cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ratio of Systolic Blood Pressure to Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure Ratio: A Novel Prognostic Marker in Chronic Heart Failure

Purpose Mortality from acute decompensated heart failure (DHF) remains high despite contemporary therapeutic interventions. Cardiogenic shock indices may be useful in risk-stratifying patients at highest risk for death, need for heart transplantation or durable mechanical support. The aim of this study was to compare a novel hemodynamic parameter, systolic blood pressure/pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (SBP/PCWP), to cardiac power output (CPO) in patients presenting with DHF. Methods In this retrospective analysis, CPO (Watts; mean arterial pressure x cardiac output/451) and SBP/PCWP were calculated in those with chronic heart failure presenting with DHF, who received right heart catheterization at index admission. Hemodynamic parameter cutpoints were derived from a receiver operator curve analysis; a combined endpoint of one-year freedom from death, need for heart transplant or LVAD was compared for presence or absence of one or both hemodynamic parameters. Results Among 128 patients (median age 60 years, 75% male), mortality at one-year was 36.7% (n=48). 38 (29.7%) were discharged with medical therapy, 14 (10.9%) underwent heart transplantation, 29 (22.7%) underwent LVAD implant. CPO Conclusion SBP/PCWP ratio is a novel hemodynamic parameter that is comparable to CPO in predicting mortality and need for advanced heart failure therapies. In combination with CPO, this marker identifies patients who may require rapid escalation of care.
At First Glance.

He did look scary. However, seeing no weapon, I went up to him; introduced myself as one of the doctors; and asked to see the paperwork he had brought.
Pathophysiology of Wound Healing

The process of wound healing is very complex. The reconstitution in lower animals has now progressed to repair in human beings and higher animals. The repair follows inflammation. Endothelial cells, fibroblast, platelets, epithelial cells, all are involved in the process of inflammation and repair. Diabetes has significant role in the process of delay in healing.
Irreducible Knee Dislocation Associated With a Tertiary Gastrocnemius Head: A Case Report.

Case A 43-year-old man suffered an irreducible posterolateral knee dislocation while snowboarding with associated tears of the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial collateral, and posterolateral corner ligaments. Two closed reduction attempts failed, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed incarcerated soft tissue from a tertiary gastrocnemius muscle head. The patient underwent open reduction and repair/reconstruction of his multiligamentous knee injury. At the 6-year follow-up, the patient did not have pain or instability and returned to recreational activities. Conclusions This case demonstrates that a tertiary gastrocnemius muscle head, the most common anatomical variation, may complicate the closed reduction of an irreducible posterolateral knee dislocation.
Staging Othello: Turning Students into Directors

The *Othello* staging project invites introductory literature students to imagine that they are directing a new production of *Othello*. Students create a production proposal and poster that illustrate their directorial choices, using their original interpretation of the play as a guiding philosophy. This assignment successfully addresses many of the challenges associated with teaching an introductory-level, required "core" course of non-English-majors, as well as the challenges of teaching drama in general and Shakespeare in particular. Creative response assignments like this prompt can foster student engagement, mitigate student writing anxiety, and deepen student understandings of plays as living documents open to artistic interpretation.
The past and present of abolition: reassessing Adam Smith’s “liberal reward of labor”

Abolish prisons; abolish police; abolish immigration enforcement: current “abolition” movements have yet to receive the attention that international political economy has given to its social justic...
Cross-Cultural Understanding in Immersion Students: A Mixed Methods Study

This mixed methods study explored the development of cross-cultural understanding in a unique population of students in the U.S.: English-dominant students who had attended French or Spanish elementary immersion schools. Despite the fact that immersion schools have as a goal cross-cultural understanding and appreciation and affirmation of diversity, research has shown that this goal is not always met. This study featured one hundred thirty-one students from five immersion schools who responded to surveys, and 33 of those students who were interviewed. Data analysis procedures included a theme analysis of the interviews, a statistical analysis of the surveys, and an integrated consideration of the findings. It was found in both the quantitative and the qualitative data that the successful development of cross-cultural understanding in these immersion students was not necessarily a function of school activities. These students did not receive the same messages about the target culture(s), nor did they understand the concept of culture in the same way. However, cross-cultural understanding was certainly attainable, particularly with extracurricular exposure to the target language and culture, like living with members of the target culture(s) or undertaking meaningful travel experiences.
Organic upconversion imager for shortwave infrared light imaging

Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) light imaging is critical in a variety of applications ranging from medical diagnosis, industrial inspection and safety monitoring, etc. due to their information-rich merits. This report presents an organic up-conversion imager for SWIR light imaging. The imager integrates an organic SWIR photodiode (OPD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) to convert invisible SWIR image directly into visible image without sophisticated data acquisition and processing electronics. Our imager is capable of imaging light signal with wavelength up to 1400 nm, due to the sensitivity of the novel OPD. The design guidelines for attaining highly sensitive and low voltage up-conversion imagers are revealed by studying the photo responsivity and current-voltage characteristics of the SWIR PD and OLED. The results show that the elimination of deep trap states in the SWIR PD favors the photo sensitivity and reduces the operating voltage of the up-conversion imager.
On the quasi-collisionality of plasmas with small-scale electric turbulence

Chaotic electromagnetic fields are common in many relativistic plasma environments, where they can be excited by instabilities on kinetic spatial scales. When strong electric fluctuations exist on sub-electron scales, they may lead to small angle, stochastic deflections of the electrons’ pitch angles. Under certain conditions, this closely resembles the effect of Coulomb collisions in collisional plasmas. The electric pitch-angle diffusion coefficient acts as an effective collision – or ‘quasi-collision’ – frequency. We show that quasi-collisions may radically alter the expected radiative transport properties of candidate plasmas. In particular, we consider the quasi-collisional generalization of the classical Faraday effect.
Analytical studies and design of steel plate girder ABC bridges under seismic loads

Abstract Despite the numerous advantages that accelerated bridge construction (ABC) offers over the conventional construction, some bridge officials in moderate and high seismic areas have not been sufficiently confident to embrace it extensively. This is due to the insufficient research data and guidelines for seismic design of prefabricated members and connections, as well as reliable analytical modeling methods for ABC bridges. The main objective of the current study was to address this issue through analytical investigations of a two-span steel girder bridge system with six ABC connections that was tested on shake tables at the University of Nevada, Reno. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed in OpenSEES and found to be adequate in capturing the key seismic response parameters of the bridge model. The effects of the vertical ground motions and bi-axial excitations on the seismic response of the bridge elements and connections were investigated and found that some of the response parameters can be significantly affected by near-fault earthquakes. Design methods were developed based on the results of the shake table test, previous studies on the connections, and the parametric studies. The article also presents design guidelines for column-footing rebar hinge pocket connections and column-cap beam hybrid grouted duct connections prepared based on the AASHTO format.
College Readiness, Student Expectations and Success: The Role of Non-Cognitive Skills

Attending college is a significant human capital investment but only about 56% of those who start college will have a completed degree 6 years later. This makes identifying which skills are associated with college success an important policy concern. We surveyed over 1,100 entering college freshmen, majoring in business and engineering at a public university in the US, and combined this information with administrative data to create a comprehensive data set that, in addition to the usual academic performance data, cognitive ability measures, and demographics, also included measures of non-cognitive skills, personality traits, and student expectations about college success. With this information we analyzed if students’ subjective expectations about their future success in college were related to non-cognitive skills and whether they are realistic, as compared to student’s performance trajectory at the end of their first year in college. Moreover, we compared student’s academic progress at the end of the first year with what would be objectively expected for them, given their background and preparation at entrance. We identify students performing below and above objective expectations and study noncognitive skills related to their objective performance. We find that non-cognitive skills are associated with academic subjective expectations of college success and objective performance in college, even after controlling for cognitive ability and time spent studying, but the relationship between specific non-cognitive skills, academic subjective expectations and academic objective performance varies across disciplines.
Scalable yet Rigorous Floating-Point Error Analysis

Automated techniques for rigorous floating-point round-off error analysis are a prerequisite to placing important activities in HPC such as precision allocation, verification, and code optimization on a formal footing. Yet existing techniques cannot provide tight bounds for expressions beyond a few dozen operators–barely enough for HPC. In this work, we offer an approach embedded in a new tool called SATIHE that scales error analysis by four orders of magnitude compared to today’s best-of-class tools. We explain how three key ideas underlying SATIHE helps it attain such scale: path strength reduction, bound optimization, and abstraction. SATIHE provides tight bounds and rigorous guarantees on significantly larger expressions with well over a hundred thousand operators, covering important examples including FFT, matrix multiplication, and PDE stencils.
Chirality, a new key for the definition of the connection and curvature of a Lie-Kac super-algebra

A natural generalization of a Lie algebra connection, or Yang-Mills field, to the case of a Lie-Kac superalgebra, for example SU(m/n), just in terms of ordinary complex functions and differentials, is proposed. Using the chirality $\chi$ which defines the supertrace of the superalgebra: $STr(...) = Tr (\chi ...)$, we construct a covariant differential: $D = \chi (d + A) + \Phi$, where A is the standard even Lie-subalgebra connection 1-form and $\Phi$ a scalar field valued in the odd module. Despite the fact that $\Phi$ is a scalar, $\Phi$ anticommutes with $(\chi A)$ because $\chi$ anticommutes with the odd generators hidden in $\Phi$. Hence the curvature $F = DD$ is a superalgebra-valued linear map which respects the Bianchi identity and correctly defines a chiral parallel transport compatible with a generic Lie superalgebra structure.
Trends in suicidal ideation in an emergency department during COVID-19.

Abstract Objective This study aims to detail changes in presentations at a United States Emergency Department for suicidality before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of all adult patients who presented to an ED with suicidality and underwent psychiatric consultation during the study period. The cohorts consisted of patients who presented between December 2018 – May 2019 and December 2019 – May 2020. Information was collected on demographics, characteristics of suicidality, reasons for suicidality and disposition. The first wave from March – May 2020 was examined, using a difference-in-differences design to control for factors other than COVID-19 that may have influenced the outcomes' trend. Results Immediately following the pandemic outbreak there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of undomiciled patients represented in visits for suicidality (40.7% vs. 57.4%; p-value Conclusions COVID-19 was associated with increased ED presentations for suicidality among undomiciled patients, as well as greater likelihood of social and structural reasons driving suicidality among all visits.
Using Intergroup Contact Theory to Understand the Practices of Youth-Serving Professionals in the Context of YPAR: Identifying Racialized Adultism

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is an approach where youth and adults partner to identify and address social issues and, in theory, creates conditions for positive intergroup contact. Ye...
Measurement of sheath potential in an RF inductive discharge plasma with a DC magnetic field

It has been claimed that in the presence of an oblique magnetic field, the sheath exhibits a double structure consisting of an electrostatic sheath the order of a Debye length and a magnetic sheath the order of the ion gyroradius evaluated at the ion sound speed. Measurements of sheath potential, occurring in front of negatively or positively biased plate, have been performed in the presence of an external DC magnetic field with orientations nearly parallel or perpendicular to the plate in an electrodeless RF induction plasma in a multidipole device. This source operates at frequencies ranging from approximately 1 MHz to approximately 20 MHz, depending on the tuned resonance frequency, and at a neutral gas pressure >5*10/sup -5/ torr. It has been operated with DC magnetic fields up to approximately 100 G, and a strong electron cyclotron resonance effect has been observed. Plasmas produced at low neutral pressure ( >
Oral Articulatory Control in Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Purpose The purpose of this research was to examine spatial and temporal aspects of articulatory control in children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), children with speech delay characterized by an articulation/phonological impairment (SD), and controls with typical development (TD) during speech tasks that increased in word length. Method The participants included 33 children (11 CAS, 11 SD, and 11 TD) between 3 and 7 years of age. A motion capture system was used to track jaw, lower lip, and upper lip movement during a naming task. Movement duration, velocity, displacement, and variability were measured from accurate word productions. Results Movement variability was significantly higher in the children with CAS compared with participants in the SD and TD groups. Differences in temporal control were seen between both groups of children with speech impairment and the controls with TD during accurate word productions. As word length increased, movement duration and variability differed between the c...
Critical Message Integrity Over A Shared Network

Abstract Cost and efficiency concerns can force distributed embedded systems to use a single network for both critical and non-critical messages. Such designs must protect against masquerading faults caused by defects in and failures of non-critical network processes. Cyclic Redundancy Codes (CRCs) offer protection against random bit errors caused by environmental interference and some hardware faults, but typically do not defend against most design defects. A way to protect against such arbitrary, non-malicious faults is to make critical messages cryptographically secure. An alternative to expensive, full-strength cryptographic security is the use of lightweight digital signatures based on CRCs for critical processes. Both symmetric and asymmetric key digital signatures based on CRCs form parts of the cost/performance tradeoff space to improve critical message integrity.
Funktional rekursive Anfragen auf der Basis von geschachtelten Tabellen

Diese Arbeit demonstriert eine neue Methode fur rekursive Anfragen in Zusammenhang mit geschachtelten Tabellen. Die Methode wird funktionale Rekursion genannt. Im Gegensatz zu den meisten fruheren Ansatzen formuliert der Benutzer rekursive Anfragen mit Hilfe einer Funktion statt einer ublichen Mengenrekursion. Das Terminierungskriterium ist implizit gegeben und mus nicht wie bei einer konventionellen Programmiersprache explizit programmiert werden. Durch entsprechende Parameter kann der Benutzer eine Selektion auf sehr naturliche Weise in die Rekursion integrieren. Dies ist ein wesentlicher Vorteil gegenuber konventioneller mengenorientierter Rekursion. Bei mengenorientierter Rekursion ist der Benutzer meist gezwungen, zunachst eine rekursive Anfrage zu formulieren, welche konzeptionell eine sehr grose Menge liefert. Auf diese Menge wird dann eine Selektion angewendet. Es ist Aufgabe des Optimierers, die Selektion in die Rekursion zu integrieren, d.h. es ist Aufgabe des Optimierers, herauszufinden, was der Benutzer eigentlich ausdrucken wollte, weil hier eine Integration einer Selektion in die Rekursion nicht direkt ausdruckbar ist. Diese Probleme werden bei Verwendung von funktionaler Rekursion vermieden. Die Methode wird erlautert an Hand von Beispielen aus dem Gebiet des Software Engineering. Hierdurch wird demonstriert, das die Methode sich u.a. anbietet fur Probleme aus dem Bereich des computeruntersutzten Software Engineering (CASE). Die Methode ist jedoch nicht beschrankt auf diesen Problemkreis. Optimierungsund Implementierungstechniken werden ebenfalls in der Arbeit angegeben.
Electrically Neutral Ion Transport in Biomembranes

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss mechanisms for the transfer of ions across biomembranes which do not result in any net transfer of electrical charges. To begin with, we consider the measurement of current flow across membranes, in order to show that some ion flows are not detected by this measurement technique. Then, we develop the physical-chemical ideas behind the formation of ion pairs, and discuss several examples relevant to ion fluxes across red blood cells. No attempt has been made to consider all examples of electrically neutral exchanges that take place in biomembranes; rather, attention has been focused on principles and examples in erythrocytes.
Mechanism of inactivation of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase by (Z)-4',5'-didehydro-5'-deoxy-5'-fluoroadenosine

S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) hydrolase, an enzyme important in the regulation of biological methylation reactions, was shown by McCarthy et al. (McCarthy, J.R., Jarvi, E.T., Matthews, D.P., Edwards, M.L., Prakash, N.J., Bowlin, T.L., Mehdi, S., and Bey, P. (1989) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 111, 1127-1128) to be inactivated by (Z)-4',5'-didehydro-5'-deoxy-5'-fluoroadenosine (ZDDFA). In this study we have shown that the mechanism of this inactivation of AdoHcy hydrolase (NAD+ form) includes a rapid addition of water to the 5'-position of ZDDFA and elimination of fluoride ion, resulting in the formation of the 5'-carboxaldehydes 3 and 4. The 5'-carboxaldehydes 3 and 4 are then oxidized in a slower step to the 3'-keto-5'-carboxaldehydes 5 and 6 by reduction of the enzyme-bound NAD+ to NADH. Evidence in support of this mechanism includes the observation that the first step in this mechanism (i.e. elimination of fluoride ion and formation of the 5'-carboxaldehydes 3 and 4) can be catalyzed by apo-AdoHcy hydrolase and the NADH form of AdoHcy hydrolase. Incubation of ZDDFA with either the apo or NADH form of AdoHcy hydrolase resulted in rapid release of fluoride ion (determined by 19F NMR) and formation of the 5'-carboxyaldehydes 3 and 4 (determined by high performance liquid chromatography). The carboxaldehydes 3 and 4 were synthesized independently and were shown to be potent inhibitors of the NAD+ form of the enzyme. When the relative first-order rates of fluoride ion release (determined by 19F NMR) from ZDDFA, NAD+ reduction to NADH, and inactivation of the NAD+ form of the enzyme were compared, the release of fluoride ion was found to be approximately 20 times faster than NAD+ reduction or enzyme inactivation. Incubation of ZDDFA with the NAD+ form of AdoHcy hydrolase was shown to afford the 3'-keto-5'-carboxaldehydes 5 and 6, which were also formed upon incubation of the enzyme with the 5'-carboxaldehydes 3 and 4. The 3'-keto-5'-carboxaldehydes 5 and 6 were shown to be tightly (but not covalently) bound to the enzyme, since these products could be released by treatment of the ZDDFA-inactivated enzyme with HClO4 or other denaturing agents.
Analysis and Discrimination of Electrical Tapes: Part I. Adhesives*,†

Abstract: This study involved the comparative analysis and discrimination of 90 electrical tape adhesives. The objectives included the evaluation of the ability of individual techniques to discriminate samples and the assessment of the ability of the techniques combined to distinguish samples. The techniques utilized were stereomicroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Stereomicroscopy, to assess adhesive colors of black, clear/colorless, and clear adhesives with brown tint, resulted in a discrimination of 53%. FTIR analysis yielded eight distinct groups with a discrimination of 67%. Py-GC/MS analysis resulted in 16 groups with a discrimination of 83%. These analyses confirmed and further subdivided the FTIR groups. SEM/EDS resulted in five separate groups at 17% discrimination, increasing the overall discrimination to above 85%.
Drug use and violent crime among adolescents

This study examines the extent to which alcohol and other drug use is related to violent and nonviolent criminal activity among adolescents males. Based on data collected from 312 youthful offenders at a public juvenile facility, the findings reveal that in comparison to marijuana and heroin, alcohol use is more strongly and consistently associated with both violent and nonviolent offenses. When other factors are introduced into the analysis, the results show that while an adolescent's criminal history and racial identity are relatively more important in predicting criminal activity overall, the effect of substance use (especially alcohol and marijuana) continues to be present. Language: en
Evangelical Elites’ Anti‐Homosexuality Narratives as a Resistance Strategy Against Attribution Effects

While attribution theory expects that beliefs about the origins of homosexuality are directly related to beliefs about the moral acceptability of homosexual behavior, we use content analysis of the popular evangelical magazine Christianity Today to show that evangelical elites have developed a series of anti-homosexuality narratives that allow them to resist attribution effects. In particular, we find that even when evangelical elites have expressed belief in the physiological origins of homosexuality, such as the influence of genetics and/or prenatal hormones, their negative beliefs about the moral acceptability of homosexual behavior have not varied. We argue, then, that evangelical elites’ anti-homosexuality narratives provide them with a strategy for influencing rank-and-file evangelicals, so that while allowing for a diversity of beliefs about the origins of homosexuality, rank-and-file evangelicals still have a viable mechanism for connecting these beliefs—whatever they may be—to negative beliefs about the moral acceptability of homosexual behavior. Our findings thus extend attribution theory, illuminate the potential power of moral narratives, and amplify the need for future research.
Design of reflector contours to satisfy photometric criteria using physically realizable light sources

Traditionally reflector design has been confined to the use of surfaces defined in terms of conic sections, assuming that all light sources can be considered to be point sources. In the middle of the twentieth century, it was recognized that major improvements could be made if the shape of the reflector was designed to produce a desired distribution of light form an actual light source. Cylindrical reflectors were created which illuminated airport runways using fluorescent lamps in such a way that pilots could make visual landings safely even in fog. These reflector contours were called macrofocal parabolic cylinders. Other new reflector contours introduced were macrofocal elliptic cylinders which confined the light to long rectangles. Surfaces of revolution the fourth degree were also developed which made possible uniform floodlighting of a circular region. These were called horned and peaked quartics. The optimum solution of the automotive head lighting problem has not yet been found. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possibility of developing reflectors which are neither cylindrical nor rotational but will produce the optimum field of view for the automobile driver both in clear weather and in fog.
Oropharyngeal regulation of water balance in polydipsic schizophrenics.

OBJECTIVE Disordered water balance causes substantial morbidity in a subset of schizophrenics and is the consequence of unexplained defects in the regulation of fluid intake and antidiuretic function. We aimed to determine whether oropharyngeal regulation of water balance is altered in these patients. DESIGN A 2-hour infusion of 3% saline, followed 35 minute later by an oral water load (10 ml/kg over 3 minutes). PATIENTS Age and sex-matched polydipsic schizophrenics with (n = 5) and without (n = 8) hyponatraemia; non-polydipsic schizophrenics (n = 6); and normal controls (n = 13). MEASUREMENTS Plasma osmolality, sodium, AVP, and reported desire for water (expressed in cups), determined prior to, and for 30 minutes following, the water load. RESULTS Plasma osmolality and sodium were consistently lower in the hyponatraemics (P<0.01). Significant changes did not occur until 20 and 25 minutes, respectively, after oral water loading, and were similar across the four groups. AVP levels were consistently lower in the two polydipsic groups (P<0.001), fell within 5 minutes after drinking and then levelled off. Neither the acute fall nor the overall pattern of the responses differed across groups. Subjective desire for water also decreased within 5 minutes of drinking, and also to a similar extent, in the four groups. Subsequent levels remained suppressed in the non-polydipsic groups, but rebounded toward baseline in the two polydipsic groups. Thus the overall patterns differed (P<0.05). At the end of the study, ad lib intake correlated significantly with reported desire for water (r = 0.51, P<0.002). CONCLUSIONS The oropharyngeal regulation of water intake is disrupted in polydipsic schizophrenics with and without hyponatraemia. In contrast, the oropharyngeal regulation of AVP secretion appears preserved in the hyponatraemic subset. Previously observed elevations in plasma AVP in this subset are thus unlikely to be related to defects in oropharyngeal regulation.
Staging of Macular Telangiectasia: Power-Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography and Macular Pigment Optical Density

Author(s): Chin, Eric K; Kim, Dae Yu; Hunter, Allan A; Pilli, Suman; Wilson, Machelle; Zawadzki, Robert J; Werner, John S; Park, Susanna S | Abstract: PurposeTwo methods were used to study the stages of macular telangiectasia (MACTEL): Power-Doppler optical coherence tomography (PD-OCT), which allows imaging of the retinal circulation in three dimensions, and macular pigment optical density (MPOD), which quantifies the distribution of macular carotenoids.MethodsAmong 49 patients with MacTel identified, 12 eyes (6 patients) with MacTel and 7 age-matched control eyes (7 patients) were imaged with a custom-built Fourier-domain OCT instrument to acquire PD-OCT images. MPOD was measured using heterochromatic flicker photometry in 10 eyes (5 patients) with MacTel and compared with 44 age-matched control eyes (44 patients). Clinical staging of MacTel was based on best-corrected visual acuity, fundus biomicroscopy, fluorescein angiography, and OCT.ResultsStage 1 eyes (n = 2) had subtle punctate vascular signal confined to the inner portion of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) on PD-OCT. Stage 2 (n = 2) showed larger oblique vascular signal extending into deeper OPL. Stage 3 (n = 5) had disruption of outer retinal layers with abnormal vasculature extending into the outer nuclear layer. Stage 4 (n = 3) showed diffuse blurring of the retinal layers with vascular channels extending the full thickness of the retina. MPOD values in four eyes with stage 1 or 2 MacTel correlated well with age-matched controls. Six eyes with stage 3 or 4 MacTel had loss of MPOD especially at the fovea.ConclusionsPD-OCT shows penetration of the retinal capillaries into the deeper retinal layers in early stages of MacTel, with full thickness vascular proliferation in advanced disease. MPOD is commonly depleted but may appear normal in early stage MacTel.
Pulvinar and lateral geniculate neuronal activity in the cat during operantly conditioned appetitive behavior.

Abstract Cats were trained to press a lever for 0.5–1.0 ml of milk reward both in the presence and absence of ambient light. ‘Floating’ microelectrodes were implanted in the pulvinar and lateral geniculate nuclei to allow chronic recording from single or multiple neurons over a period of 1–16 days. Thirty-one of 36 pulvinar neurons (86%) showed a consistent periodicity in the firing rate that was clearly related to certain phases of operant behavior. In the presence of ambient light, the firing rate was maximal shortly prior to or immediately after a rewarded bar press, particularly during the animal's initial contact with reward (the first lap). This burst of activity was followed by an abrupt and strong inhibition of firing which was, in most instances, associated with high voltage slow wave (6–9 c/sec) postreinforcement synchronization (PRS) of the electroencephalogram over the visual and association cortices as well as in the pulvinar. Postreinforcement inhibition of neuronal activity was also observed in the lateral geniculate. Neuronal firing in both nuclei dropped significantly below the respective mean rate observed for each nucleus during relaxed wakefulness. In the dark, however, the reward-induced inhibition was abolished in both nuclei. Moreover, some pulvinar neurons in the dark showed a conspicuous and significant increase in firing during the consummatory response (dark reversal pattern). These findings suggest that a transient but powerful inhibitory process triggered by positive reinforcement depends on visual input. Firing patterns of some pulvinar neurons were noted to be entrained not only by the rhythm of PRS oscillations (inhibitory phasing and postinhibitory discharges) but also by the much slower 3–4 c/sec rhythm of lapping and licking. Furthermore, the patterns of entrainment by initial lapping appear to be different from those observed during the later phase of the consummatory response, thus indicating that the pulvinar may receive information regarding the content of the delivery cup. No entrainment of neuronal activity was observed in the lateral geniculate. These findings reveal a remarkable plasticity in the pulvinar neurons that is consistent with their role in polysensory integration.
Underrecognition of cervical Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in pregnant patients in the ED

Abstract Study Objectives The purposes of this study were to (1) quantify the frequency of underrecognized Neisseria gonorrhoeae ( GC ) and Chlamydia trachomatis ( CT ) infections in pregnant women tested in the emergency department (ED), (2) describe the characteristics of those not treated during the initial visit, and (3) determine how many pregnant women with acute cervicitis were lost to follow-up. Methods This was a retrospective, cohort analysis of consecutive women seen in the ED of 3 academic medical centers during a 36-month study period, with positive results for GC / CT . Our key outcome measures were the proportion of pregnant women being untreated in the ED, the time to subsequent treatment, and the proportion lost to follow-up. Results During the study period, 735 female patients had positive polymerase chain reaction study results for GC and/or CT ; 179 (24%) were pregnant. Overall, 143 of these pregnant patients with cervicitis (80%) were not treated in the ED. Presenting symptoms included abdominal pain (71%), nausea (45%), vaginal discharge (35%), vaginal bleeding (34%), and urinary complaints (22%). The most common discharge diagnoses were vaginitis (37%), urinary infection (33%), threatened abortion (19%), nonspecific abdominal pain (9%), and rule-out ectopic pregnancy (6%). Of the 143 patients with sexually transmitted infection not treated in the ED, 114 (80%) were contacted by telephone and/or mail. Twenty-nine (20%) were subsequently lost to follow-up. Conclusions Further study is warranted to enhance point-of-contact testing and identify better mechanismsfor contact and follow-up after ED discharge and more liberal policies to treat less symptomatic patients empirically.
Adhoccery in Epistemology

Ernest Sosa has argued that the relevant alternatives theory of knowledge has yet to overcome serious difficulties. The most serious difficulty is that of providing criteria for when a rival alternative to a claim is relevant. Without such criteria, the theory is ad hoc. I argue that most other externalist theories of knowledge, including Sosa's own, fall victim to this criticism. At the end of the paper I make a suggestion as to why Sosa's objection might not be as damaging as it at first seems.
Branch banking, economic diversity and bank risk

Abstract This paper examines the effect of geographic diversity and economic diversity on commercial bank risk. The Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 allowed banks to engage in interstate branching starting in June 1997. One of the arguments for allowing banks to branch nationwide is that doing so reduces bank risk by enabling banks to diversify geographically. However, the extent to which geographic diversification reduces risk depends on how economically diverse are the different geographic areas in which banks establish branches. Within the United States each state establishes branching limits, and as a consequence, the degree of branching varies among the states. This paper uses data on the degree of branch banking within states to analyze the impact that branching has on banks’ risk. In addition, for each state a measure of economic diversity is created and used to study the effect of economic diversity on bank risk. The results indicate that economic diversity reduces bank risk and that branching also reduces bank risk.
Coordination and Longevity in Multi-Robot Teams Involving Miniature Robots

Marsupial robot teams offer the ability to augment or replace human-based responses to hazardous scenarios such as search-and-rescue missions or monitoring toxic environments. Coordination and longevity of the members of the marsupial robotic team can quickly become burdensome as the scope of the scenario changes. To facilitate large scale operations, robotic teams must be able to function continuously with limited to no human intervention for scenarios which may not have a pre-determined length at onset. An end-to-end design and implementation of a novel marsupial system where a multi-level hierarchy allows larger robots to transport, deploy, coordinate, recover, and resupply large numbers of smaller deployable systems is outlined. The design and implementation of hardware systems for performing these actions is discussed. In addition, the algorithms which coordinate the team members are presented. Simulation illustrating the scalability of the approach is presented including experiments illustrating a light-weight vision-based autonomous docking capability.
Concept formation and art: Basic experiment and controls

The experiment tested adult Ss’ ability to learn the concept of an artist’s style. On the pretest Ss were shown colored slides of a painting and guessed the artist. During training new slides paired paintings with the names of artists. On the post-test the original pretest slides and new ones were shown. Ss demonstrated concept learning by improving on the posttest as compared to the pretest. A control group where names were not paired with pictures during training showed no improvement.
Surfactant transition metal chelates

Abstract New surfactant octahedral Co(III) chelates 4–7 were prepared from sodium hexanitrocobaltate(III) and EDTA derivatives 8–11, respectively. The molecular compositions of 4–7 were established by combustion analyses and electrospray mass spectrometry, and their structures by 1H and 13C NMR, IR, and UV–vis spectroscopy. Surfactants 4–7 were characterized by measurement of their Krafft temperatures and critical aggregation concentrations in water. The Krafft temperatures of 4 and 5 are >23 °C, and the values of the former are greater than the corresponding values of the latter. The Krafft temperatures of 6 and 7 are ≤23 °C. Aggregated surfactants were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy in D2O, and 5a in water was studied by cryo-etch high resolution scanning electron microscopy. The NMR results suggested that 4–7 form small aggregates such as micelles or small vesicles, and 5a displayed characteristic segregation patterns in electron micrographs that are likely formed during the freezing and/or cryo-etch processes of sample preparation.
A Study on Melt Grafting of N-Halamine Moieties onto Polyethylene and Their Antibacterial Activities

Radical melt graft polymerizations of low-density polyethylene (PE) during reactive extrusion were investigated. In the absence of any reactive monomer, effects of peroxide initiator concentration and type, reaction temperature, and rotor speed of reactive extrusion on the polymer reactions were studied by monitoring mixing torque, and proper reaction conditions for the grafting reaction were proposed. Afterward, radical melt graft polymerizations of PE with several amide monomers including methacrylamide (MAM), N-tert-butylacrylamide (NTAAM), and N-tert-butylmethacrylamide (NTMAM) were continued. Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and nitrogen analysis confirmed that MAM and NTAAM were successfully grafted onto PE. Monomer structures affected grafting efficiency and polymer chain combination. After exposure to chlorine bleach, the graft modified products exhibited powerful antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Truth, Freedom and (Dis)Order in the American University.

Abstract After World War II, the American university emerged as a world leader in higher education. Economic development became a dominant value and its subsequent material success has been unrivaled. Many developing countries adopted characteristics of the model with the expectation that national economic growth would follow. Yet it has also been described as a lawless and confused conglomerate of competing interests with no common or unifying principle to tie the pieces together. It is made up of many cultures and seeks to accommodate all, but knows little about its own or others. The study of history and cultures in higher education has been marginalized because it is viewed as divisive. This paper focuses on five pivotal ideas that provide some explanation of the status of the modern American university and its current disorders. Each of these ideas has to do with truth and freedom, fundamental characteristics of the university. Three came to America from Europe and two were forged uniquely in the Ame...
Some Statistical Issues in Medicine and Forensics

Abstract We discuss and comment on the use of statistics in a number of topical issues in forensics and medicine. The forensic issues are scientific misconduct, DNA pattern matching, and causal analysis. In the biomedical area, particular statistical approaches are suggested for problems of mass screening, interim analysis, and the regulation of chronic diseases.
ESTROGENS, MENOPAUSE, AND CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE*

The incidence of cardiovascular disease increases after menopause as women age. Estrogen-replacement therapy has been found to reduce cardiovascular risk by about 50% in over 30 observational studies. Part of the beneficial effect appears to be due to a reduction of LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Another important mechanism is related to the effect of estrogen on endothelial function. In making a decision to use estrogen-replacement therapy, the benefits must be weighed against the risks of endometrial and breast cancer.
Why immortality is not so bad

L'A. critique la these de B. Williams selon laquelle l'immortalite, fondee sur les deux conditions de la stricte identite de l'individu promis a la vie eternelle, d'une part, et celle de l'attractivite de sa vie future conformement aux buts et projets de l'individu, d'autre part, s'avere peu attrayante pour nous; une telle affirmation repose sur les presupposes errones que l'immortalite consiste en une unique activite poursuivie au detriment d'autrui, qu'elle ne se compose que d'experiences agreables, que ses criteres different radicalement de la vie finie
Racial differences in long-term survival among patients with coronary artery disease

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among blacks and whites in the United States. Despite this, there are insufficient data on the long-term prognosis of black patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as the major clinical related determinants of outcome. Methods We studied 22,618 patients (3,314 black) having significant CAD findings at cardiac catheterization performed at Duke from January 1986 to December 2004 with follow-up through June 2006. Using Kaplan-Meier and Cox modeling, we compared unadjusted and adjusted long-term survival by patient race and gender (median follow-up 7.6 years, interquartile range 3.5-13.0) as well as identified major patient characteristics associated with survival. Results Blacks with CAD were younger; were more often female; had lower median household incomes; and had more hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure. The number of coronary vessels with significant disease was similar by race. At 15-year follow-up, black women had the lowest survival and white men had the highest (41.5% vs 45.8%, P P P Conclusions Among patients with CAD, blacks have lower long-term survival compared with whites. The difference may be partially, but not fully, explained by differences in cardiovascular risk factors and 30-day revascularization rates.
Fine structure of the spermatozoon of the viviparous teleost, Cymatogaster aggregata

The approximately 50 μm long sperm of Cymatoguster aggregata is composed of an elongate head (4 μm), an elongate mitochondria1 midpiece (3.5 μm) and a tail flagellum (roughly 40 μm). The sperm lacks an acrosome. Contained within depressions on one surface of the compressed head are a proximal centriole and a distal centriole separated by an electron dense, intercentriolar body. The anterior portion of the tail flagellum originates at the basal body (distal centriole) and is contained within an extracellular, flagellar tunnel within the mitochondria1 midpiece. The morphological similarity of C. uggregutu sperm to sperm of other internally fertilizing fishes supports the hypothesis that spermatozoan morphology is related to the mode of fertilization and that an elongate head and midpiece are specializations for internal fertilization.
Mood-incongruent versus mood-congruent psychosis: Differential antipsychotic response to Lithium therapy

The authors previously reported that a subgroup of schizophrenic-like patients respond favorably to lithium (Li) therapy, as do patients with a classical manic illness. In the present study, the time course of psychotic and affective symptom remission after Li therapy was examined in these two groups of patients. Li responsive patients with a mood-incongruent psychosis (schizophrenic-like illness) demonstrated a rapid antipsychotic response to Li therapy, showing a 50% improvement during the first 7 days, while no improvement in affective symptoms was seen until week 2 or 3 of treatment. Alternatively, patients with a mood-congruent psychosis (where mania is the primary diagnosis) demonstrated no antipsychotic response to Li therapy during the first 2 weeks of treatment, while some improvement in manic symptoms occurred during treatment week 2. The present study demonstrates that Li therapy differentially affects psychotic symptoms in mood-incongruent as opposed to mood-congruent psychosis. Further, the growth hormone (GH) response to apomorphine administration differentiated these two groups of Li responsive patients. Patients with a Li responsive mood-incongruent psychosis demonstrated over a seven-fold greater GH response than mood-congruent psychotic patients. The present data suggest that mood-incongruent and mood-congruent psychoses may represent two biologically distinct psychotic processes separable by both medication response and central dopamine function.
Rated acoustic (articulatory) similarity for word pairs varying in number and ordinal position of common letters

Ratings of “similarity-in-sound” for pairs of words sharing letters in various ordinal positions were obtained using a 7-category graphic scale on which degrees of similarity were specified by verbal labels. Judged acoustic (articulatory) similarity increased as number of shared letters increased from zero to one, two, and three letters. Pairs overlapping in first letters were rated significantly more similar than pairs sharing middle or last letters. For pairs sharing letters within two ordinal positions, judged similarity increased in the order of first-and-middle, first-and-last, middle-and-last. Implications for the hypothesis that verbal Stimuli are coded by pronunciation were discussed.
Gastroesophageal reflux: A significant association with central nervous system disease in children

An association between gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and central nervous system (CNS) disease has been suggested, but not defined clearly in children. We report on 613 children (ages 1 week to 16 years; mean, 16 months) studied at three institutions who were referred to the pediatric surgical service for documentation of GER by an abnormal pH score derived from 18- to 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. Follow-up (range, 1 to 115 months; mean, 25 months) was obtained in 368 patients. One hundred thirty-two children had CNS disease documented prior to the evaluation for GER. In children older than 1 year, there was an increased incidence of GER (31/45, 69%) in those children with CNS disease compared with those without CNS disease (38/81, 47%; P = .014). On follow-up, only 4.6% (14/282) of children who were not diagnosed initially with CNS disease were found later to have overt CNS disease. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of newly diagnosed CNS disease in children with and without GER in long-term follow-up. In conclusion, in the population of children referred to the pediatric surgeon for evaluation of GER, children older than 1 year with CNS disease are at high risk to have associated GER documented by extended esophageal pH monitoring. Despite this association, those children with GER and no obvious CNS disease do not appear to be at increased risk to develop CNS disease.