cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biopsychosocial Factors Associated With Attention Problems in Children After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this review was to examine biopsychosocial factors associated with an increased risk of attention problems after a traumatic brain injury in children. DESIGN A systematic review of the literature was conducted using data sources of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL up to August 30, 2020. Literature primarily examined pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury and attention problems. Risk factors for attention problems posttraumatic brain injury examined in all articles were identified and grouped into broad categories of biological, psychological, and social factors. Methodological quality of each study was assessed using the modified Downs and Black checklist. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines from 2009 were used in completing this review. RESULTS Forty articles met inclusion criteria for this study. Overall findings were mixed but suggested that younger age at injury, presence of preinjury attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, poorer preinjury adaptive functioning, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer family functioning were associated with increased risk of developing attention problems posttraumatic brain injury. CONCLUSIONS Development of attention problems after pediatric traumatic brain injury is complex and influenced by an array of biologic, environmental/social, injury-related, and host factors. Evidence is mixed, and further study is needed to better understand the relationships between these factors and how they influence attention after traumatic brain injury. Nonetheless, screening for attention problems in children with risk factors may allow for earlier identification and intervention, minimizing negative impacts of attention problems after traumatic brain injury in children. Limitations of this study included heterogeneity of studies and overall low to moderate methodological quality of studies included as measured by the modified Downs and Black checklist. TO CLAIM CME CREDITS Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME. CME OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Describe the importance of recognizing and identifying attention problems after traumatic brain injury in children; (2) Identify risk factors for development of attention problems after pediatric traumatic brain injury; and (3) Recognize gaps in existing literature regarding predictors of attention problems after pediatric traumatic brain injury. LEVEL Advanced. ACCREDITATION The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Demographic, Clinical, and Prescribing Characteristics Associated with Future Opioid Use in an Opioid-Naive Population in an Integrated Health System.

INTRODUCTION Health systems and prescribers need additional tools to reduce the risk of opioid dependence, abuse, and overdose. Identifying opioid-naive individuals who are at risk of opioid dependence could allow for the development of needed interventions. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 23,804 adults in an integrated health system who had received a first opioid prescription between 2010 and 2015. We compared the demographic, clinical, and prescribing characteristics of individuals who later received a third opioid dispense at least 27 days later, indicating long-term opioid use, with those who did not. RESULTS The strongest predictors of continued opioid use were an initial prescription dosage of 90 morphine milligram equivalence or more; prescription of extended-release opioids, rather than short-release; and being prescribed outside of a hospital setting. Patients with a third prescription were also more likely to be older than 45 years, white, and non-Hispanic and to have physical comorbidities or prior substance abuse or mental health diagnoses. DISCUSSION Our findings are largely consistent with prior research but provide new insight into differences in continued opioid use by opioid type, prescribing location, ethnicity, and comorbidities. Together with previous research, our data support a pattern of higher opioid use among older adults but higher rates of diagnosed opioid abuse among younger adults. CONCLUSIONS By identifying population characteristics associated with continued opioid use following a first prescription, our data pave the way for quality improvement interventions that target individuals who are at higher risk of opioid dependence.
Abstract 17469: Comparing the Effect of CRT Implantation on Quality of Life in Older Patients Compared With Younger Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: CRT had been accepted as standard of care for patients with HFrEF who qualify for the therapy. The pivotal CRT trials enrolled patients significantly younger than the typical HFrEF pati...
Drugs, Drugs Everywhere But Just Not for the Poor

This article attempts to understand the legitimacy and limitations of US involvement in another country’s sovereign actions taken expressly in the public interest, or to protect public health, such as the compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals. The first section takes the example of compulsory licensing as a legitimate sovereign action and delineates its scope in the light of the international trade obligations under TRIPS. The second section discusses the rights and obligations of the USTR vis-a-vis the United States’ sovereign trading partners and how international trade obligations intersect with the rights of the USTR. The third section outlines the legality of the USTR’s actions in light of the United States’ international obligations. The fourth section discusses the question of whether — and if so, how — the other international organisations, particularly the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), can be involved in restoring the legitimacy of sovereign actions taken in the public interest. The article’s conclusion outlines the importance of co-ordination amongst international organisations as a critical element to achieve the objectives of the trade and developmental agenda.
An Unusual Case of Intraabdominal Abscess After a Colonoscopy With Polypectomy

The use of colonoscopies in the screening of colorectal cancers has helped in the early detection and treatment of these cancers. Less than 0.5% of patients develop colonoscopy complications, mostly bleeding, and less frequently, perforations. There have been very few reported cases of micro-perforations following colonoscopies. We present a case of a 66-year-old female smoker who had undergone a screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer with two polyps removed 3 weeks prior, who was brought to the hospital because of altered mental status and hypotension. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast demonstrated intraabdominal abscess which was drained by interventional radiology. A culture of the pus grew Streptococcus constellatus , a pus-forming bacterium. She was treated with ceftriaxone and metronidazole for a total of 6 weeks, and a repeat CT of abdomen and pelvis demonstrated complete resolution. The only contributing factor to the formation of the intraabdominal abscess was a screening colonoscopy with polypectomy, which might have caused micro-perforations in the colon with the seeding of Streptococcus constellatus . The occurrence of intraabdominal abscess following a colonoscopy is very rare, and requires a high index of suspicion in patients who present with sepsis following colonoscopies. J Med Cases. 2021;12(8):301-305 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3730
Enumeration in geometric lattices

The papers reprinted in this chapter are concerned with enumeration within a geometric lattice. They are closely related to papers on the Tutte decomposition reprinted in the next chapter.
Chapter 19. Modulation of Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) literature from late 1985 to the present and discusses the treatment of inflammatory diseases from the standpoint of biochemical interventions in the AA cascade. In-depth understanding of the underlying pathology has led to interest in the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism, and hence cell chemoattractants, such as the leukotrienes (LT), as mediators of inflammatory diseases. Clinical studies continue to demonstrate the efficacy of this class against pain and inflammation. Studies have also shown that some carboxylic acid NSAlDs possess mechanisms of action beyond their classical CO pathway inhibition. Clinical studies continue to demonstrate the efficacy of this class against pain and inflammation. Studies have also shown that some carboxylic acid NSAlDs possess mechanisms of action beyond their classical CO pathway inhibition. Flunoxaprofen, one of the enantiomers, decreases the amount of thromboxane B 2 and PGE 2 , but not LTB 4 present in the inflammatory exudate provoked by carrageenin-soaked sponges implanted in rats. It also reduces the number of infiltrating inflammatory cells. In a small trial with osteoarthritic patients, it was effective in reducing pain and improving joint motility, while displaying minimal side effects. Cinmetacin, an indomethacin analog, shows improved toleration, possibly related to the fact that it binds to albumin more tightly than does indomethacin. Because the action of these phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) and 5-LO/CO inhibitors more closely mimics to that of steroids on AA metabolism, these agents should in theory offer improved therapy over conventional NSAIDs. Furthermore, research into the role of other mediators, such as IL-1, has led to their identification as potential targets for drug intervention.
Defined competitive exclusion cultures in the prevention of enteropathogen colonisation in poultry and swine.

A competitive exclusion culture (CE) containing a mixture of 29 different bacterial isolates obtained from the cecae of broiler chickens was developed utilizing continuous-flow culture techniques. This culture (CF3) has been efficacious in controlling gut colonization by enteropathogens in both experimentally infected broilers and under commercial field conditions. In day-old broiler chicks provided CF3, and challenged with 10,000 CFU Salmonella typhimurium greater than a 99% reduction in Salmonella cecal colonization levels was observed compared to control chicks. Similarly, CF3 has also been shown to protect experimentally infected broiler chicks from cecal colonization by S. enteritidis (Phage types 4 and 13), S. gallinarum, Listeria Monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7. A commercial product was developed from CF3 and is sold under the tradename PREEMPT™. In a Food and Drug Administration approved, double blinded, pivotal field trial, chicks treated with PREEMPTT™ had significantly fewer salmonellae than untreated chicks at end-of-growout. This product is the first of its kind available to the U.S. poultry industry. Using similar technology a product has also been developed that decreases shedding of salmonellae in neonate and weaned pigs, and also has been shown to reduce mortality associated with enteropathogens in young pigs both in the laboratory and in a commercial swine herd.
Violence against women in Sierra Leone: frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence and forced sexual intercourse.

Violence against women is a significant public health problem which impacts women, men, and children. Little is known about the frequency or correlates of violence against women in Africa. In this cross-sectional study, we found that 66.7% of 144 women surveyed in a study of AIDS knowledge, attitude, and behaviours, report being beaten by an intimate male partner and 50.7% report having ever been forced to have sexual intercourse; 76.6% of women report either forced sex or intimate partner violence. Circumcised women were most likely to report intimate partner violence and forced sexual intercourse. To improve the health of women worldwide, violence against women must be addressed. (Afr I Reprod Health 1998;2(l):6l—72) KEY WORDS: Violence against women, female circumcision, rape, sexual assaults, women, Africa, intentional injury
Barriers and facilitators to treatment participation by adolescents in a community mental health clinic.

Accessible summary A large number of children drop out or stop attending their mental health counseling appointments before they actually complete all the needed treatment sessions. This is a problem because the children's behavior problems may get worse or affect their willingness to seek treatment in the future. We have not studied how the mental health clinics' daily operations and staff's behaviors may contribute to children, particularly teenagers, drop out from treatment. We asked 12 teenagers and their parents to tell us what about the mental health clinic helped them stay or leave treatment. Having long waits at counseling appointments, frequent changes in staff, and negative staff attitudes led to drop out from treatment. However, having staff who showed respect, involved teenagers and their parents in the counseling sessions, and communicated timely helped to decrease dropout. The parents suggested that provision of automated appointment reminders, transportation to clinics, and provision of education and support groups for caregivers will improve attendance to counseling sessions. Abstract An estimated 40–60% of children in mental health treatment drop out before completing their treatment plans, resulting in increased risk for ongoing clinical symptoms and functional impairment, lower satisfaction with treatment, and other poor outcomes. Research has focused predominately on child, caregiver, and family factors that affect treatment participation in this population and relatively less on organizational factors. Findings are limited by focus on children between 3 and 14 years of age and included only caregivers' and/or therapists' perspectives. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to identify organizational factors that influenced participation in treatment, with special attention to factors that contributed to dropout in adolescents. The sample included 12 adolescent–caregiver dyads drawn from two groups in a large public mental health provider database. Analysis of focus group interview data revealed several perceived facilitators and barriers to adolescent participation in treatment and provided several practical suggestions for improving treatment participation. Implications of the findings for psychiatric mental health nurses and other clinicians who provide services to families of adolescents with mental health concerns are discussed.
Mammary stem and progenitor cell regulation

Although mammary stem cells were first identified almost two decades ago, recent progress in the characterization of mouse and human mammary stem and progenitor cells has provided new insight into the regulation of their developmental hierarchy. In this review, we discuss the parameters that distinguish stem and progenitor cells from differentiated cells, as well as the signal transduction pathways that drive multilineage expansion. Lastly, we present the utility of modulating stem cell self-renewal through the use of inhibitors of the Notch and Wnt pathways.
Improved EPROM moisture performance using spin-on-glass (SOG) for passivation planarization

Plastic-encapsulated EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) moisture reliability is contingent on good passivation integrity. Step coverage of passivation becomes an issue when array metal pitch is reduced in high-density EPROMs. Planarizing the passivation with an intermediate spin-on-glass layer is shown to reduce the long-term stress failure rate by a factor of three and thus to improve EPROM performance in moisture. >
Reform in Hungarian Higher Education

proximately 10 percent, to 352,000, and are expected to drop even more in the next couple of years. The HDIs have borne the brunt of these declines, as far fewer black students are qualifying for university admission. Moreover, the black students who do qualify are deserting the HDIs and enrolling at the historically white institutions—especially the more research-oriented universities whose degrees are perceived (correctly, by almost any measure) to be of higher quality. Increasingly, South Africa’s more research-oriented universities are being called upon to educate the nation’s black elite while providing the technical expertise and research required for economic growth. South Africa needs to find a way to provide these universities with the support necessary to maintain their critical missions and to keep at least a few South African higher education institutions near the center of the knowledge system.
Identifying patients at high risk of breast cancer recurrence: strategies to improve patient outcomes

Identifying patients at high risk of breast cancer recurrence has important implications not only for enabling the ability to provide accurate information to patients but also the potential to improve patient outcomes. Patients at high recurrence risk can be offered appropriate treatment to improve the overall survival. However, the major challenge is identifying patients with early-stage breast cancer at lower risk who may be spared potentially toxic therapy. The successful integration of molecular assays into clinical practice may address the problem of overtreatment and improve overall patient outcomes.
The adherence-outcome relationship is not altered by diary-driven adjustments of microelectronic monitor data.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether diary-driven adjustment of Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) data based on Supporting Information strengthens the relationship between measured antiretroviral medication adherence and plasma HIV viral load (VL). Methods HIV+ adolescents on antiretroviral treatment were monitored with MEMS for 30 days preceding a VL measurement. The primary outcome was VL ≥ 400 copies/mL. Handwritten diaries were used to comprehensively record deviations from recommended use (bottle opened but dose not taken or bottle not opened and dose taken). Data were adjusted (“cleaned”) based on diary events. Data were “capped” at the prescribed number of doses/day. Receiver operator characteristic analysis compared the relationships between (i) raw MEMS data, (ii) diary-cleaned, (iii) capped, or (iv) cleaned and capped MEMS data and VL. Results Over 30 days preceding VL measurements, 273 adolescents had 465 diary events. Capping resulted in fewer patients classified as 95% adherent (65.2%) compared with raw data (71.4%), p < 0.001. Adherence was highly associated with VL (OR 1.05, p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for continuous adherence compared with VL was 0.89 (95%CI: 0.82–0.95). Neither diary-cleaning, capping, nor cleaning and capping MEMS data significantly altered the association between adherence and VL (p = 0.14, 0.40, and 0.19, respectively). Conclusion Medication Event Monitoring System data-cleaning based on diary entries did not affect the adherence–VL relationship. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential amygdalar response to novel versus newly familiar neutral faces: a functional MRI probe developed for studying inhibited temperament.

Abstract Background As a prelude to future studies of subjects with different temperaments, we sought to develop a probe to measure differential amygdalar responses to novel versus familiar stimuli. Prior neuroimaging studies of the amygdala in humans to date have focused principally on responses to emotional stimuli, primarily aversive, rather than to novelty per se. Methods Eight normal subjects aged 22.4 ± 1.3 years were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during passive viewing of novel and familiar faces. Results Using this newly developed paradigm, we found greater fMRI blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal response within the right amygdala to novel versus familiar faces—all with neutral expression. Furthermore, although a new facial identity was always presented in the novel condition, signal in the amygdala declined over time as it did for the familiar condition. Conclusions These results suggest that at least one primary function of the amygdala is to detect and process unexpected or unfamiliar events that have potential biological import, of which stimuli symbolic of fear or threat are but one possible example. We propose that this experimental paradigm will be useful for examining brain responses to novelty in different temperamental groups, as well as various psychiatric disorders.
The Antisocial Skin: Structure, Resistance, and “Modern Primitive” Adornment in the United States

The petty bourgeois, "driven to frenzy" by the horrors of capitalism, is a social phenomenon which, like anarchism, is characteristic of all capitalist countries. The instability of such revolutionariness, its barrenness, its liability to become swiftly transformed into submission, apathy, fantasy and even "frenzied" infatuation with one or another bourgeois "fad"-all this is a matter of common knowledge.
Floquet Scattering and Classical-Quantum correspondence in strong time periodic fields

We study the scattering of an electron from a one-dimensional inverted Gaussian atomic potential in the presence of strong time-periodic electric fields. Using Floquet theory, we construct the Floquet scattering matrix in the Kramers-Henneberger frame. We compute the transmission coefficients as a function of electron incident energy and find that they display asymmetric Fano resonances due to the electron interaction with the driving field. We find that the Fano resonances are associated with zero-pole pairs of the Floquet scattering matrix in the complex energy plane. Another way we ``probe'' the complex spectrum of the system is by computing the Wigner-Smith delay times. Finally, we find that the eigenphases of the Floquet scattering matrix undergo a number of ``avoided crossings'' as a function of electron Floquet energy, and this number increases with increasing strength of the driving field. These ``avoided crossings'' appear to be quantum manifestations of the destruction of the constants of motion and the onset of chaos in classical phase space.
Recent Advances in Analog, Mixed-Signal, and RF Testing

Due to the lack of widely applicable fault models, testing for analog, mixed-signal (AMS), and radio frequency (RF) circuits has been, and will continue to be, primarily based on checking their conformance to the specifications. However, with the higher level of integration and increased diversity of specifications for measurement, specification-based testing is becoming increasingly difficult and costly. As a result, design for testability (DfT), combined with automatic test stimuli generation, has gradually become a necessity to ensure test quality at an affordable cost. This paper provides an overview of cost-effective test techniques that either enhance circuit testability, or enable built-in self-test (BIST) for integrated AMS/RF frontends. In addition, we introduce several low-cost testing paradigms including the loopback testing, alternate testing, and digitally-assisted testing that offer the promise of significant test cost reduction with little or even no compromise in test quality. Moving forward, in addition to screening the defective parts, testing will play an increasingly important role in supporting other post-silicon quality assurance functions such as post-silicon validation, tuning, and in-field reliability of system chips.
The Self as a Responding--and Responsible--Artifact

: The powerful illusion of a unified, Cartesian self responsible for intentional action is contrasted with the biologically sounder model of competitive processes that yield an only partially coherent agency, and the existence of the illusion of self is explained as an evolved feature of communicating agents, capable of responding to requests and queries about their own decisions and actions.
Computational Design of Protein Interfaces with Receptor Flexibility

In this work, we computationally graft the binding epitope of various small proteins obtained from the RCSB database to bind to barnase, lysozyme, and trypsin using a previously derived and validated algorithm. In an effort to probe the protein complexes in a realistic environment, all native and designer complexes were subjected to a total of nearly 400 ns of explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The MD data led to an unexpected observation: some of the designer complexes were highly unstable and decomposed during the trajectories. In contrast, the native and a number of designer complexes remained consistently stable. The unstable conformers provided us with a unique opportunity to define the structural and energetic factors that lead to unproductive protein-protein complexes. To that end we used free energy calculations following the MM-PBSA approach to determine the role of non-polar effects, electrostatics and entropy in binding. Remarkably, we found that a majority of unstable complexes exhibited more favorable electrostatics than native or stable designer complexes, suggesting that favorable electrostatic interactions are not prerequisite for complex formation between proteins. However, non-polar effects remained consistently more favorable in native and stable designer complexes reinforcing the importance of hydrophobic effects in protein-protein binding. While entropy systematically opposed binding in all cases, there was no observed trend in the entropy difference between native and designer complexes. A series of alanine scanning mutations of hot-spot residues at the interface of native and designer complexes showed less than optimal contacts of hot-spot residues with their surroundings in the unstable conformers, resulting in more favorable entropy for these complexes. Finally, disorder predictions revealed that secondary structures at the interface of unstable complexes exhibited greater disorder than the stable complexes.
The influence of surface microstructure on the scratch characteristics of Kevlar fibers

In this work, nanoindentation and nanoscratching experiments are combined with atomic force microscopy to investigate the relationships between contact geometry, apparent friction, and deformation modes of two grades of Kevlar® (Dupont) fiber—Kevlar KM2 and Kevlar 49. Changes in the relative angle between the scratching probe and the fiber surface, often termed as the attack angle, result in changes in deformation mode, which correlate with the changes in the apparent friction. As attack angle increases, the observed deformation modes of the fiber surface change from a smoothing of the surface, often termed as ironing, to fibrillation, in which the fibrils break and coalesce in front of the progressing probe. A mixture of these two modes occurs at intermediate attack angles. When fibrillation occurs, material pile-up forms in front of the progressing probe. This pile-up introduces an additional component to the frictional response that is largely responsible for an increase in apparent friction with an increasing attack angle and/or scratch length. The level of friction associated with fibrillation is measured to be up to approximately three times higher than previously reported for Kevlar yarn–yarn friction. Fibrillation of Kevlar KM2 occurs at larger attack angles as compared to Kevlar 49, which is believed to be related to a near-surface region of reduced modulus and hardness previously observed in KM2 fibers. A detailed discussion of the measured response is given based on the interactions between the scratching probe and the fibrillar network and the resulting deformation mechanisms.
Dynamic properties of Taiwanese fertility, 1950-1972.

This extensive statistical study focuses on fertility patterns during the postwar period in Taiwan. The analytical technique is economic with socioeconomic variables generally considered the important determinants of fertility; on the other hand female education and labor force participation were seen to exert a strong negative effect on fertility. Taiwan has reduced birth rates nearly 50% in the period from the 1950s-1970s. In 1972 Taiwans birth rate/woman was 3.4 a 50% reduction from 1950 generally attributed to institution of a well-conceived family planning program in 1964. It is hypothesized that the socioeconomic forces (presented in 7 comprehensive tables) which influenced negatively the rate of births worked primarily to reduce excess rather than desired fertility. The clear connection between womens participation in the labor force and reduction in desired fertility leads to the suggestion that stronger economic incentives must be presented to women. Given the already wide availability and low cost of birth control devices further fertility reductions caused by expanded participation in the family planning program are not likely to reduce desired family size significantly. Instead it is argued that such reductions tend to occur slowly and to be associated with more economically meaningful roles for women. Analyzed on a cost-benefit basis the fertility control efforts of the Taiwanese government should be directed to achieving a synchronization between the skill levels demanded by the economy and those acquired in the system of higher education. Economic incentives for fewer births would then augment rather than offset the presently extant negative effects of slowly changing attitudinal variables and economic development. The formulation and usefulness of statistical methods are developed extensively within this article.
Interaction between Heat Shock Proteins and Antimicrobial Peptides

Drosocin, pyrrhocoricin, and apidaecin, representing the short (18-20 amino acid residues) proline-rich antibacterial peptide family, originally isolated from insects, were shown to act on a target bacterial protein in a stereospecific manner. Native pyrrhocoricin and one of its analogues designed for this purpose protect mice from bacterial challenge and, therefore, may represent alternatives to existing antimicrobial drugs. Furthermore, this mode of action can be a basis for the design of a completely novel set of antibacterial compounds, peptidic or peptidomimetic, if the interacting bacterial biopolymers are known. Recently, apidaecin was shown to enter Escherichia coli and subsequently kill bacteria through sequential interactions with diverse target macromolecules. In this paper report, we used biotin- and fluorescein-labeled pyrrhocoricin, drosocin, and apidaecin analogues to identify biopolymers that bind to these peptides and are potentially involved in the above-mentioned multistep killing process. Through use of a biotin-labeled pyrrhocoricin analogue, we isolated two interacting proteins from E. coli. According to mass spectrometry, Western blot, and fluorescence polarization, the short, proline-rich peptides bound to DnaK, the 70-kDa bacterial heat shock protein, both in solution and on the solid-phase. GroEL, the 60-kDa chaperonin, also bound in solution. Control experiments with an unrelated labeled peptide showed that while binding to DnaK was specific for the antibacterial peptides, binding to GroEL was not specific for these insect sequences. The killing of bacteria and DnaK binding are related events, as an inactive pyrrhocoricin analogue made of all-D-amino acids failed to bind. The pharmaceutical potential of the insect antibacterial peptides is underscored by the fact that pyrrhocoricin did not bind to Hsp70, the human equivalent of DnaK. Competition assay with unlabeled pyrrhocoricin indicated differences in GroEL and DnaK binding and a probable two-site interaction with DnaK. In addition, all three antibacterial peptides strongly interacted with two bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preparations in solution, indicating that the initial step of the bacterial killing cascade proceeds through LPS-mediated cell entry.
Reversible Wenckebach Type Atrioventricular Block Associated with Severe Coronary Artery Disease

A patient with severe angina pectoris and congestive heart failure had chronic Wenckebach-type atrioventricular block and episodes of syncope. Atropine abolished the block and prevented the Stokes-Adams attacks. Carotid sinus pressure, digoxin, and exercise increased the block; atropine prevented these effects.
Defensive Wars and the Reprisal Dilemma

I address a foundational problem with accounts of the morality of war that are derived from the Just War Tradition (JWT). Such accounts problematically focus on ‘the moment of crisis’: i.e. when a state is considering a resort to war. This is problematic because sometimes the state considering the resort to war is partly responsible for wrongly creating the conditions in which the resort to war becomes necessary. By ignoring this possibility, JWT effectively ignores, in its moral evaluation of wars, certain types of past wrongdoing. I argue that we can address this problem by incorporating an account of compensatory liability into an account of the morality of war. Doing so yields the view that, if we have culpably failed to compensate victims for past wrongs, we might be morally required to weigh the well-being of those victims more heavily in our calculation of proportionality when determining the permissibility of a defensive act that harms the victim as a side-effect. This, in turn, makes satisfying t...
Ordering preference and auditory transposition.

Ordering preference for 64 adults was determined by presenting sets of tones which could be ordered on either frequency or amplitude. Subjects were then assigned randomly to auditory discrimination and transposition tasks on either dimension. Results indicated that amplitude transposition is more likely regardless of ordering preference. A relationship was found between frequency preference and failure to transpose on frequency problems.
Melanoma of the vulva: An update

During the time interval 1950 through 1980, 48 patients having a mean age of 60.2 years were treated primarily for melanoma of the vulva. In all but one patient, a surgical therapeutic approach was selected, including 40 modified Basset procedures and 23 pelvic lymphadenectomies. The 5-year survival rate of the eligible population was 54%. Although surgical staging according to the classification established by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) was of minimal value, microstaging, using Clark's and Breslow's stratifications for assessing dermal penetration, was of prognostic significance. Ten-year survival rates associated with Clark's level II, III, IV, and V tumors were 100, 83, 65, and 23%, respectively. Histologic growth patterns (5-year survival rates of 71 and 38% for superficial spreading and nodular melanomas, respectively) and groin nodal metastasis were cogent prognostic factors and indirectly were related to depth of local tumor invasion. Likewise, assessment of treatment failures demonstrated a positive correlation between recurrences (specifically at distant sites) and Clark's level of melanocytic penetration. Because of the unacceptably high (32%) local treatment failure rate despite radical vulvar resection, treatment modifications for vulvar melanoma are imperative.
Perceived discrimination and international students' learning: an empirical investigation

At a time when the number of internationally mobile students worldwide has been growing steadily, the US share of this market has been declining. Since, as it is often claimed, international students are the best ambassadors for their host countries, an effective recruitment strategy is to enhance their learning experience, with the expectation that others will hear about it. In a post 9/11 environment, we focus on the importance of non-discriminatory environments to bring about successful learning outcomes, which we construe as academic performance and perceived quality of educational experience. We hypothesise that student engagement acts as a mediator in this relationship. We also investigate the moderating effect of perceived English proficiency in the relationship between discrimination and engagement. We find that (1) perceived discrimination has a strong, negative impact on educational experience, (2) the mediation primarily occurs through active and collaborative learning and (3) perceived English...
The geometry of decoration on prehistoric pueblo pottery from starkweather ruin

This paper contributes further data and analysis to a growing body of literature that use mathematics to enhance interpretation of a culture from styles of its artifacts. The mathematics employed is the classification of repeating patterns. The artifacts whose patterns are analyzed are specimens of prehistoric Pueblo pottery from Starkweather Ruin in New Mexico. The vessels are housed in the Logan Museum of Anthropology at Beloit College.(a)mathematical background on pattern analysis; (b)a survey of literature employing these techniques in an anthropological context; (c)data from observations on the complete corpus of decorated pottery vessels from Starkweather Ruin, a Mogollon-Pueblo site near Reserve, New Mexico; (d)commentary and analysis.
Management of low-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus.

Purpose of review This article discusses the various controversies that surround the management of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) in Barrett's esophagus. Recent findings Data on the clinical course of LGD patients with regards to rates of progression to high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) are highly variable. Recent data suggest that the rate of progression to EAC may be similar to that of patients with nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus (0.4-0.5% per year). There is significant interobserver variability in the diagnosis of LGD even among expert gastrointestinal pathologists. Data on various endoscopic eradication therapies (EET) specifically in this patient population are limited. Eradication of LGD and intestinal metaplasia can be achieved by radiofrequency ablation as demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial. Although treatment appears to be durable for up to 3 years, progression to HGD and EAC can occur, highlighting the need for close endoscopic surveillance even after EET. Summary There is a need to risk stratify Barrett's esophagus patients with LGD to identify patients most likely to progress using a reliable and objective system that incorporates clinical features, advanced imaging techniques and biomarkers. If such a high risk group could be identified, they may benefit from EET, whereas, the majority may be managed conservatively.
Second law analysis of industrial processes

Abstract An extensive industrial energy data base has been developed at the four-digit and sub four-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) level. The information includes typical process configurations (processes), energy and material flow rates, and temperatures for up to 25 separate unit operations in over 100 industrial processes. These processes represent the top 60 energy industries in the United States, and account for 75% of the industrial manufacturing energy consumption in this country. A thermodynamic availability analysis is presently being constructed using this data base to investigate industrial energy utilization. An approach has been developed to determine thermodynamic losses and second law analyses for the industrial processes and for the more than 50 generic classes of unit operations. Applications using this data base enable systematic investigations to be performed on most energy intensive industrial processes, and allow the overall effectiveness of industrial energy utilization to be gauged. Illustrative examples of this methodology and preliminary results for specific industrial processes will be presented in this paper. The application of thermodynamic availability and second law analysis will be assessed in both unit operations and in larger industrial sectors.
Finite-size scaling and the convective conductance and specific heat of planar helium films near the superfluid transition.

We have measured the convective conductance of saturated helium films at the superfluid transition. Our data show that the Kosterlitz-Thouless features of the transition established for thinner films are retained for all the films we have measured up to 156 A\r{}. The finite-size scaling hypothesis is examined, and it is found that the shift in transition temperature is governed by an exponent less than that of the three-dimensional correlation length. This result agrees with earlier results of the specific heat of films. A comparison of the conductance and specific-heat data shows that for films of equal thickness the divergence in the conductance is well below the temperature of the specific-heat maximum. While this is expected for the superfluid transition in two dimensions, we point out, however, that the specific-heat maximum for the thick films is not due to two-dimensional effects. We find that at both of these temperatures the three-dimensional phase correlation length would be substantially less than the thickness of the film.
Performance of wavefront sensing and control algorithms on a segmented telescope testbed

We have developed a focus-diverse phase retrieval algorithm to measure and correct wavefront errors in segmented telescopes, such as the Next Generation Space Telescope. These algorithms incorporate new phase unwrapping techniques imbedded in the phase retrieval algorithms to measure aberrations larger than one wave. Through control of a deformable mirror and other actuators, these aberrations are successfully removed from the system to make the system diffraction limited. Results exceed requirements for the Wavefront Control Testbed. An overview of these techniques and performance results on the Wavefront Control Testbed are presented.
Autophagy: a new target for advanced papillary thyroid cancer therapy.

Background Autophagy is a conserved response to stress that facilitates cell survival in some contexts and promotes cell death in others. We sought to characterize autophagy in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and to determine the effects of autophagy inhibition on chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity. Methods The human thyroid papillary carcinoma cell lines TPC-1 and 8505-C were treated with doxorubicin or radiation in the presence or absence of the autophagy-specific inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Results Although light chain 3 (LC3)-II protein levels were undetectable in normal thyroid and PTC specimens at baseline, doxorubicin exposure induced LC3-II expression and the formation of autophagosomes. Both PTC cell lines expressed low levels of LC3-II under standard conditions. Treatment of these cells with doxorubicin strongly induced LC3-II expression and the formation of autophagosomes; however, doxorubicin–mediated induction of LC3-II was abrogated by 3-MA. Moreover, 3-MA significantly increased the doxorubicin IC 50 in both PTC cell lines. Radiation exposure also induced LC3-II expression. Treatment with 3-MA abrogated the radiation–induced increase in LC3-II in both cell lines and reduced radiosensitivity by 49% and 31% in 8505-C and TPC-1 cells, respectively. Conclusion Autophagy inhibition promotes PTC resistance to doxorubicin and radiation. Therefore, autophagy activation may be a useful adjunct treatment for patients with PTC that is refractory to conventional therapy.
Hydrolysis of cyclic phosphates by ribonuclease A: a computational study using a simplified ab initio quantum model.

The second step in the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate esters by ribonuclease A (RNase A) was studied using an ab initio quantum-based model of the active site including constrained parts of three critical residues, His-12, His-119, and Lys-41, and a small substrate. The competition between release of the cyclic phosphate intermediate and subsequent hydrolysis following transphosphorylation was explored to determine the electronic factors that contribute to preferential intermediate product release observed experimentally. The structural and energetic results obtained at both the RHF and MP2 levels reveal several contributing factors consistent with experimental observation. Although the intrinsic electronic effects tend to favor hydrolysis slightly with an overall activation free energy of approximately 70 kJ mol(-1), entropic and environmental effects favor release of the cyclic phosphate intermediate over hydrolysis. Exploration of the second, hydrolysis step also revealed interesting similarity with the transphosphorylation step, including the observation of autocatalysis by the substrate. Moreover, both steps of the overall RNase A reaction reveal multiple pathways involving proton transfers to sites of similar proton affinities. The anionic phosphate in both steps can act as a stable proton binding site as protons are moved around the active site throughout the progress of the reaction. These results suggest autocatalysis may be representative of more general behavior in enzymes containing highly charged substrates, especially phosphates.
REFLEXIVITY IN PIGEONS

A recent theory of pigeons' equivalence-class formation (Urcuioli, 2008) predicts that reflexivity, an untrained ability to match a stimulus to itself, should be observed after training on two “mirror-image” symbolic successive matching tasks plus identity successive matching using some of the symbolic matching stimuli. One group of pigeons was trained in this fashion; a second group was trained similarly but with successive oddity (rather than identity). Subsequently, comparison-response rates on novel matching versus mismatching sequences with the remaining symbolic matching stimuli were measured on nonreinforced probe trials. Higher rates were observed on matching than on mismatching probes in the former group. The opposite effect—higher rates on mismatching than matching probes—was mostly absent in the latter group, despite being predicted by the theory. Nevertheless, the ostensible reflexivity effect observed in former group may be the first time this phenomenon has been demonstrated in any animal.
Survival of Guayule Transplants with Different Methods of Establishment

For guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) to develop as a competitive crop in areas suitable for dryland production, information is needed on methods to establish acceptable stands. The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of planting method, application of an antitranspirant, and the addition of small volumes of water at planting on the survival of guayule transplants under dryland conditions. The study was conducted on a Uvalde silty clay loam (fine, mixed, hyperthermic Aridic Calciustoll). Planting method, antitranspirant, and moisture level at planting significantly affected transplant survival. Plant survival rates were reduced when transplants were sprayed with an antitranspirant at planting. The addition of water at planting did not significantly affect the survival of transplants with root balls. Survival rates were significantly higher for transplants without root balls that received 200 mL of water per seedling at planting compared to transplants that received no water. A transplant survival rate of 93% or greater was achieved for transplants with root balls, and for transplants without root balls when a small volume of water was applied at planting. Technical Article no. 22674 of the Texas Agric. Exp. Stn.