cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Ligase Chain Reaction for Laboratory Identification of Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae in Adolescent Women

Abstract Study Objective: To compare the ligase chain reaction (LCR) with culture for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and with culture and direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) for identification of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in cervical specimens from adolescent women. Design: A prospective study of test performance. Setting: Two urban, hospital-based adolescent clinics. Participants: Adolescent women aged 12–22 yr undergoing pelvic examination for routine sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening or symptoms suggestive of an STD. Main Outcome Measures: LCR results were considered to be true positives if confirmed by culture and/or DFA (CT only). Discrepant LCR results were confirmed by testing an alternative locus. Results: With 538 subjects, LCR for CT had a sensitivity of 98.4% (61/62) and specificity of 96.4% (459/476) prior to resolution and a sensitivity of 98.6% (70/71) and specificity of 99.6% (459/461) after resolution. With 1225 subjects, LCR for GC had a sensitivity of 90.0% (54/60) and specificity of 99.4% (1158/1165) prior to resolution and a sensitivity of 90.6% (58/64) and specificity of 100% (1158/1158) after resolution. CT culture alone identified 80% of the true positives and DFA alone only identified 72%. GC culture alone identified 94% of the true positives. Conclusions: LCR is an extremely sensitive and specific rapid test, utilizing a single swab and convenient room-temperature storage and transport of specimens. LCR testing of cervical specimens for CT in adolescent women is a better test for detecting CT infection than culture or DFA. LCR testing for cervical GC infection may provide an advantage over culture in circumstances in which optimal transport conditions and viability of the organism cannot be assured.
Hydroxyalkylated phosphoramidate, phosphoramidothioate and phosphorodiamidothioate derivatives as thiophosphate protecting groups in the development of thermolytic DNA prodrugs

The hydroxyalkylated phosphoramidate 4a, phosphoramidothioates 4b, 4e–j, and phosphorodiamidothioates 4c and 4d have been identified as a new class of heat-sensitive thiophosphate protecting groups in the development of thermolytic immunomodulatory DNA prodrugs. These alcohols are converted to their deoxyribonucleoside phosphoramidite derivatives 6a–j, which are then used in the preparation of the thermosensitive dinucleoside phosphorothioates 7a–j. The negatively charged thiophosphate protecting groups of 7a–b and 7e–j presumably undergo thermolytic cyclodeesterification at elevated temperature under essentially neutral conditions. The thiophosphate protecting groups of 7e and 7f show relatively rapid deprotection kinetics at 37 °C (t½ = 20 and 42 h, respectively) and are therefore suitable for the protection of phosphodiester functions flanking the CpG motifs of immunomodulatory DNA sequences, whereas the thiophosphate protecting groups of 7g–j with thermolytic deprotection half-lives in the range of 94–265 h at 37 °C are more appropriate for the thiophosphate protection of CpG motifs. Furthermore, the thermostability of the group protecting the thiophosphate function of 7a (t½ = 82 min at 90 °C) should offer adequate protection of the 5′- and/or 3′-terminal phosphodiester functions of DNA prodrugs against ubiquitous extracellular and intracellular exonucleases.
LDV measurements of a turbulent air-solid two-phase flow in a 90 ° bend

Simultaneous measurements of the mean streamwise and radial velocities and the associated Reynolds stresses were made in an air-solid two-phase flow in a square sectioned (10×10 cm) 90° vertical to horizontal bend using laser Doppler velocimetry. The gas phase measurements were performed in the absence of solid particles. The radius ratio of the bend was 1.76. The results are presented for two different Reynolds numbers, 2.2×105 and 3.47×105, corresponding to mass ratios of 1.5×10−4 and 9.5×10−5, respectively. Glass spheres 50 and 100 μm in diameter were employed to represent the solid phase. The measurements of the gas and solid phase were performed separately. The streamwise velocity profiles for the gas and the solids crossed over near the outer wall with the solids having the higher speed near the wall. The solid velocity profiles were quite flat. Higher negative slip velocities are observed for the 100 μm particles than those for the 50 gm particles. At angular displacement θ=0°, the radial velocity is directed towards the inner wall for both the 50 and 100 μm particles. At θ=30° and 45°, particle wall collisions cause a clear change in the radial velocity of the solids in the region close to the outer wall. The 100 μm particle trajectories are very close to being straight lines. Most of the particle wall collisions occur between the θ=30° and 60° stations. The level of turbulence of the solids was higher than that of the air.
Knowing seizures: Julian Barnes, Jean-Paul Sartre, and the erotics of the postmodern condition

When the humanities underwent its historicist ‘turn’ in the late 1980s, it took postmodern fiction along with it. Whether or not postmodern fiction was even available to historical readings may wel...
An integrated mechanostimulation system for probing architecture based calcium signaling in HUVEC cells

Dynamic signal conduction in endothelial networks plays an important role in endothelial function, and characteristics of the network architecture itself are theorized to play a role in this function. We have therefore developed an integrated mechanostimulation system to create spatiotemporal stimuli including geometric cues, fluidic shear, mechanical deformation, and tunable surface stiffness for probing intercellular communication in artificial networks of human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVEC) cells. The system enables detection of architecture dependent (e.g. linear, grid, and branching patterns), spatiotemporal calcium propagation characteristics such as speed, contact length, and repeated stimulation dependence due to mechanostimulation at the single cell level.
Computation of lattice maps using modular BCH and similarity composition rules [particle accelerators]

A beam line map construction method for linear and circular high-energy colliders is described which avoids truncated power-series maps through systematic use of a two-term Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff (BCH) formula in combination with similarity transformations. The beam line map ultimately assumes the form of a product of a linear map and a single-exponential Lie-operator map. The method (i) provides insight into map generator sources, (ii) is accurate, (iii) is complete in that all effects, such as edges and soft fringes, mis-alignments and mis-powerings, multipole errors, and input beam errors can be simply included, (iv) permits faster map computation times, and (v) bypasses truncated power-series map methods allowing for higher order, and even non-polynomial generators.
Predictors of Parenting Stress Among Gay Adoptive Fathers in the United States

The authors examined correlates of parenting stress among 230 gay adoptive fathers across the United States through an Internet survey. As with previous research on adoptive parents, results showed that fathers with less social support, older children, and children who were adopted at older ages reported more parenting stress. Moreover, gay fathers who had a less positive gay identity also reported more parenting stress. These 4 variables accounted for 33% of the variance in parenting stress; effect sizes were medium to large. Our results suggest the importance of social support and a positive gay identity in facilitating successful parenting outcomes among gay adoptive fathers.
Constant Nullspace Strong Convexity and Fast Convergence of Proximal Methods under High-Dimensional Settings

State of the art statistical estimators for high-dimensional problems take the form of regularized, and hence non-smooth, convex programs. A key facet of these statistical estimation problems is that these are typically not strongly convex under a high-dimensional sampling regime when the Hessian matrix becomes rank-deficient. Under vanilla convexity however, proximal optimization methods attain only a sublinear rate. In this paper, we investigate a novel variant of strong convexity, which we call Constant Nullspace Strong Convexity (CNSC), where we require that the objective function be strongly convex only over a constant subspace. As we show, the CNSC condition is naturally satisfied by high-dimensional statistical estimators. We then analyze the behavior of proximal methods under this CNSC condition: we show global linear convergence of Proximal Gradient and local quadratic convergence of Proximal Newton Method, when the regularization function comprising the statistical estimator is decomposable. We corroborate our theory via numerical experiments, and show a qualitative difference in the convergence rates of the proximal algorithms when the loss function does satisfy the CNSC condition.
Does Participation In A Faculty Distance Education Mentoring Program Comprehensively Improve Teaching Methods

the distance education mentoring Program (demP) is an initiative designed to assist faculty in learning the technology and instructional design principles necessary to develop and teach quality online courses. this paper describes the results of a survey assessment of 92 faculty members who com pleted the program over the last four years. Participants in the program not only developed high quality online courses, but also changed their beliefs and learned skills and methods that could be applied to their teaching practice in the class room. this suggests that faculty members participating in the demP experienced a transfer of learning from their immedi ate task of online course development to other teaching con texts. regression results show that the program’s success was strongly related to its collaborative atmosphere. These find ings have implications for other institutions seeking to use a mentoring approach to successfully help faculty develop high quality online and traditional teaching practices.
Inside Urban Charter Schools: Promising Practices and Strategies in Five High-Performing Schools, by K. Merseth with K. Cooper, J. Roberts, M. C. Tieken, J. Valant, & C. Wynne

Stories of successful urban charter schools are now regularly found in local and national newspapers, magazines, and news programs. Much like the “celebrity” teachers and administrators of the 1980...
Heat Transfer at Solid−Gas Interfaces by Photoacoustics at Brillouin Frequencies

We use time-resolved ellipsometry to investigate the rate of heat transfer at solid−gas interfaces through measurements of the amplitude and phase of acoustic waves at Brillouin frequencies, 100−400 MHz, at pressures 2 orders of magnitude higher than earlier comparable studies. An ultrafast optical pulse heats a thin metal film deposited on a sapphire substrate. Heat flow from the substrate into the gas causes expansion of the gas and generates an acoustic wave that is probed by off-null ellipsometry with subpicosecond time resolution. We compare the amplitudes and phases of photoacoustic signals generated in inert gases Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe to a continuum theoretical model that includes the thermal accommodation coefficient α at the gas−solid interface. For the surfaces we have studied, bare Au and Au coated by a self-assembled monolayer of 1-octadecanethiol (ODT), this comparison between experiment and theory for the amplitude of the photoacoustic waves suggests that α values for bare and ODT-terminated Au are similar and α > 0.3. This conclusion is tentative, however, because the phases of the photoacoustic waves show systematic differences that are not predicted by the model. For tetrafluoroethane vapor (R-134a refrigerant), the photoacoustic signal generated by a Au surface coated with a hydrophilic (COOH-terminated) self-assembled monolayer is a factor of 2 larger than the photoacoustic signal generated by a hydrophobic (CH3-terminated) monolayer. We also report measurements of the ultrafast ellipsometry signals generated by the sudden desorption of physisorbed methanol and water on hydrophobic and hydrophilic self-assembled monolayers.
An 8GHz, 0.45dB NF CMOS LNA employing noise squeezing

A LNA using noise squeezing is designed in a 65 nm CMOS. The noise squeezing occurs through phase sensitive gain implemented by parametric process. This process is carried out inside a nonlinear resonator where energy transfers from a pump to the signal. When the pump frequency is twice that of the signal, the amplifier suppresses one of two quadrature components of the input noise. This concept is exploited to realize an 8 GHz LNA with 0.45 dB NF for non-suppressed quadrature.
Heterologous immunity between viruses

Immune memory responses to previously encountered pathogens can sometimes alter the immune response to and the course of infection of an unrelated pathogen by a process known as heterologous immunity. This response can lead to enhanced or diminished protective immunity and altered immunopathology. Here, we discuss the nature of T-cell cross-reactivity and describe matrices of epitopes from different viruses eliciting cross-reactive CD8(+) T-cell responses. We examine the parameters of heterologous immunity mediated by these cross-reactive T cells during viral infections in mice and humans. We show that heterologous immunity can disrupt T-cell memory pools, alter the complexity of the T-cell repertoire, change patterns of T-cell immunodominance, lead to the selection of viral epitope-escape variants, alter the pathogenesis of viral infections, and, by virtue of the private specificity of T-cell repertoires within individuals, contribute to dramatic variations in viral disease. We propose that heterologous immunity is an important factor in resistance to and variations of human viral infections and that issues of heterologous immunity should be considered in the design of vaccines.
Reflections on the DSM-5 and its relevance to psychiatric nursing.

Nothing stays the same. While few would disagree with this simple truth, most struggle to accept the reality associated with these words. Generally speaking, humans like constancy in their lives and, on some level, it is totally understandable. There is a certain seduction in believing in the illusion of permanency. But constancy always proves to be a fleeting guest, leading to disappointment and pain for those who are unwilling to release their grasp on it. For those who expect change, the experiment is to engage the unknown with curiosity and to have the courage of one’s confusion in dealing with new ways of knowing. For psychiatric and mental health nursing, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5 )i s on our doorstep, and the ways in which we have conceptualized psychiatric diagnosis over the last decade are about to change significantly. Constancy is again on the run. This special issue of the journal aims to thoughtfully examine a few salient topics related to the proposed revisions in DSM-5. The literature is replete with papers that explore the various dimensions of the proposed changes, discussing the progress and laudable dedication and commitment of the DSM-5 work groups. But the goal of this issue is to provoke critical analysis of some important changes in psychiatric diagnosis and to heighten awareness of the complex contextual factors that influence the DSM revision process. The articles provide an opportunity to explore the potential impact that these changes will have on the specialty of psychiatric and mental health nursing. The breadth of the content of this issue could not expose the scope of the upcoming changes in DSM-5, though the authors here broadly address these changes within the context of their individual papers. The process of revising the DSM is a complex and carefully deliberated venture that demands a great deal from the individuals involved in the revision process. Discussions related to the modification of the taxonomy begin years in advance of the pub
Light Extraction Efficiency and Radiation Patterns of III-Nitride Light-Emitting Diodes With Colloidal Microlens Arrays With Various Aspect Ratios

The fabrication studies of silica/polystyrene (PS) colloidal microlens arrays with various aspect ratios were performed on the III-nitride light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The use of colloidal-based microlens arrays led to significant enhancement in light extraction efficiency for III-nitride LEDs. In varying the aspect ratios of the microlens arrays, the engineering of various PS thicknesses was employed by using high-temperature treatment and redeposition process. The effects of PS thickness on the light extraction efficiency and far-field emission patterns of InGaN quantum-well (QW) LEDs were studied. The total output powers of microlens LEDs with various PS thicknesses exhibited 1.93-2.70 times enhancement over that of planar LEDs, and the use of optimized PS layer thickness is important in leading the enhancement of the light extraction efficiency in large angular direction.
Simulations of Ti:LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguide modulators-a comparison of simulation techniques

The modulation characteristics of several Ti:LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguide devices were simulated. For the electrooptic effect, both a spatially dependent and a uniform modulation field were considered. Both the three-dimensional beam propagation method and the two-dimensional beam propagation method with effective index were used in the simulations. The results of simulations and measured device performance are compared. >
Drosophila spalt/spalt-related mutants exhibit Townes-Brocks' syndrome phenotypes

Abstract Mutations in SALL1, the human homolog of the Drosophila spalt gene, result in Townes-Brocks' syndrome, which is characterized by hand/foot, anogenital, renal, and ear anomalies, including sensorineural deafness. spalt genes encode zinc finger transcription factors that are found in animals as diverse as worms, insects, and vertebrates. Here, we examine the effect of losing both of the spalt genes, spalt and spalt-related, in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and report defects similar to those in humans with Townes-Brocks' syndrome. Loss of both spalt and spalt-related function in flies yields morphological defects in the testes, genitalia, and the antenna. Furthermore, spalt/spalt-related mutant antennae show severe reductions in Johnston's organ, the major auditory organ in Drosophila. Electrophysiological analyses confirm that spalt/spalt-related mutant flies are deaf. These commonalities suggest that there is functional conservation for spalt genes between vertebrates and insects.
Karl Renner and Austria in 1945

That Austria escaped permanent sovietization and achieved political stability in 1945 was the result of many factors, but none was more important than the political skill of the man whom the Red Army picked to play the role of Trojan horse, Dr. Karl Renner. By a combination of adroit political opportunism and stubborn adherence to a single goal, that of Austrian independence, Renner outmaneuvered his Soviet benefactors and acted as midwife to the birth of a new Austria which was independent, neutral, and politically viable. In order to achieve this goal, Renner had to harmonize the often conflicting interests of the Russians, the Austrian politicians, and the Western Allies.
End tidal CO2 is reduced during hypotension and cardiac arrest in a rat model of massive pulmonary embolism

Abstract Background: We investigated the effect of massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) on end tidal CO 2 (etCO 2 ) and tested two hypotheses: (1) that etCO 2 can distinguish massive PE from hemorrhagic shock and (2) that PE with cardiac arrest reduces etCO 2 during resuscitation to a greater extent than arrhythmic cardiac arrest. Methods: Anesthetized, mechanically ventilated rats ( N =10 per group), were subjected to either graded PE (latex microspheres), or graded hemorrhagic shock to produce a final mean arterial blood pressure, (MAP) of 40 mmHg; a third group was subjected to surgical/anesthetic control conditions. Cardiac arrest was induced by the following methods: intravenous injection of a large bolus of microspheres in the PE group, aortic puncture in the hemorrhage group, and intravenous tetrodotoxin (TTX) to produce arrhythmic cardiac arrest in the control group. Results: At a MAP of 40 mmHg, etCO 2 was significantly decreased in the PE group (18.3±1.9 torr) compared with both the hemorrhage (24.3±1.3) and the control group (35.0±1.3 torr; ANOVA P 2 occurred coincident with an increase in alveolar dead space fraction in the PE group. In the first minute of ventilation after cardiac arrest, the etCO 2 was significantly decreased in the PE group (6.5±0.9) versus both hemorrhage (16.5±1.1) and TTX (34.2±2.4 torr). Conclusions: Massive PE with shock decreases the etCO 2 and increases the dead space fraction to a greater extent than hemorrhagic shock at the same MAP. Cardiac arrest from PE is associated with extremely low etCO 2 readings during CPR.
Is the weighted z‐test the best method for combining probabilities from independent tests?

Through simulation, Whitlock showed that when all the alternatives have the same effect size, the weighted z-test is superior to both unweighted z-test and Fisher’s method when combining P-values from independent studies. In this paper, we show that under the same situation, the generalized Fisher method due to Lancaster outperforms the weighted z-test.
Plasma Ignition in a 30-mm Cannon

Plasma ignition of conventional propelling charges has been studied in a 30-mm cannon using plasma generated in a capillary external to the charge. It is shown that the interaction distance for strong response from a propellant is limited even for this caliber, which may have implications for pressure wave formation during ignition. The use of confinement of a portion of the charge for enhanced ignition is shown to result in the most prompt ignition. However, with JA2 propellant, direct action of the plasma on the charge produces good results. The effect of plasma pulse length is explored; observations that enhanced radiation from high peak power that increases propellant response to plasma are discussed. A limited comparison of the response of JA2 and M30 propellants has been made
The 1992 Little Skull Mountain Earthquake Sequence, Southern Nevada Test Site

The ML 5.6-5.8 Little Skull Mountain, Nevada, 29 June 1992 earth- quake occurred in the southwest portion of Nevada Test Site (NTS) approximately 20 km from Yucca Mountain, a potential site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The earthquake involved predominantly down-to-the-southeast dip-slip motion with a small left-slip component on a steeply dipping, 70, northeast-striking fault. The mainshock nucleated near the base of the aftershock zone and ruptured up and to the northeast, and the mainshock rupture and the majority of the aftershock sequence were confined to depths between 6 and 12 km. All three ML 4 (largest ML 4.5) aftershocks occurred off the mainshock fault plane on secondary structures within the aftershock zone. The nearest strong-motion instrument located 11 km southwest of the epicenter recorded a peak acceleration of 0.206g. The earthquake occurred adjacent to the Rock Valley fault zone within an area of prior concentrated background seismicity and near the intersection of several northeast-striking faults in the southern NTS that have experienced Quaternary motion.
Simulations with Hydro Dynamic Interactions

Numerical simulations that take explicit account of the hydrodynamic forces between the suspended particles are becoming useful tools for studying the dynamics of particle suspensions. This paper contains a summary of current theory and practice in simulating systems with hydrodynamic interactions.
Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Placement and Retrieval

Abstract The incidence of venous thromboembolism, including both deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is approximately 100 per 100,000 patients in the United States. Although anticoagulation is the mainstay of treatment, increasing numbers of patients with absolute contraindications, treatment failures, and complications has led to rising numbers of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placements. IVC filter placements, however, are not without potential early and long-term complications such as filter thrombosis, perforation, migration, fracture, and embolization. Although IVC filter removal is successful in many cases, retrieval may be technically challenging, and ultimately unsuccessful, due to associated thrombus, substantial filter tilting, filter fracture, and excessive tissue embedding surrounding the tip or struts. As a result of increasing prevalence of IVC filters, it is important that all members of the health care team be comfortable with these devices. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of IVC filters, their placement, and retrieval.
Intentionality and the Mind/Body Problem

In this paper, I want to further develop a line of reasoning which I first sought to articulate in an earlier paper bearing a similar title1. The basic problem in that paper was: does the theory of intentionality commit us to a dualistic ontology? Is the defense of intentionality a defense of Cartesian dualism or of mentalism? The prevailing attitudes toward this and various allied issues are pretty sharply divided, but there is also a basic confusion owing to: (a) a narrower concept of intentionality with which one generally operates which may roughly he defined in terms of Franz Brentano’s thesis along with Roderick Chisholm’s criteria, superadded, and (b) a methodological belief that the critical problem is the dispensability or indispensability of intensional logic, as though the problem of intentionality is reducible to this issue, whereas in my view it should rather be the other way around. I sought to show that the intentionality thesis did not commit one to Cartesian dualism, that a certain form of pre-theoretical identity thesis is phenomenologically justified and also supported by the intentionality thesis ([14], pp. 133–154). This pre-theoretical identity was contrasted with the theoretical identity posited by objectifying thought of a philosophical theory. In this paper I want to pursue those reflections by emphasizing how a phenomenological conception of body helps us both to overcome the traditional mind body problem and even to trace the latter back to its genesis within the phenomena themselves.
Developing a whole building cooling energy forecasting model for on-line operation optimization using proactive system identification

Abstract Optimal automatic operation of buildings and their subsystems in responding to signals from a smart grid is essential to reduce energy demand, and to improve the power resilience. In order to achieve such automatic operation, high fidelity and computationally efficiency whole building energy forecasting models are needed. Currently, data-driven (black box) models and hybrid (grey box) models are commonly used in model based building control. However, typical black box models often require long training period and are bounded to building operation conditions during the training period. On the other hand, creating a grey box model often requires (a) long calculation time due to parameter optimization process; and (b) expert knowledge during the model development process. This paper attempts to quantitatively evaluate the impacts of two significant system characteristics: system nonlinearity and response time, on the accuracy of the model developed by a system identification process. A general methodology for building energy forecasting model development is then developed. How to adapt the system identification process based on these two characteristics is also studied. A set of comparison criteria are then proposed to evaluate the energy forecasting models generated from the adapted system identification process against other methods reported in the literature, including Resistance and Capacitance method, Support Vector Regression method, Artificial Neural Networks method, and N4SID subspace algorithm. Two commercial buildings: a small and a medium commercial building, with varying chiller nonlinearity, are simulated using EnergyPlus in lieu of real buildings for model development and evaluation. The results from this study show that the adapted system identification process is capable of significantly improve the performance of the energy forecasting model, which is more accurate and more extendable under both of the noise-free and noisy conditions than those models generated by other methods.
Effects of oxytocin on methamphetamine-seeking exacerbated by predator odor pre-exposure in rats

The endogenous oxytocin system has emerged as an inhibitor of drug-seeking and stress in preclinical models. The goal of this study was to examine whether systemic oxytocin administration attenuated methamphetamine (METH)-seeking in rats pre-exposed to a predator odor threat. In Experiment 1, rats were exposed for 5 days to the predator odor, 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT), or saline before METH self-administration began. After extinction training, rats were injected with 1 mg/kg, ip oxytocin (OXT) or saline 30 min before a cue-induced reinstatement test followed by re-extinction and a TMT-induced reinstatement test. In Experiment 2, TMT pre-exposure was followed by 10 days of 1 mg/kg OXT or saline injections before METH self-administration, extinction, and a TMT-induced reinstatement test. In Experiment 1, TMT pre-exposed rats that were injected with saline 30 min before reinstatement exhibited greater drug-seeking induced by conditioned cues or TMT than that exhibited by saline pre-exposed rats. A single injection of OXT 30 min before reinstatement suppressed METH-seeking in both saline- and TMT pre-exposed rats. In Experiment 2, TMT pre-exposed rats that received saline injections for 10 days prior to METH self-administration exhibited enhanced drug-seeking induced by TMT during stress-induced reinstatement. OXT injections for 10 days prior to METH self-administration blocked only the stress-induced exacerbation of drug-seeking in TMT pre-exposed rats. These results support further research on the development of oxytocin as a novel therapeutic drug that has enduring effects on drug-seeking exacerbated by stress.
Aral Sea Basin Water Resources and the Changing Aral Water Balance

This chapter deals with two related water issues: the water resources of the Aral Sea Basin and the Aral Sea’s water balance. The Aral Sea’s size is dependent on the water resources in its basin and how much these are depleted by human usage. The chief water resources are the large basin rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya and groundwater. The author discusses the size and character of these and their sufficiency for meeting human demand. Contrary to popular belief, the Aral Sea Basin is reasonably well endowed with water resources. But the high level of consumptive use, overwhelmingly for irrigated agriculture, has resulted in severe water shortage problems (see Chap 8). Since the Aral Sea is a terminal (closed basin) lake with no outflow lying amidst deserts, its water balance is basically composed of river inflow on the gain side and evaporation from its surface on the loss side. Precipitation on the sea’s surface contributes only about 10 % to the positive side of the balance. Net groundwater input is difficult to determine with any accuracy and likely had minimal influence until recent decades when, owing to major drops in river inflow, its impact on the water balance has grown. The Aral’s water balance was very stable from 1911 until 1960. However, since then it has been consistently negative (losses more than gains) owing to very substantial reductions in river inflow caused by large consumptive losses to irrigation. This was particularly pronounced for the decadal periods 1971–1980 and 1981–1990. More river flow reached the sea over the period 1991–2000 and its water balance, although remaining negative. However, the water balance situation deteriorated during the subsequent decade (2001–2010) owing to recurring droughts. The decidedly negative water balance has led to rapid and continuing shrinkage of the sea. (See also Chaps 9 and 11).
The Physics of Magnetic Recording

A review of the essential elements of magnetic recording is presented. Emphasis is placed on physical processes that occur in the writing of a data pattern onto magnetic media. The discussion here is focused on thin metallic films that are currently in use in high density disk recording. Nonetheless, concepts are presented in a fundamental manner so that applications to different materials or recording systems can easily be generalized. It is assumed that the reader has an introductory acquaintance with magnetism and magnetic materials [e.g. 1].
Gluconeogenesis measured with [U-13C]glucose and mass isotopomer analysis of apoB-100 amino acids in pigs.

Infant pigs (8.5 kg) were fasted for 16 h and infused for 6 h with [U-13C]glucose. The fractional abundances of all 13C mass isotopomers of plasma glucose, lactate, and pyruvate and of plasma, hepa...
Innovations in health information technologies for chronic pulmonary diseases

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common chronic obstructive lung disorders in the US that affect over 49 million people. There is no cure for asthma or COPD, but clinical guidelines exist for controlling symptoms that are successful in most patients that adhere to their treatment plan. Health information technologies (HITs) are revolutionizing healthcare by becoming mainstream tools to assist patients in self-monitoring and decision-making, and subsequently, driving a shift toward a care model increasingly centered on personal adoption and use of digital and web-based tools. While the number of chronic pulmonary disease HITs is rapidly increasing, most have not been validated as clinically effective tools for the management of disease. Online communities for asthma and COPD patients are becoming sources of empowerment and support, as well as facilitators of patient-centered research efforts. In addition to empowering patients and facilitating disease self-management, HITs offer promise to aid researchers in identifying chronic pulmonary disease endotypes and personalized treatments based on patient-specific profiles that integrate symptom occurrence and medication usage with environmental and genomic data.
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) represent a diverse set of diseases, with different treatment pathways based on the stage and type of hematologic cancer. In their presentation at the NCCN 18th Annual Conference, Dr. Jeremy Abramson and Dr. Andrew D. Zelenetz discuss 3 specific B-cell NHLs: follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. They provided an overview of the treatment strategies for patients with these hematologic malignancies, and offered highlights from recent clinical trials supporting these recommendations.
Secrets that patients carry

A mundane complaint can mask deep emotional scars that cause or contribute to a patient's symptoms, as this doctor found out. 2007 DOCTORS' WRITING CONTEST - GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)

Publisher Summary Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) have been introduced into clinical practice for the treatment of breast cancer (tamoxifen, toremifene), the reduction in risk of breast cancer in high-risk women (tamoxifen) and the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (raloxifene). These diverse clinical activities are tied together by virtue of the mechanisms of action of these compounds, which center on their interaction with estrogen receptors. This chapter reviews recent advances in understanding these mechanisms, followed by a review of data that supports the clinical use of SERMs. The number of potential mechanisms that may explain the tissue-selective actions of SERMs is growing steadily as new findings are uncovered. Central to all of these mechanisms are the differential effects that SERMs exert on the three-dimensional conformation of the ligand-bound receptor. The specifics of the roles of the various domains of the receptor are beginning to unfold. In particular, the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of the AF-2 region have become increasingly clear with publication of X-ray crystallographic depictions of the receptor bound to various ligands and peptide fragments of co-activator proteins. Emerging understanding of the tissue distribution and functional biology of the estrogen receptor isoforms has filled in even more of the complex picture. These evolving insights should provide the platform for an even better understanding of estrogen and SERM action while providing the basis for continued rational drug discovery. From the clinical perspective, the ideal SERM would offer the postmenopausal woman all the benefits of estrogen replacement without the potential estrogen-mediated adverse effects: it would relieve menopausal symptoms, including vaginal dryness and hot flashes.
Conclusion: integrating the human sciences

This book proposes a new approach to the human sciences, one that encompasses levels, disciplines, and subdisciplines which are usually kept rigidly separate. Why change the game of the normal science that is practiced in the disciplines and subdisciplines when most researchers are happy with it? Because it does not appear to be a winning game. The procedures of normal science can provide a mopping up operation after a breakthrough has occurred. Why has no breakthrough occurred in the human sciences? The approach outlined in these chapters, part/whole morphology, suggests a way of approaching a crucial problem for the human sciences: how can we observe ourselves and our societies objectively, when our very lives are constituted by the very structures and processes that we need to study? This is not a simple problem. Alas, even making it explicit is a taxing maneuver. In every society there is an “attitude of everyday life,” a life world, which most of its members assume, indeed, take for granted, most of the time. This world goes without saying to the point that it is invisible under most conditions. Elias and Bordieu referred to it when they spoke of the habitus , our second nature, the mass of conventions, beliefs and attitudes which each member of a society shares with every other member. The habitus is not the whole culture, but that part which is so taken for granted as to be virtually invisible to its members.
Error Analysis by Replaced Samples

BY error analysis of a computation t on data d, we mean an assessment of the possible values of t which might be obtained for various hypothetical data d* similar to d. For example, if d is supposed generated by some probability model P, we might ask for the distribution of t(d*), where d* is randomly generated by P. We will be concerned with data d which are organized as a random sample xl, ..., XN from some population. Our error analysis will concentrate on the distribution of t(XN+l, ..., X2N), where XN+l, ..., X2N represents a further random sample of size N from the same population. An empirical error analysis may be performed by recomputing t for various replaced samples (RS), that is, samples of size n, obtained from xl, ..., XN by sampling with replacement. The problem is to relate these replaced sample values of t to the values of t which would be obtained in a future sample. We approach this problem by considering a very special computation-the mean of normal variables. In this case we show a relationship between certain RS values and future t values: these RS values are exchangeable, in distribution, with the variable t(XN+l, ..., X2N) given t(xl, ...XN). This very satisfying interpretation requires a Bayesian argument with uniform prior on the population mean. A non-Bayesian interpretation is also available for these RS values; the set of RS values is a typical set for t, that is the gaps between the ordered RS values contain t with equal probability. These interpretations add nothing to the error analysis of a normal mean, but, because empirical error analysis may be performed under very general conditions (we need only that d may be regarded as a random sample of size N, and that t be defined for all samples of size N), the connection between empirical error and future error derived in the normal case is potentially very useful. We need to know how well this connection holds up under non-normal conditions. Asymptotic arguments are available to establish the two interpretations, as holding asymptotically, in a wide range of situations. Experimental investigation is necessary to test the validity of the interpretations in problems of frequent interest. Eigenvector analysis is considered here.
Functional connectivity patterns of normal human swallowing: difference among various viscosity swallows in normal and chin-tuck head positions

Consuming thicker fluids and swallowing in the chin-tuck position has been shown to be advantageous for some patients with neurogenic dysphagia who aspirate due to various causes. The anatomical changes caused by these therapeutic techniques are well known, but it is unclear whether these changes alter the cerebral processing of swallow-related sensorimotor activity. We sought to investigate the effect of increased fluid viscosity and chin-down posture during swallowing on brain networks. 55 healthy adults performed water, nectar-thick, and honey thick liquid swallows in the neutral and chin-tuck positions while EEG signals were recorded. After pre-processing of the EEG timeseries, the time-frequency based synchrony measure was used for forming the brain networks to investigate whether there were differences among the brain networks between the swallowing of different fluid viscosities and swallowing in different head positions. We also investigated whether swallowing under various conditions exhibit small-world properties. Results showed that fluid viscosity affects the brain network in the Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma frequency bands and that swallowing in the chin-tuck head position affects brain networks in the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma frequency bands. In addition, we showed that swallowing in all tested conditions exhibited small-world properties. Therefore, fluid viscosity and head positions should be considered in future swallowing EEG investigations.
Evaluation of Self-Concept and Emotional-Behavioral Functioning of Children with Brachial Plexus Birth Injury

Background The reported incidence of brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) is 0.87 to 2.2 per 1,000 live births. The psychological functioning, including self-concept and emotional-behavioral functioning, of children with BPBI has only been examined to a limited extent. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe the self-concept and emotional-behavioral functioning in children with BPBI from both the child's and parent's perspective. Methods Thirty-one children with BPBI, mean age 11 years 1 month, completed the Draw A Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED) and Piers Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS). The parents answered questions from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Parent Rating Scales (BASC-2 PRS). Results The scores from the DAP:SPED drawings showed further evaluation was not strongly indicated in the majority of the children. The PHCSCS Total score demonstrated that the children had a strongly positive self-concept. The parental responses to the BASC-2 PRS indicated that few children were at risk or in the clinically significant range for the four composite scores and all of the component clinical or adaptive scales. Gender comparison revealed females exhibited greater anxiety than males. Conclusion Both children and parents reported a positive psychological well-being for the majority of the children. Parents had greater concerns about their child's social-emotional functioning, particularly anxiety. An interdisciplinary approach (occupational therapy evaluation, clinical observation, and parental interview) is necessary to determine the need for mental health referral.
Between Rosanvallon & Rancière: Toward a Theory of Dissentient Democracy

Los intentos mas recientes de repensar las normas democraticas estan ejemplificados por dos pensadores franceses contemporaneos. Pierre Rosavallon critica los movimientos de protesta y trata de institucionalizar sus fuerzas. Jacques Ranciere, por otra parte, ha definido notoriamente la politica democratica de forma que se da solo en momentos en los que se re-imagina caoticamente el orden existente. Su enfoque se revela de forma que reclama mas atencion hacia las normas razonables de ese orden de lo que el propio Ranciere admite. Tales normas constituyen un modelo de la democracia disidente, y puede inspirarse en los radicales populares de la era de la fundacion americana.
LONG TERM OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING PERCUTANEOUS AND SURGICAL MITRAL PARAVALVULAR LEAK REPAIR

Background: Percutaneous closure of paravlavular leak (PVL) emerged as an alternative to surgical treatment in high risk patients. There are limited data on the safety and efficacy of both modalities in the management of mitral PVL Methods: Patients who underwent mitral PVL treatment at Mayo Clinic
Comment on “Many-body localization in Ising models with random long-range interactions”

This Comment is dedicated to the investigation of many-body localization in a quantum Ising model with long-range power-law interactions ${r}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}}$, relevant for a variety of systems ranging from electrons in Anderson insulators to spin excitations in chains of cold atoms. It has earlier been argued [arXiv:cond-mat/0611387 (2005); Phys. Rev. B 91, 094202 (2015)] that this model obeys the dimensional constraint suggesting the delocalization of all finite-temperature states in the thermodynamic limit for $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\le}2d$ in a $d$-dimensional system. This expectation conflicts with the recent numerical studies of the specific interacting spin model of Li et al. [Phys. Rev. A 94, 063625 (2016)]. To resolve this controversy we reexamine the model of Li et al. [Phys. Rev. A 94, 063625 (2016)] and demonstrate that the infinite-temperature states there obey the dimensional constraint. The earlier developed scaling theory for the critical system size required for delocalization is extended to small exponents $0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\le}d$. The disagreements between the two works are explained by the nonstandard selection of investigated states in the ordered phase in the work of Li et al. [Phys. Rev. A 94, 063625 (2016)].
Abstract 222: Administration of Intravenous Fluids in Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure

Administration of Intravenous Fluids in Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure Background: Administration of intravenous (IV) fluids to patients with acute decompensated heart failure (HF) may wo...
Use and adherence to breast cancer risk-reduction agents: A population-based study.

1558Background: Tamoxifen, raloxifene and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) reduce the risk of developing breast cancer (BC). Risk-reduction agents are recommended for women at high risk of BC defined as ...