cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating the proportion of guilty suspects and posterior probability of guilt in lineups using signal-detection models

The majority of eyewitness lineup studies are laboratory-based. How well the conclusions of these studies, including the relationship between confidence and accuracy, generalize to real-world police lineups is an open question. Signal detection theory (SDT) has emerged as a powerful framework for analyzing lineups that allows comparison of witnesses’ memory accuracy under different types of identification procedures. Because the guilt or innocence of a real-world suspect is generally not known, however, it is further unknown precisely how the identification of a suspect should change our belief in their guilt. The probability of guilt after the suspect has been identified, the posterior probability of guilt (PPG), can only be meaningfully estimated if we know the proportion of lineups that include a guilty suspect, P(guilty). Recent work used SDT to estimate P(guilty) on a single empirical data set that shared an important property with real-world data; that is, no information about the guilt or innocence of the suspects was provided. Here we test the ability of the SDT model to recover P(guilty) on a wide range of pre-existing empirical data from more than 10,000 identification decisions. We then use simulations of the SDT model to determine the conditions under which the model succeeds and, where applicable, why it fails. For both empirical and simulated studies, the model was able to accurately estimate P(guilty) when the lineups were fair (the guilty and innocent suspects did not stand out) and identifications of both suspects and fillers occurred with a range of confidence levels. Simulations showed that the model can accurately recover P(guilty) given data that matches the model assumptions. The model failed to accurately estimate P(guilty) under conditions that violated its assumptions; for example, when the effective size of the lineup was reduced, either because the fillers were selected to be poor matches to the suspect or because the innocent suspect was more familiar than the guilty suspect. The model also underestimated P(guilty) when a weapon was shown. Depending on lineup quality, estimation of P(guilty) and, relatedly, PPG, from the SDT model can range from poor to excellent. These results highlight the need to carefully consider how the similarity relations between fillers and suspects influence identifications.
Total Knee Arthroplasty: Opioid-Free Analgesia in a Patient with Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia: A Case Report.

Case Pain control after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains a significant challenge, especially in the context of certain patient-specific factors. We present a case of a 59-year-old woman with opioid-induced hyperalgesia who was referred for left knee pain and end-stage tricompartmental degenerative joint disease after failure of conservative management. We outline an approach to control postoperative pain in patients undergoing TKA who have severe opioid contraindications. Conclusions TKA and rehabilitation with a 6-year follow-up period was accomplished using a multimodal nonopioid approach, consisting of a combination of gabapentin, acetaminophen, ketorolac, meloxicam, methocarbamol, a tunneled femoral nerve catheter, and periarticular injection.
Application of Random Effects to Explore the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Forest Dynamics in Relation to Meteorological Factors

The forest dynamics are usually explained by the precipitation and temperature through fixed effects models using ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression methods. However, forest dynamics were found insufficiently explained by meteorological factors as the fixed effects models were not designed to account for random effects. In this study, we utilized three types of forests located in the Gulf of Mexico Coast region, including softwood, hardwood, and mixed forests to investigate the underlying forest dynamics to meteorological variations by incorporating random effects into fixed effects models. Four types of linear mixed effects models (LMMs) were developed for regressing the normalized difference of vegetation index (NDVI) against two explanatory variables: precipitation and temperature. By assuming that the intercept and slope parameters estimated from LMMs would vary randomly, we intended to explore if the amount of variation in the NDVI variables could be reduced by the use of random effects variables. The results suggested that the random intercept and random slope model fitted the data better than the random intercept model with higher R 2, lower Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion values. The R 2 value indicated that the explanatory power of the LMM varies between forest types. Moreover, this study revealed that a linear mixed effects model could significantly reduce the unexplained variance by introducing random effects variables, and forest dynamics is a synthetic result of the mixed effects of temperature and fixed effects of precipitation.
Combined thrombogenic effects of vessel injury, pregnancy and procoagulant immune globulin administration in mice

Pregnant women are at increased risk of thrombotic adverse events. Plasma derived immune globulin (IG) products, which are used in pregnancy for various indications, may contain procoagulant impurity activated coagulation factor XI (FXIa). Procoagulant IG products have been associated with increased thrombogenicity but their effect in pregnancy is unknown. Late pregnant (gestation days 17–20) or early lactation (days 1–3) and control female mice were treated with IGs supplemented with human FXIa then subjected to ferric chloride (FeCl3) vessel injury. Occlusion of blood vessel was assessed by recording blood velocity in the femoral vein for 20 min using doppler ultrasound laser imaging. FXIa dose was selected by the ability to increase thrombin generation in mouse plasma in vitro. FXIa produced robust thrombin generation in mouse plasma ex vivo. Following FeCl3 injury, pregnant and non-pregnant mice receiving IG + FXIa exhibited faster reduction of blood velocity in femoral vein compared to IG alone or untreated controls. In vitro, thrombin generation in plasma samples collected after thrombosis in FXIa-treated animals was elevated and could be reduced by anti-FXI antibody. Our results suggest that intravenously-administered FXIa may contribute to thrombosis at the site of vascular injury in both pregnant and non-pregnant animals.
Systems Theory: The Case of Esperanza

Systems theory calls practitioners to examine the relational dynamics between individuals, and between and within groups, organizations, or communities, as well as mutually influencing factors in the environment. While regularly used in social work, the authors note that this framework can and should be extended to issues of diversity and trauma. This chapter demonstrates how systems theory supports culturally informed clinical practice by highlighting the case of “Esperanza,” a 16-year-old ninth-grade student attracted to teen rite of passage activities while living with the reality of being a single mother who recently migrated to Hartford, Connecticut, after being displaced from her home in Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. The authors present systems theory as a valuable framework for two social workers supporting Esperanza’s navigation of multiple systems, including migration (with rural/urban and language acquisition complexities), developmental conflicts (being a teen and a parent), and cultural expectations (remaining true to her indigenous Puerto Rican/Latinx culture and the assimilation demands of U.S. culture). This chapter also situates systems theory as a helpful tool for social workers’ resolution of practice conflicts, and reminds social workers to look at the intersections of culture and trauma through a person-in-environment lens.
«Futuras glorias annuncia, tàm beneficas, quàm claras»: profecía y esperanza criolla en el poema Hispano-Latino (1687) de Rodrigo de Valdés

Rodrigo de Valdes (1609-1682), sacerdote de la Compania de Jesus nacido en Lima y descendiente de los primeros conquistadores del Peru, dedico mas de diez anos a la elaboracion del Poema Heroyco Hispano-Latino Panegyrico de la Fundacion, y grandezas de la muy noble, y Leal Ciudad de Lima (1687). El resultado de sus esfuerzos fue un extenso poema en que la erudicion propia de la estetica barroca acompana una de las mas tempranas manifestaciones de la conciencia criolla que se diferencia de los espanoles peninsulares en el virreinato del Peru. El poema Hispano-Latino de Valdes cuenta con 572 estrofas y 412 notas que glosan el contenido de los versos. La tradicion clasica pagana y biblica, asi como el conocimiento filosofico, historico y geografico que contiene el poema, configuran desde distintos angulos una defensa de los derechos de los criollos en un tiempo en que el sistema encomendero los enfrentaba con los peninsulares.
Absorption of Oral Tradition and Folklore Narrative in Written Fictional Works: Paul Lomami-Tchibamba, Ngandu Nkashama and Alain Mabanckou

Claude Levi-Strauss debunked the traditional claim that the advent of writing is the sine qua none sign of high civilization that dooms orality as an activity of the primitive. However, African literary critics convincingly argued for the complementary entanglement of orality and graphism as elements of the same narrative pulse. Written or oral renditions of narratives are mere forms of expression. The core of narration as a human activity lies not in the forms of the performance (credit to Propp and Jakobson), but in the conjugation of various communicative components. This is the inevitability of narrative as an endowment inscribed in the use of language as a representational instrument of human cultural heritage. The chapter deals with the way this inevitability of the narration by way of its fundamental channels, orality and writing, has fostered works that stand not in an antithetical relationship as it was earlier inferred, but rather in a complementary and sometimes conflictual way. The chapter aims at examining the narrative modalities adopted by three African writers who seamlessly incorporated orality in their fictional written works, namely Paul Lomami Tchibamba (Ngando), Ngandu Nkashama (Le Pacte de sang), and Alain Mabanckou (Verre Cassse and Lumieres de Pointe-Noire).
The synaptic life of microtubules

In neurons, control of microtubule dynamics is required for multiple homeostatic and regulated activities. Over the past few decades, a great deal has been learned about the role of the microtubule cytoskeleton in axonal and dendritic transport, with a broad impact on neuronal health and disease. However, significantly less attention has been paid to the importance of microtubule dynamics in directly regulating synaptic function. Here, we review emerging literature demonstrating that microtubules enter synapses and control central aspects of synaptic activity, including neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. The pleiotropic effects caused by a dysfunctional synaptic microtubule cytoskeleton may thus represent a key point of vulnerability for neurons and a primary driver of neurological disease.
Joint Forces Training Centre (JFTC)

Located in Poland, this center is instrumental in the conduct of pre-deployment training at the joint level, it provides support to current operations, helps identify emerging requirements, and also offers a venue for experimentation, testing, and interoperability. This chapter looks at the Joint Forces Training Center in more detail.
Basic principles and concepts of model analysis

The techniques and the problems associated with the design and use of models are covered. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of modeling laws by means of dimensional analysis. Special problems associated with the use of true and distorted models are illustrated by means of selected examples.
Epidemiology of Cervical Cancer

Carcinoma of the uterine cervix is one of the most common cancers in women in the United States and throughout the world. Because of its frequency and accessibility to methods of early detection, cervical cancer is among the most thoroughly studied of all human malignant diseases. Its natural history has been extensively investigated, and the gradation from intraepithelial neoplastic cervical changes (dysplasia and carcinoma in situ) to invasive carcinoma has been well documented. Although such progression of the disease does not appear to be an inevitable process, ample evidence has accumulated to indicate that when invasive cancer occurs it is practically always preceded by a preinvasive phase in its development.
Determinants in microbial colonization of the murine gastrointestinal tract: pH, temperature, and energy-yielding metabolism of Torulopsis pintolopesii.

Abstract Torulopsis pintolopesii is an indigenous yeast that colonizes the secreting epithelia in the stomachs of mice and rats. A wild-type strain of this microbe was isolated and identified. To attempt to learn characteristics of the yeast that are advantageous to it in colonizing its natural habitat in vivo, we examined some aspects of its nutrition and energy-yielding metabolism and some environmental conditions that influence its growth in vitro. The yeast appeared to be limited in the compounds it can utilize as carbon and nitrogen sources. It grew best at 37°C and did not grow at 23 or 43°C. It grew optimally at neutral pH but could grow aerobically at pH values as low as 2.0 and anaerobically at pH values as low as 3.4. As assessed by measurements of growth rates and yield coefficients, it grew better aerobically than anaerobically. When grown aerobically, it had a cyanide-sensitive system for taking up O2 and tested positively for cytochrome c oxidase activity. A petite mutant strain isolated from the wild-type strain had a growth rate and yield coefficient when incubated aerobically that were essentially the same as those of the wild-type parent grown anaerobically. Likewise similar to the wild-type parent grown anaerobically, the petite strain, though incubated aerobically, did not take up O2. Yeast-free mice associated with either the wild-type or the petite mutant strain were colonized at essentially the same rates and to similar final population levels by both strains. The yeast's capacity to respire may be of little advantage to it in its natural environment. By contrast, its abilities to grow best at 37°C and to grow at low pH values are undoubtedly advantageous characteristics in this respect. The limitations in its carbon and nitrogen nutrition are difficult to evaluate as ecological factors in its colonization of the natural habitat.
Power and Limits of Dynamical Systems Theory in Conflict Analysis

One of the most exciting new approaches in conflict research applies Dynamical Systems Theory (DST) to explain the devastating dynamics of intractable conflicts. This paper describes what makes this approach so powerful, and discusses some of its limitations that become visible in the mathematical models of DST that are available so far. In its final section, some possible directions for further research are sketched with a special focus on identifying the elements of a conflict whose dynamics could be reconstructed by means of Dynamical Systems Theory.
Using inquiry-based instruction with Web-based data archives to facilitate conceptual change about tides among preservice teachers

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe and understand preservice teachers' conceptions of tides and to explore an instructional strategy that might promote the learning of scientific concepts. The participants were preservice teachers in three initial licensure programs. A total of 80 graduate students, in secondary, middle, and early childhood education programs completed a multiple choice assessment of their knowledge of tides-related concepts. Thirty of the 80 participants were interviewed before the instruction. Nineteen of the 30 students who were interviewed also participated in the instruction and were interviewed after the instruction. These 19 students also completed both the pre-test and 18 of them completed the post-test on tides and related content. Data regarding the participants' conceptual understandings of tides were collected before and after the instruction using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. A multiple choice pre-test was developed by the researcher. The same test was used before and after the instructional intervention. Structured interviews were conducted with participants before and after instruction. In addition to interviews, participants were asked to write a short journal after instruction. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the qualitative data. Preservice teachers' conceptual understandings of tides were categorized under six different types of conceptual understandings. Before the instruction, all preservice teachers held alternative or alternative fragments as their types of conceptual understandings of tides, and these preservice teachers who held alternative conceptions about tides were likely to indicate that there is one tidal bulge on Earth. They tried to explain this one tidal bulge using various alternative conceptions. After completing an inquiry-based and technology-enhanced instruction of tides, preservice teachers were more likely to hold a scientific conceptual understanding. Also, after completion of the inquiry-based and technology-enhanced instruction, some preservice teachers were likely to continue to hold the conception that the rotation of the moon around the Earth during one 24-hour period causes the tides to move with the moon. The findings of the study provide evidence that inquiry-based and technology-enhanced instruction utilizing Web-based archived data sources can be used to promoting conceptual change among preservice teachers.
“Fraudulent” Identities: The Politics of Defining Quilombo Descendants in Brazil

This article analyzes the role of historians and anthropologists in the conceptualization of “quilombo,” past and present, in Brazil. The validity of the new political identity, remanescente de quilombo (quilombo descendant), has been contested by the popular media as a “fraudulent” identity used by black communities to obtain land rights. While the term quilombo was used by the Portuguese Crown to refer to three or more fugitive slaves in hiding, quilombo descendants have been defined beyond the limits of simply the ancestors of fugitive slaves. I argue that when it comes to quilombo descendants obtaining actual rights they are often dismissed as frauds until proven authentic. Their authenticity depends not only on their ability to perform and describe the ancestral history of their community, but more importantly, in their ability to tell a specific history of their past as it has been written and incorporated into the Brazilian national imaginary.
Exploring the role of root anatomy in P-mediated control of colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Alterations of root anatomy have been largely ignored as potential mechanisms for phosphorus-mediated control of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization. However, at least three anatomical traits inclu...
Regional anisotropy of airspace orientation in the lung as assessed with hyperpolarized helium-3 diffusion MRI.

Purpose To evaluate regional anisotropy of lung-airspace orientation by assessing the dependence of helium-3 (3He) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on the direction of diffusion sensitization at two field strengths. Materials and Methods Hyperpolarized 3He diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lung was performed at 0.43T and 1.5T in 12 healthy volunteers. A gradient-echo pulse sequence was used with a bipolar diffusion-sensitization gradient applied separately along three orthogonal directions. ADC maps, median ADC values, and signal-to-noise ratios were calculated from the diffusion-weighted images. Two readers scored the ADC maps for increased values at lung margins, major fissures, or within focal central regions. Results ADC values were found to depend on the direction of diffusion sensitization (P < 0.01, except for craniocaudal vs. anteroposterior directions at 1.5T) and were increased at the lateral and medial surfaces for left-right diffusion sensitization (12 of 12 subjects); at the apex and base (9 of 12), and along the major fissure (8 of 12), for craniocaudal diffusion sensitization; and at the most anterior and posterior lung (10 of 12) for anteroposterior diffusion sensitization. Median ADC values at 0.43T (0.201 ± 0.017, left-right; 0.193 ± 0.019, craniocaudal; and 0.187 ± 0.017 cm2/s, anteroposterior) were slightly lower than those at 1.5T (0.205 ± 0.017, 0.197 ± 0.017 and 0.194 ± 0.016 cm2/s, respectively; P < 0.05). Conclusion These findings indicate that diffusion-weighted hyperpolarized 3He MRI can detect regional anisotropy of lung-airspace orientation, including that associated with preferential orientation of terminal airways near pleural surfaces. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015.
One step synthesis of 6,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a][1,3]pyrimidines

A one-step synthesis of substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a][1,3]pyrimidines from acetyl methyl carbinol, 3-aminopropionic acid, and substituted acetonitriles is reported.
Limited clinical utility of endomyocardial biopsy in patients presenting with ventricular tachycardia without apparent structural heart disease.

Summary: To determine the cardiac pathology underly- ing ventricular tachyarrhythmias, endomyocardial biopsy was performed in 14 patients, 10 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 40 years (range 17-63) and no apparent structural heart disease, presenting with high-density symp- tomatic nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) (n = 4), sustained VT (n = 6), and ventricular fibrillation (n =4). The absence of coronary or valvular heart disease was doc- umented by cardiac catheterization. The mean left ventric- ular ejection fraction was 56 5 10%. Noninvasive assess- ment of the ventricular arrhythmia was made in all patients with Holter monitoring and/or exercise testing, while inva- sive evaluation with programmed electrical stimulation was performed in 13 patients. Biopsy findings included subendocardial and interstitial fibrosis in 7 patients, and monocytes containing periodic acid Schiff (PAS) positive vacuoles in 1 patient; biopsy was normal in 6 patients. There was no relationship between the presence or absence of pathologic abnormalities on biopsy and left ventricular ejection fraction, presenting or induced arrhythmias, or prognosis. Pathologic evidence supporting a specific treat- able diagnosis was not present in any biopsy. Drugs to sup- press spontaneous
Charge, mass, and energy changes during fragmentation of relativistic nuclei

We have examined the fragmentation of relativistic lanthanum and gold nuclei incident on targets of polyethylene, carbon, aluminum, and copper. Attention has been concentrated on those fragments whose atomic numbers were only changed by +1 to -3 from those of the incident nuclei. The cross section for the production of fragments with increased charge is about 10% that for fragments that have lost one charge, or about 1% of the total interaction cross section. We find that the velocity distributions of these fragments can be explained by assuming that they also lose significant numbers of neutrons when they pick up or lose charge, without a need to invoke any energy or momentum loss in the interaction, although we cannot exclude small losses. In particular, we cannot confirm the recent report of large energy losses during the charge pickup process. The relative numbers of neutrons lost can be represented by a simple Gaussian model, and, for those fragments with decreased charge, are much larger than the proton losses. These fragments consequently have large proton excesses and will be highly unstable.
Left Atrial Myxomas: Correlation of Two-Dimensional and Live Three-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography with the Clinical and Pathologic Findings

Background Although transthoracic echocardiography and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) identify cardiac myxomas with high sensitivity, anatomic and morphologic information is often incomplete. Real-time three-dimensional (3D) TEE is increasingly being used in general clinical practice. However, the use of real-time 3D TEE for the assessment of atrial myxomas has not been described. Methods This case series of 10 patients with left atrial myxomas undergoing two-dimensional and real-time 3D TEE. Results Correlative pathologic findings demonstrate that 3D imaging accurately identifies these tumors and provides detailed morphologic description of the tumors, which may have clinical importance. Conclusions Because the 3D TEE is real time and can be performed preoperatively in the operating room, the surgeon may gain a better understanding of the nature and location of the tumor.
A Semiempirical Cloudiness Parameterization for Use in Climate Models

Abstract Data produced from explicit simulations of observed tropical cloud systems and subtropical stratocumuli are used to develop a “semiempirical” cloudiness parameterization for use in climate models. The semiempirical cloudiness parameterization uses the large-scale average condensate (cloud water and cloud ice) mixing ratio as the primary predictor. The large-scale relative humidity and cumulus mass flux are also used in the parameterization as secondary predictors. The cloud amount is assumed to vary exponentially with the large-scale average condensate mixing ratio. The rate of variation is, however, a function of large-scale relative humidity and the intensity of convective circulations. The validity of such EL semiempirical approach and its dependency on cloud regime and horizontal-averaging distance are explored with the simulated datasets.
Non-black-box simulation in the fully concurrent setting

We present a new zero-knowledge argument protocol by relying on the non-black-box simulation technique of Barak (FOCS'01). Similar to the protocol of Barak, ours is public-coin, is based on the existence of collision-resistant hash functions, and, is not based on "rewinding techniques" but rather uses non-black-box simulation. However in contrast to the protocol of Barak, our protocol is secure even if there are any unbounded (polynomial) number of concurrent sessions. This gives us the first construction of public-coin concurrent zero-knowledge. Prior to our work, Pass, Tseng and Wikstrom (SIAM J. Comp. 2011) had shown that using black-box simulation, getting a construction for even public-coin parallel zero-knowledge is impossible.A public-coin concurrent zero-knowledge protocol directly implies the existence of a concurrent resettably-sound zero-knowledge protocol. This is an improvement over the corresponding construction of Deng, Goyal and Sahai (FOCS'09) which was based on stronger assumptions. Furthermore, this also directly leads to an alternative (and arguable cleaner) construction of a simultaneous resettable zero-knowledge argument system.An important feature of our protocol is the existence of a "straight-line" simulator. This gives a fundamentally different tool for constructing concurrently secure computation protocols (for functionalities even beyond zero-knowledge).The round complexity of our protocol is ne (for any constant e > 0), and, the simulator runs in strict polynomial time. The main technique behind our construction is purely combinatorial in nature.
Rapid Hybrid Acquisition of Ultra-Wideband Signals

Impulsive ultra-wideband (UWB) radio provides many promising features for wireless communications in a dense multipath environment. However, these features are largely the result of the enormous effective processing gain, which can make acquisition difficult at the receiver. In this paper, a recently developed theory of minimum complexity sequential detection is applied to the hybrid acquisition problem. As in previous hybrid schemes, a number of potential timing phases are checked as a group; however, a phase is disregarded as soon as it appears unlikely rather than waiting for a "winner" to be chosen from the group. Another phase then replaces the disregarded one. Analysis and simulation results indicate that the proposed scheme can improve average acquisition times for highly spread systems operating over either additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) or multipath fading channels.
LONG-TERM RESULTS OF PANCREAS TRANSPLANTATION UNDER TACROLIMUS IMMUNOSUPPRESSION

Background The long-term safety and efficacy of tacrolimus in pancreas transplantation has not yet been demonstrated. The observation of prolonged pancreatic graft function under tacrolimus would indicate that any potential islet toxicity is short-lived and clinically insignificant. We report herein the results of pancreas transplantation in patients receiving primary tacrolimus immunosuppression for a minimum of 2 years. Methods. From July 4, 1994 until April 18, 1996, 60 patients received either simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant (n=55), pancreas transplant only (n=4), or pancreas after kidney transplantation (n=1). Baseline immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus and steroids without antilymphocyte induction. Azathioprine was used as a third agent in 51 patients and mycophenolate mofetil in 9. Rejection episodes within the first 6 months occurred in 48 (80%) patients and were treated with high-dose corticosteroids. Antilymphocyte antibody was required in eight (13%) patients with steroid-resistant rejection. Results. With a mean follow-up of 35.1±5.9 months (range: 24.3-45.7 months), 6-month and 1-, 2-, and 33-year graft survival is 88%, 82%, 80%, and 80% (pancreas) and 98%, 96%, 93%, and 91% (kidney), respectively. Six-month and 1-, 2-, and 3-year patient survival is 100%, 98%, 98%, and 96.5%. Mean fasting glucose is 91.6±13.8 mg/dl, and mean glycosylated hemoglobin is 5.1±0.7% (normal range: 4.3-6.1%). Mean tacrolimus dose is 6.5±2.6 mg/day and mean prednisone dose 2.0±2.9 mg/day at follow-up. Complete steroid withdrawal was possible in 31 (65%) of the 48 patients with functioning pancreases. Conclusions. These data show for the first time that tacrolimus is a safe and effective long-term primary agent in pancreas transplantation and provides excellent long-term islet function without evidence of toxicity while permitting steroid withdrawal in the majority of patients.
Sampling depth of time-of-flight ion scattering: primary ion type and energy dependence

The sampling depth dependence on the type and energy of the primary ion used in time-of-flight scattering spectrometry has been investigated. Incident angle α scans were made at various scattering angles θ along the [110] and [001] azimuths of an Ir{110} surface using 4 keV Ar+, Ne+, and He+ and 2 keV Ne+ ion beams. The scattering patterns observed in the scans exhibit strong dependences on ion type and energy. The results show that surface-layer scattering dominates for 4 keV Ar+ and 2 keV Ne+, subsurface layer scattering dominates for 4 keV He+, and 4 keV Ne+ probes mainly the surface layer at low a and subsurface layers at high α. These differences are due mainly to variations in the size of the shadowing and blocking cones and the energy separation of quasi-single scattering with respect to multiple scattering events. Classical trajectory simulations are used to model selected interactions.
Immunoregulatory role of TNFα in inflammatory kidney diseases

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), a pleiotropic cytokine, plays important inflammatory roles in renal diseases such as lupus nephritis, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis and renal allograft rejection. However, TNFα also plays critical immunoregulatory roles that are required to maintain immune homeostasis. These complex biological functions of TNFα are orchestrated by its two receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. For example, TNFR2 promotes leukocyte infiltration and tissue injury in an animal model of immune complex–mediated glomerulonephritis. On the other hand, TNFR1 plays an immunoregulatory function in a murine lupus model with a deficiency in this receptor that leads to more severe autoimmune symptoms. In humans, proinflammatory and immunoregulatory roles for TNFα are strikingly illustrated in patients on anti-TNFα medications: These treatments are greatly beneficial in certain inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis but, on the other hand, are also associated with the induction of autoimmune lupus-like syndromes and enhanced autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis patients. The indication for anti-TNFα treatments in renal inflammatory diseases is still under discussion. Ongoing clinical trials may help to clarify the potential benefit of such treatments in lupus nephritis and ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. Overall, the complex biology of TNFα is not fully understood. A greater understanding of the function of its receptors may provide a framework to understand its contrasting proinflammatory and immunoregulatory functions. This may lead the development of new, more specific anti-inflammatory drugs.
6-Hydroxydopamine lesions of the ventral tegmental area suppress ghrelin's ability to elicit food-reinforced behavior

While past research suggests that ghrelin stimulates appetite through an action on hypothalamic signaling, recent evidence indicates that the peptide acts via mesotelencephalic dopamine neurons to alter appetitive motivation. In the present study, rats were trained to operantly respond for food on a progressive ratio PR5 schedule until stable breakpoints were established. Ghrelin (30-300 pmol) was then injected directly into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the 300 pmol dose was observed to increase breakpoint. The dopaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 6 μg) was subsequently administered into the VTA resulting in a significant depletion of striatal dopamine. Stable breakpoints were then re-established. When ghrelin's effects were reassessed, the peptide's ability to alter operant responding for food was reliably reduced. Our findings demonstrate that ghrelin induces food-reinforced behavior in the mesotelencephalic reward pathway and that this effect is dependent on intact dopaminergic signaling. We conclude that the metabolic peptide ghrelin interacts with dopamine, within reward circuitry, to modulate appetitive behavior.
No conclusive evidence for caries-inhibitory effect of glass-ionomer restorations in vivo

Objective: To determine from a literature analysis the ability of glass-ionomer restorations to prevent recurrent caries at the restorative margins. Data sources: Literature searches covering articles (1970–1996) from Medline and Exerpta Medica databases, from databases in dental school libraries at Nijmegen and Gothenburg, and from hand searches of English and German dental journals. Selection criteria Fifty-two studies were identified but none complied with the 14 primary inclusion criteria. Using a secondary set of two criteria (‘prospective studies with controls’) 28 articles were selected for the analysis. Results: The 28 selected articles were grouped into four categories according to findings of secondary caries in either the glass-ionomer or the control groups (see Table 1). Conclusions: The review of the literature did not produce conclusive evidence for the generally accepted effect of secondary caries inhibition by glass-ionomer restorations. Randall RC, Wilson NHF. Glass-ionomer restoratives: a systematic review of a secondary caries treatment effect. J Dent Res, 1999; 78:628–637
Derivative spectrophotometric analysis of cerebrospinal fluid for the detection of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm

A cerebral aneurysm is a weakened portion of an artery in the brain. When a cerebral aneurysm ruptures, a specific type of bleeding known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) occurs. No test exists currently to screen people for the presence of an aneurysm. The diagnosis of a SAH is made after an aneurysm ruptures, and the literature indicates that nearly one-third of patients with a SAH are initially misdiagnosed and subjected to the risks associated with aneurysm re-rupture. For those individuals with a suspected SAH, a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the brain usually demonstrates evidence of the bleeding. However, in a considerable portion of people, the CT scan is unable to detect the blood that has escaped from the blood vessel. For circumstances when a SAH is suspected despite a normal CT scan, physicians make the diagnosis of SAH by performing a spinal tap. A spinal tap uses a needle to sample the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from the patient’s back; CSF is tainted with blood after the aneurysm ruptures. To distinguish between a common headache and a SAH, a fast and an effective solution is required. We describe the development of an effective detection system integrating hardware and a powerful software interface solution. Briefly, CSF from the patient is aspirated and excited with an appropriate wavelength of light. The software employs spectrophotometric analysis of the output spectra and lays the foundation for the development of portable and user-friendly equipment for detection of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm.
Racial Differences in Eighth Grade Students’ Identification With Academics

Having a positive attitude about school, valuing school, and being intrinsically motivated is associated with higher grades, graduation, and college attendance. However, the literature reveals that these characteristics and attitudes are not uniform across race, class, and gender. The purpose of the current study was to examine racial differences in student identification with middle school. Specifically the study looked at the ways in which African American and White students described abstract and concrete components of identification. A total of 256 African American and 208 White eighth grade students from four middle schools in the Midwest completed a 13-item Identification with Academics survey as part of a large study of the transition from middle school to high school. Results show that African American students held higher abstract identification with academics than White students. Step-wise linear regression analysis demonstrates that the
Weak sequential convergence in Lp(μ, X)

We provide some new results on the weak convergence of sequences or nets lying in Lp((T, ∑, μ), X) ≡ Lp(μ, X), 1 ⩽ p < ∞, i.e., the space of equivalence classes of X-valued (X is a Banach space) Bochner integrable functions on the finite measure space (T, ∑, μ). Our theorems generalize in several directions recent resuls on weak sequential convergence in L1(μ, X) obtained by M. A. Khan and M. Majumdar [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 114 (1986), 569–573] and Z. Artstein [J. Math. Econ. 6 (1979), 277–282], and they can be used to obtain dominated convergence results for the Aumann integral. Our results have useful applications in Economics and Game Theory.
Enzymic and morphological comparison of normal and salt-extracted rat liver mitochondria

Abstract By comparison of normal and salt-extracted rat liver mitochondria, evidence is presented for the physical heterogeneity of the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes. Five enzymes associated with the tricarboxylic acid cycle were found to be present in equivalent amounts in both unextracted and extracted mitochondria. These results are discussed.
Environmental Influences on Hurricane Intensification

Abstract Although driven by internal processes, hurricanes are also regulated by conditions in their oceanic and atmospheric surroundings. Sea surface temperature determines an upper bound on the intensity of hurricanes, but most never reach this potential, apparently because of adverse atmospheric conditions. Winds measured by satellite cloud tracking, commercial aircraft, and rawinsondes are composited using a rotated coordinate system designed to preserve the asymmetries in the upper-tropospheric environment. Composites of upper-tropospheric environmental flows for intensifying and nonintensifying hurricanes for a five-year period are compared. Nonintensifying composites indicate stronger mean environmental flow relative to the hurricane motion, unidirectional flow over and near the hurricane center, and slightly weaker radial outflow and/or more pronounced anticyclonic flow surrounding the center in the upper troposphere.
Evaluating the brief health literacy screen.

To the Editors: We commend Wallston et al. on their work, demonstrating that the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) is a useful tool in identifying hospitalized patients with low health literacy.1 Given that about one-quarter of adults in the US have low health literacy2 and that physicians often have difficulty identifying their patients’ health literacy status,3 it is imperative that clinicians have a tool that accurately identifies patients who have low health literacy. The work of Wallston et al. demonstrating the validity of the BHLS in both the hospital and clinic setting is valuable, especially since many of the written health literacy assessment tools are difficult to use in the clinical setting. It is particularly important to have a concise and easily administered verbal screening tool, because it can easily be integrated into the clinic or hospital intake screen and does not require patients to read and respond to a written questionnaire. Since over one-third of US adults have basic or below basic literacy4 and we have found that more than one in four inpatients have insufficient vision,5 it is extremely important that we have a verbal screening tool that does not rely on patients’ vision or reading fluency. These results are encouraging, especially since studies at our institution have found less promising results when evaluating the performance of the BHLS. In early preliminary analysis of a study we are doing comparing the verbal BHLS to both the short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) and Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine-Revised (REALM-R) written screening tools, we have not observed a similar correlation between the BHLS and S-TOFHLA as was found by Wallston et al. One possibility for why our results may differ is that the patient population of our studies is very different. Wallston et al.’s study population was predominantly white, while our study’s population was predominantly African American. There was also was a higher educational attainment among participants in the Wallston study than in our study. Since Wallston et al. found that having more education and being of the white race was associated with higher health literacy scores, it is quite possible that our results are less promising because the tools may perform better in populations with high health literacy. Given these observations, it is even more important to further evaluate the utility of the BHLS in diverse patient populations, including those with low health literacy.
Distribution of blood flow and pressure from a microvessel into a branch

Abstract A theoretical analysis provides a means to estimate the blood flow into a branch from a measurement of the pressure drop from the main stream into the branch, and the ratio of the width of the branch to that of the main vessel. It shows that in the ordinary circumstance in which the diameter of the branch is one-half that of the trunk or smaller, a large drop of pressure from the main stream to the branch is expected. Such a pressure drop would be particularly accentuated if there is a local narrowing in the branch such as a sphincter.
Theoretical Study of Proton Transfer in Hypoxanthine Tautomers: Effects of Hydration

Computational investigations on the proton transfer in the isolated, monohydrated, and dihydrated forms of hypoxanthine have been performed. Ground state geometries were optimized at the HF/6-31G(d,p), HF/6311++G(d,p), and MP2/6-31G(d,p) levels of theory while those of the transition states corresponding to the proton transfer from the keto to the enol form of the molecule were characterized at the HF/6-31G(d,p), HF/6-311++G(d,p), MP2/6-31G(d,p)//HF/6-31G(d,p), and MP2/6-311++G(d,p)//HF/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory. It is found that, in the gas phase, the molecule would exist mainly in the keto prototropic forms. The transition states corresponding to the proton transfer from the oxo to the hydroxy form for the monoand dihydrated forms were found to have a zwitterionic structure; the geometries are more easily expressed in the form of H3O + ‚‚‚HX - for the monohydrated forms and H5O2 + ‚‚‚HX - for the dihydrated forms of the molecule.
SU‐GG‐T‐385: QuASA2R — a Digital Data Quality Assurance Submission, Archive, Analysis, and Review System for Advanced Technology Clinical Trials in Radiation Therapy

Purpose: The QuASA2R clinical trials quality assurance (QA) system, developed by the Image‐guided Therapy QA Center (ITC), provides multiple cooperative groups one of the most advanced medical informatics infrastructures currently in use for radiation therapy clinical trials QA. The recently renewed ATC grant has provided funds for further refinement/development of this system. A status update of QuASA2R for protocol case data QA, submission, archive,analysis, and review is presented. Method and Materials: Development of QuASA2R is guided by the considerable experience and success of ITC computer scientists and QA personnel in supporting advanced technology clinical trials, recognition of QA tool needs for future protocols involving emerging technologies (e.g. IGRT, ART), and compatibility with caBIG infrastructure. ITC has embraced a flexible, modular architecture with emphasis on well‐defined interfaces, which allows integration of commercial “off‐the‐shelf” and open‐source software and focuses custom software development/enhancements on features not otherwise available. This approach enables step‐wise implementation and upgrading of system components while providing continuous support of ongoing protocols. Results: A major update of QuASA2R is underway involving replacement of current treatment‐planning‐system‐based imaging/treatment planning/verification database with specialized DICOM archivesoftware supporting a tiered storage structure. The DICOM archive supports diagnostic imaging, DICOM RT objects, and meta‐data related to diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes assessment for protocol patients. Updates to QA utilities that aid ITC staff in performing Digital Data Integrity QA (DDIQA) continue to be implemented. The open‐source CERR software system has been integrated into QuASA2R for format conversion, QA review, and secondary data analysis.Conclusion: The QuASA2R system has demonstrated a continuing robustness, having archived over 6000 datasets. Its modular design allows updates to meet changing requirements of advanced technology clinical trials. Experience with new updates and a roadmap for future upgrades over the next 12 months will be presented. Supported by NIH U24 Grant CA81647.
Competitive-binding approach to liquid chromatographic postcolumn reactions with fluorimetric detection

Abstract A model mixture consisting of biotin and biocytin was used to test the feasibility of applying a competitive-binding approach in the development of liquid chromatographic (LC) postcolumn reactions with fluorimetric detection. Specifically, the effluent from the LC column was merged with a reagent stream containing the biological binder avidin, binding sites of which were occupied by the fluorescent probe 2-anilinonaphthalene-6-sulfonic acid (2,6-ANS). The probe was displaced by the analytes from the avidin-2,6-ANS complex with a concomitant decrease in the fluorescence intensity at 438 nm. This decrease was proportional to the concentration of biotin and biocytin and constituted the analytical signal. The procedure was optimized with respect to LC separation conditions, reagent concentrations and flow-rate of the reagent solution. Analytical characteristics of the method were determined and compared with those for LC determinations of biotin and biocytin with absorptiometric detection. Finally, the proposed reaction detection system was validated by using it for the determination of biotin in vitamin tablets and a horse-feed supplement.