cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative management of myasthenia gravis patients undergoing general anesthesia, a survey from multiple institutions. (P6.446)

Objective: Identify the current practice of perioperative management of myasthenia gravis patients among neurologists. Background: Currently there are no formal guidelines for the perioperative management of patients with myasthenia gravis undergoing general anesthesia. The frequency of encountering these patients for the anesthesiologist justifies a reminder of the anesthetic implications and an accepted quick reference to management guidelines. Neurologists have a vested interest in the peri-operative care and outcome of their myasthenia gravis patients. Design/Methods: With permission granted from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), we surveyed a convenience sample of neurologists from the Neuromuscular, Autoimmune Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology sections of the Synapse Online Community hosted by the AAN. The survey addressed preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management for myasthenia gravis patients. It was posted on 9/23/2016 with one reminder sent after 2 weeks and the results analyzed after 2 months. Results: We had responses from 42 neurologists, 57% have practiced neurology for more than 20 years. 97.6% recommended pre-operative assessment of some sort for mild to moderate disease, and 100% recommended assessment for moderate to severe disease, with 71% recommending negative inspiratory force and vital capacity evaluation. 64% chose to continue pyridostigmine on the day of surgery. The responders were split about the use of benzodiazepines for pre-operative sedation; 41% considered it as contraindicated versus not contraindicated 41%. While 64% considered the use of stress dose steroids peri-operatively to be not contraindicated, 26% considered it contraindicated. Majority (83%) recommended against the use of neuromuscular blocking agents. Only 3% recommended intra-operative neuromuscular monitoring. Conclusions: The majority of responders in our survey supported the need for having guidelines for anesthesia and perioperative management of MG patients. There is lack of consensus regarding most aspects including the pre-operative assessment tools, use of benzodiazepines and steroids peri-operatively and pyridostigmine on the day of surgery. Disclosure: Dr. Madani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Howell has nothing to disclose. Dr. Grover has nothing to disclose.
What is driving increases in dietary quality in the United States

Abstract Over 1994–2010, adult dietary quality in the United States increased by 10 percent. We find a shift in consumption between at-home and away-from-home food played a relatively minor role as compared to changes in demographics and educational attainment. The two largest contributors we identify include an increased usage of nutritional information and a shift away from relying heavily on price, taste, storability and ease of preparation when shopping for food. Our findings suggest nutrition policy discussions could focus on further shifting attitudes/preferences towards healthier diets while allowing consumers to better extract nutrition information when making food choices.
Improved Automatic Pharmacovigilance: An Enhancement to the MedWatcher Social System for Monitoring Adverse Events

ABSTRACT Traditional pharmacovigilance systems rely on adverse event reports received by regulatory authorities such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These traditional systems suffer from underreporting and are not timely due to their reliance on third-party sentinels. To address these issues, the MedWatcher Social system for monitoring adverse events through automated processing of digital social media data and crowdsourcing was launched in 2012 by Boston Children’s Hospital and the FDA. The system is rooted in the well-established FDA MedWatch system. MedWatcher Social uses an indicator score approach to identify adverse events. This study evaluates the MedWatcher Social adverse event classifier’s performance on Twitter data and proposes an enhancement to the indicator score method that results in improved adverse event identification. Our research suggests that automatic pharmacovigilance systems using the original indicator score approach should be updated. Careful consideration of modeling assumptions is critical when designing algorithms for computational epidemiology, and algorithms should be regularly reevaluated to identify enhancements and to remedy concept drift.
Effects of Direct Fed-Microorganisms and Enzyme Blend Co-Administration on Growth Performance in Broilers Fed Diets With or Without Antibiotics

SUMMARY Direct-Fed Microorganisms (DFM) and exogenous enzymes have been demonstrated to improve growth performance in poultry and are potentially important components of management programs for antibiotic-free (ABF) poultry production. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a feed additive composed of a DFM product containing spores of 3 Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains and a multi-enzyme complex of xylanase, amylase, and protease on the performance of broilers with or without an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), either bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) or virginiamycin. Growth performance of broilers fed one of 6 treatments arranged in a 3 (AGP) × 2 (additive) factorial was evaluated over a 42 d production period. Overall, administration of the feed additive improved body weight, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Administration of either antibiotic significantly reduced cumulative FCR when compared to the control, while BMD administration reduced foot pad lesions as compared to the control. Our results suggest the co-administration of DFM and enzymes may be an important component of ABF poultry production programs and the benefits of their use are not dependent on the presence or absence of AGP.
Prothrombin complex proteins as cofactors in platelet aggregation. I. Inhibition of aggregation by antiserum

Data are presented to support the concept that the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors are adsorbed onto the platelet membrane and that these make up part of the “plasma atmosphere” necessary for the aggregation of platelets by various agents. Together with evidence that other coagulation factors also are part of the plasma atmosphere, it is suggested that the aggregation reaction is part of the coagulation sequence. The immunologic approach to demonstrating constituents of the platelet membrane promises to be a highly specific technique for studying further the constituents of the platelet membrane and their reactions in hemostasis.
Testing the efficacy of active pressure management as a tool to mitigate induced seismicity

Abstract Manipulation of subsurface stresses through fluid injection/extraction may induce seismicity through modulation of overpressure along faults. Globally, most industrial operations do not induce significant earthquakes. However, the possibility of inducing moderate to large earthquakes is recognized as a significant risk for basin-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) storage operations ( Niass et al., 2017 ). One possible method to reduce the occurrence of induced seismicity is to maintain only small (or zero) fluid overpressure changes in the subsurface through extraction of formation brine. For active pressure management (APM), operators may employ different procedures including extraction of various brine volumes and different configurations of injection/extraction well locations. However, the impact each these operational procedures on induced seismicity must be understood in order to develop management strategies. Here, we describe a numerical modeling workflow to evaluate the efficacy of APM techniques, that when applied to a specific site may be used to inform operational management strategies. We couple the multiphase reservoir model, NUFT, with the earthquake simulator, RSQSim and simulate seismicity induced by CO2 injection into a hypothetical brine saturated reservoir. Reservoir overpressure is modified by co-extraction of brine at various fractions of the injected CO2 volume from five potential wells. Our goal is to understand how the well-pair configuration and the extracted brine volume impact the total number and the maximum event magnitude. Additionally, the performance of each scenario is also evaluated in terms of the volume of CO2 that can be stored before an earthquake above a tolerance threshold is induced.
Ablation Approaches and Imaging Modalities to Lower Risk of Atrioesophageal Injury During Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare yet catastrophic complication of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Limited data exists on measures to prevent AEF. This review focuses on AF ablation approaches, esophageal protective strategies, and imaging modalities that can be utilized to reduce the risk of AEF. AEF has been reported to occur in less than 0.1% of AF ablation cases. Left untreated, it is associated with 100% mortality. Diagnosing AEF requires a high index of suspicion as symptoms are usually nonspecific. Several AF ablation techniques might reduce the risk of esophageal thermal injury (ETI): high-power short-duration radiofrequency ablation, implementation of time-to-isolation ablation strategy with cryoablation, and electroporation. Various esophageal protective approaches have been investigated. Although luminal esophageal temperature monitoring is widely used, data on its efficacy is conflicting. Esophageal cooling and esophageal deviation strategies have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of ETI. Late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) is a noninvasive imaging modality that seems to have high sensitivity for detecting and quantifying the degree of ETI. Variable approaches have been reported to reduce the risk of esophageal injury. These approaches focus mainly on modulating ablation parameters and esophageal luminal temperature. Imaging modalities such as LGE-MRI can potentially identify early signs of ETI. Electroporation is a promising ablation technique that exhibits high tissue selectivity and can potentially reduce risk of esophageal injury.
Inferring Post-Necking Strain Hardening Behavior of Sheets by a Combination of Continuous Bending Under Tension Testing and Finite Element Modeling

This paper presents a combined experimental and simulation approach to identify post-necking hardening behavior of ductile sheet metal. The method is based on matching a measured load-displacement curve from a continuous bending under tension (CBT) test with the curve simulated using the finite element method (FEM), while adjusting an input flow stress curve into the FEM. The CBT test depletes ductility uniformly throughout the gauge section of a tested sheet, and thus, stretches the sheet far beyond the point of maximum uniform strain in a simple tension (ST) test. Having the extended load-displacement curve, the calibrated flow stress curve is extrapolated beyond the point of necking. The method is used to identify the post-necking hardening behavior of an aluminum alloy, AA6022-T4, and two dual-phase (DP) steels, DP 980 and DP 1180. One measured load-displacement curve is used for the identification of a flow stress curve per material, and then the flow stress curve is used to simulate two additional measured load-displacement curves per material for verification. The predictions demonstrate the utility of the developed CBT-FEM methodology for inferring the post-necking strain hardening behavior of sheets. Furthermore, the results for AA6022-T4 are compared with the hydraulic bulge test data. Unlike the hydraulic bulge test, the CBT-FEM method can predict increasing as well as decreasing anisotropic hardening rate in the post-necking regime. The latter is associated with probing stage IV hardening. The proposed methodology along with the results and these key advantages are presented and discussed in this paper.
Revealing the “Hidden welfare state”: How policy information influences public attitudes about tax expenditures

In this article, we explore how specific policy information shapes public opinion toward the “hidden welfare state” of tax expenditures. These politically and socioeconomically consequential policies—most of which bestow their greatest benefits on upper-income people—are complex and opaque, and scholars’ understanding of citizen attitudes toward them is limited. In response, we use a randomized, general population, online survey experiment to test the effects of providing people with varying amounts and kinds of information about three policies. We find that learning the basic design and rationale of key tax expenditures tends to increase public support for them. However, when informed of the distributive effects of the two policies that favor upper-income people, subjects become much less supportive of these policies. Moreover, policy-specific information appears to help subjects align their preferences with their immediate material interests. Learning the upward tilt of tax expenditures especially makes lower- and middle-income people less supportive of the policies. Our results suggest that if political elites, government administrators and news media routinely offered clear information about tax expenditures, public opinion toward the hidden welfare state would be more firmly grounded. By virtue of their design, these policies discourage public awareness of their mechanisms and distributive effects. Still, greater informational outreach regarding complicated and arcane tax expenditures could bolster public accountability for government actions that favor economically narrow and privileged segments of the population.
Servicing and installing equipment using flammable refrigerants: Assessment of field-made mechanical joints (ASHRAE RP-1808)

This paper presents the results of a study investigating the assembly, durability, and leak rate of mechanical joints used in refrigerant and air-conditioning systems. A significant motivating fact...
The Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Labor and Delivery, Newborn Nursery, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Prospective Observational Data from a Single Hospital System.

Objective Since its emergence in late 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the novel coronavirus that causes novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has spread globally. Within the United States, some of the most affected regions have been New York, and Northern New Jersey. Our objective is to describe the impact of COVID-19 in a large delivery service in Northern New Jersey, including its effects on labor and delivery (L&D), the newborn nursery, and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Materials and Methods Between April 21, 2020 and May 5, 2020, a total of 78 mothers (3.6% of deliveries) were identified by screening history or examination to either be COVID-19 positive or possible positives (persons under investigation). Of the mothers who were tested after admission to L&D, 28% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Discussion Isolation between mother and infant was recommended in 62 cases, either because the mother was positive for SARS-CoV-2 or because the test was still pending. Fifty-four families (87%) agreed to isolation and separation. The majority of infants, 51 (94%), were initially isolated on the newborn nursery. Six needed NICU admission. No infants had clinical evidence of symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Fourteen infants whose mothers were positive for SARS-CoV-2, and who had been separated from the mother at birth were tested for SARS-CoV-2 postnatally. All were negative. Results COVID-19 posed a significant burden to mothers, infants, and staff over the 5-week study period. The yield from screening mothers for COVID-19 on L&D was high. Most families accepted the need for postnatal isolation and separation of mother and newborn. Conclusion Our study suggests that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to her fetus/newborn seems to be uncommon if appropriate separation measures are performed at birth. Key Points
Anti-CD99 scFv-ELP nanoworms for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Abstract CD99 is a transmembrane glycoprotein shown to be upregulated in various malignancies. We have previously reported CD99 to be highly upregulated and present a viable therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Currently, no therapy against CD99 is under clinical investigation. As a surface molecule, CD99 can be targeted with an antibody-based approach. Here, we have developed a new modality to target CD99 by engineering a fusion protein composed of a single-chain variable fragment antibody (anti-CD99 scFv) conjugated with a high molecular weight elastin-like polypeptide (ELP), A192: α-CD99-A192. This fusion protein assembles into multi-valent nanoworm with optimal physicochemical properties and favorable pharmacokinetic parameters (half-life: 16 h). α-CD99-A192 nanoworms demonstrated excellent in vitro and in vivo anti-leukemic effects. α-CD99-A192 induced apoptotic cell death in AML cell lines and primary blasts and prolonged overall survival of AML xenograft mouse model.
Enhanced eradication of intracellular and biofilm-residing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) reservoirs with hybrid nanoparticles delivering rifampicin.

Abstract Osteomyelitis carries a high risk of recurrence even after extended, aggressive antibiotic therapy. One of the key challenges is to eradicate the reservoirs of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) inside the host bone cells and their biofilms. Our goal is to develop rifampicin loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanocarriers (Rf-LPN) and evaluate if they can achieve enhanced rifampicin delivery to eradicate these intracellular and biofilm-residing MRSA. After optimization of the composition, Rf-LPN demonstrated size around 110 nm in diameter that remained stable in serum-supplemented medium, drug payload up to 11.7% and sustained rifampicin release for 2 weeks. When comparing Rf-LPN with free rifampicin, moderate but significant (p
Maybe He Is Relatable Too: Encouraging Women to Identify With Male Scientists by Highlighting Bias Against Fathers:

Successful exemplars can act as guides to help women navigate environments where they have traditionally been underrepresented. For an exemplar to be a guide, it is important for women to feel simi...
Private Overborrowing under Sovereign Risk

This paper argues that excessive international private debt increases the frequency and severity of sovereign debt crises. I develop a quantitative theory of private and public debt that allows me to measure the level of private overborrowing and its effect on the interest rate spread paid on public debt. In an environment where private credit is constrained by the market value of income, individually optimal private borrowing decisions are inefficient at the aggregate level. High private debt increases the probability of a financial crisis. During such crises, drops in consumption cause a decline in the market value of collateral that in turn further reduces consumption. To mitigate this financial amplification mechanism, the government responds with large fiscal bailouts financed with risky external public debt. I show that this response then causes a sovereign debt crisis, characterized by high interest rate spreads and in some cases default. I find that the model is quantitatively consistent with the evolution of international private debt, international public debt, and sovereign spreads in Spain from 1999 to 2015. I estimate that private debt was 5% of GDP above the socially optimal level in the lead-up to the crisis. Private overborrowing increased the annual probability of a financial crisis by 2.4 percentage points. Finally, excessive private debt raised the interest rate spread on public bonds by at least 3.8 percentage points at its peak in 2012.
Is Appropriate Administration of Antenatal Corticosteroids Associated with Maternal Race

OBJECTIVE Antenatal corticosteroids (ACSs) improve outcomes for premature infants; however, not all pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery receive ACS. Racial minorities are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care and more likely to deliver preterm. The objective of this study was to determine if maternal race is associated with a lower rate of ACS administration in Washington for women at risk of preterm labor (between 23 and 34 weeks). STUDY DESIGN This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of singleton, nonanomalous, premature deliveries in Washington state between 2007 and 2014. Descriptive data included maternal sociodemographics, pregnancy complications, facility of birth, and neonatal characteristics. The primary outcome was maternal receipt of ACS and the independent variable was maternal race/ethnicity. The secondary outcomes included neonatal need for assisted ventilation, both initially and for more than 6 hours, and administration of surfactant. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression models. RESULTS A total of 8,530 nonanomalous, singleton neonates were born between 23 and 34 weeks' gestation. Of those, 55.8% of mothers were self-identified as white, 7.5% as black, 21.4% as Hispanic, 10.9% as Asian, and 4.3% as Native American. After adjusting for confounders, black woman-neonate dyads had significantly lower odds of receiving ACS, (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.76), assisted ventilation immediately following delivery (aOR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.61-0.94) and for more than 6 hours (aOR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.49-0.84) and surfactant therapy (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42-0.92) as compared with whites. CONCLUSION These findings contribute to the current body of literature by describing racial disparities in ACS administration for pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery. To better understand the association between black race and administration of ACS, future studies should focus on differences within and between hospitals (including quality, location, resources), patient health literacy, social determinants of health, and exposure to systemic racism and discrimination. KEY POINTS · Black women were less likely to receive antenatal steroids.. · Black neonates had lower odds of respiratory support.. · Black neonates had lower odds of receiving surfactant..
Adapting to Coal Plant Closures: A Framework to Understand State Energy Transition Resistance

In response to market pressures and renewable generation mandates, utilities are making the decision to close coal-fired generation assets prior to their scheduled retirement dates. Impacts of early coal-plant closures to workers and communities can be devastating. The conventional response among state policy makers has been to create short term programs to transition workers and provide local economic development assistance. However, through detailed comparative analysis of energy transition policies among states in the Rocky Mountain region a heterogeneity of policy choices emerges. Notably, this includes energy transition resistance, efforts to thwart or delay coal-plant closures and other changes consistent with a shift towards renewable generation. The article unpacks the underlying drivers of energy transition resistance as closely tied to fossil-dependent revenue models and suggests the need for both state-level policies and federal investments in economic diversification.
Excited state proton transfer dye with an emission quantum yield up to 60% upon Zn2+ coordination

Abstract Intramolecular excited state proton transfer (ESIPT) dyes are appealing for metal ion sensing because of their large apparent Stokes-shift, environmental sensitivity, and turn-on fluorescence capabilities. Here we introduce 1,3-bis(2-pyridylimino)-4,7-dihydroxyisoindole (2) as a new ESIPT sensing motif. The 2,5-bis(2-pyridylimino)pyrrole portion of 2 readily coordinates Hg2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ ions and results in a visible red-shift in absorption. While coordination of Hg2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Cu2+ completely quenches emission, coordination to Zn2+ increases the ESIPT emission quantum yield from 25% to 60%. Unlike traditional ESIPT sensors, the metal ion binding site of 2 is intrinsic to the chromophore but is not the ESIPT site, thus enabling the selective modification of each functionality. As proof of concept, we use bromobutyrate as an alcohol protecting group whose cleavage by hydrazine results in turn-on fluorescence response. Collectively these results demonstrate the 1,3-bis(2-pyridylimino)-4,7-dihydroxyisoindole motif is sensitive to several stimuli (i.e. metal ion, base, solvent, and N2H4) and is a promising scaffolding for sensing applications.
Power and positionality shape identity work during a science research apprenticeship for girls

The research apprenticeship is a situated form of learning that can be effective in connecting learners to science. It is commonly assumed that this pathway is characterised by power transitions fr...
Overcoming Obstacles to Religious Exercise in K-12 Education

Judicial decisions rendered during the last half-century have overwhelmingly favored educational agencies over claims by parents for religious accommodations to public education requirements, no matter what constitutional or statutory rights were pressed at the tribunal, or when the conflict arose. These claim failures are especially striking in the wake of the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (“RFRAs”) passed by Congress in 1993 and, to date, by eighteen state legislatures thereafter, since the RFRAs were intended to (1) insulate religious adherents from injuries inflicted by the United States Supreme Court’s 1990 decision in Employment Division v. Smith and (2) return Free Exercise protection to the level adherents enjoyed under the Court’s 1963 decision in Sherbert v. Verner, the high water mark for religious liberty in this country. By mining prior research, and by examining the outcomes of all United States Courts of Appeal decisions involving K-12 religious accommodation issued between 1963-and 2013, this article shows that RFRAs have failed to achieve their purpose because legislators: (1) incorporated legal standards which had previously failed to protect religious liberty; (2) passed religious liberty statutes of general application without specifically targeting education agencies; (3) did not consider specific activities which were more likely than others to result in conflict with persons wishing to exercise religious freedom; (4) did not distinguish state interests which merely served a governmental purpose, from those which were essential to fulfilling educational agencies’ core functions; and (5) focused on legal technicalities such as “substantial burdens” on religion and the “compelling state interest test,” which are largely bereft of meaning outside of particular agency interests.This article proposes solutions which address the principal religious conflict areas; specifically, the elements of a model statute directed at K-12 educational settings. Among the areas covered are: group meetings and religious exercise; curricular accommodations for objecting religionists; flag salutes and the Pledge of Allegiance; dress and grooming codes; class schedules and release-time programs; student health and safety; the rights of private and home-schooled students; and the rights of religiously committed public education employees over the education of their children.The proposal covers as well issues which are likely to arise in litigation, including: jurisdictional and notice of claim requirements, pleading, claims and defenses, statutes of limitations, and remedies available for violations of the Act, including fees and costs. This legislative proposal embodies principles which are intended to: (1) overcome, within Establishment Clause limits, the unfair burdens which religious believers have experienced; (2) allow educational agencies to perform their core pedagogical functions; (3) give express notice to educational agencies what they are required to do and what conduct of theirs is proscribed; and (4) encourage religious tolerance.
Accuracy comparison of single-purpose and dual-purpose narcotic detection canines

Abstract Law enforcement agencies have used police canines for many years to help combat the flow of illegal narcotics across the world. In many cases, narcotics detection canines can give the necessary probable cause needed to perform a search without a warrant. Case law has repeatedly approved the use of canines for this purpose if they are properly trained and certified, but defense attorneys still attack the accuracy of canines in an attempt to win their cases. Only a few studies have been completed that address the accuracy of narcotics detection canines and the results have varied widely. Studies conducted with narcotics detection canines focused on factors such as breed, sex, level of training, type of narcotics to be searched, and the area to be searched. No existing studies looked at any possible accuracy differences between single-purpose and dual-purpose narcotics detection canines. Single purpose canines are used for narcotics detection only, whereas dual-purpose canines are used for multiple tasks in addition to narcotics detection. The potential for accuracy differences between the two groups exists due to dual-purpose canines spending less time on narcotics training. The present study tested 40 narcotics detection canines, 20 single-purpose and 20 dual-purpose, to determine if there were any differences in accuracy. This study examined overall accuracy rates and false alert rates from canines during the testing procedure. The results indicated that accuracy rates of single-purpose and dual-purpose canines were undifferentiated [U(40) = 220.0, p = 0.598]. The results further indicated that false-alert rates of single-purpose and dual-purpose canines were undifferentiated [U(40) = 200.0, p = 0.598]. Finally, this study found that dual-purpose and single-purpose narcotics detection canines had a combined accuracy rate of 92.5%.
Arms for Uncertainty: Nuclear Weapons in US and Russian Security Policy

Contents: Foreword, Colin S. Gray Introduction Nuclear deterrence in a new context Possible nuclear worlds Getting rid of nuclear weapons Controlling nuclear crises in digital times Minimum deterrence: the fewer the better? Nuclear-strategic Asia: stability or chaos? Non-strategic nuclear weapons and 'first use' Denuking North Korea Ending a nuclear war Missile defenses and NATO-Russian security Conclusion Select bibliography and further reading Index.
Population-Based Monte Carlo Methods

In parallel tempering (Section 10.4), the target distribution is embedded into a larger system which hosts a number of similar distributions differing with each other only in a temperature parameter. Then, parallel Monte Carlo Markov chains are conducted to sample from these distributions simultaneously. An important step which makes PT effective and which connects the multiple distributions in the augmented system is to propose configuration exchanges between two adjacent sampling chains. The attractiveness of this configuration-swap step can be loosely attributed to a population-based “learning” strategy; that is, in high-temperature states, radically different new configurations are allowed to arise, whereas in lower-temperature states, a configuration is given opportunities to refine itself. By making exchanges, we can retain and improve those good configurations generated in the population by putting them into low-temperature chains. However, one may feel that this “exchange” step is a rather minimal interaction among the multiple chains in the “population.” More active interactions such as those employed in a genetic algorithm might be more helpful. In this chapter, we will follow this thought to venture into population-based Monte Carlo strategies.
Structure of flagellar microtubules.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the available information concerning the structure of flagellar Microtubules (MT). The natural history of MT commonly encountered structural varieties of MT, the habitat of the doublet MT and its near relatives, and the relationship between the singlet and doublet MT are discussed. The amino acid sequence of tubulin is the most highly conserved of all known proteins. Tubulin is found polymerized into so many different structures. The doublet MT apparently occurs exclusively in flagella and cilia of eukaryotic cells. The chapter also examines the evidence that (1) only one form of 13-protofilament MT could or does exist, and (2) the common 13-protofilament cytoplasmic MT, the 13- protofilament singlet MT in the central pair of flagella, and the 13-protofilament A tubule of the doublet are structurally equivalent arrangements of tubulin. The information on surface topography of a MT derived from a scanning atomic force microscope, combined with a high resolution structure of the tubulin monomers derived from X-ray crystallography, is sufficient to specify the three-dimensional arrangement of at least the tubulin components in the intact MT.
Molecular Methods for Identification and Characterization of Acinetobacter spp.

This chapter focuses on current challenges in the clinical laboratory setting for identification, susceptibility testing, and epidemiology of Acinetobacter spp. The application of various molecular methods to aid in the generation of accurate information in the healthcare environment is discussed. Acinetobacter is a uniquely successful organism that is now presenting unusual challenges in terms of its detection and treatment in human disease. Classification of species within this genus has historically presented difficulty owing to the genetic diversity of this organism. Application of various molecular typing methods has been instrumental in the definition of the 31 described species of Acinetobacter , as phenotypic methods may not achieve adequate levels of speciation. Based on DNA sequence homology, the A. baumannii–A. calcoaceticus complex consists of four members: A. baumannii , genospecies 3 and 13TU, and A. calcoaceticus . Of these, A. baumannii is most clinically significant in human disease. Acinetobacter spp. has been isolated from extremely diverse environments and is well adapted to multiple sites on the human host. Pneumonia, bacteremia, and wound infections are the most common manifestations of Acinetobacter in the ICU. A. lwoffii is also a significant cause of nosocomial infections. A significant development is the emergence of Acinetobacter strains with resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics.
Assessment of atherosclerotic risk factors and endothelial function in children and young adults with pediatric‐onset systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective To characterize atherosclerotic risk factors and endothelial function in pediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Lipoproteins, oxidized state, and autoantibodies to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) were assessed. Endothelial function was evaluated using brachial artery reactivity. Results Thirty-three SLE patients and 30 controls were studied. SLE subjects had significantly decreased mean high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (41 mg/dl versus 51 mg/dl; P = 0.002) and apolipoprotein A-I (97 mg/dl versus 199 mg/dl; P = 0.0004). There was no difference between groups in markers of oxidized state (including nitric oxide metabolites, isoprostanes, and Ox-LDL) or in endothelial function. However, SLE subjects had increased median anti-Ox-LDL IgG (2,480 relative light units [RLU] versus 1,567 RLU; P = 0.0007) and IgG immune complexes with LDL (4,222 RLU versus 2,868 RLU; P = 0.002). Conclusion Pediatric SLE patients had significantly decreased levels of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I and elevated titers of autoantibodies to Ox-LDL. Despite these atherosclerotic risk factors, SLE patients had normal measures of oxidized state and endothelial function.
Beyond second-order statistics for learning: A pairwise interaction model for entropy estimation

Second order statistics have formed the basis of learning and adaptation due to its appeal and analytical simplicity. On the other hand, in many realistic engineering problems requiring adaptive solutions, it is not sufficient to consider only the second order statistics of the underlying distributions. Entropy, being the average information content of a distribution, is a better-suited criterion for adaptation purposes, since it allows the designer to manipulate the information content of the signals rather than merely their power. This paper introduces a nonparametric estimator of Renyi's entropy, which can be utilized in any adaptation scenario where entropy plays a role. This nonparametric estimator leads to an interesting analogy between learning and interacting particles in a potential field. It turns out that learning by second order statistics is a special case of this interaction model for learning. We investigate the mathematical properties of this nonparametric entropy estimator, provide batch and stochastic gradient expressions for off-line and on-line adaptation, and illustrate the performance of the corresponding algorithms in examples of supervised and unsupervised training, including time-series prediction and ICA.
Texas High Schools and New Teachers: A Multi-Year Statewide Study

We examined the five most recent years of data (2003-2004 through 2007-2008) from the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System regarding new teachers employed at high school campuses. We specifically focused on the extent to which differences were present between high school campuses with the highest new teacher percentages and high school campuses with the lowest new teacher percentages. High school campuses with the highest new teacher percentages had higher percentages of minority students and higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students but lower percentages of at-risk students than did high school campuses with the lowest percentages of new teachers. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Latin American Identity Politics: Redefining Citizenship

Identity-based social movements and politics have played an important role in Latin America since the 1970s and continue to do so today. In this essay, I argue that this form of politics – as it has taken shape across Latin America – has been defined by its intersectionality. I trace the ways in which neoliberalism has facilitated a certain kind of identity politics while limiting more radical political claims. I argue that identity politics have contributed to the current “pink tide” sweeping across the continent and are in continual dialogue with these new leftist governments as they redefine what it means to be citizen and what the relationship between state and citizen should be.
Uptake of cyclic AMP by natural populations of marine bacteria

Abstract The major objective of this study was to describe the mechanism(s) of cyclic AMP uptake by natural populations of marine bacteria. A second objective was to determine whether this uptake could contribute to the intracellular regulatory pool of cyclic AMP. Using high-specific-activity 32P-labeled cyclic AMP, we found several high-affinity uptake systems. The highest-affinity system had a half-saturation constant of <10 pM. This system was extremely specific for cyclic nucleotides, particularly cyclic AMP. It appeared to meet the criteria for active transport. Uptake of cyclic AMP over a wide concentration range (up to 2 μM) showed multiphasic kinetics, with half-saturation constants of 1 nM and greater. These lower-affinity systems were much less specific for cyclic nucleotides. Although much of the labeled cyclic AMP taken up by the high-affinity systems was metabolized, some remained as intact cyclic AMP within the cells during 1 h of incubation. This suggests that at least some of the bacteria use cyclic AMP dissolved in seawater to augment their intracellular pools.
The Patterns of Slotted-Cylinder Antennas

A. method is described for calculating the patterns of arrays of axial-slot antennas mounted on the surface of a metallic cylinder. The method of calculation gives information on the relative phase of the radiated field in addition to the amplitude. Measurements have been made for certain of the antennas to verify the accuracy of the calculations. A number of calculated patterns are shown to indicate the extent of the control of the pattern which can be obtained by using arrays of slots on a cylinder.
Spatio-temporal effects of El Niño events on rainfall and maize yield in Kenya

The ability to predict rainfall variability a season in advance could have a major impact on the fragile Kenyan economy. The ability to benefit from climate prediction arises from the intersection of human vulnerability, climate predictability, and decision capacity. Africa may be a prime potential benefactor of seasonal climate forecasting. With this in mind, the link between El Nino-related variability in rainfall at annual and seasonal scales and national-level maize yield in Kenya was explored. The spatial and seasonal variations in El Nino influence on rainfall are highly inconclusive in Kenya except for some highland high rainfall sites and seasons. Significant event-to-event variability was observed, however, during the October–January (OJ) crop growing season during El Nino events. Increases in the OJ seasonal rainfall during El Nino events were reflected in the annual rainfall. While the mean change in rainfall between El Nino and neutral was positive during OJ season and annually, however, the change was negative during the March–June (MJ) season. El Nino effects were greater on rainfall in the second growing season (OJ) for the 1982–83 and 1997–98 El Nino compared with the 1986–87, 1987–88, 1991–92 events. Sites on the highland ecoregion recorded a significant increase in rainfall during El Nino events compared with neutral years. However, the 1987–88 El Nino had a significant effect on the MJ growing season rainfall with consequent positive influence on national maize yield. Furthermore, ‘super El Ninos’ may give rise to larger rainfall responses than normal El Ninos at some sites; the magnitude varies from site to site and the effect is not obvious at some sites. The results lead to the conclusion that all El Ninos are not equal in terms of their regional manifestation. All this clearly indicates the need to address critical user needs of climate information in order to produce information that is useful. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.
Introduction: The law and economics of real estate

was to assemble a group of papers that applied the insights and methods of law and economics to issues related to real estate. I believe that the seven articles included herein accomplish that objective admirably. What is most impressive is the wide range of topics covered, including issues in property law, tort law, contract law, and methodology. I have organized the papers according to these subject areas. The first two papers address issues in property law. Hughes and Turnbull examine the use of land-use covenants as private, contractual alternatives to zoning as a means of promoting efficiency in the land market (the analysis thus overlaps with contract law). They first develop a theoretical model that highlights the economic function of covenants--namely, to allow landowners to make credible commitments regarding land uses in the presence of spatial externalities. They then go on to examine the actual spatial variation of covenants in a particular urban area in light of the theory. Trefzger and Colwell examine the implications of paying compensation for government "takings" on the incentive of landowners to invest in land. It has been previously shown, most notably by Blume, Rubinfeld, and Shapiro (1984), that paying full compensation creates a moral hazard problem that leads to overinvestment. The primary contribution of the Trefzger and Colwell paper is to develop a model that unifies the literature that has arisen around this issue. The next two papers deal with issues intort law. Boyd, Harrington, and Macauley examine the effects of liability for environmental contamination on the operation of the land market. They show that uncertainty over potential liability of landowners per se does not necessarily impede efficient transfer and development decisions; instead, inefficiencies arise from information asymmetries between buyers and sellers and from costs of detecting hazards. The paper by Mieeli, Pancak, and Sirmans examines laws that assign liability for injuries caused by lead paint. In general, they show that holding landlords and sellers of housing strictly liable for damages suffered by tenants and buyers, respectively, is inefficient because it will result in overinvestment in removal of lead paint, and underinvestment in precaution against contamination. They do argue, however, that landlords and sellers should have a duty, backed by threat of liability, to disclose known hazards. The paper by Jaffe and Sharp examines statutorily imposed moratoria on mortgage foreclosures against the background of vairous theories of contract law, including the economic theory. Since foreclosure moratoria suspend the enforcement of one party's contractual obligations, they can be defended on efficiency grounds only if there ever exist situations in which nonenforcement of contracts is efficient. The authors examine explanations of this sort. Their conclusions are largely speculative and point to the need for further research.
VISIBILITY OF NEW CENTERLINE AND EDGE LINE PAVEMENT MARKINGS

The objective of the presented two-part study was to provide nighttime pavement-marking visibility data obtained under automobile low-beam illumination conditions in the field for further calibration of the Ohio University pavement-marking visibility model CARVE (Computer Aided Road Marking Visibility Evaluator). A total of 10 subjects participated in Part 1 of the study. The goal of Part 1 was to determine the end-detection distance of finite-length, new, medium-retroreflectivity, yellow pavement marking tape centerlines without edge lines as a function of the centerline configuration (single dashed, single solid, and double solid) and width. The results of Part 1 confirm that an increase in the average end-detection distance of about 55 percent represents the approximate upper limit of what can be achieved by adding more retro-reflective area to a yellow centerline. Part 2 consisted of four main experiments involving 10 subjects each and two follow-up experiments involving a total of 10 subjects. The go...
Structural Geology of Swift Reservoir Culmination, Sawtooth Range, Montana: ABSTRACT

Northwest-trending, thrusted and folded rocks of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age comprise the Sawtooth Range of northwestern Montana. The Sawtooth Range is a part of the northern disturbed belt and is characterized by thin-skinned deformation. Stratigraphy plays an important role in the location and character of the various thrust sheets. Major decollement surfaces include the Upper Cambrian, the top of the Devonian, and several horizons within the Mississippian. In the Swift Reservoir area, a broad culmination exposes Cambrian through Cretaceous strata in a series of imbricately stacked, west-dipping thrust sheets. The structural configuration of the culmination appears to be a compound duplex zone with structures north and south of Swift Reservoir dipping away from the culmination. Mapping of the culmination reveals vertical stacking of thrust sheets, and a lateral ramp that forms the southern boundary of the duplex. A structural high in the basement may have resulted in ramping of the thrust sheets and formation of the culmination. Deformation within the thrust sheets is controlled by structural position and by ductility contrasts between the stratigraphic units. Deformation varies widely, ranging from tight overturned folds in the Cambrian units to broad open folds and fractures within the Mississippian. Because of the variation in lithology and ductility, the most intense deformation is observed within the Cambrian units. This deformation is characterized by overturning of folds in the direction of thrust transport, and the development of small-scale kink folds, cleavage, pencil structures, and boudinage. End_of_Article - Last_Page 949------------