cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple fetal anomalies associated with subtle subtelomeric chromosomal rearrangements.

We report two cases of multiple fetal anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasound and associated with subtle subtelomeric chromosomal rearrangements. The first case presented at 25 weeks of gestation with an enlarged cisterna magna and ventriculomegaly. Karyotyping of amniocytes showed a subtle terminal abnormality of chromosome 6q. Thereafter, screening of all unique chromosomal subtelomeric regions using a panel of telomere-specific, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes revealed an unbalanced reciprocal translocation between 6q and 17p [46,XX.ish der(6)t(6;17)(q25.3;p13)(TelVysion6q-;TelVysion17p+)]. The second case presented at 25 weeks of gestation with tetralogy of Fallot and at 34 weeks of gestation had additional ultrasound findings of an arachnoid cyst and intrauterine growth restriction. Postnatal karyotyping of peripheral blood was performed and appeared normal. However, a cryptic deletion of the subtelomeric region of the long arm of chromosome 14 was identified when the infant's blood sample was used as a control for an oncology FISH probe. Thereafter, screening of all unique chromosomal subtelomeric regions using a panel of telomere-specific FISH probes revealed an unbalanced reciprocal translocation of chromosomes 14q and 20p [46,XY.ish der(14)t(14;20)(q32.3;p13)(IGH-, D14S308-,TelVysion20p+)mat]. These two cases add to a growing number of reports of cryptic subtelomeric chromosomal rearrangements associated with congenital anomalies. This is the first report of multiple, simultaneous FISH screening of the subtelomeric regions in amniotic fluid and has demonstrated the technical feasibility of this technique in the prenatal period. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differentially Coherent Multichannel Detection of Acoustic OFDM Signals

In this paper, we propose a class of methods for compensating for the Doppler distortions of the underwater acoustic channel for differentially coherent detection of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signals. These methods are based on multiple fast Fourier transform (FFT) demodulation, and are implemented as partial (P), shaped (S), fractional (F), and Taylor (T) series expansion FFT demodulation. They replace the conventional FFT demodulation with a few FFTs and a combiner. The input to each FFT is a specific transformation of the input signal, and the combiner performs weighted summation of the FFT outputs. The four methods differ in the choice of the pre-FFT transformation (P, S, F, T), while the rest of the receiver remains identical across these methods. We design an adaptive algorithm of stochastic gradient type to learn the combiner weights for differentially coherent detection. The algorithm is cast into the multichannel framework to take advantage of spatial diversity. The receiver is also equipped with an improved synchronization technique for estimating the dominant Doppler shift and resampling the signal before demodulation. An additional technique of carrier sliding is introduced to aid in the post-FFT combining process when residual Doppler shift is nonnegligible. Synthetic data, as well as experimental data from a recent mobile acoustic communication experiment (few kilometers in shallow water, 10.5–15.5-kHz band) are used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods, showing significant improvement over conventional detection techniques with or without intercarrier interference equalization (5–7 dB on average over multiple hours), as well as improved bandwidth efficiency [ability to support up to 2048 quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulated carriers].
Effect of minerals on susceptibility of Swiss mice to Theiler's virus.

SummaryThe influence of the level of 6 common minerals on the susceptibility of Swiss mice to Theiler's GDVII virus has been investigated in more than 1100 animals.No demonstrable effect on the susceptibility to this infection was found by varying the level of calcium, magnesium or chlorine in the diet, some effect was noted with sodium, while striking results were obtained with potassium and phosphorus.A progressively decreased resistance was observed as the amount of potassium or of phosphorus was increased in the diets up to the optimal levels.
Anthrax Lethal Toxin-Mediated Killing of Human and Murine Dendritic Cells Impairs the Adaptive Immune Response

Many pathogens have acquired strategies to combat the immune response. Bacillus anthracis interferes with host defenses by releasing anthrax lethal toxin (LT), which inactivates mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, rendering dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes nonresponsive to immune stimulation. However, these cell types are considered resistant to killing by LT. Here we show that LT kills primary human DCs in vitro, and murine DCs in vitro and in vivo. Kinetics of LT-mediated killing of murine DCs, as well as cell death pathways induced, were dependent upon genetic background: LT triggered rapid necrosis in BALB/c-derived DCs, and slow apoptosis in C57BL/6-derived DCs. This is consistent with rapid and slow killing of LT-injected BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, respectively. We present evidence that anthrax LT impairs adaptive immunity by specifically targeting DCs. This may represent an immune-evasion strategy of the bacterium, and contribute to anthrax disease progression. We also established that genetic background determines whether apoptosis or necrosis is induced by LT. Finally, killing of C57BL/6-derived DCs by LT mirrors that of human DCs, suggesting that C57BL/6 DCs represent a better model system for human anthrax than the prototypical BALB/c macrophages.
Human Papillomavirus Status in Head and Neck Cancer The Ethics of Disclosure

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an emerging causative factor for squamous carcinoma of the oropharynx and perhaps other head and neck cancers. There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the clinical significance and implications of HPV status in this patient population. As a result, there is no established protocol for informing patients of the potential link between viral infection and their cancer. This paper discusses some of the ethical issues involved with informing head and neck cancer patients of their HPV status, recognizing the dilemma posed by unresolved clinical questions and the need to respect the autonomy of patients by disclosing relevant information.
Novel Mechanism of Vasodilation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective— Endothelium-dependent dilation to acetylcholine (Ach) is reduced in mucosal arterioles from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The contributions of both nitric oxide (NO) and endothelial-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) are decreased. We hypothesized that the remaining dilation results from products of cyclooxygenase. Methods and Results— High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to isolate eicosanoid vasodilator products and videomicroscopy was used to examine vasomotor responses in human mucosal arterioles from subjects with or without IBD undergoing bowel resection surgeries. In subjects without IBD, Ach constricted (−52%±10%) arterioles devoid of endothelium. Indomethacin (INDO) (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) had no effect. In contrast, Ach dose-dependently dilated both intact and endothelial denuded arterioles from patients with IBD. The dilation was converted to constriction by INDO (−54%±9%; P 2 receptor antagonist). Only in arterioles from subjects with IBD did Ach produce an arachidonic acid metabolite that comigrated on HPLC with PG D 2 (PGD 2 ). Exogenous PGD 2 dilated (max=66%±4%) IBD arterioles. Conclusion— In arterioles from IBD patients, Ach-mediated dilation shifts from endothelial production of NO and EDHF to nonendothelial generation of a PG, likely PGD 2 . This is a novel dilator mechanism arising from nonendothelial vascular tissue that compensates for loss of endothelium-dependent dilation. PGD 2 appears to be important in regulating mucosal blood flow in patients with IBD, implicating potentially detrimental effects from nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
Energetic efficiency of reproduction may constrain litter size in northern grasshopper mice

ABSTRACT A growing body of evidence shows that lactation is energetically costly for mammals. Although lactation costs are positively correlated with litter size, the shape of this relationship remains largely unexplored. Understanding physiological efficiencies of metabolic investment in reproduction should provide valuable insight concerning trade-offs between number and size of offspring and limits to litter size. I used data from northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster) to explore these constraints. The relationship between litter size and cost of lactation was best described by a non-linear regression such that intermediate litter sizes were the most cost-effective. Lactation costs at the upper range of natural litters for this species required mothers to ingest more than twice as much food as non-reproductive females. Young at 15 d of age from the largest litters were smaller than same-age young from smaller litters. In contrast, young from litters at the lower end of the species range were...
Collective Classification of Biomedical Articles using T-Cell Cross-regulation

We continue our investigation of a bio-inspired solution for binary classification of textual documents inspired by T-cell cross-regulation in the vertebrate adaptive immune system, which is a complex adaptive system of millions of cells interacting to distinguish between self and nonself substances. In analogy, automatic document classification assumes that the interaction and co-occurrence of thousands of words in text can be used to identify conceptually-related classes of documents—at a minimum, two classes with relevant and irrelevant documents for a given concept (e.g. articles with protein-protein interaction information). Our agent-based method for document classification expands the analytical model of Carneiro et al [5], by allowing us to deal simultaneously with many distinct populations of antigen-specific T-Cells and their collective dynamics. We have previously extended this model to produce a spam-detection system [2; 3]. We have also developed our agent-based model further to apply it to biomedical article classification [4], testing it on a dataset of biomedical articles provided by the BioCreative 2.5 challenge [17]. Here, we study the effect that the sequence of presentation of articles has on classification performance, as well as the robustness of the ensuing T-cell cross-regulation dynamics to initial biases of the proportions of effector and regulatory T-cells. We show that classification is improved when we preserve the original temporal order of biomedical articles, suggesting that our model is capable of tracking the natural conceptual drift of the relevant biomedical literature. We further show that initial biases in the proportions of T-cells are corrected by the dynamics of the model. Our results are useful for biomedical text mining, but they also help us understand T-cell cross-regulation as a potential general principle of classification available to collectives of molecules without a central controller. While there is still much to know about the specifics of T-cell cross-regulation in adaptive immunity, Artificial Life allows us to explore alternative emergent classification principles while producing useful bio-inspired tools.
A new technique for monolithic D/A conversion

A technique for monolithic digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion which is based on an extended diode-steering topology is described. Elimination of transistor base-current effects allows high speed and precision to be achieved simultaneously. A practical 16-b converter with a settling time of less than 500 ns to 1/2 LSB is described. >
William Rehnquist, the Separation of Powers, and the Riddle of the Sphinx

From his service as the head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel through his tenure as an Associate and Chief Justice on the Supreme Court, Rehnquist's separation of powers jurisprudence has been marked by an inductive, common-law approach to constitutional adjudication. It is an approach that eschews categorical, a priori bright-line rules, but favors precedent and the lessons of history, and occasionally learned from history to permit a line of authority, in a common law evolutionary manner, to be rationalized or become extinct. When Rehnquist believed the constitutional text spoke clearly, he followed its specific commands. Absent such clarity, though, he would defer to Congress as "the dominant balancer of public policy in our democratic society." That is not to say that with respect to the separation of powers Rehnquist was pro-Congress simpliciter. Instead, when Congress failed to take responsibility for its duty to make public policy, Rehnquist enforced the separation of powers by forcing Congress to deliberate and not impermissibly pass the buck to the executive branch or to the courts. These themes provide some unity to Rehnquist's separation of powers cases and explain some of his votes. Of course, Rehnquist's views on the separation of powers might not be so tidily explained and we briefly explore an alternative account of Rehnquist's separation of powers cases, namely, that there were two William Rehnquists with regard to the separation of powers. The first was the Associate Justice and dissenting "Lone Ranger" who took a strong view of the separation of power. The second was the Chief Justice, with an institutional incentive to vote with the majority, who would assume a less formal approach to the issue.
Minor Compensatory Changes in SAGE Mdr1a (P-gp), Bcrp, and Mrp2 Knockout Rats Do Not Detract from Their Utility in the Study of Transporter-Mediated Pharmacokinetics

Mdr1a-, Bcrp-, and Mrp2-knockout rats are a more practical species for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) studies than murine models and previously demonstrated expected alterations in the pharmacokinetics of various probe substrates. At present, gene expression and pathology changes were systematically studied in the small intestine, liver, kidney, and brain tissue from male SAGE Mdr1a, Bcrp, and Mrp2 knockout rats versus wild-type Sprague-Dawley controls. Gene expression data supported the relevant knockout genotype. As expected, Mrp2 knockout rats were hyperbilirubinemic and exhibited upregulation of hepatic Mrp3. Overall, few alterations were observed within 112 ADME-relevant genes. The two potentially most consequential changes were upregulation of intestinal carboxylesterase in Mdr1a knockouts and catechol-O-methyltransferase in all tissues of Bcrp knockout rats. Previously reported upregulation of hepatic Mdr1b P-glycoprotein in proprietary Wistar Mdr1a knockout rats was not observed in the SAGE counterpart investigated herein. Relative liver and kidney weights were 22-53% higher in all three knockouts, with microscopic increases in hepatocyte size in Mdr1a and Mrp2 knockout rats and glomerular size in Bcrp and Mrp2 knockouts. Increased relative weight of clearing organs is quantitatively consistent with reported increases in the clearance of drugs that are not substrates of the knocked-out transporter. Overall, SAGE knockout rats demonstrated modest compensatory changes, which do not preclude their general application to study transporter-mediated pharmacokinetics. However, until future studies elucidate the magnitude of functional change, caution is warranted in rare instances of extensive metabolism by catechol-O-methyltransferase in Bcrp knockouts and intestinal carboxylesterase in Mdr1a knockout rats, specifically for molecules with free catechol groups and esters subject to gut-wall hydrolysis.
Chromium in Parenteral Nutrition: Too Little or Too Much?

Although guidelines for routine parenteral supplements of chromium (Cr) were published, there remain major concerns about the infusion of excess Cr. In addition, little information is available on appropriate dosage for intravenous usage. Cr functions as a regulator of insulin action. In humans, the 3 reported cases of Cr deficiency developed peripheral neuropathy, weight loss, and hyperglycemia. Supplementation of Cr to the parenteral nutrition (PN) solution corrected these abnormalities. For parenteral Cr, concerns arise from the high levels found in sera (up to 40-fold higher) and tissues (10- to 100-fold higher) and their effects on kidneys: In 15 children receiving long-term PN, the glomerular filtration rate was lower than that of non-PN controls and was inversely correlated with Cr indices. Furthermore, in a randomized blinded prospective protocol involving 75 newborns, the group receiving the recommended dose of Cr showed higher levels of creatinine that were positively correlated with Cr intake. Of note, Cr contaminants in PN solutions can increase the amount delivered by 10%-100%. A possible method for estimating adequate Cr to be provided IV is to calculate the amount physiologically absorbed in healthy people. This amount is 10 to 100 times less than the daily recommended parenteral Cr in adults. The accumulated scientific data presented here point to a serious need to lower the recommended amount of parenteral Cr.
Comparative Analysis of Low-Level Cold Fronts: Wavelet, Fourier, and Empirical Orthogonal Function Decompositions

Abstract Atmospheric cold fronts observed in the boundary layer represent relatively sharp transition zones between air masses of disparate physical characteristics. Further, wavelike features and/or eddy structures are often observed in conjunction with the passage of a frontal zone. The relative merits of using both global and local (with respect to the span of a basis element) transforms to depict cold-frontal features are explored. The data represent both tower and aircraft observations of cold fronts. An antisymmetric wavelet basis set is shown to resolve the characteristics of the transition zone, and associated wave and/or eddy activity, with a relatively small number of members of the basis set. In contrast, the Fourier transformation assigns a significant amplitude to a large number of members of the basis set to resolve a frontal-type feature. In principle, empirical orthogonal functions provide an optimal decomposition of the variance. The observed transition zone, however, has to be phase alig...
Hubble Space Telescope Solar Array Concerns and Consequences for Servicing Mission 2

Designed for the launch and subsequent on-orbit maintenance by astronauts and the Space Shuttle, the Hubble Space Telescope presented a unique and challenging set of flight operations issues during six missions between 1990 and 2009. Starting with the launch in 1990 and for the following three servicing missions, the solar arrays represented an unanticipated and significant operational challenge for the crews and the flight operations teams. Modified first-generation solar arrays were installed on Servicing Mission 1 in 1993 to correct for a jitter introduced into the telescope’s control system by the design of the original solar arrays. However, although the jitter was improved, the modified solar arrays introduced additional issues for the second servicing mission, Space Transportation System 82, due to the existence of a significant static twist. New flight operations techniques had to be developed to monitor the condition and protect the integrity of the solar arrays. It was not known until after Hubb...
ViRUS: virtual function replacement under stress

In this paper we introduce ViRUS: Virtual function Replacement Under Stress. ViRUS allows the runtime system to switch between blocks of code that perform equivalent functionality at different Quality-of-Service levels when the system is under stress -- be it in the form of scarce energy resources, temperature emergencies, or various sources of environmental and process variability -- with the ultimate goal of energy efficiency. We demonstrate ViRUS with a framework for transparent function replacement in shared libraries and a polymorphic version of the standard C math library in Linux. Case studies show how ViRUS can tradeoff upwards of 4% degradation in application quality for a band of upwards of 50% savings in energy consumption.
Incidence of secondary leukemia/myelodysplasia (AML/MDS) in Hodgkin's disease (HD) with three generations of therapy at Stanford University

7516 Background: Long term HD survivors have an increased risk of therapy-related AML/MDS that peaks about 5 years (yr) after alkylating agent (AA)-based chemotherapy (CT). Successive generations o...
Observations on the Possibility of Attitude Modification: A Case of Nationality and Racial Group Interrelationships in Wartime

to full-time workers ($.185); however, the full-time workers make an average of $9.26 per week, and on the average a worker would have to hold three part-time jobs to earn this amount. Those seeking servants are offering only $.17 per hour on the average. If we may guess $6.00 per week as the average pre-war wage of full-time domestic servants, it appears that their wages have increased a little over 50 percent. (All wages now paid to Negroes for domestic service in New Orleans give their population about 88 cents per capita per week as their entire income from this source.) 5. Those persons seeking servants have the largest families, while those having full-time servants have the smallest. Those having part-time servants have families about half way between in size. 6. In spite of the apparent shortage of servants it appears that more Negro women are working at domestic service now than were in 1940. 7. The "servant problem," from the point of view of the white housewife, least affects those who have long afforded full-time servants, and those who have never had and do not now desire domestic help. Although cash hourly wages are still low compared to those paid by other forms of employment, changed conditions cause those who are unwilling or unable to meet these conditions to be most adversely affected individually by the problem of domestic employment.
Investor Responses to Licensing Announcements: The Use of Market Power and Learning Logics

Among various forms of strategic alliance, technology licensing agreements have attracted significant managerial and scholarly attention. In this paper, we examine the differential abnormal returns derived by a licensor and licensee in the backdrop of whether a focal licensing agreement is horizontal (i.e. between firms in the same industry) or non-horizontal (across different industries). Our analysis shows that although on the whole, investors view licensors more favorably than licensees after the announcement of a licensing agreement, they use two different logics--the first, a market power logic and the second, a learning logic, in evaluating the focal licensor and licensee. In horizontal agreements, licensors are positively evaluated by investors when they pair with licensees that are relatively better than them in terms of prior performance and capital intensity. On the other hand, in non-horizontal agreements, licensees generate greater positive abnormal returns when they signal the possession of g...
When is it safe to manually lift a patient

In 1994 the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation-an ergonomics assessment tool that can be used to calculate the recommended weight limit for two-handed manual-lifting tasks. However, NIOSH excluded assessment of patient-handling tasks from the uses of the revised equation, arguing that such tasks involve too many variables. The equation in fact can be used to calculate a recommended weight limit for a limited range of patient-handling tasks in which the patient is cooperative and unlikely to move suddenly during the task. In general, the revised equation yields a recommended 35-lb. maximum weight limit for use in patient-handling tasks. When weight to be lifted exceeds this limit, assistive devices should be used.
Assessing Sense of Place and Geo-literacy Indicators as Learning Outcomes of an International Teacher Professional Development Program

This research explores the multifaceted benefits that accrue from learning within an international, experiential context. It uses a qualitative, case study approach employing pre and post surveys, in-situ observations, and semi-structured photo-elicitation interviews to analyze the Center for Geography Education in Oregon’s (C-GEO) 2013 Overseas Teacher Institute--a professional development program that took 11 teachers to Russia, Mongolia, and China for a total of 17 days (plus two additional travel days) to learn about the cultural and physical geography of each place. The focus of the research is two-fold and examines processes involved in gaining, synthesizing and applying 1) a sense of place (the emotional ties between people and place), and 2) geo-literacy. The results of this study provide evidence that intensive professional development programs can increase teachers personal and professional knowledge, change their instructional practices, and may lead to improved student learning outcomes.
Fas/APO-1 Promoter Polymorphism Is Not Associated with Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

NMSC[3][1] incidence is increasing at an alarming rate [(1)][2] , and the majority of NMSC is likely attributable to UV exposure. An important biological effector of UV exposure is the Fas receptor, which in cooperation with Fas ligand induces apoptosis in keratinocytes after UV exposure [(2)][3] .
Impact of microwave annealing on advanced junction technology

The application of microwave annealing (MWA) to advanced junction technology, especially aiming for the formation of NiPt silicide and defect-less p-n junctions has been studied. Low temperature MWA is featured in the integration of ultimately scaled logic CMOS and non-digital functionalities.
Analysis of the results of serological detection of suspected measles and rubella cases in Haizhu district of Guangzhou during 2007 to 2010

Objective To analyze the epidemic features of measles and rubella in Haizhu district of Guangzhou during 2007 to 2010,and provide scientific basis for its prevention and control measures.Methods Measles and rubella specific IgM antibodies were measured by IgM-capture ELISA in all suspected measles and rubella cases during 2007 to 2010.The results were analyzed using SPSS13.0.Results In the last 4 years,the overall positive rate of measles and rubella specific IgM antibodies were 44.30% and 13.09%,respectively.There was no statistical difference between male and female in measles and rubella cases.The positive cases of measles distributed in 8 months～7 years old and 15～29 years old;the positive cases of rubella distributed in 15～29 years old.The positive cases of measles and rubella were mainly distributed in March～July and March～June,respectively.Conclusion The decreasing of the positive rate of measles in 2010 indicated that the control measures are effective.However,the rising of positive rate of rubella in 2010 showed we should be paid more attention in controlling rubella.The positive cases of measles distributed among preschool children and youth,and the positive cases of rubella distributed among youth.Spring is the high incidence period of measles and rubella in a year.Strategies for its control should be taken in time to avoid the outbreak and epidemic of these diseases.
'Treaties Submitted to the United States Senate: Legislative History 1989-2004' - Book Review

Book review of "Treaties Submitted to the United States Senate: Legislative History 1989-2004".
Models of Artificial Life - Herbert Simon and Evolutionary Computation.

Herbert Simon is justly regarded as the father of artificial intelligence and even of the fields of computer science and cognitive science as we currently conceive them. His Nobel Prize was in economics, but he also made significant contributions to philosophy, political science, psychology, public policy, and beyond. Among his nearly a thousand publications, were many that dealt with issues of causality, complexity, problem solving, the discovery process, learning, scientific theory testing, simulation and modeling, and even consciousness. Many of his research interests revolved around questions about decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, which he took to be the usual case for both organizations and individuals. Human beings have “bounded rationality” and so are not in a position to optimize their choices, but rather must “satisfice”. Notably absent from this amazing body of work, however, is much about biology. Though many of the ideas Simon investigated are directly or indirectly relevant to artificial life research, he never had the opportunity to consider what light his AI research might shed on ALife and vice versa. This is a significant loss, as ALife is an especially important case by which to consider Simon’s theses about the “sciences of the artificial.” (Simon 1984) What might he have said about what each field could learn from the other? This article reviews some of Simon’s distinctive notions about models and model-based reasoning in AI and outlines the beginning of an answer. In particular, it considers how current work in digital evolution builds upon, extends and in some cases overturns Simon’s ideas about complexity, discovery, learning, intelligence and more. It concludes by highlighting how the ALife “bottom up” approach of digital evolution provides a radically different perspective on artificial intelligence that complements Simon’s “top-down” approach and opens up promising new avenues of investigation.
Familial Aspects Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

One hundred thirteen instances of familial inflammatory bowel disease have been recorded. In a series of 646 patients with inflammatory bowel disease observed since 1963, 113 gave acceptable evidence of inflammatory bowel disease among members of their families, a prevalence of 17.5%. To validate this observation, 150 patients were selected at random and matched as to age, sex, and religion with 150 healthy controls. A positive family history of inflammatoiy bowel disease was obtained in 4% of the matched control group and in 11% of the 150 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, a statistically significant difference. There were no significant differences between “familial” and “nonfamilial” groups with respect to sex, race, marital status, occupation, educational level, medical or surgical treatment, complications, or associated conditions. The data suggest that the proband with a positive family history of inflammatory bowel disease was more likely of Jewish affiliation and had developed the disease between the ages of 10 and 19 years.
High resolution infrared spectrum of the CD 2 wagging band of methanol-D 2 (CHD 2 OH) for the lowest lying torsional vibrational state (e 0 )

Abstract This paper reports the analysis of the high resolution (0.0019 cm−1) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum for asymmetrically deuterated methanol CHD2OH (methanol-D2) at a low temperature for the CD2 wagging band for the lowest lying trans-species (e0). In spite of the complexity and perturbation in the spectra, assignments were possible for the CD2 wagging band for a maximum K value of 10. In total, about 500 spectral lines have been assigned. Analysis of the spectral lines has been performed in terms of state dependent molecular parameters, Q-branch origins and asymmetry splitting. Assignments have been thoroughly confirmed using combination relations (see text). The catalogue of the assigned transition wavenumbers will help identification and prediction of far infrared (FIR) optically pumped CO2 lasers. The absorption lines close to the several 10R and 10P CO2 laser lines have also been identified. These should help experimentalists to optimize the power of the emission FIR laser lines and to predict new lines and should prove valuable as a laboratory support for interstellar detection in “Radio Astronomy”. To our knowledge this is the first time such vibrational infrared (IR) high resolution study in CHD2OH is being performed.
Influence of naloxone on response to acute cardiac tamponade in conscious dogs.

During progressive acute cardiac tamponade (CT) in conscious dogs, cardiac output (CO) falls continuously while arterial blood pressure (BP) is well maintained until an abruptly terminal decline. This response is primarily dependent on alpha-adrenergic mechanisms. During hemorrhagic shock, the opioid receptor blocker naloxone increases CO and BP and improves survival perhaps by reversing an opioid-induced cardiovascular depression. We produced 10 episodes of decompensated CT (DCT; 30% decline in BP) by intrapericardial saline infusion (20 ml/min) in five euvolemic conscious dogs. CT resulted in a decrease in CO and BP from base line (3.79 +/- 0.37 l/min and 89.6 +/- 5.2 mmHg, means +/- SE) to DCT (1.35 +/- 0.15 l/min and 57.5 +/- 3.1 mmHg; P less than 0.05). Naloxone (3 mg/kg iv) given at the onset of DCT resulted in a prompt sustained return of BP to base-line levels (P less than 0.05) with no change in CO. Four more animals were studied before and during naloxone (3 mg/kg iv then 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1 iv). DCT occurred at a higher intrapericardial pressure (20.1 vs. 18.3 mmHg; P less than 0.025) if CT were induced during naloxone treatment than in its absence. Thus naloxone during DCT promptly reversed hypotension with no change in CO and, if present during induction of CT, naloxone allowed slightly higher levels of intrapericardial pressure to be tolerated. Further studies are needed to determine whether naloxone produced these effects solely by its actions on opioid receptors. This study suggests that the interaction between opioid and adrenergic influences plays a role in causing hypotension during CT.
Does operative fixation affect outcomes of displaced medial epicondyle fractures

Abstract Purpose Long-term functional results remain equivocal between operative fixation and closed management of displaced humeral medial epicondyle fractures. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a functional difference exists between treatment types. Methods One hundred and forty patients with a displaced medial epicondyle fracture between 2007 and 2014 met the inclusion criteria. Of this large cohort, only 12 patients agreed to return to clinic at a mean follow-up of 3 years for prospective evaluation. Data collection included radiographs, physical examination, validated outcome tools, and grip strength testing with a Jamar dynamometer. Results Both groups were comparable with regard to age, dominant side injured, length of follow-up, preinjury sports involvement, and initial displacement (10 mm operative vs. 9 mm nonoperative); however, half of the surgical group presented with an associated unreduced elbow dislocation versus 0 % in the nonoperative group. Both treatment methods result...
Political Uses of Recognition

International law encourages, but does not require, governments to follow a strictly effectivist recognition policy. The resulting discretion in the timing and reasons for them creates the possibility of using recognition decisions for political purposes. Most legal scholars have paid some attention to this activity, mainly to condemn it as introducing elements of arbitrariness that do not belong in a well-ordered recognition process. Students of the foreign policy or the expansionist impulses of individual states have paid more attention, but they generally focus on one particular government’s activity rather than on comparison across governments or historical eras.
Evaluating Neural Correlates of Constant-Therapy Neurorehabilitation Task Battery: An fNIRS Pilot Study

The development of cognitive task battery applications for rehabilitation in telemedicine is a rapidly evolving field, with several tablet or web based programs already helping those suffering from working memory dysfunction or attention deficit disorders. However, there is little physiological evidence supporting a measurably significant change in brain function from using these programs. The present study sought to provide an initial assessment using the portable and wearable neuroimaging modality of functional near-infrared spectroscopy fNIRS that can be used in ambulatory and home settings and has the potential to add value in the assessment of clinical patients' recovery throughout their therapy.
Longitudinal cohort study on medical student retention of anatomical knowledge in an integrated problem-based learning curriculum.

AbstractBackground: When modifying a curriculum to accommodate changes in the methods of subject matter presentation or fit within a shortened time frame, student retention of knowledge remains an important issue.Aim: This study evaluates medical student retention of anatomical knowledge as they matriculate through an anatomy curriculum where the instruction hours are less than half of the current national average.Method: Medical students completed an assessment tool developed to evaluate their baseline level of anatomical knowledge at the beginning of the first year. They then completed the instrument at the end of their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years to assess their retention of anatomical knowledge during medical school. Data collection began in September 2010 and concluded in June 2015.Results: Results demonstrate that students began medical school with a low level of anatomical knowledge (baseline), that knowledge increased during their first year (p < 0.001), continued to increase during their second ...
P176 Small equipment-related injuries incurred by agricultural operation household members in the upper midwest united states: a neglected problem

Background While the risk of injury from large agricultural machinery and tractors has been the focus of numerous studies, little is known about the risk for youth and adults using small equipment such as hand tools on agricultural operations. Objectives Identify rates, consequences, and risk factors for small equipment-related injuries among youth (less than 20 years of age) and adults on agricultural operations. Methods This study utilised data from the Regional Rural Injury Study-II, designed to identify incidence and consequences of agricultural injuries, among all ages, and potential risk factors among youth in the five-state region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. For each study period (1999 and 2001), random samples of 16,000 agricultural operations were selected from the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Master ListFrame of farming operations. Demographics, exposures, and injury data were collected from the eligible responding 7,420 agricultural households. Adjusted injury rates were calculated using Poisson regression. Directed acyclic graphs guided multivariate logistic regression modelling to identify potential risk factors. Results Rates and 95% confidence Intervals (C.I.) for small equipment injuries per 1,000 persons/year were 2.8 times lower among youth (6.8; 5.6–8.2) than adults (19.0; 16.9–21.4). Non-powered hand tools were the most frequent source of small equipment-related injuries among both youth (52%) and adults (39%). Cut/laceration/scratch was the most frequent injury type among both youth and adults (43%; 38%). Male, compared with female youth, were over four times more likely to incur a small equipment injury. Having prior, versus no prior, injury was associated with a two-fold increase in risk for youth (Odds Ratio 2.6; C.I., 1.5–4.5). Conclusions Risk of small equipment-related injury among youth, compared with adults, was different and varied by gender and prior injury experience – results providing a basis for focused intervention development.
Previvors’ Uncertainty Management Strategies for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Individuals with a genetic predisposition to develop hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), but who have not been diagnosed with cancer, are referred to as previvors. Although genetic testing may reduce previvors' worries about whether or not they have a high genetic cancer risk, testing positive produces negative emotions and long-term uncertainty-thus requiring the management of uncertainty. Existing research indicates family, friends, and social support networks are limited in their assistance for previvors' uncertainty management. Therefore, this study examined how health care providers may assist previvors in uncertainty management by asking: What strategies do BRCA-positive previvors enact with their health care providers to help manage their uncertainty about HBOC? Purposive sampling was employed to recruit participants via online social media. The final sample consisted of 34 BRCA-positive women. Interviews revealed four uncertainty management strategies-seeking health care providers as informational sources, seeking health care providers as partners for decision making, seeking health care providers for supportive communication, and seeking referrals from health care providers for social support networks. Findings indicate that health care providers who are knowledgeable about BRCA, provide information, answer questions, check understanding, and provide additional resources assist previvors in managing their uncertainties by distinguishing options and fostering meaning.
Rap Lyrics as Evidence: What Can Music Theory Tell Us?

Recent scholarship has shed light on the troubling use of rap lyrics in criminal trials. Prosecutors have interpreted defendants’ rap lyrics as accurate descriptions of past behavior or in some cas...
Growing Older and Staying Positive: Associations Between Diverse Aging Women’s Perceptions of Age and Body Satisfaction

As women grow older, physical changes accompanying the aging process may impact self-perceptions of body image and age. To assess these perceptions, survey data were collected from 115 European American and 100 African American aging 65+ to assess whether patterns of association between age, age discrepancy, and body satisfaction vary by ethnic group. African American women reported higher average satisfaction for all body perceptions except weight, for which there was no difference between the groups. Ethnic group moderated the association between age discrepancy and two aspects of body satisfaction: cosmetic features and overall appearance. For African American aging women, perceptions of the body were not as strongly linked to perceptions of aging. For European American women, feeling older than one’s age was associated with lower body satisfaction, and women in this group may be more vulnerable to the negative impacts of the aging process on the body.
SUCCESS RATES BY ABLATION LESION SET OF CATHETER ABLATION FOR PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: FINDINGS FROM THE SMASH-AF META-ANALYSIS STUDY COHORT

Background: We sought to define study success rates by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) ablation lesion set and identify sources of study heterogeneity. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PAF ablation from 1/1/1990 to 8/1/2016. The protocol, registered in PROSPERO,
Unsupervised object counting without object recognition

This paper addresses the problem of object counting, which is to estimate the number of objects of interest from an input observation. We formalize the problem as a posterior inference of the count by introducing a particular type of Gaussian mixture for the input observation, whose mixture indexes correspond to the count. Unlike existing approaches in image analysis, which typically perform explicit object detection using labeled training images, our approach does not need any labeled training data. Our idea is to use the stick-breaking process as a constraint to make it possible to interpret the mixture indexes as the count. We apply our method to the problem of counting vehicles in real-world web camera images and demonstrate that the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach without any labeled training data are comparable to those of supervised alternatives.
Testing Underlying Assumptions of the Family Empowerment Perspective

We examined two underlying assumptions of the family empowerment perspective. The first assumption is that a well-validated family-based treatment that explicitly aims to empower caregivers can do so. The second assumption is that increased caregiver empowerment should be associated with improved youth and family functioning. The data used to examine these assumptions are based on a randomized trial of multisystemic therapy versus usual community services for 118 substance abusing and dependent juvenile offenders. Results provided partial support for the underlying assumptions of the family empowerment perspective. The family-based treatment in comparison with usual services increased caregiver perceptions of empowerment at the service system level, but not at the family level. In addition, increased empowerment at the family and service system levels were associated with improved family relations, but not with decreased youth behavior problems. The conceptual implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.
Sodium deoxycholate/TRIS-based hydrogels for multipurpose solute delivery vehicles: Ambient release, drug release, and enantiopreferential release

Herein, we report the investigation of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC)/TRIS-based hydrogels as delivery vehicles for a broad range of applications. Three hydrogel formulations were chosen for unique rheological behaviors that suggest a change in internal hydrogel structure with the application of a shear force. In this work, we compare solute release from sheared and non-sheared hydrogels in order to explore the effect of shear force on structure and release kinetics. It was found that the application of a shear force, in addition to changes in temperature, drug solubility, drug concentration, and hydrogel formulation each affected the amount of solute ultimately released from a hydrogel system. Moreover, the use of the inherent chirality of the hydrogel network for enantio-preferential drug release was also explored. We show significant enantio-preference in the release of model drugs tryptophan and ibuprofen from the hydrogel network. Furthermore, hydrophobic domains within the hydrogel network were exploited to enable ibuprofen loading at ten times the maximum water solubility. Retention of enantio-preference was observed at this higher ibuprofen concentration. Cyclodextrin modification to the hydrogel matrix allowed for enantio-preferential inversion which is an unprecedented observation.