cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Findings at cystoscopy performed for cause after prostate brachytherapy.

Objective To characterize cystoscopy findings performed for cause after prostate brachytherapy in men. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of cystoscopy reports in 2532 men treated with prostate brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer between 1990 and 2011 was performed. We investigated the relationship between relevant clinical and demographic characteristics with the development of particular cystoscopic findings in patients with hematuria or lower urinary tract symptoms. Results One hundred eighty-five of 2532 men (7.3%) underwent cystoscopy for gross or microscopic hematuria or refractory urinary symptoms at a median time of 2.7 years after implantation and were followed up for a median of 5.9 years after treatment. Most had a negative cystoscopy finding, whereas in 67 of 185 (36.2%), the findings included bladder tumors in 18 (27%), hypervascularity in 18 (27%), radiation cystitis in 13 (19.4%), inflammation in 7 (10.4%), urethral stricture in 5 (7.5%), and calculus disease in 6 (8.9%). Cystoscopic findings did not significantly differ when stratified by cystoscopy indication (P = .515). Bladder tumors were identified in similar proportions among men with gross hematuria (9.6%) and refractory urinary symptoms (10.3%, P = .840). Conclusion Cystoscopy after brachytherapy performed for cause demonstrates a relatively low incidence of benign and malignant pathologies. Detection of bladder tumors was uncommon, although equally observed among men with hematuria and urinary symptoms. Low threshold to perform cystoscopy should be considered in men with hematuria or persistent lower urinary tract symptoms after prostate brachytherapy.
Neural Organization of the Median Ocellus of the Dragonfly I. Intracellular electrical activity

Intracellular responses from receptors and postsynaptic units have been recorded in the median ocellus of the dragonfly. The receptors respond to light with a graded, depolarizing potential and a single, tetrodotoxin-sensitive impulse at "on." The postsynaptic units (ocellar nerve dendrites) hyperpolarize during illumination and show a transient, depolarizing response at "off." The light-evoked slow potential responses of the postsynaptic units are not altered by the application of tetrodotoxin to the ocellus. It appears, therefore, that the graded receptor potential, which survives the application of tetrodotoxin, is responsible for mediating synaptic transmission in the ocellus. Comparison of pre- and postsynaptic slow potential activity shows (a) longer latencies in postsynaptic units by 5–20 msec, (b) enhanced photosensitivity in postsynaptic units by 1–2 log units, and (c) more transient responses in postsynaptic units. It is suggested that enhanced photosensitivity of postsynaptic activity is a result of summation of many receptors onto the postsynaptic elements, and that transients in the postsynaptic responses are related to the complex synaptic arrangements in the ocellar plexus to be described in the following paper.
Efficient Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Calibration Methods for Pharmaceutical Blend Monitoring

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is an important analytical tool for online process monitoring of pharmaceutical unit operations. Traditionally, the development and maintenance of robust, precise, and accurate quantitative NIR calibrations requires a substantial investment for the creation of sample sets. This study demonstrates the ability to develop efficient NIR calibrations using reduced sample sets. Prediction performance of several multivariate algorithms was compared on two different NIR spectrometers for pharmaceutical blend monitoring. Classical least-squares (CLS)-based algorithms took advantage of pure component scans to produce the most sensitive quantitative calibrations using reduced sample sets when compared to partial least squares (PLS) regression and two nonlinear methods. The PLS algorithm and the nonlinear methods produced models with low error but lacked the sensitivity needed to model subtle blending trends. The CLS-based methods produced models with adequate sensitivity for blend monitoring. The robustness of the CLS-based methods was further demonstrated in the ease of transfer between instruments using only a bias correction of the predictions.
Effects of precipitation and soil water potential on drought deciduous phenology in the Kalahari

We utilized an ecosystem process model to investigate the influence of precipitation and soil water potential on vegetation phenology in the semi-arid, drought-deciduous ecosystems in the Kalahari region of South Africa. The timing of leaf flush was assumed to be the first day during which a rainfall event exceeded that day's estimate of potential evapotranspiration after a defined dry season. Leaf senescence was assumed to be a dynamic feedback between soil water potential and net plant carbon gain and was determined by dynamically modeling the effects of concomitant trends in soil water potential and net primary production on leaf area index (LAI). Model predictions of LAI were compared with satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) for 3 years at two sites along the Kalahari transect. The mean absolute error for the prediction of modeled leaf flush date compared with leaf flush dates estimated from NDVI were 10.0 days for the Maun site and 39.3 days for the Tshane site. Correlations between model predicted 10-day average LAI and 10-day composite NDVI for both Maun and Tshane were high (ρ=0.67 and 0.74, respectively, P<0.001), suggesting that this method adequately predicts intra-annual leaf area dynamics in these dry tropical ecosystems.
Peritoneal macrophage from male and female SJL mice differ in IL-10 expression and macrophage maturation.

Injection of proteins and particulate antigens into the peritoneal cavity of male SJL mice preferentially activates T cells secreting Th2 cytokines. Identical immunizations of females activate T cells secreting Th1 cytokines. CD11b(+)F4/80(hi) LPM and CD11b(+)F4/80(lo) SPM populations were compared between naive males and females to define their role in supporting differential Th1 versus Th2 T cell activation. No sex-dependent differences in the expression of MHC class II, costimulatory molecules, and MR were detected. Immunization induced influx of CD11b(lo)F4/80(lo) cells in both sexes. CD11b(lo)F4/80(lo) cells consist predominantly of Ly6C(hi) monocytes, which mature into a Ly6C(-) SPM subset. Following immunization, equivalent frequencies of LPM had taken up antigen. However, the CD11b(lo)F4/80(lo) population, which had taken up antigen, was decreased significantly in males compared with females. Similar to naive macrophages, antigen-positive cells in immunized males and females exhibited no phenotypic differences. However, fewer Ly6C(-)F4/80(+) cells were present in males compared with females, consistent with the reduced number of antigen-positive cells. Furthermore, CD11b(lo)F4/80(lo) cells, which had taken up antigen in males, expressed increased IL-10 and limited IL-12 mRNA compared with the predominant IL-12 mRNA expression in female-derived, antigen-positive CD11b(lo)F4/80(lo) cells. IL-10 blockade increased the frequency of Ly6C(-)F4/80(+) cells in males to the frequency in females, suggesting that preferential activation of Th2 T cells in male SJL mice is associated with increased IL-10 expression and limited antigen presentation as a result of decreased macrophage maturation under the influence of IL-10.
Do we need randomised trials for rare cancers

Recently, representatives from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), patient advocacy organisations and the pharmaceutical industry argued that traditional (full) FDA drug approval may be warranted for rare cancers based on non-randomised trials assessing surrogate endpoints, such as response rate [1]. Their point of view raises an important question facing oncologists: what level of evidence should we demand in recommending treatment for patients with rare tumour types? While every cancer patient’s situation is unique, and individual clinical decision-making will always be required, rare cancers highlight an ongoing tension in oncology. On the one hand, if we only accept randomised trials powered for hard endpoints (mortality and quality of life) to guide decision-making, we may struggle to enrol enough patients to answer even the most basic questions about drug benefits and risks. Alternatively, if we recommend therapies based solely on response rates, or other surrogate endpoints [2], reached in small, single centre, uncontrolled studies, we may adopt many therapies that, in reality, confer little or no benefit. The recent statement on an alternative approach for approving drugs for rare cancers [1] did not fully acknowledge this dilemma. Instead, the authors fell squarely on one side. For rare diseases, the authors argue, we should embrace the use of historical controls and surrogate endpoints and that randomisation is not needed—and not just for accelerated, but even, traditional FDA approval. Unfortunately, the field of oncology performs a disservice to patients with rare tumours when we lower the bar for FDA approval, and accept medications based on weaker levels of evidence. Empirical evidence regarding bias in historically controlled studies, the un-reliability of surrogate endpoints, and importantly, the feasibility of randomised trials in rare tumour types, suggest that patients with rare disease deserve to have access to drugs that are held to the same standard as drugs for patients with more common tumours.
Psychosocial assessment on a short-stay inpatient psychiatric unit.

The Community Supports and Skills Checklist, used as a routine assessment device on a short-stay inpatient unit, is described and preliminary data reported. The checklist forms one basis for making a functional assessment of chronic psychiatric patients and for deciding on which cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation approaches to undertake.
Secreted Bacterial Effectors That Inhibit Host Protein Synthesis Are Critical for Induction of the Innate Immune Response to Virulent Legionella pneumophila

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila causes an inflammatory pneumonia called Legionnaires' Disease. For virulence, L. pneumophila requires a Dot/Icm type IV secretion system that translocates bacterial effectors to the host cytosol. L. pneumophila lacking the Dot/Icm system is recognized by Toll-like receptors (TLRs), leading to a canonical NF-κB-dependent transcriptional response. In addition, L. pneumophila expressing a functional Dot/Icm system potently induces unique transcriptional targets, including proinflammatory genes such as Il23a and Csf2. Here we demonstrate that this Dot/Icm-dependent response, which we term the effector-triggered response (ETR), requires five translocated bacterial effectors that inhibit host protein synthesis. Upon infection of macrophages with virulent L. pneumophila, these five effectors caused a global decrease in host translation, thereby preventing synthesis of IκB, an inhibitor of the NF-κB transcription factor. Thus, macrophages infected with wildtype L. pneumophila exhibited prolonged activation of NF-κB, which was associated with transcription of ETR target genes such as Il23a and Csf2. L. pneumophila mutants lacking the five effectors still activated TLRs and NF-κB, but because the mutants permitted normal IκB synthesis, NF-κB activation was more transient and was not sufficient to fully induce the ETR. L. pneumophila mutants expressing enzymatically inactive effectors were also unable to fully induce the ETR, whereas multiple compounds or bacterial toxins that inhibit host protein synthesis via distinct mechanisms recapitulated the ETR when administered with TLR ligands. Previous studies have demonstrated that the host response to bacterial infection is induced primarily by specific microbial molecules that activate TLRs or cytosolic pattern recognition receptors. Our results add to this model by providing a striking illustration of how the host immune response to a virulent pathogen can also be shaped by pathogen-encoded activities, such as inhibition of host protein synthesis.
Precarious Manhood and Its Links to Action and Aggression

Unlike womanhood, manhood is widely viewed as a status that is elusive (it must be earned) and tenuous (it must be demonstrated repeatedly through actions). This focus on the structure—rather than the content—of gender roles can shed new light on men’s use of action and physical aggression. Here, we review theory and research connecting manhood, action, and aggression. We interpret men’s aggression and aggressive displays as behaviors that effectively demonstrate manhood and thus quell men’s concerns about their gender status. Moreover, we suggest that situational and cultural factors that heighten the precariousness of manhood also increase the likelihood of male aggression.
Similarity of iris texture between identical twins

Prior research has shown that the textural detail of the iris is sufficiently distinctive to distinguish identical twin siblings. However, no research has addressed the question of whether twins' irises are sufficiently similar in some sense to correctly determine that two irises are from twins. We conducted a human classification study in which participants were asked to label pairs of iris images as “twins” or “unrelated”. Participants were given three seconds to view each pair of images. We found that untrained humans can classify pairs of twins with more than 81% accuracy using the appearance of the iris alone, without any proximal image content such as eyelashes, eyelids, or tear duct visible. When expressing confident judgment, they are over 92% accurate.
Impact of an SoC research project on microelectronics education: a case study

Microelectronics systems design is a collaborative, multidisciplinary activity, involving the combined efforts of system architects, circuit designers, device engineers, software developers, and process engineers. Semiconductor products are vital to today's $1 trillion/year electronic industry. There is a need for educational programs that prepare engineers for the semiconductor industry. This paper presents the impact of an RF-SoC research project on the career choices of students involved and its broader impact on the microelectronics education in the participating universities. Teaching students the design and test at the physical level is valuable in that it provides the understanding and skills they will need to perform these functions in their subsequent employment.
An automated device for training white‐tailed deer to visual stimuli

Although many aspects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) biology and physiology have been studied thoroughly, few studies have confirmed deer cognitive perception, partly because of the difficulty of efficiently training sufficient numbers of deer to respond behaviorally in controlled experiments. We present a system that trains white-tailed deer to associate a supra-threshold, white-light stimulus with a food reward through operant conditioning techniques. The “deer training apparatus” (DTA) automatically dispenses food, rings a start buzzer, randomly assigns a stimulus light over 1 of 2 troughs, and registers a deer's choice. If a deer goes to a trough with the light illuminated, then a correct choice is registered. All 6 deer tested met successful training criteria by Day 19, and a performance of 88.2% ± 3.9% correct choices by Day 25. We conclude that the DTA presents an effective and efficient way of training white-tailed deer, and provides an experimental platform for future research on behavior, perception, and preference. Thus, the DTA should be useful to researchers evaluating behavioral response of deer, and possibly other wild and domestic species, to various visual and auditory stimuli. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Analysis of error floors of LDPC codes under LP decoding over the BSC

We consider Linear Programming (LP) decoding of a fixed Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code over the Binary Symmetric Channel (BSC). The LP decoder fails when it outputs a pseudo-codeword which is not a codeword. We propose an efficient algorithm termed the Instanton Search Algorithm (ISA) which, given a random input, generates a set of flips called the BSC-instanton and prove that: (a) the LP decoder fails for any set of flips with support vector including an instanton; (b) for any input, the algorithm outputs an instanton in the number of steps upper-bounded by twice the number of flips in the input. We obtain the number of unique instantons of different sizes by running the ISA sufficient number of times. We then use the instanton statistics to predict the performance of the LP decoding over the BSC in the error floor region. We also propose an efficient semi-analytical method to predict the performance of LP decoding over a large range of transition probabilities of the BSC.
Methods for Capturing Free-Ranging Black Bears, Ursus americanus , in Difficult Locations

Long-term research or monitoring studies involving radiomarked Black Bears ( Ursus americanus ) conducted in areas with high human and road densities may require that radiocollars be replaced or bears recaptured for other purposes. The use of trained bear hounds is particularly suited to recapturing specific bears. However, in certain situations, hounds may not be used safely or bears may seek refuge in difficult locations. Effectiveness of two methods to capture bears via remote darting and chemical immobilization are described: (1) stalking and rushing females with cubs; and (2) allowing treed bears to descend. Both methods rely on assumptions about Black Bear behavior. Nine captures of eight individual bears are discussed; one bear drowned after being immobilized, and all others survived >5 months after capture.
Mutant GNAS detected in duodenal collections of secretin-stimulated pancreatic juice indicates the presence or emergence of pancreatic cysts

Objective Pancreatic cysts are commonly detected in patients undergoing pancreatic imaging. Better approaches are needed to characterise these lesions. In this study we evaluated the utility of detecting mutant DNA in secretin-stimulated pancreatic juice. Design Secretin-stimulated pancreatic juice was collected from the duodenum of 291 subjects enrolled in Cancer of the Pancreas Screening trials at five US academic medical centres. The study population included subjects with a familial predisposition to pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatic screening, and disease controls with normal pancreata, chronic pancreatitis, sporadic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) or other neoplasms. Somatic GNAS mutations (reported prevalence ∼66% of IPMNs) were measured using digital high-resolution melt-curve analysis and pyrosequencing. Results GNAS mutations were detected in secretin-stimulated pancreatic juice samples of 50 of 78 familial and sporadic cases of IPMN(s) (64.1%), 15 of 33 (45.5%) with only diminutive cysts ( GNAS mutations were also detected in five of 123 screened subjects without a pancreatic cyst. Among 97 subjects who had serial pancreatic evaluations, GNAS mutations detected in baseline juice samples predicted subsequent emergence or increasing size of pancreatic cysts. Conclusion Duodenal collections of secretin-stimulated pancreatic juice from patients with IPMNs have a similar prevalence of mutant GNAS to primary IPMNs, indicating that these samples are an excellent source of mutant DNA from the pancreas. The detection of GNAS mutations before an IPMN is visible suggests that analysis of pancreatic juice has the potential to help in the risk stratification and surveillance of patients undergoing pancreatic screening.
Even mode versus odd mode stability [microwave networks]

The conditions for stability of two port microwave networks is usually described in terms of K and B1, etc. This actually describes the even mode stability of the network. Certain networks have other possible modes of oscillation. Recent papers have described these for parallel and push pull networks. This paper looks at more general linear networks which can have odd modes of oscillation not detected from the input and output ports.
An Autoethnography: Constructing (& Interpreting) Cross-Cultural Awareness through the Mind of a Peace Corps Volunteer.

In the form of an autoethnography, a returned Peace Corps volunteer examines how, when, and if, he was able to establish a significant level of cross-cultural awareness while living in Surname, South America for two years. Employing a process called emotional recall, the author analyzed two years worth of personal journals kept during his time in Suriname. The author writes about the explored interactions of his physical/temporal reality and “enacted” reality to provide examples of going through the first three levels and his fleeting attainment of the fourth level of cross-cultural awareness. Ultimately, one of the primary interpretations the author concludes from this examination is that power structures and personal perceptions have a great influence on cultural experiences and how those experiences are perceived to apply meaning. Keywords: Cross-Cultural Awareness, Emotional Recall, Autoethnography
Gene expression signatures of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the cutaneous environment and therapeutic implications for blistering skin disorder

AbstractBackground aims. Multiple studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) can be utilized therapeutically for various congenital and acquired disorders. The involvement of MSC in the maintenance of skin homeostasis and their curative application for the treatment of skin wounds have also been documented. However, it is not known whether MSC can commit to cutaneous lineages, produce structural proteins essential for the skin integrity or be used for hereditary skin disorders. Methods. To address these questions, we conducted a comparative expression analysis between MSC and potentially adjacent cutaneous cells, fibroblasts and keratinocytes, with specific emphasis on extracellular matrix encoding and related genes. Results. Our data demonstrated that MSC share many features with cutaneous fibroblasts. We also observed that under direct influence of cutaneous fibroblasts in vitro and fibroblast-derived matrix in vivo, MSC acquired a fibroblastic phenotype, suggesting that specific cel...
Elevated temperature produces cystine depletion in cystinotic fibroblasts.

Abstract Increasing the incubation temperature of cystinotic fibroblasts to 40 or 43°C produces a 70–80% decrease in lysosomal cystine content within 24–48 h. This effect is probably mediated by an altered substrate affinity for another lysosomal transport protein.
Performance Evaluation and Schedule Optimization of Multi-Cluster Tools with Process Times Uncertainty

Performance evaluation and schedule optimization of cluster tools is challenging, especially when the process times are with uncertainty. In this paper, the critical path method (CPM) is used to analyze the throughput of multi-cluster tools with fixed action sequence. Slacks of non-critical path actions are studied and integrated to find the average cycle time of the cluster tool. A thin film tool from Novellus is used as an example to explain this methodology
Síndrome de estrés postraumático en mujeres embarazadas abusadoras de drogas

Introduction: Trauma exposure is very coomon among women with substance abuse problems, but not all develop post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Patients with PTSD have more medical problems, interpersonal issues, drug use and are more resistant to addiction treatment than patients without this disorder. Method: To study the prevalence of SEP in 87 pregnant women in treatment for drug addiction, who reported current or history of violence and accepted lifetime assessment and interventions to improve areas affected by the trauma, using the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), and associated psychological symptoms using the Symptom Checklist Questionnaire-90 Revised (SCL-90R). Results: Over half
Longitudinal studies of antisaccades in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia.

Background. Prefrontal cortical dysfunctions, including disturbances in adaptive context-specific behavior, have been reported in neuropsychological and brain imaging studies of schizophrenia. Some data suggest that treatment with antipsychotic medications may ameliorate these deficits. Method. We investigated antisaccade performance in 39 antipsychotic-naive, first-episode schizo- phrenia patients who were re-evaluated 6 weeks after treatment initiation. A group of matched healthy subjects were examined at similar time-points. Patients and healthy individuals available for longer-term testing were re-assessed 26 and 52 weeks after initial testing. Results. Before treatment, patients showed elevated rates of response suppression errors and pro- longed latencies of correct antisaccades. Increased rates of antisaccade errors were associated with faster response latencies during a separate, visually guided saccade task, but only prior to treatment. Throughout the 1-year follow-up, patients progressively improved in their ability to voluntarily suppress context-inappropriate behavior. Although treatment assignment was by clinician choice, results of exploratory analyses revealed that patients treated with risperidone progressively planned and initiated correct antisaccades more quickly than patients receiving haloperidol. Conclusions. Deficits in the voluntary control of spatial attention are exaggerated during acute episodes of illness, but remain an enduring aspect of prefrontal dysfunction in schizophrenia even after treatment. During acute illness, speeded sensorimotor transformations may compound these deficits and contribute to the heightened distractibility associated with acute psychosis. Continued improvement in task performance throughout the 1-year follow-up suggests that partial normal- ization of prefrontal cognitive functions resulting from antipsychotic treatment may have a longer and more gradual time course than the reduction of acute psychotic symptoms.
Personal computer communications via VSAT networks

The very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite network, a transport medium that is becoming important for long-distance personal computer (PC) communications, is described and analyzed. The mature and readily available VSAT technology offers many benefits and advantages over conventional terrestrial networks, including lower operating costs, ease of installation and maintenance, support for multiservices, bringing locations where the cost of leased lines is exorbitant into the communications loop, and integrating a large number of VSATs into a single network to provide a cost-effective expansion from small to large systems. The following aspects of VSAT networks are discussed: network configurations, networking and multiaccess, error-control protocols, and end-to-end performance analysis. >
Sensitivity of Watershed Runoff under Humid Conditions to Potential Climate Variations

A semidistributed watershed model is applied over the Mahantango Creek catchment in Pennsylvania to estimate future changes in direct runoff under 22 different climate scenarios. It is shown how different subcatchments of the watershed may respond to possible changes in the precipitation and temperature regimes. Subcatchments with the most unfavorable future runoff responses can be identified where possible changes in land use management practices may be suggested.
Informal Institutions and Personal Rule in Urban Ghana

Contrary to expectations of modern democratic development, the estab- lishment of liberal-democratic institutions in Ghana has not led to the demise of political clientelism. Instead, the underlying informal institutions of leadership— friendship, capitalist entrepreneurship, family, and religion—contribute to the per- sistence of personal rule in urban Ghana. Leaders amass political power by accumu- lating followers in daily life. The article provides empirical evidence to substantiate these theoretical claims in the form of two ethnographic case studies—a politician's primary campaign and the screening of a football match in an urban slum. It pro- poses an alternative model for the study of democracy and political accountability that extends beyond the formal institutional realm to include informal mechanisms that shape political clientelism in a democratic environment. Resume: Contrairement aux attentes du developpement democratique moderne, la mise en place des institutions de la democratie liberale au Ghana n'a pas conduit a la disparition du clientelisme politique. Au lieu de cela, les institutions informelles souterraines d'influence gouvernementale telles que les reseaux de connaissances amicales, l'esprit d'entreprise capitaliste, le patronage, la famille et la religion, con- tribuent a la persistance de la domination du principe de relation dans les centres urbains du Ghana. Les dirigeants accumulent le pouvoir politique en accumulant des adeptes rencontres au cours de leur vie quotidienne privee. L'article fournit des preuves empiriques a l'appui de ces affirmations theoriques sous la forme de deux etudes de cas ethnographiques—la campagne d'un politicien pour les primaires, et la projection d'un match de football dans un bidonville. Il propose un modele alter- natif pour l'etude de la democratie et de la responsabilite politique qui s'etendrait au-dela du domaine institutionnel formel, afin d'y inclure les mecanismes informels qui faconnent le clientelisme politique dans un environnement democratique.
Using registries to monitor HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis safety in clinical settings

Registries provide an essential element of an overall strategy to understand the safety and safe use of new medications following marketing, and heywill be part of the postmarketingmonitoring of daily ral antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The .S. national registry of spontaneous voluntary reports of uspected adverse drug reactions and the Antiretrovirals n Pregnancy Registry will be among registry approaches o PrEP. More challenging will be voluntary registries of rEP used to understand knowledge, attitudes and beaviors, adherence, and eventual success of PrEP. Several ossible approaches are proposed, and their challenges nd limitations are explored.
Influence of age and proximity warning devices on collision avoidance in simulated driving.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a set of experiments to examine the utility of several different uni- and multimodal collision avoidance systems (CASs) on driving performance of young and older adult drivers in a high-fidelity simulator. BACKGROUND: Although previous research has examined the efficacy of different CASs on collision avoidance, there has been a dearth of studies that have examined such devices in different driving situations with different populations of drivers. METHOD: Several different CAS warnings were examined in varying traffic and collision configurations both without (Experiment 1a) and with (Experiment 2) a distracting in-vehicle task. RESULTS: Overall, collision avoidance performance for both potential forward and side object collisions was best for an auditory/visual CAS, which alerted drivers using both modalities. Interestingly, older drivers (60-82 years of age) benefited as much as younger drivers from the CAS, and sometimes they benefited more. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that CASs can be beneficial across a number of different driving scenarios, types of collisions, and driver populations. APPLICATION: These results have important implications for the design and implementation of CASs for different driver populations and driving conditions. Language: en
A COMPARISON OF ATHLETES AND NON- ATHLETES AT HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGES: Academic Performance and Personal Development

Student-athletes were studied over 4 years at a highly selective liberal arts college and an Ivy League university. Students spending 10 or more hours per week in athletic activities had lower entering academic credentials and academic self-assessments than non-athletes, but the academic performance of athletes was not below what would be expected based on their entering profiles. Athletes surpassed non-athletes on sociability/extraversion and self-reported well-being in each annual wave of the study. Athletes were not isolated from the rest of the student body; they spent over 50% of their time with non-group members and belonged to non-athletic extracurricular groups every year. Athletes perceived group membership to pose greater difficulties to academic performance and involvements outside the group than did members of other types of extracurricular groups. Athletes drank more heavily on weekends that non-athletes, but did not differ in growth or well-being. Comparisons by athletic status were similar for men and women.
First principles calculation of the interdiffusion coefficient in binary alloys.

The atomic mechanisms of diffusion in alloys are complex due to the variations of migration energies with environment and the correlations induced by short-range order between the different components. We present a first-principles approach for calculating vacancy-mediated diffusion coefficients in crystalline binary alloys and apply it to obtain the interdiffusion coefficient of ${\mathrm{A}\mathrm{l}}_{(1\ensuremath{-}x)}{\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}}_{x}$. The rigorous treatment of atomic migration indicates that short- and long-range order induces strongly correlated migration mechanisms that deviate from random walk behavior.
Treating Elderly Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of diseases encompassing granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and Churg–Strauss disease (eosinophilic GPA). Patients often present with a rapidly progressive GN associated with focal necrotizing and crescentic lesions
Changes in Scleral Architecture in Chronic Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada Disease

ABSTRACTPurpose: To describe scleral changes in chronic VKH.Methods: Medical records of patients with chronic VKH were retrospectively reviewed. Change of scleral architecture was defined as progressive posterior bowing on OCT, axial length elongation, and/or increased myopia more than –1.0 D, not explicable by other etiologies.Results: In total, 28 eyes (16 patients) with mean age of disease onset 32.5 ± 14.0 years were included in the study. Disease duration was 15.1 ± 10.2 years. Eight eyes (28.6%) showed progressive scleral architectural changes. Five eyes (18%) developed scleral changes on OCT, not seen on prior imaging (2–12 years earlier). One eye had posterior bowing on OCT with increased axial length, both eyes of a bilateral pseudophake developed increased myopia with increased axial length. Well-circumscribed chorioretinal atrophy within the arcade was associated with progressive scleral change.Conclusions: Progressive scleral change may develop as a late complication of VKH. The association wi...
Data Analysis among Injury Cases in Surveillance Hospital in Dalian City in 2009

Objective To understand the characteristic of injury epidemic in Dalian,provide a basis for intervention measures.Methods Data for first visit injury patients in the 3 sentinel hospitals in 2009 in Dalian was analysed.Results Totally 24011 case report cards were collected.15779(65.72%) males and 8232(34.28%) females were reporoed.Cases at age of 25-44 accounted for 41.27%,business services staff,operational and technical personal and school students accounted for 18.24%、17.34%、11.07%respectively.Main injury reasons were hit by blunt object and accidental tumbles/falls,accounting for 30.49%and 26.56%respectively.The main locations were in highway/street accounting for 27.08%.Injure occurred mainly in the leisure and work-based time,accounting for 48.44%and 17.99%.Nature of the injury was mainly contusions/abrasions,accounting for39.14%,followed by the sharp injury and open wound,accounting for 32.28%.Accidents accounted for 79.88%,on top of the list of injury.Slight injury accounted for 77.26%.Accounting for83.01%injury cases could return to their home after treatment in hospitals.Conclusion Hit by blunt object and accidental tumbles/falls were the main injuries in Dalian.Most of the injured population were male young adults.
Do Effects of Febrile Seizures Differ in Normal and Abnormal Brain

Publisher Summary Febrile seizures are the most common form of convulsions in infants and young children. The presence of these seizures early in life is frequently correlated with hippocampal sclerosis and temporal lobe epilepsy in adulthood. High fever is a common occurrence in childhood. However, periodically, fever may be accompanied by convulsions. Approximately 3–5% of infants and young children experience febrile seizures before the age of five years. In humans, it is difficult to study the effects of febrile seizures and neuronal loss on the development of temporal lobe epilepsy later in life. Longitudinal studies are generally expensive and time consuming. Several different techniques have been devised to induce hyperthermic convulsions in young rats as a model of febrile seizures. Clinical studies frequently cite the association between the presence of febrile seizures in childhood and the development of temporal lobe epilepsy in adulthood. Histological abnormalities can be experimentally induced by in utero treatment with a potent alkylating agent, methylazoxymethanol. The evidence indicates that prior neuronal brain injury in developing rats may result in lowered seizure thresholds.
Xenon-NMR: A New Probe for Studying Structural Changes of Polymeric Surfactants

In previous work we have shown the extreme sensitivity of the chemical shift of Xenon in solution which arises mostly from Van der Waals interactions. The sensitivity of the chemical shift to the local environment made possible the study of very low concentrations of aqueous solutions of association polymers (AP). AP was a long chain (7200 molecular weight) polyoxyethylene which was end-capped with saturated hydrocarbon C12 or C16. Brij-58 surfactant, a close model to AP, was also studied along with mixed polymer-sodium dodecy sulfate surfactant systems. The association site of Xenon is believed to be in a hydrocarbon-rich region. We also carried out investigations of solubilizate effect on association. Co(AcAc)3 solubilizate was chosen since the association site was more hydrophilic in nature. Surface tension studies which were complimentary to the NMR work is reported as well.
Monoanionic 99mTc-tricarbonyl-aminopolycarboxylate complexes with uncharged pendant groups: Radiosynthesis and evaluation as potential renal tubular tracers.

Abstract Introduction 99m Tc(CO) 3 -nitrilotriacetic acid, 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA), is a new renal tubular agent with pharmacokinetic properties comparable to those of 131 I-OIH but the clearance of 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA) and 131 I-OIH is still less than the clearance of PAH, the gold standard for the measurement of effective renal plasma flow. At physiological pH, dianionic 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA) has a mononegative inner metal-coordination sphere and a mononegative uncoordinated carboxyl group. To evaluate alternate synthetic approaches, we assessed the importance of an uncoordinated carboxyl group, long considered essential for tubular transport, by evaluating the pharmacokinetics of three analogs with the 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA) metal-coordination sphere but with uncharged pendant groups. Methods 99m Tc(CO) 3 complexes with N -(2-acetamido)iminodiacetic acid (ADA), N -(2-hydroxyethyl)iminodiacetic acid (HDA) and N -(fluoroethyl)iminodiacetic acid (FEDA) were prepared using a tricarbonyl kit and isolated by HPLC. The pharmacokinetics were evaluated in Sprague–Dawley rats, with 131 I-OIH as an internal control; urine was analyzed for metabolites. Plasma protein binding and erythrocyte uptake were determined from the 10min blood samples. Re(CO) 3 (FEDA), the analog of 99m Tc(CO) 3 (FEDA), was prepared and characterized. Results 99m Tc(CO) 3 (ADA), 99m Tc(CO) 3 (HDA) and 99m Tc(CO) 3 (FEDA) were efficiently prepared as a single species with high radiochemical purities (>99%). These new monoanionic 99m Tc(CO) 3 tracers with uncharged dangling groups all showed rapid blood clearance and high specificity for renal excretion. Activity in the urine, as a percent of 131 I-OIH at 10 and 60min, was 96% and 99% for ADA, 96% and 100% for HDA, and 100% and 99% for FEDA, respectively. Each new tracer was excreted unchanged in the urine. The Re(CO) 3 (FEDA) structure adds compelling evidence that such 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA) analogs have metal-coordination spheres identical to that of 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA). Conclusions New tracers lacking the negatively charged pendant carboxyl group previously thought to be essential for rapid renal extraction, 99m Tc(CO) 3 (ADA), 99m Tc(CO) 3 (HDA) and 99m Tc(CO) 3 (FEDA), exhibit pharmacokinetics in rats comparable to those of 99m Tc(CO) 3 (NTA) and 131 I-OIH. Furthermore, these encouraging results in rats warrant evaluation of this new tracer type in humans.
Formal and Informal Social Organization: Do Geography, Structural Inequality, and Other Forms of Social Organization Matter?

ABSTRACTNeighborhood social organization is one way that neighborhoods matter for residents, as well as an intervention opportunity for macro practitioners. Neighborhood social organization encapsulates how neighborhoods differentially organize, both formally and informally. We tested whether neighborhood structural inequality, types of social organization, and spatial clustering were associated with both formal and informal neighborhood social organization. Formal and informal social organization were mutually reinforcing. Formal social organization, measured by organizational participation, predicted informal social organization. In multivariate spatial analysis, organizational participation was also influenced by adjacent neighborhoods. Practitioners should consider how adjacent neighborhoods could affect place-based interventions.
Metabolic Comparison of Dorsal versus Ventral Cells Directly in the Live 8-cell Frog Embryo by Microprobe Single-cell CE-ESI-MS.

Single-cell mass spectrometry (MS) empowers the characterization of metabolomic changes as cells differentiate to different tissues during early embryogenesis. Using whole-cell dissection and capillary electrophoresis electrospray ionization (CE-ESI) MS, we recently uncovered metabolic cell-to-cell differences in the 8- and 16-cell embryo of the South African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), raising the question whether metabolic cell heterogeneity is also detectable across the dorsal–ventral axis of the 8-cell embryo. Here, we tested this hypothesis directly in the live embryo by quantifying single-cell metabolism between the left dorsal-animal (D1L) and left ventral-animal (V1L) cell pairs in the same embryo using microprobe single-cell CE-ESI-MS in the positive ion mode. After quantifying ∼70 molecular features, including 52 identified metabolites, that were reproducibly detected in both cells among n = 5 different embryos, we employed supervised multivariate data analysis based on partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) to compare metabolism between the cell types. Statistical analysis revealed that asparagine, glycine betaine, and a yet-unidentified molecule were statistically significantly enriched in the D1L cell compared to V1L (p < 0.05 and fold change ≥ 1.5). These results demonstrate that cells derived from the same hemisphere (animal pole) harbor different metabolic activity along the dorsal–ventral axis as early as the 8-cell stage. Apart from providing new evidence of metabolic cell heterogeneity during early embryogenesis, this study demonstrates that microprobe single-cell CE-ESI-MS enables the analysis of multiple single cells in the same live vertebrate embryo.
Designing reusable classes

Object-oriented programming is as much a different way of designing programs as it is a different way of designing programming languages. This paper describes what it is like to design systems in Smalltalk. In particular, since a major motivation for object-oriented programming is software reuse, this paper describes how classes are developed so that they will be reusable.
The Role of Physician Practice Characteristics in Maintaining Visits from Established Patients

Continuity of care has been linked to improved patient satisfaction, improved preventive care, and reduced hospitalization. As physician characteristics have been shown to influence patients’ adher...
Reconsidering Labels and Primary Deviance: False Appraisals, Reflected Appraisals, and Delinquency Onset

Objective:We assess Matsueda’s reflected appraisals model of delinquency across groups of previously delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents. We hypothesize that the reflected appraisals process, which entails incorporating informal appraisals by significant others into self-identities, differs across delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents.Method:We estimate cross-group models of the reflected appraisals process among delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents using the data (National Youth Survey) and methodology (structural equation modeling) from Matsueda’s original research.Results:The informal labeling and identity processes articulated in the reflected appraisals model better explain delinquency continuity than delinquency onset. Notable differences across previously delinquent and nondelinquent groups are found with respect to the influence of parental appraisals on reflected appraisals and with respect to the influence of race on parental and reflected appraisals.Conclusions:Informal labeling pre...
How to Read a Basic Budget

At some time in their careers, successful academic faculty will inevitably be asked to read and review a basic budget. Such reviews can be conducted as a department head, program director, or section leader. Faculty who seek grant funding will also be asked to build a grant budget and, in a senior capacity, review a grant budget. “How to Read a Basic Budget” offers a primer on budget basics, defining revenues and expenses, providing an overview of terms such as fiscal year, variance, and indirect and direct costs. In addition, accounting principles such as “the matching ­principle” and accrual versus cash-based accounting are described. Identification of the terms used to describe and account for faculty effort is noted at both the academic and federal level. Unique characteristics of federal budgets are identified, particularly as these characteristics relate to federally funded grants. Finally, examples of some simple budgets are provided along with some generally accepted aesthetic conventions that are used when presenting a budget.
An Investigation of Fast and Frugal Heuristics for New Product Project Selection

information about the nature of the FFE project evaluation, criteria that have been used in screening projects, and the process or behavior applied in making decision. New codes were added when there was indication that the codes had not capture some features. Each coding node represents a meaningful statement abstracted from the transcript. Coding was a lengthy process, each interview requires 7 to 10 hours of coding. Generating these codes was one of the most challenging tasks in the analysis, since they could not simply be determined; code generation required understanding of human behavior as well as nature of the fuzzy front end. As new aspects became apparent, resulting in a codebook with 52 concepts. QSR NVivo 9 was used to conduct coding, managing and analyzing the large volume of data generated for this study. After the first coding round, the researcher identified reoccurring topics across all cases, which lead to further refinement of the codebook. The final codebook contained 42 codes. Excerpts from the codebook are provided in Table ‎5.3 (also see Appendix E). All transcripts were re-coded to this final codebook by the researcher. To demonstrate effectiveness in classifying criteria or indicators used in the evaluation process, criteria have been defined using definition used in the literature to look up these criteria; in addition, one professor and two PhD candidates confirmed their agreement with the definitions.