cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can We Predict Visual Performance Using a Model of the Human Eye

This paper describes an approach for analyzing radiographic tumor detection which is based on the light adaptation properties of photoreceptor cells (the cones) in the retina. Factors which affect the sensitivity of these cells will be discussed, changes in sensitivity due to light adaptation will be demonstrated and preliminary results from experiments dealing with the effect of age and radiologic training will be presented. A computer model of these processes has been constructed that appears to be useful for predicting the sensitivity of the visual system for detecting low contrast patches on a variety of background intensity distributions. Predictions of observer performance based on calculations from this model will provide a means for evaluating the clinical usefulness of image processing/enhancement schemes.
An Overview of the Frequentist Approach to Estimation

The frequentist will often make the assumption that the available data is a random sample of i.i.d. variables. DeGroot (1988) articulates the view that the i.i.d. assumption is logically untenable. Are i.i.d. observations really possible? Are the conditions under which we toss a coin several times ever truly identical? Of course the answer is no. In general, identical trials are physically impossible. If repeated trials were truly identical, wouldn’t we necessarily obtain the same result in each trial? These criticisms notwithstanding, experience suggests that the i.i.d. assumption is often an excellent approximation to reality, and, in many statistical contexts, making this assumption is relatively harmless. While one might take issue with the i.i.d. assumption in modeling the available data, this is not a central issue in the disagreements between frequentists and Bayesians. Both schools will often make this assumption when describing the data available for study. In this section, we will make the assumption, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, that the available experimental data satisfies an i.i.d. assumption and may thus be represented as the random sample X1;X2; : : : ;Xn ~ FӨ.
Indigo- and indirubin-producing strains of Proteus and Psychrobacter are associated with purple rind defect in a surface-ripened cheese

The rinds of surface-ripened cheeses have expected aesthetic properties, including distinct colors, that contribute to overall quality and consumer acceptance. Atypical rind pigments are frequently reported in small-scale cheese production, but the causes of these color defects are largely unknown. We provide a potential microbial explanation for a striking purple rind defect in a surface-ripened cheese. A cheese producer in the United States reported to us several batches of a raw-milk washed-rind cheese with a distinctly purple rind. We isolated a Proteus species from samples with purple rind defect, but not from samples with typical rind pigments, suggesting that this strain of Proteus could be causing the defect. When provided tryptophan, a precursor in the indigo and indirubin biosynthesis pathway, the isolated strain of Proteus secreted purple-red pigments. A Psychrobacter species isolated from both purple and normal rinds also secreted purple-red pigments. Using thin-layer chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we confirmed that these bacteria produced indigo and indirubin from tryptophan just as closely related bacteria make these compounds in purple urine bag syndrome in medical settings. Experimental cheese communities with or without Proteus and Psychrobacter confirmed that these Proteobacteria cause purple pigmentation of cheese rinds. Reports of purple rinds in two other cheeses from Europe and the observation of pigment production by Proteus and Psychrobacter strains isolated from other cheese rinds suggest that purple rind defect has the potential to be widespread in surface-ripened cheeses.
Publisher Correction: Strategies to reduce the global carbon footprint of plastics

In the version of this Letter originally published, in Fig. 1 the label ‘PPA 159 Mt’ should have been ‘PP&A 159 Mt’. This has now been amended.
93. TEACHING RESIDENTS TO MITIGATE PREJUDICE

Discrimination in the workplace is prevalent and while more residency programs are teaching residents to mitigate their own biases, research remains scant on how physicians can respond to discriminatory comments. Evidence supports that discrimination contributes to physician burnout. One institution developed a longitudinal curriculum to help residents respond to discriminatory comments using the NURSE mnemonic (Name-Understand-Respect-Support-Explore). We adapted this curriculum and created a 2-hour workshop for trainees at our pediatric residency program. Workshop objectives were: 1. Recognize when discrimination occurs and how this affects patient care; 2. Utilize the NURSE mnemonic and hospital code of conduct; and 3. Apply these tools in simulations to enhance pediatric residents’ ability to effectively respond to discriminatory comments. Our workshop included videos from popular media, an overview of current literature, and our institution's code of conduct. A gold standard skit demonstrated the NURSE mnemonic, and was followed by small group activity with role playing and debriefing. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to participants. All respondents reported facing discrimination at least once with 13% reporting greater than 5 encounters. Discrimination against gender, race, and age were the most commonly faced. Prior to the workshop, 41% of respondents felt fairly well prepared to respond to discriminatory comments directed towards themselves, and 32% felt fairly well prepared when comments were directed towards a team member. After the workshop, 77% of residents felt very well prepared or fairly well prepared to respond to these comments, and no residents reported feeling very unprepared. There was also a marked difference in perceived faculty support following the workshop with 83.4% of residents reporting either fairly well or very well supported versus 55.9% pre-workshop. We found that an interactive workshop can facilitate discussion and improve residents’ self-reported preparedness to respond to discriminatory comments. Our data also demonstrate that residents in our program feel more supported following this workshop.
Prescribed exercise for the treatment of depression in a college population: An interprofessional approach

Purpose The purpose of this pilot project was to establish an interprofessional collaborative process for college students treated with prescribed exercise to manage depression. Design and methods Program evaluation of this pilot project was a pretest/posttest design. Participants who were prescribed exercise as a treatment for depression were referred to the campus wellness coaching program. Baseline and follow-up data included Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores and qualitative reports. Findings The project demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of an interprofessional collaborative process for facilitating prescribed exercise in the treatment of college depression. Practice implication Continued use of this established process might help to reduce the burden of college depression.
Receipt of psychological counseling and integrative medicine services among breast cancer survivors with anxiety.

To define the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and examine rates and predictors of psychotherapy and integrative medicine service use in breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Observational study of patients with histologically confirmed stage 0–III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer taking a third-generation AI at the time of enrollment. Patients completed self-report measures of anxiety and utilization of psychotherapy and integrative medicine services at a single time-point. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with anxiety and receipt of anxiety treatment services. Among the 1085 participants, the majority were younger than 65 years of age (n = 673, 62.0%) and white (n = 899, 82.9%). Approximately one-third (30.8%) reported elevated anxiety (≥ 8 on the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Of patients with elevated anxiety, only 24.6% reported receiving psychological counseling, 25.3% used integrative medicine services, and 39.8% received either type of treatment since their diagnosis. Patients with an education level of high school or less were less likely to receive psychological counseling (AOR, 0.43, 95% CI 0.19–0.95) and integrative medicine services (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.12–0.72) than patients with higher levels of education. Anxiety is common in breast cancer patients treated with AIs yet the majority of anxious patients do not receive evidence-based treatment, even when these treatments are available. Better systematic anxiety screening and treatment initiation are needed to reduce disparities in care by education level.
Exploiting the Slowness of Electrochromic Displays

This paper explores the slow behaviors of electrochromic displays. Electrochromic displays have several qualities that make them an attractive material for wearable design; they are run at a low power, require power only at transition, demonstrate slow and natural chromic change, and are entirely passive. They are increasingly explored for their applications in wearables, however, mostly focused on the binary switching function between visible and invisible states. We envision that their slow and natural chromic properties can be exploited further in slow wearable displays. To that end, this paper investigates strategies for designing with the slowness of electrochromic displays, and interconnect design techniques to achieve granular control over the display behaviors. Our exploration with electrochromic materials discusses how they could expand the design space of wearable displays as well as further areas of research in electrochromic displays.
Do Oncologic Outcomes From Head and Neck Versus Truncal and Extremity Melanoma Differ? A Single-Institution Single-Subspecialty Experience.

Background Outcomes are thought to be worse in head and neck (H&N) melanoma patients. However, definitive evidence of inferior outcomes in H&N melanoma in the modern era is lacking. We sought to ascertain whether H&N melanomas carry a worse prognosis than melanomas of other sites. Methods All patients who underwent excision for primary melanoma by fellowship-trained surgical oncologists at a single institution from 2014 to 2020 were queried from the electronic medical record. Patients who had AJCC eighth edition stage I-III disease were included. Results Of 1127 patients, 28.7% had primary H&N melanoma. H&N patients were more likely to be male, older, and present with more advanced AJCC stage. Median follow-up was 20.0 months (IQR 26.4). On multivariable analyses controlling for other variables, H&N melanoma was associated with worse RFS. Notably, H&N melanoma was not associated with worse MSS, DMFS, or OS on univariate or multivariable analyses. Among patients who recurred, H&N patients were significantly more likely to recur locally compared to non-H&N patients. On subgroup analysis, scalp melanoma was also associated with worse RFS compared to patients with melanoma in locations other than the scalp. When patients with scalp melanoma were excluded from analysis, non-scalp H&N RFS was not significantly different from the non-H&N group on univariate or multivariable analyses. Discussion In this series from a high-volume tertiary referral center, the differences in rates and sites of recurrence between H&N and non-H&N melanoma do not impact melanoma-specific or overall survival, suggesting that H&N melanoma patients should be treated similarly with respect to regional and systemic therapies.
Is There a Room for Queer Desires in the House of Biblical Scholarship

When tackling the issue of homosex, New Testament interpreters either read the biblical text as continuously relevant to our present (continuism) or as completely estranged from contemporary conceptions of desire (alteritism). This article explores the historiographical styles underlying both hermeneutical strategies to argue that, despite their many advantages, continuism and alteritism both have homophobic and/or queerphobic foundations and occlude from contemporary debates of sexuality’s multiple queer desires and practices (like “straights” having queer sex). By surveying recent developments in queer historiography, I conclude that no comprehensive account of desire is equipped to account for the present, and, thus, virtual dis/identifications with the biblical past cannot be guaranteed or foreclosed.
Mechanisms for Analysis of Auditory Temporal Patterns in the Brainstem of Echolocating Bats

A vital function of the auditory system in all vertebrates is to identify sounds that are important for social interactions, predation and predator avoidance. Examples of these behaviorally important sounds are communication signals of conspecifics, noises made by movements of other animals and highly specialized species-specific sounds such as the biosonar signals used by echolocating bats. Identification of many behaviorally important sounds, especially those made by prey or predators, must occur rapidly to activate other neural systems that produce a motor response. Many biologically important sounds are characterized by simple temporal features, such as duration of the sound or its components, direction of a frequency sweep, or the rate of modulation in sounds that periodically change in frequency or amplitude. Many sounds are further characterized by complex sequences of elements that follow a specific order over time.
Reliability of MEMS-based storage enclosures

MEMS-based storage is a new, non-volatile storage technology currently under development. It promises fast data access, high throughput, high storage density, small physical size, low power consumption, and low entry costs. These properties make MEMS-based storage into a serious alternative to disk drives, in particular for mobile applications. The first generation of MEMS will only offer a fraction of the storage capacity of disks; therefore, we propose to integrate multiple MEMS devices into a MEMS storage enclosure, organizing them as a RAID Level 5 with multiple spares, to be used as the basic storage building block. The paper investigates the reliability of such an enclosure. We find that mean-time-to-failure is an inappropriate reliability metric for MEMS enclosures. We show that the reliability of the enclosures is appropriate for their economic lifetime if users choose not to replace failed MEMS storage components. In addition, we investigate the benefits of occasional, preventive maintenance of enclosures.
Advances in real-time systems

Part 1 Real-time operating systems: software overview of HARTS - a distributed real-time system a reflective architecture for real-time operating systems CHAOS - real-time objects and atomicity for multiprocessors design and implementation of maruti-II. Part 2 Real-time communication: a new admission control method for real-time communication real-time performance of two token ring protocols a systematic approach to designing distributed real-time systems. Part 3 Scheduling and resource management: scheduling periodic and aperiodic tasks using slack stealing efficient methods of validating timing constraints preemptive priority based scheduling an optimal priority inheritance policy. Part 4 Formal methods: the algebra of communicating shared methods and it toolkit simulation techniques for proving properties of real-time systems. Part 5 Programming language and tools: issues on real-time systems programming compiler support for real-time programmes reasoning about time in higher-level language software. Part 6 Fault-tolerance and architecture: run-time monitoring of real-time systems. Part 7 Real-time databases: an overview of real-time database systems real-time databases - issues and applications predictability and consistency in real-time database systems.
Prehistoric Native Americans and Ecological Change: Human Ecosystems in Eastern North America since the Pleistocene

Acknowledgements Part I. Panarchy as an Integrative Paradigm: Overview 1. The need for a new synthesis 2. Panarchy theory and Quaternary ecosystems 3. Holocene human ecosystems Part II. Ecological Feedbacks and Processes: Overview 4. Gene-level interactions 5. Population-level interactions 6. Community-level interactions 7. Landscape-level interactions 8. Regional-level interactions Part III. Application and Synthesis: Overview 9. The ecological legacy of prehistoric Native Americans References Index.
TEMPORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PENNSYLVANIA SNOWFALL, 1950–1951 THROUGH 1989–1990

While speculation exists on global and regional climate change for temperature and precipitation, relatively little research is available on snowfall and its changes. Twenty-six sites were selected to describe and analyze various characteristics of snowfall in Pennsylvania from 1950–1951 through 1989–1990. Overall, the state experienced a significant stepwise change in seasonal snowfall total during this period. Abnormally high seasonal totals prevailed from 1957–1958 through 1971–1972. This rise in snowfall was accompanied by colder-than-normal temperatures and a dramatic increase in large daily snow events. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that the seasonal temporal patterns were not uniform across the state. The PCA revealed four distinct seasonal regions. These regions exhibited everything from nearly linear increases and decreases over time to cyclical formations. PCA performed on the months of November through April each unveiled between three and five separate temporal regions. PCA anal...
Dissipation of magnetic fields in neutron star crusts due to development of a tearing mode

Dissipation of magnetic fields in Hall plasma of neutron star crusts may power persistent high energy emission of a class of strongly magnetized neutrons stars, magnetars. We consider development of a dissipative tearing mode in Hall plasma (electron MHD) and find that its growth rate increases with the wave number of perturbations, reaching a maximum value intermediate between resistive $\tau_r$ and Hall times $\tau_H$, $\Gamma\sim 1 / \sqrt{\tau_r \tau_H}$. We argue that the tearing mode may be the principal mechanism by which strong magnetic fields are dissipated in magnetars on times scale of $\sim 10^4-10^5$ yrs powering the persistent X-ray emisison.
A genetic algorithm approach for optimal distribution feeder restoration during cold load pickup

Restoration of distribution feeders after long interruptions creates cold load pickup conditions due to loss of diversity among the loads. The distribution system load may have to be restored step-by-step using sectionalizing switches under such conditions to prevent overheating of the substation transformer. The restoration time is dependent on the order in which sections are restored. A method based on a genetic algorithm to find the globally best restoration sequence of sections is presented in this paper. Results obtained using this method for a test case are presented.
Safety stock determination with correlated demands and arbitrary lead times

Abstract In this new paper a new method is proposed for determining the safety stock when daily demands are autocorrelated and lead times follow an arbitrary distribution. The method is then used as a basis for examining effects on the safety stock when the usual assumptions, namely, independence and normality of daily demand and normality of lead times, are violated. The new method is derived by using inequalities on the basis of probability arguments. It is simple to use and provides an upper bound of the safety stock. Further numerical investigation based on the new method shows that the effect of autocorrelation is more pronounced than departure from normality in determining the safety stock. Substantial error may be incurred if such autocorrelation is ignored in the test cases.
Comparing completion design in hydrocarbon and geothermal wells: The need to evaluate the integrity of casing connections subject to thermal stresses

Tapping for geothermal energy very often requires deep drilling in order to access high-temperature resources. This type of drilling is expensive and is financed by the operator with a long period of debt service before costs can be recovered from the energy sale (heat, electricity or a combination of both). Drilling costs are only a part of the total well expenditure. Tubulars can double the total well cost, especially when complex well completions are required. Together, drilling and well completions can account for more than half of the capital cost for a geothermal power project. A comparison is made of the different completions used for oil, gas and geothermal wells, and geothermal well completion requirements are discussed. Special attention is given to the thermal stresses induced by temperature variations in the casing string of a geothermal well. When the induced thermal stresses exceed the yield strength of the casing material, the fatigue behavior of the latter can be defined as low-cycle fatigue (LCF). The connection threads in the casing body amplify the local stresses and lower the LCF resistance. A theoretical approach is presented to evaluate that parameter, and calculations are compared with preliminary results from experiments on large-diameter Buttress connections, which are commonly used in geothermal well completions. It is shown that under extreme loads the LCF resistance of the Buttress thread connection can be as low as 10 cycles.
Some factors affecting rates of sedimentation in the Columbia River Basin

An analysis of stockpond sedimentation survey data and related watershed survey data in the Columbia River Basin revealed that five factors account for 80 pct of the variation in observed sediment in the stockponds studied. These factors include the amount of land subject to accelerated erosion, the original pond storage capacity per square mile of watershed, age of pond, size of watershed, and amount of average annual precipitation. The sedimentation surveys were made during the late summer and fall of 1951 in connection with the development of an agricultural program for the Columbia River Basin by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the surveys was chiefly twofold: (1) to provide information on rates of sedimentation in areas where little or no data were available; and (2) to determine the reduction in sediment which may be achieved by the application of conservation practices. The field data, survey methods, aid results of data analysis are given in this report.
A Pentecostal Response To Roman Catholic Teaching On Mary

The ninth meeting of the Dialogue between the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church and leading representatives of some of the Classical Pentecostal Churches was conducted in Vienna (Austria), October 4-10,1981. 1 The major topic of discussion was the doctrine of Mary. It was anticipated by both sides to be an extremely controversial exchange. But the dialogue ended with a deeper sense of understanding and consensus than was first expected.
Exploring the Efficacy of Caption Search for Bioscience Journal Search Interfaces

This paper presents the results of a pilot usability study of a novel approach to search user interfaces for bioscience journal articles. The main idea is to support search over figure captions explicitly, and show the corresponding figures directly within the search results. Participants in a pilot study expressed surprise at the idea, noting that they had never thought of search in this way. They also reported strong positive reactions to the idea: 7 out of 8 said they would use a search system with this kind of feature, suggesting that this is a promising idea for journal article search.
Simultaneous polarization analysis of Zeeman splitting in polarized neutron reflectometry using a polarized 3He neutron-spin filter

A polarized 3He neutron-spin filter was used to analyze polarized neutrons reflected from a 1000-A-thick Fe film immersed in a magnetic field. The spin filter analyzed both the specularly reflected component and the off-specular component caused by the phenomenon of Zeeman splitting of surface-scattered neutrons observed by Felcher et al. and investigated in more detail in subsequent experiments. The sample of polarized 3He was polarized by metastability-exchange optical pumping and compressed into a glass cell at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility. The polarized gas was transported by car in a battery-powered solenoid holding field to the neutron reflectometry instrument POSY I at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Using the large solid angle of the polarized 3He spin filter, we were able to simultaneously analyze both components to the scattering and verify (as expected) that the polarization of the specular component was unchanged upon reflection and that the polarization of the off-specular component was reversed. To our knowledge this work represents the second experiment to employ a polarized 3He neutron-spin filter in polarized neutron reflectometry.
Crystal and Molecular Structure of Perphenazine {2-Chloro-10-(3-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-piperazin-1-yl) propyl phenothiazine}: Conformational Variabilities of the Phenothiazine Ring

Crystals of Perphenazine (P), obtained from water/propanol, are triclinic, space group P1, with a = 8.149 (2), b = 11.879 (2), c = 12.093 (2) A, α = 60.49(1), β = 89.54(2), γ = 89.98(2)°, V = 1018.9 A3, Z = 2, D obs = 1.32 g/cm3, D calc = 1.317 g/cm3. The crystal structure was solved with CAD-4 data (4287 reflections, 2267 ≥ 3σ) using the SHELX-86 programs and refined to a final R value of 0.059. There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, each with slightly different conformations. The dihedral angle between the planes of the butterfly tricyclic ring system is 142° and 138° in the two molecules respectively whereas it is 141° in the published monoclinic form of Perphenazine. The C–S–C angle in the tricyclic groups are 97° and 100° and the C–S distances are 1.707 and 1.738 A. The piperazine has the chair conformation. An analysis of the conformation of the phenothiazine ring system in the different structures solved to date shows a conformational variability in the dihedral angle between the tricyclic ring systems (134–155°). Crystals of Perphenazine, obtained from water/propanol, are triclinic and their structure was determined using single crystal diffractometric data. There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, each with slightly different conformations. An analysis of the conformation of the phenothiazine ring system in the different structures solved to date shows a conformational variability in the dihedral angle between the tricyclic ring systems (134–155˚).
Counterpoint: Data first

Large, unbiased genomic surveys are taking cancer therapeutics in directions that could never have been predicted by traditional molecular biology, says Todd Golub. This Opinion piece is part of a linked pair; see also Point: Hypothesis First by Robert Weinberg.
Near-simultaneous impacts

This work considers a three-mass collision model with compliant contacts. If the masses are initially separated by a sufficient distance, the collision sequence is pairwise, that is, comprised of a series of pairwise impacts. The final velocities of each mass are then independent of the specific initial spacing. In contrast, if the initial spacing between the masses is small the three masses interact simultaneously and the final velocity state depends not only on the initial velocities, but also on the initial configuration of the system. Given the impact duration and coefficient of restitution for a pairwise collision, which can be determined from appropriate differential collision models, a two-dimensional map is derived to describe those initial conditions that lead to pairwise sequences in the three mass system. Finally, for a specific nonlinear compliance model the variation in the final velocities are characterized in terms of the initial configuration of the system.
Using Research Metrics to Improve Timelines: Proceedings from the 2nd Annual CTSA Clinical Research Management Workshop

The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium Workshop was conceived as a venue to foster communication among academic medical centers (AMCs) in the development of methods to improve clinical research management. The consortium, comprised of 46 awardee sites as of 2009, many with multiple AMCs, is expected to expand to 60 sites when fully implemented. At the 2nd Annual CTSA Clinical Research Management Workshop held on June 22nd and 23rd , 2009, on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus, consortium members and potential CTSA sites gathered with stakeholders from private industry, the NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, and private research organizations, to formulate a plan to address challenges in clinical research management. Specific aims included improving protocol processing and sharing process improvement initiatives in the expectation that best practices will be implemented and improvements will be measured and reported. The findings presented at this workshop indicated significant variance in Institutional Review Board approval of protocols and contract execution by AMC and CTSA sites. Most represented marked delays compared to non-AMC sites and that, as a likely consequence, AMCs were later to enroll patients and/or meet enrollment targets compared to dedicated or professional sites.
Disease Course of Patients with Unilateral Pigmentary Retinopathy

Unilateral pigmentary retinopathy is a rare, sporadic disease in which patients have one eye affected with pigmentary retinopathy and a normal fellow eye.1–7 This contrasts with the typical forms of retinitis pigmentosa in which both eyes are affected and for which pathogenic gene mutations have generally been identified.8–12 Nonetheless, the fundus appearance and reduced electroretinogram (ERG) amplitudes of affected eyes with unilateral pigmentary retinopathy are comparable to those of typical forms of bilateral retinitis pigmentosa.1–7 The criteria of Francois and Verriest for an authentic case of unilateral pigmentary retinopathy (i.e., idiopathic form) are that the affected eye must show the clinical signs of pigmentary retinopathy; the healthy eye must not show any signs of pigmentary retinopathy and must have a normal full-field ERG; and infectious, inflammatory, and vascular etiologies of pigmentary retinopathy have been excluded.3 Several case studies of unilateral pigmentary retinopathy have been reported but all previous studies were concerned with confirming the diagnosis and the stability of the fellow normal eye rather than the analysis of rates of change in ocular function of the affected eye.1–7 No previous report of unilateral pigmentary retinopathy has described rates of change in ocular function over follow-up to determine the course of the disease. For example, a recent study followed four patients for 6 to 11 years and reported progressive loss of visual acuity, visual field, and ERG amplitude in the affected eye of three of the four cases without providing follow-up values for these affected eyes.6 The present study was done to estimate, for the first time, the mean annual rates of change in retinal function in the affected eyes of a cohort of patients with unilateral pigmentary retinopathy. Results were compared with the age-related rates of change for their normal fellow eyes.
Effects of chronic varenicline treatment on nicotine, cocaine, and concurrent nicotine+cocaine self-administration.

Nicotine dependence and cocaine abuse are major public health problems, and most cocaine abusers also smoke cigarettes. An ideal treatment medication would reduce both cigarette smoking and cocaine abuse. Varenicline is a clinically available, partial agonist at α4β2* and α6β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and a full agonist at α7 nAChRs. Varenicline facilitates smoking cessation in clinical studies and reduced nicotine self-administration, and substituted for the nicotine-discriminative stimulus in preclinical studies. The present study examined the effects of chronic varenicline treatment on self-administration of IV nicotine, IV cocaine, IV nicotine+cocaine combinations, and concurrent food-maintained responding by five cocaine- and nicotine-experienced adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Varenicline (0.004–0.04 mg/kg/h) was administered intravenously every 20 min for 23 h each day for 7–10 consecutive days. Each varenicline treatment was followed by saline-control treatment until food- and drug-maintained responding returned to baseline. During control treatment, nicotine+cocaine combinations maintained significantly higher levels of drug self-administration than nicotine or cocaine alone (P<0.05–0.001). Varenicline dose-dependently reduced responding maintained by nicotine alone (0.0032 mg/kg/inj) (P<0.05), and in combination with cocaine (0.0032 mg/kg/inj) (P<0.05) with no significant effects on food-maintained responding. However, varenicline did not significantly decrease self-administration of a low dose of nicotine (0.001 mg/kg), cocaine alone (0.0032 and 0.01 mg/kg/inj), or 0.01 mg/kg cocaine combined with the same doses of nicotine. We conclude that varenicline selectively attenuates the reinforcing effects of nicotine alone but not cocaine alone, and its effects on nicotine+cocaine combinations are dependent on the dose of cocaine.
Obstructive fetal hydronephrosis managed by amnioinfusions and bladder aspirations.

Background Fetuses diagnosed with posterior urethral valve syndrome risk development of significant pulmonary and renal complications. Historically, medical options included expectant management, percutaneous shunting, fetal surgery, and pregnancy termination. Case A 34-year-old primigravida presented at 26.5 weeks' gestation with severe fetal hydronephrosis. In lieu of the aforementioned options, the patient elected to undergo serial amnioinfusion and fetal bladder aspirations. The child is now 13 months old and has no evidence of pulmonary compromise but requires peritoneal dialysis. Conclusion Serial amnioinfusions combined with fetal bladder aspiration may be beneficial in selected cases of severe fetal hydronephrosis. However, this case demonstrates that fetal urinary electrolytes cannot be used reliably to predict subsequent normal renal function.
Timeless preserves telomere length by promoting efficient DNA replication through human telomeres

A variety of telomere protection programs are utilized to preserve telomere structure. However, the complex nature of telomere maintenance remains elusive. The Timeless protein associates with the replication fork and is thought to support efficient progression of the replication fork through natural impediments, including replication fork block sites. However, the mechanism by which Timeless regulates such genomic regions is not understood. Here, we report the role of Timeless in telomere length maintenance. We demonstrate that Timeless depletion leads to telomere shortening in human cells. This length maintenance is independent of telomerase, and Timeless depletion causes increased levels of DNA damage, leading to telomere aberrations. We also show that Timeless is associated with Shelterin components TRF1 and TRF2. Timeless depletion slows telomere replication in vitro, and Timeless-depleted cells fail to maintain TRF1-mediated accumulation of replisome components at telomeric regions. Furthermore, telomere replication undergoes a dramatic delay in Timeless-depleted cells. These results suggest that Timeless functions together with TRF1 to prevent fork collapse at telomere repeat DNA and ensure stable maintenance of telomere length and integrity.
Myotonic Dystrophy: Decreased Levels of Myotonin Protein Kinase (Mt-PK) Leads to Apoptosis in Muscle Cells

The pathogenesis of myotonic dystrophy (DM) and the function of the product of the DM gene, myotonin protein kinase (Mt-PK), and its relationship to the disease are uncertain. To gain insight into the function of Mt-PK we studied the effect of decreasing the levels of Mt-PK in cultured human myoblasts. Myoblasts were transfected with an anti-sense oligonucleotide (ODN) targeted to the translation initiation site of DM mRNA which resulted in about 76% reduction in the levels of Mt-PK protein. A large percentage (about 48 to 90%) of myoblasts transfected with this oligonucleotide (but only about 2 to 23% of myoblasts transfected with a control oligonucleotide) underwent apoptosis within 24 h. To further substantiate these results we delivered a specific antibody to Mt-PK into the myoblast cells using a lipid carrier to inhibit its function and show that this resulted in apoptosis in 57 to 72% of the cells within 24 h. These results suggest that decreased levels of Mt-PK may contribute to muscle pathology in DM by leading to apoptosis of muscle cells.
Magnetic structure at the edge of a compact stellarator (NCSX)

The magnetic field between the plasma surface and wall of the National Compact Stellarator (NCSX), is mapped via field line tracing in finite beta (4%) configurations with part (20%) of the rotational transform generated by the bootstrap current. The edge plasma magnetics are more stellarator-like, with a complex 3D structure, and less like the ordered 2D symmetric structure of a tokamak. The field lines make a transition from ergodically covering a surface to ergodically covering a volume, as the distance from the last closed magnetic surface is increased. The first few toroidal transits from the starting points are highly structured, with significant flux expansion at the bean shaped cross-section. The later toroidal transits become moderately stochastic, but with Kolmogorov lengths that can be made smaller than the connection if the separation between wall and plasma is sufficiently large.
Mode Locking Of (GaAI)As Injection Lasers

The important experimental parameters affecting the mode locking of a variety of (GaAl)As injection lasers operating in an external optical cavity are described. We find that short detector-limited pulses (less than 60 psec) with 100% modulation depth can only be obtained using lasers that exhibit either an anomalous narrowband noise resonance or self pulsations. Little or no mode locking is observed in lasers having the normal broad noise resonance. The maximum frequency of the mode-locked pulses is ≈1 GHz and is limited by the laser and not the external cavity. The observed amplitude, pulse width, and frequency of the mode-locked pulses are correlated to the degree of self-pulsation and the external cavity length. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with a model that uses the rate equations modified by either electron traps or saturable absorbers and a delayed feedback term. Our results appear to imply that mode locking in (GaAl)As injection lasers is related to saturable absorbing centers and is very similar to passive mode locking in dye lasers.
Cutaneous postirradiation sarcoma. Ultrastructural evidence of pluripotential mesenchymal cell derivation

A 75-year-old man developed synchronous multicentric cutaneous sarcomas and basal cell carcinoma of the face 57 years after receiving irradiation for acne. During the previous 30 years he had been treated many times for actinic keratoses and basal cell carcinomas. Surgical treatment had included total nasectomy, excision, and replacement of the skin of the upper and lower lips and the chin. Due to the multiplicity of morphologic patterns, it was difficult to subtype the sarcomas. Ultrastructural studies showed histiocyte-like, fibroblast-like and vasoformative cells suggesting an origin from a pluripotential mesenchymal stem cells.
Models for structural damping for laminated beams due to interfacial slip

Three models for two-layered beams in which slip can occur at the interface are described. In the first, beam layers are modelled under the assumptions of Timoshenko beam theory. Along the interface a `glue layer' of negligible thickness bonds the surfaces so that a small amount of slip is possible. Dissipation is assumed to be proportional to the rate of slip. The second is obtained from the first by letting the shear stiffness of each beam tend to infinity. The third is obtained from the second by assuming that the moment of inertia parameter is negligible. In this case an analog of the Euler-Bernoulli beam is obtained which exhibits frequency- proportional damping characteristics.
The Affective Dimension of Dyspnea Improves in a Dyspnea Self-Management Program With Exercise Training

Abstract Context The perception of dyspnea includes both sensory and affective dimensions that are shaped by emotions and psychological, social, and environmental experiences. Previous investigators have studied either measurement or strategies to decrease the affective dimension with laboratory-induced dyspnea. Few have reported the effect of a therapeutic clinical intervention on the affective dimension of dyspnea. Objectives 1) To evaluate the effects of three different versions of a dyspnea self-management program (DM) on the affective dimension of dyspnea, measured by dyspnea-related anxiety (DA) and dyspnea-related distress (DD); and 2) to determine the stability of DA and DD over two baseline incremental treadmill tests (ITTs). Methods Participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were randomly assigned to three 12 month DMs with varying doses of supervised exercise (DM, DM-Exposure, and DM-Training). The measurements of the affective dimension, DA and DD, were rated during ITTs on two baseline days and at two, six, and 12 months. Changes over time in DA and DD were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Results Participants in the DM-Training group who received 24 nurse-coached exercise sessions had significantly greater reductions in DA and DD compared with those who had four exercise sessions (DM-Exposure) or only received a home-walking program (DM). Reductions in DA and DD in the DM-Training group were only maintained through six months. There were no significant differences in ratings of DA and DD at end between the two baseline ITTs. Conclusion These findings provide initial support for the positive impact of a self-management program with nurse-coached exercise on the affective dimension of dyspnea. Further investigation of interventions that target the affective dimension in addition to the sensory dimension of dyspnea should be encouraged.
Two contributions of distinctive processing to accurate memory

Accurate memory requires both acceptance of correct items and rejection of incorrect items. The concept of distinctive processing has been used to explain both of these contributions to accurate memory, but in previous research the definitions of distinctive processing that services correct acceptance and correct rejection have been quite different. In this paper distinctive processing is defined as the processing of difference within the context of similarity, but a distinction is drawn between item-based distinctive processing and event-based distinctive processing. Two experiments are presented that require participants to perform orienting tasks on a preliminary list of words followed by a list targeted for memory. Either the same or different tasks are performed on the two lists. Furthermore, the tasks are selected such that they either draw attention to similarities or to differences within the lists. The results show that performing different tasks on the two lists facilitates rejection of distracters from the preliminary list in both recognition and recall. Correct recognition and recall of target items was unaffected by the task on the preliminary list but was facilitated by the task that draws attention to differences among items within the target lists. The outcome indicates different effects of item-based and event-based distinctive processing on memory accuracy.
Characterizing mature human intelligence: Expertise development

Abstract Results from a study of 263 male players at 48 levels of expertise in the game of GO, and ranging from 18 to 78 years of age, suggest a need to revise the extended theory of fluid (Gf) and crystallized (Gc) intelligence to take account of continued development of intelligence throughout adulthood. The extended theory of Gf–Gc is based on evidence that Gf, short-term apprehension and retrieval (SAR) and cognitive speed (Gs), decline with age over adulthood. Results from a number of studies, however, suggest that within the domains of expertise, high levels of reasoning, feats of memory and speeded thinking similar to Gf are displayed by older adults. To explore this hypothesis, measures of reasoning, memory and cognitive speed were constructed within the domain of expertise related to playing the complex game of GO. Analysis of the structure of the GO-embedded measures and standard measures of Gf (SAR and Gs) indicated a form of short-term memory — labeled expertise working memory (EWM) — that had substantially wider span than the short-term working memory (STWM) of SAR. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that long-term working memory is built up during the course of developing high levels of expertise. The results also suggest that a form of expertise deductive reasoning (EDR), utilizing EWM and incorporating large stores of knowledge, is distinct from Gf. Expertise cognitive speed (ECS), however, was not found to be reliably distinct from the Gs factor. Analyses of cross-sectional age differences indicate an age-related decline in both EDR and EWM, but as higher levels of expertise are reached, age-related decline does not occur. To the extent that there is continued press to advance expertise throughout adulthood, there may be improvement, not decline, in the EDR and EWM forms of intelligence.
The Continuing Consequences of Segregation: Family Stress and College Academic Performance*

Objectives. We seek to determine whether the high levels of African-American residential segregation experienced have continuing academic consequences. Because segregation works to concentrate poverty and the social problems associated with it, the friends and relatives of African-American students face an elevated risk of stressful life events, which undermine grade performance. Methods. We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen to measure the frequency with which members of students’ social networks experienced stressful events during their freshman and sophomore years of college, comparing whites, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans from integrated neighborhoods with those coming from segregated neighborhoods. Results. African-American students from segregated neighborhoods experience higher levels of family stress than others. This stress is largely a function of violence and disorder in segregated neighborhoods. Students respond by devoting more time to family issues and their health and grades suffer as a result. Conclusions. Racial segregation is a structural feature of U.S. society that has continuing power to undermine the academic achievement of students long after they have seemingly left segregated living behind. The civil rights movement transformed race relations in the United States and produced vigorous efforts to incorporate African Americans and Latinos into the mainstream of American society. Nowhere was this effort more apparent than in higher education. Led by the nation’s elite institutions, American colleges and universities undertook deliberate attempts to recruit minority students through a variety of ‘‘affirmative actions.’’ As a result of these actions, the share of nonwhites among U.S. college students increased substantially, going from 16 percent in 1976 to 27 percent in 1996 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001). Among African Americans