cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Quality Transparency in Healthcare: Exploring Hospital-Operated Online Physician Review Systems in Northeastern United States

Abstract Objective Hospitals are increasingly offering physician review systems to help prospective patients make informed physician selection decisions. Accordingly, this study sought to determine what types and percentage of hospitals in the northeastern United States presented online physician reviews and which measures were used most and least frequently in the hospitals’ patient satisfaction surveys. Materials and methods We visited the websites of 1007 hospitals and collected information about whether/how they provided online physician reviews. We then performed descriptive and comparative analysis. Results Nearly 7% of the hospitals published patient reviews of physicians on their websites. The hospitals that (1) were non-profit, (2) were located in Pennsylvania, or (3) provided general care services were most likely to provide online physician reviews. Those hospitals mostly adapted either a government-provided survey instrument or its extended version offered by Press Ganey Associates. However, the types and number of measures used varied across hospitals. Discussion Hospitals located in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont do not yet offer online physician review systems. Moreover, non-acute, specialty care hospitals and government-owned medical centers rarely provide such systems, suggesting that driving factors such as incentive programs should be offered at the government and state levels to motivate them to implement patient-centered quality assessment and transparency mechanisms. Furthermore, efforts should be made to standardize those systems to make physician reviews useful and comparable across healthcare providers. Conclusion Future research should examine how to improve the quality and usability of these systems to better empower patients in their decision-making.
Cardiac valvular abnormalities associated with use and cumulative exposure of cabergoline for hyperprolactinemia: the CATCH study.

Whether lower dose cabergoline therapy for hyperprolactinemia increases risk of valvular dysfunction remains controversial. We examined valvular abnormalities among asymptomatic adults with hyperprolactinemia treated with dopamine agonists. This cross-sectional study was conducted among adults receiving cabergoline or bromocriptine for > 12 months for hyperprolactinemia and had no cardiac-related symptoms. Cardiac valve morphology and function were assessed from transthoracic echocardiograms at the study visit (except for two participants) with evaluation performed blinded to type and duration of dopamine agonist received. Among 174 participants (mean age 49 ± 13 years, 63% women) without known structural heart disease before starting therapy, 62 received only cabergoline, 63 received only bromocriptine, and 49 received both. Median cabergoline use was 2.8 years in cabergoline only users and 3.2 years for those exposed to both cabergoline and bromocriptine; median bromocriptine use was 5.5 years in bromocriptine only users and 1.1 years for those exposed to both cabergoline and bromocriptine. Compared with bromocriptine only users (17.5%), regurgitation of ≥1 valve was more common for cabergoline only (37.1%, P = 0.02) but not for combined exposure (26.5%, P = 0.26). Compared with bromocriptine only exposure (1.6%), regurgitation of ≥2 valves was more common for cabergoline only (11.3%, P = 0.03) and combined exposure (12.2%, P = 0.04). Cabergoline only users had higher age-sex-adjusted odds for ≥1 valve with grade 2+ regurgitation compared to bromocriptine only users (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.3–7.5, P = 0.008), but the association for combined exposure to cabergoline and bromocriptine was not significant (aOR 1.7, 95%CI:0.7–4.3, P = 0.26). Compared to bromocriptine only, age-sex-adjusted odds of ≥2 valves with grade 2+ regurgitation were higher for both cabergoline only (aOR 8.4, 95% CI:1.0–72.2, P = 0.05) and combined exposure (aOR 8.8, 95% CI:1.0–75.8, P = 0.05). Cumulative cabergoline exposure > 115 mg was associated with a higher age-sex adjusted odds of ≥2 valves with grade 2+ regurgitation (aOR 9.6, 95%CI:1.1–81.3, P = 0.04) compared to bromocriptine only. Among community-based adults treated for hyperprolactinemia, cabergoline use and greater cumulative cabergoline exposure were associated with a higher prevalence of primarily mild valvular regurgitation compared with bromocriptine. Research is needed to clarify which patients treated with dopamine agonists may benefit from echocardiographic screening and surveillance.
Upwinding and artificial viscosity for robust discontinuous Galerkin schemes of two-phase flow in mass conservation form

High-order discretizations have become increasingly popular across a wide range of applications, including reservoir simulation. However, the lack of stability and robustness of these discretizations for advection-dominant problems prevent them from being widely adopted. This paper presents work towards improving the stability and robustness of the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element scheme, for advection-dominant two-phase flow problems in particular. A linearized analysis of the two-phase flow equations is used to show that a standard DG discretization of the two-phase flow equations in mass conservation form results in a neutrally stable semi-discrete system in the advection-dominant limit. Furthermore, the analysis is also used to propose additional terms to the DG method which linearly stabilize the discretization. These additional terms are derived by comparing the linearized equations in mass conservation form against an upwinded pressure-saturation form of the equations. Next, a partial differential equation-based artificial viscosity method is proposed for the Buckley-Leverett and two-phase flow equations, as a means of mitigating Gibbs oscillations in high-order discretizations and ensuring convergence to physical solutions. The modified DG method with artificial viscosity is demonstrated on a two-phase flow problem with heterogeneous rock permeabilities, where the high-order discretizations significantly outperform a conventional first-order approach in terms of computational cost required to achieve a given level of error in an output of interest.
Viral Hepatitis Non: B, C, D and Acute and Acute on Chronic Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) are two unique clinical syndromes associated with a high risk of mortality. Non-HBV/HCV/HDV viruses including the hepatotrophic viruses (HAV and HEV) and non-hepatotrophic viruses (EBV/CMV/VZV) are important causes of both syndromes. Diagnosis of ALF and ACLF relies on proper physician awareness especially in high risk populations and the correct testing in the setting of a compatible clinical picture. Prevention of certain viruses such as HAV and HEV in endemic populations with proper hygiene and vaccination is critical. Prognosis and management differs with each disease condition but includes supportive care for failing organ systems, virus directed treatment, and liver transplantation.
Longitudinal Effects of Co-Parenting for Successful Kids: Using Mixed-Effects Models

Co-parenting education aims to help divorced or separated parents continue to raise their children together by reducing their conflicts and stressors. Examining the longitudinal effects of the Co-Parenting for Successful Kids (CPSK) program on parental outcomes, this study aims to extend the current knowledge and evidence of co-parenting education and provide implications for evidence-based practice. We repeatedly measured the parental outcomes in a sample of 236 participants. At the baseline and one-, three-, and six-month follow-ups, we assessed parenting stress, parenting self-efficacy, parental anger, and co-parenting quality. The study used mixed-effects regression modeling to estimate the longitudinal effects—immediate (one-month), short-term (three-month), and intermediate (six-month) effects—of the program, after controlling for the effects of participants’ individual and family characteristics. Results indicated that the parental outcomes overall improved after completion of the program; however, the program impact attenuated over time. The CPSK program was found to have (a) immediate, short-term, and intermediate effects on parenting stress; (b) short-term effects on parenting self-efficacy; and (c) immediate, short-term, and intermediate effects on parental anger. In this sample dataset, there were no significant longitudinal effects on the quality of the co-parenting relationship. The findings suggest that the CPSK curriculum is effective in reducing parenting stress, increasing parental self-efficacy, and decreasing parental anger over time. Future programs are needed to promote co-parenting relationships and child developmental outcomes, along with more intensive interventions for high-conflict or uninvolved parents.
Food odors decrease longevity via a brain–gut axis

Zhang et al. describe a neural circuit that reduces lifespan when food-restricted worms smell food. This circuit signals the intestine via octopamine, the invertebrate homolog of norepinephrine, to activate AMPKα. Importantly, norepinephrine signaling also activates AMPKα in mammalian cells, suggesting a conserved mechanism.
Utilization of ICU Rehabilitation Services in Pediatric Patients With a Prolonged ICU Stay.

OBJECTIVES To describe rehabilitation practice patterns among critically ill children with prolonged ICU stays and explore the association between institution-level utilization of rehabilitative services and patient outcomes. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using an administrative database of inpatient clinical and resource utilization data from participating pediatric hospitals in the United States. Center-level utilization of physical therapy and occupational therapy among critically ill patients was used to divide hospitals by quartile into high utilization centers or standard utilization centers. SETTING Fifty-one pediatric hospitals in the United States. PATIENTS Critically ill pediatric patients with prolonged critical illness (defined as an ICU length of stay of at least 7 d) discharged from July 2016 to June 2017. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Seventeen thousand four hundred seventy encounters met criteria for study inclusion. Of those, 6,040 (35%) were not charged for either physical therapy or occupational therapy services. There was wide variability in center-level utilization of rehabilitative services while in the ICU, ranging from 81% utilization of physical therapy or occupational therapy services among high utilization centers to 46% utilization among centers within the lowest quartile. In univariate analyses, children cared for at an high utilization center were less likely to require discharge to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (1.7% vs 3.5%; p < 0.001) and less likely to incur a new pressure injury (2.2% vs 3.1%; p = 0.001). In multivariable analyses, the direction and magnitude of effects remained similar, although the effect was no longer statistically significant (discharge to inpatient rehabilitation facility: odds ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.18-2.26; pressure injury: odds ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.48-1.24). CONCLUSIONS Institutional use of rehabilitative services for children with prolonged critical illness varies greatly in the United States. Further research is needed into the potential benefits for patients cared for at centers with high usage of rehabilitation services in the ICU during prolonged critical illness.
Intracorporeal versus extracorporeal anastomosis for robotic ileocolic resection in Crohn's disease

To date, there is no cohort in the literature focusing on the impact of the type of anastomosis in robotic ileocolonic resections for Crohn’s Disease (CD). We aimed to compare short-term postoperative outcomes of robotic ileocolic resection for CD between patients who had intracorporeal (ICA) or extracorporeal anastomosis (ECA). We retrospectively included all consecutive robotic ileocolonic resections for CD at our institution between 2014 and 2020. We compared baseline, perioperative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes between ICA and ECA. The analysis included 89 patients: 71% underwent ICA and 29% ECA. Groups were similar in age, sex, body mass index, smoking, CD duration, Montreal classification, surgical history, and previous CD medical treatments. Return to bowel function was achieved sooner in the ICA group (ICA 1.6 ± 0.7 day, ECA 2.1 ± 0.8 days; p = 0.026) despite longer operative time (ICA 235 ± 79 min, ECA 172 ± 51 min; p < 0.001), but no statistical difference was found regarding ileus rate and length of stay. Overall, 30-day postoperative complication rate was 23.6% (ICA 22.2%, ECA 26.9%; p = 0.635). There were no abdominal septic complications, anastomotic leaks, or severe postoperative complications. In conclusion, robotic ileocolic resection for CD shows acceptable 30 days outcomes for both ICA and ECA. ICA was associated with a faster return to bowel function without impact on the length of stay or 30-day complications. Further studies are needed to confirm the benefits of ICA in the setting of ileocolic resections for CD.
Cost Comparison and Complication Profiles of Superior Capsular Reconstruction, Lower Trapezius Transfer, and Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears.

BACKGROUND Irreparable rotator cuff tears (IRCTs) pose treatment challenges both clinically and financially. As cost-effectiveness initiatives are prioritized, value-based health care delivery models are becoming increasingly common. The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the cost, complications, and readmission rates of 3 common surgical treatment options for IRCTs: superior capsular reconstruction (SCR), arthroscopically assisted lower trapezius tendon transfer (LTTT), and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). METHODS Between 2018 and 2020, 155 patients who underwent shoulder surgery at a single institution for IRCT with minimal to no arthritis were identified. Procedures performed included 20 SCRs, 47 LTTTs, and 88 RSAs. A cost analysis was designed to include a period of 60 days preoperatively, the index surgical hospitalization, and 90 days postoperatively, including costs of any readmission or reoperation. RESULTS Mean standardized costs were as follows: preoperative evaluation SCR $507, LTTT $507, and RSA $730; index surgical hospitalization SCR $19,675, LTTT $15,722, and RSA $16,077; and postoperative care SCR $655, LTTT $686, and RSA $404. Significant differences were observed in the index surgical costs (P < .001), with SCR incurring an additional average cost of $3953 and $3598 compared with LTTT and RSA, respectively. The 90-day complication, reoperation, and readmission rates were 0%, 0%, and 0% in the SCR group; 2.1%, 0%, and 0% in the LTTT group; and 3.4%, 0%, and 1.1% in the RSA group, respectively. With the numbers available, differences among the 3 surgical procedures with respect to complication (P = .223), reoperation (P = .999), and readmission rates (P = .568) did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The mean standardized costs for the treatment of 3 common IRCT procedures inclusive of 60-day workup and 90-day postoperative recovery were $16,915, $17,210, and $20,837 for LTTT, RSA (average added cost $295), and SCR (average added cost $3922), respectively. This information may provide surgeons and institutions with cost-related information that will become increasingly relevant with the expansion of value-based surgical reimbursements.
The Costs of Employment Segregation: Evidence from the Federal Government Under Woodrow Wilson

We link newly-digitized personnel records of the U.S. government for 1907-1921 to census data to study the segregation of the civil service by race under President Woodrow Wilson. Using a difference-in-differences design around Wilson’s inauguration, we find that the introduction of employment segregation increased the black-white earnings gap by eight percentage points. This increasing gap is driven by a reallocation of existing black civil servants to lower paid positions, lowering their returns to education. Importantly, the negative effects extend beyond Wilson’s presidency. Using census data for 1900-1940, we show that segregation caused a relative decline in the home ownership rate of black civil servants. Moreover, by comparing children of black and white civil servants in adulthood, we provide evidence that descendants of black civil servants who were exposed to Wilson’s presidency exhibit lower levels of education, earnings, and social mobility. Our combined results thus document significant short and long-run costs borne by minorities during a unique episode of state-sanctioned discrimination. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Assessing the migratory histories, trophic positions, and conditions of lake sturgeon in the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers using fin ray microchemistry, stable isotopes, and fatty acid profiles

Reproducing populations of invasive carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) could alter aquatic food webs and negatively affect native fishes in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN). However, proposed invasive carp barriers may also threaten populations of native migratory fishes by preventing movements of fish between rivers that are necessary for life history requirements. In this study, nonlethal chemical techniques were used to provide baseline data related to the condition, trophic position, and migratory histories of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) captured in the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Fish length and weight measurements and age estimates determined from pectoral fin rays demonstrated that lake sturgeon from the Mississippi River had greater lengths-at-age compared to sturgeon from the St. Croix River. However, length–weight relations were similar for sturgeon from the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Lake sturgeon captured from different locations had distinguishable fatty acid signatures, and stable isotope analyses demonstrated that lake sturgeon from the Mississippi River generally feed at a higher trophic level than those in the St. Croix River. Strontium-to-calcium ratios (Sr:Ca) from fin ray cross sections indicated that sturgeon captured from the Mississippi River had higher Sr:Ca values than sturgeon captured from the St. Croix River, and natal origins and capture locations were not significantly different among sturgeon captured within individual rivers. Most sturgeon were captured in water with a similar Sr:Ca signature as their natal waters, indicating that there is some separation between populations of lake sturgeon in the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. However, Sr:Ca data indicated substantial variation in movement patterns among individual lake sturgeon, indicating that populations interact through migrations of individual fish between rivers. Study results provide baseline condition and food web structure index data for assessing changes in lake sturgeon populations should invasive carps become established in these areas of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Controlled-exposure and telemetry studies would help verify and enhance the relations between Sr:Ca signatures in water and lake sturgeon pectoral fin rays to further assess mixing of sturgeons between rivers.
Modifying current laboratory methods for rapid determination of colostral IgG concentration and colostral IgG absorption in the neonate

Caprylic acid (CA) has been utilized to fractionate colostral IgG for further laboratory purification and analysis. The objective of this study was to develop a rapid, cow-side test for determining colostrum IgG concentration using CA fractionation followed by refractometry of the IgG-rich supernatant. Frozen colostrum samples (n = 85) obtained from Holstein cattle, were warmed to room temperature in a water bath and treated with varying concentrations of CA and acetic acid (AcO). Samples were then centrifuged or allowed to incubate for an allotted time to precipitate non-IgG proteins. Supernatant liquid was then analyzed with a digital refractometer (SPER Scientific, model 300034) to determine refractive index (nD). The nD of Ig-rich fraction was compared to total colostral IgG concentration determined by radial immunodiffusion (RID; Triple J Farms, Bellingham, WA). The nD of supernatant was positively correlated (r = 0.96) to RID when 1 ml of colostrum was added to a tube containing 75 μl CA and 1.5 ml 0.06 M AcO, shaken for 10 s and not centrifuged. Refractive index was measured within 1 min of addition of CA. Decreasing AcO to 1 ml or increasing AcO to 2 ml decreased the correlation (r = 0.73 and r = 0.63, respectively) between nD and IgG. For centrifuged samples, altering the incubation time prior to centrifugation from 30 min to 0, 10 or 20 min numerically increased correlation (r = 0.82 to 0.87, 0.85 and 0.87, respectively), but these were not statistically different. When the centrifuge step was removed, and samples incubated for 1 min the nD was highly
Prefrontal Cortical Kappa Opioid Receptors Attenuate Responses to Amygdala Inputs

Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) have been implicated in anxiety and stress, conditions that involve activation of projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Although KORs have been studied in several brain regions, their role on mPFC physiology and on BLA projections to the mPFC remains unclear. Here, we explored whether KORs modify synaptic inputs from the BLA to the mPFC using in vivo electrophysiological recordings with electrical and optogenetic stimulation. Systemic administration of the KOR agonist U69,593 inhibited BLA-evoked synaptic responses in the mPFC without altering hippocampus-evoked responses. Intra-mPFC U69,593 inhibited electrical and optogenetic BLA-evoked synaptic responses, an effect blocked by the KOR antagonist nor-BNI. Bilateral intra-mPFC injection of the KOR antagonist nor-BNI increased center time in the open field test, suggesting an anxiolytic effect. The data demonstrate that mPFC KORs negatively regulate glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the BLA–mPFC pathway and anxiety-like behavior. These findings provide a framework whereby KOR signaling during stress and anxiety can regulate the flow of emotional state information from the BLA to the mPFC.
Beyond the Socratic Class: Helping Prepare Practice-Ready Students by Incorporating Client Interviews in the 1L LRW Class

Law schools throughout the country are looking for additional ways to help make their students “practice-ready.” This article examines how interviewing and client counseling exercises can be incorporated into a 1L legal research and writing course to expand the experiential learning opportunities available to 1L students.
Expression of TNFAIP3 in intestinal epithelial cells protects from DSS- but not TNBS-induced colitis

Intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) maintain gastrointestinal homeostasis by providing a physical and functional barrier between the intestinal lumen and underlying mucosal immune system. The activation of NF-κB and prevention of apoptosis in IEC are required to maintain the intestinal barrier and prevent colitis. How NF-κB activation in IEC prevents colitis is not fully understood. TNFα-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) is a NF-κB-induced gene that acts in a negative-feedback loop to inhibit NF-κB activation and also to inhibit apoptosis; therefore, we investigated whether TNFAIP3 expression in the intestinal epithelium impacts susceptibility of mice to colitis. Transgenic mice expressing TNFAIP3 in IEC (villin-TNFAIP3 Tg mice) were exposed to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), and the severity and characteristics of mucosal inflammation and barrier function were compared with wild-type mice. Villin-TNFAIP3 Tg mice were protected from DSS-induced colitis and displayed reduced production of NF-κB-dependent inflammatory cytokines. Villin-TNFAIP3 Tg mice were also protected from DSS-induced increases in intestinal permeability and induction of IEC death. Villin-TNFAIP3 Tg mice were not protected from colitis induced by TNBS. These results indicate that TNFAIP3 expression in IEC prevents colitis involving DSS-induced IEC death, but not colitis driven by T cell-mediated inflammation. As TNFAIP3 inhibits NF-κB activation and IEC death, expression of TNFAIP3 in IEC may provide an avenue to inhibit IEC NF-κB activation without inducing IEC death and inflammation.
Generalized Atkin-Lehner symmetry

Atkin-Lehner symmetry was proposed several years ago as a mechanism for obtaining a vanishing one-loop cosmological constant in nonsupersymmetric superstring models, but for models formulated in four-dimensional spacetime this symmetry cannot be realized. We therefore investigate various means of retaining the general Atkin-Lehner idea without having strict Atkin-Lehner symmetry. We first explicitly construct non-Atkin-Lehner-symmetric partition functions which not only lead to vanishing cosmological constants but which also avoid a recent proof that Atkin-Lehner-symmetric partition functions cannot arise from physically viable string models in greater than two dimensions. We then develop a systematic generalization of Atkin-Lehner symmetry, basing our considerations on the use of non-Hermitian operators as well as on a general class of possible congruence subgroups of the full modular group. We find that whereas in many instances our resulting symmetries reduce to either strict Atkin-Lehner symmetry or symmetries closely related to it, in other cases we obtain symmetries of a fundamentally new character. Our results therefore suggest possible new avenues for retaining the general Atkin-Lehner selection rule'' approach for obtaining a vanishing one-loop cosmological constant.
Msh6 Protects Mature B Cells from Lymphoma by Preserving Genomic Stability

Most human B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas arise from germinal centers. Within these sites, the mismatch repair factor MSH6 participates in antibody diversification. Reminiscent of the neoplasms arising in patients with Lynch syndrome III, mice deficient in MSH6 die prematurely of lymphoma. In this study, we characterized the B-cell tumors in MSH6-deficient mice and describe their histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features, which include moderate microsatellite instability. Based on histological markers and gene expression, the tumor cells seem to be at or beyond the germinal center stage. The simultaneous loss of MSH6 and of activation-induced cytidine deaminase did not appreciably affect the survival of these animals, suggesting that these germinal center-like tumors arose by an activation-induced cytidine deaminase-independent pathway. We conclude that MSH6 protects B cells from neoplastic transformation by preserving genomic stability.
Alpine snow depth measurements from aerial FMCW radar

Snow depth was measured with an L-band frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar operating from an aerial tramway up to 70 m above the ground. Snow depth, wetness, and slope varied greatly along the 2.4-km transect, with 640 m of relief. Radar measurements taken in the morning, when the snowpack was frozen were compared against concurrent manual depth probes, and good agreement was found between the estimates. The results suggest that deep snowpacks in rugged terrain can be accurately and safely surveyed by helicopter-borne radar.
Comparison of the climate simulated by the CCM3 coupled to two different land-surface models

We present results from a coupled atmosphere–biosphere model CCM3/IBIS (the Community Climate Model coupled to the Integrated BIosphere Simulator), which is designed to study the dynamic interactions between climate and vegetation and the global carbon cycle. We analyze the climate simulated by CCM3/IBIS with fixed vegetation conditions and we compare it to the climate simulated by the standard CCM3, which includes the LSM (land surface model) land-surface package. Important differences between the two models include simple parametrizations of lakes, wetlands and crops in CCM3/LSM not taken into account in CCM3/IBIS. CCM3/IBIS and CCM3/LSM share common biases (compared to observations) in the temperature field in boreal winter and in the precipitation field annually, making the atmospheric model the most probable cause of those biases. The models differ in the temperature field and surface energy balance in the Sahara annually and in the mid-to high latitudes from spring through fall. CCM3/IBIS simulates global annual air temperatures that are on average 1.7 °C higher than CCM3/LSM and 0.5 °C higher than the observed climatology. Differences in albedo and/or snow parametrization explain most of the Sahara and high-latitude temperature disagreement. Our sensitivity study with CCM3/LSM shows that the presence of lakes and wetlands in CCM3/LSM can account for about half of the difference in temperature in summer over the lake and wetland regions of the mid-latitudes. A second sensitivity study shows that higher surface roughness length in CCM3/IBIS can also explain part of the difference in summer surface temperature in the mid-latitudes. Surface roughness length affects the surface temperature through a feedback mechanism linking surface wind speed, planetary boundary layer height, low level cloudiness and radiation
Analyzing power in large-angle proton-neutron elastic scattering

The large-angle analyzing power A in proton-neutron elastic scattering at 2, 3, and 6 GeV/c with use of the polarized proton beam at the Argonne zero-gradient synchrotron and a liquid deuterium target have been measured. The measurements, the first at high energy, show that A ia large (20--40%) and negative over much of the angular range and shows no decrease with incident energy, ulike the earlier data at smaller angles.
Optical probe study of a nonentangling macromolecule solution--bovine serum albumin: Water

Abstract The diffusion coefficient D of polystyrene latex spheres in bovine serum albumin:water was studied as a function of protein concentration c for 0
The Aesthetic Factor in Art and Religion

Wittgenstein, in his characteristic way of indirectly bringing us to see an important feature in human life, said: '... art shows us the miracles of nature... (The blossom, just opening out. What is marvellous about it?) We say: "Just look at it opening out!"'1 This essay discusses how works of art 'blossom' and thus elicit an imaginative human response. Its various parts focus on the connected theme that some sensible component is essential to the production and comprehension of art. Each part, however, investigates a different aspect of the theme and could stand on its own. What will be argued about this aesthetic factor in art will also be shown to cast light on our understanding of certain narrative texts and ceremonial acts of religion. The aesthetic factor in religion is often overlooked by philosophers and theologians in favour of more abstract concerns of 'belief' and 'evidence', or it is grossly devalued by popular concerns to make religion 'relevant' to our times. By bringing this factor to centre stage, it is hoped that its importance for our understanding of religion will be made clear. Finally, throughout the essay I will be arguing that there are some features in art and religion, without which they would lose their point 'as art' and 'as religion'.
Effects of gamma-butyrolactone on local cerebral glucose utilization in the rat.

— The effects of graded doses of γ-butyrolactone on the rates of glucose utilization in 29 structural components of the albino rat brain were studied by means of the [14C]deoxyglucose technique. The γ-butyrolactone in doses of 75, 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg of body weight was administered intravenously in divided doses, two-thirds 45min and one-third 15min before the administration of the pulse of [14C]deoxyglucose. Electroencephalographic recordings were carried out in some of the rats administered each of the above doses. The results demonstrate dose-dependent changes in the level of consciousness, electroencephalographic activity, and the rates of local cerebral glucose utilization. At the two lower doses there were no notable effects on behavior, but there was significant slowing of the electroencephalogram. The higher doses caused a trance-like state associated with long periods of electroencephalographic silence punctuated by bursts of polyspike and wave activity. At all doses there was significant depression of the rates of cerebral glucose utilization throughout the brain, the greater the dose the greater the magnitude of the depression. The effects were greater in gray structures than in white matter. At the maximum doses local cerebral glucose utilization was profoundly depressed to mean values of 32% and 58% of control values in gray and white matter, respectively. There was no apparent selectivity or specificity in the effects of γ-butyrolactone on glucose utilization in the various gray structures of the brain; all 26 gray structures studied exhibited similar dose-response relationships. Animals similarly treated with γ-butyrolactone and left undisturbed regained completely normal behavior and electroencephalographic activity in several hours. These results suggest that γ-butyrolactone profoundly depresses cerebral energy metabolism throughout the brain and that it might prove useful in clinical conditions in which a temporary reversible reduction in cerebral energy demand is desired.
Primary presenting problem and mental health service delivery

This study describes the variety of problems reported by clients seeking the services of a large urban community mental health center and explores the extent to which these problems are related to three sets of variables: client demographic characteristics, system entry, and system response. A 10% random sample totaling 273 case files was examined. The most frequently reported problem area was interpersonal followed by drug/alcohol abuse and cognitive disturbance. Clients' presenting problem was significantly related to all three sets of variables. Implications for planning service delivery are discussed with emphasis on identifying both unique and shared center responses to presenting problems, client characteristics, and system entry factors.
New criteria for early electrodiagnosis of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy

A variety of electrodiagnostic methods are used to confirm the diagnosis of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), but difficulties are frequent during the first few weeks of weakness. We compared the nerve conduction studies (NCS) of patients with AIDP to those with critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP), a subacute axonal polyneuropathy. New electrodiagnostic criteria with graded certainty (normal, nondiagnostic, suggestive, highly suggestive, and definite) were designed and applied in a blinded manner to both groups. Among the AIDP patients, 64% met the highly suggestive and definite criteria (specificity 95-100%, P < 0.01), whereas 80% of the CIP group fell in the nondiagnostic criteria (P < 0.001). The relative preservation of the sural sensory response in spite of at least two abnormal sensory NCS in the upper limb suggested acute demyelination (sensitivity 48%, specificity 96%, P < 0.001) and was even more conclusive when associated with absent or prolonged F waves. Motor and sensory response amplitudes were lower in the CIP group, with comparable mean motor and sensory distal latencies and motor conduction velocities. Motor conduction blocks were present in 10% of nerves in AIDP and were not encountered in CIP. The frequency of absent or delayed F waves and absent H reflex was similar in both groups. The correlation coefficient of the cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration with the designed criteria was higher in the AIDP group (r = 0.9). We conclude that a new criterion with graded certainty is of higher specificity in the majority of patients with early AIDP.
Professorial presumptuousness in verbal interactions with university students

Abstract Interpersonal “presumptuousness” by students and professors in classroom discussions and brief laboratory conversations was inferred on the basis of an utterance-by-utterance coding of the verbal interaction. The presumptuousness index was the proportion of a person's utterances that were coded as “advisement” (e.g., commands, suggestions, advice, permission, prohibition), “interpretation (e.g., judgments, evaluations, labeling, or explaing the other), “confirmation” (e.g., agreement, disagreement, statements of shared experience), or “reflection” (e.g., repetitions, restatements, clarifications). These four “verbal response modes” have in common an implicit presumption of knowledge of the person addressed (e.g., what he or she should do, what he or she is feeling), according to a recently developed discourse coding system. Results supported the hypothesis that professors would be more presumptuous than students in both settings. Quantitative and qualitative descriptions of student-professor interaction based on other aspects of the discourse coding system are also presented and discussed.
Transduction versus transformation of methicillin resistance inStaphylococcus aureus

Requirements for the transformation of methicillin resistance (Mecr) inStaphylococcus aureus were found to differ from those of transduction in three significant respects. Production of β-lactamase by the recipient strain is not a stringent requirement for Mecr transformation as it is for transduction althoughbla+ recipients exhibited a higher transformation frequency in the absence of added NaCl. Incorporation of NaCl into the methicillin-selective media markedly inhibited Mecr transduction but increased the transformation frequency of plasmid-free recipients to the level obtained withbla+ recipients. Four separately maintained clones of strain 8325-4 exhibited marked variation in recipient effectiveness for Mecr transduction but were equally effective as recipients in transformation.
Metallogeny of the midcontinent rift system of North America

Abstract The 1.1 Ga Midcontinent rift system of North America is one of the world's major continental rifts and hosts a variety of mineral deposits. The rocks and mineral deposits of this 2000 km long rift are exposed only in the Lake Superior region. In the Lake Superior region, the rift cuts across Precambrian basement terranes ranging in age from ∼ 1850 Ma to more than 3500 Ma. Where exposed, the rift consists of widespread tholeiitic basalt flows with local interlayered rhyolite and clastic sedimentary rocks. Beneath the center of Lake Superior the volcanic and sedimentary rocks are more than 30 km deep as shown by recent seismic reflection profiles. This region hosts two major classes of mineral deposits, magmatic and hydrothermal. All important mineral production in this region has come from hydrothermal deposits. Rift-related hydrothermal deposits include four main types: (1) native copper deposits in basalts and interflow sediments; (2) sediment-hosted copper sulfide and native copper; (3) copper sulfide veins and lodes hosted by rift-related volcanic and sedimentary rocks; and (4) polymetallic (five-element) veins in the surrounding Archean country rocks. The scarcity of sulfur within the rift rocks resulted in the formation of very large deposits of native metals. Where hydrothermal sulfides occur (i.e., shale-hosted copper sulfides), the source of sulfur was local sedimentary rocks. Magmatic deposits have locally supported exploration and minor production, but most are subeconomic presently. These deposits occur in intrusions exposed near the margins of the rift and include CuNiPGE and TiFe (V) in the Duluth Complex, U-REE-Nb in small carbonatites, and breccia pipes resulting from local hydrothermal activity around small felsic intrusions. Mineralization associated with some magmatic bodies resulted from the concentration of incompatible elements during fractional crystallization. Most of the sulfide deposits in intrusions, however, contain sulfur derived from country rocks; the interaction between magma and country rocks was important in generation of the magmatic CuNi sulfide deposits. A mantle plume origin has been proposed for the formation of the Midcontinent rift. More than 1 million km3 of mafic magma was erupted in the rift and a comparable volume of mafic intrusions are inferred beneath the rift, providing a ready and structurally confined supply of mafic source rocks that were available for leaching of metals by basinal brines. These brines were heated by a steep geothermal gradient that resulted from the melting and underplating of magma derived from the plume. Hydrothermal deposits were emplaced for at least 30–40 m.y. after rift magmatism and extension ceased. This time lag may reflect either the time required to heat deeply buried rocks and fluids within the rift, or may be due to the timing of post-rift compression that may have provided the driving mechanism for expulsion of hydrothermal fluids from deep portions of the rift.
Saying No: Women’s Experiences with Reproductive Refusal

The experiences of intentionally childless heterosexual women are often misunderstood and misnamed. Women who purposefully do not have children are not taken on their own terms but are measured by the idealized standard of motherhood and thus found deficient. Guided by the assumptions of a feminist poststructuralism, two contradictory experiences that are predictable for many non-mothers are redescribed. One experience, the ‘wavering no’, has to do with unexpected and short-lived disturbances in women’s otherwise comfortable relationship with childlessness. The other has to do with childless women’s subjective experiences of openness and freedom, the ‘saving no’ feelings that are related to the generation and perpetuation of a life without children. The article ends with reflections on the importance of reproductive diversity as a political goal.
Ionisation of Air by Ultra-violet Light

SINCE Lenard has shown that ionisation of the air is produced by light of short wave-length, it has seemed advisable to extend his researches into the region of the extreme ultra-violet, discovered by Schumann, and to investigate the effect on air of light of wave-length below λ 1850.
BYPASSING THE MIDDLEMAN: A GROUNDED THEORY OF WOMEN'S SELF-CARE FOR VAGINAL SYMPTOMS

Increasing numbers of women use self-diagnosis and self-treatment in response to vaginal symptoms. I used the grounded theory method to generate theory on women's self-care. Data collection consisted of interviews with 11 women and 3 pharmacists and content analysis of text from consumer literature and advertisements for vaginal antifungal products. The basic problem experienced by women was the need for rapid and convenient relief of symptoms. To accomplish this, women used the four-stage process of "bypassing the middleman," which enabled them to resolve the problem in a timely manner. Media, economics, and social networks were primary influences on women's self-care.
Secondary motoneurons in juvenile and adult zebrafish: Axonal pathfinding errors caused by embryonic nicotine exposure

Nicotine is a drug of abuse that has been reported to have many adverse effects on the developing nervous system. We previously demonstrated that embryonic exposure to nicotine alters axonal pathfinding of spinal secondary motoneurons in zebrafish. We hypothesize that these changes will persist into adulthood. The Tg(isl1:GFP) line of zebrafish, which expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a subtype of spinal secondary motoneurons, was used to investigate potential long-term consequences of nicotine exposure on motoneuron development. Anatomical characterization of Tg(isl1:GFP) zebrafish ranging between 3 and 30 days postfertilization (dpf) was initially performed in fixed tissue to characterize axonal trajectories in larval and juvenile fish. Tg(isl1:GFP) embryos were transiently exposed to 5–30 μM nicotine. They were then rescued from nicotine and raised into later stages of life (3–30 dpf) and fixed for microscopic examination. Morphological analysis revealed that nicotine-induced abnormalities in secondary motoneuron anatomy were still evident in juvenile fish. Live imaging of Tg(isl1:GFP) zebrafish using fluorescent stereomicroscopy revealed that the nicotine-induced changes in motoneuron axonal pathfinding persisted into adulthood. We detected abnormalities in 37-dpf fish that were transiently exposed to nicotine as embryos. These fish were subsequently imaged over a 7-week period of time until they were ≈3 months of age. These pathfinding errors of spinal secondary motoneuron axons detected at 37 dpf persisted within the same fish until 86 dpf, the latest age analyzed. These findings indicate that exposure to nicotine during embryonic development can have permanent consequences for motoneuron anatomy in zebrafish. J. Comp. Neurol. 512:305–322, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A neural plasticity hypothesis of schizophrenia.

Abstract An extensive research effort has failed, thus far, to conclusively identify a specific disease process (or processes) underlying the behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia. The present paper will entertain the hypothesis that the structural and functional plasticity of the brain can constitute a “nonspecific” biological etiology of schizophrenia. This plasticity need not be accompanied by infectious processes or gross alterations in neurotransmitter levels, enzyme activities, etc. that are specific to schizophrenia. The monkey isolation syndrome provides a precedent for a causal relationship between brain plasticity and pathological behavior. In a speculative manner, it will be demonstrated that neural plasticity concepts can be invoked to potentially explain several aspects of schizophrenia: the various types of behavioral symptoms exhibited by schizophrenics, the regional alterations in brain structure and function seen in chronic schizophrenics, the involvement of genetic and environmental etiological factors, the pharmacological support for the dopamine hypothesis, and the delayed onset of neuroleptic antipsychotic action. Considering the explanatory potential of neural plasticity concepts, a research program which focuses on these concepts seems warranted.
On integrating variables and separating facts in the complex relationship between dependency and domestic violence.

Reply by Robert Bornstein to comments from Chronister and Dutton regarding his article, "The complex relationship between dependency and domestic violence: Converging psychological factors and social forces". Language: en