cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Child maltreatment fatalities among children and adolescents 5-17 years old.

Abstract Background Child maltreatment-related fatalities occur among children of all ages. However, few published studies have examined child abuse and neglect deaths among older children and adolescents. Objective To epidemiologically describe child maltreatment-related fatalities among children in the United States 5−17 years old. Participants and setting Ten years of data from the United States National Violent Death Reporting System (2006-2015) were analyzed to examine child maltreatment deaths among children 5−17 years of age. Methods Child fatalities attributed to homicide or undetermined causes were reviewed by the study team to identify deaths related to child abuse and/or neglect, injury mechanisms, relationships between perpetrators and victims, victim and perpetrator characteristics, and circumstances surrounding the deaths. Results The study team identified 285 abuse- and/or neglect-related fatalities during the study period. The mean age of the victims was 9.2 years and 54.4 % of victims were male. Suspected perpetrators were most frequently mothers (28.1 %) and fathers (26.3 %). The most common injury mechanism was firearms (20.7 %). A significantly greater percentage of deaths among children 11−17 years were attributable to firearms (31.6 %), compared to deaths among children 5−10 years. Among younger children 5−10 years, blunt force trauma was the most frequent injury mechanism (22.6 %). Conclusions Older children and adolescents are frequently excluded from child maltreatment research. Although child maltreatment deaths are less common among older children compared to younger children, these fatalities have unique characteristics that should be considered when developing prevention strategies.
Nationwide Analysis of Dog Bite Injuries: Different Age Groups, Different Injury Patterns:

BackgroundAs the number of households with dogs in the United States has increased, so has the incidence of dog bites. Contemporary analysis of nationwide epidemiological data regarding such injuri...
Detection of Unknown Pregnancy With Complications Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

Eclampsia, a condition diagnosed in pre-eclamptic patients who experience seizures, can lead to maternal and fetal death if not treated early. The present case discusses the clinical management of an 18-year-old female who presented to the emergency department (ED) after a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. A physical examination revealed that she was also hypertensive. Based on these symptoms which required urgency due to the patient's instability, and the suspicion that the patient could be pregnant, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) was performed. In this case, a POCUS was a faster more accessible modality than a urine or serum human chorionic gonadotropin test. Although the patient denied that she was pregnant, POCUS identified that she was approximately 22-24 weeks pregnant. The patient was promptly diagnosed with eclampsia and given medication to control her blood pressure and seizures. This case highlights the benefits of using POCUS in the ED to expedite clinical decisions by identifying the etiology of a patient's condition and lends itself to the discussion of its utility in a critically ill pregnant woman. It also serves to reinforce the importance of keeping eclampsia as part of an emergency physician's differential when confronted with a potentially pregnant patient with relevant symptoms.
Spatial Analysis of the Dependence of World Business Cycles

In this paper we extend and complement the existing literature by considering the synchronization of business cycles across multiple countries. Using spatial error and spatial lag models with data from 187 countries over the period of 1960-2007, we find a strong spatial dependence of business cycles across countries. The effect of geographical proximity on business cycle synchronization is strongest during the period of international shocks (1973-1986), but almost disappears over the globalization era (1987-2007). By way of contrast, the influence of trade relations in determining comovements of business cycles is significant over 1987-2007.
Storing and Reading Information in Mixtures of Fluorescent Molecules

The rapidly increasing use of digital technologies requires the rethinking of methods to store data. This work shows that digital data can be stored in mixtures of fluorescent dye molecules, which are deposited on a surface by inkjet printing, where an amide bond tethers the dye molecules to the surface. A microscope equipped with a multichannel fluorescence detector distinguishes individual dyes in the mixture. The presence or absence of these molecules in the mixture encodes binary information (i.e., "0" or "1"). The use of mixtures of molecules, instead of sequence-defined macromolecules, minimizes the time and difficulty of synthesis and eliminates the requirement of sequencing. We have written, stored, and read a total of approximately 400 kilobits (both text and images) with greater than 99% recovery of information, written at an average rate of 128 bits/s (16 bytes/s) and read at a rate of 469 bits/s (58.6 bytes/s).
Impact of Residents on Hand Surgery Fellows' Educational Experience: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Purpose To survey current hand surgery fellows on the perceived impact of residents on their fellowship educational experience. Methods Electronic surveys were distributed to 177 hand surgery fellows in the United States. The survey was designed to elucidate details of their fellowship programs, percentage of time working with, and in competition with, residents in differing clinical settings, perception of the impact of residents on their education, and strategies for resolving conflicts with attending physicians and residents. Results Of the 177 hand surgery fellows, 72 (40.1%) responded to the survey, of which 61 (84.7%) were orthopedic surgery–trained, 11 (15.3%) were plastic surgery–trained, and 0 (0%) were general surgery–trained. As fellows, 56 (78%) respondents reported working alongside a dedicated resident on their service. The median percentage of time spent working with the residents was 50% or higher for all clinical environments. The median perceived percentage time in competition with residents was 25% in the operating room and 0% for all other clinical environments. Fifty-one (71%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed that residents enhanced their educational experience, and 55 (76%) respondents stated that these interactions will positively or somewhat positively affect their abilities to practice as a future hand surgeon. A plurality of fellows reported that they resolved conflicts cooperatively with residents (n = 34, 47.2%) and that this was their preference (n = 36, 50.0%). The majority of fellows were comfortable with discussing educational conflicts with their attending and/or program director (n = 67, 93.1%). Conclusions Hand surgery fellows frequently work with residents. The operating room is the most frequent site for competition between fellows and residents. Fellows responded positively when asked if residents should be involved in their fellowship. When conflicts do arise, fellows have the skills to manage conflicts with residents collaboratively. Clinical relevance This study evaluates the relationship between residents and fellows to improve the postgraduate educational experience.
International Criminal Courts and the Making of Public International Law: New Roles for International Organizations and Individuals, 43 J. Marshall L. Rev. 603 (2010)

Judicial decisions of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other international criminal tribunals now serve as instances of practice and statements of opinio juris for the formation of customary international criminal law and customary international human rights law related to criminal law and procedure. In these areas of law and others, they are no longer "subsidiary" sources as that word is used in Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).' In the same fields of customary international law, other binding acts of international organizations, such as the United Nations Security Council ("Security Council"), are also used as practice, and the statements of these organizations are used as opinio juris. Where judicial and quasi-judicial decisions of international * Professor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law, 1201 McMath Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202-5142, USA. Phone: 1-501-324-9912. E-mail: ksgallant@ualr.edu. Professor Gallant is Representative of Counsel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Advisory Committee on Legal Texts, a Member of the ICC Registry's List of Counsel, and a Member of the governing Council of the International Criminal Bar. The views expressed here are his own, and not those of any organization with which he is affiliated. This Article is a revised version of a presentation given on Panel III, The Impact of the ICC, at the Belle R. and Joseph H. Braun Memorial Lecture Series symposium, International Justice in the 21st Century: The Law and Politics of the International Criminal Court, at the John Marshall Law School, April 23, 2010. This Article was written with the assistance of a grant from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law. 1. See Statute of the International Court of Justice art. 38, June 26, 1945, 59 Stat. 1055, 3 Bevans 1153 [hereinafter ICJ Statute] (stating: "The Court, whose function is to decide in accordance with international law such disputes as are submitted to it, shall apply:... subject to the provisions of Article 59, judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law.").
Transdermal Delivery of Narcotic Analgesics: Comparative Permeabilities of Narcotic Analgesics Through Human Cadaver Skin

Relationships between the in vitro permeation rates of select narcotic analgesics through human skin and their physicochemical properties were investigated by following the permeation kinetics of six representative compounds in small diffusion cells. The relative permeability coefficients of three phenylpiperidine analogues, meperidine, fentanyl, and sufentanil, all measured on a single piece of skin, were 3.7 × 10−3, 5.6 × 10−3, and 1.2 × 10−2 cm/hr, respectively. Using membranes from the same skin section, the permeability coefficients of three opioid alkaloids, morphine, codeine, and hydromorphone, were considerably lower, at 9.3 × 10−6, 4.9 × 10−5, and 1.4 × 10−5 cm/hr, respectively. The high permeability coefficients of the former compounds are due to their highly lipophilic nature as reflected in high octanol/water partition coefficients and low solubility parameters. Generally, the permeability coefficients of the narcotics increase as the lipophilicity increases. When viewed in literature perspective, the data suggest that aqueous tissue control of transport is approached in the case of the phenylpiperidine analogues, all of which have Koctanol/water values greater than 40. Permeability coefficients of fentanyl and sufentanil were also determined as a function of pH over the pH range 7.4 to 9.4, in this instance with membranes prepared from additional samples of skin. The permeability coefficients of each drug varied less than threefold over the pH range, a behavior consistent with the highly hydrophobic natures of the compounds. The low permeability coefficients of morphine, codeine, and hydromorphone coupled with their low potencies make these drugs poor transdermal candidates. It appears that fentanyl and sufentanil can be successfully transdermally delivered.
Measuring the proximity of T lymphocyte CXCR4 and TCR by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)

Abstract Multiprotein complexes play an important role in nearly all cell functions; therefore, the characterization of protein–protein interactions in living cells constitutes an important step in the analysis of cellular signaling pathways. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) as a “molecular ruler” is a powerful approach for identifying biologically relevant molecular interactions with high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we describe two methods that use FRET to detect a physical interaction between the T‐cell antigen receptor (TCR) and the CXCR4 chemokine receptor in living T lymphocytes. These FRET approaches use two different sets of chromophores. We discuss the design strategies, control experiments, and pitfalls involved in using these FRET approaches. Although there is no perfect pair of chromophores for FRET, the two FRET methods described here provide complementary and reliable insight into the molecular interactions between these receptor molecules.
Experimental Design and Data Analysis for fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods have evolved rapidly over the last decade. Ever more subtle experimental designs have been joined by ever more powerful data analysis methods to detect evoked changes in neural activity. Despite constant developments, there are several core principles of fMRI methodology that can be used as a guide to understand the current state of the field, as well as whatever advances await tomorrow. Here, the primary concern will be with this core understanding, but several specific aspects of fMRI experiments also will be considered. Along the way, some of the specific challenges that face fMRI studies of clinical populations will be noted, although a detailed consideration of these issues is contained in Chapter 5.
Influence of Grapefruit Juice on Caffeine Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

The influence of grapefruit juice (GFJ) on caffeine's metabolism and the hemodynamic effects of this potential food interaction were studied in 10 normotensive volunteers. In this crossover study, caffeine (3.3 mg/kg) and water or caffeine and GFJ were given to participants. Nine serum caffeine concentrations were determined within 24 hours of each phase. In another phase of this study, caffeine was given with multiple GFJ doses to 6 of the 10 participants. Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitors were used for 12 hours to assess treatment hemodynamic effects. The mean area under the serum caffeine concentration-time curve (AUC0-infinity) values +/- SD for the caffeine with water group, caffeine with GFJ group, and caffeine with multiple GFJ group were 47.0 +/- 10.8, 48.7 +/- 15.2, and 49.6 +/- 7.0 micrograms/ml.hr, respectively (NS). There was no significant difference on the ambulatory systolic BP, diastolic BP, percentage of the time with a diastolic BP greater than 90 mm Hg, or heart rate area under the effect curves. We conclude that grapefruit juice had no effect on caffeine pharmacokinetics or hemodynamic effects.
¿Hay diferencias significativas entre tratamientos? Segunda parte

Los investigadores en ciencias de la salud se hacen preguntas como: ?Se deben las diferencias entre muestras al efecto de los tratamientos?, ?se deben las diferencias al criterio de clasificacion de los grupos, por ejemplo al sexo, grupo edad o etnia?, o simplemente, ?se deben las diferencias a que las muestras estan compuestas por individuos distintos?, dicho de otra manera, ?se deben las diferencias al azar o son estadisticamente significativas?
Keratocyte and subbasal nerve density after penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE To determine central keratocyte and subbasal nerve densities after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in clear grafts and in grafts with late endothelial failure (LEF). METHODS Ninety-nine clear grafts of 74 patients and 21 grafts with LEF in 19 patients were examined by confocal microscopy at 1 to 31 years after PK. Keratocyte density and number of keratocytes in a full-thickness column of stroma with frontal area of 1 mm(2) were determined from images. Subbasal nerve fiber bundle density was measured in the central cornea as the visible length of nerve per frame area. Comparisons were made to normal corneas. RESULTS Full-thickness keratocyte density in clear grafts (22,101 +/- 3,799 cells/mm(3), mean +/- SD, n = 99) was lower than in normal corneas (26,610 +/- 3,683 cells/mm(3), n = 63, P < .001) but did not differ from grafts with LEF (21,268 +/- 3,298 cells/mm(3), n = 12, P = .47). The number of keratocytes in clear grafts (10,325 +/- 1,708 cells, n = 99) was lower than in normal corneas (11,466 +/- 1,503 cells, n = 63, P < .001) but did not differ from grafts with LEF (10,778 +/- 1,760 cells, n=12, P = .39). Median subbasal nerve density in clear grafts (150 microm/mm(2), n = 94) was lower than in normal corneas (7,025 microm/mm(2), n = 76, P < .001), and nerve recovery correlated with time after PK (r = 0.36, P < .001, n = 94). CONCLUSIONS Keratocyte density and number of keratocytes are decreased in penetrating grafts compared to normal corneas, but not compared to grafts with LEF. Subbasal nerve density does not recover to normal through 30 years after PK.
Frequent conjugative transfer accelerates adaptation of a broad-host-range plasmid to an unfavorable Pseudomonas putida host.

IncP-1 plasmids are known to be promiscuous, but it is not understood if they are equally well adapted to various species within their host range. Moreover, little is known about their fate in bacterial communities. We determined if the IncP-1β plasmid pB10 was unstable in some Proteobacteria, and whether plasmid stability was enhanced after long-term carriage in a single host and when regularly switched between isogenic hosts. Plasmid pB10 was found to be very unstable in Pseudomonas putida H2, and conferred a high cost (c. 20% decrease in fitness relative to the plasmid-free host). H2(pB10) was then evolved under conditions that selected for plasmid maintenance, with or without regular plasmid transfer (host-switching). When tested in the ancestral host, the evolved plasmids were more stable and their cost was significantly reduced (9% and 16% for plasmids from host-switched and nonswitched lineages, respectively). Our findings suggest that IncP-1 plasmids can rapidly adapt to an unfavorable host by improving their overall stability, and that regular conjugative transfer accelerates this process.
Three-color confocal Förster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer microscopy: Quantitative analysis of protein interactions in the nucleation of actin filaments in live cells.

Experiments using live cell 3-color Forster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy and corresponding in vitro biochemical reconstitution of the same proteins were conducted to evaluate actin filament nucleation. A novel application of 3-color FRET data is demonstrated, extending the analysis beyond the customary energy-transfer efficiency (E%) calculations. MDCK cells were transfected for coexpression of Teal-N-WASP/Venus-IQGAP1/mRFP1-Rac1, Teal-N-WASP/Venus-IQGAP1/mRFP1-Cdc42, CFP-Rac1/Venus-IQGAP1/mCherry-actin, or CFP-Cdc42/Venus-IQGAP1/mCherry-actin, and with single-label equivalents for spectral bleedthrough correction. Using confirmed E% as an entry point, fluorescence levels and related ratios were correlated at discrete accumulating levels at cell peripheries. Rising ratios of CFP-Rac1:Venus-IQGAP1 were correlated with lower overall actin fluorescence, whereas the CFP-Cdc42:Venus-IQGAP1 ratio correlated with increased actin fluorescence at low ratios, but was neutral at higher ratios. The new FRET analyses also indicated that rising levels of mRFP1-Cdc42 or mRFP1-Rac1, respectively, promoted or suppressed the association of Teal-N-WASP with Venus-IQGAP1. These 3-color FRET assays further support our in vitro results about the role of IQGAP1, Rac1, and Cdc42 in actin nucleation, and the differential impact of Rac1 and Cdc42 on the association of N-WASP with IQGAP1. In addition, this study emphasizes the power of 3-color FRET as a systems biology strategy for simultaneous evaluation of multiple interacting proteins in individual live cells. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Meeting Planners' Use of the Internet to Plan Group Meetings

Abstract Despite the fact that hospitality web sites are proliferating and opportunities to complete sales transactions via the Internet increase daily, no research exists on meeting planners' use of the Internet to plan group meetings. Guided by Hoffman and Novak's (1994) Model of Planned Behavior this study focused on determining what variables are related to a meeting planners' intent to use and current use of the Internet to plan group meetings. Three hundred sixty-two planners of the Chicago Chapter of Meeting Professionals International were surveyed via a faxed instrument. Planners' attitudes, beliefs about norms, and perceived behavioral control were found to be significantly related to their usage of the Internet. Additionally, results confirmed that meeting planners view the Internet as having positive qualities and benefits in planning group meetings and that it is a cost effective planning tool.
Cropping pattern choice with proximity to ethanol production and animal feeding operations

Growing demand for corn due to the expansion of corn ethanol production has increased concerns that corn demand will be met by growing corn more intensively and shifting cropland from cropping systems with lower environmental impact into continuous corn (CC). Cropping system choice may also be influenced by the advantage of the high nutrient uptake of CC, which allows higher manure application rates and lowers manure management costs. A binary logistic regression model is used to estimate the probability of crop rotation choice as a function of proximity to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and ethanol plants during 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 in the Des Moines Lobe region of Iowa. The probability of CC is found to be elevated in the vicinity of large hog operations as well as in a larger area around ethanol plants. The probability of CC around hog-feeding operations decreases rapidly with distance away from the facility, but the large number of hog facilities in the region results in a large cumulative influence. Understanding the multiple motivations for cropping system choices is vital to forming effective agricultural policy. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Inflammatory Response of Channel Catfish to Abdominal Implants: A Histological and Ultrastructural Study

Abstract Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus encapsulated implanted dummy transmitters in fibrous granulation tissue, Thirteen to 23 d after surgery, the fibrous capsules, 0.1–2.0 mm thick, contained numerous elongate fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) and dense collagen fibers oriented parallel to the transmitter surface, Cell types in the fibrous capsule identified with light and electron microscopy included red blood cells, endothelial cells, vascular pericytes, tissue lymphocytes, tissue and circulating neutrophils, circulating eosinophils, macrophages with ingested red blood cells, and fibroblasts with numerous intermediate filaments. The high concentration of actin in the fibroblasts, demonstrated by immunoperoxidase techniques, identified these cells as myofibroblasts. Based upon differential cell counts, macrophage concentration was higher and myofibroblast concentration was lower in the capsule area adjacent to the transmitter than at the exterior of the fibrous capsule, When a transmitter was expelled...
Hypoalbuminemia, oliguria and peripheral cyanosis in an infant with severe atopic dermatitis.

A six-month old male infant with severe atopic dermatitis was admitted with hypoalbuminemia, oliguria and cyanosis of the extremitie. s. There was marked edema and generalized eczema with foul, yellowish exudates. The patient's major clinical manifestations were attributed to the loss of albumin through the skin. Although atopic dermatitis is a common disease in children, here we want to show that systemic disturbances may arise from such condition, describe the total care given the patient, and emphasize the wholistic approach in managing cases of severe atopic dermatitis, intensive treatment was instituted and the patient was discharged after three weeks and remained in a stable condition.
Radiation convection in a thermally developing duct flow of noncircular cross section

In this paper the interaction of thermal radiation and laminar forced convection in the thermal entrance region of noncircular ducts is numerically investigated. In particular, because of their complex geometry, the paper investigates in detail the combined modes of heat transfer in right triangular and semicircular ducts. The velocity in these geometries is considered fully developed and the temperature of an absorbing-emitting gas is developing in an isothermal duct with nonblack walls. The method of moments is used to describe the radiation contribution that circumvents the partial intergro-differential equation typical of this kind of problem. Also, the methodology using the method of lines (MOL) involving differential and difference formulations and coarse grids is applied to these ducts of noncircular cross section. The results based on 36 lines or less are computed numerically using a Runge-Kutta subroutine. They are presented in terms of axial bulk temperature and mean Nusselt number and are plotted as a function of the optical thickness, wall emissivity, and radiation-conduction parameter. The results compare very well with those for pure convection available in the literature. In addition, it is observed that radiation influences the thermal development of noncircular ducts in a complicated way.
Energy Gap in Nuclear Matter. I. Extended Theory

The Bogoliubov condition of compensation of dangerous diagrams is invoked to derive a generalized energy-gap equation of the BCS form, but with a renormalized pairing interaction and renormalized single-particle energies. The second-order contributions to the renormalized pairing interaction are found to be significant, contrary to popular belief. It is stressed that the self-consistent solution of the energy-gap equation yields qualitatively and quantitatively different results than a perturbative evaluation of the energy spectrum following a Bogoliubov-Valatin transformation characterized by the lowest order BCS gap parameters. The dependence of the energy gap on high-order corrections is studied in one and three dimensions for simple potentials; for some values of the potential parameters, no solution to the gap equation exists. Finally, the energy gap is studied in nuclear matter. We include the scattering in both singlet and triplet states of particle-hole pairs which can be neutron-neutron, neutron-proton, or proton-proton. The interaction is taken to be a sum of separable potentials which reproduce the $s$-wave phase shift. Because of the short-range repulsion that is included, we sum an infinite set of particle-particle diagrams which replaces the second-order potential vertices by $T$ matrices. The higher order effects studied increase the energy gap by a large factor, especially when the lowest order BCS gap is calculated to be small. Nevertheless, the qualitative conclusion remains that the energy gap in infinite nuclear matter appears to be considerably smaller than that in the heaviest nuclei.
High-resolution diode-laser spectroscopy of the 949.2 cm −1 band of ethylene

High-resolution absorption spectra within the central maximum of the ν7 band of C2H4 have been recorded using tunable semiconductor lasers. 169 individual transitions have been resolved in three nonoverlapping frequency regions covering approximately 97% of the spectral range from 947.1 to 951.9 cm−1. The frequency splittings between individual transitions are reproducible to ±0.008 cm−1 or better. The problems of scanning an extended frequency range with a multiplicity of diode lasers arise primarily from limited laser-tuning range and the lack of appropriate techniques for precise absolute frequency calibration. The strengths and weaknesses of diode lasers in high-resolution molecular spectroscopy are assessed.
Prediction of the noise from a propeller at angle of attack

An analysis is presented to predict the noise of a propeller at angle of attack. The analysis is an extension of that reported by Mani which predicted the change in noise due to angle of attack to both unsteady loading and to azimuthal variation of the radiation efficiency of steady noise sources. Mani's analysis, however, was limited to small angles of attack. The analysis reported herein removes this small angle limitation. Results from the analysis are compared with the data of Woodward for a single rotation propeller and a counter rotating propeller. The comparison shows that including the effect of angle of attack on the steady noise sources significantly improves the agreement with data. Including higher order effects of angle of attack, while changing the predicted noise at far forward and aft angles, has little effect near the propeller plane.
Direct Superpixel Labeling for Mobile Robot Navigation Using Learned General Optical Flow Templates

Towards the goal of autonomous obstacle avoid- ance for mobile robots, we present a method for superpixel labeling using optical flow templates. Optical flow provides a rich source of information that complements image appearance and point clouds in determining traversability. While much past work uses optical flow towards traversability in a heuristic manner, the method we present here instead classifies flow according to several optical flow templates that are specific to the typical environment shape. Our first contribution over prior work in superpixel labeling using optical flow templates is large improvements in accuracy and efficiency by inference directly from spatiotemporal gradients instead of from independently- computed optical flow, and from improved optical flow modeling for obstacles. Our second contribution over the same is ex- tending superpixel labeling methods to arbitrary camera optics without the need to calibrate the camera, by developing and demonstrating a method for learning optical flow templates from unlabeled video. Our experiments demonstrate successful obstacle detection in an outdoor mobile robot dataset.
Five-factor model personality traits associated with alcohol-related diagnoses in a clinical sample

Objective: Personality variables may have important implications for the description and treatment of individuals with alcohol problems. The purpose of this article was to examine the specificity of previously observed trait/alcohol relations and the temporal relations of trait elevations and alcohol problems. Method: The relationships between Five-Factor Model personality traits, as measured by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, and past and current alcohol diagnoses were examined among 704 participants in the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS). Results: Results suggest that the traits previously found to be associated with alcohol-related problems in nonclinical populations also differentiate patients with alcohol-use disorders from other patients in the CLPS sample and that these traits correspond to findings using other personality models. In particular, alcohol use is characterized by relatively high impulsiveness and excitement seeking and low agreeableness (particular...
Evaluation of the pH-dependent, stationary-phase acid tolerance in Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 induced by culturing in media with 1% glucose: a comparative study with Escherichia coli O157:H7

Aims: To comparatively evaluate the adaptive stationary-phase acid tolerance response (ATR) in food-borne pathogens induced by culturing in glucose-containing media, as affected by strain variability and antibiotic resistance, growth temperature, challenge pH and type of acidulant. Methods and Results: Antibiotic resistant or sensitive strains of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella including S. Typhimurium DT104, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were cultured (30°C for 24 h; 10°C for up to 14 days) in trypticase soya broth with yeast extract (TSBYE) with 1% or without glucose to induce or prevent acid adaptation, respectively. Cultures were subsequently exposed to pH 3·5 or 3·7 with lactic or acetic acid at 25°C for 120 min. Acid-adapted cultures were more acid tolerant than nonadapted cultures, particularly those of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella. No consistent, positive or negative, influence of antibiotic resistance on the pH-inducible ATR or acid resistance (AR) was observed. Compared with 30°C cultures, growth and acid adaptation of L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium DT104 at 10°C markedly reduced their ATR and AR in stationary phase. E. coli O157:H7 had the greatest AR, relying less on acid adaptation. A 0·2 unit difference in challenge pH (3·5–3·7) caused great variations in survival of acid-adapted and nonadapted cells. Conclusions: Culturing L. monocytogenes and Salmonella to stationary phase in media with 1% glucose induces a pH-dependent ATR and enhances their survival to organic acids; thus, this method is suitable for producing acid-adapted cultures for use in food challenge studies. Significance and Impact of the Study: Bacterial pathogens may become acid-adapted in foods containing glucose or other fermentable carbohydrates. Low storage temperatures may substantially decrease the stationary-phase ATR of L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium DT104, but their effect on ATR of E. coli O157:H7 appears to be far less dramatic.
Contrast sensitivity and image recognition: applications to the design of visual displays

Abstract The visual clarity of a display image is dependent upon the photometric contrast across the edges of the image. Visual sensitivity to this contrast is in turn dependent upon the size of the image, the background luminance, the age of the observer, level of glare, and other factors. This report describes a quantitative model that can be used to predict the amount of contrast necessary for visual recognition of display symbols. Initial tests of model validity are presented, and several applications are discussed.
Some institutional considerations in federal-state fiscal relations

Albert Breton [1] has contended that "from an economic point of view how it (the division of functions between governmental levels) changes when it changes is of no great interest." But if the welfare of the members of a society is affected by this division, as apparently it is when a federalism exists, then the forces behind such a change do have economic relevance. This paper interprets any existing division of functions as the result of rational collective decision-making. It seeks to determine how economic institutions can cause such a division to change without any change in the population's taste for decentralization. This is a question of considerable interest and it is amenable to economic analysis.
Ableson kinases negatively regulate invadopodia function and invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting an HB-EGF autocrine loop

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a proclivity for locoregional invasion. HNSCC mediates invasion in part through invadopodia-based proteolysis of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Activation of Src, Erk1/2, Abl and Arg downstream of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) modulates invadopodia activity through phosphorylation of the actin regulatory protein cortactin. In MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, Abl and Arg function downstream of Src to phosphorylate cortactin, promoting invadopodia ECM degradation activity and thus assigning a pro-invasive role for Ableson kinases. We report that Abl kinases have an opposite, negative regulatory role in HNSCC where they suppress invadopodia and tumor invasion. Impairment of Abl expression or Abl kinase activity with imatinib mesylate enhanced HNSCC matrix degradation and 3D collagen invasion, functions that were impaired in MDA-MB-231. HNSCC lines with elevated EGFR and Src activation did not contain increased Abl or Arg kinase activity, suggesting that Src could bypass Abl/Arg to phosphorylate cortactin and promote invadopodia ECM degradation. Src-transformed Abl(-/-)/Arg(-/-) fibroblasts produced ECM degrading invadopodia containing pY421 cortactin, indicating that Abl/Arg are dispensable for invadopodia function in this system. Imatinib-treated HNSCC cells had increased EGFR, Erk1/2 and Src activation, enhancing cortactin pY421 and pS405/418 required for invadopodia function. Imatinib stimulated shedding of the EGFR ligand heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) from HNSCC cells, where soluble HB-EGF enhanced invadopodia ECM degradation in HNSCC but not in MDA-MB-231. HNSCC cells treated with inhibitors of the EGFR-invadopodia pathway indicated that EGFR and Src are required for invadopodia function. Collectively, our results indicate that Abl kinases negatively regulate HNSCC invasive processes through suppression of an HB-EGF autocrine loop responsible for activating a EGFR-Src-cortactin cascade, in contrast to the invasion promoting functions of Abl kinases in breast and other cancer types. Our results provide mechanistic support for recent failed HNSCC clinical trials utilizing imatinib.
Cellular Retinoic Acid‐binding Protein II: A Coactivator of the Transactivation by the Retinoic Acid Receptor Complex RAR.RXR

Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) appears in vertebrate organisms in two isoforms, CRABPI and II, with distinct distribution and functions. CRABPII, when combined with its retinoic acid (RA) ligand, interacts specifically with the liganded RA receptor complex (RAR.RXR), which is bound to the RA response elements of particular genes in order to greatly activate their expression. Thus, liganded CRABPII acts as a coactivator for RAR.RXR.
mRNA export and sumoylation—Lessons from plants

SUMO is a small ubiquitin-related protein modifier that is involved in a number of biological processes, including transcription, DNA repair, genome stability, and chromatin organization. Its potential role in mRNA biogenesis is less well investigated. The biogenesis of mRNA is closely coupled to transcription as well as mRNA nuclear export and several of the involved proteins have dual roles and appear in several complexes. Recently, SUMO-proteome analyses have discovered a number of these proteins as putative targets of SUMO regulation. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, several mutants as well as environmental conditions have been identified that show a close correlation between over- and under-sumoylation of nuclear proteins and mRNA export retention. Three new plant SUMO-proteome studies add to the list of potentially sumoylated RNA-related proteins. Here, the emerging connection between SUMO and mRNA export is compared across kingdoms and its potential mechanistic role is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear Transport and RNA Processing.
Manganese carbonate overgrowths on foraminifera tests

Abstract Below the zone where manganese is remobilized as Mn2+(aq), reductively cleaned foraminifera in deep sea sediments have much higher Mn Ca than those in core tops and sediment traps. Mn Ca ranges from less than 20 × 10−6 in and above the MnO2 maximum to as high as 700 × 10−6 in reducing Panama Basin sediments. The most plausible explanation for this enrichment is that the tests are coated with Mn carbonate overgrowths. These coatings can account for a significant proportion of the Mn in reduced deep-sea sediments. Uptake of manganous ion by carbonate may explain the absence of Mn nodules in areas of high carbonate accumulation. Extreme degrees of overgrowth can alter foram trace element values, but this artifact can be avoided by avoiding foraminifera with high Mn/Ca.
Interfacial dislocation and its applications to interface cracks in anisotropic bimaterials

Interfacial dislocations and cracks in anisotropic bimaterials are considered. The displacement and the stress fields due to an interfacial dislocation are obtained in a real and simple form. Explicit solutions to the traction along the interface and the crack opening displacement for a Griffith interface crack are derived. Possible definitions of stress intensity factors are given which reduce to the classical definition for a crack in a homogeneous medium. It is found that a planar interface between dissimilar anisotropic solids is completely characterized by no more than 9 independent parameters. Some invariant properties of the dislocation and crack solutions under coordinate transformation are also discussed.
Laparoscopic removal of aganglionic bowel using the Duhamel-Martin method in five consecutive infants

Five consecutive infants had a laparoscopic Duhamel-Martin procedure without colostomy for Hirschsprung's disease. No major problems occured, but the procedures were long-lasting, requiring postoperative intensive care for 1 night in four of teh five patients. In on patient the procedure was converted to an open one, as the quality of the anastomosis was doubtful. It is concluded that the Duhammel-Martin procedure can be carried out safely in a one-stage operation in young infants using a laparoscopic approach.
Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections through Hand Hygiene

Previously published guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations for hand hygiene in healthcare facilities. The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format, update recommendations with the most current scientific evidence, and elucidate topics that warrant clarification or more robust research. Additionally, this document is designed to assist healthcare facilities in implementing hand hygiene adherence improvement programs, including efforts to optimize hand hygiene product use, monitor and report back hand hygiene adherence data, and promote behavior change. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.
A Note on the Generalization of the Minami Ambiguity

Generalization of the Minami ambiguity for meson ( pi )nucleon scattering to the case of arbitrary spins and to cases where both interacting particles have spins was accomplished by considering the helicity scattering amplitudes of the interacting particles. A transformation of the S-matrix for the scattering amplitudes in helicity states corresponding to a change in the sign of the phase-shifts was applied. Transformations on the phase matrix for the case of arbitrary spins and for both interacting particles having spins were presented. (C.E.S.)
Equilibrium acid concentrations in hydrolyzed polyesters and polyester–polyurethane elastomers†

Equilibrium acid concentrations, [Ae], were determined in butylene adipate and caprolactone polyesters, of low molecular weight, and in thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers based on these polyesters. Values of [Ae] of the polyesters at 85°C were 0.7, 1.3, and 3-4 × 10−3 mol/g at relative humidities (RH) of 25%, 50%, and 93%, respectively. [Ae] of the thermoplastic elastomers at 85°C were about 3 and 7 × 10−4 mol/g at 10% and 25% RH, respectively. Values of [Ae] were not very dependent on temperature at constant RH. Equilibrated thermoplastic elastomers had low molecular weights and poor physical properties. Consequently, equilibration does not set a practical limit on hydrolytic degradation, even at low RH. Equations were developed that described the variation in acid content with time. Rate constants for hydrolysis and esterification increased as RH decreased. Reesterification in the elastomers in the absence of water is too slow to be a useful method of decreasing hydrolytic damage.
Coupled microstructural-compositional evolution informed by a thermodynamic database using the hybrid Potts-phase field model

A recently introduced hybrid Potts-phase field method has demonstrated the ability to evolve microstructures in conjunction with compositional fields tied to different phases. In this approach, Monte Carlo Potts methods are used to evolve the microstructure while phase field methods are used to evolve the composition, and the two fields are coupled through free energy functionals. Recent developments of the model allow different multi-component alloy systems to be simulated by using thermodynamic databases and kinetic quantities to dictate the behavior. An example of the method using the aluminum-silicon binary system is demonstrated.
A comparative analysis of higher education ranking systems in Europe

According to Altbach in 2004, “everyone wants a world‐class university”. Corresponding developmental efforts undertaken by higher education institutions are very often referenced to improvements in ranking results. Surprisingly, there is relatively little analysis of variations in higher education ranking systems across countries regarding how “world‐class” is defined, measured and benchmarked. Due to the limited number of systems included in existing comparative analyses of ranking systems, it remains uncertain whether ranking results are “largely a statistical fluke” (as noted by Usher and Savino in 2006) or a reflection of “higher education systems and cultures, and the availability and reliability of data” (as noted by van Dyke in 2005). With this first comprehensive and comparative analysis of 23 higher education ranking systems published in 11 European countries, we show that certain components and characteristics of ranking systems can indeed be systematized along national boundaries. However, it a...
Mothers’ resolution of their young children’s psychiatric diagnoses: Associations with child, parent, and relationship characteristics.

Maternal resolution of a child’s diagnosis relates to sensitive caregiving and healthy attachment. Failure to resolve is associated with maternal distress, high caregiving burden, and the quality of marital and social support. This study examined maternal resolution of diagnosis in a child psychiatric population utilizing the Reaction to Diagnosis paradigm. Thirty-three mothers of children ages 2–7 years with psychiatric disorders were interviewed using the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview. Slightly over half of the sample was classified as resolved. Associations between maternal resolution status, maternal depression, childrearing stress, and child functioning were examined and a predictive model for maternal resolution status was tested. Specific findings included a significant association between childrearing stress and maternal resolution status with support for some additional predictive power for maternal depression on resolution status. Child functioning was not significantly associated with resolution status, and may exert influence indirectly through its association with childrearing stress. There were no significant associations between maternal or child demographic characteristics and maternal resolution status. Clinical and research implications are discussed.