cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlled Sentiment Sampling for Information Fusion in Social Networks

This paper deals with the problem of information fusion for state/ parameter estimation in social networks. The information consists of the sentiment of the opinions expressed by people. The average sentiment of the opinions expressed by people constitutes a noisy observation of an unknown state. A controller seeks to estimate the state by controlling the dynamics of sampling that minimizes an objective function comprising of state estimation error and the cost of acquiring sentiments. The stochastic control problem is formulated as a partially observed Markov decision process (POMDP), and sufficient conditions under which a myopic policy forms an upperbound to the optimal policy of the POMDP are provided. The myopic policy minimizes the immediate costs while ignoring the expected costs incurred over time, and is computationally inexpensive for large state spaces. Finally, the performance of the proposed myopic policy is evaluated for POMDP formulation whose parameters are computed from real-data set obtained from Twitter.
Design and implementation of a centralized system for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle trajectory conflict resolution

The ability of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (aUAVs) to carry out a diverse range of missions presents enormous societal and economic benefits. However, one critical safety issue that must be addressed prior to large-scale aUAV adoption is the potential for aUAV-on-aUAV trajectory conflicts. Current decentralized methods for trajectory conflict resolution are energy and resource intensive, rendering them difficult to scale and implement. We propose a centralized, infrastructure-tovehicle (I2V) approach that leverages modular embedded systems (“control modules”). A voxel-based airspace reservation system is maintained by the control module, which interrogates and retrieves the stored trajectories from aUAVs approaching the reservation airspace. Trajectory conflict search is performed by the control module, and conflict resolution protocols are transmitted back to the aUAVs. Our communication protocol is Wi-Fi-based and leverages a lightweight on-board ODROID microcontroller; the setup is agnostic to the specific aUAV platform and firmware. We simulate various airspace situations and test the resiliency of our reservation system in MATLAB. We also leverage two aUAV testbeds to demonstrate the performance of our centralized air traffic control regime.
The yeast protein Mam33 functions in the assembly of the mitochondrial ribosome

Mitochondrial ribosomes are functionally specialized for the synthesis of several essential inner membrane proteins of the respiratory chain. Although remarkable progress has been made toward understanding the structure of mitoribosomes, the pathways and factors that facilitate their biogenesis remain largely unknown. The long unstructured domains of unassembled ribosomal proteins are highly prone to misfolding and often require dedicated chaperones to prevent aggregation. To date, chaperones that ensure safe delivery to the assembling ribosome have not been identified in the mitochondrion. In this study, a respiratory synthetic lethality screen revealed a role for an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial matrix protein called Mam33 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitoribosome biogenesis. We found that the absence of Mam33 results in misassembled, aggregated ribosomes and a respiratory lethal phenotype in combination with other ribosome-assembly mutants. Using sucrose gradient sedimentation, native affinity purifications, in vitro binding assays, and SILAC-based quantitative proteomics, we found that Mam33 does not associate with the mature mitoribosome, but directly binds a subset of unassembled large subunit proteins. Based on these data, we propose that Mam33 binds specific mitoribosomal proteins to ensure proper assembly.
Electrochemical removal and recovery of phosphorus as struvite in an acidic environment using pure magnesium vs. the AZ31 magnesium alloy as the anode

Abstract Magnesium (Mg) electrodes were investigated as the only source of magnesium for anodically-driven struvite precipitation in a single-cell electrochemical batch reactor. The cell was operated in an acidic environment with no pH adjustment. The effect of electrode composition on cell efficiency toward struvite production was investigated for pure-Mg versus an AZ31 Mg alloy. In a 6 h batch experiment, the pure-Mg anode out-performed the AZ31 alloy by producing a 4.5-fold greater mass of struvite and a 2.8-fold higher steady-state current density. The measured Mg dissolution rates were 1.2 mg cm−2 h−1 for the pure-Mg and 0.8 mg cm−2 h−1 for the AZ31 Mg alloy anode, respectively. The structure, morphology, and composition of the electrochemically precipitated struvite were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Results showed a crystalline struvite state, with an elongated needle-shaped morphology and a particle size of ca. 30 µm in length and ca. 6.5 µm in width. The smooth sharp edges are an indication of high-quality pure struvite, with no evidence of other precipitates or interfering cations.
A Relational Conception of Self and Its Development

To what do we refer when we speak of self? How does self differ from related concepts, such as person, agent, individual or organism? I address these questions by situating the concept of self within a broader model of relational personhood. In this conception, persons are relational beings who act on the basis of the meaning that events have for them. The experience of self is implicit in the very structure of action. As such, the experience of self emerges in early infancy as a reflexive aspect of action and develops within intersubjective encounters with caregivers. The capacity to represent self becomes transformed in the second year of life with the emergence of the capacity for symbolism. At this point, in intersubjective exchanges with others, consciousness gains the capacity to take itself as its own object of awareness. The development of higher-order representations of self is mediated through the discursive use cultural tools—most notably language. Over time, children and adults construct valued images of self which come to function as self-defining goals that drive social activity. In this way, the quest for a valued identity becomes a defining aspect of the developing person.
The Symmetric Capacity of the K-Receiver Interleaved Broadcast Channel with Symmetric Side Information

In this paper, we consider the K-receiver discrete memoryless (DM) broadcast channel (BC) with K private messages of the same rate. Inspired by the decentralized caching problem which has received much interest of late, we consider the case where each message consists of 2K independent sub-messages, with each sub-message available at a distinct subset of receivers as side information. We assume that the rates of all the sub-messages available at the same number of receivers are the same. Hence, each receiver has exactly the same amount of information about each message, including its intended message, as side information. For this symmetric side information structure, we establish the symmetric capacity for the interleavable DM BC, a class of channels which subsumes the K-receiver degraded DM BC and the less noisy BC in the three-receiver case. Our coding scheme involves (a) network coding in the form of a bit-wise XOR of two or more messages (b) message merging where multiple messages are bijectively mapped into a single message with a rate that is the sum of the rates of the merged messages (c) superposition coding where the codebooks are generated for the merged messages and (d) successive decoding at each receiver to find its intended message with the aid of the side information.
Measured saline and sodic solutions effects on soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio

Hydraulic conductivity is important in the transport of water and salts in salt affected soils. The objective of this study was to determine how saturation of soil columns with saline and sodic sol...
Antidepressant Use for Improving Functional Ischemic Stroke Outcomes.

Objective To assess the effect of antidepressants on functional post-stroke recovery, we conducted a retrospective analysis among acute ischemic stroke patients with a subgroup analysis of severe stroke cases, assessing outcomes through 18 months. Methods A retrospectively gathered ischemic stroke population was obtained from an institutional database. Grouping was via intention-to-treat with antidepressant use post-stroke or lack thereof. Patients with severe stroke (NIHSS ≥ 21) were further analyzed independently. The primary and secondary outcomes were modified Rankin scale (mRS) and survival over 18 months, respectively. Patient demographics and NIHSS were obtained. Data were analyzed in R using adjusted logarithmic-multivariate models. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations between survival and antidepressants. Results Eight-hundred six patients (52 severe strokes) received antidepressants post-stroke while 948 (56 severe) did not. The antidepressant group was more female (56% to 43.5%) and had significantly better survival rates (88% vs. 79%, HR 0.62, p < 0.01) but not mRS scores (2.13 vs 2.24, p = 0.262) by the end of the study period. Among severe stroke cases, those receiving antidepressants showed better survival rates (79% vs. 60%, HR 0.36, p=0.026) and most recent mRS score (3.9 vs 5, p < 0.01). The analysis controlling for demographics variables retained significance. Conclusion Antidepressant use post-stroke may improve functional outcomes in patients suffering from severe stroke and may decrease all-cause mortality for strokes of any severity.
Restaurant Health Inspections and Crime Statistics Predict the Real Estate Market in New York City

Predictions of apartments prices in New York City (NYC) have always been of interest to new homeowners, investors, Wall Street funds managers, and inhabitants of the city. In recent years, average prices have risen to the highest ever recorded rebounding after the 2008 economic recession. Although prices are trending up, not all apartments are. Different regions of the city have appreciated differently over time; knowing where to buy or sell is essential for all stakeholders. In this project, we propose a predictive analytics framework that analyzes new alternative data sources to extract predictive features of the NYC real estate market. Our experiments indicated that restaurant health inspection data and crime statistics can help predict apartments prices in NYC. The framework we introduce in this work uses an artificial recurrent neural network with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) units and incorporates the two latter predictive features to predict future prices of apartments. Empirical results show that feeding predictive features from (1) restaurant inspections data and (2) crime statistics to a neural network with LSTM units results in smaller errors than the traditional Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model, which is normally used for this type of regression. Predictive analytics based on non-linear models with features from alternative data sources can capture hidden relationships that linear models are not able not discover. The framework presented in this study has the potential to serve as a supplement to the traditional forecasting tools of real estate markets.
Ideology: Four Paradigmatic Views

Any explanation of ideology is based on a worldview. The premise of this book is that any worldview can be associated with one of the four broad paradigms: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. This chapter takes the case of ideology and discusses it from the four different viewpoints. It emphasizes that the four views expressed are equally scientific and informative; they look at the phenomenon from their certain paradigmatic viewpoint; and together, they provide a more balanced and a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under consideration. In this chapter, Sects. 1, 2, 3, and 4 present the four perspectives, and Sect. 5 concludes the chapter.
O-012 Trends of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms treatment in the US in post-ISAT era: a national inpatient sample analysis

Background The International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial has generated a paradigm shift towards endovascular procedures for treating intracranial aneurysms, but it remains unclear if this has led to a true reduction in the risk for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Our study aims to simultaneously quantify the annual intervention rates for ruptured and unruptured cerebral aneurysms, in order to evaluate any association between the treatment burden of unruptured and ruptured aneurysms after the endovascular treatment era. Methods Admissions data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS; 2004–2014) were extracted. Patients with a primary diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage or unruptured aneurysms treated by either clipping or coiling were included. Within each year, this combined group was randomly matched to a non-aneurysmal control group, based on age, sex and Elixhauser comorbidity index. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to calculate the relative risk ratio (RRR) of undergoing treatment for either ruptured or unruptured aneurysms in comparison to the reference control group, adjusted for time. Results After adjusting for the NIS sampling effects, 243,7754 aneurysm patients were identified, 174,580 (71.6%) of whom were female. The mean (SD) age was 55.4±13.2 years. A total of 121,882 (50.01%) patients were treated for unruptured aneurysms, 79,627 (65.3%) endovascularly and 42,256 (34.7%) surgically. A total of 121,872 (49.99%) patients underwent procedures for aSAH, 68,921 (56.6%) endovascular and 52,951 (43.5%) surgical. Multinomial logistic regression revealed a significant year-to-year decrease in aSAH procedures compared to the control group of non-aneurysmal hospitalizations (RRR 0.963 per year, 95% CI 0.944–0.982, P Conclusion With each passing year, there is a significant decrease in RRR of undergoing treatment for aSAH, concomitant with a stable annual risk of undergoing treatment for UIA. Disclosures M. Salem: None. G. Maragkos: None. S. Gomez-Paz: None. L. Ascanio: None. L. Ngo: None. C. Ogilvy: None. A. Thomas: None. J. Moore: None.
Toward a Culturally Specific Spirituality for Black Sexual Minority Men

Spirituality is a culturally relevant phenomenon that has been found to significantly affect Black sexual minority (SM) men’s health in the United States. However, many studies that have investigat...
Co-optimization and community: Maximizing the benefits of distributed electricity and water technologies

Abstract Distributed water and energy technologies have the potential to reduce reliance on centralized infrastructures, household utility bills, and carbon footprints. Current adoption levels remain low because of issues such as long payback periods, limited consumer awareness, capital constraints, and resource intermittency challenges. In this study, we assess the ability of two system design concepts to improve the economics of distributed water and energy technologies, and ultimately encourage their broader adoption: (1) co-optimizing water and energy technology investments and operations, and (2) investing in community-scale rather than home-scale systems. We explore the benefits of these approaches by formulating a mixed-integer linear program for optimal system design and dispatch. Our case study applies this model to a neighborhood in Austin, Texas. Results show that distributed electricity and water production increase, and total cost decreases, when resources and demands are pooled at larger community scales. These community-scale systems make a wider range of technologies economically viable and enable greater asset utilization due to systems integration. The cost and carbon emissions reduction benefits of co-optimizing distributed water and energy investments are significant, especially at higher aggregation levels. While distributed water production alone tends to increase carbon emissions, complementing it with appropriate distributed electricity generation technologies can yield simultaneous economic and environmental benefits.
Concentrations, particle-size distributions, and dry deposition fluxes of aerosol trace elements over the Antarctic Peninsula in austral summer

Abstract. Size-segregated particulate air samples were collected during the austral summer of 2016–2017 at Palmer Station on Anvers Island, western Antarctic Peninsula, to characterize trace elements in aerosols. Trace elements in aerosol samples – including Al, P, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ce, and Pb – were determined by total digestion and a sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (SF-ICP-MS). The crustal enrichment factors (EF crust ) and k -means clustering results of particle-size distributions show that these elements are derived primarily from three sources: (1) regional crustal emissions, including possible resuspension of soils containing biogenic P, (2) long-range transport, and (3) sea salt. Elements derived from crustal sources (Al, P, Ti, V, Mn, Ce) with EF crust were dominated by the coarse-mode particles ( >1.8 µm ) and peaked around 4.4 µm in diameter, reflecting the regional contributions. Non-crustal elements (Ca, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb) showed EF crust>10 . Aerosol Pb was primarily dominated by fine-mode particles, peaking at 0.14–0.25 µm , and likely was impacted by air masses from southern South America based on air mass back trajectories. However, Ni, Cu, and Zn were not detectable in most size fractions and did not present clear size patterns. Sea-salt elements (Ca, Na + , K + ) showed a single-mode distribution and peaked at 2.5–4.4 µm . The estimated dry deposition fluxes of mineral dust for the austral summer, based on the particle-size distributions of Al measured at Palmer Station, ranged from 0.65 to 28 mg m −2 yr −1 with a mean of 5.5±5.0 mg m −2 yr −1 . The estimated dry deposition fluxes of the target trace elements in this study were lower than most fluxes reported previously for coastal Antarctica and suggest that atmospheric input of trace elements through dry deposition processes may play a minor role in determining trace element concentrations in surface seawater over the continental shelf of the western Antarctic Peninsula.
On an Attempt to Develop a Virtue Ethics Theory of Punishment: Understanding the Idea of Practical Reason in Relation to the Virtue Ethics Theory of Punishment

The justification for legal punishment has traditionally been based on either retributive or utilitarian (consequentialist) theories. However, there is a third alternative that has arisen in recent years: the "virtue ethics" theory of punishment. This article will demonstrate that the virtue ethics theory of punishment combines the retrospective aspects of the retributive theory with the prospective aspects of the utilitarian theory, thereby producing a kind of composite theory of punishment. The theory presents a cohesive unification of two schools of thought and draws its strength from the ability to provide theoretical support to common intuitions regarding punishment. One will see that the virtue ethics theory of punishment is prospective: that is to say, it justifies the institution of punishment through its claims that criminal laws should embody normative behavioral standards, and that punishment according to these laws encourages individuals to conform to these standards. Even still, punishment allows criminals the opportunity for reform through the use of the prison system. On the other hand, the virtue ethics theory may be regarded as retrospective to the extent that the general justificatory principle for the punishment of particular crimes lies in the notion that the criminal deserves punishment for committing acts that manifest a failure of practical reason. This theory of punishment, when properly understood, can help to explain legal punishment practices as well as present a defensible position in the argument over the theoretical justification for punishment.
Nanowire Assisted Mechanotyping of Cellular Metastatic Potential

Nanotechnology has provided tools for next generation biomedical devices which rely on nanostructure interfaces with living cells. In vitro biomimetic structures have enabled observation of cell response to various mechanical and chemical cues, and there is a growing interest in isolating and harnessing the specific cues that three-dimensional microenvironments can provide without the requirement for such culture and the experimental drawbacks associated with it. Here we report a randomly oriented gold coated Si nanowire substrate with patterned hydrophobic-hydrophilic areas for differentiation of isogenic breast cancer cells of varying metastatic potential. When considering synthetic surfaces for the study of cell-nanotopography interfaces, randomly oriented nanowires more closely resemble the isotropic architecture of natural extracellular matrix as compared to currently more widely used vertical nanowire arrays. In the study reported here, we show that primary cancer cells preferably attach to the hydrophilic region of randomly oriented nanowire substrate while secondary cancer cells do not adhere. Using machine learning analysis of fluorescence images, cells were found to spread and elongate on the nanowire substrates as compared to a flat substrate, where they mostly remain round, when neither surface was coated with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Such platforms can not only be used for developing bioassays but also as stepping stones for tissue printing technologies where cells can be selectively patterned at desired locations.
The 4YouLab Model: A Dedicated-Program for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer in a Children's Hospital.

Recently, there has been a growing attention to patients defined by the acronym AYA (adolescents and young adults). Therapeutic strategies and management protocols were developed to recognize the specific psychosocial needs of this age group (1, 2). A cancer diagnosis places the patients at risk of adaptation disorders and anxiety-depressive syndromes due to emotionally and psychologically impacting effects (3). The effects can be more severe in adolescents (4). The disease and its treatment could compromise adolescent developmental paths: the construction and affirmation of the identity, the autonomy development, and the independence from the family unit (5, 6). Currently, the patients who need to be treated go beyond the oncological cure, utilizing a biopsychosocial approach involving the patients’ personal and social norms. One of the strategies for a specific professional care in the multidisciplinary team is to ensure an adequate quality of life during hospitalization (6). From this point of view, it is essential to support discussion and aggregation with other adolescents in the hospital setting, reduce isolation, and encourage emotional sharing and expression. By organizing moments for aggregation, sharing is encouraged between patients, which is helpful to the patients’ well-being and quality of life during treatment. The AYA cancer team utilizes a multidisciplinary care model focused on providing each patient with a holistic and tailored approach including social support together with the best cancer treatments. This approach is more attentive to quality of life and encourages the peer support group to “engage in conversation about having cancer with each other (7, 8). It is necessary to have an approach that includes both patient and caregiver needs in order to support AYA patients (9). Since there is no reproducible AYA program, each pediatric or adult center should create and adapt a dedicated program according to structural and economic resources (5, 10). Even in Italy, the effort of the Associazione Italiana Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP) was oriented to the break down AYA’s poor access to pediatric referral centers and their poor inclusion in clinical trials that caused limited improved survival compared to different age patients (11, 12). Some centers in Italy were pioneers of the AYA-dedicated program, such as the Youth Area in Aviano and the Youth Project in Milan (13), set in two large adult National Cancer Institutes. In this paper, we discuss how we created an AYA program in a children’s hospital.
An Approach for Predicting Aggregate Operating Daily Airline Schedules

This paper develops and analyzes a family of models to predict operating daily airline schedules in the continental United States for future years. The study presented is part of an integrated supply-demand framework to study the evolution of the airline industry. The airline schedule is an important service variable that influences other factors of interest such as demand, profit, and load factor. Our approach attempts to predict the daily airline schedule for a given year, given the annual demand and schedule for the previous year, while minimizing the operating costs due to changes in the schedule. The modeling framework is comprised of three distinct sub-parts: a frequency generator to derive the optimal frequency in a market; a mechanism to obtain an integral solution from a fractional solution produced by the frequency generator; and a timetable generator to derive a daily operating schedule from the output of the second step. The model is validated using actual operating frequency information obtai...
Systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with chronic cutaneous (discoid) lupus erythematosus: Clinical and laboratory findings in seventeen patients

The presence of the discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) skin lesion in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been suggested to be a marker of less frequent and less severe renal disease. The clinical and laboratory features of seventeen patients who were seen in a dermatology practice and who had DLE as a manifestation of SLE (DLE-SLE) are reported, DLE preceded the diagnosis of SLE in eight patients. In six patients, the onset was concurrent, whereas in three the SLE was present prior to the discoid skin lesions. Five of the patients had lesions of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), and Raynaud's phenomenon occurred in eight patients. Clinical evidence of a renal abnormality was present in six patients (hematuria in three, proteinuria in five, and abnormal renal function in two). Antibodies to nuclear and/or cytoplasmic components were abnormal in all patients. Antibody subsets did not correlate well with clinical findings: only half of those with Raynaud's phenomenon demonstrated a positive ribonucleoprotein; only one patient with SCLE demonstrated anti-Ro (SSA) antibody, but four of the six patients with a renal abnormality had an elevated anti-native deoxyribonucleic acid antibody titer. The cutaneous lesions were eventually widespread in all patients, although two had initial disease that was localized to the head and neck, Although renal disease occurs in this group, it is less common and usually milder than in previous groups of unselected SLE patients.
Isolation and preliminary characterization of temperature-sensitive mutants of influenza virus.

Abstract Isolation of temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants was attempted from the WSN strain of influenza A virus which was grown and assayed in MDBK cells. After growth of wild-type virus in the presence of 5-fluorouracil, 15 ts mutants were selected for which the ratio of plaquing efficiency at 39.5 C to that at 33 C was 10−3 or less. In pairwise crosses of ts mutants, recombination and complementation were either very efficient or undetectable. It is suggested, therefore, that the viral genome consists of physically discrete units and recombination occurs as an exchange of these units. All 15 mutants have been assigned with certainty into five recombination groups. Three mutants are suspected to be double mutants. Any two complementing mutants always recombined with each other, and noncomplementing mutants did not recombine. In physiological tests, mutants showed diverse patterns of functional defects at the nonpermissive temperature. However, it was not always possible to correlate these physiological defects with the results of genetic characterization.
Requirement of ERα and basal activities of EGFR and Src kinase in Cd-induced activation of MAPK/ERK pathway in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

Cadmium (Cd) is a common environmental toxicant and an established carcinogen. Epidemiological studies implicate Cd with human breast cancer. Low micromolar concentrations of Cd promote proliferation of human breast cancer cells in vitro. The growth promotion of breast cancer cells is associated with the activation of MAPK/ERK pathway. This study explores the mechanism of Cd-induced activation of MAPK/ERK pathway. Specifically, the role of cell surface receptors ERα, EGFR, and Src kinase was evaluated in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells treated with 1–3 μM Cd. The activation of ERK was studied using a serum response element (SRE) luciferase reporter assay. Receptor phosphorylation was detected by Western blot analyses. Cd treatment increased both the SRE reporter activity and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. Cd treatment had no effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Also, blocking the entry of Cd into the cells with manganese did not diminish Cd-induced activation of MAPK/ERK. These results suggest that the effect of Cd was likely not caused by intracellular ROS generation, but through interaction with the membrane receptors. While Cd did not appear to activate either EGFR or Src kinase, their inhibition completely blocked the Cd-induced activation of ERK as well as cell proliferation. Similarly, silencing ERα with siRNA or use of ERα antagonist blocked the effects of Cd. Based on these results, it is concluded that not only ERα, but also basal activities of EGFR and Src kinase are essential for Cd-induced signal transduction and activation of MAPK/ERK pathway for breast cancer cell proliferation.
Canadian “medicare refugee myth” debunked in major US study

Canadians are not rushing across the border to purchase medical care in the United States, a new study based largely on American data has concluded. In fact, the use of American medical facilities by Canadians is “so small as to be barely detectable.” The authors of “Phantoms in the snow:
Balancing the Risk of Infant Low Birth Weight and Macrosomia: an Examination of Gestational Weight Gain or Weight Loss among Obese Women

The Institute of Medicine recommends gestational weight gain of 11-20 pounds for all obese women; however, outcomes associated with gestational weight gain or loss (GWG) may vary by obesity class. ...
The systematic status of Amblyphrynus Ingeri (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae) With the description of an allied species in western Colombia

Amblyphrynus ingeri is known from three specimens, all collected on the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia. New material reveals that Amblyphrynus is inseparable from the sulcatus group of Eleutberodactylus. The sulcatus group contains five species: E. helonotus, E. ingeri, E. maussi, E. sulcatus, and a new species described herein on the basis of specimens from the Cordilleras Central and Occidental. The new species and E. ingeri are the most derived members of the species group and form a tight cluster with E. sulcatus, an Amazonian species.
Myotis keenii in Florida

I collected one adult female Myotis keenii septentrionalis in Old Indian Cave three miles north of Marianna, Jackson County, Florida, on October 30, 1954. The bat was torpid when first picked from the wall of the cave. Upon skinning it I found heavy deposits of fat; it weighed 7.2 gms. It was hanging …
Valine-sensitive acetohydroxy acid synthases in Escherichia coli K-12: Unique regulation modulated by multiple genetic sites

Spontaneous mutants (146) of Escherichia coli K-12 were selected that were resistant to inhibition of growth by 1.2 mM L-valine (Valr). The Valr isolates, containing acetohydroxy acid synthase resistant to feedback inhibition by L-valine (AHASr), were classed according to cotransduction of the mutation with leu. Several mutations resulting in an AHASr phenotype were found to be cotransducible with glyA. However, no mutations causing a Valr phenotype were linked to ilv. AHAS activity was more closely examined in representatives of three classes of mutants with Valr linked to leu, labeled ilv-660, ilv-661, and ilv-662. The ilvE503 allele in E. coli K-12, known to cause a two- to three-fold derepression of AHAS, was found to affect regulation of synthesis of both valine-sensitive AHAS (AHASs) and AHASr in the mutants containing ilv-660 and ilv-661, whereas it affected repression of AHASs, only, in the mutant containing ilv-662. Further, both AHASs and AHASr in the ilv-661 mutant were repressed by valine, whereas valine did not repress AHASr synthesis in the strain carrying ilv-660 and only partially repressed AHASr in the strain carrying ilv-662. Unexpectedly, AHASr synthesis in strains carrying ilv-660 or ilv-662 was repressible by leucine. The ilv-660 locus appears to be similar in position to ilvH and encodes a product that confers valine-sensitivity upon AHAS activity in the wild-type E. coli K-12. The ilv-660 and ilv-662 loci may normally encode products that influence both the feedback sensitivity of AHAS and control of AHAS biosynthesis.
Migration of hindered amine light stabilizers in automotive clearcoats

The diffusion behavior of two hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) [bis(1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)-sebacate and bis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl)-sebacate] in an automotive clearcoat has been quantified via time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Diffusion couples made from clearcoats with and without HALS allow for the estimation of the diffusion coefficient of one of the HALS. The high diffusion coefficient of one of the HALS contradicts the presence of HALS gradients in weathered coating systems. This discrepancy is ascribed to a decreasing diffusion coefficient of the HALS in the coating matrix due to a weathering-induced increase in the T g of the clearcoat.
Surgical Management of Groin Node Metastases from Nonvulvar Gynecologic Malignancies

Abstract Metastatic disease from nonvulvar gynecologic malignancies involving the groin lymph nodes is uncommon. The purpose of this study is to analyze the morbidity, recurrence-free interval, and survival in this group of surgically managed patients. Twenty patients underwent surgical resection of metastatic disease involving the groin lymph nodes between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 1991. Individual factors which have an impact on morbidity, recurrence, and survival were analyzed. Two patients developed wound infection and 2 had wound breakdown. Both of the patients with postoperative wound infection had clinically fixed nodes. None of the patients developed deep venous thrombosis. Long-term complications included lymphocysts in 2 patients and lymphedema in 4 patients. The median local disease progression-free interval was 10 months, with 5 of 20 patients developing local recurrence. The overall median survival was 11 months, with an adjusted 5-year survival rate of 11.5%. Patients with clinically fixed lymph nodes had a shorter median survival (3.6 months) than those with clinically mobile (median, 22.6 months) nodes ( P = 0.0032). Metastatic disease from carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, uterus, and cervix involving the groin lymph nodes can be managed safely and effectively with surgical resection. The acute and long-term morbidity is acceptable. Local control can be achieved in the majority of patients.
Reply to "Dipolon dispersion relation and plasmons in high-Tc superconducting materials"

We consider the important points raised by Pimpale and Paranjape (PP) in their comments on our paper [Phys. Rev. B 43, 7756 (1991)]. It is emphasized that we disagree with their conclusion. At the outset, we indicate that the results obtained by PP show an interesting contradiction because of two reasons. First, the changes obtained by PP in the first-order approximation on the dipolon frequencies by interaction with plasmons do not depend, by any means, on the plasmons or on any parameter characterizing the free electrons which are present. In order words, PP obtain the screening on the dipolons due to plasmons but the screening term which they have deduced does not depend on the source, namely, the plasmons. Second, the results derived by PP do not retrieve the proper limiting results corresponding to the dipolons when the plasmons are switched off'' although they retrieve the proper limiting results when the dipolons are switched off.'' The PP's present interesting contradiction can be resolved if one compares their results with those derived by one of us (R.R.S.) for the plasmons interacting with dipolons. We discover that an important term is missing in PP's formalism. The present expressions are found to retrievemore » the expected results in the limiting situations when the dipolons or the plasmons are switched off.'' Furthermore, in contrast with PP's results, we show that the corrected results depend, as expected, on the free electrons incorporated in the formalism. More importantly, the results, in contrast with PP's results, do not completely remove, but modify the wave-vector dependence of the dipolon dispersion relations due to the presence of plasmons. We also discuss other inconsistencies in the calculations given by PP.« less
EFFECT OF TOTAL LIPIDS, TRIACYLGLYCEROLS AND PHOSPHOLIPIDS ON MALONALDEHYDE CONTENT IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHICKEN MUSCLES AND THE CORRESPONDING SKIN

Total lipid extracted from chicken breast, thigh, drumstick and wing muscles and the corresponding skin was analyzed for triacylglycerols and phospholipids as well as their fatty acid composition and also for malonaldehyde and lipid oxidation fluorescent products (LOFP) content. Muscles consist of only 1.2–3.2% lipid, but lipid concentration in the skin ranges from 22.2–31.7%. The percentage of phospholipid in muscle lipid was 20 times more than that of the skin. The fatty acids of triacylglycerols from muscles and skin contained less than 2% of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Fatty acids from phospholipid of the meat contained over 15% arachidonic acid and substantial amounts of PUFA with 22 carbon atoms. Skin phospholipid had 10.6–13.2% of all PUFA. Differences in the lipid composition of muscles and skin resulted in a concentration of malonaldehyde in muscle lipids of 30–50 mg/g, a value more than 15 times greater than in lipids of the skin. However, the TBA number of the skin was the same or a little bit lower as compared to muscles. The relative levels of LOFP in the organic phase of Folch-extracted muscle and skin tissues paralleled the trend found for malonaldehyde concentrations. It was concluded that the simultaneous determination of total lipid content and malonaldehyde concentration in lipid extracted from various chicken muscles and corresponding skin was the most informative method for evaluation of precursors of lipid oxidation in fresh tissue.
Taxonomy of the Genus Platysmittia Sæther (Diptera: Chironomidae), with Comments on its Ecology and Phylogenetic Position

Diagnoses are provided for the larva and pupa of Platysmittia for the first time. Descriptions of the male and female of P. bilyji and the male of P. fimbriata are emended to include material from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Specific descriptions and diagnoses are presented for the larva and pupa of P. bilyji and the larva, pupa, and female of P. fimbriata. Larvae of the genus appear to inhabit primarily intermittent streams in forested watersheds. The larvae and pupae of Platysmittia indicate that the genus belongs within the clade comprised of the Heterotrissocladius, Parakiefferiella and Cardiocladius groups plus Psilometriocnemus, and is probably most closely related to the Heterotrissocladius group and Psilometriocnemus.
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Pediatric Surgery

The use of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in children was first described in 1979 (Neurosurgery 4(2):146–51, 1979), just 2 years after the first descriptions of the use of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in adult spine surgery (Clin Orthop Rel Res 126:100–5, 1977). Since then, surgeons from many countries have integrated the use of IONM into the surgical care of pediatric patients. The modalities used and the types of procedures for which IONM is utilized have expanded greatly since 1979.
Physical Activity—The Major Unaccounted Impediment to Closed Loop Control:

This article presents a mathematical model of glucose homeostasis that is valid during physical activity. Known changes in glucose dynamics during exercise were accounted for in the model, and exercise itself was detected and quantified through heart rate (beats per minute). The model was successfully fit to 21 type 1 diabetic subjects during a hyperinsulemic clamp protocol, and performance of the new model was compared with the standard minimal model of glucose kinetics that it was derived from.
Wall Street, accounting, and their impact on manufacturing

Abstract Today's manufacturing environment demands processes capable of delivering high quality products in rapid fashion. In response to these demands, many US manufacturers are emphasizing reductions in inventory as the vehicle to improve quality and delivery. Unfortunately, most US manufacturers use a management accounting system which discourages inventory reductions and even rewards inventory increases. In this paper, the relationship between the US stock market, financial and managerial accounting, and manufacturing is discussed. Lastly,. three alternatives are suggested for changing the accounting systems without affecting investor interests, which will encourage and reward manufacturing managers to improve their competitive position.
Assessment of sediment and porewater after one year of subaqueous capping of contaminated sediments in Hamilton Harbour, Canada

In this manuscript, we present data from a demonstration in situ capping site (100 m x 100 m) in Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario, Canada. A layer of clean medium to coarse sand with the average thickness of 35 cm was placed at the site in the summer of 1995. Concentration of Zn, Cr, and Cd in the original sediments reached values over 6000, 300 and 15 μg/g, respectively. The predicted consolidation of the uppermost one meter of sediment was about 14 cm, which was in good agreement with values obtained from comparisons of moisture content values of pre-capping and post-capping cores. A thin layer of fresh moderately contaminated sediments has started to develop on the top of the cap. In general, the concentrations of elements were greater in porewater than in the overlying water, e.g., the concentration of Fe and soluble reactive phosphorus were 1000 times, and those of Mn 100 times greater. There was a significant reduction in the vertical fluxes of all the trace elements after the capping of the contaminated sediments.
Computers in the Exam Room: Differences in Physician–Patient Interaction May Be Due to Physician Experience

The use of electronic medical records can improve the technical quality of care, but requires a computer in the exam room. This could adversely affect interpersonal aspects of care, particularly when physicians are inexperienced users of exam room computers. To determine whether physician experience modifies the impact of exam room computers on the physician–patient interaction. Cross-sectional surveys of patients and physicians. One hundred fifty five adults seen for scheduled visits by 11 faculty internists and 12 internal medicine residents in a VA primary care clinic. Physician and patient assessment of the effect of the computer on the clinical encounter. Patients seeing residents, compared to those seeing faculty, were more likely to agree that the computer adversely affected the amount of time the physician spent talking to (34% vs 15%, P = 0.01), looking at (45% vs 24%, P = 0.02), and examining them (32% vs 13%, P = 0.009). Moreover, they were more likely to agree that the computer made the visit feel less personal (20% vs 5%, P = 0.017). Few patients thought the computer interfered with their relationship with their physicians (8% vs 8%). Residents were more likely than faculty to report these same adverse effects, but these differences were smaller and not statistically significant. Patients seen by residents more often agreed that exam room computers decreased the amount of interpersonal contact. More research is needed to elucidate key tasks and behaviors that facilitate doctor–patient communication in such a setting.
US HealthLink: a national information resource for health care professionals

US HealthLink is a new, comprehensive online medical information system designed specifically for health care professionals. Available to individuals for a fixed fee, it includes literature, news, diagnostic decision support, drug interactions, electronic mail, and bulletin boards. It also provides user-specific current awareness via clipping service, and fax delivery of both clipping and electronic mail information. US HealthLink can now be utilized to access a wide variety of medical information sources inexpensively.
Spinal R-phenyl-isopropyl adenosine inhibits spinal dorsal horn neurons responding to noxious heat stimulation in the absence and presence of sensitization

Abstract The effects of spinally administered R(−)N6-(2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine (R-PIA) on spinal dorsal horn neurons were investigated in anesthetized rats. Extracellular, single-unit recordings were measured during noxious heating of receptive fields on the hind paw. Three series of experiments were carried out to characterize the effects of R-PIA on spinal dorsal horn neuronal activity. In the first set of experiments, R-PIA dose-dependently suppressed noxiously evoked activity of spinal dorsal horn neurons. In the second set of experiments, R-PIA suppressed noxiously evoked activity in neurons sensitized by the topical application of mustard oil to a region of skin adjacent to their receptive fields. In the third set of experiments, R-PIA prevented mustard oil induced sensitization of dorsal horn neurons. In all cases, the adenosine receptor antagonist theophylline reversed the action of R-PIA. The results of these investigations indicate the involvement of spinal adenosine receptors in spinal pathways of central sensitization and in the modulation of somatically induced noxious pain.
Case report: de novo BRCA2 gene mutation in a 35‐year‐old woman with breast cancer

In this report, we describe a patient with a de novo BRCA2 gene mutation (5301insA) who developed early onset breast cancer with no strong family history of the disease. Only three similar instances have been reported previously. Subsequent site-specific analysis in her parents showed that neither carried the mutation previously identified in their daughter. Various possible explanations for this finding were excluded. Paternity was confirmed using 13 highly polymorphic markers, thereby illustrating that the patient carried a de novo mutation in the BRCA2 gene. The 5301insA mutation has been well described and reported many times in the Breast Cancer Information Core online Breast Cancer Mutation database. This finding illustrates the importance of determining the incidence of de novo BRCA mutations and is of significant clinical value to breast cancer prevention and management. Our case report presents the fourth case in which a de novo germline mutation in a BRCA1/2 gene has been identified.