cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence estimation by joint use of big data and health survey: a demonstration study using electronic health records in New York city.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) has been increasingly used as a tool to monitor population health. However, subject-level errors in the records can yield biased estimates of health indicators. There is an urgent need for methods to estimate the prevalence of health indicators using large and real-time EHR while correcting the potential bias. We demonstrate joint analyses of EHR and a smaller gold-standard health survey. We first adopted Mosteller’s method that pools two estimators, among which one is potentially biased. It only requires knowing the prevalence estimates from two data sources and their standard errors. Then, we adopted the method of Schenker et al., which uses multiple imputations of subject-level health outcomes that are missing for the subjects in EHR. This procedure requires information to link some subjects between two sources and modeling the mechanism of misclassification in EHR as well as modeling inclusion probabilities to both sources. In a simulation study, both estimators yielded negligible bias even when EHR was biased. They performed as well as health survey estimator when EHR bias was large and better than health survey estimator when EHR bias was moderate. It may be challenging to model the misclassification mechanism in real data for the subject-level imputation estimator. We illustrated the methods analyzing six health indicators from 2013 to 14 NYC HANES and the 2013 NYC Macroscope, and a study that linked some subjects in both data sources. When a small gold-standard health survey exists, it can serve as a safeguard against potential bias in EHR through the joint analysis of the two sources.
When Additional Training Isn't Enough: Further Evidence That Unpredictable Speech Inhibits Adaptation

Purpose Robust improvements in intelligibility following familiarization, a listener-targeted perceptual training paradigm, have been revealed for talkers diagnosed with spastic, ataxic, and hypokinetic dysarthria but not for talkers with hyperkinetic dysarthria. While the theoretical explanation for the lack of intelligibility improvement following training with hyperkinetic talkers is that there is insufficient distributional regularity in the speech signals to support perceptual adaptation, it could simply be that the standard training protocol was inadequate to facilitate learning of the unpredictable talker. In a pair of experiments, we addressed this possible alternate explanation by modifying the levels of exposure and feedback provided by the perceptual training protocol to offer listeners a more robust training experience. Method In Experiment 1, we examined the exposure modifications, testing whether perceptual adaptation to an unpredictable talker with hyperkinetic dysarthria could be achieved with greater or more diverse exposure to dysarthric speech during the training phase. In Experiment 2, we examined feedback modifications, testing whether perceptual adaptation to the unpredictable talker could be achieved with the addition of internally generated somatosensory feedback, via vocal imitation, during the training phase. Results Neither task modification led to improved intelligibility of the unpredictable talker with hyperkinetic dysarthria. Furthermore, listeners who completed the vocal imitation task demonstrated significantly reduced intelligibility at posttest. Conclusion Together, the results from Experiments 1 and 2 replicate and extend findings from our previous work, suggesting perceptual adaptation is inhibited for talkers whose speech is largely characterized by unpredictable degradations. Collectively, these results underscore the importance of integrating signal predictability into theoretical models of perceptual learning.
Mechanisms of acid-base regulation following respiratory alkalosis in red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus).

Abstract Respiratory acidosis and subsequent metabolic compensation are well-studied processes in fish exposed to elevated CO2 (hypercapnia). Yet, such exposures in the marine environment are invariably accompanied by a return of environmental CO2 to atmospheric baselines. This understudied phenomenon has the potential to cause a respiratory alkalosis that would necessitate base excretion. Here we sought to explore this question and the associated physiological mechanisms that may accompany base excretions using the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). As expected, when high pCO2 (15,000 μatm CO2) acclimated red drum were transferred to normal pCO2, their net H+ excretion shifted from positive (0.157 ± 0.044 μmol g−1 h−1) to negative (−0.606 ± 0.116 μmol g−1 h−1) in the 2 h post-transfer period. Net H+ excretion returned to control rates during the 3 to 24 h flux period. Gene expression and enzyme activity assays demonstrated that while the acidosis resulted in significant changes in several relevant transporters, no significant changes accompanied the alkalosis phase. Confocal microscopy was used to assess alkalosis-stimulated translocation of V-type H+ ATPase to the basolateral membrane previously seen in other marine species; however, no apparent translocation was observed. Overall, these data demonstrate that fluctuations in environmental CO2 result in both acidic and alkalotic respiratory disturbances; however, red drum maintain sufficient regulatory capacity to accommodate base excretion. Furthermore, this work does not support a role for basolateral VHA translocation in metabolic compensation from a systemic alkalosis in teleosts.
A Hidden Threat: Anomalous Aortic Origins of the Coronary Arteries in Athletes.

Anomalous aortic origins of the coronary arteries (AAOCA) are a primary cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes. This review will detail the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and risk stratification of AAOCA, while also highlighting return-to-play considerations for athletes. Sport pre-participation cardiovascular screening methods lack sensitivity and specificity in the identification of AAOCA. For the symptomatic athlete, clinicians must maintain a heightened clinical suspicion for AAOCA in order to proceed with appropriate cardiac imaging and functional assessments. Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery with an interarterial course is considered high-risk and requires sport restriction until surgical correction. In contrast, risks associated with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery are controversial; thus, management and sports eligibility decisions may incorporate principles of shared decision-making. Management options for athletes with AAOCA are complex, requiring a comprehensive clinical evaluation. While advances in multimodality cardiovascular imaging and physiologic functional assessments have improved AAOCA risk stratification, best practice treatment strategies for some AAOCA subtypes remain uncertain. As such, clinical management and sport eligibility decisions require an individualized approach. Future prospective data will guide optimization of treatment strategies for athletes with AAOCA.
Acoussist: An Acoustic Assisting Tool for People with Visual Impairments to Cross Uncontrolled Streets

To cross uncontrolled roadways, where no traffic-halting signal devices are present, pedestrians with visual impairments must rely on their other senses to detect oncoming vehicles and estimate the correct crossing interval in order to avoid potentially fatal collisions. To overcome the limitations of human auditory performance, which can be particularly impacted by weather or background noise, we develop an assisting tool called Acoussist, which relies on acoustic ranging to provide an additional layer of protection for pedestrian safety. The vision impaired can use the tool to double-confirm surrounding traffic conditions before they proceed through a non-signaled crosswalk. The Acoussist tool is composed of vehicle-mounted external speakers that emit acoustic chirps at a frequency range imperceptible by human ears, but detectable by smartphones operating the Acoussist app. This app would then communicate to the user when it is safe to cross the roadway. Several challenges exist when applying the acoustic ranging to traffic detection, including measuring multiple vehicles' instant velocities and directions with the presence many of them who emit homogeneous signals simultaneously. We address these challenges by leveraging insights from formal analysis on received signals' time-frequency (t-f) profiles. We implement a proof-of-concept of Acoussist using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) portable speakers and smartphones. Extensive in-field experiments have been conducted to validate the effectiveness of Acoussist in improving mobility for people with visual impairments.
Restoring the Appearance of Propriety to the Judiciary

The ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct and the judicial codes of conduct in nearly every jurisdiction admonish judges to avoid the appearance of impropriety. The North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct likewise contained a similar prohibition until 2003, when the North Carolina Supreme Court removed the language and made related amendments to the Code. Although North Carolina is clearly an outlier in this regard, two questions remain: first, whether North Carolina judges are still required to consider appearances in performing their duties; and second, whether judicial codes of conduct should proscribe such a standard at all. To answer this latter question, this Article draws upon the social psychology theories of cognitive bias and procedural justice. These two theories work together to impact how judges arrive at decisions and how litigants will perceive and respond to those decisions. Both theories militate in favor of including a robust appearance standard in a judicial code of conduct. Moreover, the changes to the North Carolina Code in 2003 simultaneously exacerbated the negative effects of cognitive bias and decreased litigants’ perceptions of procedural justice in state courts. But reinstating the appearance of impropriety language to the North Carolina Code alone will not fully ensure judicial propriety, or even the appearance of propriety. Thus, this Article illustrates how an understanding of cognitive bias and procedural justice can inform the introduction of other reforms, using the issue of judicial involvement in plea bargaining and sentencing as an example of how these theories may be applied.
Regret and Repair: Experiences of Adult Children and Parents When a Father Remarries Soon After the Death of a Spouse.

The purpose of this study is to better understand what happens to families when a parent remarries quickly after the death of a long-term partner. Men typically re-partner much more rapidly than wo...
Eliminating racial disparities in endometrial cancer clinical trial enrollment in the Deep South: a pathway to equity

Objectives: Major racial underrepresentation onto gynecologic oncology clinical trials has been a systemic impediment towards racial equity in care. Previous work demonstrated a 9.8-fold lower enrollment of black patients onto national Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) trials compared to whites. In the Deep South, multiple barriers exist that further exacerbate this disparity. Our objective was to investigate clinical trial enrollment at our institution after the implementation of patient-based programs designed specifically to enhance minority enrollment in clinical trials. Methods: An intentional multifaceted intervention was created to address Black patient enrollment onto clinical trials. A lay navigation program was established at our cancer center in conjunction with oncology care models focused on improving quality of care by layering proper education of our patients on the risks and benefits of clinical trials in cancer. A diverse lay navigation workforce was hired that mirrored the demographics of our catchment area. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all endometrial cancer patients diagnosed and treated at our institution between 2012 and 2018. Expected and observed white: black ratios of racial participation in clinical trials were calculated utilizing CDC age-adjusted endometrial cancer incidence for race. Results: A total of 1,021 patients with endometrial cancer had adequate follow-up for evaluation of this study. Per our institutional goals for oncology care models, each new endometrial cancer patient was assigned a lay navigator with clinical trial education module required for all patients. Over the study period, 84 patients were enrolled onto clinical trials. Patients were similar in age, BMI, race, morbidity, stage and tumor histology. A total of 23 out of 277 black women (8.3%) and 61 of 718 white women (8.5%) with endometrial cancer participated in clinical trials. Accounting for age-adjusted incidence of endometrial cancer in the United States, observed enrollment of Black women was statistically similar to expected enrollment (1.03 fold lower than the expected p=0.77). Using regional “Deep South” data, we observed a 1.15 fold higher enrollment compared to expected enrollment for black patients (p=0.54). For the entire cohort, a progression-free survival (PFS) disadvantage was demonstrated for black patients compared to whites (14 vs 20 months, respectively p=0.02). Stratifying by clinical trial enrollment, PFS equity was achieved for black patients compared to white patients (13 vs 14 months, p=0.28) (Figure 1). Download : Download high-res image (172KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Clinical trial inequities can be overcome in the Deep South with specific interventions aimed at improving care for black women. Particularly encouraging are the equal progression free survival data for those enrolled onto clinical trials regardless of race.
Vacuum cleaner friction injuries in paediatrics: A 10 year review of national trends.

Abstract Our regional burns service has gained experience in managing paediatric hand friction burns due to vacuum cleaners (VC). We aimed to evaluate our 10 year experience managing these injuries as well as reviewing national data trends in order to identify those at risk of injury. Materials and Methods A International Burns Injury Database (IBID) request was made to review the number of burn injuries recorded due to Vacuum cleaner injuries (VCIs). In addition, a local IBID request was made to identify the number of burn injuries managed within our regional burns service. Results We identified 288 VCIs which have increasingly occurred in England and Wales between 1996–2020 and 32 children who sustained these injuries within our regional burns service. A general theme from both national and local data highlighted that these injuries occurred in males (78%, n=25) with a mean age of 20 months (9 months–4.5 years) affecting children’s hands (94%). In 25 cases (78%) these injuries involved an interphalangeal joint. 85% (n = 27) of injuries were deep dermal/full thickness with eleven children (34%) undergoing surgical excision and skin grafts. Discussion Significant paediatric burn injuries can be sustained from VCs. Greater awareness is indicated for these injuries and legislation should be considered in order to improve the safety of vacuum cleaners. International burn societies are urged to collect data of these injuries in order to co-ordinate improved prevention strategies and change within the VC industry.
On Open Rectangle-of-Influence Drawings of Planar Graphs

We investigate open rectangle-of-influence drawings for irreducible triangulations, which are plane graphs with a quadrangular exterior face, triangular interior faces and no separating triangles. An open rectangle-of-influence drawing of a plane graph G is a type of straight-line grid drawing where there is no vertices drawn in the proper inside of the axis-parallel rectangle defined by the two end vertices of any edge. The algorithm presented by Miura and Nishizeki [8] uses a grid of size ${\cal W} + {\cal H} \leq$ (n-1) , where ${\cal W}$ is the width of the grid, ${\cal H}$ is the height of the grid and n is the number of vertices in G . Thus the area of the grid is at most ***(n-1)/2*** × $\lfloor$(n-1)/2$\rfloor$ [8]. In this paper, we prove that the two straight-line grid drawing algorithms for irreducible triangulations from [4] and quadrangulations from [3,5] actually produce open rectangle-of-influence drawings for them respectively. Therefore, the straight-line grid drawing size bounds from [3,4,5] also hold for the open rectangle-of-influence drawings. For irreducible triangulations, the new asymptotical grid size bound is $\emph{11n/27}$ × $\emph{11n/27}$. For quadrangulations, our asymptotical grid size bound $\emph{13n/27}$ × $\emph{13n/27}$ is the first known such bound.
Proficiency Evaluation of Clinical Chemistry Laboratories

The problem of proficiency evaluation of clinical chemistry laboratories is considered in terms of the accuracy, precision, and allowable limits of error of 10 common analytical procedures, and in terms of the proficiency of individual analysts and the occurrence of gross laboratory mistakes. The concept of the operational chart is developed, and its use is illustrated. Operational charts summarize basic quality-control information in a clear, concise, goal-oriented perspective which is useful for evaluating the performance of individual laboratories and for comparing groups of laboratories. The charts aid in identifying major problems relating to the reliability and clinical usefulness of laboratory results, and should facilitate managerial decision-making processes.
Anxiety sensitivity and cognitive biases for threat

Patients with panic disorder are characterized by elevated scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Reiss, Peterson, Gursky, & McNally, 1986 ) and by interpretive, attentional, and memory biases favoring the processing of threatening information ( McNally, 1994, pp. 123–132). Although longitudinal research indicates that elevated ASI scores predict the occurrence of spontaneous panic ( Schmidt, Lerew, & Jackson, 1997 ), it is unclear whether high anxiety sensitivity is premorbidly associated with information-processing biases that may themselves reflect cognitive risk for panic. To address this issue, we had 63 individuals who reported no history of spontaneous panic perform interpretive, attentional, and memory tasks similar to those revealing threat-related cognitive biases in panic disorder patients. Subjects completed the ASI as well as other potential predictors of cognitive bias (e.g., measures of state and trait anxiety). The results indicated that ASI scores predicted one measure of interpretive bias, but little else. Although elevated ASI scores appear to reflect cognitive risk for panic attacks, cognitive bias variables rarely correlate strongly with this risk factor.
The Biological Bases for Aggressiveness and Nonaggressiveness in Presidents

Leaders remain subject to the same biological determinants and pressures that affect other humans. Yet, they also differ in their ability to regulate and marshal their emotions just as they diverge in their other skills, talents, limitations, and abilities. In particular, some are better at channeling their emotions to help shape foreign policy more efficiently than others. One of the most potent and powerful emotions with which leaders have to contend, particularly under conditions of provocation, is anger. Anger can influence judgment and decision making in systematic and predictable ways. Individual heritable differences can influence the conditions under which anger leads to aggressive action. Such differences can influence not only the environments into which leaders select, but also the ways they process and interpret information; these determinations can decisively influence the outcome of significant public policies, including decisions on conflict and war. As a result, emotion regulation can play a strategic role in leadership. Examples from several recent presidencies illustrate how such individual differences play out on the world stage.
Algorithmic rule-based methodology for shape synthesis: 2D cases

Abstract The implementation, as a rule-based system, of a heuristic approach for the shape synthesis of mechanical and structural components is presented in the paper. The proposed algorithmic scheme pursues the practical objective of maximizing, within the allowable design constraints, the utilization of material in a component. The shape-synthesis scheme starts with an arbitrary geometry, usually a basic primitive. On the basis of the distribution of stresses in the domain, a set of programmed rules is used to mold iteratively the shape, until the final geometry is generated. Control parameters used to control the shape-alteration process are based on results from tests on various problems. The finite-element method is used for modeling and stress calculations. The mesh-generation process is an important part of the proposed scheme, because the geometry of the part is altered at each step. The implementation of the shape synthesis of 2D components is presented. Several examples are presented as illustration.
Quantitative proteomics: the copy number of pyruvate dehydrogenase is more than 102-fold lower than that of complex III in human mitochondria

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and complex III are two key protein complexes in mitochondrial metabolic activity. Using a novel quantitative Western blotting method, we find that PDH and complex III exist at a steady-state ratio of 1:100, 1:128 and 1:202 in HeLa cell extracts, fibroblast mitochondria and heart tissue mitochondria, respectively. This difference in stoichiometry is reflected in the immunogold labeling intensities of the two complexes and by the much more sparse distribution of PDH in fluorescence microscopy. In Rho0 fibroblasts there is a 64% reduction of complex III but the concentration of PDH remains the same as wild-type.
Null alleles at two lactate dehydrogenase loci in rainbow trout are associated with decreased developmental stability

Previous studies with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have shown that allozymic heterozygotes have increased developmental stability, as measured by reduced fluctuating bilateral asymmetry. In this paper, we examine the phenotypic effects of null alleles at two lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) loci. If the association between allozymic heterozygosity and developmental stability is due largely to linked chromosomal segments, then we would expect null allele heterozygotes to have increased developmental stability. In contrast, heterozygotes for LDH null alleles in three populations have reduced developmental stability. This suggests that the reduction in enzyme activity at these loci is having a deleterious effect on development that is strong enough to mask any beneficial effects that may be associated with heterozygosity for these chromosomal segments. The LDH loci examined in this study are members of two different paralogous pairs of duplicate genes produced by the polyploidization of the ancestral salmonid genome. The apparent deleterious effects of these null alleles in heterozygotes could retard the possible loss of duplicate gene expression.
Acquisition of Multiple Questions in English, Russian, and Malayalam

This article presents the results of four studies exploring the acquisition of the language-specific syntactic and semantic properties of multiple interrogatives in English, Russian, and Malayalam, languages that behave differently with respect to the syntax and semantics of multiple interrogatives. A corpus analysis investigated the frequency of occurrence of multiple interrogatives in parental speech, demonstrating that children face quite limited evidence in the input. It was followed with studies where multiple interrogatives were elicited from children and adults in specific contexts in English, Russian, and Malayalam. Children acquiring English and Malayalam demonstrated perfect knowledge of the properties of multiple questions, while Russian-acquiring children exhibited some difficulties with the language-specific syntax of these expressions. The learning process of multiple interrogatives is explored, considering several sources of evidence children are getting in the input.
ANTITHROMBOTIC ACTIONS OF SELECTIVE INHIBITORS OF BLOOD COAGULATION FACTOR Xa IN RAT MODELS OF THROMBOSIS

Abstract The antithrombotic actions of selective factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors, recombinant tick anticoagulant peptide (rTAP) and DX-9065a, were evaluated in experimental thrombosis models in anesthetized rats. In the first model, thrombosis was induced by exposing flowing blood to a silk thread anchored in an arteriovenous (AV) shunt. rTAP, DX-9065a and heparin, given as an iv infusion 1 hr before blood was circulated in the AV shunt, had ID 50 s of 0.007, 0.6 μmol/kg/hr and 16 U/kg/hr, respectively. In the model of venous thrombosis which was induced by hypotonic saline (0.225%) followed by 15-min stasis of abdominal vena cava, rTAP and heparin had ID 50 s of 0.007 μmol/kg/hr and 3.5 U/kg/hr, respectively. In both models, full inhibition of thrombus formation was achieved with FXa inhibition at doses which only modestly increased ex vivo plasma clotting time APTT (1.26 to 1.82 over the baseline). By contrast, the maximum antithrombotic effect of heparin was associated with high and significant APTT prolongation (> 5 fold over the baseline). Therefore, our study suggests that FXa inhibitors are effective agents in preventing thrombosis in both rat thrombosis models and may have therapeutic antithrombotic potential.
Internal Angular Momentum in Hindered Rotation

When describing the motion of two rigid molecular groups which are undergoing mutual rotation with respect to each other about a definite axis and which are at the same time rotating freely in space, there are several ways in which one may fix the coordinate axes which translate with the center of mass of the body. Origin of the axes is placed at the over-all center of mass in order to separate the translational and rotational parts of the Hamiltonian. There still remains a choice in the determination of the orientation of these axes with respect to the two groups. The axes may be fixed in one of the groups or they may have a variable orientation with respect to the two groups. The initial part of the present discussion will be restricted to a discussion of axes in a configuration consisting of a completely asymmetric molecule with an attached symmetric group rotating about the symmetry axis of the symmetric group. Finally some remarks will be made regarding a choice of axes for two internally rotating asymmetric groups.
Assessment of the Association Between Colchicine Therapy and Serious Adverse Events

tudy Objective As data that prompted a 2009 labeling change detailing contraindications, precautions, and dosing recommendations for the first branded colchicine product were limited to case reports of myotoxicity and blood dyscrasias ascribed to the drug, we sought to quantify the association of colchicine therapy with serious adverse outcomes in a cohort of insured patients. Design Case-control study. Data Source Kaiser Permanente Colorado electronic data warehouses and electronic medical records. Patients Cases were patients with a creatine kinase (CK) level of at least 2000 U/L or who developed a clinically significant non–cancer-related blood dyscrasia (thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia, aplastic anemia, or pancytopenia) between January 1, 2006, and June 30, 2009 (954 cases). Each case was matched to up to 10 controls by age, sex, and index date (date of the increased CK level or blood dyscrasia–supporting laboratory value). Controls were patients without elevated CK levels or blood dyscrasias who had a routine health maintenance examination during the same time period (index date was the date of their health maintenance examination [9007 controls]). Measurements and Main Results The primary study outcome was colchicine exposure, defined as a colchicine prescription purchase in the 100 days before the index date. The likelihood of colchicine exposure was examined with conditional logistic regression. Cases experienced a higher rate of previous colchicine exposure compared with controls (0.6% vs 0.2%, odds ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 1.4–10.7). In addition, cases had higher hospitalization rates (14.9% vs 5.0%, p<0.001), higher mean chronic disease scores (2.5 vs 0.0, p<0.001), and were more likely to have been exposed to drugs that may increase the risk of adverse events due to an interaction with a CYP3A4 inhibitor drug (6.9% vs 2.3%, p<0.001). Conclusion Patients with confirmed elevations in CK level and/or blood dyscrasias had a higher rate of previous colchicine exposure, although low overall, and greater hospitalization rates and exposure to drugs that may increase the risk of adverse events compared with controls. These findings support the 2009 United States Food and Drug Administration labeling for the first branded colchicine product, cautioning use in patients with liver impairment or renal dysfunction and/or those receiving concurrent drugs that may increase risk of adverse events.
The Effect of Labeling as an Informational Social Influence upon Color Perception

(1969). The Effect of Labeling as an Informational Social Influence upon Color Perception. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 195-202.
Cavendish's use of Hall's Chronicle

La 1partie de The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey est pratiquement une copie de Chronicle de Hall. Dans sa 2partie Cavendish se libere de l'influence de Hall et apporte ses temoignages qui, quoique subjectifs par endroits, sont precieux et uniques.
Prediction intervals for future demand of existing products with an observed demand of zero

Abstract A proposed technique for forming reliable prediction intervals for the future demand rate of existing products with observed demand of zero is illustrated using methodology adapted from software reliability. By using the demand information from a group of products which includes slow-moving products, prediction intervals for the future demand rate of the products with an observed demand of zero are constructed. A simulation study examined the reliability of these prediction intervals across experimental conditions that included product group size, mean time between demand, and Type I error levels. The proposed prediction intervals had empirical Type I errors closer to their nominal values when there were a sufficient number of products with no sales and also with some sales.
The opsonic activity of bovine milk whey for the phagocytosis and killing by neutrophils of encapsulated and non-encapsulated Escherichia coli.

Abstract Encapsulated strains of Escherichia coli were found to be more resistans to phagocytosis and killing by bovine neutrophils; requiring in the order of 100 times more serum opsonins than non-encapsulated strains. Mid-lactation pooled whey from cows with no history of mastitis was opsonic for non-encapsulated strains, but had no effect on encapsulated organisms. In contrast, early lactation pooled when (5–10 days post-partum) was opsonic for all strains of E. coli . It is concluded that since early lactation milk contains sufficient opsonins, severe E. coli mastitis at this stage of lactation is not due to opsonic deficiency.
Separation of acetylated amino acids

Acetylated amino acids (Nac-AA) are separated as anions on a reversed stationary phase from a mobile phase containing a quaternary ammonium (R4N+) salt as a mobile phase additive. If the counteranion accompanying the R4N+ or ionic strength salt is detector active than the separated NAc-AA derivatives can be detected by an indirect detection strategy. Variables influencing the separations are NAc-AA side chain structure and the mobile phase parameters such as hdyrophobicity of the alkyl groups in the R4N+ salt, R4N+ salt concentration, counteranion eluent strength, counteranion concentration, solvent composition, and pH. Indirect detection is influenced by these same mobile phase parameters as well as the properties of the detector active counteranion. The detection limit for indirect photometric detection at 287 nm using a tetrapentylammonium salt with a disodium 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate—sodium benzoate counteranion mixture was about 70 pmol of NAc-AA depending on the amino acid injected as a 10-μ1 sample.
Development of the Hypothalamic Melanocortin System

The melanocortin system is a critical component of the forebrain and hindbrain regulatory systems involved in energy balance. This system is composed of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons that act, in part, through the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). Although the importance of the melanocortin system in controlling feeding has been established for two decades, the understanding of the developmental substrates underlying POMC and MC4R neuron development and function has just begun to emerge. The formation of the melanocortin system involves several discrete developmental steps that include the birth and fate specification of POMC- and MC4R-containing neurons and the extension and guidance of POMC axons to their MC4R-expressing target nuclei. Each of these developmental processes appears to require specific sets of genes and developmental cues that include perinatal hormones. Recent evidence has also highlighted the importance of perinatal nutrition in controlling the ultimate architecture of the melanocortin system.
Caste Indicators and Caste Identification of Strangers

In traditional Indian villages and their relatively circumscribed extensions - where the caste affiliations of all are known to everyone and where interaction generally accords with that knowledge - villagers rarely come into contact with strangers in situations where caste is apposite. Consequently, anthropologists have almost never concerned themselves with questions of whether and how strangers identify each other in order to ensure appropriate caste behavior in any necessary encounter. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that, at least in one village area of north India, such caste identification of strangers is deemed essential and that the process of identification can be determined by social anthropological methods of analysis. The findings are then used to help resolve a point of difference with respect to caste systems between F. G. Bailey and Gerald D. Berremanl - basically a question of whether skin color and other obvious physical indicators are necessary to maintain caste systems i...
Nuclear receptors for l-triiodothyronine in quail liver

Abstract Binding studies were conducted using in vitro -labeled quail liver nuclei to identify and characterize receptors for l -triiodothyronine (T 3 ). Saturation binding experiments were analyzed by Scatchard analysis and indicated a single class of high-affinity, limited-capacity T 3 binding sites. These receptors exhibited binding specificity as demonstrated by competition experiments between labeled T 3 and unlabeled thyroid hormones or hormone analogs. Binding specificity was virtually identical in quail and rat liver nuclei. Thus, apparent differences between mammals and birds, in regard to the biological potency of T 4 versus T 3 , are not apparent at the level of the nuclear T 3 receptor.
Feedback Effects on Oral Reading Errors of Children with Learning Disabilities

Males with learning disabilities in Grades 1 through 4 were pretested to determine subjects who were in the acquisition stage of decoding. Forty-eight boys were randomly assigned to four feedback treatment conditions and orally read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) nonsense words. Four feedback treatments were manipulated as the independent variable: (a) general, (b) corrective/modeling, (c) corrective/sound-it-out, and (d) no feedback. A one-way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between types of feedback. Planned orthogonal comparisons demonstrated significant differences for (a) any type of feedback compared to no feedback, (b) corrective feedback (modeling and sound-it-out) compared to general feedback, and (c) modeling compared to sound-it-out on the immediate task measure. Additional discussion suggests implications for instructional practices and critical variables to consider in feedback research.
Personal Reflections on Representations of Homosexuality

In this essay the author of Representations of Homosexuality: Black Liberation Theology and Cultural Criticism reflects on the critical issues that led to the writing of this book. The author’s reflections provide the “back story” for the emergent theories and themes of the book, which represents a marked departure from previous attempts to address this aspect of Black life in the United States. The author’s work charts a new, unapologetic demand for Black gay agency and was the subject of a Black Theology Group panel at the American Academy of Religion meeting in 2011, in San Francisco.
Cusp size, sexual dimorphism, and heritability of cusp size in twins.

Overall measures of mandibular molars reflect the combined size contributions of the component cusps and ridges. Until now, the size hierarchy of primary and permanent mandibular molar cusps remained unclear. This paper utilizes the relative plane surface areas (basal area dimensions) of the individual molar cusps, as assays of cusp size to demonstrate cusp size variations within populations, antimere cuspal variations, sexual dimorphism, and the heritability of cusp size. Duplicate dental casts from 199 pairs of like-sexed twins provide the raw data. Defined anatomic landmarks on the occlusal surfaces were reduced to X-Y rectangular coordinates prior to the computation of the basal areas dimensions. The results establish a cusp size hierarchy specific for molar type, i.e., five-cusped molars with a distal fovea and distal marginal ridge (5fd), five-cusped molars without a distal fovea and without a distal marginal ridge (5o), and four-cusped molars (4c). Sexual dimorphism in cusp size in apparent in 5fd molar cusps but not in 5o molar cusps. However, males have a significantly higher frequency of 5fd molars. Females have a higher frequency of smaller 5o and 4c molars which have fewer crown components. Moreover, female 5o molars have cusps as large as or larger than 5o male molar cusps. Right-side-left-side differences exist between antimere cusps based on relatively low correlations. The mirroring of molar types occurs infrequently. When observed, most intrapair differences for cusp size, using F-ratios, indicate a low component of hereditary variability.
Epidemiology of trauma: The civilian perspective

Recent interest in civilian trauma as a public health problem dates from the National Academy of Sciences white paper in 1966. Civilian trauma patterns vary depending on locale--blunt trauma predominates in rural and smaller urban areas (65% to 80% of hospital admissions); penetrating trauma in larger urban areas outweighs blunt trauma by a ratio of 2 to 1. Approximately 50% of trauma deaths occur within minutes of injury, and efforts at prevention and reduction of injury are the only hope for decreasing mortality in this group. Thirty percent of trauma deaths occur in the first few hours, and reducing this rate will require optimization of prehospital and early hospital care. Aggressive efforts at intensive care unit management will be required to reduce the number of later deaths (20%). Several studies suggest that limiting the depth and duration of shock is a major factor in reducing the in-hospital mortality rate. Reducing mortality and morbidity nationwide requires several things. Although it is clear that preventive efforts must focus on legislation and public education, it is also clear that enforcement is a key element (eg, handgun violations, drunk driving). Emphasis in prehospital care probably should remain on field endotracheal intubation and expeditious transport to an appropriate facility. Recent data suggest that organization of in-hospital care of the multiply injured trauma victim along the lines of a dedicated trauma service can lead to reductions in morbidity and mortality from trauma. Finally, the commitment of federal and private agencies to supporting research on all aspects of trauma must be raised to a level commensurate with the seriousness of this major public health problem.
Mechanical Characterization of PbTe-based Thermoelectric Materials

PbTe-based thermoelectric (TE) materials exhibit promising thermoelectric properties and have potential applications in waste heat recovery from sources such as truck engines and shipboard engines. TE components designed for these applications will be subject to mechanical/thermal loading and vibration as a result from in-service conditions, including mechanical vibration, mechanical and/or thermal cycling, and thermal shock. In the current study, we present and discuss the mechanical properties of several PbTe-based compositions with different dopants and processing methods, including n-type and p-type specimens fabricated both by casting and by powder processing. Room temperature hardness and Young's modulus are studied by Vickers indentation and nanoindentation while fracture strength is obtained by biaxial flexure testing. Temperature dependent Young's modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio are studied via resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS).
“To Change the Fundamental Law of the State”: Protective Labor Provisions in U.S. Constitutions

As the United States industrialized, its state constitutions began to include protections for laborers. In this article, I describe the origins of these constitutional provisions and ask why labor organizations and other reformers pursued their inclusion in state constitutions. I argue that they saw state constitutions as a vehicle to prompt reluctant legislatures to pass protective statutes, to entrench existing protections against future legislatures, to safeguard labor legislation from constitutional challenges in state courts, and to facilitate further union organizing. Labor activism in this arena is particularly interesting in light of the literature on constitutional change, which contends that constitutional development is a tool through which actors attempt to usher courts into political conflicts; in contrast, I will argue that unions turned to constitutional change in large part to exclude courts from policymaking. Further, the union activism on behalf of constitutional change serves as a challenge to the prominent view among many scholars of American political development and law that judicial hostility to worker rights and union organizing discouraged unions from demanding state protection or institutionalizing their demands through law.
Flux Pinning of Y-Ba-Cu-O Films Doped With ${\rm BaZrO}_{3}$ Nanoparticles by Multilayer and Single Target Methods

The superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO or 123) thin films doped with BaZrO3 (BZO) nanoparticles by multilayer and single-target methods were studied and compared. Thin films of 123 + BZO were processed by pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 and single crystal substrates. Multilayer (BZO0.6nm-1.4 nm/123 15 nm) structures were grown by alternating deposition from 123 and BZO targets, and BZO additions of 0-2 vol% were deposited using (1231-xBZOx) single-targets. The multilayer and single-target methods of BZO addition caused significant differences of superconducting transition temperatures (Tc) measured by AC susceptibility, and critical current densities (Jc) measured by both magnetic and transport methods as a function of temperature (T), applied magnetic field (H) and angle of H field incidence (thetas) . Single-target films had almost linear decrease Tc of and self-field Jc with BZO vol% addition, and compared to multilayer films had lower Jc (77 K, H 4T. Multilayer films had almost no decrease of Tc and self-field Jc for high BZO additions up to 10 vol% and very strong peak of Jc (H// ab in - plane) and constant and high Jc (H, 0 < thetas < 80 deg) . Single-target BZO-2 vol% films had slightly enhanced Jc(H//c-axis), consistent with results by other authors.
Ultra-low platinum loadings in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell electrodes fabricated via simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying method

Abstract In this study, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) were fabricated using a simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying (E/E) technique to produce a unique nanoparticle/nanofiber cathode catalyst layer morphology evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. H2/O2 and H2/air polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance was evaluated for E/E MEAs at ultra-low Pt cathode loadings of 0.052 and 0.022 mgPt cm−2, where maximum power densities of 1.090 and 0.936 W cm−2 (H2/O2) and 0.656 and 0.625 W cm−2 (H2/air) were achieved at these two Pt loadings, respectively. This was compared to a conventional control MEA at a 0.42 mgPt cm−2 cathode catalyst loading with maximum power densities of 1.420 and 0.839 W cm−2 for H2/O2 and H2/air, respectively. These results correspond to a significant reduction in Pt loading (5–12% of control) at only a modest reduction in power density (∼66–78% of control) for the E/E electrodes. Excellent platinum utilization in the cathode of 0.024 gPt kW−1 (∼42 kW gPt−1) was achieved for the E/E electrode at 0.022 mgPt cm−2 cathode loading. Cyclic voltammetry results show an electrochemical surface area higher in the E/E electrodes compared to the control, which provides a rationale for the excellent platinum utilization results, where the E/E morphology results in more triple phase boundaries with more accessible Pt in the electrode.
Treating Allergic Asthma with Omalizumab

Asthma is a chronic condition with characteristics that make it an ideal target for interventions used within disease state management in managed care settings. It affects a substantial population of patients and imposes an increasingly significant global societal burden. Despite the availability of many asthma medications and easily accessed publications providing step-wise guidance for asthma management, there are still patients whose condition is not well controlled. Hence, there is a continuing need for unique treatment options. Omalizumab is a subcutaneously administered monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that reduces free IgE concentrations and promotes down-regulation of IgE receptors on basophils. This relatively new pharmacologic intervention has been shown to reduce inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and rescue medication requirements, and improve asthma control and quality of life in patients with moderate to severe allergic asthma with disease poorly controlled by ICSs. However, because of its high cost relative to other asthma drug therapies, health plans/payers must ensure that criteria for its use are clearly identified so as to target patients who will most likely benefit from such therapy. Omalizumab may need to be restricted to asthma patients with severe persistent allergy who are categorized as ‘high risk’ (e.g. patients with a recent history of frequent intubations, emergency room visits, overnight hospitalizations, or intensive care unit admissions for asthma exacerbations) who remain symptomatic despite appropriate maximal maintenance therapy for the severity of their disease. If restricted to this narrowly defined population of patients with allergic asthma, cost-of-care studies suggest that the high cost of this product could be offset by savings resulting from the less frequent use of high-intensity medical services for asthma exacerbations.