cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Bad Seed’s Poisonous Harvest: How Offspring Sow and Reap Deviant and Dysfunctional Behavior in the Family Business

It was another night without sleep. What Tony overheard his employees discussing earlier in the day was chilling. They were debating whether it was better when his son, Bobby, didn’t report to work or when he actually came to work at the family’s restaurant. Those arguing that work was better when Bobby didn’t show up cited the times Bobby came to work drunk, stole money, or harassed the female staff. Employees arguing that Bobby needed to report to work complained that his tardiness and unpredictable absences caused their own workloads to increase. One employee lamented about the time she missed her best friend’s birthday party because Bobby did not show up to relieve her. Although Tony knew that his son caused problems for the family, he did not realize that Bobby was also infringing on the employees of the family firm. Nor did he realize that the employees knew the extent of Bobby’s dysfunctional behavior. Tony had thought he had hidden these problems from the rest of the staff. He was obviously wrong. Tony barely got any sleep that night as he tossed and turned thinking about his son’s role in the family business.
CHAPTER 28 – Drug Discovery

Publisher Summary This chapter describes various aspects of drug discovery. Drug discovery can be described as the process of identifying chemical entities that have the potential to become therapeutic agents. The important considerations in drug discovery include definition of drug targets, generating diversity, definition of lead structures, and qualifying leads for transition to early trials. Rational drug discovery produces drug leads either by designing compounds to act against a particular biochemical target or by screening compounds until identifying candidates that act against the target's function. In addition to natural product sources, chemical compound libraries are used frequently in the drug-discovery process. These libraries can range from small, focused libraries specifically synthesized with a particular target in mind to massive, randomly generated libraries. While cell-based screens have been used in purely empirical screening efforts, they can also be used as the basis of target identification or verification. In addition to various screens, a structure-based drug design can also be used in the definition of a lead structure and can further be used in the optimization of a lead compound.
An Aristotelian Middle Way between Deliberation and Independent-Guess Aggregation

A well-known passage of Aristotle’s Politics (3.1281a42-b10) concerning the “wisdom of the crowd” offers an attractive and plausible alternative to deliberation and independent guess aggregation, the two currently-prominent approaches to judgment and decision in an epistemic democracy. The Politics passage is clarified by reference to Aristotle’s discussion of the six parts of tragedy (Poetics 1450a6-14).
Vascular Cell Physiology Under Shear Flow: Role of Cell Mechanics and Mechanotransduction

Whether examined at the micro- or macroscale, biological phenomenona are not exempt from physical laws and principles. The vasculature is frequently utilized as a model system to better understand and analyze the consequences of biophysical forces on biochemical processes and ultimate biological phenotypes. Given the complexities of biological systems, there is an inherent need to focus in order to properly elucidate mechanisms. Mechanotransduction and cell mechanics in various stages of angiogenesis have long been examined at distinct length-scales ranging from subcellular, cellular, multi-cellular, tissue, and beyond. This chapter will highlight research over the past decades that have contributed to revealing the importance and interplay between biophysical forces (compressive and shear flow) and biological behavior (motility, regulation of smooth muscle cells, polarity). Abnormal biophysical forces, such as hypertension, contribute significantly to vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and aneurysm formation. Understanding the relationship between biophysical forces and biological behavior is required to understand the mechanisms of vascular disease.
Other Dunes and Other Sand Deposits

In this section we discuss some non-dune sand deposits (sheets and streaks), as well as those dune forms that are defined by topographic interaction or by vegetation.
Understanding how the concentration of neighborhood advantage and disadvantage affects spina bifida risk among births to non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women, Texas, 1999-2014.

Background This is the first study to utilize the index of concentration at the extremes (ICE) to examine risk factors for spina bifida in Texas. The ICE is a useful measure for providing the degree to which residents in a certain area are concentrated into groups at the extremes of disadvantage and privilege. We introduce two novel ICE measures (language and nativity), and three existing ICE measures (race/ethnicity, income, and education), which we applied specifically to Texas residents. Methods We used multivariable mixed-model Poisson regression analyses to estimate spina bifida birth prevalence and prevalence ratios among singleton live births in Texas, 1999-2014, for each of our ICE measures. Maternal census tract at delivery was included in the models as a random effect. Analyses were stratified by maternal race/ethnicity (Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites). Live births served as denominators for each category. Results Among non-Hispanic white women, those in the most disadvantaged versus the advantaged census tract quintile had adjusted relative risk between 1.6 and 8.5 for having a baby affected by spina bifida. However, Hispanic women in the most disadvantaged versus advantaged census tract quintile for four ICE measures had a 33% to 87% lower risk of having an affected pregnancy. Conclusions Findings suggest spina bifida risk is associated with neighborhood disadvantage or advantage, and that relationship seems to vary by race-ethnicity. The varied associations between ICE measures and spina bifida by race/ethnicity highlights the importance of using targeted interventions in the prevention of spina bifida.
iSkin Specialist – An Artificial Intelligence Aided Diagnostic Support System for Dermatology

iSkin Specialist is an experimental initiative to provide a diagnostic support system for dermatology. The project is based on vision of leveraging the increased accessibility of internet and advancements in image recognition technologies to address the shortage of dermatologists worldwide, especially in underserved places. The idea behind iSkin Specialist is simple – patients from anywhere in the world can take pictures of the affected skin area and upload to the iSkin Specialist System for quick diagnosis for skin conditions like rash, bug bite, etc. [1]. In this paper we have a closer look at some of the common skin diseases with visual characteristics and the confidence level of diagnosing using image recognition techniques. iSkin Specialist is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Introduction to Wikidata The Wikipedia of Facts

This paper briefly summarizes an in-conference workshop about Wikidata and its potential uses for scholarly communications in religious studies and theology.
Theologies of Medicine and Miracles

This essay responds to Michael J. Balboni and Tracy A. Balboni’s Hostility to Hospitality: Spirituality and Professional Socialization within Medicine (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018). The essay reflects on three themes: structural pluralism, miracles, and empirical research. First, it expands on the Balbonis’ proposal of structural pluralism by accentuating the importance of transparency, voluntarism, and an opt-in model of informed consent. Second, it distinguishes “cessationist” from “pentecostal” Christian worldviews, and it probes the presuppositions and ramifications of the Balbonis’ explicit and implicit theologies of medicine and miracles. Third, the essay builds on the Balbonis’ concern with empirical research to chart a path forward in better understanding the relationship between miracles and medicine.
Association of MAPT Subhaplotypes With Risk of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Severity of Tau Pathology

Importance The association between the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) H1 haplotype and the risk of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) has been well documented. However, the specific H1 subhaplotypes that drive the association have not been evaluated in large studies, nor have they been studied in relation to neuropathologic severity of disease. Objective To comprehensively evaluate the associations ofMAPThaplotypes with the risk of PSP and the severity of tau pathology using a large series of neuropathologically confirmed PSP cases. Design, Setting, and Participants A case-control study was used to investigate the associations betweenMAPThaplotypes and the risk of PSP, and a case series was conducted for examination of associations ofMAPThaplotypes with the severity of tau pathology. All 802 neuropathologically confirmed PSP cases were obtained from a neurodegenerative disorders brain bank between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2013, and 1312 clinical controls were obtained from the neurology department of the Mayo Clinic. Statistical analysis was performed from February 17 to December 12, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Presence of PSP in case-control analysis and semiquantitative tau pathology scores for neurofibrillary tangles, neuropil threads, tufted astrocytes, and oligodendroglial coiled bodies in PSP cases. Results For 802 patients with PSP (376 women and 426 men), the median age at death was 75 years (range, 52-98 years). For 1312 controls (701 women and 611 men), the median age at blood collection was 69 years (range, 45-92 years). After adjustment for multiple testing, known associations with risk of PSP were observed for the H2 and H1c haplotypes. Novel associations with PSP were observed for 3 H1 subhaplotypes, including H1d (odds ratio, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.43-2.42;P = 2 × 10−6), H1g (odds ratio, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.04-6.50;P = 2 × 10−6), and H1o (odds ratio, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.63-4.16;P = 2 × 10−5). Although not significant after multiple testing adjustment, 3 of these PSP risk haplotypes (H2, H1c, and H1d) were also nominally associated with measures of severity of tau pathology in PSP cases. Nominally significant associations with severity of tau pathology were also noted for the H1e and H1q haplotypes. Conclusions and Relevance This study has identified novel associations with risk of PSP for 3MAPTH1 subhaplotypes. In addition, potential weaker associations between several haplotypes (including several PSP risk haplotypes) and severity of tau pathology were observed. These findings expand the current understanding of the role ofMAPThaplotypic variation in susceptibility to and neuropathologic severity of PSP.
Successful and Unsuccessful Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Older Adults

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that was once thought to rarely occur in older adults. Subsequently, treatment of OCD in the elderly has received very limited attention. However, recent epidemiological studies have highlighted the prevalence of this disorder in late life and, thus, focus has turned to comprehensive treatment for this population. This article describes two older adults who received intensive, cognitive behavioral treatment in an inpatient setting. Treatment modifications incorporating age-specific concerns are discussed, as are potential factors influencing treatment success versus symptom relapse.
Acerbic Charm; Ludic Charm

Charm, Beckman speculates, depends on doubleness of some kind, the ambiguity that often gives poetry its force. Doubleness is alluring, hypnotic, fun, a release from the unimaginative “single vision” (in Blake’s phrase) of “Newton’s sleep,” or (in Proust) overcoming the deadening effect of habit. Doubleness in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 129: “Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream. / All this the world well knows; yet none knows well / To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.” Charming Byron could be sharp-tongued: “But oh ye lords of ladies intellectual, / Inform us truly—have they not henpecked you all.” Verbal charm is acerbic when it counterposes what we would like to think and what we have reluctantly to admit.
National Trends in Extended Criteria Donor Utilization and Outcomes for Lung Transplantation.

ABSTRACT Background Extended criteria donors (ECD) for lung transplantation (LTx) have been implemented due to the donor organ shortage. The impact on recipient survival is under investigation. We report trends in the use of extended criteria lungs in the modern era and its association with survival outcomes using a large national database. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all adult LTx from 05/2005 to 12/2018 using the UNOS database. ECD were defined by two or more variances from standard criteria: age ≥ 55, pO2 ≤ 300, pack years ≥ 20, diabetes, purulent bronchoscopy, blood infection, or abnormal chest X-ray. Transplant centers were dichotomized based on volume. Recipient survival was analyzed using lung allocation score as a covariate. Results Of 24,888 LTx, 80% had extended criteria. 42% had two or more extensions and were deemed ECD in this analysis. Both LTx volume (2005: 1,352; 2018: 2,495) and use of ECDs (2005: 27% ECD, 2018: 50% ECD) have increased over the study period. Survival of LTx recipients has steadily increased (2005: 82% one-year survival in 2005; 2017: 90% one-year survival). High-volume centers (>47 annual LTx) utilized ECD in 46% of transplants compared to 40% ECD among other centers. Recipients of ECD and standard criteria organs had no difference in one-year survival. Conclusions Donor supply limits the number of LTx performed. Extension of donor criteria has occurred alongside increased overall LTx volume. Use of ECD did not compromise 30-day, 90-day, nor 1-year survival. Further studies are warranted to define long term outcomes.
Neurologic Manifestations Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with a growing number of neurologic syndromes, involving both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Although most result from the direct presence of HIV in the nervous system, opportunistic infections are equally common with progressive immunodeficiency. Despite rapid advances in HIV virology, molecular biology, and immunology, the etiopathogenesis of many of the unique disorders of the neuroaxis remains poorly understood.
Case Series: Minimally Invasive Management of Juvenile Cystic Adenomyoma

Study Objective To increase awareness of juvenile cystic adenomyoma (JCA) in patients with chronic pelvic pain. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Teaching hospital. Patients or Participants Three patients aged 16-30 years old presented with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) [2016 - 2019]. Hormonal treatment was attempted in two cases, but it failed. Cystic lesions in the myometrium (n=2), and the broad ligament (n=1) was detected on transvaginal 2D ultrasound (TV 2D US) and/ or MRI. The cyst was separated from the endometrial cavity in all the cases. The cysts were within the myometrium of the posterior wall of the uterus, within the cornual region of the myometrium and within the broad ligament near the cornual region in the three cases respectively. Interventions Laparoscopic excision of the lesions. Measurements and Main Results The cystic lesions were confirmed on laparoscopy, and laparoscopic excision of the cysts with adequate repair of the myometrial beds were performed in all cases with fertility preservation (a video to be presented). Robotic assistance was chosen in one case as the cyst was in the broad ligament, for better visualization. The endometrial cavity was entered in one case (0.5cm). Pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of JCA is all cases. All three patients reported relief of their symptoms up to 6 to 8 months after surgery. No recurrence of the JCA was reported using TV 2D US in all cases. Conclusion JCA represents a rare focal form of adenomyosis that may affect young women. Large cystic lesions, as isolate entities within the uterus were reported to be rare; less than 1%. The exact mechanism is largely unknown. Our data suggest that minimally invasive surgery for excision of the cyst is the chosen approach of management. Our data also suggest symptomatic relief with no sonographic evidence of recurrence following surgery.
Deficits of Learning in Procedural Memory and Consolidation in Declarative Memory in Adults With Developmental Language Disorder.

Purpose This study examined procedural and declarative learning and consolidation abilities in adults with developmental language disorder (DLD) relative to their typical language (TD) peers. Metho...
Tutorial lecture on the theory of cold field electron emission

The aim of this paper is to present models of electron emission that bridge basic concepts to their computational realization in emission models. Emphasis is placed on the relation of field emission to the other emission mechanisms, in particular thermal and photoemission. A number of complications and modifications to the Canon of Field Emission arise because of particulars related to electron sources and how they are used.
Compliance With an Antibiotic Guideline for Suspected Ventilator-Associated Infection: The Ventilator-Associated INfection (VAIN2) Study.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate a guideline for antibiotic decisions in children with suspected ventilator-associated infection. DESIGN Prospective, observational cohort study conducted in 22 PICUs in the United States and Canada. SETTING PICUs in 22 hospitals from April 2017 to January 2019. SUBJECTS Children less than 3 years old on mechanical ventilation greater than 48 hours who had respiratory secretions cultured and antibiotics initiated for suspected ventilator-associated infection. INTERVENTIONS After baseline data collection in children with suspected ventilator-associated infection (Phase 1), a consensus guideline was developed for advising antibiotic continuation or stopping at 48-72 hours (Phase 2) and implemented (Phase 3). Guideline-based antibiotic recommendations were provided to the treating clinicians once clinical and microbiologic data were available. Demographic and outcome data were collected, and guideline compliance and antibiotic utilization evaluated for Phase 1 and Phase 3. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Despite education and implementation efforts, guideline-concordant antibiotic management occurred in 158 of 227 (70%) Phase 3 subjects compared with 213 of 281 (76%) in Phase 1. Illness severity and positive respiratory cultures were the primary determinants of antibiotic continuation. For subjects with a positive respiratory culture but a score for which antibiotic discontinuation was recommended (score ≤ 2), only 27% of Phase 3 subjects had antibiotics discontinued. Antibiotic continuation was not associated with improved outcomes in these subjects and was associated with significantly longer duration of ventilation (median 5.5 d longer) and PICU stay (5 d longer) in the overall study population. Positive respiratory cultures were not associated with outcomes irrespective of antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS Antibiotic guideline efficacy and safety remain uncertain due to clinician failure to follow the guideline, instead primarily relying on respiratory culture results. Strategies to overcome clinician perceptions of respiratory cultures and other barriers will be vital for improving guideline adherence and antibiotic use in suspected ventilator-associated infection in future studies.
Use of Walrus balloon-guide catheter through sheathless radial approach for mechanical thrombectomy of right middle cerebral artery occlusion.

The literature demonstrates a favorable first pass effect with balloon-guide catheter (BGC) for mechanical thrombectomy. An 8F BGC is routinely used with femoral access. We present the first video report of 8F BGC advanced through the radial artery using a sheathless technique (video 1). An approximately 70-year-old patient presented with left-sided hemiplegia, neglect, and dysarthria. A CT angiogram demonstrated right M1 occlusion, and the patient underwent urgent mechanical thrombectomy. Radial approach was preferred owing to patient history of anticoagulation. A 6F Sim Select intermediate catheter was used to minimize the step off as the 8F BGC was advanced into the radial artery over an 035 exchange-length Advantage Glidewire. A skin nick over the Glidewire Advantage facilitated the introduction of the 8F BGC into the radial artery. Standard mechanical thrombectomy using a combination of stent retriever and aspiration catheter (Solumbra technique) was performed, and thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 3 recanalization was achieved after a single pass. The National Institutes of Health Scale score improved from 12 to 4, with mild left facial droop, dysarthria, and decreased speech fluency. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 2. Ultrasound should be used for immediate assessment of radial artery size and conversion to femoral access without delay if the radial artery is less than 2.5 mm.
A Biophysical Model of Intestinal Motility: Application in Pharmacological Studies

A biophysical model of the myoelectrical activity of the small intestine is presented. Based on real morphological and electrophysiological data, the model assumes that: the intestine is an electromyogenic syncytium; the kinetics of L- and T-type Ca2+, Ca2+-activated K+, voltage dependent K+ and Cl− channels determines the electrical activity; the enteric nervous system is represented by afferent and efferent cholinergic pathways that provide an excitatory input through receptor linked L-type Ca2+ channels; the dynamics of propagation of the wave of depolarization along the axons satisfies the Hodgkin-Huxley model; the electrical activity of the neural soma reflects the interaction of N-type Ca2+ channels, Ca2+-activated K+ and voltage dependent Na+, K+ and Cl− channels; the smooth muscle syncytium is a nulldimensional contractile system. With the proposed model the dynamics of active force generation is determined entirely by the concentration of cytosolic calcium. We used the model to analyze mechanisms underlying benzodiazepine-induced adynamic ileus at cellular and subcellular levels. The model displays quantitative changes in component processes, otherwise inperceptible, which explain the origin of this clinical problem.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The MMPI deserves inclusion in this volume because it is the most widely used personality inventory in the United States (Lubin, Wallis, & Paine, 1971). In contrast to projective techniques such as the Rorschach and Thematic Apperception Test, which have ambiguous stimuli and unstructured response formats, the nonambiguous stimuli (self-reference statements) and structured response format (true/false) of the MMPI qualify it for classification as an objective technique. While much has been written about the differences between projective and objective techniques, the two categories of tests probably are more alike than different. Both kinds of tests have as a primary goal the prediction of important nontest behavior of examinees. In addition, the interpretation of both objective and projective test data is “a highly subjective art which requires a well-trained and experienced practitioner to give such ‘scores’ predictive meaning in the life of any given human being” (Matarazzo, 1972, p. 11).
Polyalkylenehydroxybenzoates (PAHBs): biorenewable aromatic/aliphatic polyesters from lignin.

Polyalkylenehydroxybenzoates (PAHBs) are a new class of thermoplastic, biorenewable aromatic/aliphatic polyester having the general formula H-[O-(CH2)n-O-4-(3-X, 5-Y-C6H2)-CO]z-OH. These are synthesized from the lignin-derived aromatics 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (X = Y = H), vanillic acid (X = OMe; Y = H), and syringic acid (X = Y = OMe). Alkylation of these with several chloroalkanols affords hydroxy-acid monomers suitable for polyesterification under dynamic vacuum between 150 and 250 °C with 1 mol% Sb2O3 as catalyst. Thus, polyalkylene 4-hydroxybenzoates, polyalkylene vanillates, and polyalkylene syringates are prepared, characterized, and subjected to thermal property comparisons by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.
Regulation of c-Jun phosphorylation by the I kappa B kinase-epsilon complex in fibroblast-like synoviocytes

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes a symmetric, inflammatory polyarthritis that results in joint destruction and significant disability. Signaling pathways that regulate the production of cytokines and destructive enzymes have been implicated in its pathogenesis and represent potential therapeutic targets. The IkappaB kinase (IKK)-related kinase, IKKepsilon/IKKi, which plays a pivotal role in regulating antiviral gene transcription, is constitutively expressed by cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and could participate in the pathogenesis of RA. In the current studies we demonstrate that IKKepsilon protein is expressed in RA and osteoarthritis synovium and that the protein is found primarily in the synovial intimal lining. Functional studies in cultured FLS showed that IKKepsilon kinase activity is rapidly induced by cytokines, although IkappaB phosphorylation is significantly less compared with IKK2. Because NF-kappaB activation is similar in wild-type and IKKepsilon knockout murine FLS, studies were performed to identify an alternative substrate for IKKepsilon. Interestingly, c-Jun is a more efficient substrate for IKKepsilon immunocomplexes in human FLS and this activity appears to be independent of JNK. The functional relevance of IKKepsilon was examined using murine IKKepsilon(-/-) cultured FLS. IL-1-, TNF-alpha-, and LPS-mediated induction of matrix metalloproteinases, MMP3 and MMP13, is significantly decreased in the IKKepsilon(-/-) cells. These data suggest a novel role for the IKKepsilon complex in synovial inflammation, extracellular matrix destruction, and activation of the viral program and innate immune response in RA.
Trading static for adaptive security in universally composable zero-knowledge

Adaptive security, while more realistic as an adversarial model, is typically much harder to achieve compared to static security in cryptographic protocol design. Universal composition (UC) provides a very attractive framework for the modular design of cryptographic protocols that captures both static and adaptive security formulations. In the UC framework, one can design protocols in hybrid worlds that allow access to idealized functionalities and then apply the universal composition theorem to obtain more concrete protocol instances. The zero-knowledge (ZK) ideal functionality is one of the most useful sub-protocols in modular cryptographic design. Given an adaptively secure protocol in the ideal ZK-hybrid-world do we always need an adaptively secure realization of the ZK functionality in order to preserve adaptive security under composition? In this work, perhaps surprisingly, we find that this is not so and in fact there are useful protocol instances that we can "trade static security for adaptive security." We investigate the above setting, by introducing a weakened ZK ideal functionality, called the ideal leaking-zero-knowledge functionality (LZK) that leaks some information about the witness to the adversary in a certain prescribed way. We show that while LZK is interchangeable to ZK against static adversaries, ZK is more stringent when adaptive adversaries are considered. We then proceed to characterize a class of protocols in the hybrid-ZK-world that can be "transported" to the LZK-hybridworld without forfeiting their security against adaptive adversaries. Our results demonstrate that in such settings a static protocol realization of ZK is sufficient for ensuring adaptive security for the parent hybrid protocol something that enables simplified and substantially more efficient UC realizations of such protocols.
A comparison of multiple patient reported outcome measures in identifying major depressive disorder in people with multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Background Depression is one of the most prominent and debilitating symptoms in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet there is currently no consensus on the best instruments for depression screening in MS. More head to head comparisons of available screening instruments are needed to advise MS researchers and clinicians. Methods A cross-sectional comparison of the effectiveness of screening for MDD using multiple patient reported outcome (PRO) screeners against a modified SCID telephone interview was completed in 164 individuals with MS. Stratum goals were set for depression levels to ensure participation by people with borderline and higher levels of depression. Criterion standard was a modified SCID MDD module. PRO measures included the PHQ-9, BDI-FS, PROMIS depression, Neuro-QOL depression, M-PHQ-2, PHQ-2, and CESD. Results 48 (29%) individuals met the modified SCID criteria for MDD. The sensitivity of the PRO measures ranged from 60% to 100% while specificity ranged from 46% to 86%. The ROC area for the PRO measures ranged from 0.79 to 0.83. Revised (higher) cutoff scores were suggested by the ROC analyses for most self-reported screeners. Limitations Enrollment was stopped early because of difficulties with recruitment. Several SCID recording could not be reviewed and diagnosis confirmed. Conclusions CESD-10 and PHQ9 had the best diagnostic performance using optimal cutoffs, but no one PRO measure stood out as significantly better than any other. Even when revised cutoff scores were used, none of the self-reported screeners identified people with MDD with adequate accuracy. More accurate self-reported screeners would facilitate diagnosing of MDD for both research and clinical purposes.
Repeated Binge Drinking Increases Perineuronal Nets in the Insular Cortex

Background Alcohol exposure leads to changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain, which profoundly impacts neuronal plasticity. Perineuronal nets (PNs) are specialized ECM structures that enclose subpopulations of neurons in the cortex. Adolescent exposure to alcohol induces long-lasting increases in the expression of PN components in the cortex in adult mice. However, it has not been determined whether binge alcohol exposure in young adults alters PNs. Here, we examined PNs and their core components in the insula and primary motor cortex after repeated binge-like ethanol (EtOH) consumption in adult mice. Methods The 4-day drinking in the dark (DID) procedure was performed in mice for 1 or 6 weeks to model binge alcohol consumption. The impact of EtOH drinking on PNs was examined by fluorescent staining of brain sections using a marker for PNs, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA). In another set of experiments, cortex was dissected and Western blots and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to evaluate the expression of the PN proteins aggrecan, brevican, and phosphacan. Results Binge-like EtOH drinking for 6 weeks caused a significant increase in PNs in the insula, as measured by WFA binding. Aggrecan, brevican, and phosphacan protein expression, and aggrecan mRNA expression, were also elevated in the insula after 6 weeks of EtOH drinking. In contrast, expression of PN components did not change after 1 week of DID. The increase in PNs appears to be specific to the insula, because alterations were not observed in the primary motor cortex. Conclusions Our results provide the first evidence that insular PNs increase after long-term binge drinking. The insula mediates compulsive alcohol use. As PNs influence neuronal firing and plasticity, increased PNs in the insula after multiple binge cycles may contribute to restricted neuronal plasticity and lead to the development of compulsive alcohol use.
Molded in the Image of Changing Woman: Navajo Views on the Human Body and Personhood

Molded in the Image of Changing Woman: Navajo Views on the Human Body and Personhood. Maureen Trudelle Schwarz. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1997. 300 pp.
An upper limit on the hardness of the nonthermal electron spectra produced during the flash phase of solar flares.

The observations of impulsive solar-flare X-rays above 10 keV made with OGO-5 satellite have been analyzed in order to study the variation of the nonthermal electron spectrum from one flare to another. The X-ray spectrum at the maxima of 129 impulsive X-ray bursts is represented by KE to the minus-gamma power photons per sq cm per sec per keV, and the frequency of occurrence of bursts with different values of gamma is studied. It is found that for gamma less than 4.0 the frequency of bursts rapidly decreases with the decrease in the value of gamma. The probability of occurrence of a burst with gamma less than 2.3 is extremely small.
A Development Methodology for Automated Measurement of Quantitative Image Biomarkers: Analysis of Chest CT Images

The development of robust quantitative image biomarkers is addressed by fully automated analysis and large image datasets. A preliminary system for chest CT images with initial results from public image databases is presented.
On testing for an identity covariance matrix when the dimensionality equals or exceeds the sample size

Abstract This article explores the problem of testing the hypothesis that the covariance matrix is an identity matrix when the dimensionality is equal to the sample size or larger. Two new test statistics are proposed under comparable assumptions to those statistics in the literature. The asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistics are found and are shown to be consistent in the general asymptotic framework. An extensive simulation study shows the newly proposed tests are comparable to, and in some cases more powerful than, the tests for an identity covariance matrix currently in the literature.
Stability of hybrid simulation of dynamic systems

Abstract This note analyses the problem of stability of hybrid simulation of dynamic systems. Time delays and sample-and-hold operations do cause serious stability problems, and if frequently happens that considerable time and effort are wasted because instability is not known in advance of programming the simulation on the hybrid computer. However, if the system under investigation can be approximated in its response by an equivalent linear system, then it is possible to define a procedure which will predict in advance whether any proposed computing scheme is stable. The text describes one such procedure, together with its implementation as a software package which can be used to predict the stability of simulations of practical size. In addition, the text contains a number of examples which illustrate the application of the software package.
Archaeological and historical objects under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Abstract This article discusses articles 149 and 303, as well as other relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which relate to the legal status of archaeological and historical objects found at sea, and attempts to clarify jurisdictional aspects of such objects in the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the deep seabed area beyond national jurisdiction, and on the continental shelf.
Ultrasonic Sensors For Measuring Coronary Blood Flow

During the last 15 years we have developed and applied several types of catheter-mounted ultrasonic Doppler transducers for sensing coronary blood flow in man. Validation studies in the laboratory and in animals have shown that these catheters can accurately measure velocity from a small sample volume located ahead of the catheter tip. The Doppler transducers have been miniaturized enough to be mounted on the tip of a balloon angioplasty catheter without compromising any of the normal functions of the catheter. Good quality, high fidelity velocity signals have been recorded from many sites within the coronary circulation of patients during coronary arteriography and during balloon angioplasty.
Retinal laser burn disrupts immune privilege in the eye.

Immune privilege allows for the immune protection of the eye in the absence of inflammation. Very few events are capable of overcoming the immune-privileged mechanisms in the eye. In this study, we report that retinal laser burn (RLB) abrogates immune privilege in both the burned and nonburned eye. As early as 6 hours after RLB, and as late as 56 days after RLB, antigen inoculation into the anterior chamber of the burned eye failed to induce peripheral tolerance. After RLB, aqueous humor samples harvested from nontreated eyes but not from either the burned or the contralateral eye, down-regulated the expression of CD40 and up-regulated interleukin-10 mRNA in peritoneal exudate cells, and converted peritoneal exudate cells into tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Unlike F4/80+ APCs from nontreated mice, F4/80+ APCs from RLB mice were unable to transfer tolerance after anterior chamber inoculation of antigen into naive mice. The increased use of lasers in both the industrial and medical fields raises the risk of RLB-associated loss of immune regulation and an increased risk of immune inflammation in the eye.
Is renal insufficiency an atherogenic state? Reflections on prevalence, incidence, and risk.

○ Cardiovascular disease is common among dialysis patients, but much less is known regarding non-dialysis-dependent renal insufficiency (NDDRI) and its association with cardiac disease. We undertook a study to assess the impact of renal insufficiency on survival post-coronary angiography by comparing three groups of patients: dialysis-dependent patients, patients with NDDRI (creatinine > 2.3 mg/dL), and a reference group with creatinine levels less than 2.3 mg/dL and not on dialysis therapy. We used a prospective cohort that consisted of all patients undergoing coronary angiography in Alberta, Canada, from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 1997. Of the 16,989 patients, 196 patients (1.2%) were on dialysis therapy, 262 patients (1.5%) had NDDRI, and 16,531 patients (97.3%) formed the reference group. Mortality rates 1 year after angiography were 30.2% for patients with NDDRI, 15.8% for dialysis patients, and 4.1% for the reference group. Compared with the reference group, crude 4-year survival was significantly worse for dialysis patients and those with NDDRI, with hazard ratios of 4.05 (95% confidence interval, 3.02 to 5.42) and 7.32 (95% confidence interval, 5.97 to 8.97), respectively. Even after adjusting for clinical risk factors, survival remained worse for dialysis patients and those with NDDRI, with hazard ratios of 2.59 (95% confidence interval, 1.92 to 3.49) and 2.51 (95% confidence interval, 2.02 to 3.12), respectively. We conclude that renal insufficiency, both dialysis dependent and non-dialysis dependent, is an independent risk factor for increased mortality and poor long-term survival among patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Containerless processing and rapid solidification of Nb-Si alloys in the niobium-rich eutectic range

Containerless processing and rapid solidification techniques were used to process Nb-Si alloys in the Nb-rich eutectic range. Electromagnetic ally levitated drops were melted and subsequently splat quenched from different temperatures. A variety of eutectic morphologies was obtained as a function of the degree of superheating or undercooling of the drops prior to splatting. Metallic glass was observed only in drops quenched from above the melting temperature. Micro-structures of splats deeply undercooled prior to quenching were very fine and uniform. These results are discussed in terms of classic nucleation theory concepts and the expected heat evolution at different regions of the splat during the rapid quenching process. The locations of the coupled-zone boundaries for the α-Nb + Nb3Si eutectic are also suggested.
La Crosse virus production and export have a colchicine-sensitive step

Abstract In the present investigation, the effect of colchicine on La Crosse virus production and export was tested. Colchicine-treated, La Crosse virus-infected cells: (1) had decreased mean virus titers compared with those of control cells; (2) had a ratio of released to cell-associated virus of 1–1.9 whereas control cells had a ratio of 13. A colchicine-sensitive step, possibly involving microtubules, may be involved in virus production and/or release from the cell.
Bariatric surgical management of adolescents with morbid obesity.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Adolescent obesity continues to be a significant public health issue. To date, there are no medical therapies that provide significant, durable weight loss. Bariatric surgery has been shown in the adult and now the adolescent population to provide a reasonable alternative for weight loss. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent publications have focused on the revision of the current guidelines for bariatric surgery in adolescents to more closely align with their well-established adult counterparts. These guidelines now introduce the establishment of multidisciplinary teams for the care of this subset of adolescent surgical patients. Numerous manuscripts in the past 2-3 years have demonstrated the overall effectiveness of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, and most recently sleeve gastrectomy for both significant weight loss and comorbidity reduction with safety profiles similar to those found in adults. Despite these data, a recently published study showed that the trend for adolescent bariatric surgery has been stagnant over a 6-year period. There is also an ongoing shift in the type of procedure performed for morbid obesity in the United States toward sleeve gastrectomy and away from the adjustable gastric band. SUMMARY: With the growing number of morbidly obese adolescents in the United States coupled with the relative ineffectiveness of medical therapy in this group of patients, bariatric surgery consistently provides a means for significant weight loss and the resolution of substantial comorbidities. Its approval is slowly increasing, and the growing fund of knowledge in regard to complication rates and the efficacy of bariatric surgery will ultimately result in its more widespread acceptance.
Granivory of invasive, naturalized, and native plants in communities differentially susceptible to invasion

Seed predation is an important biotic filter that can influence abundance and spatial distributions of native species through differential effects on recruitment. This filter may also influence the relative abundance of nonnative plants within habitats and the communities' susceptibility to invasion via differences in granivore identity, abundance, and food preference. We evaluated the effect of postdispersal seed predators on the establishment of invasive, naturalized, and native species within and between adjacent forest and steppe communities of eastern Washington, USA that differ in severity of plant invasion. Seed removal from trays placed within guild-specific exclosures revealed that small mammals were the dominant seed predators in both forest and steppe. Seeds of invasive species (Bromus tectorum, Cirsium arvense) were removed significantly less than the seeds of native (Pseudoroegneria spicata, Balsamorhiza sagittata) and naturalized (Secale cereale, Centaurea cyanus) species. Seed predation limited seedling emergence and establishment in both communities in the absence of competition in a pattern reflecting natural plant abundance: S. cereale was most suppressed, B. tectorum was least suppressed, and P. spicata was suppressed at an intermediate level. Furthermore, seed predation reduced the residual seed bank for all species. Seed mass correlated with seed removal rates in the forest and their subsequent effects on plant recruitment; larger seeds were removed at higher rates than smaller seeds. Our vegetation surveys indicate higher densities and canopy cover of nonnative species occur in the steppe compared with the forest understory, suggesting the steppe may be more susceptible to invasion. Seed predation alone, however, did not result in significant differences in establishment for any species between these communities, presumably due to similar total small-mammal abundance between communities. Consequently, preferential seed predation by small mammals predicts plant establishment for our test species within these communities but not between them. Accumulating evidence suggests that seed predation can be an important biotic filter affecting plant establishment via differences in consumer preferences and abundance with important ramifications for plant invasions and in situ community assembly.
Distributions of elastic moduli in mechanically percolating composites

Abstract Power-law percolation models contain very little mechanics other than the theoretical or simulated value of a percolation threshold, the volume fraction where a connected microstructure forms. For mechanical percolation these theoretical values do not correspond well to experimental results and so the models are commonly used empirically; results are correlative rather than predictive. In recent work, the effective elastic properties of a model polymer nanocomposite were approximated using a computational micromechanics model within a Monte Carlo framework. Significantly, the statistical averages resulting from these simulations displayed distinct percolation-like behavior. Of equal interest is the distribution of properties that resulted from the randomly simulated microstructures. This strongly suggests that mechanical percolation in nanocomposites is the result of a combination of microstructural mechanisms. Analysis aimed at determining which microstructure produces what response is a challenging task if microstructure is the random variable. In this work, the effective composite properties are considered as the random variable; probability distribution functions (PDFs) of the properties at discrete volume fractions are developed using the Principle of Maximum Informational Entropy. The evolution of these PDFs with increasing volume fraction helps visualize and track the significant property changes that result from microstructural randomness.
Optimization of endochin-like quinolones for antimalarial activity

Our prior work on tricyclic acridones combined with a desire to minimize the tricyclic system led to an interest in antimalarial quinolones and a reexamination of endochin, an experimental antimalarial from the 1940's. In the present article, we show that endochin is unstable in the presence of murine, rat, and human microsomes which may explain its relatively poor antimalarial activity in mammalian systems. We also profile the structure-activity relationships of ≈ 30 endochin-like quinolone (ELQ) analogs and highlight features that are associated with enhanced metabolic stability, potent antiplasmodial activity against multidrug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, and equal activity against an atovaquone-resistant clinical isolate. Our work also features an ELQ construct containing a polyethylene glycol carbonate pro-moiety that is highly efficacious by oral administration in a murine malaria model. These findings provide compelling evidence that development of ELQ therapeutics is feasible.