cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Salmonella pathogenicity island 13 contributes to pathogenesis in streptomycin pre-treated mice but not in day-old chickens

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a human and animal pathogen that causes gastroenteritis characterized by inflammatory diarrhea and occasionally an invasive systemic infection. Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) are horizontally acquired genomic segments known to contribute to Salmonella pathogenesis. The objective of the current study was to determine the contribution of SPI-13 to S. Enteritidis pathogenesis. We deleted the entire SPI-13 (∆SPI-13) from the genome of S. Enteritidis CDC_2010K_0968 strain isolated from a human patient during the 2010 egg-associated outbreak in the US. The kinetics of infection of the wild-type parent and the ∆SPI-13 were compared in orally challenged day-old chickens and streptomycin pre-treated mice. The degree of intestinal inflammation and the survival of mutant strain within the avian (HD11) and murine (RAW264.7) macrophages were also determined. The deletion of the SPI-13 resulted in impaired infection kinetics of S. Enteritidis in streptomycin pre-treated mice which was characterized by significantly lower (P < 0.05) viable counts in the ceca, liver and spleen, impaired ability to induce intestinal inflammation and reduced survival within murine macrophages. Conversely, there were no significant differences in the infection kinetics of ∆SPI-13 in day-old chickens in any of the organs tested and the survival of ∆SPI-13 within chicken macrophages remained unaltered. The results of this study show that SPI-13 contributes to the pathogenesis of S. Enteritidis in streptomycin pre-treated mice but not in day-old chickens and raises the possibility that SPI-13 may play a role in pathogenesis and the host adaptation/restriction of Salmonella serovars.
Reasoning and Applications of β-PSML

With the Web developing,it is not easy that users find and utilize information.Consequently,problem-solving systems in the Web environment are required.The core of such systems is the problem solver markup language(PSML) and PSML-based distributed Web inference engines.This paper proposes the reasoning algorithm of β-PSML and shows that some queries cannot be answered by using Prolog or OWL inference engine only.However,our algorithm of β-PSML can answer the queries successfully by cooperatively using both of the two inference engines.The experimental results show that the algorithm is valid and the prototype of solution works well on the semantic Web.
Fast and robust inversion-free shape manipulation

We present a shape manipulation technique capable of producing deformations of 2D and 3D meshes, guaranteeing that no elements will be inverted. We achieve this by augmenting the quadratic ex-rotated elastic energy with additional convex terms that penalize the presence of inverted elements. Using a schedule of increasing penalty coefficients, we efficiently and robustly converge to an inversion free state by solving a sequence of unconstrained convex minimization problems. This process can be interpreted as a special purpose Semi-Definite Programming (SDP) solver. We demonstrate that our method outperforms solvers used in previous work, including commercial-grade SDP software (MOSEK). As an additional benefit, our method also converges to the solution via a more intuitive path, which can be used for quick preview. We demonstrate the efficacy of our scheme in a number of 2D and 3D shapes undergoing moderate to drastic deformation.
Crystal structure of [1,1':3',1''-ter-phenyl]-2',3,3''-tri-carb-oxy-lic acid.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C21H14O6, com­prises two symmetrically independent mol­ecules that form a locally centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimer, with the planes of the corresponding carb­oxy­lic acid groups rotated by 15.8 (1) and 17.5 (1)° relative to those of the adjacent benzene rings. The crystal as a whole, however, exhibits a noncentrosymmetric packing, described by the polar space group Pca21. The dimers form layers along the ab plane, being inter­connected by hydrogen bonds involving the remaining carb­oxy­lic acid groups. The plane of the central carb­oxy­lic acid group forms dihedral angles of 62.5 (1) and 63.0 (1)° with those of the adjacent benzene rings and functions as a hydrogen-bond donor and acceptor. As a donor, it inter­connects adjacent layers, while as an acceptor it stabilizes the packing within the layers. The `distal' carb­oxy­lic acid groups are nearly coplanar with the planes of the adjacent benzene rings, forming dihedral angles of 1.8 (1) and 7.1 (1)°. These groups also form intra- and inter-layer hydrogen bonds, but with `reversed' functionality, as compared with the central carb­oxy­lic acid groups.
Thermoelectric Properties of Mg 2 ( Ge , Sn ) : Model and Optimization of Z T

Understanding the physics behind thermoelectric performance is key to materials engineering for efficient devices. The authors' calculations show that the thermoelectric performance of Mg${}_{2}$(Ge,Sn), an effective and environmentally friendly material, is affected by multiple isosurface sections with complex shapes near the conduction-band minimum. Significant improvements in the figure of merit are still possible, for both $n$-type and $p$-type samples, and the results of this study provide guidance as to the best doping levels for a desired operating temperature.
Politics and Pigskins: Leader Political Support and Doug Williams’s Termination from Grambling State University

Management research long has benefitted from the examination of sport teams and organizations to inform its theories. Similarly, sport management research can benefit from the investigation of business organization research concepts. In the present study, a narrative case study approach is taken to review Doug Williams’s second tenure as Grambling State University’s head football coach. Archival data (i.e., media reports, university communications, and court documents) indicated that Grambling University was an environment ripe for political behavior. Further, the data reveal that Williams’s social capital and political will led to his demonstration of political support for his players, and that this behavior created loyalty and commitment from Williams’s followers (i.e., his players), but simultaneously generated anger and resentment among his superiors (i.e., the university president and athletic director), and resulted in Williams’s termination. Thus, the presently reviewed case indicates politics is a viable area of future exploration for in sport organization research.
Functional and Histological Effects of Chronic Neural Electrode Implantation.

Author(s): Sahyouni, Ronald; Chang, David T; Moshtaghi, Omid; Mahmoodi, Amin; Djalilian, Hamid R; Lin, Harrison W | Abstract: Permanent injury to the cranial nerves can often result in a substantial reduction in quality of life. Novel and innovative interventions can help restore form and function in nerve paralysis, with bioelectric interfaces among the more promising of these approaches. The foreign body response is an important consideration for any bioelectric device as it influences the function and effectiveness of the implant. The purpose of this review is to describe tissue and functional effects of chronic neural implantation among the different categories of neural implants and highlight advances in peripheral and cranial nerve stimulation.Data Sources: PubMed, IEEE, and Web of Science literature search.Review Methods: A review of the current literature was conducted to examine functional and histologic effects of bioelectric interfaces for neural implants.Bioelectric devices can be characterized as intraneural, epineural, perineural, intranuclear, or cortical depending on their placement relative to nerves and neuronal cell bodies. Such devices include nerve-specific stimulators, neuroprosthetics, brainstem implants, and deep brain stimulators. Regardless of electrode location and interface type, acute and chronic histological, macroscopic and functional changes can occur as a result of both passive and active tissue responses to the bioelectric implant.A variety of chronically implantable electrodes have been developed to treat disorders of the peripheral and cranial nerves, to varying degrees of efficacy. Consideration and mitigation of detrimental effects at the neural interface with further optimization of functional nerve stimulation will facilitate the development of these technologies and translation to the clinic.3.
Spallation yield of xenon from 730 MeV proton irradiation of barium

Abstract The isotopic composition of xenon produced by 730 MeV proton bombardment of BaCl 2 was measured to be: 124 Xe : 126 Xe : 127 Xe : 128 Xe : 129 Xe : 130 Xe : 131 Xe : 132 Xe : 134 Xe corresponding to 72 : ≡ 100 : 102 : 116 : 111 : 72 : 183 : 52 : 4.6, respectively. The cross section observed for 126 Xe production was 0.140 barn. The agreement between these measured yields and the yields calculated by means of the spallation systematics of Rudstam is in general quite good: striking discrepancies occur, however, at 130 Xe and 132 Xe. These findings confirm the relative yield found from meteoritic spallation xenon which shows similar discrepancies at 130 Xe and 132 Xe. The discrepancy at 129 Xe between the meteoritic data reported by Rowe and spallation systematics is not confirmed in this work.
Reduced resting-state thalamostriatal functional connectivity is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness in persons with and without depressive disorders.

Abstract Background Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common and significant problem encountered in affective illness, however, the biological underpinnings of EDS in persons with psychiatric disorders are not clear. This study evaluated the associations between thalamic connectivity with cortical and subcortical brain regions with EDS in persons with and without depressive disorders (DD). Methods Resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging scans from 67 unmedicated young to middle-aged women with current DD (n = 30), remitted DD (n = 13), and healthy controls (n = 24) were utilized to examine the associations between thalamic connectivity with cortical/subcortical structures and EDS. Results After correction for multiple comparisons and adjustment for age, habitual sleep duration, and depressive symptomatology, reduced resting-state connectivity between the bilateral thalamus and left rostral striatum (caudate/putamen) was significantly associated with EDS. Limitations Causal inferences between thalamostriatal connectivity and EDS could not be determined. Conclusions These results further implicate the role of the striatum and thalamus as central components of the experience of EDS. Further research is indicated to clarify the specific role these structures play in EDS in psychiatric disorders.
Split-dose bowel preparation improves adequacy of bowel preparation and gastroenterologists' adherence to National Colorectal Cancer Screening and Surveillance Guidelines.

Split-dose bowel preparation improves adequacy of bowel preparation and gastroenterologists’ adherence to National Colorectal Cancer Screening and Surveillance Guidelines
Expanding Opportunities for Professional Development: Utilization of Twitter by Early Career Women in Academic Medicine and Science

The number of women entering medical school and careers in science is increasing; however, women remain the minority of those in senior faculty and leadership positions. Barriers contributing to the shortage of women in academics and academic leadership are numerous, including a shortage of role models and mentors. Thus, achieving equity in a timelier manner will require more than encouraging women to pursue these fields of study or waiting long enough for those in the pipelines to be promoted. Social media provides new ways to connect and augments traditional forms of communication. These alternative avenues may allow women in academic medicine to obtain the support they are otherwise lacking. In this perspective, we reflect on the role of Twitter as a supplemental method for navigating the networks of academic medicine. The discussion includes the use of Twitter to obtain (1) access to role models, (2) peer-to-peer interactions, and continuous education, and (3) connections with those entering the pipeline-students, trainees, and mentees. This perspective also offers suggestions for developing a Twitter network. By participating in the "Twittersphere," women in academic medicine may enhance personal and academic relationships that will assist in closing the gender divide.
Comparison of venous thromboembolism risk stratification models in a high risk otolaryngology patient cohort.

Our objective was to compare the venous thromboembolism outcomes in two of the most commonly utilised venous thromboembolism assessment tools, the Caprini system and the University of Michigan syst...
Effect of intrauterine and intravascular quinacrine administration on histopathology, blood chemistry, and hematology in cynomolgus monkeys

Histopathologic features, blood chemistry, and hematologic features were studied in cynomolgus monkeys following intravascular or intrauterine administration of a 30-mg solution of quinacrine hydrochloride. Intrauterine quinacrine administration resulted in extensive necrosis of the endometrial surface, and lesions were observed at 24 hours after treatment which obliterated the cornual areas of the uterus. Necrosis was also observed on occasion in the ampulla or isthmic portion of the tube. Evidence of repair of the reproductive tract was seen 7 and 28 days following treatment. No lesions were observed in any nonreproductive organ examined, whether quinacrine was administered by the intrauterine or intravascular route. Blood chemistry data revealed moderate and transient increases in serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). No other blood chemistry or hematologic changes were noted that could be attributed to quinacrine administration. For the conditions described in these studies, intrauterine administration of quinacrine appears to be a safe procedure. However, the potential toxicity of the drug is discussed.
Classification before Segmentation: Improved U-Net Prostate Segmentation

Prostate segmentation is a necessary pre-processing step for computer-aided detection and diagnosis algorithms for prostate disorders and associated cancers. Deep learning models like U-Net offer the potential for performing classification and segmentation in a single step. We evaluated the U-Net model for prostate segmentation on 1,235 Magnetic Resonance (MR) images from 39 patients with prostate cancer. On our data set, the U-Net models generated a substantial number of false-positive predictions (average precision of 67.6%). We propose separating classification and segmentation into distinct tasks implemented via a pipeline. Our classifier achieved an average ROC AUC of 97.7% (SD 1.0%) in four-fold cross-fold validation. Compared to the U-Net model alone, our pipeline increased overall agreement between the predicted and human-annotated masks (Dice score of 0.907 vs 0.758 and precision of 83.2% vs 67.6%) without a significant loss in recall (83.4% vs 85.6%). Performing classification and segmentation in a single step is a desirable goal. Our results suggest, however, that improvements are still needed before U-Net offers comparable precision to using a separate classifier.
Silicon Optical Sensor Arrays for Environmental and Health Applications

Abstract Dramatic advances in our understanding of biology have been met step by step with advances in sensor technology. Sensors based on the optical properties of silicon have proven to be particularly useful. This brief review discusses two primary classes of silicon-based sensors capable of multiplex detection: sensors using free-space optics and relying on changes in the reflective properties of the substrate on target molecule binding and integrated photonic sensors, as exemplified by ring resonators.
Signalized Intersections: 1985 Through 2000

Between 1980 and 1985, the Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee moved to adopt a signalized intersection methodology based upon critical movements. This approach to timing and analysis of signalized intersections had been used by Bruce Greenshields in the early 1950s, and had been developed by Don Berry and others. The methodology incorporated into the 1985 HCM [1] was based on the work of Carroll Messer and Dan Fambro [2], which was modified and calibrated under an NCHRP contract by William Reilly of JHK and Associates [3].
Massive Neobladder Stones in Postcystectomy Patient Lost to Follow Up.

Abstract A 59-year-old man with a history of muscle-invasive bladder cancer status post cystectomy with neobladder creation presented to the Emergency Department with a 4-month history of lower abdominal pain, dysuria, and intermittent hematuria. He was found to have 2 massive bladder stones on CT scan, measuring 12 × 10.5 × 14 cm and 6.5 × 7.5 × 10 cm. Stones were successfully removed via open neocystolithotomy. Stones were composed of a mixture of calcium phosphate (80%) and calcium carbonate (20%).
Indefinite extensibility and the principle of sufficient reason

The principle of sufficient reason threatens modal collapse. Some have suggested that by appealing to the indefinite extensibility of contingent truth, the threat is neutralized. This paper argues that this is not so. If the indefinite extensibility of contingent truth is developed in an analogous fashion to the most promising models of the indefinite extensibility of the concept set, plausible principles permit the derivation of modal collapse.
Low Sensitivity of Procalcitonin for Bacteremia at an Academic Medical Center: A Cautionary Tale for Antimicrobial Stewardship.

Background Procalcitonin testing has been adopted by antimicrobial stewardship programs as a means of reducing inappropriate antibiotic use, including within intensive care units (ICUs). However, concerns regarding procalcitonin's sensitivity exist. The purpose of this study is to calculate the sensitivity of procalcitonin for bacteremia among hospitalized patients. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to an academic medical center between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, with ≥1 positive blood culture within 24 hours of admission and procalcitonin testing within 48 hours. Low procalcitonin was defined as Results A total of 332 patients were included. The sensitivity of procalcitonin for bacteremia was 62% at the sepsis threshold of 0.5 µg/L, 76% at a threshold of 0.25 µg/L, and 92% at a threshold of 0.1 µg/L. Of the 125 patients with low procalcitonin, 14% were initially admitted to the ICU and 9% required the use of vasopressors. In that same group, the top 3 organisms isolated were Staphylococcus aureus (39%), Escherichia coli (17%), and Klebsiella spp. (7%). Compared with those patients with elevated procalcitonin, patients with low procalcitonin were significantly more likely to have >24-hour delayed receipt of antibiotic therapy (3% vs 8%; P = .04), including among patients admitted to the ICU (1% vs 18%; P = .02). Conclusions The sensitivity of procalcitonin for bacteremia is unacceptably low for a rule-out test. Antimicrobial stewardship programs should use caution before promoting the withholding of antibiotic therapy for patients with low initial procalcitonin values.
17 – Scarcity and Choice

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the basic problems that society faces—those of scarcity and choice. These problems are illustrated by the production possibilities curve. Once efficient production is achieved, it is impossible to have more of one item without giving up another. This trade-off makes the problem of choice difficult, and the problem is not made easier by the existence of diminishing returns. Because of the law of diminishing returns, the trade-off between goods is not constant. The problems of scarcity and choice are dealt by analyzing the trade-offs and evaluating opportunity cost. By weighing the opportunity costs of individual decisions, economic actors can decide which resources to have and which to give up. Economic growth is important because it expands the options. It expands the bounds of the production possibilities curve and makes possible the attainment of combinations of goods and services that were previously impossible with given resources and production processes.
What’s the catch? Profiling the benefits and costs associated with marine protected areas and displaced fishing in the Scotia Sea

Both costs and benefits must be considered when implementing marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly those associated with fishing effort displaced by potential closures. The Southern Ocean offers a case study in understanding such tradeoffs, where MPAs are actively being discussed to achieve a range of protection and sustainable use objectives. Here, we evaluated the possible impacts of two MPA scenarios on the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) fishery and krill-dependent predators in the Scotia Sea, explicitly addressing the displacement of fishing from closed areas. For both scenarios, we employed a minimally realistic, spatially explicit ecosystem model and considered three alternative redistributions of displaced fishing. We projected both MPAs to provide positive outcomes for many krill-dependent predators, especially when closed areas included at least 50-75% of their foraging distributions. Further, differences between the scenarios suggest ways to improve seal and penguin protection in the Scotia Sea. MPA scenarios also projected increases in total fishery yields, but alongside risks of fishing in areas where relatively low krill densities could cause the fishery to suspend operations. The three alternatives for redistributing displaced fishing had little effect on benefits to predators, but did matter for the fishery, with greater differences in overall catch and risk of fishing in areas of low krill density when displaced fishing was redistributed evenly among the open areas. Collectively, results suggest a well-designed MPA in the Scotia Sea may protect krill-dependent predators, even with displaced fishing, and preclude further spatial management of the krill fishery outside the MPA. More broadly, outcomes denote the importance of delineating fishing and predator habitat, spatial scales, and the critical trade-offs inherent in MPA development.
Patterns of Failure After Adjuvant Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer With Close or Positive Margins.

Abstract Purpose There is no consensus on treatment volumes for adjuvant stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for pancreatic cancer. Herein, we report patterns of failure after pancreatic SBRT for close/positive margins, which may inform target volume design. Methods and Materials An institutional review board-approved retrospective review of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with adjuvant SBRT for close/positive margins from 2009 to 2018 was conducted. Patterns of failure were defined as local (LF) within the tumor bed, regional (RF) within lymph nodes or anastomoses, or distant (DF). The cumulative incidence of locoregional failure was calculated using the cumulative incidence function accounting for the competing risk of death. LFs were mapped to the planning target volume (PTV) and classified as in-field (completely within the PTV), marginal (partially within the PTV), or out-of-field (completely outside the PTV). The location of LFs was compared with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0848 contouring atlas to determine whether standard postoperative radiation therapy volumes would have included the LF. Results Seventy-six patients were treated with adjuvant SBRT for close (51.3%) or positive (48.7%) margins. Most (81.6%) received 36 Gy in 3 fractions, with a median PTV volume of 17.8 cc (interquartile range, 12.1-25.6). With a median follow-up of 17.0 months (interquartile range, 7.3-28.4), crude rates of first isolated LF, isolated RF, and DF +/– LF or RF were 9.2%, 6.6%, and 56.6%, respectively. Two-year cumulative incidences of LF, RF, locoregional failure, and DF were 34.9%, 30.8%, 49.2%, and 60.4%, respectively. Of 28 reviewable LFs, 21.4% were in-field while the remainder were completely outside (60.7%) or partially outside (17.9%) the PTV. Most LFs (92.9%) would have been encompassed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group consensus target volumes. Conclusions After adjuvant pancreatic SBRT for close/positive margins, the majority of LFs were outside the PTV but within contemporary target volumes for conventional radiation therapy.
Enabling Large-scale Fine-grained Simulation of IED Vapor Concentration in Open-air Environments

Ammonium nitrate and nitromethane are two of the most prevalent ingredients in improvised explosive devices (IED). Developing a detection system for IEDs in open public events where no specific check points are available requires many large scale, fine-grained simulations to estimate the explosive vapors. However, such large scale molecular simulations at the required granularity is very time consuming and in most cases not feasible. In this paper, we propose region-specific meshing to alleviate the computational cost. The proposed simulation methodology provides accurate results as compared with a baseline simulation of fine grained mesh (in a small area) while providing significant reduction in simulation time. Thus, large scale simulations at feasible computational burden can be achieved.
Routine Screening for Sepsis in an Obstetric Population: Evaluation of an Improvement Project

Introduction Our objectives were to calculate the timeliness of treatment following implementation of routine sepsis screening in an inpatient obstetric population using obstetric-adjusted systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, evaluate the performance of obstetric-specific screening criteria in the identification of sepsis, and to better characterize the frequency of end-organ dysfunction associated with those who met the definition of sepsis. Methods Electronic medical record data were collected from all pregnant or newly delivered women admitted for observation, admission, or postpartum readmission in the hospital maternity unit from March 1 through December 31, 2017 (n = 5075). Combinations of SIRS criteria were collected and compared with clinical indicators of end-organ dysfunction in those who met the definition of sepsis. Maternal conditions and neonatal outcomes were evaluated. Results In the study period, 204 cases of sepsis were identified among 201 women, 2 of whom experienced multiple episodes of sepsis, resulting in an incidence of sepsis of 4.0 per 100 livebirths. There were 92 (45.2%) with sepsis and 112 (54.9%) with end-organ dysfunction. Two women were admitted to the intensive care unit and no women died from sepsis. Discussion Use of a standardized, obstetric-specific sepsis screening process provided for early identification and treatment of sepsis in this population. Fourteen unique combinations of SIRS criteria were noted among those with sepsis; no combination was uniquely associated with the severity of sepsis. Conclusion Pregnant and newly delivered women benefitted from implementation of routine sepsis screening; this resulted in timely initiation of treatment.
Asynchrony versus bulk-synchrony for a generalized N-body problem from genomics

This work examines a data-intensive irregular application from genomics, a long-read to long-read alignment problem, which represents a kind of Generalized N-Body problem, one of the "seven giants" of the NRC Big Data motifs [5]. In this problem, computations (genomic alignments) are performed on sparse and data-dependent pairs of inputs, with variable cost computation and variable datum sizes. In particular, there is no inherent locality in the pairwise interactions, unlike simulation-based N-Body problems, and the interaction sparsity depends on particular parameters of the input, which can also affect the quality of the output. We examine two extremes to distributed memory parallelization for this problem, bulk-synchrony and asynchrony, with real workloads. Our bulk-synchronous implementation, uses collective communication in MPI, while our asynchronous implementation uses cross-node RPCs in UPC++. We show that the asynchronous version effectively hides communication costs, with a memory footprint that is typically much lower than the bulk-synchronous version. Our application, while simple enough to be a kind of proxy for genomics or data analytics applications more broadly, is also part of a real application pipeline. It shows good scaling on real input problems, and at the same time, reveals some of the programming and architectural challenges for scaling this type of data-intensive irregular application.
Possible State Intervention Options to Serve Transition-Age Youths: Lessons from the West Virginia Youth Works Demonstration Project

The Social Security Administration (SSA) funded the West Virginia Youth Works intervention as part of the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) to improve the employment and independent-living outcomes of youths with disabilities. This project was one of six that constituted the full YTD evaluation. This article examines Youth Works implementation and outcomes to provide a potential case study for other states interested in expanding services to youths with disabilities.
MicroRNA Regulation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Chondrogenesis: Toward Articular Cartilage

The production of a clinically useful engineered cartilage is an outstanding and unmet clinical need. High-throughput RNA sequencing provides a means of characterizing the molecular phenotype of po...
Differentiation of Chiari malformation type 1 and spontaneous intracranial hypotension using objective measurements of midbrain sagging.

Objective Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) and spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) are causes of headache in which cerebellar tonsillar ectopia (TE) may be present. An accurate method for differentiating these conditions on imaging is needed to avoid diagnostic confusion. Here, the authors sought to determine whether objective measurements of midbrain morphology could distinguish CM-1 from SIH on brain MRI. Methods This is a retrospective case-control series comparing neuroimaging in consecutive adult subjects with CM-1 and SIH. Measurements obtained from brain MRI included previously reported measures of brain sagging: TE, slope of the third ventricular floor (3VF), pontomesencephalic angle (PMA), mamillopontine distance, lateral ventricular angle, internal cerebral vein-vein of Galen angle, and displacement of iter (DOI). Clivus length (CL), an indicator of posterior fossa size, was also measured. Measurements for the CM-1 group were compared to those for the entire SIH population (SIHall) as well as a subgroup of SIH patients with > 5 mm of TE (SIHTE subgroup). Results Highly significant differences were observed between SIHall and CM-1 groups in the following measures: TE (mean ± standard deviation, 3.1 ± 5.7 vs 9.3 ± 3.5 mm), 3VF (-16.8° ± 11.2° vs -2.1° ± 4.6°), PMA (44.8° ± 13.1° vs 62.7° ± 9.8°), DOI (0.2 ± 4.1 vs 3.8 ± 1.6 mm), and CL (38.3 ± 4.5 vs 44.0 ± 3.3 mm; all p 5 mm; in this subgroup (SIHTE), a cutoff value of Conclusions Measures of midbrain sagging, including cutoff values for 3VF and PMA, discriminate CM-1 from SIH and may help to prevent misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgery.
Plant breeding and improvement of the cotton plant.

Cotton breeding research is directed to the development of cultivars that can be grown with maximum economic profit. Yield is a function of bolls per unit area, seed per boll and lint per seed, and...
Gender and Science in the DNA Story

Rosalind Franklin . Dark Lady of DNA. Brenda Maddox. HarperCollins, London and New York, 2002. 400 pp. £20. ISBN 0-00-257149-8. $29.95, C$44.95. ISBN 0-06-018407-8. Maddox provides a detailed and nu-anced biography of the researcher whose x-ray diffraction photograph of DNA was crucial to the determination of the mole-cule's structure.
Topology-Aware Communication in Wide-Area Message-Passing

This position paper examines the use of topology-aware communication services to support message-passing in wide-area, distributed environments, i.e., grids. Grid computing promises great benefits in the flexible sharing of resources but poses equally great challenges for high-performance computing, that is to say, how to execute large-scale computations on a grid with reasonable utilization of the machines involved. For wide-area computations using a message-passing paradigm, these issues can be addressed by using topology-aware communication, i.e., communication services that are aware of and can exploit the topology of the network connecting all relevant machines. Such services can include augmented communication semantics (e.g., filtering), collective operations, content-based and policy-based routing, and managing communication scope to manage feasibility. While such services can be implemented and deployed in a variety of ways, we propose the use of a peer-to-peer, middleware forwarding and routing layer. In a related application domain (time management in distributed simulations) we provide emulation results showing that such topology-awareness can play a major role in performance and scalability. Besides these benefits, such communication services raise a host of implementation and integration issues for their operational deployment and use in grid environments. Hence, we discuss the need for proper APIs and high-level models.
COURSE EVALUATIONS: WHAT ARE SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS TELLING US ABOUT TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS?

This empirical study examined the association between social work students' ratings of teaching ability and several course, student, and instructor variables. Over 5,000 standardized evaluation forms rating instructors' specific skills and overall effectiveness were collected between 1991-93 at a school of social work in a large urban university. The results showed strong positive relationships between ratings of teaching effectiveness and ratings of skills reflecting course organization, rapport with students, and fair grading. This study supports the legitimacy of student ratings in assessing faculty, and the authors discuss implications for faculty development of the strong relationship between effective teaching and organizational skills.
Milnor fibrations of lattice-isotopic arrangements

We show that the associated Milnor fibrations are equiivalent in a smooth family of arrangements with constant intersection lattice.
XpressSpace: a programming framework for coupling partitioned global address space simulation codes

Complex coupled multiphysics simulations are playing increasingly important roles in scientific and engineering applications such as fusion, combustion, and climate modeling. At the same time, extreme scales, increased levels of concurrency, and the advent of multicores are making programming of high-end parallel computing systems on which these simulations run challenging. Although partitioned global address space PGAS languages attempt to address the problem by providing a shared memory abstraction for parallel processes within a single program, the PGAS model does not easily support data coupling across multiple heterogeneous programs, which is necessary for coupled multiphysics simulations. This paper explores how multiphysics-coupled simulations can be supported by the PGAS programming model. Specifically, in this paper, we present the design and implementation of the XpressSpace programming system, which extends existing PGAS data sharing and data access models with a semantically specialized shared data space abstraction to enable data coupling across multiple independent PGAS executables. XpressSpace supports a global-view style programming interface that is consistent with the PGAS memory model, and provides an efficient runtime system that can dynamically capture the data decomposition of global-view data-structures such as arrays, and enable fast exchange of these distributed data-structures between coupled applications. In this paper, we also evaluate the performance and scalability of a prototype implementation of XpressSpace by using different coupling patterns extracted from real world multiphysics simulation scenarios, on the Jaguar Cray XT5 system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of spectral‐dependent surface albedo on Saharan dust direct radiative forcing

[1] Direct radiative forcing (DRF) due to mineral dust has quite large uncertainty. Surface albedo is one of the most important factors affecting dust radiative forcing and climate. Here we investigate the effect of spectral-dependent surface albedo on dust DRF over the Saharan desert region using MODIS surface albedo data and a size-resolved global aerosol model. In one simulation, surface albedo in 7 wavebands from MODIS-retrieved data is interpolated to the corresponding 4 solar wavebands of the radiation transfer model (case 1). In another simulation, surface albedo for visible wavebands is applied to all 4 solar spectral-bands (case 2), which was previously used by many global model simulations. Our results show that the annual averaged DRF for all sky over the Saharan dust is −2.4 W m−2 and −5.6 W m−2 at TOA, and −9.9 W m−2 and −12.9 W m−2at surface for cases 1 and 2, respectively. Such a large difference highlights the importance of using accurate spectral-dependent surface albedo, and implies that previous studies employing only visible-band surface albedo might have significantly overestimated the dust cooling effect over the Saharan dust.
Evidence That 5-HT2A Receptors in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Mediate Neuroendocrine Responses to (−)DOI

The present study determined whether the serotonin2A (5-HT2A) receptors in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus mediate the neuroendocrine responses to a peripheral injection of the 5-HT2A/2Creceptor agonist (−)DOI [(−)1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane]. The 5-HT2A receptor antagonist MDL100,907 ((±)-α-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenylethyl)]-4-piperidinemethanol), the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB-242084 (6-chloro-5-methyl-1-[[2-[(2-methyl-3-pyridyl)oxy]-5-pyridyl]carbamoyl]-indoline), or vehicle were microinjected bilaterally through a chronically implanted double-barreled cannula into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus 15 min before a peripheral injection of (−)DOI in conscious rats. (−)DOI significantly elevated plasma levels of oxytocin, prolactin, ACTH, corticosterone, and renin. Neither the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist nor the 5-HT2Creceptor antagonist, injected alone, altered the basal levels of these hormones. MDL100,907 (0.748, 7.48, and 18.7 nmol) dose dependently inhibited the (−)DOI-induced increase in all of the hormones except corticosterone. In contrast, SB-242084 (10 nmol) did not inhibit (−)DOI-increased hormone levels. To confirm the presence of 5-HT2A receptors in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, 5-HT2A receptors were mapped using immunohistochemistry. Densely labeled magnocellular neurons were observed throughout the anterior and posterior magnocellular subdivisions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Moderately to densely labeled cells were also observed in parvicellular regions. Thus, it is likely that 5-HT2A receptors are present on neuroendocrine cells in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. These data provide the first direct evidence that neuroendocrine responses to a peripheral injection of (−)DOI are predominantly mediated by activation of 5-HT2A receptors in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.
Microscopic coupled-channel study of the five-nucleon system with the resonating-group method

A coupled-channel study of the five-nucleon system is performed with the resonating-group method. The channels which are explicitly considered are the $d+^{3}\mathrm{He}$ (or $d+^{3}\mathrm{H}$) and the $p+\ensuremath{\alpha}$ (or ($n+\ensuremath{\alpha}$) channels. Three- and more-body breakup channels are not included in the calculation, but their effects are crudely taken into account by the introduction of phenomenological imaginary potentials into the formulation. The nucleon-nucleon potential used is purely central, but does yield correct values for the two-nucleon effective-range parameters. Differential scattering and reaction cross sections are calculated at various energies. The result shows that for the $d+^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and $p+\ensuremath{\alpha}$ differential scattering cross sections, the calculated values in general agree quite well with the experimental data. For the $d+^{3}\mathrm{He}\ensuremath{\rightleftarrows}p+\ensuremath{\alpha}$ differential reaction cross sections, the comparison between theory and experiment is somewhat less satisfactory. Although the general features of the experimental angular distributions are well reproduced, the magnitude of the calculated cross section is somewhat too low.[NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{3}\mathrm{He}(d,d)$, $^{3}\mathrm{He}(d,p)$, $^{4}\mathrm{He}(p,d)$, $^{4}\mathrm{He}(p,p)$, $E=0\ensuremath{-}50$ MeV; calculated $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\theta})$. Resonating-group method; coupled-channel calculation.]
Shot-noise limited detection for surface plasmon sensing.

It is demonstrated that surface plasmon sensing can be performed in the shot-noise-limited regime to resolve index of refractive changes on the order of 10−10/√Hz at input powers of 1 mW. This improved resolution is achieved by using active electronic noise cancelling to suppress laser intensity noise and a wavelength that maximizes sensitivity to index of refraction changes occurring at an interface. The resolution of the system is experimentally demonstrated by measuring the refractive index change of air in response to pressure changes.
Parasitism of Two Goldenrod Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by Aplomyiopsis xylota (Diptera: Tachinidae)

The tachinid Aplomyiopsis xylota parasitizes larvae of the goldenrod beetles Trirhabda virgata and T. borealis. The intensity of parasitism varied with larval stage and time of year. Parasitism of 3rd-instar larvae, the primary host stage, was high (70 to 90%) early in the season when T. borealis was vulnerable. Rates of parasitism dropped later in the season when most T. virgata larvae were sufficiently mature to elicit parasitoid attack. Percent parasitism was inversely correlated with host density, suggesting that the parasitoid's capacity was saturated when hosts were abundant. The susceptibility of larvae did not vary by which goldenrod species served as the larval food plant.
p53 and MDM2 alterations in osteosarcomas: correlation with clinicopathologic features and proliferative rate.

BACKGROUND Alterations of the p53 gene and of MDM2, a gene coding for a p53 binding protein, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma (OS). METHODS To determine the frequency of alterations of the p53/MDM2 pathway in OS and their possible correlation with clinicopathologic features, MDM2 copy number and p53 protein levels were determined in a series of 83 samples of OS by quantitative Southern blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, respectively. RESULTS Positivity for p53 was found in 26.5% and MDM2 amplification in 6.6% of the samples analyzed in a mutually exclusive fashion with one exception. Overall, alterations of the p53/MDM2 pathway occurred in 34% of cases; p53 accumulation was not associated with a higher proliferative rate. The mean age of patients with p53 positive OS (40 years) was older than that of the p53 negative group (28 years) (P < 0.04). Furthermore, three of the four cases of OS arising in Paget's disease showed p53 accumulation. CONCLUSIONS Alterations of the p53/MDM2 pathway are frequent in OS and usually represent mutually exclusive tumorigenic events. p53 does not appear to be a major determinant of proliferative rate in OS. Cancer 1997; 79:1541-7. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Pediatric Depression: Is the Balance Between Benefits and Risks Favorable?

Recent controversies surrounding the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have highlighted the need to reassess potential benefits, as well as potential risks of this class of medications in the treatment of pediatric depression. The recent availability of data from meta-analyses of published and unpublished antidepressant trials, epidemiological studies, and the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) has facilitated a reanalysis of this risk/benefit relationship. Despite reviewing similar data, various regulatory agencies have arrived at rather disparate conclusions regarding the data, resulting in continued controversy. Although all groups appear to agree that careful assessment, education regarding risks, and closer monitoring are essential for SSRIs, only the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.K. Medicine and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency maintain that an acceptable risk/benefit relationship exists for fluoxetine. The European Medicines Agency concluded that the SSRIs should not be used in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents. The authors of this review have taken into consideration many of these same data and offer a critical discussion of the pros and cons of SSRIs in pediatric depression. The authors have concluded that SSRIs -- in particular, fluoxetine -- do have a role in the treatment of pediatric depression. Language: en
Custodial grandparenting: perceptions of loss by non-custodial grandparent peers.

In order to explore the generalizability of perceptions of the losses experienced by grandparents raising their grandchildren, 610 traditional/non-custodial grandparents, who had no custodial responsibility for their grandchildren, read a randomly assigned scenario depicting a grandmother and her grandchild, wherein scenarios varied in terms of grandchild gender, the presence or absence of grandchild problems, and the reason for role assumption. They then completed the Perceptions of Loss (PLS) scale, where higher scores indexed greater awareness of loss. Results suggested that perceptions of loss varied by grandchild gender (favoring females), grandchild problem (favoring those with problems), and the reason for role assumption (favoring parental abandonment and parental drug abuse). Moreover, PLS scores were influenced by the interaction between grandchild gender and reason for role assumption, where the impact of role assumption was greater for female grandchildren than for male grandchildren. These fi...
Conservative treatment of tuberculosis of the thoracic and lumbar spine in adults and children

We have treated 75 cases of spinal tuberculosis with chemotherapy as outpatients. The drugs used were INH, rifampicin and ethambutol for the 48 adults, and INH, rifampicin and PAS for the 27 children. No operations, apart from the evacuation of large abscesses, were carried out. Every patient was followed up for at least three years and the outcome was judged to be favourable in 95%. This is better than in some series in which radical surgery has been used. Although we recognize the advantages of operation in certain circumstances, we believe that our conservative regimen can be confidently recommended for use in less privileged countries, where adequate facilities for hospital treatment may not be available.