cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Facilitators of Self-Initiated HIV Testing Among Youths: A Qualitative Study.

Background Youth experience disparities in HIV infection but have significantly low rates of HIV testing that lead to late diagnoses, increased transmission rates, and adverse health outcomes. There is limited knowledge regarding self-initiated HIV testing, which is a promising strategy for improving testing rates among youth. Purpose This study aimed to identify the facilitators of self-initiated HIV testing among youth. Method Thirty youths aged 18-24 years were recruited to participate in a qualitative descriptive study. Potential participants were recruited from a combination of HIV testing sites, including community testing events, a community-based organization, an adolescent health clinic, and a college campus. A demographic and sexual history questionnaire and audio-recorded interviews were used to collect data. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Salient themes and subthemes that explain the study findings are as follows: testing within the context of a sexual relationship (e.g., infidelity), support and influence from social relationships (e.g., family support), taking the initiative for health (e.g., signs and symptoms of infection), HIV testing preferences (e.g., free testing), and HIV testing experiences (e.g., provision of other health services). Conclusions The findings of this study advance scholarly understanding regarding the predictors of self-initiated testing and provide critical information necessary to further improve evidence-based nursing clinical practice and develop public health nursing interventions that target self-initiated HIV testing. Encouraging self-initiated HIV testing is an effective approach to increasing testing rates and, consequently, preventing new HIV transmissions in this vulnerable population.
Clinical characteristics and outcome in patients with combined diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state associated with COVID-19: A retrospective, hospital-based observational case series.

Abstract Aim One of the risk factors for poor outcome with SARS-CoV-2 infection is diabetes mellitus; diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) are the most serious complications of diabetes mellitus. We aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients presenting with combined DKA/HHS to our institution. Methods A retrospective, hospital based observation case series was performed on patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to Intensive Care Unit between 3/20/2020 and 4/20/2020. Inclusion criteria were: (1) Blood Glucose >250 mg/dL; (2) Serum bicarbonate 10; (4) serum pH 304 mOsm/kg and (7) positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. Results We reported 6 patients who presented during this period with combined DKA/HHS. Their median age was 50 years, all males, three Hispanic, and three African American. Hispanic patients, had more severe acidosis, and multiple comorbidities, with a higher mortality. The striking feature was that combined DKA/HHS was the initial presentation for COVID-19 for most of the cases. Discussion Our observational retrospective case series shows that diabetic patients are at risk of developing combined DKA/ HHS associated with COVID-19 and a substantial mortality. To our knowledge, we are first to report the clinical characteristics and outcome in this group of patients.
Competitive Adsorption of As(III), As(V), and PO 4 by an Iron Oxide Impregnated Activated Carbon: Surface Complex Modeling

The objective of this study was to predict the competitive adsorption of As(III), As(V), and PO4 by an iron oxide impregnated carbon (L-Act, 9% Fe(III) amorphous iron oxide) over a range of environmental conditions using the surface complexation modeling (SCM) approach. L-Act surface complexation constants determined from a single pH-adsorption edge were used to predict pH-dependent competitive removal in singular, binary, and tertiary adsorbate systems. As(III), As(V), and PO4 complexes were modeled as bidentate binuclear species at low pH and monodentate species at high pH using the two monoprotic surface site/diffuse electric double layer model (2MDLM). F values determined based on 2MDLM predictions were close to those calculated by FITEQL (a statistical optimization program) demonstrating the effectiveness of the 2MDLM in describing adsorption behavior. F values were generally in the recommended range of 0.1–20 indicating a good fit between the data and the model. The 2MDLM also successfully predicted As(III)/As(V)/PO4 adsorption data of hydrous ferric oxide and goethite adsorbents from the literature.
Elevated COVID-19 outcomes among persons living with diagnosed HIV infection in New York State: Results from a population-level match of HIV, COVID-19, and hospitalization databases

Abstract Background New York State (NYS) has been an epicenter for both COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS epidemics. Persons Living with diagnosed HIV (PLWDH) may be more prone to COVID-19 infection and severe outcomes, yet few population-based studies have assessed the extent to which PLWDH are diagnosed, hospitalized, and have died with COVID-19, relative to non-PLWDH. Methods NYS HIV surveillance, COVID-19 laboratory confirmed diagnoses, and hospitalization databases were matched. COVID-19 diagnoses, hospitalization, and in-hospital death rates comparing PLWDH to non-PLWDH were computed, with unadjusted rate ratios (RR) and indirect standardized RR (sRR), adjusting for sex, age, and region. Adjusted RR (aRR) for outcomes among PLWDH were assessed by age/CD4-defined HIV disease stage, and viral load suppression, using Poisson regression models. Results From March 1-June 7, 2020, PLWDH were more frequently diagnosed with COVID-19 than non-PLWDH in unadjusted (RR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.43[1.38-1.48), 2,988 PLWDH], but not in adjusted comparisons (sRR [95% CI]: 0.94[0.91-0.97]). Per-population COVID-19 hospitalization was higher among PLWDH (RR [95% CI]: 2.61[2.45-2.79], sRR [95% CI]: 1.38[1.29-1.47], 896 PLWDH), as was in-hospital death (RR [95% CI]: 2.55[2.22-2.93], sRR [95%CI]: 1.23 [1.07-1.40], 207 PLWDH), albeit not among those hospitalized (sRR [95% CI]: 0.96[0.83-1.09]). Among PLWDH, hospitalization risk increased with disease progression from HIV Stage 1 to Stage 2 (aRR [95% CI]:1.27[1.09-1.47]) and Stage 3 (aRR [95% CI]: 1.54[1.24-1.91]), and for those virally unsuppressed (aRR [95% CI]: 1.54[1.24-1.91]). Conclusion PLWDH experienced poorer COVID-related outcomes relative to non-PLWDH, with 1-in-522 PLWDH dying with COVID-19, seemingly driven by higher rates of severe disease requiring hospitalization.
Crystallization for a Brenner-like Potential

Graphene is a carbon molecule with the structure of a honeycomb lattice. We show how this structure can arise in two dimensions as the minimizer of an interaction energy with two-body and three-body terms. In the engineering literature, the Brenner potential is commonly used to describe the interactions between carbon atoms. We consider a potential of Stillinger–Weber type that incorporates certain characteristics of the Brenner potential: the preferred bond angles are 180\({^\circ}\) and all interactions have finite range. We show that the thermodynamic limit of the ground state energy per particle is the same as that of a honeycomb lattice. We also prove that, subject to periodic boundary conditions, the minimizers are translated versions of the honeycomb lattice.
Abstract 16862: Culture of Cardiac Mesenchymal Cells (CMCs) at Physiologic Oxygen Tension Greatly Enhances Cell Retention In Vivo After Myocardial Infarction

A major obstacle to using cell therapy for heart failure is the poor survival of transplanted cells. We have found that CMCs (a promising type of reparative cells) grown at 5% O2 (the physiologic O...
The nonmoral conditions of moral cognition

Theorists seeking evidence of moral cognition – whether in human infants, nonhuman animals, or any other population – would benefit from a minimalistic description of what moral cognition is. Howev...
ERISA: The Arbitrary and Capricious Rule Under Siege

While ERISA sets forth an explicit standard that the plan administrator’s actions must meet those of a prudent man acting in like circumstances, courts have applied the arbitrary and capricious standard of review to administrator decisions. Courts should apply the arbitrary and capricious standard only when dealing with disinterested plan administrators acting properly under ERISA. The arbitrary and capricious rule was applied to post-ERISA decisions as a continuation of the pre-ERISA precedent, which established the rule through the continued development of common law from union negotiated employee benefit plans decided under the Labor Management Relations Act. Unfortunately, this continuation of judicial review marked an improper application of ERISA standards, which was passed by Congress in an effort to modify fiduciary mismanagement under LMRA and pre-ERISA employee benefit plans. ERISA set forth specific statutory guidelines that distinguish its precedent from pre-ERISA cases and decisions made under the LMRA analogy. Congress intended ERISA to develop a separate and distinct common law of employee benefits which should be distinct from strict trust law theory. Under ERISA, courts should require de novo review in all inquiries into interested plan administrators with improper motives and in cases where the employee-beneficiary satisfies his burden of proof that the administrator was self-dealing or acting with an improper motive. This review would not have the financial and litigious consequences many have supposed, but would create a higher standard of fiduciary responsibility and increase the tendency that the plans properly pay employees, as was expressly intended and proposed by ERISA’s drafters.
Paint-By-Number or Picasso? A Grounded Theory Phenomenographical Study of Students' Conceptions of Statistics.

Statistics students’ conceptions of the work of statisticians and the discipline of statistics may play an important role in the topics to which they attend and their interest in pursuing further study. To learn about students’ conceptions, we collected open-ended survey responses from 44 undergraduate students who had completed introductory statistics courses. We used a grounded theory phenomenographical qualitative approach to identify several themes in students’ conceptions. In addition to the test-and-procedure conception, we offer several other themes, such as acknowledgement of variation and the role of ethical integrity. We use a metaphor of painting styles to compare to experts’ conceptions of statistics. By identifying “seeds” of what may be developed into expert conceptions, these preliminary results set possible foundations to explore trajectories that may help shape students’ conceptions of statistics. First published June 2020 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
Burnout and Emotional Intelligence in Neurosurgical Advanced Practice Providers Across the United States: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Objective Although much research has examined nursing and physician burnout, the advanced practice provider (APP) population has not yet been studied. The goal of the present study was to survey APPs in neurosurgery to determine whether greater emotional intelligence (EI) is protective against burnout. Methods An 80-item survey was created that incorporated the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–short form, and original questions developed by us. The collective survey was distributed, administered, and collected using the web-based REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) platform. Statistical analyses were completed using a comparison between participants with and without burnout. Results A total of 106 neurosurgical APPs (26 men, 80 women) completed the survey, of whom, 57 (54%) reported current burnout. High average scores for personal accomplishment and global EI were inversely related to burnout (P = 0.034 and P = 0.003, respectively). In addition, the following factors were associated with burnout: inadequate support staff in the work place (P = 0.008), inadequate time off work (P Conclusions For neurosurgical APPs, EI is protective against burnout. Many opportunities exist at the individual and organizational level to alleviate burnout among neurosurgical APPs. Targeted strategies to improve work–life balance, EI, support systems, and opportunities for career development among neurosurgical APPs might enhance employment satisfaction and reduce burnout.
Feature-Discovering approximate value iteration methods

Sets of features in Markov decision processes can play a critical role in approximately representing value and in abstracting the state space. Selection of features is crucial to the success of a system and is most often conducted by a human. We study the problem of automatically selecting problem features, and propose and evaluate a simple approach reducing the problem of selecting a new feature to standard classification learning. We learn a classifier that predicts the sign of the Bellman error over a training set of states. By iteratively adding new classifiers as features with this method, training between iterations with approximate value iteration, we find a Tetris feature set that outperforms randomly constructed features significantly, and obtains a score of about three-tenths of the highest score obtained by using a carefully hand-constructed feature set. We also show that features learned with this method outperform those learned with the previous method of Patrascu et al. [4] on the same SysAdmin domain used for evaluation there.
Familial Thrombosis Due to Antithrombin III Deficiency

A large kindred from eastern Kentucky, with extensive history of recurrent venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, was studied. Low antithrombin III titers, ranging from 26% to 49% of normal values, were found in plasma of nine members in three consecutive generations; another five members, four of whom were not available for study, are suspected of having the biochemical defect. There was a good correlation between clinical symptoms and antithrombin III deficiency, although three of the younger members with the defect still remained free of thrombosis. In serum of the affected subjects antithrombin III was almost completely utilized, which indicates that stoichiometric binding to coagulation enzymes dominates under biological conditions. Antithrombin and antifactor Xa activities residing in the macroglobulin region of plasma and serum remained unchanged. The responsiveness to heparin in vitro and in vivo confirmed the evidence that antithrombin III is the sole blood component through which heparin exerts its anticoagulant effect. In five affected members therapy with oral anticoagulants increased very significantly the level of antithrombin III in plasma and contributed to a remarkable increase of residual antithrombin III in serum. This objective improvement after warfarin therapy may create significant difficulties in the laboratory diagnosis of antithrombin III deficiency.
Classification of human fetal movement

A study of fetal activity was undertaken as the first step in a series of physiologic fetal movement studies. A simple, safe, noninvasive, clinically applicable method for studying fetal movement with a tocodynamometer is described. Four basic types of fetal movement have been seen and defined in terms of their durations, recorded patterns, and descriptive terminologies for identifying each movement.
Anne Finger. Call Me Ahab

Calls the self-consciously “crippled” Captain Ahab in Anne Finger's short story “Moby Dick, or, The Leg”, “Are we worthy of this pitying contempt in which we are generally held?” (169). Whether by ...
Oliguria and tolazoline pharmacokinetics in the newborn.

Tolazoline treatment of neonates has been reported since 1965. Dosages increased from pulse doses of 1 to 2 mg/kg to continuous infusions of 10 mg/kg X h before neonatal plasma tolazoline concentrations were measured. We developed a microassay for tolazoline and determined neonatal distribution volume, 1.61 +/- 0.21 L/kg, and disposition rate constant (beta), 0.0027 +/- 0.005 min-1 (mean +/- SEM). Half-life (gamma) ranged from 1.47 to 41.25 (median = 4.43) hours and correlated inversely with urine output (x); y (h) = -0.46 + 7.63/x (mL/kg X h), r = .61, P less than .05. The highest plasma tolazoline concentration in a neonate was 20.3 mg/L. Lethal tolazoline concentrations in lambs ranged from 21.8 to 56.8 mg/L. Initial tolazoline concentrations during infusions and after 1- to 2-mg/kg pulse doses ranged from 0.35 to 2.3 mg/L and PaO2 increased greater than or equal to 15 mm Hg in 64% of 14 treatments. The average neonatal pharmacokinetics predict that each 1 mg of tolazoline HCl per kilogram pulse dose will increase the plasma concentration of tolazoline base by 0.5 mg/L. The plasma concentration should remain constant with infusion dose increments of 0.16 mg of tolazoline HCl per kilogram per hour for every 1.0-mg/kg loading dose. Tolazoline dose requirements for specific patients will vary, especially with renal dysfunction. Reduced tolazoline doses were used to treat two patients, concentrations remained constant, and PaO2 was maintained. Tolazoline doses derived from neonatal kinetics are less than current infusion doses and may avoid high concentrations.
Kinesiology of the Trunk, Shoulder and Hip Applied to Gymnastics

(1909). Kinesiology of the Trunk, Shoulder and Hip Applied to Gymnastics. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 308-318.
Deep Spreading Carcinoma of the Stomach Causing Death Within Seven Months of Last Normal X-ray Examination

A case of deep spreading carcinoma (linitis plastica) is reported. A radiological examination was performed because of the finding of localized scleroderma, to rule out systemic sclerosis, with normal findings. Six weeks later the patient developed symptoms of a gastric malignancy; 10 weeks later, extensive involvement of the stomach was confirmed radiologically. Fourteen weeks after the initial X-ray study he was explored surgically and considered inoperable. Gastric malignancy and acute complications caused this patient's death 7 months after his initial normal roentgen examination. Necropsy revealed extensive involvement of his entire 'stomach by a deep spreading carcinoma, with metastases only to biliary lymph nodes. The case illustrates the rapid course followed by a small proportion of patients bearing this tumor type.
Association of obesity with worsened prehospital cardiac arrest

Background. This study evaluated a potential correlation between patient age, body weight and survival from prehospital cardiac arrest, as a secondary endpoint in a study evaluating the effect of bicarbonate on survival.Design. A prospective, randomized, double‐blinded clinical intervention trial.Methods. 874 prehospital cardiopulmonary arrest patients in a prehospital urban, suburban, and rural regional emergency medical service (EMS) area were used. This group underwent conventional Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) intervention followed by empiric early administration of sodium bicarbonate (1 mEq/L). Survival was measured as presence of vital signs on ED survival. Data was analyzed utilizing Student's t‐test, Fisher's exact test, Chi‐square with Pearson correlation and logistic regression (p<0.05).Results. The overall survival rate was 13.9% (110 of 793) of prehospital arrest patients. There was no significant difference between the control and bicarbonate groups for patient age (67.7 versus 67.4 ye...
Major – but rare – spring blooms in 2014 in San Francisco Bay Delta, California, a result of the long-term drought, increased residence time, and altered nutrient loads and forms

Abstract Rare spring blooms, > 20 μg l− 1 chlorophyll a, were observed in the San Francisco Bay Delta during the drought year of 2014 in both the upper Sacramento River and in Suisun Bay. The upper Sacramento River bloom was dominated by chlorophytes, but biomass and photosynthetic efficiency (based on variable fluorescence, Fv/Fm) precipitously declined downstream when cells were exposed to sewage effluent and NH4+ levels > 70 μM-N. Further downriver, substantial rates of nitrification occurred, based on increasing levels of NO3− and NO2− in proportion to decreasing NH4+ concentrations, reducing NH4+ levels to 400 μM-N, PO43 − > 13 μM-P, but NH4+ ~ 2 μM-N), very low chlorophyll a levels (~ 3 μg L− 1) and low Fv/Fm values, but elevated bacterial production, suggesting presence of an algal inhibitor, possibly an herbicide. Both rivers converge above Suisun Bay, where elevated NO3− (> 50 μM-N), sufficient PO43 − (> 3 μM-P), and reduced NH4+ levels (as low as 6 μM-N), and reduced flow created conditions conducive to a spatially large and physiologically healthy (elevated Fv/Fm) diatom bloom dominated by the species Entomoneis sp. We conceptualize this bloom as a “window of opportunity” response by these diatoms to multiple factors promoted by the drought, including longer residence time for cell growth and biomass accumulation, and longer time for in-river nitrification to occur, reducing sewage-derived NH4+ to a level where diatoms could access NO3− for uptake and growth. We suggest that management practices that favor higher rates of flow may narrow the “window of opportunity” for phytoplankton growth, potentially leading to low productivity and food limitation for fish. Under high flow, a condition of “washout” may develop where both chlorophyll and unassimilated nutrients are transported out of the bay, and the phytoplankton that do develop are less favorable in terms of community composition for supporting the upper food web.
Acid sphingomyelinase involvement in tumor necrosis factor α-regulated vascular and steroid disruption during luteolysis in vivo

TNF is well known for its role in inflammation, including direct effects on the vasculature. TNF also is implicated in the regulation of reproduction by its actions to affect ovarian steroidogenic cells and to induce apoptosis of corpus luteum (CL)-derived endothelial cells in vitro. We hypothesized that the disruption of TNF signaling would postpone the regression of the highly vascularized CL in vivo, and this effect could be replicated in mutant mouse models lacking TNF receptor (TNFRI(-/-)) and/or a critical enzyme of TNF signaling, acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase(-/-)). In the current study, the treatment of pseudopregnant mice with the luteolytic mediator prostaglandin F2-alpha (PGF) significantly increased TNF in the ovaries when compared with saline-treated controls. Treatment with PGF also reduced serum progesterone (P4) concentrations and caused involution of the CL. However, pretreatment of pseudopregnant mice with Etanercept (ETA), a TNF-neutralizing antibody, inhibited the PGF-induced decrease in P4 and delayed luteal regression. A similar outcome was evident in pseudopregnant TNFRI(-/-) animals. Treatment of luteal microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) with TNF provoked a significant increase in ASMase activity when compared with the corresponding controls. Furthermore, TNF-induced MVEC death was inhibited in the ASMase(-/-) mice. The ASMase(-/-) mice displayed no obvious evidence of luteal regression 24 h after treatment with PGF and were resistant to the PGF-induced decrease in P4. Together these data provide evidence that TNF plays an active role in luteolysis. Further studies are required to determine the deleterious effects of anti-inflammatory agents on basic ovarian processes.
Isolation of sigma-28-specific promoters from Bacillus subtilis DNA.

Abstract Sigma-28-RNA polymerase is a minor form of RNA polymerase found in vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis which utilizes promoter sites distinct from those recognized by the major RNA polymerase. We have isolated a collection of cloned B. subtilis DNA segments that contain in vitro promoter sites for σ 28 -RNA polymerase by screening a bacteriophage λ library of B. subtilis genomic fragments. At least nine new σ 28 -specific promoter sites have been identified in this collection, and four have been partially mapped for further study. Our strategy employed a mix of RNA probes prepared by in vitro transcription with σ 28 -RNA polymerase of total B. subtilis DNA Eco RI and Hin dIII fragments. Over 70% of the unique clones identified contain σ 28 -specific promoter sites, suggesting that the method may have general application for identification of promoter-containing sequences. The efficiency with which σ 28 -specific promoters are detected is consistent with there being a relatively small number of such sites in the B. subtilis genome of which twelve have been cloned.
Application of the Injection Laser as a Reference Source in Cryogenic Interferometry

An Ali_xGaxAs, injection laser has been employed as a reference source in a rapid scan cryogenic interferometer spectrometer. The interferometer was designed to operate at 20°K with a scan velocity of 1 cm/sec and a spectral resolution of 2 cm-1. The slide velocity control and sampling requirements for a continuous drive interferometer are discussed and those properties which are needed in choosing and calibrating an injection reference laser are given. The relative advantages and limitations of an injection reference laser are given and are related to the laser's spectral purity, threshold condition, power efficiency, and beam pattern.
Tectonic and Seismologic Setting of the 22 September 2003, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Earthquake: Implications for Earthquake Hazard in Northern Hispaniola

On 22 September 2003 a Mw 6.4 earthquake occurred beneath the northern coast of Hispaniola near the resort city of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The earthquake caused extensive damage in Puerto Plata, as well as in the regional capitol of Santiago, located 30 km south of the coast (Figures 1 and 2). A large ( Mw 5.6) aftershock occurred about one hour after the mainshock, and felt aftershocks continued for more than a month. The large north-south extent of the aftershock zone, the mainshock focal mechanism, and geologic evidence for an active fold-thrust belt offshore of Hispaniola indicate that the 2003 earthquake occurred on the south-dipping thrust fault mapped offshore of and beneath Puerto Plata (Dolan et al. , 1998) (Figure 3). The Puerto Plata earthquake (as we refer to it) was thus the latest in a westward-propagating series of moderately large to great (M 6.4-8.1) earthquakes that have occurred along the Caribbean-North America plate boundary in Hispaniola since 1943 (Dolan and Wald, 1998). The occurrence of these earthquakes highlights the seismic risks affecting the rapidly developing and densely populated island of Hispaniola (which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti). In particular, the occurrence of the 22 September 2003 earthquake focused attention on the nearby Septentrional Fault, a major left-lateral strike-slip fault that extends by various names for more than 1,000 km along the Caribbean-North America plate boundary (Mann et al. , 1984; Mann and Burke,1984; Calais et al. , 1992; Grindlay et al. , 1997; Dolan et al. , 1998; Mann et al. , 1998). Because of its proximity to major population centers in Hispaniola ( e.g. , Santiago, Dominican Republic and Cap Haitien, Haiti), the Septentrional Fault constitutes perhaps the most dangerous seismic source in the region. In this study, we …
Problems in determining the structure of TiBe2 by convergent-beam electron diffraction

Abstract The point and space groups of TiBe2 are determined to be m3m and Fd3m with the convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) technique. However, it is found that, at certain zone axes, CBED may result in an ambiguity in distinguishing between the point groups m3m and the closely related 3m. The cause of this ambiguity is discussed and attributed to the degree of non-centrosymmetry of the point group 3m when compared with the centrosymmetric point group m3m. Three possible approaches to solving this problem are compared. It is found that the method of deducing the point group from the possible space group possesses the best sensitivity for distinguishing between the point groups m3m and 3m. This approach is used to confirm that the point group of TiBe2 is indeed m3m and therefore its space group is Fd3m.
Patterns of disease recurrence following treatment of oropharyngeal cancer with intensity modulated radiation therapy

Purpose To report mature results of a large cohort of patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx who were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials The database of patients irradiated at The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center was searched for patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer and treated with IMRT between 2000 and 2007. A retrospective review of outcome data was performed. Results The cohort consisted of 776 patients. One hundred fifty-nine patients (21%) were current smokers, 279 (36%) former smokers, and 337 (43%) never smokers. T and N categories and American Joint Committee on Cancer group stages were distributed as follows: T1/x, 288 (37%); T2, 288 (37%); T3, 113 (15%); T4, 87 (11%); N0, 88(12%); N1/x, 140 (18%); N2a, 101 (13%); N2b, 269 (35%); N2c, 122 (16%); and N3, 56 (7%); stage I, 18(2%); stage II, 40(5%); stage III, 150(19%); and stage IV, 568(74%). Seventy-one patients (10%) presented with nodes in level IV. Median follow-up was 54 months. The 5-year overall survival, locoregional control, and overall recurrence-free survival rates were 84%, 90%, and 82%, respectively. Primary site recurrence developed in 7% of patients, and neck recurrence with primary site control in 3%. We could only identify 12 patients (2%) who had locoregional recurrence outside the high-dose target volumes. Poorer survival rates were observed in current smokers, patients with larger primary (T) tumors and lower neck disease. Conclusions Patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated with IMRT have excellent disease control. Locoregional recurrence was uncommon, and most often occurred in the high dose volumes. Parotid sparing was accomplished in nearly all patients without compromising tumor coverage.
A rapidly converging triangular plate element

Compatible triangular plate elements for normal and in-plane displacements, discussing nine degree of freedom element, strain energy, simply supported and clamped plates
Exchange rates and US direct investment into Latin America

This paper analyzes the impact of exchange rate levels and exchange rate uncertainty on US foreign direct investment into Latin America. By decomposing exchange rate uncertainty into temporary (short-run) and permanent (long-run) components, we further explore whether the nature of uncertainty matters. Our empirical findings support the view that exchange rate uncertainty has a negative impact on US investment flows into Latin America. Moreover, it is the persistency in uncertainty rather than transitory uncertainty that mostly deters foreign investment. In contrast, investors do not appear to be affected by discrete movements in exchange rate levels.
PREBIOTIC HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS IN IMPACTING REDUCED ASTROPHYSICAL ICY MIXTURES

We present results of prebiotic organic synthesis in shock-compressed reducing mixtures of simple ices from quantum molecular dynamics simulations extended to close to chemical equilibrium timescales. Given the relative abundance of carbon in reduced forms in astrophysical ices as well as the tendency of these mixtures to form complex hydrocarbons under the presence of external stimuli, it is possible that cometary impacts on a planetary surface could have yielded a larger array of prebiotic organic compounds than previously investigated. We find that the high pressures and temperatures due to shock compression yield a large assortment of carbon- and nitrogen-bonded extended structures that are highly reactive with short molecular lifetimes. Expansion and cooling causes these materials to break apart and form a wide variety of stable, potentially life-building compounds, including long-chain linear and branched hydrocarbons, large heterocyclic compounds, and a variety of different amines and exotic amino acids. Our results help provide a bottom-up understanding of hydrocarbon impact synthesis on the early Earth and its role in producing life-building molecules from simple starting materials.
Gangliocytic paraganglioma arising from mature cystic teratoma of the ovary.

Abstract Background Gangliocytic paraganglioma is a rare neoplasm involving the small intestine, stomach, and spinal cord. Ovarian gangliocytic paraganglioma has not been reported in the medical literature. Case A 55-year-old caucasian woman underwent exploratory laparotomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for evaluation of a persistent right adnexal mass. Microscopic examination of the right ovary revealed a mature cystic teratoma with a mural nodule consistent with gangliocytic paraganglioma. As there was no evidence of significant pleomorphism or neoplastic infiltration, surgical staging was not performed. Conclusion Gangliocytic paraganglioma may arise from ovarian cystic teratoma. Although most cases of gangliocytic paragangliomas are benign, surgical staging and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy may be required if histopathology is suggestive of invasive disease or if enlarged lymph nodes are noted.
Regulation of Gene Expression during Aerobic Germination of Mucor racemosus Sporangiospores

SUMMARY: The pool of mRNA stored in dormant sporangiospores of Mucor racemosus and expressed during early germination in air has been investigated. Total RNA was extracted from dormant and germinating spores and translated in a cell-free rabbit reticulocyte system containing L-[35S]methionine. Isotopically labelled in vitro translation products were analysed by PAGE and autoradiography and were compared with labelled proteins synthesized in vivo at the same stages of development. This comparison revealed several significant findings about the fates of individual mRNA populations as templates in translation: (i) a pool of mRNA, presumably represented entirely or in part by a recoverable polyadenylated RNA fraction, can be extracted from dormant spores in a translatable form; (ii) most of the differential gene expression displayed at the level of protein synthesis during germination results from concomitant changes in functional mRNA levels; (iii) some of the stored mRNA species may be activated and others inactivated by post-transcriptional processing mechanisms; and (iv) a small population of gene products may be regulated at the level of selective translation of pre-existing messages.
One-eyed pinhead regulates cell motility independent of Squint/Cyclops signaling

In vertebrates, EGF-CFC factors are essential for Nodal signaling. Here, we show that the zygotic function of one-eyed pinhead, the zebrafish EGF-CFC factor, is necessary for cell movement throughout the blastoderm of the early embryo. During the blastula and gastrula stages, mutant cells are more cohesive and migrate slower than wild-type cells. Chimeric analysis reveals that these early motility defects are cell-autonomous; later, one-eyed pinhead mutant cells have a cell-autonomous tendency to acquire ectodermal rather than mesendodermal fates. Moreover, wild-type cells transplanted into the axial region of mutant hosts tend to form isolated aggregates of notochord tissue adjacent to the mutant notochord. Upon misexpressing the Nodal-like ligand Activin in whole embryos, which rescues aspects of the mutant phenotype, cell behavior retains the one-eyed pinhead motility phenotype. However, in squint;cyclops double mutants, which lack Nodal function and possess a more severe phenotype than zygotic one-eyed pinhead mutants, cells of the dorsal margin exhibit a marked tendency to widely disperse rather than cohere together. Elsewhere in the double mutants, for cells of the blastoderm and for rare cells of the gastrula that involute into the hypoblast, motility appears wild-type. Notably, cells at the animal pole, which are not under direct regulation by the Nodal pathway, behave normal in squint;cyclops mutants but exhibit defective motility in one-eyed pinhead mutants. We conclude that, in addition to a role in Nodal signaling, One-eyed pinhead is required for aspects of cell movement, possibly by regulating cell adhesion.
Vacuum Rabi splitting and intracavity dark state in a cavity-atom system

We report experimental measurements of the transmission spectrum of an optical cavity coupled with cold Rb atoms. We observe the multiatom vacuum Rabi splitting of a composite cavity and atom system. When a coupling field is applied to the atoms and induces the resonant two-photon Raman transition with the cavity field in a $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type system, we observe a cavity transmission spectrum with two vacuum Rabi sidebands and a central peak representing the intracavity dark state. The central peak linewidth is significantly narrowed by the dark-state resonance and its position is insensitive to the frequency change of the empty cavity.
Characterizing patterns of care using administrative claims data: ADHD treatment in children

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is concerned with determining which treatment, among known effective treatments, may provide the most benefit to an individual patient. CER stresses treatment in the “real-world,” taking into account multiple sources of patient, provider, and treatment heterogeneity. This is opposed to randomized clinical trials which may enforce strict treatment guidelines and may exclude patient populations from participation. One way to access treatment outcomes in these general settings is through administrative databases such as Medicaid claims. While they usually have variables linking records to individual patients over time, we believe a strategy that may aid in CER is to use administrative databases longitudinally. We describe two approaches that can be used with administrative data to characterize longitudinal patterns of treatment, trajectory analysis and multi-state Markov models. We apply these models to Medicaid retail pharmacy claims and behavioral service claims to describe the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment patterns in youths in general clinical settings.
Equal-time second-order moments of a harmonic oscillator with stochastic frequency and driving force

Using a simple matrix method, we have obtained exact second-order equilibrium moments for a linearly damped harmonic oscillator with a fluctuating frequency ω(t) and driven by a fluctuating forcef(t). We have assumed each of the fluctuating quantities to be delta-correlated. We demonstrate that the final answers are identical whetherf(t) and ω(t) are statistically independent or delta-correlated. We have also established the region of parameter space in which the oscillator is energetically stable. The results are shown to be completely determined by the coefficients of the first and second cumulants of the fluctuations.
The interaction of lanthanides with isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from rabbit skeletal muscle

AbstractThe interaction of lanthanides with isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles from rabbit skeletal muscle and the effects of lanthanides on 45Ca2+ uptake by the vesicles were studied. 153Gd3+ was taken up by the vesicles in the absence of ATP and oxalate in a time-dependent manner, reaching a maximum total accumulation of 380 nmol 153Gd3+/mg protein after 20 min with 200 μM 153Gd3+. This 153Gd3+ accumulation was not washed out by 1 mM EGTA. The addition of ATP induced the release of 87% of the bound 153Gd3+, leaving behind irreversibly-accumulated 153Gd3+. Pre-incubation of the vesicles with lanthanides in the absence of ATP and oxalate inhibited 45Ca2+ uptake without affecting Ca2+-ATPase activity. The percent inhibition of 45Ca2+ uptake increased with length of pre-incubation of the vesicles with lanthanides, reaching 33% after 20 min of pre-incubation. Increasing the 45Ca2+ concentration or adding ATP or oxalate to the preincubation medium abolished these inhibitory effects on 45Ca2+ uptake.
Environmental Education in Illinois and Wisconsin: A Tale of Two States

Abstract This study assessed Illinois K-12 public school teachers' preparation to infuse environmental education (EE) concepts into their teaching, their attitudes toward EE, and the extent to which they are currently infusing EE concepts into their teaching. A modified version of a questionnaire developed by the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education was mailed to a random sample of 500 K-12 public school teachers in the spring of 1994. The findings from the sample for this study, although only statistically generalizable to the population at .06 < p < .07, are remarkably similar to the findings of a parallel study of Wisconsin teachers. The findings indicate that teachers need both more preservice and in service training and that their attitudes toward EE are largely positive, yet the overwhelming majority of teachers in the sample reported that they spend less than 1 hr per week teaching about the environment or environmental issues. The findings of this study are compared with those from Wisconsin.
Binding to α-adrenergic receptors: Differential pharmacological potencies and binding affinities of benzodioxanes

Abstract We have compared the influence of a series of benzodioxane α-adrenergic antagonists in 3 H-WB-4101 and 3 H-clonidine binding to α-receptor sites in the brain and peripheral tissues with their pharmacological properties. The drug specificity of 3 H-WB-4101 bidning is quite similar in central and peripheral tissues. Pharmacological potencies of benzodioxanes at postsynaptic α-receptors in the rat vas deferens correlate with potencies at 3 H-WB-4101 but not at 3 H-clonidine binding sites. These findings suggest pharmacological effects of these drugs are mediated by “α-1 postsynaptic receptors” labeled by 3 H-WB-4101. For several benzodioxanes absolute pharmacological potencies at postsynaptic α-receptors of the rat vas deferens are substantially less than theie pontencies at 3 H-WB-4101 sites. The potencies of benzodioxane analogues at 3 H-clonidine binding sites are similar to their pharmacological potencies at presynaptic autoreceptors in the rat vas deferens.
The Karaghiozis Performance in Nineteenth-Century Greece

AbstractOut of the vacuum of the sparsely developed dramatic environment of nineteenth-century Greece grew a performance totally unrelated to the largely literary and western-European oriented theatre of Athens under the influence of the king and his court. It was a performance which, unlike the literary theatre, aroused the interest of the common man through its use of folk tales, anecdotes, songs, dialects, costumes and characters as the basis of its presentation. Originating in the Turkish folk form Karagoz, the Greek performance, called Karaghiozis, found its roots in an entertainment with which Greeks both on the mainland and in other parts of the Balkans and Middle East were already familiar.
The Use of X-Ray Techniques in the in Situ Study of Corrosion

Applications of x-ray absorption and fluorescence techniques for in situ chemistry studies of passivity and localized corrosion have been described. X-ray absorption near edge structures showed that rapidly grown oxides on aluminum-chromium alloys incorporated chromium in the oxide. Repeated electrochemically induced changes between the chromium 3- and 6-valent state occurred without chromium dissolving. When the oxide was grown by small potential steps, the chromium dissolved when 6-valent chromate was formed. With iron-chromium alloys, dissolution of chromate took take place but 6-valent chromium was also incorporated in the oxide. The 6-valent state was reduced on exposing the iron alloy to air. X-ray fluorescence measurements, in conjunction with energy dispersive analysis, have been used to monitor iron, chromium and nickel concentrations in solution. The concentrations and concentration gradients during localized corrosion of stainless steel were used to determine salt solubility and relative diffusion rates.
Scattering and bound-state solutions to the wave equation for one electron in the presence of a physical dipole

This paper presents a quantum-mechanical analysis of the interaction of one electron with a physical dipole (two physically separated charges). Aspects of threshold laws in the continuous spectrum are treated. In addition there are determinations of energies of some dipole bound states. The bound-state calculations are used as a model for certain high dipole moment molecules, where, together with empirical data, an equivalent dipole length may be determined. These model calculations predict that the bound dipole orbital in high dipole molecule ions should have a node between its valence part and the more remote part where the majority of the charge resides. Some results from the two parts of the treatment are brought together to calculate the asymmetry factor of the photoelectron signal for uracil, measured by Schiedt et al.
Differences between human oriented and machine oriented information standards: Implications for design of enterprise-scale information systems

Enterprise-scale information systems are deeply entwined with the networks of social practice that use and support them. Yet “interoperability” between information systems and social communities of practice is not always easily achieved, because these disparate types of entities operate according to different logics and respond differently to innovation processes. In this paper we identify differences between the types of information standards used in information systems and those commonly used within social communities of practice, terming the former “machine oriented standards” and the latter “human oriented standards.” We then provide a catalog of commonly used human oriented standards. We conclude by suggesting that these distinctions have significant implications for designers and developers of enterprise-scale information standards and information systems.
Slow light through tightly coupled light waves and acoustic waves in nanoscale waveguides

We develop a general framework of evaluating slow-light performance using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in optical waveguides via the overlap integral between optical and elastic eigen-modes. We show that spatial symmetry of the optical force dictates the selection rules of the excitable elastic modes. By applying this method to a rectangular silicon waveguide, we demonstrate the spatial distributions of optical force and elastic eigen-modes jointly determine the magnitude and scaling of SBS gain coefficient in both forward and backward SBS processes. We further apply this method to inter-modal SBS process, and demonstrate that the coupling between distinct optical modes is necessary to excite elastic modes with all possible symmetries.