cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Informed consent for the diagnosis of brain death: a conceptual argument.

This essay provides an ethical and conceptual argument for the use of informed consent prior to the diagnosis of brain death. It is meant to enable the family to make critical end-of-life decisions, particularly withdrawal of life support system and organ donation, before brain death is diagnosed, as opposed to the current practice of making such decisions after the diagnosis of death. The recent tragic case of a 13-year-old brain-dead patient in California who was maintained on a ventilator for over 2 years illustrates how such a consent would have made a crucial difference. Conceptual, philosophical, and ethical analysis. I first consider a conceptual justification for the use of consent for certain non-beneficial and unwanted medical diagnoses. I suggest that the diagnosis of brain death falls into this category for some patients. Because the diagnostic process of brain death lacks the transparency of traditional death determination, has a unique epistemic structure and a complex risk-benefit profile which differs markedly from case to case, and presents conflicts of interest for physicians and society, I argue that pre-diagnostic counseling and informed consent should be part of the diagnostic process. This approach can be termed as “allow cardiac death”, whose parallel logic with “allow natural death” is discussed. I also discuss potential negative impacts on organ donation and health care cost from this proposal and offer possible mitigation. I show that the pre-diagnostic counseling can improve the possibility for well-thought-out decisions regarding organ donation and terminating life-support system in cases of hopeless prognosis. This approach differs conceptually from the pluralism of the definition of death, such as those in New Jersey and Japan, and it upholds the Uniform Determination of Death Act. My intention is not to provide an instant panacea for the ongoing impasse of the brain death debate, but to point to a novel conceptual ground for a more pragmatic, and more patient- and family-centered approach. By enabling the family to consent to or decline the diagnostic process of brain death, but not to choose the definition of death, it upholds the current legal definition of death.
1.21 Polymer-Bioactive Ceramic Composites

There is a significant demand for synthetic bone grafts due to the number of bone fractures that do not heal. As no single material possesses all of the necessary design requirements for a functional bone graft, there is tremendous interest in developing composite materials. Combining the biodegradation and mechanical properties of polymer-based scaffolds with the bioactivity and osteoinductivity of ceramic components yields promise for a composite material to promote full bone regeneration. This chapter focuses on the design and fabrication of ceramic/polymer porous scaffolds and their response in vitro and in vivo to direct new tissue formation and regeneration. Specifically, the chapter begins with a discussion of native bone biology and structure, highlighting the properties necessary to recapitulate with a scaffold. Afterward, a discussion of calcium phosphate properties and the properties achieved by composite materials fabricated with calcium phosphate is presented. Lastly, bioactive glass is discussed and the range of polymer/ceramic composite scaffolds fabricated with bioactive glass fibers and particles are reviewed.
Mitochondrial Haplogroups Affect Severity But Not Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose We previously reported European mitochondrial haplogroup H to be a risk factor for and haplogroup UK to be protective against proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) among Caucasian patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR). The purpose of this study was to determine whether these haplogroups are also associated with the risk of having DR among Caucasian patients with diabetes. Methods Deidentified medical records for 637 Caucasian patients with diabetes (223 with DR) were obtained from BioVU, Vanderbilt University's electronic, deidentified DNA databank. An additional 197 Caucasian patients with diabetes (98 with DR) were enrolled from the Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI). We tested for an association between European mitochondrial haplogroups and DR status. Results The percentage of diabetes patients with DR did not differ across the haplogroups (P = 0.32). The percentage of patients with nonproliferative DR (NPDR; P = 0.0084) and with PDR (P = 0.027) significantly differed across the haplogroups. In logistic regressions adjusting for sex, age, diabetes type, duration of diabetes, and hemoglobin A1c, neither haplogroup H nor haplogroup UK had a significant effect on DR compared with diabetic controls. Haplogroup UK was a significant risk factor (OR = 1.72 [1.13-2.59], P = 0.010) for NPDR compared with diabetic controls in the unadjusted analysis, but not in the adjusted analysis (OR = 1.29 [0.79-2.10], P = 0.20). Conclusions Mitochondrial haplogroups H and UK were associated with severity, but not presence, of DR. These data argue that the effect of these haplogroups is related to ischemia and neovascularization, the defining features of PDR.
Numerical Methods for Schrödinger-Type Problems

Several physical phenomena are modeled by initial-boundary value problems which can be formulated as Schrodinger-type systems of partial differential equations. In this paper, two classes of problems of this kind, Schrodinger equations, which arise in various areas of physics, and certain vibration problems from civil and mechanical engineering, are considered. A survey of numerical methods for solving linear and nonlinear problems in one and several space variables is presented, with special attention being devoted to the parabolic wave equation, the cubic Schrodinger equation, and to fourth order parabolic equations arising in vibrating beam and plate problems. Recently developed finite element methods for solving Schrodinger-type systems are also outlined.
Argumentative communication in cooperative learning groups: Members’ use of evidence and non-evidence*

ABSTRACTThis study examined how group members with differential levels (highest, middle, and lowest) of ability contributed to argumentative communication while facilitating a cooperative learning ...
Towards reporting standards for neuropsychological study results: A proposal to minimize communication errors with standardized qualitative descriptors for normalized test scores.

Abstract Objective Rapid, clear and efficient communication of neuropsychological results is essential to benefit patient care. Errors in communication are a lead cause of medical errors; nevertheless, there remains a lack of consistency in how neuropsychological scores are communicated. A major limitation in the communication of neuropsychological results is the inconsistent use of qualitative descriptors for standardized test scores and the use of vague terminology. Patients and methods PubMed search from 1 Jan 2007 to 1 Aug 2016 to identify guidelines or consensus statements for the description and reporting of qualitative terms to communicate neuropsychological test scores was conducted. The review found the use of confusing and overlapping terms to describe various ranges of percentile standardized test scores. Results In response, we propose a simplified set of qualitative descriptors for normalized test scores (Q-Simple) as a means to reduce errors in communicating test results. The Q-Simple qualitative terms are: ‘very superior’, ‘superior’, ‘high average’, ‘average’, ‘low average’, ‘borderline’ and ‘abnormal/impaired’. A case example illustrates the proposed Q-Simple qualitative classification system to communicate neuropsychological results for neurosurgical planning. Conclusions The Q-Simple qualitative descriptor system is aimed as a means to improve and standardize communication of standardized neuropsychological test scores. Research are needed to further evaluate neuropsychological communication errors. Conveying the clinical implications of neuropsychological results in a manner that minimizes risk for communication errors is a quintessential component of evidence-based practice.
Subterranean mammals show convergent regression in ocular genes and enhancers, along with adaptation to tunneling.

Over the past 100 million years, many mammals, such as moles or mole rats, for example, have evolved to live almost entirely underground. During their transition to adapt to life underground, many species have reduced or completely lost their sense of sight, and often have only a small remnant of an eye that can sometimes be completely covered by skin and fur. In addition, the sections of the DNA that usually control how the eyes form have changed in these animals. Since there is less need for a working eye in dark environments, DNA related to the eye is no longer protected from damaging mutations in mammals that live underground. So, by comparing the DNA of mammals that live aboveground and underground, scientists can identify the parts of DNA that help form mammals’ eyes. Previous studies have discovered many sections of DNA responsible for producing the proteins that make up the eye. However, scientists know less about which sections of DNA control when and where these proteins are made. To address this, Partha et al. have studied the DNA of four underground mammals: the star-nosed mole, the cape golden mole, the naked mole-rat and the blind mole-rat. By comparing the DNA of these animals with that of mammals that live above ground, Partha et al. identified sections of DNA that contained an abnormally high number of changes in the blind underground mammals. Many of these sections are involved in forming the eye, including controlling when and where proteins are made. Overall, the findings show that comparing rates of evolution in different species can help uncover sections of DNA that guide and influence how organisms develop. Understanding how the eye is formed is not only of interest to scientists studying evolution and biology; it also has wider applications in healthcare. Many people suffer from unexplained eye abnormalities, and insight into the sections of DNA that control the eye’s development could help medical professionals diagnose these cases and design new treatments.
The Impact of Surgeons on the Likelihood of Mastectomy in Breast Cancer.

Objective:This study evaluates the impact of individual surgeons and institutions on the use of mastectomy or breast conserving surgery (BCS) among elderly women with breast cancer.Summary of Background Data:Current literature characterizes patient clinical and demographic factors that increase like
Real-Time Obstacle Detection and Tracking for Sense-and-Avoid Mechanism in UAVs

Obstacle detection and tracking is an important research topic in computer vision with a number of practical applications. Though an ample amount of research has been done in this domain, implementing automatic obstacle detection and tracking in real time is still a big challenge. To address this issue, we propose a fast and robust obstacle detection and tracking approach by integrating an adaptive obstacle detection strategy within a kernelized correlation filter (KCF) framework in this paper. A suitable salient object detection method autoinitializes the KCF tracker for this purpose. Moreover, an adaptive obstacle detection strategy is proposed to refine the location and boundary of the object when the confidence value of the tracker drops below a predefined threshold. In addition, a reliable postprocessing technique is implemented to accurately localize the obstacle from a saliency map recovered from the search region. The proposed approach has been extensively tested through quantitative and qualitative evaluations on a number of challenging datasets. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of tracking speed and accuracy.
The Nonsurgical Management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)

National guidelines suggest excision of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) followed by radiotherapy and endocrine therapy in selected patients, based on clinical trial evidence for invasive breast cancer and DCIS. The heterogeneous nature of DCIS is reflected in the natural history of some, but not all, progressing to invasive disease. Multiple trials of active surveillance versus surgical management are currently underway and will determine whether patients with low-risk DCIS, like those with selected prostate or thyroid cancer, may be managed without the potential morbidities and costs associated with surgical intervention. Alternative strategies harnessing immune responses, including vaccination, are underway. Quality of life and patient reported outcomes will also guide whether nonsurgical interventions may, in future, become standard of care for selected women with DCIS.
Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) polymorphism and reduction of breast cancer risk

1931 Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the first enzyme in polyamine synthesis, is regulated by Myc-Max-Mad transcription factor network. We have described the functional significance of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ODC promoter and found that this SNP is associated in a statistically significant manner with risk of colon adenoma recurrence. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in China and worldwide. A case-control study (101 cases and 174 controls) was done to examine the association between this ODC genotype and breast cancer risk in Chinese women. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to test the association between ODC genotype and breast cancer risk. The presence of the ODC A allele was significantly associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer (RR=0.42, 95% CI =0.23 to 0.76 for ODC genotype AG; RR=0.20, 95% CI=0.10 to 0.40 for genotype AA, P
Long-Term Survival After Brain and Spine Metastasis in Malignant Melanoma.

Background Metastasis from melanoma carries poor prognosis and survival. Average life expectancy is estimated 4 to 6 months after diagnosis of skeletal metastasis. Comprehensive treatment, along with newer immunotherapies, has shown promising results. Case Description We report a case of long-term survival after metastasis to the brain and spine and discuss associated factors. Conclusions Our report emphasizes the importance of regular and critical surveillance of the disease and aggressive surgical and medical management in melanoma.
Additive Heredity Model for the Analysis of Mixture-of-Mixtures Experiments

The mixture-of-mixtures (MoM) experiment is different from the classical mixture experiment in that the mixture component in MoM experiments, known as the major component, is made up of subcomponen...
Evaluation of a New Balloon-Tipped Closed Suction System

Background: Mucus attached to the inner endotracheal tube (ETT) surface has the potential to increase airway resistance and patient work of breathing (WOB). Currently, blind suctioning through a small flexible catheter is the most common method to remove secretions from within the ETT. A new device incorporates an inflatable balloon that is designed to remove mucus by physically scraping the inner wall of the ETT (Cleansweep closed suction system, Teleflex Medical, Morrisville, NC), The aim of this bench study was to evaluate the impact of ETT scraping with this novel system on airway resistance. Methods: The balloon tipped suction system (BTSS) was compared to our standard suction system (Halyard, Alpharetta, Georgia). The systems were hooked up to a ventilator circuit and the ETT. The ventilator used was a Maquet Servo-i with the following settings: Volume assist control mode, VT 500 mL, RR 12/min, PEEP 5 cm H2O, Ti 0.8 s, T rise 0.40 (resulted in a constant flow of 50 L/min). The distal end of the ETT was connected to an Ingmar single chamber test lung with a resistance setting of 5 cm H2O/L/second and one spring attached. An upper airway model was used and the head was positioned at approximately 30 degrees. Three mL of artificial mucus was injected into the ETT and then the ventilator was connected at the above settings. Once the peak pressure stabilized (5-10 breaths) the peak pressure (Ppeak) and plateau pressure (Pplat) were recorded. Then suction was applied at — 120 mm Hg for 5 seconds. Readings were once again taken post suctioning. Five runs on each size ETT (7.0, 7.5 and 8.0) alternating between both suction systems with size 14 French catheters were carried out. Five additional runs on 7.0 ETT9s were made alternating between the suction systems with size 12 French catheters. Peak-plateau pressure decreases were recorded after using BTSS initially, BTSS following a standard suction, standard initially and standard following a BTSS suction. Each individual catheter was cleaned and reused one time. Results: Mean (± SD) cm H2O peak-plateau pressure changes are depicted in Table 1. All comparisons showed BTSS was significantly better than our standard system in reducing ventilator resistive pressures (P Conclusions: In this bench study the BTSS closed suction system was superior at reducing resistance through the various size ETT9s.
Wounded Spaces: When Planning Degraded Cairo’s Urban Memory

This paper examines the position of planning practices operated under precise guidelines for displaying modernity. Cultivating the spatial qualities of Cairo since the 1970s has unveiled centralised ideologies and systems of governance and economic incentives. I present a discussion of the wounds that result from the inadequate upgrading ventures in Cairo, which I argue, created scars as enduring evidence of unattainable planning methods and processes that undermined its locales. In this process, the paper focuses on the consequences of eviction rather than the planning methods in one of the city's traditional districts. Empirical work is based on interdisciplinary research, public media reports and archival maps that document actions and procedures put in place to alter the visual, urban, and demographic characteristics of Cairo's older neighbourhoods against a backdrop of decay to shift towards a global spectacular. The paper builds a conversation about the power and fate these spaces were subject to during hostile transformations that ended with their being disused. Their existence became associated with sores on the souls of its ex-inhabitants, as outward signs of inward scars showcasing a lack of equality and social justice in a context where it was much needed.
Decreased cued fear discrimination learning in female rats as a function of estrous phase

Relative to males, female rats can show enhanced contextual fear generalization (demonstrating a fear response in a safe or neutral context) dependent on estrogen receptor activation. The current experiment aimed to extend this finding to cued fear conditioning. Females in low-estrogen phases of the estrous cycle showed good discrimination, similar to males, between a conditional stimulus that predicted shock (CS+) and an equally familiar one that did not (CS-), while females in the proestrus (high estrogen) phase demonstrated similar levels of fear between the CS+ and CS-. These results demonstrate that cued fear generalization is similarly influenced by endogenous estrogens.
Intravenous drug use history is not associated with poorer outcomes after arteriovenous access creation

Abstract Objective Rising intravenous drug use (IVDU) paralleled with an increasing dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease population may pose a challenge for creating and maintaining arteriovenous (AV) access for hemodialysis. We aimed to elucidate baseline characteristics and outcomes of AV access creation in the IVDU population. Methods The Vascular Quality Initiative (2011-2018) was queried for patients undergoing AV access placement. Univariable and multivariable analyses comparing outcomes of patients with and without IVDU history were performed. Results Of 33,404 patients undergoing AV access creation, 601 (1.8%) had IVDU history (21.8% current and 78.2% past users). IVDU patients receiving AV access were more often younger, male, nonwhite, smokers, homeless, Medicaid recipients, and hospitalized at the time of surgery (P Conclusions IVDU history was uncommon among patients undergoing AV access creation at Vascular Quality Initiative centers and was not independently associated with major morbidity or mortality postoperatively. IVDU patients more often received grafts or autogenous access with anastomoses to basilic veins. Although these patients frequently have more comorbidities, IVDU should not deter AV access creation.
Using Vector Autoregression Modeling to Reveal Bidirectional Relationships in Gender/Sex-Related Interactions in Mother-Infant Dyads.

Vector autoregression (VAR) modeling allows probing bidirectional relationships in gender/sex development and may support hypothesis testing following multi-modal data collection. We show VAR in three lights: supporting a hypothesis, rejecting a hypothesis, and opening up new questions. To illustrate these capacities of VAR, we reanalyzed longitudinal data that recorded dyadic mother-infant interactions for 15 boys and 15 girls aged 3 to 11 months of age. We examined monthly counts of 15 infant behaviors and 13 maternal behaviors (Seifert et al., 1994). VAR models demonstrated that infant crawling predicted a subsequently close feedback loop from mothers of boys but a subsequently open ended, branched response from mothers of girls. A different finding showed that boys’ standing independently later predicted significant later increases of four maternal behaviors: rocking/jiggling, lifting, affectionate touching, and stimulation of infant gross-motor activity. In contrast, crawling by girls led mothers to later decrease the same maternal behaviors. Thus, VAR might allow us to identify how mothers respond differently during daily interactions depending on infant gender/sex. The present work intends mainly to showcase the VAR method in the specific context of the empirical study of gender/sex development.
Efficient transfer hydrogenation of carbonate salts from glycerol using water-soluble iridium N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts

The transfer hydrogenation of CO2 and carbonates from biomass-derived alcohols, such as glycerol, to afford formic and lactic acid is a highly attractive path to valorizing two waste streams, and is significantly more thermodynamically favorable than direct carbonate hydrogenation. Expanding on our seminal report of the first homogeneous catalyst for this process, here we show that thermally-robust and water-soluble Ir(I) and Ir(III) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with sulfonate-functionalized wingtips are highly prolific and robust catalysts for carbonate transfer hydrogenation from glycerol, requiring no additives in aqueous media. The most prolific catalyst of the nine examined, [Ir(NHC-Ph-SO3−)2CO2]Na (cat 7), effectively facilitates the reaction at low catalyst loading (10 ppm) at 150 °C using microwave or conventional heating. The cation of the carbonate salt significantly impacts catalytic activity, with highest activity observed with Cs2CO3 (27 850 and 13 350 TONs for lactate and formate respectively in 6 hours, compared to 15 400 and 8120 with K2CO3). Catalytic amounts of Cs+ were found to significantly enhance activity with K2CO3. Catalyst 7 is even more prolific with conventional heating under a positive N2 pressure, reaching TOFs of >3000 h−1 and >2100 h−1 respectively for lactate and formate with K2CO3. The high activity of this catalyst compared to non-sulfonated and cyclooctadiene analogs is attributed to a combination of catalyst solubility in aqueous media and presence of π-acceptor carbonyl ligands. A catalytic mechanism is proposed for 7 involving O–H oxidative addition of glycerol, β-hydride elimination, bicarbonate dehydroxylation, insertion and reductive elimination.
Global aeolian dust variations and trends: a revisit of dust event and visibility observations from surface weather stations

Abstract. This study revisits the use of horizontal visibility and manually reported present weather (ww) records from the NOAA Integrated Surface Database (ISD) for characterizing the aeolian dust variability and recent trends over the globe and three largest source regions (North Africa, Middle East, and East Asia). Due to its qualitative nature, ww is combined with visibility to derive a new variable, VI, which has higher correlations with the dust emission and burden from satellite observations and global aerosol reanalyses than does the dust event frequency (FR) derived from ww only. Both FR and VI capture the intensive dust activity associated with the prolonged North American drought during the 1950s and Sahelian drought during the 1980s. Correlation analysis suggests soil moisture has a lagged effect on the global dustiness, with a maximum r = −0.3 when soil moisture leads VI by 14 months. Through a critical assessment of the ww continuity and ww-visibility consistency of various report types in ISD, the SYNOP data are used for global dust trend detection from 1986 to 2019. Globally, FR and VI decreased at a rate of −0.23 % yr−1 and −8.0 × 10−4 km−1 yr−1, respectively, from 1986 to 1996/1997 when dust reached a minimum, followed by a slower rebound at a rate of 0.085 % yr−1 and 1.9 × 10−4 km−1 yr−1, respectively. The nonlinear behavior of global dustiness is qualitatively consistent with satellite observations and global aerosol reanalyses. Regionally, North Africa experienced increased dust activity during the past decade after staying below average for most of the 1990s–2000s, in response to reduced soil moisture and increased wind speed following the transition of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) from strong negative to recurring positive phases since 2011. In the Middle East, dust has been increasing since 1998 due to a prolonged drought in the Tigris-Euphrates basin associated with strong negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) phases. As PDO turned positive and weak negative after 2015, the amelioration of drought has led to decreased dust activity in recent years. The dust variability in East Asia is primarily driven by wind speed, which explains the dust decline from 1986 to 1997, and the absence of dust trends during the past two decades. This study constitutes an initial effort of creating a homogenized weather station-based dust-climate dataset in support of wind erosion monitoring, dust source mapping, and dust-climate analysis at local to global scales.
Risk of Venous Thromboembolism Associated With Methotrexate Versus Hydroxychloroquine for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study

Abstract Aims : Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), likely related to underlying inflammation. We examined VTE risk associated with two commonly used immunomodulators in RA patients, methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine. Methods and Results : Using U.S. Medicare claims data (2008-2017), we identified RA patients (≥65 years) who initiated methotrexate or hydroxychloroquine without prior use of any immunomodulators. The primary outcome was VTE, a composite of pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Secondary outcomes included PE, DVT, and all-cause mortality. After 1:1 propensity score matching for confounding control, we identified 26,534 pairs of methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine initiators (mean (SD) age 74 (7) years; 79% female). During a total of 56,686 person-years of follow-up, 208 methotrexate and 83 hydroxychloroquine initiators developed VTE. The incidence rate of VTE was higher among methotrexate initiators (6.94/1,000 person-years) than hydroxychloroquine initiators (3.11/1,000 person-years) with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.26 (95%CI 1.75, 2.91). Methotrexate initiators had a greater risk of PE (HR 3.30, 95%CI 2.28, 4.77) and DVT (HR 1.53, 95%CI 1.07, 2.19) than hydroxychloroquine initiators. All-cause mortality was similar between the two groups (HR 0.91, 95%CI 0.83, 1.00). Conclusion : In this large real-world cohort of older RA patients, treatment with methotrexate was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of VTE relative to hydroxychloroquine, although all-cause mortality was similar. Future experimental studies with non-user control groups are needed to determine the causal relationships between the study drugs and VTE and whether methotrexate elevates or hydroxychloroquine reduces the risk of VTE.
Integrating Multiple Distribution Models to Guide Conservation Efforts of an Endangered Toad.

Species distribution models are used for numerous purposes such as predicting changes in species’ ranges and identifying biodiversity hotspots. Although implications of distribution models for conservation are often implicit, few studies use these tools explicitly to inform conservation efforts. Herein, we illustrate how multiple distribution models developed using distinct sets of environmental variables can be integrated to aid in identification sites for use in conservation. We focus on the endangered arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus), which relies on open, sandy streams and surrounding floodplains in southern California, USA, and northern Baja California, Mexico. Declines of the species are largely attributed to habitat degradation associated with vegetation encroachment, invasive predators, and altered hydrologic regimes. We had three main goals: 1) develop a model of potential habitat for arroyo toads, based on long-term environmental variables and all available locality data; 2) develop a model of the species’ current habitat by incorporating recent remotely-sensed variables and only using recent locality data; and 3) integrate results of both models to identify sites that may be employed in conservation efforts. We used a machine learning technique, Random Forests, to develop the models, focused on riparian zones in southern California. We identified 14.37% and 10.50% of our study area as potential and current habitat for the arroyo toad, respectively. Generally, inclusion of remotely-sensed variables reduced modeled suitability of sites, thus many areas modeled as potential habitat were not modeled as current habitat. We propose such sites could be made suitable for arroyo toads through active management, increasing current habitat by up to 67.02%. Our general approach can be employed to guide conservation efforts of virtually any species with sufficient data necessary to develop appropriate distribution models.
The Influence of Crack Length and Thickness in Plane Strain Fracture Toughness Tests

Crack length and bend specimen thickness effects in plane strain fracture toughness tests of high strength steels
Virtual study trip to community mental health services in Finland

Content: The virtual study trip to community mental health in Finland includes several examples about how the local mental health services are organised and which methods are used in the coordination and integration processes of services for people with mental illness (e.g., public services, private services, voluntary organisations and other NGOs of and for people with mental illness, psychosocial rehabilitation and the empowering clubhouse rehabilitation network in Finland). Time division: Introduction and general overview to the workshop theme by Esko Hanninen (10'), service providing NGO’s presentation (15'), service users’ experiences about the Finnish community mental health services (2×10'), other participants of the workshop are telling about situations in their countries and discussion (45'). Educational results: Learning to understand the welfare mix approach and how to manage the mix while organising coordinated and integrated multi-stakeholders’ community mental health services.
Bonding-pad-oriented on-chip ESD protection structures for ICs

Several bonding-pad-oriented ESD protection structures, including a ggCMOS, an LVSCR and an all-direction ESD structures are reported, implemented in commercial 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS and 0.6 /spl mu/m BiCMOS. Measurements agree with simulations well. HBM ESD zapping tests passed 2 kV, 4.4 kV and 14 kV, respectively. The structures are suitable ESD protection solutions for RF, mixed-signal and high-pin-count ICs.
Designing Incentive Schemes Based on Intervention: The Case of Imperfect Monitoring

In this paper, we propose a class of incentive schemes based on intervention. We develop a general game-theoretic framework for the design of intervention schemes under imperfect monitoring. We examine a model of slotted multiaccess communication to illustrate our framework. In this model, an intervention device monitors the behavior of agents for a period called the test phase and takes an intervention action which affects agents for the remaining period called the intervention phase. We analyze the problems of designing an optimal intervention rule given a length of the test phase and choosing an optimal length of the test phase. Intervention schemes can induce cooperative behavior by applying intervention following signals with a high likelihood of deviation. Increasing the length of the test phase has two counteracting effects: It improves the quality of signals, but at the same time it weakens the impact of intervention due to increased delay.
Thermal conductivity of the charge-density-wave systems K0.3MoO3 and (TaSe4)2I near the Peierls transition.

We report on measurements of the thermal conductivity ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\kappa}}}_{\mathrm{T}}$ close to the Peierls transition temperature ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{P}}$ in ${\mathrm{K}}_{0.3}$${\mathrm{MoO}}_{3}$ and (${\mathrm{TaSe}}_{4}$${)}_{2}$I. In both cases there is an enhancement of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\kappa}}}_{\mathrm{T}}$ that peaks at the transition. Simultaneous measurements of the specific heat suggest that the anomalous behavior is a result of mode occupation rather than changes in electron- or phonon-scattering processes.
Initial operation of the low power level circuits of the APS synchrotron and storage ring RF acceleration systems

A description is given of the low-level RF circuitry for the several 1-MW RF systems for the 7-GeV Advanced Photon Source (APS) booster synchrotron and storage ring. The control circuits, including phase and amplitude feedback loops for the acceleration voltage, and a phase feedback loop for the klystron phase ripple are described. Initial operation of the systems are outlined. Synchronization of the voltages for bucket-to-bucket beam transfer between the two accelerators is also described with data showing typical operation.
A Model for Colony Collapse Disorder in Honeybees

Honeybee pollination accounts annually for over $14 billion in United States agriculture alone. Within the past decade there has been a mysterious mass die-off of honeybees, an estimated 10 million beehives and sometimes as much as 90\% of an apiary. There is still no consensus on what causes this phenomenon, called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. Several mathematical models have studied CCD by only focusing on infection dynamics. We created a model to account for both healthy hive dynamics and hive extinction due to CCD. The system of three ordinary differential equations exhibits regions of bi-stability and even tri-stability in parameter space, accounting for multiple hive population behaviors including CCD. Numerical analysis leads to parameter estimation and critical hive sizes for multiple scenarios.
Validation of Dracula trignopetala (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) with an English diagnosis and description

Dracula trigonopetala was first proposed on 3 January 2012 in an electronic (pdf) file released by OrchideenJournal (Meyer et al . 2012a). In this, the name was associated with a diagnosis and description in English, but the pdf lacked a volume number and pagination. Thus, the name was not effectively published. When a printed copy of the journal was released on 15 August 2012 (Meyer et al. 2012b), the diagnosis and description were in German, not English or Latin. As a result, the name was effectively published but not valid as it was a nomen nudum. As the species is worthy of recognition, D. trigonopetala is validated here.
Interaction of the TEK and TIE receptor tyrosine kinases during cardiovascular development

TEK (TIE2) and TIE (TIE1) are structurally related receptor tyrosine kinases expressed in endothelial cells and their precursors. Genetic studies in the mouse have revealed essential functions of both receptors in angiogenic expansion of the vasculature during development. As previously shown, mouse embryos homozygous for a disrupted Tek allele die by day 10.5 of embryogenesis due to endocardial defects, hemorrhaging, and impaired vascular network formation. Furthermore, TIE is required cell autonomously for endothelial cell survival and extension of the vascular network during late embryogenesis. Here we have investigated possible redundancy in the TEK and TIE signalling pathways during vascular development. Vasculogenesis proceeds normally in embryos lacking both TEK and TIE, although such embryos die early in gestation of multiple cardiovascular defects. Mosaic analysis revealed an absolute requirement for TEK in the endocardium at E10.5, whereas TEK and TIE are dispensable for the initial assembly of the rest of the vasculature. In contrast, both receptors are required in the microvasculature during late organogenesis and in essentially all blood vessels of the adult. This analysis demonstrates essential functions for TEK and TIE in maintaining the integrity of the mature vasculature.
A double-blind controlled trial of metronidazole suppositories in children undergoing appendicectomy

SummaryA total of 133 children, aged 16 months to 15 years (mean 6.7 years), with presumptive acute appendicitis, was included in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the short-term (72 hour) use of metronidazole suppositories as prophylaxis against post-operative infection. There was no significant difference in the incidence or severity of wound infection or post-operative intra-abdominal sepsis between the metronidazole-treated and placebo groups. It is suggested that intra-rectal metronidazole, when used exclusively, is not sufficient for effective prophylaxis for appendicitis in childhood.
Calculations for Ni-like soft x-ray lasers: Optimization for W (43.1 A

Near-optimum conditions for lasing in Ni-like W are calculated for a 90-/mu/g/cm/sup 2/ foil irradiated by a 2/omega/ (/lambda/=0.53 /mu/m), 2.3/times/10/sup 14/-W/cm/sup 2/, 550-ps trapezoidal pulse. The gain coefficient for the /ital J/=0--1, 4/ital d/-4/ital p/ Ni-like transition at 43.1 A is predicted to be 5.5 cm/sup /minus/1/. The electron density and temperature are 2.5/times/10/sup 21/ cm/sup /minus/3/ and 860 eV at x-ray laser time.
America's Departments of State: Irregular and Regular Syndromes of Policy Making

This article (1) sketches a general explanation for the growth of coordinative machinery and of irregular personnel in modern governments; (2) identifies both general and specific reasons for this phenomenon in the United States with special reference to foreign policy making; (3) identifies within the American foreign policy-making context the modal characteristics of irregular and regular syndromes of policy making, and the conjunction between personnel and institutional base; (4) traces the implications arising from these different policy syndromes; and (5) evaluates some proposals for improving the coherence and knowledge base of American foreign policy making. The problems of defining foreign policy authority, assuring an integrated perspective, and effectively using specialized expertise are best seen in terms of the larger problem of governance in Washington against which all proposals for reform must be abraded.
Code/Space: Software and Everyday Life

Code/Space: Software and Everyday Life, Rob Kitchin and Martin Dodge, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA (2011). xiii + 290 pp. US$35.00 (hbk). ISBN 978 0 262 04248 2. This is an important book about a growi...
Emerging Issues in the Diagnosis and Management of Infections Caused by Multi-Drug-Resistant, Gram-Positive Cocci

ABSTRACT Background: Rising rates of multi-drug-resistant, gram-positive cocci (e.g., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA], vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. [VRE]) have created treatment challenges for clinicians in both the hospital and community settings. These organisms have become especially problematic for hospitalized patients with pneumonia, complicated intra-abdominal infections, and skin and skin-structure infections (SSSIs). Methods: A review of the recent literature (1990 onwards) was undertaken in order to review the epidemiology, diagnostic issues, and clinical trial data of available and forthcoming therapies for the treatment of multi-drug resistant, gram-positive isolates, with an emphasis on selected MRSA infections (i.e., pneumonia, SSSI, diabetic foot infections, blood stream) and infections caused by VRE. Results: The rate of healthcare-associated MRSA in 2004 rose to an incidence of 59.5% in the United States compared with data from 1998–2002, making MRSA the predo...
Murine Itk SH3 domain

Interleukin-2 tyrosine kinase (Itk) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase of the Tec family that is activated upon antigen binding to the T cell receptor (Schwartzberg et al. 2005; Berg 2007). Itk is comprised of four regulatory domains: PH (Pleckstrin homology), TH (Tec homology), SH3, SH2 and the catalytic kinase domain. SH3 domains share a common fold consisting of five anti-parallel β strands that form a β barrel and bind canonical proline rich ligands as well as a variety of noncanonical ligands (Agrawal and Kishan 2002).
Comparative assessments of Gonatocerus ashmeadi and the ‘new association’ parasitoid Gonatocerus tuberculifemur (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) as biological control agents of Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Egg age preference, competitive ability, and behavior of Gonatocerus tuberculifemur ('new association' parasitoid) and Gonatocerus ashmeadi ('old association' parasitoid) were investigated in the laboratory to determine if one species exhibited competitive superiority. When searching concurrently for Homalod- isca vitripennis egg masses, G. ashmeadi consistently outperformed G. tuberculifemur by parasitizing 25-53% more eggs under three different experimental systems in the laboratory with varying host densities, egg ages, and exposure times. G. ashmeadi parasitism in control vials containing one parasitoid ranged from 81-97% across all egg ages. G. tuberculifemur in control vials parasitized 60-66% of eggs 1 and 3 days old, and just 18% of eggs 5 days old. G. ashmeadi produced 5-16% more female offspring than G. tuberculifemur for all experimental conditions. In comparison to G. ashmeadi, G. tuberculifemur was observed off leaves with host eggs 20% more frequently and it oviposited 15% less frequently. G. ashmeadi and G. tuberculifemur when confined together allocated 1% of behaviors to antennating or aggressively chasing competitors off egg masses, and up to 2% of behaviors to antennating host egg masses and/or ovi- positing into eggs from the opposite side of the leaf. These latter behaviors did not occur when parasitoids were confined alone with host eggs.
An Ada-based software engineering course

Currently, many Computer Science Departments have introduced or are considering the introduction of courses in software Engineering. At the same time many departments are considering the use of a language other than Pascal either for an entire Computer Science curriculum, or at least for some advanced courses, such as Data Structures or Software Engineering. At Georgia State University, where our program is primarily based on IBM PC compatible microcomputers, both our Data Structures and Software Engineering courses are based on Ada. In this paper we will discuss the rationale behind our choice of Ada and our experience with using Ada in the Software Engineering course.
BCL6 modulates tonic BCR signaling in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas by repressing the SYK phosphatase, PTPROt.

Tonic B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling is a key survival pathway during normal B-cell ontogenesis and in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs). We previously demonstrated that BCR-dependent DLBCL cell lines and primary tumors underwent apoptosis after treatment with an ATP-competitive inhibitor of the BCR-associated spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK). These “BCR-type” tumors also have more abundant expression of the transcriptional repressor, BCL6, and increased sensitivity to BCL6 inhibition. Herein, we evaluated potential connections between BCL6-mediated transcriptional repression and SYK-dependent BCR signaling. In transcriptionally profiled normal B-cell subsets (naive, germinal center, and memory B cells) and in primary DLBCLs, there were reciprocal patterns of expression of BCL6 and the SYK tyrosine phosphatase PTPROt. BCL6 repressed PTPROt transcription via a direct interaction with functional BCL6 binding sites in the PTPROt promoter. Enforced expression of BCL6 in normal naive B cells and RNAi-mediated depletion of BCL6 in germinal center B cells directly modulated PTPROt expression. In “BCR-type” DLBCLs, BCL6 depletion increased PTPROt expression and decreased phosphorylation of SYK and the downstream adaptor protein BLNK. Because BCL6 augments BCR signaling and BCL6 and SYK are both promising therapeutic targets in many DLBCLs, combined inhibition of these functionally related pathways warrants further study.
Frequency of Superior Vena Cava Obstruction in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients and Its Relation to Previous Superior Cavopulmonary Anastomosis

The risk factors for superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction after pediatric orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) have not been identified. This study tested the hypothesis that pretransplant superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (CPA) predisposes patients to SVC obstruction. A retrospective review of the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium registry from 1982 through 2007 was performed. Previous CPA, other cardiac surgeries, gender, age at transplantation, and weight at transplantation were assessed for the risk of developing SVC obstruction. Death, subsequent OHT, or reoperation involving the SVC were treated as competing risks. Of the 894 pediatric OHT patients identified, 3.1% (n = 28) developed SVC obstruction during median follow-up of 1.0 year (range: 0 to 19.5 years). Among patients who developed SVC obstruction, 32% (n = 9) had pretransplant CPA. SVC surgery before OHT was associated with posttransplant development of SVC obstruction (p
The effects and consequences of groundwater abstraction on foundations at Drax Power Station, North Yorkshire

Abstract In order to provide an additional supply of water for Drax Power Station the CEGB proposed to abstract water from the Bunter Sandstone aquifer which underlies the site. A pumping test was carried out to assess the effects of abstraction, and this involved monitoring groundwater pressures and surface deformations. The first part of the paper details the ground and groundwater conditions, and describes the design of the pumping test and installation of the instrumentation. Theoretical aspects of analysis and response of groundwater pressures to abstraction are also discussed. The second part of the paper outlines and analyses the results of the pumping test. The results are presented as a series of graphs of drawdown, surface deformation, and duration and rate of pumping. The true aquifer characteristics were determined from the pumping test results using the analysis of Thiem incorporating Huisman9s procedures for partially penetrating wells. Using the same analyses the effects of the pumping test are extrapolated to proposed 9licenced9 rates. A discussion follows on the results and some interesting observed responses. The final part of the paper assesses the consequences of surface deformations due to groundwater abstraction on existing and proposed structures. In particular, the effects of large differential settlements between buried services and piled structures, and also induced negative skin friction on vertical and raking piles are considered. Recommendations were subsequently given on the siting of the well which minimised its effects.