cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome Wide Association Studies of Familial Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (WM) Reveals a Loss of GSTM1 Is Common in Families with a History of B-Cell Disorders but Not in Those with a History Specific for WM.

Abstract 762 Background: The existence of a familial form of Waldenstrom9s Macroglobulinemia (WM) has previously been described by us and others. Up to 20% of WM patients have a first degree relative with either WM, or a closely related B-cell disorder. The genetic basis for these findings has so far remained elusive. Patients and Methods: As part of these efforts, we enrolled 482 WM patients and their first and second degree family members, for a total of 148 families. Families were then classified as follows: Sporadic (Only 1 case of WM present); Familial WM Only (if ≥ 2 cases of WM were present); Familial Mixed B-cell (if only the proband had WM, and other B-cell disorders were present in other family members). Detailed medical as well as familial history for cancer and autoimmune disorders was collected, along with complete blood counts, quantitative immunoglobulins, and serum protein electrophoresis for all participants. Buccal and peripheral blood DNA samples were also collected. Genome wide association studies were run on peripheral blood DNA samples using SNP 6.0 platform from Affymetrix, and analyzed using R (R project for statistical computing) and the Affymetrix Genotyping Console. Data from 99 individuals was available for this analysis. Results: Among the 148 families enrolled, 89 (60.1%), 17 (11.5%), and 42 (28.4%) were classified as Sporadic, Familial WM Only, and Familial Mixed B-cell Cohorts. Analysis of the SNP 6.0 data revealed that copy number polymorphism (CNP) 88 was strongly associated with Familial Mixed B-cell presentation. A copy number of 0 for CNP88 was found in 2/5 (40%) probands (WM patients) from the Sporadic Cohort; 1/6 (16.7%) patients from the Familial WM Only Cohort; and 8/9 (88.9%) patients from the Familial Mixed B-cell Cohort (p= 0.011 and 0.09 vs. Sporadic and Familial WM Only Cohorts, respectively). Among proband family members, a copy number of 0 for CNP88 was found in 7/15 (46.7%) individuals from the Sporadic Cohort; 9/26 (34.6%) individuals from the Familial WM Only Cohort; and 34/37 (91.9%) individuals from the Familial Mixed B-cell Cohort (p GSTM1 . Conclusions: The results of these studies implicate the homozygous deletion of GSTM1 in the Familial Mixed B-cell presentation for Waldenstrom9s Macroglobulinemia. These findings are invariably germain not only to WM predisposition, but also to other closely related B-cell disorders which cluster with Familial WM. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Accurate dynamic FIM estimation from list-mode PET data for uniform resolution reconstructions

The Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) plays a key role in the analysis and application of statistical list-mode image reconstruction methods based on inhomogeneous Poisson process data models. The dynamic PET FIM is derived by viewing list-mode data as the limiting case of bin-mode data as the bin-widths approach zero. The Generalized Error Lookup Table (GELT) method developed for the estimation of the FIM from static PET data is extended to estimate the dynamic PET FIM from list-mode data. GEET is a data plug-in technique for estimating reciprocals of mean counts at detector pairs and trades off variance to provide low bias reciprocal mean estimates that are in turn used to compute the FIM. GELT provides accurate FIM estimates even for low count datasets and is therefore particularly suitable for FIM estimation from list-mode data since most spatiotemporal data bins contain only a few counts. As an application, we present simulation results in which the diagonal entries of the dynamic FIM are used to modulate the spatiotemporal smoothing to achieve approximately uniform spatial resolution that remains constant over time.
Analyzing Monte Carlo Simulation Studies With Classification and Regression Trees

Monte Carlo simulations are an important tool for researchers to study statistical properties of estimators, such as parameter bias, or the limits of various modeling approaches. Typically, the imm...
Review of We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: The Promise of Civic Renewal in America by Peter Levine (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013).

Book Review: We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: The Promise of Civic Renewal in America by Peter Levine (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013)
Improving hemolysis levels associated with cardiotomy suction.

Background:The major source of hemolysis during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remains the cardiotomy suction.1 Previous research has shown that the combination of negative pressures and the massive ...
miCLIP-MaPseq, a Substrate Identification Approach for Radical SAM RNA Methylating Enzymes.

Although present across bacteria, the large family of radical SAM RNA methylating enzymes is largely uncharacterized. Escherichia coli RlmN, the founding member of the family, methylates an adenosine in 23S rRNA and several tRNAs to yield 2-methyladenosine (m2A). However, varied RNA substrate specificity among RlmN enzymes, combined with the ability of certain family members to generate 8-methyladenosine (m8A), makes functional predictions across this family challenging. Here, we present a method for unbiased substrate identification that exploits highly efficient, mechanism-based cross-linking between the enzyme and its RNA substrates. Additionally, by determining that the thermostable group II intron reverse transcriptase introduces mismatches at the site of the cross-link, we have identified the precise positions of RNA modification using mismatch profiling. These results illustrate the capability of our method to define enzyme–substrate pairs and determine modification sites of the largely uncharacter...
Cone arrestin: deciphering the structure and functions of arrestin 4 in vision.

Cone arrestin (Arr4) was discovered 20 years ago as a human X-chromosomal gene that is highly expressed in pinealocytes and cone photoreceptors. Subsequently, specific antibodies were developed to identify Arr4 and to distinguish cone photoreceptor morphology in health and disease states. These reagents were used to demonstrate Arr4 translocation from cone inner segments in the dark to outer segments with light stimulation, similarly to Arrestin 1 (Arr1) translocation in rod photoreceptors. A decade later, the Arr4 crystal structure was solved, which provided more clues about Arr4’s mechanisms of action. With the creation of genetically engineered visual arrestin knockout mice, one critical function of Arr4 was clarified. In single living cones, both visual arrestins bind to light-activated, G protein receptor kinase 1 (Grk1) phosphorylated cone opsins to desensitize them, and in their absence, mouse cone pigment shutoff is delayed. Still under investigation are additional functions; however, it is clear that Arr4 has non-opsin-binding partners and diverse synaptic roles, including cellular anchoring and trafficking. Recent studies reveal Arr4 is involved in high temporal resolution and contrast sensitivity, which opens up a new direction for research on this intriguing protein. Even more exciting is the potential for therapeutic use of the Arr4 promoter with an AAV-halorhodopsin that was shown to be effective in using the remaining cones in retinal degeneration mouse models to drive inner retinal circuitry for motion detection and light/dark discrimination.
Tornadoes and Tornadogenesis

Tornado structure and dynamics are reviewed. The conditions leading to tornadogenesis also are discussed, as are some of the latest forecasting techniques used to discriminate between tornadic and nontornadic supercells.
Cold-War Commons: Tragedy, Critique, and the Future of the Illiberal Problem Space

Major twentieth-century social theories like socialism and liberalism depended on property as an explanatory principle, prefiguring a geopolitical rivalry grounded in differing property regimes. This article examines the Cold War as an under-analyzed context for the idea of “the tragedy of the commons.” In Soviet practice, collectivization was meant to provide the material basis for cultivating particular forms of sociability and an antidote to the ills of private property. Outsiders came to conceptualize it as tragic in both economic and political dimensions. Understanding the commons as a site of tragedy informed Western “answers” to the “problem” of Soviet collective ownership when the Cold War ended. Privatization became a mechanism for defusing old tragedies, central to a post-Cold War project of advancing “market democracy.” Meanwhile, the notion of an “illiberal commons” stands ready for redeployment in future situations conceived as tragically problematic.
Multiscale Modeling of Interfaces, Dislocations, and Dislocation Field Plasticity

The various scales of hierarchical structures of metallic materials range from nm to mm. The notion of crystalline plasticity modeling is generalized to a set of model constructs that address phenomena associated with evolution of dislocations in crystals across a range of corresponding length scales, with time scales ranging from fs to years. These model constructs include coarse-grained atomistic modeling (atomistics), microscopic phase field models, dislocation field models, discrete dislocation dynamics, statistical continuum dislocation models, and mesoscale generalized continuum models of gradient, micropolar or micromorphic type, as well as local continuum crystal plasticity that can be applied to polycrystals. We identify key phenomena of lattice dislocations and discuss how these are mapped onto the capabilities of various scale-specific model constructs. Concurrent and hierarchical multiscale model transitions in space and time are discussed, distinguishing between coarse-graining and spatial domain decomposition approaches for lower scale models. We focus on model order reduction methods for mesoscale to macroscale constructs. In terms of bridging scales, the practical importance of two-scale transitions between models of differing fidelity and/or resolution is emphasized, whether of concurrent or hierarchical nature. Various scale-specific models for crystalline plasticity are considered, along with examples. The chapter closes by summarizing some of the long-standing gaps in modeling dislocation plasticity in crystals and polycrystals.
A Clinical Training Program for Hybrid Closed Loop Therapy in a Pediatric Diabetes Clinic.

Background:Hybrid closed loop (HCL) therapy is now available in clinical practice for treatment of type 1 diabetes; however, there is limited research on how to educate patients on this new therapy...
Validating the effectiveness of a locally developed assurance of learning assessment

Standards for accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business emphasize the assessment of student learning as an avenue to continuously improve business school curricula....
Upstander Intervention and Parenting Styles.

Findings from a survey of children and adolescents (N = 645) documents that students witness and experience a range of abuse at home and at school. Participants freely acknowledged pushing or shoving (46%) and slapping or hitting peers (40%). The study contributes to the literature by focusing on upstanding (active versus passive bystander intervention) and parenting styles. Findings reveal an interesting disconnect between those who say they will intervene when confronted by friends’ or peers’ bullying behaviors and those who actually have intervened. Children and adolescents with authoritarian parents are more likely to say they would intervene to help peers, but when asked if they actually have done so, they are the least likely to follow-through. In contrast, children with authoritative or permissive parents show the opposite pattern: No significant difference in their intent to intervene, but they are more likely to become upstanders, rather than passive bystanders when actually confronted with bullying behavior.
Standardized Review and Approval Process for High-Cost Medication Use Promotes Value-Based Care in a Large Academic Medical System.

Background As healthcare costs rise and reimbursements decrease, healthcare organization leadership and clinical providers must collaborate to provide high-value healthcare. Medications are a key driver of the increasing cost of healthcare, largely as a result of the proliferation of expensive specialty drugs, including biologic agents. Such medications contribute significantly to the inpatient diagnosis-related group payment system, often with minimal or unproved benefit over less-expensive therapies. Objective To describe a systematic review process to reduce non-evidence-based inpatient use of high-cost medications across a large multihospital academic health system. Methods We created a Pharmacy & Therapeutics subcommittee consisting of clinicians, pharmacists, and an ethics representative. This committee developed a standardized process for a timely review (<48 hours) and approval of high-cost medications based on their clinical effectiveness, safety, and appropriateness. The engagement of clinical experts in the development of the consensus-based guidelines for the use of specific medications facilitated the clinicians' acceptance of the review process. Results Over a 2-year period, a total of 85 patient-specific requests underwent formal review. All reviews were conducted within 48 hours. This review process has reduced the non-evidence-based use of specialty medications and has resulted in a pharmacy savings of $491,000 in fiscal year 2016, with almost 80% of the savings occurring in the last 2 quarters, because our process has matured. Conclusion The creation of a collaborative review process to ensure consistent, evidence-based utilization of high-cost medications provides value-based care, while minimizing unnecessary practice variation and reducing the cost of inpatient care.
Congress needs nonpartisan advice on science, technology [Speakout]

Complex technical questions often confront Congress. Is a ballistic missile defense system practical? Is it technically possible to support traditional notions of intellectual property in the age of the Internet? Do current telephone regulations prevent carriers from offering inexpensive broadband services? Are there risks when farmers protect their crops with genetically modified organisms?
Representation of women in pediatric dermatology leadership and research: Trends over the past 45 years.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The representation of women among practicing dermatologists has increased over the last several decades. Here, we analyze the evolving representation of women in the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), with particular focus on the role of women as society leaders, researchers, and annual meeting speakers. METHODS A retrospective review of SPD and PeDRA professional society leaders (SPD presidents, PeDRA co-chairs, PeDRA executive committee members), grant recipients (pilot grant recipients, team/collaborative grant recipients, William Weston Research Grant recipients), and annual meeting speakers (named lecturers at the SPD Annual Meeting, plenary lecturers at the PeDRA Annual Conference) was performed. Authors of research articles in Pediatric Dermatology were reviewed at three-year intervals from 1983 through 2019. The percentage of women among all leadership, grant, authorship, and lectureship categories was analyzed over time. RESULTS Women have represented 70% of SPD presidents since 2011 and 75% of PeDRA co-chairs since 2013. The percentage of women among first and senior authors of research articles in Pediatric Dermatology increased significantly from 1983 to 2019 (Cochran Armitage test for trend, P < .01), and women earned the majority of SPD/PeDRA pilot project grants (2008-2018), collaborative team grants (2016-2018), and William Weston Research Grants (1995-2015). At SPD Annual meetings from 2010 to 2019, women comprised 44% of named lecturers but accounted for approximately 78% of the pediatric dermatology workforce (P < .01). CONCLUSION Despite the widespread influence of women in pediatric dermatology leadership and research, gender discrepancies remain among named lecturer positions at national pediatric dermatology meetings.
CIGS and perovskite solar cells – an overview

Thin-film solar cells based on copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and perovskites continue to enhance their market share as promising energy conversion devices for indoor and outdoor application...
Investigation of Orientation Estimation of Multiple IMUs

Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) were first applied to aircraft navigation and large devices in the 1930s. At that time their application was restricted because of constraints such as size, cost, ...
Introducing The Lunar Autonomous PNT System (LAPS) Simulator

In this paper we introduce a software simulator that has been used to develop an architecture for a low-cost Lunar Autonomous Position, Navigation and Time (PNT) System, LAPS. LAPS is a conceptual architecture for providing autonomous PNT services on and around the Moon using non-dedicated low-cost orbital and ground assets. The simulation tool has been developed to be flexible and is capable of modeling and analyzing the many different capabilities and configurations that the non-dedicated assets could support. The tool models the creation of an ad hoc swarm, the localization of this swarm and the subsequent provision of PNT services from this swarm. We present results from several studies of select configurations chosen to reflect existing and future real-world needs and capabilities.
Development and validation of techniques for phenotyping ST-elevation myocardial infarction encounters from electronic health records

Objectives Classifying hospital admissions into various acute myocardial infarction phenotypes in electronic health records (EHRs) is a challenging task with strong research implications that remains unsolved. To our knowledge, this study is the first study to design and validate phenotyping algorithms using cardiac catheterizations to identify not only patients with a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but the specific encounter when it occurred. Materials and Methods We design and validate multi-modal algorithms to phenotype STEMI on a multicenter EHR containing 5.1 million patients and 115 million patient encounters by using discharge summaries, diagnosis codes, electrocardiography readings, and the presence of cardiac catheterizations on the encounter. Results We demonstrate that robustly phenotyping STEMIs by selecting discharge summaries containing "STEM" has the potential to capture the most number of STEMIs (positive predictive value [PPV] = 0.36, N = 2110), but that addition of a STEMI-related International Classification of Disease (ICD) code and cardiac catheterizations to these summaries yields the highest precision (PPV = 0.94, N = 952). Discussion and Conclusion In this study, we demonstrate that the incorporation of percutaneous coronary intervention increases the PPV for detecting STEMI-related patient encounters from the EHR.
The Market Structure of Higher Learning

A student embarking on a college search is astounded at the number of higher learning institutions available -an initial response may be to consider their market structure as one of perfect competition. Upon fkrther consideration, though, one sees this is inaccurate. In fact, the market structure of higher learning incorporates elements of monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. An institution may not explicitly be a profit maximizer. However, treating it as such allows predictions of actions to be made by applying the above three market structures. Such predictions include the quantity of education offered as well as advertising tendencies (Section 11), scrutiny of competitors (Section III), and price discrimination (Section IV). This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol4/iss1/16 The Market Structure of Higher Learning
Scalable and efficient spatial data management on multi-core CPU and GPU clusters: A preliminary implementation based on Impala

Fast increasing volumes of spatial data has made it imperative to develop both scalable and efficient spatial data management techniques by leveraging modern parallel hardware and distributed systems. By integrating a leading open source Big Data system called Impala and our previous work on data parallel designs for spatial indexing and query processing, we have developed ISP-MC+ and ISP-GPU for large-scale spatial data management on computer clusters equipped with multi-core CPUs and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), respectively. Both ISP-MC+ and ISP-GPU have shown high efficiency and good scalability on a 10-node Amazon EC2 cluster equipped with multi-core CPUs and GPUs. Comparison with a baseline implementation using traditional techniques on a single CPU core have demonstrated orders of magnitude of speedups on a real world dataset with hundreds of millions of point locations.
Earth science: Radon and rock deformation

Researchers working around a reservoir in the French Alps find that changes in certain phenomena, such as emissions of radon gas from the ground in the vicinity, follow variations in the reservoir's water level. The water level reflects the amount of stress being applied to the underlying Earth's crust. So this approach may provide clues as to geophysical signals evident when crust deforms in the build up to an earthquake.
Chapter 14 Retinal Cultures

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses retinal cultures. The avian retina has proven to be a very useful tissue for analysis by cell biologists and biochemists. Its principal advantages are that the eye is very large in early chick embryos, that it is easy to dissect and is well separated from other neuronal populations, and that it is composed of only a few classes of neurons. Retinal neurons are hardy and therefore easy to culture. Dissociated retinal neurons are currently used in vitro to study the adhesive properties of neurons and changes in adhesiveness during development. Explanting pieces of retina gives two advantages over culturing dissociated retinal neurons. The first is that all the axons that emerge from retinal strip explants originate from a single class of retinal cell, the retinal ganglion cell. Second, it is possible in the explant pieces of retina to keep track of the relative retinal location of all the neurons in the explant.
Institutional Games and the U.S. Supreme Court

Over the course of the past decade, the behavioral analysis of decisions by the Supreme Court has turned to game theory to gain new insights into this important institution in American politics. Game theory highlights the role of strategic interactions between the Court and other institutions in the decisions the Court makes as well as in the relations among the justices as they make their decisions. Rather than assume that the justices' votes reveal their sincere preferences, students of law and politics have come to examine how the strategic concerns of the justices lead to "sophisticated" behavior as they seek to maximize achievement of their goals when faced with constraints on their ability to do so. In "Institutional Games and the U.S. Supreme Court," James Rogers, Roy Flemming, and Jon Bond gather various essays that use game theory to explain the Supreme Court's interactions with Congress, the states, and the lower courts. Offering new ways of understanding the complexity and consequences of these interactions, the volume joins a growing body of work that considers these influential interactions among various branches of the U.S. government.Contributors: Kenneth A. Shepsle, Andrew De Martin, James R. Rogers, Christopher Zorn, Georg Vanberg, Cliff Carrubba, Thomas Hammond, Christopher Bonneau, Reginald Sheehan, Charles Cameron, Lewis A. Kornhauser, Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, Matthew Stephenson, Stefanie A. Lindquist, Susan D. Haire, Lawrence Baum
Comparing faculty information seeking in teaching and research: Implications for the design of digital libraries: Research Articles

ADEPT is a 5-year project whose goals are to develop, deploy, and evaluate inquiry learning capabilities for the Alexandria Digital Library, an extant digital library of primary sources in geography. We interviewed nine geography faculty members who teach undergraduate courses about their information seeking for research and teaching and their use of information resources in teaching. These data were supplemented by interviews with four faculty members from another ADEPT study about the nature of knowledge in geography. Among our key findings are that geography faculty are more likely to encounter useful teaching resources while seeking research resources than vice versa, although the influence goes in both directions. Their greatest information needs are for research data, maps, and images. They desire better searching by concept or theme, in addition to searching by location and place name. They make extensive use of their own research resources in their teaching. Among the implications for functionality and architecture of geographic digital libraries for educational use are that personal digital libraries are essential, because individual faculty members have personalized approaches to selecting, collecting, and organizing teaching resources. Digital library services for research and teaching should include the ability to import content from common office software and to store content in standard formats that can be exported to other applications. Digital library services can facilitate sharing among faculty but cannot overcome barriers such as intellectual property rights, access to proprietary research data, or the desire of individuals to maintain control over their own resources. Faculty use of primary and secondary resources needs to be better understood if we are to design successful digital libraries for research and teaching. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Historical View of Strict Liability for Product-Related Injuries

Since the Greenman v. Yuba Power Products case in 1963, strict liability has been a part of the U.S. product liability framework. Over the years, strict liability has been increasingly applied to marketing practices and institutions. This article reviews such developments and highlights the reasons for them.
Can telomere shortening explain sigmoidal growth curves

A general branching process model is proposed to describe the shortening of telomeres in eukaryotic chromosomes. The model is flexible and incorporates many special cases to be found in the literature. In particular, we show how telomere shortening can give rise to sigmoidal growth curves, an idea first expressed by Portugal et al. [A computational model for telomere-dependent cell-replicative aging, BioSystems 91 (2008), pp. 262–267]. We also demonstrate how other types of growth curves arise if telomere shortening is mitigated by other cellular processes. We compare our results with published data sets from the biological literature.
Child witch hunts in contemporary Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: The persecution of children as witches has received widespread reportage in the international mass media. In recent years, hundreds of children have been killed, maimed and abandoned across Africa based on individual and village-level accusations of witchcraft. Despite the media focus, to date, very little systematic study has investigated the phenomenon. In this case study, the persecution of child witches in Ghana is studied to explore the nature and patterns of witch hunts against children in the West African nation. METHODS: There are no reliable national data on child abuse related to witchcraft accusations in Ghana. For this study, 13 cases of child witch hunts appearing in the local media during 1994-2009 were analyzed. Case summaries were constructed for each incident to help identify the socio-demographic characteristics of assailants and victims, victim-offender relationships, the methods of attacks, the spatial characteristics, as well as the motivations for the attacks. RESULTS: Children branded as witches ranged in age from 1-month-old to 17-years-old, were primarily from poor backgrounds, and lived in rural areas of the country. Accusations of witchcraft and witch assaults were lodged by close family members often through the encouragement of, or in concert with Christian clergymen and fetish priests. Accused witches were physically brutalized, tortured, neglected, and in two cases, murdered. For school-aged children, imputations of witchcraft contributed to stigmatization in both the community and at school, resulting in dropping out. The most frequently expressed reason for persecution of the child was suspicion that the child had used witchcraft to cause the death or illness of family relations or someone in the community. Another reason was suspicion that the child was responsible for the business failure or financial difficulties of a perceived victim. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research are consistent with findings in the witchcraft literature suggesting that seemingly inexplicable illnesses, untimely deaths, and financial hardships tend to be the major causal forces generating witch hunts. Additional research is necessary to further shed light on child witch hunts in Ghana and other countries. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To reduce the incidence of such abuse, there is a need for increased advocacy and protections for children in the society. The government must also increase the penalties for child abuse. This will serve as a deterrent to potential offenders. Additionally, through public service campaigns, educating citizens about the causes and trajectories of diseases, will lead to a significant diminution of witchcraft accusations and the associated violence. Language: en
Subchronic lead feeding study in male rats and micropigs.

This study compared the lead uptake from contaminated test soil of known lead concentration with a soluble lead acetate standard, which was considered to be 100% bioavailable. This study also compared the lead bioavailability from this lead-contaminated soil between rats and micropigs. Harlan Sprague–Dawley rats and Yucatan micropigs were fed lead-contaminated soil as a 5% (w/w) mixture with their diet. The lead-contaminated soil was either a specific test soil of known lead concentration (1000 μg/g) or basal low concentration lead soil (∼135 μg/g), which was spiked with lead acetate to match the lead content of the test soil. The effective diet lead concentration was 50 μg Pb/g diet. Results demonstrated that rats reached steady-state concentrations of blood lead by week 2, whereas micropigs did not reach steady state until week 4. In addition, final blood lead concentrations in micropigs were four-fold higher than those in rats. In the micropigs, the final blood lead levels in the test soil study group were significantly lower than those in the lead acetate study group, although there was no significant difference between study groups in the rats. Tissue lead concentrations were significantly higher in micropigs than those in the rats, although the diet lead concentrations in both sets of animals were the same. In summary, because of the greater sensitivity in demonstrating higher tissue lead incorporation in micropigs as compared to rats, the micropig is a better animal model for demonstrating the differences in relative lead bioavailability when testing different sources of lead-contaminated soils. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009.
A PUTATIVE G-PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTOR, H218, IS DOWN-REGULATED DURING THE RETINOIC ACID-INDUCED DIFFERENTIATION OF F9 EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA CELLS

Abstract We have previously cloned a novel guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein)-coupled receptor, H218, that has sequence similarity to a lysophosphatidic acid receptor, edg2. We present here Northern analysis indicating that the H218 mRNA is expressed in undifferentiated F9 embryonal carcinoma cells. The H218 message is down-regulated and its stability is decreased during retinoic acid- and dibutyryl cAMP-induced differentiation. Treatment by various receptor-selective retinoids indicated that retinoic acid receptor β or γ signaling, but not retinoid X receptor activation, is required for the down-regulation of H218 mRNA. Activation of the H218 receptor may contribute to the phenotype of undifferentiated F9 embryonal carcinoma cells.
Differential Effects of Transformation on Facial Recognition in Young Children: A Pilot Study

This study sought to examine further the effect of facial transformation on accuracy of recognition by a sample of young children. Specifically, groups of 6- and 8-yr.-old children were familiarized with 10 target stimuli and were then given a recognition test in which the targets were randomly mixed with 20 distractor stimuli. During the test, half of the target stimuli were transformed (addition of a mustache) and half of the target stimuli remained unchanged (clean-shaven). Subjects indicated which stimuli were previously viewed target faces, regardless of whether a mustache had been added. Analysis indicated no differences between the two groups for the unchanged faces; however, the addition of facial hair increased false alarms and lowered hits and d' values for the younger group only. These results suggest that the groups performed equally well on recognition test for unchanged stimuli, but accuracy of recognition of transformed stimuli was differentially affected for younger subjects. This study raises further questions for assessing the accuracy of facial memory by children, especially when faces to be identified have been altered in physical appearance.
Spatial resolution of pacemapping and activation mapping in patients with idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia.

Spatial Resolution of Mapping. Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the spatial resolution of activation mapping and pacemapping in patients undergoing ablation of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) arising from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). A direct comparison of the two techniques has not been undertaken. Methods and Results: Electroanatomical activation maps of the RVOT were obtained during VT in 15 patients. Pacemaps were obtained from multiple sites, tagged on the activation map, and scored according the degree of concordance between the paced QRS configuration and that of VT. The site of successful ablation was considered the VT site of origin. Initial endocardial activation away from the site of origin was rapid; the mean area of myocardium activated within the first 10 msec (early activation area, EAA) was 3.0 ′ 1.6 cm 2 (range: 1.3-6.4 cm 2 ). Best pacemap scores were always obtained adjacent to the site of origin. Pacemap concordance, and the probability of an exact pacemap match significantly decreased with increasing distance of the pacing site from the site of origin (P < 0.01). All patients had more than one pacing site yielding a best pacemap score. The greatest distance between such sites in an individual patient ranged from 11 to 26 mm (mean: 18 ′ 5 mm), and was strongly correlated with the size of the EAA (r = 0.77, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Pacemapping and activation mapping provide similar localizing information. The spatial resolution of each technique is modest, varies between patients, and may be optimized by three-dimensional data display.
The depressive character

The depressive character is characterized by perpetual and unsuccessful efforts to maintain self-esteem and to avoid a sense of helplessness. Such individuals suffer from chronic depression which may or may not be masked, but which permeates their character. Although the condition is among the commonest seen in many of our clinics and practices, it remains without a generally accepted diagnostic form. It is suggested that the essential, clinical, dynamic, and structural features of the depressive character are: (1) consistently low self-esteem and a sense of helplessness, dependent object relations and chronic guilt; (2) self-directed aggression and masochism are frequent but not invariable; (3) extensive use of the mechanism of denial is as common as the previously described obsessional defenses seen in patients subject to psychotic depression; (4) often the depressive character suffers from intense oral envy; (5) depressive character traits may help to ward off any of the basic anxieties, namely, object loss, loss of love, castration anxiety, and superego anxiety (guilt) (6) the depressive character may be similar to a number of related disorders, namely, the obsessional character, hysterical characters with a large oral component, and depressive borderline states; (7) sensitivity to loss, sadness, and fragility of self-esteem makes the depressive character especially vulnerable to regression into overt depression; (8) the persistence of oral incorporative mechanisms, ambivalent, dependent object relations, ego versus superego tension with depressive affect, and sensitivity to loss are characteristic of the ego of the depressive character.
1192 LYMPHOCYTE CHOLESTEROL SYNTHESIS (LCS) IN NEW ONSET IDDM PRE AND POST INSULIN THERAPY

LCS from C14 acetate was studied in freshly isolated lymphocytes in 12 ketotic children (8 females, 4 males) with new onset IDDM before (DAY 0) and 5 days after insulin therapy and in 5 controls (C) who were nondiabetic siblings of IDD. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.6 yrs. (4.6-14.8 yrs). Patients were divided according to maximum LCS into 2 groups. GP1 (n=7) maximum LCS within 3 SD of C. GP2 (n=5) maximum LCS>10 SD above C. Results were: DAY 0: maximum LCS in C, GP1, and GP2, respectively, were 440.4±45.7, 469.4±170.2, 1580.4±241.9 pmoles/hr/mg. LDL50, the concentration of LDL cholesterol (ug/ml) in the medium necessary to reduce cholesterol synthesis to 50% of maximum LCS, was above 100 ug/ml in all 3 groups and higher than in adult controls (LDL50<50 ug/ml). DAY 5: Post insulin therapy, maximum LCS in GP1 did not change. In GP2 it dropped significantly from that of Day 0 (530.8±520.9 vs 1580.4±241.9, p=0.006) and was similar toC and GP1. LDL50 was the same in the 3 groups and similar to Day 0. Cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, insulin, C-Peptide, glucagon, bicarbonate, triglycerides, and pH were similar in both groups, but GP1 had a significantly higher HDL and glucose level and lower B-OH butyrate than GP2 at Day 0. These results indicate that (1) abnormalities in cellular cholesterol metabolism are present in IDDM and can be corrected partly with insulin; (2) nondiabetic siblings of IDDM may have abnormal suppressibility of endogenous cholesterol synthesis with higher LDL50 compared to adults.
In Response to Those Who Wish To Retain Hybrid Atomic Orbitals in the Curriculum

This letter is in response to those who do not wish to retire the hybrid atomic orbital model. The argument is made that students in general and organic chemistry lack the necessary background skills to properly understand orbital bonding models, and thus, teaching these models in these courses leads many students to generate misconceptions.
THE QUADRATIC ZEEMAN EFFECT IN HYDROGEN : AN EXAMPLE OF SEMI-CLASSICAL QUANTIZATION OF A STRONGLY NON-SEPARABLE BUT ALMOST INTEGRABLE SYSTEM

Semi-classical quantization of multidimensional systems is discussed both in terms of the Einstein-Brillouin-Keller quantization on invariant tori, and in terms of infinite families of periodic orbits. The notions of separability, integrability, and non-integrability of classical systems are introduced. An approximate integrability is used to quantize the quadratic Zeeman problem, via analytic calculation of the Birkhoff-Gustavson normal form.
Framework foresight: Exploring futures the Houston way

Abstract Over the last several years, the University of Houston developed and codified a method for teaching students how to carry out foresight projects. This development represented a philosophical shift from a neutral presentation of methods without particular advocacy for one or the other. The challenge that this neutral approach presented is that each method is somewhat different and especially for those new to foresight, it became challenging to find common ground, distinguish them, or to know when to use one or the other. Our experience is that our initial wariness of promoting a standard method and thus a “one-right-way” of doing foresight proved unfounded. Not only does it not detract from the teaching of other methods, in fact it has made it easier. Framework Foresight was deliberately built to accommodate and incorporate other methods and approaches. It provides a basis of comparison of how various practitioners and methods do the work, enabling them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each. Framework Foresight thus could be viewed as a meta-method in that it is a modular approach that accommodates a substitution of, or supplementation from, other methods or techniques at various steps. As students became practitioners and used the method in their practice, they have provided useful feedback and have generally reported back good results. Thus, Framework Foresight is offered to the foresight community as a method for carrying out foresight projects
Outcome after Thoracic Aortic Injury: Experience in a Level-1 Trauma Center

Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is a potentially fatal injury that leads to death in 75-90% of cases at the time of injury. In this report, we present our experience with traumatic thoracic aortic injury and compare the outcome in patients with respect to their hemodynamic stability at presentation and the timing of surgical repair. We performed a retrospective data analysis of the medical records of 30 patients who had sustained a traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta during the period from January 1, 2000 to October 30, 2005. The demographic data, mechanism of injury, modality of diagnosis, location of injury, other associated injuries, hemodynamic stability at presentation, response to resuscitation, timing of aortic repair, as well as the resultant morbidities and mortalities were reviewed. Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta was diagnosed in 30 patients. The injury was located in the ascending aorta in two patients, in the aortic isthmus in 25 patients, and in the descending aorta (distal to the isthmus) in three patients. Associated injuries included head injury (50%), C spine (23.3%), lung injury (80%), and visceral (63%) and extremity (60%) injury. Seven patients (23%) were pronounced dead on arrival to the emergency room, 14 patients (47%) were hemodynamically unstable upon arrival, and nine patients (30%) were hemodynamically stable. In the unstable group, two patients (14%) expired before operative repair, 11 patients (79%) underwent emergent repair of the thoracic aorta resulting in 46% mortality, and one patient (7%) underwent delayed repair after initial stabilization with a splenectomy for a splenic laceration. In the stable group, three patients (33%) underwent early (within 24 hr) aortic surgery, while repair was delayed in six (67%). The mean duration of time spent prior to delayed repair was 20.85 days (range 2-53, median = 25). There was no mortality in this group. Acute traumatic thoracic aortic rupture remains a highly fatal condition. Hemodynamic instability remains the main mortality risk factor. Delayed repair is safe and is not associated with increased risk of aortic rupture in hemodynamically stable patients.
Effects of prior agonistic experience on risk assessment and approach behavior evoked by familiar or unfamiliar conspecific odors

Risk assessment and appetitive behaviors in response to familiar and unfamiliar conspecific odors were measured in mice rendered dominant or subordinate by a series of resident-intruder encounters. Subordinate mice showed elevated levels of risk assessment in response to the odors of both familiar dominant and unfamiliar males. These behaviors were almost totally absent among dominant males exposed to familiar subordinate or unfamiliar male odors. Subordinate mice showed a marginally significant elevation in latencies to approach familiar, but not unfamiliar, dominant odors. Dominant and subordinate mice spent comparable amounts of time in the cage area containing familiar antagonist odors, however, and the durations of subordinates were mildly elevated, rather than decreased, when unfamiliar conspecific odors were present. There were no group differences in any of the appetitive behaviors. These findings suggest that apparent preferences for conspecific odors may arise from quantitatively and/or qualitatively differing emotional states. The inclusion of risk assessment measures is suggested to be a useful adjunct for studies of olfactory preference/rejection. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Usefulness of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in predicting short- and long-term mortality after non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is the strongest white blood cell predictor of adverse outcomes in stable and unstable coronary artery syndromes. The aim of our study was to explore the utility of NLR in predicting long-term mortality in patients with non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Consecutive patients with NSTEMI at Staten Island University Hospital were evaluated for study inclusion. Of the 1,345 patients with NSTEMI admitted from September 2004 to September 2006, 619 qualified for study inclusion. Survival analysis, stratified by NLR tertiles, was used to evaluate the predictive value of average inpatient NLR levels. Four-year vital status was accessed with electronic medical records and Social Security Death Index. Patients in the highest NLR tertile (NLR >4.7) had a higher 4-year mortality rate (29.8% vs 8.4%) compared to those in the lowest tertile (NLR 4.7. We strongly suggest the use of NLR rather than other leukocyte parameters (e.g., total white blood cell count) in risk stratification of the NSTEMI population.
Amorphization and Solid-Phase Epitaxial Growth of C-Cluster Ion-Implanted Si

Amorphization and solid-phase epitaxial growth were studied in C-cluster ion-implanted Si. C7H7 ions were implanted at a C-equivalent energy of 10 keV to C doses of 0.1 × 1015 cm−2 to 8.0 × 1015 cm−2 into (001) Si wafers. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a C amorphizing dose of ~5.0 × 1014 cm−2. Annealing of amorphized specimens to effect solid-phase epitaxial growth resulted in defect-free growth for C doses of 0.5 × 1015 cm−2 to 1.0 × 1015 cm−2. At higher doses, growth was defective and eventually polycrystalline due to induced in-plane tensile stress from substitutional C incorporation.
A Model of Cooperative Finance: Comment

In a recent article in this Journal, VanSickle and Ladd (VL) presented an interesting economic analysis of the financial operations of a Section 521 cooperative. They also reported some surprising empirical results that suggested cooperatives should substitute equity capital (stock and deferred patronage refunds) for debt capital when the cooperative members' opportunity cost for capital is 12% and the interest rate for debt capital is between 7% and 10%. Intuitively, one would expect to obtain results that are exactly opposite to those of VL since debt capital has a lower cost than equity capital. Therefore, I believe VL's conceptualization of the cooperative objective should be scrutinized.
The First Fossil Record of Caecilian Amphibians

THREE groups of amphibians are living today—frogs, salamanders and caecilians. The fossil record of frogs and salamanders is relatively poor1,2, but representatives of most groups have been discovered. For the caecilians, however, no authentic fossils have been recognized, until now. We describe here a single diagnostic vertebra from the Palaeocene of Brazil.