cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Low-Vision Rehabilitation Services for Visually Impaired Patients in a Multidisciplinary Ophthalmology Outpatient Practice

Low-vision rehabilitation (LVR) has significant benefit in improving the quality of life of visually impaired patients. However, these services are highly underutilized in ophthalmology practices. A quality improvement study was performed to investigate barriers to LVR services for patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) between 2010 and 2020. Low vision was defined as the best corrected visual acuity of 20/70 or worse in the better-seeing eye or a visual field less than 20 degrees. Potential subjects were screened (n = 577) from the electronic medical record using International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes for legal blindness, impaired vision, and low vision. Chart review identified 190 subjects who met criteria for low-vision analysis. Patients who received LVR referrals to attend at least one LVR service visit from the eligible subjects were contacted for participation in phone interviews regarding their LVR experience. Practicing eye care providers (ECPs) at UTMB completed a questionnaire to capture their referral patterns. Of the eligible subjects, 64% were referred to LVR services by ECPs. Reported patient barriers included mental health issues (76%), denial of need for low-vision aid (71%), poor physical health (67%), lack of transportation (57.1%), and lack of referrals (36%). EPCs reported patient’s overall health (67%), older age (44%), lack of social support (44%), poor cognitive function (44%), and low likelihood of follow-up (44%) as barriers to referring patients to LVR. This study identified several modifiable barriers that can be addressed to access LVR services for low-vision patients. Changing referral patterns, eliminating variations in referral criteria, and increasing patient awareness and knowledge of LVR resources may tremendously improve the quality of life of low-vision patients.
On the Coordinated Multipoint Joint Transmission in Multi-UAV Sensor Networks

The realization of the UAV-assisted sensing networks is subject to the establishment of seamless connectivity while attaining a decent power and spectral efficiency. In this paper, a network of sensing UAVs is considered where we propose techniques to efficiently recover data in an asynchronous coordinated multipoint (CoMP) scheme. Due to the fast-changing topology in UAV networks, the delays from UAVs to the access point, in general, may exceed cyclic prefix (CP) length, causing symbol-asynchronous reception at the receiver. We investigate this problem in an information theoretic approach. We derive the capacity region and show that by exploiting the asynchronous channels’ memory and correlation, the spectral efficiency can exceed that of non-cooperative reception, provided that the proper receiver is used. We characterize the mathematical model for the asynchronous fading channel in the context of a CoMP network. Moreover, we show that while successive interference cancelation (SIC) receiver is sensitive to the non-coherent reception, the performance elevates in the iterative joint detection and decoding (IJDD) receiver. We use a low-complexity detection scheme targeting minimizing the mean square error (MMSE) and adopt it in our asynchronous fading channel model. Our extensive simulations validate the proposed scheme providing a considerable boost in the channel reliability while increasing the spectral and power efficiency, even as the number of UAVs increases.
Hormesis and bone marrow stem cells: Enhancing cell proliferation, differentiation and resilience to inflammatory stress.

Abstract This paper identifies and provides the first detailed assessment of hormetic dose responses by bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) from a broad range of animal models and humans with particular emphasis on cell renewal (proliferation), cell differentiation and enhancing resilience to inflammatory stress. Such hormetic dose responses are commonly reported, being induced by a broad range of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals (e.g., caffeine, dexamethasone, nicotine), dietary supplements (e.g., curcumin, Ginkgo biloba, green tea extracts. resveratrol, sulforaphane), endogenous agents (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, interleukin 10), environmental contaminants (e.g., arsenic, PFOS) and physical stressor agents (e.g., EMF, shockwaves). Hormetic dose responses reported here for BMSCs are similar to those induced with other stem cell types [e.g., adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), neuro stem cells (NSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs)], indicating a substantial degree of generality for hormetic responses in stem cells. The paper assesses both the underlying mechanistic foundations of BMSC hormetic responses and their potential therapeutic implications.
Far Infrared Spectra of Sodium-β-Alumina and Its K + , Rb + , Cs + , Ag + and Tl + Analogs

The far infrared spectra (20–450 cm−1) of powdered forms of xNa2O·11 Al2O3(x≃l.2–1.8) and of K+, Cs+, Ag+, and Tl+-exchanged analogs have been determined. The reflectance spectra of the Na, K, Rb, and Cs forms have been obtained from the (001) face of large crystals, and the low frequency polarized Raman spectra of crystals of the Na, K, Ag, and Tl forms have been obtained. The analog forms were prepared by the exchange methods of Yao and Kummer, using Na-β-alumina experimental samples obtained from Alcoa Corporation and Harbison Carborundum Company. Analyzed experimental Na and Rb forms, prepared by O. Muller of General Electric, were studied, also, and samples of intermediate Na content were prepared by the method of Harata.
Cutting Edge: Role of STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5 in IFN-αβ Responses in T Lymphocytes

Engagement of the IFN-alphabeta receptor initiates multiple signaling cascades, including activation of the STAT. In this study, we demonstrate that IFN-alphabeta, although antiproliferative in wild-type CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells, act as strong mitogens on their STAT1(-/-) counterparts. Furthermore, IFN-alphabeta exert little effect on apoptosis in wild-type cells, but are potent survival factors in the absence of STAT1. The antiapoptotic response in the absence of STAT1 is predominantly mediated by STAT3, and to a lesser extent by STAT5A/B. In contrast, the mitogenic IFN-alphabeta response gained through the absence of STAT1 is only marginally affected when STAT5A/B expression is also abrogated, but is completely dependent on STAT3 activation. These findings provide the first evidence for a function of STAT3 and STAT5A/B in the IFN-alphabeta response, and support a model in which the IFN-alphabeta receptor initiates both pro- and antiapoptotic responses through STAT1, and STAT3 and STAT5A/B, respectively.
NATURALIZING MORAL JUSTIFICATION: RETHINKING THE METHOD OF MORAL EPISTEMOLOGY

The companion piece to this article, "Situating Moral Justification," challenges the idea that moral epistemology's mission is to establish a single, all-purpose reasoning strategy for moral justification because no reasoning practice can be expected to deliver authoritative moral conclusions in all social contexts. The present article argues that rethinking the mission of moral epistemology requires rethinking its method as well. Philosophers cannot learn which reasoning practices are suitable to use in particular contexts exclusively by exploring logical relations among concepts. Instead, in order to understand which reasoning practices are capable of justifying moral claims in different types of contexts, we need to study empirically the relationships between reasoning practices and the contexts in which they are used. The article proposes that philosophers investigate case studies of real-world moral disputes in which people lack shared cultural assumptions and/or are unequal in social power. It motivates and explains the proposed case study method and illustrates the philosophical value of this method through a case study.
Hash table and sorted array: a case study of multi-entry data structures in massively parallel systems

The tree, hash table, and sorted array data structures for implementing the primitive operations of a search table are considered. It is argued that the tree structure suffers from the bottleneck problem created by the single entry point, namely, the root, resulting in a linear time complexity. For the hash table and sorted array, the average time complexity for implementing three major operations, namely, insert, delete, and search, is derived. Both analytical and simulation results show that using a sorted array gives a much better performance than using a hash table with linear probing in implementing search table abstraction when the load of the hash table is more than 80%. However, given a hash table having less than 80% load, the average time complexity becomes better than O(log/sup 2/M), i.e. the hash table gives a better performance in search table implementation than the sorted array. Nevertheless, a larger number of processors is required. >
Signal processing on graphs: Estimating the structure of a graph

This paper presents a computationally tractable algorithm for estimating the graph structure of graph signals is presented. The algorithm is demonstrated on simulated and real network time series datasets, and the performance of the new method is compared to that of related methods for estimating graph structure. The adjacency matrices estimated using the new method are shown to be close to the true graph in the simulated data and consistent with prior physical knowledge in the real dataset.
Is “Negative” Positive?

Kader H A, Picolli D A, Jawad A F, et al. Single Toxin Detection Is Inadequate to Diagnose Clostridium difficile Diarrhea in Pediatric Patients Gastroenterology 1998;115:1329–34
Public policies and private anti-health behavior.

Health economists have long recognized the distinction between health as an output and medical care as one of a number of inputs, including those detrimental to health, into the production of health. This distinction is reflected by the two programs for health research at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER): the program in Health Economics and the program in Health Care Economics. This paper reviews recently completed and current research by my colleagues and me in the NBER's Health Economics program directed by Michael Grossman. This work focuses on the effects of public policies on three unhealthy behaviors: cigarette smoking, drinking and alcohol abuse, and illicit drug use. Given the well-documented health and other consequences of the use of these substances, policies lowering use, particularly by youths, are likely to lead to substantial long-run improvements in health.
Privacy Threats in Online Stock Quotes

Stock traders reveal information about their pending trades by their selection of stock performance data to retrieve from the web. Potentially malicious quote publishers have access to this information, and can use it to profit at the trader's expense. This poster examines several potential methods to prevent this type of behavior.
The Seneca World of Ga-No-Say-Yeh

Francello, Joseph A. The Seneca World of Ga-No- Say-Yeh. American University, Series IX History, v. 61. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. 225 pp. $37.50 (cloth).
Breastfeeding and language outcomes: A review of the literature.

Abstract Many researchers have investigated the potential impact of breastfeeding in infancy on a child's subsequent development, but only a small subset of these studies considers language development and impairment. This paper reviews that literature, discussing postnatal neurodevelopment, potential mechanisms for dietary influences on communication outcomes, studies of typically developing children, and studies of children with communication concerns. For population based studies of language development, a modest but statistically robust relationship is seen across large samples that account for breastfeeding exclusivity. A similar protective relationship is seen in studies that evaluate the relationship between breastfeeding and language disorders; effect sizes are typically larger in these papers. Implications for researchers and service providers are reviewed. Learning outcomes : Readers will be able to describe possible mechanisms by which early diet might influence neurodevelopment. They will be able to describe the relationships observed between diet in infancy and language outcomes in large population-based studies, as well as the trends observed in studies of the relationship between infant diet and communication impairment.
Validation of SMURF estimation of shear modulus in hydrogels.

A validation study of the Spatially Modulated Ultrasound Radiation Force (SMURF) method for shear modulus estimation is presented. SMURF estimates of uniform gelatin and Zerdine™ phantoms covering a modulus range of 2 to 18 kPa are compared with results obtained by unconfined mechanical compression and sonoelastography. The results show agreement within the measurement uncertainties over the range indicated for all three methods. Repeatability and variation on the order of 5% of the phantom modulus are found for observations made at a single point within the phantom. Averaging of modulus estimates from several adjacent scan lines further decreases the variation. By using multiple radiation force peaks to induce a shear wave of known wavelength and measure the frequency of the wave, SMURF obtains modulus estimates from tracking data acquired along a single A-line. This is significant, as speckle can bias the measured phase of the shear wave. SMURF is shown to be insensitive to a constant phase error in the shear wave measurement. This results in greatly reduced correlated noise in the modulus estimates, in contrast with methods which track at multiple locations and do not cancel phase errors.
Disc electrophoretic studies of hemoglobin dissociation by p-hydroxymercury benzoate.

Abstract The reaction of excess p -mercurybenzoate with human hemoglobin produces five electrophoretic species on polyacrylamide gel. Only two of these bands have been previously observed when starch gel was employed. The chemical and electrophoretic studies presented in this paper illustrate that the appearance of an “extra” band in the β zone is due to the ability of PAGE to separate the βb 2 PMB ⇋ β PMB equilibrium to its discrete components. The remaining bands are accounted for by the superior resolution of PAGE over starch gel electrophoresis which allowed the detection of two ( αβ ) PMB dimer species.
Variation in the Growth of the Initial Year Class of Largemouth Bass in West Point Reservoir, Alabama and Georgia

Abstract West Point Reservoir, Alabama and Georgia, first reached full pool in spring 1975. Growth within the initial year class of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was highly variable. During the first summer of impoundment, length frequencies of the 1975 year class were characterized by a single mode. However, there was an obvious condition difference among individuals within the population. Generally, fish longer than 17 cm total length were in relatively good condition and those 8–17 cm long were in relatively poor condition. By fall (September-October), one segment of the population had grown rapidly but the other segment had grown little and a bimodal length-frequency distribution was evident. A shortage of available prey for the smaller fish was considered to be the cause of the growth disparity.
An Analysis of Electronically Monitored Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications

Medication adherence studies increasingly collect data electronically, often using Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) caps. Analyses typically focus on summary adherence measures, although more complete analyses are possible using adaptive statistical methods. These methods were used to describe individual-subject adherence patterns for MEMS data from a clinical trial. Subjects were adaptively clustered into groups with similar adherence patterns and clusters were compared on a variety of subject characteristics. There were seven different adherence clusters: consistently high, consistently moderately high, consistently moderate, consistently moderately low, consistently low, deteriorating starting early, and deteriorating late. Compared to other subjects, subjects with consistently high and consistently moderately high adherence were more likely to be male, White, and older and to maintain during study participation a CD4 cell count over 500 and an HIV viral load of at most 400 copies/ml. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of adaptive methods for comprehensive analysis of MEMS data.
The Success of Amici in State Supreme Courts

During the past decade, interest group participation in state supreme courts has continued to increase, reflecting the increasing importance of these courts as policymakers in the federal system. G...
People Who Leave No Trace: Dora Bruder and the French Immigrant Community

Although the neighborhoods where Dora Bruder once lived are now crowded with more recent immigrants, Modiano seems to have erased the contemporary French immigrant community from his narration. Yet immigrants and their children, like Modiano's own father, are very much at the center of this text. In fact, the story of the bureaucratic subjugation of the Bruder family suggests parallels with issues affecting immigration in the book's narrative present in 1996 and 1997, especially the deportation proceedings instituted against immigrant children who, like Dora Bruder, were born in France. Despite their remarkable absence from the streets of Modiano's Paris, French immigrants of the narrative present become in his text visible through the traces of their absence, their history of colonial and post-colonial oppression offering ghostly echoes of longrepressed histories of war and Occupation. This article is available in Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol31/iss2/8 People Who Leave No Trace: Dora Bruder and the French Immigrant Community Mary Jean Green Dartmouth University They are the sort of people who leave few traces. Virtually anonymous. Inseparable from those Paris streets, those suburban landscapes ... (20) -Patrick Modiano
Key determinants of AIDS impact in Southern sub-Saharan Africa

To investigate why Southern sub-Saharan Africa is more severely impacted by HIV and AIDS than other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, I conducted a review of the literature that assessed viral, host and transmission (societal) factors. This narrative review evaluates: 1) viral factors, in particular the aggregation of subtype-C HIV infections in Southern sub-Saharan Africa; 2) host factors, including unique behaviour patterns, concomitant high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, circumcision patterns, average age at first marriage and immunogenetic determinants; and, 3) transmission and societal factors, including levels of poverty, degrees of literacy, migrations of people, extent of political corruption, and the usage of contaminated injecting needles in community settings. HIV prevalence data and published indices on wealth, fertility, and governmental corruption were correlated using statistical software. The high prevalence of HIV in Southern sub-Saharan Africa is not explained by the unusual pre...
Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on cytosolic calcium in dispersed parathyroid cells.

Effect of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D 3 on cytosolic calcium in dispersed parathyroid cells. We examined the effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (1,25(OH) 2 D 3 ) on cytosolic calcium ([Ca] i ) of dispersed bovine parathyroid cells, using the fluorescent dye indo-1. The addition of 10 −8 M 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 caused an increase in [Ca] i by 23.4 ± 2.7% over a 10 minute period. There was a significant increase in [Ca] i within two minutes of the addition of 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 . 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 increased [Ca] i in a dose-dependent manner and this occurred with as little as 10 −10 M. Neither 10 −7 M 25-(OH)D 3 nor 10 −7 M 24, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 caused a significant increase in [Ca] i . Chelation of extracellular calcium with EGTA blocked the 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 -induced increase in [Ca] i , suggesting that the increase was mainly from extracellular calcium. Neither 10 −5 M verapamil nor 10 −4 M diltiazem blocked the 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 -induced increase in [Ca] i . The present data suggest that 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 might modify membrane permeability to calcium independent of voltage-dependent calcium channels sensitive to verapamil or diltiazem. The rapid effect of 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 raises the possibility that its mechanism is independent of genome activation, perhaps attributable to direct interaction with components of the parathyroid cell plasma membrane.
A time-zero detector utilizing isochronous transport of secondary electrons☆

Abstract A time-zero detector has been developed for use in reaction product mass identification which has as its novel feature a 180° isochronous transport of secondary electrons in a magnetic field. The secondary electrons produced when particles pass through a thin carbon foil are accelerated to approximately 2 keV by a parallel-wire harp of 99% transmission. The accelerated electrons are then transported 180° in a uniform magnetic field of 80 G containing a collimator placed at the 90° position. A background suppression grid is placed just in front of the electron detector which is comprised of two microchannel plates in series acting as an electron multiplier. The device allows placement of the thin foil perpendicular to the fragment flight path and permits shielding of the electron detector from the beam and reaction products while using only modest accelerating voltages. The time-of-flight resolutions measured between this timing detector and a 120 μm silicon detector when using 104 MeV 16O ions and 8.78 MeV alpha particles were 90 and 150 ps, respectively (full widths at half maxima).
Mechanoenergetic Alterations During the Transition From Cardiac Hypertrophy to Failure in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats

Background—The time course and mechanisms of altered mechanoenergetics and depressed cross-bridge cycling in hypertrophied and failing myocardium are uncertain. Methods and Results—We studied mechanoenergetics in Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats fed high-salt diet (HS) for 6 (HS-6) and 12 (HS-12) weeks to produce compensated hypertrophy and failure. The slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation (E′max) was similar in HS-6 and low-salt controls (LS-6), but reduced in HS-12 compared with controls (LS-12). Efficiency [1/slope of oxygen consumption (Vo2)–pressure-volume area (PVA) relation] was similar in HS-6 and LS-6 but higher in HS-12 versus LS-12 (59±16% versus 44±7%, P<0.05). Economy [1/slope of the force-time integral (FTI)–Vo2 relation] was similar in HS-6 and LS-6 but higher in HS-12 versus LS-12 (218±123 versus 74±39×103 g · s · mL O2−1 · g; P<0.05). Compared with controls, myofibrillar ATPase activity was reduced by 24% in HS-6 and 44% in HS-12. V3 Isomyosin was increased in HS-6 (40±12% ve...
Multilevel lumbar disc herniation in 12-year-old twins

Herniation of a lumbar disc in the pediatric age group is rare. A 12-year-old female twin developed backache and left sciatica after a mild lifting injury. Magnetic resonanc imaging of the spine showed multilevel lumbar disc herniation. The patient was managed conservatively and her symptoms subsided within 6 weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging of her asymptomatic twin sister revealed a similar pattern of disc degeneration and multilevel herniation. This report emphasizes the hereditary nature of juvenile lumbar disc degeneration.
Multidimensional Investigation of Biocultural Relationships Among Three Late Prehistoric Societies in Tennessee

Interrelations among three roughly contemporaneous late prehistoric Mississippian societies in Middle and East Tennessee are reexamined in terms of currently available biological, archaeological, and ethnohistoric data. Previous researchers have suggested a close relation between two of those cultures—Mouse Creek and Middle Cumberland—to the exclusion of the third, Dallas. However, multivariate analyses of craniofacial and mandibular dimensions of individuals from the three groups suggest a greater biological relation between Dallas and Mouse Creek than between Mouse Creek and Middle Cumberland. In addition, a comparison of intrasite settlement patterning, ceramic and mortuary variability, and ethnohistoric data across the three groups support the skeletal analysis. Relations between Dallas and Mouse Creek may mirror similar processes of sociopolitical reorganization occurring throughout the Southeast in the late prehistoric period.
Brain glutamine synthetase activity and hyperoxia in neonatal rats

We have previously shown that exposure to 100% oxygen for 2 h results in a two-fold decrease in the brain glutamine synthetase activity of neonatal rats. The present study examines whether this decrement in enzyme activity leads to a global accumulation of glutamate, an excitotoxin which is a substrate for this enzyme. Despite a demonstrable decrement in whole brain glutamine synthetase activity, whole brain glutamate content is unaltered in animals exposed to 100% oxygen for 2 h. Furthermore, despite a persistent two-fold decrement in glutamine synthetase activity in animals exposed to 100% oxygen for 6 h, there remained no significant difference in glutamate content or in the glutamate/glutamine ratio between these animals and animals similarly exposed to room air. These results imply that the observed decrease in glutamine synthetase activity does not globally influence the glutamate content of the brain.
Coverage optimization to support security monitoring

The placement of sensors to support security monitoring is obviously critical as it will directly impact the efficacy of allocated resources and system performance. It is critical to be able to observe and monitor the greatest total area possible. In addition, it is necessary to be able to spatially track the movement of people and activities in support of security. It is shown that important aspects of the security sensor placement problem can be modeled using the maximal covering location problem (MCLP) and/or the backup coverage location problem (BCLP) combined with visibility analysis. Thus, an approach is detailed for supporting security monitoring. The approach is applied in the context of video sensor placement in an urban area, illustrating the various tradeoffs that can be identified using optimization-based techniques.
Scientist water equivalent measured with cosmic rays at 2006 AGU fall meeting

Cosmic rays continually bombard Earth, generating fast neutrons in the ground and atmosphere as a by-product of nuclear disintegrations. The presence of this easily measurable “background” radiation suggests the possibility of a novel and harmless method for measuring water content in soil and the water equivalent depth of snow, two critical variables controlling surface processes. A method utilizing cosmic rays has several advantages over soil and snow monitoring tools now available to hydrologists (e.g., microwave remote sensing, invasive electromagnetic methods, snow tubes, and snow pillows). It is passive, requires only moderately expensive equipment, of the order of U.S. $10,000, and can be insensitive to soil salinity depending on the neutron energies selected. Most important, a cosmic ray water sensor is noninvasive and can measure water content or snow water equivalent over a scale desirable for input to hydrologic models (100 meter radius) but unattainable by other instruments. While the ability to measure soil water and snowpack in the field with cosmic rays has been validated, this method has applications to other water-rich systems, including biological ones.
Anabolic action of parathyroid hormone on cortical and cancellous bone differs between axial and appendicular skeletal sites in mice.

Abstract The mouse is being increasingly used to study the anabolic action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the skeleton. The efficacy of intermittent PTH treatment on bone varies widely among tested strains of mice with differences in peak bone mass and structure. We have therefore examined the responses of skeletal sites with high or low cancellous bone mass to PTH treatment in a single strain with genetically low bone mass. Mature C57BL/6 mice were ovariectomized (ovx) or sham operated and, after 4 weeks, treated with PTH(1–34) (40 μg/kg/day, 5 days/week sc) or vehicle for 3 or 7 weeks. Two doses of fluorescent labels were given to the animals 9 and 3 days before euthanasia. Histomorphometry was performed on sections of the proximal tibia, tibial diaphysis, and vertebral body. The results indicate that 4 to 11 weeks of ovx induced a ∼44% loss of cancellous bone in the proximal tibia and a ∼25% loss of cancellous bone in the vertebra with impaired trabecular architecture and high bone turnover. In the intact animals, PTH increased cancellous bone volume to a greater extent in the vertebral body than in the proximal tibia, a site with lower cancellous bone volume at the outset. In the ovx mice, PTH increased cancellous bone volume to a greater extent in the vertebral body, a site displaying moderate cancellous bone loss, than in the proximal tibia, a site with severe cancellous bone loss. Conversely, the treatment added a little cortical bone to the tibia, a highly loaded site, but did not significantly increase cortical width of the vertebral body, a less loaded site. We conclude that, for intermittent PTH treatment to be maximally effective, there must be an adequate number of trabeculae present at the beginning of treatment, regardless of estrogen status. Our results also support an interaction between PTH anabolic action and mechanical loading.
Model gases for the detailed study of microscopic chemical nonequilibrium in diatomic gas flows

It is shown that chlorine (Cl2) and iodine (I2) are suitable model diatomic gases to use in theoretical studies of chemical nonequilibrium that account for rotational and vibrational as well as electronic processes in a gas. Because of the low temperature at which significant dissociation can be achieved in iodine, it is a particularly attractive candidate for the study of relatively low temperature chemically reacting flows, permitting detailed knowledge of the nonequilibrium populations of translational, rotational, vibrational and electronic energy levels. A preliminary investigation indicates that a useful iodine flow facility can be constructed and that diagnostic techniques are available to validate in detail prediction techniques for nonequilibrium flows.
Diagnosis of dementia: a reassessment

Abstract The current straightforward algorithmic approach to dementia proceeds from diagnosis of the syndrome to diagnosis of the causes of the dementia. The author urges that psychiatrists modify this disease-focused diagnostic approach to include greater emphasis on functional assessment, with the goal of moderating disturbances in function rather than concentrating only on improvement of cognition or concluding that a particular demented patient is essentially untreatable when such improved cognition is not feasible
Screening for abnormalities of the Y chromosome.

To the Editor: The recent report by Honig and Lindley (J. PZDIATm 78: 633, 1971 ) was most interesting to us. However, we would suggest an alternative explanation for an apparently specific deficiency of Hageman factor in some patients with the nephrotic syndrome. Recent workers have recognized that in many cases the nephrotic syndrome is associated with an inflammatory process, with or without the deposition of antibody-antigen complexes in the glomerular tuft. Ratnoff 1 and associates have described a key role for Hageman factor in mediating the inflammatory response, as well as having a potential for independently activating such crucial systems as the complement and kinin systems. We note that among Honig and Lindley's patients the only one with a clearly noninflammatory etiology for proteinuria, the patient with Lowe's syndrome, was the only one whose level was well within normal values. We raise the possibility that some of the patients reported may have diminished levels of Hageman factor, not only on the basis of urinary loss but also as a result of immunologic or nonspecific activation of the Hageman factor with subsequent triggering of inflammatory systems in the glomerulus and elsewhere. Improvement of the level of Hageman factor with therapy treatment of the renal disease may then represent amelioration of the underlying disease which had been leading to consumption of the factor. Paul Edelson, M.D. Mark Ballow, M.D. Department o[ Pediatrics Yale University School o[ Medicine New Haven, Conn.
Elastic relaxation model for seismic wave attenuation in the earth.

Abstract Love wave amplitude data are satisfied by an Earth model in which the intrinsic internal friction ( Q −1 ) at each depth is taken to be due to a single thermally activated relaxation mechanism. In this model the intrinsic Q −1 is completely specified by a simple function of frequency, temperature, and pressure. This model is in better agreement with observed behavior of solids than previous models and requires fewer arbitrary parameters to satisfy seismic data.
William Langer's An Encyclopedia of World History

Shortly after I arrived in Baton Rouge to begin studies toward a Ph.D. in history in the early 1970s, I was assigned the dubious task of giving lectures and grading examinations in History 1001, the first half of “Western Civilizations.” After attempting to grade the first semester's exams, which always included a section of identifications, I began to look seriously for a standard reference book of people, places, and dates, since the students were much given to inventive imagination. Several fellow graduate students advised me to obtain a copy of “Langer,” which they referred to as the “Historian's Bible.” It was to be one of my wisest purchases, and the book has continued to serve me well over the years. The book to which they referred me was William Langer's An Encyclopedia of World History, which a prominent historian has called the “Diary of Humankind.”
Are all ventricular septal defects created equal

The authors report the occurrence of infective endocarditis in a 32-year-old man with a ventricular septal defect and a left ventricular–to–right-atrial shunt who adhered to the revised 2007 American Heart Association guidelines for infective endocarditis. The patient had received antibiotic prophylaxis prior to multiple previous dental procedures. At a recent dental evaluation for fillings, he was informed that he no longer needed prophylaxis. Fatigue and fevers developed 1 week later, and he was treated with an oral course of ciprofloxacin. The symptoms recurred, and blood cultures grew Streptococcus viridans . A 7-mm vegetative mass was seen on the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve during transesophageal echocardiography. This report raises the concern that patients with ventricular septal defects and left ventricular–to–right-atrial shunts are at higher risk for endocarditis and may require antibiotic prophylaxis.
Probabilistic heuristic estimates

Though they constitute the major knowledge source in problem-solving systems, no unified theory of heuristics has emerged. Pearl [15] defines heuristics as “criteria, methods, or principles for deciding which among several alternative courses of action promises to be the most effective in order to achieve some goal”. The absence of a more precise definition has impeded our efforts to understand, utilize, and discover heuristics. Another consequence is that problem-solving techniques which rely on heuristic knowledge cannot be relied upon to act rationally — in the sense of the normative theory of rationality. To provide a sound basis for BPS, the Bayesian Problem-Solver, we have developed a simple formal theory of heuristics, which is general enough to subsume traditional heuristic functions as well as other forms of problem-solving knowledge, and to straddle disparate problem domains. Probabilistic heuristic estimates represent a probabilistic association of sensations with prior experience — specifically, a mapping from observations directly to subjective probabilities which enables the use of theoretically principled mechanisms for coherent inference and decision making during problem-solving. This paper discusses some of the implications of this theory, and describes its successful application in BPS.
The Claustrum and Insula in Microcebus murinus: A High Resolution Diffusion Imaging Study

The claustrum and the insula are closely juxtaposed in the brain of the prosimian primate, the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Whether the claustrum has closer affinities with the cortex or the striatum has been debated for many decades. Our observation of histological sections from primate brains and genomic data in the mouse suggest former. Given this, the present study compares the connections of the two structures in Microcebus using high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI, with 72 directions), with a very small voxel size (90 micra), and probabilistic fiber tractography. High angular and spatial resolution diffusion imaging is non-destructive, requires no surgical interventions, and the connection of each and every voxel can be mapped, whereas in conventional tract tracer studies only a few specific injection sites can be assayed. Our data indicate that despite the high genetic and spatial affinities between the two structures, their connectivity patterns are very different. The claustrum connects with many cortical areas and the olfactory bulb; its strongest probabilistic connections are with the entorhinal cortex, suggesting that the claustrum may have a role in spatial memory and navigation. By contrast, the insula connects with many subcortical areas, including the brainstem and thalamic structures involved in taste and visceral feelings. Overall, the connections of the Microcebus claustrum and insula are similar to those of the rodents, cat, macaque, and human, validating our results. The insula in the Microcebus connects with the dorsolateral frontal cortex in contrast to the mouse insula, which has stronger connections with the ventromedial frontal lobe, yet this is consistent with the dorsolateral expansion of the frontal cortex in primates. In addition to revealing the connectivity patterns of the Microcebus brain, our study demonstrates that HARDI, at high resolutions, can be a valuable tool for mapping fiber pathways for multiple sites in fixed brains in rare and difficult-to-obtain species.
All Grown Up: Moving From Pediatric to Adult Diabetes Care

Transition of care from a child-centered care environment to an adult-centered care environment for pediatric patients with diabetes is needed to ensure continued diabetes care. The transition process should start early and be tailored to the developmental stage of the patient. The typical challenges of adolescence and young adulthood including pubertal changes, parent-child conflict and the potential for high-risk behavior complicate the transition process. Methods of transfer of care are variable and less than optimal. Ongoing study and continued efforts are needed to improve the transition process so that young patients with diabetes receive high quality uninterrupted care.
Two compartmental models of EEG coherence and MRI biophysics

Studies have shown that as MRI T2 relaxation time lengthens there is a shift toward more unbound or “free-water” and less partitioning of the protein/lipid molecules per unit volume. A shift toward less water partitioning or lengthened MRI T2 relaxation time is linearly related to reduced high frequency EEG amplitude, reduced short distance EEG coherence, increased long distance EEG coherence, and reduced cognitive functioning (Thatcher et al. 1998a; 1998b).
3D microscopy with a double-helix point spread function

Double-helix point spread function (DH-PSF) is an engineered three-dimensional (3D) PSF specifically designed for 3D position estimation and imaging. It exhibits two lobes that rotate continuously around the optical axis with propagation. An information theoretical analysis shows that the DH-PSF carries higher and more uniform Fisher Information than the standard PSF through the 3D volume of interest. Experiments with DH-PSF demonstrate nanometer scale position localization accuracies in all three dimensions. Further, a variety of microscopy techniques such as bright-field, dark-field, and fluorescence can be directly transformed into their DH-PSF counterparts by placing an appropriate phase mask in the imaging path. The flexibility and performance make the DH-PSF attractive for 3D position localization in both photon-limited and photon-unlimited regimes.
Public Health 101 Nanocourse: A Condensed Educational Tool for Non–Public Health Professionals.

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows—including those at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)—have somewhat limited opportunities outside of traditional coursework to learn holistically about public health.Because this lack of familiarity could be a barrier to fruitful collaboration across disciplines, HSPH postdocs sought to address this challenge. In response, the Public Health 101 Nanocourse was developed to provide an overview of five core areas of public health (biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, and social and behavioral sciences) in a two half-day course format.We present our experiences with developing and launching this novel approach to acquainting wider multidisciplinary audiences with the field of public health.
Rhodopseudomonas cryptolactis, sp. nov., a new thermotolerant species of budding phototrophic purple bacteria

Rhodopseudomonas cryptolactis, sp. nov., was enriched from a hot spring environment using conditions that favor growth of anoxygenic phototrophs able to use N2 as the sole nitrogen source for growth. Phototrophic growth rate of the budding bacterium is optimal at ca. 40°C, and the maximum growth temperature is ca. 46°C. R. cryptolactis requires vitamin B12, nicotinic acid, and p-aminobenzoic acid for optimal growth in synthetic media, and has restricted capacities in respect to phototrophic carbon and nitrogen nutrition. Molecular nitrogen, NH4+, and urea can serve as nitrogen sources; pyruvate and lactate as carbon sources. Utilization of lactate, however, is dependent on the presence of bicarbonate, suggesting a linkage between lactate photometabolism and operation of the Calvin reductive pentose cycle. The photopigments of R. cryptolactis, including bacteriochlorophyll a, are housed in lamellar stacks parallel to and underlying the cell membrane. When grown at low light intensity, the cells apparently produce an additional species of light- harvesting Bchl that has a major in vivo absorbancy peak at 822 nm. The bacterium also grows as an aerobic chemoheterotrophs in darkness, and the presence of O2 causes severe repression of photopigment synthesis.
Behaviour of uranium during mixing in the delaware and chesapeake estuaries

Unequivocal evidence is presented for the removal of uranium in two major estuarine systems of the north-eastern United States: the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. In both the estuaries, during all seasons but mostly in summer, dissolved uranium shows distinctly non-conservative behaviour at salinities ⪯ 5. At salinities above 5, there are no deviations from the ideal dilution line. In these two estuaries as much as 22% of dissolved uranium is removed at low salinities, around salinity 2. This pronounced removal of uranium observed at low salinities has been investigated in terms of other chemical properties measured in the Delaware Estuary. In the zone of uranium removal, dissolved oxygen is significantly depleted and pH goes through a minimum down to 6·8. In the same low salinity regime, total alkalinity shows negative deviation from the linear dilution line and phosphate is removed. Humic acids, dissolved iron and manganese are also rapidly removed during estuarine mixing in this low salinity region. Thus, it appears that removal of uranium is most likely related to those properties of alkalinity and acid-base system of the upper estuary that may destabilize the uranium-carbonate complex. Under these conditions, uranium may associate strongly with phosphates or humic substances and be removed onto particulate phases and deposited within upper estuarine sediments.
TU‐B‐213AB‐01: Quality and Safety in Modern Brachytherapy

A solid quality management program is the foundation upon which safe brachytherapy treatments are built. Brachytherapy technology continues to evolve for low dose rate and high dose rate implants along with 3D guidance and real time imaging. Because techniques, equipment, and software are constantly changing, we must change and adapt our quality management programs to be more systematic and quantitative in identifying and mitigating potential sources of error.This symposium will open with a review of common errors in HDR brachytherapy and their relation to current NRC regulations. Next, this session will cover the concept of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and associated tools and their use in modern brachytherapy. Further, these safety management tools will be described as implemented by two separate institutions with active brachytherapy programs and with different workflow patterns, staffing, etc. We summarize the session by describing common pitfalls, and sources of error, and how to mitigate these potential errors. Although many of the concepts addressed here are applicable to both LDR and HDR brachytherapy, specific examples will be used from HDR brachytherapy. Learning Objectives: 1. Be familiar with current NRC regulations and relationship to common errors 2. Understand failure mode and effect analysis and its application to brachytherapy programs 3. Understand common failure modes and ways to mitigate them
Convergence of a direct-iterative method for large-scale least-squares problems

Abstract In 1975 Chen and Gentleman suggested a 3-block SOR method for solving least-squares problems, based on a partitioning scheme for the observation matrix A into A= A 1 A 2 where A1 is square and nonsingular. In many cases A1 is obvious from the nature of the problem. This combined direct-iterative method was discussed further and applied to angle adjustment problems in geodesy, where A1 is easily formed and is large and sparse, by Plemmons in 1979. Recently, Niethammer, de Pillis, and Varga have rekindled interest in this method by correcting and extending the SOR convergence interval. The purpose of our paper is to discuss an alternative formulation of the problem leading to a 2-block SOR method. For this formulation it is shown that the resulting direct-iterative method always converges for sufficiently small SOR parameter, in contrast to the 3-block formulation. Formulas for the optimum SOR parameter and the resulting asymptotic convergence factor, based upon ‖A2A-11‖2, are given. Furthermore, it is shown that this 2-cyclic block SOR method always gives better convergence results than the 3-cyclic one for the same amount of work per iteration. The direct part of the algorithm requires only a sparse-matrix factorization of A1. Our purpose here is to establish theoretical convergence results, in line with the purpose of the recent paper by Niethammer, de Pillis, and Varga. Practical considerations of choosing A1 in certain applications and of estimating the resulting ‖A2A-11‖2 will be addressed elsewhere.
Radiolytic cleavage of the peptide main-chain in concentrated aqueous solution: energy level of excited-molecule intermediates.

Abstract The γ-radiolysis of oxygen-free solutions of simple peptides such as N-acetylglycine and N-acetylalanine at concentrations above 0.1 M leads to formation of excited species RCONHCHR2∗. Reactions of these excited-molecule intermediates lead to cleavage of the peptide main-chain with formation of amide and fatty acid functions. Through use of a series of aromatic second-solutes as excitation quenchers it is possible to assign the energy level of RCONHCHR2∗ at ∼3.5 eV.