cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost effectiveness of clozapine in neuroleptic-resistant schizophrenia.

Objective The goal of this study was to determine whether clozapine is a cost-effective treatment for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Method Data were collected on 96 treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia for 2 years before they entered a clozapine treatment study and for at least 2 years after they entered the study. Information about the cost of inpatient and outpatient treatment, housing costs, other costs, and family burden through direct interview or questionnaire of these patients and their families were available for 47 of the 96 patients. Data on lost income and Social Security disability insurance were also obtained. Outcome measures included psychopathology, quality of life, global functioning, work function, and rehospitalization. Results The cost of treatment was significantly decreased in the patients who continued clozapine treatment for at least 2 years. This was primarily due to a dramatic decrease in the frequency and cost of rehospitalization. Costs were nonsignificantly lower in patients who dropped out of treatment. The estimated total 2-year cost for the 59 patients who continued clozapine treatment, the 34 patients who dropped out, and the three who interrupted treatment decreased from $7,390,206 to $5,719,463, a savings of $8,702/year per patient. There was a decrease in total costs of $22,936/year for the 37 patients who continued clozapine treatment for whom cost data were available. There were no significant changes in lost income or Social Security disability insurance payments in either group. Clozapine produced a marked improvement in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total scores as well as positive negative symptom scores, Global Assessment Scale scores, Quality of Life Scale scores, work functioning, capacity for independent living, and rehospitalization rates. Conclusions Clozapine is a cost-effective treatment for treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients. Cost savings result almost exclusively from the reduced cost of hospitalization.
Are remittances helping lower poverty and inequality levels in Latin America

Abstract Although the recent economic expansion and redistributive fiscal policies implemented in Latin America since the turn of the century have raised the wellbeing of the population, the private monetary transfers from immigrants to their relatives back home are proving to be one of the most stable drivers of this change. This paper uses a new dataset for 18 Latin American countries covering the 2000–2013 period to examine the effectiveness of international remittances in reducing poverty and inequality. Dynamic panel data results using a number of measures for remittances indicate that increases in remittances have a negative and statistically significant impact on overall poverty and inequality in the region, even if it exacerbates moderate poverty. Such effect is robust to alternative remittances measures used to control for endogeneity concerns. In particular, remittances seem to have a stronger effect in countries receiving smaller amounts and in countries with a larger share of its population working abroad. Regional differences also affect the impact that remittances have on the wellbeing of the population, but financial development is found to have a limited impact on the effectiveness of remittances on poverty and inequality.
Early Development of Behavior and the Nervous System

For much of the period between 1950 and 1970 the Canadian psychologist D. O. Hebb was a leading exponent of a developmental approach to neural and behavioral problems. Perhaps his best-known contribution in this regard was his now classic book Organization of Behavior (1949). In this work Hebb not only outlined a plausible and testable conceptual framework for understanding the role of sensory and perceptual experience in the development of the nervous system and behavior, but also provided empirical support for the model. By virtue of this, Hebb’s book is considered to be an important milestone in the age-old debate over the role of nature versus nuture, heredity versus environment, or preformation versus epigenesis in the development of behavioral and psychological processes.
Effect of pore geometry on nitrogen sorption isotherms interpretation: A pore network modeling study

Abstract Hydrocarbon-bearing tight rocks usually have pores at nanometer scale and permeability below microdarcy range. An effective characterization of the pore structure is essential for understanding hydrocarbon storage and transport behaviors. Nitrogen sorption isotherms measured at 77 K have been widely used for pore size and surface area characterization of nanoporous media. However, most analysis efforts are based on the assumption of slit or cylindrical pore shapes. Unconventional rocks such as shale have complex pore geometries that can have a significant effect on the adsorption curve cumulative behavior. Thus, a proper understanding of the effect of the assumed pore shapes on the interpretation of pore structure from nitrogen sorption isotherms is required to assess the reliability of the analysis results. In this study, we apply the lattice density functional theory initially developed for a single pore to a network of pores with bimodal pore size distribution and three types of pore shapes (i.e. slit, cylindrical and spherical). We simulate the nitrogen adsorption and desorption processes with incorporation of pore blocking effect and tensile strength effect. We optimize the pore size distribution, connectivity, surface area and surface energy for each type of pore shape by matching simulation and experimental sorption curves. We apply the above workflow to the sorption curves collected on Cameo coal and Woodford shale samples. For both samples, a network of spherical pores always results in the largest average pore size, highest surface energy, highest degree of connectivity but smallest surface area, while a network of slit pores shows the opposite. At the same time, all three types of pore shapes demonstrate a good match with experimental sorption curves. In terms of providing the closest match of surface area with BET results, we determine the dominant pore shape of Cameo coal and Woodford shale samples to be slit and cylindrical, respectively. To reduce the uncertainty in the characterization results, we further use a combination of all three types of pore shapes in our pore network model, with fractions of each pore shape determined by SEM image analysis. The final matching results show significant improvement over using only slit pore shape.
Designing Incentives to Maximize the Adoption of Rooftop Solar Technology

Household level rooftop solar technology adoption is rising in many regions, driven by a multitude of factors, including falling prices and incentives such as tax breaks. It has also been shown in recent research that peer effects have an important role in the spread of solar adoption. This leads to a natural problem of how to design incentives to maximize adoption in such a model. While this is an instance of an "influence maximization'' problem, prior results from the influence maximization literature cannot be used directly. In this work, we extend prior results from the literature on the use of submodularity to obtain a greedy approximation. We use this new result to do optimal "seed set'' selection for a highly detailed, data-driven, agent-based model of household rooftop solar adoption.
Liquid-Crystal Light-Control Experiments

Liquid crystals are sensitive to a number of external influences: Pressure, temperature, mechanical shear, low-frequency electric fields, low-frequency magnetic fields, ultraviolet irradiation, and chemical vapors. Any of these stimuli can produce a measurable change in the liquid crystal’s light-scattering properties. Light “control” is possible because the external stimuli modify the optical scattering pattern. They control the amplitude, phase, and angular direction of light emerging from the liquid crystal.
Alchemy and Eschatology: Exploring the Connections between John Dee and Isaac Newton

In 1724/5, Isaac Newton explained to John Conduitt the key role he believed the comet of 1680 would play in the catastrophic end of the world.2 Newton’s understanding of the comet was informed not only by his natural philosophical views, but also his faith in a providential deity as described in holy scripture. While alchemical literature explained the vital role putrefaction played in generation, Newton believed that the ultimate restitution of nature and mankind foretold in the Bible could only come about after a cataclysmic event such as the one he expected when the comet of 1680 hit the sun. Until that time of spiritual and material regeneration, Newton aspired to increase human understanding of God’s plan for the cosmos through what Betty Jo Dobbs described as “the knowledge of God’s activity in the world.”3 Like many of his contemporaries, Newton believed that such knowledge could be increased by consulting ancient authorities who lived and worked when human understanding had been less corrupted by the consequences of Adam’s Fall. Newton hoped that his search through ancient texts would yield a true religion and a true natural philosophy, both of which would help to increase human understanding of the natural world as well as the divine.4
Can low accuracy disease risk predictor models improve health care using decision support systems

A prototype decision support system has been designed for managing dental caries using a risk assessment model. Caries is a multifactorial disease with risk prediction models having low sensitivity (65%) and moderate specificity (80%) for 2 or more new lesions. These models are inaccurate for targeting resources at high risk people. However, low risk individuals can be more accurately identified. If the activity of early tooth decay lesions, in low risk people, are monitored over time and only lesions beyond 1/3 of the dentin depth are filled, the number of annual fillings may be reduced by 50%. Currently, most US dental schools do not teach risk assessment for caries and encourage early treatment of lesions leading to a repair destruction cycle. The combination of a decision support system with a moderate accuracy specificity risk model for predicting low risk individuals may produce a significant improvement in caries management.
Isolated ophthalmoplegia as presenting sign of pediatric Wernicke encephalopathy (P3.333)

Objective: To describe a case of isolated ophthalmoplegia as the presenting sign of Wernicke encephalopathy in a teenager with recent history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Background: Wernicke encephalopathy is present in up to 3% of the population with increased prevalence in patients with history of alcoholism, malabsorption, or poor dietary intake of thiamine. It is classically characterized by altered mental status, oculomotor dysfunction and gait ataxia. However, the full triad is present in less than one third of patients leading to delays in diagnosis. Pediatric Wernicke encephalopathy is rare and of the ten previously reported cases occurring after weight loss surgery, none had isolated ophthalmoplegia. Design/Methods: A 15 year old female with morbid obesity was admitted with dizziness and hypotension 2 months after her Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Symptoms improved with normal saline fluid bolus without thiamine. Within 24 hours she developed hypertension and subjectively blurred vision. On physical examination patient was alert and oriented with cranial nerve exam significant for prominent vertical nystagmus with vertical gaze and ophthalmoplegia (bilateral medial and lateral rectus palsy). Strength and coordination were intact. CT head was negative for hemorrhage, subacute ischemia or mass lesion. Results: MRI brain demonstrated hyperintensities in the periaqueductal parenchyma along the dorsal margin of the medulla consistent with thiamine deficiency. A diagnosis of Wernicke encephalopathy was subsequently confirmed by low thiamine level. The patient later developed mild alterations in mental status and transient gait ataxia. Her symptoms improved with thiamine supplementation. Conclusions: Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for Wernicke encephalopathy in pediatric patients after gastric bypass procedures. We recommend monitoring for clinical signs of nutritional deficiencies, educating patients on clinical signs of thiamine deficiency, and early multivitamin supplementation. Prevention and early identification to ensure treatment of this potentially fatal yet easily treated condition are essential. Disclosure: Dr. Takacs has nothing to disclose. Dr Lyons-Warren has nothing to disclose.
Specific sequences of infectious challenge lead to secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-like disease in mice

Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) is a highly mortal complication associated with sepsis. In adults, it is often seen in the setting of infections, especially viral infections, but the mechanisms that underlie pathogenesis are unknown. sHLH is characterized by a hyperinflammatory state and the presence hemophagocytosis. We found that sequential challenging of mice with a nonlethal dose of viral toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist followed by a nonlethal dose of TLR4 agonist, but not other permutations, produced a highly lethal state that recapitulates many aspects of human HLH. We found that this hyperinflammatory response could be recapitulated in vitro in bone marrow-derived macrophages. RNA sequencing analyses revealed dramatic up-regulation of the red-pulp macrophage lineage-defining transcription factor SpiC and its associated transcriptional program, which was also present in bone marrow macrophages sorted from patients with sHLH. Transcriptional profiling also revealed a unique metabolic transcriptional profile in these macrophages, and immunometabolic phenotyping revealed impaired mitochondrial function and oxidative metabolism and a reliance on glycolytic metabolism. Subsequently, we show that therapeutic administration of the glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose was sufficient to rescue animals from HLH. Together, these data identify a potential mechanism for the pathogenesis of sHLH and a potentially useful therapeutic strategy for its treatment.
Simulation Optimization of Water Usage and Crop Yield Using Precision Irrigation.

Sustainable agriculture maximizes crop production with minimal use of resources, such as water and energy. Subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) uses an impermeable membrane in the soil to hold more water for plants. Optimal production of crops requires not only the optimal irrigation rate but also optimal shapes and placements of SWRT. Furthermore, some uncertain factors, e.g. incoming solar energy, plant transpiration rate temperature, climatic conditions, and genetics of crops are also important in crop production, thereby making the optimization process complicated. In this paper, we propose a computationally fast approach that utilizes HYDRUS-2D software for water flow simulation and DSSAT crop simulation software with an evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) procedure in a coordinated manner to minimize water utilization and maximize crop production. Our method simulates SWRT in HYDRUS-2D software and calibrates and validates DSSAT model parameters according to the HYDRUS-2D simulation. Then it finds the best irrigation schedules to produce maximum crop production and water use efficiency by DSSAT. Our results show that HYDRUS-DSSAT calibration produces less than 5% validation error and the optimization procedure introduces 99% water use efficiency with the help of rainfall water and as much as 6 times increase of corn production compared to a non-optimized, random irrigation schedule without any SWRT membrane.
Scrapped Sentiment: Letitia Landon and Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap-Book, 1832–1837

This essay examines several ‘companion poems’ that Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) wrote for the literary annual Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap-Book between 1832 and 1838. Each of these poems was ...
Evaluation of Lung Injury in Infants with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Abstract Background/Purpose The presence of lung injury and the factors that contribute to it in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) have not been objectively measured during their clinical course. In adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome, higher serum levels of surfactant protein D (SP-D) are linked to lung injury and worse outcomes. We hypothesized that serum SP-D levels would be elevated in CDH infants and that the levels would correlate to the amount of lung injury present. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, serum SP-D levels were analyzed in 37 CDH infants and 5 control infants using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results Infants with more severe CDH had a statistically significant increase (p Conclusions These results demonstrate that CDH infants experience lung injury during the first week of life, around the time of surgery, and at the time of ECMO termination. Level II prognosis study.
Associations Between Family and Community Protective Factors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Outcomes Among US Children.

ABSTRACT:Background:Evidence has established the association between risk factors and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) severity, but less is known about factors that may have protective effects on clinical, academic, and social outcomes among children with ADHD.Objective:To examine as
Introducing Nonscience Majors to Science Literacy via a Laboratory and Lecture Beer Brewing Course.

“Beer Brewing: Chemical and Biochemical Principles” is a 15 week laboratory and lecture course specifically designed for nonscience majors as an introduction to science literacy via structured labo...
Late contributions of repetitive head impacts and TBI to depression symptoms and cognition.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that repetitive head impacts (RHI), like those from contact sport play, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) have long-term neuropsychiatric and cognitive consequences, we compared middle-age and older adult participants who reported a history of RHI and/or TBI to those without this history on measures of depression and cognition. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 13,323 individuals (mean age=61.95, 72.5% female) from the Brain Health Registry who completed online assessments, including the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method; the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15); and the CogState Brief Battery and Lumos Labs NeuroCognitive Performance Tests. Inverse propensity weighted linear regressions accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education tested the effects of RHI and TBI compared to a non-RHI/TBI group. Results: 725 reported RHI exposure (mostly contact sport play and abuse) and 7,277 reported TBI (n=2,604 with LOC). RHI (beta=1.24, 95% CI=0.36,2.12), TBI without LOC (beta=0.43, 95% CI=0.31,0.54), and TBI with LOC (beta=0.75, 95% CI=0.59,0.91) corresponded to higher GDS-15 scores. While TBI with LOC had the most neuropsychological associations, TBI without LOC had a negative effect on CogState Identification (beta=0.004, 95% CI=0.001,0.01) and CogState One Back Test (beta=0.004, 95% CI=0.0002,0.01). RHI predicted worse CogState One Back Test scores (beta=0.02, 95% CI =-0.01,0.05). There were RHIxTBI interaction effects on several neuropsychological subtests, and participants who had a history of both RHI and TBI with LOC had the worse depression symptoms and cognition. Conclusions: RHI and TBI independently contributed to mid- to worse mid- to later-life neuropsychiatric and cognitive functioning.
Mixed Venous Oxygen Saturation Is a Better Prognosticator Than Cardiac Index in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines include thermodilution cardiac index (TDCI) and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) as two of the three hemodynamic determinations used in risk assessment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). SvO2 may be a better measurement than TDCI to assess prognosis in patients with either idiopathic or heritable PAH. Research Question What is the concordance between TDCI and SvO2 ESC/ERS risk group allocation and their prognostic value in patients with PAH? Study Design and Methods In this retrospective study, we assessed the correlation between SvO2 and TDCI in patients with idiopathic and heritable PAH. We determined concordance in the ESC/ERS risk group allocation and association with survival, both at baseline and follow-up. Results A total of 158 patients (mean age, 58 ± 17 years; 72% women) with idiopathic (91%) and heritable (9%) PAH were included. There was moderate association between TDCI and SvO2 (r = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37-0.62). Weighted kappa revealed a fair agreement between TDCI and SvO2 (κ = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.18-0.42), with concordance in risk group allocation in 49% of patients. During a median follow-up of 45 months (interquartile range, 23-105), 62 patients (39%) died. Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, survival was impacted by the SvO2 (log rank = 0.002) but not by the TDCI risk group allocation (log-rank = 0.51). Using the Cox proportional hazard model, adjusted for age and sex, SvO2 (but not TDCI) was associated with mortality (hazard ratio per 1% change, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.97; P Interpretation When using the cutoffs proposed by the ESC/ERS guidelines, we noted poor concordance in risk score allocation between TDCI and SvO2. In patients with idiopathic or heritable PAH, SvO2 measurements are superior to TDCI in predicting long-term mortality.
Prospective evaluation of kidney and liver disease in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease-congenital hepatic fibrosis.

Abstract Background and objectives We have previously published the characteristics of kidney and liver disease in a cohort of 73 individuals with molecularly confirmed autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease-congenital hepatic fibrosis, based upon cross-sectional data. Here, we present prospective data on the same cohort. Design, setting, participants, and measurements Comprehensive biochemical and imaging data on progression of kidney and liver disease in 60 of the 73 patients were prospectively collected at the NIH Clinical Center on multiple visits between 2003 and 2019. Results and conclusions Of the 73 patients, 23 received a renal allograft at an average age of 17.5 years and 10 underwent liver transplantation at an average age of 20.3 years. Patients who presented perinatally and those who had corticomedullary disease required kidney transplantation significantly earlier. The mean eGFR slope in patients with corticomedullary disease was −1.6 ml/min/1.73 m2/y, in comparison to −0.6 ml/min/1.73 m2/y in those with medullary disease. Kidney size remained the same over time and normalized to the upper limit of normal by 20–25 years of age. The extent of renal disease on ultrasound remained largely unchanged; no patient progressed from the “medullary” to the “corticomedullary” group. There was no correlation between eGFR slope and kidney size. The synthetic function of the liver remained largely intact even in patients with advanced portal hypertension. Based on spleen length/height ratio, two thirds of patients had portal hypertension which remained stable in 39% and worsened in 61%. Patients with portal hypertension had lower platelet counts and relatively higher levels of AST, GGT, direct bilirubin and ammonia. The progression rates of kidney and liver disease were independent of each other. Patients with bi-allelic non-truncating PKHD1 variants had similar progression of kidney and liver disease in comparison to those who were compound heterozygous for a non-truncating and a truncating variant.
Evaluation of the Pediatric Surgical Patient

This chapter provides a brief introduction to the nuances and challenges associated with the surgical evaluation of the pediatric patient.
Method for Measuring the Laser Field and the Opacity of Spectral Lines in Plasmas

In experimental studies of laser-plasma interactions, the laser radiation can exist inside plasma regions where the electron density is below the critical density (“underdense” plasma), as well as at the surface of the critical density. The surface of the critical density could exhibit a rich physics. Namely, the incident laser radiation can get converted in transverse electromagnetic waves of significantly higher amplitudes than the incident radiation, due to various nonlinear processes. We proposed a diagnostic method based on the laser-produced satellites of hydrogenic spectral lines in plasmas. The method allows measuring both the laser field (or more generally, the field of the resulting transverse electromagnetic wave) and the opacity from experimental spectrum of a hydrogenic line exhibiting satellites. This spectroscopic diagnostic should be useful for a better understanding of laser-plasma interactions, including relativistic laser-plasma interactions.
Network defense and behavioral biases: an experimental study

How do people distribute defenses over a directed network attack graph, where they must defend a critical node? This question is of interest to computer scientists, information technology and security professionals. Decision-makers are often subject to behavioral biases that cause them to make sub-optimal defense decisions, which can prove especially costly if the critical node is an essential infrastructure. We posit that non-linear probability weighting is one bias that may lead to sub-optimal decision-making in this environment, and provide an experimental test. We find support for this conjecture, and also identify other empirically important forms of biases such as naive diversification and preferences over the spatial timing of the revelation of an overall successful defense. The latter preference is related to the concept of anticipatory feelings induced by the timing of the resolution of uncertainty.
Direct sampling methods for isotropic and anisotropic scatterers with point source measurements.

In this paper, we consider the inverse scattering problem for recovering either an isotropic or anisotropic scatterer from the measured scattered field initiated by a point source. We propose two new imaging functionals for solving the inverse problem. The first one employs a far-field transform to the data which we then use to derive and provide an explicit decay rate for the imaging functional. In order to analyze the behavior of this imaging functional we use the factorization of the near field operator as well as the Funk-Hecke integral identity. For the second imaging functional the Cauchy data is used to define the functional and its behavior is analyzed using the Green's identities. Numerical experiments are given in two dimensions for both isotropic and anisotropic scatterers.
Does specialization matter? How journalistic expertise explains differences in health-care coverage

Does journalists' level of specialization affect whether they view a topic as newsworthy? Does specialization affect the kind of story (hard news vs feature) journalists believe a topic merits? This chapter articulates a theory of journalism practice predicting that reporters who specialize in health-care journalism will evaluate potential health-care stories in fundamentally different ways than general assignment reporters. Analysis of an original web-based survey (N = 733) of journalists, 109 of whom specialized in health-care journalism and 624 of whom were general assignment political journalists, revealed that specialists were more likely than generalists to believe that the development of a web application (“app”) that connected cancer patients to their doctors and to other cancer patients was newsworthy (p < 0.01). Moreover, the specialists thought that the app's launch merited a lengthy feature story, whereas generalists were more likely to believe the app deserved a short, hard news story (p < 0.05). Qualitative evidence indicated that the specialists and generalists would have approached the story very differently in terms of communicating the promise of the app and purpose of the story. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the role of specialization in the provision of vital health-care information to the citizenry.
Generalizing Data in Natural Language

This paper concerns the development of a new direction in machine learning, called natural induction, which requires from computer-generated knowledge not only to have high predictive accuracy, but also to be in human-oriented forms, such as natural language descriptions and/or graphical representations. Such forms facilitate understanding and acceptance of the learned knowledge, and making mental models that are useful for decision making. An initial version of the AQ21-NI program for natural induction and its several novel features are briefly described. The performance of the program is illustrated by an example of deriving medical diagnostic rules from micro-array data.
Non-commutative Two Dimensional Modular Symbol

We define iteration over a two dimensional manifold as analog of iteration over a path defined by Chen. We give several applications. Some of them include constructions of non-abelian modular symbol for $SL(3,\Z)$ and for $SL_{2/K}$, where $K$ is a real quadratic field. We construct the latter as generating series of iterated integrals over a two-dimensional manifold of Hilbert modular forms. We give a motivic interpretation of this non-abelian modular symbol. Other applications give motivic interpretations of certain iterated completed Dedekind zeta functions.
Synthetic metal-binding protein surface domains for metal ion-dependent interaction chromatography. II. Immobilization of synthetic metal-binding peptides from metal ion transport proteins as model bioactive protein surface domains.

This preliminary investigation tests the premise that biologically relevant (1) peptide-metal ion interactions, and (2) metal ion-dependent macromolecular recognition events (e.g., peptide-peptide interactions) may be modeled by biomimetic affinity chromatography. Divinylsulfone-activated agarose (6%) was used to immobilize three different synthetic peptides representing metal-binding protein surface domains from the human plasma metal transport protein histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG). The synthetic peptides represented 1-3 multiple repeat units of the 5-residue sequence (Gly-His-His-Pro-His) found in the C-terminal of HRG. By frontal analyses, immobilized HRG peptides of the type (GHHPH)nG, where n = 1-3, were each found to have a similar binding capacity for both Cu(II) ions and Zn(II) ions (31-38 mumol/ml gel). The metal ion-dependent interaction of a variety of model peptides with each of the immobilized HRG peptide affinity columns demonstrated differences in selectivity despite the similar internal sequence homology and metal ion binding capacity. The immobilized 11-residue HRG peptide was loaded with Cu(II) ions and used to demonstrate selective adsorption and isolation of proteins from human plasma. These results suggest that immobilized metal-binding peptides selected from known solvent-exposed protein surface metal-binding domains may be useful model systems to evaluate the specificity of biologically relevant metal ion-dependent interaction and transfer events in vitro.
Is There a Role for Oncotype Dx Testing in Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

Oncotype Dx Breast Cancer Assay is a 21-gene assay used in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer to predict benefit from chemotherapy (CT). Tumors are placed into one of three risk categories based on their recurrence score (RS). This paper explores the impact of tumor histopathologic features and Oncotype Dx RS on the treatment plan for invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). Invasive lobular carcinoma cases submitted for Oncotype Dx testing were identified from a clinical data base. The histopathologic and immunohistochemical features and RS subcategory of each tumor, and treatment regimen and medical oncologic assessments of each patient were reviewed. A total of 135 cases of ILC had RS testing, which represented 15% of all ILC diagnosed at the institution over the time period. 80% of ILC was of the classical subtype and all tumors were ER positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) negative by immunohistochemistry. Sixty three percent of cases were low risk (LR), 35.5% were intermediate risk (IR) and 1.5% were high risk (HR). Both HR cases were pleomorphic ILC. Sixty eight percent of classical ILC had a LR score, while 70% of pleomorphic ILC had an IR score. Patients in the IR category were significantly more likely to undergo CT than patients in the LR category (54% versus 18%; p < 0.0001). In the LR category, those undergoing CT were significantly younger and more likely to have positive lymph nodes (p < 0.05). Qualitative analysis of medical oncologic assessments showed that RS played a role in decision-making on CT in 74% of cases overall. At our institution, Oncotype Dx RS currently plays a role in the management of a proportion of ILC and impacts on treatment decisions.
The Comparative Effects of Hard and Soft Ionizing Radiations on Male and Female Ring X Drosophila in Air and Nitrogen.

The rate of loss of ring X chromosomes in the progeny of x-irradiated male and female Drosophila was studied. It is shown that breakage, measured as ring loss, is iess frequent in x-rayed oocytes than in x-rayed sperms. A further study was made of the rates of ring loss in males and in females, in both air and nitrogen, induced by soft x rays and by hardy rays. When x rays were used, these studes showed a small, but quite significant, effect of oxygen on ring loss in X/ sup c1/, y males, and a larger oxygen effect on ring loss in X/sup c1/, y females. When gamma rays were used, however, there was no demonstrable effect of oxygen on the frequency of ring loss in either sex. This result is interpreted in the light of the hypothesis of a spectrum of chromosome damage. (auth)
A Systems Approach to Error Reduction in Criminal Justice

The “systems approach” has been used, improved, and refined over time to improve safety and reduce errors in a variety of complex, high-risk industries, including health care, aviation, and manufacturing, among others. Such an approach targets the system for improvement rather than specific individuals within the system, and seeks to provide an environment that maximizes each participant’s ability to act safely and in a way that achieves the goals of the system. It prizes a non-punitive culture of disclosure to identify errors, gathers and applies data to understand the causes of the error, and tests systems changes to prevent future errors. This focus on system improvement, rather than on individual punishment or blame, unites all participants around objective criteria and allows each participant to do his or her job more efficiently, accurately and safely.While the challenge of preventing errors in well-meaning complex systems is neither new nor unique to criminal law, the need for error reduction in the criminal justice system is clear. This document advocates for the application of a systems approach to reducing errors in the criminal justice system, generating reform in a fashion that will unify well-intentioned but professionally adversarial participants around an objective shared by all: the integrity of investigations, prosecutions, and adjudications, and the elimination of known and currently unknown errors that undermine the fair administration of justice. It then sets forth requirements for the successful application of a systems approach, and a model for interaction among researchers, reformers, and practitioners in the criminal justice system – including prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and law enforcement officials – that will allow for more rigorous analyses of the criminal justice system and the design, testing, dissemination and implementation of successful best practices that will improve the fair administration of justice.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 24

This evaluation of A = 24 has been updated from previous evaluations published in 1998En04, 1990En08, and 1978En02. Coverage includes properties of adopted levels and {gamma} rays, decay-scheme data (energies, intensities and placement of radiations), and cross reference entries. The following tables continue the tradition of showing the systematic relationships between levels in A = 24. These assignments are based on energy differences for states with the same J{sup {pi}} values, {gamma}-ray strengths, spectroscopic factors in analog single particle (T = 1) or two particle (T = 2) transfer reactions. Isospin is not a perfect quantum number and the adopted T-value may correspond to a small component in the wavefunction.
Probabilistic classification of forest structures by hierarchical modelling of the remote sensing process

Satellite sensors observe upwelling radiant flux from the Earth's surface. Classification of forest structures from these measurements is a statistical inference problem. A hierarchical model has been developed by linking several sub-models which represent the image acquisition process and the spatial interaction of the classes. The model for blur assumes the underlying, unobserved image is degraded according to the system point spread function. The model for topographic effects assumes the unblurred pixel values are determined by the corresponding bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and the mean spectral reflectance of each class. A discrete Markov random field (MRF) model provides information about the spatial contiguity of the classes. Prior distributions are specified for the mean and covariance parameters. Bayes theorem is used to construct a posterior probability distribution for the classification given the data. Due to the high dimensionality of the resulting MRF, estimates of image attributes are obtained using a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique. The marginal posterior modes (MPM) point estimate minimizes the expected number of misclassifications by maximizing the marginal probability with which each pixel is classified. The advantages of this approach include the ability to specify a unique BRDF for each class and to have posterior probability estimates provide spatially explicit information about the certainty of the MPM estimate. Limitations of the model include the assumptions necessary for modeling bidirectional reflectance, the difficulty of defining classes as an appropriate scale, and assessing the accuracy of probabilistic classifications. Specimen results using Landsat TM data are presented.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mass-spectrometric determination of trace elements in aqueous media without preconcentration

Feasibility of using a low pressure glow discharge as an ion source for the mass spectrometric determination of trace elements in aqueous media was investigated. A cryogenically cooled hollow cathode ion source was developed to analyze aqueous samples without external preconcentration. Aqueous solutions containing seventy elements were analyzed and the detection limits, sensitivity factors, and linear regression correlation coefficients were determined. A standard test solution of trace elements in water was analyzed and the concentrations of trace elements were calculated using the sensitivity factors determined previously. The results compared favorably within the error limits predicted by the semiquantitative survey methods used. Tap water and natural lake water samples were examined and minimal interference effects due to organic compounds and biological compounds were noted. A research ion optical system (RIOS) was developed as a flexible mass analyzer for the development of new ion sources. The RIOS is a double focussing mass analyzer designed utilizing the Mattauch-Herzog geometry with externally adjustable slit assemblies.
Role of the conserved distal heme asparagine of coral allene oxide synthase (Asn137) and human catalase (Asn148): mutations affect the rate but not the essential chemistry of the enzymatic transformations

Abstract A catalase-related allene oxide synthase (cAOS) and true catalases that metabolize hydrogen peroxide have similar structure around the heme. One of the distal heme residues considered to help control catalysis is a highly conserved asparagine. Here we addressed the role of this residue in metabolism of the natural substrate 8R-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid by cAOS and in H 2 O 2 breakdown by catalase. In cAOS, the mutations N137A, N137Q, N137S, N137D, and N137H drastically reduced the rate of reaction (to 0.8–4% of wild-type), yet the mutants all formed the allene oxide as product. This is remarkable because there are many potential heme-catalyzed transformations of fatty acid hydroperoxides and special enzymatic control must be required. In human catalase, the N148A, N148S, or N148D mutations only reduced rates to ∼20% of wild-type. The distal heme Asn is not essential in either catalase or cAOS. Its conservation throughout evolution may relate to a role in optimizing catalysis.
Ingestion after Stress: Evidence for a Regulatory Shift in Food-Rewarded Operant Performance

Abstract Stress usually decreases food consumption and body weight in rats. According to theregulatory shift hypothesis,these effects reflect orderly changes in how animals meet their metabolic needs in dangerous circumstances. This interpretation was tested by examining food-rewarded operant performance before and after stress. Six fixed-ratio (FR) schedules were used in a within-subject design in Experiment 1, and a between-subject design (FR2 versus FR32) was used in Experiment 2. In both experiments, exposure to 100 inescapable tailshocks reduced response rate on smaller schedules, whereas responding on larger schedules was unchanged or increased. This pattern can be interpreted as a decrease in preferred eating rate and an improvement in the behavioral regulation of food intake. Milder stressors generally had less impact but didincreasepreferred feeding rate, an effect potentially related to stress-induced eating in other paradigms. This study provides evidence that strong stressors reorganize ingestive behavior, as predicted by the regulatory shift hypothesis.
Palaeomagnetic constraints on the collision and rotation of North and South China

The eastern half of China is dominated by the North China Block (NCB) and South China Block (SCB), separated by a complex fold system that trends roughly east-west. Interpretation of the geology of this fold belt has led to a variety of estimates of the age of amalgamation of these two blocks1–7. Palaeomagnetic results are few and have also been subject to conflicting interpretations8–11. Here we present our own palaeomagnetic results for late Permian rocks for both the SCB and NCB and summarize other relevant palaeomagnetic data. By reinterpreting the polarity given in some previous studies we are able to synthesize the results for the widespread Emeishan basalts of the SCB and to suggest a new model for the collision and relative rotation of the two blocks.
Clinical and Family Correlates of Coercive–Disruptive Behavior in Children and Adolescents with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in youth is frequently associated with disruptive behaviors such as attacks of rage or temper. A common but insufficiently understood form of disruptive behavior in OCD is forceful attempts to impose symptom accommodation on family members. This study examined: (a) the phenomenology of coercive–disruptive behaviors in pediatric OCD, (b) child and family correlates of coercive–disruptive behavior; and (c) indirect effects of coercive–disruptive behavior on OCD symptom severity, mediated by family accommodation. We addressed these aims by evaluating the families of 61 treatment-seeking youth diagnosed with OCD, using structured interviews and maternal report scales. Most mothers reported coercive–disruptive behavior. Coercive–disruptive behavior was associated with severity of OCD symptoms, but not with particular symptom dimensions. Coercive–disruptive behavior was associated with anxiety, oppositionality and hyperactivity, but not with depression or inattentiveness. At the family level, coercive–disruptive behavior was associated with family accommodation and related parental distress but not with dimensions of family style. Hierarchical regression indicated that the family-level variable of accommodation contributed to predicting coercive–disruptive behavior, above and beyond child-level variables. The indirect pathway through family accommodation accounted for 97.13 % of the total effect of coercive–disruptive behaviors on OCD severity, supporting the mediational model. Overall, the data suggest that coercive–disruptive behaviors are common in youth with OCD and are more strongly linked to youth clinical features than to family style. Coercive–disruptive behaviors are a cause for concern and may lead to increased family accommodation, which has frequently been found to predict worse clinical outcomes.
Texture development and deformation mechanisms in ringwoodite

Ringwoodite Mg2SiO4 with spinel structure is an important phase in the earth’s mantle transition zone. Controlled deformation experiments showed that ringwoodite underwent ductile deformation when compressed axially at 6–10 GPa and at room temperature in a multianvil D-DIA deformation apparatus. Texture evolution during cyclic compression has been recorded in situ using X-ray transparent anvils with monochromatic synchrotron X-ray diffraction and a two-dimensional detector. Quantitative analysis of the images with the Rietveld method revealed a 1 1 0 fiber texture. By comparing this texture pattern with polycrystal plasticity simulations, it is inferred that { 111 }� ¯ � slip is the dominant deformation mechanism in ringwoodite, consistent with high temperature mechanisms observed in other spinel-structured materials. Although strong ringwoodite textures may develop in the transition zone, the contribution to bulk anisotropy is minimal due to the weak single-crystal anisotropy. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Pumping conditions for parametric gain with a nonlinear immittance element

The necessary conditions for parametric amplification obtained by Penfield for the series nonlinear capacitive-linear resistive element are extended to the case when the resistive element is also nonlinear. The role played by the phase angle between the capacitive and resistive modulation, first considered by Engelbrecht for the frequency converter and the special case of quadrature pumping, is also taken into account. On the basis of the gain criteria, a figure of merit of a parametric element applicable to the pumped condition is also extended to include the type of element considered. It is demonstrated that, all things being equal, the most favorable pumping phase is that for which the capacitive variation at the pump frequency lags the resistive variation by 90° in phase. It is shown that of the nonlinear elements now being used for parametric applications, none satisfy the favorable phase condition. A convenient gain-frequency graph summarizing most of the theoretical conclusions is presented. Finally, it is also proved that for the case where the signal frequency is lower than the idler frequency, the highest frequency of operation obtainable with an existing series capacitive-resistive element can never be increased by the addition of a passive series nonlinear resistor, regardless of the pumping phase achievable by this addition.