cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does a Diagnosis of Velocardiofacial Syndrome Mean Schizophrenia

This is the case of a 16-year-old female with no previous history of psychosis who was referred for concerns about new onset of psychotic symptoms. She had reported that she saw “dead people” at the back of family vehicles for several months prior to evaluation. This symptom was reported to her psychologist who had been seeing her since fourth grade to assist with management of anxiety and mood issues and to teach coping skills. This psychiatric change prompted significant concern that she was developing a psychotic disorder which was heightened by the presence of comorbid 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), a condition with over a 25% risk for the development of schizophrenia. 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, also known as velocardiofacial syndrome, is a multisystemic genetic disorder that carries a very high risk for schizophrenia. This case highlights the importance of early assessment and management of individuals with this disorder. This case also demonstrates the potential opportunities that exist to improve care by taking into account features of the syndrome as well as the psychiatric issues in assessment and management.
Reducing the number of unnecessary routine laboratory tests through education of internal medicine residents.

Introduction The Choosing Wisely guidelines advise against ordering routine blood tests for hospitalised patients unless they change management. Unnecessary testing can lead to adverse effects (eg, iatrogenic anaemia, poor sleep quality, risk for infections and increased cost of care). Methods An 8-week quality initiative aimed at reducing unnecessary blood tests was implemented in three internal medicine resident inpatient services. The initiative included a 30 min educational session, reminders prior to rotation and midrotation and posters in work areas that displayed lab pricing and urged judicious testing. Residents were encouraged to justify the purpose of ordering tests in their daily progress notes. Attending physicians were made aware of the initiative. Preintervention and postintervention time points were used to compare key metrics. A >10% decrease between time periods was used as an evaluation criterion. Results There were 293 patient records reviewed in the preintervention period and 419 in the postintervention period. The two groups were similar in terms of age and gender. Median blood test count (complete blood count/basic metabolic profile/comprehensive metabolic profile) decreased from 4 to 2 tests per patient per day (50 % decrease) after the intervention. The median length of hospital stay decreased from 4.9 to 3.9 days (21% decrease). A decreased percentage of people requiring transfusions was also noted (2016: 6.1%, 2017: 2.9%). Conclusion The frequency of unnecessary routine blood tests ordered in the hospital can be decreased by educating resident physicians, making them cost conscious and aware of the indications for ordering routine labs. Frequent reminders are needed to sustain the educational benefit.
Genetic variation and function of the HIV-1 Tat protein

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein, which has several functions that promote viral replication, pathogenesis, and disease. Amino acid variation within Tat has been observed to alter the functional properties of Tat and, depending on the HIV-1 subtype, may produce Tat phenotypes differing from viruses’ representative of each subtype and commonly used in in vivo and in vitro experimentation. The molecular properties of Tat allow for distinctive functional activities to be determined such as the subcellular localization and other intracellular and extracellular functional aspects of this important viral protein influenced by variation within the Tat sequence. Once Tat has been transported into the nucleus and becomes engaged in transactivation of the long terminal repeat (LTR), various Tat variants may differ in their capacity to activate viral transcription. Post-translational modification patterns based on these amino acid variations may alter interactions between Tat and host factors, which may positively or negatively affect this process. In addition, the ability of HIV-1 to utilize or not utilize the transactivation response (TAR) element within the LTR, based on genetic variation and cellular phenotype, adds a layer of complexity to the processes that govern Tat-mediated proviral DNA-driven transcription and replication. In contrast, cytoplasmic or extracellular localization of Tat may cause pathogenic effects in the form of altered cell activation, apoptosis, or neurotoxicity. Tat variants have been shown to differentially induce these processes, which may have implications for long-term HIV-1-infected patient care in the antiretroviral therapy era. Future studies concerning genetic variation of Tat with respect to function should focus on variants derived from HIV-1-infected individuals to efficiently guide Tat-targeted therapies and elucidate mechanisms of pathogenesis within the global patient population.
Recent advances in air-battery chemistries

Abstract Lithium-ion batteries were first commercialized in the early 1990s and since then have been used for most of the electronic systems. Lithium-ion batteries have developed linearly over the past 25 years. However, the state-of-the-art commercial lithium-ion batteries have still not achieved the US Department of Energy's energy density target of 400 Wh kg−1.1. With advancement of portable electronic devices and electrification of transportation rises a need for more advanced battery systems that can power these systems. Tremendous research is ongoing in new battery technologies to satisfy the energy storage requirements. Batteries with high energy density, long cycle life, and safe and low cost are the need of the hour. Metal-air batteries seem to be promising candidates for the future battery requirements because of their higher specific capacity and energy density as compared with lithium-ion batteries. In this article, I have discussed the various air battery chemistries and their recent developments.
Semisupervised Clustering, AND-Queries and Locally Encodable Source Coding

Source coding is the canonical problem of data compression in information theory. In a locally encodable source coding, each compressed bit depends on only few bits of the input. In this paper, we show that a recently popular model of semisupervised clustering is equivalent to locally encodable source coding. In this model, the task is to perform multiclass labeling of unlabeled elements. At the beginning, we can ask in parallel a set of simple queries to an oracle who provides (possibly erroneous) binary answers to the queries. The queries cannot involve more than two (or a fixed constant number $\Delta$ of) elements. Now the labeling of all the elements (or clustering) must be performed based on the (noisy) query answers. The goal is to recover all the correct labelings while minimizing the number of such queries. The equivalence to locally encodable source codes leads us to find lower bounds on the number of queries required in variety of scenarios. We are also able to show fundamental limitations of pairwise `same cluster' queries - and propose pairwise AND queries, that provably performs better in many situations.
Survival analysis of Hispanics with hepatocellular carcinoma at a large academic institution.

e14682 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) appears to have worse prognosis among Hispanics in the United States who have a higher mortality when compared toBlacks and Non-Hispanic Whites bas...
The Online Dating Intensity Scale: Exploratory Factor Analysis in a Sample of Emerging Adults.

We performed an exploratory factor analysis on the Online Dating Intensity Scale with a sample of emerging adult college students (N = 494). The data analyses resulted in a 1-factor, 5-item assessm...
Chapter 2 – Systems of Linear Equations

In Sections 2.1 and 2.2, we present Gaussian elimination and Gauss-Jordan row reduction, which are important techniques for solving linear systems. The study of linear systems leads to the examination of further properties of matrices, including row equivalence, rank, and the row space of a matrix in Section 2.3, and inverses of matrices in Section 2.4.
Multiple myeloma (MM) therapy within a Medicare insured patient population: Role of initial care setting and socioeconomic status.

e19057Background: Approval of MM therapies including immunomodulatory agents (IMiDs), and proteasome inhibitors (PIs), coupled with increasing evidence supporting PI-IMiD combinations, maintenance ...
43. IMPLEMENTATION OF A HUMANITIES IN MEDICINE CURRICULUM FOR PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS

Background Medical humanities is the intersection of medicine and humanistic disciplines. Emphasis on human aspects of medicine may encourage clinicians to build community, develop empathy and self-compassion, and foster meaning-making, all of which combat burnout and enable resiliency. At Cincinnati Children's Hospital, we implemented a humanities curriculum amongst pediatric residents with the aim of promoting resiliency, fostering shared experiences among peers and mentors and reconnecting participants to the wonders of medicine. Methods/Curriculum Development A basic needs assessment was performed, and learning objectives were developed: to develop communication and professionalism, to facilitate reflective practice, and to provide mentorship for coping with the joys and challenges of medicine. Five sessions were planned over 12 months with related materials shared before each session by email. Sessions were held off campus in evenings, and interested residents joined when available. Topics included coping with medical mistakes, death and dying, magic in medicine, imposter syndrome, and narrative medicine; group discussion was facilitated by resident leaders. Post-session surveys were distributed to participants of the 4th and 5th sessions. Anonymous comments were analyzed qualitatively for common themes. Results Forty-four unique residents attended at least one session, with 12-20 residents and 2-3 attendings per session. Seven of 20 participants responded to the first survey, and 4 of 10 responded to the second survey. All respondents reported interest in attending future sessions and would recommend the sessions to friends. Common themes included insights into patient experiences, benefits of voicing and hearing shared challenges, and finding joy in medicine. Conclusions We successfully implemented a curriculum to encourage medical humanities in our pediatric residency program. Next steps include implementation of additional sessions at regular intervals and assessing the impact of sessions on burnout and its risk factors.
CT for detection of malignant posterior intercostal lymph nodes in patients undergoing pre-operative staging for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Abstract Introduction Recent evidence suggests that patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) undergoing extended pleurectomy/decortication (eP/D) with metastasis to the posterior intercostal lymph nodes (PILN) have a worse prognosis. In this study, we determine if MPM PILN metastasis can be reliably detected on computed tomography (CT). Materials and Methods Preoperative staging CT exams were reviewed for the presence of PILN in MPM patients undergoing eP/D between 2007–2013 with surgical sampling of their PILN. CT images were reviewed by two thoracic radiologists blinded to clinical records, including operative pathology reports. The number and short axis size of PILN were recorded and correlated with surgical pathology. Statistical analysis examined the value of preoperative CT to detect metastatic PILN. Results Of 36 patients that underwent eP/D with PILN sampling had preoperative CT images for review. At surgery, 22 of these patients had metastatic PILN and 14 had benign PILN. The positive and negative predictive values for one or more nodes seen on preoperative CT were 60 % and 38 % respectively. The number of PILN on preoperative CT did not predict metastasis (p = 0.40) with an average of 2 PILN seen, regardless of PILN pathology. The average nodal short axis size was 4.6 mm and 4.8 mm for benign and malignant PILN, respectively, and PILN short axis size did not predict metastasis (p = 0.39). There was little inter-observer variability between the size and number of nodes detected by each radiologist. Conclusions CT does not reliably identify metastatic PILN on preoperative CT for patients with MPM undergoing extended pleurectomy/decortication.
Evidence That Daily Vinegar Ingestion May Contribute to Erosive Tooth Wear in Adults.

Vinegar ingestion at mealtime is gaining popularity for its antiglycemic effects; however, it is among the most acidic consumable substances. This study examined tooth wear in healthy adults partic...
College Students' COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Students at a midsized public university in New England were surveyed to determine the extent of their vaccine hesitancy regarding coronavirus vaccines. The random sample consisted of 592 graduate and undergraduate students. Responses to the survey question, "Will you be vaccinated for the coronavirus when vaccines are available to you?" included the following responses: 299 (50.6%) responded yes, 176 (29.8%) responded no, and114 (19.3%) responded not sure. Students' comments regarding why they would not be vaccinated or why they were not sure, indicated that they needed more information. Suggestions regarding how information might be disseminated included the use of social media, on campus activities including games with prizes with the school name on them held by clubs, and so forth.
GST: A Journey to Make India a Single Tax Economy

Goods and Service tax is the Comprehensive levy on the goods and services at the stage of consumption. This paper will try to highlight the changes in out indirect structure that has finally resulted in the introduction of GST. This paper gives a detailed account of how we started with L.K. Jha Committee report in 1976 and ended up with 101st Constitutional Amendment Act that led to the unification of the Economy. The GST is also very important from the view of Cooperative federalism because the introduction of GST was not possible if the State and Central Government would not have forgo some of there power to tax under 7th schedule. The paper has tried to cover the whole journey of GST and the need for integrated tax structure in India. The paper will further evaluate the policy changes and its impact in past 3 years.
Cryptococcus neoformans: Nonvertebrate Hosts and the Emergence of Virulence

Several nonvertebrate hosts has been used to investigate virulence traits and therapies for several bacterial and fungal pathogens. This chapter details the use of heterologous hosts for the study of Cryptococcus neoformans. A striking finding was the correlation between known mammalian virulence factors such as the capsule, melanin, and phospholipase and their necessity for survival in amoebae. Many of the assays used when working with macrophages can be modified for use with Acanthamoeba castellanii, including killing assays, trypan blue staining, and phagocytosis assays. Although many virulence traits have shown some concordance in their requirement for both mammalian and protozoan virulence, there are some discrepancies. Two assays have been developed using Caenorhabditis elegans as a host to study C. neoformans. The first assay, termed the ‘’killing assay’’, was initially utilized to identify C. neoformans mutants reduced in virulence. Another assay has been developed based on the observation of smaller nematode brood size when infected with pathogenic C. neoformans. Mutants of Pka1 or Gpa1 (the α subunit) are reduced in virulence in C. elegans, similar to the observed virulence in mice studies. Acapsular mutants also displayed attenuated virulence in Dictyostelium discoideum and Galleria mellonella infection assays, although they remain virulent in D. melanogaster infection assays. Since the Cryptococcus genus includes a large set of organisms, all of which are also presumably under ameboid predator selection in soils and are able to survive in their environments, the avirulence of most species represents the absence of a complete trait set for animal hosts.
Trends in data warehousing: a practitioner's view

This talk will present emerging data warehousing reference architectures, and focus on trends and directions that are shaping these enterprise installations. Implications will be highlighted, including both of new and old technology. Stack seamless integration is also pivotal to success, which also has significant implications on things such as Metadata.
Thermal expansivities, thermal conductivities, and densities of vanadium, titanium, chromium and some vanadium-base alloys: A comparison with austenitic stainless steel

Abstract Computer-fitted polynomial expressions are presented that define the linear thermal-expansion behavior of vanadium, titanium, chromium, certain VTi and VTiCr alloys, and AISI Types 304 and 316 stainless steels between 0 ° and 1000 °C. The mean expansion coefficients for the vanadium-base alloys differ only slightly from those for unalloyed vanadium (plus or minus 6%), and are 65% to 80% lower than the mean expansion coefficients for the austenitic stainless steels. Densities of the vanadium-base alloys and the austenitic stainless steels were determined at 25 °C by liquid displacement. The VTi alloys show a non-linear decrease in density with increasing titanium for titanium contents greater than 30 wt.%. The VTiCr alloys also exhibit a non-linear change in density for compositions containing greater than 15 wt.% titanium, and greater than 5 wt.% chromium. A comparison of the mechanical and thermal properties of two vanadium-base alloys and two austenitic stainless steels was made to determine their relative usefulness as reactor fuel jackets for service between 500 ° and 700 °C. This comparison shows that vanadium alloy fuel jackets would be subjected to only one-third the thermal stresses generated in austenitic stainless steel jackets during reactor excursions between 500 ° and 700 °C under conditions where the fuel is not in intimate contact with the jacket. This difference in thermal stresses in the two jacket materials is the result of the 37% higher tensile strength, 40% higher thermal conductivity, and 70% lower thermal expansivity exhibited by the vanadium alloys as compared with austenitic stainless steel.
Pressurized Thermal Shock Experiments with Thick Vessels

Information is provided on the series of pressurized-thermal-shock experiments at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, motivated by a concern for the behavior of flaws in reactor pressure vessels having welds or shells exhibiting low upper-shelf Charpy impact energies, approx. 68J or less. (JDB)
Employment-based reinforcement of adherence to depot naltrexone in unemployed opioid-dependent adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims Naltrexone can be used to treat opioid dependence, but patients refuse to take it. Extended-release depot formulations may improve adherence, but long-term adherence rates to depot naltrexone are not known. This study determined long-term rates of adherence to depot naltrexone and whether employment-based reinforcement can improve adherence. Design Participants who were inducted onto oral naltrexone were assigned randomly to contingency (n = 18) or prescription (n = 17) groups. Participants were offered six depot naltrexone injections and invited to work at the therapeutic workplace on week days for 26 weeks, where they earned stipends for participating in job skills training. Contingency participants were required to accept naltrexone injections to maintain workplace access and to maintain maximum pay. Prescription participants could work independently of whether they accepted injections. Setting The therapeutic workplace, a model employment-based intervention for drug addiction and unemployment. Participants Opioid-dependent unemployed adults. Measurements Depot naltrexone injections accepted and opiate-negative urine samples. Findings Contingency participants accepted significantly more naltrexone injections than prescription participants (81% versus 42%), and were more likely to accept all injections (66% versus 35%). At monthly assessments (with missing urine samples imputed as positive), the groups provided similar percentages of samples negative for opiates (74% versus 62%) and for cocaine (56% versus 54%). Opiate-positive samples were more likely when samples were also positive for cocaine. Conclusions Employment-based reinforcement can maintain adherence to depot naltrexone. Future research should determine whether persistent cocaine use compromises naltrexone's effect on opiate use. Workplaces may be useful for promoting sustained adherence to depot naltrexone.
COEXISTENCE OF EVOLVING BACTERIA STABILIZED BY A SHARED BLACK QUEEN FUNCTION

The Black Queen Hypothesis (BQH) was originally proposed to explain the dependence of some marine bacteria on helper organisms for protection from hydrogen peroxide (HOOH). The BQH predicts that selection for the evolutionary loss of leaky functions from individuals can produce commensal or mutualistic interactions. We demonstrated the leakiness of HOOH detoxification by complementing a HOOH-sensitive Escherichia coli mutant with a plasmid-encoded HOOH-detoxifying enzyme, KatG, and then evolving populations founded by this strain in two environments. When HOOH was absent, plasmid-carrying cells were outcompeted by plasmid-free segregants, reflecting the high cost of KatG expression. However, plasmid-carrying and plasmid-free cells coexisted for at least 1200 generations in three replicate populations evolved in the presence of HOOH, although their relative proportions fluctuated as beneficial mutations arose in one type or the other. Evolved plasmid-bearing cells reduced the cost of plasmid carriage even as they increased the rate of HOOH removal relative to the ancestor. Meanwhile, plasmid-free cells remained dependent on HOOH detoxification by the plasmid-bearing cells. These results demonstrate that partitioning of a Black Queen function can enable the stable coexistence of very similar organisms, even in this most restrictive case where the two types are competing for a single resource.
Choroidal metastasis from medullary thyroid carcinoma in multiple endocrine neoplasia.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report choroidal metastasis from medullary thyroid carcinoma in a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2b. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: Medullary thyroid carcinoma developed in a 20-year-old woman and led to the diagnosis of MEN 2b. She had mucosal neuromas on the lips and tongue and prominent corneal nerves in both eyes. Right choroidal metastasis developed when she was 36 years of age. RESULTS: The eye was treated with irradiation, but 9 months later the patient died of widespread metastases. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with MEN type 2b, choroidal metastasis can develop from medullary thyroid carcinoma. Although fundus abnormalities typically do not occur with MEN 2b, choroidal metastasis from medullary thyroid carcinoma is a potential fundus finding.
Does environmental enrichment really matter? A case study using the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus

Abstract Institutional and federal ethics committees regulate research on live vertebrate animals. Current regulations require researchers to provide environmental enrichment for laboratory animals. The intention is that such enrichment reduces stress and prevents atypical behavior of captive animals, enhancing the ethical treatment of these individuals, as well as providing more robust scientific results. Enrichment can take various forms but most frequently mimics aspects of the animal's natural environment, such as the inclusion of plant life, shelters, conspecifics, or providing challenges to keep the animals occupied. These approaches have proven effective for mammals and birds; however, we know little about the effectiveness of environmental enrichment for other common research taxa, such as reptiles and amphibians. These taxa are more phylogenetically distant from humans, making intuition an unreliable guide upon which to base decisions about ethics best practice, including the benefits of environmental enrichment. The eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, spends much of its time off the ground. Therefore, we provided climbing enrichment to captive fence lizards to allow them the opportunity to carry out this common natural behavior in captivity, and tested its effect on a range of ecologic- and scientifically relevant physiological and behavioral parameters. The provision of environmental enrichment, in the form of raised basking platforms, did not affect survival (P = 0.25), baseline levels of plasma corticosterone (an indicator of physiological stress; P = 0.81), activity (P = 0.19), basking behavior (P = 0.89), time spent hiding (P = 0.59), growth (mass: P = 0.44; snout-vent length: P = 0.47), or overall body condition of these lizards (P = 0.61). This lack of an effect highlights the need for researchers to objectively test the effectiveness of enrichment, rather than relying on subjectivity and anthropomorphism when making decisions about their use.
The phototransformation of phytochrome probed by 360 MHz proton NMR spectra

The 360 MHz proton NMR spectra of the Pr and Pfr forms of phytochrome have been recorded to probe the nature of the phytochrome phototransformation (Pr → Pfr). The NMR spectra of aliphatic protons in Pr and Pfr proteins are similar, suggesting that the conformation of both proteins are not drastically different. However, the NMR spectrum of aromatic and the -NH- proton resonance region of Pfr differs significantly from that of Pr, including the absence of a resonance at 6.15 ppm in the former. Differences in the NMR spectra of small and large mol wt phytochromes have also been noted.
Temporal effects of a COX-2-selective NSAID on bone ingrowth.

The effects of a short course of a COX-2 inhibitor on bone healing when the drug is discontinued are unknown. We examined the effects of rofecoxib on bone ingrowth over a 6-week period using a well-defined animal model. The Bone Harvest Chamber was implanted bilaterally in mature rabbits. After osseointegration of the chamber, the following treatments were given for 6 weeks each, followed by a harvest in each case: control-no drug; oral rofecoxib (12.5 mg/day) for the first 2 of 6 weeks; washout period-no drug; oral rofecoxib for the last 2 of 6 weeks; washout period-no drug; rofecoxib given continuously for all 6 weeks. Harvested specimens were snap-frozen, cut into serial 6-μm sections, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and alkaline phosphatase (osteoblast marker), and processed using immunohistochemistry to identify the vitronectin receptor (osteoclast-like cells). Rofecoxib given continuously for 6 weeks yielded statistically less bone ingrowth compared to the control treatment. Rofecoxib given during the initial or final 2 weeks of a 6-week treatment did not appear to interfere with bone ingrowth. This suggests that the effects of COX-2 inhibitors on bone are less profound when the drug is administered for a short period of time. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 72A: 279–287, 2005
Utilizing Augmented Reality Technology for Crowd Pedestrian Analysis Involving Individuals With Disabilities

This research explores how different compositions of Individuals with Disabilities (IwDs) affect the dynamics of crowd movement. In particular, we consider IwDs such as individuals on manual and electric wheelchair, with vision loss and other mobility impairments to better understand the impacts that the compositions of individuals with various types of disabilities will bring on the mobility of the crowd at various structural elements of a built environment such as hall way, door way, and stairwells. While currently available video tracking technologies provide options for primitive macroscopic and microscopic analysis of a crowd, they lack the ability to analyze detailed navigational information of each focused group such as IwDs with varying types of disabilities. This paper provides an approach that exploits ARToolKitPlus libraries and Power-over-Ethernet high speed cameras along with augmented reality elements to track navigational patterns at individual level in a crowd. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system to track individual tracking of navigational patterns.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Explosives detection: potential problems

Most explosive detection technologies have been focused on nitro-based military explosives becuase they have figured in international terrorist incidents. Not only are they readily available through purchase or theft or from sponsoring states, but methods for home synthesis are widely available. Many of explosive detection technolgies now under development target a specific characteristic of military or commercial explosives (e.g. mass density, nitrogen density). However, as counterterrorist measures make traditional explosives more difficult to obtain or more risky to use, we should anticipate terrorists may turn to nontraditional explosives. There are hundreds of energetic compounds and many common explosives which, while they do not meet exacting military demands, might be effective terrorist tools. Although explosive handbooks list hundreds of explosives, this talk focuses on only a handful. These have been chosen because they do not follow the classic patterns of military explosives or because they are easily obtainable. This paper will also point out energetic systems that can produce violently exothermic reactions without the aid of traditional initiating systems, such as batteries or detonators.
Quantum Theory of Spectral Line Broadening

Simple radiation theory is used to derive a formula proposed earlier by P. W. Anderson, for calculating the intensity within a collision-broadened spectral line. The problem is considered, first from the point of view of molecular transitions, and then by computing the work done by the light wave. The general result for absorption is stated in Eq. (18), wherein the first double integral represents true absorption, the second induced emission.
NORTHERN BOBWHITES AS DISEASE INDICATORS FOR THE ENDANGERED ATTWATER'S PRAIRIE CHICKEN

Because of limited access to the endangered Attwater's prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri), we used a related species, the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), as a surrogate for disease evaluation. Free-living northern bobwhites (n = 62) on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (near Eagle Lake, Texas, USA) were examined during spring and fall 1993 for helminthic endoparasites and specific antibodies against the infectious agents responsible for nine infectious diseases. Trichostrongylus cramae, Raillietina sp., and Strongyloides avium were collected from 97, 44, and 32% of northern bobwhites examined, respectively. Dispharynx nasuta and Syngamus trachea also were found. No gross lesions due to parasites were observed. Specific antibody to Pasteurella multocida was found in 3 of 53 plasma samples. It is possible that potentially pathogenic species such as P. multocida, T. cramae, and D. nasuta could threaten sympatric Attwater's prairie chickens.
Separation of overlapping waveforms having known temporal distributions

A simple Fourier technique is described that allows isolation of component waveforms from recordings of time-shifted, overlapping, linear sums of these components. This procedure can be applied if certain assumptions are satisfied, namely, the times of occurrences of the underlying component waveforms are known, the component waveforms are time-invariant, and there are at least as many different recordings as there are underlying component waveforms. The method is a type of adaptive inverse filtering, and can be generalized to allow recovery of waveforms that have been distorted by many time-invariant linear processes in addition to time delays. An application of the technique to human scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) is discussed which allows resolution of overlapping stimulus-locked and response-locked waveform complexes. Some possible effects of violating the assumptions of the procedure are explored for this example. The method should prove of value when it is impossible to record the underlying component waveforms in isolation, and the waveshapes, rather than their times of occurrence, are important experimental dependent variables.
Distributions of branched GDGTs in a tropical lake system: Implications for lacustrine application of the MBT/CBT paleoproxy.

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids are abundant and ubiquitous in lake sediments, potentially allowing for a paleolimnological application of the so-called MBT/CBT proxy (methylation index of branched tetraethers/cyclization ratio of branched tetraethers). To investigate the origin and characteristics of these compounds in lacustrine environments, we examined the distributions of GDGTs in soils, river sediments and lake sediments from Lake Towuti on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. We found significant differences in the degree of methylation and cyclization (expressed by way of the MBT and CBT indices) between the soil samples and the aquatic samples, suggesting that there may be in situ production of GDGTs in the aquatic environment. Based on these findings, we urge caution in the application of the MBT/CBT paleoproxy to lake sediments and encourage more rigorous study of these compounds in freshwater environments.
Test Theory without True Scores

This paper traces the course of the consequences of viewing test responses as simply providing dichotomous data concerning ordinal relations. It begins by proposing that the score matrix is best considered to be items-plus-persons by items-plus-persons, and recording the wrongs as well as the rights. This shows how an underlying order is defined, and was used to provide the basis for a tailored testing procedure. It also was used to define a number of measures of test consistency. Test items provide person dominance relations, and the relations provided by one item can be in one of three relations with a second one: redundant, contradictory, or unique. Summary statistics concerning the number of relations of each kind are easy to get and provide useful information about the test, information which is related to but different from the usual statistics. These concepts can be extended to form the basis of a test theory which is based on ordinal statistics and frequency counts and which invokes the concept of true scores only in a limited sense.
Selective, elective, prophylactic contralateral mastectomy.

There is a “high risk” group of patients in which the incidence of primary contralateral breast cancer is much higher than the overall figure of 7–10%. In addition, if cancer develops in the remaining breast it has a truly deleterious influence on the survival of the patient. Management of the other breast is, therefore, one of grave concern. It is suggested that this could best be accomplished by a random biopsy of the opposite breast in all patients undergoing primary therapy for operable Stage I and II cancers in the first breast. If a cancer is detected, then appropriate therapy is carried out. If not, the patient is carefully followed by regular physical examinations and by diagnostic aids (thermography and mammography). Only if the patient is in a “high risk” group for developing primary contralateral breast cancer is prophylactic, delayed simple mastectomy of the remaining breast advised. In 91 cases where this has been done, 16 unsuspected primary cancers were found for an incidence of 17%. The survival rate for 56 of these patients followed for over 5 years was 96.5%.
Effect of pH on Monolayers of Cellulose Acetate Phthalate

Abstract At pH values of 2-4, cellulose acetate phthalate monolayers are uncharged and are arranged in a compact, coherent form.An increase in pH brings about partial ionization and marked changes in monolayer organization.The effects of charge repulsion and increased solvation of charged groups cause marked expansion and decreased stability of cellulose acetate phthalate monolayers.The greatest effect of pH on monolayer properties appears to occur in the vicinity of pH 6.
A complex 6p25 rearrangement in a child with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia

Genomic rearrangements are increasingly recognized as important contributors to human disease. Here we report on an 11½-year-old child with myopia, Duane retraction syndrome, bilateral mixed hearing loss, skeletal anomalies including multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, and global developmental delay, and a complex 6p25 genomic rearrangement. We have employed oligonucleotide-based comparative genomic hybridization arrays (aCGH) of different resolutions (44 and 244K) as well as a 1 M single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array to analyze this complex rearrangement. Our analyses reveal a complex rearrangement involving a ∼2.21 Mb interstitial deletion, a ∼240 kb terminal deletion, and a 70–80 kb region in between these two deletions that shows maintenance of genomic copy number. The interstitial deletion contains eight known genes, including three Forkhead box containing (FOX) transcription factors (FOXQ1, FOXF2, and FOXC1). The region maintaining genomic copy number partly overlaps the dual specificity protein phosphatase 22 (DUSP22) gene. Array analyses suggest a homozygous loss of genomic material at the 5′ end of DUSP22, which was corroborated using TaqMan® copy number analysis. It is possible that this homozygous genomic loss may render both copies of DUSP22 or its products non-functional. Our analysis suggests a rearrangement mechanism distinct from a previously reported replication-based error-prone mechanism without template switching for a specific 6p25 rearrangement with a 1.22 Mb interstitial deletion. Our study demonstrates the utility and limitations of using oligonucleotide-based aCGH and SNP array technologies of increasing resolutions in order to identify complex DNA rearrangements and gene disruptions. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ambient temperature thermotropic liquid crystalline viologen bis(triflimide) salts

Two dicationic salts with bis(triflimide) as counterions exhibited crystal-to-smectic liquid crystalline phase transitions (T m=41 and 37°C) and smectic-to-isotropic liquid phase transitions (T i=112, 136°C). They had a broad liquid crystalline phase range (71–99°C) and an excellent range of thermal stability (360–364°C). Their mixtures of various compositions also displayed liquid crystalline properties from r.t. to an extended range of temperatures. They exhibited fluorescence in 1, 2-dimethoxyethane and methanol.
Iterated finite blaschke products and annular solutions of a functional equation

In this paper we study annular solutions of functional equations of the form g(z) = f(z)g(B(z)) were f and g are holomorphic on the open unit disk and B(z) is a finite Blaschke Product with a zero of at least order two at the origin. The behaviour of an iterate of B (z) is estimated on Jordan curves in the unit disk then a construction is given that characterizes boundary behavior of the infinite product of f(z) applied to each iterate of B(z). A condition on f is given that implies the annular asymptotic behavior of g(z).
Deciphering human prehistory through the geoarcheological study of cave sediments

Throughout human history, caves and rockshelters have been favored habitation places. These unique environments preserve sediments derived from an assortment of geological and human processes that are typically absent or masked at open-air sites. Cave sediments are parts of larger stratigraphic frameworks that can reflect environmental changes, shifting microenvironments, and the nature of human activity within these confined and sheltered spaces. Stone tools and faunal material compose the artifact assemblages from caves that are typically studied. Cave sediments, on the other hand, which encase the archeological finds and which have both geological and human origins, have been understudied relative to traditional artifacts, in spite of their ubiquity and importance. Thus, anthropogenic sediments, the most striking of which are organic-rich deposits, and combustion features merit the same attention as any other artifacts that result from human activities and behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the most salient aspects of prehistoric cave sediments and the processes revealed by recent studies of these accumulations. We review methods and techniques that are used to analyze cave sediments and illustrate how their careful study can be used to reconstruct local and regional cave environments, as well as the nature of the human activities that produced them. Finally, we show how such study can place important constraints on our archeological interpretations, ultimately having a profound effect on how we decipher human prehistory.
A Road Not Taken: substance abuse programming in the New York City jail system.

Substance abuse represents one of the most common diagnoses in jail settings and features prominently in the path into criminal justice involvement. In addition, substance abuse plays a major role ...
Talking ethnic but hearing multi-ethnic: the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria and durable multi-ethnic parties in the midst of violence

The effect of ethnicity on party politics in Nigeria (1999–present) has been paradoxical. Policies designed to end ethnic outbidding and the ethnicisation of party politics have resulted in higher levels of ethnic violence. Policies pursued by the Nigerian framers to ‘get the party system right’ and engender broad, ethnically diverse parties were also expected to reduce the incentives for elites to encourage ethnic violence. They have not. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) succeeds as a multi-ethnic coalition on the basis of informal bargains and accommodations. The practice of ‘zoning’, which distributes the spoils of office according to an ethnic formula, produces incentives for local elites to embark upon ethnic violence or ethnic mobilisation as a way of advancing the interests of their local constituencies. The institutional framework of Nigerian democracy creates incentives for ‘two-faced’ elites – cooperative nationally, but ethnically antagonistic in their home districts.
Metal recovery from power plant ash: An ecological approach to coal utilization

The growing use of coal in electrical generation is resulting in power plant solid waste becoming a serious national problem. For 1977, approximately 62 million tonnes of utility ash was produced in the US. If oil and gas burning units that were originally designed to burn coal switch back to that fuel, utility ash will be the fourth largest solid material produced in the US. Disposing of such quantities of wastes poses siting and pollution problems which are becoming critical in areas experiencing increased land use competition.
The free radical spin trap α-phenyl-tert-butyl nitrone attenuates the cerebral response to deep hypothermic ischemia ☆ ☆☆ ★

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the role of reactive oxygen species in the impairment of cerebral recovery that follows deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Methods: Twelve 1-week-old piglets were randomized to placebo (control group; n=6) or 100 mg · kg –1 intravenous α-phenyl- tert -butyl nitrone, a free radical spin trap (PBN group; n=6). All piglets underwent cardiopulmonary bypass, cooling to 18°C, 60 minutes of circulatory arrest followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion, and rewarming. Cerebral blood flow and metabolism were determined at baseline before deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and after 60 minutes of reperfusion. Results: In control animals, mean global cerebral blood flow (± 1 standard error) before circulatory arrest was 48.4 ± 3.6 mL · 100 g –1 · min –1 and fell to 25.1 ± 3.6 mL · 100 g –1 · min –1 after circulatory arrest ( P = .001). Global cerebral metabolism fell from 3.5 ± 0.2 mL · 100 g –1 · min –1 before arrest to 2.2 ± 0.2 mL · 100 g –1 · min –1 after circulatory arrest ( P = .0002). In the PBN group after circulatory arrest, the mean global cerebral blood flow and metabolism of 37.2 ± 4.9 and 3.6 ± 0.5 mL · 100 g –1 · min –1 , respectively, were significantly higher than in the control group ( P P = .002). Global cerebral metabolism after circulatory arrest was 100% of the pre-arrest value compared with 61% in the control group ( P = .01). Regional recovery of cerebral metabolism in the cerebellum, brain stem, and basal ganglia was 131%, 130%, and 115%, respectively, of pre-arrest values in the PBN group compared with 85%, 78%, and 70% in the control group ( P Conclusions: Reactive oxygen species contribute to the impairment of cerebral recovery that follows deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. The use of α-phenyl- tert -butyl nitrone before the arrest period attenuates the normal response to ischemia and improves recovery by affording protection from free radical–mediated damage. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:305-13)
Similarity Statistics from a Direct Numerical Simulation of the Neutrally Stratified Planetary Boundary Layer.

Abstract The turbulent flow in the unstratified Ekman layer over a smooth surface for the case of no horizontal rotation has been simulated. All relevant scales of motion are resolved so that no subgrid-scale parameterization is needed. The Reynolds number Re, while much smaller than those found in the atmosphere, is large enough that the flow exhibits a distinct logarithmic surface layer and yields shear-stress statistics that, to a good approximation, satisfy Reynolds number similarity. Agreement with shear-stress profiles from large eddy simulations is good, especially when latitude and geostrophic wind direction are taken into account. Results are used to estimate the ratio of the boundary layer depth to the Ekman scale u∗/f and the similarity constants needed to determine the geostrophic drag coefficient u∗/G and surface-stress angle α0 in the Re → ∞ limit characteristic of the neutral planetary boundary layer.
Characterization of tissue optical properties for prostate PDT using interstitial diffuse optical tomography

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an important treatment modality for localized diseases such as prostate cancer. In prostate PDT, light distribution is an important factor because it is directly related to treatment efficacy. During PDT, light distribution is determined by tissue optical property distributions (or heterogeneity). In this study, an interstitial diffuse optical tomography (iDOT) method was used to characterize optical properties in tissues. Optical properties (absorption and reduced scattering coefficients) of the prostate gland were reconstructed by solving the inverse problem using an adjoint model based on diffusion equation using a modified matlab public user code NIRFAST. In the modified NIRFAST method, linear sources were modeled for the reconstruction. Cross talking between absorption coefficients and reduced scattering coefficients were studied to have minimal effect, and a constrained optical property method (set either absorption coefficient or reduced scattering coefficient to be homogeneous) is also studied. A prostate phantom with optical anomalies was used to verify the iDOT method. The reconstructed results were compared with the known optical properties, and the spatial distribution of optical properties for this phantom was successfully reconstructed.
Predicting divorce at marital therapy intake: A preliminary model

Abstract The purpose of this study was to predict divorce in a marital-distressed and therapy-seeking population. The sample was from the case records of the Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic at Brigham Young University. Demographic and psychological data as well as Marital Status Inventory (MSI) and Marital Adjustment Test (MAT) scores were available for analysis. Statistical procedures successfully predicted marital status in a high percentage of cases. The most important findings were that wives' variables were more important in divorce prediction than were husbands'. In addition, marital quality was not found to be predictive of marital status.