cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Monetary Cost of Sexual Assault to Privately Insured US Women in 2013.

Objectives. To determine whether privately insured female rape victims were billed for charges associated with a specific rape in the United States.Methods. We examined 2013 de-identified patient data from Truven Analytics Health MarketScan database for an assault that occurred by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code E960.1.Results. Analysis of insurance providers’ payment patterns for 1355 incident events to female victims aged between 16 and 61 years revealed that victims remit, on average, 14% or $948 of the rape cost, whereas insurance providers pay 86% or $5789 of the total cost.Conclusions. Hospital billing procedures for privately insured victims of rape across the United States are not separate from billing procedures for privately insured nonrape patients. This standardized procedure leads hospitals to bill victims directly for services not paid under the victims’ insurance policy.Public Health Implications. The Violence Against Women Act (passed in 1994, reauthori...
Towards User-Aware Rule Discovery

Rule discovery is a challenging but inevitable process in several data centric applications. The main challenges arise from the huge search space that needs to be explored, and from the noise in the data, which makes the mining results hardly useful. While existing state-of-the-art systems pose the users at the beginning and the end of the mining process, we argue that this paradigm must be revised and new rule mining algorithms should be developed to let the domain experts interact during the discovery process. We discuss how new systems that embrace this approach overcome current limitations and ultimately result in shorter time and smaller user effort for rule discovery.
Development and Validation of Automated Detection Tools for Vocalizations of Rare and Endangered Anurans

Abstract For many rare or endangered anurans, monitoring is achieved via auditory cues alone. Human-performed audio surveys are inherently biased, and may fail to detect animals when they are present. Automated audio recognition tools offer an alternative mode of observer-free monitoring. Few commercially available platforms for developing these tools exist, and little research has investigated whether these tools are effective at detecting rare vocalization events. We generated a recognizer for detecting the vocalization of the endangered Houston toad Anaxyrus houstonensis using SongScope© bioacoustics software. We developed our recognizer using a large sample of training data that included only the highest quality of recorded audio (i.e., low noise, no interfering vocalizations) divided into small, manageable batches. To track recognizer performance, we generated an independent set of test data through randomly sampling a large population of audio known to possess Houston toad vocalizations. We analyzed...
Does informed consent given by healthy individuals when enrolling in clinical research feel less voluntary than for ill individuals

Clinical research is predicated ethically on the authentic voluntarism of individuals who choose to enroll in human studies. Existing literature has focused on aspects of informed consent for clinical research other than voluntarism. The objective of this study was to compare the perspectives of clinical research participants who are in good health and who are ill regarding voluntarism-related aspects of informed consent and to assess situational influences that enable voluntarism in the process of obtaining clinical research consent. A 23-item written survey, the Informed Consent Questionnaire (ICQ), was administered in a "piggyback" semi-structured interview study of ill and healthy volunteers enrolled in IRB-approved clinical research studies. A total of 150 (60 mentally ill, 43 physically ill, and 47 healthy) clinical research participants participated. Respondents expressed positive views of their experiences with the informed consent processes for their respective clinical research protocols and respondents strongly endorsed items related to voluntarism irrespective of their illness type (range of means = [3.9, 4.8]). Ill participants more highly endorsed items relating to informed consent conditions (mentally ill vs healthy: 0.54 on a 5-point scale, P value = 0.01) (physically ill vs. healthy: 0.47 on a 5-point scale, P value = 0.01). The favorable views of clinical research participants regarding their experience of giving informed consent to enroll in a study were not surprising. Contrary to our a priori hypothesis, healthy individuals did not feel as positively as their ill counterparts.
Modeling Proteins at the Interface of Structure, Evolution, and Population Genetics

Biological systems span multiple layers of organization and modeling across layers of organization enables inference that is not possible by analyzing just one layer. An example of this is seen in an organism’s fitness, which can be directly impacted by selection for output from a metabolic or signal transduction pathway. Even this complex process is already several layers removed from the environment and ecosystem. Within the pathway are individual enzymatic reactions and protein–protein, protein–small molecule, and protein–DNA interactions. Enzymatic and physical constants characterize these reactions and interactions, where selection dictates ranges and thresholds of values that are dependent upon values for other links in the pathway. The physical constants (for protein–protein binding, for example) are dictated by the amino acid sequences at the interface. These constants are also constrained by the amino acid sequences that are necessary to maintain a properly folded structure as a scaffold to maintain the interaction interface. As sequences evolve, population genetic and molecular evolutionary models describe the availability of combinations of amino acid changes for selection, depending in turn on parameters like the mutation rate and effective population size. As the systems biology level of constraints has not been thoroughly characterized, it is this multiscale modeling problem that describes the interplay between protein biophysical chemistry and population genetics/molecular evolution that we will describe.
Cultural Considerations in Caring for Persons with Mental Illness

Most of the growth in the U.S. population over the next 50 years will take place among those currently categorized as racial and/or ethnic minorities. Although diversity is not new to the USA, its many complexities, and the ongoing changes in the population, present challenges to researchers, educators, social and mental health service providers, and policy makers . Many of the challenges arise from differences between dominant American culture (White, middle-class, protestant, heterosexual) and the many competing cultures within the USA that are associated with minorities, such as racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, and social class categories. These other cultures are considered “competing” because their very existence is juxtaposed against the many pressures—social, medical, economic , religious—of dominant American culture to assimilate. Indeed many of the institutions established by the dominant culture, such as schools, hospitals, and the mass media, facilitate/encourage/demand (both implicitly and explicitly) assimilation of diverse members of society. However, assimilation is not desired by many minority group members. Therefore, they resist the pressures of the dominant culture and aim to survive within contested and marginalized space. The competition between dominant and nondominant cultures is not only for limited resources, but also for a claim to right personhood—to the ability to view the world through a different cultural lens without being labeled other, wrong, ignorant, misfit, crazy.
Functional anatomy of human extraocular muscles during fusional divergence.

Magnetic resonance imaging shows that the lateral rectus muscle must overcome continued contraction by its opponent the medial rectus when humans diverge their visual axes to achieve single, binocu...
Perspectives on solar system dynamics

Empirical data for all planets in the solar system were analyzed to determine the kinetic, potential, and total energy of each, as well as the area each sweep out per second. As expected, it is the conservation of angular momentum, and not the conservation of energy, that ensures planets sweep out equal areas in equal times through any orbit region. Planets all follow the Second Fundamental Theorem of the Calculus while orbiting, where swept area increases progressively as a function of distance from the sun. The potential energy for each is twice the kinetic energy which is consistent with theoretic explanation. The Universal Gravitation constant G for a quantity of mass is not altered by huge changes in planet temperatures which clarify a property of gravity. Unique features of the planetary orbits further expand the Newton explanation that the system behaves as a vast wound clock, rather than a random assemblage of planets.
Issues Related to the Rapid Seismic Repair of Concrete Bridge Columns

Presented in this paper is research aimed at challenging the assumption that severely damaged reinforced concrete bridge columns are not easily repaired. An experimental program was conducted in which six large-scale bridge columns exhibiting buckled and fractured reinforcement were repaired using plastic hinge relocation and conventional materials. Discussion of several repair methods is presented along with the introduction of a simplified analytical approach by which the repair can be designed, and repaired member performance obtained. In addition, the implications of the availability of such a repair method on the limits of residual drift in a damaged system are explored.
Exploration of static equilibrium in elastically biased shape memory alloy components

In the past, several studies have explored the fundamentals and applications of deforming an elastic component using a shape memory alloy (SMA) component. Previous explorations have been primarily motivated by the capability of SMA actuation against a spring biasing load and dynamic response where energy dissipation upon perturbation or thermal tunability is desired. This current work instead explores elastically biased SMA components in the context of a static system, where both stress-induced and thermally-induced phase transformations are employed to reproduce and improve upon the advantages of the shape memory effect (SME). While deformation of an SMA component utilizing stress-free SME can only be mechanically generated and thermally recovered, a system composed of an elastically biased SMA component can generate and recover deformation both mechanically and thermally. Additionally, the applied stress necessary to induce deformation is thermally tunable in both systems, but the non-zero stress state of the elastically biased SMA component enables operation at higher temperatures. This study also introduces employing the same antagonistic concept as a low power intensive two-way actuating system that utilizes “impulsive” heating and cooling to generate and recover deformation, while the balance of internal reaction forces enables deformation to be maintained. In this work, experimental and finite element analysis (FEA) results will demonstrate the capabilities of an SMA component biased against a cantilevered beam composed of elastic material. The results from this investigation will also introduce an abstraction termed the equilibrium domain, which represents the range of equilibrium points in stress-strain-temperature space.
The HD Block-Coil Dipole Program at LBNL

This chapter reports on the HD program, a series of high field models exploring the block-coil layout for application to the arc dipoles for future high-energy colliders.
Clean label: Why this ingredient but not that one?

Abstract Consumer demand for natural and clean label foods continues to grow. This study aims to measure consumers’ perceived naturalness of food ingredients and further to investigate factors affecting their acceptability. Yogurt was chosen as the focal food of interest. A total of 20 common yogurt ingredients within the categories of sugars, stabilizers/thickening agents, preservatives, and coloring agents were selected. An online survey was administered to 526 yogurt consumers in the United States to evaluate the degrees of naturalness, familiarity, and acceptability of the selected ingredients. The degrees of acceptability were rated again when information regarding the functionalities and sources was given. Socio-demographic information was also collected. Results showed that the perceived naturalness of the coloring agents and preservatives varied substantially within each category. In contrast, the selected sugars were perceived as more natural, while stabilizers/thickening agents were perceived as less natural. These findings suggest that food manufacturers may focus on stabilizers/thickening agents in clean label reformulations. Results also showed that providing information regarding ingredient source, but not functionality, improved acceptability for some ingredients. This finding carries implications in that food manufacturers may consider including source information on their ingredient lists, and that regulatory agencies may need to set further guidelines for providing information on food labels. Additionally, some socio-demographic factors, such as consumers’ age and their knowledge on food ingredients, seem to be linked to the perceived naturalness and acceptability of ingredients. Understanding the link between socio-demographic characteristics and the acceptability of specific ingredients may help food manufacturers to market their products to specific demographic groups.
Fast and interpretable scRNA-seq data analysis

Abstract One of the key challenges in single-cell data analysis is the annotation of cells with their cell types. This task is divided into two different sub-tasks: identifying known cell types and identifying novel cell types. In the former case, we can benefit from being able to transfer annotations from bulk RNA-seq because there are many more types profiled with that more established technology. In the latter case, we would benefit from interpretable models that can describe the reasons for grouping a number of cells together. We propose that both of these problems can be solved by generative Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial models. In the supervised learning context, we propose a generative Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial classifier. We show that such a classifier can effectively transfer cell labels from bulk to single-cell RNA-sequencing data. We also show that alternative well-established machine learning models have difficulty with this transition, even if they are effective within the same regime (i.e. single cell to single cell). In the unsupervised learning context, we propose a Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial mixture model. We show that the proposed model learns meaningful clusters where the automatically learned relationships between cell types and genes overlap with ground truth associations. Furthermore, there are no density or connectivity based clustering assumptions in this model, which differs with almost every approach in this field. Consequently the clustering results from the generative method can effectively represent nuanced differences among cells. Contact murat.cobanoglu@utsouthwestern.edu
Order Reduction of Nonlinear Quasi-periodic Systems Subjected to External Excitations

In his paper, we present order reduction techniques for nonlinear quasi-periodic systems subjected to external excitations. The order reduction techniques presented here are based on the Lyapunov-Perrone (L-P) Transformation. For a class of non-resonant quasi-periodic systems, the L-P transformation can convert a linear quasi-periodic system into a linear time-invariant one. This Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) system retains the dynamics of the original quasi-periodic system. Once this LTI system is obtained, the tools and techniques available for analysis of LTI systems can be used, and the results could be obtained for the original quasi-periodic system via the L-P transformation. This approach is similar to using the Lyapunov-Floquet (L-F) transformation to convert a linear time-periodic system into an LTI system and perform analysis and control. Order reduction is a systematic way of constructing dynamical system models with relatively smaller states that accurately retain large-scale systems' essential dynamics. In this work, reduced-order modeling techniques for nonlinear quasi-periodic systems subjected to external excitations are presented. The methods proposed here use the L-P transformation that makes the linear part of transformed equations time-invariant. In this work, two order reduction techniques are suggested. The first method is simply an application of the well-known Guyan like reduction method to nonlinear systems. The second technique is based on the concept of an invariant manifold for quasi-periodic systems. The 'quasi-periodic invariant manifold' based technique yields' reducibility conditions.' These conditions help us to understand the various types of resonant interactions in the system. These resonances indicate energy interactions between the system states, nonlinearity, and external excitation.
Solar glint from uncoated starshade optical edges

The perimeter of a sunflower-like starshade has hundreds of meters of sharp edges that are directly exposed to sunlight. The sunlight diffracts and reflects from the edge resulting in a dual-lobed glint pattern that can be brighter than an exoplanet. We present estimates of the glint brightness distribution for the Starshade Rendezvous Mission and the HabEx Starshade Mission concepts based on measurements of flight-like, environmentally tested, uncoated metallic edges using custom-built scatterometers. A companion paper addresses the performance for edges coated with a thin anti-reflection coating.
The impact of a hospital-based exercise oncology program on cancer treatment–related side effects among rural cancer survivors

To assess the impact of the Personal Optimism With Exercise Recovery (POWER) program on cancer treatment–related side effects among rural cancer survivors. In this retrospective study of data collected between 2016 and 2019, we assessed change in cardiorespiratory fitness, whole-body muscular endurance, physical function and strength, anthropometrics, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL), after participation in POWER. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic and clinical variables. Univariate analysis of variance was carried out with age and BMI at initial assessment as covariates. A total of 239 survivors, 78% rural residents, completed a follow-up assessment. Among rural cancer survivors, the most prevalent cancer sites were breast (42.5%), prostate (12.4%), and lymphoma (5.9%). The majority of survivors were female (70%), non-Hispanic (94.6%), and white (93.5%), with average age and BMI of 62.1 ± 13.2 years and 28.4 ± 6.7 kg/m2, respectively. Rural cancer survivors with cancer stages I–III exhibited significant improvements in fitness (+ 3.07 ml/kg/min, 95% CI 1.93, 4.21; + 0.88 METS, 95% CI 0.55, 1.20), physical function (30-s chair stand: + 2.2 repetitions, 95% CI 1.3, 3.1), muscular endurance (10-repetition maximum: chest press + 4.1 kg, 95% CI 2.0, 6.3; lateral pulldown + 6.6 kg, 95% CI 4.4, 8.9), self-reported fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue score: + 4.9, 95% CI 1.6, 8.1), and QoL (FACT-G7 score + 2.1, 95% CI, 0.9, 3.4). Among stage IV rural and urban cancer survivors, significant improvements were observed in muscular endurance and physical function. Participation in POWER was associated with attenuation of cancer treatment–related side effects and may serve as a model exercise oncology program for rural cancer survivors.
Data-Driven Modeling of Inverter-Fed Induction Motor Drives using DMDc for Faulty Conditions

Modeling faulty behavior of systems has benefits in diagnosis and control. In this paper a data-driven method, dynamic mode decomposition with control (DMDc), is employed for modeling an inverter-fed induction machine. Results are shown and compared for two scenarios: A step input change and an inverter fault. For both cases, the algorithm can correctly predict behavior of the system. The advantage of this model is its independence from the system parameters. The results show promise for data-drivenfault diagnostics and system modeling.
Abstract 2569: miR520a inhibits Fzd9 in bronchial epithelial cells and NSCLC

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be the most diagnosed cancer type worldwide and has the highest mortality rate. Treatment is highly researched, but 5 year survival remains around 20%. Chemoprevention could combat the development of lung cancer in individuals who are at high risk, such as former cigarette smokers. Iloprost is a prostacyclin analogue demonstrated to reduce the presence of endobronchial dysplasia in former smokers. Increased Frizzled-9 (Fzd9) expression is induced by Iloprost, resulting in activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and inhibition of transformed growth. The goal of this study is to elucidate the relationship of cigarette smoke, NSCLC, and miRNA regulation of Fzd9 expression. We hypothesized that miRNA regulate Fzd9 expression when NSCLC cells are exposed to both cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) and Iloprost. miR520a5p was predicted in silico to bind Fzd9 and we validated binding with a miR520a5p mimic and Fzd9 39UTR luciferase in an immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line (HBEC) and NSCLC cell lines. A549 and H322 NSCLC cells and HBEC were exposed to cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) and Iloprost. CSC increased miR520a expression, while the opposite was observed in Iloprost treated cells. We also measured Fzd9 39UTR activity and demonstrated that CSC decreases both Fzd9 39UTR and PPRE activity, while Iloprost does the opposite. We investigated the effect of miR520a5p on targets downstream of Fzd9, including PPARγ response element (PPRE), a direct measure of PPARγ activity, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene expression, including Cox2, E-cadherin, and CRB3. We found that when Fzd9 is inhibited by miR520a5p, PPRE activity and epithelial gene expression are inhibited, while mesenchymal gene expression is stimulated. Rescue experiments combining CSC with a miR520a5p inhibitor or iloprost with a miR520a5p mimic supported a role for miR-520a-5p in inhibition of Fzd9 in a CSC carcinogenic pathway in lung epithelial cells that is reversed with iloprost treatment. Overall, these findings suggest a mechanism for miRNA regulation of Fzd9 in lung epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke and a potential chemoprevention target. Citation Format: Alex J. Smith, Paulina Do, Kayla M. Sompel, Alamelu Elango. miR520a inhibits Fzd9 in bronchial epithelial cells and NSCLC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2569.
Abstract 1198: MatchMiner: An open-source computational platform that accelerates patient enrollment on to precision medicine trials

With the advent of next generation sequencing in cancer care, patients9 tumors can be genomically profiled and specific genetic alterations can be targeted with precision medicine drugs. However, the abundance of patient sequencing data coupled with complex clinical trial eligibility has made it challenging to match patients to precision medicine trials. To facilitate interpretation of complex tumor sequencing data and clinical trial genomic eligibility criteria, we developed MatchMiner, an open-source platform to computationally match cancer patients to precision medicine clinical trials. MatchMiner supports two distinct workflows: (1) patient-centric mode, in which an oncologist can find clinical trial matches for a specific patient, and (2) trial-centric mode, in which a clinical trial investigator can identify and recruit patients for a specific trial. In MatchMiner at DFCI, there are currently 330+ precision medicine trials and genomic and genomic and clinical data from 39,000+ patients. Although MatchMiner has been operational at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since early 2017, its impact on patient care has not yet been extensively studied. In this study, we analyzed temporal trends of 170 MatchMiner-driven trial enrollments. We compared these 170 MatchMiner-driven trial enrollments to non-MatchMiner-driven trial enrollments to determine how MatchMiner has impacted patient enrollments. To compare MatchMiner-driven trial enrollments to non-MatchMiner-driven enrollments, we limited the non-MatchMiner group by choosing patients who enrolled on the same trials. We also ensured that all patients in both enrollment groups had a genomic report present in MatchMiner before their consent date. We then analyzed temporal trends between genomic report dates, patient consent and on-study dates, and patient views in MatchMiner. MatchMiner-driven enrollments had a significant decrease in time from genomic report date to consent date compared to non-MatchMiner-driven enrollments. Thus, clinical use of MatchMiner decreased time to enroll in a precision medicine study, and suggests that use of precision medicine trial matching tools such as MatchMiner are important for the future of patient care. The MatchMiner open-source software package is available through GitHub (https://github.com/dfci/matchminer). We are committed to supporting MatchMiner as an open-source software; to our knowledge, at least five cancer centers are implementing MatchMiner. Citation Format: Harry Klein, Tali Mazor, Priti Kumari, James Lindsay, Andrea Ovalle, Ethan Siegel, Pavel Trukhanov, Joyce Yu, Michael Hassett, Ethan Cerami. MatchMiner: An open-source computational platform that accelerates patient enrollment on to precision medicine trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1198.
Examination of anticoagulation prescription among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation after in-hospital fall.

Mechanical fall is common among elders and has been associated with a lack of anticoagulant therapy among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, anticoagulant therapy is recommended despite frequent fall due to an increased risk of a thromboembolic event. Using data from a large health system, we investigated the predictors of anticoagulation prescription on discharge in AF elderly patients after an in-hospital fall. In this retrospective analysis, we examined patients aged 60 years and older discharged from 2013 to 2018 with a diagnosis of AF and a secondary diagnosis of in-hospital fall. The primary outcome was the prescription of anticoagulation at discharge. We obtained patients’ demographical (race, sex, and health insurance status) and clinical (management by a resident team, receipt of a head CT or a cardiology consultation, ambulation status and discharge location) data. We further categorized the type of anticoagulation prescribed as warfarin or novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs). We ran chi-square and Fischer’s exact tests on all data and multivariable logistic regressions on those of patients with pre-existing AF to identify the predictors of anticoagulation prescription on discharge. In total, 67% of 235 patients were discharged on anticoagulation. Of patients admitted on anticoagulation, 91% were prescribed anticoagulation on discharge (p < 0.001), while only 40% of patients with new-onset AF were discharged on anticoagulation (p < 0.001). Patients over the age of 90, compared to those aged 60–89, with existing AF had lower odds (OR = 0.34 [95% CI 0.12–0.98]) of being prescribed anticoagulation on discharge. Among patients with preexisting AF, being admitted on anticoagulation increased the odds (OR = 39.8 [15.2–104.0]) of anticoagulation prescription on discharge. Asian patients with prior AF were less likely (OR = 0.12 [0.026–0.060]) to receive anticoagulation on discharge. Of patients with new AF, 81% were prescribed a NOAC as opposed to warfarin (p < 0.05). These results suggest that provider’s decisions on anticoagulation initiation seem to be guided more by their concerns over bleeding complications than by the patient’s risk for stroke. However, anchoring bias strongly influences anticoagulation prescription. It may benefit AF patients already on anticoagulation, but it may prevent anticoagulation prescription in patients with new AF and Asian patients.
Implementation of two-phase gas transport into VERA for molten salt reactor analysis

Abstract Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are a class of next-generation nuclear reactors that have received recent industrial and research interest. A generalized species transport solver was implemented in the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) computing suite to extend this tool to analyze liquid-fueled MSRs. This core simulator has been extended to model the transport of fission product gases into a collection of circulating gas bubbles with the purpose of removing the gases. This paper presents the governing species transport equation, along with various nuclear source terms. Development of the source term for phase migration is discussed, along with a simplified interfacial area tracking method. Finally, a case study on a simplified MSR loop is presented in which modeling parameters were varied to assess their impact on gas removal. The steady state results show that parameters such as bubble diameter, gas injection rate and mass transfer coefficient have a low to moderate effect on the fraction of xenon in the core region. Removal efficiency has the greatest effect on the fraction in the core region. After the pump bowl, bubble diameter has a minor effect on the fraction of xenon in the gas void. These results point out that increasing parameters such as mass transfer coefficient, gas injection rate, and removal efficiency drives the xenon into the circulating gas void, while decreasing bubble diameter also drives xenon into the gas void by increasing interfacial area.
Treatment of Special Groups: Children, Pregnant, Elderly, and Mentally Disabled

Clinicians treating pregnant women, children, seniors, and those with cognitive impairment who suffer from fibromyalgia face significant obstacles in delivering appropriate care. One may struggle to make the clinical diagnosis. Furthermore, there are few evidence-based practice recommendations to guide decisions. Clinicians may implement some treatment recommendations previously found to be helpful for treating fibromyalgia in other groups. Treatment with non-pharmacologic strategies can optimize function while minimizing risk of harm. Treatment of children with fibromyalgia includes well-studied cognitive behavioral therapy along with a growing array of pharmaceutical treatment options. Pregnant and lactating patients with fibromyalgia should look toward physical and non-pharmaceutical modalities for symptom management first. Safety studies on medications in this patient population make cautious recommendations given the relatively low rate of malformation occurrence and overall risk. Geriatric management of fibromyalgia cautiously uses medications while remaining vigilant to other diagnoses that may be responsible for vague systemic complaints frequently seen in fibromyalgia. While very few studies specifically address their needs, patients with cognitive impairment should be treated with all of the tools and modalities employed to treat other patients as clinically appropriate.
A Sentencing System for the 21st Century

The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 created the United States Sentencing Commission and directed it to devise sentencing guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The Commission recently fulfilled this mandate, promulgating a final set of rules, which took effect November 1. Commissioner Robinson, in filing the lone dissent to these guidelines, argued that they neither meet the expectations of the Act nor provide a comprehensive and workable system. In this Article, Commissioner Robinson discusses the necessary components of a modern, principled, and workable system. He first identifies an ideal system by describing its primary goals and by offering the drafting principles necessary to create it. Next, he offers additional drafting principles designed to construct a workable system toward the ideal and to encourage the system's consistent application and continuing refinement. Finally, Commissioner Robinson illustrates the central features of a comprehensive sentencing plan that embodies the suggested drafting principles.
Stable-flow free boundary (STAFLO) migration and fractionation of cell mixtures: III. Migration principles—Sedimentation and electrophoresis

Abstract With achievement of stabilized flows in free solution (Papers I, II, Mel, 1964a , Mel, 1964b ), a number of rapid preparative and analytical cell studies becomes possible for the first time. Experimental and theoretical aspects of STAFLO migration, fractionation and concentration are analyzed, particularly with reference to cell mixtures. Migration principles, especially for sedimentation and electrophoresis, are classified as rate or as equilibrium, and the known and unknown elements of several examined. A simplified Stokes type treatment is often sufficient for semiquantitative description of individual cell sedimentation under 1 g, including calculation of resolution and separation time. Analysis of STAFLO-electrophoresis and -sedimentation-electrophoresis in terms of flow, heat production, and other parameters, indicates the basis for preparative cell fractionation, with steady state times generally of from 2 to 60 minutes. Another immediate possibility from such studies is the characterization of cells in mixtures according to sedimentation and electrophoretic mobilities. These latter must eventually be more unequivocally related to cell “density”, “size”, “surface charge” and other physical properties through improved theoretical expressions. Experimental conditions found useful for cell studies are summarized. As an analytical example of instantaneous determination of a time-dependent transport property, an electrophoretic mobility of a dye is estimated from the slope of a steady state STAFLO-electrophoresis migration pattern.
Problematic White identities and a search for racial justice.

Blauner (1995, Racism and Antiracism in World Perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage), Winant (1998, Ethnic and Racial Studies 24(4): 755–766) and Bonnett (1997, New Communities 22(1): 97–110) all express concern over the construction of “racism” as a white-only phenomenon and the corresponding degree to which whiteness is essentialized as a negative identity. This paper explores how white antiracism activists mediate between a static construction of “white racism” and a more contextual understanding of racism and possibilities for white activism. While whiteness is clearly hegemonic in the larger social world, within movements for racial justice, whiteness is often seen as suspect. Given this, white antiracism activists spend a fair amount of their activist hours negotiating a problematic identity. This paper explores the mechanisms by which such an identity is negotiated. I conclude that while white activism is complicated by a definition of racism that tends to essentialize whiteness, the activists have found ways to empower themselves and to conceptualize their relationship to racism and antiracism activism in a less rigid way. All of this contributes to our understanding of the complexity of white identity and efforts to demonstrate how it is an identity that, like other identities, is always in formation.
Management of Extradural Spinal Tumors

The pathology and pathophysiology of both primary bony tumors and metastatic lesions that commonly invade the axial skeleton of the spinal canal and involve the spinal column are examined. A detailed description of possible lesions, diagnostic evaluation and treatment paradigms is included.
Chapter 27 A recurrent-network account of reading, spelling, and dyslexia

ABSTRACT We present a recurrent-network account of printed word perception, spelling, and dyslexia. Our account explains why phonology is fundamental to reading and spelling, and why spelling is more difficult than reading. It also provides a basis for simulating the behavior displayed by children with reading problems (developmental dyslexia) and by adults with acquired reading problems (acquired dyslexia).
Picogram quantities of anti-Ig antibodies coupled to dextran induce B cell proliferation.

To investigate the properties which enable type 2 Ag, as exemplified by dextran and Ficoll, to stimulate high levels of antibody responses in the relative absence of T cells, we conjugated anti-IgD and anti-IgM mAb to both dextran and Ficoll and examined their B cell-activating properties. Such conjugated anti-Ig antibodies stimulated both early and later stages of B cell activation at picogram concentrations, which are at least 1000-fold lower than that required for B cell stimulation by unconjugated anti-Ig antibodies, and the level of proliferation they stimulated was on average 10-fold greater. Furthermore, concentrations of anti-Ig dextran (100 pg/ml) which modulated little sIgD from the B cell surface were strong inducers of enhanced B cell expression of MHC class II molecules. Conjugation of Fab fragments of anti-IgD or nonmitogenic anti-IgM mAb to dextran rendered them as mitogenic as dextran conjugated to strongly stimulatory anti-IgD or anti-IgM antibodies. The ability of dextran and Ficoll to serve as effective carrier molecules for anti-IgD was not related solely to their large m.w., because anti-IgD coupled to polymerized BSA (m.w. 1.5 X 10(6), was only 10- to 50-fold more potent than unconjugated anti-IgD antibodies at stimulating B cell DNA synthesis. These results suggest, therefore, that the unique ability of picogram concentrations of haptenated type 2 Ag to stimulate Ig secretion in the absence of T cells may be a function of their ability to promote effective cross-linking without resulting in the modulation of sIg. This would enable such Ag to mediate repetitive B cell signaling, a situation that cannot be achieved by unconjugated anti-Ig antibodies which result in modulation of sIg at their mitogenic concentrations. These compounds therefore may be employed to study B cell activation stimulated by sIg cross-linking at concentrations that may more closely reflect those which are achieved under physiologic conditions by type 2 Ag.
Social Justice: A Missing, Unelaborated Dimension in Humanitarian Engineering and Learning Through Service

Negotiations between engineering and non-engineering perspectives are central in humanitarian engineering and learning through service initiatives, and these negotiations inevitably include dimensions of social justice. But what frameworks guide engineers through such negotiations? To date, in published scholarship, social justice has played little to no role in providing structure for work in humanitarian engineering and learning through service. Yet structure is needed to think and act systematically on the social justice dimensions inherent in humanitarian engineering and learning through service initiatives and practices. Drawing from multiple data sources, including interviews with engineering education faculty on the barriers and opportunities to integrating social justice dimensions in such initiatives, we provide a social justice definition and criteria that serve as flexible guidelines for humanitarian engineering and learning through service initiatives. Grounded in a synthesized definition of social justice, the social justice criteria can guide engineers to recognize and map human and non-human, engineering and non-engineering components in problem definition and solution—with social justice at the core. Along with other benefits, these criteria can act as a foundation from which to launch, evaluate, and improve on humanitarian engineering and learning through service work, serving as a vehicle for project initiation, reflection, and self-critique.
MglA, a small GTPase, interacts with a tyrosine kinase to control type IV pili-mediated motility and development of Myxococcus xanthus

Summary The mglA gene encodes a 22 kDa GTPase that is critical for single-cell (A) gliding, type IV pili-mediated (S) gliding and development of Myxococcus xanthus. To identify components that interact with MglA to control these processes, second-site mutations that restore movement to non-motile mglA mutants were sought. An allele-specific extragenic suppressor of mglA8, named mas815 (mglA8 suppressor 15), was obtained. mas815 does not bypass the requirement for MglA, yet it restores type IV pili-mediated motility and starvation-induced development. Single-cell (A) motility is not restored. The suppressing mutation maps to the 3′ end of a gene, masK, in an operon immediately upstream of the mglBA operon. masK encodes a protein of the STY kinase family. When the masK gene was used as bait against a library carrying M. xanthus DNA in the yeast two-hybrid system, eight positive, independent clones containing fusions of mglA to GAL4 were obtained, thus confirming the interaction between MglA and MasK. MasK, expressed in Escherichia coli, was shown to phosphorylate at a tyrosine residue(s). The gain-of-function in the masK815 mutant was correlated with increased production of extracellular fibrils, which are required for adhesion, cell–cell contact and sensing phosphatidylethanolamine chemoattractants. These data suggest that the interaction between MasK and MglA is an essential part of a signal transduction pathway controlling motility and development.
Why NATO endures

Why NATO endures, by Wallace J. Thies, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2009, xii + 321 pp., £17.99 (US$29.99) (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-521-74979-4, £50.00 (US$90.00) (hardcover), ISBN: 978-0...
Ultraviolet inactivation of Euglena chloroplasts—II. Effect of culture pH

Abstract Extrapolation numbers for u.v. inactivation of chloroplast replication in Euglena gracilis are modified by culture pH, being 2–3 times greater in cells grown at neutral pH than in those grown at low pH.
Predictability With and Without the Influence of Random External Forces

Abstract The practical limit of atmospheric predictability is a function of the uncertainties in the initial conditions, the uncertainties in the parameterization of the external forces, and the uncertainties involved with discretizing the continuous atmospheric variables. The stochastic dynamic method of treating time-dependent differential equations, when applied to the relevant meteorological equations, is capable of treating the above sources of error and the atmospheric predictability problem in an explicit manner. New calculations emphasizing the effects of random forcing on predictability are presented. While it has been convenient to express predictability as a function of wavenumber in rather general energy terms, it is shown how this expression of predictability is related to a new definition based upon the degree of belief one has in the phase-position of atmospheric waves. Finally, an attempt is made to isolate the uncertainties associated with the computational cutoff in physical space by the...
Effect of prestraining on the brittle-to-ductile transition of NiAl single crystals

The brittle-to-ductile transition (BDT) has been established for NiAl single crystals as evaluated by fracture toughness testing and also the effects of prestraining on the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature (BDTT) have been investigated. Specimens were prestrained to a 10% plastic strain level at 200 C under tension prior to toughness testing. The BDT of the prestrained specimens was compared to that of the as homogenized specimens. The results have revealed the occurrence of two competing effects upon prestraining: (1) an increase in dislocation sources causing a difficulty in micro-crack initiation and resulting in an increase in toughness at low temperatures, and (2) an increase in the flow stress resulting in an increase in BDT temperature. The crack initiation and propagation mechanisms were also analyzed and have been discussed.
Is familial non-medullary thyroid carcinoma more aggressive than sporadic thyroid cancer? A multicenter series

Abstract Background. The aggressiveness of familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (FNMTC) has been a subject of debate. The purpose of the study was to determine whether FNMTC is more aggressive than sporadic thyroid cancer. Methods. A multicenter retrospective matched-case control study of FNMTC versus sporadic non-medullary thyroid cancer was conducted. Disease-free survival (time to recurrence) for both groups was compared. Results. Forty-eight familial cases were compared with 144 age-, gender-, and stage-matched controls. Patients with FNMTC had a significantly shorter disease-free survival compared with sporadic non medullary thyroid cancer. Patients with FNMTC who presented with evidence of distant metastasis, or who were from families with more than 2 thyroid cancer-affected members, had the worst prognosis. The available staging systems were less likely to predict the outcome in patients with FNMTC than in patients with sporadic non-medullary thyroid cancer unless one accounted for the strength of family history in the staging system. Conclusions. FNMTC is more aggressive than sporadic non-medullary thyroid cancer. The best predictors of a poor outcome in patients with FNMTC are the number of family members affected by thyroid cancer and evidence of distant metastasis. (Surgery 2000;128:1043-51.)
Top-k join queries: overcoming the curse of anti-correlation

The existing heuristics for top-k join queries, aiming to minimize the scan-depth, rely heavily on scores and correlation of scores. It is known that for uniformly random scores between two relations of length n, scan-depth of √kn is required. Moreover, optimizing multiple criteria of selections that are anti-correlated may require scan-depth up to (n + k)/2. We build a linear space index, which in anticipation of worst-case queries maintains a subset of answers. Based on this, we achieve O(√kn) join trials i.e., average case performance even for the worst-case queries. The experimental evaluation shows superior performance against the well-known Rank-Join algorithm.
Occupational vs. industry sector classification of the US workforce: which approach is more strongly associated with worker health outcomes?

Objectives Through use of a nationally representative database, we examined the variability in both self-rated health and overall mortality risk within occupations across the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Industry Sectors, as well as between the occupations within the NORA Industry sectors. Methods Using multiple waves of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) representing an estimated 119,343,749 US workers per year from 1986 to 2004, age-adjusted self-rated health and overall mortality rates were examined by occupation and by NORA Industry Sector. Results There was considerable variability in the prevalence rate of age-adjusted self-rated poor/fair health and overall mortality rates for all US workers. The variability was greatest when examining these data by the Industry Sectors. In addition, we identified an overall pattern of increased poor/fair self-reported health and increased mortality rates concentrated among particular occupations and particular Industry Sectors. Conclusions This study suggests that using occupational categories within and across Industry Sectors would improve the characterization of the health status and health disparities of many subpopulations of workers within these Industry Sectors. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:748–757, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.