cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Contributions of Economic Anthropology to the Political Economy of Cities

Urban anthropology's centrality within anthropology and the growing importance of urban areas to global modernity are reflected in the choice of the Society for Economic Anthropology (SEA) to focus its 2012 meeting and this journal volume on the political economy of cities. In this volume, we undertake two tasks. First, we emphasize patterns of urban inequality and political struggle that inform the distribution of economic resources and the ways in which those with fewer resources manipulate and challenge the dominant pattern of resource allocation. Second, we focus on three topical areas of general anthropological interest and contemporary importance: (a) the transformation of urban economies in light of contemporary neoliberalism and how such changes affect the livelihoods of market vendors and less-affluent urban residents, (b) forms of ancient and contemporary city planning, the political and economic interests behind them, and their subsequent effect on diverse urban communities, and (c) attempts by political leaders and policymakers to control the movement of urban populations and the consequent economic impacts on those forced to move or discouraged from moving. Although the featured articles reflect only a small portion of current work on the political economy of cities, they show clearly that elites working to create cities and urban spaces to their own benefit frequently marginalize and suppress the interests of the poor and working class. However, disadvantaged groups also work in their own interests for tangible benefits and future social mobility.
Parental reports on the prevalence of co-occurring intellectual disability among children with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract Limited evidence suggests that the prevalence of mental retardation (MR) – now called “intellectual disability” (ID) – in ASD ranges between 25.8% and 58.5%, with co-occurrence in 66–70% of children who meet strict criteria for autism. However, parents and professionals differ significantly in their understanding of or opinions about intellectual functioning among children with ASD. The current study analyzed archival data to calculate the prevalence of parent-reported MR among children with ASD (N = 498). Collectively, 9.2% of families affirmed MR; when analyzed by type of ASD, the rates for those with autism and PDD-NOS were 12.6% and 7.3%, respectively. A variety of explanations for these low rates are posited alongside implications for clinical practice and families’ receipt of services.
Isomerization and Reactivity of Allyl Groups Adsorbed on Coinage Metals

Using allyl halides (C3H5X, X = Cl, Br) to generate adsorbed C3H5 fragments and halogen atoms, we have studied the isomerization and reactivity of σ-bonded (η1) and π-bonded (η3) C3H5 on two metal substrates, Cu(100) and Ag(111), using vibrational and thermal desorption spectroscopies. On Cu(100), two forms of η3-C3H5, denoted endo-η3-C3H5 ↔ exo-η3-C3H5, are identified that undergo a reversible temperature-dependent isomerization. When dissociative adsorption of C3H5X saturates on Cu(100), only exo-η3-C3H5 is found between 77 and 300 K. On Ag(111), η1-C3H5 and η3-C3H5 (both exo and endo) form at 110 K, depending on the dose. The η1-C3H5 and exo-η3-C3H5 irreversibly isomerize to endo-η3-C3H5 upon annealing to 175 K. When either metal substrate, held at a selected temperature between 77 and 150 K, is dosed with C3H5Br, there is a reaction with η3-C3H5 to form 1,5-hexadiene, C6H10. This reaction does not occur upon dosing with C3H5Cl. When η3-C3H5 is heated above 200 K, different results obtain for the two m...
The Yeast Nucleoporin Nup2p Is Involved in Nuclear Export of Importin α/Srp1p

Abstract The importin α·β heterodimer mediates nuclear import of proteins containing classical nuclear localization signals. After carrying its cargo into the nucleus, the importin dimer dissociates, and Srp1p (the yeast importin α subunit) is recycled to the cytoplasm in a complex with Cse1p and RanGTP. Nup2p is a yeast FXFG nucleoporin that contains a Ran-binding domain. We find that export of Srp1p from the nucleus is impaired inΔnup2 mutants. Also, Srp1p fusion proteins accumulate at the nuclear rim in wild-type cells but accumulate in the nuclear interior in Δnup2 cells. A deletion of NUP2shows genetic interactions with mutants in SRP1 andPRP20, which encodes the Ran nucleotide exchange factor. Srp1p binds directly to an N-terminal domain of Nup2p. This region of Nup2p is sufficient to allow accumulation of an Srp1p fusion protein at the nuclear rim, but the C-terminal Ran-binding domain of Nup2p is required for efficient Srp1p export. Formation of the Srp1p·Cse1p·RanGTP export complex releases Srp1p from its binding site in Nup2p. We propose that Nup2p may act as a scaffold that facilitates formation of the Srp1p export complex.
Satisfaction, Commitment and Professionalism of Newly Employed Nurses

Over their first year of work all nurses employed in a large hospital reported decreased job satisfaction, decreased organizational commitment, and decreased professionalism. This happened with both new graduates and experienced nurses alike; only Master's prepared nurses did not report this decline. The results suggest that employers need to assess the initial expectations of new nurses and either meet more of those expectations or help new nurses form more realistic expectations about their jobs.
METHODOLOGY OF TRAIT ANALYSIS

It is proposed that traits, as assessed by persons (X's) about their fellows (Y's), are best explained from a self-theoretical standpoint, and not, as hitherto, from a so-called’ objective’ framework. Theoretically, modes of regard of X's (not to be confused with ‘halo’ effects) are at issue, and not elements of temperament of tho Y's. Modes of regard can be represented by factors, attributed to X's and not to Y's. Methodological matters are discussed which support this new look at traits and their analysis.
Nonignorable Missingness in Matched Case–Control Data Analyses

Summary. Matched case–control data analysis is often challenged by a missing covariate problem, the mishandling of which could cause bias or inefficiency. Satten and Carroll (2000, Biometrics56, 384–388) and other authors have proposed methods to handle missing covariates when the probability of missingness depends on the observed data, i.e., when data are missing at random. In this article, we propose a conditional likelihood method to handle the case when the probability of missingness depends on the unobserved covariate, i.e., when data are nonignorably missing. When the missing covariate is binary, the proposed method can be implemented using standard software. Using the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study data, we illustrate the method and discuss how sensitivity analysis can be conducted.
Perception of the Visual Horizontal during Lateral Body Tilt: Right-Left Asymmetries:

Subjects, 55 males and 45 females, indicated by means of a luminescent rod the visual horizontal under conditions of lateral body tilt ranging from 10 degrees to 90 degrees to the right and to the left. There was a non-linear effect of the angle of tilt on the degree of deviation of apparent from objective horizontal. With small angles of tilt the apparent horizontal tended to deviate opposite to the direction of body tilt, with larger angles, in the direction of tilt. Uncertainty of judgment increased with increasing angles of tilt.
Superconducting fluctuations in the high-temperature superconductors: Theory of the dc resistivity in the normal state

By assuming that the mean-field transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{m}}$ is higher than the superconducting transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$, and that the scattering between the electrons and impurities is important, we crudely estimate the electric conductivity ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathit{a}\mathit{b}}$ in the ab plane and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathit{c}}$ along the c direction in the high-temperature superconductors. Since the coherence length along the c direction is unusually short, a metallic temperature dependence of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathit{a}\mathit{b}}$ and a nonmetallic behavior of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathit{c}}$ are obtained and their magnitudes are found to be consistent with the experimental data.
‘Dystrophic’ Purkinje cell dendrites in an infant

A\(6{\raise0.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-0.1em/\kern-0.15em\lower0.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$}}\) month old male infant presented a week after his birth with secretory diarrhea of unknown etiology. He was sustained by central hyperalimentation for the rest of his life, and treated for presumed sepsis with a wide variety of antibiotics. The brain showed vacuolation in the diencephalic nuclei and white matter of the brain stem. There were also many clusters of enlarged Purkinje cell dendrites in the molecular layer. In Golgi preparations the primary and secondary dendrites showed segmental swellings and absent tertiary branchlets. The swellings were due to remarkable accumulations of mitochondria. The pathogenesis of the dendritic changes is discussed, and ‘dying back’ phenomenon is proposed to explain the changes.
Tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite as a co-solvent for nonflammable electrolytes in Li-ion batteries

Abstract In this work, we used tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite (TTFP), in which the oxidization number of phosphorus was three (III), to formulate nonflammable electrolytes of the Li-ion batteries. Using 1 m (mole solute per kilogram solvent) LiPF 6 3:3:4 (w) propylene carbonate (PC)/ethylene carbonate (EC)/ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) electrolyte as a baseline, the effect of TTFP on the flammability and conductivity of the electrolytes, as well as the cell performance was evaluated. It is observed that the addition of TTFP can substantially reduce flammability of the electrolytes at a small expense in the ionic conductivity. When the TTFP content reaches 15 wt.% versus the solvent, the electrolyte becomes nonflammable. In Li/graphite half-cell, TTFP not only suppresses PC decomposition and graphite exfoliation but also increases Coulombic efficiency (CE) of the lithiation and delithiation cycle. In Li/cathode (a lithium nickel-based mixed oxide cathode) half-cell, TTFP has negligible adverse impact on the cycling performance when the cells are cycled between 2.7 and 4.2 V. In graphite/cathode Li-ion cell using PC-based electrolytes, TTFP can improve cycling performance, especially at high temperature (60 °C), since its presence favors the formation of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film on the graphite electrode and increases thermal stability of LiPF 6 -based electrolytes.
The Structure of Russian Organizations

This paper examines the extent to which the structure of Russian organizations is similar to that observed among organizations in the West. Data were obtained in 1995 from a sample of organizations in the greater Moscow area by means of a structured interview schedule administered to the chief executive officer within each organization. The interview schedule contained measures developed by the Aston Group which have been used widely in previous research. The structure of Russian organizations was evaluated in terms of a causal model based upon consistent findings of previous research in this area. The results suggest that the structure of Russian organizations differs in important ways from the type of structure observed in most Western organizations. The major differences are that size, specialization and formalization are positively associated with centralization in Russian organizations. It is suggested that the historical tradition of centralized rule in Russia and the criminal environment of current Russian organizations are, in part, responsible for this difference.
Random walk methods and wave diffraction

This paper develops an approach to problems of wave diffraction that combines the physical clarity of the ray method with the versatility of direct numerical methods. First it addresses scalar problems with general linear first-order boundary conditions, and then it considers problems formulated in adjacent domains with imposed interface conditions. We start by following closely the scheme of the ray method, but instead of looking for approximate expressions for the amplitudes of the Liouville decomposition we obtain their exact representations as the mathematical expectations of some functionals on the space of Brownian trajectories. The obtained solutions provide direct improvements of the ray method approximations to the exact solutions, and they are shown to admit efficient numerical evaluations.
Incremental Value of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography over the Two-Dimensional Technique in the Assessment of Combined Sinus of Valsalva Rupture into the Right Ventricle and Adjacent Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect

We describe the incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography over the 2D technique in the assessment of ruptured right sinus of Valsalva into the right ventricle associated with an adjacent perimembranous ventricular septal defect in an elderly patient.
Agonizing over antagonizing: what do benzodiazepine receptor antagonists demonstrate?

The psychopharmacology of benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) agonists and inverse agonists is rapidly expanding, due to the ever-increasing number of BZR ligands with novel pharmacological profiles (e.g., Gardner et al. 1993) and to new and modified definitions for their clinical use (e.g., Stephens 1993; Sarter and Nutt 1994). The effects of BZR ligands in humans and animals have been frequently studied in interaction with the effects of the BZR antagonist flumazenil (Ro15-1788; FLU), although the test of the antagonist effects of FLU has by no means emerged as a standard component routinely required in studies on the effects of BZR ligands (see for example, Weerts et al. 1993; Vivian et al. 1994; Stephens and Voet 1994; Dawson et al. 1995). In fact, FLU does not consistently antagonize the effects of BZR agonists or inverse agonists. For example, FLU does not reliably antagonize the effects of BZR agonists on episodic memory and motor sedation in humans (Curran and Birch 1991; Hommer et aI. 1993; Bishop and Cmxan 1995). Despite the sporadic use and mixed efficacy of la~U as a BZR antagonist, some researchers have considered FLU-induced antagonism as an essential component of a complete experimental design for studies of BZR agonists and inverse agonists. Likewise, editors have sometimes reflexively requested the inclusion of antagonist data in research publications. From a general pharmacological perspective, inclusion of a receptor antagonism component has inherent appeal. As will be discussed, however, the significance of the ability of FLU to antagonize, or not, the effects of BZR agonists or inverse agonists is completely unsettled. To the extent that FLU fails to act in accordance with a simple model of competitive antagonism, results may be not only uninformative, but misleading. As additional antagonist manipulations typically require substantial increases in the size and/or the complexity of experimental designs, such studies need to be solidly jus-
Rift localization in suture-thickened crust: Evidence from bouguer gravity anomalies in northeastern Tanzania, East Africa

Abstract The tectonic framework of northeastern Tanzania consists of three major elements, the Archean Tanzania Craton, the Proterozoic Mozambique Belt, and a portion of the Eastern arm of the Cenozoic East African rift system, which developed within the Mozambique Belt adjacent to the craton margin. We present some 1500 new point gravity measurements from northeastern Tanzania that, when combined with existing gravity data, characterize further the gravity field over the craton-mobile belt suture, as well as over the rift structures. The primary new observation which can be drawn from our data compilation and analysis is that a short wavelength gravity low exists over the craton-mobile belt suture. In a previous study, it was shown that a gravity low also exists over the Tanzania Craton-Mozambique Belt suture to the north in Kenya, and thus there appears to be a consistent gravity low over this suture from at least 6°S to the northern termination of the craton at ∼3°N. Based on the observation that gravity lows over Precambrian sutures elsewhere commonly arise from thickened crust, the gravity low over the Tanzania Craton-Mozambique Belt suture can be attributed to a few (2–5) kilometers of crustal thickening within an area 100–200 km wide, an interpretation that is also supported by seismic studies of crustal structure in Kenya. The development of Cenozoic rift structures within proximity to suture-thickened crust in northeastern Tanzania and Kenya suggests that rifting in the Eastern arm of the East African rift system may have been localized by the presence of the suture-thickened crust.
Long-Path Infrared Spectrocopy for Air Pollution Research

A long-path absorption cell was developed for the measurement of gaseous contaminants in the atmosphere and for the studies of reactions of contaminants in the laboratory. The instrument is based on the White multiple-reflection system, having two large spherical mirrors at one end of the 3-meter cell and one smaller one at the other end of equal radius. To avoid excessive loss of radiant energy, the infrared source image is magnified and demagnified to match the cell to the spectrometer. Optimum path-length for maximum signal is reached when reflection losses reduce the energy to 1/e of its initial value. CO2 and water vapor interfere with, but do not prohibit, useful analyses of the atmosphere. Two of these cells are in use, one in the Philadelphia laboratory and one in a field-study trailer in the Los Angeles area.
Numerical modeling of NO formation in laminar Bunsen flames -- A flamelet approach

Abstract Based on the flamelet concept, a numerical model has been developed for fast predictions of NOX and CO emissions from laminar flames. The model is applied to studying NO formation in the secondary nonpremixed flame zone of fuel-rich methane Bunsen flames. By solving the steady-state flamelet equations with the detailed GRI2.1 methane–air mechanism, a flamelet library is generated containing thermochemical information for a range of scalar dissipation rates at the ambient pressure condition. Modeling of NO formation is made by solving its conservation equation with chemical source term evaluated based on flamelet library using the extended Zeldovich mechanism and “NO reburning reactions.” The optically-thin radiation heat transfer model is used to explore the potential effect of heat loss on thermal NO formation. The numerical scheme solves the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations as well as three additional equations: the mixture fraction, the NO mass fraction, and the enthalpy deficit due to radiative heat loss. With an established flamelet library, typical computing times are about 5 hours per calculation on a DEC-3000 300LX workstation. The predicted mixing field, radial temperature profiles, and NO distributions compare favorably with recent experimental data obtained by Nguyen et al. [2] . The dependence of NOX emission on equivalence ratio is studied numerically and the predictions are found to agree reasonably well with the measurements by Muss [3] . The computed results show a decreasing trend of NOX emission with the equivalence ratio but an increasing trend in the CO emission index. By examining this trade-off between NOX and CO, an optimal equivalence ratio of 1.4 is found to yield the lowest combined emission.
A biomechanical modelling of body weight effects on a manual lifting task

Abstract This research utilized a biomechanical approach for the investigation of body weight effects in a manual-lifting activity. Following a 3-day training session, 10 male subjects performed 6 tasks in 12 trials. For each trial, the subject was directed to use a free style posture to lift a weighted box from the floor to a 0.762m high shelf. In order to evaluate the forces and torques generated by the external load and the body weight acting on the articulations and vertebra during the lifting task, the experimenter used a high-speed camera to record the lifting activity, a GP-8 Sonic Digitizer to translate the motion into coordinates, and a biomechanical program to calculate the forces acting on the L5/S1 disc, the maximum abdominal force,and the torque acting on the abdomen. After the statistical analysis, two regression models were developed, which provide a convenient and useful means to quantify the maximum compressive and shear forces acting on the low back area during a sagittal plane-lifting a...
An elastic strip with multiple cracks and applications to tapered specimens

In this paper an infinite elastic strip containing arbitrarily oriented cracks and subjected to uniform tension and a pair of concentrated forces is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations. Even though the technique is sufficiently general to solve new multiple crack problem, with the objective of applying the results to tapered specimens, only a certain symmetric crack geometry and loading conditions are considered. The stress intensity factors are calculated for edge cracks in the strip under uniform tension and for a 'compact' and a 'slender' tapered specimen (the latter simulating the double cantilever beam) under concentrated forces or crack surface wedge forces.
Mushroom poisoning in infants and children: the Amanita pantherina/muscaria group.

The clinical features and management of nine cases of mushroom poisoning due to Amanita pantherina (eight cases) and Amanita muscaria (one case) admitted to a children's hospital are described. Mos...
Potential Role for a Carbohydrate Moiety in Anti-Candida Activity of Human Oral Epithelial Cells

Candida albicans is both a commensal and a pathogen at the oral mucosa. Although an intricate network of host defense mechanisms are expected for protection against oropharyngeal candidiasis, anti-Candida host defense mechanisms at the oral mucosa are poorly understood. Our laboratory recently showed that primary epithelial cells from human oral mucosa, as well as an oral epithelial cell line, inhibit the growth of blastoconidia and/or hyphal phases of several Candida species in vitro with a requirement for cell contact and with no demonstrable role for soluble factors. In the present study, we show that oral epithelial cell-mediated anti-Candida activity is resistant to gamma-irradiation and is not mediated by phagocytosis, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide oxidative inhibitory pathways or by nonoxidative components such as soluble defensin and calprotectin peptides. In contrast, epithelial cell-mediated anti-Candida activity was sensitive to heat, paraformaldehyde fixation, and detergents, but these treatments were accompanied by a significant loss in epithelial cell viability. Treatments that removed existing membrane protein or lipid moieties in the presence or absence of protein synthesis inhibitors had no effect on epithelial cell inhibitory activity. In contrast, the epithelial cell-mediated anti-Candida activity was abrogated after treatment of the epithelial cells with periodic acid, suggesting a role for carbohydrates. Adherence of C. albicans to oral epithelial cells was unaffected, indicating that the carbohydrate moiety is exclusively associated with the growth inhibition activity. Subsequent studies that evaluated specific membrane carbohydrate moieties, however, showed no role for sulfated polysaccharides, sialic acid residues, or glucose- and mannose-containing carbohydrates. These results suggest that oral epithelial cell-mediated anti-Candida activity occurs exclusively with viable epithelial cells through contact with C. albicans by an as-yet-undefined carbohydrate moiety.
A separable approximation for convolution with the retarded Green's function and its application to time domain integral equations

A scheme for the evaluation of retarded potential integrals is presented wherein the convolution of the retarded potential Green's function with the basis functions is approximated using an expansion of separable functions in time and space. The proposed scheme renders the spatial integrands required in this computation smooth over both the source and testing domains, which is typically not true in the traditional TDIE formulation. Numerical experiments have been performed to quantify the error in this approximation and results to a selection of canonical geometries are presented.
Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World

Mushrooms are among the most intriguing and striking inhabitants of the natural world, as highly regarded for their distinctive flavors and uses in cooking and medicine as for their sometimes strange, often beautiful shapes and forms. Some are medicinal, others poisonous or even lethal. "Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World" is a well-rounded look at mushrooms, including their cultivation, ethnobotanical uses, and the fascinating roles they play in nature. The authors provide expert advice on how to identify and distinguish between edible and poisonous wild mushrooms and how to record important details, with suggestions for taking photographs and preparing spore prints. More than 250 stunning photographs accompany the text. Truly international in its coverage, this engaging introduction to the world of mushrooms will appeal to naturalists, students, photographers, chefs, hikers, and potential growers from around the world.
Cognition and Misrecognition: A Bourdieuian Analysis of Cognitive Strategy Instruction in a Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Classroom.

This study reports data from a year-long ethnographic case study of a third-grade teacher’s literacy instruction for her linguistically and culturally diverse students. Specifically, we use Bourdieu’s social practice theory (1991, 1998) to examine the teacher’s linguistic and literate habitus and the discourses of the field converge in her use of cognitive strategy instruction (CSI). In doing so, we spotlight CSI as a site of “struggle for the monopoly of legitimate discourse” (Bourdieu, 1983, p. 317) of the field of reading instruction and the potential effects for linguistically and culturally diverse students. We adaptBourdieu’s theories, however, by situating both habitus and field as performative (Butler, 1993) “as if” spaces (Holland, et al., 1998). Counter to the intentions of many who have developed and advocated the teaching of cognitive reading strategies, we found that CSI was performed in ways that may legitimize narrow conceptions of what “counts” as reading, and even thinking, or cognizing, about texts. At the same time, we identified a small number of instances in which the teacher’s instruction challenged those conceptualizations. While we argue that CSI can benefit students, particularly those who struggle with reading, we are concerned that it may be implemented in ways that support current standardizing efforts in language and literacy education. We end with a
Panenteric melanosis: an ominous endoscopic finding.

esophageal body diverticula. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1998;14:380-7. 12. Fekete F, Vonns C. Surgical management of esophageal thoracic diverticula. Hepatogastroenterology 1992;39:97-9. 13. Jordan PH Jr, Kinner BM. New look at epiphrenic diverticula. World J Surg 1999;23:147-52. 14. Rivkin L, Bremner CG, Bremner CH. Pathophysiology of midoesophageal and epiphrenic diverticula of the oesophagus. S Afr Med J 1984;66:127-9. 15. Etherington RJ, Clements D. Giant mid-oesophageal diverticulum: a rare cause of dysphagia. Br J Radiol 1990;63:221-2. 16. Jenkins DW, Fisk DE, Byrd RB. Mediastinal histoplasmosis with esophageal abscess. Two case reports. Gastroenterology 1976;70: 109-11. 17. Reddy ER, Smith J, Clarke H. Esophageal diverticula. Can Assoc Radiol J 1989;40:306-7. 18. Schachner A, Reiss R. Giant epiphrenic diverticulum of the esophagus. Int Surg 1973;58:269-70. 19. Ferraro P, Duranceau A. Esophageal diverticula. Chest Surg Clin N Am 1994;4:741-67. 20. Evander A, Little AG, Ferguson MK, Skinner DB. Diverticula of the mid and lower esophagus: pathogenesis and surgical management. World J Surg 1986;10:820-8. 21. Fegiz G, Paolini A, De Marchi C, Tosato F. Surgical management of esophageal diverticula. World J Surg 1984;8:757-65. 22. Belsey R. Functional disease of the esophagus. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1966;52:164-88. 23. D’ugo D, Cardillo G, Granone P, Coppola R, Margaritora S, Picciocchi A. Esophageal diverticula: physiopathological basis of surgical management. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1992;6:330-4. 24. Altorki NK, Sunagawa M, Skinner DB. Thoracic esophageal diverticula. Why is operation necessary? J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1993;105:260-4. 25. Ellis FH Jr. Surgical management of esophageal motility disturbances. Am J Surg 1980;139:752-9. 26. Borrie J, Wilson RL. Oesophageal diverticula: principles of management and appraisal of classification. Thorax 1980;35:759-67. 27. Bak YT, Kim HJ, Jo NY, Yeon JE, Park JJ, Kim JS, et al. Endoscopic ‘‘clip and cut’’ diverticulotomy for a giant midesophageal diverticulum. Gastrointest Endosc 2003;57:777-9. 28. Eubanks TR, Pellegrini CA. Minimally invasive treatment of esophageal diverticula. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;11:363-7.
Early Postmarketing Drug Safety Surveillance: Data Mining Points to Consider

BACKGROUNDComputer-assisted data mining algorithms (DMAs) are being studied to screen spontaneous reporting databases for signals of novel adverse events. The performance characteristics and optimum deployment of these techniques remain to be established.OBJECTIVETo explore issues in the practical evaluation and deployment of DMAs by comparing findings from an empirical Bayesian DMA with those from a traditional drug safety surveillance program.METHODSPublished findings from early postmarketing safety surveillance of thalidomide were compared with findings from an empirical Bayesian DMA. Differential results were used to explore practical issues in the evaluation and deployment of DMAs.RESULTSMost adverse events highlighted by each method were compatible with the product labeling or natural history/complications of reported treatment indications. Traditional surveillance highlighted 4 potentially serious and unexpected adverse events (Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, seizures, skin ul...
Location of the Region Controlling Host Specificity (hsII) with Respect to Drug Resistance Markers on the fi− R Factor, N-3

Abstract The region controlling host specificity (hsII) has been mapped, by P22 transduction, with respect to drug resistance markers carried on the fi− R factor, N-3. The relative linear sequence of cotransducible markers is Tc-Su-Sm-hsII.
Effect of gender on late-onset multiple sclerosis.

Objectives:We aimed to examine the incidence and disease course of late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS) compared with adult-onset MS (AOMS) in our clinic cohort, stratified based on gender and race...
Impact of the Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on Epigeic Arthropods of Cotton Agroecosystems

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), has been studied extensively in its role in aboveground food webs of agroecosystems of the southern United States. There is also a limited body of evidence suggesting that S. invicta may significantly influence the soil fauna. This study examined the influence of fire ants on the arthropod communities at the soil surface of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., fields at two field sites operated by the University of Georgia in Athens and Tifton, GA (1 yr at each location). Fire ant abundance was suppressed in large plots with ant-specific hydramethylnon-based bait, and arthropods were collected from treatment and control plots by using pitfall traps during multiple week-long sample periods to measure the abundance of epigeic arthropods. Sampling was conducted from June through September 2006 in Athens and from July through September 2007 in Tifton. Although fire ant suppression decreased the abundance of erythraeid mites and nitidulid beetles at both sites, the majority of effects were site-specific. Other taxa positively associated with fire ants included oribatid mites and gnaphosid and linyphiid spiders. In contrast, the abundance of springtails, earwigs, endomychid beetles, and thrips increased with fire ant suppression. This study demonstrates that S. invicta can significantly influence both pest and beneficial epigeic arthropods and that although fire ants exert clear effects on specific taxa, their effects are not uniform within a given trophic group as members from the same guild were differentially impacted.
The Obesity Epidemic: What does it mean to the PeriAnesthesia Practitioner?

Alexander and Liston coined the term ‘Obesogenic society – where people are addicted to fast foods and supermarkets and a sedentary lifestyle promoted by television and cars’ [Alexander and Liston, 2006 , p. 1167]. It is an undeniable fact that the United States has an overweight and obesity problem, the prevalence has doubled since 1960, the latest statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report obesity (body mass index (BMI)⩾30) in adult men (33.3%) and adult women (35.3%) and more than 66% of adult Americans are considered overweight [CDC (Department of Health and Human Services), 2008 ]. Extreme obesity has increased from 0.8% to 4.9% [Bellar et al , 2008 ]. Visit the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm for a very graphic slide show of the ‘fatting of America.’ The Weight Control Information Network classifies obesity as a chronic illness with an annual $117 billion cost (Weight-control Information Network (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)), 2007). In 2003, obesity was the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States [Garza, 2003 ]; it is now on the way to surpassing smoking [Abir and Bell, 2004 ]. But it is not just a problem in the United States; it is becoming a worldwide problem. What does this obesity epidemic mean to the PeriAnesthesia practitioner?
A Canister-Based Method for Collection and GC/MS Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Human Breath

A method previously used for collection and analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) In human whole breath was modified to encompass compounds with higher vapor pressures. A VOC spirometer was designed for field studies of environmentally exposed populations with breath concentrations in the ~tg/m 3 (ppb) range. The VOC spirometer was configured for sample collection and GC/MS analysis of breath samples using stainless steel canisters. Recoveries of 17 analytes in synthetic breath through the spirometer at 4 and 21~ were generally above 80% except for n-dodecane which demonstrated poor recoveries at the lower temperature. The maximum sample volume available for analysis during recovery studies with natural breath was 100 mL because of copious quantities of CO2 present. Decay curves showing the breath elimination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and benzene from s man after exposure to consumer products demonstrates the utility of the method.
Learning-based analysis of emotional impairments in schizophrenia

With increasing studies in identifying pathology-induced group differences between patients and controls, there is also a growing need to simultaneously analyze multiple clinical measures, to elucidate group differences. In this paper, we present a novel learning-based method that uses Bayesian networks (BN) to model the inter-relationship between multiple clinical measures on facial expressions, for the study of emotional impairments in schizophrenia. Such measures include universal emotion states, and associated facial actions that are encoded by action units (AUs) (Ekman and Friesen, 1978). Characterizing the relationship between emotions and facial actions can describe subtle facial expressions, thus helping the identification of emotional impairments in schizophrenia. We introduce a three-layered BN model to represent facial expressions, and then present an iterative algorithm to learn the BN structure by categorizing AUs into different sets, based on their impact on characterizing emotions. The learned BN can be used for a qualitative structure-based comparison between patients and controls, and also for quantitative measurements of emotional impairments. Experiments on real data sets demonstrate that our method can identify underlying differences between patients and controls, and hence is able to validate clinical hypotheses, and to aid diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Adjustment for Maximum Likelihood Estimate of Negative Binomial Dispersion Parameter

The negative binomial (NB) (or Poisson-gamma) model has been used extensively by highway safety analysts because it can accommodate the overdispersion often exhibited in crash data. However, it has been reported in the literature that the maximum likelihood estimate of the dispersion parameter of NB models can be significantly affected when the data are characterized by small sample size and low sample mean. Given the important roles of the dispersion parameter in various types of highway safety analyses, there is a need to determine whether the bias could be potentially corrected or minimized. The objectives of this study are to explore whether a systematic relationship exists between the estimated and true dispersion parameters, determine the bias as a function of the sample size and sample mean, and develop a procedure for correcting the bias caused by these two conditions. For this purpose, simulated data were used to derive the relationship under the various combinations of sample mean, dispersion pa...
Evaluating Medication Effects Outside of Clinical Trials: New-User Designs

Recent clinical trials demonstrating that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does not prevent coronary heart disease in women have again raised doubts concerning observational studies. Although much of the explanation probably lies in what might be called the "healthy HRT user" effect, another contributing factor may be that most observational studies included many prevalent users: women taking HRT for some time before study follow-up began. This practice can cause two types of bias, both of which plausibly may have contributed to the discrepancy between observational and randomized studies. First, prevalent users are "survivors" of the early period of pharmacotherapy, which can introduce substantial bias if risk varies with time, just as in studies of operative procedures that enroll patients after they have survived surgery. This article provides several examples of medications for which the hazard function varies with time and thus would be subject to prevalent user bias. Second, covariates for drug users at study entry often are plausibly affected by the drug itself. Investigators often do not adjust for these factors on the causal pathway, which may introduce confounding. A new-user design eliminates these biases by restricting the analysis to persons under observation at the start of the current course of treatment. This article thus argues that such designs should be used more frequently in pharmacoepidemiology.
Center-Surround Inhibition in Working Memory

Directing visual attention toward a particular feature or location in the environment suppresses processing of nearby stimuli [1-4]. Echoing the center-surround organization of retinal ganglion cell receptive fields [5], and biasing of competitive local neuronal dynamics in favor of task-relevant stimuli [6], this "inhibitory surround" attention mechanism accentuates the demarcation between task-relevant and irrelevant items. Here, we show that internally maintaining a color stimulus in working memory (WM), rather than visually attending the stimulus in the external environment, produces an analogous pattern of inhibition for stimuli that are nearby in color space. Replicating a well-known effect of attentional capture by stimuli that match WM content [7], visual attention was biased toward (task-irrelevant) stimuli that exactly matched a WM item. This bias was curtailed, however, for stimuli that were very similar to the WM content (i.e., within the inhibitory zone surrounding the focus of WM) and recovered for less similar stimuli (i.e., beyond the bounds of the inhibitory surround). Moreover, the expression of this inhibition effect was positively associated with WM performance across observers. In a second experiment, inhibition also occurred between two similar items simultaneously held in WM. This suggests that maintenance in WM is characterized by an excitatory peak centered on the focus of (internal) attention, surrounded by an inhibitory zone to limit interference by irrelevant and confusable representations. Here, thus, we show for the first time that the same center-surround selection mechanism that focuses visual attention on sensory stimuli also selectively maintains internally activated representations in WM.
Embedding computer science concepts in K-12 science curricula

To engage a broader audience in computer science, we have developed a set of curriculum units embedded with computer science concepts for K-12 science education. We chose bioinformatics as a vehicle to deliver these units. Our curriculum development cycle began with the identification of a set of computer science concepts which are potentially relevant to life sciences. Problems in life sciences as well as bioinformatics tools to be used for solving these problems were carefully examined for the delivery of identified computer concepts. They were later presented to groups of regional K-12 science teachers in our summer workshop on bioinformatics. With their help, we adapted and polished these curriculum units to meet Minnesota state standards for K-12 science education. This paper describes our approach in developing the curriculum units.
Analyzing Malware Remediation in the Expanding Home Network

As the Internet of Things (IoT) grows, malicious software, malware, will increasingly threaten Internet security and stability. Malware can compromise users’ privacy, destroy their data, or suborn their computers into a “botnet” for malicious activity. Many actors, from individuals installing antivirus suites on their personal computers to law enforcement officers conducting botnet takedown campaigns, have some capability to prevent or remediate malware, but these strategies face technical and economic challenges. These challenges worsen as the IoT expands, due to the high number of IoT devices and other characteristics of the IoT. To address individual actors’ difficulties in confronting IoT malware, I propose a system of coordination between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and their customers. ISPs are positioned to efficiently detect malicious traffic and face positive incentives for doing so, but they are unable to determine the exact infected device for reasons of privacy; customers, through home routers, can identify an individual device without compromising their own privacy, given notice of compromise from their ISP.
Methodological Issues in Predicting Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Candidates Through Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

Objective: We describe the development and evaluation of a system that uses machine learning and natural language processing techniques to identify potential candidates for surgical intervention for drug-resistant pediatric epilepsy. The data are comprised of free-text clinical notes extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). Both known clinical outcomes from the EHR and manual chart annotations provide gold standards for the patient's status. The following hypotheses are then tested: 1) machine learning methods can identify epilepsy surgery candidates as well as physicians do and 2) machine learning methods can identify candidates earlier than physicians do. These hypotheses are tested by systematically evaluating the effects of the data source, amount of training data, class balance, classification algorithm, and feature set on classifier performance. The results support both hypotheses, with F-measures ranging from 0.71 to 0.82. The feature set, classification algorithm, amount of training data, class balance, and gold standard all significantly affected classification performance. It was further observed that classification performance was better than the highest agreement between two annotators, even at one year before documented surgery referral. The results demonstrate that such machine learning methods can contribute to predicting pediatric epilepsy surgery candidates and reducing lag time to surgery referral.
Code-Based Game-Playing Proofs and the Security of Triple Encryption.

The game-playing technique is a powerful tool for analyzing cryptographic constructions. We illustrate this by using games as the central tool for proving security of three-key tripleencryption, a long-standing open problem. Our result, which is in the ideal-cipher model, demonstrates that for DES parameters (56-bit keys and 64-bit plaintexts) an adversary’s maximal advantage is small until it asks about 2 queries. Beyond this application, we develop the foundations for game playing, formalizing a general framework for game-playing proofs and discussing techniques used within such proofs. To further exercise the game-playing framework we show how to use games to get simple proofs for the PRP/PRF Switching Lemma, the security of the basic CBC MAC, and the chosen-plaintext-attack security of OAEP.
Surgical management of aortic dissection in patients with the Marfan syndrome

Background Aortic dissection is one of the most lethal potential complications in patients with the Marfan syndrome. Methods and results Among 360 patients undergoing operative treatment of aortic dissection between 1963 and 1992, 40 had the Marfan syndrome. There were 24 men and 16 women with a mean age of 35 +/- 9 years (+/- 1 SD; range, 15 to 54 years). These patients included 16 with acute type A, 2 with acute type B, 18 with chronic type A, and 4 with chronic type B aortic dissections. The aortic arch was involved in 29 cases. Preoperative complications included acute aortic valvular insufficiency in 13 patients, rupture into the pericardial space in 3, and loss of peripheral pulses in 9. The site of primary intimal tear was the ascending aorta in 25 patients, the aortic arch in 2, the descending aorta in 7, and not identified in 6. Operations included ascending aortic and aortic valvular replacement (with or without coronary artery reimplantation) in 22 patients, ascending aortic replacement alone in 5, and descending thoracic aortic replacement in 9. Four operative deaths (10 +/- 5% [+/- 70% confidence limits]) occurred in 3 acute patient-years and 1 chronic type A patient-years. Long-term follow-up (216 patient-years; range, 1 month to 22 years; mean, 5.4 years) revealed 15 late deaths, 7 from late aortic sequelae. The overall actuarial survival estimates were 71 +/- 8%, 54 +/- 10%, and 22 +/- 11% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Twenty late aortic operations were required in 14 patients. Conclusions Despite satisfactory early results, the long-term survival of patients with the Marfan syndrome was suboptimal (albeit similar to those without the Marfan syndrome). Future progress will pivot on reducing the incidence of aortic dissection in these patients with medical therapy and/or earlier surgical intervention and enhanced postoperative serial imaging surveillance of the entire aorta.