cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discrete Partitioning of Solvent Permittivity at Liquid−Solid Interfaces

Electronic excitation energies of chromophores adsorbed to strongly associating, alcohol−hydrophilic quartz, liquid−solid interfaces are measured using resonant second harmonic generation (SHG). Shifts in the SHG spectra relative to excitation spectra in various bulk solvents are used to infer the dielectric character of the interfacial environment. At interfaces formed between n-alcohol solvents and hydrophilic quartz surfaces, the local dielectric environment is less polar than bulk solution. This trend becomes more pronounced with longer chain n-alcohol solvents. The interfacial region formed between a branched alcohol (2-propanol) and hydrophilic quartz is more polar than bulk solution. These results are interpreted in terms of a solvent's ability to order at the interface and cancel dipolar contributions from surface hydroxyl groups to the local solvation environment experienced by the chromophore solute.
Major bleeding in outpatients treated with warfarin: incidence and prediction by factors known at the start of outpatient therapy

Purpose To determine the incidence of major bleeding in outpatients treated with warfarin and to identify predictive factors known at the start of therapy. Patients and Methods The records of 565 patients starting outpatient therapy with warfarin upon discharge from a university hospital were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained for 562 patients (99.5%). Bleeding was classified as major or minor using explicit criteria. The cumulative incidence of bleeding was estimated by means of survival analysis. Independent risk factors for major bleeding were identified using Cox regression analysis in 375 randomly chosen patients; they were tested in the remaining 187 patients. Results Major bleeding occurred in 65 patients (12%) and was fatal in 10 patients (2%). The cumulative incidences of major bleeding at one, 12, and 48 months were 3%, 11%, and 22%, respectively. The monthly risk of major bleeding decreased over time, from 3% during the first month of outpatient therapy to 0.3% per month after the first year of therapy. Five independent risk factors for major bleeding—age 65 years or greater, history of stroke, history of gastrointestinal bleeding, a serious comorbid condition (recent myocardial infarction, renal insufficiency, or severe anemia), atrial fibrillation—predicted major bleeding in the testing group; the cumulative incidence of major bleeding at 48 months was 2% in 57 low-risk patients, 17% in 110 middle-risk patients, and 63% in 20 high-risk patients. Conclusions These findings provide a quantitative basis for evaluating the risk of major bleeding in individual patients at the start of outpatient therapy with warfarin. Whether the risk of bleeding can be reduced in high-risk patients without reducing the benefit of therapy remains to be determined.
MO-A-BRD-09: A Data-Mining Algorithm for Large Scale Analysis of Dose-Outcome Relationships in a Database of Irradiated Head-And-Neck (HN) Cancer Patients

Purpose: To develop a framework for automatic extraction of clinically meaningful dosimetric-outcome relationships from an in-house, analytic oncology database. Methods: Dose-volume histograms (DVH) and clinical outcome-related structured data elements have been routinely stored to our database for 513 HN cancer patients treated from 2007 to 2014. SQL queries were developed to extract outcomes that had been assessed for at least 100 patients, as well as DVH curves for organs-at-risk (OAR) that were contoured for at least 100 patients. DVH curves for paired OAR (e.g., left and right parotids) were automatically combined and included as additional structures for analysis. For each OAR-outcome combination, DVH dose points, D(V{sub t}), at a series of normalized volume thresholds, V{sub t}=[0.01,0.99], were stratified into two groups based on outcomes after treatment completion. The probability, P[D(V{sub t})], of an outcome was modeled at each V{sub t} by logistic regression. Notable combinations, defined as having P[D(V{sub t})] increase by at least 5% per Gy (p<0.05), were further evaluated for clinical relevance using a custom graphical interface. Results: A total of 57 individual and combined structures and 115 outcomes were queried, resulting in over 6,500 combinations for analysis. Of these, 528 combinations met the 5%/Gy requirement, with furthermore » manual inspection revealing a number of reasonable models based on either reported literature or proximity between neighboring OAR. The data mining algorithm confirmed the following well-known toxicity/outcome relationships: dysphagia/larynx, voice changes/larynx, esophagitis/esophagus, xerostomia/combined parotids, and mucositis/oral mucosa. Other notable relationships included dysphagia/pharyngeal constrictors, nausea/brainstem, nausea/spinal cord, weight-loss/mandible, and weight-loss/combined parotids. Conclusion: Our database platform has enabled large-scale analysis of dose-outcome relationships. The current data-mining framework revealed both known and novel dosimetric and clinical relationships, underscoring the potential utility of this analytic approach. Multivariate models may be necessary to further evaluate the complex relationship between neighboring OARs and observed outcomes. This research was supported through collaborations with Elekta, Philips, and Toshiba.« less
Computer aided analysis of electric field gradients within isotachophoretic boundaries between weak electrolytes

Abstract Computer simulations are used to describe the temporal evolution of concentration and potential profiles in isotachophoresis. In contrast to other theoretical treatments of moving boundaries between weak electrolytes, diffusional effects are considered, which allows an exact prediction of boundary shape. The computer predicted shapes of three different electric field gradients between migrating protolytes are analyzed: (i) the commonly observed sigmoidal field increase from the leading to the terminating zone; (ii) the mirror image of such a gradient in the enforced migrational mode; (iii) the steady state “bump” gradient which can be established between a weak acid and its salt. The value of these predictions to the experimentalist is discussed.
Vaginal Erosion of an Abdominal Cerclage 7 Years After Laparoscopic Placement

BACKGROUND:With advances in minimally invasive approaches, laparoscopically placed abdominal cerclages are becoming more common. Although not meant to replace vaginally placed cerclages, one potential advantage is reuse in subsequent pregnancies. Their lifespan, potential remote complications, and l
Motion at isoluminance: Discrimination/ detection ratios for moving isoluminant gratings

Subjects viewed a 2.3 × 2.3 deg patch of a moving 1.3c/deg, 3.75 Hz sinusoidal grating, centered 1.8 deg from fixation. Two-alternative forced-choice contrast thresholds were measured along the luminance axis and 10 chromatic axes at isoluminance for three tasks: detection (D), form discrimination (F) and discrimination of upward from downward motion (M). F/D threshold ratios averaged approx. 1:1 on all axes. M/D ratios were approx. 1:1 on the luminance axis, but varied from 3:1 to indeterminately large with chromatic axis at isoluminance. We conclude that under the present conditions there are large, highly specific losses of direction-of-motion information at isoluminance. The results imply the existence of chromatic channels that are labeled for form but not for direction of motion at threshold. The pattern and significance of variations in M/D ratios within the isoluminant plane is also discussed.
Computing and the Handicapped

The United Nations has designated 1981 the International Year for Disabled Persons. It is therefore appropriate that Computer is dedicating its first issue of the year to computing and the handicapped. The evolution of lowcost computing technology promises an unprecedented spectrum of opportunities for the developmentally disabled. From aids to independent living to flexible tools that can greatly increase the variety and quality of job opportunities, the rapidly evolving field of computing is pregnant with possibilities. To help turn these possibilities to reality, Johns Hopkins University is conducting a national search/contest in applications of computers for the handicapped.
Experimental Methods and Transport Models for Drug Delivery Across the Blood-Brain Barrier

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic barrier essential for maintaining the micro-environment of the brain. Although the special anatomical features of the BBB determine its protective role for the central nervous system (CNS) from blood-born neurotoxins, however, the BBB extremely limits the therapeutic efficacy of drugs into the CNS, which greatly hinders the treatment of major brain diseases. This review summarized the unique structures of the BBB, described a variety of in vivo and in vitro experimental methods for determining the transport properties of the BBB, e.g., the permeability of the BBB to water, ions, and solutes including nutrients, therapeutic agents and drug carriers, and pre- sented newly developed mathematical models which quantitatively correlate the anatomical structures of the BBB with its barrier functions. Finally, on the basis of the experimental observations and the quantitative models, several strategies for drug delivery through the BBB were proposed.
Nonserial dynamic programming formulations of satisfiability

Abstract Two nonserial dynamic programming formulations of satisfiability are presented: one mapping planar formulas into nonserial problems with planar interaction graphs, the other mapping bandwidth-k formulas into nonserial problems with bandwidth-k interaction graphs.
Plasma volume and protein content in progressive exercise: influence of cyclooxygenase inhibitors.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds such as ibuprofen and naproxen reduce volume loss in sheep following injection of endotoxin. We investigated whether these drugs would change the course of plasma volume reduction during progressive exercise on a cycle ergometer. Subjects [15 males; age (mean +/- SD), 26.3 +/- 8.3 yr; height, 180.3 +/- 4.5 cm; weight, 76.8 +/- 8.0 kg; peak VO2, 3.8 +/- 0.6 l.min-1] exercised for 5 min at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70% of peak VO2 with and without a 24-h pre-treatment with either ibuprofen or naproxen. The two tests for each subject were done a week apart. Blood samples were drawn before and after each exercise level. Based on blood analysis, cyclooxygenase inhibitors significantly altered the retention of protein within the vascular volume during exercise. That is, the degree of concentration of protein per unit of plasma volume loss during exercise was less with drug treatment. In spite of this, ibuprofen and naproxen did not influence fluid shifts during exercise. Use of cyclooxygenase inhibitors probably increased the permeability of vascular endothelium to large molecules, which was only evident when hydrostatic and osmotic events in muscle capillaries caused an increase in bulk flow across the capillary walls.
The effect of antipsychotic medication on relative cerebral blood perfusion in schizophrenia: Assessment with technetium-99m hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime single photon emission computed tomography

Functional neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia have often been confounded by various factors including medication status. To explore the effects of antipsychotic medications on relative regional cerebral perfusion, we scanned a group of 33 persons with schizophrenia twice, while receiving a stable dose of antipsychotic and after being off antipsychotics for 3 weeks, using technetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime single photon emission computed tomography (Tc-99m HMPAO-SPECT). We found that antipsychotics significantly increased the mean relative cerebral perfusion in the left basal ganglia. Additionally, patients receiving thiothixene ( n = 9) had a significantly greater increase in relative cerebral perfusion in the basal ganglia than patients receiving haloperidol ( n = 12). These findings indicate that antipsychotics lead to regional increases in cerebral perfusion and that antipsychotic status must be controlled for in functional neuroimaging studies. Functional neuroimaging techniques such as SPECT may be useful in furthering our understanding of the mechanism of antipsychotics.
Safety and long-term outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in patients with head and neck cancer

Background Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is used for nutritional support during treatment in patients with head and neck cancer, but long-term nutritional outcomes have not been reported in detail. The purpose of this study was to determine short- and long-term outcomes and success in meeting nutritional goals in patients with head and neck cancer who had PEGs placed over an 18-year period.
Connecting an open classroom climate to social movement citizenship: A study of 8th graders in Europe using IEA ICCS data

Abstract Using data from the International Civic and Citizenship Study, this quantitative study explores the potential for open classroom climates to foster political efficacy and civic knowledge among 8th grade students in 14 Western European countries. Findings show that an open classroom climate is associated with increased civic knowledge and political efficacy. In addition, civic knowledge and political efficacy are positively correlated with social movement citizenship. However, the relationships between both political efficacy and civic knowledge on social movement citizenship are strengthened with presence of an open classroom climate. This study demonstrates the importance of an open classroom climate to develop students’ knowledge and efficacy related to active citizenship.
Missing Productivity Gains in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: Where Are They?

The Medicare Fee Schedule with payments for thousands of visits and procedures is updated periodically for the work component of changes in physician relative work. Three 5-year reviews of physician work by Medicare have been biased against finding productivity gains and reductions in physician work relative values. The authors present four studies showing shorter physician times with patients in their offices and in the operating room, increases in surgeons' self-reported total work in spite of declining operating room times, and growing numbers of costly handoffs to nonsurgeons, while surgeons receive full payment for postoperative follow-up with patients. Substantial savings exist in the fee schedule if productivity gains from greater delegation to ancillary staff and specialists, reengineering of services, and rapid learning by experience with new technologies were integrated into the periodic reviews.
Fourier transform infrared study of two truxene-based discotic liquid crystals

Abstract We have used FTIR absorption to study the crystalline and liquid-crystalline phases of 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa-n-tetradecanoyloxy-truxene (HATX) and 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(4-n-undecyloxybenzoyloxy)truxene (HBTX). Both materials show pronounced changes in the CH2 stretching mode frequencies at their melting points. In addition, HATX shows a transition at about 20°C below the nominal melting point in which the alkyl tails gain significant disorder. Benzene stretching modes and the CH2 deformation modes show subtle changes at the Drd → N transition of HBTX and at the Drd → Dhd transition of HATX.
Immobilization of histidine-tagged proteins on nickel by electrochemical dip pen nanolithography.

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is becoming a popular technique to “write” molecules on a surface by using the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) coated with the desired molecular “ink”. In this work, we demonstrate that poly-histidine-tagged peptides and proteins, and free-base porphyrins coated on AFM probes, can be chelated to ionized regions on a metallic nickel surface by applying an electric potential to the AFM tip in the DPN process. DPN has been accomplished in the Tapping Mode of AFM, which creates many possible applications of positioning and subsequently imaging biomolecules, especially on soft surfaces.
Microstructural evolution in Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline thin films

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to study the microstructural evolution in Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline thin films. Thin films were grown by magnetron sputtering on sodium chloride crystals, which were subsequently dissolved in water to acquire free-standing films. Studies were conducted on the as-deposited sample, and samples that were annealed at 400 °C in Argon and 500 °C in air. Nanocrystalline films were found in the as-deposited sample. When annealed at 400 °C the films changed to a metastable crystalline cubic β-phase as the dominant phase with secondary phases (θ- and ω-phases), which appear as small islands and precipitates on the surfaces, in the matrices and at grain boundaries, with specific orientations with respect to the cubic β-phase. The metastable phase transformed into the icosahedral ψ-phase plus residual Al-rich material (including λ-phase) upon further annealing at 500 °C. TEM imaging combined with electron diffraction revealed various features associated with the phase evolution in the crystalline–quasicrystalline phase transformation. Some grains in the film functioned as sacrificial grains allowing others to grow into icosahedral phases. Elements near the boundary of the sacrificial grains diffused to form the ψ-phase, resulting in fragments in the center of the grain. The roles of the sacrificial grains and elements diffusions, and the phase transformation mechanism are discussed. Additionally, the oxide layer of the film was an amorphous aluminum oxide that exhibited poor adhesion to the quasicrystalline films.
Heterogeneity in phagocytic and oxidative burst activities of neutrophils and neonatal calves

In vitro experiments were conducted to determine the influence of source of neutrophils (individual calves) and calf age on phagocytic and oxidative burst activities of neutrophils isolated from 106 clinically healthy Holstein-Friesian calves. Calves were categorised by age into four groups: group A, 3–7 days; group B, 8–14 days; group C, 15–21 days or group D, 22–31 days. Neutrophils were isolated (purity >90%, viability >97%) from EDTA-anticoagulated blood. Aliquots of 2 x 106 neutrophils were incubated at 37°C for 30 min with fluorescein-labelledEscherichia coli 0111:134 J5,E. coli 0157:117 andSalmonella dublin, and with pooled bovine serum as the opsonin. Percentage phagocytosis and averaged number of intracellular bacteria per neutrophil were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. Mean channel intensity was determined by flow cytometry using dichlorofluorescein diacetate and phorbol myristate acetate to evaluate 11202 production, a measure of oxidative burst.
Mammalian cytochrome CYP2E1 triggered differential gene regulation in response to trichloroethylene (TCE) in a transgenic poplar

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an important environmental contaminant of soil, groundwater, and air. Studies of the metabolism of TCE by poplar trees suggest that cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved. Using poplar genome microarrays, we report a number of putative genes that are differentially expressed in response to TCE. In a previous study, transgenic hybrid poplar plants expressing mammalian cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) had increased metabolism of TCE. In the vector control plants for this construct, 24 h following TCE exposure, 517 genes were upregulated and 650 genes were downregulated over 2-fold when compared with the non-exposed vector control plants. However, in the transgenic CYP2E1 plant, line 78, 1,601 genes were upregulated and 1,705 genes were downregulated over 2-fold when compared with the non-exposed transgenic CYP2E1 plant. It appeared that the CYP2E1 transgenic hybrid poplar plants overexpressing mammalian CYP2E1 showed a larger number of differentially expressed transcripts, suggesting a metabolic pathway for TCE to metabolites had been initiated by activity of CYP2E1 on TCE. These results suggest that either the over-expression of the CYP2E1 gene or the abundance of TCE metabolites from CYP450 2E1 activity triggered a strong genetic response to TCE. Particularly, cytochrome p450s, glutathione S-transferases, glucosyltransferases, and ABC transporters in the CYP2E1 transgenic hybrid poplar plants were highly expressed compared with in vector controls.
A glow discharge nitridation process for the formation of stable metal/insulator/semiconductor solar cells

Abstract A technique has been developed which uses glow discharge active nitrogen to produce silicon oxynitride films for metal/insulator/semiconductor solar cells. The entire process takes place in less than 10 min at temperatures below 400 °C. The oxynitride layer has been studied using Auger analysis in conjunction with ion sputtering for depth profiling and the presence of nitrogen in the film has been confirmed. The density and stability of the oxynitride film were verified by the results of real time life tests on metal/insulator/semiconductor solar cells having the oxynitride film in question as the insulator layer.
All purulence is local – epidemiology and management of skin and soft tissue infections in three urban emergency departments

Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTIs) are commonly treated in emergency departments (EDs). While the precise role of antibiotics in treating SSTIs remains unclear, most SSTI patients receive empiric antibiotics, often targeted toward methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The goal of this study was to assess the efficiency with which ED clinicians targeted empiric therapy against MRSA, and to identify factors that may allow ED clinicians to safely target antibiotic use. We performed a retrospective analysis of patient visits for community-acquired SSTIs to three urban, academic EDs in one northeastern US city during the first quarter of 2010. We examined microbiologic patterns among cultured SSTIs, and relationships between clinical and demographic factors and management of SSTIs. Antibiotics were prescribed to 86.1% of all patients. Though S. aureus (60% MRSA) was the most common pathogen cultured, antibiotic susceptibility differed between adult and pediatric patients. Susceptibility of S. aureus from ED SSTIs differed from published local antibiograms, with greater trimethoprim resistance and less fluoroquinolone resistance than seen in S. aureus from all hospital sources. Empiric antibiotics covered the resultant pathogen in 85.3% of cases, though coverage was frequently broader than necessary. Though S. aureus remained the predominant pathogen in community-acquired SSTIs, ED clinicians did not accurately target therapy toward the causative pathogen. Incomplete local epidemiologic data may contribute to this degree of discordance. Future efforts should seek to identify when antibiotic use can be narrowed or withheld. Local, disease-specific antibiotic resistance patterns should be publicized with the goal of improving antibiotic stewardship.
Vesicourethral anastomosis biopsy after radical prostatectomy: predictive value of prostate-specific antigen and pathologic stage.

Objectives. To assess the role of clinical parameters and pathologic stage in predicting a positive vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) biopsy in patients with a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level after radical prostatectomy. Methods. Forty-five patients were referred for a rising PSA level after radical prostatectomy. Transrectal ultrasound evaluation included visualization of the VUA and VUA quadrant biopsies. The rate of positive biopsies (per core and per patient) was correlated with race, PSA level, and the radical prostatectomy pathologic stage. Results. Overall, 53% of patients had a positive biopsy. In multivariate analysis, the dominant independent and synergistic clinical parameters determining positive biopsy rates were a PSA greater than 1 ng/mL at the time of biopsy and the pathologic stage (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). Using a PSA cutoff point of 1.0 ng/mL, those patients with organ-confined disease and a PSA of 1.0 ng/mL or less showed no positive cancer cores (low-risk group). Conversely, 89% of patients with extraprostatic extension and a PSA greater than 1.0 ng/mL had a positive biopsy (P <0.01) (high-risk group). Patients with organ-confined disease and a PSA greater than 1.0 ng/mL or extraprostatic extension and a PSA 1.0 ng/mL or less (intermediate-risk group) had a significantly higher chance of having residual cancer than the low-risk group (P <0.025). Conclusions. The PSA level at the time of biopsy and the pathologic stage of the radical prostatectomy specimen were the strongest determinants of a positive biopsy. A combination of PSA and pathologic stage is useful for decisions regarding VUA biopsy. Patients with organ-confined disease and a PSA of 1.0 ng/mL or less do not appear to benefit from a VUA biopsy, and patients with extraprostatic extension and a PSA greater than 1.0 ng/mL have such a high probability (89%) of local recurrence at the VUA that biopsy may be unnecessary. It appears that VUA biopsy can be restricted to those patients with an intermediate risk (organ-confined disease with PSA greater than 1 ng/mL or extraprostatic extension with a PSA less than 1 ng/mL).
Stochastic training of a biologically plausible spino-neuromuscular system model

A primary goal of evolutionary robotics is to create systems that are as robust and adaptive as the human body. Moving toward this goal often involves training control systems that processes sensory information in a way similar to humans. Artificial neural networks have been an increasingly popular option for thisbecause they consist of processing units that approximate thesynaptic activity of biological signal processing units, i.e. neurons. In this paper we train a nonlinear recurrent spino-neuromuscular system model(SNMS) comparing the performance of genetic algorithms (GA)s, particle swarm optimizers (PSO)s, and GA/PSO hybrids. This model includes several key features of the SNMS that have previously been modeled individually but have not been combined into a single model as is done here. The results show that each algorithm produces fit solutions and generates fundamental biological behaviors that are not directly trained for such as tonic tension behaviors and tricepsactivation patterns.
Evaluation of New Anti-Infective Drugs for the Treatment of Intraabdominal Infections

Abstract These guidelines deal with the evaluation of anti-infective drugs for the treatment of intraabdominal infections. The clinical entities consist of infections arising from any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the distal esophagus to the colon. These include surgical infections of the bowel, biliary tree, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Virtually all intraabdominal infections are due to multiple microorganisms resident in the gastrointestinal tract; these include aerobes and facultative and obligate anaerobes. Infections are classified as complicated (requiring an operative procedure), uncomplicated (managed medically), and postoperative wound (the operative procedure should be curative, but anti-infective drugs are used to prevent further infection at the site). Clinical criteria are paramount for entry into a study and for evaluation of efficacy. For complicated infections an adequate operation is an important determinant of outcome and needs assessment. Cultures of purulent intraabdominal fluid or abscess material are the only valid microbiologic indicators of infection. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score is useful in defining the severity of acute illness. The control regimen should consist of effective, established drugs and surgical procedures for the condition. Duration of therapy for complicated infections is usually 5-14 days; for uncomplicated infections, 3-7 days; and for postoperative wound infection, 2-5 days. Periodic assessment of safety and efficacy must be conducted during therapy. The outcome at final assessment is cure, failure, or indeterminate.
κ-Opioid receptor binding varies inversely with tumor grade in human gliomas

BACKGROUND Opioid agonists can inhibit cell proliferation in various neural tumor cell lines, including rat gliomas. Because opioid antimitogenic effects are mediated by opioid receptors, it was of interest to the authors to determine opioid receptor levels in human brain tumors. METHODS Specimens obtained at craniotomy from 30 patients with glioma and nonneoplastic brain disorders were evaluated for their κ-opioid receptor binding. Kd and Bmax values were estimated from homologous competition binding curves with the κ1-selective radioligand [3H]U69,593. RESULTS Receptor binding density was greatest in nonneoplastic brain tissue, less in Grade 2 and 3 astrocytoma, and least in glioblastoma multiforme. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that opioid receptor-based stratification of grade may have clinical utility in distinguishing glioblastoma multiforme from lower grade astrocytomas, and thereby may facilitate diagnosis and treatment. Cancer 1998;83:2561-2566. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
KaufmanFest 2007: Plasma theory, wave kinetics, and nonlinear dynamics

A symposium in honor of Professor Allan N. Kaufman's 80th year was held at the University of California at Berkeley on October 5-7, 2007. The meeting celebrated Allan's contributions to plasma physics as well as his friendship and guidance. The present paper very briefly summarizes the talks presented.
Heating Poultry Houses

Abstract Several applications for use of solar energy in poultry production have been presented. Results of this research have shown that a high percentage of fossil fuel energy can be replaced by solar energy. Solar energy also has been used to supplement fossil fuels for brooding and for maintaining a more acceptable environmental temperature in cage layer houses. Among the various systems described, flat plate collectors with liquid or rock storage have furnished a higher percentage of total heat required. Collector systems not utilizing storage furnished a smaller percentage of total heat, but required less initial investment. More research and development will be needed to prove economic feasibility.
Agricultural computing and the context for John Atanasoff

The story of John Atanasoff occupies an unsettled spot in the literature of computing. The material about him ranges from curt dismissals to hagiography. While scholars are getting an ever more accurate picture of Atanasoff's work and his contribution to computing, even the best articles tend to treat him as an aberration, a lone inventor working outside the circle of computing machine researchers. In fact, Atanasoff worked closely with the Iowa State Statistics Laboratory for three years. This laboratory was part of the computing labs that the US Department of Agriculture sponsored. The Department of Agriculture had become interested in computing shortly after World War I. Atanasoff's computer, the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC), was designed to do a time-consuming task for the Statistical Laboratory, the one task that had not been automated with IBM punched card equipment.
Association of a New Wolbachia Strain with, and Its Effects on, Leptopilina victoriae, a Virulent Wasp Parasitic to Drosophila spp.

Wolbachia bacteria are ubiquitous intracellular bacteria of arthropods. Often considered reproductive parasites, they can benefit certain host species. We describe a new Wolbachia strain from Leptopilina victoriae, a Drosophila wasp. The strain is closely related to Wolbachia from Culex sp. Located to the posterior poles of oocytes, it manipulates its host's reproduction by inducing a male development type of cytoplasmic incompatibility. We also report its diverse effects on the wasp's life history traits.
Fibrous glass and cancer

Some argue that fibrous glass (glass wool) should not be considered as a likely human carcinogen and hence should not be listed in the Seventh Annual Report on Carcinogens (ARC) prepared by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and mandated by the U.S. Congress. In examining this issue, data from both laboratory experiments (animal studies) and epidemiologic studies (human data) are reviewed with the results evaluated according to the criteria established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and adopted in slightly modified form by the NTP for classifying substances as human carcinogens or likely human carcinogens. From our comprehensive review of the available information, we conclude that fibrous glass materials are carcinogenic, and in view of the NTP and IARC definitions should be listed in the ARC. Our review then examines the carcinogenic potency of glass fibers to humans in comparison with asbestos fibers and concludes that on a fiber-per-fiber basis, glass fibers may be as potent or even more potent than asbestos. The implications of these findings are then presented for regulatory purposes in the occupational setting.
The problems of internal validation without a theoretical context : The different conceptual underpinnings of psychopathy and the disruptive behavior disorder criteria

G. L. Burns (2000) has concluded that the Psychopathy Screening Device's content is limited because it contains items that overlap with criteria for several disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The problem with G. L. Burns's analysis is that it was conducted without an adequate understanding or specification of the conceptual underpinnings of either the construct of psychopathy or the constructs assessed by the DSM criteria. This reply attempts to clarify these conceptual frameworks to illustrate that to judge the adequacy of the content of a measure of psychopathy by comparing it with DSM criteria is inconsistent with the differing theoretical frameworks underlying these classification systems. Forcing measures of psychopathy to be designed around DSM criteria leads to inadequate measures of psychopathy and can limit advances both in our understanding of developmental precursors to psychopathy and in the classification of DSM disorders.
Types of inferences generated during reading

Which kinds of inferences people make when reading a narrative and whether those inferences become an integral part of the representation of the narrative information in memory were investigated in two experiments. In particular, the effects on reading time and memory were examined when the narrative text suggested goal, plan, action, and state inferences that could be made by readers. Increases in reading time were found when goal, plan, and action inferences were suggested, but not when state inferences were suggested. Similarly, a recognition memory test yielded high false alarm rates for goal, plan, and action inferences, but not for states. This shows that the suggested inferences were incorporated in memory with information explicitly stated in the tests. Thus the results indicate that goal, plan, and action inferences are likely to be made during reading and become an indistinguishable part of the memory representation, while little evidence is found for state inferences being made during reading or becoming part of memory for narrative texts.
Identification and partial characterization of a novel 105-kDalton lower lamina lucida autoantigen associated with a novel immune-mediated subepidermal blistering disease.

Certain skin basement membrane components, such as bullous pemphigoid antigens and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen, were discovered as a result of an autoimmune reaction. In this report, we describe a unique lamina lucida determinant associated with a novel immune-mediated subepidermal bullous dermatosis. This unique bullous dermatosis resembled severe toxic epidermal necrolysis clinically. The histologic findings resemble dermatitis herpetiformis. Direct immunofluorescence microscopy detected linear immunoglobulin G (lgG) and C3 deposition at the cutaneous basement membrane zone of lesional and perilesional skin. Direct and indirect immunoelectron microscopy localized the LgG deposits to the lowest portion of the lamina lucida. The patient's autoantibodies, belonging to the IgG1 subclass, labeled basement membrane zone of normal intact human skin, oral mucosa, and conjunctiva, and localized to the dermal side of salt-split normal adult and neonatal human skin, but failed to react with human fetal skin up to 142 gestational days. The patient's autoantibodies failed to react with bullous pemphigoid antigens or epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen (type VII collagen) by immunoblotting. Instead, the patient's autoantibodies unequivocally labeled a 105-kilodalton (kD) protein in cellular extracts and conditioned media of human cultured keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. The titer of the patient's antibody against the cutaneous basement membrane zone and the intensity of the antibody reactivity against the 1O5-kD protein paralleled the patient's disease activity. Thus, this 105-kD lower lamina lucida protein represents a novel autoantigen and this patient's disease represents a deep lamina lucida pemphigoid, distinguishable from all other known autoimmune bullous dermatoses.
The effects of online advertising

Consumers' first impressions (and loyalties) are made in the opening moments of a Web site visit and the degree to which that visit may be intruded by pop-ups, pop-unders, and banner ads.
The Dynamics of Inter-Cohort Mobility: Incumbent Status and Entrant Growth

The paper examines the dynamics of personnel flows from incumbents to entrants after a break in industry regulation. Following Gould (2002) we argue and observe first that the time-varying network ...
Information Systems Design and the Deeply Embedded Exchange and Money-Information Systems of Modern Societies

Information science, like economics, has developed as an analytic science. Such an approach introduces a significant conceptual distance between it and the measurable matter-energy processes that concern major models. Money-information processes are important determinants of the homeostasis of modern exchange-based societies. Their cybernetics may be approached from an abstract, holistic perspective or from a concrete, internal perspective. This discussion approaches certain aspects of social control from a concrete, internal perspective. From that perspective, it is argued that the irreducible unit of modern economic systems is the exchange. �ighly complex economies are combinations of specific and observable exchanges. That complexity is facilitated by the introduction of money-information markers to temporally separate the reciprocating transfers of trades. The paper concerns the irreducible unit; internal control affected on societal components by exchange, money, and cybernetic variations and adjustment processes resulting from various money-information imbursements. Some implications for information systems design are considered.
Comparison of regional fat distribution and health risk factors in middle-aged white and African American women: The Healthy Transitions Study.

Objective: Both ethnicity and menopause appear to influence intra-abdominal fat distribution. This study evaluated intra-abdominal fat distribution and obesity-related health risks in perimenopausal white and African American women. Research Methods and Procedures: Baseline data from a longitudinal study of changes in body composition and energy balance during menopause are reported. Healthy women (55 African Americans and 103 whites) who were on no medication and had at least five menstrual cycles in the previous 6 months were recruited. Body composition was assessed by DXA, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed by computed tomography scan. SAT was divided into deep and superficial layers demarcated by the fascia superficialis. Results: African American women were slightly younger (46.7 ± 0.2 vs. 47.7 ± 0.2 years, p = 0.002) and fatter (42.4% ± 1.0% vs. 39.4% ± 0.8% body fat, p = 0.02) than white women. In unadjusted data, African Americans had significantly more total abdominal fat and total, deep, and superficial SAT than whites. After adjustment for percent body fat and age, only total and superficial SAT remained significantly higher in African Americans. VAT although slightly less in African American women, did not differ significantly by race. In multiple regression analysis, VAT was the strongest predictor of serum lipids, glucose, and insulin in women of both races, although superficial SAT was significantly associated with fasting glucose in whites. Conclusions: Middle-aged African American women have larger SAT depots, adjusted for total body fatness, but do not differ from white women with regard to VAT. The complexity of the relationship between abdominal fat and metabolic risk is increased by ethnic differences in such associations.
Lung Scan Utilization in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Disease

Radioisotope131 I scanning of the lungs has been used primarily as a diagnostic tool in suspected pulmonary embolism. The present study has analyzed 71 consecutive scans in relation to independent observer grading, interpretation of the scan versus the posterior-anterior chest film and lung scan grade versus multiple pulmonary function parameters. The scans were done in patients with obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, and bronchiectasis) none of whom had overt or suspected pulmonary embolism. Two independent observers graded the scans on a 1 to 6 unit scale. There was agreement within one unit in 73 percent of the scans. There was matching of interpretation (normal versus abnormal) between the posterior-anterior chest x-ray film (interpreted by radiologist) and the scan (interpreted by the two observers) in 76 percent of the cases. There was significant correlation between lung scan grade and FEV0.5, FEV1.0, FEV2.0, FEV3.0, FEV25-75, FEV200-1200, and DLCO/TLC ratio. The highest correlation (0.643) was between the lung scan abnormality and FEV1.0. This study demonstrates direct relationships between abnormal pulmonary function and abnormal lung scanning in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and infers a negation of the effectiveness of lung scans in diagnosing pulmonary embolism in the face of underlying pulmonary disease which is so prevalent today.
Detection and Quantification of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA, the Rice Sheath Blight Pathogen, in Rice Using Real-Time PCR

Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn is the causal organism of sheath blight, a major rice disease worldwide that severely impairs yield and quality. It is difficult to identify the pathogen in the early phase of the infection and to accurately quantify the fungal development based on visual inspection. Therefore, a rapid and reliable method is advantageous for the detection and quantification of the pathogen causing this important rice disease. In this study, a real-time, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify R. solani AG-1 IA DNA from infected rice plants. A specific primer pair was designed based on the internal transcribed spacer region of the fungal ribosomal DNA. The specific detection of R. solani DNA was successful with quantities as low as 1 pg. The QPCR assay could be used for detecting the rice sheath blight pathogen, quantifying fungal aggressiveness, and evaluating the resistance level of rice cultivars.
Flow-injection determination of starch and total carbohydrate with an immobilized glucoamylase reactor and pulsed amperometric detection

Abstract Starch and total carbohydrate are determined by using a flow-injection system comprised of an immobilized glucoamylase reactor followed by pulsed amperometric detection of the glucose produced. Glucoamylase, immobilized onto porous silica and packed into a short stainless steel column, is capable of nearly quantitative (98%) conversion of the starch to glucose. The sensitivity of pulsed amperoemtric detection for soluble starch is increased 26-fold by first passing the starch through the immobilized glucoamylase reactor. This system is successfully used to determine total carbohydrate in beer samples. The method is simple, rapid and sensitive for starch.
Comparative effects of sexual assault on sexual functioning of child sexual abuse survivors and others.

This project was supported with funds from National Institute of Mental Health Grant K08-MH00557 and in part by the Biomedical Research Support Grant BR56 S07 RR-05796, Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.Appreciation is extended to the following research assistants for data analysis on the project: Loretta King, Janet Safford, Susan Sereika, and Beth Snitz.This study quantitatively and qualitatively examined the effects of sexual assault on the sexual functioning of 37 sexually active women an average of 8.21 years postevent (Mdn = 4.08 years). More than 80% of the sample reported some sexual dysfunction with a partner as a result of the assault. Greatest impairment was reported by subjects who either had a history of child sexual abuse or had no prior sexual victimization before the current assault as compared with subjects who had prior sexual assaults. When data were examined by type of perpetrator, adverse effects were greatest for subjects assaulted by a health care profess...
Improving the spatial resolution characteristics of dedicated cone-beam breast CT technology

Prior studies have shown that breast CT (bCT) outperforms mammography in the visualization of mass lesions, yet underperforms in the detection of micro-calcifications. The Breast Tomography Project at UC Davis has successively developed and fabricated four dedicated breast CT scanners, the most recent code-named Doheny, that produce high resolution, fully tomographic images, and overcome the tissue superposition effects of mammography at equivalent radiation dose. Over 600 patients have been imaged thus far in an ongoing clinical trial. The Doheny prototype differs from prior bCT generations in its usage of a pulsed rather than continuous x-ray source and in its utilization of a CMOS flat-panel fluoroscopic detector rather than TFT. Spatial Resolution analysis performed on Doheny indicates that the MTF characteristics have been substantially improved.
Individual Decision Making in the Non-Purchase of Long-Term Care Insurance

Purpose: Although prior research suggests that economic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors infl uence decisions not to purchase long-term care insurance, few studies have examined the interplay among these factors in depth and from the consumer ’ s point of view. This study was intended to further illuminate these considerations, generate hypotheses about non-purchasing decisions, and inform the design of policies that are responsive to concerns and preferences of potential purchasers. Design and Method: Qualitative study using 32 in-depth interviews and 6 focus groups, following a grounded theory approach. Results: Five themes characterize decisions not to purchase long-term care insurance: (a) the determination that a policy is “ too costly ” refl ects highly individualized and complex trade-offs not solely economic in nature, (b) non-purchasers are skeptical about the viability and integrity of private insurance companies and seek an unbiased source of information, (c) family dynamics play an important role in insurance decisions, (d) contemplating personal risk for long-term care triggers psychological responses that have implications for decision making, and (e) non-purchasers feel inadequately informed and overwhelmed by the process of deciding whether to purchase long-term care insurance. Implications: States are seeking to offset escalating Medicaid long-term care expenditures through a variety of policy mechanisms, including stimulating individual purchase of long-term care insurance. Findings suggest that economic incentives such as lowering premiums will be necessary but not suffi cient to attract appropriate candidates. Attention to behavioral and psychosocial factors is essential to designing incentives that are responsive to concerns and preferences of potential purchasers.