cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two insulin-like peptides differentially regulate malaria parasite infection in the mosquito through effects on intermediary metabolism

Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) play important roles in growth and metabolic homeostasis, but have also emerged as key regulators of stress responses and immunity in a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. Furthermore, a growing literature suggests that insulin signaling-dependent metabolic provisioning can influence host responses to infection and affect infection outcomes. In line with these studies, we previously showed that knockdown of either of two closely related, infection-induced ILPs, ILP3 and ILP4, in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi decreased infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum through kinetically distinct effects on parasite death. However, the precise mechanisms by which ILP3 and ILP4 control the response to infection remained unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we used a complementary approach of direct ILP supplementation into the blood meal to further define ILP-specific effects on mosquito biology and parasite infection. Notably, we observed that feeding resulted in differential effects of ILP3 and ILP4 on blood-feeding behavior and P. falciparum development. These effects depended on ILP-specific regulation of intermediary metabolism in the mosquito midgut, suggesting a major contribution of ILP-dependent metabolic shifts to the regulation of infection resistance and parasite transmission. Accordingly, our data implicate endogenous ILP signaling in balancing intermediary metabolism for the host response to infection, affirming this emerging tenet in host–pathogen interactions with novel insights from a system of significant public health importance.
Lateral patellofemoral ligament reconstruction to restore functional capacity in patients previously undergoing lateral retinacular release

Lateral patellofemoral ligament reconstruction to restore functional capacity in patients previously undergoing lateral retinacular release
Of Mice and Snakes: A Tail of Oct4

The vertebrate axial skeleton comprises regions of specialized vertebrae, which vary in length between lineages. Aires et al. (2016) uncover a key role for Oct4 in determining trunk length in mice. Additionally, a heterochronic shift in Oct4 expression may underlie the extreme elongation of the trunk in snakes.
Two Perspectives on Intellectual Capital and Innovation in Teams: Collective Intelligence and Cognitive Diversity

Teams are increasingly the locus of creativity and innovation in organizational settings, and understanding what affects their performance is critical to organizational performance. We draw on research from two different perspectives on intellectual capital to theorize about the enablers and disablers of innovation in teams. The first perspective draws on collective intelligence in human groups, and the second is related to team composition, specifically cognitive diversity. Borrowing from these two perspectives, we generate theory to integrate our understanding of how collective intelligence and cognitive diversity contribute toward (or detract from) the team’s potential to produce innovative solutions and products.
The role of empiric superior vena cava isolation in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

It is not clear whether additional empiric superior vena cava isolation (SVCI) to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) results in low recurrences of atrial fibrillation. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated role of empiric SVCI in atrial fibrillation ablation. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, and relevant references for RCTs (inception April 15, 2016 without language restrictions) and performed meta-analysis using random effects model. Recurrence rates of atrial fibrillations, procedural times, fluoroscopic times, and adverse events were the measured outcomes. Three RCTs with a total population of 526 were analyzed. There was no difference in the recurrence rate between PVI plus SVCI versus PVI alone when comparison was made across all types of AF (39 vs 60; odds ratio 0.68; 95 % CI 0.43–1.07; P = 0.73; I 2 = 0 %). When analysis was restricted only to paroxysmal AF, there was a trend towards low recurrence rate in combination group without statistical significance (19 vs 35, OR 0.54; 95 % CI 0.29–1.00; P = 0.05; I 2 = 0). Similarly, no difference was noted between two groups in procedural (weighted mean difference [WMD] 10.12; 95 % CI −9.84 to 30.08; P = 0.32; I 2 = 85 %) and fluoroscopic time (WMD 4.66; 95 % CI −0.92 to 10.25; P = 0.1; I 2 = 94). Adverse events were similar in both groups. Empiric SVCI does not provide additional benefit to PVI alone for atrial fibrillation ablation.
Colonoscopic management of ileocolic anastomotic torsion

Closure of the mesenteric defect of a right colectomy has remained a topic for debate. While the defect may present as a site for internal hernia formation, the same opening in the mesentery can serve as an axis on which the anastomosis can twist. In a study of 530 patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, two patients required surgical re-exploration for ileocolic anastomotic torsion [1]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Complexity of Rule Sets Induced by Two Versions of the MLEM2 Rule Induction Algorithm

We compare two versions of the MLEM2 rule induction algorithm in terms of complexity of rule sets, measured by the number of rules and total number of conditions. All data sets used for our experiments are incomplete, with many missing attribute values, interpreted as lost values, attribute-concept values and “do not care” conditions. In our previous research we compared the same two versions of MLEM2, called true and emulated, with regard to an error rate computed by ten-fold cross validation. Our conclusion was that the two versions of MLEM2 do not differ much, and there exists some evidence that lost values are the best. In this research our main objective is to compare both versions of MLEM2 in terms of complexity of rule sets. The smaller rule sets the better. Our conclusion is again that both versions do not differ much. Our secondary objective is to compare three interpretations of missing attribute values. From the complexity point of view, lost values are the worst.
Attachment style and suicide behaviors in high risk psychiatric inpatients following hospital discharge: The mediating role of entrapment.

Abstract Insecure attachment is associated with suicidal behavior. This relationship and its possible mediators have not been examined in high-risk psychiatric inpatients with respect to the critical high-risk period following hospital discharge. Attachment styles and perception of entrapment were assessed in 200 high-risk adult psychiatric inpatients hospitalized following suicidal ideation or suicide attempt. Suicidal behaviors were evaluated with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale at 1–2 months post-discharge. Associations between different attachment styles and suicidal behaviors were assessed and mediation of attachment effects by entrapment was modeled. Fearful attachment was associated with post-discharge suicidal behavior and there was a trend-level negative association for secure attachment. In addition, entrapment mediated the relationship between fearful attachment and suicidal behavior. The current study highlights the mediating role of perceptions of entrapment in the contribution of fearful attachment to suicidal behavior in high-risk patients, suggesting entrapment as potential therapeutic target to prevent suicidal behavior in these individuals. Further research is warranted to establish the mechanisms by which entrapment experiences emerge in patients with insecure attachment styles.
Tax Reform: Taxing Trump and Curry Under the Republican Plan

It looks like the Republicans will be successful in enacting the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCAJA). The House Republican version of the TCAJA would adopt a maximum 25% rate on certain business income of pass-through entities. In attempting to sell this provision, the House Republicans have compared Stephen Curry, a star professional basketball player, who would not qualify for the 25% rate, to Steve of “Steve’s Bike Shop,” who would be entitled to the 25% rate. Apparently, the House Republicans used Curry because he got into a fight with President Trump over Curry’s decision not to visit the White House in connection with a celebration of his team’s NBA championship. In the attached article in Tax Notes entitled Taxing Trump and Curry under the Republican Plan, 157 Tax Notes 1149 (Nov. 20, 2017), I argue that (1) this is a bogus comparison, and (2) the real comparison is between Curry and President Trump under the plan. The article (1) shows that under the 25% provision President Trump would receive a “huge” tax break compared to Curry, and (2) argues that this 25% rate is bad tax policy and should be stricken from the TCAJA, thus taxing both Curry and President Trump at the maximum 39.6% rate. In addition to this post on the TCAJA, see my following posts on SSRN regarding other issues under the TCAJA: 1. Tax Reform: Territoriality Breeds De Facto Inverters; Trump's Proposal to End Deferral; and Logic Says Yes to Imputation at http://ssrn.com/abstract=3081306. 2. Tax Reform: If Territoriality, Then BAT Lite, the Child of the Rejected DBCFT at http://ssrn.com/abstract=3081308.
Factors Influencing the Emissions of Gases and Particulate Matter from Biomass Burning

Forest fires, whether prescribed or wild, emit a complex mixture of particles and gases into the atmosphere. The diversity of composition of combustion products results from wide ranges in fuel types, fuel chemistry, and fire behavior for fires burning in the natural environment. This chapter discusses the state of knowledge concerning the effect of these factors on emissions of different smoke components into the atmosphere from the burning of biomass.
Predicting blood-brain barrier partitioning of organic molecules using membrane-interaction QSAR analysis

Purpose. Membrane-interaction quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis (MI-QSAR) has been used to develop predictive models of blood-brain barrier partitioning of organic compounds by, in part, simulating the interaction of an organic compound with the phospholipid-rich regions of cellular membranes.
The Distribution and Retention of Selected Metals in Rat Tissue after Inhalation of Cadmium Oxide Aerosols

As part of a study to determine the binding of cadmium ions to cellular components of the lung and kidney after inhalation of its oxide aerosol, the retention and distribution of cadmium, zinc, and copper were measured as a function of exposure level and time. The animals were sacrificed on a periodic basis and their tissues analyzed for the metals with the aid of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The retention of cadmium, based on calculations of the amount inhaled, was measured and found to be relative to the ambient concentration within the inhalation chamber. The concentrations of the metals in each organ were primarily related to the length of the exposure. Homogenization of each organ, followed by subcellular fractionation through differential centrifugation, was used to demonstrate the steady increase in concentration of all 3 metals within the cytoplasm of the cells.
Leader-Follower Localization and Mapping using Range-Only Measurements

A major part of the autonomous mobile robotics research is to address the localization and mapping problem of mobile robots using external sensory measurements. Extensive research has been conducted in the literature to solve this problem. However, a cost-effective and modular solution to the mapping and localization problem of a mobile robot operating in an indoor environment remains open. Addressing such a problem is even more challenging when the robot has to solve the leader-follower problem where neither leader nor follower robot states are known a priori. This work pertains to address this problem using range-only measurements from a set of networked wireless (radio) sensors placed in the robot's operating space (two-dimensional). A customized radio sensor is equipped with the follower robot. Since the locations/states of both robots (leader and follower) are unknown a priori, a conventional Extended Kalman Filter Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (EKF-SLAM) technique is employed for the follower robot to estimate its position and orientation, the position of the leader, and the positions of the radio sensors (i.e., building the map) placed in the robots' operating environment using range-only measurements from radio sensors. The proposed range-based approach for solving the leader-follower localization and mapping problem is validated using a commercially available robot simulator, V-REP (Virtual Robot Experimentation Platform).
Ruth Landes/‘she-maverick’: A Jewish gendered late style

ABSTRACTLandes’ anthropological theorizing, highlighting the connections between race, gender, sexuality and class, expressed an Eastern European Jewish female praxis well-established by the late 1...
An homotopy method for lp regression provably beyond self-concordance and in input-sparsity time

We consider the problem of linear regression where the l2n norm loss (i.e., the usual least squares loss) is replaced by the lpn norm. We show how to solve such problems up to machine precision in Op(n|1/2 − 1/p|) (dense) matrix-vector products and Op(1) matrix inversions, or alternatively in Op(n|1/2 − 1/p|) calls to a (sparse) linear system solver. This improves the state of the art for any p∉{1,2,+∞}. Furthermore we also propose a randomized algorithm solving such problems in input sparsity time, i.e., Op(N + poly(d)) where N is the size of the input and d is the number of variables. Such a result was only known for p=2. Finally we prove that these results lie outside the scope of the Nesterov-Nemirovski’s theory of interior point methods by showing that any symmetric self-concordant barrier on the lpn unit ball has self-concordance parameter Ω(n).
Outbreaks of Hepatitis A in US Communities, 2017-2018: Firsthand Experiences and Operational Lessons From Public Health Responses.

Objectives. To identify and analyze common challenges from multiple US communities affected by the hepatitis A epidemic beginning in March 2017, and to identify operational lessons to support prepa...
Organization-Based Factors Bearing on Provider Screening and Referral Practices for Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence.

Essential steps in the provision of health care for women exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) are screening and referral for specialized services, as might occur in primary care settings. Pr...
Simultaneous colonic T-cell lymphoma and graft-versus-host disease: A rare diagnosis

Abstract Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) presenting as mycosis fungoides is typically localized to the skin and occasional draining lymph nodes. We present a 46-year-old man with refractory CTCL status-post allogeneic stem cell transplant who was biopsied for diarrhea and abdominal pain. These gastrointestinal biopsies revealed not only graft-versus-host-disease but also a clonal atypical lymphoid infiltrate with the same morphology and immunophenotype as the patient’s known CTCL. We discuss the differential diagnosis of CTCL metastatic to the intestinal mucosa versus post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder and present a review of the literature. This case demonstrates challenging diagnostic workups in limited tissue samples as well as critical clinical implications.
A Christian Psychiatrist’s Perspective

As a lifelong Christian with an early fascination with philosophy, I was drawn to what psychiatry could offer the human condition. My Christian patients in the northeastern USA have both struggled with and been helped by their faith, which is often intertwined with their emotional lives. A number of mentors and resources have helped me better understand my role as a clinician, and our need for a vision of an integrated life worth living.
The global medial structure of regions in ℝ3

We classify the geometric complexity by giving a structure theorem for the Blum medial axis M . We do so by first giving an algorithm for decomposing M using the local types into “irreducible components” and then representing each medial component as obtained by attaching surfaces with boundaries to 4–valent graphs. The two stages are described by a two level extended graph structure. The top level describes a simplified form of the attaching of the irreducible medial components to each other, and the second level extended graph structure for each irreducible component specifies how to construct the component.
Demography in the Age of the Postmodern

Demography has developed into a remarkably coherent field and now stands as a firmly established discipline with strong ties to policy-making agencies. However, in recent years there has been increasing recognition within demography of the limits of existing theories and methods, particularly its absence of a strong critical tradition and its isolation from recent theoretical developments in other social sciences. In this study, Nancy Riley and James McCarthy use the lens of postmodernism to structure a critical analysis of the field of demography. Paying particular attention to the fundamental epistemologies and methodologies that currently underlie the field, they explore how postmodern perspectives might serve to energize the field and how demography could be enhanced by the introduction of insights from other social sciences. Drawing on examples of new kinds of research in demography and related fields, this is an important new book that seeks to reinvigorate the field of demography.
A memory enhanced evolutionary algorithm for dynamic scheduling problems

This paper describes a memory enhanced evolutionary algorithm (EA) approach to the dynamic job shop scheduling problem. Memory enhanced EAs have been widely investigated for other dynamic optimization problems with changing fitness landscapes, but only when associated with a fixed search space. In dynamic scheduling, the search space shifts as jobs are completed and new jobs arrive, so memory entries that describe specific points in the search space will become infeasible over time. The relative importances of jobs in the schedule also change over time, so previously good points become increasingly irrelevant. We describe a classifier-based memory for abstracting and storing information about schedules that can be used to build similar schedules at future times. We compared the memory enhanced EA with a standard EA and several common EA diversity techniques both with and without memory. The memory enhanced EA improved performance over the standard EA, while diversity techniques decreased performance.
INACTIVATION OF SOME SEMISYNTHETIC PENICILLINS BY GRAM-NEGATIVE BACILLI

Abstract Sabath, Leon (Boston City Hospital, Boston, Mass.) and Maxwell Finland. Inactivation of some semisynthetic penicillins by gram-negative bacilli. J. Bacteriol. 85:314–321. 1963.—An agar diffusion method was used to test 55 strains of gram-negative bacilli for their ability to inactivate penicillin G, methicillin, biphenylpenicillin, oxacillin, and ampicillin; 26 strains inactivated one or more of them. All strains of Klebsiella-Aerobacter, nearly all of Escherichia coli, and some of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but not those of Proteus or Salmonella, were active by this method. Penicillin G was inactivated by the largest number of strains, biphenylpenicillin and ampicillin by somewhat fewer, and oxacillin and methicillin by about half as many. When the five penicillins were incubated with four strains of different bacteria in broth at 37 C, all were inactivated to a considerable extent by all the strains, each penicillin to a different degree, but to about the same extent by all the strains. Adsorption alone did not account for the loss of activity. The results suggest that there are qualitative, as well as quantitative, differences among species or even strains of gram-negative bacilli in their ability to inactivate the various penicillins.
Noninvasive mapping of the normal retinal thickness at the posterior pole.

Abstract Objective Objective and sensitive measurements of the retinal thickness at the posterior pole are useful to detect and delineate macular edema or retinal atrophy. The authors therefore developed an instrument, the Retinal Thickness Analyzer (RTA), to map the retinal thickness rapidly. The RTA was used to study the normal thickness at the posterior pole and to provide a pilot baseline. Design Cross-sectional study. Methods A green (540-nm) laser slit was focused on the retina via a scanning mirror placed at the conjugate plane of the pupil. The intersection between the laser slit and the retina was viewed at an angle and recorded by a video camera. Nine scans, each acquired in 200 to 400 msec, covered the central 20° of the fundus. Participants The posterior pole was mapped in 29 normal subjects 19 to 76 years of age (mean, 48 years). Results The thickness maps matched the posterior pole anatomy. Points with maximum thickness were located in the perifovea in a C-shaped manner extending from the disc to above and below the fovea. The local variation (standard deviation) in retinal thickness among the subjects was, on average, 15 μm. Age, gender, and race did not have a large effect ( Conclusions Rapid scanning thickness analysis with the RTA provides a detailed map of the retinal thickness. The relatively narrow range of thickness values in normal subjects indicates that the method may provide a sensitive detection of pathologic thickening or thinning of the retina.
Snail responses to cues produced by an invasive decapod predator

. Cues released by predators and injured prey often induce shifts in prey behavior that allow prey to evade predators, but also affect prey resource use. I investigated the effects of chemical and mechanical signals produced by injured snails (Physella gyrina) and predatory crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on microdistributions of P. gyrina. In an initial experiment, I observed snail responses to the presence of a caged crayfish predator, to injured conspecifics, or to both. There were significant effects of time and the treatment × time interaction on the proportion of snails moving above the water line, with greater proportions of snails above the water line at night than during the day and with weak snail crawl-out behavior being elicited by caged crayfish at night, but not during the day. In a second experiment, I examined snail microdistributions when exposed to crayfish confined to a small cage within each aquarium, crayfish confined to half of each aquarium, and crayfish ranging freely throughout each aquarium. Snails responded most strongly to free-ranging crayfish by moving above the water line, but also demonstrated significant, but reduced, crawl-out responses to crayfish confined to half of each aquarium; however, snails did not respond behaviorally to crayfish confined to small cages. In both experiments, there were marginally significant effects of unfed caged crayfish on the proportions of snail populations hiding under benthic shelters, with this response being the strongest at the start of the experiments but weak overall (with only 4–5% of P. gyrina responding in each experiment). These results indicate that cues (e.g., chemical or mechanical) produced by predators altered prey microdistributions, but that the exact prey responses (e.g., moving above the water line or into horizontal or benthic refugia) depended on the intensity and nature of cues.
Zinc–Ligand Interactions Modulate Assembly and Stability of the Insulin Hexamer – A Review

Zinc and calcium ions play important roles in the biosynthesis and storage of insulin. Insulin biosynthesis occurs within the beta-cells of the pancreas via preproinsulin and proinsulin precursors. In the golgi apparatus, proinsulin is sequestered within Zn(2+)- and Ca(2+)-rich storage/secretory vesicles and assembled into a Zn(2+) and Ca(2+) containing hexameric species, (Zn(2+))(2)(Ca(2+))(Proin)(6). In the vesicle, (Zn(2+))(2)(Ca(2+))(Proin)(6) is converted to the insulin hexamer, (Zn(2+))(2)(Ca(2+))(In)(6), by excision of the C-peptide through the action of proteolytic enzymes. The conversion of (Zn(2+))(2)(Ca(2+))(Proin)(6)to (Zn(2+))(2)(Ca(2+))(In)(6) significantly lowers the solubility of the hexamer, causing crystallization within the vesicle. The (Zn(2+))(2)(Ca(2+))(In)(6) hexamer is an allosteric protein that undergoes ligand-mediated interconversion among three global conformation states designated T(6), T(3)R(3) and R(6). Two classes of allosteric sites have been identified; hydrophobic pockets (3 in T(3)R(3) and 6 in R(6)) that bind phenolic ligands, and anion sites (1 in T(3)R(3) and 2 in R(6)) that bind monovalent anions. The allosteric states differ widely with respect to the physical and chemical stability of the insulin subunits. Fusion of the vesicle with the plasma membrane results in the expulsion of the insulin crystals into the intercellular fluid. Dissolution of the crystals, dissociation of the hexamers to monomer and transport of monomers to the liver and other tissues then occurs via the blood stream. Insulin action then follows binding to the insulin receptors. The role of Zn(2+) in the assembly, structure, allosteric properties, and dynamic behavior of the insulin hexamer will be discussed in relation to biological function.
Rehabilitation outcomes after infection-related spinal cord disease: a retrospective analysis.

Objectives: To compare injury characteristics, demographics, and functional outcomes of patients with infection-related spinal cord disease (IR-SCD) vs. those with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: A 10-yr retrospective review of 34 consecutive patients with IR-SCD admitted to an SCI rehabilitation unit at a Level 1 tertiary university medical center. Outcome measures included length of stay (LOS), FIM motor scores, and home discharge rates. Results: The cause of IR-SCD was most often spinal epidural abscess secondary to Staphylococcus aureus (74%). Weakness (90%) and neck/back pain (84%) were the most frequent initial admitting symptoms. Identifiable risk factors included history of recent infection (42%), diabetes mellitus (32%), and intravenous drug abuse (26%). SCD-related complications most commonly included pain (81%), urinary tract infection (52%), and spasticity (45%). When compared with traumatic SCI (n = 560), patients with IR-SCD comprised significantly less of the SCI/D rehabilitation admissions (3% vs. 61%), were older (53 vs. 40 yrs), and more often female (35% vs. 16%). Injuries were more commonly located in the thoracic region (48% vs. 38%). Patients with IR-SCD more often had incomplete injuries (94% vs. 57%). Thirty-two percent of IR-SCD patients had improvements in AIS impairment scale classification. LOS was longer on acute care (25 vs. 16 days), but similar on rehabilitation (36 vs. 34 days), and with lower FIM motor changes (16.2 vs. 22.8) during rehabilitation. Patients with IR-SCD were less often discharged to home (56% vs. 75%). Conclusions: Patients with infection-related SCD comprise a significant subset of SCI/D rehabilitation admissions and have differing demographic and injury characteristics compared with traumatic SCI. Despite less-severe injury characteristics and similar rehabilitation LOS, they achieve lower functional improvements and are less often discharged home, underscoring the importance of patient/family education and discharge planning.
Lower airway disease in asthmatics with and without rhinitis.

Study Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine if asthma with rhinitis and asthma without rhinitis represent distinct forms of disease. Design We performed a prospective cross-sectional study. Participants The study included healthy controls, participants with asthma without rhinitis, and participants with both asthma and rhinitis. Interventions We compared lung function and airway inflammation between the three groups of participants. Results We recruited 32 participants: 12 normals, 8 asthmatics without rhinitis, and 12 with rhinitis. Compared to asthmatics with rhinitis, asthmatics without rhinitis had more severe airflow limitation (FEV1/FVC = 60.6% [IQR = 22.8] vs. 74.8% [IQR = 7.8] and fewer induced sputum eosinophils (2.8 [IQR = 5.8] and 9.6 [IQR = 23.8], respectively). Sputum interleukin-6 correlated inversely with lung function measured by postbronchodilator FEV1 in the study cohort (Spearman correlation coefficient = −0.55, p < 0.01). Conclusions Asthmatics without rhinitis tend to have lower lung function and less eosinophilic inflammation in the lung. This small study suggests that asthmatics without rhinitis represent a distinct phenotype of asthma in which low lung function is dissociated from eosinophilic cellular inflammation, and it suggests that larger studies addressing this phenotype are warrented.
Aseasonal leaf abscission in Populus induced by volcanic ash

Premature leaf abscission in Populus was observed in central Washington (USA) about two weeks after the 18 May 1980 ashfall from Mount St. Helens. Leaf abscission was probably a wounding response caused by sandsized ash carried in winds that gusted to 15 m s-1 7 days after the ashfall. Under glasshouse conditions simulating this environmental regime the leaf epidermis and often part of the mesophyll in Populus nigra L. var. italica Duroi. were abraded, resulting in permanent loss of leaf turgor and decreased stomatal conductance. Substantial abscission of still-green leaves ensued. Leaf abrasion by ash-laden winds, although rare, may result in conspicuous plant damage.
Early childhood education and care for Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i: a brief history

This study provides a brief overview of the history of early childhood education and care for Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i. Data sources include a literature review, examination of archival documents, and interviews with a sample of Native Hawaiian parents and community members. We trace the emergence of outside-the-home early childhood education and care back to the Protestant missionaries who arrived in Hawai‘i in the early 1800s, and demonstrate how the tools of colonisation have worked over time to position centre-based care as the ‘Gold Standard’ for all children, based on a deficit view of indigenous families and communities. Documenting some of the past and current efforts to promote and support culture-based education and care options in Hawai‘i, we argue that families in diverse communities may benefit more from having options that fit with their cultural views and values.
Ketoprofen-aspirin interactions

To assess an interaction between ketoprofen and aspirin we gave both drugs orally, to steady state, to healthy men. Although ketoprofen did not alter salicylate absorption and disposition, we observed that concurrent administration of aspirin decreased ketoprofen protein binding and increased its plasma clearance. Salicylate also appeared to reduce metabolic ketoprofen conversion to conjugates and their renal elimination. The data suggested that salicylate also enhanced the metabolic conversion of ketoprofen to nonconjugate metabolites (p = 0.091). Our findings indicate that the drug-drug interaction between aspirin and ketoprofen is complex. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1981) 30, 226–231; doi:10.1038/clpt.1981.152
Phase I trial of combination therapy of cancer with N -phosphanacetyl-L-aspartic acid and dipyridamole

While N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartic acid (PALA), an inhibitor of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, demonstrated a unique spectrum of activity during preclinical drug evaluation, multiple clinical trials have shown it to possess minimal clinical activity. One explanation for the disappointing results is the possibility that tumor cells are able to utilize circulating uridine in the synthesis of pyrimidines (salvage pathway). Dipyridamole, an inhibitor of nucleoside transport, has been demonstrated experimentally to potentiate the cytotoxicity of PALA significantly. In addition, this agent has a long safety record when used clinically in man. A phase I trial of this two-drug combination was therefore conducted, with a fixed oral dose of dipyridamole (50 mg/m2 every 6 h) and an escalating i. v. dose of PALA administered every 3 weeks. The dose-limiting toxicity with this schedule was diarrhea and abdominal cramping pain at a PALA dose of 3900–4200 mg/m2. Among the 65 patients participating in this trial 4 objective responses (2 partial, 2 minimal) were observed. Because of the potential for unique clinical synergy between PALA and dipyridamole further investigation should be considered.
Changing teachers, changing students? The impact of a teacher-focused intervention on students' computer usage, attitudes, and anxiety

An important purpose of integrating computer use into everyday classroom instruction is to help students approach technology as a learning tool. Effective classroom integration is dependent not only on access to computers but also teachers' implementation of computing into learning. Successful implementation, in turn, depends largely on teachers' beliefs about classroom computing. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a teacher-focused technology intervention on students' attitudes toward and use of computers as learning tools. Teachers' attitudes, anxiety, and classroom computer use are explored as mediators of this relationship. Data were collected during a technology intervention in fourth and fifth grade classrooms in an urban public school district. Results suggest that the technology intervention itself had a positive effect on students' attitudes toward and use of computers for educational purposes. There was no evidence, however, that teachers' use or attitudes had any mediating effect on this relationship. These results suggest that it is possible to increase students' attitudes toward computer use through intense interventions aimed at their teachers. Future research should further investigate the mechanisms through which this relationship exits.
Seizure prediction with spectral power of time/space-differential EEG signals using cost-sensitive support vector machine

A patient-specific seizure prediction algorithm is proposed using a classifier to differentiate preictal from interictal ECoG signals. Spectral power of ECoG processed in four different fashions are used as features: raw, time-differential, space-differential, and time/space-differential ECoG. The features are classified using cost-sensitive support vector machines by the double cross-validation methodology. The proposed algorithm has been applied to ECoG recordings of 18 patients in the Freiburg EEG database, totaling 80 seizures and 437-hour-long interictal recordings. Classification with the feature obtained from time/space-differential ECoG demonstrates performance of 86.25% sensitivity and 0.1281 false positives per hour in out-of-sample testing.
An x-ray scattering study of ferritin and apoferritin.

Horse spleen ferritin has been fractionated according to density, and hence according to iron content, by equilibrium centrifugation in cesium chloride density-gradients. The separated fractions, including iron-free apoferritin, have been studied in solution by small-angle X-ray scattering. The scattering from apoferritin agrees well with that of a hollow sphere with an outer radius of 61 A and an inner radius of 37 A. In order to investigate the scattering from the ferric hydroxide micelle independently of the protein coat which surrounds it, the ferritin molecules were put in a 53% sucrose solution which has an electron density matching that of the protein (0·410 electrons/A 3 ). This essentially eliminates the scattering from the protein. The ferric hydroxide micelle in “full ferritin”, the ferritin molecule with maximum iron content, was found to have a molecular weight of 418,000. The scattering curve for the “full ferritin” micelle agreed very well with that of a uniform sphere of 37 A radius; it does not agree with any of the spherical subunit structures which have been reported by many electron microscopists. As the micelles decrease in molecular weight, they become more asymmetric so that one dimension is always at least as large as the diameter of the hollow center of the protein coat.
Priestly Men and Invisible Women: Male Appropriation of the Feminine and the Exemption of Women from Positive Time-Bound Commandments

In this paper I will examine the rabbinic exemption of women from the obligation to perform any “positive time-bound commandment” (), as it appears in M. Kiddushin 1:7. This rule states that women are exempt from the obligation to perform those commandments, such as, for example, sitting in a Sukkah on the Feast of Tabernacles, or saying the kriءat shemעa, the declaration of God's Oneness, morning and evening, in which the requirement for the mandated action comes about with the arrival of a specific time. I offer this analysis of a particular rabbinic ruling, in its literary context in the Mishnah, as a case study in what I claim to be a major component of the rabbinic discourse of gender: the male appropriation of the “feminine” into their own identities, and the resultant exclusion of women from those areas of appropriation. In this paper I will employ a literary/anthropological approach to reading the Mishnah, which I believe is very useful in uncovering such underlying cultural patterns within its succinct, legal writing style.
Multimodal evaluation of therapy versus consultation components in a large inner-city early intervention program.

Cincinnati's Social Skills Development Program (SSDP) used a social competence model to direct its interventions for children. Systematic screening identified 15-25% of the primary grade children who showed behavioral problems and deficits in social skills at seven elementary schools. Multimodal evaluations comparing therapy and consultation interventions included three types of assessments over a 1 year period. Tests of social skills revealed that children who received both therapy and consultation services, compared to those who received only consultation, improved in a basic empathy skill and increased their externality in locus of control. School record data showed that therapy and consultation children improved in grades; but, consultation children improved most. Finally, trained observers found that therapy children, compared to children in consultation only, increased cooperative interactions with teachers and maintained appropriate solitary behaviors. The data are discussed as providing some support for the hypothesis that therapy produced increased benefits for children compared to the less costly consultation intervention. However, since therapy and consultation conditions were not differentiated on many assessments (e.g., tests of interpersonal problem-solving and advanced empathy skills; lateness; achievement), more intense behaviorally oriented interventions may be warranted.
Adjacent slice prostate cancer prediction to inform MALDI imaging biomarker analysis

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men in US [1]. Traditionally, prostate cancer diagnosis is made by the analysis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and histopathological images of biopsy samples under microscopes. Proteomic biomarkers can improve upon these methods. MALDI molecular spectra imaging is used to visualize protein/peptide concentrations across biopsy samples to search for biomarker candidates. Unfortunately, traditional processing methods require histopathological examination on one slice of a biopsy sample while the adjacent slice is subjected to the tissue destroying desorption and ionization processes of MALDI. The highest confidence tumor regions gained from the histopathological analysis are then mapped to the MALDI spectra data to estimate the regions for biomarker identification from the MALDI imaging. This paper describes a process to provide a significantly better estimate of the cancer tumor to be mapped onto the MALDI imaging spectra coordinates using the high confidence region to predict the true area of the tumor on the adjacent MALDI imaged slice.
Examples of Information-Based Optical System Design, Data Analysis, and Image Processing

I discuss information-based (IB) metrics for design, analysis, and processing. Three examples are used. Feature-specific imaging exemplifies IB design, ladar imaging and 3D super-resolution exemplify IB processing, and an experiment to measure the information velocity in a fast-light medium facilitates a description of IB data analysis.
Adapting a global stratified random sample for regional estimation of forest cover change derived from satellite imagery

A desirable feature of a global sampling design for estimating forest cover change based on satellite imagery is the ability to adapt the design to obtain precise regional estimates, where a region may be a country, state, province, or conservation area. A sampling design stratified by an auxiliary variable correlated with forest cover change has this adaptability. A global stratified random sample can be augmented by additional sample units within a region selected by the same stratified protocol and the resulting sample constitutes a stratified random sample of the region. Stratified sampling allows increasing the sample size in a region by a few to many additional sample units. The additional sample units can be effectively allocated to strata to reduce the standard errors of the regional estimates, even though these strata were not initially constructed for the objective of regional estimation. A complete coverage map of deforestation within the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA) is used as a population to evaluate precision of regional estimates obtained by augmenting a global stratified random sample. The standard errors of the regional estimates for the BLA and states within the BLA obtained from the augmented stratified design were generally smaller than those attained by simple random sampling and systematic sampling.
Terminology in a voluntary medical incident reporting system: a human-centered perspective

To understand the current status of voluntary reporting systems in terms of completeness, accuracy and degrees of expressiveness, and to identify the social-technical barriers toward a human-centered design, we studied a set of voluntary reports acquired from the University of Missouri Health Care System (UMHC). We found three relationships between the free text and pre-defined entries, which direct us to improve reporting efficiency through a human-centered, adaptive data entry interface design that offers learning features during and after incident reporting.
Head Injury Potential and the Effectiveness of Headgear in Women’s Lacrosse

Over the past 10 years, lacrosse has grown increasingly popular, making it one of the fastest growing team sports in the country. Similar to other sporting activities, head injuries in lacrosse can and do occur, and the number of lacrosse-related head injuries has increased in recent years. In women’s lacrosse, protective headgear is not required, but U.S. Lacrosse and the American Society for Testing and Materials are currently working to develop a headgear standard for the women’s game. In the interim, some female lacrosse programs and individual players are wearing soft headgear during play. The effectiveness of this headgear is unknown. Testing was conducted to better understand the material properties of various types of headgear that may be used in lacrosse and the effect of this headgear on head impact response and head injury potential. For the evaluation of head impact response, an instrumented Hybrid III anthropomorphic test device (ATD) was impacted on the side of the head with lacrosse balls and the front and side of the head with a lacrosse stick. The linear and rotational impact response of the head and corresponding acceleration-based injury metrics are reported. Testing was then repeated with the ATD wearing different types of headgear. Tested headgear included a men’s lacrosse helmet and two brands of commercially-available soft headgear. For the higher velocity ball impacts, there was no statistically-significant difference in the measured linear and rotational response of the head for the no headgear and soft headgear test conditions. For the lower velocity ball impacts, there was a small, yet statistically-significant, reduction in head linear acceleration for one of the soft headgears tested in comparison to the no headgear test condition, but there was not a statistically-significant difference in the rotational impact response with this headgear. These results indicate that the soft headgear would not be effective in reducing head injury potential during higher velocity ball impacts, such as ball speeds associated with shooting in women’s lacrosse. The men’s lacrosse helmet reduced both the linear and rotational response of the head for the higher and lower velocity ball impacts. Material testing showed that the padding in the hard helmet exhibited larger strain energy than the padding within the soft headgears when tested in compression. These results correlate with the larger reductions in head accelerations during ball impacts by the hard helmet. For the stick impacts, there were no statistically-significant differences in the lateral impact response of the head for the helmeted and soft headgear test conditions in comparison to the no headgear test condition, but there were statistically-significant, albeit small, differences in the frontal impact response of the head. The similar impact responses of the head during the stick impacts with and without headgear can be attributed to the relatively low severity of these impacts and the characteristics of the impactor.
Clock-drawing potentially mediates the effect of depression on mortality: Replication in three cohorts

Objective Previously studies have associated visuospatial tasks, particularly ‘clock-drawing’, with mortality. We sought to determine whether clock-drawing also mediates the association between depressive symptoms and mortality. Participants Non-institutionalized Hispanic and non-Hispanic White elderly volunteers. Measurements Survival curves were generated as a function of baseline depressive symptom ratings. Significant models were adjusted for CLOX performance. CLOX is divided into CLOX1, a measure of executive control, and CLOX2, a measure of visuospatial skills. Design Retrospective analysis of three longitudinal cohorts. Results CLOX2 and depressive symptoms were both associated with mortality in unadjusted models. CLOX2 predicted survival independently of CLOX1 in all three cohorts. CLOX2 also attenuated, and/or mediated the association between depressive symptoms and mortality. These results withstood adjustment for age and education in all three cohorts. Conclusion Regardless of the sample examined, or the measure of depressive symptoms applied, the association between depressive symptoms and mortality appears to be at least partially mediated by visuospatial skills. This finding supports our hypothesis that right hemisphere structural brain disease, particularly that involving the insula, may mediate depression's effects on mortality. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.