cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of schizophrenia: Pathognomonic signs or symptom clusters

LTHOUGH A it has long been a focus for professional concern, psychiatric diagnosis remains the greatest impediment to investigative work in schizophrenia. Feighner et al.’ l discussed the difficulties involved in arriving at a research definition of schizophrenia, while the unreliability of the psychiatric diagnosis of schizophrenics has been documented thoroughly.8*‘7 DS M-II,2 revised to alleviate some of the vagueness and ambiguity of DSM-I,’ has led to even more controversy regarding objective criteria for the diagnosis of schizophrenia.32 The inadequacies of DSM-II, especially with regard to its lack of specificity in the definition of terms used to define schizophrenia and its inadequacy as a nomenclature, have been discussed extensively.1s.17 Many investigators beginning with Kraepelin”’ have attempted to establish pathognomonic criteria that brought together patients with varied phenomenology under the same diagnostic class. For example, Bleuler5 described four general primary symptoms of schizophrenia which included loose associations, flat affect, autism and ambivalence as well as secondary symptoms called ego functions. However, this system has been considered inadequate since it uses imprecise terminology, mixes theoretical concepts with observations and because such symptoms also are prevalent to some degree in other physical and psychiatric disorders.32 While initially considered to have some basic validity and explanatory power, Bleuler’s concepts now receive little support.12 The most impressive effort to date in describing pathognomonic symptoms of schizophrenia has been described by Schneider. 27 This phenomenologic system includes 11 first rank order symptoms (FRS) which include three forms of auditory hallucinations, delusions, somatic passivity, thought insertion, thought withdrawal, thought broadcasting, and affect impulses or motor activity experienced as imposed and controlled from the outside. A detailed explanation of each symptom can be found elsewhere. g These FRSs are regarded as pathognomonic of schizophrenia when one is present in the absence of somatic illness. While the FRSs were chosen pragmatically according to their ease of identification, with no relation to theory, no empirical tests of the predictive validity of these concepts were conducted until recently. Mellor2’ found that 72% of 166 newly admitted schizophrenics demonstrated
Electrical Degradation Study of Machine Winding Insulation

Modern electrical machines must be designed as rugged and flexible. The use of power electronic devices cause voltage spikes and introduce harmonics that electrically degrade the insulation of the windings in the machines. High frequency power electronic driver circuits also increase the operating temperatures, which affect the aging and breakdown properties of the machine winding insulation. High frequency pulse voltages can be used to study the impact of electrical degradation of the machine winding insulation that exists in electrical machines. Insulation materials are tested at 90% rated temperature for the material. Evaluation of the change in dielectric strength is monitored versus the aging caused by the high frequency pulse voltage. In many high voltage systems, breakdown voltage is an indication of insulation condition. Partial discharge presents issues in electromagnetic compatibility as a noise source. Therefore, breakdown test and partial discharge inception/extinction voltage test at 60 Hz is performed on the twisted wire samples.
Online Motion Segmentation Using Dynamic Label Propagation

The vast majority of work on motion segmentation adopts the affine camera model due to its simplicity. Under the affine model, the motion segmentation problem becomes that of subspace separation. Due to this assumption, such methods are mainly offline and exhibit poor performance when the assumption is not satisfied. This is made evident in state-of-the-art methods that relax this assumption by using piecewise affine spaces and spectral clustering techniques to achieve better results. In this paper, we formulate the problem of motion segmentation as that of manifold separation. We then show how label propagation can be used in an online framework to achieve manifold separation. The performance of our framework is evaluated on a benchmark dataset and achieves competitive performance while being online.
Seed bank dynamics in relation to disturbance and landscape for an ant-dispersed species

We examined how landscape and disturbance affect the distribution of the seed bank of the ant-dispersed species Capnoides sempervirens. Seed bank samples were collected within mixed hardwood-conifer stands 0–1,269 m from source (aboveground) populations on granite-gneiss outcrops in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, USA. Regression models revealed three variables important in predicting seed bank presence and/or seed abundance: distance from rock outcrops, soil depth, and elevation. Although seeds were found up to 175 m from potential source plants, seed presence was greatest 0–10 m from rock outcrops. These results are consistent with local dispersal by ants and/or secondary dispersal (e.g., runoff) downslope. Seed presence was also greatest at higher elevations, in shallower soils, and within boundaries of recent fires. Viable seed banks occurred in stands >85 years old, but an upper limit for seed bank viability could not be determined. The absence of seeds in deeper, hydric soils also suggests that habitat-specific factors influence seed viability. Based on these findings, reoccurring fire and physical landscape characteristics not only influence seed distribution and viability, but also have the potential to influence population persistence.
Pricing Accuracy and Efficiency in a Pilot Electronic Hog Market

Daily average prices for hogs sold through the Hog Accelerated Marketing System (HAMS), an experimental electronic market, were compared to those for similar grade hogs sold through Peoria terminal and Indiana direct markets. Results indicate that prices received by farmers using HAMS increased by $0.94 to $0.99 per 100 pounds relative to their previous alternative. Using frequency of price change and average amount of price change as measures of efficient pricing behavior, the electronic market exhibited more efficient behavior than the traditional markets, i.e., average prices changed from one day to the next more frequently and by smaller amounts.
Incidental findings during emergency sonographic examinations: a case series.

The teaching of ultrasonography is rapidly being incorporated into emergency medicine (EM) training programs and clinical practice. Most literature focuses on appropriate indications for the performance of emergency ultrasonography, and most EM-related courses and programs limit their teaching to standard focused indications. Generally this will suffice; however, occasionally, incidental findings, which are beyond the realm of what is taught in these programs, have influenced patient care. In this paper we discuss 7 cases in which incidental findings were discovered during an emergency sonographic examination. In each case the findings changed the patient’s disposition, diagnosis and, potentially, outcome. RESUME On integre de plus en plus l’enseignement de l’echographie aux programmes de formation en medecine d’urgence (MU) et en pratique clinique. La majeure partie de la litterature se concentre sur les indications appropriees pour le recours a l’echographie d’urgence et la plupart des cours et programmes relies a la MU limitent leur enseignement aux indications specifiques habituelles. En general, cette approche est suffisante; cependant, a l’occasion, des constatations fortuites depassant le cadre de ces programmes ont influence l’orientation des soins aux patients. Le present article expose sept cas ou l’on fit des constatations fortuites pendant un examen echographique d’urgence. Dans chacun des cas, les constatations modifierent le traitement du patient, son diagnostic et, potentiellement, le resultat final.
ACQUIRED THUMB FLEXION CONTRACTURE IN CHILDREN: CONGENITAL TRIGGER THUMB

We examined prospectively 4719 newborn infants to determine the congenital incidence of trigger thumb. No cases were found. Fifteen other children aged from 15 to 51 months had surgery for this condition. The anomaly had not been seen at birth and all thumbs presented with a flexion contracture without triggering. The condition is usually seen after birth as a flexion contracture of the interphalangeal joint. The term 'congenital' is a misnomer because patients acquire the deformity after birth. The term 'trigger' is inaccurate as most thumbs show a fixed-flexion contracture without triggering. We suggest that rather than 'congenital trigger thumb' a more appropriate description of this disorder is 'acquired thumb flexion contracture in children'. If the contracture persists after one year of age, treatment by dividing the A-1 pulley is simple and effective.
Impaired intracellular signal transduction in gastric smooth muscle of diabetic BB/W rats

The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for diabetic gastroparesis remain unclear. Diabetes mellitus occurs spontaneously in 90% of a partially inbred colony of BB/W rats. This animal model resembles human insulin-dependent diabetes and is suitable for investigating the mechanism of diabetic gastroparesis. Diabetic BB/W rats were killed 6 mo after the onset of diabetes. Muscle contraction experiments and [3H]acetylcholine release studies were performed with muscle strips of the gastric body. Biochemical measurements of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and protein kinase C (PKC) in gastric muscle were performed to characterize abnormalities of the intracellular signal transduction system in gastric myocytes. Circular muscle contractions in response to direct myogenic stimulants, carbachol (10(-7) - 10 (-3)M) or substance P (10(-7) - 10(-5)M), were significantly impaired in diabetic BB/W rats compared with controls. Similarly, muscle contractions in response to NaF (10 mM), a direct stimulant of G proteins, were also impaired in diabetic BB/W rats. In contrast, muscle contractions in response to KCl (25-75 mM) were similar between control and diabetic BB/W rats, indicating normal voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry in muscle strips obtained from diabetics BB/W rats. [3H]acetylcholine release from gastric myenteric plexus in response to electrical transmural stimulation remained intact in diabetic BB/W rats. In separate studies, we demonstrated that carbachol (10(-6) - 10(-4)M) -induced IP3 responses were significantly reduced in diabetic rats compared with control. In addition, there was also impairment of translocation of PKC in diabetic BB/W rats. These observations indicate that myogenic impairment occurred in diabetic BB/W rats. This resulted from altered intracellular signal transduction involving abnormal IP3 production and PKC translocation.
Physical and numerical study of strain burst of mine pillars

Abstract Strain burst is a spontaneous dynamic failure of rock that can cause serious injury to the miners and damage to the underground excavations. To simulate the strain burst in the lab, a steel beam was designed and connected to the compression loading machine. The beam acts as an energy absorber and is in direct contact with the rock specimen which is under uniaxial compression loading. Upon failure of the specimen, the absorbed energy in the beam is transferred to the rock specimen to simulate the strain burst in underground pillars. Based on the physical tests, rock fragment velocities of more than 4 m/s were measured using a high speed camera. The interaction between the steel beam and the rock was modeled using a hybrid discrete-finite element computer program. The effect of different parameters such as pillar’s length and diameter, friction coefficient between pillar and roof, compressive strength of pillar, rock post-peak behavior, roof stiffness, and pillar and roof rock densities on the intensity of the strain burst were studied. The strain burst intensity was defined as the kinetic energy of the simulated rock. Dimensional analysis was applied to find relationships between the dimensionless parameters in the numerical simulation. The proposed scaling model together with the numerical analysis appears to be able to show the significance of different parameters involved in the strain burst. In particular, it is shown that the pillar diameter and its uniaxial compressive strength have significant impacts on the induced kinetic energy during a strain burst.
Mapping Public Fiduciary Relationships

Fiduciary political theorists have neglected to explore sufficiently the difficulty of mapping fiduciary-beneficiary relationships in the public sphere. This oversight is quite surprising given that the proper mapping of fiduciary-beneficiary relationships in the private sphere is one of the most longstanding and strongly contested debates within corporate law. After decades of case law and scholarship directed towards the question of to whom do a corporation’s directors or managers serve as fiduciaries, private law theorists remain deeply divided. This debate within private law should be of perennial interest to public fiduciary theorists because the cartography of public fiduciary relationships is essential to operationalizing the project. After all, it is only through identifying the relevant fiduciary and beneficiary that one is able to determine the precise contours of the fiduciary framework’s ethical architecture. As such, loose mapping of fiduciary-beneficiary relationships in the public sphere precludes a clear understanding of whose interests are pertinent to the public fiduciary’s representation, and what the public fiduciary is to do when beneficiaries’ interests collide. The purpose of this chapter, then, is to explore the central debate in corporate law about fiduciary-beneficiary relationships to help translate fiduciary principles into public law configurations.
Recrystallization and the Development of Abnormally Large Grains After Small Strain Deformation in a Polycrystalline Nickel-Based Superalloy

The formation of abnormally large grains has been investigated in the polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy Rene 88DT. Cylindrical specimens with a 15 μm grain size were compressed to plastic strains up to 11.0 pct and subsequently rapidly heated to above the γ′ solvus at 1423 K (1150 $$^\circ $$ C) and held for 60 seconds. All deformed samples partially recrystallized during the heat treatment, with the recrystallized grain size varying with the degree of deformation. The largest final grain size occurred in samples deformed to approximately 2 pct strain, with isolated grains as large as 700 μm in diameter observed. It is proposed that abnormally large grains appear due to nucleation-limited recrystallization, not abnormal grain growth, based on the high boundary velocities measured and the observed reduction in grain orientation spread.
An Analysis of Individual and Institutional Contributions to the Fashion Marketing Forum From 2004 to 2014

The purpose of this study was twofold: to define the fashion marketing forum - a collection of publication outlets where fashion marketing scholars can effectively exchange ideas, learn from each o...
Genome-wide profiling of RNA polymerase transcription at nucleotide resolution in human cells with native elongating transcript sequencing

Many features of how gene transcription occurs in human cells remain unclear, mainly because of a lack of quantitative approaches to follow genome transcription with nucleotide precision in vivo. Here we present a robust genome-wide approach for studying RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-mediated transcription in human cells at single-nucleotide resolution by native elongating transcript sequencing (NET-seq). Elongating RNA polymerase and the associated nascent RNA are prepared by cell fractionation, avoiding immunoprecipitation or RNA labeling. The 3' ends of nascent RNAs are captured through barcode linker ligation and converted into a DNA sequencing library. The identity and abundance of the 3' ends are determined by high-throughput sequencing, which reveals the exact genomic locations of Pol II. Human NET-seq can be applied to the study of the full spectrum of Pol II transcriptional activities, including the production of unstable RNAs and transcriptional pausing. By using the protocol described here, a NET-seq library can be obtained from human cells in 5 d.
Inhibition of human salivary and prostatic acid phosphatase and yeast enolase by low fluoride concentrations.

SummaryA study was made of the effects of low concentrations of fluoride on activity of salivary and human prostate acid phosphatase and yeast enolase. Concentrations of fluoride or concentrations that could be derived from fluoridation of drinking water did not significantly alter enzymatic activity. The straight line relationship between the logarithms of low fluoride concentrations and logarithms of percent of enzyme activity remaining suggested that it is possible to analyze fluoride content of pure aqueous solutions by degree of inhibition of activity of acid phosphatase of human prostate tissue.
Evaluation of a computer-based bilingual breastfeeding educational program on breastfeeding knowledge, self-efficacy and intent to breastfeed among rural Hispanic women

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact of an interactive, computer based, bi-lingual breastfeeding educational program on breastfeeding knowledge, self–efficacy and intent to breastfeed among rural Hispanic women living in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Methods A two-group, repeated measures quasi-experimental study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a breastfeeding intervention. Forty six rural Hispanic women between ages 18 and 38 years were enrolled at the Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Study participants were randomized into intervention and control groups, with the intervention group (n = 23) receiving bi-lingual (English and Spanish) breastfeeding education on a touch screen computer program, while the control group received printed educational material. Study participants were enrolled during their last six weeks of pregnancy, with follow up assessments conducted post-partum at days 3 and 7, weeks 2 and 6, and months 3 and 6. The study protocol was approved by the University of Nebraska Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB protocol #430-12-EP) and City University of New York Institutional Review Board (IRB protocol # 642980-1). Results A significant improvement in the breastfeeding knowledge and intent to breastfeed scores was seen over a 6 month period among all the study participants (p Conclusion Hispanic women living in rural settings showed improvement in breastfeeding knowledge, self-efficacy and intent to breastfeed using the computer based bi-lingual educational program. Results show week 6 and month 3 to be the critical time points of intervention so that women continue to breastfeed.
Volatile abundances of coexisting merrillite and apatite in the martian meteorite Shergotty: Implications for merrillite in hydrous magmas

Whitlockite and merrillite are two Ca-phosphate minerals found in terrestrial and planetary igneous rocks, sometimes coexisting with apatite. Whitlockite has essential structural hydrogen, and merrillite is devoid of hydrogen. Whitlockite components have yet to be discovered in samples of extraterrestrial merrillite, despite evidence for whitlockite-merrillite solid solution in terrestrial systems. The observation of merrillite in meteoritic and lunar samples has led many to conclude that the magmas from which the merrillite formed were “very dry.” However, the Shergotty martian meteorite has been reported to contain both apatite and merrillite, and recently the apatite has been shown to contain substantial OH abundances, up to the equivalent of 8600 ppm H2O. In the present study, we determined the abundances of F, Cl, H2O, and S in merrillite from Shergotty using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). We determined that the merrillite in Shergotty was properly identified (i.e., no discernible whitlockite component), and it coexists with OH-rich apatite. The absence of a whitlockite component in Shergotty merrillite and other planetary merrillites may be a consequence of the limited thermal stability of H in whitlockite (stable only at T <1050 °C), which would prohibit merrillite-whitlockite solid-solution at high temperatures. Consequently, the presence of merrillite should not be used as evidence of dry magmatism without a corresponding estimate of the T of crystallization. In fact, if a whitlockite component in extraterrestrial merrillite is discovered, it may indicate formation by or equilibration with hydrothermal or aqueous fluids.
Bioclimatic Studies of the Aphid Parasite Praon exsoletum. 2. Thermal Limits to Development and Effects of Temperature on Rate of Development and Occurrence of Diapause

Using bioclimatic chambers, fluctuating temperatures and humidities were examined for their effects on the development of the immature stages of Praon exsoletum (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae), a parasite of the spotted alfalfa aphid, Therioaphis trifolii (Monell) (= T. maculata (Buckton)) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Comparisons with response of the host to the same temperature conditions were made. The thermal limits for development of the parasite are diurnal means of 10 and 27°C, and development is fastest at 23°C. The host develops over a wider range, namely 6–32°C, and most rapidly at 26°C. At any temperature level the host grows more rapidly, and at 26°C it completes development in 6 days in contrast to the IS days required by the parasite. Diapause is induced in the parasite by low temperatures, beginning at diurnal means of 16°C and less, but it can be suppressed by long photoperiods (14 hrs or more). The host does not enter diapause under these same conditions. The age of the female parasite does not affect the incidence of diapause of her progeny, nor do the growing conditions of the host plants. Cool fluctuating temperatures accelerate parasite development relative to that occurring in constant-temperature conditions, and they also permit development to occur at thermal levels well below the constant-temperature threshold. On the other hand, high fluctuating temperatures are injurious to the parasite. The parasite can develop only over a restricted range of medial temperatures and to that extent can be rated a mesotherm, in contrast to the eurythermic host. Typical winter conditions in the Central Valley of California were simulated in a bioclimatic chamber and were found not injurious to the parasite. Instead it was found able to complete diapause and emerge as an adult in midwinter at a monthly mean temperature of 8°C.
Pearls & Oy-sters: Iatrogenic relative hypotension leading to diffuse internal borderzone infarctions and coma.

We present 2 patients with hypertensive emergency who developed extensive watershed infarcts after their blood pressure was rapidly lowered.
Biochemical and Genetic Studies of Salt Tolerant Rhizobium

Soil salinity and pH limit the survival of rhizobia in many areas. The viable number of rhizobia was greatly reduced in peat inocula containing NaCl (Steinborn J, Roughley RJ, 1974). A recent report indicated that cowpea inoculated with salt-tolerant Rhizobium could recover nitrogen fixation activity after drought (Zablatowicz RM, Focht DD, 1981). Thus salt tolerance may be an important trait to maximize fixation potential in semi-arid regions. The investigation of osmotically modulated enzymes, genes, and membrane functions is an emerging field in rhizobial biology.
Teaching in Transnational Spaces

As our world has become increasingly globalized, international and comparative education activities in the form of study abroad programs have become increasingly prevalent, and students in higher education are often motivated to participate in short-term or longer-term study abroad programs (Altbach, Reisberg, & Rumbley, 2009). In addition to providing learning opportunities in students’ respective subjects, such programs are also expected to challenge and expand students’ worldviews by enabling them to become fully immersed in structured cross-cultural learning experiences.
A visual guided robot using CAD models and fuzzy controller for industrial manipulation

A visual positioning method is proposed to use the CAD model of an object to determine its position and orientation in real-time. Vision oriented features are generated off-line from the CAD model of the object by taking into account the camera intrinsic parameters. The proposed method can successfully identify the pose of the object even though some part of the object cannot be seen by the camera during manipulation. In addition to the CAD model based visual positioning method, a fuzzy controller is adopted to visually guide an EPSON robot for industrial manipulation and/or assembly. The controller can successfully stabilize and smoothly move the robot to the target object in experiments.
Measurement of two-dimensional doping profiles

This paper presents a brief review of methods for the measurement of two-dimensional doping profiles. The main focus is on methods that have been actually been used to measure 2D profiles with acceptable accuracy and sensitivity. A comprehensive historical review is beyond the scope of this paper, and for this the reader is referred to an earlier paper which exhaustively cites work in the 2D dopant-profile measurement area.
Reduced Rate of Infectious Complications Following Bloodless Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplants (APBSCT).

While blood transfusions can be life saving, the associated risk of transfusing allogeneic blood is significant. The most common patient fears are transfusion-transmitted diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C and West Nile Virus; however, the known risk of transmitting these diseases is quite small. More common complications are due to immunosuppression which can cause an increased risk of cancer recurrence in the oncologic patient and a significantly increased risk of infection. In trauma patients, it has been shown that the risk of infection increases with each additional unit of blood transfused. Currently, about 2.2 units of platelets and 3.3 units of red blood cells are administered following high-dose chemotherapy and an APBSCT. At the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, many procedures are now being completed without the use of blood products. We have previously reported the ability to perform bloodless APBSCT (Ballen, et al. J Clin Oncol2004;22:4087-4094). Knowing that blood transfusions can increase the risk of infection, we wanted to evaluate this transfusion-free population to determine if there was a correlation between infection rates and blood transfusions in the high risk transplant population. We performed a retrospective chart review of 46 patients with multiple myeloma (22), lymphoma (22) and breast cancer (2) who underwent a bloodless APBSCT in our center. Prior to transplantation, all patients recieved standard transplant doses of cyclophosphamide, carmustine and etoposide (BCV) or Melphalan. A PubMed search was performed and the closest data set in terms of patient demographics was a study by Pereira, et al. who report the rate of infectious complications in 75 patients with myeloma (30), lymphoma (30) and breast cancer (15) who were transfused liberally following high-dose chemotherapy and APBSCT (Pereira, et al. Eur J Haematol2006;76:102-108). In our bloodless patients, 37% of the patients had at least one infection, compared to Pereira and colleagues’ rate of 68% (see table). Our results are also reported in the average number of infections per patient. This comparison demonstrates a substantial reduction in the rate of infection in the bloodless population. While immunosuppression and the resulting increased infection rates have been correlated to blood transfusions in other patients populations, to the best of our knowledge this is the first report that suggests decreased infection rates in transfusion-free transplant patients. This data provides further evidence to support the practice of blood management strategies in order to reduce or eliminate blood transfusions.
The housing bubble and the evolution of the homeownership gap

Abstract The gap in the white/non-white homeownership rate diverged over the entire course of the recent housing-related business cycle. After controlling for a rich set of factors determining the willingness and ability to own a home, I find that the divergence during the bust can be almost completely explained by observables, where the primary contributor is family structure, particularly marriage. While the explained portion of the divergence during the boom is smaller, it is also almost entirely driven by marriage. Financial variables and education of borrowers also contribute and are consistent with explanations involving excessive risk-taking and lack of experience and search in the mortgage market by minorities. The contribution of the unexplained portion of the divergence is only noteworthy during the boom, most likely attributable to unobserved factors—such as the expectations of whites regarding earnings and asset growth—rather than discrimination.
Diffusion lung capacity changes in Hodgkin lymphoma patients before and after ABVD chemotherapy

Background: Bleomycin induced pulmonary toxicity is clinically detected using diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in Hodgkin9s Lymphoma (HL) patients after chemotherapy. Objective: To evaluate changes in DLCO in HL patients after ABVD chemotherapy. Methods: Medical records of all adult HL patients treated with ABVD chemotherapy at a single center in Lahore, Pakistan during the entire calendar year 2012 were analyzed. Patients with pre-existing pulmonary dysfunction, history of thoracic surgery and smokers were excluded. Results: Out of 179 patients, 93 (51.95%) patients had received both a pre- and post-chemotherapy DLCO. The mean percentage difference between pre- and post-chemotherapy values for DLCO (5.49%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56%-9.43%) and for Hemoglobin-adjusted DLCO (8.24%; 95% CI 3.90%-12.57%) were statistically significant at p 2 increase in dose of Bleomycin was significantly associated with 0.14% (95% CI: 0.03%-0.25%) decline in DLCO and 0.13% (95% CI: 0.10%-0.26%) decline in hemoglobin-adjusted DLCO from pretreatment value. Conclusions: Mild to moderate dysfunction in diffusion lung capacity is common after ABVD chemotherapy.
306. Characterization of a Novel Adeno-Associated Viral Vector with Preferential Oligodendrocyte Tropism

An AAV vector with oligodendrocyte-centric tropism would provide a valuable tool for research or for gene therapy in the treatment of demyelinating neurological disorders, such as ALS and multiple sclerosis. Using AAV capsid DNA shuffling we created a library of novel AAV vectors. The primary recovered AAV capsid clone (Olig001) exhibited a novel >95% tropism for rat, striatal oligodendrocytes when a chicken beta actin (CBH) promoter drove GFP expression. Furthermore, when Olig001 is administered intravenously it is highly detargeted from peripheral tissues such as the liver. Surprisingly, Olig001 shares 99.3% homology (7 amino acid differences) with AAV8 within the VP3 coding region (aa204-738 using VP1 numbering); however, AAV8-CBH-GFP vectors are predominantly neurotropic. While AAV8 has some minimal tropism for oligodendrocytes, our in vitro studies using primary mixed glia cultures showed that Olig001 binds to oligodendrocytes with much higher affinity than AAV8, thus Olig001 exhibits a true gain-of-function. We sought to identify which amino acid(s) of Olig001 contribute to the oligodendrocyte-preferring tropism. Mutation of some or all of the four C-terminal amino acids of Olig001 (downstream of aa343 using VP1 numbering) back to AAV8 still produced an oligodendrocyte-preferring capsid. The N-terminal, mostly VP1/VP2-specific, portion of the capsid is a chimeric mixture of AAV1, 2, 6, and 9, and our results suggest that this region of the capsid is conferring the oligodendrocyte preferring phenotype. In summary, we report the generation of a novel AAV capsid with a tropism and biodistribution profile distinct from any naturally-occuring AAV capsids. Moreover, our results suggest that the N-terminus of the capsid specific to VP1/VP2 is the major contributor to this unique oligodendrocyte tropism.Work supported by Michel J. Fox Foundation and Target ALS grants to TJM.
Depression and Anxiety in Preschoolers: A Review of the Past 7 Years

This article reviews recent empirical literature on the prevalence, correlates, assessment, and treatment of preschool-onset internalizing disorders. Major advances in the acceptance and recognition of both preschool-onset depression and anxiety have occurred over the past decade. This work has been greatly enhanced by the discovery of genetic, neural, and physiologic indicators, which further validate these constellations of symptoms in young children. Despite this growth in research, much work still needs to be done to further elucidate the cause, risk, treatment, and protective factors for preschool-onset internalizing disorders.
Accounting for the Correspondence in Commented Data

One important way for people to make their voice heard is to comment on the articles they have read online, such as news reports and each other's posts. The user-generated comments together with the commented documents form a unique correspondence structure. Properly modeling the dependency in such data is thus vital for one to obtain accurate insight of people's opinions and attention. In this work, we develop a Commented Correspondence Topic Model to model correspondence in commented text data. We focus on two levels of correspondence. First, to capture topic-level correspondence, we treat the topic assignments in commented documents as the prior to their comments' topic proportions. This captures the thematic dependency between commented documents and their comments. Second, to capture word-level correspondence, we utilize the Dirichlet compound multinomial distribution to model topics. This captures the word repetition patterns within the commented data. By integrating these two aspects, our model demonstrated encouraging performance in capturing the correspondence sturcture, which provides improved results in modeling user-generated content, spam comment detection, and sentence-based comment retrieval compared with state-of-the-art topic model solutions for correspondence modeling.
Skilled-Unskilled Wage Asymmetries as an Outcome of Skewed International Trade Patterns in the South

Abstract. The paper tries to find out the impact of trade liberalization on income inequality. The literature suggests that trade favors one segment of the society over other and cause uneven development. For example, one possible way through which inequality is suspected to seep into the economy through processes of liberalization is by increasing the relative wages of skilled labor as compared to the unskilled ones. Empirical evidence is provided to this effect by employing Theil Wage inequality Index and up to 28 different concepts of openness/ trade policy. OLS as well as 2SLS regressions with numerous specifications were run. It is found out that openness not only causes wage inequality but the relationship is significant for the developing countries. Additionally, the study also suggests that human capital, which is accrued from liberalization processes, is responsible for amplifying wage inequality.. Keywords. Wages, International trade, Asymmetries. JEL. E24, F40, J30.
Parent perspectives and preferences for strategies regarding nonsedated MRI scans in a pediatric oncology population

Children with cancer frequently require MRI scans for clinical purposes. Sedation with general anesthesia (GA) is often used to promote compliance, reduce motion, and alleviate anxiety. The use of GA for MRI scans is costly in terms of time, personnel, and medications. In addition, prominent risks are associated with anesthesia exposure in patients with complex medical conditions. Successful behavioral interventions have been implemented in clinical research settings to promote scan success and compliance. To our knowledge, parent/caregiver acceptability of behavioral interventions to promote nonsedated MRI has not been systematically investigated in a medically complex population. As a first step toward developing a protocol-based intervention to promote nonsedated scanning, we conducted a survey to explore parental perspectives regarding acceptability of nonsedated scanning and to gain information regarding preference for specific behavioral interventions to facilitate nonsedated MRI exams. Parents or guardians of 101 patients diagnosed with childhood cancer participated in a semi-structured survey via telephone. The sample was stratified by age group (8–12 years; 13–18 years), gender, and diagnosis (solid tumor (ST), brain tumor (BT), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)). The majority of parents indicated that nonsedated MRI scans would be acceptable. Reduced anesthesia exposure was the most frequently identified benefit, followed by decreased irritability post-MRI scan, and shorter appointment time. Challenges included fear of movement and noise during scans and change in routine, with parents of younger children and those with a history of sedated exams identifying more challenges. Behavioral intervention preference differed by patient age and gender; however, education was ranked as most preferred overall. Parents of children treated for cancer consider behavior interventions to promote nonsedated scanning as acceptable. Patient characteristics should be considered when tailoring behavioral interventions. Results can inform future studies of behavioral interventions to promote nonsedated MRI scans. Future research should also investigate the risks associated with failed exams, both in terms of patient medical care and cost effectiveness.
The challenge of monitoring glaciers with extreme altitudinal range : mass-balance reconstruction for Kahiltna Glacier, Alaska

Glaciers spanning large altitudinal ranges often experience different climatic regimes with elevation, creating challenges in acquiring mass-balance and climate observations that represent the entire glacier. We use mixed methods to reconstruct the 1991–2014 mass balance of the Kahiltna Glacier in Alaska, a large (503 km2) glacier with one of the greatest elevation ranges globally (264–6108 m a.s.l.). We calibrate an enhanced temperature index model to glacier-wide mass balances from repeat laser altimetry and point observations, finding a mean net mass-balance rate of −0.74 mw.e. a−1( ± σ = 0.04, std dev. of the best-performing model simulations). Results are validated against mass changes from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, a novel approach at the individual glacier scale. Correlation is strong between the detrended model- and GRACE-derived mass change time series (R 2 = 0.58 and p ≪ 0.001), and between summer (R 2 = 0.69 and p = 0.003) and annual (R 2 = 0.63 and p = 0.006) balances, lending greater confidence to our modeling results. We find poor correlation, however, between modeled glacier-wide balances and recent single-stake monitoring. Finally, we make recommendations for monitoring glaciers with extreme altitudinal ranges, including characterizing precipitation via snow radar profiling.
Solvophilic and solvophobic surfaces and non-Coulombic surface interactions in charge regulating electric double layers

The properties of electric double layers are governed by the interface between the substrate and the adjacent electrolyte solution. This interface is involved in chemical, Coulombic, and non-Coulombic (e.g., van der Waals or Lennard-Jones) interactions with all components of the fluid phase. We present a detailed study of these interactions using a classical density functional approach. A particular focus is placed on the non-Coulombic interactions and their effect on the surface chemistry and charge regulation. The solution structure near the charged interface is also analyzed and used to offer a thorough interpretation of established concepts such as the Stern and diffuse ionic layers.
Kalman filter based localization and tracking estimation for HIMR RFID systems

Fine-scale RFID motion capture and localization systems are important for emerging applications such as robotic wayfaring, virtual reality, remote motion capture, and tracking. Among all RFID localization and tracking systems, hybrid schemes have the highest accuracy (5–400 cm) and largest range (hundreds of meters) by combining a variety of sources. Recently, linear estimators have been introduced to hybrid inertial microwave reflectometry (HIMR) RFID systems for location and tracking estimation. In this paper, we add a Kalman filter to the output of the original HIMR estimator as a way to refine the precision of the technique. Simulation results show that compared to sensor outputs, fixed-gain and variable-gain versions of the Kalman filter track position much more accurately, with around 5 mm of rms error at a range of 1.2 m.
Eicosanoids and the vascular endothelium.

Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes catalyse the biotransformation of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins which subserve important functions in cardiovascular homeostasis. Prostacyclin (PGI2) and prostaglandin (PG)E2, dominant products of COX activity in macroand microvascular endothelial cells, respectively, in vitro, modulate the interaction of blood cells with the vasculature and contribute to the regulation of blood pressure. COXs are the target for inhibition by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs—which include those selective for COX-2) and for aspirin. Modulation of the interaction between COX products of the vasculature and platelets underlies both the cardioprotection afforded by aspirin and the cardiovascular hazard which characterises specific inhibitors of COX-2.
Plant-pathogen interactions: genetic and comparative analyses

The interactions between plants and pathogens can be shifted to favor either plant of pathogen by small changes in the environment, primarily temperature and plant nutrition, and it leaves a quandary as to whether the plant on pathogen is most affected by the change in the environment. The stage of development of a plant can affect the resistance or susceptibility to a pathogen. A plant may be susceptible to a given pathogen a one stage of development but resistant at another stage of development. The view of the gene-for-gene hypotheses as a one-for-one relationship is not supported by experiments that ask whether avirulence genes and resistance genes function alone. The term genomics has been intemreted several different ways, but its most useful impact on studies of host-pathogen interactions will, most likely, be to find all the pieces to the puzzle of how plants and pathogens communicate.
Transferability and Calibration of Highway Safety Manual Performance Functions and Development of New Models for Urban Four-Lane Divided Roads in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

The first edition of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) provides a number of safety performance functions (SPFs) that can be used to predict severe collisions on a roadway network. This paper examines the calibration of the HSM SPFs for urban four-lane divided roadway segments with angle parking in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the development of new SPFs. This study first calibrated the HSM SPFs by using HSM default crash modification factors (CMFs) and then proposed new local CMFs, which adjust the estimation of calibration factors by using fatal and injury crash data. In addition, new forms for specific SPFs were further evaluated to identify the best model by using the Poisson–gamma regression technique. It was found that the jurisdiction-specific SPFs provided the best fit of the data used in this study and would be the best SPFs for predicting severe collisions in the city of Riyadh. The best fatal and injury model describes the mean crash frequency as a function of the natural logarithm of the annual aver...
Segmentation of Magnetic Resonance Brain Images using Analog Constraint Satisfaction Neural Networks

The Grey-White Decision Network (GWDN) is presented as an analog constraint satisfaction neural network that segments magnetic resonance brain images. Constraints on signal intensity, neighborhood interactions and edge influences are combined to assign labels of grey matter, white matter or “other” to each pixel. An improved version of this novel segmentation network that is provably stable is described. Results of the network are presented along with a comparison of these results to a collection of human segmentations. The network is discussed in relation to other methods for segmentation and the network's extendibility is described.
Mechanisms of Selective Toxicity in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related neurodegenerative disorders are characterized clinically by insidious onset and relentless advance that presumably reflect an ever-increasing loss of neuronal connectivity. Disconnection of neural pathways may result from primary degeneration of dendrites, neuronal perikarya, axons, or nerve terminals. Specificity of neuronal damage appears to be linked to factors such as: the structure and potency of the agent; the architecture, size, and activity of the neuronal pathway; and the presence of neuronal receptors and transporters for neurotransmitters and other molecules. Foreign substances that perturb axonal transport are associated with distal, retrograde (dying-back) degeneration, while those that interfere with glutamate neurotransmission may compromise dendritic integrity and trigger neuronal degeneration. Neither type of agent appears to be able to induce a progressive neuronal disease, a property that might be associated with substances that up-regulate the neuronal response to glutamate neurotransmission by persistently interfering with nucleic acid function. Discovery of environmental factors that act on normal or susceptible genotypes to trigger PD and related neurodegenerative disorders may open the way for disease prevention.
Extending the Hansen–Jagannathan distance measure of model misspecification

Abstract This paper proposes a natural extension of the classical (Hansen and Jagannathan, 1991, 1997) for performance evaluation of asset pricing models. Our new distance captures misspecification of asset pricing models in terms of arbitrary moments of the stochastic discount factors, as opposed to the Hansen–Jagannathan distance which focuses only on the second moment. The relationship between the new distance and the pricing error is established. A key representation of the new distance is obtained by solving the conjugate problem explicitly.
Nonsurgical Intervention in a Preeclamptic Patient with Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma.

Background. Spontaneous epidural hematoma (SEH) is a rare finding in pregnancy, especially since most pregnant women do not have risk factors for developing SEH. The presence of epidural anesthesia can delay the diagnosis of SEH in pregnant patients. Immediate surgical decompression is the current standard of care for treating SEH. Case Presentation. We present the case of a 37-year-old pregnant woman with preeclampsia with severe features who developed neurological deficits that were initially attributed to her epidural anesthesia. She was eventually found to have SEH with spinal stenosis at T5-T6 on MRI. Oral antihypertensives were used to keep the patient’s blood pressures within normal limits, and she subsequently had complete resolution of her neurological symptoms and her SEH on imaging. Conclusion. Preeclampsia may contribute to the development of SEH in pregnancy, and strict blood pressure control may potentially provide a safe and effective alternative to neurosurgery for these patients.