cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Could Ceramides Become the New Cholesterol

The Mayo Clinic recently introduced a diagnostic test that quantifies plasma ceramides in order to identify patients at risk of major adverse cardiac events. By comparing recent discoveries about these biomarker ceramides with the exhaustive body of literature surrounding cholesterol, Summers aims to highlight important advances and critically needed areas of investigation on this exciting class of bioactive lipids.
Race, Sex, and Discrimination in School Settings: A Multilevel Analysis of Associations With Delinquency

BACKGROUNDAdolescence is a critical phase of development and experimentation with delinquent behaviors. There is a growing body of literature exploring individual and structural impacts of discrimination on health outcomes and delinquent behaviors. However, there is limited research assessing how school diversity and discrimination impact students' delinquent behaviors. In response, the purpose of this study was to assess if individual- and school-level indicators of discrimination and diversity were associated with student delinquent behaviors among African American and White students.METHODSWe analyzed Wave I (1994-1995) data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Our analysis was limited to 8947 African American and White students (73% White, 48% male, and 88% parent = high school education). We used multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial regression to test the association of individual- and school characteristics and discrimination with the number of self-reported delinquent behaviors.RESULTSRace, sex, perceived peer inclusion, and teacher discrimination were predictors of students' delinquent behaviors. The average school perceived peer inclusion and percentage of African Americans in teaching roles were associated with delinquent behaviors.CONCLUSIONSFindings from this study highlight the potential for intervention at the interpersonal and school levels to reduce delinquency among African American and White students.
Cellular milieu imparts distinct pathological α-synuclein strains in α-synucleinopathies

In Lewy body diseases-including Parkinson's disease, without or with dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Alzheimer's disease with Lewy body co-pathology 1 -α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates in neurons as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites 2 . By contrast, in multiple system atrophy α-Syn accumulates mainly in oligodendrocytes as glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) 3 . Here we report that pathological α-Syn in GCIs and Lewy bodies (GCI-α-Syn and LB-α-Syn, respectively) is conformationally and biologically distinct. GCI-α-Syn forms structures that are more compact and it is about 1,000-fold more potent than LB-α-Syn in seeding α-Syn aggregation, consistent with the highly aggressive nature of multiple system atrophy. GCI-α-Syn and LB-α-Syn show no cell-type preference in seeding α-Syn pathology, which raises the question of why they demonstrate different cell-type distributions in Lewy body disease versus multiple system atrophy. We found that oligodendrocytes but not neurons transform misfolded α-Syn into a GCI-like strain, highlighting the fact that distinct α-Syn strains are generated by different intracellular milieus. Moreover, GCI-α-Syn maintains its high seeding activity when propagated in neurons. Thus, α-Syn strains are determined by both misfolded seeds and intracellular environments.
Deposition and Removal of Glomerular Immune Complexes: Relationships to the Mononuclear Phagocyte System

The deposition of circulating immune complexes in renal glomeruli is well established experimentally. Their presence in glomeruli in human diseases is well documented also. The estimate has been made that over 90% of acute glomerulonephritis is caused by immune complexes. The reasons for the variations in the course and prognosis of glomerulonephritis are not known adequately at this time.
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES: THE PRODUCTION OF TAILOR-MADE SEROLOGICAL REAGENTS

Publisher Summary Immunoassays have been used to detect, quantitate, and localize small amounts of macromolecules in complex biological mixtures. Monoclonal antibodies are chemically defined reagents. Monoclonal antibodies have many benefits over conventional antisera. In addition to providing homogenous reagents that can be generated in large amounts and replenished whenever needed, particular monoclonals can be selected. Once a hybridoma producing a desired antibody has been identified, hundreds of milligrams of that antibody can be generated. These benefits have stimulated investigators, in all areas of biology, to generate monoclonal antibodies against the particular antigen that they are studying. Monoclonal antibodies can also be tailor–made by identifying subclones containing deletions in one or another domain. Such deletion variants have been generated from an IgG2b hybridoma producing antibody that reacts with hapten p-azophenylarsonate. Useful monoclonals can be made even more effective by isolating subclones that have undergone mutations or rearrangements.
Simple Quadrature Rules

In practice most definite integrals cannot be evaluated exactly. In such cases one must resort to various approximation methods, which can be quite complicated. Any method used to approximate a definite integral is called a quadrature rule. (Quadrature is any process used to construct a square equal in area to that of some given figure.) But in this chapter we see that even the simplest of quadrature rules can be useful, even when the exact value of the integral is known.
Abulia in a Concussed Athlete (IN5-1.010)

OBJECTIVE: This is an atypical presentation of a sports related concussion in a 14-year-old athlete with post-concussive abulia. BACKGROUND: While the majority of sports-related concussions present as headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion, and unsteadiness, there are other less common presenting symptoms such as mood disorders and irritability. Abuila is a disorder of diminished motivation with a reduction of spontaneous thought content and initiative. DESIGN/METHODS: In the case report we present a 14-year-old male who sustained a sports related concussion after falling during a high school basketball game. He injured the front of his head and initially complained of headache, nausea, and dizziness, which later progressed to symptoms of abulia. On neurologic examination he answered mental status questions appropriately but with a lack of emotion. The remainder of his neurologic exam was unremarkable. RESULTS: Our patient underwent a head CT scan that was unremarkable. All of his symptoms improved over the next three days with the exception of his abulia. This persisted for a total of ten days and then he spontaneously remitted back to his baseline and was able to begin the return to play protocol. CONCLUSIONS: While abulia is not a common symptom of sports related concussion, this case illustrates an interesting presentation of frontal lobe injury resulting in lack of emotion, apathy, and decreased motivation. It is important to recognize that in addition to the classic symptoms of sports concussions, less common symptoms exist such as impulsivity, depression, insomnia, and in this case, abulia. Disclosure: Dr. Madey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Williams has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bodle has nothing to disclose. Dr. Williams has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lehman has nothing to disclose.
Values of "S," , and for dosimetry using alpha-particle emitters.

In a recent paper [J. Nucl. Med. 38, 1923–1929 (1997)], the authors presented a dosimetry system which combines the computational ease of the MIRD schema with additional information provided by microdosimetry for use with alpha-particle emitters. In addition to the absorbed dose (average specific energy) to the targets (cell nuclei), this system gives the spread (standard deviation) in values of this specific energy received by individual targets. It also gives the fraction of targets receiving zero (or any number of) hits. In this paper, input quantities are presented for alpha-particle energies and cell and nuclear sizes appropriate for the radionuclides being investigated. The quantities include S values for the usual determination of the absorbed dose along with the microdosimetric quantities, 〈z 1 〉 and 〈z 1 2 〉, the average and average square, respectively, of the single-hit specific energy. Using analytical procedures described previously [Med. Phys. 19, 1385–1393 (1992)], the single-hit distributions of specific energy are determined for the given alpha-particle energies, source locations, and target sizes. From these distributions, the values for the input quantities are calculated. Sources considered are (1) those located inside and on the surface of the target cell and an unbounded source in the medium external to the cell; (2) those distributed uniformly on either side of a plane boundary or on the surface of the plane with a spherical target at various distances from the plane; and (3) those located either inside or on the surface of a spherical boundary centered externally to the target. Examples show how the input quantities are used to provide the spread in specific-energy values and the probability of any number of hits for nuclei of cells exposed to these sources. Thus a complete micro-dosimetric analysis involving the calculation of multi-hit specific energy distributions is not necessary to provide this information. Such information may be useful in interpreting the biological response due to alpha-particle emitters.
Promoting Healthy Aging Through Recognition and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders in Older Adults

Depression, anxiety, and substance-related and addictive disorders undermine healthy aging. Despite the stigma associated with being older, healthy aging has recently been the focus of research and a topic of media coverage. Interventions intended to assist with healthy aging are geared toward modifying risk factors for medical and psychiatric illnesses. These include increasing the amount of physical activity, decreasing alcohol consumption, maintaining social connections, and smoking cessation. The differential diagnosis of depression in older adults includes medical illnesses, dementia, and psychiatric problems such as bereavement and the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Depression symptoms in older adults may go unrecognized due to the false idea that developing depression symptoms represents normal aging. Unlike depression, anxiety disorders in older adults may not appear the same as in younger cohorts. Anxious older adults are more likely to report somatic complaints rather than psychological distress. Substance-related and addictive disorders are yet another source of preventable suffering in older individuals that may be overlooked by clinicians due to age-related biases. The first step in the evaluation of older adults with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance-related and addictive disorders is conducting a careful investigation of possible underlying medical conditions which could be causing the symptoms. Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are the first-line treatments for all of these disorders.
Nuclear (Bio)physics in the Embryo

Deneke et al. (2019) discover that dynamic interactions of cell cycle and actomyosin contractility systems synchronize nuclear cleavages, generating a cytoplasmic flow that results in a spatially uniform distribution of zygotic nuclei in the early Drosophila embryo. This work underscores the importance of self-organizing mechanisms before the onset of zygotic transcription.
The Relationship Between Depression, Anxiety, and Burnout Among Physician Assistant Students: A Multi-Institutional Study

Abstract Purpose Burnout, depression and anxiety are common in medical students; however, there is limited research on these outcomes in Physician Assistant (PA) students. With a growing number of PA education programs, examining this issue in PA students can provide important information that can ultimately affect the quality of educational outcomes and future health care delivery. Methods All Virginia PA programs (n = 8) in 2018 participated in a cross-sectional study. Students received a recruitment email providing a link to an anonymous survey. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-SS) student version, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and provided demographic information. We used two hierarchical linear regression models to assess the ability of depression and anxiety to predict emotional exhaustion and cynicism, respectively, while controlling for sociodemographic variables. The first regression model utilized emotional exhaustion as the dependent variable while the second examines cynicism. Results The sample consisted of 320 PA students (response rate = 32%). Twenty-three percent were at risk for depression; 43% met criteria for moderate to severe anxiety. Both anxiety (β = 0.53; p Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first examining the relationship between depression, anxiety and burnout in PA students. Our findings are similar to those from studies among medical students indicating these issues need to be addressed in PA students.
“We are the mayas”: Indigenous language revitalization, identification, and postcolonialism in the Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract This ethnographic, discourse analytic study elucidates a poorly understood area of applied linguistics : identity issues in Indigenous language education. Multi-year data – from large Yucatec Maya language programs that enrolled over 200 learners, including schoolteachers and Yucatec Maya-speaking university students – reveal a new stage of Indigenous ethnogenesis in the Yucatan, Mexico. European colonization has decimated countless Indigenous languages, and language revitalization represents a global movement for linguistic decolonization . I use postcolonial theory to explain how involvement in revitalization programs led students to form new self-understandings and representations of “Mayanness.” Specifically, participants deployed three processes of Indigenous identification: strategic essentialization, appropriation, and articulation. While anthropologists have previously asserted that Yucatec Maya speakers do not self-identify as “ethnic” Mayas, this research reveals that some now do. Additionally, this study advances theorization of Indigenous language revitalization, the postcolonial turn in applied linguistics, and the field more broadly by centering on “identification” – which conceptualizes identity-as-process.
Reef-associated fishes have more maneuverable body shapes at a macroevolutionary scale

Marine habitats vary widely in structure, from incredibly complex coral reefs to simpler deep water and open ocean habitats. Hydromechanical models of swimming kinematics and microevolutionary studies suggest that these habitats select for different body shape characteristics. Fishes living in simple habitats are predicted to experience selection for energy-efficient sustained swimming, which can be achieved by fusiform body shapes. In contrast, fishes living in complex habitats are predicted to be under selection for maneuverability, which can be enhanced by deep-bodied and laterally compressed forms. To look for a signature of these processes at a broad macroevolutionary scale, we quantified the body shapes of 3322 species of marine teleostean fishes using a series of linear measurements. We scored each species for whether they were reef-associated or not and tested for morphological differences using a phylogenetic framework. Our results confirmed significant overall shape differences between reef-associated teleosts and those occupying structurally simpler marine habitats. Reef-associated species have, on average, deeper bodies and higher depth-to-width ratios, while non-reef species are more streamlined with narrower and shallower caudal peduncles. Despite the numerous evolutionary forces that may influence body shapes on a broad macroevolutionary scale, our results reveal differences in body shapes between reef-associated and non-reef species that are consistent with hydromechanical models of swimming kinematics as well as with microevolutionary patterns.
Massively parallel Fourier-optics based processor

Performing feature extractions in convolution neural networks for deep-learning tasks is computational expensive in electronics. Fourier optics allows convolutional filtering via dot-product multiplication in the Fourier domain similar to the distributive law in mathematics. Here we experimentally demonstrate convolutional filtering exploiting massive parallelism (10^6 channels, 8-bit at 1kHz) of digital mirror display technology, thus enabling 250 TMAC/s. An FPGA-PCIe board controls the ‘weights’ and handles the data I/O, whereas a high-speed camera detects the inverse-Fourier transformed (2nd lens) data. Gen-1 processes with a total delay (including I/O) of ~1ms, while Gen-2 at 1-10ns leveraging integrated photonics at 10GHz and changing the front-end I/O to a joint-transform-correlator (JTC). These processors are suited for image/pattern recognition, super resolution for geolocalization, or real-time processing in autonomous vehicles or military decision making.
Interdisciplinary Faculty-Led Summer Study Abroad Linking Liberal Arts and Professional Programs

This paper describes a faculty-led summer program in Madrid, Spain. We argue that it represents a case study in the implementation of best practices in study abroad, particularly as it relates to e...
Gender Imbalances and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Large-Scale Mexican Migration

We study the consequences of international migration on labor market outcomes in a developing country. Specifically, we look at the case of Mexico, where large-scale international migration has led to significant declines in the male/female ratio. We explore whether this results in Mexican women entering high-skilled and better paying jobs over time. This question is relevant since there has been an increase in women's education and labor force participation across the developing world, but less evidence of improvements in the gender wage gap. Using an instrumental variables strategy that relies on historical migration patterns, we find that when there are relatively fewer men, women are more likely to work, have high-skilled jobs, and some earn higher wages. These results are robust to the inclusion of state, age group, and year fixed effects, and to different measures of migration and data sources. We explore investments in human capital as a key mechanism. We find that the gains in schooling are concentrated among women with the same average level of education of the men who migrate. From an aggregate perspective, these improvements in job type and wages are important given that higher female income may benefit the status, education, and health of both women and children, which in turn increases a country's development and growth. Our findings are among the few that show some movement toward improvements in the gender wage gap in a developing country setting.
Optimizing Gait Libraries via a Coverage Metric.

Many robots move through the world by composing locomotion primitives like steps and turns. To do so well, robots need not have primitives that make intuitive sense to humans. This becomes of paramount importance when robots are damaged and no longer move as designed. Here we propose a goal function we call "coverage", that represents the usefulness of a library of locomotion primitives in a manner agnostic to the particulars of the primitives themselves. We demonstrate the ability to optimize coverage on both simulated and physical robots, and show that coverage can be rapidly recovered after injury. This suggests that by optimizing for coverage, robots can sustain their ability to navigate through the world even in the face of significant mechanical failures. The benefits of this approach are enhanced by sample-efficient, data-driven approaches to system identification that can rapidly inform the optimization of primitives. We found that the number of degrees of freedom improved the rate of recovery of our simulated robots, a rare result in the fields of gait optimization and reinforcement learning. We showed that a robot with limbs made of tree branches (for which no CAD model or first principles model was available) is able to quickly find an effective high-coverage library of motion primitives. The optimized primitives are entirely non-obvious to a human observer, and thus are unlikely to be attainable through manual tuning.
Maternal perceived stress and the increased risk of preterm birth in a majority non-Hispanic Black pregnancy cohort.

Objective To determine whether perceived stress is associated with preterm birth (PTB) and to investigate racial differences in stress and PTB. Study design A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 1911 women with singleton pregnancies examined responses to psychosocial stress questionnaires at 16-20 weeks of gestation. Results High perceived stress (19%) and PTB (10.8%) were prevalent in our sample (62% non-Hispanic Black). Women with PTB were more likely to be Black, have chronic hypertension (cHTN), pregestational diabetes, and higher BMI. Women with high perceived stress had more PTBs than those with lower stress (15.2% vs. 9.8%), and stress was associated with higher odds of PTB (aOR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.09-2.19). Conclusion The significant association between high perceived stress and PTB suggests that prenatal interventions to reduce maternal stress could improve the mental health of pregnant women and may result in reduced rates of PTB.
Neuropathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that is caused by novel SARS-CoV-2 virus and has been declared a global pandemic due to its community transmission across several countries. Although it has a profound impact on the respiratory system, it is also associated with severe extrapulmonary manifestations. The variety of neurological symptoms reported in patients with COVID-19 could be attributed to one of the several mechanisms that cause injury to the nervous system and which have been previously postulated to cause similar effects in the context of other viral infections arising from the coronavirus family. However, the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to invade the nervous system remains controversial and unclear. In this chapter, we describe the postulated mechanisms of neuroinvasion and neurological injury in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can be useful for identifying potential drug targets and provide a comprehensive summary of the currently available reports addressing the neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV-2.
Is the Author Dead or Alive to be Problematic

Roland Barthes’ discourse is very often referenced while discussing the concept of reader- response theories. On the other hand, Foucault is rarely remembered. The latter is directly and critically responding to the former though both agree that the Author is an unnatural, historical phenomenon that has unfortunately received mythological, heroic status and aim to contradict and complicate this status. The present paper establishes that their methods are radically and drastically different in the sense that “The Death of the Author” actively attempts to kill the Author and foregrounds the notion of reader, and “What is an Author?” casually submits to the inevitability of the death and further problematizes the notions of author and text. Besides, English literature academics in India neither see the death nor disappearance of the author, nor distinguish between author and writer, nor see text as a problem. This is evident in their language of explication and interpretation in the classroom and in their research theses. They continue to privilege the author/writer over the reader unproblematically.
Examining human perception of weight during loaded standing and walking

While the psychophysics of weight perception may help assess the effort needed in manual material handling tasks, the perception of weight is subjective and not necessarily accurate. The purpose of...
Impacts of Laboratory Curing Condition on Indirect Tensile Strength of Cold In-Place Recycling Mixtures Using Foamed Asphalt

Cold in-place recycling (CIR) layer is normally covered by a wearing surface in order to protect it from water ingress and traffic abrasion while obtaining the required pavement structure and texture. Currently, various agencies have differing moisture content requirements prior to placement of the wearing surface based either on the total moisture content in the mixture or the increase in moisture content from the pavement prior to recycling. The industry standard for this curing time is 10 to 14 days or a maximum moisture content of 1.5 percent. The main objective of this research is to develop technically sound methods to identify minimum in-place CIR properties necessary to permit placement of the HMA overlay through the laboratory curing process. Indirect tensile strength and moisture content of CIR mixtures were measured from the specimens with two different curing procedures: uncovered and semi-covered. Based upon the limited test results, both the length of the curing time and the moisture content significantly affect the indirect tensile strength of the CIR mixtures. It should be noted that, given a similar moisture level, the longer curing period would produce the higher indirect tensile strength.
Wireless iVCG optimization using a least-squares fit

We are designing an integrated wireless Vectorcardiogram (iVCG) that is portable and placed on the chest of the patient and is capable of recording and transmitting cardiac rhythm signals. We present a solution to the problem of transforming the three VCG component signals to the familiar 12-lead ECG for the convenience of cardiologists. The least squares (LS) method is employed on the VCG signals and the reference (training) orthogonal ECG subset (leads I, aVF and V2) to obtain a 3×3 transformation matrix to generate the real-time ECG signals from the VCG signals. In future, we will apply this method to obtain all 12 leads of the 12-lead ECG. With this capability, the iVCG may become a truly transformative wireless medical device enabling continuous (24×7) cardiac diagnosis.
Mesospheric and lower thermospheric dynamics

Studies of the dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere are reviewed. Attention is given to prevailing winds, mean vertical motions, tidal winds, and stratospheric warmings. Semiempirical models, compatibility of measurement techniques, and availability of data are also discussed.
Governing Lethal Behavior: Embedding Ethics in a Hybrid Deliberative/Reactive Robot ArchitecturePart 2: Formalization for Ethical Control

This paper, the second in a series, provides the theory and formalisms for the implementation of an ethical control and reasoning system potentially suitable for constraining lethal actions in an autonomous robotic system. so that they fall within the bounds prescribed by the Laws of War and Rules of Engagement. It is based upon extensions to existing deliberative/reactive autonomous robotic architectures.
Stock Market Liquidity and the Cost of Raising Capital

This paper shows that stock market liquidity is an important determinant of the cost of raising external capital. Using 2,387 seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) from 1993-2000, we find that, after controlling for other factors, investment banks charge lower fees to firms with more liquid stocks. We also find that the time to complete an SEO declines with the level of market liquidity. These results imply that stock market liquidity may affect the value of a firm through its effect on flotation costs.
Pion properties in a hot πNΔ gas

Abstract Based on a recent meson-exchange model for the vacuum ππ interaction we compute self-consistently the in-medium ππ scattering amplitude and pion self-energy in a hot πNΔ gas. The contributions to the pion self-energy are calculated from the ππ T-matrix as well as from p-wave interaction with nucleons and thermally abundant Δ's. Results are presented for two scenarios believed to be realized in the relativistic heavy-ion collisions performed at the GSI-SIS and the CERN-SpS. Possible implications for the observed soft-pion enhancement at both SIS and SpS are indicated.
Postoperative Care Using a Secure Online Patient Portal: Changing the (Inter)Face of General Surgery

Background Many patients seek greater accessibility to health care. Meanwhile, surgeons face increasing time constraints due to workforce shortages and elevated performance demands. Online postoperative care may improve patient access while increasing surgeon efficiency. We aimed to evaluate patient and surgeon acceptance of online postoperative care after elective general surgical operations. Study design A prospective pilot study within an academic general surgery service compared online and in-person postoperative visits from May to December 2014. Included patients underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, umbilical hernia repair, or inguinal hernia repair by 1 of 5 surgeons. Patients submitted symptom surveys and wound pictures, then corresponded with their surgeons using an online patient portal. The primary outcome was patient-reported acceptance of online visits in lieu of in-person visits. Secondary outcomes included detection of complications via online visits, surgeon-reported effectiveness, and visit times. Results Fifty patients completed both online and in-person visits. Online visits were acceptable to most patients as their only follow-up (76%). For 68% of patients, surgeons reported that both visit types were equally effective, while clinic visits were more effective in 24% and online visits in 8%. No complications were missed via online visits, which took significantly less time for patients (15 vs 103 minutes, p Conclusions In this population, online postoperative visits were accepted by patients and surgeons, took less time, and effectively identified patients who required further care. Further evaluation is needed to establish the safety and potential benefit of online postoperative visits in specific populations.
Role of multimodel combination and data assimilation in improving streamflow prediction over multiple time scales

In hydrologic modeling, various uncertainty sources may arise due to simplification/representation of real-world spatially distributed processes into the modeling framework, such as uncertainty due to model structure, initial conditions and input errors. One approach that is currently gaining attention to reduce model uncertainty is by optimally combining multiple models. The rationale behind this approach is that optimal weights could be derived for each model during the model combination process so that the developed multimodel predictions will result in improved predictability. Another approach—data assimilation—is gaining popularity in reducing uncertainty by deriving updated initial conditions recursively from the current available observations to reduce overall uncertainty by minimizing the error covariance matrix of state variables. In this paper, an experimental design is proposed to test the performance of both approaches, multimodel combination and data assimilation, in improving the hydrologic prediction at daily and monthly time scales. The experimental design is constructed on a synthetic basis such that the ‘true’ model structure and streamflow values are known. We evaluated the performance of multimodel combination and data assimilation through the experimental design at monthly and daily time scales, then compare how uncertainty due to initial conditions and hydrologic model can be dominant at the respective time scales. For the multimodel combination, we combined the models by evaluating the model performance conditioned on the predictor state. For data assimilation, the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) was adopted to test its usefulness through the same experimental design. Results from the synthetic study showed that under increased model uncertainty, the multimodel algorithm consistently performed better than the single model predictions and the EnKF algorithm in terms of all performance measures at monthly time scale. However, under daily time scale, the multimodel algorithm did not performing better than the EnKF algorithm in most of the model uncertainty cases. Findings from the synthetic study was also consistent upon application in predicting streamflow at daily and monthly time scales for a watershed in North Carolina.
Expression of AMPA-selective glutamate receptor subunits in morphologically defined neurons of the mammalian cochlear nucleus

Glutamate and related amino acids mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the vertebrate CNS via ligand-gated cationic channels in the neuronal membrane. These channels are composed of different subunits that assemble into a functional receptor/channel complex. Although studies have shown that these subunits are differentially expressed in neurons, few studies have quantitatively addressed the cell-specific expression of glutamate subunits in relation to known glutamatergic pathways. In the vertebrate auditory system, glutamate is the proposed neurotransmitter of the auditory nerve and parallel fiber pathways. In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to localize AMPA-selective glutamate receptor subunit mRNAs in seven cell types of the rat cochlear nucleus. GluR1-GluR4 AMPA- selective subunits were all expressed in cochlear nucleus neurons; however, the subunits expressed in identified cells varied with the cell type. Granule cells, previously not known to receive glutamatergic input, expressed GluR2 and GluR4 subunits. Cartwheel and stellate interneurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, which receive parallel fiber input, expressed all four subunits. Neurons receiving synaptic input from the auditory nerve, including globular, round, spherical, and fusiform cells, expressed GluR2, GluR3, and GluR4 subunits. Furthermore, a subpopulation of round cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus, and fusiform cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, expressed the GluR3 subunit at greatly reduced levels compared to neighboring cells. The results confirm the auditory nerve and parallel fiber pathways as glutamatergic and identify a third synaptic population, projecting to granule cells, which is likely glutamatergic. The data suggest that the composition of GluR1-GluR4 subunits on neurons in the cochlear nucleus may be related to presynaptic input; moreover, heterogeneous patterns of expression of the GluR3 subunit, in addition, suggest that variability in mRNA levels within one population of morphologically defined cells is present.
Anorexia nervosa: Empirical basis for the restricting and bulimic subtypes

Abstract The future revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) will describe diagnostic criteria for two anorexia nervosa subgroups: a binge eating or bulimic subtype, and a severe food restriction subtype. The present literature review will help orient nutrition and dietetic students, educators and researchers to the empirical bases for these subtypes. Available research on these two subtypes is equivocal. However, some important trends have emerged. Compared with restricting anorexics, bulimic anorexics are described by others as being significantly more unhappy during childhood and displaying a greater range of impulsive behaviors. In addition, bulimic anorexics have a higher lifetime prevalence of formal mood disorders, tend to use more alcohol and drugs, and tend to meet the criteria for DSM III-R Cluster B Personality disorders rather than those for Cluster C. Also, the bulimic subtype tends to have a more chaotic family environment. Finally, more patients of the bulimic subtype seem to show subaverage bone density, suggesting a higher risk for chronic osteoporosis. The present review discusses the significant research and treatment implications of the differences between these anorexic subtypes.
Inferential Genotyping of Y Chromosomes in Latter-Day Saints Founders and Comparison to Utah Samples in the HapMap Project

One concern in human genetics research is maintaining the privacy of study participants. The growth in genealogical registries may contribute to loss of privacy, given that genotypic information is accessible online to facilitate discovery of genetic relationships. Through iterative use of two such web archives, FamilySearch and Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, I was able to discern the likely haplotypes for the Y chromosomes of two men, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, who were instrumental in the founding of the Latter-Day Saints Church. I then determined whether any of the Utahns who contributed to the HapMap project (the "CEU" set) is related to either man, on the basis of haplotype analysis of the Y chromosome. Although none of the CEU contributors appear to be a male-line relative, I discovered that predictions could be made for the surnames of the CEU participants by a similar process. For 20 of the 30 unrelated CEU samples, at least one exact match was revealed, and for 17 of these, a potential ancestor from Utah or a neighboring state could be identified. For the remaining ten samples, a match was nearly perfect, typically deviating by only one marker repeat unit. The same query performed in two other large databases revealed fewer individual matches and helped to clarify which surname predictions are more likely to be correct. Because large data sets of genotypes from both consenting research subjects and individuals pursuing genetic genealogy will be accessible online, this type of triangulation between databases may compromise the privacy of research subjects.
The sensitivity of substance abuse treatment intensity to co-payment levels.

This study exploits variation in co-payment levels among different contractual arrangements within a regional managed behavioral health care organization to estimate the relationship between co-payment levels for substance use treatment services and the intensity of substance use treatment. The substance use treatment benefits involved a range of co-payment levels across nearly 400 employers during the years 1993 through 1998. Multiple regression techniques were used to estimate the effect of co-payment levels on treatment intensity. The results indicate that co-payment levels had a significant negative effect on outpatient and inpatient substance use treatment. For outpatient treatment the effect on intensity implied a co-payment elasticity of −0.18, implying that moving from a $10 co-payment to a $20 co-payment would result in, for example, a reduction from 5 to 4 outpatient visits per episode. However, the effect was larger for persons with combined alcohol and drug use disorders, as they exhibited a co-payment elasticity of −0.27. For inpatient days, the co-payment elasticity was considerably smaller at −0.017. Given the benefits of maintaining persons with substance use disorders in treatment, employers may have an incentive to take steps to minimize the barriers to treatment.
Ethical decision making in the emergency department: The R.O.L.E. acronym for four areas of consideration

Summary The major principles that guide ethical decision making are the principles of autonomy, beneficence , and justice . Of these, the overriding principle is that of autonomy , "…to recognize that person's capacities and perspective, including his or her right to hold views, to make choices, and to take actions based on personal values and beliefs." 8 Attaining this goal can be challenging in any health care setting, but especially so in an emergency setting where frequently there is limited time, history, and access to information about the patient's prior expressed wishes or values. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that the difficulties of the ED practice setting do not negate our responsibility to act ethically. According to the ENA Code of Ethics, "Emergency nurses provide care based on ethical principles such as reverence for life and respect for personal freedoms." 7 Knowledge of both ethical principles and relevant laws and policies will ensure sound decision making in the ED setting.
Specific mutations in the ligand binding domain selectively abolish the silencing function of human thyroid hormone receptor beta

Abstract Although most nuclear hormone receptors are ligand-dependent transcriptional activators, certain members of this superfamily, such as thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR), are involved in transcriptional repression. The silencing function of these receptors has been localized to the ligand binding domain (LBD). Previously, we demonstrated that overexpression of either the entire LBD or only the N-terminal region of the LBD (amino acids 168-259) is able to inhibit the silencing activity of TR. From this result we postulated the existence of a limiting factor (corepressor) that is necessary for TR silencing activity. To support this hypothesis, we identified amino acids in the N-terminal region of the LBD of TR that are important for the corepressor interaction and for the silencing function of TR. The silencing activity of TR was unaffected by overexpression of the LBD of mutant TR (V174A/D177A), suggesting that valine at position 174 and/or aspartic acid at position 177 are important for corepressor interaction. This mutant receptor protein, V174/D177, also lost the ability to silence target genes, suggesting that these amino acids are important for silencing function. Control experiments indicate that this mutant TR maintains its wild-type hormone binding and transactivation functions. These findings further strengthen the idea that the N-terminal region of the LBD of TR interacts with a putative corepressor protein(s) to achieve silencing of basal gene transcription.
Computer‐Based Work Monitoring: Electronic Surveillance and Its Effects

Substantial developments in new office technologies over the past two decades have dramatically transformed today's white-collar workplace. One of these developments, computer-based work monitoring, has enabled employers to continually or intermittently monitor employees in real time or on a delayed basis, with or without their knowledge or permission, at levels and in a manner previously unattainable. This introductory article to this special issue outlines the current status of computer monitoring in the U. S., delineates its major advantages and disadvantages, and provides examples of early research on the topic by the author and others. Factors likely to moderate the acceptance and effectiveness of computer monitoring systems are discussed and implications for work and social relationships in the workplace are considered. An overview of the four special issue articles reporting the results of experiments assessing the effects of computer monitoring on the performance of workers and supervisors is then provided.
Relative Virulence of Six Isolates of Beauveria bassiana on Diuraphis noxia (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The virulence of six isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin to the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), was bioassayed. All the isolates tested were capable of infecting D. noxia , but their virulence, determined by LC50's and LT50's, varied. An aphid-derived isolate had the lowest LC50, 0.57 × 105 conidia/ml, and among the shortest LT50's at all five concentrations of conidial suspension. Two isolates from nonhomopteran hosts and one from an homopteran also displayed significant virulence and were very similar to one another, whereas two Homoptera-derived isolates were significantly less virulent. Log-transformed concentrations and post-treatment time (days) were correlated with probit-transformed mortality induced by each of the isolates. The resulting models, using third-order polynomials, gave good predictions of mortality within the range of concentrations tested. Colony growth rates for four isolates were relatively similar. Differences in virulence among the tested isolates are discussed in conjunction with their geographic origins, insect hosts, and growth and sporulation characteristics.
Gobi versus PHC? Some dangers of selective primary health care

This article enters the debate concerning comprehensive versus selective primary health care by focussing on UNICEF's 'child survival revolution'. It is argued that UNICEF is dangerously mistaken in believing that its present emphasis on selective primary health care is a precursor or 'leading edge' of comprehensive primary health care. The approach of UNICEF--diffusion of a package of technologies by campaigns organized from the top down--is more likely to undermine the social basis for comprehensive care. The kinds of implementation UNICEF has chosen in order to minimize costs and maximize impact on child mortality, namely 'social marketing' via mass media and massive, ad hoc delivery systems seriously undermine the development of grassroots organization among parents and primary health care workers. Indigenuous, local organizations are distorted and limited to conduits of a delivery system. Needs are defined outside the communities affected. In addition, UNICEF's so-called revolution has in common with other selective approaches an ideology accepting as inevitable the health effects of economic crisis in the 1980s, further undermining the confidence of local groups and health workers who might otherwise conceive of their desire to control health conditions as a right. The UNICEF interventions popularly known as GOBI-FFF are 'targetted' at individuals, in particular 'ignorant' mothers. As such they are especially destructive to the process of group formation and self-organization of the poor around their just demands for water and sanitation, land, shelter, and employment. This article concludes that UNICEF's GOBI should either be abandoned or integrated into comprehensive primary health care programs that put parents and local workers in control and that emphasize continuing political struggle for health rights.
Petrology and precursors of lithic clasts from feldspathic fragmental breccia 67975

Textures and mineral chemistry (by INAA) of five lithic clasts, including both light green and light gray clasts, from feldspathic fragmental breccia 67975 were studied. The presence of five rock types was confirmed: feldspathic microporphyritic melt breccia, metamorphosed mafic-rich melt breccia with zoned and mantled clasts, 'typical' reequilibrated lunar feldspathic granulites with granoblastic texture and homogeneous mineral chemistry, hornfels, and a recrystallized mafic-rich granulite with relict igneous texture and the composition of a ferroan anorthositic norite. The mineralogy and textural data corroborate the grouping of the light green clasts proposed by Lindstrom (1984). However, the light gray clasts do not appear to be coherent in petrologic (or chemical) characteristics; one is a plagioclase-rich, possibly monomict rock with ferroan anorthositic precursor(s), and the other represents a mixture of feldspathic granulite and ferroan anorthositic norite lithologies.
Bayesian Approaches for Limited Dependent Variable Change Point Problems

Limited dependent variable (LDV) data are common in political science, and political methodologists have given much good advice on dealing with them. We review some methods for LDV ‘‘change point problems’’ and demonstrate the use of Bayesian approaches for count, binary, and duration-type data. Our applications are drawn from American politics, Comparative politics, and International Political Economy. We discuss the tradeoffs both philosophically and computationally. We conclude with possibilities for multiple change point work.