cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rates and predictors of long-term seizure freedom after frontal lobe epilepsy surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Object Frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) is the second-most common focal epilepsy syndrome, and seizures are medically refractory in many patients. Although various studies have examined rates and predictors of seizure freedom after resection for FLE, there is significant variability in their results due to patient diversity, and inadequate follow-up may lead to an overestimation of long-term seizure freedom. Methods In this paper the authors report a systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term seizure outcomes and predictors of response after resection for intractable FLE. Only studies of at least 10 patients examining seizure freedom after FLE surgery with postoperative follow-up duration of at least 48 months were included. Results Across 1199 patients in 21 studies, the overall rate of postoperative seizure freedom (Engel Class I outcome) was 45.1%. No trend in seizure outcomes across all studies was observed over time. Significant predictors of long-term seizure freedom included lesional epilepsy orig...
What Liver Transplant Outcomes Can Be Expected in the Uninsured Who Become Insured via the Affordable Care Act

Our study objective is to measure the survival impact of insurance status following liver transplantation in a cohort of uninsured "charity care" patients. These patients are analogous to the population who will gain insurance via the Affordable Care Act. We hypothesize there will be reduced survival in charity care compared to other insurance strata. We conducted a retrospective study of 898 liver transplants from 2000 to 2010. Insurance cohorts were classified as private (n = 640), public (n = 233) and charity care (n = 23). The 1, 3 and 5-year survival was 92%, 88% and 83% in private insurance, 89%, 80% and 73% in public insurance and 83%, 72% and 51% in charity care. Compared to private insurance, multivariable regression analyses demonstrated charity care (HR 3.11, CI 1.41-6.86) and public insurance (HR 1.58, CI 1.06-2.34) had a higher 5-year mortality hazard ratio. In contrast, other measures of socioeconomic status were not significantly associated with increased mortality. The charity care cohort demonstrated the highest incidence of acute rejection and missed clinic appointments. These data suggest factors other than demographic and socioeconomic may be associated with increased mortality. Further investigations are necessary to determine causative predictors of increased mortality in liver transplant patients without private insurance.
Partial synthetic aperture beamformer

Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) was developed as a means to produce long apertures that can create images at high resolution, usually achieved by collecting data on a platform with a predictable trajectory However, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technology has matured and now includes operational conditions where system trajectory is not predictable (e.g. autonomous redirection behavior). Partial aperture SAS (PSAS) can be used to provide image data for autonomous behaviors with relatively low data latency and can be used to minimize the effects of non-linear trajectories on SAS image production by providing imagery with minimal latency, but at lower resolution compared to full aperture imagery. This paper explores a technique that uses a range invariant aperture to form SAS images to provide the highest achievable resolution given a specified maximum aperture length (or data latency). A simulation is used to measure the effect of the range-invariant aperture on resolution and results are compared with theoretical values. PSAS techniques are also used to produce imagery from an existing SAS system, and imagery produced at various aperture lengths is compared. Results show that the effects of PSAS on image quality and resolution are predictable. Therefore, future efforts to develop image queued autonomous behaviors can trade data latency and image resolution to optimize system performance.
AMPK inhibitor compound C suppresses cell proliferation by induction of apoptosis and autophagy in human colorectal cancer cells

Background and Objectives AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a main regulator of energy metabolism through the inhibition of biosynthetic pathways and enhancement of ATP-generating pathways. However, targeting AMPK as anti-tumor therapy remains controversial. In this study, we examined the effect of compound C, a small molecule inhibitor of AMPK, on the proliferation of several human colorectal cancer cell lines with diverse characteristics. Methods Four human colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT116, DLD-1, SW480, and KM12C) were treated with compound C. Cell viability was determined by MTS assay. Cell cycle prolife was analyzed by flow cytometry. Acidic vesicular organelles were detected by acridine orange staining. Protein levels were measured by western blotting. Results Compound C inhibited the growth of four cell lines in a dose-dependent manner and caused G2/M arrest. Compound C increased sub-G1 cell population and induced chromatin condensation and cleavage of PARP in HCT116 and KM12C cells, while it induced acidic vesicular formation and conversion of LC3-I to autophagosome-associated LC3-II in DLD-1 and SW480 cells. Survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein, was down-regulated in all cell lines treated with compound C. Conclusions Compound C induces apoptotic or autophagic death in colorectal cancer cells and the preferred death mode is cell type-dependent. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106:680–688. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pituitary involvement in maternal-nest building in the rabbit*1

Abstract A change in the ratio of estrogen-progesterone is essential for maternal-nest building behavior in the rabbit. The present study suggests that the pituitary gland is also necessary for nest building in addition to the ovarian steroids. Hypophysectomy of 10 rabbits during the last third of gestation completely abolished maternal-nest building normally seen at parturition; whereas, maternal-nest building occurred in 75% ( 3 4 ) of the sham-hypophysectomized females (P 4 4 ) of the control females and in 80% ( 4 5 ) of the sham-hypophysectomized females; whereas, none of five females that were hypophysectomized and ovariectomized built maternal nests (P 7 8 ) nonpregnant, ovariectomized, sham-hypophysectomized females while none of 12 nonpregnant, hypophysectomized, ovariectomized females built maternal nests (P
Synthesis and characterization of the sterically hindered iridium(III)–silyl complex: (Et3P)3(H)2Ir[Si(H)Cl(C6H3-Mes2-2,6)] and the generation of the cationic iridium(III)-silylene complex: [(Et3P)3(H)2IrSi(H)(C6H3-Mes2-2,6)][B(C6F5)4]

The oxidative addition reaction of (Et 3 P) 3 IrCl with H 3 Si(C 6 H 3 -Mes 2 -2,6) (Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) affords the sterically hindered iridium(III)-silyl complex (Et3P) 3 (H) 2 Ir[Si(H)Cl(C 6 H 3 -Mes 2 -2,6)] (1) via a H/Cl exchange reaction at silicon. Complex 1 is characterized by 1 H-, 1 3 C-, 3 1 P-, and 2 9 Si-NMR and IR spectroscopy. The solid state structure of 1 is determined by X-ray crystallography. Complex 1 undergoes a halide abstraction reaction with LiB(C 6 F 5 ) 4 (OEt 2 ) to afford the cationic iridium(III)-silylene complex [(Et 3 P) 3 (H) 2 Ir=Si(H)(C 6 H 3 -Mes 2 -2,6)][B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ] (4). Complex 4 is characterized by 1 H-, 1 3 C-, 3 1 P-, and 2 9 Si-NMR spectroscopy.
Fostering Collaborative Computational Science

Encouraging joint efforts among computational scientists could tremendously enhance their speed of response to a changing landscape.
Interventions Used With Cholescintigraphy for the Diagnosis of Hepatobiliary Disease

Since the early 1980s interventions have been used in conjunction with 99m Tc-iminodiacetic acid (IDA) radiopharmaceuticals in many different clinical situations, eg, to prepare the patient for the study, to reduce the time of a study, to improve its diagnostic accuracy, and to make diagnoses not otherwise possible. Interventions all have underlying physiological rationales. Some of these interventions are as simple as having the patient fast before the study or eat a meal with high fat content. However, most are pharmacologic interventions, eg, morphine sulfate, cholecystokinin, and phenobarbital. Although these are probably the most common interventions used today, numerous other interventions have been used during the years and likely will be in the future. Interventions have aided in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, chronic cholecystitis, biliary obstruction, and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. This review will discuss in detail the interventions commonly is use today and in somewhat less detail many that have been successfully used on an investigational basis and may have some larger role in the future.
Performance of Two Nitrification Inhibitors Over a Winter with Exceptionally Heavy Snowfall

Fall application of NH 3 for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is common in the northern Great Plains. Two field sites were established in eastern North Dakota, with the objective of measuring the relative rate of fall and overwinter nitrification as influenced by two nitrification inhibitors, nitrapyrin and ammonium thiosulfate (ATS). Aqua ammonia was injected into the soil in early October 1996, alone, with nitrapyrin (0.56 and 1.68 kg ha -1 ), or with ATS (17 kg S ha -1 ). The N rate was 84 kg ha The winter of 1996-1997 was very unusual, with about 3 m of snowfall-three times the average snowfall in southeastern North Dakota. Nitrapyrin and ATS were effective in slowing nitrification in the fall and both inhibitors increased the amount of mineral N found in the fertilizer bands in the spring at both sites. One site was planted to 'Pioneer 2375' spring wheat. Overwinter N loss, presumably by denitrification, was severe. Amending the ammonia with nitrapyrin or ATS greatly increased wheat growth, N uptake, and grain yield. The apparent N uptake efficiency into the grain + straw was 24% for the unamended aqua ammonia, but was 50 to 56% when nitrapyrin or ATS was used. These results probably define a worst-case scenario regarding the performance of fall-applied ammonia in this area, and suggest that both nitrapyrin and ATS have value as nitrification inhibitors with fall-banded N.
Neopentylphosphines as effective ligands in palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings of aryl bromides and chlorides

The use of neopentylphosphine ligands in the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki, Sonogashira, Heck, and HartwigeBuchwald couplings of aryl bromides and chlorides are reported. Di-tert-butylneopentylphosphine (DTBNpP) provided highly active catalysts for the coupling of aryl bromides at mild temperatures. Trineopentylphosphine, an air-stable trialkylphosphine, gave inactive catalysts at room temperature, but showed good activity in the HeB amination of aryl chlorides at elevated temperatures. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Quandaries and complexities of ecological risk assessment: Viable options to reduce humanistic arrogance

Ecological risk assessment has been used to support decisions regarding human‐generated actions which affect natural “resources”; and indigenous ecosystems. Often, the logical and scientific input serve as rationalization to legitimize the process. Though widely accepted as the realistic and sole paradigm, Ecological Risk Assessments do not address the complexities of the natural world, are humanistically arrogant, and disregard or do not consider alternatives which offer imagination and realistic attempts to reduce human impact to the land. Ecological Alternatives Assessment practices would place the highest priority on: (a) continued temporal and spatial evolution of existing complex ecological relationships, (b) acknowledgment of the inherent rights of all species, and (c) examination of alternatives to reduce effects of anthropogenic actions. These steps, as discussed, are not impossible to accomplish and are necessary for favorable short‐term (50–500 years) anthropocentric alternatives and maintenanc...
Embryonic auditory experience and maternal call recognition

Peking duck embryos respond selectively to the maternal call of their species on the day before hatching, given normal embryonic auditory experience (the sounds emanating from their siblings and themselves which begin late on Day 24 of development). Groups of Peking embryos were subjected to recordings of either the mallard or the Burmese red jungle fowl maternal call beginning on Day 21 of incubation. Responses to these calls were tested on the day before hatching to determine the effects of the prenatal auditory experience. The responses of those birds exposed to the mallard maternal call were neither attenuated nor enhanced (as compared to the controls) when presented that call; those subjects which were exposed to the jungle fowl maternal call later failed to respond to that call or the mallard maternal call.
Phospholipid requirements of tissue thromboplastin in blood coagulation.

Abstract The lipid portion of tissue thromboplastins from bovine brain and lung, analyzed by silica gel thin-layer chromatography, consisted primarily of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin with trace amounts of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and lysophosphatidylcholine. The protein portion was purified by a procedure that involved organic solvent extraction, deoxycholate solubilization, and column chromatography on Bio-Gel A-1.5 m. Purified phospholipid was recombined with the purified thromboplastin protein and its activity in the formation of autoprothrombin C (Factor Xa) from autoprothrombin III (Factor X) was determined. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine were active in this test. Phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine were inactive in autoprothrombin C generation but were active in thrombin generation.
Reliability and validity of the capabilities of upper extremity test (CUE-T) in subjects with chronic spinal cord injury

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the reliability and validity of the capabilities of upper extremity test (CUE-T), a measure of functional limitations, in patients with chronic tetraplegia.DesignRepeated measures.SettingOutpatient rehabilitation center.ParticipantsFifty subjects (36 male/14 female) with spinal cord injury (SCI) of ≥1-year duration participated. Subjects were 17–81 years old (mean 48.1 ± 18.2); neurological levels ranged from C2 through T6, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades A–D.InterventionsNot applicable.Outcome measuresIntraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), weighted kappa and repeatability values for CUE-T; Spearman correlations of CUE-T with upper extremity motor scores (UEMS), and self-care and mobility portions of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure, vIII (SCIM III).ResultsScore ranges for UEMS were 8–50, CUE-T 7–135, self-care SCIM 0–20, and mobility SCIM 0–40. The ICC values for total, right, and left side scores were excellent (0.97–0.98; 95% confidence i...
Alpha adrenoceptors—An overview

The realisation that transmitter noradrenaline modulated its own release through a pre-junctionally located alpha-adrenoceptor operated control mechanism explained several paradoxical phenomena and raised exciting therapeutic possibilities. Characterisation of the pre- and post-junctional effects of agonists and antagonists led to the conclusion that pre- and post-junctional alpha-adrenoceptors differed in receptor structure and alpha-adrenoceptors were sub-divided into alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors. It was subsequently shown that in addition to the differences in receptor structure the biochemical mechanisms of signal transduction were entirely different in the case of each sub-type of adrenoceptor. It has been hypothesised that automodulation of transmitter noradrenaline release occurs between neighbouring varicosities in densely innervated organs and as a consequence ensures that homogeneity in tissue noradrenaline concentration is achieved. In the heart the loss of such automodulation could result in inhomogeneity in transmitter concentration and under certain circumstances favour re-entry phenomena and arrhythmogenesis. There is now a large body of evidence documenting the presence of post-junctional alpha 1-adrenoceptors in the mammalian heart. Recent experimental work strongly supports the concept that enhanced alpha 1-adrenoceptor responsiveness plays a primary pathophysiological role in the genesis of malignant dysrhythmias induced by catecholamines during myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion. Alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonists have been shown to be effective in restoring sinus rhythm after such arrhythmias have been experimentally induced. It is anticipated that alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonists possessing potent antiarrhythmic activity and causing minimal changes in heart rate and arterial blood pressure, will become available and be employed to ascertain whether or not the animal results translate to man.
Rapid Glucose Depletion Immobilizes Active Myosin V on Stabilized Actin Cables

Summary Polarization of eukaryotic cells requires organelles and protein complexes to be transported to their proper destinations along the cytoskeleton [1]. When nutrients are abundant, budding yeast grows rapidly transporting secretory vesicles for localized growth and actively segregating organelles [2, 3]. This is mediated by myosin Vs transporting cargos along F-actin bundles known as actin cables [4]. Actin cables are dynamic structures regulated by assembly, stabilization, and disassembly [5]. Polarized growth and actin filament dynamics consume energy. For most organisms, glucose is the preferred energy source and generally represses alternative carbon source usage [6]. Thus, upon abrupt glucose depletion, yeast shuts down pathways consuming large amounts of energy, including the vacuolar-ATPase [7, 8], translation [9], and phosphoinositide metabolism [10]. Here we show that glucose withdrawal rapidly (
Bioactivation of leukotoxins to their toxic diols by epoxide hydrolase

Leukotoxin is a linoleic acic oxide produced by leukocytes and has been associated with the multiple organ failure and adult respiratory distress syndrome seen in some severe burn patients. Leukotoxin has been reported to be toxic when injected into animals intravenously. Herein, we report that this lipid is not directly cytotoxic in at least two in vitro systems. Using a baculovirus expression system we demonstrate that leukotoxin is only cytotoxic in the presence of epoxide hydrolases. In addition, it is the diol metabolite that proves toxic to pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells, suggesting a critical role for the diol in leukotoxin-associated respiratory disease. In vivo data also support the toxicity of leukotoxin diol. For the first time we demonstrate that soluble epoxide hydrolase can bioactivate epoxides to diols that are apparently cytotoxic. Thus leukotoxin should be regarded as a protoxin corresponding to the more toxic diol. This clearly has implications for designing new clinical interventions.
Multispectral image fusion for detecting land mines

This report details a system which fuses information contained in registered images from multiple sensors to reduce the effects of clutter and improve the ability to detect surface and buried land mines. The sensor suite currently consists of a camera that acquires images in six bands (400nm, 500nm, 600nm, 700nm, 800nm and 900nm). Past research has shown that it is extremely difficult to distinguish land mines from background clutter in images obtained from a single sensor. It is hypothesized, however, that information fused from a suite of various sensors is likely to provide better detection reliability, because the suite of sensors detects a variety of physical properties that are more separable in feature space. The materials surrounding the mines can include natural materials (soil, rocks, foliage, water, etc.) and some artifacts.
Illite and hydrocarbon exploration

Illite is a general term for the dioctahedral mica-like clay mineral common in sedimentary rocks, especially shales. Illite is of interest to the petroleum industry because it can provide a K-Ar isotope date that constrains the timing of basin heating events. It is critical to establish that hydrocarbon formation and migration occurred after the formation of the trap (anticline, etc.) that is to hold the oil. Illite also may precipitate in the pores of sandstone reservoirs, impeding fluid flow. Illite in shales is a mixture of detrital mica and its weathering products with diagenetic illite formed by reaction with pore fluids during burial. K-Ar ages are apparent ages of mixtures of detrital and diagenetic end members, and what we need are the ages of the end members themselves. This paper describes a methodology, based on mineralogy and crystallography, for interpreting the K-Ar ages from illites in sedimentary rocks and for estimating the ages of the end members.
Analysis of the distribution of diffusion coefficients in cat brain at 9.4 T using the inverse Laplace transformation

In this work, the usefulness of the inverse Laplace transformation (ILT) in the characterization of diffusion processes in the brain has been investigated. The method has been implemented on both phantom and in vivo cat brain data acquired at high resolution at 9.4 T. The results were compared with monoexponential and biexponential analyses of the same data. It is shown that in the case of diffusion restricted by white matter axonal tracts, the resulting diffusograms are in good agreement with the biexponential model. In gray matter, however, the non-monoexponential decay does not lead to a bimodal distribution in the ILT, even though the data can be fitted to a biexponential. This finding suggests the possibility of a distribution of diffusion coefficients rather than a discrete biexponential behavior. It is shown that this distribution is sensitive, for example, to experimental parameters such as the diffusion time. Thus, the ILT offers the possibility of implementing a unique tool for the analysis of heterogeneous diffusion, that is, the analysis of the diffusion coefficient distribution, which has the yet unexplored potential of being a valuable parameter in the characterization of tissue structure.
The Modern Maya, A Culture in Transition

The Modern Maya, A Culture in Transition. Macduff Everton. University of New Mexico Press, 1991. 260 pp. $45.00 (cloth), $20.95 (paper). ISBN 0-8263-1240-3, ISBN 0-8263-1241-1.
Segmented Polythiourethane Elastomers Through Sequential Thiol-ene and Thiol-isocyanate Reactions

Highly elastic polythiourethanes were synthesized through sequential thiol reactions involving 1,6-hexanedithiol (HDT), 1,4-butanediol diacrylate (BDDA), and several diisocyanates (ISO). Thiol-terminated prepolymers prepared by the phosphine-catalyzed thiol Michael addition of HDT and BDDA form flexible thioether oligomers which were then incorporated as soft segments into polythiourethane main chains through a triethylamine-catalyzed thiol−isocyanate reaction with HDT and ISO to give polymers with both hard and soft segments. Real-time FTIR, used to investigate the kinetic conversion profiles of both reactions, and NMR showed that both the thiol Michael addition and the thiol−isocyanate reactions are very fast and efficient, having the chemical attributes generally associated with thiol−ene radical click reactions. The effects of the soft and hard segment length, soft/hard segment weight ratio, and chemical structure of the ISO on thermal and dynamic thermal mechanical properties was characterized in ter...
Scanning mirror microscope with optical sectioning characteristics: applications in ophthalmology

Optical sectioning is the simultaneous illumination and viewing of only a thin region of a specimen. An illuminated slit is imaged at the plane of interest and is swept laterally by the action of an oscillating mirror. The light returning from the specimen reflects from a second facet of the oscillating mirror and forms a stationary image of the illuminated slit. At this stationary image a second slit is placed, which passes light from the desired plane and rejects scattered light from other depths within the specimen. Light passing through the second slit is reflected from the third facet of the oscillating mirror and is focused to the final image plane. The image is reconstructed as the image of the second slit sweeps across the image plane. An important ophthalmological application is the examination of the endothelial cell layer of the cornea, either by contact or noncontact techniques. Optimization for image illuminance and resolution is discussed.
Self-Directed IEP Bridging Values of Diverse Cultures and Secondary Education

This article describes the relationships among the Self-Directed IEP, cultural values, self-determination, and transition. Educators must move toward understanding collectivist values to provide ap...
Esterification Prevents Induction of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition by N-Acetyl Perfluorooctane Sulfonamides

N-Alkyl perfluorooctane sulfonamides have been widely used as surfactants on fabrics and papers, fire retardants, and anticorrosion agents, among many other commercial applications. The broad use, global distribution, and environmental persistence of these compounds has generated considerable interest regarding potentially toxic effects. We have previously reported that perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetate (FOSAA) and N-ethylperfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetate (N-EtFOSAA) induce the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in vitro, resulting in cytochrome c release, inhibition of respiration, and generation of reactive oxygen species. By synthesizing the corresponding methyl esters of FOSAA and N-EtFOSAA (methyl perlfuorinated sulfonamide acetates), we tested the hypothesis that the N-acetate moiety of FOSAA and N-EtFOSAA is the functional group responsible for induction of the MPT. Swelling of freshly isolated liver mitochondria from Sprague-Dawley rats was monitored spectrophotometrically and membrane potential (DeltaPsi) was measured using a tetraphenylphosphonium-selective (TPP(+)) electrode. In the presence of calcium, 40 microM FOSAA and 7 microM N-EtFOSAA each induced mitochondrial swelling and a biphasic depolarization of membrane potential. Mitochondrial swelling and the second-phase depolarization were inhibited by cyclosporin-A or the catalyst of K(+)/H(+) exchange nigericin, whereas the first-phase depolarization was not affected by either. In contrast, the methyl esters of FOSAA and N-EtFOSAA exhibited no depolarizing or MPT inducing activity. Results of this investigation demonstrate that the carboxylic acid moiety of the N-acetates is the active functional group, which triggers the MPT by perfluorinated sulfonamides.
The effects of devaluation on the trade balance: A critical view and re- examination of Mile's ‘new results’

Abstract In a often cited article, Miles (1979) claims to have shown empirically the validity of the global monetarist proposition that devaluations do not affect the balance of trade. This paper first uses Mile's own framework of analysis to reveal serious deficiencies in his methodology and tests that cast doubt on the validity of his results. In a respecified trade balance equation, we show that devaluations do affect the trade balance in the traditionally predicted direction. The pivotal difference between the two specifications arises from our inclusion of relative-price effects and longer lag structure for the exchange-rate variable.
PATTERNS OF SERVICE UTILIZATION AMONG PREGNANT AND PARENTING AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

This study explored factors associated with differential patterns of social and health service use among pregnant and parenting African American adolescents. One hundred seventy-seven young women between the ages of 14 and 22 took part in the study. Cluster analysis suggested three groups of users: frequent users, moderate users, and inconsistent users. These groups were distinct in terms of their frequency of service usage, perceptions of barriers to usage, and psychological and social functioning. Moderate users appeared to be healthier than either the frequent or inconsistent users, as indicated by their relatively higher levels of psychological functioning. In contrast, inconsistent users were distinguished by their high rates of sexual victimization, their low use of medical services, and their perceptions of many programmatic and personal barriers to usage. Suggestions for research and interventions that encompass the diverse needs of young African American women are made.
Sub‐clinical trauma in the treatment of partner violent offenders with substance dependence

Purpose – With an established association between post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), evaluating the effectiveness of emerging integrated treatments for dual substance use and partner violent behavior in individuals with a significant trauma history may serve to improve treatment outcomes for clients with axis I psychopathology. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between sub‐clinical trauma, treatment compliance, and recidivism in a sample of male, substance dependent IPV offenders.Design/methodology/approach – The described investigation utilized violence perpetration, substance use, and trauma data collected during a larger, randomized control treatment evaluation study. Data were collected from 56 participants at four time points throughout treatment.Findings – Participants with a significant trauma history comprised 33.9 percent of the sample and demonstrated poorer treatment attendance, as well as heightened partner viole...
Polypharmacy in schizophrenia: Science, art, and fiction

Polypharmacy is common in treating schizophrenia, despite a scant evidence base. Economic and quality assurance pressures are bringing the practice under increasing scrutiny. This article explores the reasons for polypharmacy and discusses circumstances that can create false-positive conclusions about its efficacy. Some patients, however, may actually benefit from polypharmacy, and the clinician’s task is to identify and document these instances. A review of recent literature finds that most recent controlled trials are of augmentation of clozapine with a second antipsychotic and of addition of mood stabilizers for core symptoms of schizophrenia. Promising areas of investigation are of glutamatergic and cognition-enhancing agents.
Wave energy self-trapping by self-focusing in large molecular structures: A damped stochastic discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation model

Abstract Wave self-focusing in molecular systems subject to thermal effects, such as thin molecular films and long biomolecules, can be modeled by stochastic versions of the discrete self-trapping equation of Eilbeck et al. [J.C. Eilbeck, P.S. Lomdahl, A.C. Scott, The discrete self-trapping equation, Physica D 16 (1985) 318–338], which gives as a continuum limit approximation the stochastic nonlinear Schrodinger equation (SNLS): NLS plus a noise term in the form of a random, time dependent potential. Previous studies directed at such SNLS approximations have indicated that the self-focusing of wave energy to highly localized states can be inhibited by phase noise (modeling thermal effects) and can be restored by phase damping (modeling heat radiation). Here, the discrete models are studied directly, with some discussion of the validity and limitations of continuum approximations. Also, as has been noted by Bang et al. [O. Bang, P.L. Christiansen, F. If, K.O. Rasmussen, Yu.B. Gaididei, Temperature effects in a nonlinear model of monolayer Scheibe aggregates, Phys. Rev. E 49 (1994) 4627–4636], omission of damping produces highly unphysical results. Numerical results are presented here for the first time for discrete models that include the highly nonlinear damping term, and a new numerical method is introduced for this purpose. The results in general confirm previous conjectures and observations that noise can inhibit energy self-trapping (the discrete counterpart of NLS self-focusing blow-up), while damping can reverse this and restore self-trapping. Damping is also shown to strongly stabilize the self-trapped states of the discrete models. It appears that the previously noted inhibition of nonlinear wave phenomena by noise is an artifact of models that includes the effects of heat input, but not of heat loss.
Incomplete understanding of complex numbers Girolamo Cardano: a case study in the acquisition of mathematical concepts

In this paper, I present the case of the discovery of complex numbers by Girolamo Cardano. Cardano acquires the concepts of (specific) complex numbers, complex addition, and complex multiplication. His understanding of these concepts is incomplete. I show that his acquisition of these concepts cannot be explained on the basis of Christopher Peacocke’s Conceptual Role Theory of concept possession. I argue that Strong Conceptual Role Theories that are committed to specifying a set of transitions that is both necessary and sufficient for possession of mathematical concepts will always face counterexamples of the kind illustrated by Cardano. I close by suggesting that we should rely more heavily on resources of Anti-Individualism as a framework for understanding the acquisition and possession of concepts of abstract subject matters.
Black self-concept: An individual/collective analysis

Abstract The study of the self-concept of African-Americans has been approached in two major ways: studies have sought either to measure personal self-concept, excluding attitudes and feelings towards race, or they have sought to measure racial self-concept excluding attitudes toward the personal self. Failure to integrate the two approaches has proven to be a critical hindrance to the development of a theoretical framework for systematic analysis of the self-concept of African-Americans, which can account for attitudes towards the personal self and the racial self. Offered is a framework for the analysis individual/collective self-concept of African-Americans. The individual/collective self concept is comprised of two inseparable but distinguishable components: the experience of the unique individual (the I) and the accumulated experiences of the racial group (the We). It is characterized by the personal affirmation of, and the identification with one's own personal experiences and the collective experiences of one's racial group. Any imposed disassociation of the components by individuals or theoretical approaches is viewed as problematic.
Organic Intellectuals and the Discourse on Democracy: Academia, Foreign Policy Makers, and Third World Intervention

Since the mid-20th century, discourse on democracy in academia has been dominated by a conception that privileges the US and Western European democracies and capitalist markets. In this paper, I refer to Gramsci's concept of "organic intellectuals" to argue that the dominant discourse on democracy is related to the emergence of the US as a global power after World War II. I further propose that changes and continuity within the discourse require a broader discussion of how intellectual articulation reflected and justified US intervention in the Third World during and after the cold war. Two key periods are identified in this paper: the late 1950s to early 1970s, when the US backed anticommunist dictatorships in the Third World under the guise of safeguarding democracy, and the mid-1980s to the 1990s, when US foreign policy makers attempted to influence political transitions in the Third World by promoting civilian-elected regimes.
Modeling the Geometry of Satin Weave Fabric Composites

The focus of this study is aimed at characterizing the weave architecture in orthogonally woven polymer and ceramic—matrix composites. Three-dimensional (3D) geometric models of the unit-cells of four harness (4HS), five harness (5HS), and eight harness (8HS) satin weave morphologies are developed. The fiber bundle and matrix architecture in the 4HS, 5HS, and 8HS morphologies is represented via mathematical shape functions within the domain of the repeating unit-cells of the woven fabrics. This work brings together the non-uniform layer methodology of Kuhn and Charalambides [1] and the sub-cell modeling approach developed by Hewitt et al. [2]. In addition, this article introduces the novel concept of a `middle matrix layer' in capturing the ingress of matrix material away from undulating bundle regions, as documented by Morscher [3]. The geometry models developed herein account for a porous polymer matrix deposited over the woven mat via either resin film infusion (RFI) or resin transfer molding (RTM). Th...
Micronutrients prevent cancer and delay aging.

Approximately 40 micronutrients are required in the human diet. Deficiency of vitamins B12, folic acid, B6, niacin, C, or E, or iron, or zinc, appears to mimic radiation in damaging DNA by causing single- and double-strand breaks, oxidative lesions, or both. The percentage of the US population that has a low intake ( or = 20%; half of the population may be deficient in at least one of these micronutrients. Folate deficiency occurs in approximately 10% of the US population, and in a much higher percentage of the poor. Folate deficiency causes extensive incorporation of uracil into human DNA (4 million/cell), leading to chromosomal breaks. This mechanism is the likely cause of the increased cancer risk, and perhaps the cognitive defects associated with low folate intake. Some evidence, and mechanistic considerations, suggest that vitamin B12 and B6 deficiencies also cause high uracil and chromosome breaks. Micronutrient deficiency may explain, in good part, why the quarter of the population that eats the fewest fruits and vegetables (five portions a day is advised) has approximately double the cancer rate for most types of cancer when compared to the quarter with the highest intake. Eighty percent of American children and adolescents and 68% of adults do not eat five portions a day. Common micronutrient deficiencies are likely to damage DNA by the same mechanism as radiation and many chemicals, appear to be orders of magnitude more important, and should be compared for perspective. Remedying micronutrient deficiencies is likely to lead to a major improvement in health and an increase in longevity at low cost. Aging appears to be due, in good part, to the oxidants produced by mitochondria as by-products of normal metabolism. In old rats mitochondrial membrane potential, cardiolipin levels, respiratory control ratio, and overall cellular O2 consumption are lower than in young rats, and the level of oxidants (per unit O2) is higher. The level of mutagenic aldehydes from lipid peroxidation is also increased. Ambulatory activity declines markedly in old rats. Feeding old rats the normal mitochondrial metabolites acetyl carnitine and lipoic acid for a few weeks, restores mitochondrial function, lowers oxidants to the level of a young rat, and increases ambulatory activity. Thus, these two metabolites can be considered necessary for health in old age and are therefore conditional micronutrients. This restoration suggests a plausible mechanism: with age-increased oxidative damage to proteins and lipid membranes causes a deformation of structure of key enzymes, with a consequent lessening of affinity (Km) for the enzyme substrate; an increased level of the substrate restores the velocity of the reaction, and thus restores function.
Automated indoor RFID inventorying using a self-guided micro-aerial vehicle

A Micro-Aerial Vehicle (MAV) system is presented for automated indoor inventorying using passive radio frequency identification (RFID). This system utilizes a combination of onboard sensing and processing in order to achieve flight stabilization, generate floor maps, and perform path planning. The proposed state estimation method along with a control feedback strategy are demonstrated to be sufficiently accurate for operation in the indoor environment and the proposed path planning technique is shown to be effective for guiding the MAV while it performs automated RFID scanning.
Sleep and rheumatologic disorders

Arthritis is the leading cause of chronic illness in the United States. Seventy-two percent of the adults aged 55 years and older with arthritis report sleep difficulties. This review discusses sleep disorders associated with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Behcet's disease, seronegative spondyloarthropathies, osteoarthritis, sarcoidosis, and fibromyalgia. We describe the inter-relationship between sleep complaints, disease activity, depression, sleep deprivation, and cytokines. An algorithm for evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders associated with rheumatologic diseases is proposed.
The prevalence of hyperandrogenism in 109 consecutive female patients with diffuse alopecia

Endocrine dysfunction was studied in 109 consecutive female patients with moderate to severe alopecia, mostly of a diffuse pattern. The study included an evaluation of associated hirsutism and/or menstrual dysfunction, plasma hormonal measurements, and ultrasonography of the ovaries, A control group of 24 ovulatory, nonhirsute, nonalopecia individuals was also studied. Of the 109 patients, 70 (64.2%) had no clinical evidence of hirsutism or menstrual dysfunction. Two of 44 patients tested with cosyntropin (Cortrosyn) had 21-hydroxylase deficiency, whereas two other patients had hyperprolactinemia caused by pituitary tumors. Hyperandrogenism was defined as an increase in any of the plasma androgens (testosterone, non—sex hormone—binding globulin bound testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, or dihydrotestosterone) and was noted in 42 of the 109 patients studied (38.5%). Of these 42 patients, 11 were ovulatory with no evidence of clinical hirsutism, 13 were ovulatory and hirsute, and 18 had oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea with or without hirsutism with confirmatory evidence of polycystic ovarian disease. Patients with diffuse alopecia may demonstrate hyperandrogenism, even in the absence of hirsutism, oligomenorrhea, or amenorrhea. The most common endocrine disorder in this series of patients with diffuse alopecia was polycystic ovarian disease.
Error analysis of fully discrete velocity-correction methods for incompressible flows

A fully discrete version of the velocity-correction method, proposed by Guermond and Shen (2003) for the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations, is introduced and analyzed. It is shown that, when accounting for space discretization, additional consistency terms, which vanish when space is not discretized, have to be added to establish stability and optimal convergence. Error estimates are derived for both the standard version and the rotational version of the method. These error estimates are consistent with those by Guermond and Shen (2003) as far as time discretiztion is concerned and are optimal in space for finite elements satisfying the inf-sup condition.
Towards unsupervised speech processing

The development of an automatic speech recognizer is typically a highly supervised process involving the specification of phonetic inventories, lexicons, acoustic and language models, and requiring annotated training corpora consisting of parallel speech and text data. Although some model parameters may be modified via adaptation, the overall structure of the speech recognizer usually remains relatively static. While this approach has been effective for problems where there is adequate human expertise, and labelled corpora are available, it is challenged by less-supervised or unsupervised scenarios. It also contrasts sharply with human speech processing where learning is an inherent ability. In this paper, three alternative scenarios for speech recognition “training” are described, each requiring decreasing amounts of human expertise and annotated resources, and increasing amounts of unsupervised learning. A speech deciphering challenge is then suggested whereby speech recognizers must learn sub-word inventories and word pronunciations from unannotated speech, supplemented with only non-parallel text resources. It is argued that such a capability will help alleviate the language barrier that currently limits the scope of speech recognition capabilities around the world, and empower speech recognizers to continually learn and evolve through use.
Dosimetric Evaluation of Radiation Exposure During I-125 Vicryl Mesh Implants: Implications for ACOSOG z4032

Segmentectomy or wedge resection along with brachytherapy delivered via a vicryl mesh implant imbedded with 125I is a novel therapeutic modality to treat early stage lung cancer. This modality is being evaluated in a large national prospective randomized trial (ACOSOG Z4032). There has been concern that this method exposes physicians and staff to unacceptable amounts of radiation. In this prospective study, we measured the exposure to health care professionals during such a procedure. Dosimetric readings using Special Microdosimeter thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) (Landauer, Inc) were performed during 22 125I vicryl mesh implantations. Diodes were placed on the back of the each hand of the primary radiation oncologist and primary surgeon during the creation and implantation of the mesh. In addition, diodes were placed on the posterior shoulder of the patient to obtain a control reading. Patients had 40–60 125I seeds placed. Median activity per seed was 0.511 milli Curie (mCi), with a median total activity implanted of 23.0 mCi. Median radiation dose to the radiation oncologist was 1 milli rem (mrem), and that to the surgeon was 2 mrem. Median dose to the control diode on the patient was a median radiation dose to the outside of the patient of 5.4 mrem/h. There is very little radiation exposure to physicians and staff during a segmentectomy and 125I vicryl mesh implantation. This is a safe method of lung cancer treatment with respect to health care professionals, although the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle should still be followed.
A note on the classification of anisotropy of bodies defined by implicit constitutive relations

Abstract In this note we consider the definition of anisotropy with regard to the response of bodies described by implicit constitutive relations. The class of response relations under considerations in this work is implicit relations between the history of the stress, the history of the density, and the history of the deformation gradient. It is shown that the work of Noll [4] defining the anisotropy of bodies in terms of symmetry groups for Simple Materials can be very easily extended to define the anisotropy in terms of symmetry groups for materials whose response is described by relations between the histories of the stresses and the deformation gradient. While symmetry groups are defined, the more arduous task of developing representation theorems for bodies defined through implicit response relations is an important open task.