cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
APRV for ARDS: the complexities of a mode and how it affects even the best trials

APRV is a mode of mechanical ventilation that has generated enough controversy to fuel a war. A major challenge has been the lack of randomized control studies on the application of APRV in patients with ARDS.
A PS-SWM strategy for isolated modular multilevel DC/DC converter with reduced passive component size and low total device rating

The isolated modular multilevel dc/dc converter (IM2DC) based on modular multilevel converter (MMC) is a promising dc/dc power conversion topology in HVDC/MVDC applications. In this paper, a novel phase-shifted square wave modulation strategy (PS-SWM) is proposed for IM2DC. Compared to the conventional modulation methods, the proposed technique achieves a smaller dc inductance due to higher equivalent switching frequency. In addition, the required capacitor energy can be reduced, which decreases the capacitor size without total device rating (TDR) penalty. The operation principles of the proposed method are presented. The passive components are designed and compared with those using other modulation methods. The experimental results are provided to validate the proposed modulation strategy.
US Residents’ Perceptions of Dog Welfare Needs and Canine Welfare Information Sources

ABSTRACTThe extent to which welfare needs of breeding dogs are met in commercial dog-breeding kennels is a potential point of controversy. This analysis sought to understand US residents’ perceptions and priorities related to dog welfare : by investigating (a) perceptions of breeding-dog welfare needs and (b) perceptions of various nonhuman animal welfare information sources. Using best/worst-choice experiments conducted in an online survey, respondents’ choices for most and least important breeding-dog welfare needs (n = 508) and most/least trusted canine welfare information sources (n = 508) were analyzed. The survey sample was targeted to be representative of the US population in terms of gender, age, region of residence, income, and education. The largest preference shares (relatively most important) for breeding-dog welfare needs were for “availability of food and water” (39.2%) and health/veterinary care (18.1%). The largest preference shares (relatively most trusted sources) for welfare information...
Simulations of DNA Computing with In Vitro Selection

An attractive feature of DNA-based computers is the large number of possible sequences (4n) of a given length n with which to represent information. The problem, however, is that any given sequence is not necessarily independent of the other sequences, and thus, reactions among them can interfere with the reliability and efficiency of the computation. Independent sequences might be manufactured in the test tube using evolutionary methods. To this end, an in vitro selection has been developed that selects maximally mismatched DNA sequences. In order to understand the behavior of the protocol, a computer simulation of the protocol was done, results of which showed that Watson-Crick pairs of independent oligonucleotides were preferentially selected. In addition, to explore the computational capability of the selection protocol, a design is presented that generates the Fibonacci sequence of numbers.
Starch-guest inclusion complexes: Formation, structure, and enzymatic digestion

AbstractStarch/amylose-guest inclusion complexes, a class of supramolecular host-guest assemblies, are of critical importance in the processing, preservation, digestion, nutrients/energy uptake, an...
Valuation of mortgage interest deductibility under uncertainty: An option pricing approach

Abstract We propose a dynamic option pricing model to quantify the tax shield value of US mortgage interest deduction (MID) under uncertainty. We identify non-linear forms, both convex and concave regions, in the pay-off of MID, and discuss the implications for the valuation of MID. The model provides insights regarding the relationship between the effective MID and a set of underlying variables, including income level, house price, mortgage size, and state and local tax rates. We also show how the tax shield value of mortgage loans changes with the volatility of underlying processes. We apply the model to the case of the optimal choice of adjustable versus fixed-rate mortgages and prove that under a mean-preserving interest rate, an adjustable mortgage always offers a bigger tax saving. We use the framework to study how the tax reforms of 2017 have affected the MID benefits of different households, and find that no household is expected to receive a larger mortgage deduction under the new law. Finally, we find that, by putting a cap on deductible state and local taxes, the 2017 reform has significantly reduced the quantitative impact of income and house price volatility on the expected MID value.
Understanding the Impact of TVIs on Technology Use and Selection by Children with Visual Impairments

The use of technology in educational settings is extremely common. For many visually impaired children, educational settings are the first place they are exposed to the assistive technology that they will need to access mainstream computing devices. Current laws provide support for students to receive training from Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) on these assistive devices. Therefore, TVIs play an important role in the selection and training of technology. Through our interviews with TVIs, we discovered the factors that impact which technologies they select, how they attempt to mitigate the stigma associated with certain technologies, and the challenges that students face in learning assistive technologies. Through this research, we identified three needs that future research on assistive technology should address: (1) increasing focus on built-in accessibility features, (2) providing support for independent learning and exploration, and (3) creating technologies that can support users with progressive vision loss.
Reduced Gas-Phase Kinetic Models for Burning of Douglas Fir

New skeletal chemical kinetic models have been obtained by reducing a detailed model for the gas-phase combustion of Douglas Fir pyrolysis products. The skeletal models are intended to reduce the cost of high-resolution wildland fire simulations, without substantially affecting accuracy. The reduction begins from a 137 species, 4533 reaction detailed model for combustion of gas-phase biomass pyrolysis products, and is performed using the directed relation graph with error propagation and sensitivity analysis method, followed by further reaction elimination. The reduction process tracks errors in the ignition delay time and peak temperature for combustion of gas-phase products resulting from the pyrolysis of Douglas Fir. Three skeletal models are produced as a result of this process, corresponding to a larger 71 species, 1179 reaction model with less than 1\% error in ignition delay time compared to the detailed model, an intermediate 54 species, 637 reaction model with 24\% error, and a smaller 54 species, 204 reaction model with 80\% error. Using the skeletal models, peak temperature, volumetric heat release rate, premixed laminar flame speed, and diffusion flame extinction temperatures are compared with the detailed model, revealing an average maximum error in these metrics across all conditions considered of less than 1\% for the larger skeletal model, 10\% for the intermediate model, and 24\% for the smaller model. All three skeletal models are thus sufficiently accurate and computationally efficient for implementation in high-resolution wildland fire simulations, where other model errors and parametric uncertainties are likely to be greater than the errors introduced by the reduced kinetic models presented here.
Body temperature patterns vary with day, season, and body condition of moose (Alces alces)

Variation in core body temperature of mammals is a result of endogenous regulation of heat from metabolism and the environment, which is affected by body size and life history. We studied moose (Alces alces) in Alaska to examine the effects of endogenous and exogenous factors on core body temperature at seasonal and daily time scales. We used a modified vaginal implant transmitter to record core body temperature in adult female moose at 5-min intervals for up to 1 year. Core body temperature in moose showed a seasonal fluctuation, with a greater daily mean core body temperature during the summer (38.2°C, 95% CI = 38.1–38.3°C) than during the winter (37.7°C, 95% CI = 37.6–37.8°C). Daily change in core body temperature was greater in summer (0.92°C, 95% CI = 0.87–0.97°C) than in winter (0.58°C, 95% CI = 0.53–0.63°C). During winter, core body temperature was lower and more variable as body fat decreased among female moose. Ambient temperature and vapor pressure accounted for a large amount of the residual variation (0.06–0.09°C) in core body temperature after accounting for variation attributed to season and individual. Ambient temperature and solar radiation had the greatest effect on the residual variation (0.17–0.20°C) of daily change in core body temperature. Our study suggests that body temperature of adult female moose is influenced by body reserves within seasons and by environmental conditions within days. When studying northern cervids, the influence of season and body condition on daily patterns of body temperature should be considered when evaluating thermal stress.
The Total Neutron Cross Sections of 249Bk and 249Cf Below 100 eV

The neutron total cross sections of 249Bk and 249Cf have been measured from 0.03 to 100 eV using the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator as a source of pulsed neutrons. The 1.6-mm-diam cylindrica...
First in-vivo human imaging at 10.5T: Imaging the body at 447 MHz

PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility of imaging the human torso and to evaluate the performance of several radiofrequency (RF) management strategies at 10.5T. METHODS Healthy volunteers were imaged on a 10.5T whole-body scanner in multiple target anatomies, including the prostate, hip, kidney, liver, and heart. Phase-only shimming and spoke pulses were used to demonstrate their performance in managing the B1+ inhomogeneity present at 447 MHz. Imaging protocols included both qualitative and quantitative acquisitions to show the feasibility of imaging with different contrasts. RESULTS High-quality images were acquired and demonstrated excellent overall contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. The experimental results matched well with predictions and suggested good translational capabilities of the RF management strategies previously developed at 7T. Phase-only shimming provided increased efficiency, but showed pronounced limitations in homogeneity, demonstrating the need for the increased degrees of freedom made possible through single- and multispoke RF pulse design. CONCLUSION The first in-vivo human imaging was successfully performed at 10.5T using previously developed RF management strategies. Further improvement in RF coils, transmit chain, and full integration of parallel transmit functionality are needed to fully realize the benefits of 10.5T.
Unemployment Forecasts: Room for Improvement?

During the crisis of 2009–2013 many institutes made large errors in their unemployment forecasts. This paper develops alternative short-run models to improve these forecasts. The models are applied to the Netherlands and compared to the unemployment forecasts of the CPB. A BVAR model performs significantly better than the CPB forecasts. The BVAR can also be used to predict the labor market transition probabilities used in the forecast functions of two-state and three-state stock-flow models of unemployment. This also results in significantly better forecasts. However the combination of these three best-performing models produces the largest gain in forecast accuracy.
Efficacy of Extracorporeal Pulse-Activated Therapy in the Management of Lower-Extremity Running-Related Injuries: Findings From a Large Case Cohort.

Abstract Running is one of the most popular sports worldwide, with many health benefits. Injuries are also common, with running-related injuries reported in up to 79% of runners annually. Extracorporeal shockwave treatment can be used to treat soft tissue conditions, with the strongest level of evidence for management of plantar fasciitis. However, most studies have focused on nonathletes or studied a single condition, and few investigations have reported outcomes for extracorporeal pulse-activated therapy. In this case series, we evaluated the outcomes of 94 runners receiving extracorporeal pulse-activated therapy for lower-extremity running-related injuries, including plantar fasciitis and lower-extremity tendinopathy (Achilles, posterior tibialis, patellar, hamstring). We hypothesized that most runners with foot and ankle injuries would respond favorably to treatment and that success rates would be similar across conditions. Overall, 74 runners (79%) met their respective minimal clinically important difference for functional outcome measures, with no differences in response by age, sex, body mass index, or chronicity of condition. Further, no differences were noted in proportion achieving the minimal clinically important difference between foot and ankle (Achilles, posterior tibialis, and plantar fascia) compared with proximal injuries (53 [84.3%] versus 31 [72%], p = .15). A mean of 4 treatments resulted in achieving the minimal clinically important difference, with 95% achieving it by 5 treatments. No differences in bars of pressure, frequency, or other aspects of treatments were observed to predict response. Our findings suggest that a majority of runners with lower-extremity injuries respond favorably to extracorporeal pulse-activated therapy, including those with foot and ankle injuries.
Evaluation and Management of Sacroiliac Dysfunction Utilizing an Evidence-Based Algorithmic Approach: A Case Study.

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is an important contributor to persistent and functionally limiting lower back pain. Despite extensive debate and research, there is no definitive treatment recommendation or high-level evidence to support a conservative care treatment approach, nor interventional or surgical management procedures for the alleviation of pain originating from the SIJ. Traditional physical therapy and conservative approaches to generalized lower back pain often fail in this patient subset prompting sub-specialty consultation to a pain management center. Diagnosis of the SIJ as the pain generator can be accomplished through physical exam maneuvers and comparative diagnostic blocks; however, upon diagnosis, management remains a challenge. After the diagnosis of SIJ dysfunction is made in our young and active patient population, we have seen significant success in the application of an interdisciplinary and evidence-based treatment algorithm similar to the presented case. To our knowledge, this treatment approach has not been previously described.
AML-205: Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Untreated Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia Receiving Glasdegib + Azacitidine

Context Glasdegib + azacitidine (AZA) showed promising remission rates and overall survival in an analysis of BRIGHT MDS & AML 1012 ( NCT02367456 ) in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Objective To assess the impact of glasdegib + AZA on health-related quality of life(HRQoL) in BRIGHT MDS & AML 1012. Design Phase 1b, open-label study. Data cut-off: September 11, 2019. Setting Multicenter study at centers in Europe and North America Patients Untreated patients with AML, higher-risk MDS, and CMML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy received glasdegib + AZA. Interventions Glasdegib 100 mg QD; AZA 75 mg/m2/D on D1–7 q28D. Main outcome measures Here, we report patient-reported outcomes that characterize HRQoL using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI)-AML/MDS, Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGI-S), and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) tools. PROs were assessed at baseline (except the PGIC), D7 and D15 of cycle 1, D1 of each subsequent Cycle, and at end of treatment. Results For the MDS (n=30, including 3 with CMML) and AML (n=30) cohorts, median (range) number of cycles started was 5 (1–14) and 5 (1–15), respectively. HRQoL was measured by MDASI-AML/MDS within each of the following subscales: Core Cancer Symptoms, AML/MDS Specific Symptoms, Total Symptom Severity, and the composite score of the 6 areas of interference (general activity, mood, work, relations, walking, and enjoyment of life). For both the AML and MDS cohorts, each subscale indicated that patients had a low symptom burden over time. For the PGI-S, both cohorts showed similar trends in patient's impression of current leukemia symptoms remaining constant over time (i.e., absent to mild). For the PGIC, patient's impression of change of leukemia symptoms since starting study medication remained constant over time (i.e., no to minimal change) for the MDS cohort and showed a trend of improvement in the AML cohort (i.e., minimal change to much improved). Conclusions Glasdegib + AZA is a promising first-line treatment option that does not negatively impact the HRQoL of patients with MDS, AML, and CMML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. Study sponsor Pfizer.
Perceived Success in Upper-Extremity Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose We performed a qualitative study to understand psychosocial factors associated with perceived success of upper-extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA). We interviewed transplant recipients and their primary caregivers. Methods We recruited 4 upper-extremity VCA recipients and primary caregivers for 3 of them. We conducted semistructured face-to-face interviews using a guide that explored participants’ transplantation experiences. Topics included comparison of pretransplant and posttransplant expectations, reflections on factors contributing to the success of the transplant experience, and posttransplant rehabilitation and functioning. We performed a thematic analysis that produced a list of themes, subthemes, and proposed hypotheses explaining how the themes related to the study’s guiding questions. Results Participants described several factors as contributing to the success of the transplant experience, including developing realistic expectations about posttransplant function and lifelong immunosuppression, support from one’s community and particularly the primary caregiver, and framing the experience in a positive light. Social, aesthetic, and other values unique to the hands, as opposed to prosthetics, motivated recipients to undergo VCA despite its inherent risk and uncertainties. Conclusions Despite inherent challenges, undergoing VCA was viewed as worthwhile to regain benefits unique to hands. Participants met the challenges of the transplant process through setting realistic expectations, strong social support, and a positive perspective. Clinical relevance Findings from this work may help clinicians and prospective patients to prepare for and set appropriate expectations of VCA.
Planting native trees to restore riparian forests increases biotic resistance to nonnative plant invasions

Nonnative invasive plant species are a major cause of ecosystem degradation and impairment of ecosystem service benefits in the United States. Forested riparian areas provide many ecosystem service benefits and are vital to maintaining water quality of streams and rivers. These systems are also vulnerable to natural disturbances and invasion by nonnative plants. We assessed whether planting native trees on disturbed riparian sites may increase biotic resistance to invasive plant establishment in central Vermont in the northeastern United States. The density (stems per square meter) of invasive stems was higher in non-planted sites (x = 4.1 stems m−2) compared with planted sites (x = 1.3 stems m−2). More than 90% of the invasive plants were Japanese knotweed [Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr.; syn. Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc.]. There were no significant differences in total stem density of native vegetation between planted and non-planted sites. Other measured response variables such as native tree regeneration, species diversity, soil properties, and soil function showed no significant differences or trends in the paired riparian study sites. The results of this case study indicate that tree planting in disturbed riparian forest areas may assist conservation efforts by minimizing the risk of invasive plant colonization.
Business and cyber peace: We need you!

Abstract Rarely does a day seem to go by without another front page story about a firm being breached by cyber-attackers. Even experts in the field are far from immune from the unsustainable status quo. For example, Jim Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies has said: “We have a faith-based approach [to cybersecurity], in that we pray every night nothing bad will happen.” This is a difficult starting point to consider an appropriate end game. Still, it is something that firms must do since infinite investment cannot breed infinite security. This article takes lessons from the burgeoning field of cyber peace studies and applies them to private sector cyber risk mitigation strategies. With members of the C-suite on down to mailroom clerks worrying about the next attack and looking over their shoulder after a breach occurs, who wouldn’t welcome some peace of mind?
History and Scope

This chapter presents the history and future scope of cultural psychiatry. Cultural psychiatry, a special field of psychiatry, is primarily concerned with the cultural aspects of human behavior, mental health, psychopathology, and treatment. At the clinicallevel, cultural psychiatry aims to promote culturally relevant mental health care for patients of diverse ethnic or cultural backgrounds. This includes culturally relevant assessment and understanding of psychopathologies and psychological problems, and culturally appropriate care and treatment. In terms of research, cultural psychiatry is interested in how ethnic or cultural factors may influence human behavior and psychopathology, as well as the art of healing. On a theoreticallevel, cultural psychiatry aims to expand the knowledge of human behavior and mental problems transculturally, in order to facilitate the development of more universally applicable and cross-culturally valid theories. Many cultural psychiatric organizations have been established at national levels during the past two decades. For instance, the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture (SSPC) was founded in the United States in 1979. Cultural psychiatry, as a subfield of psychiatry, does not focus on any special population of patients, as does child/adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, or addiction psychiatry. While it may be more immediately useful in the care of ethnic minorities, immigrants, and refugees from other cultures, the knowledge and skill provided by it should be applied to all patients, including those from majority groups and from all other ethnic/cultural backgrounds. Similarly to social or biological psychiatry, cultural psychiatry exists as a unique branch of psychiatry, with its main orientation and focus on the cultural dimensions of psychiatric knowledge and practice.
Light affects the formation and development of primary haustoria of Erysiphe graminis hordei in leaf epidermal cells of Hordeum vulgare

Abstract Conidia of the powdery mildew fungus ( Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei , race CR3), when inoculated onto susceptible barley (isogonic line of cv Manchuria containing the ml-a gene) intact primary leaves or leaf segments floating on water, germinated and within 24 h formed primary germ tubes, an appressorial germ tube, an appressorium, an infection peg and a bulbous primary haustorium in a 12 h light followed by a 12-h dark (12L/12D) regime at 18-24 °C. Similar development occurred in a 24L regime. In 12D/12L or 24D regimes there was accelerated development, with the haustorium forming many fingers accompanied by up to three elongating secondary hyphal cells within 24 h. The light or dark treatment was most effective at regulating development when administered 4-8 b after inoculation. In 12D/12L and 24D regimes, development proceeded more slowly in subsidiary cells than in other types of epidermal cells, except guard cells which were never infected. Percent penetration (germinated conidia possessing appressoria that formed haustoria) varied from 5·8% in intact leaves in 24L to 38·1% in leaf segments in 24D. There was a significant difference in fungal development and percentage penetration between 24L leaf segments and 24L intact leaves, lending further support to the inference that the light effect resides in the host and not the fungus.
Prevention of Depression: Are We There Yet?

Important advances have occurred in research on the prevention of depression, which is an important public health concern. The present article outlines several key questions regarding the efficacy of depression prevention programs that need to be addressed before moving on to effectiveness and dissemination. Of greatest concern is that even among the most efficacious depression prevention programs, effect sizes have been small to moderate and the effects generally have not endured. Determining how particular interventions work will facilitate efficient dissemination of the active ingredients. First, however, it is crucial to establish that an intervention works, for whom programs are most and least efficacious and why, and then to modify programs accordingly. Based on the extent of questions that remain, we conclude that “we are not there yet,” although we have the beginnings of a good road map for getting there.
Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human

Millions of people around the world today spend portions of their lives in online virtual worlds. Second Life is one of the largest of these virtual worlds. The residents of Second Life create communities, buy property and build homes, go to concerts, meet in bars, attend weddings and religious services, buy and sell virtual goods and services, find friendship, fall in love--the possibilities are endless, and all encountered through a computer screen. Coming of Age in Second Life is the first book of anthropology to examine this thriving alternate universe. Tom Boellstorff conducted more than two years of fieldwork in Second Life, living among and observing its residents in exactly the same way anthropologists traditionally have done to learn about cultures and social groups in the so-called real world. He conducted his research as the avatar "Tom Bukowski," and applied the rigorous methods of anthropology to study many facets of this new frontier of human life, including issues of gender, race, sex, money, conflict and antisocial behavior, the construction of place and time, and the interplay of self and group. Coming of Age in Second Life shows how virtual worlds can change ideas about identity and society. Bringing anthropology into territory never before studied, this book demonstrates that in some ways humans have always been virtual, and that virtual worlds in all their rich complexity build upon a human capacity for culture that is as old as humanity itself.
A DSS approach for implementing an online retail banking system: a case study

Abstract This article is based on the author's experience in supervising the development and implementation of a distributed online retail banking decision support system (DSS) for Arab National Bank (ANB) in Riyadh - Saudi Arabia. The system emphasizes the different components and characteristics of DSS in terms of flexibility, responsiveness, ease of use, interactive interface, and the use of an adaptive process for design and implementation. The system provides branch management with facilities for direct control and monitoring of branch operations and for immediate access to information needed for decision making. Customer service was drastically reduced from an average of 30 minutes per transaction to a one minute average. The prototyping approach made it possible to solicit user participation and to facilitate the training and conversion processes which in turn eased the way for smooth and successful implementation.
Evaluation of colchicine therapy in primary biliary cirrhosis

We have conducted a double-blind controlled trial of colchicine in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Fifty-seven patients with biopsy-proven primary biliary cirrhosis were randomized to receive either 0.6 mg of colchicine twice daily or an identically appearing placebo. Patients underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation every 3 mo and liver biopsy annually. Differences in mean alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase values between the colchicine and placebo recipients were statistically significant at 4 yr. Differences in mean bilirubin and immunoglobulin M values, although lower in the colchicine group, did not reach statistical significance. In colchicine-treated patients, mean alkaline phosphatase values fell significantly compared with controls, from 281 to 112 IU/L (p less than 0.01). Similarly, mean alanine aminotransferase values fell significantly compared with controls, from 129 to 86 IU/L (p less than 0.05). Bilirubin values remained stable in drug-treated patients, even in those patients with initially elevated bilirubin values, whereas they nearly doubled in subjects receiving placebo. Although biochemical parameters of disease activity improved or stabilized in colchicine-treated subjects, no difference in histologic progression was detected between the two treatment groups. We conclude that colchicine is of clinical benefit to patients with primary biliary cirrhosis as judged by improvement in alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase activities as well as a tendency for stabilization of bilirubin values.
Characteristics of AA amyloidosis patients in San Francisco.

Background AA amyloidosis due to subcutaneous injection of drugs of abuse has been described in the USA, but all the existing literature is from more than 20 years ago. There is more recent literature from Europe. We have observed a high incidence of AA amyloidosis in the county hospital in San Francisco. Design Here, we describe 24 patients who had kidney biopsy-proven AA amyloidosis from our hospital from 1998 to 2013. All the patients were thought to have AA amyloidosis from skin popping of illicit drugs after having exhausted the intravenous route. These patients with biopsy-proven AA amyloidosis were analysed further. Results All patients were found to have hepatitis C infection, hypertension was not common, most had advanced kidney failure, and acidosis was common as was tubulointerstitial involvement on the kidney biopsy. Other organ involvement included hepatomegaly and splenomegaly in a number of patients; direct myocardial involvement was not seen, but pulmonary hypertension, history of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism were common. The prognosis of these patients was poor. The mortality rate approached 50% 1 year after biopsy, and most of the patient needed dialysis shortly after diagnosis. Cessation of drug use seemed beneficial but rarely achievable. Conclusion AA amyloidosis from skin popping is common in San Francisco. Most patients with renal involvement end up on dialysis, and mortality rates are exceedingly high.
Detecting effects of donepezil on visual selective attention using signal detection parameters in Alzheimer's disease.

Background Attentional function is impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, attention is mediated by acetylcholine. But, despite the widespread use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChE-I) to augment available acetylcholine in AD, measures of attentional function have not been used to assess the drug response. Objectives We hypothesized that as cholinergic augmentation impacts directly on the attentional system, higher-order measures of visual selective attention would be sensitive to effects of treatment using an AChE-I (donepezil hydrochloride). We also sought to determine whether these attentional measures were more sensitive to treatment than other measures of cognitive function. Methods Seventeen patients with AD (8 untreated, 9 treated with donepezil) were contrasted on performance of a selective cancellation task. Two signal detection parameters were used as outcome measures: decision strategy (beta, β) and discriminability (d-prime, d′). Standard screening and cognitive domain measures of vigilance, language, memory, and executive function were also contrasted. Results Treated patients judged stimuli more conservatively (p = 0.29) by correctly endorsing targets and rejecting false alarms. They also discriminated targets from distractors more easily (p = 0.58). The screening and neuropsychological measures failed to differentiate the groups. Conclusions Higher-order attentional measures captured the effects of donepezil treatment in small groups of patients with AD. The results suggest that cholinergic availability may directly affect the attentional system, and that these selective attention measures are sensitive markers to detect treatment response. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two Dopaminergic Neurons Signal to the Dorsal Fan-shaped Body to Promote Wakefulness in Drosophila

Summary Background The neuronal circuitry underlying sleep is poorly understood. Although dopamine (DA) is thought to play a key role in sleep/wake regulation, the identities of the individual DA neurons and their downstream targets required for this process are unknown. Results Here, we identify a DA neuron in each PPL1 cluster that promotes wakefulness in Drosophila . Imaging data suggest that the activity of these neurons is increased during wakefulness, consistent with a role in promoting arousal. Strikingly, these neurons project to the dorsal fan-shaped body, which has previously been shown to promote sleep. The reduced sleep caused by activation of DA neurons can be blocked by loss of DopR, and restoration of DopR expression in the fan-shaped body can rescue the wake-promoting effects of DA in a DopR mutant background. Conclusions These experiments define a novel arousal circuit at the single-cell level. Because the dorsal fan-shaped body promotes sleep, these data provide a key link between wake and sleep circuits. Furthermore, these findings suggest that inhibition of sleep centers via monoaminergic signaling is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to promote arousal.
The prevalence of calcified carotid artery atheromas in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Purpose: Persons with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) suffer cerebrovascular accidents at three to six times the rate of other Americans. Atherosclerosis of the cervical portion of the carotid artery has been suggested as a possible cause of these strokes. Lateral cephalometric radiographs used to determine the site of upper airway obstruction in sleep apnea patients can also image calcified cervical carotid artery atheromas. However, their prevalence in this group of patients has not been previously reported. Patients and Methods: The radiographs of 47 male subjects (mean age 59.2 years, range 45 to 77 years) diagnosed as having OSAS (apnea/hypopnea index [AHI] of ≥15 and a history of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness) were assessed for calcified carotid atheromas. Healthy, age-matched (±18 months) controls were likewise assessed. Results: The radiographs of the subjects with OSAS showed that 21.3% had calcified atheromas. The radiographs of the controls showed that only 2.5% had calcified atheromas. This finding was statistically significant (P = < .000001). The lesions seen in both populations were similar, and located within the soft tissues of the neck at the level of C3 and C4. The lesions were superimposed over these tissues, the prevertebral fascia, and the pharyngeal airspace. Conclusions: The results of this study seem to indicate that persons with OSAS have a greater prevalence of calcified carotid artery atheromas than healthy, age-matched persons. These lesions, a possible cause of future stroke, can be detected on lateral cephalometric radiographs.
The skin of primates. XLII. The skin of the silvered sakiwinki (Pithecia monachus).

The following characteristics indicate that the skin of the silvered sakiwinki (Pithecia monachus, E. Geoffroy, 1812) is not only basically similar to other primitive cebids, but also remarkably close to that of callithricids: a thin epidermis with diminished monoamine oxidase activity; a poorly-developed dermis, paucity of elastic fibers, and scant adnexal blood supply; hair follicles arranged in linear perfect sets; grouped hairs present on the cheek; an absence of glycogen and phosphorylase in most sebaceous glands; apocrine glands present throughout most haired body regions, but totally absent from the dorsum; and poorly-differentiated eccrine glands, confined to volar friction surfaces, which are characterized by unusual glycolytic properties. Other noteworthy cutaneous traits include: concomitant epidermal and dermal pigmentation in the face and scalp; Merkel-like disks in the friction surfaces; moderately well-developed Haarscheibe, associated with large, dorsal guard hairs; small, discrete sebaceous glands throughout the dorsum; a 1:1 ratio of apocrine glands to hair follicles in the facial, gular and anogenital areas; and numerous cholinesterase-reactive nerves around eccrine but not apocrine secretory coils. Although previous comparative studies on the skin of New World monkeys suggest that the systematic designation of two familial taxa is warranted, information regarding five of the fifteen genera which comprise the families Callithricidae and Cebidae is totally lacking. Given that three of these genera (Leontopithecus, Chiropotes and Brachyteles) can no longer be obtained from animal dealers because of exportation laws, the authors were fortunate to acquire representatives of the remaining two genera. Callicebus (titi monkeys) and Pithecia (sakiwinkis). Besides defining cutaneous characteristics common to specific taxa, two earlier works by Hanson and Montagna ('62) and Perkins et al. ('68) also suggested that members of the cebid subfamilies Aotinae and Pitheciinae possess cutaneous traits that bridge an interesting gap with the callithricids. Therefore, the acquisition of these two additional aotine and pithecine genera provided the opportunity to test this hypothesis. The following, therefore, is not just another detailed manuscript regarding the skin of primates. Rather, it is an effort to define the integumental characteristics of the last obtainable New World monkey genera, and to assess those cutaneous signatures which are interfamilially common to both the callithricids and more primitive cebids. Primary emphasis is placed on the genus Pithecia; pertinent findings concerning Callicebus will be incorporated into the forthcoming and final summarization of the phylogenetic significance of the skin of New World monkeys (Perkins, '75).
Callus formation from protoplasts of a maize cell culture.

A finely dispersed cell suspension culture from the friable callus of the ‘Black Mexican Sweet’ line of maize was obtained. Protoplasts from this cell culture, when grown in a simplified medium described here, showed sustained cell divisions and gave rise to callus.
Rats and infants as propositional reasoners: A plausible possibility?

Mitchell et al. contemplate the possibility of rats being capable of propositional reasoning. We suggest that this is an unlikely and unsubstantiated possibility. Nonhuman animals and human infants do learn about the contingencies in the world; however, such learning seems not to be based on propositional reasoning, but on more elementary associative processes.
GLBT Parents’ Rights During Custody Decision Making: The Influence of Doctrine, Statute, and Societal Factors in the United States

There are a number of legal and social factors that impact the judicial decision-making process when gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) parents in the United States are involved in a custody dispute. Not only are standard custody doctrines, such as the best interests and parental rights doctrines, at issue, but laws that deny marriage to gay men and lesbians, laws that govern parentage when couples use assisted reproductive technologies, and societal definitions of sex, gender, and family come into play as well, and they interact with one another in complicated ways. This research outlines and models the various ways these factors come together to create a complex legal context for nonbiological GLBT parents who are seeking custody rights to their children. Importantly, however, it also suggests that even in the face of this kind of complexity, patterned judicial responses do emerge. Specifically, judicial attention to children's best interests is consistently associated with the protection of...
At Your Service? Volunteering and National Service in 2020

This article evaluates the potential of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 to raise the level of volunteering and national service in the United States, particularly among young people, and its implications for public administration in 2020. The act would increase service-learning opportunities and national service placements substantially. Research suggests that participation in these activities is associated with increased volunteering, civic and political engagement, and interest in a career in government or nonprofit service, especially among African Americans and Hispanics. These results hold considerable promise for the practice of public administration in 2020. The authors find that their effectuation depends not only on increasing federal service programs significantly and continuing growth in funding, but also on addressing important challenges, such as the ability of public policy to increase volunteering, volunteer management capacity to support these efforts, the role of volunteering in addressing pressing social issues, and reaching disadvantaged populations.
Topology of symplectomorphism groups of S 2 × S 2

In dimension 4, due to non-existence of adequate tools, very little is known about the topology of groups of diffeomorphisms. For example, it is unknown if the group of compactly supported diffeomorphisms of R is connected. The situation is much better if one wants to study groups of symplectomorphisms. This is due to the existence of powerful tools, going by the name of “pseudo-holomorphic curve techniques” and introduced in symplectic geometry by M.Gromov in his seminal paper of 1985 [5]. Gromov proved in that paper, among several other remarkable results, the contractibility of the group of compactly supported symplectomorphisms of R with its standard symplectic form dx ∧ dy + dx ∧ dy. Gromov also studied the following example. LetMλ be the symplectic manifold (S×S, ωλ = (1+λ)σ0⊕σ0), where 0 ≤ λ ∈ R and σ0 is a standard area form on S with total area equal to 1. Denote by Gλ the group of symplectomorphisms of Mλ that act as the identity on H2(S × S;Z). Gromov proved in [5] that G0 is homotopy equivalent to its subgroup of standard isometries SO(3)×SO(3). He also showed why that would not be true for Gλ with λ > 0, and in 1987 D.McDuff [10] constructed explicitly an element of infinite order in H1(Gλ), λ > 0. In this paper we will give a more detailed description of Gλ, for 0 < λ ≤ 1. In particular we will prove the following: ∗On leave from Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal. Partially supported by JNICT Programas Ciencia and Praxis, Fundacao Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento and a Sloan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Current address: School of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA. E-mail: abreu@math.ias.edu
Schiffer on modes of presentation

Any attempt to explain intentional behaviour will face the problem of modes of presentation. What one does depends on what one thinks and desires. If Lois likes Clark Kent and believes that Clark Kent cannot fly, she would plead with him not to jump off a tall building. Though Lois also likes Superman, she would not plead with Superman not to jump off a tall building; but, of course, Clark Kent is Superman. So Lois must be thinking about the same individual under different modes of presentation. The way we think of modes is as syntactic items in the language of thought. These syntactic items, given a context, relate a believer to a proposition believed. One and the same proposition could be accepted and rejected without the believer being aware of this. Given this account of modes, there is a neat explanation of Lois's behaviour with regard to Clark Kent/Superman, which appeals neither to senses nor narrow content.' Any difference in Lois's behaviour will be explained as due to differences of syntactic items in her belief box2 (as it were). When Lois pleads with Clark Kent not to jump she does so because she believes the proposition (Clark Kent, non-flier), and she believes this because the syntactic string 'Clark Kent cannot fly' enters her belief box. When Lois does not plead with Superman not to jump, it is because she believes the proposition (Clark Kent, flier), and she believes this because the syntactic string 'Superman can fly' enters her belief box. In a number of recent writings3 Schiffer has proposed a roadblock to this neat explanation. Modes must relate believers to the same proposition in different ways. Schiffer attacks modes of presentation by saying that there exists nothing that is adequate to play this role. So there is nothing that
Facial attractiveness and species recognition: an elementary deduction?

The perception of human beauty has been traditionally considered a purely cultural phenomenon. Although the concept of sexual selection was originally introduced by Darwin, only during the last two decades, due to the upsurge of computer graphics, has it become possible to unravel a deep, conserved, biological component in the perception of facial attractiveness. It has been proposed that the human brain is endowed with “prototypes” or “templates” used as references for judging real faces. Some characteristics of an “ideally beautiful face” such as averageness, symmetry, youthfulness and sex-specific traits have been described. These characteristics have been discussed as signs of heterozygosity, resistance to parasites, health, developmental stability and fertility. Theoretical and field research have shown that sexual selection can drive sympatric speciation. Paleoanthropology has clearly shown that archaic Homo sapiens has coexisted with H. neanderthaliensis and paleogenetics has shown that no interbreeding occurred between the two species. Sexual selection might have been one of the mechanisms that led to the reproductive isolation of H. sapiens. If this hypothesis is correct, a “beauty template” should assign higher fitness to facial features that enhance the differences between the average face of H. sapiens and the face of its extinct relatives. This hypothesis is discussed and compared with the other existing hypothesis on evolution of human attractiveness.
Naturally occurring atriocaval mesotheliomas in rats

Summary Atriocaval mesotheliomas were observed in two control Sprague-Dawley rats out of a total of 2889 rats examined. Both neoplasms were located at the base of the interventricular septum. Microscopically, the neoplasms consisted of varying proportions of glandular structures and a fibrous tissue stroma. Glandular structures were lined by a single layer of cuboidal to low columnar epithelium with cells containing a moderate amount of eosinophilic fibrillar to granular cytoplasm and a pleomorphic vesicular round nucleus with coarsely clumped chromatin and often a single eccentric prominent nucleolus. Epithelial cells were stained with antibodies raised against both vimentin and cytokeratin. Electron microscopical features included the presence of microvilli, terminal bars composed of modified tight junctions and desmosomes at the lateral and apical borders, and numerous tonofilaments associated with desmosomes.