cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aquatic Coleoptera (Dryopidae, Dytiscidae, Elmidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, Noteridae, Psephenidae) of Iowa: Distributional Records and Notes

Abstract Aquatic coleopteran collections, and literature and museum reviews, have resulted in documented records from Iowa for 211 species in 10 families. Forty species are new state records.
Probabilistic mobile manipulation in dynamic environments, with application to opening doors

In recent years, probabilistic approaches have found many successful applications to mobile robot localization, and to object state estimation for manipulation. In this paper, we propose a unified approach to these two problems that dynamically models the objects to be manipulated and localizes the robot at the same time. Our approach applies in the common setting where only a lowresolution (10cm) grid-map of a building is available, but we also have a high-resolution (0.1cm) model of the object to be manipulated. Our method is based on defining a unifying probabilistic model over these two representations. The resulting algorithm works in real-time, and estimates the position of objects with sufficient precision for manipulation tasks. We apply our approach to the task of navigating from one office to another (including manipulating doors). Our approach, successfully tested on multiple doors, allows the robot to navigate through a hallway to an office door, grasp and turn the door handle, and continuously manipulate the door as it moves into the office.
Early African-American Film Database, 1909–1930

This dataset covers silent “race films”: films created before the year 1930 featuring African-Americans for primarily African-American audiences. The data was collected through research utilizing a wide variety of primary and secondary sources. It contains records on films, actors, production companies, and other key components of the early race film industry. The data is primarily stored on the research data repository site Zenodo and additionally within a relational database on Airtable. Reuse potential of the data includes pedagogical purposes, social network analysis and as a support for the extant study of silent era and race films. The data will also enable further research in film studies, African-American history, the history of film exhibition, and the digital humanities.
Safeguards technology for radioactive materials processing and nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities

Abstract: The safeguarding of nuclear materials is a critical technical and political aspect of nuclear fuel reprocessing. Simply defined, nuclear safeguards are measures used to verify that civil nuclear materials are properly accounted for and are not diverted to undeclared uses. The goals of international nuclear safeguards are to detect proliferation and diversion of nuclear material from the civilian nuclear fuel cycle and to provide notification of potential diversion to the international community in a timely fashion so that the consequences of the diversion can be reduced. Although safeguards technologies and processes have advanced considerably over the last 60 years, they remain a significant focal point for concerns and discussions with respect to deployment of recycle technologies for used fuel.
Safety of the Bio-enhanced Repair

The implantation of any material into the joint confers the risk of an intra-articular inflammatory reaction or a systemic reaction. The forme would present as an elevated white blood cell count in the peripheral blood and increased inflammatory markers in the blood as well. The latter would typically manifest itself with a combination of joint swelling, an increase in the number of white blood cells in the joint fluid and thickening of the synovium (the tissue lining the joint). To determine whether or not an immunologic response occurs following the introduction of our extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold, we examined these local and systemic criteria in 15-week study of a porcine animal model and summarize the results here. We also report on the overall safety profile of this material as evidenced by its performance and complication profile in eight other studies from our laboratory in 162 knees of 138 animals.
Birth Weight and Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky.

Objective To confirm the previously reported increased risk of leukemia among macrosomic children (those with birth weight >4 kg). Methods Birth certificates of Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky children diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) before age 5 years were matched with birth certificates from leukemia-free children of the same sex, race, and ethnicity who were born in the same county on or about the same day. Odds ratios (ORs) for ALL among children of low ( 4 kg) birth weight were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Results Children with high birth weight had an elevated risk of ALL in the first 5 years of life (OR 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.61). The excess risk was confined to non-Hispanic whites (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.27-2.48), both boys (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.01-2.45) and girls (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.26-3.52). Conclusions This study confirms the association between high birth weight and ALL previously reported by other studies in children of European ancestry. The literature on maternal risk factors for both macrosomia and ALL is reviewed, with maternal overnutrition emerging as a plausible risk factor for both outcomes.
On-Axis Acoustic Radiation Force-Based Elasticity Measurement in Homogeneous and Layered, Skin-Mimicking Phantoms

Shear wave elasticity imaging has been difficult in inhomogeneous tissue, such as skin, where thin layers cause bias in shear wave speed estimates. Instead, we propose an FEM-based look-up table to estimate shear modulus at the on-axis location rather than at lateral locations. We estimate the time-to-peak on-axis displacement at each depth and use a look-up table to estimate shear modulus. We generated a stiffness look-up table using a 3D FEM model coupled to Field-II simulations. We simulated shear moduli of 1−13kPa using a CL15-7 transducer, 1.1cm axial push focus, 8.9MHz push frequency, push F/3, 10.4MHz tracking frequency, and plane wave tracking. The displacements were estimated using an advanced Bayesian displacement estimator. Here we test the on-axis stiffness estimates in homogeneous and layered polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) phantoms. Before the phantoms were sliced into thin layers, we computed five independent shear wave speeds at the same depth that would be sliced and took the median. After slicing and layering the phantoms, we tested the on-axis method and compared it to shear wave speed-derived shear modulus estimates. The presliced homogeneous PVA phantoms had a mean shear modulus of 5.56+/−0.76kPa and 5.46+1.06kPa for the on-axis method and shear wave speed-derived moduli, respectively. The mean shear moduli for the on-axis method and shear wave speed-derived estimates in the thin layer were 5.92+/−1.15kPa and 6.50+/−0.3IkPa, respectively. The shear wave speed-derived estimates had a bias of −1.04kPa and the on-axis method had a bias of −0.46kPa. The on-axis method had a larger variance in shear modulus estimates, but a smaller bias than shear wave speed-derived estimates.
Benefits of Community-University Partnerships in Rural Settings: Lessons Learned from an Inclusive Science Day Event

This article reports findings from an Inclusive Science Day event that was hosted at a rurally located discovery museum. The event was collaboratively planned and hosted by two undergraduate student organizations from a local university. The university students planned eight inclusive science stations that were supplemented by six museum-developed stations. Each station was planned to meet the needs of a variety of learners. The event was very well attended, with approximately 150 visitors who ranged in age from infants to older adults. The research study reports findings from a survey of 22 caregivers who attended the Inclusive Science Day event. Findings present relevant information about the benefits of embracing a community-university partnership model and suggestions for facilitating a collaboratively planned inclusive science event. The implications highlight the importance of inclusive informal learning practices and partnership development in all locales. While the research is particularly relevant for rural stakeholders, it also provides useful considerations for all settings.
Abstract 501: A Pivotal Role of Smooth Muscle Bmal1 in Mineralocorticoid Receptor Agonist plus Salt Induced Mouse Aortic Aneurysm

Rationale: Bmal1 is a basic helix loop helix (bHLH) transcription factor and is an indispensable core clock gene. Bmal1 is expressed in vascular smooth muscle and has been implicated in atherosclerosis and vascular remodeling. However, it is unknown whether vascular smooth muscle Bmal1 is involved in aortic aneurysm. We use a smooth muscle selective Bmal1 knockout (SM-Bmal1-/-) mouse and mineralocorticoid receptor agonists plus salt induced aortic aneurysm mouse model to address this specific question. Approach and Results: Aortic Aneurysm was induced in SM-Bmal1-/- and littermate controls by subcutaneously implanting a 50mg DOCA (deoxycorticosterone acetate) pellet for 21 days or mini-pump with 200μg/Kg/day aldosterone for 28 days and drinking 0.9% saline solution. The abdominal aortic aneurysm incidence was dramatically decreased from control 30.7% (4-month-old) and 68.0% (8-month-old) to 4.0% (p<0.05) and 0.0% (p<0.001) in SM-Bmal1-/- mice respectively. This was associated with a significant decrease i...
Sequential Changes in Brain Glutamate and Adenosine A1 Receptors May Explain Severity of Adolescent Alcohol Withdrawal after Consumption of High Levels of Alcohol.

There is an excellent correlation between the age when alcohol consumption begins and the likelihood of lifelong problems with alcohol abuse. Alcohol use often begins in adolescence, a time marked by brain development and maturation of numerous brain systems. Rats are an important model, wherein the emergence of alcohol withdrawal symptoms serves as a gauge of dependency following chronic alcohol consumption. Previous work has shown that adolescent Long-Evans rats consume high levels of alcohol and develop a severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome when fed alcohol as part of a liquid diet. Acutely, alcohol inhibits two important excitatory receptors for glutamate (NMDA and AMPA) and may further decrease glutamate activity through modulatory adenosine receptors. The present study focuses on potential adaptive changes in expression of these receptors that may create a receptor imbalance during chronic alcohol consumption and lead to severe overexcitation of the adolescent brain during alcohol withdrawal. Levels of brain expression of NMDA, AMPA, and adenosine A1 and A2a receptors were determined by Western blotting after adolescent rats consumed an alcohol-containing liquid diet for 4, 11, or 18 days. Severity of alcohol withdrawal was also assessed at these time points. Levels increased for both AMPA and NMDA receptors, significant and approaching maximal by day 11. In contrast, A1 receptor density showed a slow decline reaching significance at 18 days. There were no changes in expression of adenosine A2a receptor. The most severe withdrawal symptoms appear to coincide with the later downregulation of adenosine A1 receptors coming on top of maximal upregulation of excitatory AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptors. Thus, loss of adenosine “brakes” on glutamate excitation may punctuate receptor imbalance in alcohol-consuming adolescents by allowing the upregulation of the excitatory receptors to have full impact during early alcohol withdrawal.
The Great Black Hope: An Examination of African American Parent Perspectives at Bass Charter Academy.

Since the conception of education in the United States, schools have been the battlegrounds for equal opportunities among African American students. In an effort to improve educational options and ...
Silver Nanoparticles Induce Mitochondrial Protein Oxidation in Lung Cells Impacting Cell Cycle and Proliferation

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used nanomaterials in both commercial and clinical biomedical applications, due to their antibacterial properties. AgNPs are also being explored for the treatment of cancer in particular in combination with ionizing radiation. In this work, we studied the effects of AgNPs and ionizing radiation on mitochondrial redox state and function in a panel of lung cell lines (A549, BEAS-2B, Calu-1 and NCI-H358). The exposure to AgNPs caused cell cycle arrest and decreased cell proliferation in A549, BEAS-2B and Calu-1, but not in NCI-H358. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein oxidation increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner in the more sensitive cell lines with the AgNP exposure, but not in NCI-H358. While ionizing radiation also induced changes in the mitochondrial redox profiles, in general, these were not synergistic with the effects of AgNPs with the exception of NCI-H358 and only at a higher dose of radiation.
Assessment of chemical pollutant levels of dietary salt in Shanghai in 2015

OBJECTIVE To detect the chemical pollutants concentrations of dietary salt and to comprehend the effect of chemical pollutants on the quality of salt. METHODS 45 kinds of salt with different countries, brands and types were collected in Shanghai during May to June in 2015. Five different heavy metal elements, fluoride, potassium ferrocyanide and 16 phthalate plasticizers were measured, and the result were analyzed with the standard. RESULTS The salt of largest consumption was domestic halite/well salt in Shanghai, accounting for 87. 6% of the total salt consumption. Lead was detected in only two types of salt at concentrations recorded of 0. 047 and 0. 077 mg/kg, which were far below the Chinese national standard. The concentrations of total arsenic, total mercury, cadmium, and barium were lower than the limit of detection( LOD) in all samples. The median fluoride concentration of salts was 0. 16 mg/kg( maximum 2. 50 mg/kg). The median fluoride concentration of domestic salts was significantly lower than foreign-produced salts( P < 0. 05), and it was significantly higher in sea salt than in other types of salt. The median potassium ferrocyanide concentration in 12 types of salts was4. 30 mg/kg( maximum 9. 2 mg/kg), which was lower than the Chinese national standard. Just 3 salt types had low levels of bis( 2-ethylhexyl) phthalate concentrations that were above the LOD, at 0. 208, 0. 375 and 0. 380 mg/kg, respectively. CONCLUSION The level of chemical pollutants in salt is either very low or absent.
Investigation of Various Transformer Topologies for HF Isolation Applications

High-frequency (HF) transformers are an essential part of many power electronic devices. The performance and behavior of HF transformers can greatly affect the efficiency and performance of all systems, particularly, from a parasitic parameter point of view. In this article, HF transformers’ parasitic parameters, such as leakage inductances and parasitic capacitances, are analyzed using a novel analytical method, finite element method (FEM), and experimental measurements of different structures and winding arrangements. Also, the magnetic field, electric field, electric displacement field, and electric potential distribution within the transformers are simulated and analyzed. Four different HF transformers with E and U cores with different windings are designed and analyzed. Investigation outcomes help to classify structures according to the trade-off between leakage inductances and series parasitic capacitances. This information can later be used for the optimal selection and design of transformers as a function of their operating frequency for any power rating and voltage level. Moreover, 3-D FEM and experimental results validate the proposed methodology to be used for designing HF transformers in high-voltage/power applications.
Whole-Body versus Routine Skull Base to Mid-thigh 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography in Patients with Malignant Melanoma.

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to assess the utility of whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) (skull vertex to toes) imaging relative to the standard field of view (skull base to mid-thigh) in patients with primary melanoma site that is not located in the lower extremities. Material and Methods: The primary site of the melanoma and metastatic disease was determined based on 18F-FDG PET/CT findings in 26 patients. The FDG avid sites were tabulated as the primary site, lower extremity, brain, and other sites. The hypothesis is that routine skull base to mid-thigh versus whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with malignant melanoma will not change management. Results: Patients (26) were divided into those with primary melanoma site in either the lower extremities (six patients) or other site (20 patients). Four of the six patients with the primary site in the lower extremities also had positive findings in the ipsilateral inguinal lymph nodes. One of the patients with a positive inguinal lymph node had metastatic sites in the external iliac region and lungs on the initial study. On follow-up imaging, this patient also exhibited diffuse metastatic disease, including a lower extremity. None of the remaining patients in this group had positive findings other than the primary site in the lower extremity. Of the remaining 20 patients with the primary site not in the lower extremity, one had diffuse metastatic disease that included a lower extremity. However, lower extremity involvement would not change patient management in this case. A second patient in this group had diffuse metastatic disease that also involved the brain. However, no metastatic disease was present in the lower extremities in this patient. None of the remaining 18 patients in this group had metastatic disease in a lower extremity. Two patients in the entire study group of 26 had brain metastasis on contrast-enhanced head CT, with one having multiple brain metastasis. PET failed to demonstrate some of the brain lesions. In the other patient with solitary brain metastasis detected on contrast-enhanced head CT, PET was negative. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging of the lower extremity may not be justified if the primary neoplasm is not located in the lower extremities. Elimination of lower extremity imaging will reduce scanning time and additional radiation exposure. Similarly, PET/CT imaging of the brain may not be justified if contrast-enhanced CT or magnetic resonance imaging of the head is already obtained since these are more sensitive.
Assessing impacts of nitrogen management on nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching from greenhouse vegetable systems using a biogeochemical model

Abstract Greenhouse vegetable (GV) fields with intensive nitrogen application and frequent flood irrigation may substantially contribute to reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses, such as nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO3−) leaching. In this study, we applied a biogeochemical model, Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC), to assess impacts of N management on vegetable yields, N2O emissions, and NO3−-N leaching from GV systems. The model was evaluated using multi-year (2011–2013) field measurements of vegetable yields, N2O emissions, and NO3−-N concentrations in the surface soil layer and soil leachate under three treatments with different N management. The model evaluations demonstrated that the simulations of the vegetable yields and seasonal cumulative N2O emissions were consistent with the corresponding observations after calibration. In addition, DNDC generally captured the seasonal variations of the N2O fluxes and NO3−-N concentrations in the surface soil layer and the seasonal patterns and magnitudes of the measured NO3−-N concentrations in soil leachate in 2011. We then assessed impacts on the vegetable yields, N2O emissions, and NO3−-N leaching of different N management practices by conducting simulations under scenarios with changes in rate of the applied N-fertilizers and the application of nitrification inhibitor (NI). The results suggested that 1) the increasing of organic or synthetic N application rate generally increased the N2O emissions and NO3−-N leaching, but did not persistently increase the vegetable yields, 2) urea N application could induce more N2O emissions and NO3−-N leaching in comparison with organic N amendment, and 3) the NI application could decrease the N2O emissions and NO3−-N leaching while maintaining the vegetable yields at the GV fields. The optimum management practice identified in this study was applying organic manure at a rate of 320 kg N ha−1 four season−1 and urea at a rate of 334 kg N ha−1 four season−1, combined with the NI application. The optimum management practice reduced the rates of organic manure (1600 kg N ha−1 four season−1) and urea (1670 kg N ha−1 four season−1) under the farm's conventional practice by 80%. This practice maintained or slightly increased the yields and mitigated the N2O emissions and NO3−-N leaching by 81% to 90% and 92% to 95%, respectively, among different vegetable growing seasons.
On the Consistent Path Problem

This paper studies a novel decomposition scheme, utilizing decision diagrams for modeling elements of a problem where typical linear relaxations fail to provide sufficiently tight bounds. Given a c...
A Preliminary Study Examining the Validity of Brief Trauma Screening Tools for Young Adolescents in School-Based Health Centers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There are very limited brief, validated, open access screening tools for trauma symptoms in adolescent populations. This study aimed to test two brief tools used with adults in primary care settings for use with adolescents. METHODS Youth (n = 77) completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCLC-2), the Primary Care PTSD Screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; PC-PTSD), and the PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-5 (reference tool). Sensitivities and specificities were analyzed. RESULTS The PCLC-2 and PC-PTSD demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity with adolescents when using lower cutoff scores than those recommended for adults. CONCLUSIONS The PC-PTSD and PCLC-2 have the potential to be used as brief screens with adolescents. Additional research is needed to further examine their validity with larger, diverse youth samples in primary care and school-based settings.
In Up to My Ears and Temporal Lobes: Effects of Early Life Stress on Epilepsy Development.

Epilepsy and stress are each significant concerns in today’s society, bearing heavy impacts on mental and physical health and overall quality of life. Unfortunately, the intersection between these is potentially even more concerning, as stress is a frequent trigger of seizures and may contribute to neural hyperexcitability. A growing body of research suggests a connection between early life stress (occurring in the prenatal or postnatal stage) and later development of epilepsy. While the larger part of this literature suggests that early life stress increases vulnerability for epilepsy development, there are a number of interacting factors influencing this relationship. These factors include developmental stage at which both stressor and seizure assessment occur, type of stressor, sex effects, and type of seizure (convulsive or non-convulsive). Additionally, a number of potential mechanisms have been identified, including activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroinflammation, altered inhibitory/excitatory balance, and temporal lobe structures. Developing a clearer understanding of this relationship between early life stress and epilepsy, the factors that influence it, and underlying mechanisms that may serve as targets for intervention is crucial to improving quality of life for persons with epilepsy.
Research on the Effectiveness of China's A-share Main Board Market

The effectiveness of the stock market is an important indicator to measure the efficiency of capital allocation in the secondary financial market, and is of great significance to the operation of the national economy. Whether the Mainland China’s stock market is weakly effective has always been controversial. This article uses the measurement method to conduct empirical data research on the five randomly selected stocks and the Shanghai Composite Index, analyzes the conclusions and analyzes the underlying reasons that lead to the low effectiveness of the Mainland China stock market.
Reducing isotropy and volume to KLS: an o*(n3ψ2) volume algorithm

We show that the volume of a convex body in Rn in the general membership oracle model can be computed to within relative error e using O(n3ψ2/e2) oracle queries, where ψ is the KLS constant. With the current bound of ψ=O(no(1)), this gives an O(n3+o(1)/e2) algorithm, the first improvement on the Lovasz-Vempala O(n4/e2) algorithm from 2003. The main new ingredient is an O(n3ψ2) algorithm for isotropic transformation, following which we can apply the O(n3/e2) volume algorithm of Cousins and Vempala for well-rounded convex bodies. A positive resolution of the KLS conjecture would imply an O(n3/є2) volume algorithm. We also give an efficient implementation of the new algorithm for convex polytopes defined by m inequalities in Rn: polytope volume can be estimated in time O(mnc/e2) where c
Pharmacokinetics of transdermal flunixin meglumine and effects on biomarkers of inflammation in horses.

Flunixin meglumine is a highly efficacious nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used in equine medicine and especially in performance horses. Recently, a new transdermal flunixin meglumine product has been approved for use in cattle. Although not currently approved for use in the horse, the convenience of this product may prove appealing for use in horses, warranting study. Six horses were administered a single transdermal dose of 500 mg and blood and urine samples collected for up to 96 h post-administration. Serum for determination of thromboxane concentrations and whole blood samples was collected at various time and challenged with lipopolysaccharide, calcium ionophore, or methanol to induce ex vivo synthesis of eicosanoids. Concentrations of flunixin, 5-OH flunixin, and eicosanoids were measured using LC-MS/MS and non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis performed on concentration data. Serum concentrations of flunixin and 5-OH flunixin were above the limit of quantitation at 96 h post-administration in both serum and urine. The mean (range) for Cmax , Tmax and the terminal half-life were 515.6 (369.7-714.0) ng/ml, 8.67 (8.0 12.0) h, and 22.4 (18.3-42.5) h, respectively. Following transdermal administration, based on effects on eicosanoid synthesis, flunixin meglumine inhibited cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 and 15-lipooxygenase activity, with anti-inflammatory effects lasting for 24-72 h.
Comparative Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease: An National Cardiovascular Data Registry Research to Practice Project.

Background Prior studies on the use of multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (MV PCI) for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease have yielded heterogeneous results. The recent COMPLETE trial (Complete Versus Culprit-Only Revascularization Strategies to Treat Multivessel Disease After Early PCI for STEMI) demonstrated that MV PCI was superior to culprit-only PCI among patients with STEMI. It is unclear how these trial results apply to clinical decisions encountered in routine practice. Methods We studied STEMI admissions among patients >65 years with multivessel disease and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-linked data in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Registry from July 1, 2009 to December 31, 2017. MV PCI was defined as PCI to a nonculprit lesion ≤45 days of the index procedure. The primary outcome was the composite of death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization from 45 days through 1 year. To account for unmeasured confounders, an instrumental variable analysis was used to compare treatment strategies. The instrument was institutional rates of MV PCI. A falsification end point of postdischarge major bleeding was utilized to assess for residual confounding. Results Of 56 332 admissions from 1102 institutions, 37.7% received MV PCI ≤45 days of index STEMI PCI. Of those undergoing MV PCI, 74.8% received complete revascularization. In unadjusted analysis, MV PCI was associated with a lower cumulative incidence of the composite outcome between 45 days and 1 year (13.9% versus 18.2% for non-MV PCI, P Conclusions In this large, nationwide analysis, we did not find benefit of MV PCI by 1 year among older STEMI patients. The clinical benefit of MV PCI may not extend equally outside of trials to include all patients, including those with more extreme ages and more complex decision-making.
Microdose induction of buprenorphine-naloxone in a patient using high dose methadone: A case report.

Background Buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid receptor agonist approved for the treatment of opioid dependence. The risk of withdrawal symptoms and wait time required to safely initiate buprenorphine provides challenges to both patients and providers. Microdose induction is proposed as a possible solution to ease the transition to buprenorphine; however, little data has been published to date on patients stabilized on methadone doses greater than 100 mg. Case Report A 29-year-old patient stabilized on methadone 105 mg was successfully transitioned to sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone using a 7-day microdose protocol on an inpatient psychiatric service. During the transition, the patient reported only minimal symptoms. Conclusion This report adds to the growing literature supporting the use of a microdose induction to initiate buprenorphine-naloxone. Additionally, this approach may be significant for patients stabilized on high doses of methadone who may not be able to tolerate a traditional buprenorphine induction.
Temples in Diaspora: From Moral Landscapes to Therapeutic Religiosity and the Construction of Consilience in Tamil Toronto

The recently concluded Sri Lankan civil war not only sent many members of Sri Lanka’s largely Hindu, Tamil minority into diaspora but their religious institutions, their kooyil or temples, as well. In Sri Lanka Hindu Temples tended to be tied to the landscape by cultural practices that made them, at once, centers of local, moral landscapes, and, during the civil war, alternative public spheres where critiques and enquiries otherwise dangerous could be given and asked with relative impunity. Indeed, it seems only in the wake of the Sri Lankan government’s defeat of militant Tamil separatism that this last refuge has become increasingly penetrated by a victorious state. In Toronto Canada, on the other hand, where over 200,000 Sri Lankan Tamils now reside, most Hindu temples float free from the urban landscapes where they have been constructed, and are now created, moved, and adjusted more according to a logic of retail religiosity than by the moral cosmologies employed in the homeland. Moreover, such temples have been inserted carefully into a nervous, post-9/11 multicultural Toronto and, hence, often more resemble stores or warehouses than religious institutions. Yet Toronto’s Hindu temples still provide the all-enveloping spatial assurance of identity, or what I am calling consilience, that Toronto’s uprooted and war-damaged Sri Lankan Tamils seem to require. A historical discussion of both locations, Tamil speaking Sri Lanka and Toronto, Canada, also reveals how consilience is constructed using practices of strategic incoherence developed to deal with the identity challenging conditions of both colonial Ceylon and nationalist Sri Lanka.
Using a Bigram Event Model to Predict Causal Potential

This paper addresses the problem of causal knowledge discovery. Using online screenplays, we generate a corpus of temporally ordered events. We then introduce a measure we call causal potential which is easily calculated with statistics gathered over the corpus and show that this measure is highly correlated with an event pair's tendency of encoding a causal relation. We suggest that causal potential can be used in systems whose task is to determine the existence of causality between temporally adjacent events, when critical context is either missing or unreliable. Moreover, we argue that our model should therefore be used as a baseline for standard supervised models which take into account contextual information.
Association between periodontal disease, bacterial vaginosis, and sexual risk behaviours

Background: Both periodontal disease and bacterial vaginosis may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study evaluated the association between periodontal disease and bacterial vaginosis. Materials and Methods: Data from 3569 women enrolled in the Longitudinal Study of Vaginal Flora were used. Periodontal disease, defined as greater than three sites with � 4mm attachment loss, was assessed by specially calibrated hygienists at baseline. Positive bacterial vaginosis status was based on a Nugent Gram stain score � 7. Pairs of independent variables were compared with Pearson’s w 2 and risk ratios were calculated through log-binomial regression. Results: Twenty-eight per cent of women with bacterial vaginosis had periodontal disease compared with 22% without , corresponding to 1.29 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.47) times greater risk of periodontal disease among women with bacterial vaginosis. In adjusted analysis the risk ratio dropped to 1.23 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.40). Receptive oral sex with an uncircumcised partner was associated with 1.28 times (95% CI: 0.97, 1.69) the risk for periodontal disease compared with receptive oral sex with a circumcised partner, though the association is not statistically significant. Conclusions: In this population, there is a small but significant association between periodontal disease and bacterial vaginosis and a possible trend between receptive oral sex with an uncircumcised partner and periodontal disease.
The Afro-American in the Urban Age.

James Boggs (1970), a well-known theoretician of the Black liberation struggle, coined the phrase that "the City is the Black Man's Land." By this he meant that the city is the place where the vast majority of Black people live, work, and die. Indeed, the Black experience in the urban age is largely a story of a massive internal migration from the rural South to the urban North (and West). Many of these people migrated to escape the repressive plantation, sharecropper life in the South and to advance themselves in the pattern of European immigrants. The following statistics indicate the massive nature of the demographic change that occurred. In 1910, about 73% of Afro-Americans lived in rural areas, but by 1960 approximately 73% lived in urban regions, with an increasing proportion concentrated in major central cities. This trend is likely to continue, and, by 1985, it is estimated that seven of the ten largest cities in the United States will have majority Black populations. At the present time, there are thirteen cities with more than 250,000 Black people (New York; Chicago; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Detroit; Baltimore; Houston; Cleveland; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; Atlanta; St. Louis; and Memphis) and two (New
Quantifying the Bioefficacy of β-Carotene-biofortified Sorghum Using a Mongolian Gerbil Model

β-Carotene-biofortified transgenic sorghum is being developed to alleviate vitamin A deficiency in semiarid regions of Africa. Our objective was to quantify the bioefficacy of the biofortified sorghum using a Mongolian gerbil model. Gerbils were fed a vitamin A (VA)-free control diet (45% by wt non-transgenic sorghum flour) for 4 wk; 8 animals were then killed at baseline. The remaining animals were randomly assigned to treatments for 6 wk (n = 11 per group): 1) control diet dosed daily with cottonseed oil vehicle; 2) biofortified diet (45% by wt transgenic sorghum flour) dosed daily with cottonseed oil vehicle (95.8 nmol retinol equivalents/d); 3) control diet dosed daily with β-carotene (84.5 nmol retinol equivalents/d); 4) control diet dosed daily with VA (84.5 nmol retinol equivalents/d). Liver VA stores in the baseline (1.27 ± 0.29 μmol), β-carotene-dosed (1.30 ± 0.26 μmol), and biofortified (1.31 ± 0.23 μmol) groups were not different; liver stores in the vehicle-dosed control group were lower (0.92...
Cellular immunity against tumor antigens.

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the evidence that tumors possess tumor-specific transplantation antigens (TSTA). Virtually all animal neoplasms contain TSTA. Immune reactions against the specific antigens of syngeneic tumors are similar to allograft reactions by which transplanted normal and tumor cells are rejected if they contain isoantigens that are foreign to the recipients. They are to a large extent mediated by immunologically competent cells—that is, lymphocytes and macrophages. The chapter describes several techniques by which cellular immunity to transplantation antigens can be demonstrated, along with a review of different systems in which such techniques were used to detect lymphocyte-mediated immune reactions to TSTA. TSTA are macromolecules present in tumor cells and absent in the normal cells of the same individual and against which immune reactions can be demonstrated with transplantation techniques. The transplantation methods used to demonstrate TSTA can involve the immunization of recipient animals with tumor cells that have been rendered incapable of multiplication (X-irradiation) or that are inoculated in subthreshold doses. Immunization can be also achieved by the inoculation of living tumor cells and excision of the subsequent tumor nodule. The possible role of cellular immunity to TSTA is also discussed in the chapter. The demonstration of cellular immunity to TSTA implies that autochthonous neoplasms appear in the presence of immune lymph node cells, which can destroy their cells at least in vitro . The chapter reviews the phenomenon of allogeneic inhibition. This phenomenon has been postulated to operate in parallel to the immunological mechanisms as part of the organism's defense against antigenic neoplastic cells.
Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens : lack of evidence for changes in behavior

An assumption of studies using acoustic telemetry is that surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters or tags does not alter behavior of tagged individuals. Evaluating the validity of this assumption can be difficult for large fish, such as adult sturgeons, not amenable to controlled laboratory experimentation. The purpose of this study was to determine if and when this assumption was valid for adult lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens tagged with large (34 g) acoustic transmitters and released into the St. Clair River during 2011–2014. The hypothesis that activity and reach-scale distributions of tagged and untagged lake sturgeon did not differ was tested by comparing movement frequencies, movement rates (speed-over-ground), and location-specific detection probabilities between newly-tagged lake sturgeon and presumably fully-recovered conspecifics tagged and released in prior years. Activity of acoustic-tagged lake sturgeon did not differ between newly-tagged individuals and conspecifics tagged in prior years. Movement frequencies and movement rates in all comparisons were similar between lake sturgeon observed during the first 15 days after surgery and simultaneously-observed conspecifics tagged in prior years. Likewise, lake sturgeon observed during the first 15 days after release were not more likely than conspecifics tagged in prior years to be distributed upstream or downstream of release sites. However, newly-tagged lake sturgeon were more likely than conspecifics tagged in prior years to be detected near release areas. Whether the cause for this ephemeral difference in detection probabilities was a behavioral response to surgery or a consequence of releasing newly-tagged individuals near receivers could not be determined. Lack of evidence for changes in movement frequencies, movement rates, and distribution after surgical implantation of acoustic tags supported the assumption that movements of acoustic-tagged adult lake sturgeon were representative of untagged conspecifics. Thus, detection data gathered from recently tagged individuals is unlikely to bias data analyses in studies of lake sturgeon spatial ecology using telemetry. Our findings should apply to most tag sizes given that we used some of the largest acoustic tags currently available. The “staggered entry” design used in this study also may be useful for testing fundamental assumptions of biotelemetry studies for other large fish.
Determination of free and conjugated bile acidsas ultraviolet-absorbing lon pairs by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A method for the determination of free and conjugated bile acids as uv-absorbing ion pairs was developed. Ultraviolet photometric detection was more sensitive than differential refractometer detection. Improved resolution of positional isomers was also achieved. Distinctions were made between free and conjugated bile acids and between tauro- and glyco-conjugated bile acids. This was accomplished by adjusting the pH of the mobile phase to selectively form ion pairs.
Total gaseous mercury concentration and flux over a coastal saltmarsh vegetation in Connecticut, USA

Abstract The objective of this study is to characterize the ambient total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration (C) at a coastal salt marsh and the TGM flux (F) between the marsh and the atmosphere using data collected on a near-continuous basis from 5 Jun to 8 July, 1997 and from 8 March to 23 July, 1998. In general, C was lower in the afternoon than at night, which is believed to be a result of diurnal variation in the mixing efficiency of the atmospheric boundary layer. The lack of a significant upward trend from March to July 1998 implies that TGM was removed from the boundary layer at a rate equal or greater than the surface emission. Three episodes of low C (0–1 ng m−3) occurred in July 1998, each lasting about 3 h. The TGM flux, F, was determined with the micrometeorological aerodynamic method. An episodic event of large positive F (emission) occurred in early spring of 1998 and appears to have been triggered by ice melting. It is proposed that three competing mechanisms – Hg vaporization, oxygen transport via roots, and diffusion into plants via stomata – may have played a role in the Hg exchange over other periods, resulting in bi-directional exchange of Hg with the atmosphere. Extrapolation of the 1998 data to the whole year suggests a weak sink removing 4±7μg Hg m−2 yr−1 from the atmosphere, a rate similar in magnitude to wet or particulate deposition to the site but much smaller than the rate of Hg accumulation in the sediment.
Genomic DNA Copy-Number Alterations of the let-7 Family in Human Cancers

In human cancer, expression of the let-7 family is significantly reduced, and this is associated with shorter survival times in patients. However, the mechanisms leading to let-7 downregulation in cancer are still largely unclear. Since an alteration in copy-number is one of the causes of gene deregulation in cancer, we examined copy number alterations of the let-7 family in 2,969 cancer specimens from a high-resolution SNP array dataset. We found that there was a reduction in the copy number of let-7 genes in a cancer-type specific manner. Importantly, focal deletion of four let-7 family members was found in three cancer types: medulloblastoma (let-7a-2 and let-7e), breast cancer (let-7a-2), and ovarian cancer (let-7a-3/let-7b). For example, the genomic locus harboring let-7a-3/let-7b was deleted in 44% of the specimens from ovarian cancer patients. We also found a positive correlation between the copy number of let-7b and mature let-7b expression in ovarian cancer. Finally, we showed that restoration of let-7b expression dramatically reduced ovarian tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that copy number deletion is an important mechanism leading to the downregulation of expression of specific let-7 family members in medulloblastoma, breast, and ovarian cancers. Restoration of let-7 expression in tumor cells could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer.
Adenovirus-mediated gene therapy to liver grafts: successful gene transfer by donor pretreatment.

Abstract Background: We have previously shown excellent adenoviral (Ad) gene transfection to transplanted liver grafts with the clamp technique (CT) where viral vector was delivered ex vivo and trapped in cold preserved liver grafts. In this study, we adopted a new gene therapy approach to achieve early transgene expression by donor pretreatment with viral vector and compared the efficacy of these two methods by using Ad vector encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (AdEGFP) marker gene. Methods: AdEGFP (1 × 10 9 plaque forming units) was delivered to the liver grafts by: (1) single intravenous injection to donor Lewis rats 48 hours before harvesting, (2) ex vivo cold infusion into the harvested liver with CT, or (3) a combination of both methods. Liver grafts were stored in University of Wisconsin solution at 4°C for 18 hours and then orthotopically transplanted into syngeneic recipients, and the expression of EGFP was studied. Results: With intravenous pretreatment of donor liver grafts, EGFP-expressing cells were detected as early as 3 hours after transplant, and moderate expression was seen by 12 hours. In contrast, EGFP was not detected until 12 to 24 hours after transplant with CT. High levels of EGFP-producing cells were seen with each technique at 7 days (~30% transfection efficiency). A combination of both methods did not enhance infectivity. Liver preservation injury was comparable between groups. Conclusions: Gene transfer by donor pretreatment with AdEGFP induces early and efficient gene transduction to liver grafts compared with back-table delivery with CT. This method is simple and provides early transgene expression in liver grafts that potentially could be used to deliver genes to decrease preservation injury or rejection. (Surgery 2000;128:345-52.)
Kepone--hazard evaluation.

Kepone is a persistent chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide which is no longer manufactured in the U.S.A., its uses having been cancelled on April 11, 1977; previous food uses included control of the banana root borer, and non-food uses included control of tobacco wireworm, ants, and cockroaches. An adduct of Kepone, Kelevan, is now distributed by Spiess and Sohn, Chemische Fabrik, Germany, with an as yet unknown manufacturer, for control of the Colorado potato beetle in Eastern Europe and Ireland, and for control of the banana root borer in the cameroons, Caribbean, and South America. Kepone is acutely toxic and induces cumulative and delayed toxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive impairment, in a wide range of species including birds, rodents and humans; it is also carcinogenic in rodents. Extensive environmental dispersion, with major evidence of aquatic toxicity has been demonstrated following its recent manufacture in Hopewell, Virginia, U.S.A.
Opening windows to teaching: Empowering educators to teach self‐discipline

(1985). Opening windows to teaching: Empowering educators to teach self‐discipline. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 24, Teaching Self‐Discipline, pp. 227-232.