likely vaccine-related) in the United States have reduced residual risks to levels comparable to those of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus and raise the question of the continued need for all three HBV markers for blood donation screening. Further reductions in residual risk will require the implementation of more sensitive HBV-NAT methods including ID-NAT.
The Nature of Liquids and Gases

Before turning to flight itself, we need to discuss a number of fundamental ideas in order to lay down a scientific basis for aerodynamics. In this chapter we will learn about some of the physical properties of fluids, a term that includes both gases and liquids. This broad expression is used, as we will see later, because the motion of objects in air and in water obeys identical laws until their speed approaches the speed of sound. Occasionally this discussion—just like others to follow—may appear to be unrelated to the behavior of an airplane. Yet concepts such as pressure and phenomena such as the static behavior of water are relevant to the instrumentation used in wind tunnels and on airplanes.
Selection and application of peptide-binding peptides

Peptide-binding ligands would be useful for directing reagents to particular epitopes in a protein, the detection of peptide hormones, and many other applications. Here we show that peptides of modest size isolated from a library using a simple genetic assay can act as specific receptors for other peptides. The equilibrium dissociation constants of these peptide-peptide complexes are higher than those of typical monoclonal antibody-epitope complexes. Nonetheless, as shown here, these peptide-binding peptides can be used to detect or purify proteins containing the partner peptide.
Human melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR) antibodies alter the retinal ON-response of the monkey ERG in vivo.

Purpose Melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR) is a paraneoplastic condition that causes visual symptoms of night-blindness and photopsias. The electroretinogram (ERG) of MAR patients is characteristically abnormal in a way that implicates retinal depolarizing bipolar cell (DBC) dysfunction. Whether an injection of IgG from MAR patients into the vitreous of monkeys would alter the ERG acutely as a demonstration of a functional basis for patients' visual symptoms was explored. Methods MAR IgG was isolated from three visually symptomatic melanoma patients. Control IgG was from melanoma patients with no vision problems. The ERG was monitored after intravitreal injections into monkey eyes. One eye was injected with 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB), which is known to block DBC ON-pathway responses. Retinal immunocytochemistry was performed using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled goat anti-human IgG. Results Within 1 to 3 hours after MAR IgG injection, the ERG photopic b-wave was diminished, with far less effect on the a- and d-waves. These changes are characteristic of DBC dysfunction and were similar to the effects of APB. The scotopic ERG b-wave, which reflects activity of rod-driven DBCs, showed a loss of amplitude and threshold sensitivity after MAR IgG. Retinal immunocytochemistry with anti-IgG antibody showed IgG penetration throughout the retinal layers, but staining was not specific for a single type of retinal neuron. Conclusions Intravitreal injection of human MAR IgG altered the monkey ERG acutely in ways that implicate functional disruption of retinal DBC signaling. These results support the hypothesis that MAR IgG circulating antibodies are responsible for the reported visual symptoms. Bipolar cells in the ON-pathway appear to be affected more than OFF-pathway bipolar cells of the cone pathway in this acute preparation.
Research on Community Residential Alternatives for the Mentally Retarded

Publisher Summary Negative attitudes toward the mentally retarded and facilities for them exist, as evidenced by attitude surveys and as witnessed by the expediences of residential facilities. This chapter presents some community residential alternatives for the mentally retarded. It provides an outline of the history of the institutionalization movement. The chapter also describes the status of the empirical knowledge and the ideological undergirding of the movement from publicly supported residential facilities (PRF) toward the community residential facilities (CRF). The research relating to the successful placement of the retarded in the community is also reviewed and critiqued. Research studies on deinstitutionalization have greater methodological and political challenges than that ordinarily reported issues in the area are amenable to empirical investigation. The investigation, more than most, has practical applications that are likely to influence public policy towards the mentally retarded.
Quantifying Benefits of Lossless Compression Utilities on Modern Smartphones

The data traffic originating on mobile computing devices has been growing exponentially over the last several years. Lossless data compression and decompression can be essential in increasing communication throughput, reducing communication latency, achieving energy-efficient communication, and making effective use of available storage. This paper experimentally evaluates several compression utilities and configurations on a modern smartphone. We characterize each utility in terms of its compression ratio, compression and decompression throughput, and energy efficiency for representative use cases. We find a wide variety of energy costs associated with data compression and decompression and provide practical guidelines for selecting the most energy efficient configurations for each use case. For data transfers over WLAN, the best configurations provide a 2.1-fold and 2.7-fold improvement in energy efficiency for compressed uploads and downloads, respectively, when compared to uncompressed data transfers. For data transfers over a mobile broadband network, the best configurations provide a 2.7-fold and 3-fold improvement in energy efficiency for compressed uploads and downloads, respectively.
When Mom has a Mental Illness: Role Reversal and Psychosocial Adjustment Among Emerging Adults

Objective Guided by a life course perspective, the present study examined whether aspects of the emerging adult-mother relationship, specifically affection, felt obligation, role reversal, and reciprocity, mediated the association between having a mother with mental illness and poorer psychological adjustment. Method Emerging adults with mothers with mental illness (n = 52) and emerging adults without mothers with mental illness (n = 64) were recruited from institutes of higher education and responded to an online self-report questionnaire. Most participants (81%) were female. Results Results from multiple mediation analyses indicated a history of parent-child role reversal mediated the association between having a mother with mental illness and emerging adults’ psychological symptoms. None of the assessed aspects of the emerging adult-mother relationship mediated the association between maternal mental illness and emerging adults’ psychological well-being, but having divorced parents and being older was associated with lower levels of psychological well-being. Conclusions Findings indicate role reversal contributes to emerging adults’ psychological symptoms. Assessment of a history of role reversal may be relevant to clinical practice with emerging adults, particularly those with mothers with mental illness. Life course perspectives can inform future studies of emerging adults with mothers with mental illness.
Tropical climate change control of the lower stratospheric circulation

The behavior of the Brewer-Dobson circulation is investigated using a suite of global climate model simulations with different forcing agents, in conjunction with observation-based analysis. We find that the variations in the Brewer-Dobson circulation are strongly correlated with those in the tropical mean surface temperature through changes in the upper tropospheric temperature and zonal winds. This correlation is seen on both interannual and multidecadal time scales, and holds for natural and forced variations alike. The circulation change is relatively insensitive to the spatial pattern of the forcings. Consistent changes in the Brewer-Dobson circulation with respect to those in the tropical mean surface temperature prevail across time scales and forcings, and constitute an important attribution element of the atmospheric adjustment to global climate change.
Psychophysiologic factors contributing to functional performance in people with COPD: are there gender differences?

The purpose of this study was to compare the functional performance profiles of men and women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, describe the extent to which physiologic impairment, physical symptoms, and psychosocial resources contribute in a cumulative manner to performance, and outline the extent to which these contributions differ across gender. Secondary data analyses were employed. Although women (n = 45) reported more functional difficulty than men (n = 44) in 9 of 12 Sickness Impact Profile categories, the differences were not significant. Using hierarchical regression procedures, physiologic, symptomatic, and interactive variables predicted total (R2 = .64) and physical performance (R2 = .52), while symptomatic and psychosocial variables predicted psychosocial performance (R2 = .53). Results indicate that models of functional performance may be different for men and women. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Genetical studies of quantitative characters in peas. 3. seed and seedling characters in the F2 of a six-parent diallel set of crosses

Very little information is available on the genetics of seed size and the initial stages of plant development in peas. An experiment involving F2 material available from a full 6 x 6 diallel set of crosses involving 2 wild forms, 2 primitive and 2 European cultivars was set up to investigate a number of plant characters. These were seed weight, seedling shoot and root length and the number of lateral roots at 6, 7, 8 and 9 days after germination, and shoot and root fresh weight at 9 days.
A rapidly convergent simulation method: mixed Monte Carlo/stochastic dynamics

Although Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics are the primary methods used for free energy simulations of molecular systems, their application to molecules that have multiple conformations separated by energy barriers of ≥ 3 kcal/mol is problematic because of slow rates of convergence. In this article we introduce a hybrid simulation method termed MC-SD which mixes Monte Carlo (MC) and stochastic dynamics (SD). This new method generates a canonical ensemble via alternating MC and SD steps and combines the local exploration strengths of dynamics with the barrier-crossing ability of large-step Monte Carlo. Using calculations on double-well potentials and long simulations (108 steps of MC and 1 μs of SD) of the simple, conformationally flexible molecule n-pentane, we find that MC-SD simulations converage faster than either MC or SD alone and generate ensembles which are equivalent to those created by classical MC or SD. Using pure SD at 300 K, the conformational populations of n-pentane are shown to be poorly converged even after a full microsecond of simulation. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fast and stable two-dimensional inversion of magnetotelluric data

The two-dimensional (2-D) magnetotelluric (MT) inverse problem still poses difficult challenges in spite of efforts to develop fast and efficient methods for its solution. In this paper, we present a new approach for the solution of overparameterized cases based on regularization theory and full 2-D, quasi-analytic, calculation of the Frechet derivatives. For the forward solution we use a fast and efficient finite difference formulation to the solution of the MT equations in both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes based on the balance method. The Frechet derivative matrix is obtained as a solution to simple forward and back substitution of the LU decomposed matrix of coefficients from the forward problem utilizing the principle of reciprocity. Magnetotelluric data is usually contaminated by noise, so that its inverse problem is ill-posed. In order to constrain the solution to a set of acceptable models, Tikhonov regularization is applied and yields a regularized parametric functional. The regularized conjugate gradient method is then utilized to minimize the parametric functional. Results of inversion for a set of synthetic data and for a set of CSAMT data from Kennecott Exploration show that the method yields models which are physically and geologically reasonable for both synthetic and real data sets.
A parallel priority queueing system with finite buffers

In this paper we pose and analyze a novel model of a priority queueing system that represents a conveyor model. What is novel in this model is that priority is designed to minimize the idleness of the system. Thus, we discussed a general parallel finite buffer multi-server priority queueing system with balking and reneging and analyze a two-station case of it. An algorithmic solution for the general two-station case and closed-form solutions for special cases of this model are given. We use block-matrix method to find distribution of the queue length, probability of the system idleness, probability of loss to the system, probability of stations being busy, and the first two moments. Numerical examples are given for comparison with Disney's model [R.L. Disney, Some multichannel queueing problems with order entry, J. Ind. Engng. 13 (1962) 46-48; R.L. Disney, D. Kogin, Queuing networks: a survey of their random processes, SIAM Rev. 27 (3) (1958) 335-400] and discussion of properties of the model.
Income Distribution, Value Judgments, and Welfare

I. Introduction, 380. — II. The formal model — the special case, 387. — III. The formal model — the general case, 406. — IV. Arguments and conclusions, 412. — Appendix, 419.
Deterministic Order in Surface Micro-Topologies through Sequential Wrinkling

Ordered herringbone patterns with deterministic long and short wavelengths are created using a sequential wrinkling strategy (SWS). Patterns with a prescribed zig-zag turning angle less than 90° are obtained upon sequential wrinkling of non-equi-biaxial prestrain for the first time. SWS provides a new method for measuring thin-film mechanical properties simply through the wrinkling metrology without measurement of film thickness.
Effects of alpha 7 positive allosteric modulators in murine inflammatory and chronic neuropathic pain models

Agonists and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are currently being considered as novel therapeutic approaches for managing cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Though α7 agonists were recently found to possess antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties in rodent models of chronic neuropathic pain and inflammation, the effects of α7 nAChRs PAMs on chronic pain and inflammation remain largely unknown. The present study investigated whether PAMs, by increasing endogenous cholinergic tone, potentiate α7 nAChRs function to attenuate inflammatory and chronic neuropathic pain in mice. We tested two types of PAMS, type I (NS1738) and type II (PNU-120596) in carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain and chronic constriction injury (CCI) neuropathic pain models. We found that both NS1738 and PNU-120596 significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia, while only PNU-120596 significantly reduced edema caused by a hind paw infusion of carrageenan. Importantly, PNU-120596 reversed established thermal hyperalgesia and edema induced by carrageenan. In the CCI model, PNU-120596 had long-lasting (up to 6 h), dose-dependent anti-hyperalgesic and anti-allodynic effects after a single injection, while NS1738 was inactive. Systemic administration of the α7 nAChR antagonist MLA reversed PNU-120596's effects, suggesting the involvement of central and peripheral α7 nAChRs. Furthermore, PNU-120596 enhanced an ineffective dose of selective agonist PHA-543613 to produce anti-allodynic effects in the CCI model. Our results indicate that the type II α7 nAChRs PAM PNU-120596, but not the type I α7 nAChRs PAM NS1738, shows significant anti-edematous and anti-allodynic effects in inflammatory and CCI pain models in mice.
The value of grain-size hydraulic conductivity estimates: Comparison with high resolution in-situ field hydraulic conductivity

Hydraulic conductivity is commonly estimated from grain size characteristics of unconsolidated sediments. We present an extensive set of air-permeability and grain size measurements from a heterogeneous aquifer. These data are unique in that the hydraulic conductivity measurements are made on undisturbed in-situ sediment and, like the grain size measurements, have a small sample volume size (<1200 cm³). Hydraulic conductivity estimated from grain-size has a higher mean and a lower variance than direct measurements. While grain size estimates of hydraulic conductivity do not correspond well to field measured hydraulic conductivity, spatial correlation of the two data sets is quite similar.
Design, calibration and preliminary testing of a robotic telemanipulator for OCT guided retinal surgery

This paper presents an experimental system for demonstrating a new concept for retinal micro-vascular surgery. This concept involves the use of stents to maintain the structural integrity in artery/vein crossings. A design of an 11 degree of freedom robot that includes a 6 DoF Stewart-Gough platform, a two DoF differential wrist, and a three DoF actuator for deployment of stent and bridge vessel separators is proposed as a validated robotic system for ophthalmic microsurgery. The robot also allows for quick exchange of surgical graspers and the integration of a custom made B-mode OCT probe. The paper presents the kinematic modeling and calibration of the robot for demonstration of ocular and intraocular manipulation. The system telemanipulation framework is constructed and experimental evaluations of stent deployment and membrane peeling are shown with a verification of results using OCT probe images. We believe these preliminary results demonstrate new technology that may enable micro-vascular stenting for treatment of branch retinal vein occlusion while offering a general platform for dexterous retinal surgery.
Site-specific protein labeling by Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase

Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase covalently attaches small-molecule probes including biotin and various organic fluorophores to a specific serine residue in the peptidyl carrier protein (PCP) or a short 11-residue peptide tag ybbR through a phosphopantetheinyl linker. We describe here a protocol for site-specific protein labeling by Sfp-catalyzed protein post-translational modification that includes (i) expression and purification of Sfp, (ii) synthesis of small-molecule probe–CoA conjugates, (iii) construction of target protein fusions with PCP or the ybbR tag, (iv) labeling PCP- or ybbR-tagged target protein fusions in cell lysates and on live cell surfaces and (v) imaging fluorophore-labeled cell surface receptors by fluorescence microscopy. To follow this protocol, we advise that you allow 3 d for the expression and purification of Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase, 1 d for the synthesis and purification of the small-molecule probe–CoA conjugates as the substrates of Sfp, 3 d for the cloning of target protein genes as fusions to the PCP or the ybbR tag in the appropriate plasmids and another 3 d for transfecting cell lines with the plasmids and the expression of PCP- or ybbR-tagged proteins. Labeling of the PCP- or the ybbR-tagged proteins in cell lysates or on cell surfaces should require only 15–30 min.
Interpreting secondary cardiac disease variants in an exome cohort.

Background— Massively parallel sequencing to identify rare variants is widely practiced in medical research and in the clinic. Genome and exome sequencing can identify the genetic cause of a disease (primary results), but it can also identify pathogenic variants underlying diseases that are not being sought (secondary or incidental results). A major controversy has developed surrounding the return of secondary results to research participants. We have piloted a method to analyze exomes to identify participants at risk for cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, or sudden death. Methods and Results— Exome sequencing was performed on 870 participants not selected for arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, or a family history of sudden death. Exome data from 22 cardiac arrhythmia- and 41 cardiomyopathy-associated genes were analyzed using an algorithm that filtered results on genotype quality, frequency, and database information. We identified 1367 variants in the cardiomyopathy genes and 360 variants in the arrhythmia genes. Six participants had pathogenic variants associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (n=1), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n=2), left ventricular noncompaction (n=1), or long-QT syndrome (n=2). Two of these participants had evidence of cardiomyopathy and 1 had left ventricular noncompaction on echocardiogram. Three participants with likely pathogenic variants had prolonged QTc. Family history included unexplained sudden death among relatives. Conclusions— Approximately 0.5% of participants in this study had pathogenic variants in known cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia genes. This high frequency may be due to self-selection, false positives, or underestimation of the prevalence of these conditions. We conclude that clinically important cardiomyopathy and dysrhythmia secondary variants can be identified in unselected exomes.
Interview with Merle Jacob, adult materials selection specialist, Chicago Public Library

Relates an interview with Merle Jacob, an adult materials selection specialist at the Chicago Public Library. Describes the selection process for materials, reference collection, audio‐visual and other areas for the Chicago Public Library and 82 branches of different sizes. Suggests that information retrieval on disk will not exclude the physical book.
New methods in the behavioral treatment of sexual dysfunction

For 3 yr we have been treating couples for a variety of sexual dysfunctions ranging from primary orgasmic dysfunction (frigidity) in females to premature ejaculation and erectile failure in males. An “orthodox” behavioral treatment program emphasizing invivo desensitization has been supplemented by several clinical methods either adapted from other psychotherapies or newly introduced. A systematic masturbation program, in combination with erotic fantasy and literature, enhances sexual responding. Role-playing orgasmic response disinhibits female orgasm. Therapist self-disclosure reduces client inhibition and anxiety and models an open acceptance of sexuality. Daily client records provide data on ongoing client sexual behavior. A refundable penalty fee deposit heightens client motivation. Clients plan their own treatment for the final stages and the months following therapy. Clinical examples and outcome statistics are given.
Increasing minorities in higher education in nursing: Faculty consultation as a strategy

This article describes some of the issues surrounding cultural diversity in higher education in nursing. The representation of minority faculty in higher education in general, and in nursing education in particular, is inadequate to support the needs of students, faculties, and the institutions. Examples of common concerns and dilemmas faced by minority faculty demonstrate the urgent need for change to enhance the academic environment for minorities. Because the numbers of minority faculty in higher education are unlikely to change substantially within the next few years, the authors present faculty consultation as a strategy to support the cultural diversity mission of the college.
Predicting protein evolution in vitro by phage escape technology

The relationship between host and pathogen is inherently dynamic at the genetic level. A plethora of host defensive systems have evolved to counteract and/or eliminate invading pathogens. These strategies exert selection pressure upon the pathogen, leading to the emergence of mechanisms to combat the host including immune evasion and resistance. Consequently, effective control of rapidly evolving diseases is contingent on the ability to predict pathogen evolution prior to the emergence of resistant phenotypes. Highlighted in this article is a bacteriophage-based technology capable of screening hundreds of millions of binding events simultaneously at single molecule resolution, thus providing an in vitro mimetic of protein evolution. This technology, termed phage escape, can be utilized to model the evolution of proteins in the presence of antibodies or other selective pressure, providing a predictive solution to the coevolution of antigens and the immune system. Foresight into the evolutionary path of an antigen and subsequent neutralization strategies can facilitate more efficacious vaccination formulation and have important implications in the treatment of a range of evolving diseases, including viral infections and cancer.
Arithmetic progressions contained in sequences with bounded gaps

Van der Waerden [1, 4, 5] proved that if the nonnegative integers are partitioned into a finite number of sets, then at least one set in the partition contains arbitrarily long finite arithmetic progressions. This is equivalent to the result that a strictly increasing sequence of integers with bounded gaps contains arbitrarily long finite arithmetic progressions. Szemeredi [3] proved the much deeper result that a sequence of integers of positive density contains arbitrarily long finite arithmetic progressions. The purpose of this note is a quantitative comparison of van der Waerden's theorem and sequences with bounded gaps.
Induction of immature thymocyte proliferation after castration of normal male mice

The physiological basis and immunological significance of thymic enlargement in castrate male animals is not known. We used normal male C57 Bl/6 mice to examine the contribution of in situ thymocyte proliferation to castration-induced enlargement of the thymus. Animals castrated at 8-10 weeks of age were compared to normal intact males. Thymocytes were examined 4-120 days after castration using flow cytometry to determine DNA content and thus the number of cells in active phases of the cell cycle. These properties were examined in unseparated thymocytes and in phenotypic subpopulations defined by expression of CD3, CD4, and CD8. For thymocytes obtained from intact control glands, a mean of 11.0 +/- 1.0% were in active phases of the cell cycle. The percentage of cycling thymocytes was increased to a mean of 22.5 +/- 1.9% in the week after castration (P < 0.001). This change occurred in the absence of significant thymic enlargement. At 8-10 days after castration, thymic weight increased abruptly to a new st...
On Representations of Integers in Thin Subgroups of {{\rm SL}_2({\mathbb {Z}})}

Let $${\Gamma < {\rm SL}(2, {\mathbb Z})}$$ be a free, finitely generated Fuchsian group of the second kind with no parabolics, and fix two primitive vectors $${v_{0}, w_{0} \in \mathbb {Z}^{2} \, {\backslash} \, \{0\}}$$ . We consider the set $${\mathcal {S}}$$ of all integers occurring in $${\langle v_{0}\gamma, w_{0}\rangle}$$ , for $${\gamma \in \Gamma}$$ and the usual inner product on $${\mathbb {R}^2}$$ . Assume that the critical exponent δ of Γ exceeds 0.99995, so that Γ is thin but not too thin. Using a variant of the circle method, new bilinear forms estimates and Gamburd’s 5/6-th spectral gap in infinite-volume, we show that $${\mathcal {S}}$$ contains almost all of its admissible primes, that is, those not excluded by local (congruence) obstructions. Moreover, we show that the exceptional set $${\mathfrak {E}(N)}$$ of integers |n| < N which are locally admissible $${(n \in \mathcal {S} \, \, ({\rm mod} \, q) \, \, {\rm for\,all} \,\, q \geq 1)}$$ but fail to be globally represented, $${n \notin \mathcal {S}}$$ , has a power savings, $${|\mathfrak {E}(N)| \ll N^{1-\varepsilon_{0}}}$$ for some $${\varepsilon_{0} > 0}$$ , as N → ∞.
Robust fuzzy control for robot manipulators

A robust fuzzy control is developed for robot manipulators to guarantee both global stability and Performance. Robot dynamics under consideration may include large nonlinear uncertainties, such as nonlinear load variations and unmodelled dynamics. Fuzzy sets are chosen based on performance requirements and stability regions of the control system. For each fuzzy set, a sub-control is designed, based on nonlinear robust control design using Lyapunov's direct method; this is blended with others into a final fuzzy control. The resulting control provides not only robust and global stability, but also more accurate control performance than fuzzy controls obtained from constant sub-controls. The proposed design is applied to a robot trajectory control problem and compared with a standard nonlinear robust controller. The simulation results show that the proposed control is effective and yields superior tracking performance.
An optofluidic approach to miniature flow cytometry

Flow cytometry is a powerful high-throughput single-cell characterization tool that has significant impact on both biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. In flow cytometry, the analysis is performed by passing a narrow stream of cells through a focused laser beam at a rate of thousands of cells per second. Information regarding the size, type, and contents of cells can be subsequently derived through the analyses of the excited fluorescence emission or scattered light arising from each individual cell. In the past decade, flow cytometry has undergone remarkable advancements. It offers reliable, high-throughput, high-accuracy single-cell analyses for a wide variety of biomedical studies. It has also quickly become the method of choice for many clinical diagnostics, ranging from routine blood tests to diagnoses of lethal diseases such as leukemia and HIV. However, as of now the full potential of flow cytometry as a clinical diagnostic tool has yet to be realized. Its high cost (generally > $100,000), mechanical complexity, bulky size, and need for highly trained personnel have limited its usage. Therefore there is an incentive to develop affordable, highly integrated, miniaturized flow cytometry systems.
Spectral Editing in CPMAS NMR. Generating Subspectra Based on Proton Multiplicities

Abstract A new approach to spectral editing of CPMAS 13C spectra is presented that combines depolarization and polarization inversion of the rare 13C spins. Four different spectra have been obtained in which the intensities of the nonprotonated 13C, 13CH, 13CH2, and 13CH3 groups are affected in a predictable fashion. A proper combination of these spectra yields a 13CH2-only subspectrum, a 13CH-only subspectrum, and a spectrum with 13CH3 and nonprotonated 13C only. If the 13CH3 and quaternary carbons can be distinguished by their chemical shifts, intensity-corrected 13CH3-only and quaternary-13C-only subspectra can also be generated. In this case the individual proton-multiplicity-selected subspectra can be added to yield a synthetic CPMAS spectrum. Differences between the synthetic CPMAS spectra and the corresponding normal CPMAS spectra are found to be quite small for a number of model compounds, indicating that the method is fairly robust. Applications to complex solid mixtures such as whole coals are also presented.
Green's function and a generalized Lloyd formula for the density of states in disordered muffin-tin alloys.

We consider the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker coherent-potential-approximation Green's function for a disordered system of muffin-tin potentials and evaluate its integral over the Wigner-Seitz cell rigorously throughout the complex energy plane. The resulting expression is shown to possess a perfect derivative form, provided the angular-momentum summations are extended to infinity; for a finite angular-momentum cutoff this result is valid to a good approximation. For real energies our expression constitutes a generalization of the Lloyd formula for the density of states. The conventional Lloyd formula contains unphysical singularities that are not only unsatisfactory from a formal viewpoint, but also make its use increasingly cumbersome in multicomponent alloys as the number of atoms in the unit cell becomes larger. Our expression, on the other hand, is free from such singularities, and thus provides a useful basis for evaluating density of states and its energy integral in muffin-tin systems.
Realignment of signal processing within a sensory brainstem nucleus as brain temperature declines in the Syrian hamster, a hibernating species

Crucial for survival, the central nervous system must reliably process sensory information over all stages of a hibernation bout to ensure homeostatic regulation is maintained and well-matched to dramatically altered behavioral states. Comparing neural responses in the nucleus tractus solitarius of rats and euthermic Syrian hamsters, we tested the hypothesis that hamster neurons have adaptations sustaining signal processing while conserving energy. Using patch-clamp techniques, we classified second-order neurons in the nucleus as rapid-onset or delayed-onset spiking phenotypes based on their spiking onset to a depolarizing pulse (following a −80 mV prepulse). As temperature decreased from 33 to 15°C, the excitability of all neurons decreased. However, hamster rapid-onset spiking neurons had the highest spiking response and shortest action potential width at every temperature, while hamster delayed-onset spiking neurons had the most negative resting membrane potential. The frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in both phenotypes decreased as temperature decreased, yet the amplitudes of tractus solitarius stimulation-evoked currents were greater in hamsters than in rats regardless of phenotype and temperature. Changes were significant (P < 0.05), supporting our hypothesis by showing that, as temperature falls, rapid-onset neurons contribute more to signal processing but less to energy conservation than do delayed-onset neurons.
Solid-State High Voltage Nanosecond Pulse Generator

Pulses shorter than 50 ns are essential for further study on transient plasma ignition and streamer physics. Design and operation of a compact full solid-state pulse generator is presented. The pulse generator can create 20 ns FWHM, 60 kV amplitude pulses into 300-ohm load. It is comprised with IGBT switched resonant charging circuit; two steps of magnetic pulse compressor and a semiconductor opening switch (SOS) based pulse generator. The use of low cost mass-produced rectifier diode as an opening switch was reported.
Structure, context, and centrality in interorganizational networks

Abstract This study explored the relationship among organization structure, context, and network centrality in four interorganization networks: 1) clients sent, 2) clients received, 3) director contracts, and 4) joint programs. Analyses covered 52 youth service delivery agencies in a large metropolitan area. Results indicated that formalization and organization size were positively related to centrality in the clients sent network, and organization age was positively associated with centrality in the joint programs and director contracts networks. Organization domain was also an important variable, as agencies with a high percentage of female clients were central in both the clients sent and clients received networks, while agencies with a high percentage of minority clients were central in the clients sent network. Overall, the results suggest that organization structure and context are important considerations in the study of network centrality.
Cognitive Efficiency and the Congressional Vote: The Psychology of Coattail Voting:

Most recent studies of presidential coattails have attempted to specify the prevalence of coattail voting. In contrast, in this treatment we attempt to identify the psychological mechanism underlying the coattail effect. Our interpretation is that the coattail effect results from voters' reliance on a specific cognitive efficiency mechanism, heuristic processing. Using NES data from the 1976-88 presidential elections, we conduct a multi-level analysis of factors influencing the congressional vote choice. We find that coattail voting varies with attributes of both the individual voter and of the electoral context. These results are consistent with our argument that voters with high need for cognitive efficiency use their evaluations of presidential candidates as cues to guide the decision regarding which House candidate to support.
The effects of diet on herbivory by a predaceous lady beetle

Abstract We hypothesize that herbivory by predators is affected by the complexity of their diet. Coleomegilla maculata larvae fed prey – Acyrthosiphon pisum or Ostrinia nubilalis eggs – consumed two to three times more plant tissue (pinto beans) than those fed a mixed diet (containing pollen substitute and prey-based components). Simple, prey-only diets appear to lack plant-based nutrients important to this predator.