cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrating functional measures with treatment: a tactic for enhancing personally significant change in the treatment of adults and adolescents who stutter.

Purpose It is proposed that stuttering treatment, particularly for adults and adolescents who stutter, may benefit from more inventive and extensive use of functional measurement—measures that are also treatment agents. Such measures can be tailored to produce more personally significant and evidence-based treatment benefits. They may be especially useful when employed in conjunction with partial self-management and performance-contingent procedures. Method Previous approaches to the definition of stuttering treatment goals and the measurement of stuttering treatment outcomes are critically reviewed. Suggestions for improvements are presented within the framework of an evidence-based and relatively standardized stuttering treatment. Results and Conclusion Results from a review of existing literature and from 2 case studies show that 2 specific personally significant problems, saying one’s name and addressing large audiences, were improved by implementing these strategies in treatment. Functional measures ...
Teratogenicity of anticonvulsant drugs. II: A prospective study

To 468 women with epilepsy enrolled in the study, 171 children were born and evaluated prospectively. The mothers in this group were characterized by low socioeconomic status, high frequency of tonic-clonic generalized seizures, and use of combinations of anticonvulsants. Approximately 30% of infants exposed to diphenylhydantoin in utero had minor craniofacial and digital changes. The infants did not show an increased rate of growth retardation, mental retardation, or major malformations. It is suggested that the nature of the association of birth defects and maternal epilepsy is complex and that the teratogenicity of anticonvulsant drugs plays only a minor role in this association. The sample size necessary to demonstrate a two- to threefold increase in malformations is beyond the capability of a single center.
Logical Consideration Of Digital Imaging Process Of Minimal Radiographs

A logical consideration of the digital imaging process (6) is described using the characteristics of the film and screen of a radiograph and a non-linear compensation curve for each pixel between optical density value of 100% exposure radiograph and 25% exposure radiograph obtained experimentally and theoretically. A radiological image of less than 100% exposure can be generated using the point-by-point mapping to form a radiographic image which is similar to that of 100% exposure. The mathematic expression of the film to screen characteristics and conversion between the optical densities of the 100% exposed radiograph and that of 25% exposure are given. A possible potential application of the digital imaging process is discussed.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A COMPARISON OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAMPLING DEVICES FOR FULL-SHIFT AND SHORT-TERM MONITORING OF FORMALDEHYDE

The objective of this work was to identify suitable methods for personal sampling of formaldehyde in ambient air at sub-ppm levels. Experiments were conducted to survey several of the commercially available monitors and to compare them to the more established “active” methods, which are based on a variety of different chemistries: chromotropic acid, 2-(hy-droxymethyl)piperidine, and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory plexiglas exposure chamber. Stable formaldehyde concentrations were generated by heating alpha-polyoxymethylene in a refillable, high-permeation rate diffusion tube. The experiments were designed to determine the suitability of the monitors for short-term and time weighted average (TWA) monitoring for formaldehyde. Short-term sampling was performed at nominal concentrations of 0.3 and 2 ppm. TWA sampling was performed at nominal concentrations of 0.3, 0.5, and 1 ppm. A total of 6 passive and 5 active methods were evaluated. Several devices were capable of m...
Development of a scale (GIES) for assessment of cognitive and perceptual functioning in geriatric patients.

This study was concerned with the development of a brief, structured, testing procedure for evaluating the cognitive and perceptual functioning of geriatric patients. When male patients were compared with female patients, the males performed significantly better than the females. Older geriatric patients did more poorly on the test than did younger patients. For both males and females, the major decrease in cognitive functioning occurred between the decades of the 60's and the 70's. The test significantly discriminated between patients who showed relatively good social and physical functioning and those who showed relatively poor functioning when these areas were independently assessed. Analyses showed that most of the items significantly discriminated between a high-scoring group and a low-scoring group. Split-half reliability of the test was +.93. The test appears to be a promising technique for assessing geriatric patients before and after various forms of therapy.
Reconstruction of two-dimensional coherent MHD structures in a space plasma: The theory

[1] We develop basic theory for the reconstruction of two-dimensional, time-stationary, ideal, compressible MHD structures in a space plasma from data taken by a single spacecraft as the structures move past it. The MHD equations are solved as a spatial initial-value problem in a manner similar to that used in so-called Grad-Shafranov (GS) reconstruction (e.g., Sonnerup et al., 2006), the difference being that our new method can deal with general structures, not just those governed by a GS-like equation. The approach described here represents a first step toward reconstruction of 2D steady state reconnection configurations, viewed in a frame moving with the X-line: Resistive, electron pressure, and Hall terms are still missing in Ohm's law but resistive and Hall effects can, we argue, ultimately be included. A numerical algorithm to perform the integration has been developed. It is tested by generation of synthetic data from a virtual spacecraft moving through an exact, analytical, axisymmetric solution of the MHD equations; these data are then used for the reconstruction. The exact solution involves isentropic plasma flow at an angle to the magnetic field. In addition to pressure and density, all three magnetic field and flow components are activated in the solution, i.e., they all vary with radius. Results show that the new method works with acceptable accuracy in a rectangular region surrounding the spacecraft path, with the two long sides of the rectangle parallel to the path. As is the case for GS reconstruction, the length of the short sides is limited by spatially growing numerical instability inherent in this type of integration procedure. Applications to actual spacecraft (Cluster) data will be reported separately.
Look out heme, Mac is back in town.

In this issue of Blood, Kovtunovych et al report the curative effect of a nonmyeloablative bone marrow transplant for anemia and organ dysfunction in heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)-deficient mice by restoring the ability to detoxify heme through the repopulation of the tissues with wild-type macrophages.[1
Putting more genetics into genetic algorithms

The majority of current genetic algorithms (GAs), while inspired by natural evolutionary systems, are seldom viewed as biologically plausible models. This is not a criticism of GAs, but rather a reflection of choices made regarding the level of abstraction at which biological mechanisms are modeled, and a reflection of the more engineering-oriented goals of the evolutionary computation community. Understanding better and reducing this gap between GAs and genetics has been a central issue in an interdisciplinary project whose goal is to build GA-based computational models of viral evolution. The result is a system called Virtual Virus (VIV). VIV incorporates a number of more biologically plausible mechanisms, including a more flexible genotype-to-phenotype mapping. In VIV the genes are independent of position, and genomes can vary in length and may contain noncoding regions, as well as duplicative or competing genes. Initial computational studies with VIV have already revealed several emergent phenomena of both biological and computational interest. In the absence of any penalty based on genome length, VIV develops individuals with long genomes and also performs more poorly (from a problem-solving viewpoint) than when a length penalty is used. With a fixed linear length penalty, genome length tends to increase dramatically in the early phases of evolution and then decrease to a level based on the mutation rate. The plateau genome length (i.e., the average length of individuals in the final population) generally increases in response to an increase in the base mutation rate. When VIV converges, there tend to be many copies of good alternative genes within the individuals. We observed many instances of switching between active and inactive genes during the entire evolutionary process. These observations support the conclusion that noncoding regions serve as scratch space in which VIV can explore alternative gene values. These results represent a positive step in understanding how GAs might exploit more of the power and flexibility of biological evolution while simultaneously providing better tools for understanding evolving biological systems.
Federal Criminal Code Reform: Hidden Costs, Illusory Benefits

Anyone who has ventured into federal criminal law knows it is impossible to consult the federal criminal “code”—and I use the term advisedly— without becoming aware of peculiarities in its structure and content. Its well-documented shortcomings make proposals for federal criminal code reform sound like sweet reason, especially when the proponents speak with the authority that comes from years of working with and for the code reform effort. While it is hard to quarrel with their cogent calls for order and rationality in the federal law of crimes, the code reform debate often overlooks important realities of federal criminal law and criminal lawmaking that call into question whether code reform is practicable—or even advisable—at this time. The reforms recommended by the Brown Com-
Ovarian Dermoid Cyst Super-infected with Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus Leading to the Misdiagnosis of Appendicitis in an Adolescent

Abstract Background Mature cystic teratomas (dermoid cysts) are the most common ovarian tumor in adolescents. Super-infection of a dermoid cyst is a rare event usually associated with a concomitant infection. Case A 14-year-old female was transferred to our institution with five days of fevers and abdominal pain. CT of the abdomen/pelvis was read as acute appendicitis with a 7.6 cm right adnexal dermoid cyst. The patient was treated for appendicitis but later found to have an infected dermoid cyst primarily infected with methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus, which led the misdiagnosis of appendicitis. Summary and Conclusion Super-infection of an ovarian dermoid cyst is an extremely rare event. We recommend that previously described evaluation, surgical management, and ovarian conservation be employed in all cases of ovarian dermoid cysts.
Respiratory Control During Exercise

The sections in this article are: 1 New Techniques for Studying Exercise Hyperpnea 1.1 Computerized Data Analysis 1.2 Systems Analysis of Dynamic Work-Rate Forcings 2 Behavior of Ventilatory Control System 2.1 Ventilatory Response to Incremental Exercise 2.2 Ventilatory Response to Constant-Load Exercise 2.3 Factors Affecting Ventilatory Response to Constant-Load Exercise 3 Conceptual Development of Ventilatory Control Hypotheses 3.1 Central Neurogenic Drive 3.2 Peripheral Neurogenic Drive 3.3 Neurohumoral Drive 3.4 Humoral Concepts 3.5 Cardiovascular Linkages 4 Conclusion
FACE: Automated digital evidence discovery and correlation

Digital forensic tools are being developed at a brisk pace in response to the ever increasing variety of forensic targets. Most tools are created for specific tasks - filesystem analysis, memory analysis, network analysis, etc. - and make little effort to interoperate with one another. This makes it difficult and extremely time-consuming for an investigator to build a wider view of the state of the system under investigation. In this work, we present FACE, a framework for automatic evidence discovery and correlation from a variety of forensic targets. Our prototype implementation demonstrates the integrated analysis and correlation of a disk image, memory image, network capture, and configuration log files. The results of this analysis are presented as a coherent view of the state of a target system, allowing investigators to quickly understand it. We also present an advanced open-source memory analysis tool, ramparser, for the automated analysis of Linux systems.
An Eye-tracking Study of User Interactions with Query Auto Completion

Query Auto Completion (QAC) suggests possible queries to web search users from the moment they start entering a query. This popular feature of web search engines is thought to reduce physical and cognitive effort when formulating a query. Perhaps surprisingly, despite QAC being widely used, users' interactions with it are poorly understood. This paper begins to address this gap. We present the results of an in-depth user study of user interactions with QAC in web search. While study participants completed web search tasks, we recorded their interactions using eye-tracking and client-side logging. This allows us to provide a first look at how users interact with QAC. We specifically focus on the effects of QAC ranking, by controlling the quality of the ranking in a within-subject design. We identify a strong position bias that is consistent across ranking conditions. Due to this strong position bias, ranking quality affects QAC usage. We also find an effect on task completion, in particular on the number of result pages visited. We show how these effects can be explained by a combination of searchers' behavior patterns, namely monitoring or ignoring QAC, and searching for spelling support or complete queries to express a search intent. We conclude the paper with a discussion of the important implications of our findings for QAC evaluation.
The Bayou Architecture: Support for Data Sharing Among Mobile Users

The Bayou System is a platform of replicated, highly available, variable-consistency, mobile databases on which to build collaborative applications. This paper presents the preliminary system architecture along with the design goals that influenced it. We take a fresh, bottom-up and critical look at the requirements of mobile computing applications and carefully pull together both new and existing techniques into an overall architecture that meets these requirements. Our emphasis is on supporting application-specific conflict detection and resolution and on providing application-controlled inconsistency.
Enrichment of Functionally Distinct Mouse Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Populations Using CD62L

The details of the bifurcation of the lymphoid and myeloid lineages following commitment by multipotent progenitor cells (MPP) remain a topic of controversy. We report that the surface glycoprotein CD62L can be characterized as a novel marker of this and other stages of early hematopoietic differentiation. Cell isolation and transplant studies demonstrated CD62L(neg/low) long-term hematopoietic stem cells and CD62L(high) MPP within the traditionally defined c-kit(pos)Lin(neg/low)Sca-1(pos) stem/progenitor cell population. Within the MPP population, previously defined as c-kit(pos)Lin(neg/low)Sca-1(pos)-Thy-1.1(neg)Flt3(pos), Sca-1 and CD62L resolved four populations and segregated Sca-1(high)CD62L(neg/low) MPP from Sca-1(high)CD62L(high) leukocyte-biased progenitors. Using a novel transplantation method that allows tracking of erythroid and platelet engraftment as an alternative to the classical method of in vitro colony formation, we characterized Sca-1(high)CD62L(neg/low) cells as MPP, based on transient engraftment of these lineages. These data establish CD62L as a useful tool in the study of early hematopoiesis and emphasize the power of trilineage-engraftment studies in establishing the lineage potential of MPP subsets.
Optimal design for active self-assembly system

Two key issues in stochastic self-assembly are whether the system will converge to the desirable global equilibrium and how quickly it converges. In this paper an optimal self assembly design approach, which guarantees the unique desirable convergence and provides the fastest convergence rate, is proposed for active self-assembly systems. We adopt a Markov chain to model the self-assembly system. Based on the convergence theory of a Markov chain, we solve an optimization problem in which minimizing a certain function involved in the Markov chain results in both maximum yield of the target assemblies at the equilibrium and optimal convergence rate to the desired equilibrium. Several examples are carried out to further illustrate the importance and the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Social Regulation of Male Reproductive Plasticity in an African Cichlid Fish

SynopsisSocial interactions with the outcome of a position in a dominance hierarchy can have profound effects on reproductive behavior and physiology, requiring animals to integrate environmental information with their internal physiological state; but how is salient information from the animal’s dynamic social environment transformed into adaptive behavioral, physiological, and molecular-level changes? The African cichlid fish,Astatotilapia burtoni,is ideally suited to understand socially controlled reproductive plasticity because activity of the male reproductive (brain‐pituitary‐ gonad) axis is tightly linked to social status. Males form hierarchies in which a small percentage of brightly colored dominant individuals have an active reproductive axis, defend territories, and spawn with females, while the remaining males are subordinate, drably colored, do not hold a territory, and have a suppressed reproductive system with minimal opportunities for spawning. These social phenotypes are plastic and quickly reversible, meaning that individual males may switch between dominant and subordinate status multiple times within a lifetime. Here, we review the rapid and remarkable plasticity that occurs along the entire reproductive axis when males rise in social rank, a transition that has important implications for the operational sex ratio of the population. When males rise in rank, transformations occur in the brain, pituitary, circulation, and testes over short time-scales (minutes to days). Changes are evident in overt behavior, as well as modifications at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels that regulate reproductive capacity. Widespread changes triggered by a switch in rank highlight the significance of external social information in shaping internal physiology and reproductive competence.
Fluorescent-based assays establish Manduca sexta Bt-R1a cadherin as a receptor for multiple Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxins in Drosophila S2 cells

A fluorescence-based approach was developed to analyze in vivo the function of Manduca sexta cadherin (Bt-R(1)) as a Cry1 toxin receptor. We cloned a Bt-R(1a) cDNA that differs from Bt-R(1) by 37 nucleotides and two amino acids and expressed it transiently in Drosophila melanogaster Schneider 2 (S2) cells. Cells expressing Bt-R(1a) bound Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac toxins on ligand blots, and in saturation binding assays. More Cry1Ab was bound relative to Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac, though each Cry1A toxin bound with high-affinity (Kd values from 1.7 to 3.3 nM). Using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry assays, we show that Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac, but not Cry1Ba, killed S2 cells expressing Bt-R(1a) cadherin. These results demonstrate that M. sexta cadherin Bt-R(1a) functions as a receptor for the Cry1A toxins in vivo and validates our cytotoxicity assay for future receptor studies.
Diet, Geography and Drinking Water in Polynesia: Microfossil Research from Archaeological Human Dental Calculus, Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Microfossil analysis of human dental calculus provides consumption-specific and archaeologically relevant data for evaluating diet and subsistence in past populations. Calculus was extracted from 114 teeth representing 104 unique individuals from a late 16 th to early 18 th century skeletal series on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to address questions of human-environment interactions and possible dietary preference. Scanning electron microscopy was used in lieu of optical microscopy for its superior depth of field and resolution of surface detail. The calculus microfossil recovery produced 16,377 total biogenic silica microfossils: 4733 phytoliths and 11,644 diatoms. The majority of phytoliths correspond with the Arecaceae or palm family (n=4,456) and the minority corresponds to the Poaceae or grass family (n=277). Because of the relatively large sample size, we were able to test hypotheses related to age cohort, sex, dental element and geographic region. Results indicate no significant difference in phytolith or diatom recovery based on age cohort or sex. The high frequency and proportion of Arecaceae phytoliths found in calculus extracted from the anterior dentition suggests consumption of soft or cooked foods containing palm phytoliths and the high frequency of diatoms recovered from the southern part of the island argue for different sources of drinking water. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rare event simulation for a slotted time M/G/s model

This paper develops a rare-event simulation algorithm for a discrete-time version of the M/G/s loss system and a related Markov-modulated variant of the same loss model. The algorithm is shown to be efficient in the many-server asymptotic regime in which the number of servers and the arrival rate increase to infinity in fixed proportion. A key idea is to study the system as a measure-valued Markov chain and to steer the system to the rare event through a randomization of the time horizon over which the rare event is induced.
Comparisons of Ground Motions from the 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake with Empirical Predictions Largely Based on Data from California

This article has the modest goal of comparing the ground motions recorded during the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, mainshock with predictions from four empirical-based equations commonly used for western North America; these empirical predictions are largely based on data from California. Comparisons are made for peak acceleration and 5%-damped response spectra at periods between 0.1 and 4 sec. The general finding is that the Chi-Chi ground motions are smaller than those predicted from the empirically based equations for periods less than about 1 sec by factors averaging about 0.4 but as small as 0.26 (depending on period, on which equation is used, and on whether the sites are assumed to be rock or soil). There is a trend for the observed motions to approach or even exceed the predicted motions for longer periods. Motions at similar distances (30-60 km) to the east and to the west of the fault differ dramatically at periods between about 2 and 20 sec: long-duration wave trains are present on the motions to the west, and when normalized to similar amplitudes at short periods, the response spectra of the motions at the western stations are as much as five times larger than those of motions from eastern stations. The explanation for the difference is probably related to site and propagation effects; the western stations are on the Coastal Plain, whereas the eastern stations are at the foot of young and steep mountains, either in the relatively narrow Longitudinal Valley or along the eastern coast—the sediments underlying the eastern stations are probably shallower and have higher velocity than those under the western stations. Manuscript received 1 December 2000.
Transverse fracture of brittle bilayers: relevance to failure of all-ceramic dental crowns.

This study examines the behavior of cracks approaching interfaces in all-ceramic dental crown-like bilayers. Flat specimens are fabricated by fusing porcelain veneers onto yttria-tetragonal-zirconia-polycrystal (Y-TZP) and alumina core ceramic plates, with veneer/core matching to minimize residual thermal expansion mismatch stresses. Vickers indentations are placed on either side of the interfaces, at systematically decreasing distances, so that the lead corner cracks approach and intersect the interfaces in a normal orientation. Cracks originating in the porcelain arrest at the boundaries and, after further diminution in indentation distance, deflect along the interface without penetration into the tough core ceramic. Cracks initiating in the core ceramic pass unimpeded into the weaker porcelain without deflection, and with abrupt increase in crack size. These latter cracks, because of their lack of containment within the core layer, are regarded as especially dangerous. Implications concerning the design of optimal dental crowns in relation to materials optimization are considered. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006
A Method for Encouraging the Development of Good Mentor-Protégé Relationships

This article describes a system for graduate students to evaluate faculty in their roles as advisers and mentors. Some of the benefits of the system and some suggestions for encouraging the development of good mentor-protege relationships are also mentioned.
Landscape metric performance in analyzing two decades of deforestation in the Amazon Basin of Rondonia, Brazil

Sixteen landscape metrics were evaluated with respect to the effects of spatial aggregation on six different years of Landsat data for a deforested area in Rondonia, Brazil. Spatial aggregation was performed by two methods. The first method involved varying the window size in texture mean co-occurrence filtering prior to classification. The second method involved aggregating the data post-classification by resampling with a majority filter. The Landscape Shape Index (LSI) and Square Pixel (SqP) metric showed the most predictable behavior of the shape complexity metrics having strong decreases with each increase in aggregation. The Edge Density (ED) and Patch Density (PD) metrics showed the most predictable behavior among the edge and patch metrics, decreasing with increasing aggregation. The Mean Nearest Neighbor (MNN) metric also behaved as expected but its results were less consistent than those of ED and PD. Many of the remaining metrics gave inconsistent and unpredictable results with respect to spatial aggregation.
An intelligent controller for neurophysiological experiments

The authors describe an intelligent controller (ICON) for neurophysiology experiments that employs approximate reasoning techniques and a dynamic control planner (DYNCON) to perform real-time analysis and control of the experiment. Results from experiments simulated from real data show that ICON reached the same conclusions as did the investigator during and after the actual experiment but that ICON did so in fewer experimental trials. An evaluation showed that ICON's performance in controlling the experiment was limited by the time required to collect the experimental trial data (experiment time) and not the time required to analyze the data (analysis time); analysis time was always less than 11% of the experiment time, indicating that the current hardware and software technology is fast enough for real-time control of experiments similar to the one described. The evaluation also showed that the time spent in the DYNCON was from 4.5% to 15% of the analysis time. The results indicate that advantages achieved by the DYNCON, such as greater flexibility, responsivity to incoming data, and adaptability to the changing demands placed on the system as the experiment progresses, outweigh the cost in terms of computation time. >
Mutual coupling between reduced surface-wave microstrip antennas

An investigation of the mutual coupling between reduced surface-wave microstrip antennas is presented and compared with that for conventional microstrip antennas. Numerical results are presented from a theoretical analysis of the mutual coupling along with confirming experimental results. It is shown that for electrically thin substrates, the space-wave coupling, not the surface-wave coupling, is predominant for typical element spacing, for both the conventional and reduced surface-wave antennas. In addition, the mutual coupling behavior is examined using an asymptotic analysis, which demonstrates how the coupling falls off much faster with patch separation for reduced surface wave antennas compared to conventional microstrip patch antennas.
Indium Gallium Antimonide a better bottom subcell layer in III–V multijunction solar cells

An approach to modeling of III–V multijunction solar cell utilizing InGaSb as the bottom subcell layer and altering the band gaps of InGaP and InGaAs, a novel triple junction, has been presented which executes the ability to capture photons for wider range of the solar radiation spectrum than state-of-art multijunction designs and projects a theoretical efficiency of 34.33% under one sun concentration. InGaSb with a direct band gap of 0.54eV, internal quantum efficiency of more than 80% and the ability to capture photons in the near and far infrared zone up to 2200 nm has been demonstrated.
The Influence of Involvement upon Customer Satisfaction: A Study in Tourism

Available evidence from the literature tells that satisfaction depends upon the consistency between expectations and performance. When product performance is below expectations dissatisfaction is resulted, whereas satisfaction arises when performance equals or exceeds the performance expected. We argue that incorporating tourist's purchase involvement with the tourism product as a moderator in the above relationship can enrich the above model. Through an empirical study we establish that increased purchase involvement increases dissatisfaction in the event of disconfirmation and decreases satisfaction in the event of confirmation. Likewise, decreased purchase involvement decreases dissatisfaction in the event of disconfirmation and increases satisfaction in the event of confirmation.
No Evidence for Sex Differences in the Electrophysiological Properties and Excitatory Synaptic Input onto Nucleus Accumbens Shell Medium Spiny Neurons

Sex differences exist in how the brain regulates motivated behavior and reward, both in normal and pathological contexts. Investigations into the underlying neural mechanisms have targeted the striatal brain regions, including the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens core and shell. These investigations yield accumulating evidence of sexually different electrophysiological properties, excitatory synaptic input, and sensitivity to neuromodulator/hormone action in select striatal regions both before and after puberty. It is unknown whether the electrical properties of neurons in the nucleus accumbens shell differ by sex, and whether sex differences in excitatory synaptic input are present before puberty. To test the hypothesis that these properties differ by sex, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings on male and female medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in acute brain slices obtained from prepubertal rat nucleus accumbens shell. We analyzed passive and active electrophysiological properties, and miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs). No sex differences were detected; this includes those properties, such as intrinsic excitability, action potential afterhyperpolarization, threshold, and mEPSC frequency, that have been found to differ by sex in other striatal regions and/or developmental periods. These findings indicate that, unlike other striatal brain regions, the electrophysiological properties of nucleus accumbens shell MSNs do not differ by sex. Overall, it appears that sex differences in striatal function, including motivated behavior and reward, are likely mediated by other factors and striatal regions.
A molecular orbital theory of hydrocarbons: III. Nuclear spin coupling constants

The molecular orbital theory of hydrocarbons developed in the previous two papers [1, 2] has been adapted to the calculation of nuclear spin coupling constants. Using perturbation theory, long range coupling constants are related to those interactions within the molecule which are responsible for electron delocalization between bonds. The theory is applied to the calculation of all nuclear spin coupling constants in ethane, ethylene and acetylene. For nuclei separated by two bonds, the calculations lead to positive constants in all cases, whereas some negative values are found experimentally. However, the observed trend of increasingly positive values with increasing bond angle is well reproduced. For protons separated by three bonds, the theory gives results comparable with those already achieved by valence bond calculations.
Intensive insulin therapy in hospitalised patients increases the risk of hypoglycaemia and has no effect on mortality, infection risk or length of stay

Commentary on: D Kansagara, R Fu, M Freeman, et al.. Intensive insulin therapy in hospitalized patients: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med2011;154:268–82.
13 Environmental Bioindication, Biomonitoring, and Bioremediation of Organometal(loid)s

Environmentally occurring organometal(loid)s have generated some severe health and safety problems. Consequently, scientists have been investigating various organisms to show the presence of such compounds (bioindicators), to follow their movement through the environment (biomonitors), and to remove them (bioremediators). Examples of such organisms and the mechanisms of their action(s) are discussed. Also mentioned are those organisms that form organometal(loid)s as a way of removing toxic inorganic species.
The pediatric dental trauma patient: Interdisciplinary collaboration between the orthodontist and pediatric dentist

Oral trauma in children and adolescents remains a significant health issue that can benefit from an interdisciplinary approach between the orthodontist and the pediatric dentist. The purpose of this article is to review the opportunities for coordinated interdisciplinary care between the specialties of orthodontics and pediatric dentistry through a case example of oral trauma. In order to be successful, interdisciplinary care requires all parties involved to have clear communication on roles and expectations and the ability to resolve differences in treatment goals and values. When properly executed, interdisciplinary care between the dental specialties holds great potential to improve patient satisfaction and health outcomes.
Epidemiology and natural history of obstructive sleep apnea

The currently available data suggest that sleep apnea occurs commonly. Prevalence, however, varies markedly according to definitions utilized to characterize the disorder and the population studied; and has been reported to range from 1% (in an industrial working Israeli population) to 42% (in an elderly nursing home population). The degree to which sleep apnea contributes to the pathogenesis of other diseases is not entirely clear. Data from a number of sources suggest that sleep apnea may increase vascular morbidity and that excess mortality may occur in untreated patients. However, the degree to which mortality and morbidity may be influenced by more aggressive treatment of subjects with sleep apnea is not known. In particular, there is a need to better distinguish "clinically" significant sleep apnea from levels of apnea that may have few acute or chronic effects, and to define which segments of the population are at greatest risk for such adverse outcomes.
Proton-coupled electron transfer in [pyridine·(H2O)n]−, n = 3, 4, clusters

Abstract The equation-of-motion method is used to map out one-dimensional potentials for proton-coupled electron transfer in the [pyridine·(H 2 O) n ] − , n = 3, 4, clusters. In both cases there is an avoided crossing between valence-type pyridinyl·(OH − ) (H 2 O) n −1 and dipole–bound pyridine·(H 2 O) n − anion species. For the n = 3 cluster, the mixing is sufficiently strong that both limiting structures are predicted to be sampled in the vibrational zero-point level.
Waves of Cdk1 Activity in S Phase Synchronize the Cell Cycle in Drosophila Embryos

Embryos of most metazoans undergo rapid and synchronous cell cycles following fertilization. While diffusion is too slow for synchronization of mitosis across large spatial scales, waves of Cdk1 activity represent a possible process of synchronization. However, the mechanisms regulating Cdk1 waves during embryonic development remain poorly understood. Using biosensors of Cdk1 and Chk1 activities, we dissect the regulation of Cdk1 waves in the Drosophila syncytial blastoderm. We show that Cdk1 waves are not controlled by the mitotic switch but by a double-negative feedback between Cdk1 and Chk1. Using mathematical modeling and surgical ligations, we demonstrate a fundamental distinction between S phase Cdk1 waves, which propagate as active trigger waves in an excitable medium, and mitotic Cdk1 waves, which propagate as passive phase waves. Our findings show that in Drosophila embryos, Cdk1 positive feedback serves primarily to ensure the rapid onset of mitosis, while wave propagation is regulated by S phase events.
Health Disparities in Hepatitis C Screening and Linkage to Care at an Integrated Health System in Southeast Michigan.

With recommended screening for hepatitis C among the 1945–1965 birth cohort and advent of novel highly effective therapies, little is known about health disparities in the Hepatitis C care cascade. Our objective was to evaluate hepatitis C screening rates and linkage to care, among patients who test positive, at our large integrated health system. We used electronic medical records to retrospectively identify patients, in the birth cohort, who were seen in 21 Internal Medicine clinics from July 2014 to June 2015. Patients previously screened for hepatitis C and those with established disease were excluded. We studied patients’ sociodemographic and medical conditions along with provider-specific factors associated with likelihood of screening. Patients who tested positive for HCV antibody were reviewed to assess appropriate linkage to care and treatment. Of 40,561 patients who met inclusion criteria, 21.3% (8657) were screened, 1.3% (109) tested positive, and 30% (30/100) completed treatment. Multivariate logistic regression showed that African American race, male gender, electronic health engagement, residency teaching clinic visit, and having more than one clinic visit were associated with higher odds of screening. Patients had a significant decrease in the likelihood of screening with sequential interval increase in their Charlson comorbidity index. When evaluating hepatitis C treatment in patients who screened positive, electronic health engagement was associated with higher odds of treatment whereas Medicaid insurance was associated with significantly lower odds. This study shows that hepatitis C screening rates and linkage to care continue to be suboptimal with a significant impact of multiple sociodemographic and insurance factors. Electronic health engagement emerges as a tool in linking patients to the hepatitis C care cascade.
Decentralized detection in sensor network architectures with feedback

We study a decentralized detection architecture in which each of a set of sensors transmits a highly compressed summary of its observations (a binary message) to a fusion center, which then decides on one of two alternative hypotheses. In contrast to the star (or “parallel”) architecture considered in most of the literature, we allow a subset of the sensors to both transmit their messages to the fusion center and to also broadcast them to the remaining sensors. We focus on the following architectural question: is there a significant performance improvement when we allow such a message broadcast? We consider the error exponent (asymptotically, in the limit of a large number of sensors) for the Neyman-Pearson formulation of the detection problem. We prove that the sharing of messages does not improve the optimal error exponent.
Pediatric Dentistry for the General Practitioners

The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend establishment of a dental home by a child’s first birthday. However, many children’s first encounter with a dentist is when they are 3–4 years and older at a general practitioner’s office, where their parents visit. During the child’s first visit, it is important for the general dentist to build a positive first impression of the dental profession. In this chapter, we will discuss tooth development and eruption, behavioral guidance techniques including pharmacological consideration in pediatric patients, preventive and restorative, common pediatric dental emergencies, orthodontic considerations, clinical pearls, and when to refer to a pediatric specialist.
When May Patients Be Considered Cured after Autografting for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Patients who undergo high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for Hodgkin lymphoma routinely undergo surveillance for post-transplant recurrence. Follow-up schedules after ASCT are based largely upon expert opinion rather than data. To formally describe the evolution of recurrence risk over time for Hodgkin lymphoma after ASCT, we used a prospectively maintained database to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes of 245 patients who underwent ASCT for Hodgkin lymphoma at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1985 through 2005. Patient characteristics: male gender in 64%; median age, 34 years (range, 18–70); median time from diagnosis to transplant, 22 months (4–327); Karnofsky score > 80 in 89%; median 2 prior regimens (1–4); prior XRT in 52%; bulky disease > 10 cm in 20%; stage III-IV in 62%; disease status of CR1/PR1 in 8%, CR2/PR2 in 69%, refractory in 11%, other in 12%; preparative regimen of BuCyVP in 65%, CBV in 26%, TBI/others in 9%. Median follow-up after ASCT for all pts was 35 months (0–223); for surviving pts, 74 months (3–223). At 5 years, estimated overall survival and relapse-free survival were 47% and 36%, respectively. Relapse occurred in 115 pts, with 5-year relapse rate estimated at 44% (Figure). ![Figure][1] Figure Landmark analyses were conducted to estimate long-term outcomes for patients in remission at various times after ASCT, as shown in the Table: | Duration of Remission after ASCT | Long-Term Likelihood of Continued Remission | |:-------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | 1 year | 63.8% | | 2 years | 78,8% | | 3 years | 83.0% | | 5 years | 97.0% | These data illustrate the declining threat of relapse that faces patients who achieve remission following ASCT for Hodgkin lymphoma. Most patients who are destined to experience disease recurrence after ASCT do so within the first 2 years post-transplant. Patients who remain in remission 5 years after ASCT are at extremely low risk for subsequent relapse and can be reassured that they are likely cured. This analysis provides a factual basis to support gradually decreasing the frequency of surveillance visits and to discontinue routine monitoring for relapse at 5 years after ASCT. [1]: pending:yes
Impact of Mechanical Loading to Normal and Aneurysmal Cerebral Arteries

Aneurysms of the cerebral arteries have potential risk of rupture which leads to intracranial hemorrhage that could be fatal. Nearly 1 to 5 percent of population has cerebral aneurysm; however 50 to 80 percent of these cases never face rupture of cerebral arteries. There is a high mortality rate of 45 percent in case of rupture. Many people with cerebral aneurysms are unaware. It is plausible to assume that arteries with aneurysm are more susceptible to injury in case of high stress and strain created in contact or non-contact head acceleration (blunt impacts). The purpose of this study is to investigate the response of cerebral arteries with and without aneurysm under external mechanical loadings. A two-dimensional (2D) finite element model of head in sagittal plane has been created. The most common site of cerebral aneurysm is at circle of Willis, more specifically anterior communication artery (ACoA). A portion of ACoA with and without aneurysm has been created in the 2D model. The model was analyzed under dynamic loading. The stress and strain fields were investigated. It was concluded that the strain field is higher in aneurysm case comparing to normal case. It was also observed that the presence of aneurysm has influence on the surrounding brain media.
Lack of Ikaros cripples expression of Foxo1 and its targets in naive T cells

Ikaros is a transcription factor that regulates lymphocyte development from the level of the haematopoietic stem cell. Lack of Ikaros reduces the ability of progenitor cells to commit to the T-cell lineage, resulting in reduced numbers of early thymic T-cell progenitors and mature T cells. Mature CD4 T cells that lack Ikaros have defects in proliferation, T helper cell differentiation, cytokine expression and the ability to become anergic. A role for Ikaros in the naive T cell has not yet been identified. The receptors interleukin-7 receptor α (IL-7Rα) and l-selectin are important for ensuring survival and proper homing of naive T cells, respectively. Here we show that lack of Ikaros leads to reduced expression of these receptors in naive T cells, which impacts their ability to home and survive in response to IL-7. We define the mechanism underlying this phenotype as a requirement for Ikaros in maintenance of expression of Foxo1, a transcriptional regulator that is required for their expression. We also demonstrate that CD4 T cells lacking Ikaros are significantly crippled in their ability to become induced regulatory T cells, a phenotype also linked to reduced Foxo1 expression. Finally, we show that restoring Ikaros function to Ikaros-deficient CD4 T cells increases levels of Foxo1 message. Together, these studies define, for the first time, a role for Ikaros in naive T cells and establish it as the first transcriptional regulator required for maintaining levels of Foxo1 gene expression in these cells.
Characterizing free-surface expressions of flow instabilities by tracking submerged features

Under unidirectional flow, complex bottom roughness such as seagrass canopies can induce Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) shear instabilities, and these vortices can impact the free surface and leave a signature with an inherent frequency. Therefore, one approach to inferring the presence and properties of submerged ecosystems may be to look at the behavior of the water surface. We present an imaging-based laboratory method developed to characterize this canopy-induced shear instability. Much like a lens, a curving free surface refracts light at the interface (Moisy et al., Exp Fluids 46:1021–1036, 2009). Using cameras placed above the length of a flume, the water surface slope is measured by tracking the apparent distortion of submerged model vegetation in a series of images, manifested as a slight shimmering over time. We demonstrate that the synthetic Schlieren technique can: (1) measure the spectral signature of the canopy-induced shear instability on the free surface, (2) provide high-resolution spatial information on the development of the instability over the entire canopy length, and (3) measure the propagation speed and length scale of the coherent KH rollers at the surface and detect distinguishable differences in these properties for varying canopy geometry.