cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple-Structure Multidimensional Item Response Theory Equating for Multidimensional Tests

A theoretical and conceptual framework for true-score equating using a simple-structure multidimensional item response theory (SS-MIRT) model is developed. A true-score equating method, referred to as the SS-MIRT true-score equating (SMT) procedure, also is developed. SS-MIRT has several advantages over other complex multidimensional item response theory models including improved efficiency in estimation and straightforward interpretability. The performance of the SMT procedure was examined and evaluated through four studies using different data types. In these studies, results from the SMT procedure were compared with results from four other equating methods to assess the relative benefits of SMT compared with the other procedures. In general, SMT showed more accurate equating results compared with the traditional unidimensional IRT (UIRT) equating when the data were multidimensional. More accurate performance of SMT over UIRT true-score equating was consistently observed across the studies, which supports the benefits of a multidimensional approach in equating for multidimensional data. Also, SMT performed similarly to a SS-MIRT observed score method across all studies.
Abstract 4204: Racial difference in the risk of secondary bladder cancer following radiation therapy among prostate cancer patients

Purpose: Radiation therapy has been found associated with increased risk of secondary bladder cancer diagnosis among prostate cancer patients. It is unknown whether this association varies by race. This study aimed to investigate whether the association between radiation and secondary bladder cancer differs for white vs. black prostate cancer patients. Methods: Data on white or black men who were diagnosed with primary localized prostate cancer in Louisiana between 2004 and 2013 and received radiation only or surgery only were obtained from Louisiana Tumor Registry. We excluded those who developed secondary bladder cancer within 180 days of the prostate cancer diagnosis or had follow-up less than 180 days or with unknown tumor size or Gleason score. Every patient was followed up until the end of 2016. The exposure variable was treatment (radiation only vs. surgery only). The outcome variable was the diagnosis of secondary bladder cancer and the time from prostate cancer diagnosis to secondary bladder cancer diagnosis or to loss to or end of follow-up. Covariates included age at diagnosis, marital status, insurance, census tract level poverty, tumor size, and Gleason score group. The competing risk survival analysis was applied. Death during follow-up was considered as competing event. Analysis was stratified by race. Results: Of 10,861 white and 5,117 black prostate cancer patients, 52.7% and 56.8% received only radiation respectively. Regardless of race, patients who only received surgery were younger, more likely to be married, privately insured, live in low poverty census tract, and have smaller or lower grade tumor (P Conclusions: Radiation is associated with increased risk of secondary bladder cancer among white prostate cancer patients, but not among black patients. Early screening of secondary bladder cancer need to be emphasized among white prostate cancer patients who received radiation therapy. Citation Format: Lu Zhang, Mei-Chin Hsieh, Qingzhao Yu, Xiao-Cheng Wu. Racial difference in the risk of secondary bladder cancer following radiation therapy among prostate cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4204.
Staff Planning for Hospitals with Cost Estimation and Optimization

We consider the anesthesiologist staff planning problem for operating services departments in large multi-specialty hospitals. In this problem, the planner makes monthly and daily decisions to minimize total costs. The monthly decisions include deciding how many anesthesiologists should be on regular duty and how many should be on-call for each day of the month and for each specialty. The daily decisions involve determining how many on-call anesthesiologists to actually use in the surgical schedule for the next day. Total costs comprise of explicit and implicit costs. Explicit costs include the costs of calling an anesthesiologist from call and overtime costs, and are decided by the organization. Implicit costs are the costs of keeping but not calling an anesthesiologist on-call and under-utilizing an anesthesiologist, and these have to be deduced from past decisions. The staff planning problem is important in operating services departments. This paper solves this problem by incorporating implicit costs, demand uncertainty and service specialties. This is unique both in practice and the academic literature. We model the staff planning problem as a two-stage integer stochastic dynamic program. We develop structural properties of this model and use them in a sample average approximation algorithm constructed to solve this problem. We develop a procedure to estimate the implicit costs, which are included in this model. Using data from the operating services department at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, we and that the cost of not calling an anesthesiologist on the on-call list is 56% more than the cost of actually calling the anesthesiologists. Also, the cost of idle time for anesthesiologists was 94% more than the cost of overtime. Our model shows the potential to reduce overall costs by 13%. We provide managerial insights related to hiring decisions by specialty, sensitivity to cost parameters, and improvements in prediction of booked time durations.
The Sacred and Stressed: Testing a Model of Clergy Health

In many ways, clergy and religious leaders are an ignored, yet high-risk population. A clergy member unable to cope with challenges in his or her own life may be ineffective at helping church members to cope with their stress. In the present study, we developed and tested an operational model of clergy holistic health, including occupational demands, and personal and job-related resources. Data were collected from clergy (N = 418) and analyzed using correlational and regression-based techniques. Results from the present study provide support for the demands-control-support model (Johnson and Hall in Am J Public Health 78(10):1336–1342, 1988). Specifically, our findings suggest that clergy mental health may be improved by (a) an increase in the work-related social support needed to take advantage of job control followed by (b) an increase in job control. Furthermore, the present findings expand on previous research by identifying spiritual well-being as an important outcome that may be impacted by job-related demands. The present findings also underscore the value of contextualized or occupation-specific measures, given the stronger correlations that were observed between the occupation-specific measure of perceived job demands than the general measure of perceived job demands.
The work of historic preservation: saving Oran’s Fort Santa Cruz, and more: an interview with Abdeslem Abdelhak, Bel Horizon member and guide

The following interview addresses a big question at the heart of preservationist practice: how do you encourage people to appreciate the beauty and historical significance of their surroundings and...
Female Crimefighters Defending the Homefront

Chapter 5 examines female cops and crimefighters (in and out of uniform), who still face obstacles in the hyper-masculine environment of law enforcement. Films under review include Betrayed, Impulse, and The Long Kiss Goodnight, along with pioneering TV roles that allowed experimentation, including the groundbreaking Cagney & Lacey. More complex roles followed in shows such as Third Watch, along with series that featured a female lead, including SVU, still in production. The chapter ends with a profile of the 2017 TV mini-series, Shots Fired, with two African American crimefighters exploring the shooting of a white youth by a black cop in a small, southern town. Sanaa Lathan plays a conflicted and competent investigator, although her character is still hamstrung by the stereotypical troubled mom trope.
Ebstein’s anomaly: contemporary management strategies

Ebstein's anomaly (EA) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. It is a disease at a minimum of the tricuspid valve (TV) and the right ventricular myocardium. Presentation varies from a severe symptomatic form during the neonatal period to an incidental detection later in life due to the wide morphological variation of the condition. The neonatal presentation can be severe and every attempt should be made at medical management ideally into infancy and early childhood. Neonates not eligible or failing medical management should be surgically managed either with a single ventricle palliative approach or a more desirable biventricular repair with a neonatal TV valvuloplasty. Some neonates initially committed to a single ventricle pathway may be converted to a biventricular repair by a delayed TV valvuloplasty. The da Silva Cone repair has become the valvuloplasty of choice especially beyond the neonatal period and can be applied to a wide morphological variation of the condition with good long-term durability. If the chance of a successful TV valvuloplasty is high, it should be offered early in childhood to prevent further cardiac dilation. Adding a Bidirectional Glenn to a valvuloplasty may help salvage marginal risk patients or marginally repairable valves. If valve replacement is the only option, a bioprosthetic valve should be used as it is less thrombogenic especially with marginal right ventricular function. Heart transplantation should be considered in patients with associated left ventricular dysfunction.
Using National Data to Inform Our Understanding of Family and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: A Review of a Decade of Innovation:

This review summarizes developments over the past decade in national data sources that can further our understanding of intimate partner and family violence. Particular attention is given to recent...
Deep learning with satellite imagery to enhance environmental enforcement

Abstract In this chapter we highlight how rapid advances in computer vision and the increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery have facilitated more accurate, efficient, and scalable environmental monitoring and regulation. First, we highlight the range of potential use cases of remote sensing with satellite imagery in environmental enforcement. Second, we describe the methodological evolution from manual learning on satellite imagery, to model-based inference largely based on pixel-by-pixel classification, to deep learning. Third, we provide an in-depth case study, illustrating how deep learning with satellite imagery can solve a problem that has vexed the Environmental Protection Agency for decades: the identification of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), which pose substantial environmental risk. Last, we highlight the data infrastructure, modeling, and capacity challenges that must be overcome to facilitate this profound shift in the evidence base for environmental enforcement.
“It’s Not a Conversation Starter.” Or is it?: Stigma Management Strategies of the Formerly Incarcerated in Personal and Occupational Settings

Mass incarceration and its ill effects remains a major social problem in the United States. Those exiting the criminal justice system reenter society with the label of ex-convict, a label that is permanent, highly stigmatized in American society, and has serious potential ramifications for successful reintegration, including: access to employment, higher education, and housing; acceptance in their communities; and successful personal relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore (1) anticipated stigma, (2) actual experienced stigma, and (3) the stigma management strategies that formerly incarcerated individuals employed in their personal and occupational lives. Drawing from a modified labeling theory (MLT) approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 17 men and women who had been formerly incarcerated for felony offenses. Our findings revealed that the formerly incarcerated continue to experience stigma, often expected that they would, and utilized tactics (e.g. preventative telling, secrecy, and withdraw) consistent with MLT. Additionally, our findings revealed that these strategies are not static and participants altered their strategies throughout their life course and based upon social and economic contexts.
Power, Law, and The Accumulated Present

Our turn-of-the-century world has been greatly influenced by secular tendencies which have both circumscribed and reconfigured the range of options we experience as available to us. Questions which imply alterations in our more traditional understanding of the human situation confront us at every turn. For example: Has politics become a world-religion and have political theory and economics become forms of its theology? And, if so: What are some of the historical factors that have led us to these circumstances? What opportunities are now opened (or left open) to us and which are foreclosed?
Strategic frequency adaptation for mid-range magnetic induction-based Wireless Underground Sensor Networks

Some classes of sensing applications target scenarios where the overall system, including antenna and energy sub-system, is placed under the ground, through concrete, or under-the-debris (disaster scenario). A real-time soil moisture sensing system deployed at the root zone of a crop area for precise irrigation and an oil pipeline leak detection (PLD) system are particular examples of interest discussed in this work. Communication solutions for these scenarios have been recently investigated in the Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSN) literature and magnetic induction (MI) technology is usually regarded as the best candidate for low-power and mid-range (i.e., 15..30m) wireless underground communication. Nonetheless, underground MI systems are still significantly impacted by changes at the electrical properties of the medium surrounding the MI nodes, such as due to the soil moisture variability. The design of a MI system for the worst-case scenario (e.g., high soil moisture) is a strategic approach but it may significantly reduce the application bandwidth. Therefore, the dynamic frequency adaptation has the potential of balancing robustness and higher bandwidth for MI-WUSNs. In this work, a novel design procedure is proposed for the optimization problem of selecting the proper operational frequency for MI-WUSN nodes according to the medium conditions.
Simulated effect of tobacco tax variation on Latino health in California.

Abstract Background: Over one fourth of the California population was Latino in 1999, and by 2015 Latinos are expected to be the single largest ethnic group in California. Patterns of smoking and nicotine dependence among Latino smokers may be quite different from those of smokers in other ethnic groups. In addition, Latino smokers may be more sensitive to cigarette prices. Therefore, the effect of an increase in cigarette excise taxes on Latino smoking prevalence may be quite large, and consequently the impact on Latino health may be proportionately greater than on population health in general. Methods: We simulated changes in Latino smoking, morbidity, mortality, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) that would result from a range of actual and proposed cigarette excise-tax increases using a range of cigarette price-elasticity estimates specific to Latino smokers. Monte Carlo simulation was used to generate confidence intervals. Results: Assuming a Latino price elasticity of demand for cigarettes of −1.0, reductions in Latino smoking resulting from an additional $0.50/pack tax would produce nearly 3000 Latino QALYs in California in 1999. Greater benefits would accrue each year, until a steady state relative to population size is reached 75 years after the program is initiated. Conclusions: If Latino smokers are more responsive to changes in cigarette prices than other smokers, Latino smokers also stand to gain a disproportionate share of the health benefit from an excise tax increase.
Endovascular Management of Penetrating Aortic Ulcer

Penetrating aortic ulcers (PAU) of the thoracic aorta arise when atherosclerotic lesions rupture through the internal elastic lamina of the aortic wall with subsequent hematoma formation between the media and the adventitia. The ulcers are most often found in the distal descending thoracic aorta but can occur throughout the thoracic and abdominal aorta and have a characteristic appearance on chest computed tomography (CT) (Fig. 37.1) and magnetic resonance imaging. PAUs may represent one pathology in the spectrum of acute aortic diseases but it may be associated with aortic dissection and aneurysm formation, although it is distinct from those conditions.
Biotransformation of Coumarin by Rodent and Human Cytochromes P-450: Metabolic Basis of Tissue-Selective Toxicity in Olfactory Mucosa of Rats and Mice

Coumarin was previously found to cause tissue-selective toxicity in the olfactory mucosa (OM) of rats and mice, with rats being the more sensitive species. The aim of this study was to explore the role of target tissue biotransformation in OM-selective toxicity and the metabolic basis of the species differences in coumarin toxicity. At least six coumarin metabolites were detected in OM microsomal reactions, with o-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (o-HPA) being the most abundant. Formation of o-HPA was inhibited by reduced glutathione, confirming its origin from a reactive intermediate. There were significant differences in the rates and metabolite profiles of coumarin metabolism in the livers of Wistar rats and C57BL/6 mice. The rates of metabolic activation of coumarin, as indicated by the formation of o-HPA, were comparable in OM microsomes of the two species but about 25- and 3-fold higher in OM than in liver microsomes of rats and mice, respectively. Thus, target tissue activation seems to play an important role in the tissue-selective toxicity, whereas differences in the rates of hepatic metabolism may be responsible for the species difference in olfactory toxicity. Purified, heterologously expressed mouse CYP2A5 and CYP2G1 produced 7-hydroxycoumarin and o-HPA as the predominant products, respectively. Kinetic analysis and immunoinhibition studies indicated that the OM-specific CYP2G1 plays the major role in metabolic activation of coumarin. Furthermore, of 13 human cytochrome P-450s (P-450s) examined, five (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4) were active in the metabolic activation of coumarin, suggesting a potential risk of coumarin toxicity in humans.
Increased Basolateral Amygdala Pyramidal Cell Excitability May Contribute to the Anxiogenic Phenotype Induced by Chronic Early-Life Stress.

Adolescence represents a particularly vulnerable period during which exposure to stressors can precipitate the onset of psychiatric disorders and addiction. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays an integral role in the pathophysiology of anxiety and addiction. Acute and chronic stress promote increases in BLA pyramidal cell firing, and decreasing BLA excitability alleviates anxiety measures in humans and rodents. Notably, the impact of early-life stress on the mechanisms that govern BLA excitability is unknown. To address this gap in our knowledge, we used a rodent model of chronic early-life stress that engenders robust and enduring increases in anxiety-like behaviors and ethanol intake and examined the impact of this model on the intrinsic excitability of BLA pyramidal cells. Adolescent social isolation was associated with a significant increase in the intrinsic excitability of BLA pyramidal cells and a blunting of the medium component of the afterhyperpolarization potential, a voltage signature of calcium-activated potassium ( K ca ) channel activity. Western blot analysis revealed reduced expression of small-conductance K ca (SK) channel protein in the BLA of socially isolated (SI) rats. Bath application of a positive SK channel modulator (1-EBIO) normalized firing in ex vivo recordings from SI rats, and in vivo intra-BLA 1-EBIO infusion reduced anxiety-like behaviors. These findings reveal that chronic adolescent stress impairs SK channel function, which contributes to an increase in BLA pyramidal cell excitability and highlights BLA SK channels as promising targets for the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid addiction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although anxiety disorders and alcohol addiction frequently co-occur, the mechanisms that contribute to this comorbidity are poorly understood. Here, we used a rodent early-life stress model that leads to robust and longlasting increases in behaviors associated with elevated risk of anxiety disorders and addiction to identify novel neurobiological substrates that may underlie these behaviors. Our studies focused on the primary output neurons of the basolateral amygdala, a brain region that plays a key role in anxiety and addiction. We discovered that early-life stress decreases the activity of a specific class of potassium channels and increases the intrinsic excitability of BLA neurons and present evidence that enhancing the function of these channels normalizes BLA excitability and attenuates anxiety-like behaviors.
Vitamin D status, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and the immune system

Vitamin D is an important immune system regulator. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], has been shown to inhibit the development of autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Paradoxically, other immune system-mediated diseases (experimental asthma) and immunity to infectious organisms were unaffected by 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. There are similar paradoxical effects of vitamin D deficiency on various immune system functions. Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) deficiency resulted in accelerated IBD. Experimental asthma was unaffected by 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment and was less severe among VDR-deficient mice. Vitamin D is a selective regulator of the immune system, and the outcome of 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment, vitamin D deficiency, or VDR deficiency depends on the nature of the immune response (eg, infectious disease, asthma, or autoimmune disease). An additional factor that determines the effect of vitamin D status on immune function is dietary calcium. Dietary calcium has independent effects on IBD severity. Vitamin D-deficient mice on low-calcium diets developed the most severe IBD, and 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment of mice on low-calcium diets improved IBD symptoms. However, the best results for IBD were observed when the calcium concentration was high and 1,25(OH)2D3 was administered. Both the type of immune response and the calcium status of the host determine the effects of vitamin D status and 1,25(OH)2D3 on immunity.
High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy

Abstract This study reveals the micro-mechanisms of fatigue crack nucleation and growth in a commercial high-pressure die cast automotive AZ91E-T4 Mg component. Mechanical fatigue tests were conducted under R=−1 conditions on specimens machined at different locations in the casting at total strain amplitudes ranging from 0.02% to 0.5%. Fracture surfaces of specimens that failed in the high cycle fatigue regime with lives spanning two orders of magnitude were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The difference in lives for the Mg specimens was primarily attributed to a drastic difference in nucleation site sizes, which ranged from several hundred μm’s to several mm’s. A secondary effect may include the influence of average secondary dendrite arm spacing and average grain size. At low crack tip driving forces (Kmax m ) intact particles and boundaries act as barriers to fatigue crack propagation, and consequently the cracks tended to avoid the interdendritic regions and progress through the cells, leaving a fine striated pattern in this single-phase region. At high driving forces (Kmax>3.5 MPa m ) fractured particles and boundary decohesion created weak paths for fatigue crack propagation, and consequently the cracks followed the interdendritic regions, leaving serrated markings as the crack progressed through this heterogeneous region. The ramifications of the results on future modeling efforts are discussed in detail.
Monte Carlo Computer Simulation of the Aqueous Hydration of the Glycine Zwitterion at 25°C

Abstract Monte Carlo computer simulation on a dilute aqueous solution of the glycine zwitterion are reported. The results are presented in terms of the Quasi-Component Distribution Functions (QCDF) of Ben Nairn and partitioned into atomic and functional group contributions using the Proximity Criterion. The Proximity Criterion analysis has been extended to orientational properties and a new normalization procedure has been introduced for the radial distribution functions obtained by the Proximity Criterion. The solvation environment of the glycine zwitterion is found to contain, on the average, 14.4 water molecules out of which 3.2 belong to the ammonium group, 6.1 to the methylene group and 5.1 to the carboxyl group. The importance of the many-body statistical mechanical approach to hydration is emphasized by our finding that the configuration corresponding to the absolute minimum of the glycine zwitterion-water potential surface was found to have negligible statistical weight in the aqueous simulation.
A cytogenetic study of development in mechanically disrupted pairs of Tetrahymena thermophila.

We examined the nuclear behavior of mating Tetrahymena cells that had been mechanically disrupted at various times throughout conjugation. Disruption was achieved by agitating conjugating Tetrahymena in the presence of 0.1-3 mm glass beads. Two minutes of agitation with 1 mm beads yielded optimal pair disruption (70%) with high viability (92%). Disrupting pairs between 0-4.7 h after the initiation of mating produced mostly disrupted conjugants in which development was aborted. However, as many as 20% of these early disrupted conjugants completed development even without their mating partners. After 5 h the percentage of disrupted conjugants completing development increased dramatically, reaching 80% by 6.7 h. These results support a model suggesting that events associated with nuclear exchange and fusion 5 h into conjugation trigger a commitment to completion of the postzygotic developmental program. the early conjugants that completed development following disruption suggest that development can be sustained even in the absence of a mating partner. This represents a novel method of bringing the micronuclear genome into macronuclear expression with minimal cytoplasmic exchange between partners. We discuss these results in light of a model relating cortical and nuclear signaling events that reciprocally drive conjugal development.
Ubiquitination of β-Arrestin Links Seven-transmembrane Receptor Endocytosis and ERK Activation

Abstract β-Arrestin2 and its ubiquitination play crucial roles in both internalization and signaling of seven-transmembrane receptors (7TMRs). To understand the connection between ubiquitination and the endocytic and signaling functions of β-arrestin, we generated a β-arrestin2 mutant that is defective in ubiquitination (β-arrestin20K), by mutating all of the ubiquitin acceptor lysines to arginines and compared its properties with the wild type and a stably ubiquitinated β-arrestin2-ubiquitin (Ub) chimera. In vitro translated β-arrestin2 and β-arrestin20K displayed equivalent binding to recombinant β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) reconstituted in vesicles, whereas β-arrestin2-Ub bound ∼4-fold more. In cellular coimmunoprecipitation assays, β-arrestin20K bound nonreceptor partners, such as AP-2 and c-Raf and scaffolded phosphorylated ERK robustly but displayed weak binding to clathrin. Moreover, β-arrestin20K was recruited only transiently to activated receptors at the membrane, did not enhance receptor internalization, and decreased the amount of phosphorylated ERK assimilated into isolated β2AR complexes. Although the wild type β-arrestin2 formed ERK signaling complexes with the β2AR at the membrane, a stably ubiquitinated β-arrestin2-Ub chimera not only stabilized the ERK signalosomes but also led to their endosomal targeting. Interestingly, in cellular fractionation assays, the ubiquitination state of β-arrestin2 favors its distribution in membrane fractions, suggesting that ubiquitination increases the propensity of β-arrestin for membrane association. Our findings suggest that although β-arrestin ubiquitination is dispensable for β-arrestin cytosol to membrane translocation and its “constitutive” interactions with some cytosolic proteins, it nevertheless is a prerequisite both for the formation of tight complexes with 7TMRs in vivo and for membrane compartment interactions that are crucial for downstream endocytic and signaling processes.
An optimum encoding with minimum longest code and total number of digits

It is shown that the maximum code length and the sum of all code lengths is dependent upon the method of merging combined frequencies in a Huffman minimum redundancy encoding. By bottom merging a combined frequency below a set of frequencies with equal weight an optimum encoding is obtained that has minimum ∑ p i L i , minimum L max , and minimum ∑ L i .
An evaluation of thermal dilution for obtaining serial measurements of cardiac output

The thermal dilution method offers a number of advantages in the measurement of cardiac output particularly when measurements at frequent intervals over prolonged periods are required. The sources of error in the quantification of thermal indicator input and other factors pertinent to the applicability of this method to serial measurements in an automated clinical environment are discussed.
Transfer of management practices in a cross‐institutional setting: A case study on a western firm’s subsidiary in the Ukraine

This paper focuses on the managerial challenges involved in establishing subsidiaries in the Post‐ Soviet market. In these circumstances, the Western firms’ management meets the host country’s institutional structures. It is suggested that management transfers from the Western parent firm towards the local subsidiary take place across institutional boundaries. The analysis focuses on aspects creating, or reducing tensions in relations between local employees and the Western firm’s representatives. This paper explains why some local employees develop identities that facilitate management transfers, and why other employees develop conflict identities that inhibit management transfers.
Patient Preference for Being Informed of Their DXA Scan Results

Abstract Evidence suggests that patients diagnosed with osteoporosis are often undertreated. One potential solution to undertreatment is to enhance patient involvement in their osteoporosis care (a.k.a. patient activation) by having the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) center directly provide patients with their test results and educational material. However, little is known about patient interest in such an intervention. Consecutive patients presenting to an academic medical center DXA scanning unit were given a questionnaire to assess their preferences for being informed of their test results and interest in receiving their results plus educational material by mail from the testing center. Two hundred and two (202) of 206 (98%) of patients agreed to complete the survey. Fifty-one percent of participants preferred receiving their results by mail directly from the DXA center, followed by phone call (28%) and office visit (11%). Overall, 90% of patients reported interest in receiving results and educational material by mail. Younger patients were more interested in receiving their results by mail when compared with older patients, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio [OR] = 2.40: 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–6.31, p = 0.14). Patients undergoing DXA scanning were interested in receiving their scan results and educational material directly from the testing center. This might represent an effective intervention for improving care of patients with osteoporosis.
A Multiscale Model of Venous Thrombus Formation with Surface-Mediated Control of Blood Coagulation Cascade

A combination of the extended multiscale model, new image processing algorithms, and biological experiments is used for studying the role of Factor VII (FVII) in venous thrombus formation. A detailed submodel of the tissue factor pathway of blood coagulation is introduced within the framework of the multiscale model to provide a detailed description of coagulation cascade. Surface reactions of the extrinsic coagulation pathway on membranes of platelets are studied under different flow conditions. It is shown that low levels of FVII in blood result in a significant delay in thrombin production, demonstrating that FVII plays an active role in promoting thrombus development at an early stage.
Redefining Racial Categories: The Dynamics of Identity Among Brazilian-Americans

Research based on a sample of Brazilian youth living in Massachusetts reveals a variety of responses to racialisation of their phenotypes. Caught between the fluid patterns of colour categories found in Brazilian society and the more rigid racial stratification that characterises the USA, Brazilian-Americans have followed a variety of strategies to adapt to this situation. By exploring the reactions of these young adults of different appearance along the colour continuum to the constraints of the dominant society, questions concerning the future dynamics of race relations in the USA are raised against a background of the continuing post-racialism debate.
Time lapse microphotography of protein crystal growth using a color VCR

Abstract A time lapse video color recorder (VCR) interfaced to a color video camera mounted on a light microscope was used to observe and record the growth of three protein crystals: lysozyme, canavalin, and a fungal protease. The studies produced a number of interesting observations regarding the formation of crystal habit, crystal aggregates, and crystal polymorphs. It further provided a simple and easy means for the measurement of growth rates. The system is described here along with a brief collection of some of our conclusions based on the time lapse video sequences.
Quantified activity pattern data from 6 to 27-month-old farmworker children for use in exposure assessment.

Abstract This study was conducted to describe exposure prone behaviors of infants and toddlers in the farmworker community. Analysis of hand and mouth contact frequencies and durations aids understanding of how children interact with their environment and are exposed via contact with surfaces. All 23 participating children (8 female infants, 5 male infants, 5 female toddlers and 5 male toddlers) lived with at least one farmworker. Children were videotaped at home for 2–6 h. Video footage was translated into micro-level activity time series (MLATS) for both hands and the mouth. MLATS were processed to calculate hourly duration in microenvironments, contact frequency, hourly contact duration and median contact duration. The median hourly duration spent indoors was 53 min/h. The median hand-to-mouth frequency was 15.2 events/h and the median object-to-mouth frequency was 27.2 events/h. The hourly mouthing duration was 1.2 and 2.2 min/h with the hands and objects, respectively. The median mouthing duration with hands and objects was 2 s. The median contact frequency for both hands combined was 689.4 events/h with an hourly contact duration of 100.5 min/h and a median contact duration of 3 s. Infants had higher mouthing frequencies with non-dietary objects while toddlers had higher mouthing frequencies with objects associated with pica (i.e., paper). Boys had higher contact frequencies while girls had longer contact durations. These sub-group differences indicate factors such as age and gender should be accounted for when conducting exposure assessments. Contact frequencies in this study are higher than current US EPA recommendations, questioning their protective value for infants and toddlers.
Targeting the tumor microenvironment: JAK-STAT3 signaling

Persistent JAK-STAT3 signaling is implicated in many aspects of tumorigenesis. Apart from its tumor-intrinsic effects, STAT3 also exerts tumor-extrinsic effects, supporting tumor survival and metastasis. These involve the regulation of paracrine cytokine signaling, alterations in metastatic sites rendering these permissive for the growth of cancer cells and subversion of host immune responses to create an immunosuppressive environment. Targeting this signaling pathway is considered a novel promising therapeutic approach, especially in the context of tumor immunity. In this article, we will review to what extent JAK-STAT3-targeted therapies affect the tumor microenvironment and whether the observed effects underlie responsiveness to therapy.
Cognitive deficits associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Abstract Background and purpose Restless legs syndrome produces significant chronic sleep loss, which despite not causing expected profound sleepiness, might nonetheless produce cognitive deficits similar to those seen with acute sleep deprivation, i.e. involving mostly pre-frontal cortical (PFC) functioning. Patients and methods Sixteen patients off RLS treatment for at least 2 weeks and 15 age- and gender-matched control subjects had polysomnograms (PSGs) on two consecutive nights. Cognitive tests were given in the morning after the second night. Six cognitive tests were used: two Verbal Fluency tests and the Trail Making tests were selected to be particularly sensitive to PFC function and sleep loss. Porteus Mazes and the Stroop Test were selected to reflect more general frontal and executive function. The Colored Progressive Matrices were used to assess general cognitive skills. Results RLS patients compared to controls showed significant ( P P Conclusions The results indicate that RLS patients show cognitive deficits similar to that reported for one night of sleep loss.
A novel splicing mutation of the α-spectrin gene in the original hereditary pyropoikilocytosis kindred

Hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) is a severe hemolytic anemia due to abnormalities of the red blood cell (RBC) membrane skeleton. In the original HPP kindred, there is compound heterozygosity for an allele encoding a structural variant of α-spectrin (L207P) and an α-spectrin allele associated with a defect in α-spectrin production. To identify the molecular defect in the production-defective allele, reticulocyte α-spectrin cDNA from one of the original HPP patients was analyzed. Transcripts from the production-defective, non-L207P allele demonstrated a pattern of abnormal splicing between exons 22 and 23, resulting in insertion of intronic fragments with an in-frame premature termination codon. A G to A substitution at position +5 of the donor consensus splice site of IVS 22 was identified in the inserts. Following gene transfer into tissue culture cells, there was complete absence of normally spliced α-spectrin gene transcripts derived from a minigene containing the IVS 22 +5 mutation.
Evolution of Reperfusion Therapies for Acute Brain and Acute Myocardial Ischemia A Systematic, Comparative Analysis

Background and Purpose—Early reperfusion is the most effective therapy for both acute brain and cardiac ischemia. However, the cervicocephalic circulatory bed offers more challenges to recanalization interventions. The historical development of reperfusion interventions has not previously been systematically compared. Methods—Medline search identified all multi-arm, controlled trials of coronary revascularization for acute myocardial infarction and multicenter trials of cerebral revascularization for acute ischemic stroke reporting angiographic reperfusion rates. Results—Thirty-seven trials of coronary reperfusion enrolled 10 908 patients from 1983 to 2009, and 10 trials of cerebral reperfusion enrolled 1064 patients from 1992 to 2009. Coronary reperfusion trials included 10 of intravenous fibrinolysis alone, 8 combined intravenous fibrinolysis and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with or without stenting, 3 intra-arterial fibrinolysis, and 16 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty w...
Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase on Hepatic Transforming Growth Factor β1 and Caspase-3 Activation in Hemorrhage

Objectives Hemorrhage initiates an inflammatory response that induces the systemic release of cytokines and sequestration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Sequestered polymorphonuclear neutrophils release proteases, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade elements of the extracellular matrix, contributing to the morbidity and mortality seen from hemorrhage. Activation of MMPs may be associated with changes in transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) and caspase-3 signaling pathways. In this study, the authors examined hemorrhage-induced changes in the expression of rat hepatic MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-l), TGF-beta1, and caspase-3 activities in the presence and absence of the MMP inhibitor hydroxamate. Methods Hemorrhagic shock was induced in fasted, anesthetized, and cannulated rats by rapid phlebotomy to a mean arterial pressure level of 40 mm Hg, maintained for 90 minutes by withdrawal and infusion of blood, followed by a resuscitation period of lactated Ringer's infusion. Rats received either hydroxamate (25 mg/kg) or vehicle by gavage before hemorrhage. Twenty-four hours after resuscitation, plasma and liver samples were collected. Liver MMP-9, TGF-beta1, and caspase-3 levels were quantified by Western immunoblotting. Plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and plasma glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were determined enzymatically. Results Plasma GOT, plasma GPT, and liver MMP-9, TGF-beta1, and caspase-3 levels were all significantly elevated at 24 hours postresuscitation when compared with the control values. Hepatic TIMP-1, an in vivo inhibitor of MMP-9, was unaltered at 24 hours. Hydroxamate treatment reduced GOT, GPT, MMP-9, TGF-beta1, and caspase-3 levels at 24 hours. The mortality of hemorrhaged untreated rats was 29% after 24 hours, and pretreatment with hydroxamate reduced mortality to 0%. Conclusions These results indicate the beneficial effects of MMP inhibitor in preventing an increase in GOT, GPT, MMP-9, TGF-beta1, and caspase-3 activity with the potential for improvement of hepatic injury due to hemorrhage.
LOCAL MOBILITY WITHIN VILLIN 14T PROBED VIA HETERONUCLEAR RELAXATION MEASUREMENTS AND A REDUCED SPECTRAL DENSITY MAPPING

Villin 14T, a representative domain from the actin severing and bundling protein villin, binds calcium ions and actin monomers. To begin to understand the contributions of mobility to the villin-calcium and villin-actin interactions, relaxation rates for magnetization involving the amide nitrogens and protons have been measured for 15N-labeled villin 14T in solution. Although we have measured the complete set of rates required for a full spectral density map, difficulties in the accurate measurement of relaxation rates for antiphase coherence and two-spin order led us to consider a reduced mapping formalism. From the reduced spectral density map, a model-free analysis, or directly from the measured Nx,y relaxation rates, local variations in mobility along the backbone of villin 14T have been revealed. Fast motions are evident not only at the amino and carboxyl termini but also in the turn between strands beta 4 and beta 5 of the central beta-sheet and in the turn between helix alpha 3 and strand beta 7. Slower motions are suggested for the turn between strands beta 2 and beta 3. Motions on the microsecond to millisecond time scale have been probed directly by examining the dependence of the proton transverse relaxation rate on the spin-locking field strength. Leu11 shows a strong dependence on field strength, implying conformational exchange with a time constant of 125 +/- 69 microseconds. The backbone at the actin-binding interface appears to be rather rigid.
Detecting Change in Biological Rhythms: A Multivariate Permutation Test Approach to Fourier-Transformed Data

Treatment‐related changes in neurobiological rhythms are of increasing interest to psychologists, psychiatrists, and biological rhythms researchers. New methods for analyzing change in rhythms are needed, as most common methods disregard the rich complexity of biological processes. Large time series data sets reflect the intricacies of underlying neurobiological processes, but can be difficult to analyze. We propose the use of Fourier methods with multivariate permutation test (MPT) methods for analyzing change in rhythms from time series data. To validate the use of MPT for Fourier‐transformed data, we performed Monte Carlo simulations and compared statistical power and family‐wise error for MPT to Bonferroni‐corrected and uncorrected methods. Results show that MPT provides greater statistical power than Bonferroni‐corrected tests, while appropriately controlling family‐wise error. We applied this method to human, pre‐ and post‐treatment, serially‐sampled neurotransmitter data to confirm the utility of t...
Global variability of midtropospheric carbon dioxide as measured by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS Aqua spacecraft provides accurate and consistent measurements of midtropospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) with global monthly coverage. The data are widely used for studies of vertical transport of CO2 due to large-scale dynamics (e.g., ENSO, MJO, and the Walker Circulation). The purpose of this paper is to characterize the response of CO2 in the midtroposphere, at the altitudes where AIRS is most sensitive, to geophysical changes at the surface across the globe. Our findings confirm that surface factors, as well as weather and climate patterns, impact the global variability of midtropospheric CO2 as observed by AIRS. Despite a phase lag and a reduction in the seasonal amplitude observed in AIRS CO2 relative to surface CO2 measurements in the Northern Hemisphere, a significant correlation is observed between regional variability of CO2 from AIRS and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived Gross Primary Productivity at the surface, primarily in the high-latitude boreal forests during the peak of the growing season (July). A video of global AIRS CO2 and MODIS vegetation index clearly shows the seasonal drawdown of CO2 from the midtroposphere over highly vegetated areas in the northern latitudes. In the Southern Hemisphere, we see higher amplitude in the seasonal cycle, with the phase leading that of the surface. Both are indicative of interhemispheric transport.
Inhibiting the Response to VEGF in Diabetes

Inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) signaling axis may play a role in endothelial dysfunction and serious vascular complications associated with diabetes. In this issue, Warren et al. identified a ligand-independent, receptor tyrosine kinase-independent VEGFR2 signaling pathway that is responsible for impaired responses to VEGF in diabetic endothelial cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from the hyperglycemic status promoted activation and subsequent degradation of VEGFR2 in a ligand-independent manner. Consequently, VEGF-VEGFR2 signaling was inhibited due to depletion of VEGFR2 at the cell surface. Activation of this ligand-independent, ROS-induced VEGFR2 signaling was mediated by the Src family of kinases and occurred in the Golgi compartment in the endothelial cells. Blocking ROS production by antioxidants effectively reversed VEGFR2 deficiency at the cell surface in hyperglycemia. These findings suggest that ROS-induced VEGFR2 signaling might be a promising new target for the treatment of vascular diseases in diabetes.