cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical, behavioural and social factors associated with racial disparities in COVID-19 patients from an integrated healthcare system in Georgia: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify sociodemographic, clinical and behavioural drivers of racial disparities and their association with clinical outcomes among Kaiser Permanente Georgia (KPGA) members with COVID-19. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort of patients with COVID-19 seen from 3 March to 29 October 2020. We described the distribution of underlying comorbidities, quality of care metrics, demographic and social determinants of health (SDOH) indicators across race groups. We also described clinical outcomes in hospitalised patients including length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, readmission and mortality. We performed multivariable analyses for hospitalisation risk among all patients with COVID-19 and stratifyied by race and sex. SETTING: KPGA, an integrated healthcare system. PARTICIPANTS: 5712 patients who all had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Of them, 57.8% were female, 58.4% black, 29.5% white, 8.5% Hispanic and 3.6% Asian. RESULTS: Black patients had the highest proportions of living in neighborhoods under the federal poverty line (12.4%) and in more deprived locations (neighbourhood deprivation index=0.4). Overall, 14.4% (n=827) of this cohort was hospitalised. Asian patients had the highest rates of ICU admission (53.1%) and mechanical ventilation (21.9%). Among all patients, Hispanics (adjusted 1.60, 95% CI (1.08, 2.37)), blacks (1.43 (1.13, 1.83)), age in years (1.03 (1.02, 1.04)) and living in a zip code with high unemployment (1.08 (1.03, 1.13)) were associated with higher odds of hospitalisation. COVID-19 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2.59 (1.67, 4.02)), chronic heart failure (1.79 (1.31, 2.45)), immunocompromised (1.77 (1.16, 2.70)), with glycated haemoglobin >8% (1.68 (1.19, 2.38)), depression (1.60 (1.24, 2.06)), hypertension (1.5 (1.21, 1.87)) and physical inactivity (1.25 (1.03, 1.51)) had higher odds of hospitalisation. CONCLUSIONS: Black and Hispanic KPGA patients were at higher odds of hospitalisation, but not mortality, compared with other race groups. Beyond previously reported sociodemographics and comorbidities, factors such as quality of care, lifestyle behaviours and SDOH indicators should be considered when designing and implementing interventions to reduce COVID-19 racial disparities.
Quinidine in the Management of Recurrent Ventricular Arrhythmias: A Reappraisal.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to review the utility of quinidine in patients presenting with recurrent sustained ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and limited antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) options. Ba...
Pressure and Pressure Gauges

Pressure may be defined as force acting against a given area. Basically there exist two types of units for measuring pressure. Pressure may be expressed as weight per unit area or as the height of a liquid column. The first alternative clearly adheres to the definition according to which a weight (force) acts against a certain area. In the English system the unit of area is usually the “square inch” with the pound as weight unit (pounds per square inch — psi). In the metric system, the square centimeter is the most common unit of area with the kilogram (kg) as weight unit (kilograms per square centimeter — kg/cm2).
Creating Shareable Security Modules

While there is increased appreciation of the need to provide students with education in computer security, there are significant challenges associated with the creation of shareable computer security modules that can be used by a wide-range of educators. This paper discusses some of the challenges that educators currently face in this area, and presents a means to couple a successful framework and infrastructure environment to address some of the associated issues. Two examples are provided that link the framework and infrastructure followed by suggestions for future research and development in this area.
OQL_SERF: an ODMG implementation of the template-based schema evolution framework

With rapid progress in application development and technologies, there is an increasing need to specify and handle complex schema changes of databases. The existing support for schema evolution in current OODB systems is limited to a pre-defined taxonomy of simple schema evolution operations with fixed semantics. We have proposed an extensible framework for schema transformations to address this open problem. The SERF framework succeeds in giving the user the flexibility to define the semantics of their choice, the extensibility of defining new complex transformations, and the power of re-using these transformations through the notion of templates. In this paper, we now report on OQL-SERF, the realization of our concepts based on the ODMG standard. We have utilized not only the ODMG object model, but have also used OQL as the database transformation language, the ODMG Metadata Repository for providing meta information utilized by the templates and Java's binding of OQL. We have developed a taxonomy of schema evolution primitives for the ODMG object model that can be shown to be minimally complete in the context of the SERF framework. The use of the ODMG standard as foundation for this implementation makes the implementation itself portable across different platforms and OODB systems.
A systems biological view of intracellular pathogens.

As biomedical research becomes increasingly data-intensive, it is increasingly essential to integrate genomic-scale datasets, so as to generate a more holistic picture of complex biological processes. The systems biology paradigm may differ in strategy from traditional reductionist scientific methods, but the goal remains the same: to generate tenable hypotheses driving the experimental elucidation of biological mechanisms. Intracellular pathogens provide an excellent opportunity for systems analysis, as many of these organisms are amenable to genetic manipulation, allowing their biology to be played off against that of the host. Moreover, many of the most fundamental biological properties of these microbes (host cell invasion, immune escape, intracellular replication, long-term persistence) are directly linked to pathogenesis and readily quantifiable using genomic-scale technologies. In this review, we summarize and discuss some of the available and foreseeable functional genomics datasets pertaining to host-pathogen interactions and suggest that the host-pathogen interface represents a promising, tractable challenge for systems biological analysis. Success will require developing and leveraging new technologies, expanding data acquisition, and increasing public access to comprehensive datasets, in order to assemble quantitative and testable models of the host-pathogen relationship.
Sequence, structure, and cooperativity in folding of elementary protein structural motifs

Residue-level unfolding of two helix-turn-helix proteins—one naturally occurring and one de novo designed—is reconstructed from multiple sets of site-specific 13C isotopically edited infrared (IR) and circular dichroism (CD) data using Ising-like statistical-mechanical models. Several model variants are parameterized to test the importance of sequence-specific interactions (approximated by Miyazawa–Jernigan statistical potentials), local structural flexibility (derived from the ensemble of NMR structures), interhelical hydrogen bonds, and native contacts separated by intervening disordered regions (through the Wako–Saito–Munoz–Eaton scheme, which disallows such configurations). The models are optimized by directly simulating experimental observables: CD ellipticity at 222 nm for model proteins and their fragments and 13C-amide I′ bands for multiple isotopologues of each protein. We find that data can be quantitatively reproduced by the model that allows two interacting segments flanking a disordered loop (double sequence approximation) and incorporates flexibility in the native contact maps, but neither sequence-specific interactions nor hydrogen bonds are required. The near-identical free energy profiles as a function of the global order parameter are consistent with expected similar folding kinetics for nearly identical structures. However, the predicted folding mechanism for the two motifs is different, reflecting the order of local stability. We introduce free energy profiles for “experimental” reaction coordinates—namely, the degree of local folding as sensed by site-specific 13C-edited IR, which highlight folding heterogeneity and contrast its overall, average description with the detailed, local picture.
Reassessing the relationship between ozone and short-term mortality in U.S. urban communities

Time-series studies that use daily mortality and ambient ozone concentrations exhibit estimates of ozone effects that are variable across cities. We investigate this intercity variability, as well as the sensitivity of the ozone- mortality associations to modeling assumptions and choice of daily ozone metric, based on reanalysis of data from the National Morbidity, Mortality and Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS). Previous work from NMMAPS reported a statistically significant association between ambient 24-h ozone and short-term mortality when averaged across 98 U.S. cities. Separation of ozone health associations from effects due to weather and co-pollutants is central to their interpretation. We examined the sensitivity of city-specific ozone-mortality estimates to adjustments for confounders and effect modifiers, showing substantial sensitivity. We examined ozone-mortality associations in different concentration ranges, finding a larger incremental effect in higher ranges, but also larger uncertainty. Alternative ozone exposure metrics defined by maximum 8-h averages or 1-h maxima show different ozone-mortality associations that cannot be explained by simple scaling relationships. The emphasis in earlier studies based on NMMAPS has been on the reporting of "national" effects, together with prediction intervals that suggest that these national values are precisely estimated. Our view is that ozone-mortality associations, based on time-series epidemiologic analyses of daily data from multiple cities, reveal still-unexplained inconsistencies and show sensitivity to modeling choices and data selection that contribute to serious uncertainties when epidemiological results are used to discern the nature and magnitude of possible ozone-mortality relationships or are applied to risk assessment.
Economics Education after the Crisis: Pluralism, History, and Institutions

The economic crisis unleashed criticism of the economics profession in the popular press and raised discussions about the adequacy of traditional economics education to new levels. This paper considers how the criticism of traditional economics and economics education, highlighted by the crisis, provide a useful context for articulating reforms in economics education that can foster the development of economic theory and practice consistent with a more equitable and sustainable economy. I argue that the goals of a post-crisis economics education can be articulated through the outcomes of "significant learning" and pursued through approaches to economics education that are pluralistic in content and pedagogy, historically-based, and emphasize the role of institutions and institutional analysis.
TgMAPK1 is a Toxoplasma gondii MAP kinase that hijacks host MKK3 signals to regulate virulence and interferon-γ-mediated nitric oxide production.

Abstract The parasite Toxoplasma gondii controls tissue-specific nitric oxide (NO), thereby augmenting virulence and immunopathology through poorly-understood mechanisms. We now identify TgMAPK1, a Toxoplasma mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), as a virulence factor regulating tissue-specific parasite burden by manipulating host interferon (IFN)-γ-mediated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Toxoplasma with reduced TgMAPK1 expression (TgMAPK1lo) demonstrated that TgMAPK1 facilitates IFN-γ-driven p38 MAPK activation, reducing IFN-γ-generated NO in an MKK3-dependent manner, blunting IFN-γ-mediated parasite control. TgMAPK1lo infection in wild type mice produced ⩾ten-fold lower parasite burden versus control parasites with normal TgMAPK1 expression (TgMAPK1con). Reduced parasite burdens persisted in IFN-γ KO mice, but equalized in normally iNOS-replete organs from iNOS KO mice. Parasite MAPKs are far less studied than other parasite kinases, but deserve additional attention as targets for immunotherapy and drug discovery.
Observation of Matthiessen's Rule in Strong Magnetic Fields

Measurements of electrical resistivity as a function of temperature reveal that deviations from Matthiessen's rule (DMR) in aluminum can, under suitable conditions, be made to vanish in a strong magnetic field. Theories explaining DMR on the basis of anisotropic and inelastic scattering predict such behavior suggesting that such scattering is the source of DMR in dilute aluminum alloys at low temperatures.
THEY ALL WERE PASSING: Agnes, Garfinkel, and Company

This article offers both a feminist and an ethnomethodological reanalysis of Harold Garfinkel's report on Agnes, the intersexed person he studied with several colleagues. Both reanalyses yield similar conclusions. Specifically, while it does illuminate the work of accomplishing gender, the report on Agnes simultaneously illustrates how gender operates as a powerful background expectancy among professional as well as “lay” sociologists.
Information is a physical entity

Abstract This paper, associated with a broader conference talk on the fundamental physical limits of information handling, emphasizes the aspects still least appreciated. Information is not an abstract entity but exists only through a physical representation, thus tying it to all the restrictions and possibilities of our real physical universe. The mathematician's vision of an unlimited sequence of totally reliable operations is unlikely to be implementable in this real universe. Speculative remarks about the possible impact of that, on the ultimate nature of the laws of physics are included.
Effect of the host cell line on the vaccine efficacy of an attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

The abilities of the modified-live Prime Pac (PP) strain of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), propagated in either traditional simian cells (MARC-145) or in a novel porcine alveolar macrophage cell line (ZMAC), to confer pigs protection against subsequent PRRSV challenge were compared. Eight week-old pigs were injected with PP virus grown in one of the two cell types and then exposed 4 weeks later to the "atypical" PRRSV isolate NADC-20. Control animals were similarly challenged or remained PRRSV-naive. While the average adjusted body weight (aabw) of the strict control group increased 22% by 10 days post challenge (pc), this value for the non-vaccinated, challenged group dropped 4%. In contrast, prior immunization with PP virus, regardless of its host cell source, ameliorated this effect by affording a >9% rise in aabw. Likewise, nearly equivalent protection was extended to both groups of vaccinates in regards to the temporal elimination of their pc clinical distress and viremia. However, the PP virus propagated in ZMAC cells appeared to be more efficacious since four of the six pigs receiving this biologic cleared the challenge virus from the their lungs by 10 days pc as compared to only one member of the other vaccinated group. Notably, the predominant quasispecies in the ZMAC cell-prepared PP virus stock contained a highly conserved N-glycosylation site at position 184 in its glycoprotein 2 while this entity was underrepresented in the MARC-145 cell grown biologic. Since glycoprotein 2 is involved in infectivity, such additional glycosylation may enhance virus replication in porcine alveolar macrophages.
Mexican-American Students’ Perceptions of Teachers’ Expectations: Do Perceptions Differ Depending on Student Achievement Levels?

This exploratory study examines the learning beliefs of high and low achieving, low-income Mexican-American students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 ninth grade students. The qualitative analysis shows that students’ perceptions of their teachers’ expectations of a “good” student or a “not so good” student did not differ along achievement lines. However, the students’ perceptions about what it means to be a good student differentiated the low-achievers from the high-achievers. This study’s findings may be used to inform educators about Mexican-American students’ orientation towards school and learning, in hopes for creating more equitable educational settings where all students achieve to their fullest potential.
Recurrent pretibial ganglion cyst formation over 5 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Although ganglion cysts of the anterior cruciate ligament have been described in the literature, they are a relatively rare phenomenon. Cyst formation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is even less frequent, with only a few reported cases. The proposed etiology of these cysts has been attributed to a number of causes, including the use of bioabsorbable screws, Gore-Tex (W. L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) grafts, extra-articular fluid extravasation secondary to direct tibial tunnel communication, allografts with or without ethylene oxide sterilization, and the use of nonabsorbable suture. We report an unusual case of a recurrent pretibial ganglion cyst that initially formed more than 5 years after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and recurred 2 years after resection of the mass. We believe the initial surgical resection was unsuccessful probably because the foreign body irritant was not identified. Only after resection of the entire stalk of the cyst and removal of all of the inciting suture material that was found near the entrance of the tibial tunnel were we able to definitively eradicate the ganglion cyst.
First detailed characterization of functional dyspepsia among African-Americans

Purpose: We wished to characterize the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of functional dyspepsia (FD) among the African-American (A.A.) population and compare that to Caucasian-Americans.
Surgical infections in children

Abstract Skin and soft tissue infections in intensive care unit settings can be life threatening and have a variety of causative agents. Expeditious diagnosis and aggressive medical and surgical treatment are necessary. Infections of the deeper spaces such as the neck, pleural, or peritoneal cavities usually are blood borne or the result of direct spread from adjacent organs (such as lungs in case of empyema) or a perforated viscus (as with perforated esophagus or gut). Children with such infections require intensive management. The recent advances in antimicrobial therapy have tremendously improved the outcome for these patients. Prompt surgical interventions, however, remain invaluable in most cases. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
The chemistry of precipitation in relation to precipitation type

Abstract Collections have been made of several types of wet deposition and of aerosols in various particle size ranges. The chemical composition of the precipitation changes significantly from one precipitation type to another. The forms of deposition, diffusionally-grown ice for example, compared with accretionally-grown ice, appear to be important factors controlling the concentrations and ratios of the several elements which have been measured. The aerosol samples show significant changes in chemical composition with particle size, consistent with other observers' results. It is hypothesized that these changes in aerosol chemistry and those of the wet deposition are related, and that this information, combined with the theoretically supported processes of nucleation, Brownian capture, phoretic processes and impaction, provide a better insight to the physical processes involved in the removal of chemical impurities from the atmosphere.
PASSIVE TRANSFER OF ANTINUCLEAR ACTIVITY IN IMMUNOLOGICALLY TOLERANT ANIMALS.

Rats made immunologically tolerant of human plasma proteins were inoculated with sera from patients with systemic L. E. The L. E. cell phenomenon was reproduced in the blood of these animals. The duration of activity of the transferred antinuclear factors was observed to be very transient in contrast to the relatively long persistence of human gamma globulin in the rat sera. Rattos rendite immunologicamente tolerante pro proteinas de plasma human recipeva inoculationes de seros ab patientes con systemic lupus erythematose. Le phenomeno del cellulas L.E. esseva reproducite in le sanguine de iste animales. Le duration del activitate del transferite factores antinucleari esseva observatemente transitorissime per contrasto con le relativemente longe persistentia de human globulina gamma in le sero de rattos.
Infrared spectra and normal coordinate analysis of bis(ethylenediamine) and bis(trimethylenediamine) complexes with copper(II)

Abstract The i.r. spectra of bis(ethylenediamine) and bis(trimethylenediamine) complexes of Cu(II) have been measured in the wave number region of 4000-250 cm −1 . Vibrational assignments have been made regarding the individual rings in both complexes. A normal coordinate analysis was performed using a modified general valence force field in order to check the empirical assignments. The agreement between the observed and calculated frequencies is satisfactory in view of the approximation used. A set of reliable force constants concerning most of the in-plane normal modes is obtained for the first time.
A Fast One‐Step Extraction and UPLC–MS/MS Analysis for E2/D2 Series Prostaglandins and Isoprostanes

Prostaglandins (PG) and isoprostanes (iso-PG) may be derived through cyclooxygenase or free radical pathways and are important signaling molecules that are also robust biomarkers of oxidative stress. Their quantification is important for understanding many biological processes where PG, iso-PG, or oxidative stress are involved. One of the common methods for PG and iso-PG quantifications is LC–MS/MS that allows a highly selective, sensitive, simultaneous analysis for prostanoids without derivatization. However, the currently used LC–MS/MS methods require a multi-step extraction and a long (within an hour) LC separation to achieve simultaneous separation and analysis of the major iso-PG. The developed and validated for brain tissue analysis one-step extraction protocol and UPLC–MS/MS method significantly increases the recovery of the PG extraction up to 95 %, and allows for a much faster (within 4 min) major iso-PGE2 and -PGD2 separation with 5 times narrower chromatographic peaks as compared to previously used methods. In addition, it decreases the time and cost of analysis due to the one-step extraction approach performed in disposable centrifuge tubes. All together, this significantly increases the sensitivity, and the time and cost efficiency of the PG and iso-PG analysis.
Secondary gout associated with chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Abstract The early recognition of acute gouty arthritis, prompt institution of colchicine and/or other antigouty inflammatory drugs, and the use of colchicine prophylactically during the interval periods are necessary measures for the control of secondary gout. The importance of administering allopurinol to prevent the extreme hyperuricemia and excessive hyperuricosuria in blood dyscrasias even before the onset of gouty arthritis should not be overlooked. However, the dosage of allopurinol must be titrated according to the degree of the hyperuricemia and of hyperuricosuria. The control of excessive hyperuricemia in patients receiving chemotherapy is particularly important. The side effects including its impact on the liver and the hemopoietic system should be kept in mind. It must also be remembered that the therapy may change the clinical course of secondary gout, but the course of the underlying blood dyscrasias may not be altered.
Antenna Cross-Polarization Isolation and Calibration of Hybrid-Polarization Radars

This letter presents an experiment using a fully polarimetric hybrid-polarization (CL-pol) radar that employs separate spiral antennas for transmit of the orthogonal circular polarizations and operates from 8 to 16 GHz. We propose a model for the antenna cross-polarization isolation (XPI) and calibration of this radar. The transmit XPI is characterized by leveraging the Doppler shift caused by a continually rotating dihedral target illuminated by a circularly polarized wave. Experimental results show the validity of the radar model and antenna measurement technique .
Celtic Knots, Part 2

Celtic knotwork covers a wide variety of beautiful 2D patterns created by weaving one or more bands in perfect over-and-under harmony. In this article, I discuss some of the techniques that I've discovered for creating and manipulating knotwork.
Recent Developments in Spin Glasses

This paper will describe some recent results in spin glasses with an emphasis on the spin glass phase transition in vector spin glasses.
Palaeontology: ecology of ice-age extinctions.

The last ice age saw the extinction of numerous large mammals — but perhaps not as many as was thought. The woolly mammoth survived to much more recent times, and so, it now seems, did the Irish elk.
Estimation of heats of combustion of biomass from elemental analysis using available electron concepts

The method of Thornton and Dulong's formula for estimating heats of combustion are compared in this work. Heats of combustion predicted by Thornton's method for renewable resources such as wood, straw, and municipal solid wastes are considerably closer to experimentally measured values compared to values predicted by Dulong's formula. Thornton's method states that the heat of combustion is directly proportional to the quantity of oxygen consumed in the combustion process. A method which utilizes the weight fraction carbon on a dry basis and the reductance degree to predict the heat of combustion of renewable resources is presented. (Refs. 12).
Sex-Role Orientation and Type A Behavior

In Western society, rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) are generally lower for women than for men. CHD has been found to be related to the Type A behavior pattern in both men and women. The similarity of stereotypic masculine traits to traits exhibited by those who are Type A was noted, and it was hypothesized that masculinity would be positively associated with Type A behavior whereas femininity would not. Type A scores were compared for males and females who were either high or low in masculinity and high or low in femininity. Masculinity was the only factor significantly related to Type A scores.
A general-purpose perceptron simulator*

This paper describes a perceptron (self-adaptive system) simulator written in Fortran for the Control Data 3600 Computer. This simulator is completely open-ended and permits the generation of perceptrons with up to four levels. It is possible to direct the program to perform the available functions at object time which essentially permits a free choice of sequences. The paper includes a description and operating instructions for the program, a review of perceptron theory, and an example of application to blood electrophoretic patterns.
Long-Term Efficacy of Distal Penile Circular Fasciocutaneous Flaps for Single Stage Reconstruction of Complex Anterior Urethral Stricture Disease

Purpose: We determined the overall efficacy and predictors of success of the distal penile circular fasciocutaneous flap in the management of complex anterior urethral stricture disease not due to lichen sclerosus.Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing reconstruction of complex anterior urethral strictures without lichen sclerosus repaired from 1985 to 2006. Primary and overall stricture-free survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify univariate and multivariate predictors of flap success.Results: A total of 124 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Median patient age was 48 years (range 16 to 83). Median followup was 7.3 years (range 1 month to 19.5 years). Median stricture length was 8.2 cm (range 0.5 to 24). At 1, 3, 5 and 10 years the overall estimated stricture-free survival rates were 95%, 89%, 84% and 79%, respectively. On multivariate analysis smoking (HR...
A method for assessing the uncertainty in feature selection tasks

Feature selection is a common task in the development of computer-aided diagnosis techniques and other areas of research where there is a need to identify discriminative variables that can be used to separate two classes, e.g., individuals with a certain type of disease and those without. Feature-selection results based on a small sample are not reliable if they are not reproducible in replicated experiments. However, when unlimited large samples are not available, it is often difficult to assess sample size with respect to the reliability of the results of feature selection. We propose a method that could be used for assessing the uncertainty in the results of feature selection. We compute a joint likelihood function of observed ROC data of multiple features of interest conditional on a joint ROC model for the multiple features. From the likelihood function, we compute the posterior distribution (i.e., relative probability) of competing joint ROC models of the multiple features for giving rise to the observed ROC data. The posterior distribution can be used for statistical inference of the performance of the multiple features.
Simulation-based optimization of the acoustoelectric hydrophone for mapping an ultrasound beam

Most single element hydrophones depend on a piezoelectric material that converts pressure changes to electricity. These devices, however, can be expensive, susceptible to damage at high pressure, and/or have limited bandwidth and sensitivity. The acousto-electric (AE) hydrophone is based on the AE effect, an interaction between electrical current and acoustic pressure generated when acoustic waves travel through a conducting material. As we have demonstrated previously, an AE hydrophone requires only a conductive material and can be constructed out of common laboratory supplies to generate images of an ultrasound beam pattern consistent with more expensive hydrophones. The sensitivity is controlled by the injected bias current, hydrophone shape, thickness and width. In this report we describe simulations aimed at optimizing the design of the AE hydrophone with experimental validation using new devices composed of a resistive element of indium tin oxide (ITO). Several shapes (e.g., bowtie and dumbbell) and resistivities were considered. The AE hydrophone with a dumbbell configuration achieved the best beam pattern of a 2.25MHz ultrasound transducer with lateral and axial resolutions consistent with images generated from a commercial hydrophone (Onda Inc.). The sensitivity of this device was ~2 nV/Pa. Our simulations and experimental results both indicate that designs using a combination of ITO and gold (ratio of resistivities = ~18) produce the best results. We hope that design optimization will lead to new devices for monitoring ultrasonic fields for biomedical imaging and therapy, including lithotripsy and focused ultrasound surgery.
Anemia in a 17-year-old Hispanic girl.

d t a A 17-year-old Hispanic girl was referred with a history of persistent anemia suggestive of iron deficiency, refractory to oral and intravenous iron therapy. She did not have a personal history of abnormal menstrual periods, gastrointestinal bleeding, significant lead exposure, or respiratory symptoms. There was no significant family history. Physical examination revealed 2/6 systolic murmur without enlarged liver or spleen. Laboratory data revealed a hemoglobin level of 7.4, ferritin level of 2.1, reticulocyte count of 2.6, iron level of 9, transferrin level of 284, total iron binding capacity of 423, and transferrin saturation of 2, with normal hemoglobin electrophoresis. Stools were positive for occult blood. Endoscopy was performed and was visually normal. Biopsy specimens were taken, which were normal. Colonoscopy was performed, revealing 4 white flat masses ranging in size from 1.2 0.4 0.2 cm o 1.6 0.5 0.1 cm (Figure A) that were in the lumen of the escending and sigmoid colon and not adherent to the surface. These findings were consistent with gravid proglottid of aenia spp or tapeworm. Taenia is acquired most commonly in uman beings by consuming raw or undercooked pork.1 Many developing countries such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia continue to have problems with pork tapeworm infections.1,2 Pigs initially are infected with cysticerci after eating human feces containing Taenia eggs. When a human ingests raw or undercooked pork they consume cysticerci. These larva then evaginate in the stomach and duodenum and attach to the intestinal wall. Over time they develop into tapeworms.2 An intact tapeworm was encountered in the cecum/ascending colon extending through the ileocecal valve (Figure B). pon further questioning, the patient stated that she had onsumed pickled pork in Mexico before developing symptoms f anemia. Microscopically, the worm portion showed apparent enital or gynecophoral pore, and eggs. The trichrome stain howed eggs. The periodic acid–Schiff stain showed pores on he surface and eggs within apparent uterine type cavities. issue and active inflammation were not identified on deeper &E levels. The patient was treated with praziquantel 600 mg orally 1 ose. Hemoglobin levels were monitored and normalized after reatment. The patient had no further iron-deficiency anemia fter eradication of Taenia.
Optical rotation and viscosity of native and denatured proteins. II. Influence of temperature and concentration.

Abstract The rotation values of native serum albumin, γ-globulin, and lysozyme increase with increasing temperature, but those of pepsin decrease. There is a maximum of specific rotation at medium concentrations of native serum albumin, ovalbumin, lysozyme, γ-globulin, chymotrypsinogen, and β-lactoglobulin. In the denaturation of γ-globulin with 1.5 M guanidine hydrochloride, of chymotrypsinogen with 2 M guanidine hydrochloride, or of lysozyme with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride at 25 °C., both optical rotation and viscosity increase in time until constant values are reached. A further increase in levorotation and viscosity takes place upon heating at 50 or 55 °C. with the mentioned reagent. Denaturation of serum albumin with potassium thiocyanate or guanidine hydrochloride, of γ-globulin with guanidine hydrochloride or potassium thiocyanate, and of pepsin, chymotrypsinogen, and lysozyme with guanidine hydrochloride are irreversible processes. The original properties of the proteins are only partly restored or much changed if the protein is liberated from the denaturing agent.
Factors promoting and ameliorating the development of obesity

Obesity develops when energy intake exceeds expenditure. A constant neural, metabolic and hormonal "conversation" between the brain and periphery underlies the defense of a given level of adiposity. For the majority of humans, obesity becomes a permanent condition once it develops, possibly because of irreversible changes in the distributed network of specialized "metabolic sensing" neurons which regulate energy intake, expenditure and storage. Plasma leptin and insulin are catabolic hormones whose levels reflect the amount of adiposity and act as signal to metabolic sensing neurons. Obesity-prone individuals have an inborn reduction in their catabolic responses to glucose, leptin and insulin. These raised metabolic and hormonal sensing thresholds precede the development of obesity and predispose individuals to become and remain obese on energy dense diets. High fat diets exacerbate this problem by independently inhibiting central insulin and leptin signaling. In addition, intake of highly palatable diets overrides the homeostatic controls of ingestion because it is regulated by neural systems mediating reward and motivation. The genetic predisposition to become obese is accentuated in offspring of mothers who are obese or nutritionally deprived during gestation and/or lactation or by overfeeding during the early postnatal period. On the other hand, chronic stress and illness can both reduce adiposity, as does gastric bypass surgery. However, for chronic obesity treatment, both exercise and pharmacotherapy help but both must be continued chronically to provide sustained lowering of body weight in obese subjects. Given the permanent upward resetting of body weight set-point that occurs when genetically predisposed individuals become obese, identification of factors that prevent the development of obesity is likely to be the most successful means of ameliorating the current obesity epidemic.
Health services in child day-care centers: A survey

This descriptive study examined the types of health services provided by 49 child day-care centers. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the day-care center directors. The study explored the existing health services and education and training for children, parents, and staff. The study also explored services that the centers would like to offer. Fewer than 50% of the day-care centers offered more than three primary care health services for children. The provision of health education and training for children, parents, and staff varied widely, but these services were offered more frequently than primary care health services. Directors were very interested in offering more comprehensive primary care services, options for sick-child care, and education and training in the areas of safety, disease prevention and management, child development, and availability of community resources. Directors cited infectious disease prevention and management, sick-child care options, and staff training as their most pressing health issues. Recommendations are made for improving the delivery of health services to day-care centers.
Morphological and enzyme-histochemical changes of the mouse thymus after hydrocortisone

Summary This study was designed to determine the effect of hydrocortisone on morphology and enzyme-histochemistry of the thymus, on the peripheral blood cell picture, and on skin graft survival time in mice. In addition to the prolongation of survival of skin grafts, to a dose-dependent lymphopenia, and to an increase in the number of circulating neutrophil granulocytes, we found morphologically enlarged epithelial reticular cells with large cytoplasmic vacuoles, which often formed cyst-like structures. Because of their broad enzyme activity it may well be that these epithelial cell derived cysts regulate by means of humoral factor(s) the repopulation of the thymic cortex. In addition semithin sections clearly showed that the polymorphonuclear-like cells in the thymic cortex are altered lymphocytes with fragmented nuclei.
Male fertility of derived tetraploids ofSolanum tuberosum from groups tubersosum x phureja-stenotomum

Four plants of each of 15 derived tetraploids from a cross of B0749-2F (2n=4×=48) and DM91-5 (2n=2×=24) were planted in the greenhouse at Beltsville, Maryland, in January 1992. The female tetraploid parent is a late blight resistant selection from theTuberosum germplasm base. The male diploid parent is a high dry matter selection from the GroupPhureja-Stenotomum germplasm base. For each derived tetraploid, the percent normal, abnormal, and total pollen germinationin vitro were determined on 2–4 flowers per derived tetraploid harvested 3–4 times during a three-week period in April. The percent normal, abnormal, and total pollen germination ranged from 0.6 to 27.5, 0.1 to 7.6, and 1.4 to 36.6, respectively. Pollen tube growth, measured 2 hours from initiation of germination, ranged from 22 to 130 nm. Four general types of abnormalities in the pollen were identified: a) stunted and curly pollen tubes; b) damaged membranes allowing leakage of cytoplasmic contents; c) pollen grains with two or more pollen tubes; and d) split pollen tubes. In hybridizations with Atlantic as the female parent, 11 out of 15 of these derived tetraploids produced viable seeds. All 15 derived tetraploids were female fertile. These results suggest that utilizing derived tetraploids from theTuberosum andPhureja-Stenotomum germplasm bases in future breeding efforts should not present any great difficulty. However, hybridizations involving these derived tetraploids were more successful when the derived tetraploids were the female parent.
Psychology can be indispensable to health care reform and the patient-centered medical home

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed into legislation in March 2010, making health care reform a reality. Perhaps the most well-developed model of primary care that aligns with the PPACA's agenda is the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). Integrated care, as defined by
Selective Application of Insecticides for Prevention of Southern Pine Beetle Attack

Attacks by Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann were prevented on southern pines by applications of lindane or chlorpyrifos to the entire bole and to the top half of the bole only. Treatment of the basal 2 m and the lower half of tree boles did not prevent attacks. By applying toxicants to only the top half of trees, insecticide volume was reduced by over 30%, and contamination of nontarget areas near the base of the trees was significantly reduced.
Network analyzer solution of the equivalent circuits for elastic structures

Abstract The equivalent circuits of elastic structures developed in a companion paper are numerically checked for two known frames. Both structures are also measured on the A-C Network Analyzer for the case of known impressed forces. In each case the measured values checked very satisfactorily with the calculated values, showing that existing analyzers can be used to good advantage to determine the forces and displacements in statically indeterminate structures.
SU‐FF‐T‐59: Accuracy of Heterogeneity Correction Algorithms Used with Step and Shoot and Sliding Window IMRT

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of tissue heterogeneity dose correction algorithms for IMRT delivery using step and shoot and sliding window techniques. Method and Materials: A solid water phantom incorporating a lung equivalent heterogeneity layer along with several planning targets was constructed. The phantom was CT scanned and contouring of targets was done. Several anatomical dose constraints and penalty functions were defined. A commercial treatment planning system was used to evaluate the optimal fluence for several IMRT field setups. Each fluence was then run through a leaf motion calculator to provide deliverable fluences using both step and shoot and sliding window techniques. Heterogeneity correction algorithms were used in both the dose optimization process and the final dose calculations. GafChromic EBT film was strategically placed within the phantom. The phantom was irradiated with each set of IMRT treatment fields and each film was then processed. The measured dose distribution was compared to the predicated distributions. Results: Preliminary studies with static fields (1×10 cm2 through 10×10 cm2) showed that heterogeneity algorithms became less accurate with decreasing field width. The largest difference between the predicted and the delivered dose on the beam axis inside the lung equivalent material was 28% found for the EqTAR algorithm for the 1×10 cm2field size. Not surprisingly, calculated dose distributions were most accurate for step and shoot delivery where field widths are typically larger than those used with sliding window delivery. Conclusion: Current heterogeneity correction algorithms were found to become less accurate with decreasing field widths. The accuracy of IMRT dose delivery in regions of tissue heterogeneity is therefore dependent on the delivery technique. Since sliding window techniques typically irradiate with narrower fields, heterogeneity algorithms are more accurate for step and shoot delivery where fewer but larger fields are typically used.
Descreening using segmentation-based adaptive filtering

Ordered halftone patterns in the original document interact with the periodic sampling of the scanner, producing objectionable moir´e patterns. These are exacerbated when the copy is reprinted with an ordered halftone pattern. A simple, small low-pass filter can be used to descreen the image and to correct the majority of moir´e artifacts. Unfortunately, low-pass filtering affects detail as well, blurring it even further. Adaptive nonlinear filtering based on image features such as the magnitude and the direction of image gradient can also be used. However, non careful tuning of such filters could either cause damage to small details while descreeing the halftone areas, or result in less descreening while sharpening small details. In this paper, we present a new segmentation-based descreening technique. Scanned images are segmented into text, images and halftone classes using a multiresolution classification of edge features. The segmentation results guide a nonlinear, adaptive filter to favor sharpening or blurring of image pixels belonging to different classes. Our experimental results show the ability of the non-linear, segmentation driven filter of successfully descreening halftone areas while sharpening small size text contents.
The accuracy of Bartlett's small-fluctuation approximation for stochastic-difference-equation population models

Abstract A heuristic approximation procedure devised by Bartlett has often been used to estimate the stationary first- and second-order moments of difference-equation population models perturbed by “small” noise. Here, the approximation is proved to be valid under quite general assumptions: the exact and approximate moments differ by an amount of order σ 3 as σ → 0, where σ 2 is the mean-square norm of the noise process. The existence of stationary solutions to the perturbed difference equation is also considered. If the noise is Markovian, stationary solutions satisfying the assumptions of the error analysis are proved to exist if the noise is “small” with probability 1. The results are applied to a population model with two age classes and variable recruitment.
Conducting instructional intervention research in the midst of a state takeover

This article describes Year 2 of a three-year study on improving reading comprehension instruction in six United States elementary schools that was conducted during a state takeover of a school district. The authors, using a qualitative approach, focus on the effects of implementation of a mandated language arts curriculum, including an obligatory pacing guide, that restricted teachers' abilities to incorporate our three instructional interventions. The authors argue that the curricular mandates undermined teachers' abilities to draw upon their own professional judgment, even though the mandated curriculum and the instructional interventions were not radically different. Despite these limitations in our capacity to enact the interventions, the lessons that emerged from the clash between externally mandated curricula and teachers' agency build upon and extend what we know about effective professional development in literacy.