cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myocardial atrophy and chronic mechanical unloading of the failing human heart: implications for cardiac assist device-induced myocardial recovery.

Abstract Background In animal models of heterotopic transplantation, mechanical unloading of the normal, nonhypertrophic heart results in atrophy. Primarily on the basis of these animal data, the notion that chronic left ventricular assist device (LVAD)-induced unloading will result in atrophy has dominated the clinical heart failure field, and anti-atrophic drugs have been used to enhance the cardiac recovery potential observed in some LVAD patients. However, whether unloading-induced atrophy in experimental normal heart models applies to failing and hypertrophic myocardium in heart failure patients unloaded by continuous-flow LVADs has not been studied. Objectives The study examined whether mechanical unloading by continuous-flow LVAD leads to myocardial atrophy. Methods We prospectively examined myocardial tissue and hemodynamic and echocardiographic data from 44 LVAD patients and 18 untransplanted normal donors. Results Cardiomyocyte size (cross-sectional area) decreased after LVAD unloading from 1,238 ± 81 μm2 to 1,011 ± 68 μm2 (p = 0.001), but not beyond that of normal donor hearts (682 ± 56 μm2). Electron microscopy ultrastructural evaluation, cardiomyocyte glycogen content, and echocardiographic assessment of myocardial mass and left ventricular function also did not suggest myocardial atrophy. Consistent with these findings, t-tubule morphology, cytoplasmic penetration, and distance from the ryanodine receptor were not indicative of ongoing atrophic remodeling during LVAD unloading. Molecular analysis revealed no up-regulation of proatrophic genes and proteins of the ubiquitin proteasome system. Conclusions Structural, ultrastructural, microstructural, metabolic, molecular, and clinical functional data indicated that prolonged continuous-flow LVAD unloading does not induce hypertrophy regression to the point of atrophy and degeneration. These findings may be useful in designing future investigations that combine LVAD unloading and pharmaceutical therapies as a bridge to recovery of the failing heart.
Juno celebrates a year at Jupiter

NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter has just returned its early science results after spending a year orbiting the ‘King of the Solar System’. Principal Investigator Scott Bolton summarizes what we have learnt.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

This chapter covers the diagnosis and treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may be found in patients with a variety of disease states. DIC can present with a spectrum of findings ranging from asymptomatic abnormal laboratory findings to florid bleeding or thrombosis. DIC is always a consequence of another pathologic process and represents the final common pathway of coagulation dysregulation.
Case 37-2017. A 36-Year-Old Man with Unintentional Opioid Overdose.

A 36-year-old man was seen in the emergency department because of opioid overdose. The patient was found unresponsive and cyanotic in a park. Naloxone was administered and his mental status normalized, but hypoxemia persisted. A diagnosis and management decisions were made.
Gender, Spatial Abilities, and Wayfinding

Spatial abilities refer to the cognitive processes involved in locating targets in space, perceiving distance and directional relationships, and mentally transforming objects with respect to their position or orientation in space. These abilities are used in everyday activities (e.g., finding one’s way home after driving an unfamiliar route) and in occupations that require design and planning in twoand three-dimensional space (e.g., engineering, architecture). Spatial abilities are of interest to gender researchers because they show the clearest evidence of gender differences in cognition; in fact, few other types of cognition show anything more than minimal gender differences (Hyde, 2005). Gender differences are larger for some spatial abilities than for others, but, with one exception, men perform better on average than do women. Before examining these differences in detail, it is important to establish why we should care about the relationship between gender and spatial abilities. Beginning with early reports of gender differences in spatial abilities, researchers have suggested that these differences might contribute to the low proportions of women in mathematics-based fields that draw on spatial skills, such as physics, engineering, and architecture (e.g., Fennema, 1975; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974; Sherman, 1967). Spatial ability predicts the likelihood that students will remain in engineering programs (Kinsey, Towle, O’Brien, & Bauer, 2008) and accounts in part for performance differences between the genders in certain areas of mathematics (Casey, Nuttall, Pezaris, & Benbow, 1995; Casey, Nuttall, & Pezaris, 1997, 2001; Casey, Winner, Brabeck, & Sullivan, 1990; Geary, Saults, Liu, & Hoard, 2000). Among boys and girls identified as gifted in early adolescence, high spatial ability predicts liking for math and science classes in high school and likelihood of pursuing occupations in the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering (Shea, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2001). Many researchers are concerned that such findings may be used to justify the under-representation of women in mathematics and engineering careers (a viewpoint expressed by Harvard University President Lawrence Summers in a much-publicized speech in January, 2005), and they argue that the debate would be better served by focusing on the social disparities that discourage women from entering these fields (e.g., Hines, 2007; Newcombe, 2007). However, research on gender and spatial cognition can be used to inform methods of improving spatial abilities and perhaps also to increase interest in pursuing careers that rely on those abilities. Other practical applications include improving wayfinding skills and reducing anxiety about performing navigational tasks.
Specialized Production: Industry and Agriculture

Archaeology has uncovered the remains of a number of Israelite industrial centers that flourished in the eighth and seventh centuries. (Many of these excavated sites are shown in figure 2–1.) The area around Samaria produced pottery; Debir (or Tell Beit Mirsim) seems to have specialized in woolen textiles; Lachish and Beth-shemesh produced olive oil (Burrows 1941, p. 173); Gibeon made wine, and Elath (or Tell el-Kheleifeh) smelted iron and copper. Tell ‘Erani in the eastern part of the coastal plain possessed industrial installations that may have been used in the manufacture of cheese (Yeivin 1975, pp. 93–4; 1 Sam. 17:181 seems to refer to cheese). Hazor, Megiddo, Mizpah (or Tell en-Nasbeh), and Arad, among others, were also important but, it would seem, more diversified centers of industry.
Preparation of carbon-11-labeled surrogates of VX and sarin: Divergent radiosynthesis of 11C-tracers by modification of reaction conditions

186 Objectives: Organophosphates (OP) are a class of compounds used as insecticides and chemical nerve agents that are known as potent cholinesterase inhibitors. As part of our ongoing program to investigate in vivo acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor tissue and blood profiles, we synthesized 11C-VX and 11C-sarin surrogate tracers. Structurally, the surrogate tracers differ by the presence of either an ethyl or isopropyl phospho-ester component. Herein, we report the preparation of 11C-VX and 11C-sarin surrogate tracers from 11C-carbon dioxide (11CO2) and identical chemical reagents, utilizing unique reaction conditions for each tracer. Methods: 11CO2 was prepared using a GE PETtrace by the 14N(p,α)11C reaction. The 11C-VX and 11C-sarin surrogate tracers were synthesized using a loop Methods: A Teflon loop (40 cm x 0.03” ID) was coated with a 1 M solution of MeMgBr in diethyl ether and then dried with N2. 11CO2 was transferred in a stream of N2 through the loop at a temperature of 0 °C or 0°C warmed to 25°C. Ethyl derivatives were formed preferentially at 0 °C while increased isopropyl intermediates formed at 25 °C. Reduction of the respective radiointermediates with 0.2 M LiAlH4 and iodination with HI gave the corresponding ethyl- and isopropyl-iodides. The iodides were distilled through P2O5 and ascarite and delivered into a reactor vessel containing a common phosphonic acid precursor to produce the desired 11C-VX or 11C-sarin surrogate tracers at 120 °C. The 11C-tracers were purified by semi-preparative reversed phase HPLC and formulated in 10% acetonitrile/pH 6.8 PBS. Results: Temperature control of the loop at 0 °C yielded primarily ethyl derivatives, while warming to 25 °C gave a mixture of [11C]ethyl and [11C]isopropyl derivatives. This corroborates previous reports for the preparation of [11C]alkyl iodides [1]. [11C]-VX and -sarin surrogates were prepared in radiochemical purities of >95%. [11C]-VX was obtained in decay corrected yields of 2.8 ± 1.4% while [11C]-sarin was obtained in 0.19 ± 0.04%. Molar activity of [11C]-VX and -sarin were 42 ± 16 and 264 ± 130 Ci/mmol, respectively. Isolated surrogates were stable for > 1h in the pH 6.8 formulation buffer. Conclusions: We have developed a viable and reproducible radiosynthesis of [11C]VX and sarin surrogate tracers for in vivo imaging and ex vivo tissue evaluations. This novel radiosynthesis exemplifies an efficient approach to prepare two radiotracers using identical reagents by varying reaction conditions thereby enabling enhanced formations of either [11C]-VX or [11C]-sarin surrogate tracers. The versatile qualities of the radiosynthetic approach are thought useful for the generation of other 11C-labeled tracers. Research Support: This work was supported by NIH U01NS092495-01. Reference [1] Zhang, Ming-Rong, Ogawa, Masanao, Yoshida, Yuichiro, Suzuki, Kazutoshi. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 64, 2006. 216-222.
Does shame influence nonsuicidal self-injury among college students? An investigation into the role of shame, negative urgency, and brooding

ABSTRACTCollege students experience high levels of life stress that put them at increased risk for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). It is important to understand which vulnerabilities put students most at risk, in order to inform treatment in college counseling centers. This study investigated the joint contributions of specific vulnerabilities to lifetime history and frequency of NSSI among a sample of undergraduates (50% reported a history of NSSI). Results showed shame-proneness was uniquely associated with NSSI frequency beyond other negative emotions. Negative urgency and brooding exacerbated this effect. This study provides insights into the contributions of specific vulnerabilities to NSSI and implications for practice.
Advancing the case for nurse practitioner-based models to accelerate scale-up of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Aims To explore the factors that position nurse practitioners (NPs) to lead the implementation of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Background The HIV epidemic represents a global health crisis. Reducing new HIV infections is a public health priority, especially for Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). When taken as directed, co-formulated emtricitabine and tenofovir have over 95% efficacy in preventing HIV; however, substantial gaps remain between those who would benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and current PrEP prescribing practices. Design This is a position paper that draws on concurrent assessments of research literature and advanced practice nursing frameworks. Method The arguments in this paper are grounded in the current literature on HIV PrEP implementation and evidence of the added value of nurse-based models in promoting health outcomes. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing's advanced nursing practice competencies were also included as a source of data for identifying and cross-referencing NP assets that align with HIV PrEP care continuum outcomes. Conclusions There are four main evidence-based arguments that can be used to advance policy-level and practice-level changes that harness the assets of nurse practitioners in accelerating the scale-up of HIV PrEP. Relevance to clinical practice Global public health goals for HIV prevention cannot be achieved without the broader adoption of PrEP as a prevention practice among healthcare providers. NPs are the best hope for closing this gap in access for the populations that are most vulnerable to HIV infection.
The Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Expansion (ACA-DCE): Disparities in impact in young adult oncology patients.

6561Background: Private health insurance is associated with improved outcomes in cancer patients. We know little, however, about the impact of the ACA-DCE, which extended private insurance to young...
The prognostic value of HPV in head and neck cancer patients undergoing postoperative chemoradiotherapy.

In a recent issue of Radiotherapy and Oncology , Lohaus and colleagues reported (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2014.11.011) on a subgroup analysis from the German Cancer Consortium Radiation Oncology Group (DKTK-ROG) (1). They reported on 221 patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy with concurrent cisplatin (PORT-C) treated over a 5-year period between 2005 and 2010. They investigate the role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in non-oropharynx head and neck cancer and extend findings from several reports that patients with HNC arising in the oropharynx have significantly improved outcomes if their cancer is associated with HPV.
Localization of liver lesions in abdominal CT imaging: I. Correlation of human observer performance between anatomical and uniform backgrounds.

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between human observer performance for localization of small low contrast lesions within uniform water background versus an anatomical liver background, under the conditions of varying dose, lesion size, and reconstruction algorithm. Liver lesions (5 mm, 7 mm, and 9 mm, contrast: -21 HU) were digitally inserted into CT projection data of ten normal patients in vessel-free liver regions. Noise was inserted into the projection data to create three image sets: full dose and simulated half and quarter doses. Images were reconstructed with a standard filtered back projection (FBP) and an iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm. Lesion and noise insertion procedures were repeated with water phantom data. Two-dimensional regions of interest (66 lesion-present, 34 lesion-absent) were selected, randomized, and independently reviewed by three medical physicists to identify the most likely location of the lesion and provide a confidence score. Locations and confidence scores were assessed using the area under the localization receiver operating characteristic curve (AzLROC). We examined the correlation between human performance for the liver and uniform water backgrounds as dose, lesion size, and reconstruction algorithm varied. As lesion size or dose increased, reader localization performance improved. For full dose IR images, the AzLROC for 5, 7, and 9 mm lesions were 0.53, 0.91, and 0.97 (liver) and 0.51, 0.96, and 0.99 (uniform water), respectively. Similar trends were seen with other parameters. Performance values for liver and uniform backgrounds were highly correlated for both reconstruction algorithms, with a Spearman correlation of ρ = 0.97, and an average difference in AzLROC of 0.05 ± 0.04. For the task of localizing low contrast liver lesions, human observer performance was highly correlated between anatomical and uniform backgrounds, suggesting that lesion localization studies emulating a clinical test of liver lesion detection can be performed using a uniform background.
Iris: a tool for designing contextually relevant gaze visualizations

Advances in eye tracking technology have enabled new interaction techniques and gaze-based applications. However, the techniques for visualizing gaze information have remained relatively unchanged. We developed Iris, a tool to support the design of contextually relevant gaze visualizations. Iris allows users to explore displaying different features of gaze behavior including the current fixation point, duration, and saccades. Stylistic elements such as color, opacity, and smoothness can also be adjusted to give users creative and detailed control over the design of their gaze visualization. We present the Iris system and perform a user study to examine how participants can make use of the tool to devise contextually relevant gaze visualizations for a variety of collaborative tasks. We show that changes in color and opacity as well as variation in gaze trails can be adjusted to create meaningful gaze visualizations that fit the context of use.
Decoupling pressure and distribution effects of flow fields on polymer electrolyte fuel cell system performance

Abstract The performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) is highly dependent on the flow distribution and pressure of reactant gases, which are controlled by flow field design. The relative importance of differing supply pressure requirements of flow field designs in PEMFCs is considered here. A First-Law analysis of the auxiliary system is developed in order to demonstrate how the pressure drop affects all auxiliary system components and fuel cell unit performance. A method of comparison is then proposed to eliminate the effects of pressure in the comparison of fuel cells with different flow field designs. This method is applied to the single serpentine and parallel designs by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. It is shown that, of the serpentine design’s 17.1% better performance, mass transport effects provide 12.2% improvement, and pressure effects account for the remaining 4.9%. Finally, a metric is proposed by which the relative effect of pressure between different flow field designs may be estimated for past results not using the recommended method, and is demonstrated by application to results found in existing literature.
Measuring and controlling for the compromise effect when estimating risk preference parameters

The compromise effect arises when being close to the "middle" of a choice set makes an option more appealing. The compromise effect poses conceptual and practical problems for economic research: by influencing choices, it can bias researchers' inferences about preference parameters. To study this bias, we conduct an experiment with 550 participants who made choices over lotteries from multiple price lists (MPLs). Following prior work, we manipulate the compromise effect to influence choices by varying the middle options of each MPL. We then estimate risk preferences using a discrete-choice model without a compromise effect embedded in the model. As anticipated, the resulting risk preference parameter estimates are not robust, changing as the compromise effect is manipulated. To disentangle risk preference parameters from the compromise effect and to measure the strength of the compromise effect, we augment our discrete-choice model with additional parameters that represent a rising penalty for expressing an indifference point further from the middle of the ordered MPL. Using this method, we estimate an economically significant magnitude for the compromise effect and generate robust estimates of risk preference parameters that are no longer sensitive to compromise-effect manipulations.
Atypical Stevens-Johnson syndrome-like reaction in the setting of immune checkpoint inhibition.

102Background: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a rare, life-threatening mucocutaneous toxicity that can occur in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICI-induced SJS is scarcel...
Epitaxial SiGe seed layer thickness for PFET performance tuning

SiGe alloys have been widely used as stressors in source/drain (S/D) regions for advanced complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies to enhance channel mobility and boost device performance. Many previous studies were mainly focused on investigation of the main epitaxial SiGe layer’s growth mechanism, and its impact on the downstream process and device performance. In this work, instead of focusing on the main epitaxial SiGe layer, we present a method for tuning the device performance through adjustment of the epitaxial SiGe seed layer growth time/thickness. Experiments on patterned wafers show that the SiGe seed layer thickness has a strong impact on device performance while not affecting the subsequent epitaxial growth of SiGe S/D. This demonstrates that SiGe seed layer thickness can be a promising knob for tuning the device performance.
2021 VASTA President’s Note

The year 2020 was not the year I had planned. For the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), this year was to be a year of “Dreaming the Future,” the theme of the first ever VASTA conferenc...
The contribution of changing surface thermodynamics on twentieth and twenty-first century air temperatures over Eurasian permafrost

The high latitudes are a hotspot for past and future climate change as forced climate signals have begun to emerge from internal variability in recent decades. New tools, such as initial condition large ensembles, provide a simulated range of possible climate realities that allow for separating the externally forced and internally variable components of the climate system. In addition, interactions between environmental variables and atmospheric circulation patterns can be detected in an unforced climate scenario and removed to isolate thermodynamic influences on the climate system. In the Arctic, this separation between dynamic and thermodynamic influences can be used to examine the impact of permafrost degradation on surface air temperatures (SAT). While impacts from permafrost degradation and subsequent carbon release have been thoroughly studied, geophysical influences have not received as much attention. This study employs the Community Earth System Model’s Large Ensemble to simulate and analyze these geophysical impacts over three time periods: 1976–2005, 2021–2050, and 2071–2100. As soil is thawing earlier and freezing later, we focus on spring and autumn to determine permafrost’s thermodynamic influence on SAT across Eurasia. We find that large internal variability, primarily due to atmospheric dynamics, affects spring SATs through 2100 while variability in autumn SATs will decrease over time due to increasing thermodynamic surface factors. These thermodynamic surface influences are most prominent in areas of continuous and discontinuous permafrost and lesser in non-permafrost regions, likely the result of a changing seasonal surface energy budget resulting from degradation and loss of permafrost.
The MIDAS domain of AAA mechanoenzyme Mdn1 forms catch bonds with two different substrates

Catch bonds are a form of mechanoregulation wherein protein-ligand interactions are strengthened by the application of dissociative tension. Currently, the best-characterized examples of catch bonds are between single protein-ligand pairs. The essential AAA (ATPase associated with diverse cellular activities) mechanoenzyme Mdn1 drives two separate steps in ribosome biogenesis, using its MIDAS domain to extract the ubiquitin-like (UBL) domain-containing proteins Rsa4 and Ytm1 from ribosomal precursors. However, it must subsequently release these assembly factors to reinitiate the enzymatic cycle. The mechanism underlying MIDAS-UBL switching between strongly- and weakly-bound states is unknown. Here, we use single-molecule optical tweezers to investigate the force-dependence of MIDAS-UBL binding. Parallel experiments with Rsa4 and Ytm1 show that forces up to ~4 pN, matching the magnitude of force produced by AAA proteins similar to Mdn1, enhance the MIDAS domain binding lifetime up to tenfold, and higher forces accelerate dissociation. Together, our studies indicate that Mdn19s MIDAS domain forms catch bonds with more than one UBL-substrate, and provide insights into how mechanoregulation may contribute to the Mdn1 enzymatic cycle during ribosome biogenesis.
Combinatorial G x G x E CRISPR screening and functional analysis highlights SLC25A39 in mitochondrial GSH transport

Abstract The SLC25 carrier family consists of 53 transporters that shuttle nutrients and co-factors across mitochondrial membranes1-3. The family is highly redundant and their transport activities coupled to metabolic state. Here, we introduce a pooled, dual CRISPR screening strategy that knocks out pairs of transporters in four metabolic states — glucose, galactose, OXPHOS inhibition, and absence of pyruvate — designed to unmask the inter-dependence of these genes. In total, we screened 63 genes in four metabolic states, corresponding to 2016 single and pair-wise genetic perturbations. We recovered 19 gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions and 9 gene-by-gene (GxG) interactions. One GxE interaction hit illustrated that the fitness defect in the mitochondrial folate carrier (SLC25A32) KO cells was genetically buffered in galactose due to a lack of substrate in de novo purine biosynthesis. Another GxE interaction hit revealed non-equivalence of the paralogous ATP/ADP exchangers (ANTs) with ANT2 specifically required during OXPHOS inhibition. GxG analysis highlighted a buffering interaction between the iron transporter SLC25A37 and the poorly characterized SLC25A39. Mitochondrial metabolite profiling, organelle transport assays, and structure-guided mutagenesis suggests SLC25A39 is critical for mitochondrial glutathione (GSH) transport. Our work underscores the importance of systemetically investigating family-wide genetic interactions between mitochondrial transporters across many metabolic environments.
Enhancing the Medical School Learning Environment: A Complex Challenge.

The medical school learning environment encompasses the physical, social, and psychological contexts in which students learn; interactions with faculty, staff and peers; and the formal, informal and hidden curricula.1 The learning environment influences students’ professional and identity development, and studies have found that optimized learning environments have positive impacts on humanism, achievement and student learning.2,3 At the same time, a poor learning environment has been shown to be associated with increased student burnout and distress. Features of the learning environment such as a low level of faculty support, a non-collaborative environment, cynical residents, poorly organized rotations, and inadequate supervision by residents are all independently related to student burnout.4
Identifying Synergistic Interactions Between the Rexinoid and Adrenergic Signaling Pathways

The RXR-selective retinoid bexarotene is a potent anti-proliferative agent that effectively suppresses mammary tumorigenesis, yet chronic treatment at effective doses is associated with adverse eff...
Can Cornell Moral Realism Adequately Account for Moral Knowledge

This article raises a problem for Cornell varieties of moral realism. According to Cornell moral realists, we can know about moral facts just as we do the empirical facts of the natural sciences. If this is so, it would remove any special mystery that is supposed to attach to our knowledge of objective moral facts. After clarifying the ways in which moral knowledge is to be similar to scientific knowledge, I claim that the analogy fails, but for little-noticed reasons. A preliminary conclusion of the article will be that this positive comparison to scientific knowledge hurts, rather than helps, the realist position. Yet, rather than spell trouble for moral realism altogether, I suggest that the apparent failure of Cornell realist moral epistemology points to a better way forward for moral realism.
Axon guidance mechanisms: semaphorins as simultaneous repellents and anti-repellents.

Semaphorins A and E are known to potently repel sympathetic axons. New work indicates that they can also antagonize the repellent action of semaphorin D at sensory axons.
An Ethnographic Study of Afro-Mexicans in Mexico's Gulf Coast: Fishing, Festivals, and Foodways

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Raymond A. Hall Year: 2008 Pages: 152 Publisher: The Edwin Mellen Press ISBN: 978-0-7734-4929-9 (hard cover). Prices: $99.95 USD(hard cover).
Predicting the Risk of Hospital Admission in Older Persons—Validation of a Brief Self-Administered Questionnaire in Three European Countries

OBJECTIVES: To validate the Probability of Repeated Admission (Pra) questionnaire, a widely used self-administered tool for predicting future healthcare use in older persons, in three European healthcare systems. DESIGN: Prospective study with 1-year follow-up. SETTING: Hamburg, Germany; London, United Kingdom; Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand seven hundred thirteen independently living community-dwelling people aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Self-administered eight-item Pra questionnaire at baseline. Self-reported number of hospital admissions and physician visits during 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: In the combined sample, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were 0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.62-0.66) for the prediction of one or more hospital admissions and 0.68 (95% CI=0.66-0.69) for the prediction of more than six physician visits during the following year. AUCs were similar between sites. In comparison, prediction models based on a person's age and sex alone exhibited poor predictive validity (AUC or= 0.5) were 2.3 times as likely (95% CI=2.1-2.6) as low-risk individuals to have a hospital admission, and 2.1 times as likely (95% CI=2.0-2.2) to have more than six physician visits. CONCLUSION: The Pra instrument exhibits good validity for predicting future health service use on a population level in different healthcare settings. Administrative data have shown similar predictive validity, but in practice, such data are often not available. The Pra is likely of high interest to governments and health insurance companies worldwide as a basis for programs aimed at health risk management in older persons.
Anode heat transfer in a constricted tube arc.

The complex energy exchange mechanisms occurring on the most severely heated component of an arc constrictor, the anode, have been investigated. Measurements performed to determine the anode heat flux for a cascade, atmospheric argon arc of the Maecker type are described. The results are used to check the validity of an existing anode heat transfer model.
Scaffold-Hopping of Multicationic Amphiphiles Yields Three New Classes of Antimicrobials

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are a vital class of antiseptics. Recent investigations into their construction are uncovering novel and potent multicationic variants. Based on a trisQAC precedent, we have implemented a scaffold-hopping approach to develop alternative QAC architectures that display 1-3 long alkyl chains in specific projections from cyclic and branched core structures bearing 3-4 nitrogen atoms. The preparation of 30 QAC structures allowed for correlation of scaffold structure with antimicrobial activity. We identified QACs with limited conformational flexibility that have improved bioactivity against planktonic bacteria as compared to their linear counterparts. We also confirmed that resistance, as evidenced by an increased minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) compared to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), can reduce efficacy up to 64-fold for monocationic QACs. Differentiation of antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity, however, was not observed, suggesting that these compounds utilize a non-specific mode of eradication.
The Anthropology of Authenticity: Everyman His Own Anthropologist

Anthropology, the contributors to the recent volume Reinventing Anthropology tell us, is suffering from severe hardening of the intellectual arteries. In order for it to be revitalized, they say, the discipline must be de-professionalized and de-institutionalized, made more personal and existential. This involves a rejection of the pose of “objectivity” and “value-free” inquiry and an open admission of the inherently ideological nature of the discipline. In a word, anthropology will have to become politically and morally partisan. This essay explores some of the implications of the recommendations made by the reinventors of anthropology. The stance taken in Reinventing Anthropology, this paper contends, would not only undermine anthropology as a systematic field of inquiry but would also negate whatever “relevance” the discipline might have to the contemporary world.
An expanded version of the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale for SMA II and III patients.

Abstract Purpose To develop and evaluate an expanded version of the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale allowing for evaluation of ambulatory SMA patients. Procedures Thirty-eight patients with SMA type II or III were evaluated using the Gross Motor Function Measure and the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale. Based on statistical and clinical criteria, we selected 13 Gross Motor Function Measure items to develop an expanded HFMS. The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale was validated by comparison with the Gross Motor Function Measure minus the 13 items (GMFM-75) and an assessment of clinical function. The reliability of the expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale in 36 patients was established. Findings The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale was highly correlated with the GMFM-75 and the clinical function assessment ( p =0.97, and p =0.90). The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale showed excellent test–retest reliability (International Coordinating Committee=0.99). Conclusions The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale allows assessment of high functioning SMA type II and III patients. Ease of administration and correlation with established motor function measures justify use in future SMA clinical trials.
The Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation: Relationship between Northward and Eastward Movement of Convection

The summertime intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) is an important component of the south Asian monsoon. Lagged regressions of intraseasonally filtered (25‐80 days) outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) reveal that centers of convection move both northward and eastward from the central equatorial Indian Ocean subsequent to the initiation of an ISO. Eastward movement of convection is also seen at Indian subcontinent latitudes (10 8‐208N). Based on the regression results, the summertime ISO convection signal appears as a band tilting northwestward with latitude and stretching from the equator to about 208N. Viewed along any meridian, convection appears to propagate northward while equatorial convection propagates to the east. To examine the robustness of the connection between eastward and northward movement, individual ISOs are categorized and composited relative to the strength of the large-scale eastward component of convection in the central equatorial Indian Ocean. It is found that the majority of ISOs that exhibit northward movement onto the Indian subcontinent (42 out of 54 ISOs, or 78%) also exhibit eastward movement into the western Pacific Ocean. It is also found that when convection in the central Indian Ocean is not followed within 10‐20 days by convection in the western Pacific Ocean (12 out of 54 ISOs, or 22%), the independent northward movement of convection in the Indian Ocean region is somewhat stunted. The link between the eastward and northward movement of convection is consistent with an interpretation of the summertime ISO in terms of propagating equatorial modes. The northward moving portion of convection is forced by surface frictional convergence into the low pressure center of the Rossby cell that is excited by equatorial ISO convection. A similar convergence pattern is seen for the northern winter ISO, but it does not generate poleward movement due to relatively cool SSTs underlying the surface convergence.
What can we learn from regional vulnerability to amyloid-b accumulation in nondemented individuals?

. As such, the ability to detect Ab accumulation in nondemented individuals by cerebrospinal fluid Ab measurement or brain imaging through amyloid PET has become critical. The reasons are as follows: longitudinal amyloid PET imaging studies indicate that amyloid accumulation in nondemented, elderly individuals is a good predictor of AD development in the future
Nesting Ecology of Boreal Forest Birds Following a Massive Outbreak of Spruce Beetles

Abstract We studied breeding dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), yellow-rumped warblers (Dendroica coronata), and spruce-nesting birds from 1997 to 1998 among forests with different levels of spruce (Picea spp.) mortality following an outbreak of spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis) in Alaska, USA. We identified species using live and beetle-killed spruce for nest sites and monitored nests to determine how the outbreak influenced avian habitat selection and reproduction. We tested predictions that 1) nesting success of ground-nesting juncos would increase with spruce mortality due to proliferation of understory vegetation available to conceal nests from predators, 2) nesting success of canopy-nesting warblers would decrease with spruce mortality due to fewer live spruce in which to conceal nests, and 3) both species would alter nest-site selection in response to disturbance. Juncos did not benefit from changes in understory vegetation; nesting success in highly disturbed stands (46%) was comparable to ...
The structure of tonic flexor motoneurons in crayfish abdominal ganglia

1. The tonic flexor motoneurons were filled with cobalt dye via the cut ends of their axons. All six physiologically defined cells were identified anatomically (Figs. 2–4). 2. The cell somata are widely scattered in the ventral rind of the ganglia; three cells have ipsilateral and three cells have contralateral somata in reference to their axons; cells with contralateral somata tend to be more rostral in the ganglion (Figs. 2, 11). 3. All cells have bilateral dendritic domains (Figs. 5, 6, 8, 10). Each soma is connected to a long, thin neurite which travels dorsally and enlarges into a thick process (neuropilar segment) that crosses the midline in the posterior outer commissure (Figs. 8, 9) except for fl, which crosses anteriorly (Fig. 10). Many branches emerge from the neuropilar segment; the proximal portions of these branches and the neuropilar segment contribute to the coarse dorsal neuropile. Distal branches are found in the fine ventral neuropile (Figs. 9, 10). No recurrent collaterals were observed. 4. Most of the neuropilar segments converge into a narrow arc that sweeps across the dorsal neuropile (Figs. 8, 9). The close correspondence of the processes, especially of contralateral homologues (Figs. 10, 12) provides an anatomical basis for functional interactions among the tonic flexors. The main masses of finer processes that run along the longitudinal axis are located laterally. 5. Bilateral, serial and interanimal homologies of soma position all showed similar degrees of variation. Positions were relatively constant but might vary by up to 100 μ relative to external landmarks (Fig. 11). 6. Dendritic geometries were sufficiently similar to permit unambiguous identification of homologues, but variability in the number and shape of branches is common.
Distribution of 15N Among Plant Parts of Nodulating and Nonnodulating Isolines of Soybeans

Differences among plant parts in the natural abundance of (15)N are of interest from the point of view of developing a sampling strategy for using (15)N measurements to estimate the contribution of symbiotically fixed N to N(2) fixing plants, and because they reflect isotopic fractionation associated with degradation, transport, and resynthesis of N-bearing molecules. This paper reports such differences in nodulating and nonnodulating isolines of soybeans (Glycine max [L] (Merrill, variety Harosoy)) grown under several different conditions.Nodules were strikingly enriched in (15)N compared to other plant parts (by an average of 8.3 per thousand excess (15)N), and the enrichment increased with time during the growing season. (15)N was much more uniformly distributed among other plant parts. Although there were significant differences among other plant parts, the maximum deviation of the (15)N abundance of any plant part from that of the entire plant was about 2 per thousand (15)N excess. The (15)N abundance of the seed N was most representative of the whole plant.There were significant differences between isolines in the distribution of (15)N. The distribution of (15)N within plants also varied with experimental conditions. The implications of these results for estimation of N(2) fixation from measurements of the natural abundance of (15)N are discussed.
The application of a coupled water-balance-salinity model to evaluate the sensitivity of a lake dominated by groundwater to climatic variability

Abstract A dynamic hydrologic model, specifically designed to assess lake-groundwater systems, has been used to provide insight into the effects of climatic variability on Wabamun Lake and its watershed, in Alberta, Canada. This lake is typical of many lakes in the prairies of Canada or western plains of the United States in that groundwater exhibits a dominant role in the hydrologic balance of the lake. Sensitivity analyses indicate that small changes in temperature (1–2°C rise) or precipitation (5–10% decline) throughout the watershed, may significantly impact upon the quality of the lake water and the availability of groundwater resources. Specifically, a long-term temperature rise that increases evaporation, or a decrease in precipitation, will reduce the amount of water available to recharge the groundwater-flow regime. Groundwater storage in the watershed will further decline due to continued discharge to the lake. The effect of climatic variability on the quantity of water in Wabamun Lake (as reflected by its surface elevation) is relatively small. However, the salinity of the lake will increase dramatically, due to: (1) the loss of surface runod and direct precipitation, which act to dilute the salinity; (2) increased evaporation, which concentrates the salts left in the lake water; (3) reduced surface discharge from the lake as its surface elevation falls below the elevation of the outlet, which removes dissolved mass from the lake.
Recovery of RNA polymerase II synthesis following DNA damage in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae defective in nucleotide excision repair

We have measured the kinetics of the recovery of mRNA synthesis in the inducible GAL10 and RNR3 genes after exposure of yeast cells to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Such recovery is abolished in mutant strains defective in nucleotide excision repair (NER) of DNA, including a rad23 mutant. Mutants defective in the RAD7 or RAD16 genes, which are required for the repair of the non-transcribed strand but not the transcribed strand of transcriptionally active genes, show slightly faster recovery of RNA synthesis than wild-type strains. A strain deleted of the RAD26 gene, which is known to be required for strand-specific NER in yeast, manifested delayed recovery of mRNA synthesis, whereas a rad28 mutant, which does not show defective strand-specific repair, showed normal kinetics of recovery. Measurement of the recovery of expression of selected individual yeast genes by Northern analysis following exposure of cells to UV radiation apparently correlates directly with the capacity of cells for strand-specific NER.
Embolization of an Arterioportal Fistula by Injection of D-Stat into the Portal Venous Outflow

Arterioportal fistulas may occur in liver transplant recipients after percutaneous biopsy. This report describes a case in which a 13-year-old liver transplant patient developed an arterioportal fistula after multiple liver biopsies and underwent coil embolization; however, at that time, there were at least two small arterial feeders that were not amenable to subselection. He later developed recurrent variceal bleeding, and repeat angiogram revealed multiple tiny serpentine feeding arteries. Because these arteries could not be subselectively catheterized, the collagen-thrombin mixture, D-Stat, was used to occlude the portal venous outflow of the arterioportal fistula. Subsequent angiography demonstrated successful complete occlusion of the arterioportal fistula.
Neuropsychological function and delay discounting in methamphetamine-dependent individuals.

Rationale Methamphetamine (MA) dependence accounts for substantial neuropsychiatric morbidity. Furthermore, there is evidence in the literature of psychiatric and cognitive impairment in chronic users.
GOVERNING SINGULARITIES OF SCHUBERT VARIETIES

We present a combinatorial and computational commutative algebra methodology for studying singularities of Schubert varieties of flag manifolds. We define the combinatorial notion of interval pattern avoidance. For “reasonable” invariants P of singularities, we geometrically prove that this governs (1) the P-locus of a Schubert variety, and (2) which Schubert varieties are globally not P. The prototypical case is P=“singular”; classical pattern avoidance applies admirably for this choice [V. Lakshmibai, B. Sandhya, Criterion for smoothness of Schubert varieties in SL(n)/B, Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. Math. Sci. 100 (1) (1990) 45–52, MR 91c:14061], but is insufficient in general. Our approach is analyzed for some common invariants, including Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials, multiplicity, factoriality, and Gorensteinness, extending [A. Woo, A. Yong, When is a Schubert variety Gorenstein?, Adv. Math. 207 (1) (2006) 205–220, MR 2264071]; the description of the singular locus (which was independently proved by [S. Billey, G. Warrington, Maximal singular loci of Schubert varieties in SL(n)/B, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 335 (2003) 3915–3945, MR 2004f:14071; A. Cortez, Singularites generiques et quasi-resolutions des varietes de Schubert pour le groupe lineaire, Adv. Math. 178 (2003) 396–445, MR 2004i:14056; C. Kassel, A. Lascoux, C. Reutenauer, The singular locus of a Schubert variety, J. Algebra 269 (2003) 74–108, MR 2005f:14096; L. Manivel, Le lieu singulier des varietes de Schubert, Int. Math. Res. Not. 16 (2001) 849–871, MR 2002i:14045]) is also thus reinterpreted. Our methods are amenable to computer experimentation, based on computing with Kazhdan–Lusztig ideals (a class of generalized determinantal ideals) using Macaulay 2. This feature is supplemented by a collection of open problems and conjectures.
A modified vibron model for polyatomic vibrations: application to bent XY 2 molecules

Abstract Some simple modifications of the basic vibron model are explored with the aim at making it more useful for practical spectroscopy, in particular for analysis of the spectra of simple molecules with data extending to higher overtones and combination levels. Inclusion of a realistic potential function for the bending vibration in the model yields improved representation for states involving higher excited bending levels and allows a quick assessment of the molecular potential. Introduction of small vibrationally dependent correction terms into the main parameters of the model yields a dramatic improvement in the quality of the fits to experimental data as is shown by applications of the modified formulas for the vibrational energy levels to the extensively studied molecules of H 2 16 O, H 2 32 S, and 32 S 16 O 2 . This modification leaves the simple form of the basic equations of the model unchanged thus retaining one of the main advantages of the vibron approach to the analysis of spectroscopic data, which makes it possible to complete an adjustment of the parameters of the model very rapidly. Another advantage is the economy of the formulas, which in many cases contain a considerably smaller number of adjustable parameters than conventional power series expressions needed to attain a comparable precision of fit to the observations.