cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The association between anatomic site of Candida colonization, invasive candidiasis, and mortality in critically ill surgical patients

We evaluated whether the likelihood of developing invasive candidiasis (IC) differed depending upon the anatomic site of Candida colonization in 182 surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients who participated in a randomized trial of fluconazole to prevent candidiasis. We also determined the impact of Candida colonization of different anatomic sites on all-cause SICU and hospital mortality. A total of 2851 surveillance fungal cultures collected from 5 anatomic sites were analyzed. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of IC comparing patients with and without urinary (13.2% versus 2.8%, P = .02), respiratory (8.0% versus 1.2%, P = .04), and rectum/ostomy (8.4% versus 0%, P = .01) colonization. Patients with negative rectum/ostomy cultures and patients with both negative urine and respiratory tract cultures did not develop IC. Candiduria detected at any time in the SICU was independently associated with SICU mortality (odds ratio, 2.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–7.74). Surveillance fungal cultures of particular anatomic sites may help differentiate patients at higher risk of developing IC from those at low risk.
Antibody diversity: Can more than one gene encode each variable region?

The germ line and somatic mutation theories of antibody diversity inadequately explain some recent structural and genetic data. The “episomal” insertion theory or some modification of it, seems more consistent with contemporary observations that suggest that immunoglobulin variable regions contain information encoded in separate portions of the genome. The model proposes that at least three groups of genes control the synthesis of a single polypeptide chain. Thegroup one genes code for the relatively invariant portions of the variable region and are few in number (perhaps one per subgroup). A larger number ofgroup two genes encode the hypervariable regions, while a small number ofgroup three genes encode the constant regions. A “copy choice” mechanism is favored for the gene interaction necessary for the synthesis of a single polypeptide chain.
Viral Capsid DNA Aptamer Conjugates as Multivalent Cell-Targeting Vehicles

Nucleic acid aptamers offer significant potential as convenient and evolvable targeting groups for drug delivery. To attach them to the surface of a genome-free viral capsid carrier, an efficient oxidative coupling strategy has been developed. The method involves the periodate-mediated reaction of phenylene diamine substituted oligonucleotides with aniline groups installed on the outer surface of the capsid shells. Up to 60 DNA strands can be attached to each viral capsid with no apparent loss of base-pairing capabilities or protein stability. The ability of the capsids to bind specific cellular targets was demonstrated through the attachment of a 41-nucleotide sequence that targets a tyrosine kinase receptor on Jurkat T cells. After the installation of a fluorescent dye on the capsid interior, capsids bearing the cell-targeting sequence showed significant levels of binding to the cells relative to those of control samples. Colocalization experiments using confocal microscopy indicated that the capsids were endocytosed and trafficked to lysosomes for degradation. These observations suggest that aptamer-labeled capsids could be used for the targeted drug delivery of acid-labile prodrugs that would be preferentially released upon lysosomal acidification.
Vacancy-interstitial pair production via electron-hole recombination in halide crystals

The nature of the electronic states through which band-to-band excitations or excitons evolve into $F\ensuremath{-}H$ pairs is central to an understanding of defect production in halide crystals. The present paper develops a recent empirical model in which a self-trapped exciton becomes an $F\ensuremath{-}H$ pair through a relaxation process that preserves the $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ bond between the two halide ions on which the hole is localized. The model is shown to be consistent with relative energies of the initial and final states, and the potential surfaces which govern motion from one configuration to another have been investigated in terms of diabatic correlation rules. The defect state $F(1s)+H({\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u})$ lies on a potential surface which correlates with higher levels of free and self-trapped excitons and crosses the surface corresponding to the lowest exciton state. Possible bottlenecks and associated metastable intermediate states are discussed with reference to observations from time-resolved spectroscopy. The initial ionic motion between self-trapped exciton and $F(1s)+H({\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u})$ is not necessarily confined to a close-packed direction in alkali halides. The close $F\ensuremath{-}H$ pairs observed in alkaline-earth fluorides are cited as examples of initial vacancy formation involving rotation as well as translation of an excited halide pair, and an analogous reaction path in alkali halides is suggested.
Dual conservation laws in elastostatics

Abstract Several new dual conservation laws are given in this study under the assumption of the existence of the complementary strain energy density function. They are valid for both finite deformation and infinitesimal deformation of elastic solid. Applications of these laws to fracture mechanics are discussed.
Sequence element required for efficient -1 ribosomal frameshifting in red clover necrotic mosaic dianthovirus.

Abstract The RNA−1 of the bipartite red clover necrotic mosaic dianthovirus (RCNMV) genome encodes the 88-kDa polymerase. The polymerase is translated from both 5′ proximal and internal open reading frames by a −1 ribosomal frameshifting event. A shifty heptanucleotide conforming to the simultaneous slippage model is identified, and a downstream stem-loop structure and atypical pseudoknot are predicted. A β-glucuronidase reporter assay identified a 118-nucleotide element containing both the shifty heptanucleotide and the predicted secondary structures that were required for efficient −1 ribosomal frameshift expression in vivo . A series of site-directed and compensatory mutations affecting the base-paired regions of the predicted secondary structure were introduced into a RCNMV RNA−1 cDNA clone from which infectious transcripts were derived. Mutations that destroyed the predicted pseudoknot had no effect on frameshifting efficiency in vitro or infectivity of the virus, whereas mutations destabilizing the stem-loop structure abolished both ribosomal frameshifting in vitro and biological activity. These results demonstrate the essential role of a predicted secondary structure that does not involve a pseudoknot in the expression of the RCNMV polymerase by ribosomal frameshifting.
Using the media to disseminate evaluation results

Articles should deal with topics applicable to the broad field of program evaluation. Implications for practicing evaluators should be clearly identified. Examples of contributions include but are not limited to reviews of new developments in evaluation and descriptions of a current evaluation effort, research problem, or technique. Manuscripts should include appropriate references and not exceed 10 double-spaced typewritten pages in length.
The Experience of Foster Care: Relationship between Foster Parent Disciplinary Approaches and Aggression in a Sample of Young Foster Children:

The relationship between disciplinary practices of 70 foster parents (kin and nonkin) and aggression in their 8-year-old foster children was examined. Aggressive behavior was assessed through child and foster parent reports, whereas disciplinary behavior was examined by asking foster parents how they would typically respond to five child misbehaviors. Kinship foster parents (64.8%) were significantly more likely than nonkinship foster parents (30.2%) to report that they would use harsh discipline (p < .01). No significant relationship was found between foster parent reports of child aggression and their reports of disciplinary behavior. However, foster parents who reported they would use harsher discipline were more likely to have children in their care who generated multiple aggressive solutions to social problems (odds ratio = 2.7, p < .01). The evidence suggesting that the disciplinary practices of foster parents may influence children’s social aggression is discussed in relation to future research, po...
In vitro performance assessment of distal protection filters: pulsatile flow conditions.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an endovascular treatment for occlusive carotid artery disease for high-surgical-risk candidates with symptomatic stenosis >70%.1 The surgical counterpart, carotid endarterectomy (CEA), has proved to be an effective treatment in the same clinical setting.2 The incidence of occlusive carotid artery disease has not been reported, but ∼50% of strokes occur due to embolization that originated at the carotid bifurcation.1 Approximately 1 million stroke-related deaths occur each year, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States.1 Controversy remains regarding the safety and efficacy of CAS due to the risk of generating embolic debris. Cerebral protection devices, such as distal protection filters (DPFs), were developed to protect distal vascular beds from being occluded by plaque particulate. Evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of CAS with DPFs is still ambiguous due to conflicting results from prospective clinical trials and retrospective record reviews. Several studies have found that protected CAS improved patient outcome.3-5 In the Endarterectomy Versus Angioplasty in Patients With Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis (EVA-3S) trial, the unprotected CAS leg of the trial was ended prematurely due to a 30-day stroke rate nearly 4 times that of protected CAS, suggesting that protected CAS yields favorable outcomes compared to unprotected CAS.6 Other studies have shown no reduction in embolic lesions with the use of protection,7 while others have shown an increase in embolic showers.8 Numerous ex vivo9,10 and in vitro11-18 studies have investigated the effects of DPFs on pressure and flow rate or evaluated the efficacy of DPFs under steady flow conditions. It is likely that pulsatile flow will alter the performance of DPFs. In particular, we expect that, in vivo, flow pulsatility will give plaque emboli the potential to enter and exit the basket during the cardiac cycle and/or yield local expansions and contractions of the ICA, adversely affecting device apposition and capture efficiency. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of pulsatile flow on the capture efficiency, pressure, and flow rate in the carotid artery with four DPFs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The integration of pulsatile flow into the experimental setup yields more physiologically realistic testing conditions. To the best of our knowledge, no other study has examined the effects of pulsatile flow on DPF performance in bench-top experiments.
Modulation of drug permeation through interpolymer complexed hydrogels for drug delivery applications

Grafted poly(methacrylic acid-g-ethylene glycol) (P(MAA-g-EG)) copolymers exhibit pH-sensitive, reversible complexation. Equilibrium swelling ratios and mesh sizes of uncomplexed gels were much higher than those of the complexed states and varied according to copolymer composition and PEG graft length. Swelling under oscillatory pH conditions revealed the dynamic sensitivity of P(MAA-g-EG) gels and showed that network collapse (complexation) occurred more rapidly than network expansion (decomplexation). The rates of diffusion of specific ions caused the responses. Solute diffusivity was higher in uncomplexed than in complexed P(MAA-g-EG) membranes and decreased as solute size increased. Lower diffusivities resulted in membranes containing longer PEG grafts since in the uncomplexed state the PEG grafts dangled into the polymer mesh space.
Dopamine1 receptor agonists reverse opioid respiratory network depression, increase CO2 reactivity

Abstract In adult pentobarbital-anesthetized and unanesthetized decerebrate cats, the D 1 R agonists (6-chloro-APB, SKF-38393, dihydrexidine) given intravenously restored phrenic nerve and vagus nerve respiratory discharges and firing of bulbar post-inspiratory neurons after the discharges were abolished by the μ-opioid receptor agonist fentanyl given intravenously. Reversal of opioid-mediated discharge depression was prevented by the D 1 R antagonist SCH23390. Iontophoresis of the μ-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO depressed firing of medullary bulbospinal inspiratory neurons. Co-iontophoresis of SKF-38393 did not restore firing and had no effect on bulbospinal inspiratory neuron discharges when applied alone. The D 1 R agonists given intravenously prolonged and intensified phrenic nerve and bulbospinal inspiratory neuron discharges. They also increased reactivity to CO 2 by lowering the phrenic nerve apnea threshold and shifting the phrenic nerve-CO 2 response curve to lower et CO 2 levels. Intravenous fentanyl on the other hand decreased CO 2 reactivity by shifting the phrenic nerve apnea threshold and the response curve to higher et CO 2 levels. Fentanyl effects on reactivity were partially reversed by D 1 R agonists.
Genetic change following fire in populations of a seed-banking perennial plant

Disturbances such as fire have the potential to remove genetic variation, but seed banks may counter this loss by restoring alleles through a reservoir effect. We used allozyme analysis to characterize genetic change in two populations of the perennial Hypericum cumulicola, an endemic of the fire-prone Florida scrub. We assessed genetic variation before and 1, 2, and 3 years after fire that killed nearly all aboveground plants. Populations increased in size following fire, with most seedlings likely recruited from a persistent seed bank. Four of five loci were variable. Most alleles were present in low frequencies, but our large sample sizes allowed detection of significant trends. Expected heterozygosity increased, and allele presence and allele frequencies showed marked shifts following fire. The post-fire seedling cohort contained new alleles to the study and one new allele to the species. Population differentiation between the two study sites did not change. Our study is the first to directly documents genetic changes following fire, a dominant ecological disturbance worldwide, and is also one of the few to consider shifts in a naturally recruiting post-disturbance seedling cohort. We demonstrate the potential of seed banks to restore genetic variation lost between disturbances. Our study demonstrates that rapid genetic change can occur with disturbance and that fire can have positive effects on the genetics of rare species.
Persistence of Dominant T Cell Clones in Accepted Solid Organ Transplants

Donor/recipient MHC class II matching is beneficial to the survival of allogeneic kidneys in humans and swine. In the latter, tolerance to class I-disparate grafts can be induced by a short course of immunosuppression, a peripheral mechanism that implicates regulatory T cells. Absence of treatment will lead to prompt rejection. Rejected grafts are infiltrated by dominant alloaggressive T cells, whereas there is still speculation on the specificity and function of T cells invading accepted tissues. To characterize the TCR repertoire of graft-infiltrating T cells (GITC) in accepted kidneys, we have used the RT-PCR-based spectratyping technique to assess the length polymorphism of the porcine TCRβ chain complementary-determining region 3 (CDR3). Results show that T cells infiltrating accepted kidneys ( n = 5) express a restricted polymorphism of the CDR3 length, whereas PBL from the same animal have the polymorphic distribution of CDR3 lengths found in naive animals; that the skewed Vβ repertoire in accepted grafts involved distinct Vβ subfamilies in otherwise MHC-identical recipient animals; that GITC clonal dominance is not caused by immunosuppression because a second kidney, accepted without drug treatment, exhibits the same TCR Vβ CDR3 profiles than those detected in the first graft; and that intragraft clonal dominance intensifies with time, indicating progressive preeminence of nonaggressive GITC clones. Collectively, these data represent the first example, in a preclinical model, of the emergence of nonaggressive intragraft clones, which may be involved in the induction/maintenance of local tolerance to allogeneic tissues.
Subjective Probabilities in Household Surveys

Subjective probabilities are now collected on a number of large household surveys with the objective of providing data to better understand intertemporal decision making. Comparison of subjective probabilities with actual outcomes shows that the probabilities have considerable predictive power in situations where individuals have considerable private information, such as survival and retirement. In contrast, the subjective probability of a stock market gain varies greatly across individuals even though no one has private information and the outcome is the same for everyone. An explanation is that there is considerable variation in accessing and processing information. Further, the subjective probability of a stock market gain is considerably lower than historical averages, providing an explanation for the relatively low frequency of stock holding. An important research objective will be to understand how individuals form their subjective probabilities.
Organic pollutants and ocean fronts across the Atlantic Ocean: A review

Abstract Little is known about the effect of ocean fronts on pollutants dynamics, particularly organic pollutants. Since fronts are associated with convergent currents and productive fishing grounds, any possible convergence of pollutants at fronts would raise concerns. The focus here is on relatively persistent organic pollutants, POPs, as non-persistent organic pollutants are rarely found in the open ocean. Results from recent cruises in the Atlantic Ocean are examined for POP distributions across ocean fronts in (i) the Canary Current; (ii) the Gulf Stream; and (iii) the Amazon and Rio de la Plata Plumes. Few studies achieved a spatial resolution of 10–20 km, while most had 100–300 km between adjacent stations. The majority of the well-resolved studies measured perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which seem particularly well suited for frontal resolution. In the NE Atlantic, concentrations of PFCs sharply decreased between SW Europe and NW Africa upon crossing the Canary Current Front at 24–27°N. In the Western Atlantic, the PFC concentrations sharply increased upon entering the Amazon River Plume and Rio de la Plata Plume. In the NW Atlantic, concentrations of several pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are very high in Rhode Island Sound, decreasing to below detection limit in the open ocean. The more persistent and already phased-out polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) displayed elevated concentrations in the Gulf Stream and Rhode Island Sound, thereby highlighting the importance of ocean fronts, along-front currents, and cross-frontal transport for the dispersal of PCBs.
Psychometric properties of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)

Background: The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) is a well-established instrument used to evaluate the health status of heart failure (HF) patients. There has been a lack of clarity about the best way to conceptualize the KCCQ. The purpose of this investigation of the KCCQ was to: (1) explore the factor structure with an exploratory factor analyses; (2) perform reliability and validity testing to determine the best factor solution for item groupings; and (3) determine the most meaningful components of health status captured by the KCCQ.Methods and Results: A secondary analysis of data from 280 adults with stage-C HF enrolled from three US northeastern sites was conducted to test the KCCQ subscale structure. Criterion-related validity for the Self-efficacy subscale was tested with the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scale and the Self-care of Heart Failure Index Self-care Confidence Scale. Overall, internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) for the KCCQ and subscales was 0.92, social ...
Sex, Pain, and Opioids: Interdependent Influences of Sex and Pain Modality on Dynorphin-Mediated Antinociception in Rats

The role of dynorphin A (1-17; Dyn) and its associated kappa opioid receptor (KOR) in nociception represents a longstanding scientific conundrum: Dyn and KOR (Dyn/KOR) have variously been reported to inhibit, facilitate, or have no effect on pain. We investigated whether interactions between sex and pain type (which are usually ignored) influenced Dyn/KOR-mediated antinociception. Blockade of the spinal α 2-noradrenergic receptor ( α 2-NAR) using yohimbine elicited comparable spinal Dyn release in females and males. Nevertheless, the yohimbine-induced antinociception exhibited sexual dimorphism that depended on the pain test used: in the intraperitoneal acetic acid–induced writhing test, yohimbine produced antinociception only in females, whereas in the intraplantar formalin-induced paw flinch test, antinociception was observed only in males. In females and males, both intrathecal Dyn antibodies and spinal KOR blockade eliminated the yohimbine-induced antinociception, indicating that Dyn/KOR mediated it. However, despite the conditional nature of spinal Dyn/KOR-mediated yohimbine antinociception, both intraplantar formalin and intraperitoneal acetic acid activated spinal Dyn neurons that expressed α 2-NARs. Moreover, Dyn terminals apposed KOR-expressing spinal nociceptive neurons in both sexes. This similar organization suggests that the sexually dimorphic interdependent effects of sex and pain type may result from the presence of nonfunctional (silent) KORs on nociceptive spinal neurons that are responsive to intraplantar formalin (in females) versus intraperitoneal acetic acid (in males). Our findings that spinal Dyn/KOR-mediated antinociception depends on interactions between sex and pain type underscore the importance of using both sexes and multiple pain models when investigating Dyn/KOR antinociception.
A clustering algorithm for parallel sparse Cholesky factorization

This paper presents an integrated approach to two issues relevant to efficient parallel sparse Cholesky factorization: 1) matrix reordering for parallelism, and, 2) mapping of data to processors. A clustering heuristic is proposed to performs a fill-preserving reordering and mapping of data onto a fixed number of processors. Performance results on a Cray T3D are presented to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Race/Ethnicity and Early Mathematics Skills: Relations Between Home, Classroom, and Mathematics Achievement

ABSTRACTThis study used Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort data to examine influences of the home and classroom learning environments on kindergarten mathematics achievement of Black, Latino, and White children. Regardless of race/ethnicity, children who started kindergarten proficient in mathematics earned spring scores about 7–8 points higher. There was significant variability in the home and classroom learning environments of Black, Latino, and White children and associations with these children's mathematics scores. Nevertheless, reading at home was a significant predictor for spring mathematics scores for all groups. If children started kindergarten proficient in mathematics, the Latino-White mathematics gap, after controlling for home and classroom factors and other covariates, was no longer significant. However, the Black–White mathematics gap remained significant. If children did not start kindergarten proficient in mathematics, both the Latino–White and Black–White mathematics...
Update on clindamycin in the management of bacterial, fungal and protozoal infections

Lincomycin and clindamycin are the only members of the relatively small lincosamide antimicrobial class marketed for use in humans. This paper only reviews data regarding clindamycin, with an emphasis on data published over the last decade. Clindamycin exhibits a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, including Gram-positive aerobes/anaerobes, Gram-negative anaerobes and select protozoa (Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium falciparum, Babesia spp.) and fungi (Pneumocystis jiroveci). It still enjoys use in the therapy and prophylaxis of a large number of bacterial, protozoal and fungal infections, despite > 40 years of clinical use. However, the spectre of resistance by an increasing number of microorganisms is beginning to cast a shadow over the future use of this valuable agent. With the emergence and spread of infections due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococci (for which clindamycin is a first-line agent), it is hoped that the issues of resistance can be mitigated and the use of clindamycin extended for at least the foreseeable future.
The responsible use of the clinical laboratory

Concern about spiralling health care costs is leading to a reexamination of the use of the clinical laboratory and other diagnostic technologies in patient care. Laboratory resources are viewed as limited and their use must be measured to meet real needs. Several observers have noted significant overutilization and inappropriate utilization of laboratory services by patient care physicians, especially at teaching hospitals. Efforts to modify physician behavior by use of educational programs, positive incentives and similar means have been largely disappointing. Several laboratory-based initiatives aimed at bringing about more responsible use of the laboratory are discussed. Improved education in the judicious use of the laboratory, beginning in medical school and carrying on through the early stages of a physician's career, is considered the most promising long-term approach. This, along with improved communication between the laboratory and the clinic, is the avenue most likely to bring about more responsible use of the clinical laboratory in health care.
Stability and well-posedness of a rate-dependent damage model for brittle materials based on crack mechanics

Abstract This paper presents an investigation of the stability and well-posedness of a rate-dependent damage model for brittle materials. The model is based on the response of an ensemble of distributed microcracks under a general, three-dimensional state of stress. The stability and well-posedness of the model are studied by examining the behavior of dynamic perturbations to the steady-state solution of uniaxial-stress loading. It is shown that as a result of incorporating the strain-rate effect in the model, perturbations of all wave lengths remain bounded for finite times, making the problem well-posed. It is also shown that the corresponding rate-independent model is ill-posed in that perturbations grow unbounded with the wave number, even for finite times.
The importance of crayfish in the breakdown of rhododendron leaf litter

SUMMARY 1. Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) is a common evergreen shrub in riparian areas of the southern Appalachians, where its leaves can comprise a large proportion of leaf litter in streams. However, they are relatively refractory and generally considered a low quality food resource for detritivores. ~V 2. Our objective was to assess whether macroconsumers (primarily crayfish (Cambarus bartonii)) influence rhododendron leaf breakdown in a forested southern Appalachian stream in both summer (when leaves other than rhododendron are relatively scarce) and autumn (when other leaves are relatively abundant). We conducted two leaf decay experiments, one in summer and one in autumn, using pre-conditioned leaves. Macro- consumers were excluded from the benthos of a fourth-order stream using electric 'fences'; we predicted that excluding macroconsumers would reduce the decay rate of rhododen- dron leaves in both summer and autumn. 3. La both experiments, breakdown rate was lower in exclusion treatments. Macro- consumers accounted for approximately 33 and 54% of rhododendron decay in summer and autumn, respectively. We attribute this effect to direct shredding of rhododendron by crayfish. Biomass of insect shredders, insect predators and fungi did not differ between control and exclusion treatments, indicating that insectivorous sculpins (Cottus bairdi) had no effect on rhododendron decay and that omnivorous crayfish did not exert an indirect effect via alteration of insect or fungal biomass. 4. The influence of shredding insects varied between summer and autumn. In summer, when other, more palatable leaf types were not available, rhododendron leaf packs appeared to provide 'resource islands' for insect shredders. There was a significant inverse relationship between insect shredders and leaf pack mass in the summer exclusion treatment: insects were the only organisms eating leaves in this treatment and, as shredder biomass increased, remaining leaf pack mass decreased. In the control treatment, however, we did not see this relationship; here, the effect of insect shredders was presumably swamped by the impact of crayfish. In autumn, when other leaves were abundant, insect shredder biomass in rhododendron leaf packs was less than one-third of summer values. 5. Even at low density (approximately 2 m~2) crayfish were able to influence an ecosystem process, such as leaf decay, in both summer and autumn. Given the threatened status of many crayfish species in the United States, this finding is especially relevant. Even small alterations in crayfish assemblages, whether via loss of native species and/or introduction of exotic species, may have significant repercussions for ecosystem function.
N‐acyl derivatives of ϵ‐caprolactam

The preparation and properties of a number of new N-acylcaprolactams are described. These compounds were found to be catalysts for the anionic polymerization of caprolactam.
A retrospective analysis of the effect of discussion in teleconference and face-to-face scientific peer-review panels.

Objective With the use of teleconferencing for grant peer-review panels increasing, further studies are necessary to determine the efficacy of the teleconference setting compared to the traditional onsite/face-to-face setting. The objective of this analysis was to examine the effects of discussion, namely changes in application scoring premeeting and postdiscussion, in these settings. We also investigated other parameters, including the magnitude of score shifts and application discussion time in face-to-face and teleconference review settings. Design The investigation involved a retrospective, quantitative analysis of premeeting and postdiscussion scores and discussion times for teleconference and face-to-face review panels. The analysis included 260 and 212 application score data points and 212 and 171 discussion time data points for the face-to-face and teleconference settings, respectively. Results The effect of discussion was found to be small, on average, in both settings. However, discussion was found to be important for at least 10% of applications, regardless of setting, with these applications moving over a potential funding line in either direction (fundable to unfundable or vice versa). Small differences were uncovered relating to the effect of discussion between settings, including a decrease in the magnitude of the effect in the teleconference panels as compared to face-to-face. Discussion time (despite teleconferences having shorter discussions) was observed to have little influence on the magnitude of the effect of discussion. Additionally, panel discussion was found to often result in a poorer score (as opposed to an improvement) when compared to reviewer premeeting scores. This was true regardless of setting or assigned reviewer type (primary or secondary reviewer). Conclusions Subtle differences were observed between settings, potentially due to reduced engagement in teleconferences. Overall, further research is required on the psychology of decision-making, team performance and persuasion to better elucidate the group dynamics of telephonic and virtual ad-hoc peer-review panels.
Family Functioning: Associations With Weight Status, Eating Behaviors, and Physical Activity in Adolescents

Abstract Purpose This article examines the relationship between family functioning (e.g., communication, closeness, problem solving, behavioral control) and adolescent weight status and relevant eating and physical activity behaviors. Methods Data are from EAT 2010 (Eating and Activity in Teens), a population-based study that assessed eating and activity among socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse youths (n = 2,793). Adolescents (46.8% boys, 53.2% girls) completed anthropometric assessments and surveys at school between 2009 and 2010. Multiple linear regression was used to test the relationship between family functioning and adolescent weight, dietary intake, family meal patterns, and physical activity. Additional regression models were fit to test for interactions by race/ethnicity. Results For adolescent girls, higher family functioning was associated with lower body mass index z score and percent overweight, less sedentary behavior, higher intake of fruits and vegetables, and more frequent family meals and breakfast consumption. For adolescent boys, higher family functioning was associated with more physical activity, less sedentary behavior, less fast-food consumption, and more frequent family meals and breakfast consumption. There was one significant interaction by race/ethnicity for family meals; the association between higher family functioning and more frequent family meals was stronger for nonwhite boys compared with white boys. Overall, strengths of associations tended to be small, with effect sizes ranging from −.07 to .31 for statistically significant associations. Conclusions Findings suggest that family functioning may be protective for adolescent weight and weight-related health behaviors across all race/ethnicities, although assumptions regarding family functioning in the homes of overweight children should be avoided, given small effect sizes.
High-performance antimonide-based heterostructure backward diodes for millimeter-wave detection

Small-area antimonide-based backward diodes for zero-bias millimeter-wave detection have been fabricated and tested. The devices were fabricated using high-resolution I-line stepper lithography, allowing accurate control of the small device active area required for operation at W-band. The devices exhibit excellent measured performance from 1-110 GHz, with responsivities when driven from a 50-/spl Omega/ source of 2540 V/W at 95 GHz. This translates to a projected responsivity of 11.5 /spl times/ 10/sup 3/ V/W at 95 GHz for a conjugately matched detector. The compression characteristics of the detectors have been measured, with 1.2 dB of responsivity compression for an input power of 8 /spl mu/W.
Coping: Pitfalls and Promise

Coping, defined as the thoughts and behaviors used to manage the internal and external demands of situations that are appraised as stressful, has been a focus of research in the social sciences for more than three decades. The dramatic proliferation of coping research has spawned healthy debate and criticism and offered insight into the question of why some individuals fare better than others do when encountering stress in their lives. We briefly review the history of contemporary coping research with adults. We discuss three primary challenges for coping researchers (measurement, nomenclature, and effectiveness), and highlight recent developments in coping theory and research that hold promise for the field, including previously unaddressed aspects of coping, new measurement approaches, and focus on positive affective outcomes.
Variations in Alder Pollen Pore Numbers—A Possible New Correlation Tool for the Neogene Kenai Lowland, Alaska

Alder (Alnus: Betulaceae) pollen grains are common in coal beds of the Miocene Beluga and the Pliocene Sterling formations exposed in the Kenai lowland, Alaska. All alder pollen grains of the Beluga Formation and the lower part of the overlying Sterling Formation are dominated by 4-pored grains (42–67% of total alder), with no exceptions. There is a striking transition to a 5-pored dominance (32–67%) with an accompanying increase in 6-, 7-, and even 8-pored grains in outcrops of the Sterling Formation along the Cook Inlet shore, north of Clam Gulch and at the head of Kachemak Bay, in upper Swift Creek Canyon, and in two canyon tributaries to Fox Creek. The general zone of this transition includes a previously correlated volcanic ash and gives credence to the rock strata being synchronous in these widely separated outcrops. It should thus be possible to correlate these strata across the Kenai lowland by the alder pore numbers combined with the volcanic ash. The cause of the transition to a ≥ 5-pored Alnus ...
Exact calculus for proximal subgradients with applications to optimization

The paper contains new exact calculus rules for proximal subgradients of extended-real- valued functions deflned on arbitrary real Banach spaces. We also develop e-cient formulas for evaluat- ing proximal subgradients of marginal/value functions in various problems of parametric optimization. The results obtained are employed to derive new necessary optimality conditions in unconstrained nondifierentiable programming.
Increasing Learning Potential in Entry Level Nutrition Students through Online Tutorial

The objective of this study was to assess whether implementation of an online tutoring program, MasteringNutrition©, would produce measurable gains in student learning outcomes. Research conducted by Pearson©, the creator of MasteringNutrition©, indicates that the inclusion of Mastering© tutoring programs into existing courses has the ability to increase student performance on assessments and total course grades. Students of a general education, nutrition course were invited to participate in this study: spring of 2013 (no Mastering; n=182), fall of 2013 (Mastering; n=86), and spring of 2014 (Mastering; n=410). NDFS 1020 is an introductory nutrition course taught in a blended style. Course structure includes course lectures (60% of instruction time) and online assignments (40% of instruction time), Mastering© is included as part of required assignments. Learning outcome progress was measured by questions on a pre-semester quiz, final exam, and posttest six months after course completion. Assessments measured student progress based on course learning objectives. Results of statistical tests reported no significant difference in test scores for each group over time. Students who scored lower than the mean on the pretest and used the Mastering© program demonstrated greater improvements in final and posttest scores compared to those who scored higher than the mean on the pretest (p=<.001). Implementation of online tutoring program did not significantly improve overall student outcomes. Online tutorial programs may be helpful for students who are enrolled in courses where they have little prior knowledge of subject matter.
Physician Practice in a Dynamic Environment: Implications for the Health Care System

Expenditures on physician services amounted to $171 billion in 1993, compared with $13.6 billion in 1970. During this period, the environment in which physicians practice was transformed as a part of the changing health care financing and delivery system. This Issue Brief provides an overview of changes in the health care system that affect the environment in which physicians practice, focusing on what is known and issues needing further analysis.Public and private payers have held down the rate of growth in payments to physicians by restructuring reimbursement. Physician behavior, payment, and practice patterns will be major factors in determining future health care costs and the type and quality of health care individuals receive.In both the private and public sectors, one of the significant changes affecting physician practice patterns has been the movement of insured individuals away from traditional retrospective fee-for-service reimbursement to a prepaid prospective managed care setting. As a result, physicians are more likely to contract with a managed care organization.The way in which physicians are reimbursed for outpatient Medicare services has changed significantly as a result of OBRA '89, which adopted a fee schedule based on a resource based relative value scale coupled with volume performance standards. These changes were designed to eliminate the incentive for physicians to increase service volume.The distribution of physicians across specializations changed significantly between 1970 and 1992. In 1970, 17.3 percent of physicians were practicing family and general medicine, compared with 11 percent in 1992.Recently, a larger proportion of physicians has joined group practices, and the average size of a group practice has increased. In 1975, 23.5 percent of physicians worked in a group practice, compared with 32.6 percent in 1991. Between 1975 and 1991, the average size of a group practice increased from 7.9 physicians to 11.5 physicians.The U.S. physician-to-population ratio has been growing since at least 1970. In 1992, there were 255 physicians per 100,000 Americans, up from 161 in 1970. Among physicians with office-based practices, there were 209 physicians per 100,000 Americans in 1992, compared with 134 in 1970.
Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality after Acute Ischemic Stroke (P01.227)

OBJECTIVE: To assess factors that determine early and late mortality after acute ischemic stroke. BACKGROUND: Minimal predictors exist for acute stroke prognosis. We sought to answer this important question with a large universal database. DESIGN/METHODS: Pooled data from the 3 UHC studies was collected and patients dichotomized as follows: death during initial hospitalization and patients discharged from the hospital (home, rehabilitation). Using Chi square and T-tests, univariate analysis was performed on the following: age, gender, stroke severity, post stroke complications co-morbid cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological conditions including prior stroke or TIA and prior medication use; LLA, antihypertensives, aspirin, other antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants. Predictors with a p value of RESULTS: Of the 3522 patients, 201 died after AIS. Mean age was 67.11± 14.96 years and there was no gender difference (49.8%male, 50.2% females). Univariate predictors of mortality were stroke severity (P CONCLUSIONS: After AIS, patients with severe stroke and post stroke complications were 5 and 22.2 times more likely to die while ASA and other antiplatelet agent use before AIS were associated respectively with 1.6 and 1.5 times greater chances of survival after AIS. Unlike previous reports from smaller studies, LLA were not predictive of in-patient mortality. Disclosure: Dr. Moonis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tuggatari has nothing to disclose. Dr. Izzy has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sundar has nothing to disclose.
A Note on Obedience to Authority

This note describes and discusses two experiments. In Milgram's Obedience Experiment, subjects acted as "teachers" posing questions to "learners." Inaccurate answers resulted in an electric shock being administered to the learner. When the errors increased in number, the voltage of the shocks was increased to a point of intolerable pain. Although the shocks were not real (learners faked their responses), the teachers believed them to be real. The experiment revealed the willingness of the teachers to punish the learners in obedience to directions from the person in authority over them. In the Zimbardo Prison Experiment, college students acted as either "prisoners" or "prison guards" in a mock prison setting. Guards had the freedom to run the prison as they saw fit, without direct supervision. Open hostility toward prisoners and rebellion by prisoners soon prevailed. What should have been a two-week experiment was aborted on the fifth day when it became evident that real suffering was being inflicted on the prisoners.
Motivation, amount of interaction, length of residence and ESL learners’ pragmatic competence

This study examined how motivation for learning English, the amount of contact with English, and length of residence in the target language area affects Korean graduate students’ English pragmatic skills. The study attempted to account for differential pragmatic development among 50 graduate-level Korean students in relation to individual factors mentioned above. The data were collected using three types of elicitation instruments: a written background questionnaire, a discourse completion test, and the mini-Attitude/Motivation Test Battery. Descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation coefficients, and multiple regressions) were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that (a) the level of motivation had a positive and moderate relationship with the ESL learners’ L2 pragmatic competence; and (b) the amount of L2 contact and length of residence had only a weak and insignificant impact on the participants’ pragmatic competence.
Ferroportin Q248H Mutation Prevents Its Ubiquitination

Background Ferroportin Q248H mutation is prevalent in African populations and leads to increased serum ferritin. Our recent study shows that ferroportin Q248H protein is resistant to physiologic hepcidin concentrations1. Also sickle cell disease patients with ferroportin Q248H heterozygote had lower serum ferritin concentration suggesting that the enhanced iron release by macrophages. Ferroportin glutamine 248 is located within the intracellular loop (residues 228-307), which is likely to be located in the cytoplasm. Recently ferroportin internalization was shown to be driven by ubiquitination of lysines lying within residues 229-269 including K229, K240, and K2472. The proximity of the K240 and especially to K247 to the Q248 residue suggests that a positively charged histidine in position 248 might change the overall negative charge of the 240eeetelkqlnlhk253sequence toward a more positive charge, which might affect ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of ferroportin. Here we analyzed and compared ubiquitination of WT and Q248H mutant ferroportin. Results WT ferroportin and Q248H mutant were expressed as EGFP-fusions in 293T cells and also combined with the expression of ubiquitin. Ferroportin was immunoprecipitated with anti-EGFP antibodies and analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry using LTQ-Orbitrap. Phosphorylation and ubiquitination was determined using Proteome Discover and quantified using SIEVE 2.1 software. Conclusions WT ferroportin but not the Q248H mutant ferroportin was found to be ubquitinated on lysines 247 and 253 and also phosphorylated on Thr 144. Also WT ferroportin was found to associate with ubiquitine-conjugating enzyme E2 and ubiquitine protein ligase NEDD4. Thus hepcidin resistance of ferroportin Q248H could be due to its inability to undergo ubiquitination. Acknowledgements This project was supported by NIH Research Grants 8G12MD007597 and P30HL107253. References 1. Nekhai S, Xu M, Foster A, et al. Reduced sensitivity of the ferroportin Q248H mutant to physiological concentrations of hepcidin. Haematologica. 2013;98(3):455-463. 2. Qiao B, Sugianto P, Fung E, et al. Hepcidin-induced endocytosis of ferroportin is dependent on ferroportin ubiquitination. Cell Metab. 2012;15(6):918-924. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.