cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cartesian Heritage: Kant and the Conceptual Topology of Imagination and Reason

Descartes had radicalized the Platonic-Aristotelian conceptual topology of imagination in his mathematical natural science, which was rapidly adopted over the next century. But the empiricist treatment of images as weak representations of sensation and the tendency of empiricists and lesser rationalists to conceive mathematics as rational produced the modern split between imagination and reason that ultimately led to the Romantic rebellion. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) nevertheless recognized that imagination was not just weakly reproductive but actively constructive and synthetic. Empiricists had overlooked what produces the most basic regularities and continuities of experience, especially the fundamental coherence of space–time appearance that is required for any kind of mathematics and natural science. This led to his mature critical-transcendental philosophy, which argued that imagination in its transcendental uses synthesizes into a unified whole the manifold of sense experience and then “schematizes” concepts in the particular appearances in that manifold. Less technically: even before understanding can commence its work, the field of sensation has to be produced by a basic structuring function of imagination. Only then will ordinary experience appear as a connected whole and make sense in terms of cause, effect, and other explanatory concepts. Kant then used this kind of transcendental psychology of imagination to explain how human beings can experience the world as purposeful, beautiful, and awe-inspiring, without having to understand these concepts as purely subjective. He was reluctant, however, to ascribe ethical functions to imagination.
Visuomotor strategies for object approach and aversion in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT Animals classify stimuli to generate appropriate motor actions. In flight, Drosophila melanogaster classify equidistant large and small objects with categorically different behaviors: a tall object evokes approach whereas a small object elicits avoidance. We studied visuomotor behavior in rigidly and magnetically tethered D. melanogaster to reveal strategies that generate aversion to a small object. We discovered that small-object aversion in tethered flight is enabled by aversive saccades and smooth movement, which vary with the stimulus type. Aversive saccades in response to a short bar had different dynamics from approach saccades in response to a tall bar and the distribution of pre-saccade error angles was more stochastic for a short bar. Taken together, we show that aversive responses in D. melanogaster are driven in part by processes that elicit signed saccades with distinct dynamics and trigger mechanisms. Our work generates new hypotheses to study brain circuits that underlie classification of objects in D. melanogaster .
Training the Global Public Health Workforce Through Applied Epidemiology Training Programs: CDC’s Experience, 1951–2011

The strengthening of health systems is becoming increasingly recognized as necessary for the achievement of many objectives promoted or supported by global public health initiatives. Key within the effort to strengthen health systems is the development of a well-prepared, skilled, and knowledgeable public health workforce. Over 60 years ago, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began the first training program in applied epidemiology, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), a two-year, in-service training program in epidemiology and public health practice. Since 1951, the EIS has produced well-trained and highly qualified applied or field epidemiologists, many of whom later became leaders within the US public health system. In 1980, the CDC began assisting other countries to develop their own field epidemiology training programs (FETPs), modeling them after the highly successful EIS program. FETPs differ from other training programs in epidemiology in that: (1) they are positioned within Ministries of Health and the activities of the residents are designed to address the priority health issues of the Ministry; (2) they stress the principle of training through service; and (3) they provide close supervision and mentoring by trained field epidemiologists. While FETPs are designed to be adaptable to the needs of any given country, there exist many fundamental similarities in the skills and knowledge required by public health workers. Recognizing this, CDC developed a standard core FETP curriculum that can be adapted to any country’s needs. Countries can further customize FETP trainings to meet their specific needs by adding specialized “tracks” or by targeting different audiences and levels of the health system. Although FETPs require substantial investments in time and resources as well as significant commitment from ministries, CDC’s vision is that every country will have access to an FETP to help build its public health workforce and strengthen its public health systems.
Thin-Film SUEX as an Antireflection Coating for mmW and THz Applications

We present a simple process for depositing SUEX dry films to realize effective antireflection coatings on high-resistivity silicon wafers and lenses. Heat-assisted conformal deposition of SUEX film followed by curing via ultraviolet exposure achieves robust adhesion to the silicon lens surface. Due to its relatively low material loss and commensurate refractive index, quarter-wavelength-thick SUEX coatings minimize reflection losses and significantly improve signal coupling into high-index silicon lenses. As an example, a 150- $\mu$ m-thick SUEX layer was conformally coated on a 1-cm-diameter high-resistivity silicon lens to reduce reflection loss to less than 4% over the 220–325 GHz band.
Regioselective ring-opening α-methylenation of aryl epoxides to conjugated allyl alcohols utilizing n-BuLi and Me2SCH2 reagents

Abstract In the presence of a mixture of n -BuLi and Me 2 S CH 2 reagents, aryl epoxides underwent a novel ring-opening α-methylenation providing conjugated allyl alcohols with an unusual regioselective pattern.
Drawing(Past, Present, and Future) Together: A(Graphic) Look at the Reconceptualization of Art Education

AbstractIN THIS GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION, TWO CHARACTERS/CARICATURES DISCUSS, CONTEMPLATE, AND FANTASIZE THE HISTORY OF THE FIELD OF ART EDUCATION, ITS CURRENT STATE, AND FUTURE MANIFESTATIONS. THE CONVERSATION IS ILLUSTRATED AROUND THE POSSIBLE RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF ART EDUCATION. THROUGH TEXT AND VISUAL METAPHORS, THE PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS, THEORETICAL FORMATIONS, AND DISCURSIVE TERRITORIES OF THE RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF ART EDUCATION AND THE CRITICALLY COMPATIBLE FRAMEWORKS THAT INFORM ITS LIKELIHOOD ARE DRAWN TOGETHER. MAJOR THEMES AND MOVEMENTS SUCH AS VISUAL CULTURE, ARTS BASED RESEARCH, COMMUNITY-BASED PEDAGOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECO-ART EDUCATION, AND LACANIAN PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY ARE SKETCHED OUT.
Wezwanie Włodzimierza Ledóchowskiego do cura personalis. Unikatowy charakter jezuickiego wychowania i jego humanistyczne korzenie

The value of cura personalis has enjoyed a meteoric rise in usage in the last few decades and is now considered emblematic of the Jesuit philosophy of education. The meaning of this expression, though, is still ambiguous. The first to use this expression was Father General Wlodzimierz Ledochowski, who adopted it when addressing the colleges and universities run by the Jesuits in the United States in 1934. Ledochowski claimed that a culture of the person was deeply enrooted in the spirit of the Society of Jesus, and particularly in the spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola. This paper aims to provide the necessary historical background to Ledochowski’s usage of the expression “ cura personalis ” and show how both humanist and Ignatian roots made this expression successful within the Jesuit educational scenario.
Multiplier bootstrap for quantile regression: non-asymptotic theory under random design

Author(s): Pan, Xiaoou; Zhou, Wen-Xin | Abstract: Abstract This paper establishes non-asymptotic concentration bound and Bahadur representation for the quantile regression estimator and its multiplier bootstrap counterpart in the random design setting. The non-asymptotic analysis keeps track of the impact of the parameter dimension $d$ and sample size $n$ in the rate of convergence, as well as in normal and bootstrap approximation errors. These results represent a useful complement to the asymptotic results under fixed design and provide theoretical guarantees for the validity of Rademacher multiplier bootstrap in the problems of confidence construction and goodness-of-fit testing. Numerical studies lend strong support to our theory and highlight the effectiveness of Rademacher bootstrap in terms of accuracy, reliability and computational efficiency.
Sympathectomy for Malignant Ventricular Arrhythmias

Cardiac sympathetic denervation (CSD) has been historically used for patients with high internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) discharge and channelopathies, but is increasingly considered an option for patients with refractory ventricular arrhythmia (VA) although data are scant. In this chapter, we examine the observational studies about the use of CSD for refractory VA. We found that CSD has been successfully used to mitigate VA in patients who are refractory to maximal medical therapy and catheter ablation or who are poor candidates for noninvasive treatment. The procedure is associated with few and rare complications including hemothorax and pneumothorax. Based on low quality evidence, we recommend that patients with VA refractory to or who are poor candidates for pharmacological and ablative therapy be evaluated for bilateral CSD.
Biolayer Interferometry-based FcγRIIa binding assay for a therapeutic antibody with strong effector function

FcγRIIa receptor binding is part of the mechanism of action for many therapeutic antibodies. AlphaScreen® technology and Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) are often used to assess protein-protein interactions. Recently we demonstrated that the presence of aggregates in samples significantly increased binding potency values in AlphaScreen®-based FcRn binding assays, sometimes masking the loss of potency. Even bigger effect of aggregates was observed in an AlphaScreen®-based FcγRIIa binding assay for a monoclonal antibody with strong effector function. To resolve this issue a novel BLI-based FcγRIIa binding assay was developed and qualified. The assay measures association binding responses and calculates the binding potency of the samples relative to the standard using Parallel Line Analysis. The method overcomes interference of aggregates present in the samples, distinguishes different Fc glycosylation patterns, and is stability-indicating. It can be used for sample characterization, drug product release and stability testing.
Low-temperature condensation of carbonaceous dust grains from PAHs

Interstellar carbon has been detected in both gas-phase molecules and solid particles. The goal of this study is to identify the link between these two phases of cosmic carbon. Here we report preliminary results on the low temperature formation of carbonaceous dust grains from gas-phase aromatic hydrocarbon precursors. This is done using the supersonic expansion of an argon jet seeded with aromatic molecules and exposed to an electrical discharge. We report experimental evidence of efficient carbon dust condensation from aromatic molecules including benzene and naphthalene. The molecular content of the solid grains is probed with laser desorption mass spectrometry. The mass spectra reveal a rich molecular composition including fragments of the parent molecule but also growth into larger molecular species.
Does gouty nephropathy exist, and is it more common than we think?

Gout is present in one third of subjects with CKD but is usually an exclusion criterion in clinical trials investigating the role of uric acid in kidney disease. Bardin et al. report that one third of gouty subjects have hyperechoic medullas by ultrasound (consistent with crystalline deposits) that correlates with increased risk for hypertension and kidney dysfunction and which were not observed in >500 controls. If validated, a "gouty nephropathy" from microcrystalline deposits could be an important, unrecognized cause of CKD.
Salmonella and the market dairy cow

Floors of trucks or trailers were sampled for Salmonella before culled dairy cows were loaded from cooperating farms and auction markets in New York (East) and California (West) prior to transport to slaughter establishments. Sampling occurred during two periods, winter and summer. These vehicles were sampled again after cattle were unloaded at slaughter establishments. Four of six vehicles picking up cattle from dairy farms were positive for Salmonella spp. before cattle were loaded at East locations during winter, while five of seven were positive during the summer. One of five vehicles picking up cattle from auction markets was positive for Salmonella spp. at an East location during winter, while all four sampled during the summer period were positive. During winter at the West location all trucks or trailers were positive for Salmonella . During the summer sampling, nine of 13 vehicles that arrived at dairy farms and four of six that arrived at auction markets to pick up cattle were positive for Salmonella before cattle were loaded. Biosecurity procedures need to address the risk of Salmonella contamination from cattle transport.
Underpricing and Aftermarket Performance of American Depository Receipts (ADR) IPOs

American depositary receipts (ADRs) are negotiable instruments representing foreign company shares traded in US dollars in the US capital market. We present comparative analyses of the pricing and aftermarket performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) by ADRs and a matching sample of US firms over the 1990–2001 period. Offered by large, well-known multinationals, ADR IPOs go through a detailed scrutiny, and incur significant costs, during the pre-IPO period to recast financial statements in conformity with SEC rules and the US GAAP. This mitigates the information asymmetry between the IPO firm and investors. We categorize the ADR issuing country as developed or emerging, and our sample includes several cases of privatization of state owned corporations. The analyses indicate that (1) ADR IPOs are significantly less underpriced than comparable US IPOs; (2) IPOs from developed countries are more underpriced; and (3) Privatization IPOs are less underpriced than non-privatizations. The lower underpricing of ADR IPOs persists even after differential IPO attributes, the traditional proxies for information asymmetry and, the unique characteristics associated with ADR IPOs, are accounted for. We conclude that extant literature offers only partial explanation for this puzzling phenomenon.
Incidence of acute kidney injury after open gynecologic surgery in an enhanced recovery after surgery pathway.

Abstract Objective To determine the incidence of postoperative AKI after open gynecologic surgery within ERAS, compare AKI in pre-ERAS and ERAS cohorts, and identify factors associated with AKI. Methods We compared postoperative AKI in patients who underwent open gynecologic surgery at one institution before and after ERAS implementation. AKI was defined as acute risk, injury, or failure by RIFLE criteria. Pre-ERAS and ERAS cohorts were matched using propensity score analysis in a 1:1 fashion using the nearest neighbor technique. Chi-squared, Fisher's Exact, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used. Results Among 1334 ERAS and 191 pre-ERAS patients, postoperative AKI incidence was higher in the ERAS cohort (13.1% vs 5.8%, p = .004). In 166 matched pairs, ERAS patients had higher incidence (16.9% vs 5.4%, p 5 min (41.7% vs 30.7%, p Conclusions The incidence and odds of postoperative AKI was higher after gynecologic surgery within ERAS, and patients with AKI were more likely to have complications. Potential strategies to prevent postoperative AKI include perioperative fluid and blood pressure optimization.
Practical applications of concurrent engineering for systems integration

The authors focus on how a task force at IBM Federal Sector Division at Owego, NY addressed the practice of concurrent engineering (CE), and the approach taken to strengthen concurrent engineering in the systems integration business. A quality improvement team (QIT) decided to produce a practically oriented CE plan. Two important objectives were established for the plan. First, it must define practical implementations of CE in the form of a checklist with each implementation tied to one or more resultant benefit. Secondly, it must allow the project using the plan to determine, via a set of measurements, if CE was successfully applied. The practical applications derived by the Owego QIT task force represent one attempt of applying a set of generic, practical CE criteria that is virtually program independent. The plan has been developed so that it can be tailored for a particular program if required. The key to implementation is an emphasis on the working relationships among people. >
Genetics: Dynamic Cellular Aging Markers Associated with Major Depression

Summary Psychiatric diseases are associated with an increased rate of somatic age-related illness. A new study sheds light on putative mediating cellular mechanisms by linking increased mitochondrial DNA copy number and decreased telomere length to childhood stress and major depression.
Chapter 2 Fuzzy logic

Abstract Fuzzy logic is generally recognized as one of the ingredients of soft computing. In this context, a broad view of fuzzy logic is employed: fuzzy logic is viewed as a formalized language, based on fuzzy set theory, that is sufficiently expressive to deal with modes of reasoning that are approximate rather than exact. The principal role of fuzzy logic, viewed in this broad sense, is to represent, in a realistic way, knowledge expressed by statements in natural language, and to formalize reasoning based upon this representation.
Fuzzy Economic Order Quantity for Items with Imperfect Quality and Inspection Errors in an Uncertain Environment on Fuzzy Parameters

This article investigates the inventory problem for item received with imperfect quality and inspection errors in an uncertain environment. Two inventory models are discussed with fuzzy parameters for crisp order quantity, or for fuzzy order quantity. Function principle is proposed as an arithmetic operation of fuzzy trapezoidal number to obtain fuzzy economic order quantity and fuzzy annual profit. Graded mean integration method is used for defuzzification of the annual profit. Extension of Lagrangian method is used to find optimal order quantity. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the results of proposed models.
Timing of Alcohol and Other Drug Use

Many Americans who drink alcohol are polydrug users--that is, they also use other psychoactive drugs, such as nicotine, pharmaceuticals, cannabis, and other illicit substances. Polydrug use is a general term that describes a wide variety of substance use behaviors. Different types of polydrug use can be described with regard to the timing of the ingestion of multiple substances. Concurrent polydrug use (CPU) is the use of two or more substances within a given time period, such as a month or a year. Simultaneous polydrug use (SPU) is the use of two or more substances in combination (i.e., at the same time or in temporal proximity) (Grant and Harford 1990a). Thus, although all simultaneous polydrug users are, by definition, concurrent users, concurrent users may or may not be simultaneous users. This article describes the functions of SPU for substance users, as well as the measurement, prevalence, patterns, and consequences of SPU.
U.S. Military Accountability For Extraterritorial Environmental Impacts: An Examination Of Okinawa, Environmental Justice, And Judicial Militarism

Local resistance to the relocation of a U.S. military base to a Bay threatening an endangered sea mammal off the coast of the island of Okinawa raises important issues regarding the extraterritoriality of U.S. environmental laws, the role of the courts in reviewing military operations and ultimately environmental justice. These issues are being played out in an island community that for centuries has tried to survive by balancing great powers, China, Japan and the United States. Okinawans now find themselves a minority subject to discrimination in Japan and still suffering from the impacts of the legacy of U.S. occupation and continued use of U.S. bases on their culture, economy and environment. Federal courts continue inconsistently to sort out the extraterritoriality of U.S. laws, including environmental laws. Already one federal court has applied the National Historical Preservation Act to this controversy in Okinawa. Strong arguments remain that the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act should also apply to the U.S. military’s actions in Okinawa. Although the modern U.S. Supreme Court has reversed earlier cases and given great deference to military operations, a form of judicial militarism, environmental justice demands and case laws allows these environmental laws to shape U.S. military conduct on Okinawa and protect its environment.
Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Neutron-Irradiated (Fe 0.61 Ni 0.39 ) 3 V Ordered Alloy

Small tensile specimens of the (Fe 0 . 6 1 Ni 0 . 3 9 ) 3 V long-range-ordered alloy were irradiated in the ORR to 4 dpa at 523, 623, and 823 K and subsequently tested at the same respective temperatures. The alloy remained ordered after irradiation at all three temperatures. Irradiation at 523 and 623 K increased the yield strength of the material by producing Frank loops in the microstructure and reduced the total elongation. The low strain hardening observed was attributed to planar slip. Irradiation at 823 K embrittled the alloy. Premature failure was apparently initiated by helium bubbles on sigma phase boundaries which grew rapidly during the test to form microcracks. Fracture occurred after a microcrack propagated across grain boundaries that were weakened by helium and possibly sulfur. Modifying the composition of LRO alloys to eliminate sigma phase should lead to improved performance under neutron irradiation.
Robustification of cyclostationary array processing techniques

The problem of exploiting cyclostationary statistical information for the purpose of array processing is addressed. Techniques for exploiting second order periodic information are proposed for the enhancement of cyclic-MUSIC and self coherent restoration (SCORE) algorithms. The robustification of both cyclic MUSIC and SCORE can be accomplished by increasing the amount of cyclic information used. Simulation results are presented which show the performance improvement by the modified algorithms.
The Checkered History of American Psychiatric Epidemiology

This article considers the changing relationship of psychiatric epidemiology, psychiatric treatments, and social policy. Ideally, the goal of epidemiological studies is to establish causal relationships between the environment and patterns of illness. In contrast to much of epidemiology, however, psychiatric epidemiology has done little to illuminate either the etiology or the environmental factors that create mental illnesses. Because of the limits of its knowledge base, the policies stemming from epidemiological studies have served to justify the predominant ideological and administrative interests of psychiatrists, researchers, and policymakers. The lack of an adequate system of classification of mental illnesses has been the primary factor limiting the development of psychiatric epidemiology and, consequently, its usefulness for developing effective public policy toward mental illnesses.
Bond pad structure reliability

Bond pads typically have oxides below the metallization which act to insulate the pads from the substrate. These oxides are grown or deposited as part of the primary front-end process of the device. Different oxides are seen to have varying tolerance to the associated mechanical loading and ultrasonic scrubbing, resulting in bond pad cracking. The front-end process can thus influence bond quality. A study was done to characterize various oxides and also different metal systems consisting of aluminum and titanium tungsten alloy. The proper choice of metallization was found to give significant improvement in tolerance of bond-process-induced stresses. >
Underwater acoustic communications

In recent years, underwater acoustic (UWA) communications have received much attention as their applications are beginning to shift from military towards commercial. UWA communications are made difficult by the combined effect of multipath propagation and high temporal and spatial variability of the channel conditions. Until recently, the design of communication systems has mostly relied on the use of noncoherent modulation techniques. However, to achieve high data rates on the severely bandlimited UWA channels, bandwidth-efficient modulation techniques must be considered, together with array processing for exploitation of spatial multipath diversity. The new generation of underwater communication systems employing phase-coherent modulation techniques will achieve at least a ten fold increase in data throughput. The communication scenario in which the modern UWA systems will operate is that of an underwater network consisting of stationary and mobile nodes. Current research focuses on the development of efficient signal processing algorithms, multiuser communications in the presence of interference, and design of efficient modulation and coding schemes. >
Configuration average of general n -body symmetrical tensor operators

A new method for calculating configuration average of n-body operators is presented. The method is easily adapted for calculations of high spectral moments, average cross sections of atomic processes, etc. We present a general explicit expression for the dependence of the configuration average on the occupation numbers. An algorithm based on the angular momentum graphical technique is then applied to obtain the dependence of the average on the quantum numbers of the orbitals involved. This algorithm is easily adapted to numerical applications using a newly developed angular momentum code. A detailed analytic example is presented for the case of average of a three-body effective interaction.
A multiscale approach to connectivity

The concept of connectivity is fundamental in image analysis and computer vision problems, and particularly in problems of image segmentation and object detection. In this paper, we introduce a novel theory of connectivity, which considers traditional concepts in a multiscale framework. The proposed theory includes, as a single-scale special case, the notion of connectivity classes in complete lattices. Following mathematical preliminaries, we introduce multiscale connectivity by means of two alternative, but equivalent, approaches. The first approach is based on the notion of a connectivity measure, which quantifies the degree of connectivity of a given object, whereas the second approach is based on the notion of a connectivity pyramid. We also introduce the notion of σ-connectivity openings and show that these operators define multiscale connectivities. Moreover. we introduce the notion of σ-reconstruction operators and show that, under certain conditions, these operators define multiscale connectivities as well. Based on the proposed theory, we show that fuzzy topological and fuzzy graph-theoretic connectivities are multiscale analogs of the classical notions of topological and graph-theoretic connectivity, respectively. We also discuss a generalization of the proposed multiscale connectivity concept which leads to the notion of multiscale level connectivity for grayscale images. Examples illustrate several key points of our approach.
Comparison of atomic force microscopy imaging methods and roughness determinations for a highly polished quartz surface

The morphology and microstructure of a polished quartz surface have been studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) under ambient conditions, high vacuum and ultrahigh vacuum. The general features observed in air and vacuum environments are consistent, showing the existence of long corrugations, scratches, and holes. The root-mean-square surface roughness ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 nm. Imaging of hydrophilic surfaces, such as quartz, with contact-mode AFM can be problematic because of the presence of adsorbed water and contamination layers on the surface. Using tapping-mode AFM in air and noncontact mode AFM under vacuum, we are able to study the true structure of the surface; detection of more local features with higher resolution was achieved under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions.
A Lego Model of the Modularity of the Mind

In this paper I propose that the dominant form of evolutionary psychology (which I term “cognitive adaptationism”) can be improved by adopting an alternative version of the concept of mental modularity. I suggest a metaphor of mental modules as Lego blocks. The Lego blocks represent a relatively small set of elementary operations that the mind/brain can carry out. These Lego blocks are repeatedly assembled in different ways to execute a wide variety of different functions. These repeated assemblies correspond more closely to the things that cognitive adaptationists have asserted are modules. Arguments in favor of the Lego model include the fact that the localized neural systems identified in the brain appear to carry out elementary operations, rather than higher-level functions, and the fact that evolution by natural selection occurs by the gradual modification of small-level features.
Periodic solutions of nonlinear wave equations with damping

A known existence theorem for doubly periodic solutions of nonlinear wave equations with linear damping is being proved in a direct manner by an approach which has been developed by the authors in [5, 6, 7] for hyperbolic problems, when the kernel of the underlying linear operator is infinite dimensional.
HIV prevalence and risk behaviors among men who have sex with men and inject drugs in San Francisco.

The dual risks of male-to-male sex and drug injection have put men who have sex with men and inject drugs (MSM-IDU) at the forefront of the HIV epidemic, with the highest rates of infection among any risk group in the United States. This study analyzes data collected from 357 MSM-IDU in San Francisco between 1998 and 2002 to examine how risk behaviors differ by HIV serostatus and self-identified sexual orientation and to assess medical and social service utilization among HIV-positive MSM-IDU. Twenty-eight percent of the sample tested HIV antibody positive. There was little difference in risk behaviors between HIV-negative and HIV-positive MSM-IDU. Thirty percent of HIV-positive MSM-IDU reported distributive syringe sharing, compared to 40% of HIV negatives. Among MSM-IDU who reported anal intercourse in past 6 months, 70% of positives and 66% of HIV negatives reported unprotected anal intercourse. HIV status varied greatly by self-identified sexual orientation: 46% among gay, 24% among bisexual, and 14% among heterosexual MSM-IDU. Heterosexual MSM-IDU were more likely than other MSM-IDU to be homeless and to trade sex for money or drugs. Gay MSM-IDU were more likely to have anal intercourse. Bisexual MSM-IDU were as likely as heterosexual MSM-IDU to have sex with women and as likely as gay-identified MSM-IDU to have anal intercourse. Among MSM-IDU who were HIV positive, 15% were currently on antiretroviral therapy and 18% were currently in drug treatment, and 87% reported using a syringe exchange program in the past 6 months. These findings have implications for the development of HIV interventions that target the diverse MSM-IDU population.
Stroke: promising neurorehabilitation interventions and steps toward testing them.

Good DC: Stroke: Promising neurorehabilitation interventions and steps toward testing them. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2003;82(Suppl):S50-S57. The search for evidence-based treatments has resulted in an exciting new era for neurorehabilitation intervention strategies for stroke. Although stroke rehabilitation research poses many methodologic challenges, evaluation of stroke rehabilitation interventions is clearly moving beyond descriptive and observational studies toward well designed randomized clinical trials. The goals of this article are to summarize issues of trial design for stroke rehabilitation, to discuss promising stroke rehabilitation treatments currently undergoing rigorous evaluation, and to present treatments that may be candidates for randomized clinical trials in the future on the basis of promising preliminary data. I Several examples of new developments in neuroscience research that are leading to possible rehabilitation interventions will be discussed. New modalities to evaluate the response of neural networks to rehabilitation interventions are also reviewed.
Modeling of chemical interactions at Cr/Cu interfaces

Abstract Band calculations of the Extended Huckel type were performed to investigate the nature of chromium-copper interfaces. Model systems were comprised of a chromium or copper atom in close proximity to a three- or four-layered slab of substrate material. The substrates considered were metallic chromium, metallic copper, Cr 2 O 3 , and Cu 2 O. Preferred geometries of attack were inferred from the total energy and projected Density of States analyses. Based on the total energy, metal-metal bonds were found to form preferentially.
Hepatic and extra-hepatic stimulation of glutathione release into plasma by norepinephrine in vivo

Abstract Studies were conducted to determine the effect of norepinephrine (NE) on reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) export from hepatic and extra-hepatic tissues in vivo. Anesthetized Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) males were implanted with cannulae in the carotid artery, hepatic vein (HV) and hepatic portal veins (PV), and the left bile duct. In Experiment 1, GSH and GSSG in hepatic and portal venous plasma and bile were determined prior to, during, and following two 20-min infusions of NE (2 and 10 microg/min per kg BW) into the hepatic PV. The lower NE infusion rate increased hepatic venous GSH (indicative of increased GSH export into liver sinusoids) without affecting systemic or hepatic vascular pressures; however, it had no affect on portal venous GSH. The higher NE infusion rate increased GSH in the HV and hepatic PV (indicative of extra hepatic export of glutathione) as well as systemic pressure, hepatic and portal venous pressures, and the transhepatic pressure gradient. Biliary secretion of GSH and GSSG was unaffected by either rate of NE infusion in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, pretreatment of birds with phentolamine, an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker (alpha-block), abolished sinusoidal export GSH as well as the ability of NE to stimulate GSH release from hepatic and extra-hepatic tissue. Although HV and PV pressures were lower in alpha-block birds compared with controls, there were no differences in the transhepatic pressure gradient between groups. Plasma GSSG was below the limits of detection in Experiments 1 and 2. The combined results of Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that hepatic export of GSH was independent of changes in systemic or hepatic vascular pressures or changes in the transhepatic pressure gradient. The results of these studies are the first to demonstrate that export of GSH into plasma in vivo is mediated by an alpha-receptor-mediated mechanism in hepatic and extra-hepatic tissues. The findings may be particularly important with regard to antioxidant homeostasis of animals during periods of stress.
Psychosocial adjustment in young adulthood of women who experienced an eating disorder during adolescence.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the impact of an adolescent eating disorder on psychosocial adjustment in young adulthood. Method A randomly selected sample of high school girls was assessed on a wide array of psychosocial and diagnostic variables twice during adolescence ( n = 891, n = 810), and a stratified subset ( n = 539) was assessed during their 24th year. Based on their history of psychopathology before age 19, participants were categorized into (1) partial‐ or full‐syndrome eating disorder (ED; n = 36); (2) non‐comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 95); (3) non‐mood disorder without ED or MDD (NMD; n = 64); and (4) no disorder (ND; n = 138). Results Discriminant function analysis identified a single significant function (variance = 57%) in which the ED group was significantly elevated (mean = 0.87, SD=1.20) compared with the other three groups; the MDD (mean = 0.14, SD=1.00) and NMD (mean = 0.17, SD=0.99) group means were intermediary and differed from the ND group (mean = ‐0.40, SD=0.95). Conclusion Despite apparent recovery of ED symptoms among most ED cases, women with a history of adolescent ED evidenced significant impairments in health, self‐image, and important areas of social functioning. These findings underscore the clinical significance of adolescent ED. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2003, 42(5):587‐593.
Oxidized LDL and antioxidants

Several studies have shown that the oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) may promote fatty-streak formation, the early lesion of atherosclerosis. Epidemiologic data suggest that decreased levels of micronutrient antioxidants are associated with an increased frequency of cardiovascular disease. Micronutrients that can act as antioxidants--ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene--have been shown to prevent LDL oxidation in vitro and retard the progression of atherosclerosis in animal models. In addition, supplementation of human subjects with these compounds have been shown to increase the resistance of their LDL to oxidation without producing side effects. Thus, these antioxidant micronutrients have the potential to become an additional treatment modality in the therapeutic arsenal against atherosclerosis.
Chemodenervation of Strabismic Children: A 2- to 5-year Follow-up Study Compared with Shorter Follow-up

To determine longer-term efficacy of botulinum treatment, the author examined 85 children younger than 14 years of age who had been treated from November 1982 to February 1984, comparing shorter follow-up (range, 6-24 months) with longer follow-up (range, 2-5.5 years) as of last examination before March 1988. Fifty esotropes meeting the 2-year criteria for follow-up had an average of 35 prism diopters (PD) before and 5 PD after treatment. Twelve exotropes averaged 30 and 5 PD. No long-term complications were discovered. The results are similar to the shorter follow-up and suggest that botulinum is effective in creating a 2- to 5-year stable improvement for strabismic children.
Nitritocobalamin and nitrosocobalamin may be confused with sulfitocobalamin using cation-exchange chromatography.

Abstract The previously reported ability of SP-Sephadex C25 column chromatography for partitioning biologically important cobalamins has been modified to include analytical separation of nitritocobalamin (NO2-Cbl) and nitrosocobalamin (NO-Cbl). Gel column dimensions (1.5 × 11.0 cm), a low eluent flow-rate (125 μl/min), collection of small eluate fractions (160 μl) plus maintenance of He saturated mobile and gel phases all combined to eliminate ordinarily confusing proximal elution of NO2-Cbl and NO-Cbl with sulfitocobalamin (SO3-Cbl) and cyanocobalamin. Cobalamin elution profiles from the gel column were monitored by direct radiometric analysis of 57Co-labelled cobalamin standards or competitive intrinsic factor radioassays for cobalamin sample sizes up to 10.0 ng. Failure to implement the chromatographic conditions detailed here totally obscured analysis of NO2-Cbl coexisting with SO3-Cbl in brain tissues for chicks exposed to dietary sulfites and caused oversight of NO-Cbl normally coexisting in prepared NO2-Cbl standards.
Increased mortality with oral platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists: a meta-analysis of phase III multicenter randomized trials.

Background—Numerous clinical trials have established the benefits of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition in the management of coronary artery disease. In contrast, the recent large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials of the oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists have failed to provide commensurate reductions in late composite ischemic end points despite potent inhibition of platelet aggregation. Methods and Results—The ORs for death, myocardial infarction, urgent revascularization, and major bleeding from the 4 large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were calculated and combined. Stratification by low-dose or high-dose therapy and the use of concurrent aspirin was also undertaken. In 33 326 patients followed for >30 days, a consistent and statistically significant increase in mortality was observed with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa therapy (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.66; P=0.001). This effect was evident regardless of aspirin coadminis...
Curriculum: from theory to practice

by Wesley Null, Plymouth, United Kingdom, Rowman & Littlefield, 2011, 344 pp., $40.42 (paperback), ISBN 10: 1442209151 Null, noted curriculum and educational foundation scholar, presents a thorough...
Increasing appointment keeping by reducing the call-appointment interval

We examined the effect of reducing the interval between a patient's call for an appointment and the appointment itself. In Experiment 1, patients calling a family planning unit of a public health department were assigned appointments within either 1 or 3 weeks of their call. Data on patient "shows" and "no-shows" were recorded weekly for 6 weeks. Show rates for those in the 1-week appointment group were significantly higher than those in the 3-week group. In Experiment 2, patients were assigned to appointment dates either the next operating clinic day (next-day group) or 2 weeks from the call date (2-week group). Show rates for those in the next-day group were significantly better than show rates for patients in the 2-week group. Clinic productivity, time spent with patients, and consumer satisfaction were also assessed. Implications for appointment scheduling are discussed.
Development of a cost-effective high-throughput process of microsatellite analysis involving miniaturized multiplexed PCR amplification and automated allele identification

Microsatellites are nucleotide sequences of tandem repeats occurring throughout the genome, which have been widely used in genetic linkage analysis, studies of loss of heterozygosity, determination of lineage and clonality, and the measurement of genome instability or the emergence of drug resistance reflective of mismatch repair deficiency. Such analyses may involve the parallel evaluation of many microsatellite loci, which are often limited by sample DNA, are labor intensive, and require large data processing. To overcome these challenges, we developed a cost-effective high-throughput approach of microsatellite analysis, in which the amplifications of microsatellites are performed in miniaturized, multiplexed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) adaptable to 96 or 384 well plates, and accurate automated allele identification has been optimized with a collective reference dataset of 5,508 alleles using the GeneMapper software. In this investigation, we have documented our experience with the optimization of multiplex PCR conditions and automated allele identification, and have generated a unique body of data that provide a starting point for a cost-effective, high-throughput process of microsatellite analysis using the studied markers.
Molecular beam epitaxy for high electron mobility modulation-doped two-dimensional electron gases

Abstract Spatial separation of the electrons participating in conduction from the corresponding donor impurities is possible by modulation doping of a heterojunction. The most common modulation-doped heterojunction that has been studied in n-AlGaAs/i-GaAs. The electrons transfer from the AlGaAs to the GaAs, where they collect in the triangular potential well at the AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction, forming a two-dimessional electron gas (2DEG). This spatial separation of the conduction electrons and the ionized donors results in a reduction of the ionized impurity scattering. In addition, the scattering due to phonons can be reduced by cooling the sample. Several groups, using the advanced film growth technique of molecular beam epitaxy, have reported 2DEG mobilities in the range (1–10)×106 cm2V−1S−1 with carrier concentrations of (1–5)×1011 cm−2 at temperatures of 0.35−4.2 K. These electron mobilities and carrier densities translate into electrons traveling distances greater than 10 μm between collisions. Since photolithographic capabilities allow much smaller device geometries, devices based on the wave nature of the electron are now possible and several have been demonstrated. A discussion of molecular beam epitaxy techniques to obtain such high mobility modulation-doped 2DEGs will be presented, together with a review of what other groups have reported.
Guest Editor's Introduction: The CAP Theorem's Growing Impact

The computing community has been developing innovative solutions to meet the formidable challenge of handling the exponential growth in data generated by the Web.
An examination of the criterion validity and sensitivity to brief intervention of alternate curriculum‐based measures of writing skill

Curriculum-based measures have been validated for use in evaluating reading, mathematics, and writing skills (Marston, 1989). Despite its common use by school psychologists (Wilson & Reschly, 1996), the relationship between the Woodcock Johnson-Revised and curriculum-based measures of writing has not been evaluated. This study investigated the relationship between the Woodcock Johnson-Revised Writing Samples subtest and alternate curriculum-based measures of written expression. In addition, the sensitivity of the measures to the effects of a short group writing intervention was assessed. Forty-five third and fourth graders participated in an intervention that consisted of brainstorming ideas, presenting those ideas on a dry-erase board, and writing a complete sentence on paper with writing quality feedback before completing a CBM (curriculum-based measurement) writing passage. Numbers of words written as well as five alternate measures of writing samples were used to assess the effects of the intervention. The intervention had a positive effect on total words written. Total punctuation marks, simple sentences, and words in complete sentences emerged as the best predictors of the Woodcock Johnson-Revised Writing Samples subtest scores in regression analyses. The implications of the analyses, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 291–300, 2004.
Employee stock options: exercise decisions by top executives

Reviews previous research on the timing of employee stock option exercise decisions and share price performance before and after insider trading. Analyses the 1992‐1993 exercise behaviour of top executives at 65 large US firms using the Black‐Scholes (1973) value (less anticipated dividends) as a benchmark to compare with the intrinsic value (market price minus exercise price) at the date of exercise. Finds options are exercised when the two values are roughly equal, i.e. that executives’ decisions are not risk‐averse or biased by private information. Also shows a tendency for the subsequent change in share prices to be lower when the intrinsic value is less than the Black‐Scholes value at the time of exercise. Considers consistency with other research and the implications of the findings.