cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medium-vessel vasculitis presenting as multiple leg ulcers after treatment with abatacept.

Abatacept (Orencia) is a recombinant fusion protein of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen-4 and human immunoglobulin that inhibits T-cell activation and proliferation by binding to CD80 and CD86 on antigen-presenting cells and prevents binding to CD28 on T cells.1 The drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat adult rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and, more recently, psoriatic arthritis. Reported cutaneous reactions after treatment with abatacept, including rheumatoid vasculitis, cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa localized to the infusion site, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema elevatum diutinum, psoriasis, and Sweet syndrome, have mostly been described in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.2, 3, 4, 5 We present a patient who had small- and medium-vessel vasculitis presenting as numerous lower leg ulcers after treatment with abatacept for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Effect of Unilateral Endothelial Keratoplasty on Vision-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes in the Descemet Endothelial Thickness Comparison Trial (DETECT): A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Vision-related quality of life can be a valuable outcome for some interventions in ophthalmology. In the primary Descemet Endothelial Thickness Comparison Trial (DETECT), Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) had superior postoperative visual acuity compared with ultrathin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (UT-DSAEK). It is of interest to determine whether this trend extends to quality of life. Objective To determine the effect of UT-DSAEK and DMEK on vision-related quality of life. Design, Setting, and Participants A prespecified secondary analysis of a 2-surgeon patient- and outcome-masked randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, and Byers Eye Institute in Palo Alto, California. The study was conducted between January 20, 2015, and April 26, 2017. DETECT enrolled 38 individuals and included 50 eyes with isolated endothelial dysfunction; for this analysis, the second eye from a single participant was excluded along with any questionnaires in the first eye after second eye surgery for evaluation of 38 eyes at baseline and 3 months and 26 eyes at 12 months. Mean (SD) baseline visual acuity was 0.35 (0.31) logMAR in the DMEK arm and 0.28 (0.22) logMAR in the UT-DSAEK arm. Each arm consisted of 19 participants: 18 individuals with Fuchs dystrophy and 1 participant with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Interventions Study eyes were randomized to receive either UT-DSAEK or DMEK. Main Outcomes and Measures Responses to the National Eye Institute (NEI) Visual Function Questionnaire-39 (VFQ-39) administered at baseline and 3 and 12 months postoperatively were analyzed using the NEI-defined traditional subscales and composite score on a 100-point scale and with a Rasch-refined analysis. Results There were more women in both arms of the study (UT-DSAEK, 12 [63%]; DMEK, 11 [58%]); mean (SD) age was 68 (11) years in the UT-DSAEK arm and 68 (4) years in the DMEK arm. Overall, study participants experienced a 9.1-point improvement in NEI VFQ-39 composite score at 3 months compared with baseline (N = 38; 95% CI, 4.9-13.3;P Conclusions and Relevance Improvement in vision-related quality of life was not shown to be greater with DMEK compared with UT-DSAEK. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT02373137
Early Intervention in Rural Natural Environments: Making the Most of Your Time:

Early interventionists in rural settings face many barriers as they seek to provide effective services in natural environments for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. This pa...
Association of implicit intensity values incorporated into work RVUs with objective measures

Abstract Background The “intensity” of a surgical procedure is supposed to be incorporated into work RVUs to allow higher compensation rates for more complex procedures. However, updates to work RVUs are subjective and it is unclear if these intensity values correlate to objective measures of a procedure’s complexity. Methods Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data were used to calculate intraservice intensity values for CPT codes in 2017 (“CMS intensity values”). Twenty-six objective measures– spanning patient, case, and risk characteristics - were generated using the 2017 participant use file from NSQIP. CMS intensity values were compared to objective measures using scatterplots and correlations. Results Among 473 CPT codes, CMS intensity values ranged from 0.0031 to 0.142 work RVUs/minute. CMS intensity values were positively associated with 3 objective measures, negatively associated with 5 measures, and not associated with the remaining 18 measures. Conclusions Despite intensity values – and therefore compensation rates - varying over 40-fold in the wRVU scale, there was generally no association between their magnitude and objective measures of surgical intensity.
Compact Filters for Fast Online Data Partitioning

We are approaching a point in time when it will be infeasible to catalog and query data after it has been generated. This trend has fueled research on in-situ data processing (i.e. operating on data as it is streamed to storage). One important example of this approach is in-situ data indexing. Prior work has shown the feasibility of indexing at scale as a two-step process. First, one partitions data by key across the CPU cores of a parallel job. Then each core indexes its subset as data is persisted. Online partitioning requires transferring data over the network so that it can be indexed and stored by the core responsible for the data. This approach is becoming increasingly costly as new computing platforms emphasize parallelism instead of individual core performance that is crucial for communication libraries and systems software in general. In addition to indexing, scalable online data partitioning is also useful in other contexts such as load balancing and efficient compression.We present FilterKV, an efficient data management scheme for fast online data partitioning of key-value (KV) pairs. FilterKV reduces the total amount of data sent over the network and to storage. We achieve this by: (a) partitioning pointers to KV pairs instead of the KV pairs themselves and (b) using a compact format to represent and store KV pointers. Results from LANL show that FilterKV can reduce total write slowdown (including partitioning overhead) by up to 3x across 4096 CPU cores.
The effects of population and housing density in urban areas on income in the United States

Cities in the United States have become increasingly less dense either from sprawl from rapid development or vacancy due to decline. The benefits and costs of urban density have been a topic of res...
Self-Regulation Failures in the Field: Investigating Spillovers from Morning Exercise to Food Choice

Choice spillovers across behavioral domains are important for market- ing, as they suggest that interventions in one choice domain may have far-reaching, and countervailing influences, in other domains. Using a novel dataset drawn from a university population, we study individual- level exercise behavior and food choices over the course of a year, and identify one such choice spillover. Specifically, we find that exercise per- formed before lunch is systematically correlated with a less healthy lunch choice: a behavior consistent with self-regulation failure. However, this effect is asymmetric, as a healthier lunch does not appear to have negative spillovers on exercise, instead increasing the probability of gym use later in the day. Survey evidence offers support of a self-licensing mechanism, while substantial timelags between gym use and meals cast doubt on a purely biological mechanism driving our results. We present a theoretical framework, based on reference-dependent preferences, which explain our main empirical findings.
Host surface ectonucleotidase-CD73 and the opportunistic pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, cross-modulation underlies a new homeostatic mechanism for chronic bacterial survival in human epithelial cells.

Cell surface nucleotide-metabolizing enzyme, ectonucleotidase-CD73, has emerged as a central component of the cellular homeostatic-machinery that counterbalances the danger-molecule (extracellular-...
The Hate Crime Project and Its Limitations: Evaluating the Societal Gains and Risk in Bias Crime Law Enforcement

The Hate Crimes Project in the United States, the expanded use of criminal legislation creating enhanced punishment for bias-motivated crimes, is now over twenty-five years old. Today, virtually every state expressly criminalizes bias crimes. Over this quarter century, states have employed different forms of bias crime laws, some focusing on the animus exhibited by the perpetrator of a crime against a member (actual or perceived) of a racial, ethnic, religious, or other included Group, others focusing on the perpetrator's discriminatory selection of his or her victim. Now is therefore a propitious time to begin to evaluate the societal gains and risks associated with bias crime, law enforcement. This paper sets out a framework from which to understand bias crime law, and then considers and addresses many of the issues raised by opponents of the bias crime program. The paper considers four issues in particular. First, opponents have argued that the enhanced punishment of bias crime calls greater attention to racial and ethnic differences in society, therefore exacerbating, not helping, social divisions. Second, those opposed to expanded prosecution for bias-motivated crimes have argued that the bias crime enforcement unconstitutionally, or in any event unwisely, punishes thought and expression, not criminal acts. Third, bias crimes opponents have argued that the potential for selective enforcement of bias crime statutes exists, harming the most disadvantaged members of society and ironically those whom bias crime laws are intended to help. Fourth, opponents question one of the prime justifications for the enhanced punishment of bias crimes - that these crimes cause a greater harm than similar crime without bias motivation - claiming that the bias motivation of the perpetrator per se is not the cause of the harm. Bias crimes per se, the argument goes, should not receive enhanced punishment, rather only crimes, any crimes, that cause these great harms. Finally, the paper offers some observations as to the most general challenge that may be asserted against bias crimes laws: the argument that these laws don't work, that is, that these laws do not prevent or even appreciably reduce levels of bias in society, or even levels of bias crimes. The paper argues that in some ways there is no real answer to this question of whether bias crime laws work but I further argue, in the classic words of the late Alexander Bickel, that no answer is what the wrong question begets. Instead of asking questions about reduction of certain types of crime or ever more so, certain types of social attitudes, we do better to ask whether bias crime laws punish that which society rightly condemns. Taking that path, we are led toward the implications of using bias crime law as a window into a society's self-perception as a multi-cultural society. The extent to which this will end bigotry in society will inevitably be an inquiry that is more aspirational than empirical.
Deep neural network models of sound localization reveal how perception is adapted to real-world environments

Mammals localize sounds using information from their two ears. Localization in real-world conditions is challenging, as echoes provide erroneous information, and noises mask parts of target sounds. To better understand real-world localization we equipped a deep neural network with human ears and trained it to localize sounds in a virtual environment. The resulting model localized accurately in realistic conditions with noise and reverberation, outperforming alternative systems that lacked human ears. In simulated experiments, the network exhibited many features of human spatial hearing: sensitivity to monaural spectral cues and interaural time and level differences, integration across frequency, and biases for sound onsets. But when trained in unnatural environments without either reverberation, noise, or natural sounds, these performance characteristics deviated from those of humans. The results show how biological hearing is adapted to the challenges of real-world environments and illustrate how artificial neural networks can extend traditional ideal observer models to real-world domains.
Military Chaplains and Intimate Partner Violence: Ethical Dilemmas in the Armed Forces

Chaplains in the military attend to the spiritual and emotional needs of military personnel, their families, and civilians. As chaplains encounter intimate partner violence (IPV) they are faced wit...
Heterogeneity of treatment effect in SPRINT by age and baseline comorbidities: The greatest impact of intensive blood pressure treatment is observed among younger patients without CKD or CVD and in older patients with CKD or CVD.

The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), a large randomized controlled trial funded by the National Institutes of Health, randomized 9361 patients with hypertension over 50 years of age and at least one cardiovascular risk factor to intensive (SBP < 120 mm Hg) or standard (SBP < 140 mm Hg) blood pressure treatment. The trial found a significant reduction in primary cardiovascular and mortality outcomes in the intensive treatment group. We performed an IRB-approved post hoc analysis of the SPRINT trial data, recently made available through the NEJM SPRINT Data Analysis Challenge. Our subgroup analysis stratified subjects by age (≥75 years vs. <75 years) and presence or absence of pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or cardiovascular disease (CVD). We found that intensive blood pressure control was associated with a significantly lower rate of the primary CVD outcome and all-cause mortality in subjects age <75 years with no prior CVD or CKD and in subjects age ≥75 years with pre-existing CVD or CKD.
Prognostic Significance of Pain in Parotid Gland Malignancy.

Objectives/hypothesis To better understand the significance of pain as a predictor of disease severity in parotid gland malignancy. Study design A retrospective chart review of patients treated for primary parotid gland malignancy at our institution between 1991 and 2020 was performed. Methods Patient records were retrospectively reviewed and relevant clinical parameters were collected. Patients were stratified into low stage (I and II) disease and high stage (III and IV) disease groups to analyze the independent effect of pain at initial presentation on disease recurrence rate and disease-free survival using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and an independent two-sample t-test. Results Of 154 patients evaluated, there were 69 patients in the low stage group and 80 patients in the high stage group. Thirty-seven high stage patients presented with pain. High stage patients with pain were significantly more likely to develop disease recurrence than high stage patients without pain (58.5% [22/37] versus 33.3% [13/39], P = .022). High stage patients with pain also had significantly decreased disease-free survival time compared to high stage patients without pain (P = .027). Conclusion Pain on presentation appears to be a poor prognostic factor for patients with parotid gland malignancy. For patients with demonstrated high stage disease, pain is independently associated with increased risk of recurrence and decreased disease-free survival time. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1503-1508, 2021.
Evolution of the self-injection process in long wavelength infrared laser driven LWFA

Long wavelength infrared laser-driven plasma wakefield accelerators are investigated here in the self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration (SM-LWFA) and blowout regimes using 3D particle-in-cell simulations. The simulation results show that in the SM-LWFA regime, self-injection arises with wave breaking, whereas in the blowout regime, self-injection is not observed under the simulation conditions. The wave breaking process in the SM-LWFA regime occurs at a field strength that is significantly below the 1D wave-breaking threshold. This process intensifies at higher laser power and plasma density and is suppressed at low plasma densities ( ≤ 1 × 10 17 cm − 3 here). The produced electrons show spatial modulations with a period matching that of the laser wavelength, which is a clear signature of direct laser acceleration.
Strategic options in the context of the international data services debate

Cet article etudie les moyens d'acquerir les sources d'information a l'echelon international et de maintenir un environnement ouvert pour le flux transfrontiere des donnees. Differentes politiques nationales d'information sont comparees
From malaria elimination to post-elimination: a 10-year surveillance data study in Shanghai.

The aim of this study was to investigate and analyse the characteristics of malaria in Shanghai from 2010 to 2019 and to provide suggestions for areas with a similar elimination process in China in order to prompt development of strategies and interventions in the post-elimination stage. This was a cross-sectional study exploring the malaria characteristics during 2010–2019 in Shanghai, China. Malaria data from the Infectious Diseases Information Reporting Management System (IDIRMS) between 2010 and 2012 and data from the Parasitic Diseases Information Reporting Management System (PDIRMS) between 2013 and 2019 were combined for analysis in this study. From 2010 to 2019, a total of 436 malaria cases were reported in Shanghai. Among them, 415 (95.18%) were imported from abroad, 19 (4.36%) were domestically acquired from other provinces, 1 (0.23%) case was caused by blood transfusion, and 1 (0.23%) had a long incubation. Only Plasmodium vivax was found in domestically indigenous cases; Plasmodium falciparum accounted for the largest proportion of imported cases. Domestically acquired cases were only reported in 2010–2011 and 88% occurred in June to September; no significant seasonal difference was observed for imported cases over the 10 years. No local transmission has occurred in Shanghai since 2012. The median interval from fever onset to diagnosis was 3 days. Between 2010 and 2019, among 308 foci, 33 were classified as potential transmission and dispersed in suburb areas (Minhang, Baoshan, Jiading, Pudong, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian, and Chongming). Only Anopheles sinensis was present and the proportion of Anopheles sinensis in different species of mosquitoes under surveillance in Shanghai decreased from 2011 to 2019. Shanghai faces the challenge of malaria re-establishment caused by imported malaria in the post-elimination stage. Therefore, risk investigation and assessment should be carried out, and receptivity and susceptibility should be assessed for every point of focus. Training should be continued to strengthen facility staff capability, and multisectoral coordination and cooperation need to be conducted efficiently to maintain malaria elimination in Shanghai.
Editors' Introduction: A Decade of Open Access in Cultural Studies

This issue marks the tenth year of publishing Lateral. We reflect here on this milestone and highlight work in the current issue, including a new forum on Cultural Constructions of Race and Racism in the Middle East and North Africa / Southwest Asia and North Africa (MENA/SWANA) and a special section on Cripistemologies of Crisis: Emergent Knowledges for the Present. We discuss several of these pieces in relationship to ongoing violence in Israel and attacks in the United States against "critical race theory" and conclude with calls for open access scholarship.
Platforms for Edge Computing and Internet of Things applications: A survey

The Internet of Things fosters an emerging class of analytics that connects sensors, vehicles, industries, and consumers through the internet to enable scientific and industrial applications. These services require a large computing capacity to perform well, while often being under the constraints to move data from the edge of the network to the cloud. Also, they require system support to program reactions that occur at runtime, especially when the target infrastructure capacities and capabilities are unknown during the design. The core of this survey is a comprehensive review of existing components for Edge Computing and Internet of Things applications. In recent years, the landscape of the edge middleware platforms has grown exponentially with more than a hundred available solutions in academia and industry. Such platforms are required to provide necessary components for sensor registration, resource discovery, workflow composition, and data processing. In this regard, we surveyed existing solutions through the lens of a simplified three-layer architecture for the design of edge-based middleware, along with design goals for each of the proposed layers. The paper concludes with some open challenges and possible future research directions.
Picture Charades: A Health Teaching Device

(1983). Picture Charades: A Health Teaching Device. Health Education: Vol. 14, No. 7, pp. 45-47.
Simulation design for learning and assessment

In previous work in this series, Ebner and Druckman have analyzed the widely assumed (but surprisingly unproven) benefits of role-plays, and concluded that students learn more from designing role-plays than from playing them out. Now, they take the logical next step — explicit assessment of students’ performance in simulation design. Ebner and Druckman have found it both valuable and practical to assess the concepts that students weave into the simulation instructions, the relationships constructed between them, the way the simulation design provides opportunities for integrative or distributive behavior, and the way it encourages particular communication behavior. While they find that "skill development" may be better demonstrated through participating in the role-plays resulting from the design exercise, assessment of the design phase itself proves particularly useful for increasing students’ understanding of negotiation concepts.
Production of Myxoma Virus Gateway Entry and Expression Libraries and Validation of Viral Protein Expression

Invitrogen's Gateway technology is a recombination-based cloning method that allows for rapid transfer of numerous open reading frames (ORFs) into multiple plasmid vectors, making it useful for diverse high-throughput applications. Gateway technology has been utilized to create an ORF library for Myxoma virus (MYXV), a member of the Poxviridae family of DNA viruses. MYXV is the prototype virus for the genus Leporipoxvirus, and is pathogenic only in European rabbits. MYXV replicates exclusively in the host cell cytoplasm, and its genome encodes 171 ORFs. A number of these ORFs encode proteins that interfere with or modulate host defense mechanisms, particularly the inflammatory responses. Furthermore, MYXV is able to productively infect a variety of human cancer cell lines and is being developed as an oncolytic virus for treating human cancers. MYXV is therefore an excellent model for studying poxvirus biology, pathogenesis, and host tropism, and a good candidate for ORFeome development.
Circulatory responses to systemic infusions of estrone and estradiol-17α in nonpregnant, oophorectomized ewes

Abstract Uterine arterial blood flow dose-response curves to systemic infusions of either estrone (E 1 ) or estradiol-17α (E 2α ) were determined in ten oophorectomized, nonpregnant ewes. Maximum uterine blood flow occurred with 5 μg per kilogram of E 1 and ≥ 20 μg per kilogram of E 2α . Total uterine blood flow measured with isotope-labeled microspheres rose more than tenfold following 30 μg per kilogram of either estrogen, as did blood flow to the myometrium, endometrium, and uterine caruncles (p 1 and E 2α , while mammary gland blood flow rose 54 and 77 per cent. Significant increases in adrenal and thyroid blood flows were documented. The only significant decrease in blood flow occurred in the pancreas (− 13 per cent; p 2α infusion. At the dose studied, E 1 and E 2α are potent vasodilators of reproductive tissues, especially the cervix and vagina. As they appear to be the major estrogens during ovine pregnancy, it is likely they participate in the preparation of these tissues for parturition.
Oral Narrative Skills: Implications for the Reading Development of African American Children

Abstract— This article reviews research concerning an area of strength for African American children: oral narrative skills. The article discusses the historical and cultural factors that have contributed to the rich tradition of oral narratives among African Americans and the implications of oral narrative skills for reading development. Although early research suggested that African American children have a limited narrative style, more recent research shows that, in fact, they can produce a range of narrative styles using sophisticated discourse techniques. Recent research also provides evidence that, compared to European American children, African American children produce narratives of higher quality and have greater narrative comprehension. The article discusses the implications of this research for education and offers directions for future research.
Genetic enhancement of learning and memory in mice

Hebb's rule (1949) states that learning and memory are based on modifications of synaptic strength among neurons that are simultaneously active. This implies that enhanced synaptic coincidence detection would lead to better learning and memory. If the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor, a synaptic coincidence detector, acts as a graded switch for memory formation, enhanced signal detection by NMDA receptors should enhance learning and memory. Here we show that overexpression of NMDA receptor 2B (NR2B) in the forebrains of transgenic mice leads to enhanced activation of NMDA receptors, facilitating synaptic potentiation in response to stimulation at 10-100 Hz. These mice exhibit superior ability in learning and memory in various behavioural tasks, showing that NR2B is critical in gating the age-dependent threshold for plasticity and memory formation. NMDA-receptor-dependent modifications of synaptic efficacy, therefore, represent a unifying mechanism for associative learning and memory. Our results suggest that genetic enhancement of mental and cognitive attributes such as intelligence and memory in mammals is feasible.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease surveillance: Potential usefulness of the Texas behavioral risk factor survey surveillance system

Background: Public health surveillance of COPD has traditionally focused on risk factors and measures of disease occurrence, but these measures are insufficient to monitor effectiveness of disease control strategies. Objectives: The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the potential usefulness of a population-based telephone surveillance system for monitoring patient-reported outcomes among patients with COPD. Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a state-based system of telephone surveys. In 2009, the Texas BRFSS included a question about physician-diagnosed COPD and self-rated health status. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of self-reported COPD, fair/poor health status, and the influence of lifestyle factors, health care access, and co-morbid conditions. Adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Adults with COPD reported significantly worse health status compared to adults without COPD (fair/poor: 49.1% vs. 13.7%, p<0.001). In multivariate analyses lifestyle and health care access factors significantly (p<0.05) associated with fair/poor health status included: current smoker (PR=2.9), former smoker (PR=2.0), physical inactivity (PR=3.0), having a personal doctor (PR=4.8), inability to see a doctor due to costs (PR=3.6), and pneumonia shot (PR=6.1). Co-morbid conditions significantly (p<0.05) associated with fair/poor health status were: obesity (PR=3.5), asthma (PR=1.7), cardiovascular disease (PR=3.2), and cancer (PR=1.7). Conclusion: These results suggest that the BRFSS may be useful at the population-level for surveillance of COPD.
The Engineering Foundations Program-a new program for minority students in engineering at Cornell

The principle behind the Engineering Foundations Program (established in 1988) is that some minority applicants in the pool of apparently underprepared students (relative to the typical profile of Cornell engineering students) should be given an opportunity to learn at a slower pace and have an opportunity to take preparatory courses if necessary. At the same time, they should be assisted in developing social and cultural skills necessary to succeed in the professional world. The resulting program stretches the first two years of the normal engineering curriculum into three; special preparatory courses have also been organized to fit this schedule. Concurrently, special nonacademic activities are conducted to help develop in the students the noncognitive skills generally necessary for higher academic achievement. The authors describe the courses created for the students enrolled in this program, review the administrative support for the program, and summarize the first year's performance of the first group of students to be enrolled in it. >
Correct intranuclear localization of herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase requires the viral ICP8 DNA-binding protein.

Abstract We used indirect immunofluorescence to examine the factors determining the intranuclear location of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA polymerase (Pol) in infected cells. In the absence of viral DNA replication, HSV Pol colocalized with the HSV DNA-binding protein ICP8 in nuclear framework-associated structures called prereplicative sites. In the presence of viral DNA replication, HSV Pol colocalized with ICP8 in globular intranuclear structures called replication compartments. In cells infected with mutant viruses encoding defective ICP8 molecules, Pol localized within the cell nucleus but showed a general diffuse intranuclear distribution. In uninfected cells transfected with a plasmid expressing Pol, Pol similarly showed a diffuse intranuclear distribution. Therefore, Pol can localize to the cell nucleus without other viral proteins, but functional ICP8 is required for Pol to localize to prereplicative sites. In cells infected with mutant viruses encoding defective Pol molecules, ICP8 localized to prereplicative sites. Thus, Pol or the portions of Pol not expressed by the mutant viruses are not essential for the formation of prereplicative sites or the localization of ICP8 to these structures. These results demonstrate that a specific nuclear protein can influence the intranuclear location of another nuclear protein.
Chemical, physical and sensory characterization of watermelon rind pickles

This study evaluated seven existing watermelon rind pickle formulations (representing various soaking pretreatments including lime, brine and water) for their chemical, physical, sensory properties, safety, and suitability for industrial production. Titratable acidity (P = 0.0094), pH (P = 0.0042), color (P = 0.0153) and texture (P = 0.0373) were significantly different among various formulations; whereas, viscosity (P = 0.6603), total solids (P = 0.1175), and moisture (P = 0.2519) were not. Sensory data using a mixed gender consumer panel (n = 300, age range 18–65) indicated that overall, consumers preferred lime-soaked samples over brine or water pretreatments. Correlation existed between texture and crunchiness rating (r = 0.80). In addition, older consumers rated overall preference of watermelon rind pickles higher than younger adults (P = 0.0001). Six out of seven formulations used in this study are considered safe for industrial production with current processing times and temperatures (with pH below 4.0); however, one formulation with a final pH nearing 4.6 is considered not safe for current processing conditions.
Saline Infusion Sonohysterosalpingography, an Underutilized Technique

Summary: Saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) is an important gynaecological diagnostic tool which is little used in Australia. We herein report the findings in 60 women referred for SIS, the procedure being uneventfully performed in 55. Forty-nine of the 60 referrals were for investigation of abnormal uterine bleeding. The technique described allows examination of the uterine cavity and the Fallopian tubes. In 26 of the patients information was obtained which improved or altered the diagnosis made on B mode and colour Doppler ultrasound. Unlike hysteroscopy, SIS is always performed as an outpatient procedure, appropriate disinfection procedures are relatively simple to implement (1), and vasovagal reactions are rare. Hysteroscopy was avoided in 11 patients, there were other benefits in 4 patients, and in only 1 of 16 patients did the hysteroscopy findings differ with SIS. If diagnostic pitfalls are avoided by careful attention to detail, SIS offers a powerful new gynaecological investigative tool in the investigation of bleeding disorders (including menorrhagia, intermenstrual and postmenopausal bleeding), uncertain endometrial Findings on vaginal ultrasound, infertility, and in the investigation of congenital and acquired uterine abnormalities.
KNaNbO3-LiTaO3-LiSbO3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition

oriented epitaxial thin films of (K,Na)NbO3-LiTaO3-LiSbO3 (KNN-LT-LS) were grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition on single crystal SrTiO3 (STO) substrates, which were coated with 200 nm SrRuO3. Experimental data based on X-ray phase analysis and elemental analysis by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy indicated that deposition under 300 mTorr oxygen partial pressure, and 1.3 J/cm2 laser fluence were found to be the optimum condition to obtain single phase epitaxial film growth. Furthermore, nanostructural analysis by field emission SEM of films, grown to 400nm thickness at 600?750°C indicated a gradual transition from (001) textured columnar grains to a dense and crack free film. Using XRD ? scans, these films were found to be epitaxial with a cube-on-cube relationship with substrate. Dielectric measurements (1 kHz-1 MHz) at room temperature have revealed that the dielectric constant (K) and loss tangent (tan?) decreased with increasing deposition temperature. Hysteresis loop measurements on 350 nm films showed saturation and spontaneous polarizations of 7.1 and 4 ?C/cm2; respectively.
Lithium bis-(2-methyl-lactato)borate monohydrate.

The title compound {systematic name: poly[[aqua­lithium]-μ-3,3,8,8-tetra­methyl-1,4,6,9-tetra­oxa-5λ4-borataspiro­[4.4]nonane-2,7-dione]}, [Li(C8H12BO6)(H2O)]n (LiBMLB), forms a 12-membered macrocycle, which lies across a crystallographic inversion center. The lithium cations are pseudo-tetra­hedrally coordinated by three methyl­lactate ligands and a water mol­ecule. The asymmetric units couple across crystallographic inversion centers, forming the 12-membered macrocycles. These macrocycles, in turn, cross-link through the Li+ cations, forming an infinite polymeric structure in two dimensions parallel to (101).
Shaw-like potassium currents in the auditory rhombencephalon throughout embryogenesis.

The Shaw subfamily of potassium channel genes, including Kv3.1, are highly expressed within the auditory nuclei of the brainstem, where they have been implicated in the characteristic response properties of particular types of neurons. Potassium currents carried by Kv3.1 are voltage-dependent, have a high activation threshold, are slow to inactivate, and are very sensitive to 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and tetraethylammonium (TEA). We have investigated the developmental appearance of potassium currents in cell cultures from nucleus magnocellularis and its precursor neuroblasts from the acoustico-vestibular anlage of the chicken. Whole-cell patch recordings revealed that high-threshold, sustained, outward currents were present in 91% of neuroblasts. These currents displayed high sensitivities to TEA and 4-AP. The remaining 9% of neuroblasts exhibited only transient outward currents. Most cells (74%) had both a sustained and an initial transient component of outward current. These current types were observed throughout embryogenesis, beginning with the earliest ages (embryonic day [E]2). During proliferation and migration, and early neuronal differentiation, current levels were low; they incremented gradually during the time when the first synapses occur on dendrites and increased 2- to 3-fold just before hatching, when axosomatic synapses form. These findings suggest that the Shaw subfamily of channels in nucleus magnocellularis may be involved in early neuronal development, as well as in synaptic function later on.
Radar Frequency Assignment

An automated procedure has been developed for use in radar frequency assignment problems. This procedure is based upon the area denial concept. This technique recognizes the fact that receivers, as well as transmitters, deny spectrum space to additional systems being introduced into a given environment. An explanation of the radar frequency assignment procedure is presented, and an example problem is illustrated.
Associations of perfluorinated chemical serum concentrations and biomarkers of liver function and uric acid in the US population (NHANES), 2007–2010

Background Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are a group of manmade compounds that are not broken down in the body. Four PFCs (PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA) have been found in the blood of more than 98% of the United States population. Objectives Our goal was to assess associations between PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA and uric acid, alanine transferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), asparate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphate (ALP), and total bilirubin in 2007–2008 and 2009–2010 combined National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods We used multivariate linear regression and logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity and BMI group, poverty, smoking, and/or alcohol consumption to estimate associations. Trend analysis was performed. Results PFHxS was associated with ALT. Each quartile of PFOS was statistically associated with total bilirubin [(Q2: OR=1.44, 95% CI 1.12–1.84), (Q3: OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.25–2.18), and (Q4: OR=1.51, 95% CI 1.06–2.15)], with evidence of an increasing trend (p-value=0.028). PFOA was associated with uric acid, ALT, GGT, and total bilirubin. PFNA was linearly associated with ALT (p-value <0.001), and there was statistically significant increasing trend (p-value=0.042). Conclusions Our analysis found evidence of associations of biomarkers of liver function and uric acid with PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA at levels found in the general U.S. population.
Characterization and regional distribution of strychnine-insensitive [3H]glycine binding sites in rat brain by quantitative receptor autoradiography

Recent evidence suggests that a strychnine-insensitive glycine modulatory site is associated with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-channel complex. A quantitative autoradiographic method was used to characterize the pharmacological specificity and anatomical distribution of strychnine-insensitive (iH)glycine binding sites in rat brain. ('H)Glycine binding was specific, saturable, reversible, pH and temperature-sensitive and of high affinity. ('H)Glycine interacted with a single population of sites having a KD of approximately 200 nM and a maximum density of 6.2 pmol/mg protein (stratum radiatum, CAI). Binding exhibited a pharmacological profile similar to the physiologically defined strychnine-insensitive glycine modulatory site. Binding was stereoselective; the rank order of potency of simple amino acids as displacers of binding was: glycine > D-serine > D-alanine > L-serine > L-alanine > L-valine > D-Vahe. Binding was not altered by the inhibitory glycine receptor ligand, strychnine, by the glutamate agonists, quisqualate and kainate, or by GABA receptor selective ligands. Most competitive agonists or antagonists of the N-methyl-u-aspartate recognition site were ineffective displacers of glycine binding. The exceptions were the aminophosphono series of antagonists, D-alpha-aminoadipate, gamma-D-glutamylglycine and beta-D-aspartylaminomethylphosphonic acid. However, the inhibition of ('Hlglycine binding produced by the aminophosphono compounds could be accounted for by the level of glycine contamination present in these compounds. The non-competitive NMDA receptorxhannel blockers, phencyclidine, its thienyl derivative, and MK-801 did not alter glycine binding. Kynurenate, glycine methylester, L-serine-O- sulfate, L-homocysteic acid, and several glycine-containing dipeptides were effective displacers of glycine binding. Structureeactivity relations of agonists and antagonists of the strychnine-insensitive glycine binding site are discussed. The distribution of strychnine-insensitive ('Hlglycine binding was heterogeneous with the following rank order of binding densities: hippocampus > cerebral cortex z caudate-putamen > thalamus > cerebellum > brain stem. This distribution of binding was correlated with N-methyl-D-aspartate-sensitive ('HIglutamate binding (r' = 0.77; P < 0.001; Pearson product-moment) and ('H)thienylcyclohexylpiperidine binding (rZ = 0.72; P < 0.001). These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the strychnine-insensitive glycine binding site is closely associated with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor<hannel complex. These data also suggest that the stoichiometry between these binding sites is approximately I : 3 : 4 (thienylcyclohexylpiperidine : glycine:glutamate) in stratum radiatum of area CAI. However, in other brain regions, there were more glycine than glutamate binding sites suggesting that there may be heterogeneity in the N-methyl-D- aspartate receptor<hannel complex
Effects of adductor muscle stimulation on speech in abductor spasmodic dysphonia.

Objective To determine whether adductor laryngeal muscle stimulation might be a beneficial treatment alternative for abductor spasmodic dysphonia (ABSD). Study Design Baseline comparisons were made on measures of voiceless consonant and syllable duration between patients with ABSD and normal control subjects, and speech and voice production with and without muscle stimulation were compared within 10 patients with ABSD. Methods Baseline group comparisons were conducted on measures of syllable and voiceless consonant duration between the patients and the control subjects. Neuromuscular stimulation was applied to the thyroarytenoid or lateral cricoarytenoid muscles in the patients during e-tended phonation, and measures were made of fundamental frequency and sound pressure level in the stimulated and nonstimulated conditions. Voiceless consonant duration was compared with and without adductor laryngeal muscle stimulation during syllable repetitions and sentences in the patients. Results Before stimulation, the patients had increased syllable durations in comparison with control subjects (P = .003). Repeated within-patient comparisons with and without stimulation demonstrated significant (P < .008) reductions in voiceless consonant durations during syllable repetition. The more severely affected patients had the greatest reductions in voiceless consonant duration during sentence production. Conclusions Adductor muscle stimulation improved speech production in patients with ABSD, and the improvement was greatest in the most severely affected patients. Therefore adductor muscle stimulation has potential for benefiting patients with ABSD.
The effect of stoichiometry on chain segment and ion mobility in partially polymerized epoxy systems

The temperature dependence of steady-shear viscosity and ionic conductivity were measured for a series of unreacted mixtures and partially cured, ungelled samples of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) and an amine cross-linking agent, diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS). Six stoichiometric ratios of epoxide groups to amine hydrogens were examined. Free volume expressions were used to model the temperature dependence of the conductivity and viscosity for the unreacted DGEBA-DDS mixtures. In addition, these expressions were combined to successfully correlate changes in viscosity and conductivity during the DGEBA-DDS polymerization prior to gelation. It also was demonstrated that the change in weight average molecular weight during polymerization could be interpreted from the dielectric data. Through studying variations in the stoichiometry, it was possible to examine the effects of changes in chemical structure and ion concentration on the fitted parameters in the free volume models. The inherent ion transport factor (ζ0) was found to be inversely proportional to the concentration of ions in the test samples. The fractional free volume for segmental motion (B) was found to increase with an increase in the glass transition temperature and to be a function of the rigidity of the polymer. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Natural variants of human immunodeficiency virus from patients with neurological disorders do not kill T4+ Cells

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has selective T4-cell tropism and is cytocidal to cells with the helper-inducer phenotype. Central nervous system dysfunctions can complicate full-blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) but can also be present either in isolation or in the context of AIDS-related complex. Remarkably bland histopathological findings have been reported in some patients with AIDS dementia in the presence of severe clinical dysfunction. Thus, to understand the cytopathic properties of HIV, we recovered five viral isolates from 4 patients with neurological symptoms of AIDS and identified them as HIVs. The replication and cytocidal properties of these isolates were compared with lymphadenopathy-associated virus in vitro. All five isolates exhibited replication efficiency equivalent to lymphadenopathy-associated virus, but four isolates did not kill CD4 (T4+) cells. These findings provide evidence for the existence of replication-competent noncytocidal natural variants of HIV and raise the possibility that, in some AIDS patients, neurological disorders might be caused by HIV variants that are noncytocidal to T4 cells.
Gender, Masculinity, and Reproduction: Anthropological Perspectives

Recently, men’s reproductive health has become an explicit focus of population and development programs and policies. Anthropological research suggests that understanding men’s reproductive health needs and problems requires investigation of both local biological and cultural variation. Taking a biosocial perspective on human reproduction, we examine contributions from biological and cultural anthropology concerning men’s reproductive health. Biological anthropologists have demonstrated important variations in men’s reproductive physiology. Cultural anthropologists have explored intersections between masculinity and health, men’s experiences of fatherhood, and reproductive problems such as infertility. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of an anthropological perspective for future research on men’s reproductive health.
A survey of physician knowledge of drug costs

Abstract Previous studies have indicated that physicians have inadequate knowledge of drug costs. This study was designed to determine actual pharmacy prices of 12 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and physicians knowledge of these prices. Pharmacists (N = 67) in a large urban area were surveyed to determine the lowest retail price of commonly prescribed medications. Pain clinic and orthopedic physician (N = 95) were surveyed to determine their knowledge of prices for 12 NSAIDs. There was wide variation between pharmacies in the cost of medications. Eighty-one percent of physicians agreed that cost is an important factor to consider. Only 25% of physicians estimated at least one-half of the medications between the highest and lowest pharmacy price. The results of this study indicate that physicians need more information about prices of medications they prescribe.