cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of biological type of cattle on the incidence of the dark, firm, and dry condition in the longissimus muscle.

The objectives of this experiment were to characterize longissimus muscle color, texture, and firmness for beef carcasses of diverse biological types and to determine the genetic parameters of lean color, texture, and firmness. The carcasses (n = 3,641) used in this experiment were from steers produced by mating Angus, Brahman, Braunvieh, Charolais, Chianina, Galloway, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Jersey, Limousin, Longhorn, Maine Anjou, Nellore, Piedmontese, Pinzgauer, Red Poll, Sahiwal, Salers, Shorthorn, Simmental, South Devon, and Tarentaise sires to Hereford and Angus dams. Steers were fed a corn-corn silage diet from weaning until slaughter at 356 to 575 d of age. Steers were slaughtered at commercial packing plants and longissimus muscle color, texture, and firmness were scored by trained carcass evaluators. Sire line least squares means for lean color, texture, and firmness ranged approximately one unit on a 7-point scale. Chianina crosses had darker-colored lean than all breed groups except Tarentaise and Simmental crosses (P < .05). Moreover, a higher percentage (P < .05) of Chianina crosses than of all other breed groups had unacceptably dark-colored ("dark red" or darker) lean. Bos indicus sire lines were not different from Bos taurus sire lines in frequency of carcasses with unacceptably dark-colored lean. However, Bos indicus crosses were more likely to be scored "very light cherry-red." Lean color and texture were lowly heritable, whereas lean firmness was moderately heritable. Thus, this experiment demonstrated that there is genetic variation in the incidence of the DFD condition; however, genetic variation was small relative to environmental variation.
Acute tolerance to chlordiazepoxide qualitatively changes the interaction between flumazenil and pregnanolone and not the interaction between flumazenil and midazolam in rhesus monkeys discriminating midazolam.

Benzodiazepines and neuroactive steroids act at distinct binding sites on γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptors where they positively modulate GABA, resulting in similar acute behavioral effects. Tolerance to benzodiazepines can develop with repeated treatment; however, cross tolerance to neuroactive steroids does not develop, perhaps due to conformational changes in benzodiazepine, and not neuroactive steroid, binding sites. Three monkeys discriminated 0.178 mg/kg midazolam while responding under a fixed-ratio 10 schedule of stimulus-shock termination. On separate occasions, dose-effect curves for midazolam and pregnanolone were determined when monkeys had not received chlordiazepoxide and when they received 10 mg/kg chlordiazepoxide 46 hours earlier; for some tests, flumazenil was given before determination of dose-effect curves. Midazolam and pregnanolone produced ≥80% midazolam-lever responding. When administered 46 h before sessions, chlordiazepoxide did not produce pregnanolone-lever responding; under those treatment conditions, midazolam dose-effect curves were shifted 2.8-fold rightward and pregnanolone dose-effect curves were not changed. Flumazenil antagonized midazolam; Schild (linear) analyses yielded slopes that were not different from unity and pA2 values of 7.46 when monkeys had not received chlordiazepoxide and 7.44 when they received chlordiazepoxide 46 h earlier. Flumazenil did not alter the effects of pregnanolone in chlordiazepoxide-treated monkeys. Thus, interactions between flumazenil and midazolam were not qualitatively or quantitatively changed in monkeys acutely tolerant to chlordiazepoxide, suggesting that mechanisms other than alterations of benzodiazepine binding sites account for the development of acute tolerance.
Risk Factors Associated With 90-Day Readmissions After Degenerative Lumbar Fusion: An Examination of the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) Registry.

Background Most studies have evaluated 30-d readmissions after lumbar fusion surgery. Evaluation of the 90-d period, however, allows a more comprehensive assessment of factors associated with readmission. Objective To assess the reasons and risk factors for 90-d readmissions after lumbar fusion surgery. Methods The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) registry is a prospective, multicenter, and spine-specific database of patients surgically treated for degenerative disease. MSSIC data were retrospectively analyzed for causes of readmission, and independent risk factors impacting readmission were found by multivariate logistic regression. Results Of 10 204 patients who underwent lumbar fusion, 915 (9.0%) were readmitted within 90 d, most commonly for pain (17%), surgical site infection (16%), and radicular symptoms (10%). Risk factors associated with increased likelihood of readmission were other race (odds ratio [OR] 1.81, confidence interval [CI] 1.22-2.69), coronary artery disease (OR 1.57, CI 1.25-1.96), ≥4 fused levels (OR 1.41, CI 1.06-1.88), diabetes (OR 1.34, CI 1.10-1.63), and surgery length (OR 1.09, CI 1.03-1.16). Factors associated with decreased risk were discharge to home (OR 0.63, CI 0.51-0.78), private insurance (OR 0.79, CI 0.65-0.97), ambulation same day of surgery (OR 0.81, CI 0.67-0.97), and spondylolisthesis diagnosis (OR 0.82, CI 0.68-0.97). Of those readmitted, 385 (42.1%) patients underwent another surgery. Conclusion Ninety-day readmission occurred in 9.0% of patients, mainly for pain, wound infection, and radicular symptoms. Increased focus on postoperative pain may decrease readmissions. Among factors impacting the likelihood of 90-d readmission, early postoperative ambulation may be most easily modifiable. Optimization of preexisting medical conditions could also potentially decrease readmission risk.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in cardiac surgery: Incidence, costs, and duration of stay

Abstract Background Heparin is routinely used in many cardiovascular procedures to prevent thrombosis. An antibody-mediated process, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia occurs in a small subset of patients exposed to heparin. Though some have suggested a recent increase in the incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, data on the impact of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia on costs and duration of stay after cardiac surgery is generally lacking. The present study aimed to assess national trends in the incidence and resource use associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in cardiac surgical patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed identifying adult cardiac surgery patients with a diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia by using the 2009–2014 National Inpatient Sample Database. Association between development of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and complications during hospitalization were evaluated using multivariate regression models. Results Of the 3,547,883 cardiac surgery patients, 13,943 (0.40%) were diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was associated with significantly longer median index duration of stay (elective 12 vs 6 days, urgent 17 vs 10 days; P Conclusion Based on this national analysis of adult cardiac surgical patients, the presence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was associated with higher odds of mortality and morbidity, greater costs, and longer duration of stay. Female gender, history of hypercoagulability, and heart failure, among others, are independent predictors of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. These findings have significant implications in the era of value-based health care delivery. In addition to reducing unnecessary exposure to heparin, proper diagnosis and treatment are essential for favorable outcomes.
CFTR is not a gluten lover either.

Coeliac disease ( CD ) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease caused by ingestion of gluten proteins, mainly gliadin. Undigested gliadin proline‐rich peptides trigger the innate and adaptive immune response, resulting in intestinal cell stress and damage. A new study by Villella et al (2019) addressing the unclear primary cause of intestinal cell stress reports that gliadin peptides inhibit the function of the chloride and bicarbonate channel CFTR , causing intestinal cell stress, which is sufficient to trigger CD symptoms. Notably, CFTR potentiators used to treat cystic fibrosis effectively rescue CFTR function and markedly ameliorate the pathology of coeliac disease.
VI Schlussbetrachtung und Ausblick

Die Entwicklung des CRM war gekennzeichnet davon, dass das Konzept von Beginn an vorwiegend bzw. ausschlieslich unter einem IT-Fokus betrachtet wurde. Hohe Fehlschlagquoten fuhrten dazu, dass der Blickwinkel von Wissenschaft und Praxis mehr oder weniger zwangslaufig ausgeweitet werden musste und mit der Zeit neue Aspekte in die CRM-Diskussion einflossen (vgl. Einleitung Kapitel 1, 2 und Teil II Kapitel 1). In den letzten Jahren wurde die Forschung bezuglich weiterer spezifischer Themenbereiche, wie beispielsweise CRM-Implementierungsansatze (vgl. Schulze 2002, S. 67 ff.), vorangetrieben. Insbesondere die CRM-Erfolgsfaktoren waren Gegenstand der Diskussionen (vgl. Teil II Kapitel 1).
PROBE: Preparing for Roads in Advance of Barriers and Errors

In this paper, we analyze the performance of sensors to find optimal navigation solutions for fully autonomous vehicles (AVs). We consider sensory and environmental uncertainties that may prevent AVs from achieving optimal navigation accuracy, which could in turn threaten the safety of road users. As the fusion of all sensors might not be able to resolve these problems, we propose a new approach called PROBE (preparing for roads in advance of barriers and errors) that consists of five algorithms: error analyzer, path finder, challenge detector, challenge analyzer, and path marker. The objective of these algorithms is to provide the highest level of navigation accuracy obtainable in navigation-challenging conditions. The final outcome of these algorithms is visualization of challenging conditions on a selected route. We experimented with PROBE using routes in different countries and the results show that PROBE performs well in detecting, analyzing, and marking navigation challenges in advance. PROBE’s outcome can be used to decide on the appropriate sensors in advance of challenging conditions.
Hepatocyte p53 ablation induces metabolic dysregulation that is corrected by food restriction and vertical sleeve gastrectomy in mice

P53 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes; however, the mechanisms and tissue sites of action are incompletely defined. Therefore, we investigated the role of hepatocyte p53 in metabolic homeostasis using a hepatocyte-specific p53 knockout mouse model. To gain further mechanistic insight, we studied mice under two complementary conditions of restricted weight gain: vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) or food restriction. VSG or sham surgery was performed in high-fat diet-fed male hepatocyte-specific p53 wild-type and knockout littermates. Sham-operated mice were fed ad libitum or food restricted to match their body weight to VSG-operated mice. Hepatocyte-specific p53 ablation in sham-operated ad libitum-fed mice impaired glucose homeostasis, increased body weight, and decreased energy expenditure without changing food intake. The metabolic deficits induced by hepatocyte-specific p53 ablation were corrected, in part by food restriction, and completely by VSG. Unlike food restriction, VSG corrected the effect of hepatocyte p53 ablation to lower energy expenditure, resulting in a greater improvement in glucose homeostasis compared with food restricted mice. These data reveal an important new role for hepatocyte p53 in the regulation of energy expenditure and body weight and suggest that VSG can improve alterations in energetics associated with p53 dysregulation.
Increased expression of desmin and vimentin reduces bladder smooth muscle contractility via JNK2

Bladder dysfunction is associated with the overexpression of the intermediate filament (IF) proteins desmin and vimentin in obstructed bladder smooth muscle (BSM). However, the mechanisms by which these proteins contribute to BSM dysfunction are not known. Previous studies have shown that desmin and vimentin directly participate in signal transduction. In this study, we hypothesized that BSM dysfunction associated with overexpression of desmin or vimentin is mediated via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). We employed a model of murine BSM tissue in which increased expression of desmin or vimentin was induced by adenoviral transduction to examine the sufficiency of increased IF protein expression to reduce BSM contraction. Murine BSM strips overexpressing desmin or vimentin generated less force in response to KCl and carbachol relative to the levels in control murine BSM strips, an effect associated with increased JNK2 phosphorylation and reduced myosin light chain (MLC20 ) phosphorylation. Furthermore, desmin and vimentin overexpressions did not alter BSM contractility and MLC20 phosphorylation in strips isolated from JNK2 knockout mice. Pharmacological JNK2 inhibition produced results qualitatively similar to those caused by JNK2 knockout. These findings suggest that inhibition of JNK2 may improve diminished BSM contractility associated with obstructive bladder disease.
Measurements of Kinetics and Equilibria for the Condensed Phase Reactions of Hydroperoxides with Carbonyls to Form Peroxyhemiacetals

Heterogeneous/multiphase reactions can influence the formation, composition, and chemical–physical properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), but data describing their kinetics and equilibria r...
Invariant-mass spectrum of O11

The invariant-mass distribution of $^{11}\mathrm{O}$ fragments formed in two-neutron-knockout reactions with a $^{13}\mathrm{O}$ projectile and $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ target has been further examined. Gating on events where the $^{9}\mathrm{C}$ decay fragments produced following $2p$ emission are recoiled transversely in the projectile's frame improves the overall invariant-mass resolution. The observed peak is now shown to have contributions from at least two $^{11}\mathrm{O}$ levels, in contradiction with the suggestion of Fortune [Phys. Rev. C 99, 051302(R) (2019)]. The data, however, do not differentiate between the ground-state properties obtained by the Gamow coupled-channels calculation and the prompt $2p$-decay model of Fortune. The ground-state $2p$-decay energy is 4.25(6) MeV in a two-level fit to the data, but lower values are possible if more states contribute to the observed spectrum, as suggested in the previous analysis.
Net, Module, Chance: Repairing Cuba

Contemporary Cuban art often highlights the widespread practice of repair. Fixing broken appliances and subdividing houses via DIY construction are frequent real-life responses to economic and soci...
A research note on Mendelian randomization and causal inference in criminology: promises and considerations

Here, we provide a brief overview of a technique that may hold promise for scholars working on key criminological and criminal justice topics. We provide an abbreviated overview of Mendelian randomization (MR), a newer variant of instrumental variables analysis, facilitated by expanding genomic technology worldwide. Our goal is to offer readers, unacquainted with the topic, a quick checklist of key assumptions, considerations, shortcomings, and practical applications of the technique. The causal inference capabilities of the design seem poised to continue pushing modern crime science forward, assuming that careful attention is payed to key assumptions of the technique. Researchers interested in causality as it relates to antisocial behaviors may benefit by the addition of MR to the toolkit alongside other data analysis tools. This strategy also offers an avenue for cross-collaboration with scientists working in other fields, thus expanding the breadth of expertise contributing to an important societal subject in crime.
Respiratory Illness Caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and C. ulcerans, and Use of Diphtheria Antitoxin in the United States, 1996-2018.

Respiratory illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and C. ulcerans, and use of diphtheria anti-toxin in the United States, 1996-2018. Background Respiratory diphtheria is a toxin-mediated disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Diphtheria-like illness, clinically indistinguishable from diphtheria, is caused by C. ulcerans, a zoonotic bacterium that can also produce diphtheria toxin. In the United States, respiratory diphtheria is nationally notifiable: specimens from suspected cases are submitted to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for species and toxin confirmation, and diphtheria antitoxin (DAT) is obtained from CDC for treatment. We summarize the epidemiology of respiratory diphtheria and diphtheria-like illness and describe DAT use during 1996-2018 in the United States. Methods We described respiratory diphtheria cases reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and C. ulcerans-related diphtheria-like illness identified through specimen submissions to CDC during 1996-2018. We reviewed DAT requests from 1997-2018. Results From 1996-2018, 14 respiratory diphtheria cases were reported to NNDSS. Among these 14 cases, 1 was toxigenic and 3 were non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae by culture and Elek, 6 were culture-negative but PCR-positive for diphtheria toxin gene, 1 was culture-positive without further testing, and the remaining 3 were either not tested or tested negative. Five cases of respiratory diphtheria-like illness caused by toxigenic C. ulcerans were identified. DAT was requested by healthcare providers for 151 suspected diphtheria cases between 1997-2018, with an average of 11 requests per year from 1997-2007, and 3 per year from 2008-2018. Conclusions Respiratory diphtheria remains rare in the United States, and requests for DAT have declined. Incidental identification of C. ulcerans-related diphtheria-like illness suggests surveillance of this condition might be warranted.
Multiple scattering anisotropy contrast using localization-diverse OCT

Multiple scattering and angle-dependent scattering anisotropy confound interrogation of tissues with OCT and are generally considered noise. Here we characterize a new localization-diverse OCT system that measures the scattering through a pair of neighboring locations. By varying the offset and direction between the locations, we could distinguish single- from multiple-scattering in tissue-mimicking scattering phantoms. This system has the potential to detect previously unobserved tissue anisotropy by leveraging localization diversity in OCT.
Ice in biomolecular cryocrystallography.

Diffraction data acquired from cryocooled protein crystals often include diffraction from ice. Analysis of ice diffraction from crystals of three proteins shows that the ice formed within solvent cavities during rapid cooling is comprised of a stacking-disordered mixture of hexagonal and cubic planes, with the cubic plane fraction increasing with increasing cryoprotectant concentration and increasing cooling rate. Building on the work of Thorn and coworkers [Thorn et al. (2017), Acta Cryst. D73, 729–727], a revised metric is defined for detecting ice from deposited protein structure-factor data, and this metric is validated using full-frame diffraction data from the Integrated Resource for Reproducibility in Macromolecular Crystallography. Using this revised metric and improved algorithms, an analysis of structure-factor data from a random sample of 89 827 PDB entries collected at cryogenic temperatures indicates that roughly 16% show evidence of ice contamination, and that this fraction increases with increasing solvent content and maximum solvent-cavity size. By examining the ice diffraction-peak positions at which structure-factor perturbations are observed, it is found that roughly 25% of crystals exhibit ice with primarily hexagonal character, indicating that inadequate cooling rates and/or cryoprotectant concentrations were used, while the remaining 75% show ice with a stacking-disordered or cubic character.
Investor Underreaction to Goodwill Write-Offs

Current accounting rules end regular amortization of goodwill and mandate annual tests for goodwill impairment and loss recognition, when appropriate. These rules make consideration of goodwill write-offs important and timely. In the study reported here, we found that the effects of goodwill write-off announcements were typically negative and material - on the order of -2.94 percent to -3.52 percent of the company's stock price. What makes goodwill write-off announcements especially noteworthy for investors is that additional effects of roughly -11.02 percent were realized by the end of a one-year post-announcement period. These results suggest that investors initially underreact to goodwill write-off announcements and that they need to be aware of the potential for further losses in the post-announcement period.
Development and initial validation of the Styles of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

Abstract Background In cognitive behavioral therapies, patients work to develop or strengthen various emotion regulation skills. Understanding the role of such skills in treatment and how focusing on different skills might be used to effectively personalize treatments requires a measure suited to these purposes. With this goal in mind, we developed the Styles of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (SERQ) to capture individual differences in the broad range of emotion regulation skills taught in these therapies, suited for assessing skills among treatment naive participants and those participating in treatment. Methods In this study, 512 participants completed the SERQ. We conducted separate factor analyses of items assessing frequency of skill use and the extent to which skills were impaired when upset. Results Analyses suggested four skill factors and one emotionally impaired coping factor. In 17 of 20 tests, SERQ scores were related to anxiety, depression, stress, and features of borderline personality disorder. Discussion Initial results suggest the potential of the SERQ as a measure of emotion regulation strategies taught in cognitive behavioral therapy. We encourage future research using the SERQ in clinical contexts.
Query Data from Oracle Database with Visual Basic.NET

This chapter provides a detailed description and discussion in how to use Visual Studio.NET 2019 tools and wizards to build simple but efficient database applications without touching complicated coding. It presents a deeper digging in how to develop advanced database applications using runtime objects and focuses only on the data query applications. A data query will be executed via a dynamic Oracle statement that is built during the configuration of each TableAdapter in the Data Source wizard. When building a Windows Forms App (.NET Framework) application that needs to interface to database, a powerful and simple way is to use the design tools and wizards provided by Visual Studio.NET. The chapter illustrates how to utilize design tools and wizards to build a data‐driven application using our project SelectWizard Project. The Language Integrated Query LINQ To DataSet method is an updated method provided by .NET Framework.
(Invited) Exploration of Short DNA Sequences Toward Complete Resolution of Single-Chirality SWCNTs

Sequence-dependent interactions between DNA and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been shown to provide resolution for the atomic-structure-based sorting of DNA-wrapped SWCNTs by their helicity and handedness. Although significant progress has been made on DNA sequence selection for sorting SWCNTs, DNA sequence screening so far is still a high-cost, time-consuming and inefficient process. The success rate of finding recognition sequences is rather low (~10%), and it remains a grand challenge to predict recognition sequence patterns for sorting SWCNTs. Aiming to conquer this challenge, we have developed a highly efficient approach of finding recognition sequences by machine-learning guided experimental exploration of DNA sequence space. In this contribution, we present experimental data from short DNA sequences consisting of 5 and 6 nucleotides (referred to as 5-mers and 6-mers). Selective short DNA sequences demonstrate remarkable sorting resolution toward single-chirality SWCNTs, giving rise to more than 20 highly pure species. Since the short DNA sequences possess plain pattern combination and a relatively small number of distinct members of their population, we are able to explore the entire sequence space to address recognition pattern. Finally, we combine experimental investigation and machine learning to develop a highly efficient approach to differentiate recognition and nonrecognition sequences with success rate of > 90%.
Significance of Fecal Coliform-Positive Klebsiella

A total of 191 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates of human clinical, bovine mastitis, and a wide variety of environmental sources were tested for fecal coliform (FC) response with the membrane filtration and most probable number techniques. Twenty-seven Escherichia coli cultures of human clinical and environmental origins were also tested. Eighty-five percent (49/58) of known pathogenic K. pneumoniae were FC positive, compared with 16% (19/120) of the environmental strains. E. coli results indicated 93% (13/14) of the clinical and 85% (11/13) of the environmental strains as FC positive. There was no significant difference in the incidence of FC-positive cultures between pathogenic Klebsiella and E. coli. pH measurements of K. pneumoniae and E. coli cultures growing in m-FC broth at 44.5°C revealed three distinct pH ranges correlating with colony morphology. β-Galactosidase assays of Klebsiella and E. coli cultures at 44.5°C indicated all were able to hydrolyze lactose, even if they were FC negative by the membrane filtration or most probable number techniques. The FC response pattern appears stable in K. pneumoniae. Three pathogenic cultures showed no change in FC responses after 270 generations of growth in sterile pulp mill effluent. Since K. pneumoniae is carried in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals and 85% of the tested pathogenic strains were FC positive, the isolation of FC-positive Klebsiella organisms from the environment would indicate their fecal or clinical origin or both. The added fact that K. pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen of increasing importance makes the occurrence of FC-positive environmental Klebsiella, particularly in large numbers, a potential human and animal health hazard.
Cyclooxygenase-2-dependent arachidonic acid metabolites are essential modulators of the intestinal immune response to dietary antigen.

Intestinal inflammatory diseases are mediated by dysregulated immune responses to undefined luminal antigens. Feeding hen egg-white lysozyme to mice expressing a transgenic T-cell receptor that recognizes hen egg-white lysozyme peptide 46–61 resulted in no intestinal pathology; however, simultaneous administration of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors and dietary hen egg-white lysozyme resulted in increased proliferation of lamina propria mononuclear cells and crypt epithelial cells, crypt expansion and villus blunting. Lamina propria mononuclear cells produce high levels of cyclooxygenase-2-dependent arachidonic acid metabolites, which act as immunomodulators in the immune response to dietary antigen. These findings establish that cyclooxygenase-2-dependent arachidonic acid metabolites are essential in the development and maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis.
Can We Make Sense of Neutrality in the Religion Clause Cases: Seven Rescue Attempts and a Viable Alternative

This Article addresses the controversial question of 'neutrality' as a crucial test in a number of important Religion Clause cases. The idea of 'neutrality' in the Religion Clause context turns out to be popular, but unavoidably incoherent. The Article then explores seven alternative approaches to explaining why Religion Clause neutrality tests persist, despite the evident incoherence of the concept of neutrality. None of these seven alternatives, however, holds much promise for a valuable re-interpretation or rescue of the idea of neutrality. What is needed is not a re-interpretation of Religion Clause neutrality tests, but a replacement for such tests. The Conclusion offers coherent and useful guidance in addressing many Religion Clause cases, based on a surprising adaptation of elements from the apparently remote area of Takings Clause and police power regulation jurisprudence.
Remediation of Contaminated Soils

Soil contamination is caused by a variety of industrial, agricultural, and domestic activities, and poses a major threat to the environment. Although soil contamination can result from a variety of organic and inorganic chemicals, this article focuses on remediation of metal-contaminated soils. Heavy metals such as Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu, and Hg can cause significant damage to environmental and human health, particularly because of their indefinite persistence in the environment. In the United States alone, 1200 sites are on the National Priority List (NPL) for remediation of contaminated soils, of which 63% are contaminated with toxic heavy metals. A plethora of remediation techniques are now available for the cleanup of such contaminated sites. The selection of the most appropriate site remediation technique depends on various factors such as site characteristics, concentration, types of pollutants to be removed, and end use of the contaminated medium. The major technologies available to date can be grouped under the following categories: isolation, immobilization, toxicity reduction, physical separation, and extraction. This article provides an overview of the various sources of heavy metal pollution in soils, the common remediation technologies available for soil cleanup, and the various factors that influence the type of remediation method that would be most appropriate for effectively remediating metal-contaminated soils. Keywords: contamination; heavy metals; soil; remediation
An asynchronous multiprocessor design for branch-and-bound algorithms

A fast asynchronous multiprocessor system designed to implement branch-and-bound algorithms is described. Cooperating processors are only responsible for performing computation essential to the problem. Dynamic sharing of work and coordinate among processors are provided by several servers, all of which are capable of handling multiple accesses simultaneously. It is shown how to coordinate the use of these designs and prove the correctness of the authors' solution in reactivating idle processors and detecting the termination of the computation. The loss of computation power due to the uneven work-load distribution, coordination, and synchronization of processors has been reduced significantly compared with other hardware designs. >
Overcoming Unintentional Racism in Counseling and Therapy: A Practitioner's Guide to Intentional Intervention

PART ONE: EXAMINING THE COUNSELOR'S UNINTENTIONAL RACISM Minority Clients as Victims Fifteen Propositions What Is Racism? Models of Mental Health Judgmental and Inferential Errors Defensive Dynamics PART TWO: OVERCOMING THE COUNSELOR'S UNINTENTIONAL RACISM Counsel Idiographically Set Culturally-Relevant Goals Make Better Clinical Decisions Manage Resistance Terminate Effectively
A modified interior point method for supervisory controller design

The design of supervisory controllers entails two phases: set point and model identification and the determination of appropriate control strategies. Many methods exist for designing controllers given linearized models of a plant at a set point. This paper presents a learning procedure that identifies models and set points using interior point techniques for solving linear programming (LP) problems. The learning procedure is an alternating minimization (AM) technique which optimizes the mean square prediction error of a multiple model stochastic supervisor. The algorithm is fast, requiring O(/spl radic/n) iterations to find a local optimum, and computationally efficient requiring O(n/sup 3.5/) computations to solve the problem. The principal results of the paper are two bounds on how aggressively each leg of the alternating minimization may be performed to achieve this efficiency. >
FLUID-FILLED LUNG DUE TO AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION IN THE NEWBORN

Airway obstruction classically leads to either atelectasis or emphysema. Obstructions developing in utero might be expected to cause different phenomena, however, since fetal lungs contain fluid, not air. The two newborn infants presented here demonstrate the pathophysiologic effects of total intrauterine bronchial occlusion and the consequent retention of pulmonary fluid. One infant had extrinsic occlusion of the left main-stem bronchus by a small bronchogenic cyst. The other had atresia of the bronchus leading to his accessory left upper lobe. In each the obstructed pulmonary tissue was expanded and filled with fluid. In neither case did the clinical and roentgenographic findings suggest airway obstruction pre-operatively. The contrast with the atelectatic and emphysematous manifestations of later-life airway obstruction is marked. Those who care for newborn infants must be aware that a chest mass or opaque lung by x-ray or large but fluid-filled pulmonary tissue upon thoracotomy may in fact represent remediable airway obstruction.
Antidepressant treatment history and drug-placebo separation in a placebo-controlled trial in major depressive disorder.

A history of antidepressant treatment may predispose subjects toward placebo nonresponse in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in major depressive disorder (MDD). The objective of this study is to examine self-reported prior antidepressant treatment and response in relationship to clinical outcome in an 8-week randomized trial of reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medication (MED) versus placebo (PBO) administered along with limited supportive care. Chi-square and MMRM analyses examined MED vs. PBO outcomes in antidepressant-naive vs. antidepressant-experienced subjects. Linear regression models examined treatment history along with covariates as predictors of clinical improvement. Among completers (n = 56), there was no significant difference in response rate between MED (53.3 %) and PBO (42.3 %) (χ 2 = 0.33, p = 0.28, 1-tailed). The antidepressant-experienced subgroup (n = 37), however, showed a significantly greater response rate to MED (52.4 %) than PBO (25.0 %) (χ 2 = 2.82, p = 0.047, 1-tailed). The full intent-to-treat (ITT) sample (n = 69) did not show a significant difference between MED and PBO group improvement over time, but in the treatment-experienced subgroup (n = 46), MED showed significantly greater improvement than PBO (coefficient = .39, SE = .23, p = .045, 1-tailed). A history of prior antidepressant treatment predicted poorer overall response independent of pretreatment symptom severity, number or length of previous episodes, subject expectations, or family history of MDD. Treatment history appears to constitute a factor that is distinct from other commonly studied illness characteristics or expectancy measures, and that impacts overall response as well as drug-placebo separation in RCTs.
A Factor Analytic Comparison of Outshopping Behavior in Larger Retail Trade Areas

Three patronage factors appear to motivate outshopping behavior across larger retail areas. The results are supported by research which has typically concentrated on smaller retail trade areas. This correspondence suggests a generalized outshopping behavior which may be attributable to the inability of retailers to completely satisfy all dimensions related to the shopping experience.
Geographical patterns of genetic divergence in the widespread Mesoamerican bumble bee Bombus ephippiatus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Bumble bees (Bombus Latreille) are an important group of social insects, well recognized throughout northern temperate regions as important pollinators of wild and agricultural plants. Little is known about the biology of this group in southern portions of the Americas, especially in Mesoamerica, a region of geological and ecological complexity from Mexico through Central America. One ubiquitous Mesoamerican species, Bombus ephippiatus, is enigmatic. Like many other Bombus, this species is homogeneous in body structure yet exhibits striking intraspecific color pattern polymorphism across its range, leading to uncertainty about its genealogical boundaries. It has been grouped taxonomically with B. wilmattae, a species narrowly restricted to southern Mexico and northern Guatamala. Furthermore, the relationships between these two taxa and a third species, B. impatiens, found only in America north of Mexico, have been controversial. Our phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences from mitochondrial COI and nuclear PEPCK and CAD resolves the phylogeny of these three taxa as (B. impatiens, (B. ephippiatus, B. wilmattae)). Additional data from eight nuclear microsatellite markers reveal complex patterns of genetic divergence and isolation among populations of B. ephippiatus across its extensive geographic range, providing evidence for multiple independent evolutionary lineages. These lineages correspond not only to geographic and habitat variation across their range, but also to distinct color pattern groups present in the species. Knowledge of the phylogeny and genetic divergence of the B. ephippiatus group will provide a framework for understanding evolutionary and ecological origins of color pattern polymorphism in bumble bees, as well as providing insight into geographical factors enhancing speciation in Mesoamerica.
Project Level Carbon Monoxide Hot-Spot Analysis for Level of Service D Intersections

Hot-spot [localized carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM10) violations] analysis is often required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine project level air quality conformity of transportation projects in accordance with state implementation plans. EPA uses intersection level of service (LOS) as one of its major criteria for identifying potential CO hot spots. EPA's 1992 Guideline for Modeling CO from Roadway Intersections states that hot-spot analysis is not required for those intersections operating at LOS A, B, or C (i.e., these intersections are automatically eliminated as potential CO hot spots), whereas intersections operating at LOS D or worse must undergo detailed CO concentration analysis. Of all possible LOS D intersections, clearly only a few will actually require detailed modeling of CO concentrations. A new screening methodology that introduces the concept of meteorological situation-orientated reference charts is presented. Variations on the basic reference char...
Two dimensional investigation of ion acoustic waves reflection from the sheath

Summary form only given, as follows. Preliminary results show that oblique ion waves propagate from the bulk plasma into and all the way through the sheath in both 1D and 2D simulation. These waves are launched from one side of the system with a AC voltage or a current source with a frequency less than the ion plasma frequency. Our one and initial two dimensional PIC simulations show the details of densities, potentials, fields, particle moments and time-distance plots of the average density minus the instantaneous density. From the time-distance plot the direction and magnitude of the ion acoustic wave is measured. From this the coefficients of reflection and transmission as a function of the incident angle is calculated. Our observations will be compared with laboratory experiments and theory.
A harmonic-suppressed miniaturized-element frequency selective surface with a second-order bandpass response

In this paper, we introduce a new method for designing miniaturized-element frequency selective surfaces (MEFSSs) with higher-order bandpass responses, which are free of spurious transmission windows over extremely large bandwidths. The proposed harmonic-free MEFSS is composed of multiple metallic layers in the form of sub-wavelength periodic structures consisting of non-resonant unit cells separated from one another by thin dielectric substrates. Harmonic-free operation in these structures is achieved by using multiple closely-spaced capacitive layers with overlapping unit cells to synthesize a single effective capacitive layer, which leads to a larger capacitance value for a given unit cells size. This allows for shifting the natural resonant frequencies of its constituting elements to considerably higher frequencies and achieving a harmonic-free response over extremely wide bandwidths. Using the proposed method an MEFSS prototype having a second order bandpass response with a fractional bandwidth of 20% at 3 GHz, is designed, fabricated, and its harmonic-free operation in wide field of view (±60°) for both TE and TM polarizations is experimentally verified.
The androgen receptor in breast cancer: learning from the past

Care of the cancer patient is becoming increasingly individualized. At the fulcrum of such therapeutic decisionmaking lies a relevant and accurate understanding of unique patient characteristics and preferences, and of tumor biology. In a pure sense, prognostic factors reflect tumor biology that may be used to estimate outcome independent of systemic treatment, whereas predictive factors reflect a relative resistance or sensitivity to specific therapy(ies) and are increasingly used to select optimal treatments for an individual patient. Perhaps the best and oldest example of a biomarker with proven clinical utility is the estrogen receptor alpha (ER), the expression of which on breast tumors has served both as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for the last three decades [1]. The Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) 2005 overview clearly demonstrated that tamoxifen substantially reduces the risk for breast cancer recurrence and death across all age groups in patients with ER-positive earlystage breast cancer, whereas patients with ER-negative disease do not benefit from tamoxifen [2, 3]. ER status also predicts response to endocrine therapy in the metastatic setting [4]. In this issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, a well designed and thorough study by Castellano et al. [5] explores the concept of androgen receptor (AR) as a novel prognostic factor in ER-positive breast cancer, and suggests that it may have additional clinical utility in identifying a better prognosis subgroup of luminal B breast cancers.
The psychoneuroendocrinology of diabetes mellitus in rodents

The metabolic-endocrine state of diabetes mellitus affects the brain and behavior of diabetic animals. Feeding, paradoxical sleep, analgesia, submissive behavior, and avoidance behavior, are generally increased in diabetic compared with nondiabetic rodents. In contrast, sexual behavior, aggressive behavior and sensitivity to the behavioral effects of amphetamine are decreased in diabetic rodents. This review examines behavioral changes in diabetes mellitus within the context of known disease-linked alterations in hypothalamo-pituitary relationships and brain monoamine metabolism.
On the positivity of the solution of a class of stochastic pressure equations

We study the quasi-positivity of the solution of the following stochastic pressure equation where D is a bounded domain of is the given source and denotes the Wick product. We also construct a particular stochastic pressure equation whose solution is not positive in the usual sense
Multidimensional potentials of mean force from biased experiments along a single coordinate.

External biasing forces are often applied to enhance sampling in regions of phase space which would otherwise be rarely observed. While the typical goal of these experiments is to calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) along the biasing coordinate, here I present a method to construct PMFs in multiple dimensions and along arbitary alternative degrees of freedom. A protocol for multidimensional PMF reconstruction from nonequilibrium single-molecule pulling experiments is introduced and tested on a series of two dimensional potential surfaces with varying levels of correlation. Reconstruction accuracy and convergence from several methods - this new protocol, equilibrium umbrella sampling, and free diffusion - are compared, and nonequilibrium pulling is found to be the most efficient. To facilitate the use of this method, the source code for this analysis is made freely available.
Prenatal genetic screening and diagnosis for pediatricians.

Purpose of reviewPrenatal genetic screening and diagnostic testing can identify many disorders that will require specialized newborn care and follow-up. Pediatricians should be aware of recent advances in testing that may have implications for their patients and families.Recent findingsOver the last
Sandwich pairs in critical point theory

Since the development of the calculus of variations there has been interest in finding critical points of functionals. This was intensified by the fact that for many equations arising in practice the solutions are critical points of functionals. If a functional G is semibounded, one can find a Palais-Smale (PS) sequence G(u k ) → a, G'(u k ) → 0. These sequences produce critical points if they have convergent subsequences (i.e., if G satisfies the PS condition). However, there is no clear method of finding critical points of functionals which are not semibounded. The concept of linking was developed to produce Palais-Smale (PS) sequences for C 1 functionals G that separate linking sets. In the present paper we discuss the situation in which one cannot find linking sets that separate the functional. We introduce a new class of subsets that accomplishes the same results under weaker conditions. We then provide criteria for determining such subsets. Examples and applications are given.
Ultra-High Strain Response of Elastomeric Polymer Dielectrics

The strain response of dielectric elastomers sandwiched between compliant electrodes was studied. These electroactive polymer artificial muscle (EPAM) materials show excellent overall performance and appear more attractive than many competing actuator technologies. Based on the available data, the actuation mechanism is due to the free charge interaction of the compliant electrodes, enhanced by the dielectric properties of the elastomer (Maxwell stress). Strains over 200%, actuation pressures up to 8 MPa, and energy densities up to 3.4 J/cm3 have been demonstrated with silicone rubber and acrylic elastomers. Response time is rapid, and the potential efficiency is high. The fabrication of EPAM actuators can be simple and low cost. A wide range of small devices have been made, to demonstrate the potential of the technology and reveal more about performance and fabrication issues. These devices include bending beam actuators for scanners and clamps, diaphragm actuators for pumps and valves, stretched-film actuators for electro-optics, and bow actuators for muscle-like actuators for small robots and other micro machines.
A Statistical Problem Concerning the Mar Saba Letter

The Mar Saba letter is a controversial document purportedly written by the second century theologian Clement of Alexandria and containing excerpts from the so-called “Secret Gospel” of Mark. There is evidence that the Mar Saba letter is a forgery. This evidence includes a statistical analysis comparing the vocabulary of the Mar Saba letter with that of the acknowledged works of Clement. This statistical analysis, which was based on Herbert A. Simon’s model of text generation, was casually reported. Here a statistical framework for this analysis is presented. As a by-product, a more powerful test of authenticity is described.