cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Usage of Behavior Guidance Techniques Differs by Provider and Practice Characteristics.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine provider and practice characteristics influencing usage of behavior guidance techniques (BGTs). Methods A 24-item survey was emailed to 4,117 active AAPD members to identify factors influencing pediatric dentists' use of BGTs. Results A total of 1,081 surveys were returned, for a 26 percent response rate. The mean age of respondents was 44.7 years old, with recent graduates comprising the largest group (30.5 percent). Usage of voice control, nitrous oxide, sedation, and general anesthesia (GA) differed significantly, according to experience. Respondents with at least 30 years of experience reported changes in usage. Tell-show-do, nitrous oxide, oral sedation, and passive restraint were significantly more frequent among female respondents. Parental absence, oral sedation, and GA were significantly more frequent in respondents serving low income populations. Parental absence, pharmacologic techniques, and restraint were significantly different in frequencies among the different geographic regions. Conclusions Usage of behavior guidance techniques has changed over the past three decades, with more recent graduates and experienced practitioners now emphasizing pharmacologic techniques. More assertive behavior guidance techniques are used more frequently by experienced providers and those in practices in the southwest or serving lower income populations. Pharmacologic techniques are used at a higher prevalence by recent graduates and providers who are female or serving lower income populations.
Staple line treatment and bleeding after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Background and Objectives Staple line treatment during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) remains a controversial issue among bariatric surgeons. The objective of this study was to compare rates of postoperative bleeding (POB) among various methods of staple line reinforcement. Methods The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program 2015 dataset was queried for patients undergoing an LSG. Patients were stratified by staple line treatment groups-no treatment (NT), suture oversewing (OVERSEW), buttressing by a commercial product (BUTTRESS), and both buttress and oversew (COMBINATION). The primary outcome was POB. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare POB rates among the treatment groups. Results In the 98,142 LSG patients meeting selection criteria, 623 (0.63%) patients had POB and 181 (0.18%) required reoperation. POB occurred in 0.80% for the NT group, 0.68% for the OVERSEW group, 0.57% for the BUTTRESS group, and 0.55% for the COMBINATION group. On multivariable analyses, all treatment groups were less likely to have POB compared with the NT group-OVERSEW (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-0.98), BUTTRESS (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.57-0.84), and COMBINATION (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.50-0.89) (all P < .01). Subset analysis revealed no difference between BUTTRESS and OVERSEW (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.71-1.26, P = .71). Conclusions Relative to an NT staple line, the use of OVERSEW or BUTTRESS can decrease the rates of POB by up to 30%. The use of these techniques should be strongly considered by the bariatric surgeon.
Kernel fusion/decomposition for automatic GPU-offloading

The massively parallel architecture of GPU accelerators are being harnessed to expedite computational workloads in cutting edge scientific research. Unfortunately writing applications for GPUs requires extensive knowledge of the underlying architecture, the application and the interfacing programming model. Moreover, (re-)writing kernels using lower-level programming models such as CUDA and OpenCL is a burden for application scientists. A more appealing strategy is to leverage a programming model layered on directive-based optimization: OpenMP, whose recent specification significantly extends its accelerator functionalities. Despite this, it is still quite challenging to optimize large scale applications, since ``pragmatizing'' each kernel is a repetitive and complex task. In large scale applications most of the operations could be small, don't have enough computational work to justify a GPU execution, deeply buried in the library specification, or evenly spread throughout the application. Thus, we seek to design and build a compiler framework that can automatically and profitably offload regions of code with these characteristics. The driving principle of our work resides in generating numerous kernel variants that result from fusing and/or decomposing existing function bodies. We analyze the program's call graph to determine the ``proximity'' of kernel calls and evaluate the degree of data reuse among adjacent or ``close-enough'' calls. When such patterns are detected we generate several scenarios, until producing a single variant whose footprint is near the capacity of the GPU. To compare the potential performance among the various kernel variants generated, we are designing an adaptive cost model. The precision of this cost model will depend upon the analyzability of the program. We are also building upon existing cost models like Baghsorkhi et al.'s model which proposed a work flow graph based analytical model and a recent Hong et al.'s model which propose the use of abstract kernel emulations to help identify the performance bottlenecks of a GPU program execution. Along with these we introduce GPU initialization and data transfer cost to the model. Once the profitable kernel variants are detected, we automatically insert pertinent OpenMP directives and provide a newly generated code supporting GPU offloading.
O2 Participation in the Food Program Ensures Availability of Nutritious Foods but not Intake in Children Attending Childcare

Background Childcare programs participating in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) serve nutritious foods and beverages to children. Most of these studies however, report on food served but not in comparison with the updated 2017 CACFP meal pattern and foods consumed. Objective The purpose of this study is to assess if CACFP-funded childcare centers are meeting the updated CACFP meal pattern and age-specific Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) 2015-2020 regarding foods served and consumed by children, respectively. Study Design, Settings, Participants Cross-sectional study using dietary observation in childcare method. Children ages three to five years old (n = 108) from three CACFP childcare centers were recruited by convenience sampling. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Food served and food consumed were measured for five food groups during observed lunch. Amounts of food served from each food group were compared with age-specific minimum serving size requirement by CACFP using one-sample t-test. Amounts of food consumed from each food group were compared with age-specific recommendations by DGA using one-sample t-test. Proportions of foods consumed from the served amounts were calculated using descriptive statistics. Results Foods were served and portioned by the childcare providers for 81.5% (n = 88) of the children. Foods served were consistent with CACFP recommendations. Children were over-served whole grains, milk, fruits and vegetables (FV) than the CACFP requirement (P Conclusion Although childcare centers are serving foods based on CACFP requirements, children are not meeting DGA recommendations. CACFP childcare programs may benefit from training regarding best practices related to encouraging children's healthier food choices and managing food refusal. Funding USDA Hatch Project 1011204; Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station.
Luxury Fashion Wildlife Contraband in the USA

The fashion industry is one of the largest markets for illegal wildlife products. This study examined US luxury fashion-related wildlife seizures made between 2003 and 2013 to better guide detection, enforcement, and policy. The findings of this study indicate that the number of incidents has increased over the 11-year period, while the number of associated items seized has decreased over this time. Of these seizures, nearly 88% were produced goods. A small proportion of genera made up the majority of seizures, with reptiles in particular accounting for 84% of incidents. Over half of all wildlife was wild-caught and was exported from eight countries. Based on these findings, it is suggested that policy be enacted relating specifically to the use of exotic leathers and furs, and that situational crime prevention alongside commitments to sustainability from fashion brands be used to reduce illegal imports and improve industry sustainability.
Reduced White Matter Integrity and Deficits in Neuropsychological Functioning in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently viewed as a disorder of cortical systems connectivity, with a heavy emphasis being on the structural integrity of white matter tracts. However, the majority of the literature to date has focused on children with ASD. Understanding the integrity of white matter tracts in adults may help reveal the nature of ASD pathology in adulthood and the potential contributors to cognitive impairment. This study examined white matter water diffusion using diffusion tensor imaging in relation to neuropsychological measures of cognition in a sample of 45 adults with ASD compared to 20 age, gender, and full-scale-IQ-matched healthy volunteers. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to assess differences in diffusion along white matter tracts between groups using permutation testing. The following neuropsychological measures of cognition were assessed: processing speed, attention vigilance, working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, reasoning and problem solving, and social cognition. Results indicated that fractional anisotropy (FA) was significantly reduced in adults with ASD in the anterior thalamic radiation (P = 0.022) and the right cingulum (P = 0.008). All neuropsychological measures were worse in the ASD group, but none of the measures significantly correlated with reduced FA in either tract in the adults with ASD or in the healthy volunteers. Together, this indicates that the tracts that are the most impacted in autism may not be (at least directly) responsible for the behavioral deficits in ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 702-714. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: White matter tracts are the data cables in the brain that efficiently transfer information, and damage to these tracts could be the cause for the abnormal behaviors that are associated with autism. We found that two long-range tracts (the anterior thalamic radiation and the cingulum) were both impaired in autism but were not directly related to the impairments in behavior. This suggests that the abnormal tracts and behavior are the effects of another underlying mechanism.
Laboratory measurements of stomatal NO 2 deposition to native California trees and the role of forests in the NO x cycle

Abstract. Both canopy-level field measurements and laboratory studies suggest that absorption of NO2 through the leaf stomata of vegetation is a significant sink of atmospheric NOx. However, the mechanisms of this foliar NO2 uptake and their impact on NOx lifetimes remains incompletely understood. To understand the leaf-level processes affecting ecosystem scale atmosphere-biosphere NOx exchange, we have conducted laboratory experiments of branch-level NO2 deposition fluxes to six coniferous and four broadleaf native California trees using a branch enclosure system with direct Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) detection of NO2. We report NO2 foliar deposition that demonstrates a large degree of inter-species variability, with maximum observed deposition velocities ranging from 0.15–0.51 cm/s during the daytime, as well as significant stomatal opening during the night. We also find that the contribution of mesophyllic processing to the overall deposition rate of NO2 varies by tree species, but has an ultimately inconsequential impact on NOx budgets and lifetimes. Additionally, we find no evidence of any emission of NO2 from leaves, suggesting an effective uni-directional exchange of NOx between the atmosphere and vegetation.
Forensic expertise in obstetrics and gynecology - Forensic expert experience.

Abstract Objective Obstetric-gynecologic forensic is based on the principles of the good clinical practice, analysis of clinical risk factors, organization and communication, and ethical-deontological principles. Study design In retrospective study, we analyzed our own Croatian and international completed forensic cases in the field of obstetrics and gynecology collected during 2000–2020. Results During the study period, 322 forensic obstetric-gynecologic expertise/opinions were performed, including 283 cases from clinical obstetric-gynecologic forensics and 39 interdisciplinary criminal law cases of sexual abuse. According to diagnosis, there were 241 (85.1 %) cases of obstetric and 42 (14.8 %) cases of gynecologic expertise. As for responsibility in cases of defined malpractice, gynecologist-obstetrician was responsible in 63.7 %, resident in gynecology/obstetrics in 4.34 %, midwife in 2.89 %, emergency physician in 5.79 %, and midwifery-obstetric-neonatal-anesthesiology team in 23.18 % of cases. Out of the 283 clinical forensic expertise cases, 214 (75.61 %) were classified as complications, fateful course and adverse events, and 69 (24.38 %) as errors/malpractice. The 55,6 % highest proportion of expertise cases were ordered for peripartum term asphyxia (n = 55), preterm delivery (n = 28) and shoulder dystocia (n = 36) associated with consequential permanent disability due to hypoxic-ischemic, nerve injury (brachioparesis) or perinatal death. Conclusion Using the procedures associated with birth injuries should be reduced, while investing more efforts in continuing education and training in emergency clinical conditions, and reversing the irrational increase in cesarean sections, unnecessary operative procedures and other interventions; medical documentation should be clear, concise and accurate, communication and organization of the work improved, while clinical risk must be clearly defined and analyzed.
The Role of Regional and State Initiatives in Nursing Home Advance Care Planning Policies

Objective:Antibiotic use at the end of life (EoL) may introduce physiological as well as psychological stress and be incongruent with patients’ goals of care. Advance care planning (ACP) related to...
Post-stroke administration of the p75 neurotrophin receptor modulator, LM11A-31, attenuates chronic changes in brain metabolism, increases neurotransmitter levels, and improves recovery

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to test whether post-stroke oral administration of a small molecule p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) modulator (LM11A-31) can augment neuronal survival and improve recovery in a mouse model of stroke. Mice were administered LM11A-31 for up to 12 weeks, beginning 1 week after stroke. Metabolomic analysis revealed that after 2 weeks of daily treatment, mice that received LM11A-31 were distinct from vehicle treated mice by principal component analysis, and had higher levels of glutamate, serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine in their ipsilateral hemisphere. LM11A-31 treatment also improved redox homeostasis by restoring reduced glutathione. It also offset a stroke induced reduction in glycolysis by increasing acetyl-CoA. There was no effect on cytokine levels in the infarct. At 13 weeks following stroke, adaptive immune cell infiltration in the infarct was unchanged in LM11A-31 treated mice, indicating that LM11A-31 does not alter the chronic inflammatory response to stroke at the site of the infarct. However, LM11A-31 treated mice had less brain atrophy, neurodegeneration, tau pathology, and microglial activation in other regions of the ipsilateral hemisphere. These findings correlated with improved recovery of motor function on a ladder test, improved sensorimotor and cognitive abilities on a nesting test, and less impulsivity in an open field test. These data support small molecule modulation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor for preserving neuronal health and function during stroke recovery. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The findings from this study introduce the p75 neurotrophin receptor as a novel small molecule target for promotion of stroke recovery. Given that LM11A-31 is in clinical trials as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, it could be considered as a candidate for assessment in stroke or vascular dementia studies.
Method and Procedure for Economic Evaluation of Improvement Activities

The purpose of this paper is to propose an appropriate evaluation scheme for improvement activities, based on a simple model comprising cash inflow by sales as well as variable and fixed cost expenditures. The paper distinguishes capacity surplus and capacity shortage situations, and examines economic benefits gained by yield increase improvement and capacity increase. The paper then proposes a basic rule of thumb for economic evaluation of improvement activities. The logic is simple but useful in practice, being conducive towards improvement activities under current economic conditions with uncertainties.
Crack initiation and growth in electronic packages

Electronic packages usually consist of bonded materials with different thermal and mechanical properties. The bonding interfaces of such devices near the free edge or near the junction of dissimilar materials suffer from high stress gradients due to the presence of thermal and stiffness mismatch of bonded materials. These high stress gradients may initiate cracks at such locations. Also, minor impurities or dust particles embedded between the die and the substrate are pyrolyzed during bonding, leading to formation of gas bubbles in the die-attach. In addition, moisture may enlarge these defects. Therefore, interfaces of dissimilar materials are prone to crack initiations, which lead to delaminations. Such defects result in an increase in thermal resistance from the chip to the substrate. It is therefore necessary to develop an in-depth understanding of the analytical modeling of the interface separating two dissimilar materials. Predictions of the location and onset of failure could then be made through a more accurate stress analysis in conjunction with the application of fracture mechanics concepts. In this study, in lieu of postulating the existence of a crack at an arbitrary location, the possible failure sites are determined by applying a theory that examines the local strain energy density field. The singular fields associated with junction(s) of materials or a bimaterial interface with a free edge including cracks are accurately represented by developing a global element. The global element captures the singular behavior of stress fields near the crack tips exactly. Since the stress intensity factors for a bimaterial interface do not have a simple physical interpretation, as in the homogeneous case, a more meaningful parameter for the present case is the energy release rate computed using its J-integral representation within the global element of global-local finite element analysis.
Knowledge Navigation for Virtual Vehicles

A virtual vehicle is a digital model of the knowledge surrounding a potentially real vehicle. Knowledge consists not only of the tangible information, such as CAD, but also what is known about the knowledge - its metadata. This paper is an overview of technologies relevant to building a virtual vehicle, and an assessment of how to bring those technologies together.
Vector quantization of images using the L/sub /spl infin// distortion measure

This paper considers vector quantization of signals using the L/sub /spl infin// distortion measure. The key contribution is a result that allows one to characterize the centroid of a set of vectors for the L/sub /spl infin// distortion measure. A method similar to the LEG algorithm for designing codebooks has been developed and tested. The paper also discusses the design of vector quantizers employing the L/sub /spl infin// distortion measure in an application in which the occurrences of quantization errors with larger magnitudes than a pre-selected threshold must be minimized.
Epistemological Checkpoint: The Novelization of the Malayan Emergency in Han Suyin’s ...And the Rain My Drink

...And the Rain My Drink (1956) depicts the forced resettlement of rural Chinese in camps during the British counter-insurgency against the communist uprising. Drawing from the author's personal correspondence and unpublished drafts of a sequel to the novel, this essay reads the novel’s representation of the camp checkpoint as a conceptual metaphor for understanding the relation between fiction and history. Based on autobiographical experience, the novel presents its narrator, Dr. Han Suyin, as a translator of the Malayan polyglot world to her reader, effectively framing fiction as a translation of history. Just as the camp checkpoint is a site where the state’s biopolitical power is put on full display, the translation of fiction into history, I argue, can be understood as an act of passing through an epistemological checkpoint, one that illuminates the underlying racial gender politics that sustain the dominant national narrative of the cold war conflict.
Displays of dabbing marijuana extracts on YouTube

Background Dabbing involves heating marijuana extracts to a high temperature and inhaling the vapor. Little is known about this new method of using marijuana. YouTube, the most popular platform for sharing online videos, may be a go-to resource for individuals interested in learning about dabbing. Our objective was to explore the content of dabbing-related videos on YouTube.
Phase II 2-arm trial of the proteasome inhibitor, PS-341 (bortezomib) in combination with irinotecan or PS-341 alone followed by the addition of irinotecan at time of progression in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (E1304): A trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

Background Constitutive activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is associated with poor prognosis. Irinotecan demonstrates single-agent activity in head and neck cancer but activates NF-κB, promoting cell survival and resistance. Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor that inactivates NF-κB. Patients and Methods We performed a randomized phase II trial of bortezomib on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 and irinotecan on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle or single-agent bortezomib on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 on a 21-day cycle. The addition of irinotecan to bortezomib was allowed in patients who progressed on bortezomib alone. Results The response rate of bortezomib and irinotecan was 13%. One patient had a partial response to bortezomib alone (response rate 3%). No responses were seen in patients with addition of irinotecan at time of progression on bortezomib. Conclusions The bortezomib-based regimens evaluated in this study have minimal activity in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer. Head Neck, 2013
Age and regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance during repeated exercise sessions.

A common response after only 3-4 days of repeated exercise in younger individuals is an expansion of plasma volume (PV); however, it is not known if older individuals have a similar response. In this study, six older (O) (67 +/- 1 yr) and six younger (Y) men (24 +/- 2 yr) cycled for 4 successive days at 50% maximal oxygen consumption (Vo2max) for 90 min in a warm environment [30 degrees C temperature dry bulb (Tdb), 24 degrees C temperature wet bulb (Twb)]. On day 4, PV was increased (P 0.05) in O (1.7 +/- 2%). The increased PV was associated with a greater (P 0.05) reductions in UNaV between Y (-55 +/- 10%) and O (-44 +/- 6%). However, during exercise in O there were no changes (P > 0.05) in UV (2 +/- 12%) and urine osmolality (UOsm) (-12 +/- 6%) from resting values compared with Y, where UV was decreased (P < 0.05) by 41 +/- 9% and UOsm was increased (P < 0.05) by 39 +/- 8%. Therefore, the inability of the older subjects to increase PV after repeated days of exercise is not related to an impaired renal fluid and Na+ conservation ability, despite a reduced urine concentrating ability during exercise, but to other factors (e.g., fluid intake and TCP) that appear necessary for the hypervolemic response.
Transgenic Models of α‐Synuclein Pathology

Accumulation and toxic conversion to protofibrils of alpha-synuclein has been associated with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body disease, multiple system atrophy, neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1, and Alzheimer's disease. In recent years, modeling these disorders in transgenic (tg) mice and flies has helped improve understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases and has established the basis for the development of new experimental treatments. Overexpression of alpha-synuclein in tg mice in a region- and cell-specific manner results in degeneration of selective circuitries accompanied by motor deficits and inclusion formation similar to what is found in PD and related disorders. Furthermore, studies in singly and doubly tg mice have shown that toxic conversion and accumulation can be accelerated by alpha-synuclein mutations associated with familial parkinsonism, by amyloid beta peptide 1-42 (Abeta 1-42), and by oxidative stress. In contrast, molecular chaperones such as Hsp70 and close homologues such as alpha-synuclein have been shown to suppress toxicity. Similar studies are underway to evaluate the effects of other modifying genes that might play a role in alpha-synuclein ubiquitination. Among them considerable interest has been placed on the role of molecules associated with familial parkinsonism (Parkin, UCHL-1). Furthermore, studying the targeted overexpression of alpha-synuclein and other modifier genes in the nigrostriatal and limbic system by using regulatable promoters, lentiviral vectors, and siRNA will help improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in selective neuronal vulnerability, and it will aid the development of new treatments.
Functional knockout of forebrain protein 14-3-3 disrupts conditioned taste aversion learning

Protein 14-3-3 isoforms are key to many cellular processes and are ubiquitous throughout the brain. 14-3-3 is a regulator of ser/thr phospho-signaling by binding and sequestering phosphorylated substrates including kinases, histone deactylases, and transcription factors. The role of protein 14-3-3 in conditioned taste aversion learning (CTA) has not previously been examined. We parameterized CTA learning in difopein- YFP transgenic mice, which have widespread by expression of the artificial peptide difopein in the forebrain, including the basolateral amygdala and insular cortex, resulting in functional knock-out (FKO) of all 14-3-3 isoforms . We found that a single pairing of saccharin or NaCl (CS) and LiCl injection (US) was not sufficient to induce CTA in FKO mice. Multiples pairings of CS and US did lead to CTA acquisition in the FKO mice; however, the CTA rapidly extinguished within 30 minutes to 24 hours after acquisition. Additionally, we found that 14-3-3 FKO mice have an attenuated visceral neuraxis response to LiCl as measured by c-Fos induction. The deficit in FKO was not due to an inability to discriminate or avoid tastants, because they showed normal unconditioned taste preferences for both palatable (saccharin, maltodextrin , low concentration NaCl) and unpalatable tastants (quinine, HCl, and high concentration NaCl) and they were able to reduce intake of a maltodextrin solution adulterated with quinine. The FKO did not have a global deficit in ingestive learning, because they were able to form a conditioned flavor-nutrient preference. Thus, FKO of forebrain 14-3-3 appears to disrupt CTA learning leading to forgetting, rapid extinction, or failure to reconsolidate. This further implicates ser/thr phospho-signaling pathways in the regulation of long-term CTA learning.
A Golgi study of the proximal portion of the human Purkinje cell axon.

The proximal portion of the Purkinje cell axon in normal cerebellum was investigated using the Golgi-Cox method. The axon emerging from the axon hillock tapered as it proceeded distally along the initial segment. The most distal portion of the initial segment was the narrowest (about 1 μm). Then the axon became thicker again in the probable myelinated portion. The length of the axon hillock plus the initial segment ranged from 21 μm to 52 μm, 35±6 μm on average ±SD. The axon arose from any site of the soma and the primary dendrite of the Purkinje cell. Almost half of the axons emanated from a lateral surface of the soma. The dendritic arbores of the Purkinje cell with a torpedo were atrophic.
Human sperm bind to the N-terminal domain of ZP2 in humanized zonae pellucidae in transgenic mice

Fertilization requires taxon-specific gamete recognition, and human sperm do not bind to zonae pellucidae (ZP1–3) surrounding mouse eggs. Using transgenesis to replace endogenous mouse proteins with human homologues, gain-of-function sperm-binding assays were established to evaluate human gamete recognition. Human sperm bound only to zonae pellucidae containing human ZP2, either alone or coexpressed with other human zona proteins. Binding to the humanized matrix was a dominant effect that resulted in human sperm penetration of the zona pellucida and accumulation in the perivitelline space, where they were unable to fuse with mouse eggs. Using recombinant peptides, the site of gamete recognition was located to a defined domain in the N terminus of ZP2. These results provide experimental evidence for the role of ZP2 in mediating sperm binding to the zona pellucida and support a model in which human sperm–egg recognition is dependent on an N-terminal domain of ZP2, which is degraded after fertilization to provide a definitive block to polyspermy.
Stopping a myth in artificial neural networks

The myth of "the more neurons, the better learning" is commonly held in artificial intelligence personnel. The side effect of having too many neurons may not be easily observed unless some active measurements and analyses are taken. In this study, I performed a series of experiments to make various neural networks learn the same quadratic equation and then analyzed three statistical data to illustrate the problems that can be caused by having more than necessary number of neurons in a neural network.
The Murine Gammaherpesvirus Immediate-Early Rta Synergizes with IRF4, Targeting Expression of the Viral M1 Superantigen to Plasma Cells

MHV68 is a murine gammaherpesvirus that infects laboratory mice and thus provides a tractable small animal model for characterizing critical aspects of gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis. Having evolved with their natural host, herpesviruses encode numerous gene products that are involved in modulating host immune responses to facilitate the establishment and maintenance of lifelong chronic infection. One such protein, MHV68 M1, is a secreted protein that has no known homologs, but has been shown to play a critical role in controlling virus reactivation from latently infected macrophages. We have previous demonstrated that M1 drives the activation and expansion of Vβ4+ CD8+ T cells, which are thought to be involved in controlling MHV68 reactivation through the secretion of interferon gamma. The mechanism of action and regulation of M1 expression are poorly understood. To gain insights into the function of M1, we set out to evaluate the site of expression and transcriptional regulation of the M1 gene. Here, using a recombinant virus expressing a fluorescent protein driven by the M1 gene promoter, we identify plasma cells as the major cell type expressing M1 at the peak of infection in the spleen. In addition, we show that M1 gene transcription is regulated by both the essential viral immediate-early transcriptional activator Rta and cellular interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), which together potently synergize to drive M1 gene expression. Finally, we show that IRF4, a cellular transcription factor essential for plasma cell differentiation, can directly interact with Rta. The latter observation raises the possibility that the interaction of Rta and IRF4 may be involved in regulating a number of viral and cellular genes during MHV68 reactivation linked to plasma cell differentiation.
The culture of bullying in middle school

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the nature and extent of student attitudes toward bullying. We investigated the consistency and prevalence of student attitudes across gender, race, socioeco-nomic status, and grade level. We also assessed whether students with positive attitudes toward peer aggression and students with higher trait anger were especially prone to support a normative structure that encourages bullying. Based on a data set including 6 middle schools and over 2,400 students, our results indicate that a culture of bullying is a pervasive phenomenon among middle school students and should be an important consideration in bullying prevention efforts.
Extended peptoids: a new class of oligomers based on aromatic building blocks

Abstract Peptoids (N-substituted polyglycines) represent a class of bioinspired oligomers that have unique physical and structural properties. Here, we report the construction of ‘extended peptoids’ based on aromatic building blocks, in which the N -alkylaminoacetyl group of the peptoid backbone has been replaced by an N -alkylaminomethylbenzoyl spacer. Both meta - and para -bromomethylbenzoic acids were synthesized, providing access to a new class of peptoids. Further, inclusion of hydrophilic side chains confers water solubility to these compounds, showing that, like simple peptoids, extended peptoids add an extra dimension to synthetic poly-amide oligomers with potential application in a variety of biological contexts.
Trends in the rural-urban distribution of general pediatricians.

Objective. A major objective of national and state health policy has been to increase primary care physician supply in rural areas. It is not known whether this objective has been met for general pediatricians. This study examines trends in the rural-urban distribution of general pediatricians in the United States from 1981 to 1996. Design. Descriptive serial cross-sectional study. Participants. At selected 5-year intervals, all clinically active general pediatricians in the United States listed in the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. Main Outcome Measures. The proportion of pediatricians practicing in rural counties and the ratio of pediatricians to the child population (per 100 000 children Results. Between 1981 and 1996, the total number of general pediatricians increased from 19 739 to 34 100. However, rural pediatrician-to-child population ratios (PCPRs) remained well below urban ratios. Although rural counties of all population sizes experienced some gains over time, only those over 25 000 populations had a meaningful increase in their PCPR. Overall, the urban PCPR increased by 14.0 (or an additional pediatrician for every 7150 children) whereas the rural ratio only increased by 4.1 (an additional pediatrician for every 24 400 children). The percentage of recent residency graduates opting for rural practice declined by half (14.6% to 7.4%) over the 15-year study period. Women and international graduates were consistently less likely to practice in rural counties than were men and US graduates, respectively. Conclusions. The near doubling in general pediatrician numbers from 1981 to 1996 yielded only a modest increase in pediatrician availability for rural children. The discrepancy between urban and rural pediatrician supply increased during this period and should continue growing based on the increasingly urban location of recent residency graduates and the continued growth of women in pediatrics. New policy strategies are needed to improve rural pediatrician availability, including focusing on larger rural counties and addressing barriers to rural practice for women. pediatrics/manpower, pediatrics/trends, rural health, physicians/supply and distribution, medically underserved area.
Dynamics of traveling, inextensible cables

Abstract The closed-form solution for rigid-body motions of two-dimensional traveling, sagged cables with a nonlinear geometrical constraint is developed. This closed-form solution shows that the rigid-body motions are always stable even if the translation speed is over the critical speed. With increasing translation speed, the translation motion effects on the cable increase accordingly. When the translation speed is much greater than the critical speed, the vibration effects compared to the translation motion effects can be ignored. Therefore, for an infinite translation speed, the initial and dynamic configurations for the inextensible cable are identical. The dynamic configuration of the inextensible cables is obtained in this paper, which provides a basis to get the dynamic responses of sagged, elastic cables.
Collective, universal, and joint rationality

Rationality's extension from individuals to groups yields collective rationality. Just as individuals should be rational, groups should be collectively rational. This paper briefly presents collective rationality and then compares it to universal rationality and joint rationality. Universal rationality is the rationality of all members of a group. It directs individualistic evaluation of a collective act. Joint rationality is the rationality of each individual's part in a collective act given the collective act's realization. Game theory uses it to characterize solutions to games. Collective rationality is not the same as either universal or joint rationality. How- ever, in certain ideal conditions collective rationality agrees with universal rationality, and in other ideal conditions it agrees with joint rationality. Distinguishing the three types of evaluation and explaining their relations contributes to a general theory of rationality.
The effects of seasonal and diurnal variations in the Earth's magnetic dipole orientation on solar wind–magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling

Received 13 April 2012; revised 19 September 2012; accepted 10 October 2012; published 16 November 2012. [1] The angle m between the geomagnetic dipole axis and the geocentric solar magnetospheric (GSM) z axis, sometimes called the “dipole tilt,” varies as a function of UT and season. Observations have shown that the cross-polar cap potential tends to maximize near the equinoxes, when on average m = 0, with smaller values observed near the solstices. This is similar to the well-known semiannual variation in geomagnetic activity. We use numerical model simulations to investigate the role of two possible mechanisms that may be responsible for the influence of m on the magnetosphere-ionosphere system: variations in the coupling efficiency between the solar wind and the magnetosphere and variations in the ionospheric conductance over the polar caps. Under southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions, variations in ionospheric conductance at high magnetic latitudes are responsible for 10–30% of the variations in the cross-polar cap potential associated with m, but variations in solar wind–magnetosphere coupling are more important and responsible for 70–90%. Variations in viscous processes contribute slightly to this, but variations in the reconnection rate with m are the dominant cause. The variation in the reconnection rate is primarily the result of a variation in the length of the section of the separator line along which relatively strong reconnection occurs. Changes in solar wind–magnetosphere coupling also affect the field-aligned currents, but these are influenced as well by variations in the conductance associated with variations in m, more so than the cross-polar cap potential. This may be the case for geomagnetic activity too.
PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 1997 TNM CLASSIFICATION OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA

ABSTRACTPurpose: The TNM classification of renal cell carcinoma was recently revised in 1997. The most significant change from the previous edition (1987) is an increase in the size cutoff between T1 and T2 tumors from 2.5 to 7.0 cm. We compared the 1997 and 1987 TNM staging classifications in predicting patient outcome.Materials and Methods: A total of 381 patients who underwent nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma at our hospital between 1968 and 1994 were identified. Mean patient age was 61 years (range 15 to 89) and mean followup was 64.5 months. All pathological slides were re-reviewed in uniform manner and staged using the 1987 and 1997 TNM classifications. The impact of numerous pathological factors and each staging classification on disease specific survival and freedom from progression were statistically analyzed, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated and compared.Results: The 1997 TNM classification resulted in a redistribution of 170 cases previously classified as stage II (T2N0M0) to...
Differential assay for choline acetyltransferase.

Abstract A rapid and sensitive radiochemical assay for choline acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6) is reported. The assay allows for the fact that during incubation of [ 14 C]acetyl-CoA and choline with a cell homogenate, at least one product is formed besides [ 14 C]acetylcholine, which passes an anion exchange column. In contrast to [ 14 C]acetylcholine, this major contaminant ([ 14 C]acetylcarnitine) is not hydrolyzed apparently by Electrophorus acetylcholinesterase. Therefore, two types of assays are performed, the one in the presence of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, the other in the presence of acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus . After passing the reaction mixtures over anion exchange columns, the radioactivities of the effluents are determined. Their difference is proportional to the choline acetyltransferase activity.
CHEMICAL KINETICS AND TRANSPORT RATES IN FLUID SOLID CATALYTIC REACTORS

The influence of physical transport resistances on observed rates of catalytic reactions can modify significantly the conversion, selectivity and stability of fluid-solid reactors. The modifying effects depend on reactor type and size, and, therefore, are critical in scale up from laboratory to commercial-scale equipment. Recent developments relating intrinsic kinetics to reactor performance through the use of mass and energy transfer rates are analyzed in this paper. In particular the relative importance of intrareactor, fluid-particle, and intraparticle mass and heat transfer limitations are considered for fixed-bed catalytic reactors. Criteria for establishing whether various types of transport processes seriously influence reactor performance are also included. Precautions necessary in order to obtain reliable rate data from laboratory reactors are discussed.
Staining porcelain-bonded-to-metal restorations

Abstract Esthetic porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations are dependent primarily upon sound tooth preparation, careful color selection, and proper manipulation of materials. Discrepancies in color of porcelain fused to metal do occur. However, the use of stains can eliminate many of these deficiencies. Indications, techniques, and precautions in staining porcelain bonded to metal have been described.
Cognitive variables and depressed mood in adults with intellectual disability.

Background Cognitive theory forms the foundation for cognitive therapy. There has been little research on cognitive theories and cognitive variables associated with depression in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). The current study examined cognitive variables of automatic thoughts, cognitive triad, hopelessness, attributions and self-esteem associated with two cognitive theories of depression: Beck's Cognitive Triad theory and the Hopelessness theory of depression. Methods Seventy-three adults with ID screened for adequate receptive vocabulary were interviewed as part of a larger study. They reported on cognitive constructs relating to depressed mood. In addition, comparisons were made between 12 adults with ID and diagnosed major depression and a matched group of 12 adults with ID and no psychiatric diagnoses in order to determine if these groups differed on the cognitive constructs associated with the two cognitive theories of depression. Results The cognitive variables examined were all significantly correlated with depressed mood in the direction predicted by their respective cognitive theory. Internal consistencies were good or excellent for most instruments, with the exception of those measuring hopelessness and attributions. In addition, significant differences were obtained between groups of individuals with and without co-morbid major depression on all variables except for hopelessness. Conclusions The results indicate that adults with ID screened for adequate receptive vocabulary are capable of reporting on subjective feelings of depressed mood and associated cognition constructs. The instruments used may be suitable for this population as they generally possessed sound internal consistencies. The results support the further examination of cognitive theories of depression among individuals with ID in order to assess the appropriateness of cognitive therapies for this population. Discrepant findings regarding hopelessness are discussed.
50 Years Ago in CORR: The Parathyroid Hormone and Bone Franklin C. McLean, MD CORR 1957;9:46–60

The effects of hormones on bone have been long known. Guyer in 1922 commented, “And if there is a serum-borne agent in the case of compensatory hypertrophy, may there not also be one in that of the ordinary physiological hypertrophy of the exercised muscle or stressed bone!” [4] (Exclamation mark from Guyer.) In the article we highlight this month, Dr. Franklin McLean (1888–1968), an eminent physiologist in the Department of Physiology at the University of Chicago, cited two earlier reports from 1929 [1] and 1932 [5] postulating distinct mechanisms by which parathyroid hormone might influence bone. In the first by Albright and Ellsworth, the observation of an increased serum calcium and increase in urinary phosphate excretion with the administration of parathyroid extract would indirectly lead to changes in bone metabolism [1]. In the second, Thomson and Pugsley suggested parathyroid hormone directly acted on bone by influencing osteoclast activity [5]. (The use of the term “parathormone” appears to have been first used in 1926 by Davies, reporting on the properties of the parathyroid hormone, which at the time had not been completely isolated and characterized [3]; even at the time of McLean’s article in 1957 the hormone had “not been prepared in pure form.”) McLean reviewed a considerable amount of evidence including his own to support the notion that parathyroid hormone indeed had direct actions on bone leading to resorption and in fact it was the mobilization of bone mineral that led to the increase in serum calcium which in fact provided a feedback mechanism to the parathyroid glands. (Feedback loops as they applied to biological organisms were established in the 1920’s and 30’s by a number of individuals but primarily by Gustav Embden and Oscar Myerhof in establishing the glycolytic pathway we know by their names.) McLean came to the following conclusions: (1) From experiments showing intracerebrally cocultured fragments of bone and parathyroid tissue caused bone resorption and other experiments he concluded parathyroid hormone has a direct effect on bone resorption; (2) There was clear evidence of an exchange of calcium and phosphate between bone and blood; (3) Homeostatic feedback mechanisms tightly controlled serum calcium levels. While the parathyroid hormone exerts an only a direct resorptive effect on bone, the resorption increases serum calcium which then reduces parathyroid hormone output. McLean’s ability to synthesize a variety of diverse information reflected his superior ability as a creative scientist. He was a wonderful mentor to Dr. Marshall Urist [6], the discoverer of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and to whom this issue is dedicated [2].