cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Size of Internal Auditory Canal Diverticula Is Unrelated to Degree of Hearing Loss

OBJECTIVES To explore the relationship between hearing loss and the internal auditory canal (IAC) diverticula. To determine whether diverticula exist within or medial to the otic capsule and the prevalence in a control population. METHODS Retrospective review of adult patients with radiologic evidence of an IAC diverticulum, no evidence of otosclerosis, and audiometric testing. Analyzed degree of hearing loss and width, length, height, and volume of diverticulum. Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements lateral and medial to the diverticulum. RESULTS Pure tone average (PTA), air-bone gap, and WRS (word recognition score) did not correlate with length, width, height, and volume of the diverticula. In patients with a unilateral diverticulum, there was no difference in mean PTA or WRS when comparing the diverticulum and nondiverticulum sides. Mean HU lateral to the diverticulum (2104 HU) was found to be significantly higher than medial to the diverticulum (1818 HU). There is a 5.6% prevalence of IAC diverticula in patients who underwent high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans for chronic sinusitis (control group). CONCLUSION These data support the notion that hearing loss in this population is a product of sampling bias. The size of IAC diverticula does not correlate with the degree of hearing loss, and there is no statistically significant association between sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and the presence of an IAC diverticulum. IAC diverticula may exist medial to, rather than within, the otic capsule given the significant difference in mean HUs medial and lateral to the diverticula. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 130:1011-1015, 2020.
Clinical-grade computational pathology using weakly supervised deep learning on whole slide images.

The development of decision support systems for pathology and their deployment in clinical practice have been hindered by the need for large manually annotated datasets. To overcome this problem, we present a multiple instance learning-based deep learning system that uses only the reported diagnoses as labels for training, thereby avoiding expensive and time-consuming pixel-wise manual annotations. We evaluated this framework at scale on a dataset of 44,732 whole slide images from 15,187 patients without any form of data curation. Tests on prostate cancer, basal cell carcinoma and breast cancer metastases to axillary lymph nodes resulted in areas under the curve above 0.98 for all cancer types. Its clinical application would allow pathologists to exclude 65–75% of slides while retaining 100% sensitivity. Our results show that this system has the ability to train accurate classification models at unprecedented scale, laying the foundation for the deployment of computational decision support systems in clinical practice.
Lexical bundles in university course materials

Abstract The present study compared 4-word lexical bundles found in a general engineering corpus (2,030,000 words) with those found in a corpus of texts collected from a Pathway engineering course for ESL (English as a Second Language) students (356,000 words) and a corpus of pedagogical materials used to teach advanced ESL students at an intensive English program (440,000 words). The results indicated that the structural and functional characteristics of the lexical bundles in the Pathway engineering materials were representative of the discourse features found in the general engineering corpus. This finding provides additional evidence of the overall appropriateness of the pedagogical materials selected for the Pathway course. Furthermore, the two engineering corpora also included a substantial number of bundles that were unique to the specific course materials, and, therefore, can potentially be targeted during language instruction.
Estrogen disruptors and neuroimmune signaling in obesity: focus on bisphenol A

Abstract Investigations of the obesity epidemic implicate environmental toxins that affect hormone systems, including the estrogen disruptor bisphenol acetate (BPA). This review concentrates on effects of BPA exposure on central nervous system areas involved in the control of feeding and body weight, drawing parallels between central nervous system effects of estrogens and of BPA. Conflicting findings abound because of methodological differences in species and sex, as well as BPA dose, timing of exposure, and specific model systems used. Nonetheless, common factors include the hypothalamic feeding-inhibitory peptide, pro-opiomelanocortin, and neuroimmune signaling in the hypothalamus, which may involve neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Receptor and intracellular mechanisms remain elusive but likely involve nuclear factor-kappa B signaling via interactions between nuclear estrogen receptors and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma.
Ultrasound thermometry using an ultrasound element and deep learning for HIFU

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive therapy used to induce thermal dose to target tissue for desired medical outcomes. With this technique, malignant tissues can be destroyed using high energy with minimal side effects compared to surgery, that can induce more pain and leave permanent scar to patients. Temperature monitoring is crucial to preserve healthy tissues during thermal therapies. Magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry is often used to monitor the ablation process precisely. However, it is costly and some patients have contraindications. Ultrasound is a cost-effective medical imaging modality and suffers from less restrictions on the operating environment and can be used safely with all patients. In this paper, we propose a method to monitor the temperature with ultrasound using a deep learning approach. The system is designed to collect ultrasound channel data during HIFU therapy and alternates ablation phases and monitoring phases. In the monitoring phase, ultrasound elements in the probe receive ultrasound pulses sent from the 256 HIFU elements sequentially. We use convolutional long short term memory (ConvLSTM) neural network to generate temperature images from the ultrasound channel data. The temperature images are compared with the ones collected from MR thermometry. Mean and max difference of each image are calculated to evaluate the performance of designed neural network. We achieve 0.57 ± 0.33 °C of mean difference and 1.99 ± 1.07 °C of max difference in axial plane. In coronal plane, we achieve 0.33 ± 0.19 °C of mean difference and 1.54 ± 1.04 °C of max difference. The results show the potential use of ultrasound and deep learning to reconstruct temperature images.
ABSENCE OF CATCH UP PHENOMENON IN RATE OF CALCIUM SCORE PROGRESSION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Coronary calcium score (CAC) is known to predict cardiovascular events and is thought to remain relatively low below age 40. The objective of the present study is to track the rate of change in calcium score in men and women enrolled in the Sanford Cardiovascular Prevention program (SCPP). Data
A Separation: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

A Separation is the 2011 award-winning film by Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi. Set in modern-day Tehran, the film is about an upper-middle class couple who are separating after 14 years of ...
What the Study of Legal Cynicism and Crime Can Tell Us About Reliability, Validity, and Versatility in Law and Social Science Research

We call for a further appreciation of the versatility of concepts and methods that increase the breadth and diversity of work on law and social science. We make our point with a review of legal cyn...
Patient Expectations After Collis Gastroplasty.

This case series study examines short-term and long-terms outcomes in patients who have undergone Collis gastroplasty with fundoplication and hiatal hernia repair.
The Effects of Caffeine Mouth Rinsing on Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review.

Caffeine ingestion can improve performance across a variety of exercise modalities but can also elicit negative side effects in some individuals. Thus, there is a growing interest in the use of caffeine mouth rinse solutions to improve sport and exercise performance while minimizing caffeine's potentially adverse effects. Mouth rinse protocols involve swilling a solution within the oral cavity for a short time (e.g., 5-10 s) before expectorating it to avoid systemic absorption. This is believed to improve performance via activation of taste receptors and stimulation of the central nervous system. Although reviews of the literature indicate that carbohydrate mouth rinsing can improve exercise performance in some situations, there has been no attempt to systematically review the available literature on caffeine mouth rinsing and its effects on exercise performance. To fill this gap, a systematic literature search of three databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) was conducted by two independent reviewers. The search resulted in 11 randomized crossover studies that were appraised and reviewed. Three studies found significant positive effects of caffeine mouth rinsing on exercise performance, whereas the remaining eight found no improvements or only suggestive benefits. The mixed results may be due to heterogeneity in the methods across studies, interindividual differences in bitter tasting, and differences in the concentrations of caffeine solutions. Future studies should evaluate how manipulating the concentration of caffeine solutions, habitual caffeine intake, and genetic modifiers of bitter taste influence the efficacy of caffeine mouth rinsing as an ergogenic strategy.
Nonlinear beam shaping with binary phase modulation on patterned WS2 monolayer

The capability of controlling the phase of the nonlinear polarization of media is vital for nonlinear optical beam shaping. Achieving this control over nonlinear phase manipulation on the nanoscale...
Controlled ring-opening polymerization of N-(3-tert-butoxy-3-oxopropyl) glycine derived N-carboxyanhydrides towards well-defined peptoid-based polyacids

Polypeptoids bearing carboxylic acid groups on the N-substituent are useful building blocks for the construction of peptidomimetic supramolecular assemblies with stimuli-responsive properties. Towards this end, N-(3-tert-butoxy-3-oxopropyl) glycine derived N-carboxyanhydride (tBuO2Pr-NCA) has been successfully synthesized and polymerized using primary amine initiators to produce the corresponding poly(N-(3-tert-butoxy-3-oxopropyl) glycine) with molecular weights (Mn) of 5.6–59 kg mol−1 and a narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI = 1.003–1.026). The polymerization was shown to proceed in a controlled manner, evidenced by the good agreement of the experimental molecular weight (Mn) with theoretical values and narrow molecular weight distribution in a wide range of monomer-to-initiator ratios ([M]0 : [I]0 = 25 : 1–200 : 1), the linear increase of Mn with conversion and the second-order polymerization kinetics. The cloaked carboxyl groups on the poly(N-(3-tert-butoxy-3-oxopropyl) glycine) can be readily unveiled in mild acidic conditions to yield the poly(N-(2-carboxyethyl) glycine), a structural mimic of poly(glutamic acid). The poly(N-(2-carboxyethyl) glycine) polymer is a weak polyelectrolyte whose hydrodynamic size in water can be controlled by the solution pH.
Founder or flounder: When board and founder relationship impact nonprofit performance

This case study describes the complex relationships between nonprofit boards of directors and executive directors, especially when the executive director is the organization’s founder. The case tak...
Postmenopausal Bleeding: Role of Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management

Menopause is defined as no bleeding for 12 months and results from the depletion of ovarian follicles. Bleeding is a significant complaint among postmenopausal women and is reported in about 10% of women in this group. A small but significant number of such women will be diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer with vaginal bleeding being the most common presenting sign and is so in 90% of postmenopausal patients with endometrial carcinoma. In 2020, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 65,620 new cases of the cancer of the body of the uterus and that about 12,590 women will die from cancers of the uterine body. The average of diagnosis of endometrial cancer is 60 years. A much better prognosis is seen for women diagnosed with endometrial cancer than those with ovarian cancer due to diagnosis at an earlier stage; this is attributed to the presentation with postmenopausal bleeding. Endometrial thickness measured during an endovaginal pelvic ultrasound is the established initial assessment to triage patients to receive endometrial biopsy. Common causes of postmenopausal bleeding include endometrial atrophy, endometrial polyps, and endometrial hyperplasia. Some of these causes are readily diagnosed on ultrasound evaluation. The supplemental use of Saline infused sonohysterography adds to the diagnostic value of ultrasound assessment of the endometrium. Hysteroscopy allows direct visualization and guided biopsy and/or resection of endometrial lesions causing abnormal bleeding in selected cases. Magnetic resonance imaging is useful for the assessment of the endometrium for narrowing the differential diagnosis of endometrial abnormalities and for staging of endometrial cancers. Majority of the patients with vaginal bleeding actually bleed secondary to atrophic changes in the vagina or the endometrium. Etiology of postmenopausal bleeding Evaluation of postmenopausal bleeding Clinical history and physical examination Endometrial biopsy Sonography Sonohysterography Hysteroscopy Imaging of endometrial cancer and carcinosarcomas
A Second Order Extension of the Generalized–α Method for Constrained Systems in Mechanics

We present a new second order extension of the generalized- method for systems in mechanics with a nonconstant mass matrix, holonomic constraints, and nonholonomic con- straints. A new variable stepsizes formula preserving the second order of the method is also proposed.
Should Field Instructors Be Social Workers

Abstract Despite the importance of the field experience in social work education, scant attention has been paid to the educational requirements for field instructors. Differences in the type and level of education might influence how they approach their task, instructional methods, and ability to determine students' readiness for professional social work practice. This article reports the findings of a study exploring the differences in educational background and role approach between 80 social work-educated and non-social work-educated field instructors. Field instructors reported discomfort with empirical research and frustration with the inflexibility of their roles and a lack of adequate supervisory time; they generally agreed on valued student qualities. Overall, the study revealed few differences between the two subgroups of respondents, suggesting that the profession's mandate for social worker—provided field instruction be examined.
Applications of some discrete regression models for count data

In this paper we have considered several regression models to fit the count data that encounter in the field of Biometrical, Environmental, Social Sciences and Transportation Engineering. We have fitted Poisson (PO), Negative Binomial (NB), Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) regression models to run-off-road (ROR) crash data which collected on arterial roads in south region (rural) of Florida State. To compare the performance of these models, we analyzed data with moderate to high percentage of zero counts. Because the variances were almost three times greater than the means, it appeared that both NB and ZINB models performed better than PO and ZIP models for the zero inflated and over dispersed count data.
Studies of formation and efflux of methotrexate polyglutamates with cultured hepatic cells

Methotrexate polyglutamates are extensively synthesized when cultured hepatocytes and H35 hepatoma cells are exposed to micro-molar concentrations of methotrexate. The predominant species found within the cell have from two to four additional γ-linked glutamate residues. When either cell type containing a mixture of methotrexate and its polyglutamate derivatives is exposed to medium lacking methotrexate, there is a rapid release of methotrexate. This release has a (math) of 2 to 4 min and is apparently complete within 30 to 60 min. Methotrexate polyglutamates leave the cells much more slowly and appear to do so by two mechanisms. Although cleavage to methotrexate and subsequent efflux appears to be quantitatively the more important pathway, there is also a slow, finite loss of intact methotrexate polyglutamates from cells which exclude trypan blue. The T1/2 for the loss of methotrexate polyglutamates by both cell types, when placed in medium lacking methotrexate, is approximately 6 to 8 hr. These results, together with those of an earlier study (Galivan, J. (1980) Mol. Pharmacol. 17: 105–110), suggest that the polyglutamate derivatives are forms of methotrexate which are as cytotoxic as methotrexate but which offer a potentially greater capacity for cellular destruction because they are retained longer in the tissue.
On predicting the length of labor

Abstract Table XXI shows in simple form a method for predicting the duration of the first stage of labor with the percentage likelihood of the occurrence of “good,” “fair,” and “poor” pains so that, with any given patient, the likely duration can be quite readily determined even in advance of any labor pains. As soon as the first dilating pains appear, the patient can be completely catalogued and the time of complete dilatation readily determined. This knowledge is of importance in several ways. If a long labor can be predicted, the need of maintenance of free food and fluid intake is obvious. If a short, easy labor can be predicted, the need for operative intervention in certain types of pathology is obviated. It is high time that labors should be judged on the anatomic and physiologic factors in the genital tract rather than on “manufactured dicta” as age and stature of the whole body. It is also important, if the labor goes definitely beyond the predicted limits, that careful search for unrecognized abnormalities should be instituted without delay. Finally, it is interesting to speculate on the etiology of the variations in the cervix and in the uterine contractions. The cause is not anatomic; it is almost certainly physiologic. There is some evidence that variation in the cervix may produce variation in the uterine contractions and vice versa. The etiology of the onset of labor is inextricably involved in both. Further research is obviously necessary. Only when we find this physiologic factor can we hope to so “prepare” the least favorable patients in advance that they may enter labor with unresisting cervices and good uterine contractions.
A Potent Reversible Inhibitor of Carboxypeptidase A

Abstract Benzylsuccinic acid and closely related compounds are effective inhibitors of carboxypeptidase A. The "l" isomer of benzylsuccinic acid, 2(R)-benzyl-3-carboxypropionic acid, appears to be bound by the enzyme several orders of magnitude more tightly than known substrates and inhibitors. This inhibitor may resemble the collected substrates for the reverse reaction, combining their individual binding characteristics in a single molecule.
s- and p-wave neutron spectroscopy. Part VII. Widths of Neutron Resonances

Abstract Neutron reduced widths Γn0 and Γn1 are reported for about 200 resonances observed in neutron total cross sections of Ca40, 44, Ti48, Cr50, 52, 54, Fe54, 56, Ni58, 60, Sr88, Y89, Sn124, Te130, Ba136, 138, and Pb206, 207, 208, in the energy region 1 to 200 kev. Average parameters Γ n 0 , Γ n 0 D , and Γ n (1) D have been derived and the Wigner distribution for local spacings and the Porter-Thomas distribution for reduced widths are verified for the resonances in the even-even nuclei Ca40, Fe56, Ni58, and Ni60. A simple method of area analysis which is less tedious and time consuming than the method reported before in Part III is also described.
A new polysaccharide resembling alginic acid isolated from pseudomonads.

Polysaccharides isolated from slime-producing Pseudomonas organisms were found to contain mannuronic and guluronic acid only. The polymers closely resemble alginic acid, a seaweed polysaccharide, as shown by composition, infrared spectra, and alginase digestion. The new polysaccharides from Pseudomonas appear to contain O-acetyl groups, which are not known to be present in the alginates.
1–2 GHz tuning frequency band pass filter with controllable pass band and high stopband rejection

A band pass filter (BPF) for center frequency over a wide frequency span and pass band is presented, which uses an efficient synthesis via two design stages: 1) the transconductance stage and 2) the transimpedance stage. Changing design parameters in the two design stages in 1.8 V 180 nanometer TSMC CMOS process, a BPF for a tuning frequency range of 1.0–2.04 GHz and a controllable pass band of 5.5–51.2 MHz is designed, which achieves a high pass band gain of 45.2–65.1 dB and a stopband rejection of 25 db. The noise figure is kept low to a range of 1.49–5.88 dB when pass band is 12 MHz. It provides a good solution to pre-tune desired signals while reject interfering signals.
A SENSITIVITY EQUATION APPROACH TO SHAPE OPTIMIZATION IN FLUID FLOWS

In this paper we apply a sensitivity equation method to shape optimization problems. An algorithm is developed and tested on a problem of designing optimal forebody simulators for a 2D, inviscid supersonic flow. The algorithm uses a BFGS/Trust Region optimization scheme with sensitivities computed by numerically approximating the linear partial differential equations that determine the flow sensitivities. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the method.
ATM phosphorylation of Nijmegen breakage syndrome protein is required in a DNA damage response.

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is characterized by extreme radiation sensitivity, chromosomal instability and cancer1. The phenotypes are similar to those of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) disease, where there is a deficiency in a protein kinase that is activated by DNA damage, indicating that the Nbs and Atm proteins may participate in common pathways. Here we report that Nbs is specifically phosphorylated in response to γ-radiation, ultraviolet light and exposure to hydroxyurea. Phosphorylation of Nbs mediated by γ-radiation, but not that induced by hydroxyurea or ultraviolet light, was markedly reduced in ATM cells. In vivo, Nbs was phosphorylated on many serine residues, of which S343, S397 and S615 were phosphorylated by Atm in vitro. At least two of these sites were underphosphorylated in ATM cells. Inactivation of these serines by mutation partially abrogated Atm-dependent phosphorylation. Reconstituting NBS cells with a mutant form of Nbs that cannot be phosphorylated at selected, ATM-dependent serine residues led to a specific reduction in clonogenic survival after γ-radiation. Thus, phosphorylation of Nbs by Atm is critical for certain responses of human cells to DNA damage.
Wavelet-Based Optical Flow for Two-Component Wind Field Estimation from Single Aerosol Lidar Data

AbstractA motion estimation algorithm was applied to image sequences produced by a horizontally scanning elastic backscatter lidar. The algorithm, a wavelet-based optical flow estimator named Typhoon, produces dense two-component vector flow fields that correspond to the apparent motion of microscale aerosol features. To validate the efficacy of this approach for the remote measurement of wind fields in the lower atmosphere, an experiment was conducted in Chico, California, in 2013 and 2014. The flow fields, estimated every 17 s, were compared with measurements from an independent Doppler lidar. Time series of wind speed and direction, statistical assessment of the 10-min averages, and examples of wind fields are presented. The comparison of 10-min averages at 100 m AGL reveals excellent correlations between estimates from the Typhoon algorithm and measurements from the Doppler lidar. Power spectra and spectral transfer functions are computed to estimate the filtering effects of the algorithm in the spati...
Computational model of the pregnant occupant: predicting the risk of injury in automobile crashes

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to create a computational model of the pregnant occupant of a motor vehicle to predict fetal outcome in crashes. STUDY DESIGN: A finite element uterine model of a 7-month pregnant woman was created and integrated into a multibody human model. Unrestrained, three-point belt, and three-point belt plus airbag tests were simulated at speeds that ranged from 13 to 55 km per hour. RESULTS: Peak uterine strain, as determined by the model, correlated well with the risk of fetal death, as determined by investigations of car crashes. The strain in the uterine wall exceeded the limits of the tissue in simulations of no restraint at 35 km per hour and three-point belt tests at 45 and 55 km per hour. The safest restraint for the pregnant driver is the combination three-point belt and airbag. CONCLUSION: The model is a good first step toward the prediction of the risk of fetal death and verified experimental findings that note the importance of proper restraint use for the pregnant occupant.
Molecular diagnostics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in Manufactured Gas Plant soils

Traditional methods for quantifying specific catabolic bacterial populations underestimate the true population count due to the limitations of the necessary laboratory cultivation methods. Likewise,in situ activity is also difficult to assess in the laboratory without altering the sample environment. To circumvent these problems and achieve a truein situ bacterial population count and activity measurement, new methods based on molecular biological analysis of bacterial nucleic acids were applied to soils heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). In addition, a naphthalene-lux reporter system was used to determine bioavailability of naphthalene within these soils. DNA extracted from seven PAH-contaminated soils and hybridized with thenahA gene probe indicated that the naphthalene degradative genes were present in all samples in the range of 0.06 to 0.95 ng/100 µl DNA extract which was calculated to represent 3.2×106 to 1.1×1010 cells/g soil (assuming one copy of these genes per cell).14C-naphthalene mineralization was observed in all contaminated soils with14CO2 mineralization rates ranging from 3.2×10−5 to 304,920.0×10−5 µg g soil−1h−1. Phenanthrene, anthracene, and benzo(a)pyrene were mineralized also in several soils. Messenger RNA transcripts ofnahA were isolated and quantified from 4 soils. Only one soil tested, soil B, was inducible with salicylate above thein situ nahA gene transcript level. Two of the soils, C and G, were already fully inducedin situ. The naphthalene mineralization rate correlated positively with the amount ofnahA gene transcripts present (r=0.99). Naphthalene was bioavailable in soils A, D, E, G, and N as determined by a bioluminescent response from the naphthalene-lux reporter system. Taken together, these data provided information on what the naphthalene-degrading bacterial population was experiencingin situ and what approaches would be necessary to increase activity.
Involvement of the Fungal Nuclear Migration Gene nudC Human Homolog in Cell Proliferation and Mitotic Spindle Formation

Essential genes which are required for normal nuclear migration and play a role in developmental processes have been isolated from model genetic organisms. One such gene is nudC (nuclear distribution C), which is required for positioning nuclei in the cytoplasm of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and for normal colony growth. This gene is highly conserved, structurally and functionally, throughout evolution and the human homolog, HnudC, has been cloned. To study the function of nudC in higher eukaryotic cells, HnudC was downregulated by developing triple ribozyme constructs, consisting of two cis-acting ribozymes which liberate an internal trans-acting ribozyme targeted to HnudC. Efficient cleavage sites in HnudC mRNA were identified using a library selection technique and HnudC-targeted internal ribozymes were cloned into a triple ribozyme cassette. Triple ribozyme constructs were subcloned into an ecdysone-inducible expression vector and stably transfected into human embryonic 293 cells. Muristerone A induced expression of the HnudC ribozyme and produced specific reduction of HnudC mRNA. Downregulation of HnudC mRNA resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation in clones expressing the HnudC-targeted triple ribozyme, which was not observed in uninduced cells or cells transfected with vector alone. In induced cultures, many mitotic cells demonstrated defects in spindle architecture during mitosis. The most common defect observed was multiple mitotic spindle poles rather than the expected bipolar structure. These data demonstrate the fundamental importance of HnudC in eukaryotic cell proliferation and a functional role for HnudC in spindle formation at mitosis.
An examination of factors influencing the diagnosis and treatment of black patients in the mental health system.

Abstract The Civil Rights Movement, which began in the 1950s and lasted through the mid 1970s played a major role improving the quality of life for black Americans. Although much has changed since the 1950s the roots of racism are deep and change occurs slowly. Race exerts an overwhelming influence on popular ideology and medical thinking. Many researchers have speculated that a strong association exists between race and diagnosis. Understanding the sociocultural background of the patient would ald in the distinguishing culturally bound behavior from behavior that reflects actual psychopathology. This review examines the professional literature on racial and ethnic factors as they pertain to the diagnosis and treatment of black patients in the mental health system.
Compact Gδ sets

Abstract In this paper we study spaces in which each compact subset is a G δ -set and compare them to H.W. Martin's c-semi-stratifiable (CSS) spaces, i.e. spaces in which compact sets are G δ -sets in a uniform way. We prove that a (countably) compact subset of a Hausdorff space X is metrizable and a G δ -subset of X provided X has a δθ -base, or a point-countable, T 1 -point-separating open cover, or a quasi- G δ -diagonal. We also show that any compact subset of a Hausdorff space X having a base of countable order must be a G δ -subset of X and note that this result does not hold for countably compact subsets of BCO-spaces. We characterize CSS spaces in terms of certain functions g ( n , x ) and prove a “local implies global” theorem for submetacompact spaces that are locally CSS. In addition, we give examples showing that even though every compact subset of a space with a point-countable base (respectively, of a space with a base of countable order) must be a G δ -set, there are examples of such spaces that are not CSS. In the paper's final section, we examine the role of the CSS property in the class of generalized ordered (GO) spaces. We use a stationary set argument to show that any monotonically normal CSS space is hereditarily paracompact. We show that, among GO-spaces with σ -closed-discrete dense subsets, being CSS and having a G δ -diagonal are equivalent properties, and we use a Souslin space example due to Heath to show that (consistently) the CSS property is not equivalent to the existence of a G δ -diagonal in the more general class of perfect GO-spaces.
A Prospective Study of Cutaneous Findings in Newborns in the United States: Correlation with Race, Ethnicity, and Gestational Status Using Updated Classification and Nomenclature

Objective To provide incidence data based on ethnicity, prematurity, and body site for vascular, pigmented, and other common congenital cutaneous findings; to compare these results with previously published prospective studies; and to define updated nomenclature, classification, clinical course, and prognostic factors for the pediatric practitioner to promote a better understanding of benign versus more worrisome birthmarks. Study design This prospective study enrolled 594 infants in San Diego, California. Cutaneous examination was performed by pediatric dermatologists in the first 48 hours of life, with subsequent longitudinal contact via telephone, and repeat evaluations if any new lesions were reported by parents. Incidence rates were calculated by ethnicity and prematurity status. Results The most common vascular lesion was nevus simplex (83%), followed by infantile hemangioma (4.5% by age 3 months), capillary malformation (0.3%), and rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (0.3%). Pigmented lesions seen at birth included dermal melanocytosis (20%), congenital melanocytic nevi (2.4%), and cafe au lait macules (2%). Other common skin findings were erythema toxicum neonatorum (7%), milia (8%), and sebaceous gland hyperplasia (42.6%). Conclusion This study of congenital cutaneous lesions, using current nomenclature and data acquired by pediatric cutaneous lesion experts, provides data regarding the role of race and ethnicity in the incidence of birthmarks, and provides valid data on the prevalence of infantile hemangioma.
Factors Underlying the Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale and Their Mediating Role in the Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Academic Achievement at the School Level.

The authors examine the psychometric properties of the Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale (CTES), an instrument designed to measure collective teacher efficacy. Specifically, a multilevel confirmato...
Domestic Allegories of Political Desire: The Black Heroine's Text at the Turn of the Century

Why did African-American women novelists use idealized stories of bourgeois courtship and marriage to mount arguments on social reform during the last decade of the nineteenth century, during a time when resurgent racism conditioned the lives of all black Americans? Such stories now seem like apolitical fantasies to contemporary readers. This is the question at the centre of Tate's examination of the novels of Pauline Hopkins, Emma Kelley, Amelia Johnson, Katherine Tillman, and Frances Harper. Domestic Allegories of Political Desire is more than a literary study; it is also a social and intellectual history-a cultural critique of a period that historian Rayford W. Logan called "the Dark Ages of recent American history." Against a rich contextual framework, extending from abolitionist protest to the Black Aesthetic, Tate argues that the idealized marriage plot in these novels does not merely depict the heroine's happiness and economic prosperity. More importantly, that plot encodes a resonant cultural narrative-a domestic allegory-about the political ambitions of an emancipated people. Once this domestic allegory of political desire is unmasked in these novels, it can be seen as a significant discourse of the post-Reconstruction era for representing African-Americans' collective dreams about freedom and for reconstructing those contested dreams into consummations of civil liberty.
FOUR-WAVE MIXING IN NON-STEP-INDEX OPTICAL FIBERS : A SENSITIVE TECHNIQUE FOR MEASUREMENT OF REFRACTIVE-INDEX PROFILES

Investigation of four-wave mixing 6.4-mum core-diameter fiber with 520-610-nm pump light is used to develop a new technique for characterizing the refractive-index profiles of non-step-index fibers. Deviation from the step-index profile is measured. Small variations in the refractive index between different segments of the same commercial fiber is measured with a sensitivity of 0.0001.
First Report of Pink Seed of Pea Caused by Erwinia rhapontici in North Dakota

In 2006, a seed lot of dry pea cv. DS Admiral obtained from Bowman County, North Dakota contained seed with bright-to-pale pink discoloration on the seed coat. Five discolored seeds and five seeds with normal appearance were surface disinfected in a 0.5% NaOCl solution for 1 min and rinsed with sterilized distilled water for 1 min. Seeds were placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 22°C. Three days later, the discolored seeds produced pink bacterial colonies and a pink pigment that diffused throughout the PDA. The pink bacterial colonies were tentatively identified as Erwinia rhapontici on the basis of colony and pigment color (2,3). No fungi or bacteria grew from the seed with normal appearance. A pink bacterial colony growing from one of the discolored seeds was streaked onto PDA and a single colony was obtained. A streaked plate incubated at 37°C showed no growth, which distinguishes E. rhapontici from Brenneria rubrifaciens (formerly E. rubrifaciens) (1-3). To confirm the identity, the isolate was sent to the Bacterial Identification and Fatty Acid Analysis Laboratory at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Fatty acid analysis indicated a similarity index of 0.515 for E. rhapontici. For an additional confirmation of identity, the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene was amplified from the E. rhapontici isolate with universal primers fD1 and rP1 (4). The PCR product was cloned into pGEM-T easy vector (Promega, Madison, WI) and sequenced with primers SP6 and T7 at the Keck Biotechnology Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana. The resulting nucleotide sequence was compared with 16S rDNA sequences deposited in the ribosomal database ( http://rdp.cme.msu.edu/seqmatch/seqmatch_intro.jsp ) and showed highest identity to sequences of E. rhapontici or E. persicinus strains. To confirm pathogenicity, the basal ends of five pods on each of six pea plants (cv. Carneval) were syringe injected with 0.1 ml of suspension containing the obtained E. rhapontici isolate in the greenhouse by the methods as previously described (2). As a control, five pods on each of two plants were injected with 0.1 ml of sterile distilled water. Twenty-eight of the 51 seeds obtained from the bacteria-inoculated pods had pink seed symptoms, while seeds from the control pods appeared normal. Isolations from symptomatic and asymptomatic seed were performed as described above, and E. rhapontici was obtained from symptomatic seed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of pink seed of pea caused by E. rhapontici in North Dakota. The first report of this disease on pea in the United States was from Montana (3). References: (1) L. Hauben et al. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 21:384, 1998. (2) H. C. Huang et al. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 12:445, 1990. (3) B. K. Schroeder et al. Plant Dis. 86:188, 2002. (4) W. G. Weisburg et al. J. Bacteriol. 173:697, 1991.
The Effects of Reaction Temperature and Time and Particle Size of Corn Stover on Microwave Pyrolysis

This study investigated microwave pyrolysis of corn stover with particle sizes from 0.5 to 4 mm and determined the effects of reaction temperature and time of pyrolytic conditions on the yields of bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. Mineral and GC/MS analysis were used to study the pyrolysis of corn stover. A prediction model was satisfactorily developed to describe the biofuel conversion yield as a function of reaction temperature and time. Corn stover with different particle sizes was found to be similarly pyrolyzed by microwave heating. The research results indicate that thermochemical conversion reactions can take place rapidly in large-sized corn stover by using microwave pyrolysis. Mineral analysis indicates that most minerals stayed with the biochar. GC/MS analysis indicates that the bio-oil contained a series of important and useful chemical compounds: phenols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and furan derivatives. These chemical compounds evolved were related to the pyrolysis conditions.
Doctoral programs to train future leaders in clinical and translational science

PurposeAlthough the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made extensive investments in educational programs related to clinical and translational science (CTS), there has been no systematic investigation of the number and characteristics of PhD programs providing training to future leaders in CTS
Stress Echo Without the Stress Detection of Coronary Stenosis at Rest by Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography

Exercise or pharmacological stress has long been a mainstay of diagnostic testing aimed at identifying the presence of a flow-limiting coronary stenosis. The basis for this is the well-known clinical observation that even severe coronary artery atherosclerosis does not usually cause angina or ischemia at rest. Sir William Osler observed that angina pectoris is commonly precipitated by “muscular exertion, violent mental states, stomach upsets, or cold weather.”1 However, in Osler’s time, the mechanism whereby resting myocardial perfusion was maintained despite a hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis, namely coronary autoregulation, was unknown. See p 1154 Myocardial oxygen consumption and perfusion are tightly coupled.2 Because the myocardium extracts most of the oxygen delivered to it, increases in oxygen demand (eg, exercise, tachycardia) require a prompt increase in myocardial perfusion. For example, maximal exercise can easily cause a 4-fold increase in myocardial oxygen consumption, which is matched by a 4-fold increase in myocardial perfusion.3 Such hyperemic flow is typically mediated by vasodilation of precapillary arterioles to provide increased nutrient flow at the capillary level. Under normal conditions, 40% to 50% of total coronary resistance resides at the level of these precapillary arterioles (those <100 μm in diameter).4,5 These vessels respond rapidly to complex neural and metabolic control mechanisms to maintain myocardial perfusion over a wide range of driving pressures, a process known as autoregulation.6–8 Autoregulation is able to maintain nearly constant myocardial perfusion over a pressure range of 40 to 130 mm Hg in conscious dogs.9 A similar autoregulatory pressure range has been reported in humans with an intracoronary pressure wire to measure pressure distal to a stenosis and positron emission tomography to measure myocardial perfusion.10 In the healthy dog, resting coronary flow does not decrease significantly until …
Fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon interactions and frictional surface forces

Abstract Alumina-adsorbed hydridosiloxane polymers are used as a “base” for further chemical modification and determination of intersurface frictional coefficients. The stability of this base layer is found to be particularly sensitive to the presence of moisture. Sedimentation experiments suggest that the final densities of compacts produced from hydridosiloxane-coated alumina particles are independent of the range of molecular weights used in this study. Subsequent reaction of the base layer with silanol-terminated trifluoropropylsiloxane and polydimethylsiloxane tails yielded considerable differences in sediment density and character in spite of similar molecular weights. Use of a frictional surface forces apparatus suggests that this phenomenon is not due to a frictional or lubricative effect induced by the fluorine-containing component.
Observation of Stimulated Emission of Surface Plasmon Polaritons

We report a direct experimental evidence of stimulated emission of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at telecom wavelengths (1532 nm) with erbium doped glass as a gain medium. We observe an increase in the propagation length of signal surface plasmons when erbium ions are excited optically using pump SPP. The design, fabrication, and characterization of SPP waveguides, thin gold metal strips, embedded in erbium (Er) doped phosphate glass is presented. Such systems can be suitable as integrated devices coupling electronic and photonic data transmissions as well as SPP amplifiers and SPP lasers.
Diffusion tensor imaging in cocaine dependence: regional effects of cocaine on corpus callosum and effect of cocaine administration route.

Abstract Recent studies demonstrated that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can provide information regarding white matter integrity of the corpus callosum (CC). In this study, DTI parameters were compared between cocaine dependent subjects (CDs) and non-drug using controls (NCs) in midsagittal CC. DTI images were acquired from 19 CDs and 18 age-matched NCs. The midsagittal CC was segmented into: genu, rostral body, anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium. Linear mixed models analyses showed that, relative to NCs, CDs had lower fractional anisotropy (FA), higher radial diffusivity (λ⊥), and higher mean diffusivity (Dav) in the isthmus; higher λ⊥ and Dav in the rostral body; and lower FA in the splenium. After including mass of lifetime alcohol use in the mixed model analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) as a covariate, significant between group differences in λ⊥ in the rostral body and isthmus remained. These results suggest that alterations in λ⊥ in the rostral body and isthmus were mainly due to cocaine use, consistent with previous studies showing that cocaine may alter myelin integrity. Between group differences in FA in the isthmus and splenium, and Dav in the rostral body and isthmus became non-significant after inclusion of alcohol use as a covariate. This is suggestive of alcohol influencing these values, or may be related to the decreased degrees of freedom for these effects. Consistent with clinical data of greater severity of drug use in smoked versus intranasal cocaine, subjects who smoked cocaine showed lower FA and higher λ⊥ compared to intranasal CDs.
A unified family of generalized integration operators [GInO] for non-linear structural dynamics: implementation aspects

Abstract The present paper proposes recent developments in theoretical and implementation aspects including parallel computations via a single analysis code of a unified family of generalized integration operators [GInO] in time with particular emphasis on non-linear structural dynamics. The focus of this research is on the implementation aspects including the development of coarse-grained parallel computational models for such generalized time integration operators that be can readily ported to a wide range of parallel architectures via a message-passing paradigm (using MPI) and domain decomposition techniques. The implementation aspects are first described followed by an evaluation for a range of problems which exhibit large deformation, elastic, elastic–plastic dynamic behavior. For geometric non-linearity a total Lagrangian formulation and for material non-linearity elasto-plastic formulations are employed. Serial and parallel performance issues on the SGI Origin 2000 system are discussed and analyzed for illustration for selected schemes. For illustration, particular forms of [GInO] are investigated and a complete development via a single analysis code is currently underway. Nevertheless, this is the first time that such a capability is plausible and the developments further enhance computational structural dynamics areas.
The Valverdites: A Weathered Obsidian Form Superficially Resembling Certain Tektites*

This paper is devoted to a critical study of the natural glasses recently found in Val Verde County, Texas. On the basis of the behavior of these so-called valverdites under the blowpipe flame; of their low densities and indices of refraction; of the crystallites and megascopic crystals contained in them; and of their other peculiarities, the conclusion is reached that they are not tektites, but are weathered pebbles of obsidian.