cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Religion among Disabled and Nondisabled Persons II: Attendance at Religious Services as a Predictor of the Course of Disability

Does religious involvement influence changes in physical health? We perform a longitudinal analysis of the effect of religious participation on functioning over a 12-year follow-up period, in a large, prospective, representative sample of elderly persons from New Haven, Connecticut, a religiously diverse community. To examine the possibility that disability or changes in disability may be affecting religious involvement, we perform a second longitudinal analysis of changes in religious practices. Finally, we ask whether psychosocial correlates explain the effect of religious involvement on disability. Findings are (a) that attendance at services is a strong predictor of better functioning, even when intermediate changes in functioning are included, (b) that health practices, social ties, and indicators of well-being reduce, but do not eliminate these effects, and (c) that disability has minimal effects on subsequent attendance. The findings illustrate the short- and long-term importance of religious participation to the health and well-being of elderly people, and suggest a particular significance for religious participation in the lives of disabled elders.
Preferences among Sheldon's temperaments.

A number of studies have explored preferences for particular body bai1d~ as categorized by Sheldon (1940). For example, Lerner (1969) found that mesomorphy was evaluated positively while endomorphy and ectomorphy were evaluated negatively. The present study explored preferences among the three temperamwzts categorized by Sheldon. Ss were 54 undergraduates in two social science courses: 27 males (Ms: age = 23.2 yr., SD = 6.2; ectomorphy score = 12.8, SD = 0.5) and 27 females (Ms: age = 23.5, SD = 6.5; ectomorphy score = 12.8, SD = 0.7).' Each S was given the Cortes and Gatti (1965) adjective check-list that assesses the three temperaments and was asked to describe the real self and ideal self. The order of presentation of the real self and the ideal self check-lists was counterbalanced across the two groups of Ss. The females described their ideal selves as less viscerotonic (19 of 26, two-tailed binomial p = 0.03), more somatotonic (20 of 25. p = 0.004), and less cerebrotonic (18 of 20, p = 0.001).2 The males described their ideal selves as more somatotonic (24 of 25, 9 < 0.001) and less cerebrotonic (24 of 26, p < 0.001) but not different in viscerotonia (11 of 23, n.s.). On the adjective check-:is[, S checks 21 adjectives relevant to the three temperaments. The females' real selves of 41% viscerotonic, 34% somatotonic, 25% cerebrotonic changed to ideal selves of 35%, 46%, 18% respectively. The males' real selves of 35% viscerotonic, 27% somatotonic, 39% cerebrotonic changed to ideal selves of 34%, 46%, 20% respectively. These results indicate that male and female college students would prefer to be more somatotonic and less cerebrotonic, a choice which corresponds to the previously documented preference for mesomorphic body build."
Pretreatment with 17β-Estradiol Attenuates Basal- and PTH-Stimulated Membrane Adenylyl Cyclase Activity in Human Osteoblast-like SAOS-2 Cells

Abstract Parathyroid hormone (PTH)-stimulated production of cAMP by intact human osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells is diminished by pretreatment with 17β-estradiol (E 2 ). The goal of the present study was to determine whether E 2 affected adenylyl cyclase activity in cell membranes. Cells were deprived of steroid hormones for 24 h and then incubated with E 2 (1 nM) or vehicle for 12 h. Cell membranes were prepared and incubated with [α- 32 P]-ATP in the absence or presence of agonist, and the amount of [ 32 P]-cAMP produced was measured to quantify adenylyl cyclase activity. There was less cAMP produced by membranes from E 2 -treated cells in response to PTH, GTPγS, forskolin, and Mn 2+ . E 2 had no effect on the amounts of G s or G i . We propose that pretreatment of SaOS-2 cells with E 2 reduced membrane cyclase activity, at least in part, by actions on the PTH-sensitive adenylyl cyclase and/or the G protein-adenylyl cyclase complex.
Flowering phenology and its implications for management of big-leaf mahogany Swietenia macrophylla in Brazilian Amazonia.

 Premise of the study: Flowering phenology is a crucial determinant of reproductive success and offspring genetic diversity in plants. We measure the fl owering phenology of big-leaf mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla , Meliaceae), a widely distributed neotropical tree, and explore how disturbance from logging impacts its reproductive biology.  Methods: We use a crown scoring system to estimate the timing and duration of population-level fl owering at three forest sites in the Brazilian Amazon over a fi ve-year period. We combine this information with data on population structure and spatial distribution to consider the implications of logging for population fl owering patterns and reproductive success.  Key results: Mahogany trees as small as 14 cm diam fl owered, but only trees > 30 cm diam fl owered annually or supra-annually. Mean observed fl owering periods by focal trees ranged from 18–34 d, and trees fl owered sequentially during 3–4 mo beginning in the dry season. Focal trees demonstrated signifi cant interannual correlation in fl owering order. Estimated population-level fl owering schedules resembled that of the focal trees, with temporal isolation between early and late fl owering trees. At the principal study site, conventional logging practices eliminated 87% of mahogany trees > 30 cm diam and an estimated 94% of annual pre-logging fl oral effort.  Conclusions: Consistent interannual patterns of sequential fl owering among trees create incompletely isolated subpopulations, constraining pollen fl ow. After harvests, surviving subcommercial trees will have fewer, more distant, and smaller potential partners, with probable consequences for post-logging regeneration. These results have important implications for the sustainability of harvesting systems for tropical timber species.
Total ionizing dose gamma and proton radiation testing on a COTS interline CCD with microlens

Commercially fabricated interline CCDs were total ionizing dose (TID) tested with gamma (/spl gamma/) and proton (p/sup +/) radiation. Materials used for microlenses applied to the array surface were also irradiated on fused silica substrates. Device and material performance degradations are presented.
A new patient focused index for measuring quality of life in persons with severe and persistent mental illness.

The quality of life in persons with severe and persistent mental illness is often poor. Most treatment programmes have the goal of increasing quality of life. Unfortunately, existing methods to assess qualtiy of life are cumbersome and oriented towards research rather than clinical settings. This study describes preliminary steps in the development, testing and application of a new patient focused index for measuring quality of life in persons with severe mental illness. The Quality of Life Index for Mental Health (QLI-MH) differs from existing instruments in that it is based on an easy to use, self-administered questionnaire that assesses nine separate domains that together encompass quality of life. Each domain can be individually weighted depending on its relative importance to the patient. Different parts of the instrument solicit information from the patient, the primary clinician and, when available, the family. The instrument and its scoring system address limitations of previous approaches to quality of life measurement.
The scattering of electromagnetic pulses by a slit in a conducting screen

A direct method for calculating the impulse response of a slit in a conducting screen is presented. The method may be used to study the scattering of electromagnetic pulses by conducting objects with planar boundaries and straight edges. The impulse response is obtained by assuming that the total response is composed of two sequences of diffracted waves. The solution is determined for the first two diffracted waves in one sequence by using Green's functions and the equivalence principle. The method is applied iteratively to obtain the solution for additional waves in the sequence. The solution for the other sequence is obtained by a transformation of coordinates. The total response is the sum of the two sequences of waves. The cases of E -polarization and H -polarization are considered. Curves are presented to depict 1) the successive diffractions of the pulses by the edges of the slit, and 2) the impulse response of the slit.
Human Claudin-8 and -14 Are Receptors Capable of Conveying the Cytotoxic Effects of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) contributes to several important human gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. This toxin and its derivatives are also being explored for translational applications, i.e., cancer therapy or drug delivery. Some, but not all, members of the 24-member claudin (Cldn) family of mammalian tight junction proteins can serve as CPE receptors. Among the human Cldns (hCldns), hCldn-3 and -4 are known to convey CPE sensitivity when expressed by fibroblast transfectants. However, other Cldns are also reportedly expressed in the intestines, where they might contribute to natural CPE-mediated GI disease, and in other organs, where they might react with CPE-based therapeutics. Therefore, the current study assessed whether two additional hCldns beside hCldn-3 and -4 are also functional CPE receptors. Using Cldn-expressing transfectants, hCldn-8 and -14 were shown to convey CPE-mediated cytotoxicity at pathophysiologically relevant concentrations of this toxin, although ~2-to-10-fold less efficiently than hCldn-4. Site-directed mutagenesis then demonstrated that the N 146 residue in hCldn-14 and the S 151 residue in hCldn-8 are largely responsible for modulating the weaker CPE binding properties of hCldn-8 and -14 versus hCldn-4, which broadens understanding of Cldn:CPE binding interactions. Since Cldn-8 and -14 are reportedly expressed in mammalian intestines, the current results support the possibility that these two hCldns contribute to natural CPE-mediated gastrointestinal disease and could be CPE-based therapeutic targets for cancers overexpressing those claudins. However, these results also suggest caution during therapeutic use of CPE, which might trigger toxic side effects in normal human tissues producing hCldn-8 or -14, as well as in those producing hCldn-3 or -4. IMPORTANCE Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is responsible for the gastrointestinal symptoms of the second-most-common bacterial food-borne illness and is also being explored for use as a cancer therapeutic or for increasing drug delivery. Until now, the only known human CPE receptors were claudin-3 and -4. This work shows that human claudin-8 and -14 can also bind CPE and convey cytotoxicity, although slightly less efficiently than claudin-3 and -4. The claudin-8 and -14 residues responsible for this weaker CPE binding were identified, shedding new light on CPE:claudin interactions.
Synchronization in M-PSK modems

It is economical for a single modem to receive multiple modulation formats. The use of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 8PSK, and 16PSK modulation is considered. The authors address a technique for achieving carrier synchronization for all four of these PSK schemes in a single modem. This is accomplished by using quadrature channel carrier recovery processing and a version of the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation phase detector algorithm. A model for the simulation of this tracking process is derived, and results are presented to confirm its functionality. >
The quinidine-digoxin interaction

In 1978, three groups independently described a drug interaction between quinidine and digoxin: When quinidine is given to patients taking digoxin, the serum digoxin concentration increases.1 2 3 T...
Racial/ethnic variation in the association of lipid-related genetic variants with blood lipids in the US adult population.

Background— Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with serum lipid level in populations of European descent. The individual and the cumulative effect of these SNPs on blood lipids are largely unclear for the US population. Methods and Results— Using data from the second phase (1991–1994) of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a nationally representative survey of the US population, we examined associations of 57 GWAS-identified or well-established lipid-related genetic loci with plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio, and non-HDL-C. We used multivariable linear regression to examine single SNP associations and the cumulative effect of multiple SNPs (using a genetic risk score [GRS]) on blood lipid levels. Analyses were conducted in adults from each of the 3 major racial/ethnic groups in the United States: non-Hispanic whites (n=2296), non-Hispanic blacks (n=1699), and Mexican Americans (n=1713). Allele frequencies for all SNPs varied significantly by race/ethnicity, except rs3764261 in CETP . Individual SNPs had very small effects on lipid levels, effects that were generally consistent in direction across racial/ethnic groups. More GWAS-validated SNPs were replicated in non-Hispanic whites (<67%) than in non-Hispanic blacks (<44%) or Mexican Americans (<44%). GRSs were strongly associated with increased lipid levels in each racial/ethnic group. The combination of all SNPs into a weighted GRS explained no more than 11% of the total variance in blood lipid levels. Conclusions— Our findings show that the combined association of SNPs, based on a GRS, was strongly associated with increased blood lipid measures in all major race/ethnic groups in the United States, which may help in identifying subgroups with a high risk for an unfavorable lipid profile.
Ethical considerations in home care of the oncology patient

Objectives: To examine the context of home care and the values of providers and patients that lead to potential ethical conflicts. To discuss a normative model of ethical decision making, and to suggest resources for resolving ethical issues. Data sources: Published articles pertaining to ethical issues and home health care. Conclusions: Home care is a viable and beneficial alternative to hospital care for a variety of patients, yet home care can result in unique value conflicts between patients and their families, and patients and home care providers. Loss of privacy and determining who is in charge are several unique areas to home care that can lead to ethical problems. Policies, guidelines, value statements, and ethics committees are excellent resources to assist in ethical decision-making. Implications for nursing practice: A workable method or model to resolve ethical problems, and resources to assist in ethical decision-making can provide home care providers with guidelines to analyze an ethical problem and the support to choose and act on the best option.
The effects of commercial clutter on radio news

Increased advertising clutter on radio newscasts did not lower the amount of learning from that newscast, although it did have a negative effect on newscaster credibility. Dr. Dominick is on the journalism faculty at the University of Georgia. He will become editor of the Journal in January of 1977.
RESONANCES AND EIGENPHASES OF THE S-MATRIX.

Abstract The behaviour of the individual eigenphaseshifts of the S -matrix is studied over an isolated resonance and is found to be mainly determined by the background. Only the sum of the eigenphases can tell about the presence of a resonance.
ANALYSIS OF NANOFLUIDS IN LIQUID ELECTRONIC COOLING SYSTEMS

Nanofluids are solutions of a small fraction of suspended nanoparticles in a bulk fluid. Nanofluids have shown great promise as heat transfer fluids over typically used bulk fluids and fluids with micron sized particles. The nanoparticles do not settle in the fluid and do not cause clogging or damage to surfaces as with micron sized particles. In the current work we compare the performance of different volume loadings of water-based alumina nanofluids in a commercially available electronics cooling system to that of pure DI-water. The commercially available system is a water block used for liquid cooling of a computational processing unit. The size of the nanoparticles in the study is varied from 20 nm to 30 nm. Results show an enhancement in convective heat transfer, but not in the temperature increase through a heated tube or commercial cooling system in nanofluids with volume loadings of nanoparticles up to 2% by volume. The current nanofluids showed significant settling within an hour of preparation.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Time-dependent energy deposition in inertial confinement fusion-fission hybrid reactors

The nature of time-dependent energy deposition in inertial confinement fusion-fission hybrid reactors is examined. This energy deposition is both space and time dependent. Calculations are performed for sodium-cooled, uranium-carbide-fueled blankets. Coolant temperature rises on the order of a few degrees and fuel temperature rises on the order of a few tens of degrees are predicted per 15-MJ target pulse. Significant coolant pressure waves having peak pressures on the order of a few megapascals are predicted; however, shock wave formation in the coolant from direct energy deposition is not predicted for these configurations.
Spectrophotometric Measurements of Serum Nickel

An ultraviolet spectrophotometricprocedurehas been developedfor the measurement of serum nickel. Samplesof serum are lyophilized and the dry residuesare subjected to acid digestion. Nickel is separated from interfering elements by chloroform extraction of nickel dimethylglyoximate at alkaline pH. Nickel is converted to the diethyldithiocarbamatecomplex and is extracted with isoamylalcohol. The absorbance of nickel bisdiethyldithiocarbamate is measured as the difference between the absorbancemaximum (325 m) and the absorbancesat 2 backgroundwave lengths (295 and 355 m). The concentrationsand volumesof the reagents have been adjusted in order to achieve a sensitivity of 0.002 ppm (2 &g./L.). The recovery of 2.5 pg. of nickel added to 8 samplesof serum averaged 104% (S.D. ± 8), with a range from 91 to 115%. The mean concentration of nickel in serum from 23 normal subjects was 2.2 p.g./100ml. (S.D. ± 1.8), with a range from 0.1 to 7.7 pg./100 ml. The median concentration of serum nickel was 1.7 i.g./100 ml. CLINICAL INTEREST in measurements of serum nickel has beeii stimulated by the report of elevated concentrations of nickel in serums of patients with myocardial infarction. Using a spectrographic method for semiquantitative estimations of nickel, D ‘Alonzo and Pell (1) have observed that serum nickel concentrations were greater than 50 g./ 100 ml. in 19 of 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The differences between the concentrations of serum nickel in patients with myocardial infarction and in control subjects were highly significant (p = 0.000002). Based upon these findings, D’Alonzo and Pell (1) have
A plan to use cooperative learning lectures to prepare undergraduates for research

Cooperative learning lectures are discussed as a strategy to get students actively involved in discovering concepts during the class period. This strategy provides a strong foundation for integrating engineering research into undergraduate coursework. A five-step plan is presented on combining cooperative learning and research exposure, using the author's undergraduate simulation course as an example.
Music therapy for end‐of‐life care

Reason for withdrawal from publication At March 2014, the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Group withdrew this review as the authors were no longer available to complete the update. For more information, please contact Managing Editor Anna Hobson, anna.hobson@ndcn.ox.ac.uk,
Genetics and intermediary metabolism.

Introduction . . . . ...... . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . .. . . ... . . . . . ... 159 Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Altered Enzymes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Altered Amount of Enzyme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . 167 Isoe��ymes and Complexes . . .. . .. . .. . . . . ... . ... . ..... . . . .... 171 ToxIcity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Platitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Meckel's diverticulum with intussusception, ulceration with hemorrhage, and ectopic gastric mucosa and pancreatic tissue.

Summary A case of Meckel's diverticulum which was suspected clinically and roentgenologically is presented. The significant features were two episodes of abdominal pain and vomiting three years apart, persistent occult blood in the stools and a slowly progressive anemia. At surgery within an intussusception of the ileum was found an inverted Meckel's diverticulum. At the apex of the diverticulum was an ulcerating tumor of pancreatic tissue wh ich apparently acted as a traction polyp and was the si te of bleeding. Microscopic examination showed ectopic gastric mucosa within the lining of the diverticulum. Due to overstaining the tumor composed of heterotopic pancreatie tissue was initially thought to be a carcinoid in a Meckel's diverticulum. That heterotopie tissue within a Meckel's diverticulum may be mistaken for carcinoid is recorded in the literature. The case illustrates the value of abdominal exploration whenever indeterminate intestinal bleeding is encountered and presents some of the variable pathologie and complicating features which may be encountered m the study of a Meckel's diverticulum.
Extending the low frequency operation of load commutated inverters with torque control techniques

The authors propose extending the operating range of load commutated inverter (LCI) based synchronous machine drive systems from zero speed to full speed by applying concepts originally developed for soft switching power converters. Improved performance is achieved by adding small capacitors on the load side and applying a novel switching strategy. Thyristor commutation is assured and current is well-controlled by the switching strategy. Device stresses under these conditions are within rated values. Through the use of torque control techniques, at rated current from standstill to approximately 0.4 per unit speed, a controlled torque is achieved in a synchronous machine fed by an LCI. Experimental verification on a small LCI is presented. >
Microwave sensing of quality attributes of agricultural and food products

Highly automated and computerized processes in agricultural and food industries require the development of sensors for continuous measurement and monitoring of quality attributes of agricultural and food products. Microwave dielectric-based sensors are well suited to fulfill such needs because water is a common component of these products, and water has a strong interaction with the electric field at microwave frequencies. Recent advances in calibration methods and availability of reliable and inexpensive microwave components offer an opportunity for the development of a new generation of low-cost microwave sensors for process monitoring and control that will result in significant labor and cost savings in addition to maintaining the desired quality and complying with safety regulations. This is even more relevant in a social and economic environment where consumer awareness is high and new rules and guidelines for labeling and safety standards are put in place. This paper discusses both the development of calibration methods for indirect determination of bulk density and moisture content from measurement of the dielectric properties at a single microwave frequency and development of inexpensive microwave meters for routine characterization of grain, seed, and in-shell peanuts in static and dynamic situations. Accuracy and savings associated with the use of such devices are also covered.
A comparison of speech-sound production and discrimination in children with functional articulation disorders.

Thirty five-, six- and seven-year-old male children, who were diagnosed as having a functional articulation disorder, were administered tests of speech sound production and discrimination to invest...
Stroke vision, aphasia, neglect (VAN) assessment-a novel emergent large vessel occlusion screening tool: pilot study and comparison with current clinical severity indices.

Background Identification of emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) stroke has become increasingly important with the recent publications of favorable acute stroke thrombectomy trials. Multiple screening tools exist but the length of the examination and the false positive rate range from good to adequate. A screening tool was designed and tested in the emergency department using nurse responders without a scoring system. Methods The vision, aphasia, and neglect (VAN) screening tool was designed to quickly assess functional neurovascular anatomy. While objective, there is no need to calculate or score with VAN. After training participating nurses to use it, VAN was used as an ELVO screen for all stroke patients on arrival to our emergency room before physician evaluation and CT scan. Results There were 62 consecutive code stroke activations during the pilot study. 19 (31%) of the patients were VAN positive and 24 (39%) had a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of ≥6. All 14 patients with ELVO were either VAN positive or assigned a NIHSS score ≥6. While both clinical severity thresholds had 100% sensitivity, VAN was more specific (90% vs 74% for NIHSS ≥6). Similarly, while VAN and NIHSS ≥6 had 100% negative predictive value, VAN had a 74% positive predictive value while NIHSS ≥6 had only a 58% positive predictive value. Conclusions The VAN screening tool accurately identified ELVO patients and outperformed a NIHSS ≥6 severity threshold and may best allow clinical teams to expedite care and mobilize resources for ELVO patients. A larger study to both validate this screening tool and compare with others is warranted.
Influence of Water Chemical and Environmental Parameters on Larval Mosquito Dynamics in Tires

The community structure of mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) in discarded tires from an 8-ha tire yard was examined in relation to environmental and water chemical parameters. Shaded tires contained over three times as many larvae as sun-exposed tires. Sun-exposed tires were dominated by Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett) (52%), Aedes triseriatus (Say) (24%) , and Culex restuans Theobald (18%), whereas A. triseriatus alone accounted for 89% of the total larvae in shaded tires. The oviposition rate of A. triseriatus was 30 times higher in shaded areas than in exposed areas. Significant differences were found between exposed and shaded tires for 12 of 14 environmental variables. Densities of three mosquito species were significantly correlated with levels of ammonia, color, and turbidity of water in tires. Oviposition preferences, the spacial distribution of tires, and water quality regulate larval mosquito dynamics in tire yards
Environmental Biology of Percid Fishes

The large percids, including Perca and Sander species, are economically and ecologically important species that inhabit large temperature regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the environmental biology of the Perca (including yellow perch P. flavescens and Eurasian perch P. fluviatilis) and Sander (including walleye S. vitreus, pikeperch S. lucioperca, and sauger S. canadensis) genera, on which the majority of fisheries and aquaculture practices are focused. Through a comprehensive literature review, we discuss how individual- and population-level vital rates, including growth, foraging, reproduction, recruitment, and mortality, are mediated by biotic (e.g., density dependence, resource availability) and abiotic (e.g., temperature, light) environmental variables. As fisheries exploitation is a major source of size-selective mortality in many percid populations, we also examine the potential impacts of fishing mortality on both population metrics and individual vital rates, and identify several research areas that require further investigation. Through this review we aim to identify the major environmental drivers of variation in percid vital rates and thereby inform management practices for both wild and cultured percid populations.
Endocarditis related to transvenous pacemakers. Syndromes and surgical implications.

Two cases of microbial endocarditis related to transvenous pacemakers illustrate syndromes whose pathogenesis we consider to be distinctive. Acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa endocarditis related to a pacemaker developed in a 75-year-old man, an event which to our knowledge has not been previously described. There was no evidence of generator site infection, and the sequence of events indicated metastatic implantation of bacteria on traumatized endothelium. A 76-year-old woman with a 3 year history of local generator site infection and recurrent fever was found to have extensive vegetative Staphylococcus epidermidis endocarditis at cardiotomy. The sequence of events indicated gradual spread of infection locally, related to the contaminated foreign body. Awareness of these separate pathogenetic mechanisms should facilitate recognition and appropriate management. Removal of the entire pacing system and prolonged antibiotic therapy were considered to be essential to cure of infection in both instances.
Orientation selectivity is reduced by monocular deprivation in combination with PKA inhibitors.

We have previously shown that the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, 8-chloroadenosine-3′,5′–monophosphorothioate (Rp-8-Cl-cAMPS), abolishes ocular dominance plasticity in the cat visual cortex. Her...
Temporally staggered forelimb stimulation modulates barrel cortex optical intrinsic signal responses to whisker stimulation.

Characterization of neurovascular relationships is critical to accurate interpretation of functional neuroimaging data. We have previously observed spatial uncoupling of optical intrinsic signal im...
Social Constructivism Vs. Scientific Realism

In part one, I will consider some issues that are foundational for our discussion of fact and value in medical diagnosis. I will give an account of the nature of a scientific fact, a value, and of the relationship between the two. This chapter is propaedeutic to our consideration of fact and value in diagnosis. It will also serve as an introduction to the view I call “value-dependent realism.”
The Present Situation

Between 1980 and 1990, the number of Americans self-reporting as American Indian in the United States Census increased by an extraordinary 31 percent, with a further increase of 26.4 percent by 2000 and 26.7 percent beyond that by 2010. While the number of those who identified themselves only as Indian increased from 1,959,234 in 1990 to 2,475,956 in 2000 and 2,932,248 in 2010, an even more remarkable phenomenon appeared as a result of the adoption, for the 2000 Census, of the opportunity for individuals to list multiple racial or ethnic identities: 4,119,301 claimed to be at least partially Indian in 2000, rising to 5,220,579 in 2010. Thus, while those self-identified as only Indian were 0.9 percent of the US population in 2010, those claiming some Indian ancestry were 1.6 percent in 2010.1
Hepatitis C virus double-stranded RNA is the predominant form in human liver and in interferon-treated cells.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unique among RNA viruses in its ability to establish chronic infection in the majority of exposed adults. HCV persists in the liver despite interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene (ISG) induction; robust induction actually predicts treatment failure and viral persistence. It is unclear which forms of HCV RNA are associated with ISG induction and IFN resistance during natural infections. To thoroughly delineate HCV RNA populations, we developed conditions that fully separate the strands of long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and allow the released RNAs to be quantified in reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction assays. These methods revealed that dsRNA, a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), comprised 52% (standard deviation, 28%) of the HCV RNA in the livers of patients with chronic infection. HCV dsRNA was proportionally higher in patients with the unfavorable IL28B TT (rs12979860) genotype. Higher ratios of HCV double-stranded to single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) correlated positively with ISG induction. In Huh-7.5 cells, IFN treatment increased the total amount of HCV dsRNA through a process that required de novo viral RNA synthesis and shifted the ratio of viral dsRNA/ssRNA in favor of dsRNA. This shift was blocked by ribavirin (RBV), an antiviral drug that reduces relapse in HCV patients. Northern blotting established that HCV dsRNA contained genome-length minus strands. Conclusion HCV dsRNA is the predominant form in the HCV-infected liver and has features of both a PAMP and a genomic reservoir. Interferon treatment increased rather than decreased HCV dsRNA. This unexpected finding suggests that HCV produces dsRNA in response to IFN, potentially to antagonize antiviral defenses. (Hepatology 2017;66:357-370).
Repo Counterparty Risk and On-/Off-the-Run Treasury Spreads

We propose a dynamic asset pricing model in which two assets with identical cash flows can trade at different prices not only because of differences in liquidity but counterparty risk. Counterparty risk reduces lenders or borrowers’ willingness to supply funds and collateral, incentives to shortsell and lend, and the likelihood for new bonds to be on special, thereby narrowing on-/off-the-run spreads and affecting asset prices in spot markets. Consistent with this prediction, we find that on-/off-the-run spreads are low when counterparty risk is high and this relationship is much stronger during the financial crisis.
Neutral and niche dynamics in a synthetic microbial community

Ecologists debate the relative importance of niche versus neutral processes in understanding biodiversity [1,2]. This debate is especially pertinent to microbial communities, which play crucial roles in biogeochemical cycling [3,4], food production [5], industrial processes [6,7], and human health and disease [8]. Here we created a synthetic microbial community using heritable genetic barcodes and tracked community composition over time across a range of experimental conditions. We show that a transition exists between the neutral and niche regimes, and, consistent with theory, the crossover point depends on factors including immigration, fitness, and population size. We find that diversity declined most rapidly at intermediate population sizes, which can be explained by a tradeoff between replacement by migration and duration of growth. We then ran an experiment where the community underwent abrupt or gradual changes in size, the outcome of which highlights that selecting the correct model is essential to managing diversity. Taken together these results emphasize the importance of including niche effects to obtain realistic models across a wide range of parameters, even in simple systems.
Predicting Adherence and Persistence with Oral Bisphosphonate Therapy in an Integrated Health Care Delivery System.

BACKGROUND: Examining drug exposure is essential to pharmacovigilance, especially for bisphosphonate (BP) therapy. OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in 4 measures of oral BP exposure: treatment discontinuation, adherence, persistence, and nonpersistence. METHODS: Among women aged ≥ 50 years who initiated oral BP therapy during 2002-2007 with at least 3 years of health plan membership follow-up, discontinuation was defined by evidence of no further treatment during the study observation period. Among those with at least 2 filled BP prescriptions during the study period, adherence was calculated for each year of follow-up using the (modified) proportion of days covered (mPDC) metric that allows for stockpiling of prescription/refills overlap ≤ 30 days supply. Persistence was quantified by treatment duration, allowing a gap of up to 60 days between prescription/refill days covered. Nonpersistence was quantified by the periods without drugs outside this allowable gap. Multivariable logistic regression was use...
Student Athlete Welfare in a Restructured NCAA

The article provides a "first look" at the restructuring that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) underwent in 1997, and considers restructuring's impact on the NCAA and student-athletes. It begins with a discussion on the restructuring’s effect on the welfare of student-athletes. The first section provides a brief overview of the NCAA from its origins up to the restructuring. The next section puts the restructuring in its historical and political context and discusses internal debates over minority and gender issues. Finally, section three looks to the future of amateur athletics and student-athlete welfare in a restructured NCAA. The article raises questions as to what the real affect restructuring had on collegiate athletics and argues that history suggests that courts should give less deference to institutional decisionmaking on athletic matters relating student athletes.
A tunable single photon avalanche diode pixel with improved time resolution

Perimeter gated single photon avalanche diodes (PGSPAD) contain an additional terminal to prevent premature breakdown and tune the noise floor. We report a PGSPAD based pixel where reduced dead time is accomplished using simple readout electronics for a compact, area efficient readout. During the dead time of a PGSPAD, defined by the avalanche-quench-reset cycle, it is unable to detect incident photons. This limits the output dynamic range. To overcome this limitation, a pixel with four identical PGSPADs and simple electronics has been designed and fabricated in a standard 0.5μm, 2-poly, 3-metal CMOS process. Simulation and experimental results show a reduction in the dead time approximately equal to the number of pixels. For a single device with approximately the same total area the dead time was 10μs, while the use of 4 sub-pixels reduced the dead time to 2.5μs. A 3 × 3 pixel array demonstrates the nonuniformity correction.
Neuropsychology in a Memory Disorder Clinic

The rationale for and factors related to embedding a neuropsychologist in the midst of a neurology-based memory disorder clinic are discussed. Common conditions encountered are briefly reviewed, along with an evaluation aimed at assisting with differential diagnosis. Advice for neuropsychologists is offered in terms of creating and refining a working model in a neurology clinic and strategies to improve communication and effectiveness are presented.
Complexometric titration of phosphorus in organic compounds

A new complexometric method for the determination of phosphorus in organic compounds is described. After combustion in an oxygen-flask, phosphorus is precipitated as cerous phosphate. The excess cerous ion is back-titrated at pH 6–7 with EDTA in the presence of methylthymol blue or xylenol orange indicators. Alkaline hypobromite is used as an absorbent. Tight clamping of the paper carrier in the platinum holder insures complete combustion.
Gout and the risk of age-related macular degeneration in the elderly.

Objective To assess whether gout is associated with incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods We used the 5% Medicare claims data from 2006-12 for all beneficiaries who were enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service (Parts A, B) and not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, and resided in the U.S. People were censored at the occurrence of new diagnosis of AMD, death or the end of study (12/31/2012), whichever occurred first. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses to assess the association of gout with incident AMD, adjusted for demographics, comorbidity, and use of medications for cardiovascular disease and gout. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results In this observational cohort study, of the 1,684,314 eligible people, 116,097 developed incident AMD (6.9%). Incidence rates of AMD per 1,000 person-years were 20.1 for people with gout and 11.7 for people without gout. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, a diagnosis of gout was significantly associated with a higher risk of incident AMD with a hazard ratio of 1.39 (95% CI, 1.35, 1.43). This association was confirmed in sensitivity analyses that substituted Charlson-Romano comorbidity index continuous score with either a categorical Charlson-Romano comorbidity index score or individual Charlson-Romano index comorbidities plus hypertension, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease. Other covariates significantly associated with higher hazards of incident AMD were older age, female gender, White race/ethnicity, and higher Charlson-Romano comorbidity index score. Conclusions We noted a novel association of gout with AMD in the elderly. Future studies should investigate the pathways that mediate this association.
Teaching a Critical Digital Literacy of Wearables: A Feminist Surveillance as Care Pedagogy

Abstract This article critically responds to the collection of data drawn from the body and the surveillance of everyday experiences via the use of wearable technologies. Bringing together feminist methodologies in rhetoric and writing with feminist conversations in surveillance studies, Hutchinson and Novotny argue that a feminist surveillance as care pedagogy teaches professional writing students a user-centered design practice that supports consent and user agency, and resists ubiquitous, non-consensual surveillance of user’s bodies. Their pedagogy centers on acquisition of critical digital literacies as necessary for teaching students to engage with emerging technological issues, specifically ones raised when considering the ethical implications with surveillance and privacy. The two courses outlined in this article approach wearable technologies through the lens of rhetorics of health and medicine, enabling the kind of critical digital literacies needed to interrogate privacy and surveillance concerns that impact students—a demographic most often targeted as users of these technologies.
Ferromagnetic Resonance of Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 Nanowires

In this letter, yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) nanowires are synthesized in a porous silicon template via a sol-gel method; ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques are then utilized to investigate the magnetic properties of the YIG nanowires. Moreover, the effects of the annealing temperature on the saturation magnetization ${\text{4}\pi}M_{S}$ and the crystal phase of the ceramic wires are assessed. For annealing temperatures above the crystallization temperature (∼710 °C), ${\text{4}\pi}M_{S}$ is dramatically increased. Therefore, the ceramic wires are then routinely annealed at 800 °C for 2 hours. Based on the VSM measurements, the net saturation magnetization and the loading factor of the nanowires are found to be 85 G and 35% respectively. Using the FMR technique, a DC magnetic field is applied either perpendicular or parallel to the wire axis to obtain the anisotropy field from the FMR resonance conditions. It is confirmed that the anisotropy field is uniaxial and is equal to 398 Oe.
Valproic Acid and Neural Apoptosis, Inflammation, and Degeneration 30 Days after Traumatic Brain Injury, Hemorrhagic Shock, and Polytrauma in a Swine Model.

Background A single-dose (150 mg/kg) of valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to decrease brain lesion size and improve neurologic recovery in preclinical models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the longer-term (30 days) impact of single-dose VPA treatment after TBI has not been well evaluated. Study Design Yorkshire swine were subjected to TBI (cortical impact), hemorrhagic shock, and polytrauma. Animals remained in hypovolemic shock for 2 hours before resuscitation with normal saline (NS; volume = 3× hemorrhaged volume) or NS + VPA (150 mg/kg) (n = 5/cohort). Brain samples were harvested 30 days after injuries. The cerebral cortex adjacent to the site of cortical impact was evaluated using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis. Neural apoptosis, inflammation, degeneration, plasticity, and signaling pathways were evaluated. Results For apoptosis, VPA treatment significantly decreased (p Conclusions Administration of a single dose of VPA (150 mg/kg) can decrease neural apoptosis, inflammation, and degenerative changes, and promote neural plasticity at 30 days after TBI. In addition, VPA acts, in part, via regulation of nuclear factor-κB and IκBα pathways.
Handheld Motion Stabilized Laser Speckle Imaging

Laser speckle imaging (LSI) is a wide-field, noninvasive optical technique that allows researchers and clinicians to quantify blood flow in a variety of applications. However, traditional LSI devices are cart or tripod based mounted systems that are bulky and potentially difficult to maneuver in a clinical setting. We previously showed that the use of a handheld LSI device with the use of a fiducial marker (FM) to account for motion artifact is a viable alternative to mounted systems. Here we incorporated a handheld gimbal stabilizer (HGS) to produce a motion stabilized LSI (msLSI) device to further improve the quality of data acquired in handheld configurations. We evaluated the msLSI device in vitro using flow phantom experiments and in vivo using a dorsal window chamber model. For in vitro experiments, we quantified the speckle contrast of the FM (KFM) using the mounted data set and tested 80% and 85% of KFM as thresholds for useable images (KFM,Mounted,80% and KFM,Mounted,85%). Handheld data sets using the msLSI device (stabilized handheld) and handheld data sets without the HGS (handheld) were collected. Using KFM,Mounted,80% and KFM,Mounted,85% as the threshold, the number of images above the threshold for stabilized handheld (38 ± 7 and 10 ± 2) was significantly greater (p = 0.031) than for handheld operation (16 ± 2 and 4 ± 1). We quantified a region of interest within the flow region (KFLOW), which led to a percent difference of 8.5% ± 2.9% and 7.8% ± 3.1% between stabilized handheld and handheld configurations at each threshold. For in vivo experiments, we quantified the speckle contrast of the window chamber (KWC) using the mounted data set and tested 80% of KWC (KWC,Mounted,80%). Stabilized handheld operation provided 53 ± 24 images above KWC,Mounted,80%, while handheld operation provided only 23 ± 13 images. We quantified the speckle flow index (SFI) of the vessels and the background to calculate a signal-to-background ratio (SBR) of the window chamber. Stabilized handheld operation provided a greater SBR (2.32 ± 0.29) compared to handheld operation (1.83 ± 0.21). Both the number of images above threshold and SBR were statistically significantly greater in the stabilized handheld data sets (p = 0.0312). These results display the improved usability of handheld data acquired with an msLSI device.