cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deaths of Despair(ity) in Early 21st Century America: The Rise of Mortality and Racial/Ethnic Disparities.

Introduction Recent media coverage and research have emphasized increasing mortality rates for middle-aged white Americans. A concern is that this has shifted focus away from the health burden of other population subgroups. This cross-sectional study compares the magnitude of racial/ethnic mortality disparities across age groups and investigates how changing mortality trends have affected these disparities. Methods Mortality data from 2007 to 2016 by race/ethnicity and age were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database in 2018‒2019. Absolute and relative racial/ethnic mortality disparities by age groups were determined by calculating between-group variance and mortality rate–adjusted between-group variance, respectively. Trends in disparities were analyzed using joinpoint regression modeling. Annual percentage change in rate-adjusted between-group variance was calculated for each trend segment as well as the relative contribution of each racial/ethnic group to the change. Results The largest relative and absolute disparities were found in the youngest and oldest age groups, respectively. Trend analysis detected an inflection point between 2009 and 2012 for most age groups where a period of decreasing disparities changed to one of increasing disparities. Three quarters of the decreasing disparities in Period 1 were resultant of lowering mortality among the black subgroup. During Period 2, the increase in child disparities were due to increased mortality among blacks, whereas increased adult disparities were due to increased mortality among whites shifting the overall mean away from subgroups with lower rates. Conclusions Racial/ethnic mortality disparities persist and are widening for some age groups. It is imperative to maintain focus on the age groups where those with historically poorer health are contributing most to the increase.
TraNNsformer: Clustered Pruning on Crossbar-Based Architectures for Energy-Efficient Neural Networks

Implementation of neuromorphic systems using memristive crossbar array (MCA) has emerged as a promising solution to enable low-power acceleration of neural networks. However, the recent trend to design deep neural networks (DNNs) for achieving human-like cognitive abilities poses significant challenges toward the scalable design of neuromorphic systems (due to the increase in computation/storage demands). Network pruning is a powerful technique to remove redundant connections for designing optimally connected (maximally sparse) DNNs. However, such pruning techniques induce irregular connections that are incoherent to the crossbar structure. Eventually, they produce DNNs with highly inefficient hardware realizations (in terms of area and energy). In this article, we propose TraNNsformer—an integrated training framework that transforms DNNs to enable their efficient realization on MCA-based systems. TraNNsformer first prunes the connectivity matrix while forming clusters with the remaining connections. Subsequently, it retrains the network to fine-tune the connections and reinforce the clusters. This is done iteratively to transform the original connectivity into an optimally pruned and maximally clustered mapping. We evaluated the proposed framework by transforming networks of different complexity based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) and convolutional neural network (CNN) topologies on a wide range of datasets (MNIST, SVHN, CIFAR10, and ImageNet) and executing them on MCA-based systems to analyze the area and energy benefits. Without accuracy loss, TraNNsformer reduces the area (energy) consumption by 28%–55% (49%–67%)of MLP networks and by 28%–48% (3%–39%) of CNN networks with respect to the original network implementations. Compared to network pruning, TraNNsformer achieves 28%–49% (15%–29%) area (energy) savings for MLP networks and 20%–44% (1%–11%) area (energy) saving for CNN networks. Furthermore, TraNNsformer is a technology-aware framework that allows mapping a given DNN to any MCA size permissible by the memristive technology for reliable operations.
Order reduction of a wind turbine energy system via the methods of system balancing and singular perturbations

Abstract In this paper we study the order reduction of a wind turbine model using the methods of balancing transformation and singular perturbations. We show that the order of the considered wind turbine model can be reduced from eight to six via the balancing transformation. Further reduction via the aforementioned method results in a significant jump in the error bound. In contrast, the method of singular perturbations shows that the order of the model can be further reduced to four, or two, and still provide very good approximations to the system model, in terms of its transient step response. Moreover, we show that the reduction in model order achieved via singular perturbations is superior to that achieved via balancing, when the linear-quadratic near-optimal controllers are considered and when wind turbulence and a large-signal disturbance are applied to the system.
Kilopixel array of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors.

We present a 1024-element near-infrared imaging array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) using a 32×32 row-column multiplexing architecture. The array has an active area of 0.96 × 0.96 mm, making it the largest SNSPD array reported to date in terms of both active area and pixel count. Using a 64-channel time-tagging readout, we have characterized the array’s yield, efficiency, and timing resolution. Large arrays of SNSPDs are desirable for applications such as imaging, spectroscopy, or particle detection.
Identifying Missed Opportunities for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-exposure Prophylaxis During Preventive Care and Reproductive Visits in Adolescents in the Deep South.

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for individuals at significant risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus acquisition is approved for individuals weighing at least 35 kg by the Food and Drug Administration. This cross-sectional study analyzed indications for PrEP in a clinical setting. Methods There were 429 charts reviewed from adolescents between 15 and 21 years old seen for preventive care visits at an adolescent primary care center in the Deep South during a 1-year timeframe. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were completed to identify factors associated with indications for PrEP. Results Forty-four percent of 429 adolescents (between 15 and 21 years) had a PrEP indication; 77% were women and 95% heterosexual. Significant factors associated with an indication for PrEP included living with a nonparent or nonrelative and polysubstance use. No adolescents with an indication for PrEP were prescribed PrEP. A sensitivity analysis comparing indications for PrEP between the 2014 and 2017 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines revealed no significant differences in percent with an indication (44.5% vs. 42.8%) or factors associated with indications. Conclusions Pre-exposure prophylaxis as a biomedical tool for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) may remain underutilized. A key factor in improving utilization involves providers being able to recognize AYAs who may have an indication for PrEP with a specific focus on those AYAs who do not live in households with parents or a surrogate family member and those who are polysubstance users.
A bivariate test for location based on simplicial depth

We translate the simplicial data depth concept of Liu (1990) into a bivariate test of location that is distribution free under the assumption of angular symmetry about zero, without loss of general...
Abstract B37: Analysis of the differential expression of human endogenous retrovirus in glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and deadly brain tumor. It is primarily diagnosed at older ages and has 5-year survival rate less than 6% even with the most aggressive therapies; the lack of biomarkers for GBM makes the development of its immunotherapy challenging. Human endogenous retrovirus (HERVs) are a group of long terminal repeat (LTR) elements that are believed to be relics from ancient viral infections. Recent studies have found their important roles in regulating various biologic processes. However, our understanding of the LTR elements is greatly lacking. The purpose of our study was to comprehensively characterize the expression profile of LTRs in the GBM compared with normal brain. The 1,077.4 GB of sequencing data contain 111 GBM tissue studies, 30 GBM cell lines studies, and 45 normal brain tissues studies were obtained from public database; the differential expressed repetitive elements were analyzed between GBM and normal brain samples. 48 LTR elements were found differentially expressed (p-value Citation Format: Zihao Yuan, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Wenjin Zheng. Analysis of the differential expression of human endogenous retrovirus in glioblastoma multiforme [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Microbiome, Viruses, and Cancer; 2020 Feb 21-24; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(8 Suppl):Abstract nr B37.
Illiquidity contagion and pricing of commonality risk: Evidence from a dynamic conditional correlation model

Abstract This paper investigates the pricing of the commonality in liquidity risk in the U.S. stock market by using a more comprehensive measure of market illiquidity cost that can reflect the liquidity condition of broader asset markets, and by forming portfolios in a way that is consistent with the definition of the commonality risk. Estimating a conditional version of the Liquidity-Adjusted Capital Asset Pricing Model by the Dynamic Conditional Correlation approach, we find a commonality risk premium that is higher than those derived from alternative measures. The premium is time varying, with values being higher during periods of market turmoil.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is effective in the treatment of inflammatory and fistulizing pouch complications

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the surgical treatment of choice for medically refractory ulcerative colitis. Pouch-related complications, such as pouchitis, cuffitis, or fistulae, occur in up to 50% of patients. Nearly 1 in 5 patients develop pouch-related complications refractory to medical therapy, including biologics. Hypoxia has been suggested as a trigger for these chronic refractory complications, and treating hypoxia may be of therapeutic benefit in this patient population. We investigated the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for patients with medically refractory pouch-related complications.
New Barriers on the Slippery Slope

There is an unspoken distinction in ethical criteria in bioethics. On the one hand, there are criteria that can be used with discretion and judgment by an individual or small group of people like a...
Lignin bioconversion into valuable products: fractionation, depolymerization, aromatic compound conversion, and bioproduct formation

Lignin fractionation and depolymerization generates heterogeneous streams of aromatic compounds and conversion of aromatic compounds into valuable products, but it is not efficient. Many microbes in nature have evolved metabolic pathways to convert complex lignin polymers into aromatic compounds and transform these aromatic compounds into central intermediates for bioproduct synthesis. The objective of this paper is to review the recent process development of lignin bioconversion into aromatic compounds and bioproducts. Lignin structural and molecular changes during fractionation and depolymerization are presented. Subsequent lignin conversion into aromatic compounds by upper pathways and further converted into central metabolites and bioproducts via lower pathways are emphasized. In particular, enzymes and mediator systems to enhance lignin conversion and key intermediates in lignin catabolic pathways are discussed. Strategies to enhance bioproduct formation through lignin valorization are summarized.
Superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm after a gunshot wound to the buttock: A case.

Abstract Introduction Penetrating trauma to the buttock can rarely result into the development of a gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm. Here we present the case of a patient with a superior gluteal pseudoaneurysm after a gunshot wound to the left buttock. Presentation of case A 48-year-old male presented with fullness and tenderness at the left gluteal wound that resulted from a gunshot 18 days prior. At the time of initial trauma, imaging showed minimal extravasation of contrast at the left superior gluteal artery, but the bleeding stopped and patient was discharged. On his return, examination showed palpable fluctuance but no bleeding. A superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm was identified on CT scan. Patient also complained of intermittent subjective fever and new onset of SOB. CT chest demonstrated a pulmonary embolism at the right basilar segmental artery. Coil embolization was performed to treat the pseudoaneurysm and patient was subsequently started on anticoagulation therapy. Discussion Penetrating wounds to the buttock can result in associated vascular or visceral injuries. Pseudoaneurysms can develop days to years after the initial injury. On exam, presence of pain, swelling, tenderness, bleeding from wound, thrill, bruit or a pulsating mass should raise suspicion for pseudoaneurysm, which can be diagnosed on CT scan and treated with embolization. Conclusion Proper management of traumatic wounds to the buttock with associated vascular injuries, with follow up protocols and patient education is necessary to prevent life-threatening complications such as hemorrhage from pseudoaneurysm.
Discordance Rate Among Bilateral Simultaneous and Sequential Temporal Artery Biopsies in Giant Cell Arteritis: Role of Frozen Sectioning Based on the Mayo Clinic Experience.

Importance Frozen section temporal artery biopsy (TAB) may prevent a contralateral biopsy from being performed. Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of TAB frozen vs permanent section pathology results for giant cell arteritis (GCA) and determine the discordance rate of bilateral TABs. Design, setting, and participants In this retrospective cohort study, medical records were reviewed from 795 patients 40 years or older who underwent TAB from January 1, 2010, to December 1, 2018, treated at a single tertiary care center with the ability to perform both frozen and permanent histologic sections. Data were analyzed from January 2019 to December 2020. Main outcomes and measures Sensitivity and specificity of frozen section TAB for detecting GCA, and discordance rates of bilateral permanent section TAB. Results Of the 795 included participants, 329 (41.4%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 72 (10) years. From the 795 patients with 1162 TABs, 119 patients (15.0%) and 138 TABs had positive findings on permanent section. Of these 119 patients, 103 (86.6%) also had positive results on the frozen section, with 4 false-positives (0.6%) and 20 false-negatives (16.8%). Frozen section had a specificity of 99.4% (95% CI, 98.5-99.8), sensitivity of 83.2% (95% CI, 75.2-89.4), positive predictive value of 96.1% (95% CI, 90.4-98.9), negative predictive value of 96.6% (95% CI, 94.9-97.8), positive likelihood ratio of 140.6 (95% CI, 72.7-374.8), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.17 (95% CI, 0.11-0.25). Simultaneous bilateral TABs were performed in 60 patients (7.5%) with a 5% discordance rate on permanent section. In comparison, bilateral frozen section-guided sequential TABs were performed in 307 patients (38.6%) with 5.5% discordance based on permanent section. In multivariate models, there was a greater odds of positive findings with age (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07; P = .008), vision loss (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.25-5.75; P = .01), diplopia (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.00-10.29; P = .04), headache (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.25-4.53; P = .01), weight loss (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.26-4.43; P = .007), and anorexia (OR, 5.65; 95% CI, 2.70-11.89; P Conclusions and relevance These results support the hypothesis that negative findings from frozen sections should not be solely relied on to refute the diagnosis of GCA, whereas positive findings from frozen sections can be reliably used to defer a contralateral biopsy pending the permanent section results.
Age-Dependent Associations Between 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels and COPD Symptoms: Analysis of SPIROMICS.

Introduction Age and vitamin D levels may affect symptom burden in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We used the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) to determine independent associations between vitamin D levels and COPD symptoms in different age strata. Methods Serum 25-hydroxy (OH)-vitamin D levels were modeled continuously and categorically ( 65 years old), multivariable modeling was performed to identify relationships between 25-OH-vitamin D levels and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), the modified Medical Research Council score (mMRC), the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total and subdomain scores, the Veterans' Specific Activity Questionnaire, and the 6-minute walk test distance. Results InIn the middle-aged group, each 5 ng/ml higher 25-OH-vitamin D level was independently associated with more favorable CAT score (-0.35 [-0.67 to -0.03], P=0.03), total SGRQ (-0.91 [-1.65 to -0.17]; P=0.02), and the SGRQ subdomains (Symptoms:-1.07 [-1.96 to -0.18], P=0.02; Impact: -0.77 [-1.53 to -0.003], P=0.049; Activity: -1.07 [-1.96 to -0.18], P=0.02). These associations persisted after the addition of comorbidity score, reported vitamin D supplementation, outdoor time, or season of blood draw to models. No associations were observed between 25-OH-vitamin D levels and symptom scores in the older age group. Discussion When controlled for clinically relevant covariates, higher 25-OH-vitamin D levels are associated with more favorable respiratory-specific symptoms and quality-of-life assessments in middle-age but not older COPD individuals. Study of the role of vitamin D supplementation in the symptom burden of younger COPD patients is needed.
Overlapping Narrative Risk Disclosures and Return Predictability

We use unsupervised machine learning techniques of natural language processing to measure the semantic relatedness of firms’ narrative risk disclosures (NRD) in the “risk factor” section of their annual reports. We find strong return predictability among firms with overlapping NRD. This momentum effect is distinct from return predictability due to existing factors such as industry momentum, complexity of firm operations, and size-based information diffusion. A long-short strategy based on the NRD relatedness yields a monthly alpha of 70 basis points. Further analyses show that this lead-lag return effect is stronger among firms with lower investor attention and higher illiquidity. Our findings highlight important asset pricing implications of textual relatedness in NRD that investors seem to be inattentive towards.
“Make Me Your Toxic Son, Daddy”: The Bio-Familial Bonds Created by Gay Men Through “Bug Chasing” and “Gift Giving”

A lasting outcome of the HIV epidemic, according to the author, is the stigmatization of HIV-positive men who may respond by self-segregating, closeting their seropositive status. However, through blog monitoring of tumblr.com and bbrt.com topics on “bareback” condom-less sex and a first-person encounter, the author explores gay identification through the fetishization of desire as those wanting to be infected by the HIV virus (“bug chasers”) and those wanting to infect (“gifters”). Gonzalez finds the practice of familial bonding expressed through father/son roleplay suggestive of the heteronormative procreational project whereby “bug chasers” are seeded or impregnated by the HIV toxic seminal loads of “gifters” whose DNA is carried to fruition by the former. This subculture subverts serosorting discrimination against HIV-positive men and privileges them as desirable.
Participation and Pre-Retirement Withdrawals in Oregon’s Auto-IRA

About half of private sector workers in the United States do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan at their current job. To fill the gap, a number of state governments around the country have recently launched initiatives to enroll their uncovered workers in Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). This paper reports on the experience of Oregon, which was the first state to launch an auto-IRA program (OregonSaves). Because the program only began in July of 2017 and is in its infancy, analysts are still debating basic statistics about its operation, such as the participation and opt-out rates. To advance the conversation, this study uses administrative data from OregonSaves to develop a conceptual framework for measuring participation that reconciles the results from prior analyses. It then shifts the focus to leakages, tracking a cohort of employees, who had funded accounts in September 2018, over a 12-month period.
The Neuropathology of 1p36 Deletion Syndrome: An Autopsy Case Series.

1p36 deletion syndrome is the most common terminal deletion syndrome, manifesting clinically as abnormal facies and developmental delay with frequent cardiac, skeletal, urogenital, and renal abnormalities. Limited autopsy case reports describe the neuropathology of 1p36 deletion syndrome. The most extensive single case report described a spectrum of abnormalities, mostly related to abnormal neuronal migration. We report the largest published series of 1p36 autopsy cases, with an emphasis on neuropathologic findings. Our series consists of 3 patients: 2 infants (5-hours old and 23-days old) and 1 older child (11 years). Our patients showed abnormal cortical gyration together with a spectrum of neuronal migration abnormalities, including heterotopias and hippocampal abnormalities, as well as cerebellar hypoplasia. Our findings thus support the role of neuronal migration defects in the pathogenesis of cognitive defects in 1p36 deletion syndrome and broaden the reported neuropathologic spectrum of this common syndrome.
Creeping Bentgrass Yield Prediction With Machine Learning Models

Nitrogen is the most limiting nutrient for turfgrass growth. Instead of pursuing the maximum yield, most turfgrass managers use nitrogen (N) to maintain a sub-maximal growth rate. Few tools or soil tests exist to help managers guide N fertilizer decisions. Turf growth prediction models have the potential to be useful, but the currently existing turf growth prediction model only takes temperature into account, limiting its accuracy. This study developed machine-learning-based turf growth models using the random forest (RF) algorithm to estimate short-term turfgrass clipping yield. To build the RF model, a large set of variables were extracted as predictors including the 7-day weather, traffic intensity, soil moisture content, N fertilization rate, and the normalized difference red edge (NDRE) vegetation index. In this study, the data were collected from two putting greens where the turfgrass received 0 to 1,800 round/week traffic rates, various irrigation rates to maintain the soil moisture content between 9 and 29%, and N fertilization rates of 0 to 17.5 kg ha-1 applied biweekly. The RF model agreed with the actual clipping yield collected from the experimental results. The temperature and relative humidity were the most important weather factors. Including NDRE improved the prediction accuracy of the model. The highest coefficient of determination (R2) of the RF model was 0.64 for the training dataset and was 0.47 for the testing data set upon the evaluation of the model. This represented a large improvement over the existing growth prediction model (R2 = 0.01). However, the machine-learning models created were not able to accurately predict the clipping production at other locations. Individual golf courses can create customized growth prediction models using clipping volume to eliminate the deviation caused by temporal and spatial variability. Overall, this study demonstrated the feasibility of creating machine-learning-based yield prediction models that may be able to guide N fertilization decisions on golf course putting greens and presumably other turfgrass areas.
Orion: A menu-driveri source code generator for end users

Low software development productivity is a major concern for corporations. This paper describes one approach to improve productivity by allowing end users to build their own business data processing systems. The approach uses Orion, a menu-driven software develop­ ment tool. Orion generates source level COBOL programs that compile and run without modification. The tool does not require end users to know COBOL or high-level query languages. Orion was used for nearly two years to build real business systems. The approach resulted in a significant improvement in software development productivity.
Synthesis of N-Alkoxy Amidine Salts Via Addition of (N-Alkyl-N-Alkoxyammine)Dimethylaluminum Chlorides to Nitriles

Abstract: The addition of (N-alkyl-N-alkoxyammine)dimethylaluminum chlorides to nitriles provides a convenient route to little investigated N-alkoxy amidine hydrochlorides. A survey of the scope of this reaction is presented.
TCP/IP laboratory exercises for use with a remotely accessible networking laboratory

This paper describes the development of a set of laboratory modules for teaching networking protocols using TCP/IP. The primary goal was to provide a meaningful set of exercises for use with a network protocols course. Secondary goals were the development of laboratory assignments that could be used asynchronously in the context of a remotely accessible network laboratory and the further evaluation of the use of a remotely accessible laboratory. However, the exercises described here could easily be adapted to a more conventional setting. Both the tutorials and the laboratory setup are described.
Corporate social responsibility in the apparel industry: An exploration of Indian consumers’ perceptions and expectations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions of Indian consumers regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the apparel industry, and to investigate its importance in the apparel decision‐making process.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design was used as the methodological basis for the study. In‐depth interviews were conducted in India with a total of 26 participants (19 males and 7 females). Interviews lasted between one and two hours and were conducted until saturation in responses was achieved.Findings – Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed via a thematic approach; six themes emerged that are used to organize participants’ responses regarding CSR in the apparel industry. A conceptual framework grounded in the data was developed that highlights relationships between factors that surfaced as important to CSR in the decision‐making process.Research limitations/implications – Because data were collected specifically with Indian consumers, study fin...
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis Leading to Spontaneous Muscle Hematoma: An Event Fraught with Danger

Alcohol abuse is associated with both potentiating and antagonizing hemostatic states. Liver cirrhosis is an independent causal factor for many bleeding complications. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse coupled with advanced liver cirrhosis are additive in favor of bleeding. We report the case of a patient with a history of alcohol abuse who presented with liver cirrhosis and nontraumatic muscle hematoma diagnosed as a spontaneous hematoma of the gastrocnemius muscle. He was managed conservatively with infusions of fresh frozen plasma and platelets, which resulted in resolution of the hematoma. The pathogenesis of 'spontaneous' muscle hematoma remains anecdotal, but since it is reported in patients on anticoagulant therapy or with hemostatic disorders, it is hypothetically related to severely deranged coagulation. Here we review the relevant literature pertaining to the pathogenesis, presentation and treatment options available for treating this often fatal complication of bleeding diatheses.
Climate Change Mitigation Through Forestry

Abstract One of the tools for reducing the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), the largest component of greenhouse gas emissions, is carbon sequestration—the accumulation of carbon in terrestrial forms. This paper explores options to mitigate global climate change through forestry, constraints to forestry's applicability, secondary environmental and social benefits, and techniques established to monitor and verify results. Twenty-five current carbon sequestration projects are listed totaling an estimated 193 million tons of carbon at an average price of approximately $2.18 per ton. However, modeling exercises demonstrate that even the theoretical upper limit of carbon sequestration through forestry is not enough to stabilize carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Non-forestry CO2 reduction measures must be taken as well.
Dyad gender differences in preadolescents creative stories

This study extended research on gender differences in creative stories written by individuals to creative stories written in collaboration with a same- or an other-gender peer partner. Participants were 104 preadolescent sixth graders, mostly White and middle class. Same- and other-gender peer partners (18 girl, 16 boy, and 17 mixed-gender dyads) worked together for 4 weeks to write creative stories based on “mystery pictures.” Story ideas were coded into one of seven categories (i.e., overt aggression, verbal aggression, relational aggression, prosocial behavior, negative emotion, positive emotion, and neutral/other). Boy dyads' stories included a greater proportion of overtly aggressive story ideas and a lesser proportion of prosocial story ideas than did girl dyads' stories. Mixed-gender dyads' stories contained a greater proportion of prosocial ideas than did boy dyads' stories. Findings are discussed in light of a social-contextual approach to gender differences and similarities.
Update of the Solar Concentrator Advanced Development Project

The Sola Concentrator Advanced Development Project, which has achieved the successful design, fabrication, and testing of a full-scale prototypical solar dynamic concentrator is discussed. The design and fabrication process are summarized, and the test results for the reflective facet optical performance and the concentrator structural repeatability are reported. Initial testing of structural repeatability of a seven panel portion of the concentrator was followed by assembly and testing of the full nineteen-panel structure. The testing, which consisted of theodolite and optical measurements over an assembly-disassembly-reassembly cycle, demonstrated that the concentrator maintained the as-built contour and optical characteristics. The facet development effort, which entailed developing a vapor-deposited reflective facet, produced a viable design with demonstrated optical characteristics that are within the project goals. >
Chapter 22. Scope and Mechanism of Enzymatic Monooxygenation Reactions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the scope and mechanism of enzymatic monooxygenation reactions. Dioxygen functions as a simple electron acceptor in biological redox reactions. It can also be activated for insertion of one (monooxygenation) or both (dioxygenation) of its atoms into a cosubstrate molecule by a wide variety of enzymes. These enzymic oxygenations are often key metabolic events in assimilatory sequences, such as catecholamine or steroid hormone biosynthesis, in degradative and detoxifying sequences in liver processing of drugs and toxins, and occasionally in toxifying reactions such as precarcinogen activation in alkylnitrosamine or polycyclic hydrocarbon oxygenative metabolism. Since triplet 02 is spin-unpaired and organic cosubstrates are spinpaired, enzymes have evolved mechanisms for selective acceleration of the kinetic sluggishness of hydroxylations in two ways: (1) by using redox active metals such as copper or iron, and (2) by using a conjugated organic cofactor such as flavin or pterin coenzymes. Iron and copper act as direct 0 2 ligands and electron conduits, while the dihydroflavins and tetrahydropterins probably react via radical mechanisms with 0 2 to yield semiquinone and 0 2 -o with subsequent rapid radical recombination to yield flavin hydroperoxides and pterin hydroperoxides as proximal oxygenation agents.
Barriers between guidelines and improved patient care: an analysis of AHCPR's Unstable Angina Clinical Practice Guideline. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.

Abstract OBJECTIVES: To describe common barriers that limit the effect of guidelines on patient care, with emphasis on recommendations for triage in the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) Unstable Angina Clinical Practice Guideline. DATA SOURCES: Previously reported results from a prospective clinical study of 10,785 patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms suggestive of acute cardiac ischemia. STUDY DESIGN: Design is an analysis of the AHCPR guideline with regard to recognized barriers in guideline implementation. Presentation of hypothetical scenarios to ED physicians was used to determine interrater reliability in applying the guideline to assess risk and to make triage decisions. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The AHCPR guideline's triage recommendations demonstrate (1) poor interobserver reliability in interpretation by ED physicians; (2) limited applicability of recommendations for outpatient management (applies to 6 percent of patients presenting to the ED with unstable angina); (3) incomplete specifications of exceptions that may require deviation from guideline recommendations; (4) unexpected effects on medical care by significantly increasing the demand for limited intensive care beds; and (5) unknown effects on patient outcomes. In addition, analysis of the guideline highlights the need to address organizational barriers, such as administrative policies that conflict with guideline recommendations and the need to adapt the guideline to conform to local systems of care. CONCLUSIONS: Careful analysis of guideline attributes, projected effect on medical care, and organizational factors reveal several barriers to successful guideline implementation that should be addressed in the design of future guideline-based interventions.
Psychological Capital: Developing the Human Competitive Edge

Although there are as many answers to the question of how organizations can gain competitive advantage in today's global economy as there are books and experts, one lesson seems very clear: traditional answers and resources are no longer sufficient. This seminal book offers not only an answer regarding how to gain competitive advantage through people, but also a brand new, untapped human resource-psychological capital, or simply PsyCap. Generated from both the positive psychology movement and the authors' pioneering work on positive organizational behavior, PsyCap goes beyond traditionally recognized human and social capital. But PsyCap is not a vague or unscientific concept: to be included in PsyCap, a given positive construct must be based on theory, research, and valid measurement, must be open to development, and must have measurable performance impact. The positive constructs that have been determined to best meet these PsyCap criteria, efficacy (confidence), hope, optimism, and resiliency, are covered in separate chapters in Psychological Capital. After exploring other potential positive constructs such as creativity, wisdom, well being, flow, humor, gratitude, forgiveness, emotional intelligence, spirituality, authenticity, and courage, the authors summarize the research demonstrating the performance impact of PsyCap. They go on to provide the PsyCap Questionnaire (PCQ) as a measurement tool, and the PsyCap Intervention (PCI) as a development aid. Utility analysis indicates that investing in the development of PsyCap as presented in this book can result in a very substantial return. In total, Psychological Capital provides theory, research, measurements, and methods of application for the new resource of psychological capital, a resource that can be developed and sustained for competitive advantage.
Free Amino Acid Pools in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: A Longitudinal Study

To investigate abnormalities of metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) that might be related to the pathogenesis of hypertension, we measured concentrations of free amino acids in plasma and in homogenates of skeletal muscle from SHR and age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. These pools were evaluated in rats aged 3.5, 6, 8 and 28 wk, corresponding to time points before, during and after onset of hypertension. Amino acid content of aortic tissue also was examined at 3.5 and 6 wk. In plasma, amino acid concentrations were relatively unchanged throughout the study. Free amino acid content of muscle, on the other hand, decreased markedly with age in both strains. The most consistent and quantitatively important difference between strains was the much smaller muscle pool of lysine in SHR at 3.5, 6 and 8 wk of age compared with WKY controls. The arginine pool was also smaller in SHR but only at 3.5 and 6 wk. Other urea cycle amino acids were also lower in muscle of SHR at 3.5 wk. These alterations in the muscle amino acid pool were mirrored in plasma and were also found in aortic tissue. Glutamine was higher in muscle and plasma of SHR at 6 wk and thereafter. At 28 wk, however, many amino acids, including the branched-chain amino acids and tyrosine and glutamine, were present at higher concentrations in muscle and plasma of SHR than in those of WKY rats. These differences, because they occur most strikingly in SHR during the prehypertensive state, may be related to the development of hypertension.
Experimental clindamycin-associated colitis in rabbits. Evidence of toxin-mediated mucosal damage.

Abstract Rabbits given clindamycin by nasogastric tube at a dosage of 15 mg per kg per day developed diarrhea within 48 to 72 hr which was uniformly fatal by 72 to 96 hr. Control rabbits given comparable doses of ampicillin, tetracycline, neomycin, vancomycin, or saline remained well. At autopsy the major gross pathological finding was limited to the cecum which was massively dilated with watery stool. The light microscopic findings in the cecum included necrosis of the surface epithelium and a prominent inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria. Fatal clindamycin colitis was prevented in 10 of 10 rabbits by co-administration of vancomycin, 30 mg per kg per day; coadministration of penicillin or neomycin prevented the ileocolitis in 3 of 5 and 1 of 5 animals, respectively. Cell proliferation, measured by radioautography after [ 3 H]thymidine injection, was significantly increased in cecal mucosa but not more distal colonic or small intestinal mucosa during clindamycin administration. Protein synthesis, as determined by incorporation of [ 3 H]leucine into intestinal slices, was significantly increased in both the ileum and cecum after 48 hr of clindamycin administration. Cell-free, sterile extracts of cecal contents of clindamycin-treated animals were injected into ileal loops of untreated rabbits. These fecal extracts produced a severe, hemorrhagic ileitis, although control filtrates from clindamycin-vancomycin-treated animals produced no histological changes. Using selective anaerobic culture media there was an increase in clostridial species from 10 5 organisms of cecal content per g in controls to 10 8 organisms per g after 48 hr of clindamycin treatment and a reduction to 10 4 organisms per g in clindamycin-vancomycin-treated animals. The pathogenesis of clindamycin-associated colitis in rabbits appears to be mediated by a bacterial toxin present in the cecal contents.
Performance of a fuzzy set theoretic model for medical diagnosis

Classical mathematical models for medical diagnosis which have been computerized are known to perform very poorly when compared to diagnoses made by the physician. Factors which contribute to their poor performance relate to the omission by these models of important information on the patient such as symptoms of past undiagnosed diseases which can only be vaguely recalled by the patient. Other deficiencies include failure to model the stage of development of the disease and certain intrinsically fuzzy aspects of the pertinent information nets that are needed to develop a medical hypothesis. Models which attempted to remedy these shortcomings were developed and presented by the authors elsewhere. In this effort, we describe a study in which our fuzzy diagnosis models were computerized, validated and compared with a mock physician hypothesis as well as existing mathematical models. The example Involved a medical hypothsis concerning a medical condition of valvular heart disease. The results show that while there were discrepancies between the fuzzy model's and the physician's hypotheses, the model's performance was vastly superior to that of existing mathematical models.
Silencing Egr1 Attenuates Radiation-Induced Apoptosis in Normal Tissues while Killing Cancer Cells and Delaying Tumor Growth

Normal tissue toxicity reduces the therapeutic index of radiotherapy and decreases the quality of life for cancer survivors. Apoptosis is a key element of the radiation response in normal tissues like the hippocampus and small intestine, resulting in neurocognitive disorders and intestinal malabsorption. The Early Growth Response 1 (Egr1) transcription factor mediates radiation-induced apoptosis by activating the transcription of pro-apoptosis genes in response to ionizing radiation (IR). Therefore, we hypothesized that the genetic abrogation of Egr1 and the pharmacological inhibition of its transcriptional activity could attenuate radiation-induced apoptosis in normal tissues. We demonstrated that Egr1 null mice had less apoptosis in the hippocampus and intestine following irradiation as compared to their wild-type littermates. A similar result was achieved using Mithramycin A (MMA) to prevent binding of Egr1 to target promoters in the mouse intestine. Egr1 expression using shRNA dampened apoptosis and enhanced the clonogenic survival of irradiated HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells and IEC6 intestinal epithelial cells. Mechanistically, these events involved an abrogation of p53 induction by IR and an increase in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax expression. In contrast, targeted silencing of Egr1 in two cancer cell lines (GL261 glioma cells, HCT116 colorectal cancer cells) was not radioprotective, since it reduced their growth while also sensitizing them to radiation-induced death. Further, Egr1 depletion delayed the growth of heterotopically implanted GL261 and HCT116 tumors. These results support the potential of silencing Egr1 in order to minimize the normal tissue complications associated with radiotherapy while enhancing tumor control.
A systematic comparison of the MetaCyc and KEGG pathway databases

The MetaCyc and KEGG projects have developed large metabolic pathway databases that are used for a variety of applications including genome analysis and metabolic engineering. We present a comparison of the compound, reaction, and pathway content of MetaCyc version 16.0 and a KEGG version downloaded on Feb-27-2012 to increase understanding of their relative sizes, their degree of overlap, and their scope. To assess their overlap, we must know the correspondences between compounds, reactions, and pathways in MetaCyc, and those in KEGG. We devoted significant effort to computational and manual matching of these entities, and we evaluated the accuracy of the correspondences. KEGG contains 179 module pathways versus 1,846 base pathways in MetaCyc; KEGG contains 237 map pathways versus 296 super pathways in MetaCyc. KEGG pathways contain 3.3 times as many reactions on average as do MetaCyc pathways, and the databases employ different conceptualizations of metabolic pathways. KEGG contains 8,692 reactions versus 10,262 for MetaCyc. 6,174 KEGG reactions are components of KEGG pathways versus 6,348 for MetaCyc. KEGG contains 16,586 compounds versus 11,991 for MetaCyc. 6,912 KEGG compounds act as substrates in KEGG reactions versus 8,891 for MetaCyc. MetaCyc contains a broader set of database attributes than does KEGG, such as relationships from a compound to enzymes that it regulates, identification of spontaneous reactions, and the expected taxonomic range of metabolic pathways. MetaCyc contains many pathways not found in KEGG, from plants, fungi, metazoa, and actinobacteria; KEGG contains pathways not found in MetaCyc, for xenobiotic degradation, glycan metabolism, and metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides. MetaCyc contains fewer unbalanced reactions, which facilitates metabolic modeling such as using flux-balance analysis. MetaCyc includes generic reactions that may be instantiated computationally. KEGG contains significantly more compounds than does MetaCyc, whereas MetaCyc contains significantly more reactions and pathways than does KEGG, in particular KEGG modules are quite incomplete. The number of reactions occurring in pathways in the two DBs are quite similar.
Parkinsonian syndromes: Parkinson's disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and progressive supranuclear palsy

Abstract The recognition of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDD) is relatively new compared with the first description of ‘shaking palsy’ by James Parkinson in 1817. Physicians who currently diagnose and manage PDD patients, not uncommonly evaluate mysterious cases having a variety of cognitive and extrapyramidal features. In this large group, diagnostic uncertainty has limited clinical research, including pharmaceutical trials. However, the classic teaching still holds ground: typically, dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD) does not manifest from the onset of clinical signs. In spite of lacking temporal definition, this clinical criterion is still the one used to make a clinical distinction between PDD and the closely associated extrapyramidal dementia syndrome, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Patients with PD developing dementia some years later diagnosed as having PDD, whereas patients presenting with fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations and then parkinsonism would be diagnosed with DLB. In DLB, dementia occurs before parkinsonism or shortly thereafter. However, as discussed below, one might consider this distinction arbitrary. There is active research examining the relationship between DLB and PD using clinical, genetic, pathologic, and biochemical data.
SUCCESSIVE DISCRIMINATION REVERSAL PERFORMANCE OF MAMMALIAN SPECIES ON A BRIGHTNESS TASK

To examine the generality of inter-species SDR performance differences previously revealed on a spatial task, four different mammalian species were tested on a brightness successive discrimination reversal task. Analysis showed that the patterns of errors yielded on the spatial task were reproduced on the brightness task, except that on the brightness task, cacomistle performance was inferior to that by squirrel monkeys. Further evidence supporting the differential extinction explanation of inter-species variation in negative transfer was also found.
Strain recovery of model immiscible blends without compatibilizer

Strain recovery after the cessation of shear was studied in model immiscible blends composed of polyisobutylene drops (10–30% by weight) in a polydimethylsiloxane matrix. Blends of viscosity ratio (viscosity of the drops relative to the matrix viscosity) ranging from 0.3 to 1.7 were studied. Most of the strain recovery was attributable to interfacial tension, and could be well-described by just two parameters: the ultimate recovery and a single retardation time. Both these parameters were found to increase with the capillary number of the drops prior to cessation of shear. For blends that had reached steady shear conditions, the ultimate recovery decreased with increasing viscosity ratio, whereas the retardation time increased with increasing viscosity ratio. The retardation time was well-predicted, but the ultimate recovery was over-predicted by a linear viscoelastic model developed previously by Vinckier et al. (Rheol Acta 38:65–72, 1999).