cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Oppressed Religious Liberty Cause an Uprising in Terror Attacks

The political community’s research comes across as inconclusive in regard to the relationship between liberty and terrorism, given the differing opinions on what defines ‘liberty’ and ‘terrorism.’ Most research up to 2016 has been done on terrorist data after 2001 and until 2010 (in some cases 2012). My research expands to the year 2014 to analyze the connection between religious oppression by governments of varying countries and their effect on the number of terror attacks in the span of one year. My research does not support my hypothesis of a relationship between these two variables; however, other religious factors included as controls showed a surprising positive correlation with the number of terror attacks in the year of 2014. These surprising results are important to the international community as to the policies we implement in regard to religious group integration in specific countries.
Chapter 57 – 1981 Producers and Scroungers

In social foraging groups some animals are producers; they discover food and find new resources. Others are scroungers that exploit the findings of producers. Scroungers can be either the same species as the producers, as in a pride of lions, or a different species, as in a mixed-species flock of birds. Scrounging is a cost of social behavior.
Geisinger high-risk osteoporosis clinic (HiROC): 2013-2015 FLS performance analysis.

Geisinger Health System (GHS) high-risk osteoporosis clinic (HiROC), which treats patients with low-trauma, fragility fractures, reports their 2013–2015 performance measures in secondary fracture prevention. This fracture liaison service (FLS) pathway treats 75% of high-risk, drug eligible patients, compared to 13.8% in GHS primary care. This performance points to the need for more FLS programs throughout the world. The purpose of this study is to analyze and report ongoing performance measures in outpatient and inpatient high-risk osteoporosis clinic (HiROC) program designed for patients with low-trauma, fragility fractures. Retrospective chart review of outpatient HiROC (511 patients) and inpatient HiROC (1279 patients) performance from 2013 to 2015 is reported within Geisinger Health System (GHS). Similar to a prior report, we document that Geisinger’s branded outpatient and inpatient HiROC pathways continue to function as an all-fracture FLS. Importantly, this analysis emphasizes the importance of FLS care that HiROC’s treatment rate of 75% was markedly superior to GHS-PCP care of 13.8%. However, a large percentage of patients (37.8%) were lost to follow-up care. This led to the identification of multiple care gaps/barriers to ideal best practice. FLS programs use case finding strategies and address secondary fracture prevention. GHS HiROC’s performance and initiation of drug therapy in this fracture patient population contrasts with GHS-PCP care’s much lower rate of treatment, documenting the need for ongoing FLS care. Importantly, the results of this analysis have prompted the beginnings of GHS programmatic changes, designed to narrow the reported care gaps in this mature FLS.
Characterizing the dominant ions in low-temperature argon plasmas in the range of 1-800 Torr

The dominant ions in low-temperature rare gas plasmas can be either molecular ions or atomic ions depending on the discharge regime. In this paper, the dominant ions in low-temperature argon plasmas are characterized in a wide range of gas pressure (1–800 Torr). The channels for creation of molecular ions include atom assisted association, dissociative recombination, dissociation by atom impact (DAI), and dissociation by electron impact (DEI). The latter two were previously less often considered. It is found that the DEI reaction has a significant impact on the ion fractions, while the effect of the DAI reaction is much less important in the whole investigated gas pressure regime. As the gas pressure increases from 1 to 800 Torr, the atomic ion fraction drops rapidly in conjunction with an increase of the molecular ion fraction. This phenomenon confirms that in low-temperature argon plasmas the dominant ion will be the atomic ion in the low pressure regime but the molecular ion in the high pressure regime...
Employment benefits and job retention: evidence among patients with colorectal cancer.

A "health shock," that is, a large, unanticipated adverse health event, can have long-term financial implications for patients and their families. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women and is an example of a specific health shock. We examined whether specific benefits (employer-based health insurance, paid sick leave, extended sick leave, unpaid time off, disability benefits) are associated with job retention after diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. In 2011-14, we surveyed patients with Stage III colorectal cancer from two representative SEER registries. The final sample was 1301 patients (68% survey response rate). For this study, we excluded 735 respondents who were not employed and 20 with unknown employment status. The final analytic sample included 546 respondents. Job retention in the year following diagnosis was assessed, and multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between job retention and access to specific employment benefits. Employer-based health insurance (OR = 2.97; 95% CI = 1.56-6.01; P = 0.003) and paid sick leave (OR = 2.93; 95% CI = 1.23-6.98; P = 0.015) were significantly associated with job retention, after adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, geographic, and job characteristics.
Validation of a genetic risk score for atrial fibrillation: A prospective multicenter cohort study.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly encountered arrhythmia and is associated with an elevated risk of stroke. Improving the identification of patients with the highest risk for AF to enable appropriate surveillance and treatment, if necessary, is critical to reducing AF-associated morbidity and mortality. Multiple common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are unequivocally associated with the lifetime risk of AF. In the current study we aimed to prospectively validate an AF genetic risk score (GRS) in previously undiagnosed patients at risk for AF. Methods and findings Individuals 40 years of age or older with 1 clinical risk factor for AF, presenting with symptoms of AF, or with a first diagnosis of AF, were enrolled for genetic testing and ambulatory cardiac rhythm monitoring with an adhesive patch monitor or a long-term Holter monitor (mean wear time 10 days 21 hours and 13 days 18 hours, respectively). An AF event was the first diagnosis of AF by ECG, patch monitor, or long-term Holter monitor. The AF GRS was determined for each participant based on the weighted contribution of 12 genetic risk loci. Of 904 participants, 85 manifested AF. Their mean age was 66.2 (SD 11.8) years; 38% of participants were male. Participants in the highest quintile of AF GRS were more likely (odds ratio 3.11; 95% CI 1.27–7.58; p = 0.01) to have had an AF event than participants in the lowest quintile after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, BMI, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and prior myocardial infarction. Study limitations included an ethnically homogenous population, a restricted rhythm monitoring period, and the evolving discovery of SNPs associated with AF. Conclusions Prospective assessment of a GRS for AF identified participants with elevated risk of AF beyond established clinical criteria. Accordingly, a GRS for AF could be incorporated into overall risk assessment to better identify patients at the highest risk of developing AF, although further testing in larger populations is needed to confirm these findings. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01970969
Management of treatment-related toxicities in advanced medullary thyroid cancer.

Abstract Progress in the treatment of advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) has resulted from the approval of 2 drugs within the past 5 years, vandetanib and cabozantinib. These multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) possess overlapping specificities for multiple kinase targets implicated in the progression of MTC. Both drugs are associated with toxicities, including hypertension, hemorrhage/perforation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal events, several dermatologic events, and hypothyroidism. In addition, vandetanib is uniquely associated with QTc prolongation through interaction with myocardial potassium channels, and cabozantinib is uniquely associated with hand-foot skin reaction. Treatment-related toxicities occur frequently and can be severe or life-threatening, and patients undergoing long-term treatment will likely experience adverse events (AEs). Here we offer specific practical recommendations for managing AEs commonly occurring with vandetanib and cabozantinib. The recommended approach relies on early recognition and palliation of symptoms, dose interruption, and dose reduction as necessary in order for the patient to maintain the highest tolerable dose for as long as possible and optimal quality of life. Treatment guidelines do not specify a recommended sequence for treating with vandetanib and cabozantinib; however, most patients will receive both drugs during their lifetime. The choice for first-line therapy is individualized after a risk-benefit assessment and depends on physician preference and patient-related factors, such as comorbid conditions. Because most generalist practices may not be familiar with the intricacies of agents such as vandetanib and cabozantinib, we commend that patients with advanced MTC be managed and treated by a thyroid cancer specialist with coordination of care within a multidisciplinary team.
Entacapone and prostate cancer in Parkinson's disease patients: A large Veterans Affairs healthcare system study

Abstract Background An increased incidence of prostate cancer was observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with entacapone during a pre-approval randomized clinical trial; the relation has not been robustly investigated in the U.S. ambulatory setting. Objective To investigate whether entacapone is associated with prostate cancer and to assess whether the associations are correlated with advanced disease at the time of cancer diagnosis. Methods Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system, new-user cohorts were created of PD patients treated with add-on entacapone or add-on dopamine agonist/monoamine oxidase B inhibitors between January 2000 and December 2014. Patients were followed on-treatment for occurrence of prostate cancer, identified via linkage to the VA cancer registry. Results Mean follow-up time was 3.1 and 4.0 years in the entacapone and control cohort, respectively. There were 17,666 subjects meeting study criteria (mean age, 74 (SD 8.6) years); the entacapone-treated group comprised 5,257 subjects. Twenty-three prostate cancer cases occurred in the entacapone cohort and ninety-seven in the control cohort. The overall incidence of prostate cancer was 1.8 per 1,000 person-years of risk. There was no difference in risk of prostate cancer between the cohorts for increased duration of entacapone intake (adjusted HR: 1.08; 95% confidence interval: 0.46–2.51 for cumulative exposure of ≥2 years). Time since starting drug therapy and cumulative dose (mg) also do not suggest a difference in prostate cancer risk between cohorts. Conclusions Prolonged therapy with entacapone was not associated with increased prostate cancer incidence; however, findings suggest a higher severity of prostate cancer.
P200: No need for initial broad-spectrum empiric antibiotic coverage after surgical drainage of orthopaedic implant infections

pathogens, cephalosporins and penicillins were used only in 44 and 10 cases, respectively. Empiric anaerobic coverage was given in 130 episodes (38%), although only five co-pathogens were anaerobes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that neither susceptible antibiotic coverage (compared to non-susceptible; hazard ratio, 0.7, 95% CI, 0.4-1.2) nor exaggerated broad-spectrum use (hazard ratio, 1.1, 0.8-1.5) changed remission rates.
Analyzing Statistical Significance

In this chapter we review some popular methods for estimating the statistical significance of various conclusions that can be drawn from experimental data. These include the \(\chi ^2\)-text, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) test for goodness of fit, the ‘student’ \(t\)-test for testing the null hypothesis that two sets of data have the same mean, Significance Analysis for Microarrays (SAM), Pattern Analysis for Microarrays (PAM) and Gene Set Enhancement Analysis (GSEA).
The Impact of a No-Fault Tort Reform on Physician Decision-Making: A Look at Virginia’s Birth Injury Program

As politicians vigorously debate health care reform, disdain for medical malpractice lawsuits provides a rare point of agreement. Tort liability, though small as a direct cost, is thought to induce physicians to provide unnecessary, costly care. A number of empirical studies have attempted to measure this effect, reaching mixed results. This paper seeks to gauge the impact of “defensive medicine” through a unique no-fault tort reform. In 1987, the Virginia General Assembly removed a subset of birth-related injuries from the tort system by establishing a no-fault compensation pool in which obstetricians can choose to participate. Though created to ensure continued access to obstetrical services in the Commonwealth, the program’s structure provides participants with less incentive to avoid malpractice claims. If obstetricians adjust their practice style based on malpractice incentives, participants should have lower adjusted cesarean rates, a common proxy for “defensive medicine” in obstetrics. Specifically, this article isolates the reform’s impact in ordinary least squares models through its inclusion along with other independent variables such as location; each obstetrician’s adjusted cesarean rate serves as the dependent variable. The results indicate that little relationship exists between providers’ cesarean rates and exposure to malpractice liability. This suggests that fear of defensive medicine is overblown or that addressing it requires greater measures than Virginia’s limited tort reform.
A Two-Parameter Theory for Venus Spectra

An approximate, analytic theory has been developed for the formation of spectral absorption lines in a hazy atmosphere that scatters isotropically and has a homogeneous mixture of scattering and absorbing matter. The behavior — i.e., the curve of growth and the dependence of equivalent width on incident and emergent angles — has been examined for various possible situations, with emphasis on the physical reasons for a particular behavior. It is emphasized that two ratios — essentially the line and continuum absorption coefficients relative to the scattering coefficient — are important in any quantitative theory of the curve of growth and phase variation of the absorption spectrum.
Severe Pyogenic Arthritis in a 10-Year Old Girl Due to Streptococcus dysgalactiae

Introduction: We describe the case of a 10-year-old girl with an unusually severe and complicated episode of acute septic arthritis due to Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and systematically review the literature describing osteoarticular infections with this organism. Case Presentation: A 10-year-old girl with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 5 and chronic (Charcot) arthropathy of the right knee presented with severe swelling and warmth of the right knee associated with 2 days of fever. She was ultimately diagnosed with septic arthritis of the right knee due to S. dysgalactiae. Her subsequent clinical course was abnormally prolonged and complicated, requiring an 8-week hospitalization, 7 arthrotomies and 8 months of total antimicrobial therapy. Conclusions: Group G Streptococci, including S. dysgalactiae, are unusual causes of septic arthritis. Our patients’ clinical course was more severe than typically seen with more common osteoarticular pathogens. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on this condition, which demonstrated 7 previously reported cases of septic arthritis due to this pathogen in children, and also review the most current nomenclature and classification scheme for the organism.
Elucidating the druggability of the human proteome with eFindSite

Identifying the viability of protein targets is one of the preliminary steps of drug discovery. Determining the ability of a protein to bind drugs in order to modulate its function, termed the druggability, requires a non-trivial amount of time and resources. Inability to properly measure druggability has accounted for a significant portion of failures in drug discovery. This problem is only further exacerbated by the large sample space of proteins involved in human diseases. With these barriers, the druggability space within the human proteome remains unexplored and has made it difficult to develop drugs for numerous diseases. Hence, we present a new feature developed in eFindSite that employs supervised machine learning to predict the druggability of a given protein. Benchmarking calculations against the Non-Redundant data set of Druggable and Less Druggable binding sites demonstrate that an AUC for druggability prediction with eFindSite is as high as 0.88. With eFindSite, we elucidated the human druggability space to be 10,191 proteins. Considering the disease space from the Open Targets Platform and excluding already known targets from the predicted data set reveal 2731 potentially novel therapeutic targets. eFindSite is freely available as a stand-alone software at https://github.com/michal-brylinski/efindsite .
Modeling protein-protein interactions with intrinsically disordered proteins

Abstract Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are abundant in proteomes, especially in eukaryotes. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) involving an IDP are major players in the PPI network, comprising an estimated 15%–45% of all interactions. These disordered PPIs are prevalent in various important cellular processes and are associated with allosteric regulation, posttranslational modification, and alternative splicing. While IDPs lack a stable tertiary structure in isolation, they often become ordered when binding to a stable partner. The tertiary structure of the complex provides a molecular basis for understanding those pathways and related phenomena. Because capturing the IDP structures through experiments is difficult, computational methods could play a complementary role in elucidating the tertiary structure. Recently, we developed a new computational modeling method, IDP-LZerD, that can model complex structures with IDPs that are substantially longer than the usual lengths of peptides. Here, we discuss the ideas behind the IDP-LZerD pipeline with several examples.
The Importance of Temporal Dimension in Workforce Management: Turnover-Hiring Synchronization

Although much research has been done about staffing and turnover, answers to the question of “when to hire” as a response to employee turnover are still elusive. In this study, I investigate the pe...
Gregory C. Thompson, Harish Maringanti, Rick Anderson, Catherine B. Soehner, and Alberta Comer. Strategic Planning for Academic Libraries: A Step-By-Step Guide . Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2019. 144p. Paper, $39.99 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1893-7).

Strategic Planning for Academic Libraries: A Step-by-Step Guide provides, as the title would suggest, a step-by-step overview of the strategic planning process undertaken at the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library. Each of the authors is well suited to discuss the strategic planning process for the University of Utah because each of them is either an associate dean or dean of the library. The main seven elements of the strategic plan that was derived at the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library form the basic structure of the work.
Improving Hall’s Accelerated Sequential Procedure: Generalized Multistage Fixed-Width Confidence Intervals for a Normal Mean

We have developed an innovative generalized multistage fixed-width confidence interval (FWCI) estimation procedure for an unknown normal mean when the variance also remains unknown, which can be viewed as a mixture of sequential sampling and batch sampling procedures. Requiring the same expected sample size as Hall’s accelerated sequential sampling procedure, it enables the number of sampling operations to be further reduced by a predetermined factor. Extensive sets of simulations are provided to highlight the remarkable performance of the new multistage FWCI estimation procedure, and real data illustrations are included to demonstrate the practical applicability.
Using Utility Outage Statistics to Quantify Improvements in Bulk Power System Resilience

Abstract CRISP is a new high-level statistical approach driven by utility data to quantify resilience in electric power transmission networks. We extend CRISP to model energy storage, photovoltaics, and generator outages, to account for the spatial spread of cascading outages, and to optimize the restoration process. Illustrative results show how CRISP can measure the resilience impact of combinations of energy storage and photovoltaics on a power system.
American Justice 2019: The Roberts Court Arrives: by Mark Joseph Stern, Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019, 188 pp., $22.50 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0812252132

After more than 60 years of anger with Chief Justice Earl Warren and its alleged liberal judicial activism, the conservatives have what they want in the Roberts Court. They have five conservative J...
Innovation through iteration: Policy feedback loops in China’s economic reform

Abstract How did China overcome information problems and institutional gaps to successfully implement early market reforms in its state-owned economy? When the Chinese government initiated economic reform in 1978, it needed to stimulate information sharing across hierarchical bureaucracies and incentivize adaptation to varying market and local conditions. Neither state design nor grassroots efforts alone could overcome these gaps. Instead, policy feedback loops—driven by flows of people, information, and ideas linking enterprises with the state—facilitated dual bureaucratic and economic transformation. Process tracing using qualitative and quantitative data reveal how policy feedback loops functioned for three reforms with varying degrees of success: contract responsibility system reform, cost control system reform, and procurement management system reform. This analysis extends the concept of policy feedback beyond advanced industrial democracies, suggests that overlap between policy experimentation and implementation can facilitate adaptive policy-making, and illuminates the centralization and exercise of state authority in China’s economic reform.
Pancreatic paraganglioma mimicking pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor

Extra-adrenal paragangliomas are rare tumors arising from the chromaffin cells of the autonomic nervous system. Retroperitoneal paragangliomas may present as a pancreatic mass. We present a case of...
Soft Robotic Oscillators With Strain-Based Coordination

Many modular robots and active matter platforms are inspired by natural aggregates of single-celled organisms that exhibit complex emergent behaviors far beyond the capability and range of individuals. These behaviors stem primarily from short range chemical and mechanical interactions. Past work has focused largely on wireless communication akin to chemicals, however, physical interactions require a shift from rigid to soft, durable robots capable of inducing and measuring strain. Here, we present a platform to support such studies. The hardware consists of stand-alone, soft, pneumatic robots capable of radial expansion and contraction. The robots are cheap and fast to produce; they have 3 directional strain sensors, and 6 magnet pairs to loosely couple with their neighbors. We characterize force profiles, sensors, elastic modulus, magnetic interaction, as well as exploratory aggregate motions. Finally, we demonstrate their ability to synchronize, locomote, and fracture in a complimentary quasi-static simulator, with a coupled oscillator model, and discuss evaluation metrics. We hope that this platform will serve to further insights on how simple physical interactions between locally informed agents may lead to complex emergent behaviors.
Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) usurp a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) nest and fledge a mixed-species brood

Apart from obligate and facultative brood parasitism in birds, mixed-species clutches and broods are uncommon. Competition among birds for limited nest sites can result in antagonistic interactions leading to nest usurpation. When one species evicts and takes over the nest of another it can, on rare occasions, result in a clutch containing eggs of both species. Here I report an instance of Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) usurping a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) nest that resulted in the first documented instance of chickadees fledging a brood containing both chickadee and warbler nestlings. During a nest box study in southern Illinois during 1994–2006, this was the only nesting attempt (n = 6,076) where there was interspecific nest usurpation. In this case, a female chickadee contributed to building the nest cup in the box and laid eggs on 3 of the same days as the female warbler. The chickadee pair usurped the nest from the warblers, and ultimately fledged a mixed brood containing 3 chickadees and 3 warblers. The displaced adult warblers nested in a nearby nest box where they fledged 3 warbler nestlings, subsequently reused the original usurped nest box for an attempt at a second brood after the chickadees' brood fledged, and fledged 5 more warbler nestlings from it. This was not a case of facultative brood parasitism because the warblers were first to start building a nest in the box, only to have the chickadees contribute to nest building before evicting the warblers after there were 3 eggs of each species in the nest. The potential for the Neotropical migrant warbler nestlings/fledglings to mis-imprint on the resident chickadees that raised them likely diminished the warblers' ability to successfully survive their first year of life and/or subsequently mate with other Prothonotary Warblers. The rarity of nest usurpation in this bottomland forest study system suggests that cavities that serve as nest sites are not limiting.
Earnings growth and acquisition returns: Do investors gamble in the takeover market?

We document a strong positive initial market reaction to merger announcements from bidders with either large earnings growth or significant earnings decline, relative to those with neutral earnings change, reflecting a U-shaped pattern between bidders’ earnings growth and announcement returns. However, the higher initial returns for bidders with earnings decline subsequently reverse, while the higher returns for bidders with high growth do not. We further show that the return patterns are driven by a tendency for retail investors to gamble that mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals initiated by poorly performing bidders will generate high synergies.
Rice, microbes and methane.

Rice agriculture is projected to expand by up to 70% over the next 25 years, and is likely to mean much more intensive use of ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers. That is a worry because rice paddies are one of the main sources of methane (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere, and increased emissions would be undesirable. It seems, however, that extra ammonium may stimulate soil bacteria that oxidize methane, and so reduce emissions.
FPGA Based Low Cost Generic Reusable Module for the Rapid Prototyping of Subsystems

The development of a model for sub-system reuse and the evaluation of currently available rapid prototyping platforms has led to the development of a GEneric Reusable Module (GERM). The GERM is a low-cost, stand-alone, reprogrammable development tool designed for prototyping digital subsystems. The GERM, and associated templates, aid the designer in rapidly prototyping and reusing subsystem designs. The GERM addresses also the introduction of students to FPGA technology in an environment which they can continue to use for more complex designs. Extensions of the GERM include combining multiple GERMs together to prototype larger subsystems and systems. The system was used successfully in computer engineering courses at Duke University.
The role of balsam poplar secondary chemicals in controlling soil nutrient dynamics through succession in the Alaskan taiga

The vegetation mosaic of the Alaskan taiga is produced by patterns of disturbance coupled to well-defined successional patterns. In primary succession on river floodplains, one of the critical transitions in succession is that from thinleaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) to balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera). This is the shift from a N2-fixing shrub to a deciduous tree. Through this transition there are major changes in N cycling including a decrease in N2-fixation, mineralization, and nitrification. Most models of plant effects on soil processes assume that these changes are caused by shifts in litter quality and C/N ratio. This paper reviews several studies examining the effects of balsam poplar secondary chemicals on soil nutrient cycling. Balsam poplar tannins inhibited both N2-fixation in alder, and decomposition and N-mineralization in alder soils. Other poplar compounds, including low-molecular-weight phenolics, were microbial substrates and increased microbial growth and immobilization, thereby reducing net soil N availability. Thus, substantial changes in soil N cycling through succession appear to have been mediated by balsam poplar secondary chemicals.
Distribution of serotonin in the nervous system of various animal species.

Publisher Summary Serotonin and certain related indolealkylamines are present in many plants and it is probable that the enzymes required for the synthesis and metabolism of 5-HT in animals derived from plantlike ancestors. Certain protozoa are shown to contain 5-HT. Coelenterates are the most primitive animals possessing a nervous system. Although 5-HT is present in coelenterates, it is not yet conclusively demonstrated to be present in the nervous system. Flatworms contain 5-HT and yellow-fluorescing nerve cells are seen in at least one species. High levels of 5-HT are found in annelid and molluskan nervous systems, as well as numerous yellow-fluorescing neurons. Arthropod central nervous systems contain very low levels of 5-HT. Echinoderm and protochordate nerve tissues contain very low levels of 5-HT. Serotonin has been found in central nervous systems of all classes of vertebrates from fishes to mammals. In whole brains, it is higher in amphibians and reptiles than in fishes, birds, or mammals. The histochemical fluorescence method aids in better understanding of the localization of 5-HT-containing nerve cells in both the vertebrates and invertebrates.
Multiple structural forms of a vacancy in silicon as evidenced by vacancy profiles produced by rapid thermal annealing

Vacancy depth profiles installed by rapid thermal annealing can be monitored either by Pt diffusion or through vacancy-assisted oxygen precipitation. The features of these profiles clearly show that the vacancy species manifested in these experiments is a “slow vacancy”, Vs. The evolution of Vs depth profiles is controlled by an exchange with another (mobile) kind of vacancy that is likely to be a “Watkins vacancy”, Vw, first observed at cryogenic temperatures. At low T the conversion of Vs into Vw is slow and practically irreversible. At higher T the two species coexist in an equilibrium ratio and diffuse as one entity with an averaged diffusivity. This model provides a good fit to the RTA-installed depth profiles of Vs. The total vacancy community includes, beside Vs and Vw, also a fast vacancy Vf that is responsible for the vacancy contribution into self-diffusion at high T. In RTA experiments, the Vf species seems to be completely annihilated by self-interstitials which leaves only two other vacancy species, Vs and Vw.
Enhanced High Harmonic Generation from Ions using a Capillary Discharge

We demonstrate a significant increase of the high harmonic cutoff in xenon, krypton and argon ions using a pre-ionized plasma created with a capillary discharge.
Macular traction detachment and diabetic macular edema associated with posterior hyaloidal traction

Abstract PURPOSE: To review the clinical, photographic, fluorescein angiographic, and optical coherence tomographic findings in patients with the diabetic macular traction and edema (DMTE) associated with posterior hyaloidal traction (PHT). METHODS: We performed a prospective review of nine eyes of nine patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and PHT on clinical examination. The patients had a comprehensive ophthalmic history and examination, color photographs, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: All patients had diabetic retinopathy and DME. Of the nine eyes, eight patients had previous focal or grid photocoagulation. All nine eyes had a thickened, taut, glistening posterior hyaloid on clinical biomicroscopic examination with no posterior vitreous separation. Fluorescein angiography was performed on seven eyes, and all had early hyperfluorescence with deep, diffuse, late leakage in the macular area consistent with DMTE associated with PHT. Optical coherence tomography scans of the macular region revealed retinal thickening in all eyes with a mean retinal thickness of 556.9 ± 114.7 microns. In addition, eight of the nine eyes had a shallow macular traction detachment associated with PHT. CONCLUSION: Eyes with DME associated with PHT may have a shallow, subclinical, macular detachment. Optical coherence tomography may be useful in evaluating patients with DME to see if a macular detachment is present.
Survivorship, potential, and realized fecundity ofBiosteres tryoni [Hymenoptera: Braconidae], a larval parasitoid ofCeratitis capitata [Diptera: Tephritidae]

Laboratory-rearedBiosteres tryoni (Cameron) reached peak ovarian maturation on the 5th and 7th days after emergence in unmated and mated ♀♀, respectively. When ♀♀ were not allowed to oviposit, contents of the oocytes were hydrolyzed and reabsorbed. However, when hosts were available for oviposition a significant increase of egg maturation rate was noticed.
FOREST HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Hydrologic research by the Tennessee Valley Authority is coordinated by the Division of Water Control Planning, with the assistance of various specialized divisions. Since 1934 the Division of Forestry Development has participated in six hydrologic studies involving watersheds that were completely or partially forested. A brief description of these projects, along with some major results and implications are given.
Pedobesia simple (Kützing) comb. nov. (Chlorophyta), a new name for P. lamourouxii and its first report from the Indian Ocean

Abstract The green alga Pedobesia lamourouxii (J. Agardh) Feldmann et al. (Bryopsidales) is reported from the northern Arabian Sea on the basis of collections from the Sultanate of Oman and Socotra Island (Yemen). Vegetative and sporangial plants as well as the ecology are described. These collections constitute the first record of this widely distributed species for the Indian Ocean. In the course of this study we discovered that Bryopsis simplex Kutzing is an older taxonomic synonym, and thus we propose Pedobesia simplex (Kutzing) comb. nov. as the correct name for this species. A specimen of Bryopsis simplex in the Leiden Herbarium (L) is designated as lectotype.
International innovations in optical finishing

Every few years new polishing technologies attempt to make the transition from the research laboratory into the commercial sector. Success awaits any process that is well controlled and predictable (e.g., deterministic), rapid, capable of smoothing to sub-nm rms roughness levels while removing damage from grinding, affordable, and easily implemented. Applicability to different optical materials and a variety of part sizes and shapes is extremely important, but may not be required for a new technology to succeed in a niche market. This paper reviews six innovations in polishing of precision optics: Canon’s Super-Smooth Polisher (CSSP) that uses a sub-aperture pitch lap - a relatively mature but important base-line technology; Nikon / Osaka University’s RF Plasma Chemical Vaporization Machining (CVM); Epion’s Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB) Process; the IOM University of Leipzig / NTGL Ion Beam Finishing (IBF) Technology; Zeeko’s “Precessions” Process with a sub-aperture section of an inflatable pad; and QED Technology’s Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) with a magnetic fluid ribbon. The removal mechanism and some recent achievements for each process are discussed.
Overcoming technical variation and biological variation in quantitative proteomics

Quantitative proteomics investigates physiology at the molecular level by measuring relative differences in protein expression between samples under different experimental conditions. A major obstacle to reliably determining quantitative changes in protein expression is to overcome error imposed by technical variation and biological variation. In drug discovery and development the issue of biological variation often rises in concordance with the developmental stage of research, spanning from in vitro assays to clinical trials. In this paper we present case studies to raise awareness to the issues of technical variation and biological variation and the impact this places on applying quantitative proteomics. We defined the degree of technical variation from the process of two-dimensional electrophoresis as 20-30% coefficient of variation. On the other hand, biological variation observed experiment-to-experiment showed a broader degree of variation depending upon the sample type. This was demonstrated with case studies where variation was monitored across experiments with bacteria, established cell lines, primary cultures, and with drug treated human subjects. We discuss technical variation and biological variation as key factors to consider during experimental design, and offer insight into preparing experiments that overcome this challenge to provide statistically significant outcomes for conducting quantitative proteomic research.
Cardiac myofibrillogenesis inside intact embryonic hearts.

How proteins assemble into sarcomeric arrays to form myofibrils is controversial. Immunostaining and transfections of cultures of cardiomyocytes from 10-day avian embryos led us to propose that assembly proceeded in three stages beginning with the formation of premyofibrils followed by nascent myofibrils and culminating in mature myofibrils. However, premyofibril and nascent myofibril arrays have not been detected in early cardiomyocytes examined in situ in the forming avian heart suggesting that the mechanism for myofibrillogenesis differs in cultured and uncultured cells. To address this question of in situ myofibrillogenesis, we applied non-enzymatic procedures and deconvolution imaging techniques to examine early heart forming regions in situ at 2- to 13-somite stages (beating begins at the 9-somite stage), a time span of about 23 h. These approaches enabled us to detect the three myofibril stages in developing hearts supporting a three-step model of myofibrillogenesis in cardiomyocytes, whether they are present in situ, in organ cultures or in tissue culture. We have also discovered that before titin is organized the first muscle myosin filaments are about half the length of the 1.6 μm filaments present in mature A-bands. This supports the proposal that titin may play a role in length determination of myosin filaments.
Cardiac 7-transmembrane-spanning domain receptor portfolios: diversify, diversify, diversify.

Enhanced signaling in myocytes by the G protein Gq has been implicated in cardiac hypertrophy and the transition to heart failure. α1-Adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) are members of the 7-transmembrane-spanning domain (7-TM) receptor family and signal via interaction with Gq in the heart. The specific effects of a loss of α1-AR signaling in the heart are explored by O’Connell et al. in this issue of the JCI (see the related article beginning on page 1005). Paradoxically, gene ablation of the α1A and α1B subtypes in mice results in a maladaptive form of reactive cardiac hypertrophy from pressure overload, with a predisposition to heart failure. Thus signaling to the α1-AR (compared with signaling from other receptors such as angiotensin receptors, which also couple to Gq) appears to be specifically required for a normal hypertrophic response. This represents another example of how receptors that share common G proteins have diversified, developing unique signaling programs. These findings may have particular clinical relevance because of the widespread use of α1-AR antagonists in the treatment of hypertension and symptomatic prostate enlargement.
Teachers' ratings of social competence of children with high versus low levels of depressive symptoms

Abstract This study examined the relationship between children's self-ratings of depressive symptoms on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and teachers' ratings of the situational social competence of these children based on the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations (TOPS). Children in the high CDI group showed significantly higher teacher ratings (indicating lower social competence) than children in the low CDI group on four TOPS scales: peer group entry, response to provocation, response to success, and teacher expectations. Of the children in the high CDI group, 85% could be correctly classified with a discriminant analysis on the basis of TOPS ratings; of the children in the low CDI group, 77% were correctly classified. Implications of these findings, as well as limitations of the study, are discussed.
Use of hand-held ultrasound by a nonsonographer clinician to measure carotid intima-media thickness.

Objective We sought to evaluate the accuracy of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements by a nonsonographer clinician using hand-held ultrasound (HHU). Background Use of a HHU for point-of-care CIMT measurement has not been tested previously. Methods Participants underwent reference ultrasound and HHU studies. HHU validity was tested by an expert sonographer. Nonsonographer clinician accuracy using the HHU was tested against the expert sonographer. CIMT bioequivalence was tested with .5 pixel limits. Results The 75 participants were (mean [SD]) 55 [7] years old. CIMT values were bioequivalent (0.714 [0.029] vs 0.685 [0.029] mm, phase I; 0.697 [0.015] vs 0.687 [0.015] mm, phase II; P two 1-sided t test P P Conclusions CIMT measured by HHU was bioequivalent to a reference ultrasound system, when used by an expert sonographer or nonsonographer clinician. Clinical classifications by CIMT quartile and plaque presence were similar. HHU may be suitable for office-based atherosclerosis screening.
A statistical method to correct radiometric data measured by AVHRR onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES)

This paper apply an statistical technique to correct radiometric data measured by Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers(AVHRR) onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites(POES). This paper study Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) stability in the NOAA/NESDIS Global Vegetation Index (GVI) data for the period 1982-2003. AVHRR weekly data for the five NOAA afternoon satellites NOAA-7, NOAA-9, NOAA-11, NOAA-14, and NOAA-16 are used for the China dataset, for it includes a wide variety or different ecosystems represented globally. GVI has found wide use for studying and monitoring land surface, atmosphere, and recently for analyzing climate and environmental changes. Unfortunately the POES AVHRR data, though informative, can not be directly used in climate change studies because of the orbital drift in the NOAA satellites over these satellites' life time. This orbital drift introduces errors in AVHRR data sets for some satellites. To correct this error of satellite data, this paper implements Empirical Distribution Function (EDF) which is a statistical technique to generate error free long-term time-series for GVI data sets. We can use the same methodology globally to create vegetation index to improve the climatology.
Cardiovascular benefits of nuts.

f m h d c ust before Christmas 1944, Adolph Hitler ordered his generals to launch a sudden massive mechaized infantry attack on allied forces. Subsequently eferred to as the “Battle of the Bulge,” the Nazis uickly surrounded the outnumbered and outgunned mericans of the 101st Airborne Division at the small own of Bastogne and demanded their unconditional urrender. A defiant Brigadier General Anthony cAuliffe befuddled the Germans with his terse reponse: “nuts.” Sixty years later we live in a country that faces an pidemic of obesity and diabetes mellitus.1 An unforunate consequence of our increasingly automated and ast-paced society has been decreased physical activty and increased consumption of nutritionally chalenged foods.2 The value of “low-fat” diets (with a igh concentration of simple sugars) or “low-carb” iets (with a high concentration of animal fats) has ecently been debated.3 Yet it may be possible to ncrease consumption of some foods relatively high in at without accelerating the development of atheroclerotic cardiovascular disease. A plethora of data urrently suggests that substituting nuts for simple ugars as a snack or for meats/dairy as a source of fats nd protein may have significant health benefits (a utty alternative). Much has been written about the cardiovascular enefits of the so-called Mediterranean diet. Residents f Greece and southern Italy have low rates of coroary artery disease despite consuming more fat than in typical American diet.4,5 The Mediterranean diet is haracterized by significant quantities of olive oil, anola oil, and nuts. Nuts derive nearly 80% of their nergy from fat and, although low in saturated fatty cids (FAs), nuts are high in unsaturated FAs, most of hich are monounsaturated FAs.6 In patients who ave myocardial infarction, the Mediterranean diet as been shown to decrease recurrent cardiac events nd cardiac death.7 The Physicians Health Study docmented an inverse relation between nut consumption nd total deaths due to coronary heart disease primarly due to a decrease in sudden cardiac death.8 One plausible explanation for the favorable cardioascular actions of a diet rich in nuts is their effects on erum lipids. The macadamia nut is a tree nut native to ustralia that has become a major export crop from awaii.9 It is 75% fat by weight, 80% of which is onosaturated, and contains the highest levels of mononsaturated FAs among known foods.10 Macadamia nuts
Response to Reader’s Queries

We thank our reader for showing interest in our case report and raising pertinent questions. We are in agreement with the reader that multidisciplinary approach is the key to the management of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) as the evidence-based guidelines continue to expand. Further, the decision to offer adjuvant or neoadjuvant targeted therapy (not chemotherapy) for GIST should be done in a multidisciplinary setting. The reader’s questions have been answered below point by point.
A mechanical trigger for the trot-gallop transition in horses

It is widely thought that animals switch gaits at speeds that minimize energetic cost. Horses naturally switched from a trot to a gallop at a speed where galloping required more energy than trotting, and thus, the gait transition actually increased the energetic cost of running. However, by galloping at this speed, the peak forces on the muscles, tendons, and bones, and presumably the chance of injury, are reduced. When the horses carried weights, they switched from a trot to a gallop at a lower speed but at the same critical level of force. These findings suggest that the trot-gallop transition is triggered when musculoskeletal forces reach a critical level.