cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical Complications in Older Adults Predict Decline in Self-Perceived Cognitive Function in the Ensuing Year: A Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT Background Surgical complications are common among older adults and are potential indicators of poorer long-term outcomes. The authors examined the effects of in-hospital complications on changes in older adults’ self-perceived cognitive function in the year after surgery. Method The authors conducted a prospective longitudinal study with 2,155 older adults (age ≥ 65) undergoing surgery, investigating the association between self-reported, in-hospital complications after surgery and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Applied Cognition-Abilities survey (4 items, cognitive function) at 30 days and 1 year after surgery. Surveys were scored on a continuous scale of 0–100, with higher scores representing better self-perceived cognitive functioning. Patient characteristics including demographics, type of complications, surgery type, pain, and activities of daily living were also collected. Results Having one in-hospital complication was associated with a decrease of 1.79 points (95% confidence interval (CI): −2.78, −0.80), indicating lower self-perceived cognitive functioning at 1 year after surgery; having two or more in-hospital complications was associated with 2.82 point (95% CI: −4.50, −1.15) decrease at 1 year after surgery. Models specific to complication type indicated that respiratory [−3.04, (95% CI: −5.50, −0.57)], neural [−2.11, (95% CI: −3.97, −0.25)], and general complications [−2.39, (95% CI: −3.51, −1.28)] were associated with statistically significant decreases in cognitive function. Discussion Older surgical patients who suffer in-hospital complications show greater decline in self-perceived cognitive function during the ensuing year. Geriatric specialists may be able to intervene in the immediate perioperative period to reduce complications and possibly mitigate cognitive decline among older adults.
Chandra Evidence for a Flattened, Triaxial Dark Matter Halo in the Elliptical Galaxy NGC 720

(Abridged) We present an analysis of a Chandra ACIS-S observation of the elliptical galaxy NGC 720 to verify the existence of a dark matter (DM) halo and to measure its ellipticity. The ACIS-S3 image reveals over 60 point sources. For semi-major axes a<~150" (18.2h_{70}^{-1} kpc) the ellipticity of the diffuse emission is ex ~0.15, which is less than the values 0.2-0.3 obtained from ROSAT because the point sources contaminated the ROSAT values. The Chandra data confirm the ~20 deg position angle (PA) twist discovered by ROSAT, but the Chandra twist is more gradual also because of the point sources contaminating the ROSAT values. Overall the ex and PA values for a<~150" can be explained by the triaxial model of NGC 720 published by Romanowsky & Kochanek. Since the optical image displays no substantial isophote twisting, the X-ray PA twist requires a massive DM halo if the hot gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium. The mass-follows-light hypothesis is also inconsistent with the Chandra ellipticities at the 96% (98%) level for oblate (prolate) symmetry. Thus, both the PA twist and the ellipticities of the Chandra image imply a DM halo independent of the gas T profile -- evidence that cannot be obviated by alternative gravity theories such as MOND. The DM density model, rho ~a^{-2}, provides the best fit and gives ellipticities of 0.37 +/- 0.03 (0.36 +/- 0.02) for oblate (prolate) models. These moderate ellipticities for the DM halo are inconsistent with both the nearly spherical halos predicted if the DM is self-interacting and with the highly flattened halos predicted if the DM is cold molecular gas. These ellipticities may also be too large to be explained by warm DM, but are consistent with galaxy-sized halos formed in the Lambda-CDM paradigm.
657 Patient Perspectives on Telesleep Care in COVID Times: An Urban Teaching Hospital Survey

Introduction: Telehealth is a relatively new tool for patient care, and to reach underserved areas where certain specialties are available. With the advent of the COVID19 pandemic, Telehealth has become a universal way to provide safe and quality patient care. However, Telehealth is a new experience for many providers and patients. We surveyed patients who received telehealth visits in sleep medicine between March and June 2020 to determine patient satisfaction and common technology-related barriers. The goal was to formulate actionable steps for improving patient's experiences and determine the feasibility of long-term telehealth services for sleep medicine. Methods: We interviewed 63 patients by phone, utilizing IRB approved surveys for telehealth satisfaction and technology. Responses were de-identified, tabulated, and analyzed in aggregate using Excel®. Results: 85% of respondents had a high-school diploma or a higher level of education (9.6% students, 39.7% employed, 15.9% unemployed, and 19% retirees). 62% of participants participated in Telehealth for the first time. 89% preferred Telehealth, and 76% rated telehealth experience as good or better than in-person visits. 92% did not require technical assistance during the visit. Long-term telehealth care was acceptable to 63% of participants. Approximately 33% had technology-related barriers (no computer or webcam), and 12% did not have email. However, 89% had smartphones (70% connected to personal internet). Other barriers cited were lack of private space (13%) and taking time off work (9%). No clear preference for phone versus video Telehealth was noted (approximately 40% each), but 7% expressed concern about bi-directional video communication. This may be related to the privacy and security concerns expressed by 20% of respondents. However, only 5% reported using the electronic health record (EHR) based secure communication portal. Conclusion: Sleep care via Telehealth is preferred by most patients during the COVID pandemic and is acceptable to two-thirds of patients for the long-term. In addition to access to personal devices or the internet, privacy concerns were a barrier to Telehealth. We plan to increase patient enrollment in the EHR-based portal to deliver telehealth services and communication securely to mitigate these barriers.
Obesity, putative biological mediators, and cognitive function in a national sample of children and adolescents.

Abstract Childhood obesity has reached epidemic rates nationwide and may be associated with impaired cognitive function. A growing body of evidence suggests that poorer academic performance for children with obesity and overweight is related to declines in executive function skills. This study aimed to identify biological mediators between obesity and overweight and cognitive function among children and adolescents. A total of 3323 children aged 6–16 years from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994 (NHANES III) was used to measure associations between measures of obesity and overweight, cognitive function (IQ test batteries), iron deficiency, inflammation (c-reactive protein), and glucose metabolism (glycosylated hemoglobin) using multiple mediation models. Approximately 15% of the children were overweight and 11% were obese. Results showed lower scores for children who were obese or overweight than children of normal weight on several IQ subtest batteries. Obesity and overweight were also associated with biological mediators such as iron deficiency, elevated c-reactive protein and glycosylated hemoglobin. Several biomarkers of iron status were also related to measures of cognitive function. Early declines in cognitive function are associated with biomarkers of iron deficiency and inflammation in children and adolescents, and while some biological linkages between obesity and overweight and cognitive function are identified herein, further study is needed to identify additional biological mediators between obesity and overweight and cognitive function in pediatric populations.
Gastric microbiome in horses with and without equine glandular gastric disease.

Background The role of the gastric microbiome in development or persistence of equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) remains to be investigated. Hypothesis/objectives The objective was to characterize the glandular mucosal and gastric fluid microbiomes of horses with and without EGGD. It was hypothesized that differences in the mucosal microbiome are associated with EGGD. Animals Twenty-four horses were enrolled. Methods Gastroscopy was performed and EGGD scores recorded (score 0, n = 6; score 1, n = 8; score ≥2, n = 10). Gastric fluid and pinch biopsies of healthy glandular mucosa and EGGD lesions were collected via gastroscope. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the gastric fluid and glandular mucosal biopsies was performed. Relationships between gastric fluid and mucosal microbial community composition were evaluated among EGGD score groups (EGGD 0-BX, EGGD 1-BX, EGGD ≥2-BX) and among endoscopic appearances: controls from horses without EGGD and normal areas, hyperemic areas, and lesions from horses with EGGD. Results Microbial community structure of mucosal biopsies differed among EGGD score groups (Jaccard similarity index; P = .009). Principal coordinate analysis showed separate clusters for EGGD 0-BX and EGGD ≥2-BX. Conclusions and clinical importance A modest difference was detected in the community structure of the gastric glandular mucosal microbiome in association with EGGD score.
Accelerated basis adaptation in homogeneous chaos spaces

Abstract Polynomial chaos expansions (PCE) provide an efficient approach to uncertainty quantification (UQ) and have been adapted to diverse applications across the spectrum of science and engineering. For situations involving large stochastic parameterizations, the curse of dimensionality renders PCE-based methods computationally prohibitive. A basis adaptation approach for PCE was proposed by Tipireddy and Ghanem (2014) which transforms the input random variables through an isometry such that sufficient probabilistic characterization of specific quantities of interest (QoI) is concentrated in an algebraic manifold embedded in the linear span of the dominant transformed variables. While quite versatile, that original version of the PCE basis adaptation exhibited slow convergence for a number of problems of practical significance. In the present paper, we propose two novel methods to accelerate the convergence of the original basis adaptation approach, thus expanding its reach while also providing insight into its performance. In the first method, information gained from a pilot PCE representation is used to correct the mean and Gaussian coefficients in the adapted space. By taking advantages of probabilistic information in higher dimensional adaptation gleaned from an initial adaptation, the second method updates the rotation matrix used to identify the dominant transformed variables. In this manner, the new rotation matrix concentrates even more probabilistic information in its first few dimensions. These two method can be combined to achieve even better performance, the combined method is referred to as sequentially optimized adaptation method. The methods are demonstrated on an analytical test function and a model of a space structure with several sub-components and a non-smooth quantity of interest representing the maximum acceleration over time. Both methods achieve accelerated convergence of the basis adaptation approach with negligible additional costs.
Nuclear magnetic resonance of thioredoxin and glutaredoxin.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the nuclear magnetic resonance of thioredoxin and glutaredoxin. Thioredoxins and glutaredoxins from a number of sources, with molecular weights of the order of 9000-12,000, are sufficiently small to be amenable to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR spectra of thioredoxin were reported as early as 1976, but extensive NMR studies on these proteins were not made until the advent of high-field spectrometers in the 1980s. One of the major advances has been the development of methods to utilize NMR information to derive three-dimensional structures of proteins and other macromolecules. This application has provided a major impetus in the study of thioredoxins and glutaredoxins by NMR, as X-ray crystallography cannot be used to derive structures in the majority of cases because crystals are not formed. For small, soluble, monomeric proteins such as thioredoxin and glutaredoxin, NMR spectroscopy can provide a great deal of site-specific information, including, but not limited to, distance and dihedral angle data that can be used to obtain high-resolution three-dimensional structures.
Protein kinase C theta regulates stability of the peripheral adhesion ring junction and contributes to the sensitivity of target cell lysis by CTL.

Destruction of virus-infected cells by CTL is an extremely sensitive and efficient process. Our previous data suggest that LFA-1-ICAM-1 interactions in the peripheral supramolecular activation cluster (pSMAC) of the immunological synapse mediate formation of a tight adhesion junction that might contribute to the sensitivity of target cell lysis by CTL. Herein, we compared more (CD8+) and less (CD4+) effective CTL to understand the molecular events that promote efficient target cell lysis. We found that abrogation of the pSMAC formation significantly impaired the ability of CD8+ but not CD4+ CTL to lyse target cells despite having no effect of the amount of released granules by both CD8+ and CD4+ CTL. Consistent with this, CD4+ CTL break their synapses more often than do CD8+ CTL, which leads to the escape of the cytolytic molecules from the interface. CD4+ CTL treatment with a protein kinase Cθ inhibitor increases synapse stability and sensitivity of specific target cell lysis. Thus, formation of a stable pSMAC, which is partially controlled by protein kinase Cθ, functions to confine the released lytic molecules at the synaptic interface and to enhance the effectiveness of target cell lysis.
Estimation Error in the Assessment of Financial Risk Exposure

Value at Risk and similar measures of financial risk exposure require predicting the tail of an asset returns distribution. Assuming a specific form, such as the normal, for the distribution, the standard deviation (and possibly other parameters) are estimated from recent historical data and the tail cutoff value is computed. But this standard procedure ignores estimation error, which we find to be substantial even under the best of conditions. In practice, a "tail event" may represent a truly rare occurrence, or it may simply be a not-so-rare occurrence at a time when the predicted volatility underestimates the true volatility, due to sampling error. This problem gets worse the further in the tail one is trying to predict. Using a simulation of 10,000 years of daily returns, we first examine estimation risk when volatility is an unknown constant parameter. We then consider the more realistic, but more problematical, case of volatility that drifts stochastically over time. This substantially increases estimation error, although strong mean reversion in the variance tends to dampen the effect. Non-normal fat-tailed return shocks makes overall risk assessment much worse, especially in the extreme tails, but estimation error per se does not add much beyond the effect of tail fatness. Using an exponentially weighted moving average to downweight older data hurts accuracy if volatility is constant or only slowly changing. But with more volatile variance, an optimal decay rate emerges, with better performance for the most extreme tails being achieved using a relatively greater rate of downweighting. We first simulate non-overlapping independent samples, but in practical risk management, risk exposure is estimated day by day on a rolling basis. This produces strong autocorrelation in the estimation errors, and bunching of apparently extreme events. We find that with stochastic volatility, estimation error can increase the probabilities of multi-day events, like three 1% tail events in a row, by several orders of magnitude. Finally, we report empirical results using 40 years of daily S&P 500 returns which confirm that the issues we have examined in simulations are also present in the real world.
Clinical correlation needed: what do emergency physicians do after an equivocal ultrasound for pediatric acute appendicitis?

Background Although follow-up CT is recommended for pediatric appendicitis if initial ultrasound (US) is equivocal, many physicians observe the patient at home. There are limited data to understand currently how common or safe this practice is. Our objectives are to assess prevalence of acute appendicitis and outcomes in patients with equivocal US with and without follow-up CT and to identify variables associated with ordering a follow-up CT. Methods Retrospective analysis of the prevalence of appendicitis and outcomes of patients 1–18 years old with an equivocal US at a pediatric emergency department from 2003 to 2008. Recursive partitioning analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify variables associated with ordering follow-up CT. Results Fifty-five percent (340/620) of children with equivocal US did not receive CT, none of whom returned with a missed appendicitis. The prevalence of appendicitis in children with equivocal US was 12.5% (78/620). In children with follow-up CT, the prevalence was 22.1% (62/280); in those without follow-up CT, the prevalence was 4.7% (16/340). Recursive partitioning identified age >11 years, leukocytosis >15,000 cells/ml, and secondary signs predisposing toward acute appendicitis on US as significant predictors of CT. Conclusions We view our study as a fundamental part of the incremental progress to understand how best to use US and CT imaging to diagnose pediatric appendicitis while minimizing ionizing radiation. Children at low risk for appendicitis with equivocal US are amenable to observation and reassessment prior to reimaging with US or CT. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:385–394, 2014
Analytical characterization and validation of creeping waves on dielectric coated and perfectly conducting cylinders

[1] Creeping waves play an important role in the analysis of electromagnetic scattering by large objects with curved boundaries. In this paper, an asymptotic model is presented for the back-scattered field on a dielectric-coated cylinder at aspect angles near broadside incidence, a region where the creeping wave has maximum intensity. The monostatic radar cross section is analytically derived from creeping wave poles and their residues, and is validated with data extracted from rigorous method of moments computation of the scattered field by utilizing a novel state space spectral estimation algorithm. Detailed computations reveal a stark contrast between dielectric-coated objects and uncoated metallic ones with regard to creeping wave propagation. Because of smaller curvature-induced leakage and coherent interaction between incident wave and the dielectric coating, creeping waves, strongly attenuated by metallic objects, become quite pronounced for coated objects. As the frequency increases, the creeping waves are partially trapped inside the dielectric layer and the scattered field becomes quite small. Therefore, in contrast to leakage on a metallic cylinder, which displays smooth monotonic reduction in amplitude with increasing frequency, creeping waves on a coated cylinder exhibit a strong cutoff akin to a guided wave.
Nano-scale Characterization of Al-Mg Nanocrystalline Alloys

Materials with nano-scale microstructure have become increasingly popular due to their benefit of substantially increased strengths. The increase in strength as a result of decreasing grain size is defined by the Hall-Petch equation. With increased interest in miniaturization of components, methods of mechanical characterization of small volumes of material are necessary because traditional means such as tensile testing becomes increasingly difficult with such small test specimens. This study seeks to characterize elastic-plastic properties of nanocrystalline Al-5083 through nanoindentation and related data analysis techniques. By using nanoindentation, accurate predictions of the elastic modulus and hardness of the alloy were attained. Also, the employed data analysis model provided reasonable estimates of the plastic properties (strain-hardening exponent and yield stress) lending credibility to this procedure as an accurate, full mechanical characterization method.
Development and implementation of a balanced scorecard in an academic hospitalist group

BACKGROUND Academic hospitalist groups (AHGs) are often expected to excel in multiple domains: quality improvement, patient safety, education, research, administration, and clinical care. To be successful, AHGs must develop strategies to balance their energies, resources, and performance. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a strategic management system that enables organizations to translate their mission and vision into specific objectives and metrics across multiple domains. To date, no hospitalist group has reported on BSC implementation. We set out to develop a BSC as part of a strategic planning initiative. METHODS Based on a needs assessment of the University of California, San Francisco, Division of Hospital Medicine, mission and vision statements were developed. We engaged representative faculty to develop strategic objectives and determine performance metrics across 4 BSC perspectives. RESULTS There were 41 metrics identified, and 16 were chosen for the initial BSC. It allowed us to achieve several goals: 1) present a broad view of performance, 2) create transparency and accountability, 3) communicate goals and engage faculty, and 4) ensure we use data to guide strategic decisions. Several lessons were learned, including the need to build faculty consensus, establish metrics with reliable measureable data, and the power of the BSC to drive goals across the division. CONCLUSIONS We successfully developed and implemented a BSC in an AHG as part of a strategic planning initiative. The BSC has been instrumental in allowing us to achieve balanced success in multiple domains. Academic groups should consider employing the BSC as it allows for a data-driven strategic planning and assessment process. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:148–153. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
The Content of Consumer Law Classes II

This paper reports on a 2010 survey of law professors teaching consumer protection, and follows up on a similar 2008 survey, which appeared in Jeff Sovern, The Content of Consumer Law Classes, 12 J. CONSUMER & COMMERCIAL L. 48 (No. 1 2008), available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1139894. The 2010 survey found more uniformity in topic selection than the 2008 survey. All thirteen professors who taught survey courses reported that they taught common law fraud, UDAP statutes, the Truth in Lending Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, while all but one covered the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and payday lending. In contrast, in 2008 no topics were explored by all the survey professors and three were discussed by all but one. Nevertheless, as in the 2008 survey, the professors varied considerably in selecting other topics. Professors responding to the 2010 survey reported keeping their syllabi current; for example, more than half the professors teaching survey courses covered the Credit CARD Act, enacted only a year before the survey was conducted, while all but two addressed the subprime crisis.
Inclusive reactions involving nuclei

An inclusive nuclear reaction is A+B→C+anything, where at least one of A, B, or C is a nucleus. How are these cross-sections related to the free hadron-nucleon cross-sections! What influence does the nuclear medium have on particle production! In order to answer these questions, we study a number of specific inclusive reactions p+A→X+anything, where X=π+-, K±, p, d,3H,3He,\(\bar d\),\(\overline {{}^3He} \). In the case that σ(pA→X)∝Aδ, the existing data indicate that δ varies all over the place, depending on the incident energy, and on the identity, momentum and angle of the detected particle. The production of nuclei and antinuclei can be nicely interpreted in terms of a cascade model with final-state interaction. The average multiplicity of charged secondaries appears to be very weaklyA-dependent. Fragmentation of heavy ions and the effects of nuclear motion are also discussed.
Terrestrial Matter Effects from Solar Neutrino Interactions in Super-Kamiokande

Super-Kamiokande measures the rate and spectrum of recoil electrons from 8B and hep solar neutrino-electron elastic scattering as a function of the solar zenith angle. A direct search for matter effects on neutrino oscillations results in a 2.8σ indication that the electron flavor content of solar neutrino during nighttime (N), where earth matter effects are present, exceeds that of daytime (D). An unbinned maximum likelihood fit determines the amplitude of this “day/night variation” ADN=(D−N)/[½(D+N)] to be −3.3±1.0(stat)±0.5(syst)% of the average interaction rate. An oscillation analysis determines the difference in mass2 to be 4.74−0.79+1.6×10−5 eV2, the world's most precise determination of that parameter using neutrinos. Neutrinos above a few MeV are expected to undergo resonant flavor conversion in the solar core while lower energy neutrinos do not. No significant distortions of the recoil electron spectrum due to that effect were found, but the data is consistent with the prediction.
Ex vivo rapamycin generates apoptosis-resistant donor Th2 cells that persist in vivo and prevent hemopoietic stem cell graft rejection

Because ex vivo rapamycin generates murine Th2 cells that prevent Graft-versus-host disease more potently than control Th2 cells, we hypothesized that rapamycin would generate Th2/Tc2 cells (Th2/Tc2.R cells) that abrogate fully MHC-disparate hemopoietic stem cell rejection more effectively than control Th2/Tc2 cells. In a B6-into-BALB/c graft rejection model, donor Th2/Tc2.R cells were indeed enriched in their capacity to prevent rejection; importantly, highly purified CD4 + Th2.R cells were also highly efficacious for preventing rejection. Rapamycin-generated Th2/Tc2 cells were less likely to die after adoptive transfer, accumulated in vivo at advanced proliferative cycles, and were present in 10-fold higher numbers than control Th2/Tc2 cells. Th2.R cells had a multifaceted, apoptosis-resistant phenotype, including: 1) reduced apoptosis after staurosporine addition, serum starvation, or CD3/CD28 costimulation; 2) reduced activation of caspases 3 and 9; and 3) increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-x L expression and reduced proapoptotic Bim and Bid expression. Using host-versus-graft reactivity as an immune correlate of graft rejection, we found that the in vivo efficacy of Th2/Tc2.R cells 1) did not require Th2/Tc2.R cell expression of IL-4, IL-10, perforin, or Fas ligand; 2) could not be reversed by IL-2, IL-7, or IL-15 posttransplant therapy; and 3) was intact after therapy with Th2.R cells relatively devoid of Foxp3 expression. We conclude that ex vivo rapamycin generates Th2 cells that are resistant to apoptosis, persist in vivo, and effectively prevent rejection by a mechanism that may be distinct from previously described graft-facilitating T cells.
The Influence of an Opponent and Time Pressure in Risky Naturalistic Decision Making

This experiment assessed the extent to which the presence of an opponent and time pressure affected risk-taking behavior in a modified blackjack game developed by Dror et al. (1999). Eighty-two college students executed a series of blackjack hands that varied with respect to risk level (none, low, medium, high, very high, infinite), time pressure (yes/no), and presence of an opponent (no opponent, human opponent, computer opponent). Choice probability (participants' willingness to take an additional card) and choice response time were the dependent variables of interest. Consistent with previous research (Burke & Murray, 2001; Dror et al., 1999), participants were less likely to take an additional card as risk level increased. As predicted, response time data showed that participants took more time to make decisions at the low, medium, and high risk levels and that time pressure reduced response time across all risk levels. In general, the presence of an opponent led to an increase in the frequency of cho...
Characteristics of urban sidewalks/streets and objectively measured physical activity.

Several studies have found significant relationships between environmental characteristics (e.g., number of destinations, aesthetics) and physical activity. While a few of these studies verified that the physical activities assessed were performed in the environments examined, none have done this in an urban, neighborhood setting. This information will help efforts to inform policy decisions regarding the design of more “physically active” communities. Fourteen environmental characteristics of 60, 305-m-long segments, located in an urban, residential setting, were directly measured using standardized procedures. The number of individuals walking, jogging, and biking in the segments was assessed using an observation technique. The segments were heterogeneous with regards to several of the environmental characteristics. A total of 473 individuals were seen walking, bicycling, or jogging in the segments during 3,600 min of observation (60 min/segment). Of the 473 seen, 315 were walking, 116 bicycling, and 42 jogging. A greater number of individuals were seen walking in segments with more traffic, sidewalk defects, graffiti, and litter and less desirable property aesthetics. Only one environmental characteristic was associated with bicycling and none were significantly related with jogging. This study provides further evidence that environmental characteristics and walking are related. It also adds new information regarding the importance of scale (e.g., micro, macro) and how some environmental characteristics of urban, residential sidewalks and streets relate to physical activity.
The determinants of divalent/monovalent selectivity in anion exchangers

Abstract This research demonstrates that it is the distance of fixed-charge separation in the resin which is the primary determinant of divalent/monovalent selectivity. Anion resins, particularly acrylics and epoxies, with closely spaced N-containing (amine) functional groups are inherently divalent-ion selective. This is because the uptake of a divalent anion, e.g. sulfate, requires the presence of two closely-spaced positive charges. Results from this study of 30 commercially-available, strong- and weak-base, anion resins indicate that in order to bring positive charges into close proximity within a resin one can: (1) incorporate the amine functional groups into the polymer chains as opposed to having them pendant on the chains; (2) minimize the size and number of organic (“R”) groups attached to the N atom, i.e., minimize the size of the amine; and (3) maximize the resin flexibility, i.e., its ability to reorient to satisfy divalent counterions, by minimizing the degree of crosslinking. The distance-of-charge-separation theory is not restricted to divalent anion exchangers but also applies to cation exchangers and to polyvalent ions in general.
Very-low-birth-weight outcomes of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Network, November 1989 to October 1990

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to describe the neonatal outcomes of 1804 very-low-brith-weight (≤1500 gm) infants delivered between November 1989 and October 1990 in the participating centers of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research. STUDY DESIGN: In an observational study sociodemographic, pregnancy, and delivery data were collected soon after birth, and neonatal and outcome data at discharge, at 120 days, or at death. RESULTS: Maternal and birth weight characteristics included 64% black, 29% white; 71% single mothers; 18% no prenatal care; 17% antenatal steroids; and 12% multiple gestations. Birth weight distributions included 18% weighing 501 to 750 gm, 23% 751 to 1000 gm, 28% 1001 to 1250 gm, and 31% 1251 to 1500 gm. Survival was 39% at 1001 gm infants. Steroids were admiistered to 28% of infants who required oxygen for ≥ 28 days. Mean hospital stay was 62 days for survivors and 18 days for infants who died. There were large intercenter variations in mortality and morbidity. CONCLUSION: Mortality and morbidity in very-low-birth-weight infants improved in 1989 to 1990 without an increase in morbidity or length of hospital stay. The threshold of the improved survival was ≥24 weeks and 601 to 700 gm. Although such data are reassuring, the rate of major morbidity in
Television Food Commericals' Effect on Children's Resistance to Temptation1

This study investigated the effect of television food commercials on children's self-control within a resistance to temptation paradigm. Commercial type, food stimulus type, and the child's sex provided the three independent variables in a 4 × 4 × 2 factorial design. Behavioral and self-report indices of temptation and control were measured. Children were significantly more tempted to transgress for the low-nutrition food, regardless of the commercial shown. Sex differences in reported degree of temptation were found. However, the television commercials did not affect the children's latency to transgress.
Sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma of bladder managed with transurethral resection alone.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the bladder is a rare entity that usually presents at high stage. Most cases have a poor prognosis despite aggressive surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. We report a case of early stage sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma managed with transurethral resection alone with no evidence of recurrence at 48 months. CASE REPORT
Determination of solute descriptors by chromatographic methods.

Abstract The solvation parameter model is now well established as a useful tool for obtaining quantitative structure–property relationships for chemical, biomedical and environmental processes. The model correlates a free-energy related property of a system to six free-energy derived descriptors describing molecular properties. These molecular descriptors are defined as L (gas–liquid partition coefficient on hexadecane at 298 K), V (McGowan's characteristic volume), E (excess molar refraction), S (dipolarity/polarizability), A (hydrogen-bond acidity), and B (hydrogen-bond basicity). McGowan's characteristic volume is trivially calculated from structure and the excess molar refraction can be calculated for liquids from their refractive index and easily estimated for solids. The remaining four descriptors are derived by experiment using (largely) two-phase partitioning, chromatography, and solubility measurements. In this article, the use of gas chromatography, reversed-phase liquid chromatography, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, and two-phase partitioning for determining solute descriptors is described. A large database of experimental retention factors and partition coefficients is constructed after first applying selection tools to remove unreliable experimental values and an optimized collection of varied compounds with descriptor values suitable for calibrating chromatographic systems is presented. These optimized descriptors are demonstrated to be robust and more suitable than other groups of descriptors characterizing the separation properties of chromatographic systems.
Can equity be purchased at the expense of efficiency? An axiomatic inquiry

Abstract Assume the restricted domain of classical welfare economics. The Pareto rule ranks x strictly above y if and only if everyone strictly prefers x to y . Suppose the social welfare function ƒ satisfies: 1. Nonimposition. 2. Independence of irrelevant alternatives. 3. Continuity and quasitransitivity of social preference. 4. Minimal equity (there is at least one situation in which at least one social optimum gives each individual a positive amount of at least one commodity). Then ƒ agrees with the Pareto rule except perhaps for comparisons in which someone is assigned the zero vector, and the Pareto rule is at least as decisive as ƒ overall.
Application of the Electromagnetic Geneator to Space Power Systems

The solid rotor inductor alternator possesses features which suit it for space power applications. This paper describes this type of converter and explains how space environment requirements are met by inductor features. The effects of space power requirements on the electromagnetic nature of the machine is reviewed, and certain power quality trends are projected.
Evaluation of Scale Shape for the Identification of Walleye Stocks from Western Lake Erie

Abstract We used the method of Jarvis et al. to characterize scale shapes of five stocks of walleye Stizostedion vitreum vitreum from western Lake Erie, to assess the effects of age, sex, and year of collection on scale shape, and to determine the level of accuracy for assignment of test individuals to their respective stocks based upon their scale shape. Neither sex, age, nor year of collection had significant effects on scale shape of walleyes from the Maumee River, Ohio. Using discriminant analysis we found some differences among scale shape from the five western Lake Erie stocks. The three Ohio stocks (Maumee and Sandusky rivers and Toussaint reef) were more similar in scale shape to each other than to the Lake St. Clair stocks (Clinton and Thames rivers), but classification rates of test individuals to their respective stocks were low. Differences in scale shape were more apparent when we compared an eastern-basin stock (Presque Isle, Pennsylvania) with western-basin groups, yet rates of successful c...
Electrochemical techniques for characterization of stem-loop probe and linear probe-based DNA sensors

Abstract Here we present a summary of the sensor performance of the stem-loop probe (SLP) and linear probe (LP) electrochemical DNA sensors when interrogated using alternating current voltammetry (ACV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Specifically, we identified one critical parameter for each voltammetric technique that can be adjusted for optimal sensor performance. Overall, the SLP sensor displayed good sensor performance (i.e., 60 + % signal attenuation in the presence of the target) over a wider range of experimental conditions when compared to the LP sensor. When used with ACV, the optimal frequency range was found to be between 5 and 5000 Hz, larger than the 5–100 Hz range observed with the LP sensor. A similar trend was observed for the two sensors in CV; the LP sensor was operational only at scan rates between 30 and 100 V/s, whereas the SLP sensor performed well at scan rates between 1 and 1000 V/s. Unlike ACV and CV, DPV has demonstrated to be a more versatile sensor interrogation technique for this class of sensors. Despite the minor differences in total signal attenuation upon hybridization to the target DNA, both SLP and LP sensors performed optimally under most pulse widths used in this study. More importantly, when used with longer pulse widths, both sensors showed “signal-on” behavior, which is generally more desirable for sensor applications.
Treatment of ocular symptoms in myasthenia gravis

Background: The choice between acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitors (AChE-Is) and steroids as symptomatic therapy for ocular symptoms in myasthenia is controversial. Methods: Thirty-five patients with myasthenia and ocular symptoms were evaluated by a single investigator. The ocular-quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG) score was determined at each visit. The longitudinal construct validity of the ocular-QMG was assessed. Treatment epochs on AChE-I therapy alone or on steroids were defined for each patient. Changes in ocular-QMG scores between the start and end of each treatment epoch as well as the proportion of subjects achieving remission of symptoms were documented. The frequency of steroid-induced side effects was documented. Results: The longitudinal construct validity was favorable and comparable to that for the total QMG score. Eight patients were treated with AChE-I therapy alone, 6 were initially treated with AChE-I followed by steroids, and 21 received steroids ab initio. There were 14 epochs of AChE-I treatment and 27 epochs of steroid treatment. The mean improvement in ocular-QMG score was greater during the steroid epoch (3.6 ± 2.4) than during the AChE-I epoch (1.1 ± 1.9) ( p = 0.0021). Complete resolution of ocular symptoms occurred in 29% of AChE-I treatment epochs and in 70% of steroid treatment epochs. The most common steroid-induced side effects observed were impaired glucose tolerance (67%) and reduced bone mineral density (20%). Conclusion: The ocular-quantitative myasthenia gravis score may be a useful tool for monitoring ocular symptom severity in myasthenia. Steroids appear to be more effective than acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitors. These findings warrant a more formal evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.
Isolation and purification of a toxin from Millepora dichotoma

A water-soluble, non-dialyzable toxin has been isolated from the hydrozoan coral, Millepora dichotoma, collected at Eniwetok Atoll. The toxin was purified by anion exchange chromatography. The ld50 for 20 g mice is 38 μg protein per kg body wt. The toxin is compared and contrasted with that isolated from the West Indian and Caribbean hydrozoan, Millepora alcicornis.
Reward Context: Influence on Hypotheses during Learning Set Formation by Preschool Children

St6mmary.-Previous studies have shown char. compared to separate reward. a reward sticker attached to the underside of the positive stimulus facilitates solution of discrimination problems by preschool children. It is established here that the context of reward also affects the formation of learning set over a series of discrimination problems and that the improvement is characterized by a reduced frequency (from 19% to 7%) of incorrect position-related hypotheses (error factors) and an increased frequency (from 34% to 65%) of object-related hypotheses. The solution of two-choice visual-discrimination problems by preschool children is substantially facilitated by manipulations of the form of the reward context. Children solve problems faster when the outcome is identified by a symbol attached to the underside of the positive stimulus than when a separate token is hidden in a reward well beneath the positive stimulus (Estes, 1976). Estes interpreted this result using an information-processing account of discrimination problem solving. This account holds that the rate of problem solving is influenced by factors affecting encoding and memory. In this case encoding is easier; children in the attached condition learn more quickly chat one object is consistently rewarded and the other object is consistently nonrewarded, while children in the separate conditions are more likely to consider hypotheses relating reward to nonobject-aspects of the experimental situation. The effect of reward context on discrimination and concept selection may then be determined, at least in part, by its influence on the outcome of a competition among codes (Premack, 1983; Miller, 1983). Mechanisms which mediate the influence of reward context are absent from the major theories of discrimination learning and concept formation that have been applied in the comparative psychology of learning (Fisher & Zeaman, 1973; Lovejoy, 1968; Mackintosh, 1972; Spence, 1936; Spiker, 1972; Suther
A contact lens with an integrated lactate sensor

Abstract The tear film is a valuable diagnostic fluid for a continuous, minimally invasive surveillance of health conditions in a patient. We developed an electronic enzymatic l -lactate sensor on a polymer substrate molded into contact lens shape for potential in situ monitoring of l -lactate levels in tear fluid. The platinum sensing structures were functionalized by cross-linkage of lactate oxidase with glutaraldehyde and bovine serum albumin, and coated with medical grade polyurethane. Different approaches for the suppression of interfering species present in the tear film were evaluated. The sensors show a quick response time of 35 s, an average sensitivity of ∼53 μA mM −1 cm −2 within their linear range, and sufficient resolution within the physiological range of lactate concentrations. A dual sensor design was found appropriate for the suppression of interfering signals. The sensors are functional at temperatures comparable to those at the surface of the eye, and their response is stable for up to 24 h.
A re-examination of presumed Neandertal-like fossils

The term Neandertal-like has been very loosely applied to a diverse group of fossil hominids which have little in common except a vague, poorly defined similarity to Neandertals. To assess the validity of calling certain fossils Neandertal-like, a definition of Neandertals themselves must first be established. Previous definitions are unaccepttable because they do not isolate those characters which differentiate Neandertals from other groups of the genus Homo . By looking for between-group differences and within-group similarities a set of calvarial features was found which characterizes both European and Levant Neandertals, and isolates them from other hominid groups. Though they are few, these features are the derived, phylogenetically important characters and are far more important than the primitive, shared traits previous workers focused on. Of ten presumed Neandertal-like skulls compared to the definition based on the derived characters, only Swanscombe and Steinheim showed any of the diagnostic Neandertal features. The fossils most often touted as Neandertal-like, Broken Hill and the Ngandong group, do not have a single diagnostic Neandertal feature. Any similarity rests solely on primitive, shared characters. These results argue strongly against the existence of a world-wide Neandertal grade or stage of human evolution. This study leads to several other inferences which must be verified by further work. For example, the lack of similarity between Skhul, Omo, Jebel Ighoud and Jebel Qafza on the one hand and Neandertals on the other certainly does not support a Neandertal derivation of modern H. sapiens .
Queer Cultural Capital: Implications for Education.

This article takes the concept of cultural capital from Yosso’s (2005) work and transforms the model for queer communities. While Yosso identified five forms of cultural capital in communities of color (familial, aspirational, navigational, resistant, and linguistic), the author identifies an additional form: transgressive. Queer cultural capital can show teachers the strengths within queer communities and so allow them to have a positive, rather than a deficit, model of these groups. Brief examples for queer cultural capital are illustrated for familial, aspirational, navigational, and resistant, while queer linguistic and transgressive capitals are discussed in greater depth. Implications for K-12 teaching and working with preservice teachers are offered, as well as suggestions for future work.
Freeze drying and residual moisture

Abstract Several factors associated with operation of freeze-drying equipment and residual moisture determinations have been discussed in relation to their influence on the residual moisture content of the product or on the determination of the residual moisture. Factors which should be achieved in the freeze-drying process are a relatively open physical structure of the mass as it is being dried, the presence of additives which improve the physical structure of the mass or provide protection to otherwise labile components, good heat transfer from the shelves to the product, and removal of moisture from rubber stoppers. Important factors which can influence the results from residual moisture determinations are the sample size which preferably should be at least 200 mg, transfer of samples which should be in a low-humidity atmosphere, isolation of samples by handling only one at a time in a low-humidity box and by use of separate desiccators, and monitoring the procedure with highly hygroscopic material as a test of its ability to yield valid results.