cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analyzing test items: using item response theory to validate assessments

As professional educators we produce a large number of assessments for our students to complete. These assessments or exams are often evaluated informally based upon student feedback and simple measures such as average score on a question. This paper highlights another more rigorous approach to item evaluation, and presents an evaluation of several items from an assessment as examples of the type of information that Item Response Theory can provide.
Damage Visualization via Beamforming of Frequency-Wavenumber Filtered Wavefield Data

The development of effective damage imaging and characterization tools is a challenging task because of the dispersive and multi-modal nature of Lamb waves. An additional problem is the need for baseline data that is required by a number of existing techniques. This paper presents the development of imaging algorithms applied to filtered wavefield data received from piezoelectric disc sources. Frequency-wavenumber filtering is used to separate incident/backscattered waves and individual wave modes. Filtered data are provided as input to imaging algorithms that detect damage and estimate its location. The implementation of incident and backscattered waves separation procedures avoids the need for a baseline, while mode separation permits the analysis of modes that are most sensitive to damage. The proposed algorithm is verified experimentally for damage detection on an aluminum plate.
Assessment of frequent cutting as a plant-community management technique in power-line corridors

Repeated cutting of vegetation at or near ground level in power-line corridors is a common practice for inhibiting tree growth and regeneration. However, few data exist on long-term community responses. In this study, we sampled 20 northern Kentucky power-line corridors and compared their seedling and sapling communities to the edges and interiors of adjacent undisturbed forests. Mean seedling and sapling density in corridors was roughly twice that of adjacent undisturbed forest interiors, suggesting that repeated cutting is not a viable method of inhibiting tree regeneration. Corridor communities were dominated byRobinia pseudoacacia (black locust) andFraxinus americana (white ash), but ordinations indicated strong similaritties among communities in corridors and adjacent forests. Many of the tree species found in adjacent forests, with the exception of a few shade-tolerant species, had highest seedling and sapling densities in corridors. Stump or root sprouting by many species appears to regenerate forests quickly after cutting. However, disturbed soil and detritus accumulations caused by management crews and their equipment may also create a large variety of microsites for seedling establishment. Because repeated cutting selects for dominance by species with highest sprout growth rates, it should not be used as the sole management technique. It may instead be used to alter the vigor, stature, and stored reserves of trees so that herbicides or other methods of tree control can be used more efficiently.
Tritanopia with Abnormally Heavy Ocular Pigmentation

The chromaticity confusions characteristic of tritanopia may be represented on the (x, y)-chromaticity diagram by a family of straight lines intersecting at a copunctal point near the shortwave extreme of the spectrum locus. A case of congenital tritanopia is reported that departs from typical tritanopia, first by having a luminosity function abnormally curtailed on the shortwave end, second by having chromaticity confusions among object colors describable by straight lines on the (x, y)-plot intersecting in an area surrounding the spectrum locus at 460 mμ instead of near the shortwave extreme, and third by confusing incandescent lamp light at a color temperature of 2900°K with the spectrum at 586 mμ instead of the typical tritanopic value of 579 mμ. It has been found that all three of these disagreements with typical tritanopia are to be expected from a tritanope possessing normal macular pigmentation combined with an ocular pigment five times normal. We believe, therefore, that this case of atypical tritanopia departs from typical tritanopia because of abnormally heavy ocular pigmentation.
The effect of growth hormone treatment on the insulin-like growth factor axis in a child with nonislet cell tumor hypoglycemia.

We have previously described a case of tumor-associated hypoglycemia secondary to the production of high molecular weight insulin-line growth factor (IGF)-II in a child with congenital neuroblastoma. The child's hypoglycemia resolved with GH therapy and has continued to be well controlled for 1 yr. This represents one of the first cases of nonislet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) treated successfully with long-term exogenous GH. We now present an in-depth analysis of the IGF axis in this patient, before and after GH treatment. Although IGF-II levels at presentation were in the normal range, they were inappropriate for the patient's low GH state. Furthermore, the percentage of "big" IGF-II was elevated, as was the level of the IGF-IIE peptide, which is normally cleaved in the processing of the mature peptide. On the initial evaluation, GH levels failed to rise in response to hypoglycemia, IGF-I levels were low, IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels were suppressed, and IGFBP-2 levels were elevated. We hav...
Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptor Binding and Function Are Decreased in Psoriatic Dermal Endothelium

T lymphocytes adhere to dermal microvascular endothelial cells (DMEC) as the first step in their emigration from the blood vasculature into diseased skin. Earlier studies have shown that the adhesiveness of cultured DMEC from normal skin for lymphocytes can be blocked by transforming growth factor- β 1 (TGF- β 1). In contrast, TGF- β 1 has no effect on the adhesive properties of DMEC from psoriatic plaques, and this response is attenuated by the addition of interleukin-4 (IL-4). In the present study, we show that both TGF- β 1 and TGF- β 2, and to a lesser extent TGF- β 3 isoforms block the ability of normal but not psoriatic DMEC to bind lymphocytes. Pretreatment with TGF- β 1 selectively inhibited the tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α )-stimulated expression of E-selectin on normal DMEC but had no effect on psoriatic DMEC. Scatchard analysis revealed both low- and high-affinity receptors on normal DMEC. The baseline number of high-affinity TGF- β receptors was significantly reduced on psoriatic DMEC, whereas IL-4 treatment of DMEC altered the binding affinity but not the number of receptors. The protein and mRNA transcripts of type I and type II TGF- β receptor genes were detectable in psoriatic DMEC. A reduction in the autophosphorylation of the TGF- β type II receptor protein, a constitutively active serine/threonine kinase, however, was detected in psoriatic DMEC. These in vitro findings suggest that reduction of TGF- β receptor expression and function may contribute to lymphocyte infiltration into psoriatic plaques in vivo by allowing dermal microvascular endothelium to escape from the negative regulation by TGF- β .
The fate of radiolabeled steroids in ovaries and eggs of the tobacco hornworm,Manduca sexta.

To determine the precursors and the fate of 26-hydroxyecdysone in eggs, the fate of labeled putative ecdysteroid precursors was examined in the tobacco hornworm,Manduca sexta. Following injection of [14C]cholesterol, 22,25[14C]dideoxyecdysome or [3H]ecdysone into female pupae (day 16), only [14C]cholesterol was incorporated and metabolized. It was converted to labeled nonecdysteroid and ecdysteroid conjugates, of which the latter in ovaries and 48- to 64-hr-old eggs is mainly 26-hydroxyecdysone 26-phosphate (>85% in ovaries). Quantitation of the ecdysteroid conjugate by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) showed that the levels of 26-hydroxyecdysone 26-phosphate were 31 μg/g of ovaries from 4-day-old females and 25 μg/g and 17 μg/g of 48- to 64-hr-old and 72- to 88-hr-old eggs, respectively. The RP-HPLC of the conjugate fraction of 48- to 64-hr-old eggs showed an additional peak of radioactive material eluting about three min before the 26-hydroxyecdysone 26-phosphate. The quantity of this material increased in the 72-to 88-hr-old eggs, though it was not detected in the analyses of the conjugate fraction from ovaries. Additional peaks of radioactive material eluting before the 26-hydroxyecdysone 26-phosphate peak were observed in the chromatogram of the conjugates of 72- to 88-hr-old eggs. These radioactive materials need to be identified to determine the ultimate fate of ecdysteroids in the developing embryos of the tobacco hornworm. No radioactive free ecdysteroids were detected in either egg age group.
High-resolution observations of the 6815-Å band of methane in the major planets

High-resolution (0.1-A) spectra of the 6815-A band of methane are presented for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Spectra for Uranus, Neptune, and the equatorial region of Saturn were acquired with the SPIFI (Smith, Hicks, and Born (1978) at the 2.2-m telescope of the Mauna-Kea Observatory during May and June 1980. Additional spectra were obtained for Jupiter and the northern temperate and polar regions of Saturn in December 1980 and January 1981 from Kitt Peak National Obsevatory's McMath Solar Telescope. The spectra show a dichotomy in strength of methane absorption between Jupiter-Saturn and Uranus-Neptune. A simple model analysis, based on homogeneous scattering models, is unable to resolve whether this dichotomy is due to an actual increase in the methane mixing ratio with solar distance or to the temperature dependence of line strengths and absorption pathlengths in these atmospheres. If the rotational quantum number for the prominent 6818.9-A feature is J less than 4, then significant aerosol extinction must exist within the visibly accessible portion of Uranus' atmosphere for the methane mixing ratio to be greater than the solar value.
Cue selection in hypothesis generation: Reading habits, consistency checking, and diagnostic scanning☆

Abstract Two experiments investigated retrieval cue selection in hypothesis generation. In both experiments, subjects completed six hypothesis generation problems. Then a surprise recall test was given to measure which data a subject attended while generating a hypothesis. Subject's patterns of data recall were categorized as to whether (a) reading habits, (b) reading habits and consistency checking, or (c) diagnostic scanning was used to select cues during hypothesis generation. In Experiment 1, subjects were instructed to generate hypotheses that were consistent with all problem data. Experiment 2 required subjects to report the first hypothesis suggested by problem data. Subjects in both experiments generally used reading habits and consistency checking to select cues to retrieve hypotheses from memory. These results provide converging evidence concerning the existence of consistency checking, a predecisional process first described by S. D. Fisher, C. F. Gettys, C. Manning, T. Mehle, and S. Baca(1983, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 31, 233–254). Of the three cue selection strategies, diagnostic scanning, although seldom used, resulted in the highest probability of generating correct hypotheses. Although this finding is impressive, little evidence was found concerning the general use of diagnostic scanning in hypothesis generation.
Pressure and temperature dependence of the elastic properties of synthetic MnO

The adiabatic elastic stiffness constants of synthetic single-crystal MnO were measured in this study using pulse superposition interferometry. Data were obtained up to 1.0 GPa in pressure and over the temperature range 273 to 473 K. As a result, we were able to determine the complete set of second-order stiffness moduli (Cijs) and their pressure and temperature derivatives, as well as higher-order properties for selected modes. Relevant results for the adiabatic bulk modulus are: Ks=155.1±0.8 GPa; (∂Ks/∂P)T=4.70±0.13; and, (∂Ks/∂T)P= -0.0203±0.0009 GPa/K. Our results for the second-order moduli are generally consistent with the data from previous studies. However, relative to the estimated uncertainties, small and systematic discrepancies appear to characterize the data set. The available evidence indicates that the differences result from microstructural variations (in particular, microcracks and Mn3O4 inclusions) between the synthetic MnO specimens used in different investigations. The pure shear mode C44 exhibits anomalous soft-mode behavior with both temperature (the ambient derivative is positive) and pressure (the ambient derivative is negative). In both cases the C44 data trends appear to primarily reflect the influence of Mn-Mn magnetoelastic interactions associated with the onset of a paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic (PM → AFM) phase transition.
The Endocrinology of Aging

Physiologic systems have substantial reserves in younger individuals. The process of aging and intercurrent pathologic processes gradually eliminate these reserves. Changes in endocrine systems, including menopause in women, androgen deficiency in men, loss of skeletal mass, decrease in growth hormone serum concentrations, and increased incidence of type 2 diabetes are all more common or certain in older individuals. This review summarizes the progression of each of these processes with age, the potential outcomes of the untreated process, and the treatment outcomes for these age-related losses. Maintenance of a premenopausal lipid profile presumably protects against cardiovascular events. Maintenance of skeletal mass reduces fracture risk and risk for loss of mobility and independence. Testosterone replacement in hypogonadal older men improves strength and presumably function and independence. Growth hormone therapy is reported to have similar effects. Improvement of long-term outcomes in older type 2 diabetics, however, is more difficult to demonstrate.
Competition and patterns of resource use among seedlings of five tropical trees grown at ambient and elevated CO2.

Seedlings of five tropical trees, Cecropia obtusifolia, Myriocarpa longipes, Piper auritum, Senna multijuga and Trichospermum mexicanum, were grown both as individuals, and in competition with each other at ambient (350) and two levels of elevated CO2 (525 and 700 μl l-1) for a period of 111 days. Growth, allocation, canopy architecture, mid-day leaf water potential and soil moisture content were assessed three times over this period for individually grown plants, and at the end of the experiment for competitively grown plants. In addition, leaf photosynthesis and conductance were assessed for the individually grown plants midway through the experiment, and light profile curves were determined for the competitive arrays at three stages of development. Elevated CO2 did not affect photosynthesis or overall growth of the individually-grown plants but did affect canopy architecture; mean canopy height increased with CO2 in Piper and Trichospermum and decreased in Senna. Stomatal conductance decreased slightly as CO2 increased from 350 to 525 μl l-1 but this had no significant effect upon whole plant water use of leaf water potential. Soil moisture content for the individuals increased marginally as CO2 increased, but this did not occur in the competitive arrays. There was a marked effect of CO2 upon species composition of the competitive arrays; Senna decreased in importance as CO2 increased while Cecropia, Trichospermum and Piper increased in importance. Stepwise regression analysis using competitive performance as the independent variable, and the various morphological and physiological parameters measured on the individually grown plants as independent variables, suggested that canopy height was the single most important variable determining competitive ability. Also significant were photosynthetic rate (particularly at low light levels) and allocation to roots early in the experiment. Light profiles in the canopy revealed that less than 15% of incident light penetrated to the level of mean canopy height. Results suggest that competition for light was the major factor determining community composition, and that CO2 affected competitive outcome through its affect upon canopy architecture.
Rubella Seronegativity in a Low Socioeconomic Adolescent Female Population

Ninety low socioeconomic adolescent females (aged 16-22 years, means 18.6 years) were screened for rubella immunity using a rubella IgG enzyme immunoassay. Data concerning past immunizations (with documentation, if possible), prior rubella disease, and previous pregnancies were gathered through direct interviews. Results revealed 20 percent (18/90 girls) were seronegative. Fifty-eight percent (42/72) of the seropositive girls and 50 percent (9/18) of the seronegative girls gave verbal reports of previous rubella immunization, but only 11 subjects (12.2%) could provide documentation of previous vaccination, including one seronegative subject. Thirty-one percent (28/90) of the study population had a history of one or more previous pregnancies (22 therapeutic abortions, 10 live births, and 8 spontaneous abortions). A comparison of the seronegativity rate between the 28 girls who were pregnant previously and the 62 girls who were never pregnant demonstrated a significantly higher seronegativity rate among those who had been pregnant (29% vs. 16%; chi 2 = 5.51; p less than 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the seronegativity rate in this age group is consistent with previous reports of rubella immunity, few adolescents can provide documentation of rubella vaccination, and presentation for abortion is an optimal time to vaccinate rubella susceptible females.
A study of BGaN back-barriers for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

We study the use of a BGaN back-barrier layer in the GaN buffer of Al y Ga1 −y N/GaN highelectron mobility transistors to improve confinement of carriers in the 2D electron gas region. Unlike InGaN back-barrier designs, whose polarization-induced sheet charges form an electrostatic barrier at the backbarrier/ buffer interface, BGaN back-barrier designs create an electrostatic barrier at the channel/backbarrier interface. This can result in carrier confinement to sub-15 nm thickness, even when the channel is 30 nm wide. Although polarization sheet charges due to the BGaN back-barrier form a secondary well at the back-barrier/buffer interface, increasing the thickness of the back-barrier may move the secondary well so that it no longer interacts with the primary channel.
The Indiana University Cognitive Health Outcomes Investigation of the Comparative Effectiveness of dementia screening (CHOICE) study: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Dementia affects over 4 million people in the US and is frequently unrecognized and underdiagnosed in primary care. Routine dementia screening in primary care is not recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force due to lack of empirical data on the benefits and harms of screening. This trial seeks to fill this gap and contribute information about the benefits, harms, and costs of routine screening for dementia in primary care. Single-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled clinical trial with 1:1 allocation. A total of 4,000 individuals aged ≥65 years without a diagnosis of dementia, cognitive impairment, or serious mental illness receiving care at primary care practices within two cities in Indiana. Subjects will be randomized to either i) screening for dementia using the Memory Impairment Screen Telephone version or ii) no screening for dementia. Subjects who screen positive for dementia will be referred to the local Aging Brain Care program that delivers an evidence-based collaborative care model for dementia and depression. Research assistants will administer the 15-item Health Utility Index, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 months. Information about advanced care planning will be collected at baseline and 12 months. All enrollees’ medical records will be reviewed to collect data on health care utilization and costs. We have two primary hypotheses; first, in comparison to non-screened subjects, those who are screened and referred to a dementia collaborative care program will have a higher health-related quality of life as measured by the Health Utility Index at 12 months post-screening. Second, in comparison to non-screened subjects, those who are screened and referred to a dementia collaborative care program will not have higher depression or anxiety at one month post-screening as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale scales. Our secondary hypothesis is that screened subjects will have an Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio below the maximum acceptable threshold of $60,000 per quality adjusted life year saved at 12 months. Ongoing; registered on September 19, 2012. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: 2012 NCT01699503 .
Domestic violence sentencing: coefficient to a natural process that already reduces recidivism simply as a function of aging

Research on domestic violence (DV) sentencing, post-conviction, has mostly focused on incarceration and re-education programs, ignoring more than a dozen other components of the criminal sentence. Therefore, little is known, overall, about the breadth of DV sentencing, antecedents that may shape the content of the sentence, and a possible relationship between the criminal sentence and a theorized natural process believed to significantly reduce DV recidivism simply as a function of aging. Data from this empirical study (N = 1,810) reveals rates of female DV recidivism decrease by about 2.56% per year, between ages 22–61, and males by about 3.13% per year between ages 28–60. These data closely match Federal Bureau of Investigation rates for recidivism, by age and sex, for violent crime in general. The study also identified 16 sentencing components used by judges in DV cases. Logistic regression on data from a randomly selected subset (n = 366), using the 16 sentencing components as dichotomous outcomes, regressed against 49 antecedent variables, illuminated a number of factors that have a significant relationship with the content of individual DV sentences, including many extra investigative actions that police officers can operationalize when investigating DV crime. Confirmation of a natural process that diminishes rates of DV recidivism as a function of aging demonstrates the need to factor this effect into any equation designed to assess the effectiveness of DV sentencing, or re-education/treatment programs upon rates of recidivism. It also confirms that the natural process is an important part of the milieu in which the criminal sentence is operationalized. The results also demonstrate the need for police to thoroughly investigate all DV crime, and to list multiple charges whenever the facts support doing so, because doing so significantly raises rates of inclusion of several sentencing components.
Parallel task scheduling for the block data flow architecture

An important issue in the development of high performance computer architectures is how to automatically partition algorithms for parallel execution. The cyclostatic realization method (CRM) is identified as a basis for an effective mapping methodology to achieve automatic partitioning. The paper develops an advanced mapping methodology for the block data flow architecture (BDFA) based on CRM. Weaknesses in the existing methodology are identified and an effective, generalized methodology for correcting these weaknesses is proposed. Several key factors are investigated: a system-wide average iteration period for multiple input streams, the effect of communication overhead, and the influence of network topology. The enhanced mapping methodology is applied to the BDFA for a 2D 2nd order IIR filter.
Daily and seasonal evapotranspiration and yield of irrigated alfalfa in southern Idaho

Daily water-use data are needed for the development of modern irrigation scheduling techniques, the optimum allocation of water and energy resources, and improved irrigation management practices. This field study was conducted to measure evapotranspiration (ET) of well-irrigated alfalfa (Medicago satin L.) in the arid region of southern Idaho. The relationship of ET to forage yield was also investigated. The soil was Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, meek Durixerollk Calciorthids) common to much of the region. Daily and seasonal ET data were calculated for seven growing seasons from measurements obtained with mechanical weighing lysimeters equipped with electronic load cells. Daily alfalfa ET was highly variable. It occasionally exceeded 10 mm d ' and averaged 8 nun d ' during peak ET periods. From April through October, measured ET averaged 1022 mm for three harvests per season for 5 yr when soil water was nonlimitiog. Corresponding average forage yield was 17.6 Mg ha ' (120 g kg -' water content) giving an overall water requirement of 58.1 mm (depth equivalent) to produce 1 Mg ha of forage (581 M3 Mg ') for a water-use efficiency of 17.2 kg ha mm '. Harvest period and seasonal ET appear linearly related to pan evaporation and forage yield. The actual ET of well-irrigated, high-yielding alfalfa may be as much as 50% greater than previous estimates indicated for southern Idaho.
MicroRNA Regulation of Cardiovascular Functions

In the past decade, microRNAs (miRNA) have emerged as important regulators of posttranscriptional gene regulation, thereby “fine-tuning” the levels of gene expression during development and stress. miRNA are 22-nucleotide RNA molecules that are derived from intronic, exonic, or pseudogenic DNA. miRNA is processed by the enzymes Drosha and Dicer and can hybridize to the 3′-untranslated region of mRNA loaded onto the RNA-induced silencing complex. miRNA can then regulate mRNA and protein levels by promoting RNA decay or interfering with mRNA translation into protein. In the cardiovascular system, miRNA have been profiled …
Genetic responses of the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to short-wavelength UV light.

The archaea which populate geothermal environments are adapted to conditions that should greatly destabilize the primary structure of DNA, yet the basic biological aspects of DNA damage and repair remain unexplored for this group of prokaryotes. We used auxotrophic mutants of the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to assess genetic and physiological effects of a well-characterized DNA-damaging agent, short-wavelength UV light. Simple genetic assays enabled quantitative dose-response relationships to be determined and correlated for survival, phenotypic reversion, and the formation of genetic recombinants. Dose-response relationships were also determined for survival and phenotypic reversion of the corresponding Escherichia coli auxotrophs with the same equipment and procedures. The results showed S. acidocaldarius to be about twice as UV sensitive as E. coli and to be equally UV mutable on a surviving-cell basis. Furthermore, UV irradiation significantly increased the frequency of recombinants recovered from genetic-exchange assays of S. acidocaldarius. The observed UV effects were due to the short-wavelength (i.e., UV-C) portion of the spectrum and were effectively reversed by subsequent illumination of S. acidocaldarius cells with visible light (photoreactivation). Thus, the observed responses are probably initiated by the formation of pyrimidine dimers in the S. acidocaldarius chromosome. To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence of error-prone DNA repair and genetic recombination induced by DNA damage in an archaeon from geothermal habitats.
Preparation of Calcium-Loaded Liposomes and Their Use in Calcium Phosphate Formation

Liposome encapsulation technology has been used to entrap aqueous calcium salts within dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine lipid vesicles, which were then used to form calcium phosphate minerals. The calcium encapsulation efficiency was found to depend upon a number of factors that included calcium salt concentration, vesicle size, lipid concentration, and method of vesicle preparation. Removal of unencapsulated calcium by ion exchange resulted in calcium-loaded liposome suspensions with calcium concentration as high as 85 mM. Addition of inorganic phosphate to the calcium-loaded liposomes resulted in liposome suspensions that, although highly supersaturated with respect to calcium phosphates, exhibited metastability as a result of the physical separation of calcium (intravesicular) and phosphate (extravesicular) ions. Calcium ion release and mineral formation was activated by a bilayer-to-micelle mesophase transformation induced by the addition of lipid surfactant. Characterization of the mineral product by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy revealed the formation of apatite and brushite mineral under basic and acidic conditions, respectively. The potential use of calcium-loaded liposomes for in situ formation of mineral for medical and dental applications is discussed.
Life-threatening histoplasmosis complicating immunotherapy with tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists infliximab and etanercept.

Objective Two tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) antagonists were recently licensed in the US. Infliximab was licensed in 1998 for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD), and since 1999, it has been licensed in combination with methotrexate for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Etanercept was licensed in 1998 for treatment of RA and, more recently, for juvenile RA and psoriatic arthritis. Because of potential immunosuppression related to use of anti-TNFα agents, we sought to identify postlicensure cases of opportunistic infection, including histoplasmosis, in patients treated with these products. Methods The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) passive surveillance database for monitoring postlicensure adverse events was reviewed to identify all reports received through July 2001 of histoplasmosis in patients treated with either infliximab or etanercept. Results Ten cases of Histoplasma capsulatum (HC) infection were reported: 9 associated with infliximab and 1 associated with etanercept. In patients treated with infliximab, manifestations of histoplasmosis occurred within 1 week to 6 months after the first dose and typically included fever, malaise, cough, dyspnea, and interstitial pneumonitis. Of the 10 patients with histoplasmosis, 9 required treatment in an intensive care unit, and 1 died. All patients had received concomitant immunosuppressive medications in addition to infliximab or etanercept, and all resided in HC-endemic regions. Conclusion Postlicensure surveillance suggests that acute life-threatening histoplasmosis may complicate immunotherapy with TNFα antagonists, particularly infliximab. Histoplasmosis should be considered early in the evaluation of patients who reside in HC-endemic areas in whom infectious complications develop during treatment with infliximab or etanercept.
Implicit state enumeration of finite state machines using BDD's

The authors propose a novel method based on transition relations that only requires the ability to compute the BDD (binary decision diagram) for f/sub i/ and outperforms O. Coudert's (1990) algorithm for most examples. The method offers a simple notational framework to express the basic operations used in BDD-based state enumeration algorithms in a unified way and a set of techniques that can speed up range computation dramatically, including a variable ordering heuristic and a method based on transition relations. >
Getting What We Asked For, Getting What We Paid For, and Not Liking What We Got: The Vanishing Civil Trial

The current dearth of civil trials may result from two converging trends in civil practice: twentieth-century procedural reforms and associated changes in the organization and financing of legal practice. The procedural reforms required greater pre-trial investigation of facts. Pre-trial investigation often required litigants to make regular investments of substantial capital, access to which was facilitated by changes in the organization of plaintiffs’ practices. Together, these procedural reforms and changes in practice structure provide a plausible explanation for the observed phenomenon of declining rate and number of civil trials.
LLC converters with automatic resonant frequency tracking based on synchronous rectifier (SR) gate driving signals

In this paper, a novel switching frequency control scheme to track the resonant frequency point (f 0 ) is proposed. First, the synchronous rectifier (SR) gate driving signals are well tuned with proposed universal adaptive SR driving scheme by eliminating the body diode conduction. Then, the novel pulse width locked loop with digital implementation is presented to minimize the pulse width difference between main switch and well tuned SR gate driving signals, making LLC always operate at f 0 point.
Brief Report of a Test of Differential Alcohol Risk Using Sibling Attributions of Paternal Alcoholism

Objective:Parental alcoholism is generally found to be a strong predictor of alcohol misuse. Although the majority of siblings agree on the presence of parental alcohol issues, there is a significant minority who do not.Method:The current study analyzed sibling data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth using multilevel modeling, which accounts for the nested structure of the data. These analyses permitted a test of whether (a) identifying one's father as an alcoholic predicted greater risk of alcohol problems, (b) being from a family whose siblings did not all agree on the presence of paternal alcoholism increased the likelihood of alcohol problems, and (c) risk of alcohol misuse significantly differed among individuals from families in which there was familial disagreement about paternal alcoholism.Results:Results show that individuals who identified their father as an alcoholic were themselves more likely to have alcohol issues as compared with individuals both within and between families...
Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Coumarin-Based Esterase-Sensitive Cyclic Prodrugs of Peptidomimetic RGD Analogs with Improved Membrane Permeability

Earlier, we reported the development of a coumarin-based prodrug system that could be used for the preparation of cyclic prodrugs of opioid peptides. These cyclic prodrugs exhibited excellent membrane permeability characteristics. Therefore, it was of interest to determine the effects of this prodrug strategy on the membrane permeabilities of peptidomimetics which also have low membrane permeabilities. For this study, we have chosen two RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptidomimetics, which have the potentials to be developed clinically as orally active antithrombotic agents. However, the clinical development of oral dosage forms of these RGD analogs has been hindered by their low intestinal mucosal permeability. Therefore, we have synthesized the corresponding coumarin-based cyclic prodrugs of these RGD peptidomimetics, which have the two most polar functional groups, a carboxyl and an amino group, masked as an ester and an amide, respectively. These cyclic prodrugs were shown to have higher membrane interaction potentials, as estimated by their partitioning between aqueous buffer and an immobilized artificial membrane, than the corresponding RGD analogs suggesting that they should exhibit good membrane permeation characteristics. Subsequently, in a separate study these cyclic prodrugs were shown to be 5 to 6-fold more able to permeate monolayers of Caco-2 cells, an in vitro cell culture model of the intestinal mucosa barrier, than the corresponding RGD peptidomimetics.
An International Look at the Growth of Modern Finance

Studies of long-run evolution of the fi nance industry have largely focused tudies of long-run evolution of the fi nance industry have largely focused on the United States. These studies reveal three key facts: 1) the share of on the United States. These studies reveal three key facts: 1) the share of aggregate income spent on fi nancial intermediation is time varying; 2) the aggregate income spent on fi nancial intermediation is time varying; 2) the unit cost of fi nancial intermediation is relatively fl at; and 3) the pattern of changes unit cost of fi nancial intermediation is relatively fl at; and 3) the pattern of changes in human capital and wages in fi nance relative to the whole economy exhibits a in human capital and wages in fi nance relative to the whole economy exhibits a U-shape over the twentieth century. In this paper, we ask whether these facts hold U-shape over the twentieth century. In this paper, we ask whether these facts hold for a set of other economies with similar levels of development. for a set of other economies with similar levels of development. Over the long run, the US fi nancial sector has grown in two waves: The fi rst Over the long run, the US fi nancial sector has grown in two waves: The fi rst lasted from (at least) 1860 to the 1930s; and then, following a sharp decline, the lasted from (at least) 1860 to the 1930s; and then, following a sharp decline, the second wave starts in 1950 and lasts to the present. The long-run trend of second wave starts in 1950 and lasts to the present. The long-run trend of the income share of fi nance in the United States is similar to that in a number the income share of fi nance in the United States is similar to that in a number of other now-industrial economies, although—as Figure 1 illustrates—the exact of other now-industrial economies, although—as Figure 1 illustrates—the exact pattern varies by country. A few features in Figure 1 stand out. First, in all of pattern varies by country. A few features in Figure 1 stand out. First, in all of these countries—except Finland, for a brief period—fi nance’s share of income these countries—except Finland, for a brief period—fi nance’s share of income today is signifi cantly higher than it has been during the last 150 years. Second, today is signifi cantly higher than it has been during the last 150 years. Second, the overall trend is upward, although periods of decline are evident; in particular, the overall trend is upward, although periods of decline are evident; in particular, there are sharp drops in Australia after 1888 and in Canada and the United States there are sharp drops in Australia after 1888 and in Canada and the United States after 1933 following severe depressions. Third, while the Netherlands, the United after 1933 following severe depressions. Third, while the Netherlands, the United
Event-Related Potential Correlates of Long-Term Memory for Briefly Presented Faces

Electrophysiological studies have investigated the nature of face recognition in a variety of paradigms; some have contrasted famous and novel faces in explicit memory paradigms, others have repeated faces to examine implicit memory/priming. If the general finding that implicit memory can last for up to several months also holds for novel faces, a reliable measure of it could have practical application for eyewitness testimony, given that explicit measures of eyewitness memory have at times proven fallible. The current study aimed to determine whether indirect behavioral and electrophysiological measures might yield reliable estimates of face memory over longer intervals than have typically been obtained with priming manipulations. Participants were shown 192 faces and then tested for recognition at four test delays ranging from immediately up to 1 week later. Three event-related brain potential components (e.g., N250r, N400f, and LPC) varied with memory measures although only the N250r varied regardless of explicit recognition, that is, with both repetition and recognition.
Congenital midline cervical cleft.

A 3-year-old boy presented with a midline skin defect in the center of the neck. On examination, a 6 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide lesion extending from hyoid bone to the suprasternal notch was noted. There was a nipple like skin hood at the cranial end of the defect with a sinus at the caudal part.
Regulation of endothelial NO synthase mRNA stability: RNA-binding proteins crowd on the 3'-untranslated region.

Poised at the interface between the bloodstream and underlying vascular smooth muscle, the endothelium produces nitric oxide (NO), a free radical with critical roles in regulating multiple vascular cell functions including vascular tone. In addition, NO modulates the interaction between circulating blood elements and the blood vessel wall. The enzyme responsible for NO production in endothelial cells, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS or NOS3), is also expressed outside the vasculature in cell types such as platelets, cardiac myocytes, neurons, and bronchial epithelial cells. Thus, insights gained from understanding the mechanisms regulating eNOS function in endothelial cells are likely to have important implications beyond vascular biology. Initially referred to as a “constitutive” NOS, levels of eNOS in endothelial cells were thought to be static with enzyme activation achieved via calmodulin binding in response to increased [Ca2+]i. However, following the generation of eNOS-specific antisera and the isolation of cDNAs encoding eNOS, research from many laboratories has painted a new picture of the mechanisms controlling eNOS activity with the identification of multiple additional regulatory steps (reviewed in Reference 11 ), including posttranslational modification (phosphorylation, myristoylation, palmitoylation), intracellular localization (membrane bound versus cytoplasmic, interaction with caveolae), gene transcription, and mRNA stability. A wide variety of signals alter eNOS mRNA levels in endothelial cells including shear stress, oxygen tension, proliferative status, cytokines, estrogens, growth factors, oxidized LDL, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors. Many of these signals regulate eNOS mRNA levels, at least in part, by modulating eNOS mRNA stability. For example, Yoshizumi et al2 observed that incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) decreased eNOS mRNA by decreasing the stability of the mRNA >10-fold. In addition, Laufs et al3 reported HMG CoA reductase inhibitors attenuated the ability of hypoxia to destabilize eNOS …
The Quest for REALITY

A widespread concern within philosophy has been, and continues to be, to determine which domains of discourse address real, robust, not-merely-deflationary facts, and which do not. But a threat to the legitimacy of this concern (together with the claims provoked by it) is the extreme lack of consensus amongst philosophers on the question of how to tell whether or not a given domain is oriented towards 'robust reality'. The present paper criticizes Kit Fine's attempt to settle that question. This discussion is followed by some considerations suggesting that there is no good answer to it, that (as the 'quietists' maintain) the notion of 'robust reality' is defective and ought to be abandoned.
Anthropological Genetics in the Genomic Era: A Look Back and Ahead

The use of genetic methods and data has a long history in anthropology. Following dramatic growth in anthropological genetic field studies in the 1960s and 1970s, the revolution in molecular genetic methods during the 1980s spurred another period of growth and expansion. The earlier emphasis on examination of the role of alternative evolutionary mechanisms in structuring allele frequency variation within and between populations is reflected today in a renewed focus on unraveling demographic history using highly informative molecular markers. The existence of large, publicly available molecular genetic databases, coupled with advances in analytical methods, makes it possible to tackle a wide variety of problems in human evolution not possible with classical markers and traditional analytical methods, These recent advances will help frame the nature of research in the discipline in the near term. [Keywords; human evolutionary genetics, phylogenetics, molecular markers, genetic variation, population structure]
Choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive patches overlap specific efferent cell groups in the cat superior colliculus.

Fibers containing acetylcholine (ACh) form distinct patches in the dorsal intermediate gray layer (IGL) of the cat superior colliculus (SC). Although these patches are known to overlap several afferent projections to SC, it is not known whether they are associated with specific postsynaptic cell groups. We have examined the relationship of these ACh fiber patches to specific efferent cell groups by combining retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemistry. Successful HRP injections were made into the predorsal bundle (PB), the tecto-pontine-bulbar pathway (TPB) and the cuneiform region (CFR), the inferior olive (IO), the dorsolateral pontine gray nucleus (PGD), and the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTN). The distribution of HRP-labeled neurons which project to these targets was mapped by a computer-based microscope plotter. Distinct clusters of HRP-labeled neurons in the IGL were seen after three injections into the mesencephalic reticular formation that involved the caudal TPB and cuneiform region (CFR), and after one injection into the medial accessory nucleus of IO. As many as seven clusters of labeled neurons were found in some sections through the caudal one-half of SC after the TPB/CFR injections. Each cluster consisted of 3-20 cells, all of which were small to medium in size. In sections also tested for ChAT, the cell clusters in the TPB/CFR cases were found to overlap precisely the ACh patches in the IGL. In addition, SC neurons projecting to the IO formed clusters above the ChAT patches and in the intermediate white layer (IWL) of SC. None of the other HRP injections produced any obvious cell clusters in the deep layers of SC. These results are the first to show that specific cell groups, distinguished by size and projection site, form clusters that match the patch-like innervation of cholinergic afferents to SC. This modular organization may correspond to saccade-related cells that have also been reported to be organized into clusters in the cat SC. © 1993 Wiley-Liss,Inc.