cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Partial Hepatectomy on Immune Responses II. Enhancing Effect on Antigen Primed Lymphocytes

It is generally known that a major resection of the liver triggers nucleic acid synthesis, not only in the regenerating liver cells (1), but also in lymphoid tissues (2). Partial hepatectomy also stimulates function of the reticulo-endothelial cells. These cells serve as phagocytes which process particulate antigens (3). As previously reported; the number of antibody forming cells detected as hemolytic plaque forming cells (PFC), or immune rosette forming cells (RFC), in the spleen of rats immunized with sheep red cells (SRC), is significantly increased (10 times) after partial hepatectomy (4). The same results have been noted when lymph node cells were employed. Our experiments were designed to elucidate the mechanisms resulting in an increased production of PFC and RFC.
Cortico-cortical dynamics and learning during visual recognition: a computational model

A ubiquitous feature of the neocortex is the reciprocity of connections between its many distinct areas: if area A projects to area B, then area B almost invariably projects to area A [5, 22]. While the role of the feedforward projections in facilitating tasks such as visual recognition is generally well-acknowledged, the precise computational role of the corresponding feedback projections has remained relatively unclear (cf. [1] p. 23).
Asperger Syndrome and Autism Compared

The validity and neuropsychological characterization of Asperger syndrome (AS) was investigated by comparison with Higher-Functioning Autism (HFA) (ie autism associated with overall normal intelligence) in 73 potential subjects recruited from a consecutive case series seen at the Developmental Disabilities Clinic, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Surgery for Neonatal-Onset Seizures

Four children with intractable neonatal-onset seizures treated successfully by hemispherectomy at 1 1/2-5 years of age are reported from UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
Precis of How Propaganda Works

The overarching goal of How Propaganda Works is to provide an argument that democracy requires material equality. My aim was to forge an argument for this view without premises about morality or justice. I do so by arguing that material inequality, like other forms of inequality, has pernicious epistemic effects. Inequality results in anti-democratic flawed ideologies, such as the ideology of meritocracy, and the ideology underlying the division of labor, the subjects of the last two chapters. Propaganda plays crucial roles both in preventing us from recognizing these epistemic harms, in the form of demagoguery, and in repairing them, in the form of civic rhetoric.
Assessment of Sugarcane Billet Harvester on Recovery of Sweet Sorghum Biomass for Ethanol Production

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a promising bioenergy crop for the production of ethanol and bio-based products. Sugarcane billet harvesters can be used to harvest sweet sorghum. Multiple extractor fan speed settings of these harvesters allow for separating the extraneous matter in the feedstock, which has been associated with increased milling throughput and better juice quality at the processing facility. This removal is not completely selective, and some stalk material is also lost. These losses can be higher for sweet sorghum than sugarcane due its lower weight. This paper presents an assessment of how the speed of the primary extractor fan of a sugarcane billet combine used for harvesting sweet sorghum affects the biomass yield, biomass losses, and quality at delivery for the production of ethanol from extracted juice and fiber. Three primary extractor fan speeds (0, 800, and 1100 rpm) were evaluated. Higher fan speeds decreased fresh biomass yields by up to 28.3 Mg ha−1. Juice quality was not significantly different among treatments. Ethanol yield calculated from sweet sorghum harvested at 0 rpm was 6075 L ha−1. This value decreased by about half for material harvested at 1100 rpm due to the differences in biomass yield.
Bending the Arc of the Trilobed Flap Through External Interlobe Angle Inequality.

Background The trilobed flap is a useful repair option for distal nasal defects. In certain cases, however, the placement of its quaternary defect may risk compression of the internal nasal valve or induction of ectropion. In this study, we propose a modified design of the trilobed flap, which uses unequal external interlobe angles. Objective To present the design principles and results of our modified trilobed flap for the reconstruction of difficult distal nasal Mohs defects. Materials and methods Mohs defects of 26 patients were reconstructed (21 with long-term follow-up) using our modified trilobed flap over 1 year. Two independent masked raters graded postoperative photographs for alar symmetry and overall cosmesis. Results Median alar symmetry scores were excellent and overall cosmesis grades were between excellent and very good. Conclusion The modified trilobed flap with unequal external angles offers an excellent option for reconstruction of Mohs defect of the distal nose that may not be well-suited for other repairs. Over 1 year, 21 modified trilobed repairs were performed with overall excellent outcomes.
Continuing Medical Education Questions: March 2018: Severity And Outcomes Of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding With Bloody Vs. Coffee-Grounds Hematemesis.

Continuing Medical Education Questions: March 2018: Severity And Outcomes Of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding With Bloody Vs. Coffee-Grounds Hematemesis
Robust H ∞ dynamic output feedback control of linear time-varying periodic fractional order singular systems

Many issues such as controllability, observability and stability of linear time-varying periodic fractional order singular fractional order systems (LTVPFOS) depend on its state transition matrix which is still an open problem for LTVPFOS. The paper deals with the robust H ∞ dynamic output feedback control of an ordinary LTVPFOS. The periodic problem is converted into a kind of norm bounded issues with robust control thought. Two theorems in terms of LMIs on the admissibility and dynamic output feedback controllers of robust stabilization and H ∞ control of LTVPFOS are proposed and designed. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Reducing uncertainties in climate models.

Radiative forcing is a fundamental quantity for understanding both anthropogenic and natural changes in climate. It measures the extent to which human activities [such as the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), see the image] and natural events (such as volcanic eruptions) perturb the flow of energy into and out of the climate system. This perturbation initiates all other changes of the climate in response to external forcings. Inconsistencies in the calculation of radiative forcing by CO2 introduce uncertainties in model projections of climate change, a problem that has persisted for more than two decades. The explicit calculation of radiative forcing and a careful vetting of radiative transfer parameterizations provide a straightforward means to substantially reduce these uncertainties and improve the projections.
Disaggregating China’s local political budget cycles: “Righting” the U

Abstract What impact does spending time horizon have on political budget cycles? While traditional political budget cycles increase visible spending with immediate gains before political turnover, I hypothesize that spending in categories with less-immediate gains categories increases when opportunity costs are lower. In this article, I build on existing literature on budget cycles in both democracies and non-democracies to disaggregate types of budget cycles: those with long-run versus short-run benefits. In China, after central-level reforms, welfare targets, with long-run gains, became visible to local leaders’ constituents, the central leaders above them. Local leaders then had an incentive to provide welfare, but only when it was the least costly in terms of opportunity costs. Using fixed-effects models panel data from China’s 333 municipalities for 1994–2012, I find welfare spending minimizes both relatively and absolutely around year three, and maximizes at the beginning and end of a politician’s tenure, when opportunity costs and probability of political advancement are lowest. These cycles are the most dramatic in western provinces, where education is a particularly important tool for ideological spread. Health and Social Security spending also see expansion at the end of mayor’s tenures, although the cycles are less pronounced than in education spending. This study expands the literature on political budget cycles by disaggregating government spending and considering the impact of timeliness on cycles.
When Is Acute Intervention (Interventional Radiology/Surgery) Necessary for Acute Cholecystitis? Can Acute Cholecystitis Be Managed at Home with Oral Antibiotics?

Acute cholecystitis treatment remains surgical, with laparoscopic cholecystectomy being the predominant method of choice. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy has better outcomes than delayed cholecystectomy in general, especially when patients are well resuscitated. However, careful consideration is given to elderly and immunecompromised patients, who may be poor surgical candidates and may benefit from a less invasive approach using percutaneous cholecystostomy and parenteral antibiotics. There is little to no role for outpatient oral antibiotics in treating acute cholecystitis.
Reaction of FD&C Blue 1 with Sodium Percarbonate: Multiple Kinetics Methods Using an Inexpensive Light Meter

In selecting from a repertoire of traditional kinetics experiments, an instructor often has to choose among having students gain experience with the graphical method, the method of initial rates, o...
Restart perturbations for lazy, reversible Markov chains: trichotomy and pre-cutoff equivalence

Given a reversible Markov chain $P_n$ on $n$ states, and another chain $\tilde{P}_n$ obtained by perturbing each row of $P_n$ by at most $\alpha_n$ in total variation, we study the total variation distance between the two stationary distributions, $\| \pi_n - \tilde{\pi}_n \|$. We show that for chains with cutoff, $\| \pi_n - \tilde{\pi}_n \|$ converges to $0$, $e^{-c}$, and $1$, respectively, if the product of $\alpha_n$ and the mixing time of $P_n$ converges to $0$, $c$, and $\infty$, respectively. This echoes recent results for specific random walks that exhibit cutoff, suggesting that cutoff is the key property underlying such results. Moreover, we show $\| \pi_n - \tilde{\pi}_n \|$ is maximized by restart perturbations, for which $\tilde{P}_n$ "restarts" $P_n$ at a random state with probability $\alpha_n$ at each step. Finally, we show that pre-cutoff is (almost) equivalent to a notion of "sensitivity to restart perturbations," suggesting that chains with sharper convergence to stationarity are inherently less robust.
Closing the Gap: Designing for the Last-Few-Meters Wayfinding Problem for People with Visual Impairments

Despite the major role of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) as a navigation tool for people with visual impairments (VI), a crucial missing aspect of point-to-point navigation with these systems is the last-few-meters wayfinding problem. Due to GPS inaccuracy and inadequate map data, systems often bring a user to the vicinity of a destination but not to the exact location, causing challenges such as difficulty locating building entrances or a specific storefront from a series of stores. In this paper, we study this problem space in two parts: (1) A formative study (N=22) to understand challenges, current resolution techniques, and user needs; and (2) A design probe study (N=13) using a novel, vision-based system called Landmark AI to understand how technology can better address aspects of this problem. Based on these investigations, we articulate a design space for systems addressing this challenge, along with implications for future systems to support precise navigation for people with VI.
Cerebral atherosclerosis contributes to Alzheimer's dementia independently of its hallmark amyloid and tau pathologies

Abstract Cerebral atherosclerosis is a leading cause of stroke and an important contributor to dementia. However, little is known about its molecular effects on the human brain and how these alterations may contribute to dementia. Here, we investigated these questions using large-scale quantification of over 8300 proteins from 438 post-mortem brains from a discovery and replication cohort. A proteome-wide association study and protein network analysis of cerebral atherosclerosis found 114 proteins and 5 protein co-expression modules associated with cerebral atherosclerosis. Enrichment analysis of these proteins and modules revealed that cerebral atherosclerosis was associated with reductions in synaptic signaling and RNA splicing and increases in oligodendrocyte development and myelination. A subset of these proteins (n=23) and protein modules (n=2) were also associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia, implicating a shared mechanism with AD through decreased synaptic signaling and regulation and increased myelination. Notably, neurofilament light (NEFL) and medium (NEFM) chain proteins were among these 23 proteins, and our data suggest they contribute to AD dementia through cerebral atherosclerosis. Together, our findings offer insights into effects of cerebral atherosclerosis on the human brain proteome, and how cerebral atherosclerosis contributes to dementia risk.
Theory of High Field Transport in β-Ga2O3

We present a comprehensive review of high-field transport properties in an emerging and trending ultra-widebandgap semiconductor β-Ga2O3. The focus is on the theoretical understanding of the micros...
ALGORITHMS TO TRANSFORM THE FORMAL SPECIFICATION OF A USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a system that allows a user interface designer to formally specify key elements of the conceptual and semantic designs of a user-computer interface. The specification uses the Interface Definition Language (IDL) to describe the interface in terms of types of objects, properties of objects, class relationships among types of objects, and actions on the objects and properties. The color of created shapes is a static attribute and hence cannot be changed after the shape has been created. There is a general object class, called shape, with two subclasses, called square and triangle. The preconditions, which are conditions that must be true before a command can be made available to the user, concern the existence of objects on which to operate. Three separate transformation sexist for factoring; the commonality is that each factored parameter generally is set by an automatically added selection action, like set-color, set-shape, or set-action. To each action with the implicit parameter in its list is added a precondition that the parameter must have a value.
Evaluation of ultraviolet-c light for rapid decontamination of airport security bins in the era of SARS-COV-2

Background: Contaminated surfaces are a potential source for spread of respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2. Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light is effective against RNA and DNA viruses and could be useful for decontamination of high-touch fomites that are shared by multiple users. Methods : A modification of the American Society for Testing and Materials standard quantitative carrier disk test method (ASTM E-2197-11) was used to examine the effectiveness of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light for rapid decontamination of plastic airport security bins inoculated at 3 sites with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and bacteriophages MS2, PhiX174, and Phi6, an enveloped RNA virus used as a surrogate for coronaviruses. Three log 10 reductions on inoculated plastic bins were considered effective for decontamination. Results: UV-C light administered as 10-, 20-, or 30-second cycles in proximity to a plastic bin reduced contamination on each of the test sites, including vertical and horizontal surfaces. The 30-second cycle met criteria for decontamination of all 3 test sites for all the test organisms except bacteriophage MS2 which was reduced by greater than 2 log 10 PFU at each site. Conclusions: UV-C light is an attractive technology for rapid decontamination of airport security bins. Further work is needed to evaluate the utility of UV-C light in real-world settings and to develop methods to provide automated movement of bins through a UV-C decontamination process.
Job History 1945–1947

This chapter describes Van der Waerden’s employment during the first two post-war years. It also discusses a University of Zurich search for filling a professorship, which resulted in hiring Rolf Nevanlinna.
Abstract 5218: Inhibition of γ-secretase decreases Notch signaling and cell migration in uterine carcinosarcoma

Carcinosarcoma (CS) is a rare and aggressive type II endometrial adenocarcinoma (EmCa) accounting for less than 5% of all uterine malignancies, but accounting for a disproportionately high disease-specific mortality rate. Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway with oncogenic roles in several cancers. Notch proteins are expressed in Type I and Type II EmCa, cell lines, and human tissue, but Notch function has not been characterized in CS. To determine whether inhibiting Notch signaling may be a therapeutic target in CS we assessed expression of Notch family genes and the impact of γ-secretase inhibition on cellular migration in the CS cell line, CS-99, and compared to lower risk Type I EmCa cell line (HEC-1-A). Expression of Notch receptors, ligands and effectors was determined using RT-PCR. We determined the impact of exposure to DAPT, a γ-secretase inhibitor, vs DMSO (vehicle control) on cell viability with a MTT assay. The ability of DAPT to inhibit Notch signaling was assessed by quantitative (q) RT-PCR for the Notch effector, HES1. The relative expression level of each target gene was normalized to 18s rRNA. Cellular migration after exposure to DAPT was assessed using a scratch assay for CS-99 and HEC-1-A. The extent of cell migration was measured using ImageJ (NIH Bethesda, MD). CS-99 and HEC-1-A, expressed receptors NOTCH1-4, ligands DLL4, JAG1, JAG2, and effectors HES1, HEY1, and NRARP . The MTT assay revealed >88% cellular viability after 24 hr exposure to 10µM in CS-99 and 50µM DAPT in HEC-1-A. Exposure to DAPT significantly decreased expression HES1 in CS-99 and HEC-1-A. Migration was decreased in CS-99 and unchanged in HEC-1-A with 10µM and 50 µM of DAPT, respectively. Inhibition of Notch signaling activity decreased cellular migration in CS-99 cell line suggesting that Notch signaling may impact disease growth in CS. Unchanged HEC-1-A cellular migration suggests that Notch signaling might not impact disease growth in Type I EmCa. Inhibition of Notch signaling may be a promising therapeutic target in CS. Citation Format: Sofia D. Gabrilovich, Yasmin Abedin, Sreevidya Santha, Tracy Wu, Mark Einstein, Nataki C. Douglas, Jenna Z. Marcus. Inhibition of γ-secretase decreases Notch signaling and cell migration in uterine carcinosarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5218.
Safety outcomes with high-dose daptomycin in patients with acute kidney injury and/or end-stage renal disease.

What is known Daptomycin is associated with a number of adverse effects including eosinophilic pneumonia, hypersensitivity reaction, myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, headache and transaminitis. The adverse effects of high-dose daptomycin have not been fully evaluated in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Objective To determine the incidence and characteristics of significant adverse effects in patients receiving high-dose daptomycin with severe renal dysfunction. Methods A single-centre, retrospective study was conducted to assess safety outcomes of high-dose daptomycin in patients with an estimated creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min. Adult patients aged 18 to 89 years admitted between 1 July 2015 and 1 July 2019 were eligible for inclusion. Patients must have received definitive daptomycin therapy with doses greater than or equal to 7.5 mg/kg based on actual body weight. The primary outcome was overall incidence of creatine phosphokinase (CK) elevation, myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Results and discussion A total of 74 patients who received daptomycin therapy were screened with 50 included in the study. The population was well distributed in terms of gender (48% male, n = 24) with a median age of 61 (IQR, 48-67) years. The primary indication for daptomycin use was Gram-positive bacteremia. The median daptomycin dose was 750 (IQR, 600-875) mg, or 8.46 (IQR, 7.92-9.96) mg/kg based on actual body weight, with a median patient weight of 81 (IQR, 65-113) kg. The median duration of therapy was 27 (IQR, 14-42) days. One patient experienced significant CK elevation while on daptomycin therapy with rhabdomyolysis; however, daptomycin was continued as there was an alternative explanation for an elevated CK. One patient experienced daptomycin discontinuation due to CK elevation without meeting the definition for significant CK elevation. What is new and conclusion In a cohort of patients with severe renal dysfunction treated with daptomycin 7.5 mg/kg or greater, significant CK elevation on daptomycin therapy was infrequently observed. Future research should confirm these findings, with special consideration for higher mg/kg dosages and/or obese populations.
In vivo hypoxia characterization using blood oxygen level dependent magnetic resonance imaging in a preclinical glioblastoma mouse model

Abstract Purpose Hypoxia measurements can provide crucial information regarding tumor aggressiveness, however current preclinical approaches are limited. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has the potential to continuously monitor tumor pathophysiology (including hypoxia). The aim of this preliminary work was to develop and evaluate BOLD MRI followed by post-image analysis to identify regions of hypoxia in a murine glioblastoma (GBM) model. Methods A murine orthotopic GBM model (GL261-luc2) was used and independent images were generated from multiple slices in four different mice. Image slices were randomized and split into training and validation cohorts. A 7 T MRI was used to acquire anatomical images using a fast-spin-echo (FSE) T2-weighted sequence. BOLD images were taken with a T2*-weighted gradient echo (GRE) and an oxygen challenge. Thirteen images were evaluated in a training cohort to develop the MRI sequence and optimize post-image analysis. An in-house MATLAB code was used to evaluate MR images and generate hypoxia maps for a range of thresholding and ΔT2* values, which were compared against respective pimonidazole sections to optimize image processing parameters. The remaining (n = 6) images were used as a validation group. Following imaging, mice were injected with pimonidazole and collected for immunohistochemistry (IHC). A test of correlation (Pearson's coefficient) and agreement (Bland-Altman plot) were conducted to evaluate the respective MRI slices and pimonidazole IHC sections. Results For the training cohort, the optimized parameters of “thresholding” (20 ≤ T2* ≤ 35 ms) and ΔT2* (±4 ms) yielded a Pearson's correlation of 0.697. These parameters were applied to the validation cohort confirming a strong Pearson's correlation (0.749) when comparing the respective analyzed MR and pimonidazole images. Conclusion Our preliminary study supports the hypothesis that BOLD MRI is correlated with pimonidazole measurements of hypoxia in an orthotopic GBM mouse model. This technique has further potential to monitor hypoxia during tumor development and therapy.
Different Kinetic Reactivity of Electrons in Distinct TiO 2 Nanoparticle Trap States

Electrons added to TiO2 and other semiconductors often occupy trap states, whose reactivity can determine the catalytic and stoichiometric chemistry of the material. We previously showed that reduced aqueous colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles have two distinct classes of thermally-equilibrated trapped electrons, termed Red/e - and Blue/e -. Presented here are parallel optical and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) kinetic studies of the reactivity of these electrons with solution-based oxidants. Optical stopped-flow measurements monitoring reactions of TiO2/e - with sub-stoichiometric oxidants showed a surprising pattern: an initial fast (seconds) decrease in TiO2/e - absorbance followed by a secondary, slow (minutes) increase in the broad TiO2/e - optical feature. Analysis revealed that the fast decrease is due to the preferential oxidation of the Red/e - trap states, and the slow increase results from re-equilibration of electrons from Blue to Red states. This kinetic model was confirmed by freeze-quench EPR measurements. Quantitative analysis of the kinetic data demonstrated that Red/e - react ~5 times faster than Blue/e - with the nitroxyl radical oxidant, 4-MeO-TEMPO. Similar reactivity patterns were also observed in oxidations of TiO2/e - by O2, which like 4-MeO-TEMPO is a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) oxidant, and by the pure electron transfer (ET) oxidant KI3. This suggests that the faster intrinsic reactivity of one trap state over another on the seconds-minutes timescale is likely a general feature of reduced TiO2 reactivity. This differential trap state reactivity is likely to influence the performance of TiO2 in photochemical/electrochemical devices, and it suggests an opportunity for tuning catalysis.
Programmable assembly of organized 3D nanosystems

The ability to organize nano-components into the desired architectures with targeted properties can enable a broad range of nanotechnological applications, from energy materials to information processing. However, we are currently lacking an adaptable and broadly applicable methodology for the bottom-up 3D nanofabrication of desired nanoscale structures. I will discuss our efforts on establishing a versatile fabrication platform based on the molecularly programmable assembly for the formation of targeted architectures from inorganic and biomolecular nano-components. The recent advances on building periodic and hierarchical organizations, frameworks and arbitrary designed architectures using DNA-encoded interactions and DNA topologies will be presented. I will demonstrate how these assembly approaches can be used for a fabrication of nanomaterials with novel optical, mechanical, and catalytic functions.
Role of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in parental satisfaction of treatments for PANDAS

Abstract Objective To examine caregiver satisfaction with treatments for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus (PANDAS) and how symptom frequency changes over time. Methods A list was created for PANDAS subjects seen at the Georgetown Pediatric Otolaryngology clinic from 2015 to 2018. Questionnaires were distributed to caregivers able to be contacted; 62% responded (n = 60). Subjects were placed in groups based on treatments reported: tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A, n = 28), T&A and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG, n = 22), or nonsurgical treatment(s) (n = 10). Caregivers reported frequencies for each of 10 associated symptoms from time of treatment to 12 months and also expressed their satisfaction with treatment. Results Patients were treated with antibiotics (n = 60, 100%), T&A (83.3%), IVIG (40%), Rituximab (15%), steroids (20%), and/or plasma exchange (10%). Caregivers for 66% (n = 33) of surgical patients identified T&A as the most effective treatment, and 80% would choose the operation again. No difference in median caregiver satisfaction level was found among the groups (n = 0.196). There was no significant difference in frequency for any of the symptoms (all p > 0.05) except choreiform movement (p = 0.0296). Conclusion Caregivers reported a decreasing frequency of symptoms over time regardless of treatment and had no difference in satisfaction. T&A was the most preferred treatment and the most impactful on symptoms for surgical patients. Given the challenges of immunologic therapies, T&A in combination with antibiotics should be considered as an early intervention for PANDAS.
Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 within the household is associated with greater symptom severity and stronger antibody responses in a community-based sample of seropositive adults

Magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 virus exposure may contribute to symptom severity. In a sample of seropositive adults (n=1101), we found that individuals who lived with a known COVID-19 case exhibited greater symptom severity and IgG concentrations compared to individuals who were seropositive but did not live with a known case (P<0.0001).
Capsule commentary on Agarwal et al., Healthcare Expenditures Associated with Depression among Individuals with Osteoarthritis: Post-Regression Linear Decomposition Approach.

Agarwal et al. estimate excess total healthcare expenditures associated with depression among adults with osteoarthritis, and use post-regression linear decomposition to examine which individual-level factors contribute to these costs, based on data from the 2010Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The authors found that patients with comorbid osteoarthritis and depression had 38.8 % greater total healthcare costs compared to those without depression. These excess costs were attributable to comorbid anxiety, chronic conditions, and poor health status. Depression is common in primary care, and when present, exacerbates any symptom-based problems the patient may have. Numerous articles have shown that patients with depression have lower quality of life, lower functional status, more pain, and a greater number of physical symptoms. While antidepressant therapy can improve depressive symptoms, the evidence of benefit for pain and other physical symptoms is less robust; in general, depressed patients have improvement in functioning and comorbid symptoms when their depression is successfully treated. Whether treatment of depression in patients with comorbid osteoarthritis would reduce costs or improve osteoarthritis symptoms is uncertain, and is worthy of further research. Observational data are always subject to bias. For example, diabetics with depression have shown worse outcomes than patients without depression, but randomized trials investigating depression among diabetics showed disappointing results regarding the impact on diabetic outcomes. The most successful healthcare delivery systems for managing depression are collaborative. For example, the Depression Improvement Across Minnesota, Offering a NewDirection (DIAMOND) model used in Minnesota was found to be beneficial for improving treatment outcomes in patients withmajor depressive disorders. A similar model, the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, reduced costs and improved care in high-utilizing patients with multiple chronic conditions, though depression was not specifically targeted in this population. Whether collaborative care models that target both depression and physical symptoms would do better than those focused solely on depression is worthy of future research.
Early Practice: External Sinus Surgery and Procedures and Complications

External approaches to the paranasal sinuses are rarely used in the endoscopic era. However, their indications for use have not changed, and in every surgeon's career those indications may present themselves. For residents training in the endoscopic era, these procedures are also very rarely seen. In this article, the external approaches to the maxillary, ethmoid, and frontal sinuses are described: their original descriptions, modern use, and potential complications. It is hoped that this article will serve to instruct residents and practitioners alike in these techniques.
The Irony of International Business Law: U.S. Progressivism, China's New Laissez Faire, and their Impact in the Developing World

As the financial crisis draws U.S. business overseas and developing countries rise in influence, the regulation of international business has never figured so prominently in federal law. But the dominant paradigm through which academics and policymakers continue to view that law – the so-called “Washington Consensus” – proves deeply misleading. A more accurate account of the components, origins, and aims of U.S. international business law reveals two striking ironies. First, in discrete but critical ways, the U.S. no longer represents the comparatively laissez-faire approach to federal business regulation. Rather, owing to its origins in the Progressive Era, U.S. federal law directs corporations toward non-economic social goals, particularly combating corruption (e.g. the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) and promoting human rights (e.g. the Alien Tort Statute or economic sanctions). By contrast, the alternative legal regime to which the U.S. is frequently compared – China – largely allows companies to pursue profits internationally without regard to their impact on corruption and human rights. Though it remains true that the U.S. regime and its principal alternative are distinguished by the extent to which the state restricts business conduct to achieve social goals, the roles are now reversed. Second, the rise of an alternative model now substantially thwarts the goals of U.S. progressive regulation. Empirical research in political science and economics demonstrates that because the U.S. regime increases the costs of doing business in emerging markets, U.S. companies tend to invest less. The resulting void in capital is filled by companies from countries – particularly China – that lack prohibitions on bribery and human rights violations. Ironically, enforcement of U.S. progressivism thus creates the very conditions in which corruption and human rights violations occur.
The Factorial Validity of an Inventory Assessing Horney's Interpersonal Response Traits of Compliance, Aggression, and Detachment

This research was concerned with the factorial validity of Cohen's (1967) 35-item CAD inventory which attempts to operationalize Karen Horney's typology of three interpersonal response traits: compliance, aggression, and detachment (CAD). Personal interview data were collected from 203 women within upper, middle, and lower social classes. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation indicated little support for Cohen's contention that CAD measures three orthogonal constructs. Results of other factor solutions revealed that the constructs are perhaps nonorthogonal. The results suggest needed modifications in the inventory.
Comparative Response of Alluvium to Hopkinson Bar and Gas Gun Loading

Low amplitude shock waves in highly dispersive media such as dry alluvium quickly degenerate into ramp waves. One result of this behavior is that standard explosive techniques used for dynamic testing of such materials do not produce data under conditions relevant to most real applications such as confinement of buried explosions or assessment of the effects of explosions on buried structures. We have developed techniques for testing soils dynamically at strain rates ranging from about 102 to about 104 sec−1 in uniaxial strain using a Hopkinson bar. This admits direct comparison with data from gas gun tests where strain rates are in the range of 104 to 105 sec−1. This, in turn, permits the separation of inertial effects from direct strain-rate effects. In order to assist in evaluation of the results we have also developed a one dimensional microphysical model of soil.
An artifactual component of drug-protein binding generated in vitro.

Abstract In the course of investigating the binding of imipramine to soluble cellular fractions from brain and leukocytes using equillibrium dialysis, an artifactual binding component was produced. On Scatchard and double-reciprocal plots of the data, the component appeared as a homogeneous population of sites displaying a binding affinity of 170 nM. The obtained pattern of biphasic interaction bore a marked resemblance to reported Scatchard plots representing the interaction of drugs with bovine serum albumin,and depicting two components of widely differing binding affinity and capacity. The artifact occurred when solutions were transferred after dialysis and before quantitation to intermediate containers, and resulted from binding of H-imirpramine to the walls of these containers. The latter interaction decreased the concentration of radiolabeled drug in the dialusate but not in the dialyzed solution, and thus mimicked increased imipramine binding to the biological material under study. The effect was particularly pronounced at low drug concentrations, and was prevented by the presence of either proteinaceous material, or of an excess of another basic compound such as methadone. The concentration dependence of the phenomenon led to its appearance as a discrete binding component. The artifact was eliminated either by applying an appropriate correction factor, or by transferring the dialyzed solutions directly into scintillation vials for counting.
Surface diffraction study of the hydrated hematite (1102) surface

The structure of the hydroxylated a-Fe2O3ð1 102 Þ surface prepared via a wet chemical and mechanical polishing (CMP) procedure was determined using X-ray crystal truncation rod diffraction. The experimentally determined surface model was compared with theoretical structures developed from density functional theory (DFT) calculations to identify the most likely protonation states of the surface (hydr)oxo moieties. The results show that the hydroxylated CMP-prepared surface differs from an ideal stoichiometric termination due to vacancies of the near surface bulk Fe sites. This result differs from previous ultra high vacuum studies where two stable terminations were observed: a stoichiometric (1 · 1) termination and a partially reduced (2 · 1) reconstructed surface. The complementary DFT studies suggest that hydroxylated surfaces are thermodynamically more stable than dehydroxylated surfaces in the presence of water. The results illustrate that the best fit surface model has predominantly three types of (hydr)oxo functional groups exposed at the surface at circumneutral pH: Fe–OH2 ,F e 2–OH, and Fe3–O and provide a structural basis for interpreting the reactivity of model iron-(hydr)oxide surfaces under aqueous conditions. � 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Zero-Signal-Power Communication: Zero-Power Classical Communication, Zero-Quantum Quantum Communication and Environmental-Noise Communication

A new physical way of communication, communication by the inherent background noise, is proposed which does not need net energy transfer in the information channel. The communicator devices do dissipate energy however they do not emit net energy into the channel, instead of that, they modulate the parameters of inherent spontaneous fluctuations in the channel. The new method can use two different mechanisms, thermal noise (Johnson-Nyquist noise) for classical communication, and vacuum fluctuations/zero point energy (quantum uncertainty noise) for quantum communication. The strongest advantage of the method that this is apparently the most hidden (stealth) way of communication, because it is using the inherent background noise for communication, therefore it is extremely difficult or impossible to discover its presence. With proper wave-based arrangements and specific conditions, the sender and the receiver can easily detect eavesdropper activities, so that the eavesdropper is detected as soon as she extracts a single bit of information, thus the security of the method is comparable to the security of quantum communication/quantum key distribution schemes. Finally, concerning practical applications, environmental noise, out of the fundamental/inherent fluctuations, can also be used for this kind of communication provided that is sufficiently stationary.
Skill diaries: can periodic self-assessment improve students' learning with an intelligent tutoring system?

Metacognitive theories point out that self-assessment can facilitate in-depth reflection and help direct effective self-regulated learning. Yet, not much work has investigated the relationship between students' self-assessment and learning outcomes in Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). This paper investigates this relationship with classrooms using the Geometry Cognitive Tutor. We designed a skill diary that helps students take advantage of the tutor's open learner model to periodically self-assess their geometry skill. We investigated whether it can support students' self-assessment and learning. In an experiment with 122 high school students, students in the experimental group were prompted periodically to fill out the skill diaries, whereas the control group answered general questions that did not involve active self-assessment. The experimental group performed better on a post-test of geometry skill. Further, the skill diaries helped lower-performing students to significantly improve their self-assessment accuracy and learning outcomes. This paper helps establish the important role of self-assessment in enhancing students' domain-level learning in ITSs.
Detection of respiratory syncytial virus antigen in nasal washings by Abbott TestPack enzyme immunoassay.

We compared the new Abbott TestPack (TP) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with cell culture and two commercial RSV EIAs (from Abbott Diagnostics and Kallestad Laboratories) by using split samples of fresh nasal washings from children with suspected RSV disease. Two tubes of HEp-2 cells were inoculated and observed for cytopathic effect for 14 days, and isolates were confirmed by immunofluorescence. The TP EIA was performed by following the manufacturer9s instructions. Specimens positive by TP EIA but negative by culture were examined in a competitive inhibition (blocking) assay using the TP EIA, and rabbit anti-RSV serum. Of 218 specimens, 93 were positive by culture, 105 were positive by TP EIA, 80 were positive by the Abbott Diagnostics EIA, and 87 were positive by the Kallestad Laboratories EIA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the TP EIA were 92, 86, 81, and 93%, respectively. Of 20 apparently false-positive TP EIAs, 10 of 14 that were positive when retested were neutralized in the blocking assay, indicating that they were truly positive. The recalculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the TP EIA were 92, 91, 90, and 93%, respectively. We conclude that the TP EIA is easy to perform, rapid (less than 0.5 h), and accurate.
Population growth, soil fertility, and agricultural intensification

Abstract This paper presents a renewable resource model of soil fertility with a nonconvexity in the net benefit function. In this setting, recurring cycles of cropping and fallow can be the optimal soil management strategy. The model is used to illuminate the Boserup discussion of agricultural development in which population growth leads to agricultural intensification, defined as an increase in cropping frequency. Previous formal models of the Boserup hypothesis focus on the land-labor ratio rather than cropping frequency and have not directly incorporated soil fertility dynamics. These models assume a convex production technology and are not optimistic about the prospect for agricultural development without technological progress. This paper explicitly models soil fertility dynamics and demonstrates that nonconvexities in the production technology are an important feature of the use of long fallow periods for soil management. As population grows, and the demand for food increases, the importance of the nonconvexity diminishes and more frequent cropping becomes economical. Given a nonconvexity in the production technology, it is possible, though not necessary, that average labor productivity increases with agricultural intensification. Thus, it is possible to reconcile the greater labor requirement of intensive farming with an increase in average labor productivity. In addition, Boserup argued that a larger and denser population facilitates the development of economic and social infrastructures which improve agricultural productivity.
Using Standardized Patients to Teach Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing

Abstract Background There is limited research into the effectiveness of standardized patient experiences (SPEs) to teach therapeutic communication skills in undergraduate psychiatric nursing students. Method A quasi-experimental, one-group, pre–post evaluation design was used to examine the effectiveness of the use of SPEs to teach therapeutic communication skills in psychiatric nursing. Study participants included 89 senior nursing students enrolled in a psychiatric nursing clinical course in a baccalaureate nursing program. Results Faculty provided formative evaluation on 14 criteria and group feedback early in the semester for students' first interaction with a standardized patient (SP). During a second intervention at the end of the semester, with an SP, summative feedback was used to evaluate the student using the same 14 criteria. Significant differences were noted in 12 of the 14 criteria demonstrating improvement in therapeutic communication skills. Conclusion Although further research is needed, this study suggests that the use of SPEs is an effective methodology for promoting therapeutic communication skills in undergraduate psychiatric nursing students.
The a 3Σ+1(u) ← X 1Σ+(g) band systems of CuAu and Au2

Abstract The a 3Σ+1(u) ← X 1Σ+(g) band systems of jet-cooled CuAu and Au2 have been spectroscopically observed by resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy. The upper state vibrational constants (ω′e = 109.3 cm−1, ω′eX′e = 0.90 cm−1 for 63Cu197 Au; ω′e = 82.9 cm−1, ω′eX′e = 1.01 cm−1 for 197Au2) indicate shallow excited potential curves, and the long excited state lifetimes (≈ 40 μs for Au2, ⩾ 90 μs for CuAu) imply a spin-forbidden decay process, in agreement with the assignment of the transition. Birge-Sponer extrapolations give ground state bond strengths of 2.41 ± 0.07 and 2.290 ± 0.015 eV for CuAu and Au2, respectively. A rotationally resolved scan of 63Cu97 Au has established the bond lengths as r0(X 1Σ+) = 2.3303 ± 0.0009 and r0(a 3Σ+1) = 2.445 ± 0.026 A.
Pediatric refractive surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article reviews the literature on pediatric refractive surgery from 1995 to 2003 and discusses the practical issues surrounding the application of modern refractive surgery to children. RECENT FINDINGS Preliminary data show that refractive surgery can be successfully performed in children and that the short term complication rate seems to be similar to that reported in adults. SUMMARY Refractive surgery may hold promise for cases in which traditional treatment methods have failed. Additional study is needed to define the role of refractive surgery in children and in the treatment of amblyopia and strabismus.
2006 International Charr Symposium, Reykjavik, Iceland

The most recent in the continuing series of international conferences dedicated to charrs, Salvelinus species, was held in Reykjavik, Iceland 1–5 August 2006.