cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of the Hypersomnia Severity Index (HSI): A measure to assess hypersomnia severity and impairment in psychiatric disorders.

Abstract Hypersomnia is common in psychiatric disorders, yet there are few self-report measures that adequately characterize this sleep disturbance. The objective of this study was to validate the Hypersomnia Severity Index (HSI), a tool designed to measure severity, distress and impairment of hypersomnia in psychiatric populations. Psychometric properties were evaluated in an undergraduate Scale Development sample (N = 381) and two psychiatric Scale Validation samples: euthymic bipolar participants with a range of sleep complaints (N = 89), and unmedicated unipolar depressed participants (N = 21) meeting operational criteria for hypersomnolence disorder. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis in the Scale Development and Validation samples, respectively, suggested a two-factor structure representing Hypersomnia Symptoms and Distress/Impairment best fit the data. Convergent validity was established by significant associations with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Sheehan Disability Scale in both samples. Construct validity was further supported by significant correlations between the Scale Validation sample and two weeks of diary- and actigraphy-determined total sleep time and time in bed. A cutoff score of 10 maximally discriminated between those with hypersomnia and those without. The HSI shows promise as a measure of hypersomnia that is commonly seen in psychiatric disorders, and may be of use to both researchers and clinicians. Support This work is supported by grants from the American Sleep Medicine Foundation ( 76-JF-12 ), the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation ( 19193 ), and NIMH K23MH099234 (DTP); National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and Stanford Child Health Research Institute (KAK); and R34MH080958 and R01MH105513 (AGH).
Liposomial Bupivacaine for Postoperative Pain Control in Fragility Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures.

Objectives To determine whether intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine reduces postoperative opioid requirements, pain scores, and length of stay (LOS) in patients with fragility intertrochanteric femur fractures in comparison with a group of patients who did not receive liposomal bupivacaine. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting Two academic medical centers. Patients One hundred two patients with intertrochanteric hip fracture treated with a cephalomedullary nail implant. Intervention Nonrandomized administration of liposomal bupivacaine in 2 cohorts of patients with similar injuries and treatment. Main outcome measurements Postoperative oral average morphine equivalents (MME) and average numerical pain rating score (NRS). Secondary endpoints included postoperative LOS, operative time, and home discharge. Results Forty-six patients received intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine and 56 patients did not. There was no significant difference between age, sex, and American Society of Anesthesiologist level between groups (P > 0.05). The liposomal bupivacaine group received significantly less MME (0.34 vs. 0.92 mg/h/kg, P = 0.04) and had significantly lower NRS (2.89 vs. 5.13, P = 0.04) in the first 24 hours after surgery. MME (1.18 vs. 1.37 mg/h/kg, P = 0.27) and NRS (3.61 vs. 5.51, P = 0.34) were similar at the 36-hour mark. The liposomal bupivacaine group had similar LOS (3.2 days vs. 3.8, P = 0.08), more home discharges (7 vs. 2, P = 0.001), and longer operative time (73.4 vs. 67.2 minutes, P = 0.004). Conclusions Intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine use reduced opioid use and postoperative pain for the first 24 hours after fixation of intertrochanteric femur fractures. Significant increases in likelihood of discharge to home may present an opportunity for cost savings. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Complex microparticle architectures from stimuli-responsive intrinsically disordered proteins

The controllable production of microparticles with complex geometries is useful for a variety of applications in materials science and bioengineering. The formation of intricate microarchitectures typically requires sophisticated fabrication techniques such as flow lithography or multiple-emulsion microfluidics. By harnessing the molecular interactions of a set of artificial intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), we have created complex microparticle geometries, including porous particles, core-shell and hollow shell structures, and a unique 'fruits-on-a-vine' arrangement, by exploiting the metastable region of the phase diagram of thermally responsive IDPs within microdroplets. Through multi-site unnatural amino acid (UAA) incorporation, these protein microparticles can also be photo-crosslinked and stably extracted to an all-aqueous environment. This work expands the functional utility of artificial IDPs as well as the available microarchitectures of this class of biocompatible IDPs, with potential applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering.
Effect of Posture Feedback Training on Health.

Collapsed or slouching posture has been associated with negative health outcomes such as pain, depression, and overall stress ratings as well as declines in general health, emotional well-being, and energy/fatigue levels. Currently, wearable devices and accompanying smartphone applications (apps) can provide feedback about shifting posture (e.g., erect vs. collapsed or slouching positions), as well as provide suggestions that support positive posture awareness. This study investigates the effect of a wearable ‘UpRight’ posture-feedback device on self-reports of pain, mood, and performance in comparison to a non-treatment control group. 56 Student participants filled out the SF-36 RAND Health Survey at the beginning and end of the 4-week study. The treatment group (n = 13) used a wearable device for at least 15 min per day, for 4 weeks, while a matched comparison group (n = 13) participated without the device over the same period. Evaluations before and after the 4 weeks included the SF-36, as well as qualitative descriptions of their experiences. The treatment group significantly improved on the SF-36 measures of physical functioning, emotions, energy/fatigue, confidence and overall stress ratings, as well as on subjective ratings of neck and back posture as compared to the control group. The wearable biofeedback device positively influenced awareness of neck and back posture, as well as key measures on the RAND SF-36 Health Survey. This study provides preliminary support that a wearable posture feedback device is a useful tool to teach posture awareness and improve well-being.
Estimating the energetic savings for green sturgeon moving by selective tidal stream transport

As fish move, they incur an energetic cost of transport (COT) from the use of aerobic muscles. Water currents are an integral component of the physical world of fishes, and if water currents are present, fish may pay higher costs fighting the currents, or may use the currents to facilitate movement and reduce COT. Some fish use “selective tidal stream transport” (STST) to move efficiently through tidal regions, swimming into the water column when the current is favorable, and returning to the bottom during opposing tides. This behavior has been reported in marine fish migrating through tidal habitats, but it is also likely of value in daily movements of fish residing in those habitats. It is extremely difficult to directly measure COT in wild fish; however, it is possible to combine analysis of field telemetry data of individual swimming efforts and measurements of metabolic costs of swimming from respirometry in order to estimate the COT in the wild, and to calculate the costs or savings of swimming with or against currents. We describe this novel analytical approach and demonstrate it using data from two green sturgeon tracked in San Francisco Bay, California. In this analysis, when moving at the surface and employing STST, the fish benefited from the current, swimming within 85.5% of optimal efficiency. When conducting non-STST movements near the bottom, swimming was less efficient, with a COT similar to swimming directly into the current. These results suggest that green sturgeon may opportunistically utilize stream transport in daily movements, swimming at the surface and orienting with currents to achieve substantial energetic savings.
Analysis of drug resistance and risk factors of community-acquired urinary tract infection caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in children

Objective To investigate the drug resistance and risk factors of community-acquired urinary tract infection(UTI) caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBLs)-producing Escherichia coli in children. Methods The clinical data of 125 children with community-acquired urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli were analyzed, who were hospitalized at Department of Pediatric Nephrology of Tianjin Children′s Hospital from June 2017 to June 2018.The ESBLs-producing group and the non ESBLs-producing group were named depending on the production of the ESBLs.WHONET 5.6 bacterial resistance monitoring software was used to calculate the drug resistance rate of bacteria.The drug resistance rate and clinical data were analyzed by adopting χ2 test and Fisher′s exact probability method, then, factors with statistical significance identified by single factor analysis were further analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results Among 125 strains of Escherichia coli, 68 strains(54.4%) were ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli and 57 strains(45.6%) were non ESBLs-producing.The drug resistance rates of ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli to penicillins, cephalosporins, quinolones and monocyclic beta-lactams were higher than those of non ESBLs-producing strains, and the drug resistance rates to Ampicillin, Piperacillin, Cefazolin, Cefuroxime, Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime were nearly 100%.The resistance rates of ESBLs-producing strains to Imipenem, Meropenem, Amikacin, Furantoin, Cefotetan and Piperacillin/Tazobactam were lower (< 5%). Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in recurrent UTI (χ2=12.043, P<0.01) and use of third-generation cephalosporins in the past 3 months(χ2=28.545, P<0.01) between ESBLs-producing group and non ESBLs-producing group.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that use of third-generation cephalosporins in the past 3 months was an independent risk factor of community-acquired UTI caused by ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli(OR=11.285, 95%CI: 3.140-39.134, Wald=13.972, P<0.01). Conclusions The isolation rate of ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli in children with community-acquired UTI is high, and the drug resistance rate is high, so children who used third-generation cephalosporins in the past 3 months were more likely to develop community-acquired UTI caused by ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli. Key words: Urinary tract infection; Escherichia coli; Extended-spectrum β-lactamase; Child
Adsorption of water on epitaxial graphene

Graphene and its functionalization are still one of the most prominent two‐dimensional crystals. In recent years, the wetting properties of graphene for water (i.e., its hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and also icophobic features) were controversially discussed as well as water intercalation and confined water, that have unusual characteristics. The dispute about wetting properties was originally based on contact angle (/engineering) measurements conducted at ambient pressure. In the meanwhile, detailed ultra‐high vacuum (UHV) surface science works and theoretical studies are available. This brief review describes the current knowledge available in the literature about the water/graphene system as well as our own work using experimental UHV surface science techniques. The review starts with a definition of hydrophobicity and briefly touches on a possible correlation with icephobicity as well as discusses briefly confined water. Next, theoretical studies are reviewed, and finally, experimental works are described on which the review focusses. Finally, a brief outlook section discusses water adsorption on functionalized graphene.
Control of Cytokines in Latent Cytomegalovirus Infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has evolved a number of mechanisms for long-term co-existence within its host. HCMV infects a wide range of cell types, including fibroblasts, epithelial cells, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and myeloid progenitor cells. Lytic infection, with the production of infectious progeny virions, occurs in differentiated cell types, while undifferentiated myeloid precursor cells are the primary site of latent infection. The outcome of HCMV infection depends partly on the cell type and differentiation state but is also influenced by the composition of the immune environment. In this review, we discuss the role of early interactions between HCMV and the host immune system, particularly cytokine and chemokine networks, that facilitate the establishment of lifelong latent infection. A better understanding of these cytokine signaling pathways could lead to novel therapeutic targets that might prevent latency or eradicate latently infected cells.
Insulin Infusion Computer Calculator Programmed Directly Into Electronic Health Record Medication Administration Record.

Background:Computerized insulin infusion protocols have demonstrated higher staff satisfaction, better compliance with protocols, and increased time with glucose in range compared to paper protocol...
Cholangioscopy in primary sclerosing cholangitis: a case series of dominant strictures and cholangiocarcinoma.

Background and Aims Prompt and accurate differentiation of benign and malignant strictures in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is crucial. ERCP with brush cytology, the most common modality to achieve this, is hindered by a low diagnostic yield. Cholangioscopy can overcome this limitation by establishing a visual diagnosis based on the characteristic morphologic features of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and can aid in targeted biopsies of suspicious lesions. However, its role in PSC remains unclear. This case series demonstrates the performance of the latest generation of single-operator cholangioscope for this indication. Methods A single experienced endoscopist performed cholangioscopy for PSC cases referred for ERCP. Results Cholangioscopies of patients 1 to 3 demonstrate the features of extrahepatic duct dominant strictures (DS) and the cholangioscopic maneuvers undertaken in these cases, including advancement across the DS after balloon dilation, biopsy of the DS, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy of impacted stones. Cholangioscopies of patients 4 to 6 demonstrate the varied features of CCA ranging from focal stricture with tumor vessels, papillary frond-like projections, and features of an intraductal papillary biliary neoplasm. Also shown are the radiographic and histopathologic features of the disease. Conclusions Cholangioscopy allowed us to identify morphologic features of both malignancy and benign disease in PSC in the setting of extrahepatic duct strictures, and we were able to obtain adequate targeted tissue samples for histopathologic confirmation.
Chemical methods for measuring RNA expression with metabolic labeling

Tracking the expression of RNA in a cell-specific manner is a major challenge in basic and disease research. Herein we outline the current state of employing chemical approaches for cell-specific RNA expression studies. We define the utility of metabolic labels for tracking RNA synthesis, the approaches for characterizing metabolic incorporation and enrichment of labeled RNAs, and finally outline how these approaches have been used to study biological systems by providing mechanistic insights into transcriptional dynamics. Further efforts on this front will be the continued development of novel chemical handles for RNA enrichment and profiling as well as innovative approaches to control cell-specific incorporation of chemically modified metabolic probes. These advancements in RNA metabolic labeling techniques permit sensitive detection of RNA expression dynamics within relatively small subsets of cells in living tissues and organisms that are critical to performing complex developmental and pathological processes. This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA Evolution and Genomics > Ribonomics RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry.
Stage Irish and Boorish Boers: Transatlantic Racial Politics in Olive Schreiner’s The Story of an African Farm

Although Olive Schreiner features in most literary criticism as a champion of the disenfranchised, her portrayal of ethnic differences is inflected by transatlantic racial politics. The Irish and B...
Umbilical Access in Laparoscopic Surgery in Infants Less than 3 Months: A Single Institution Retrospective Review

Abstract Introduction : Umbilical access in laparoscopic surgery has been cited as a factor for increased complications in low-birth-weight infants and those less than three months old. In a previous series, 10.6% of pediatric surgeons reported complications in this population associated with umbilical access, citing carbon dioxide (CO2) embolism as the most common complication. To further examine the safety of this technique, we report our outcomes with blunt transumbilical laparoscopic access at our institution over four years. Methods : A retrospective review was performed of patients less than three months of age who underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy or inguinal hernia repair from 2016-2019. Operative reports, anesthesia records, and postoperative documentation were reviewed for complications related to umbilical access. Complications included bowel injury, vascular injury, umbilical vein cannulation, CO2 embolism, umbilical surgical site infection (SSI), umbilical hernia requiring repair, and death. Results : Of 365 patients, 246 underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy, and 119 underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs. Median age at operation was 5.9 weeks [4.3,8.8], and median weight was 3.9 kg [3.4,4.6]. Nine complications (2.5%) occurred: 5 umbilical SSIs (1.4%), 1 bowel injury upon entry requiring laparoscopic repair (0.2%), 1 incisional hernia repair 22 days postoperatively (0.2%), and 2 cases of hypotension and bradycardia upon insufflation that resolved with desufflation (0.5%). There were no intraoperative mortalities or signs/symptoms of CO2 embolism. Conclusion : In this series, umbilical access for laparoscopic surgery in neonates less than three months of age was safe, with minimal complications. Although concern for umbilical vessel injury, cannulation, and CO2 embolism exists, these complications are not exclusively associated with umbilical access technique.
Trigeminal Neuralgia Following A Telephone-Mediated Lightning Injury (P3.317)

INTRODUCTION: Lightning injuries are responsible for more than 100 deaths per year in the United States. Lightning strikes can cause a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations and can affect any part of the neuraxis through direct strike, side flash, touch voltage, connecting leaders, or shock waves. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year old left-handed woman presented to our institution for further evaluation of a 5-year history of right maxillary division facial pain. The onset of pain was immediately following an electrical jolt transmitted to the right side of her face through her landline telephone from a bolt of lightning that struck her building while she was making a call during a thunderstorm. She sustained a minor electrical burn to the face and brief amnesia but did not lose consciousness. Afterward, the telephone and other electrical devices connected to the same power source no longer functioned. Thereafter, the patient experienced daily right-sided paroxysms of stabbing quality facial pain that she rated as “15” on a scale of 10 in intensity and that were “suicidal” in quality. The pain was triggered by touching the right face, even outside the territory of her pain, and was accompanied by flushing of the right cheek and eye as well as ipsilateral lacrimation. The pain responded to carbamazepine only briefly and was unresponsive to numerous other analgesics. Suboccipital microvascular decompression of two small arteries contacting the right trigeminal nerve relieved her pain for only 5 months, and when it returned, it was again refractory to pharmacologic treatment but responded well to a balloon compression procedure. CONCLUSION: We report what to our knowledge is the first case of trigeminal neuralgia induced by lightning injury to the trigeminal nerve. Specifically, the prominent ipsilateral vasomotor and lacrimal features accompanying trigeminal distribution pain in this case are consistent with trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia. Disclosure: Dr. Lopez has nothing to disclose.
Psycho-educational Assessment

While diagnosis of bipolar disorder is not expected to fall within the duties of school professionals, psycho-educational assessment may be required for a child or adolescent with this diagnosis (or suspected of having this disorder) access to educational opportunities. School personnel must be capable of and prepared to engage in those activities. While a level of expertise is expected for psychologists in general assessment practices, specific knowledge is needed to engage in the psycho-educational assessment of students with a bipolar disorder.
Immigration Restrictions as Employment Discrimination

In this paper, I analyze restrictions on immigration to the United States as a form of government-mandated employment discrimination against aliens. Through our immigration laws, we deny aliens access to valuable employment opportunities that are open to natives. Under our immigration and nationality laws, we base this discrimination explicitly on circumstances of birth beyond the control of the alien. I argue that immigration restrictions thereby violate our liberal ideals of equality, which require a cosmopolitan perspective that extends equal concern to all individuals. Furthermore, even if we assume a less demanding moral theory that allows us to give the interests of natives priority over the interests of aliens, it remains difficult to justify the employment discrimination required by our laws as ideal policies unless we consider the satisfaction of segregationist preferences to be a justification. The role of intolerance in supporting the adoption of immigration restrictions underscores a second sense in which the discrimination they embody violates our liberal ideals. We may promote the interests of natives, however, by restricting the access of unskilled alien workers to public benefits and to citizenship, which suggests liberalized guest-worker programs as a component of immigration reform. From the cosmopolitan liberal perspective, such programs would represent only a second-best improvement over the status quo, but worth supporting given constraints that make more ideal policies politically infeasible.
A Crisis Management Plan for Ethical Misconduct and Financial Fraud

Man made crises caused by ethical misconduct and financial fraud can be the undoing an organization. Regaining employee and stakeholder trust once such a crisis has occurred can be very difficult. However, having a plan in place that specifically outlines steps for working through an ethics and fraud crisis can improve the chances of rebounding as well as create an organizational learning opportunity. For this reason it is imperative that organizations create a crisis management plan specifically for ethical misconduct and financial fraud. In an ideal world, creation of such a plan will include pre-emptive measures and safeguards to head off such a disaster. However, a plan must take into account that prevention does not always work. The responsibility for crisis management in an organization ultimately lies with top leadership. But if top leadership is the cause, crisis management must emerge from somewhere else in the organization. This paper will address the execution of such a plan when preventive measures fail and top leadership is involved in ethical misconduct. It will also look at some best practices for creating effective, sustainable crisis management plans for instances of ethical misconduct and financial fraud within an organization.
Numerical simulations and particle imaging velocimetry measurements of fluid flow through a lattice model

Publisher Summary This chapter describes numerical simulations and particle imaging velocimetry measurements of fluid flow through a lattice model. Invasion percolation employs a lattice structure for two-phase flow through a porous medium and a simple flow rule that includes only capillary pressure. With the addition of Poiseuille flow through tubular "throats." Viscosity, as well as capillary pressure, effects can be modeled. Predictions of the latter model can be compared to laboratory experiments in which displacement fronts are imaged for two-phase flow through transparent cells. This chapter describes a complementary combination of computations and laboratory experiments (currently limited to single-phase flow) solution of the Navier–Stokes equation to predict flow vectors within cylindrical "pore bodies" and connecting “pore throat" tubes of randomly chosen cross-sectional area and laboratory measurement by particle-imaging velocimetry (PIV) of the flow vectors within a flow-cell that mimics the porous medium of the computations.
High protein diet and insulin effects on catabolism in rats with burns and disuse (1162.8)

Severe burn and disuse result in metabolic alterations associated with systemic inflammatory and endocrine changes. Such changes include extreme inflammation, hypermetabolism and catabolism, result...
Sigma receptors and iboga alkaloids.

Publisher Summary Current evidence indicates that ibogaine and other iboga alkaloids might produce some of their neurotoxic effects by interaction with sigma-2 receptors. Sigma receptors are membrane proteins that bind several psychotropic drugs with high affinity. Two major subclasses of sigma receptors have been identified. These have been termed “sigma-1” and “sigma-2,” and they are differentiated by their pharmacological profile, function, and molecular size. Both subtypes have high to moderate affinity for typical neuroleptics, with haloperidol exhibiting the highest affinity for both sites. The sigma-1 receptor has been cloned in guinea pig, mouse, rat, and human, and shown to be a novel protein with > 90% species homology. Some of the functions attributed to sigma-1 receptors include the following: (1) modulation of synthesis and release of dopamine and acetylcholine, (2) modulation of NMDA-type glutamatergic receptor electrophysiology, (3) modulation of NMDA-stimulated neurotransmitter release, (4) modulation of muscarinic receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover, (5) neuroprotective and antiamnesic activity, (6) modulation of opioid analgesia, and (7) alteration of cocaine-induced locomotor activity and toxicity. The ability of sigma ligands to induce morphological changes and apoptosis led to an investigation of the signaling mechanisms that are utilized by sigma-2 receptors.
Expression of Human Prostate-specific Glandular Kallikrein Protein (hK2) in the Breast Cancer Cell Line T47-D

Abstract Human glandular kallikrein (hK2) protein, like prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is produced mainly in prostatic epithelium. It may be useful as a new diagnostic indicator for prostate cancer. Recently, a number of hK2-specific monoclonal antibodies have been developed that enable us to detect hK2 protein in human prostate tissue, seminal fluid, and sera. Whether hK2 can be expressed, like PSA, in nonprostatic cells is not known. In this study, we have characterized the presence of hK2 in an androgen-responsive breast cancer cell line T47-D at both the protein and mRNA levels with an immunoassay, Western blot analysis, Northern blot analysis, and the reverse transcription-PCR. Using a sensitive immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies to hK2, we found that T47-D cells could be induced with androgens, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and progestins to produce significantly more hK2 than PSA. Estrogens failed to mimic the effect of the other steroids, blocking instead the stimulatory effect of androgens. Androgen induction of hK2 in T47-D cells was dose dependent. More interestingly, we found that the hK2 in androgen-induced T47-D cell spent media appears to be the pro-form of hK2 rather than mature hK2. Our study demonstrates that hK2, a serine protease thought to be found only in prostate-related tissues and fluids, is also produced in a breast cancer cell line T47-D after steroid stimulation. This finding suggests that hK2 may have a potential role in breast cancer as well as prostatic cancer and will be the impetus for further studies of hK2 distribution and function.
Cryptographic protocols: from the abstract to the practical to the actual

We identify three levels of cryptographic research and development: Starting from the general "abstract" design level, the first layer includes much of theoretical cryptography, and general engineering principles (most present in cryptographic conferences). The second level is of designs which are contributed to systems and international standards, and include mechanisms ready to be implemented in hardware and software; we call this level "practical." Finally, the third level which we call "actual," includes fielded cryptography as external contribution to, and part of "general (hardware/ software) engineering projects," requiring cryptographic participation and supervision throughout the life cycle of the constructed system. I briefly review these three levels and their connections; (the treatment is based on personal experience and is, therefore, subjective). The position expressed here motivates the need for a scientific forum on"real life cryptographic designs and protocols," to deal with the interactions between the three levels from actual real life perspective.
Frequency of inflammatory bowel disease in offspring of couples both presenting with inflammatory bowel disease

A private practice was surveyed for prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in husband-wife partners and in their children. Among approximately 2500 patients with IBD in our files, 19 couples were identified. They were subdivided into group A (n = 5) in which both partners had symptoms of IBD before marriage; group B (n = 7) in which only one spouse had IBD before marriage and the other partner experienced symptoms afterwards; and group C (n = 7) in which neither spouse had symptoms before marriage but IBD subsequently developed in both. In group B, the disease developed in the second spouse 2-16 years after marriage (mean, 6.4 years). In group C, IBD developed in the first spouse 0.3-41 years after marriage and in the second spouse 1-14 years after the first spouse (mean, 6.8 years). Thirty-five children have been born to 16 of the couples. Two children died before age 20. Of the surviving 33 children, IBD has already developed in 12 (36%). Among the other 21 unaffected children, 1 had uveitis at age 9 and 10 are still under the age of 21, perhaps too young to have yet developed IBD. The frequency of IBD in children was slightly higher if both parents had already developed IBD at the time of conception (67%) compared with when only 1 parent (50%) or neither parent (50%) had developed IBD when conception occurred. Although these data do not distinguish genetic from environmental factors, they show a higher risk of IBD in children when both parents have this illness.
Accumulation and thermal recovery of disorder in Au2+-irradiated SrTiO3

Abstract Damage accumulation and thermal recovery processes have been investigated in single crystal SrTiO3(1 0 0) irradiated with 1.0 MeV Au2+ using in situ Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channeling geometry (RBS/C). Samples were irradiated at temperatures of 170 and 300 K with ion fluences ranging from 0.10 to 0.40 Au2+/nm2. The in situ RBS/C analysis indicates that the relative disorder shows a strong sigmoidal dependence on ion dose. After an ion fluence of 0.30 Au2+/nm2 at 170 K, the buried region at the damage peak (∼60 nm) becomes fully amorphous, which corresponds to a dose of ∼0.8 displacement per atom (dpa). For irradiation at 300 K, an ion fluence of 0.40 Au2+/nm2 (∼1.1 dpa) is necessary to achieve an amorphous state at the damage peak. An analysis of the defects dechanneling factor suggests that the irradiated regions consist mostly of interstitial atoms or amorphous clusters. In situ thermal annealing experiments were performed to study damage recovery processes up to a maximum temperature of 870 K. The thermal recovery processes occur over a broad temperature range, and the disorder created by low ion fluences, 0.10–0.27 Au2+/nm2, is almost completely recovered after annealing at 870 K.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in village indigobirds Vidua chalybeata and cross‐species amplification in estrildid and ploceid finches

We characterized 11 microsatellite primer pairs for the village indigobird Vidua chalybeata. The loci were highly polymorphic, with 7–13 alleles per locus. Gene diversity, estimated as expected heterozygosity, ranged from 0.52 to 0.86, and was generally matched by levels of observed heterozygosity (0.49–0.91). Many of these primer pairs amplified polymorphic loci in cross-species amplification trials with a variety of estrildid and ploceid finches and a sparrow, Passer griseus. These primers will be valuable for genetic analyses of the brood parasitic indigobirds and whydahs (genus Vidua) as well as other Old World finches.
RNA Helicase A Interacts with RISC in Human Cells and Functions in RISC Loading

RNA interference is a conserved pathway of sequence-specific gene silencing that depends on small guide RNAs and the action of proteins assembled in the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Minimally, the action of RISC requires the endonucleolytic slicer activity of Argonaute2 (Ago2) directed to RNA targets whose sequences are complementary to RISC-incorporated small RNA. To identify RISC components in human cells, we developed an affinity-purification strategy to isolate siRNA-programmed RISC. Here we report the identification of RNA helicase A (RHA) as a human RISC-associated factor. We show that RHA interacts in human cells with siRNA, Ago2, TRBP, and Dicer and functions in the RNAi pathway. In RHA-depleted cells, RNAi was reduced as a consequence of decreased intracellular concentration of active RISC assembled with the guide-strand RNA and Ago2. Our results identify RHA as a RISC component and demonstrate that RHA functions in RISC as an siRNA-loading factor.
The nutritional properties of co-dried fish silage in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) dry diets

Abstract Feed ingredients containing fish silage and liquefied fish made from ground, whole Pacific whiting and co-dried in a vacuum dryer with mixtures of soybean meal and feather meal to facilitate drying were prepared. An additional batch of fish silage was co-dried with the other dry ingredients in the diet formulation that was used, Abernathy diet S8-1. Fish meal, made by vacuum drying Pacific whiting, was used in the control diet. Co-dried fish meal was made by co-drying Pacific whiting with a soybean meal-feather meal mixture. Fish meal was entirely replaced by the co-dried products in the experimental diets, which were fed to rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) for 32 weeks. The best growth and food conversion values were obtained by feeding the fish meal control diet or the diet in which the fish meal was replaced with co-dried liquefied fish. No significant differences in final weights were found between trout fed diets containing co-dried fish meal or co-dried fish silage (fish products were 25% of the diet), but these fish were significantly smaller than fish fed the fish meal control or the co-dried liquefied fish diets. Reducing the fish silage to 12.5% or increasing it to 50% further reduced weight gains in the trout. Food conversion values, protein efficiency ratios, and net protein utilization values generally followed the same trends between diets as did the final weight values. Apparent digestibility coefficients for the co-dried products were lower than for the fish meal, possibly because they contained soybean meal-feather meal mixtures. Organoleptic properties of the fish were not affected by diet.
Volatility and Growth in Latin America: An Episodic Approach

This paper compares the pattern of macroeconomic volatility in 17 Latin American countries during episodes of high and low growth since 1970, examining in particular the role of policy volatility. Macroeconomic outcomes are distinguished from macroeconomic policies, structural reforms and reversals, shocks, and institutional constraints. Based on previous work, a composite measure of structural reforms is constructed for the 1970-2004 period. We find that outcomes and policies are more volatile in low growth episodes, while shocks (except U.S. interest rates) are similar across episodes. Fiscal policy volatility is associated with lower growth, but fiscal policy procyclicality is not. Low levels of market-oriented reforms and structural reform reversals are also associated with lower growth.
Ultrafast heat transport: the lagging behavior

This work focuses on the thermalization and relaxation behaviors in ultrafast heat transport, ranging from sub- nanoseconds to picoseconds. The unique phenomena in thermal lagging, including ultrafast thermalization at short times, thermal exaggeration in amorphous materials, and thermal resonance in high-frequency excitations, are first summarized to draw special attention to the thermal design for ultrafast photonic devices. Temperature jumps across the interface between dissimilar materials follow, which include additional effects of phonon scattering in the interfacial area. Parameter groups are identified to characterize the temperature jumps to avoid the delamination damage due to thermal straining.
Modeling of pure percussive drilling for autonomous robotic bridge decks rehabilitation

This paper presents a dynamic model of pure percussive drilling for autonomous robotic rehabilitation for concrete bridge decks. We first describe the autonomous mobile manipulator-based concrete drilling system for bridge deck rehabilitation. A dry friction-based pure percussive drilling model is then presented to describe the drilling process characteristics and to capture the influence of drilling conditions and parameters on the penetration rate. One attractive property of the proposed model is the physical interpretation of the crushing/chipping effects in percussive drilling process. The model and its properties are validated and demonstrated through extensive drilling experiments.
Cost-effectiveness of alternate contact protocols and costs of mammography promotion interventions for women veterans

Abstract To identify and evaluate the costs of implementing a print-based mammography promotion intervention and the cost-effectiveness of four alternative protocols for contacting the target population and obtaining a response to the baseline survey. Data are from a random sample of 8446 individuals from the National Registry of Women Veterans (NRWV). Models are developed to estimate the societal costs and the local site costs for a targeted intervention and a more intensive tailored intervention. Costs (in 2001 US dollars), are estimated for each stage of the contact protocol, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios assess the efficiency of each additional step in making contact with the target population and in completion of the baseline survey. Participants' assignments to the site cost models are dependant on responses to earlier attempts to contact them. The societal cost of implementing the intervention is $54 per participant for the tailored program and $47 per participant for the targeted program. The local site cost ranges from $25 to 38 per participant for the tailored intervention and $18–31 per participant for the targeted intervention. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios range from $18 to 29 when effect is defined as contact and range from $59 to 183 when effect is defined as survey completion. A print-based mammography intervention program is feasible in the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, and going beyond a two-step contact protocol is not recommended.
The Impact on Stock Returns and Liquidity for OTC Equity Issues Added to the List of Marginable OTC Stocks

This paper studies the impact of being placed on the List of Marginable Over-the-Counter (OTC) Stocks for OTC stocks that were not, at the same time, placed on the National Association of Security Dealers' Automated Quotations National Market System. As such, the study provides relatively unconfounded evidence on the effects brought about by changes in the regulatory status of these stocks. The results indicate that the event of being added to the List of Marginable OTC Stocks provides positive excess returns. The benefit appears to be greater for smaller market value stocks than for larger market value stocks. This result primarily supports a Federal Reserve endorsement effect as larger market value stocks may already have a larger investor following relative to the smaller, relatively unknown issues. This finding supports results from other studies, dealing with listing on exchanges—that all stocks do not benefit to the same degree from such an event. Finally, stock liquidity, as measured both by average relative turnover and average relative bid-ask spread, does not appear to be significantly affected based on a comparison of 60-day trading periods before and after the placement of the stocks on the marginability list. Thus, it appears that the Federal Reserve does not induce speculative activity in these stocks.
Recent Advances in Biopolymers and Biopolymer-Based Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Materials

Plastic packaging for food and non-food applications is non-biodegradable, and also uses up valuable and scarce non-renewable resources like petroleum. With the current focus on exploring alternatives to petroleum and emphasis on reduced environmental impact, research is increasingly being directed at development of biodegradable food packaging from biopolymer-based materials. The proposed paper will present a review of recent developments in biopolymer-based food packaging materials including natural biopolymers (such as starches and proteins), synthetic biopolymers (such as poly lactic acid), biopolymer blends, and nanocomposites based on natural and synthetic biopolymers. The paper will discuss the various techniques that have been used for developing cost-effective biodegradable packaging materials with optimum mechanical strength and oxygen and moisture barrier properties. This is a timely review as there has been a recent renewed interest in research studies, both in the industry and academia, towards development of a new generation of biopolymer-based food packaging materials with possible applications in other areas.
Influence of medicolegal factors in the use of cervical spine and head computed tomographic examinations in an emergency setting

Estimates suggest that defensive medicine, including radiologic studies, costs Americans more than $21 billion annually. As a result of our prior evaluation of 13,228 emergency department patients, we already knew that cervical spine and head computed tomographic examinations were the third and fourth most commonly ordered studies in our emergency department. The emergency medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, surgery, and internal medicine physicians at The Ohio State University agreed to cooperate in a study to determine the factors that influence the decision to order these examinations. Overall, 26 (28%) of the physicians surveyed had personal experience in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Attending physicians in all groups were more concerned about potential medicolegal consequences, compared to residents and fellows (P=0.055) when ordering cervical spine examinations. This coincides with the finding that attending physicians were more likely to have been sued (P<0.001). Emergency medicine physicians were more likely to order one of these examinations if the patient had demanded or requested it (P<0.001) and were more likely to weight physical examination findings more heavily (P=0.007) when compared to other physician groups. Finally, all physician groups combined suggested that approximately 33% of all cervical spine and 39% of all head computed tomographic examinations could be avoided if there were no worries about medicolegal consequences.
Multi-rate ILBC using the DCT

While the Internet Low Bit-rate Codec (iLBC) has the advantage of high robustness to packet loss, the capability of multiple-rate coding which is an essential property for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications is missing. The variation of the iLBC encoding procedure which yielded rate-flexible result was presented. However, the method used in the encoding procedure was based on an Analysis-by-Synthesis approach to search and quantize the Muti-Pulse (MP)-based start state. Thus, the computational requirements are intensive to implement their framework. In this paper, a different approach for encoding the start state based on utilizing the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) is presented. The results show that the new approach can achieve the slightly better performance than the MP-based method without requiring any more computational power.
Ig-transgenic mice as models for studying the regulation and role of anti-DNA antibodies in murine lupus

Mice transgenic for immunoglobulin genes encoding anti-DNA antibodies provide a model for studying the role and regulation of these autoantibodies in lupus nephritis. In transgenic mice, many B cells express transgene-encoded antibodies. This facilitates analysis of the fate of autoreactive B cells in different genetic backgrounds. The outcome of B-cell tolerance versus autoimmunity may depend in part on surface expression of the transgene-encoded autoreactive antibodies. Transgenic mice established in normal mouse backgrounds expressing a pathogenic IgG2a anti-DNA antibody mainly in secreted form develop nephritis. In contrast, transgenic mice expressing either IgM or IgG2b anti-DNA antibodies at high levels on the B-cell surface in normal backgrounds develop B-cell tolerance. The transgenic B cells of these tolerant mice are either deleted or rendered anergic. When tolerant B cells are introduced into autoimmune backgrounds, defective B-cell tolerance develops. Understanding how the normal immune system downregulates autoreactive B-cell clones might elucidate immunoregulatory defects in autoimmune individuals.
Nuclear progestin receptor in the chimpanzee sex skin

We describe for the first time the presence of a nuclear progestin receptor in the sex skin of the chimpanzee, which is possibly involved in the anti-estrogen action of progestins in the sexual swelling.
Airway management for the uninitiated.

The 21 st century has witnessed burgeoning interest in airway management. Pertinent basic sciences are covered in numerous texts and lectures. This article presents clinical information required to perform airway management. It serves as a primer for those interested in learning airway management skills. It does not replace extensive practice under the tutelage of expert airway managers.
Energy and national income in Korea: further evidence on the role of omitted variables

Abstract Results of this paper indicate that the real oil price is a major determinant of real national income and energy consumption. The combined effects of real money and real government expenditure on real income and energy consumption are also substantial. A lack of causality or the causality between energy and real income in prior studies is due to the omitted variables. Results also confirm that the two oil price shocks combined adversely affected real national income.