cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Affect-Targeted Interviews for Understanding Student Frustration

Frustration is a natural part of learning in AIED systems but remains relatively poorly understood. In particular, it remains unclear how students’ perceptions about the learning activity drive their experience of frustration and their subsequent choices during learning. In this paper, we adopt a mixed-methods approach, using automated detectors of affect to signal classroom researchers to interview a specific student at a specific time. We hand-code the interviews using grounded theory, then distill particularly common associations between interview codes and affective patterns. We find common patterns involving student perceptions of difficulty, system helpfulness, and strategic behavior, and study them in greater depth. We find, for instance, that the experience of difficulty produces shifts from engaged concentration to frustration that lead students to adopt a variety of problem-solving strategies. We conclude with thoughts on both how this can influence the future design of AIED systems, and the broader potential uses of data mining-driven interviews in AIED research and development.
Intersectional Ecologies: Reimagining Anthropology and Environment

Drawing on the work of Black feminist scholars, this review suggests “intersectional ecologies” as a method for critically engaging anthropology's relationship with the environment across subfields...
Learning to Bid in Contextual First Price Auctions

In this paper, we investigate the problem about how to bid in repeated contextual first price auctions. We consider a single bidder (learner) who repeatedly bids in the first price auctions: at each time $t$, the learner observes a context $x_t\in \mathbb{R}^d$ and decides the bid based on historical information and $x_t$. We assume a structured linear model of the maximum bid of all the others $m_t = \alpha_0\cdot x_t + z_t$, where $\alpha_0\in \mathbb{R}^d$ is unknown to the learner and $z_t$ is randomly sampled from a noise distribution $\mathcal{F}$ with log-concave density function $f$. We consider both \emph{binary feedback} (the learner can only observe whether she wins or not) and \emph{full information feedback} (the learner can observe $m_t$) at the end of each time $t$. For binary feedback, when the noise distribution $\mathcal{F}$ is known, we propose a bidding algorithm, by using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method to achieve at most $\widetilde{O}(\sqrt{\log(d) T})$ regret. Moreover, we generalize this algorithm to the setting with binary feedback and the noise distribution is unknown but belongs to a parametrized family of distributions. For the full information feedback with \emph{unknown} noise distribution, we provide an algorithm that achieves regret at most $\widetilde{O}(\sqrt{dT})$. Our approach combines an estimator for log-concave density functions and then MLE method to learn the noise distribution $\mathcal{F}$ and linear weight $\alpha_0$ simultaneously. We also provide a lower bound result such that any bidding policy in a broad class must achieve regret at least $\Omega(\sqrt{T})$, even when the learner receives the full information feedback and $\mathcal{F}$ is known.
The high cost burden of third- to fifth-line treatments for multiple myeloma: unsustainable and unaffordable

DISCLOSURES: No funding was provided for the writing of this commentary. In this commentary, the author refers to CivicaRx, for which Mayo Clinic is a founding member. As an employee of Mayo Clinic, the author does not have any direct financial relationship with or support from CivicaRx.
Particle size analysis by sieving

This chapter discusses particle size analysis by sieving. Sieving is particularly useful as particles are sorted into categories solely on the basis of size, independently of other properties. Woven wire sieves are often referred to by their mesh size, which is the number of wires per linear inch. Woven wire sieves have pseudo-square apertures but punched plate and electroformed sieves are available with round and rectangular apertures. Sieving consists of placing a powder sample onto a sieve containing openings of a fixed size, and agitating the sieve in such a way that particles that can pass through the openings do so. Fractionation by sieving is a function of two particle dimensions only; maximum breadth and maximum thickness for, unless the particles are excessively elongated, the length does not affect the passage of particles through the sieve apertures. The chapter presents a variety of sieve apertures that are classified as coarse, medium, and fine Measuring particle size distributions by sieving is simple and inexpensive and can give reproducible results, even when using different sets of sieves, if proper care is taken. For accuracy, it is necessary that the sieves be calibrated. It is also necessary that the sieves be checked, on a regular basis using a calibration powder, so that worn sieves can be rejected.
Chapter 7 Experimental Techniques with Ciliates

Publisher Summary Three experimental design relate with cilates—namely, (1) the initial, starting organization of cells can be altered and their subsequent response compared with the normal; (2) two cells distinguished by some difference can be fused by grafting, and the resulting interaction can reveal a lot about normal phases of the cell such as cell differentiation, the effects of external treatments like radiation damage, and the nature of racial or species differences; and (3) in the most common design the cell environment is altered, changing the cell indirectly. This chapter highlights those methods that relate to these experimental designs. The genus Stentor includes some species so large in cell size and of such a consistency as to permit the most complex microsurgical operations, which have ever been performed on unicellular life. Stentors rank high among the few types of cells in which grafting, enucleation, and nuclear transfers are possible. Emacronucleated live 3–7 days, therefore there is ample time to measure a capacity such as respiration and even to test by renucleation the point of irreversible denaturation of the cytoplasm. At this critical point, some cell systems might conceivably be reconstituted while others are not, thus producing models on the cell level in which separate functions are dissociable for analysis.
Executive Detention, Boumediene, and the New Common Law of Habeas

In Boumediene v. Bush, the Supreme Court issued yet another sharp rebuke of the Bush Administration's wartime detention practices. In ruling that the protections of the Suspension Clause reach extraterritorially to Guantanamo (and perhaps beyond) and striking down the jurisdiction-stripping provision of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the Court went significantly farther than had the triad of prior enemy combatant cases - Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, Rasul v. Bush and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. Indeed, for the first time in its history, the Court invalidated the collaborative efforts of the political branches during wartime. In so doing, Boumediene elevated the judiciary to a preeminent role in reviewing wartime detention operations, assuming exclusive jurisdiction and control over habeas cases brought by 200-plus Guantanamo detainees. In effect, Boumediene issued a largely unlimited invitation to the lower courts to create a whole new corpus of habeas law in the context of military detention - one that has largely remained undeveloped since Reconstruction. This article provides a normative justification for the Court's role and bridges the gap between the theoretical basis undergirding the decision and several concrete questions the district courts must consider on remand. Specifically, after situating Boumediene as a landmark separation-of-powers ruling, this article addresses now-ripe substantive law questions the Court left open for case-by-case adjudication. First, the article considers whether the protections of the Suspension Clause apply to what some are calling "Obama's Guantanamo" - the large U.S. detention center in Bagram, Afghanistan. Second, it evaluates the substantive limitations from the law of war which may now constrain what the executive has so far asserted is nearly unlimited authority to detain enemy combatants in the "global war on terrorism." In addition, evaluates the procedural and evidentiary framework that has begun to govern the factual development in up to hundreds of largely unprecedented de novo habeas hearings that are occurring in the district courts, and defends the process of common law decision-making in the executive detention context. This article thus seeks to make a substantial contribution to what will surely be an ongoing discussion about this new common law of habeas.
Hematopoietic Origin of Murine Lung Fibroblasts

Multiple origins, including the bone marrow, have been suggested to contribute to fibroblast populations in the lung. Using bone marrow reconstitution strategies, the present study tested the hypothesis that the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gives rise to lung tissue fibroblasts in vivo. Data demonstrate that the nonadherent bone marrow fraction is enriched for CD45+ HSC-derived cells and was able to reconstitute hematopoiesis in lethally irradiated animals. Analysis of peripheral blood and lung tissues from engrafted mice demonstrated the ability of this population to give rise to CD45+/Discoidin-Domain Receptor-2+ (DDR2) circulating fibroblast precursors (CFPs) in blood and fibroblast populations in lung. An HSC origin for lung fibroblasts was confirmed using a novel clonal cell transplantation method in which the bone marrow is reconstituted by a clonal population derived from a single HSC. Together, these findings provide evidence for an HSC contribution to lung fibroblasts and demonstrate a circulating intermediate through the CD45+/DDR2+ HSC-derived CFP.
Speech Errors and Language Production: Neuropsychological and Connectionist Perspectives.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the current status of two working hypotheses that Garrett derived by looking at speech errors—such as, the independent-levels hypothesis and the function-content hypothesis. The functional level is a level at which words' syntactic properties, not their phonological ones, are important. Independent-levels hypothesis is, 30 years later, reflected in the modular discrete-stage accounts of lexical access in production. It can be shown how these hypotheses continue to play a major role in present-day theory, most notably in accounts of lexical access during speaking. The thrust of this chapter, however, is that recent connectionist models of production blur Garrett's sharp distinctions. With regard to the independent levels hypothesis, the chapter argues that although these levels (or something like them) exist, these are not independent. Lemma selection is influenced by phonological information; such information is normally part of a later step in the process. This influence can be modeled by interactive or feedback connections from phonological to word units. The interactive two-step model, in particular, offers an account of a variety of phenomena that may arise from interaction, while retaining the staged character of lexical access emphasized in discrete approaches. Garrett's study is not itself experimental, but by creating viable working hypotheses it inspired 30 years of research, both in and out of the laboratory.
Mental health and managed care.

In this essay I continue the conversation going on today on the crisis in delivering mental-health care within the realities of managed care. A guiding perspective is represented briefly in material from the writings of Edmund Pellegrino. He recommends the norm of patient-centered relationships to direct and govern managed care so cost can be controlled, but not by the sacrifice of quality of care. This emphasis must be balanced with a struggle for the greater social good and fair allocation of goods to all citizens. Definitions are offered along with a discussion of controversial issues and constructive suggestions to make possible a better future for the work of mental health in relation to managed care.
Domain model translation using graph transformations

The implementation of computer based systems (CBSs) is commonly guided by constraints imposed by the particular domain of the CBS. Domain-specific programming is a convenient way to provide a domain expert with a language that is customized to the particular constraints and assumptions of the domain.. The careful thought and design that precede the development of any domain-specific visual language restrict the programmer from illegal formalisms, and allow for the rapid determination of the validity of the "program". Usually, the domain-specific visual language is designed and produced using a metamodel of some sort. Occasionally, similar domains can benefit from models created according to the ontology of this original metamodel, but usually some amount of model-transformation is required to give validity of the transformed models. This paper presents a visual language for transforming domain-models that can express the mapping between the meta-models of the "input" (i.e. the "old" domain) and the "output" (i.e. the "new" domain), and uses graph-rewriting techniques to transform the "old" domain-models into the appropriate "new" form.
The Latest Update on Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Product Use in Children.

The use of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products in children has become a hot topic in the news in the past year due to the potential risk associated with using these products in children. The most recent recommendations were announced in October 2008 from The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) which stated that OTC cough and cold medications should not be used in children less than 4 years old.1 Because of this, parents and healthcare professionals have many questions and concerns. This article will review the current data supporting the recent recommendations and provide strategies and suggestions for educating parents and caregivers when a child has complaints of cough and cold symptoms.
Cytotoxin and enterotoxin production as factors delineating enteropathogenicity of Aeromonas caviae.

Abstract Twenty-one stool and environmental Aeromonas caviae isolates were studied for cytopathogenicity for cultured HEp-2 cells. Cytotoxic activity was demonstrated by the 21 A. caviae strains and by A. caviae ATCC 15468 after challenging HEp-2 cells with filtrates from a 24-h-old broth shake culture composed of double-strength, glucose-free Trypticase soy broth, incubated at 35 degrees C. Heat-stable cytotoxicity was observed 5 h after the addition of 1/5 and 1/10 concentrations of filtrates and consisted of cell rounding and cell detachment. Enterotoxin activity was also demonstrated through the suckling mouse assay. These data advance the role of A. caviae as a gastrointestinal pathogen.
Inferior limited macular translocation for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration: 1-year visual outcome and recurrence report.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report the 1-year visual outcomes and incidence of persistent and recurrent choroidal neovascularization (CNV) after limited macular translocation (LMT) for subfoveal CNV in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). DESIGN: Interventional case series. METHODS: Retrospective review of 102 consecutive eyes of 101 patients that had the inferior limited macular translocation procedure for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to ARMD. The outcome measures were visual acuity at 12 months after surgery, change in visual acuity from baseline, the proportion of eyes with moderate (3 or more lines) or severe (6 or more lines) visual acuity loss, and cumulative incidence of persistent or recurrent CNV and its impact on visual acuity. Cumulative incidence was estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis methods. Association between persistence and recurrence of CNV and the Snellen visual acuity recorded at each follow-up visit was evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: Eighty-six (84.3%) of 102 eyes completed the 1-year follow-up. By 12 months postoperatively, 35 (40.7%) of the 86 eyes achieved visual acuity of 20/100 or better while 34 (39.5%) of the 86 eyes experienced 2 or more Snellen lines of visual improvement. In the 52 eyes with effective translocation and complete laser photocoagulation of the CNV complex with sparing of the sensory fovea, the estimated incidence of recurrence was 34.6% at 12 months (95% confidence interval of 21%–48%). Sixty-five percent of the recurrences were subfoveal and caused a decrease in visual acuity. There was a trend toward worse median change in visual acuity in eyes with persistent or recurrent CNV. CONCLUSIONS: Limited macular translocation for the treatment of subfoveal CNV secondary to ARMD is associated with improvement in visual acuity in approximately 39.5% of eyes and enables complete laser photocoagulation of the neovascular complex with sparing of the sensory macula in approximately 60.4% of eyes that complete 1 year follow-up. Persistence and recurrence of CNV are common after LMT and are important causes of vision loss. Further studies are warranted to more precisely evaluate the risks and benefits of LMT in ARMD.
Anaphoric Reference to Facts, Propositions, and Events

Factive predicates (like ‘-matters’, ‘discovers-’, ‘realizes-’) take NPs that refer to facts, propositional predicates (like ‘-seems’, ‘believes-’, ‘-likely’) take NPs that refer to propositions, and eventive predicates (like ‘-occurs’, ‘-take place’, ‘-causes-’) take NPs that refer to events (broadly speaking, including states, processes, conditions, etc.). Logically speaking at least two out of the three categories (facts, propositions, and events) can be eliminated. So, if all three kinds of referents turn out to be required for natural language semantics, their postulation is empirically significant since a priori logical considerations do not require all of them.
National Trends in Foot and Ankle Arthrodesis: 17-Year Analysis of the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery and National Hospital Discharge Survey.

Foot and ankle arthrodesis reliably reduces pain and functional disability among patients with arthritis and deformity. Since its introduction in 1953, improvements in surgical technique have enhanced the outcomes and reduced complications. However, little is known regarding US national trends of foot and ankle arthrodesis. The present study sought to use the most recently available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data to investigate changes in the usage of inpatient and ambulatory foot and ankle arthrodesis. Cases of foot and ankle arthrodesis were identified using the National Hospital Discharge Survey and National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery, and the data were analyzed for trends in demographics, treatment, and usage. From 1994 to 2006, the population-adjusted rates of foot and ankle arthrodeses increased by 146% (8.2/100,000 capita to 20.2/100,000 capita). The number of outpatient arthrodeses performed with arthroscopic assistance increased by 858%. The population-adjusted rate of outpatient and inpatient procedures increased by 415% and 17%, respectively. The gender-adjusted rates increased by 59% for males and 209% for females. The age-adjusted rates increased among patients >35 years old in both settings. The use of peripheral nerve blocks during ambulatory procedures increased from 3.3% to 10.1%. Private insurance was the largest compensator. In conclusion, the rate of foot and ankle arthrodesis increased dramatically from 1990 to 2007 using the most up-to-date publicly available data. Knowledge of these national practice patterns could aid policy-makers and surgeons in appropriately allocating healthcare resources to ensure quality patient care.
Alkaptonuria in an orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).

Alkaptonuria has been diagnosed in a laboratory born, five year old, female orangutan. In man, this relatively rare amino acid metabolic disorder is characterized by arthritis, pigmentation of cartilage, and darkening of the urine upon standing. The color change is due to oxidation of homogentisic acid not normally found in the urine. The condition in man is a simple Mendelian recessive trait characterized by the absence of homogentisic acid oxidase activity. At two years of age, the affected orangutan was noted to void urine of normal color, which upon standing turned a very dark maroon color. Clinically the animal appeared normal; and the results of a urinalysis, hemogram, and survey radiographs confirmed this evaluation. Nonspecific laboratory determinations used to diagnose alkaptonuria in man were positive. Homogentisic acid in the urine was confirmed by paper chromatography, and a quantitative evaluation was made by a commercial laboratory. The orangutan has shown no clinical change or evidence of ochronosis during the past three years, and quarterly survey radiographs show no evidence of osteoarthropathy. The affected orangutan has half brothers and sisters in the colony but no full sibling. Both parents are young, however, and are being paired in an attempt to produce siblings. It is hoped that additional animals with this metabolic defect will become available for use as potential models for studying this inborn error of metabolism.
Emulsion stability in total nutrient admixtures containing a pediatric amino acid formulation.

Emulsion stability of total nutrient admixtures containing TrophAmine amino acid injection admixed with Intralipid, Nutrilipid, and Liposyn II was studied. High and low electrolyte concentrations were added to each total nutrient admixture before storage at 4°C for 48 hours then at 20-22°C for 24 hours. Stability studies were also performed on total nutrient admixtures containing higher concentrations of fat emulsion and total nutrient admixtures with added cysteine hydrochloride and carnitine. High electrolyte concentrations only were added to these total nutrient admixtures before being stored refrigerated for 24 hours then at room temperature for 24 hours. Visual assessment, pH determination, and particle size analysis were performed immediately after compounding and after refrigerated and room temperature storage. Particle size was assessed by measuring the mean diameter of the fat emulsion and the percent of oil volume in particles greater than 5 μm. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used t...
Marital Satisfaction and Sex-Roles in a New York Metropolitan Sample

145 married men and 143 married women completed Snyder's 1981 Marital Satisfaction Inventory and the Bern Sex-role Inventory (Short Version). Analyses showed that scores on femininity correlated with more marital satisfaction indices than did scores on masculinity. Masculinity correlated with more marital satisfaction indices for men than for women. Finances showed no relationship with the Bern indices. All of the statistically significant correlations were negative, indicating that sex-role attributes are associated with diminished marital dissatisfaction. Despite the low magnitude of the correlations, their statistical significance points to congruence between sex-roles and marital satisfaction.
Rheumatoid arthritis and schizophrenia: Are they mutually exclusive?

The relationship between schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis has been explored in a number of studies. It has been claimed that the two disorders are mutually exclusive. Review of the literature indicates that the two conditions seldom coexist. The underlying mechanisms responsible for the infrequent coexistence of schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis are far from clear. However, various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the negative correlation between the two diseases.
A model of visual adaptation for realistic image synthesis

In this paper we develop a computational model of visual adaptation for realistic image synthesis based on psychophysical experiments. The model captures the changes in threshold visibility, color appearance, visual acuity, and sensitivity over time that are caused by the visual system’s adaptation mechanisms. We use the model to display the results of global illumination simulations illuminated at intensities ranging from daylight down to starlight. The resulting images better capture the visual characteristics of scenes viewed over a wide range of illumination levels. Because the model is based on psychophysical data it can be used to predict the visibility and appearance of scene features. This allows the model to be used as the basis of perceptually-based error metrics for limiting the precision of global illumination computations. CR
A dynamic technique for thermophysical measurements at high temperatures in a microgravity environment

Millisecond-resolution dynamic techniques for thermophysical measurements, when utilized in the laboratory, are limited to the study of materials in their solid phase because the specimen becomes geometrically unstable during melting and collapses, due (at least in part) to the influence of gravity. Therefore, a millisecond-resolution dynamic technique is being developed for use in a microgravity environment in order to extend accurate measurements of selected thermophysical properties of electrically conducting refractory materials to temperatures above their melting point. The basic method involves heating the specimen resistively from ambient temperature to temperatures above its melting point in about 1 s by passing an electrical current pulse through it, while simultaneously recording the pertinent experimental quantities. A compact pulse-heating system, suitable for microgravity simulations with NASA's KC-135 aircraft, has been constructed and initial experiments have been performed to study the geometrical stability of rapidly melting specimens. Preliminary results show that rod-shaped specimens can be successfully pulseheated into their liquid phase.
Daniel Goldhagen's assault on Christianity

(2003). Daniel Goldhagen's assault on Christianity. Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 184-194.
Revised administration and scoring procedures for the Boston Naming test and norms for non-brain-damaged adults

Abstract Standard administration, response coding and scoring procedures were developed for the 60-item Boston Naming Test (BNT). Standard prompts to be given following certain types of incorrect responses were also developed. The BNT was administered to 60 non-brain-damaged adults using these standard procedures. Our results show that examiners can reliably carry out the revised test procedures reported in this paper. Our results also show that two response categories (Related Name and Don't Know) accounted for nearly 80% of incorrect responses. Several BNT test pictures frequently elicited a consistent name other than the one specified in the test. Prompting for an additional response following Related Name and Multiple Attempts responses frequently elicited the correct BNT name. Prompts following other types of error responses usually did not elicit the correct name. Neither the age nor education of our nonbrain-damaged subjects was strongly related to their total BNT score.
Rhodococcus equi: equine neutrophil chemiluminescent and bactericidal responses to opsonizing antibody.

The opsonic capacity of serum containing R. equi-specific antibody was compared with antibody-deficient sera using luminol-dependent chemilumenscence (LDCL) and bactericidal assays. These assays incorporated peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNL) exposed to R. equi opsonized with neonatal equine pre-colostral serum (control) or serum from foals with R. equi infections (principal). All sera were complement inactivated at 56°C for 30 min. Bacteria were obtained from the lung of a foal with R. equi pneumonia. Neutrophils were obtained from one adult horse for LDCL and another for bactericidal assays. Chemiluminescence of PMNL exposed to R. equi opsonized with control or principal sera was measured in a liquid scintillation counter. Mean peak LDCL within 1 h was significantly (P<0.01) higher with principal sera (2.4 × 105 cpm) than with control sera (0.018 × 105 cpm). A radioisotope bactericidal assay was used to determine the effect of control or principal sera on PMNL capacity to kill R.equi. Mean peak percent kill of R. equi by PMNL within 2 h was significantly (P<0.01) higher with principal sera (95.2%) than with control sera (54.6%). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) values for R. equi-specific antibody were determined on all sera. Mean ELISA values were significantly (P<0.01) higher for principal sera (71.8) than for controls (0.0). This investigation documents the presence and biological effectiveness of opsonic activity in complement-inactivated sera from foals with R. equi infections and R. equi-specific antibody.
Review of carbamazepine-induced hyponatremia

1. Carbamazepine (CBZ), a commonly prescribed medication in psychiatry and neurology, produces deleterious side effects with an incidence rate ranging from 33-50%; although most of these side effects are mild, transient, and reversible. CBZ-induced hyponatremia is a moderately well described side effect and may be responsible for some of the more highly reported signs and symptoms associated with CBZ adverse effects. 2. Data from case reports and clinical studies are examined to ascertain the characteristics of CBZ-induced hyponatremia. Predisposing risk factors such as: age, dosage/level of CBZ, and polypharmacy have been explored in numerous clinical studies; however, minimal consensus has been found regarding both dosage/level of CBZ and polypharmacy as a predisposing risk factor, whereas age is most probably not a predisposing risk factor in CBZ-induced hyponatremia. 3. Mechanistic studies, both clinical and basic science, also fail to acknowledge the mechanism for the antidiuretic effect of CBZ. The most probable mechanism involves an alteration in either the sensitivity or set point of the osmoreceptor.
Evaluation of three influenza A and B rapid antigen detection kits--update.

The report “Evaluation of Three Influenza A and B Rapid Antigen Detection Kits” (1) describes the performance characteristics of BD Directigen Flu A+B, Directigen EZ Flu A+B, and NOW Flu A NOW Flu B. After the completion of this study, the manufacturer modified the Directigen EZ Flu A+B kit and therefore the immunoassay, as described in this paper, will not be available for diagnostic use.
First-line disease-modifying therapies in paediatric multiple sclerosis: a comprehensive overview.

Paediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) is defined as the onset of MS before the age of 18 years. Immunomodulatory disease-modifying therapies (i.e. the interferons [IFNs] and glatiramer acetate) are considered first-line treatments in adult patients with MS, but they are largely understudied in the paediatric population.
Intercellular signalling inCaenorhabditis elegansvulval pattern formation

Abstract The six multipotent precursors of the C. elegans vulva generate an invariant pattern of three fates (3° 3° 2° 1° 2° 3°) which determine their future growth and organization. Multiple, partly redundant mechanisms appear necessary to specify this invariant pattern. A key signal here is the EGF-like growth factor LIN-3 which is made by the anchor cell of the gonad and which induces vulval fate according to dose: a high dose promotes a 1° fate; a lower dose promotes a 2° fate. In addition, a lateral signalling pathway promotes 2° fates and prevents adjacent 1° fates. We propose that a gradient of growth factor directly induces a spatially graded pattern of vulval fates, and lateral signalling reinforces this graded induction.
Endovascular aortic repair is associated with greater hemodynamic stability compared with open aortic reconstruction.

Objective: Examination of overall hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing endovascular aortic repair (EAR) compared with open aortic repair (OAR). Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University hospital setting. Participants: Seventy-two patients undergoing OAR and 17 patients undergoing EAR were studied. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Physiologic parameters were extracted every 15 seconds from computerized anesthesia records. Median values were calculated for every 2-minute epoch, and the absolute value of the fractional change in median (|FCM|) from epoch to epoch was calculated for a maximum of 5 hours during the intraoperative period. The incidence of extremes in hemodynamic parameters was compared. Data are presented as median and interquartile ranges. The frequency of |FCM| greater than 0.06 for mean arterial pressure (MAP) was significantly greater in the OAR compared with the EAR group (0.37 [0.30, 0.46] vs 0.14 [0.11, 0.21], p 0.07: EAR, 0.20 [0.16, 0.27] vs OAR, 0.32 [0.26, 0.39]; p < 0.01). No intergroup differences were detected in heart rate (HR), systolic (SPAP) or diastolic pulmonary artery pressures (DPAP), or central venous pressures (CVPs). With the exception of a greater incidence of low CVP during EAR, there were no significant differences in the frequency of extremes of hemodynamic values between groups. Conclusion: These results show improved hemodynamic stability during EAR compared with OAR.
Solid phase immune reactions as monitored by sedimentation field-flow fractionation

Sedimentation field-flow fractionation was shown to permit the precise evaluation of surface concentrations of human IgG, adsorbed to polystyrene latex spheres of different sizes. Unlike conventional techniques for measuring protein uptake by colloidal substrates, this method allowed a direct evaluation of mass adsorbed per unit area, without the need for potentially destructive labelling reactions. Thus, a four hour adsorption of IgG from a 3–10 fold excess of protein in solution yielded surface concentrations which were 1.4±0.1 mg/m2 on a 272 nm latex and 1.9±0.1 mg/m2 on a latex with a diameter of 142 nm. The lower value coincided with the estimated monolayer surface coverage. The IgG-PS 272 nm adsorption complex was shown to take up negligible amounts of HSA from a 10 mg/mL solution, while its specific uptake of a polyclonal rabbit anti-human IgG was 2.6 molecules per molecule of adsorbed antigen. The same ratio was found for the smaller particles. The surface concentration of adsorbed second antibody, often crucial in immunodiagnostic quantifications, was therefore found to be significantly enhanced by the increased substrate curvature presented by the smaller particles.
Wave Interpretation ofnl Product in Gunn Instability

A novel approach deriving the threshold value for a Gunn device to exhibit instability is given. A two-stream model simulating the electrons in the lower and upper valleys travelling with different speeds is used in the analysis. The solution obtained from the transport equation indicates that whenever the l product exceeds 3.41 × 108 cm−1/2, a domain in the device is formed; this value is compatible to the result of others [1]. A critical nl product of the order of 1011 cm−2 for the device as a whole to exhibit amplifier mode is also derived. The result of this analysis can be extended to describe other interactions such as the TRAPATT mode of an IMPATT diode. Es wird ein neues Verfahren zur Ableitung der Schwellenwerte fur das Auftreten einer Gunnbauelementinstabilitat angegeben. Ein Zweistromemodell, das die Elektronen in den unteren und oberen Talern, die unterschiedliche Geschwindigkeiten besitzen, simuliert, wird fur die Analyse benutzt. Die aus der Transportgleichung erhaltene Losung zeigt, das immer, wenn das l Produkt den Wert 3,41 × 108 cm−1/2 ubersteigt, eine Domane im Bauelement gebildet wird; dieser Wert ist mit den Ergebnissen anderer Autoren kompatibel. Ein kritisches Produkt nl der Grosenordnung 1011 cm−2, fur das das Bauelement als ganzes Verstarkungsverhalten zeigt, wird ebenfalls abgeleitet. Das Ergebnis dieser Analyse last sich auch zur Beschreibung anderer Wechselwirkungen, wie die TRAPATT-Mode einer IMPATT-Diode, verwenden.
Governmental Constraints and Labor Market Mobility Turnover among College Athletic Personnel

The recent interest in the effects of labor markets upon mobility has tended to overlook the impact of governmental equity constraints. One market with such constraints is that for college coaches, a market subject to both Title IX and EEO regulations. In this article data from over 15,000 coaching and administrative positions are analyzed. The results suggest that as with findings from other studies, a bifurcation of this market may be occurring. Consistent with the intent of Title IX, the number of positions coaching and administering women's athletics has increased. However, contrary to the intent of EEO regulations, the probability of filling a vacant position is not equal across the sexes. These ambiguous developments in the market may reflect ambiguities in governmental equity constraints, as well as supply factors and general trends in the sexual composition of occupations.
Quality of life in older adults receiving medications for anxiety, depression, or insomnia: findings from a community-based study.

OBJECTIVE Depression and anxiety are associated with substantially reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in healthy and medically ill adults. The authors examined the association between these conditions, as indicated by the use of antidepressant, anxiolytic, or hypnotic medications, and HRQoL parameters in older men and women. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study of white, middle-class, older (median age 75 years) men (n = 533) and women (n = 826) within a defined community setting. Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) scores were compared between persons currently taking medicine(s) for depression, anxiety, and/or insomnia or none of these. RESULTS The chronic physical illness summary score (dichotomized into scores of less than 2 versus 2 or more) was associated with significantly greater odds of perceiving oneself as ill and was also significantly correlated with poorer HRQoL in both men and women. Taking a psychotropic medication for anxiety, depression, or sleep was associated (in men and in women) with significantly greater odds of perceiving oneself as ill, before and after adjusting for age and chronic physical disorder scores. After these adjustments, use of medications remained significantly associated with lower scores on both the Physical and Mental Composite Scales of the SF-36 in women; a similar but nonsignificant association was seen in men. CONCLUSIONS Among older, community-dwelling adults, anxiety, depression, and insomnia that require pharmacological treatment are associated with reductions in HRQoL that extend beyond the impact of comorbid physical illnesses.
Longitudinal emittance measurements at the SLAC gun test facility

Abstract The Gun Test Facility (GTF) was built to test high-brightness sources for the proposed Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC. The longitudinal emittance has been determined by measuring the energy spectrum after the linac as a function of the linac phase. The phase-space parameters defining the beam pulse width, correlated energy spread, and slice energy spread at the linac entrance (∼5 MeV beam energy) are fit to the measured energy spectra. A large, linear energy–time correlation is observed for bunch charges from 15 to 300 pC. Preliminary Parmela calculations show this correlation results from the strong longitudinal space charge forces in this short 2-ps long bunch.
Preproinsulin mRNA engineering and its application to the regulation of insulin secretion from human hepatomas.

Cell-based therapies for treating insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) can provide a more physiologic regulation of blood glucose levels in a less invasive fashion than daily insulin injections. Promising cells include non-β cells genetically engineered to secrete insulin in response to physiologic cues; responsiveness can be introduced at the transcriptional level to regulate preproinsulin (PPI) mRNA biosynthesis. However, these cells exhibit sluggish secretion dynamics, which is not appropriate for achieving euglycemia in higher animals and, eventually, humans. In this work, we have engineered the PPI mRNA so as to destabilize it through nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). When expressed under transcriptional regulation in HepG2 hepatomas, the engineered PPI mRNA level and of the insulin secretion rate declined faster upon switching off transcription, compared to the one-copy non-engineered control. Our work provides a simple and straightforward method to improve the dynamics of transcriptionally regulated insulin secretion, which can be a useful tool in developing cell-based therapies for IDD.
An integrated RGB-D system for looking up the meaning of signs

Users of written languages have the ability to quickly and easily look up the meaning of an unknown word. Those who use sign languages, however, lack this advantage, and it can be a challenge to find the meaning of an unknown sign. While some sign-to-written language dictionaries do exist, they are cumbersome and slow to use. We present an improved American Sign Language video dictionary system that allows a user to perform an unknown sign in front of a sensor and quickly retrieve a ranked list of similar signs with a video example of each. Earlier variants of the system required the use of a separate piece of software to record the query sign, as well as user intervention to provide bounding boxes for the hands and face in the first frame of the sign. The system presented here integrates all functionality into one piece of software and automates head and hand detection with the use of an RGB-D sensor, eliminating some of the shortcomings of the previous system, while improving match accuracy and shortening the time required to perform a query.
Healthcare technology and technology assessment

New technology is one of the primary drivers for increased healthcare costs in the United States. Both physician and industry play important roles in the development, adoption, utilization and choice of new technologies. The Federal Drug Administration regulates new drugs and new medical devices, but healthcare technology assessment remains limited. Healthcare technology assessment originated in federal agencies; today it is decentralized with increasing private sector efforts. Innovation is left to free market forces, including direct to consumer marketing and consumer choice. But to be fair to the consumer, he/she must have free knowledge of all the risks and benefits of a new technology in order to make an informed choice. Physicians, institutions and industry need to work together by providing proven, safe, clinically effective and cost effective new technologies, which require valid pre-market clinical trials and post-market continued surveillance with national and international registries allowing full transparency of new products to the consumer—the patient.
Back to the basics: Revisiting the development accounting methodology

Abstract The standard baseline estimate in development accounting is imprecise because of a mismatch between the estimate of physical capital and the estimate of physical capital’s share, the fraction of total income accruing to physical capital. I adjust for this mismatch, and in so doing, incorporate natural capital. I also treat factor shares as variables, not constant parameters. To accommodate these adjustments, I carry out a development accounting analysis using translog multilateral indices of outputs, inputs and productivity. Results reveal that the correction for the mismatch between physical capital and its share, which is the weight assigned to the physical capital input in development accounting, reduces the variation in output per worker explained by observables by as much as 15 percentage points relative to the standard baseline. Most of this reduction is due to a decline in the explanatory power of physical capital per worker. Natural capital per worker, which is usually ignored, is found to explain up to 7.2% of the variation in cross-country output per worker. Variation in factor shares, also omitted from most studies, explains up to 6.3% of the variation in cross-country output per worker, which is nearly half as much as all observables together explain.
Molecular cloning of profilin from Tetrahymena thermophila.

Abstract The actin-binding protein profilin was isolated from Tetrahymena thermophila by affinity chromatography, and the peptide sequence was determined for part of the protein. The cDNA sequence was obtained by using the peptide sequence, reverse transcription-PCR and 5′ and 3′ RACE. The cDNA coded for a profilin of 16 680 Da, which made it among the largest known profilins, and it had a predicted isoelectric point of 8.27. The deduced amino acid sequence was divergent from other profilins, having more than 26% identity only with profilin from Tetrahymena pyriformis. The sequence contained insertions that are also present in profilins from Tetrahymena pyriformis and Trypanosoma brucei. There appeared to be only a single profilin gene and one transcript from this gene.
A smart homecage system with 3D tracking for long-term behavioral experiments

A wirelessly-powered homecage system, called the EnerCage-HC, that is equipped with multi-coil wireless power transfer, closed-loop power control, optical behavioral tracking, and a graphic user interface (GUI) is presented for long-term electrophysiology experiments. The EnerCage-HC system can wirelessly power a mobile unit attached to a small animal subject and also track its behavior in real-time as it is housed inside a standard homecage. The EnerCage-HC system is equipped with one central and four overlapping slanted wire-wound coils (WWCs) with optimal geometries to form 3-and 4-coil power transmission links while operating at 13.56 MHz. Utilizing multi-coil links increases the power transfer efficiency (PTE) compared to conventional 2-coil links and also reduces the number of power amplifiers (PAs) to only one, which significantly reduces the system complexity, cost, and dissipated heat. A Microsoft Kinect installed 90 cm above the homecage localizes the animal position and orientation with 1.6 cm accuracy. An in vivo experiment was conducted on a freely behaving rat by continuously delivering 24 mW to the mobile unit for > 7 hours inside a standard homecage.
Bullying victimization and substance use among U.S. adolescents: Mediation by depression.

This study examined the link between bullying victimization and substance use and tested the mediating role of depression in male and female adolescents. Cross-sectional data were collected from a national sample of 1,495 tenth graders who participated in the 2005/06 Health Behaviors in School-aged Children U.S. Survey. Victimization, depression and substance use were all measured as latent variables. Substance use was measured by drinking alcohol, being drunk, smoking cigarettes and using marijuana in the past 30 days. Multiple-group structural equation modeling showed that victimization was linked to substance use in both males and females. Among females, depression was positively associated with both victimization and substance use and mediated the association between the two latter variables. Among males, depression was associated with victimization but not with substance use. Results highlight the elevated risk for victimization and substance use problems that depression poses among adolescent females.
Diabetes Mellitus and Risk of Skeletal Fracture

THERE is considerable evidence that many people with diabetes mellitus of either juvenile or adult onset have moderately reduced bone mass (osteopenia).1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For example,...