cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency and Density Associated Grouping Patterns of Male Roosevelt Elk

Group size variation has been examined within a framework of costs and benefits to ecological factors. Social factors might also influence group size particularly in polygynous males. To explore the role of social and ecological factors on group size outside the mating season I examined the influence of abundance on male grouping patterns in a population of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) in northwestern California, USA. Male grouping patterns are complex, males often group with other males, but they can be transient members of female groups. Because male–male competition is pervasive even outside of the mating season, male only groups display fusion–fission dynamics which should be coupled to abundance of the male population. Whereas the number of males in female groups is governed by female abundance. Males associating with females is more likely at low female abundance because per capita forage should be abundant. Across a 23-year study I examined whether male or female abundance was related to male only group sizes and the number of males in female groups. Male only group size displayed a positive, linear relationship (frequency associated) with male abundance and the number of males in female groups displayed an inverse, positive relationship (density associated) with female abundance. The female population varied in K carrying capacity which influenced relationships with number of males in female groups. Uncovering factors influencing male grouping patterns required using the appropriate metric of abundance. Social factors influenced male only group sizes and ecological factors influenced male prevalence in female groups.
Rethinking Infrastructure Network Criticality for Climate Resilience: Inputs from Complexity Sciences and Disaster Risk Theory

Critical infrastructure (CI) functions and spatial boundaries are often implicit premises which can result in misalignments between CI resilience goals and their societal utility. Furthermore, the historical legacy and institutionalization of CI, powered by national security issues, has resulted in technocentric approaches of infrastructure systems that can be counterproductive to disaster risk reduction. Through a literature review, this paper argues that rethinking concepts of infrastructure network criticality quantitatively and qualitatively is a necessary step to address this misalignment and to apply the current paradigm shift which defines CI, beyond hardware, as sociotechnical and socioecological systems. Rethinking these concepts of criticality requires a reexamination of infrastructure networks functions and spatial boundaries. Complementary approaches to CI resilience are harnessed within two large and sometimes disconnected bodies of literature: complexity sciences and disaster risk theories. Complexity sciences have significantly advanced quantitative definitions of infrastructure criticality by modeling interconnectivity and extracting network-level metrics of vulnerability and resilience. At a conceptual level, complexity sciences further revolutionized our understanding of CI as complex adaptive systems through the idea of ecological resilience and panarchical cycles of stasis and change. Nevertheless, the application of ecological resilience to CI risk management still struggles to recognize and assess sociotechnical functions of complex systems, for which disaster risk theories have a latent potential to address, notably within concepts of social construct of risk and the vulnerability paradigm. This theoretical bridge helps realign infrastructure network criticality with CI services and ecological resilience goals. In a practical level, it converges contributions from multiple fields and provides direction for assessing sociotechnical network exposure to climate change threats and identifying network-level organizational stakeholders to support CI collaborative risk governance.
Automated quantification of opioid withdrawal in neonatal rat pups using Ethovision® XT software.

Abstract Chronic prenatal exposure to opioids often causes fetal opioid dependence that leads to neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) shortly after delivery. Rat models of NOWS often require quantifying neonatal withdrawal behaviors using time-consuming, labor-intensive manual scoring methods. The goal of this study was to automate quantification of opioid withdrawal in neonatal rat pups. Accordingly, we used the animal behavior software Ethovision® XT to analyze archived videos of rat pups subjected to precipitated opioid withdrawal testing on postnatal day 0. We compared results obtained from Ethovision® XT with those previously obtained from manual scoring. Two endpoints reported by Ethovision® XT, Distance Moved (cm) and Movement Duration (s), had strong positive linear relationships with manually derived global withdrawal scores (GWS; R2 > 0.73). Sensitivity and specificity of each endpoint to discriminate presence and absence of low-grade withdrawal were assessed by receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, which indicated that Distance Moved and Movement Duration had excellent accuracy (AUC > 0.90). Finally, we analyzed main and interaction effects of prenatal treatment (with vehicle or mu opioid receptor full agonists) and postnatal challenge (with saline or an opioid receptor antagonist) on each endpoint and determined they were similar for the manual and automated methods. These results show that Ethovision® XT software can reliably quantify opioid withdrawal in neonatal rat pups with non-inferiority to manual scoring even in videos that were not originally purposed and optimized for Ethovision® XT analysis. This faster and less labor-intensive method of analysis is expected to accelerate progress in preclinical studies of NOWS.
Candelabrum cells are molecularly distinct, ubiquitous interneurons of the cerebellar cortex with specialized circuit properties

To understand how the cerebellar cortex transforms mossy fiber (MF) inputs into Purkinje cell (PC) outputs, it is vital to delineate the elements of this circuit. Candelabrum cells (CCs) are enigmatic interneurons of the cerebellar cortex that have been identified based on their morphology, but their electrophysiological properties, synaptic connections, and function remain unknown. Here we clarify these properties using electrophysiology, snRNA sequencing, in situ hybridization, and serial electron microscopy. We find that CCs are the most abundant PC layer interneuron. They are GABAergic, molecularly distinct, and present in all cerebellar lobules. Their high resistance renders CC firing highly sensitive to synaptic inputs. CCs are excited by MFs and granule cells, and strongly inhibited by PCs. CCs in turn inhibit molecular layer interneurons, which leads to PC disinhibition. Thus, inputs, outputs and local signals all converge onto CCs to allow them to assume a unique role in controlling cerebellar output.
Rare Adverse Events with Programmed Death-1 and Programmed Death-1 Ligand Inhibitors: Justification and Rationale for a Systematic Review.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a new class of cancer drug that spawn unusual adverse events that generate unusual and sometimes unexpected adverse events. Despite databases that track such adverse events, there remains a need to also generate systematic reviews to capture side effects from such agents. We generated a systematic compendium of adverse event reports. Extensively reviewing the published literature of case reports and case series, we relied on the peer process to compile a resource for clinicians of rare adverse events associated with checkpoint inhibitors. We used this compendium as a platform to provide broad-based comments on the role of systematic reviews in gathering such adverse event data. This approach generated 265 types of rare adverse events that had been reported, the most frequent of which were autoimmune type I diabetes (n = 62), pneumonitis (n = 40), myocarditis (n = 39), and colitis (n = 36). More unusual adverse events were also catalogued. Some adverse events that initially seemed unusual turned out to be more frequently reported over time and thus lost their novelty—an important point which provides context for how adverse events should be viewed when new drugs become available. Additionally, in contrast to such resources as the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), this systematic review relied on peer-reviewed data—another important point which adds strength to such systematic reviews. This report provides a compendium of rare and usual adverse events, serves as a resource to cancer clinicians, and appears to be justified based on the reported findings.
Coevolution study of tau and a-synuclein suggests a connection between their normal interaction in neurons and the Parkinson's disease-associated mutation A53T

Alpha-synuclein lies at the center of Parkinson’s disease etiology, and polymorphisms in the gene for the microtubule-associated protein tau are risk factors for getting the disease. Tau and a-synuclein interact in vitro, and a-synuclein can also compete with tau binding to microtubules. To test whether these interactions might be part of their natural biological functions, a correlated mutation analysis was performed between tau and a-synuclein, looking for evidence of coevolution. For comparison, analyses were also performed between tau and b- and g-synuclein. In addition, analyses were performed between tau and the synuclein proteins and the neuronal tubulin proteins. Potential correlated mutations were detected between tau and a-synuclein, one involving an a-synuclein residue known to interact with tau in vitro, Asn122, and others involving the Parkinson’s disease-associated mutation A53T. No significant correlated mutations were seen between tau and b- and g-synuclein. Tau showed potential correlated mutations with the neuron-specific bIII-tubulin protein, encoded by the TUBB3 gene. No convincing correlated mutations were seen between the synuclein and tubulin proteins, with the possible exception of b-synuclein with bIVa-tubulin, encoded by the TUBB4A gene. While the correlated mutations between tau and a-synuclein suggest the two proteins have coevolved, additional study will be needed to confirm that their interaction is part of their normal biological function in cells.
Nearly Passive Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface with Constant Phase-shifts

This paper introduces the concept of a nearly passive reconfigurable intelligent surface where each unit cell can only provide an invariable constant phase-shift. A simple unit cell selection method is also proposed to engineer the incident wave's properties for the benefit of the intended receiver. Rigorous simulation results are provided, which validate the idea of the nearly passive reconfigurable intelligent surface and the unit cell selection method. The presented results show that the proposed nearly passive reconfigurable intelligent surface can provide a similar performance as a conventional reconfigurable intelligent surface. Furthermore, it demonstrates that it is possible to alleviate the complexities related to phase shifter network, and at the same time to reduce the associated control signaling without incurring any performance loss.
A new possibility for production of sub-picosecond x-ray pulses using a time dependent radio frequency orbit deflection

Abstract It is shown that two radio frequency deflecting cavities with slightly different frequencies can be used to produce time-dependent orbit deflection to a few special electron bunches circulating in a synchrotron without affecting the majority of the electron bunches. These special bunches produce an x-ray pulse in which transverse position or angle, or both, are correlated with time. The x-ray pulse is then shortened, either with an asymmetrically cut crystal that acts as a pulse compressor, or with an angular aperture such as a narrow slit positioned downstream. The implementation of this technique creates a highly flexible environment for synchrotrons in which users of most beamlines will be able to easily select between the x-rays originated by the standard electron bunches and the short x-ray pulses originated by the special electron bunches carrying a time-dependent transverse correlation.
Political conflict and foreign policy in the United States: A geographical interpretation

Abstract Since the early 1970s, America's leaders have experienced great difficulty in mobilizing broad national support for their foreign policies. Deep and persistent conflict has been the norm, hampering national leaders' capacity to advance coherent and programmatic foreign policy. Most analysts identify ideological or institutional cleavages at the national level as the source of domestic political competition and conflict over foreign policy. This study offers an alternative, geographically-based interpretation. An analysis of voting in the Congress reveals that conflicts over the ends and means of American power have split the nation along regional lines, pitting the Northeast against the South. It is argued that these conflicts have revolved around the uneven costs and benefits of policies that were associated with the Pax Americana of the Cold War era. Like other periods in American history when there was little consensus over ‘the national interest’, today's conflicts are grounded in inter-regional struggles for political and economic advantage.
Bounding the cost of learned rules: a transformational approach

My dissertation research centers on application of machine learning techniques to speed up problem solving. In fact, many speed-up learning systems suffer from the utiliv problem; time after learning is greater than time before learning. Discovering how to assure that learned knowledge will in fact speed up system performance has been a focus of research in explanation-based learning (EBL). One way of finding a solution which can guarantee that cost after learning is bounded by cost of problem solving is to analyze all the sources of cost increase in the learning process and then eliminate these sources. I began on this task by decomposing the learning process into a sequence of transformations that go from a problem solving episode, through a sequence of intermediate problem solving/rule hybrids, to a learned rule. This transformational analysis itself is important to understand the characteristics of the learning system, including cost changes through learning. Such an analysis has been performed for Soar/EBL(Kim & Rosenbloom 1995). The learning process has been decomposed into a sequence of transformations from the problem solving to learned rule. By analyzing these transformations, I have identified three sources which can make the output rule expensive. First, ignoring search-control rules which constrained the problem solving can increase the cost. For example, PRODIGY/EBL (Minton 1993) and Soar ignore a large part of the search-control rules in learning to increase the generality of the learned rules. The consequence of this omission is that the learned rules are not constrained by the path actually taken in the problem space, and thus can perform an exponential amount of search even when the original problem-space search was highly directed (by the control rules). By incorporating search control in the explanation structure, this problem can be avoided (Kim & Rosenbloom 1993). Second, when the structure of the problem solving differs from the structure of the match process for the learned rules, time after learning can be greater than time before learning. During problem solving, the rules that fire tend to form a hierarchical structure in which the ewly rules provide information upon which the firing of later rules depends. This hierarchical structure is reflected in EBL most obviously in the structure of the explanation (an1 the more general
Cloned trans-acting factors that bind to the regulatory elements of the major histocompatibility complex class I gene.

Transcription of MHC class I genes is controlled by the two conserved cis sequences, the class I regulatory element (CRE) and the interferon consensus sequence (ICS). The CRE binds two nuclear factors that are involved in enhancing class I transcription. The enhancer activity is observed in cells expressing the class I genes at high levels. The ICS binds interferon inducible and constitutive factors, and controls induction of the class I genes in response to interferons. The CRE/ICS also controls repression of class I gene transcription in embryonal carcinoma cells which, like early embryos, do not express class I genes.
Differential induction of H-2K vs H-2D class I major histocompatibility complex antigen expression by murine recombinant interferon-gamma.

The results presented here indicate that recombinant murine interferon-gamma can cause a dramatic differential induction of two distinct class I MHC molecules. Thus, IFN-gamma treatment of the murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-induced AKR SL3 tumor, a cell line that normally expresses moderate levels of class I MHC antigens, resulted in a large increase in H-2Dk expression, but no change or a slight decrease in H-2Kk expression as measured by cytofluorography. Explanations of the selective enhancement of Dk expression based on increased Fc receptor display or differential kinetics of induction were ruled out. The phenomenon was observed over a wide range of doses of IFN-gamma and with two different monoclonal antibodies to Kk, the latter finding making it unlikely that an altered form of the Kk molecule was induced. The same differential induction of the Dk antigen was observed for the LBRM.5A4 tumor cell line. Because LBRM.5A4 is also MuLV+ but of congenic B10.BR (H-2k) origin, these results were consistent with the possibility that such differential induction was associated with the H-2k haplotype and/or MuLV. The implications of these results, as a possible mechanism of tumor cell escape from an immune surveillance system monitored by class I MHC-restricted T cells and as a useful model system to dissect the mechanism of IFN-gamma induction of class I MHC antigens, are discussed.
Determinants of runaway episodes among adolescents using crisis shelter services

This study investigated youth and family factors associated with runaway episodes. Youth and family characteristics are described for adolescents utilising emergency shelter services in Texas and New York, and the study explored multivariate models to determine the individual and family effects on runaway recidivism. A convenience sample of 349 youth using runaway shelter services was recruited; 154 runaway youth from New York and 195 from Texas shelters participated. Adolescents completed several self-report measures; negative binomial regression analyses were conducted. Findings demonstrated that characteristics of adolescents and family factors are significant predictors of adolescents’ runaway episodes when statistically controlling for region of the country. Social workers in emergency youth shelters and child welfare settings are in a unique position to develop effective strategies to meet the needs of this high-risk group of young people.
Peer Effects in Education: How Might They Work, How Big Are They and How Much Do We Know Thus Far?

Abstract This chapter summarizes the recent literature on peer effects in student outcomes at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Linear-in-means models find modest sized and statistically significant peer effects in test scores. But the linear-in-means model masks considerable heterogeneity in the effects experienced by different types of students. Using nonlinear models, one prevalent finding is larger peer effects in which high ability students benefit from the presence of other high ability students. Studies that stratify students by race and ability often find that students are affected both by the racial composition of their peers and by the achievement of their same-race peers. At the university level, several studies find modest sized effects from dormmate and roommate background on own academic performance. For both university and high school students, the measured peer effects on “social” outcomes such as drinking are larger than the effects on academic outcomes. Many authors find substantial peer effects in drinking, drug use, and criminal behavior. This chapter suggest areas for future investigation and data collection.
Electrical stimulation effect on extensor lag and length of hospital stay after total knee arthroplasty.

The effects of electrical stimulation in conjunction with traditional physical therapy, on knee extensor lag and length of hospital stay among patients recovering from total knee arthroplasty were assessed. Forty patients who underwent total knee replacement (TKR) were randomly assigned to either an electrical stimulation group (16 females, 5 males), or a control group (15 females, 4 males). Both groups received conventional physical therapy including continuous passive motion (CPM) to the affected limb, ambulation training, range of motion exercises, and activities of daily living (ADL) training. The experimental group additionally received electrical stimulation during CPM treatment. Experimental group subjects reduced their extensor lag from 7.5 to 5.7 degrees, whereas control group extensor lag increased from 5.3 to 8.3 degrees. These trends were significantly different (p < .01). Rehabilitation discharge criteria were reached in 6.7 days in the experimental group and 7.4 days in the control group. These differences were also significant (p < .05). The results of this study indicate that the application of electrical stimulation during recovery from TKR can effectively reduce extensor lag and decrease the length of hospital stay.
Doing “Business as Usual”: Dynamics of Voice in Community Organizing Talk

This article examines discourse in a community change project committed to undoing “business as usual”—attempts to “fix” problems within the community without involvement of residents in the process. We show how, despite commitments to recognizing community “voice,” participants' orientation to powerful “centering institutions” (Jan Blommaert 2005) transformed and overrode community residents' critical contributions, thus realizing microinteractionally some recurring broader patterns of the process, and resulting in the unintended reproduction of business as usual. [community change initiative, social context of schooling, discourse analysis, contextualization]
Effects of Lysine on Ammonia Formation, Hydrogen Ion, and Potassium Ion Balance: A Review and an Hypothesis

Evidence is assembled that lysine acts as an intracellular hydrogen ion acceptor, causing increased ammonia formation and increased potassium excretion in certain disease states. It is suggested that other intracellular dibasic amino acids may have the same effects.
Analysis of buffer behavior with asynchronous arrival and output processes

A semi-Markov process is used to represent a statistical sampling program functioning as a recipient of observation data or as a generator of population data. In the recipient case, the program receives data through a buffer storage that is filled by a fixed-rate arrival process. In the generator case, the program supplies data to a buffer storage that is emptied at fixed intervals. In both cases, a data miss occurs when an arrival encounters a full buffer. The paper develops methods to evaluate the sampling success rate for both the recipient and the generator cases. In practice, these methods can be used to optimize the design of the sampling process by choosing buffer lengths that meet specified minimum success rates. The analysis allows any subset of the states of the semi-Markov process to be associated with the sampling activity. This problem has practical applications in statistical and scientific database systems and many other environments.
On the environmental similitude for fracture in the SENT specimen and a cracked hydrogen gas pipeline

Abstract We investigate the use of laboratory fracture specimens to ascertain the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement of a hydrogen pipeline with an axial crack on the inner diameter (ID) surface. In particular, we study the interaction of hydrogen with material elastoplasticity in single edge notch tension (SENT) specimens loaded in hydrogen gas at a pressure of 15 MPa. We find that the transient and steady state hydrogen concentration fields in the neighborhood of the crack tip in the SENT specimen and the real-life pipeline are essentially the same. This environmental similitude warrants the use of the SENT specimen in a gaseous hydrogen environment to examine the compatibility of steel pipelines with hydrogen.
Creating the Out-of-State University: Do Public Universities Increase Nonresident Freshman Enrollment in Response to Declining State Appropriations?

This study investigates whether public universities respond to declines in state appropriations by increasing nonresident freshman enrollment. State higher education appropriations declined substantially during the 2000s, compelling public universities to become more dependent on net-tuition revenue. State policy controls often limit the growth of resident tuition price. Therefore, public universities have an incentive to grow nonresident enrollment in order to grow tuition revenue. Drawing on resource dependence theory, we hypothesize that public universities respond to declines in state appropriations by growing nonresident freshman enrollment. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this response will be strongest at research universities because research universities enjoy strong demand from prospective nonresident students. We tested these hypotheses using a sample of all US public baccalaureate granting institutions and an analysis period spanning the 2002–2003 to 2012–2013 academic years. Fixed effects panel models revealed a strong negative relationship between state appropriations and nonresident freshman enrollment. This negative relationship was stronger at research universities than master’s or baccalaureate institutions. These results provide empirical support for assertions by scholars that state disinvestment in public higher education compels public universities to behave like private universities by focusing on attracting paying customers.
Mobilization of azaarenes from wastewater treatment plant biosludge.

The possible presence of azaarenes in residues disposed of in landfills represents a potential source of ground water contamination. Assessment of the hazard posed by azaarenes in such wastes requires a knowledge of the ease with which such materials are leached from the residue by infiltrating water. The objective of this study was to investigate the partitioning behavior of a homologous series of azaarenes between water and a waste water sludge under conditions representing both neutral and cationic species of the aromatic bases.
A comparative study of volumetric breast density estimation in digital mammography and magnetic resonance imaging: results from a high-risk population

We performed a study to compare methods for volumetric breast density estimation in digital mammography (DM) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for a high-risk population of women. DM and MRI images of the unaffected breast from 32 women with recently detected abnormalities and/or previously diagnosed breast cancer (age range 31-78 yrs, mean 50.3 yrs) were retrospectively analyzed. DM images were analyzed using QuantraTM (Hologic Inc). The MRI images were analyzed using a fuzzy-C-means segmentation algorithm on the T1 map. Both methods were compared to Cumulus (Univ. Toronto). Volumetric breast density estimates from DM and MRI are highly correlated (r=0.90, p≤0.001). The correlation between the volumetric and the area-based density measures is lower and depends on the training background of the Cumulus software user (r=0.73-84, p≤0.001). In terms of absolute values, MRI provides the lowest volumetric estimates (mean=14.63%), followed by the DM volumetric (mean=22.72%) and area-based measures (mean=29.35%). The MRI estimates of the fibroglandular volume are statistically significantly lower than the DM estimates for women with very low-density breasts (p≤0.001). We attribute these differences to potential partial volume effects in MRI and differences in the computational aspects of the image analysis methods in MRI and DM. The good correlation between the volumetric and the area-based measures, shown to correlate with breast cancer risk, suggests that both DM and MRI volumetric breast density measures can aid in breast cancer risk assessment. Further work is underway to fully-investigate the association between volumetric breast density measures and breast cancer risk.
Coronary endothelium-protective effects of defibrotide in ischaemia and reperfusion.

Defibrotide is known to enhance prostacyclin (PGI2) release from the vascular endothelium. We investigated the vasoactive effects of defibrotide in isolated rat hearts perfused at constant flow subjected to ischaemia and reperfusion. Defibrotide at 10−7 or 100 μg/ml did not exert any direct vasoactive effect on normal rats hearts. However, ischaemia and reperfusion resulted in an impaired vasodilation to acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator. In contrast, the vasodilator response to the endothelium-independent dilator, nitroglycerin, was unaffected. Defibrotide, at 10−7 or 100 μg/ml, markedly restored the vasodilation to acetylcholine 10−7 nmol/l to 1 μmol/l (P < 0.01) without influencing the vasodilator response to nitroglycerin (2 to 200 μg/1). Haemoglobin (150 nmol/l) inhibited the dilation to acetylcholine in response to defibrotide. However, no evidence of (PGI2) release was observed with acetylcholine-induced vasodilation in the presence or absence of defibrotide. Additionally, 10–100 μg/ml of defibrotide did not significantly decrease superoxide radicals generated by a xanthine-xanthine oxidase synthetic system under conditions in which superoxide dismutase was effective. Thus, defibrotide appears to exert an endothelium-protective effect preserving endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) without directly scavenging free signals.
An introductory course in the applications of computer technology in the health sciences

This paper discusses the contents of an introductory course in the applications of computer technology in the health sciences. A set of instructional goals is described, designed to meet the basic needs of the health professional involved in understanding and developing computer-based applications in his environment. From these goals, a list of specific objectives is constructed and presented as the student's minimum level of achievement for the course. The implementation, evaluation and impact of the course are reviewed.
Influence of Pyrethroid Pesticide Formulation on Volatile Emissions from Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., Leaves

Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to influence numerous ecological interactions among plants, insects, and natural enemies. There is little information on the direct or indirect effects of insecticide application on the production and emission of VOCs from plants. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of two pyrethroid formulations on the emission of VOCs from cotton (Gossypium hirisutum L.). Emissions were sampled from cotton leaves treated with either a capsule suspension (CS) or an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) of lambda-cyhalothrin, or untreated controls 24 and 96 h after application of insecticides and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results indicated that application of either formulation of pyrethroid had no significant effect on the total emission of volatiles during any sampling period. Interestingly, untreated plants did exhibit significantly greater emissions of (E)-2-hexenal, β-farnesene, and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetrae c...
The Relationship between Expressive Vocabulary Knowledge and Reading Skills for Adult Struggling Readers.

This study examined expressive vocabulary and its relationship to reading skills for 232 native English-speaking adults who read between the third- and fifth-grade levels. The Boston Naming Test (BNT; Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 2001) was used to measure expressive vocabulary. Participants scored lower than the normative sample of adults on all aspects of the test; they had fewer spontaneously correct answers, and were not helped by stimulus or phonemic cues. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that expressive vocabulary accounted for significant variance in both reading comprehension and exception word reading, but not for general word reading or nonword reading.
Instructional Effects on the Phase II Profile Honesty Test

30 social scientists and 50 undergraduate students responded to the Phase II Profile, a widely used honesty test, with separate instructions to (1) answer candidly and, after two weeks had elapsed, to (2) answer as if the test needed to be passed to obtain a desirable job. Both groups changed a substantial number of responses suggesting that the test may be susceptible to “faking good.”
Data on 222 patients from a multicenter study using cryogen first option uterine cryoblation therapy in women with abnormal uterine bleeding

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the First Option therapy in women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Methods: This was a 2:1 randomized multicenter study to evaluate cryoblation (CR) under ultrasonographic guidance in women with AUB, using a control group that underwent rollerball (RB) ablation. Patients are premenopausal and menorrhagic, with a diary score of at least 150; have failed medical therapy; have uterine volume of no more than 300; have uterine sound of no more than 10; and have been shown to be free of endometrial pathology by ultrasonography, biopsy, and hysteroscopy. All patients received leuprolide acetate pretreatment. Results: Data on 150 CR patients at 12 months show an amenorrhea/staining outcome of 43%. Overall success as measured by diary score of no more than 75 is 76%—83.3% for RB. A subset of patients (12) received first-freeze cycles longer than the prescribed 4 minutes (5–7 minutes). Eleven of the 12 have reached 12-month follow-up; 7 (64%) are amenorrheic/spotting, with a 91% success rate. General anesthetic was given to 92% of the RB patients, compared with 48.6% of the CR patients. Conclusion: The data continue to indicate that uterine cryoblation is a safe and effective treatment for AUB, requiring less anesthesia than rollerball ablation. Longer first-freeze cycles appear to contribute to improved outcomes.
Calculation of the induced pseudotensor term in Λ beta decay

Abstract We estimate the size of the induced pseudotensor form factor g 2 (0) arising from SU(3) symmetry breaking for the decay Λ → p + e − + ν e . Saturation of the unsubtracted dispersion relation for g 2 ( O ) with the lowest-mass two-particle states yields a value at least an order of magnitude smaller than that suggested by recent experiments. Implications of this result for the existence of second-class currents are discussed.
Fluorine distribution in rats following acute intoxication with nitrogen and halogen fluorides and with sodium fluoride

Abstract Distribution of fluoride in rat tissues has been studied over periods of 20–48 hr following acute intoxication with sodium fluoride (NaF), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), tetrafluorohydrazine (N2F4), chlorine trifluoride (ClF3), and bromine pentafluoride (BrF5). The data do not suggest the existence of any fluoride-bearing degradation products which behave differently from fluoride ion. NF3 and N2F4 intoxication resulted in persistently high concentrations of fluoride in erythrocytes.
Vibrational entropy of L12 Cu3Au measured by inelastic neutron scattering

The phonon density of states of elemental Au, Cu, and Cu3Au with L12 chemical order were measured by inelastic neutron scattering and used to calculate the vibrational entropy of formation of the ordered compound from the elemental metals. A vibrational entropy of formation of (0.06±0.03) kB/atom at 300 K was obtained, with the vibrational entropy of the ordered alloy being larger than that of the elemental metals. The phonon DOS of the disordered Cu3Au was simulated by adding the phonon DOS curves of fcc Cu, L12 Cu3Au, and fcc Au to match the numbers of first-nearest-neighbor pairs in a disordered alloy. The vibrational entropy obtained with this simulated DOS disagrees with calorimetric data and theoretical estimates, indicating that the phonon DOS of disordered Cu3Au depends on chemical order at spatial lengths larger than is set by first-nearest-neighbor pairs.
Length‐dependence of electron transfer coupling matrix in polyene wires: Ab initio molecular orbital theory study

The electron transfer (ET) properties of π-electron conjugated quasi-one-dimensional molecular wires, consisting of polyene, [>CC<]n (n = 1–11), including β-carotene, is investigated using ab initio molecular orbital theory within Koopmans theorem (KT) approach. The ET coupling matrix element, VDA, for 1,3-trans-butadiene molecule calculated with the KT approach shows excellent agreement with the corresponding results obtained with two-state model. The calculated values of VDA for the polyene oligomers exhibit exponential decrease in magnitude with increasing length of the wire. However, the decay curve exhibits three different regimes. The magnitude of the decay constant, β, decreases with the increase in length of the wire. A highly delocalized π-electron cloud in the polyene chain appears to facilitate retention of the electronic coupling at large separations between the donor and acceptor centers. Published 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
The Effect of Realistic Contexts on Ontological Judgments of Novel Entities.

Abstract Although a great deal of research has focused on ontological judgments in preschoolers, very little has examined ontological judgments in older children. In the present study, 10-year-olds and adults (N = 94) were asked to judge the reality status of known real, known imagined, and novel entities presented in simple and elaborate contexts and to explain their judgments. Although judgments were generally apt, participants were more likely to endorse imagined and novel entities when the entities were presented in elaborate contexts. When asked to explain their reasoning, participants at both ages cited firsthand experience for real entities and general knowledge for imagined entities. For novel entities, participants referred most to indirect experiences when entities were presented in simple contexts and to general knowledge when those entities were presented in elaborate contexts. These results suggest that contextual information continues to be an important influence on ontological judgments past the preschool years.
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association: the state of the journal.

No. 1 Author (Ref No.) Subject No. Citations 1. Morley JE et al Nutritional recomm...mgt...sarcopenia 37 2. Braddy KK et al Vitamin D...VA LTC population 32 3. Voyer P et al Detecting delirium...demented LTC 30 4. Kuo S et al Feeding-tube use...advanced dementia 29 5. Morley JE Vitamin D redux 27 6. Morley JE Polypharmacy in the nursing home 26 7. Aman E et al Supervised exercise to reduce agitation 25 8. Argiles JM et al Consensus on cachexia definitions 25 9. Morley JE Anorexia, weight loss, and frailty 24 10. Gobbens RJ et al Determinants of frailty 24 11. Fitzgerald SP et al Comorbidities and tx/polypharmacy 24 12. Kutsal YG et al Polypharmacy in the elderly 22 13. Nijs K et al Malnutrition and mealtime ambiance 21 14. Jalbert JJ et al Antipsychotic use...hip fx...dementia 21 15. Gobbens RJ et al Definition of frailty: Opinions of experts 21 16. Grant WB et al Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D disparities 21 17. Feldman SM et al Diabetes mgt...nursing home 2008 20 18. Rowland FN et al Impact of med dir cert-quality of care 19 19. Flaherty JH et al Development...mental status vital sign 18 20. Ishii S et al Apathy: A common psychiatry syndrome 18 21. Lee M et al Dementia and life expectancy 18 22. Quigley P et al Fall prevention and injury protection 18 The past few years have shown excellent growth in the Journal, both in quality and quantity. In 2012, we increased the number of pages and, by also having online-only publications, greatly increased the number of articles published. We are very happy to announce that in 2013, the Journal will be published monthly. In parallel with the increase in number and quality of articles submitted, there has been a continuous increase in the Journal’s Impact Factor (Figure 1).1 The Journal now has the highest impact factor of all clinical geriatric journals and the fourth highest impact of all geriatrics and gerontology journals for 2011. The most cited articles in 2009 and 2010 (the years used to calculate the impact factor) are given in Table 1. These articles covered areas such as nutrition, vitamin D, polypharmacy, frailty, and sarcopenia. The article demonstrating that the medical director certification from the American Medical Directors Association improves nursing home quality was also highly cited.2 The improving quality of the Journal is further demonstrated by the high number of citations already received by articles published in the Journal in 2012 (Table 2). Two of these, the article on the global agenda for nursing homes from International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics3 and the Rome consensus paper on sarcopenia4 have already been cited more than 20 times. Out of interest, Table 3 provides
Encouraging preservation of sexual function postprostatectomy

Sexual function after prostatectomy, particularly perirenal, has been reviewed in 128 patients treated in private practice for the past twenty years by one urologist with an avowed bias to encouraging postoperative sexual function. Surgical procedures for benign and neoplastic lesions of the prostate usually do not impair sexual potency when a patient is interested in coitus, has an available partner, and is encouraged by his physician. Review of the literature justifies encouraging preservation of sexual function postprostatectomy.
Reticuloendothelial System Fc Receptor Function and Plasmapheresis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Preliminary Report

Reticuloendothelial System (RES) Fc receptor-mediated immune clearance and levels of immune complexes were measured in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus undergoing plasmapheresis. RES clearance defects improved and disease manifestations and levels of circulating immune complexes decreased after plasmapheresis. Patients with initially abnormal reticuloendothelial system function, elevated levels of circulating immune complexes, and active acute illness appeared to respond to plasmapheresis. One patient with normal immune clearance, lacking measureable immune complexes, and manifesting chronic disease remained unchanged. Improvements seen following plasmapheresis were best maintained in patients receiving parenteral cyclophosphamide in the post-pheresis period. The correlation of clinical response, improved RES function, and decreased levels of immune complexes suggests the interaction of the latter two parameters in disease pathogenesis. Plasmapheresis has an important role as a research tool, and may be of clinical usefulness in a small number of patients with serious complications of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Differences in the properties of mammalian ribonucleotide reductase toward its substrates

Abstract These studies, using three different reagents, show that the substrate properties of ribonucleotide reductase are specific but can be variable depending upon the nature of the interaction of the reagent with the holoenzyme or the individual subunit. Etheno-CDP, which acts as a competitive inhibitor with respect to CDP, interacts with the active site of the holoenzyme. This interaction was the result of rather tight structural requirements as ϵ-ADP did not result in a similar level of inhibition of either CDP or ADP reductase activities. The YL 1/2 antibody which binds very tightly to the NHI subunit has a much greater effect on CDP reductase activity than ADP reductase activity. The nonapeptide that corresponds to the C-terminus amino acid sequence of the NHI subunit and which binds to the EB subunit and aborts the formation of the NHI-EB active complex has a greater effect on ADP reductase activity than on CDP reductase activity. The use of reagents such as these can be helpful in dissecting the subtle but important differences in the substrate properties of mammalian ribonucleotide reductase.
Synthesis of Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Poly(acrylic acid) Grafted MWNTs and Their Hydrogenation of Citral

Crystalline Pt nanoparticles were electrolessly deposited on poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The density and uniformity of Pt nanoparticles on MWNTs were foun...
Positive Culture: The Key Element for Successful Teamwork

Positive relationships between management and employees at the work place can enhance the climate of the organisation. By examining management/employee relationships, one can predict the success or failure of a teamwork initiative. As one individual illustrated, “My work environment is a lot like a dog‐sled. Unless you are the lead dog, the scenery is always the same”. This dramatic visualisation illustrates the approach many companies embrace when they begin the teamwork approach to management; i.e. only a few managers and a few workers receive teamwork training.
Effect of Exercise on Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Background. Novel rehabilitation strategies have demonstrated potential benefits for motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Objective. To compare the effects of Lee Silverman Voice Therapy BIG (LSVT BIG therapy) versus a general exercise program (combined treadmill plus seated trunk and limb exercises) on motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. Methods. Eleven patients with early-mid stage PD participated in the prospective, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Both groups received 16 one-hour supervised training sessions over 4 weeks. Outcome measures included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Five patients performed general exercise and six patients performed LSVT BIG therapy. Post-intervention evaluations were conducted at weeks 4, 12 and 24. Results. The combined cohort made improvements at all follow-up evaluations with statistical significance for UPDRS total and motor, BDI, and MFIS (P < 0.05). Conclusion. This study demonstrated positive effects of general exercise and LSVT BIG therapy on motor and non-motor symptoms of patients with PD. Our results suggest that general exercise may be as effective as LSVT BIG therapy on symptoms of PD for patients not able to readily access outpatient LSVT BIG therapy.