cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Screening for obesity in children and adolescents us preventive services task force recommendation statement

Importance Based on year 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts, approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years in the United States have obesity, and almost 32% of children and adolescents are overweight or have obesity. Obesity in children and adolescents is associated with morbidity such as mental health and psychological issues, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, orthopedic problems, and adverse cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes (eg, high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, and insulin resistance). Children and adolescents may also experience teasing and bullying behaviors based on their weight. Obesity in childhood and adolescence may continue into adulthood and lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes or other obesity-related morbidity, such as type 2 diabetes. Subpopulation Considerations Although the overall rate of child and adolescent obesity has stabilized over the last decade after increasing steadily for 3 decades, obesity rates continue to increase in certain populations, such as African American girls and Hispanic boys. These racial/ethnic differences in obesity prevalence are likely a result of both genetic and nongenetic factors (eg, socioeconomic status, intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food, and having a television in the bedroom). Objective To update the 2010 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for obesity in children 6 years and older. Evidence Review The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on screening for obesity in children and adolescents and the benefits and harms of weight management interventions. Findings Comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions (≥26 contact hours) in children and adolescents 6 years and older who have obesity can result in improvements in weight status for up to 12 months; there is inadequate evidence regarding the effectiveness of less intensive interventions. The harms of behavioral interventions can be bounded as small to none, and the harms of screening are minimal. Therefore, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that screening for obesity in children and adolescents 6 years and older is of moderate net benefit. Conclusions and Recommendation The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen for obesity in children and adolescents 6 years and older and offer or refer them to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions to promote improvements in weight status. (B recommendation)
The effect of robot dynamics on smoothness during wrist pointing

The improvement of movement smoothness over the course of therapy is one of the positive outcomes observed during robotic rehabilitation. Although movements are generally robust to disturbances, certain perturbations might disrupt an individual's ability to produce these smooth movements. In this paper, we explore how a rehabilitation robot's inherent dynamics impact movement smoothness during pointing tasks. Able-bodied participants made wrist pointing movements under four different operating conditions. Despite the relative transparency of the device, inherent dynamic characteristics negatively impacted movement smoothness. Active compensation for Coulomb friction effects failed to mitigate the degradation in smoothness. Assessment of movements that involved coupled motions of the robot's joints reduced the bias seen in single degree of freedom movements. When using robotic devices for assessment of movement quality, the impact of the inherent dynamics must be considered.
Altmetrics, Legacy Scholarship, and Scholarly Legacy

When using alternative metrics (altmetrics) to investigate the impact of a scholar’s work, researchers and librarians are typically cautioned that altmetrics will be less useful for older works of scholarship. This is because it is difficult to collect social media and other attention retroactively, and the numbers will be lower if the work was published before social media marketing and promotion were widely accepted in a field. In this article, we argue that altmetrics can provide useful information about older works in the form of documenting renewed attention to past scholarship as part of a scholar’s legacy. Using the altmetrics profile of the late Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, often referred to as “the father of modern transplantation”, we describe two cases where altmetrics provided information about renewed interest in his works: a controversy about race and genetics that shows the ongoing impact of a particular work, and posthumous remembrances by colleagues which reveal his scholarly legacy.
Video Electroencephalography and Polysomnography

Publisher Summary The systematic study of the occurrence of seizure in relation to the sleep–wake cycle has been reported since the end of the nineteenth century. This chapter highlights the fact that there are several types of epilepsy in which the seizures occur predominantly during sleep or are restricted only to sleep. The children are of normal intelligence, have a normal neurological examination, and present with sleep-related seizures. There is a small group of patients who present with generalized tonic-clonic seizures restricted to sleep. This has been referred to as pure sleep epilepsy. The parasomnias refer to clinical disorders consisting of undesirable physical phenomena that occur predominantly during sleep. Confusional arousal is thought to be a partial manifestation of sleepwalking or sleep terrors. This chapter suggests that sleepwalking is fairly common in children (1-7%) and is also not rare in adults (2.5%). Sleep terrors are characterized by arousal from sleep with inconsolable crying, associated autonomic activation and intense fear. Psychogenic seizures usually manifest during the individuals' daytime waking hours. However, on rare occasions individuals may present with paroxysmal events restricted to the sleep period.
Standardizing the Evaluation of Nonaccidental Trauma in a Large Pediatric Emergency Department

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Variability exists in the evaluation of nonaccidental trauma (NAT) in the pediatric emergency department because of misconceptions and individual bias of clinicians. Further maltreatment, injury, and death can ensue if these children are not evaluated appropriately. The implementation of guidelines for NAT evaluation has been successful in decreasing differences in care as influenced by race and ethnicity of the patient and their family. Our Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely aim was to increase the percent of patients evaluated in the emergency department for NAT who receive guideline-adherent evaluation from 47% to 80% by December 31, 2016. METHODS: The team determined key drivers for the project and tested them by using multiple plan-do-study-act cycles. Interventions included construction of a best practice guideline, provider education, integration of the guideline into workflow, and order set construction to support guideline recommendations. Data were compiled from electronic medical records to identify patients 12–36 months) was tracked over time on statistical process control charts to evaluate the impact of the interventions. RESULTS: A total of 640 encounters had provider concern for NAT and were included in the analysis. Adherence to age-specific guideline recommendations improved from a baseline of 47% to 69%. CONCLUSIONS: With our improvement methodology, we successfully increased guideline-adherent evaluation for patients with provider concern for NAT. Education and electronic support at the point of care were key drivers for initial implementation.
For-profit environmental voluntourism in Costa Rica: teen volunteer, host community, and environmental outcomes

With its growth in popularity, voluntourism (volunteer tourism) has seen greater attention from the research community. This case study research investigates the tripartite outcomes of a for-profit...
Evaluating neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of 30-day high-grade complications following renal surgery.

659Background: Radical nephrectomy (RN) and partial nephrectomy (PN) for patients with renal cortical masses may carry significant risk for postoperative complications. We analyzed patient demograp...
Everyday Conceptions of Distress

At the time of my fieldwork-in a mountain village in Toraja, Indonesia1 –Indo’na ’Mother of Sapan2 was around 38–40 years old, divorced, and living with her mother and stepfather. Indo’na Sapan was an intelligent and attractive person with an engaging smile; she was also, by Toraja standards and by her own account, a relatively shy person. Her social status according to the village ranking system was lower middle class. Early on in my fieldwork, Indo’na Sapan often took the time to talk to me about village matters and other topics. Later, I came to know Indo’na Sapan well over the course of a series of tape-recorded “life-history” interviews I conducted with her.
Dynamic modeling of flexible appendage and single-link structures with rigid payload

The “Exact” and pole/zero transfer functions are developed for a flexible beam-like single structural link with actuator on one end and payload on the other. This model represents a broader class of actuator hub and payload mass properties than is found in prior literature. The dependence of dynamics on the hub and payload are studied and graphs are provided to facilitate estimation of poles and zeroes for any similar plant. It is shown that a 10:1 reduction in fundamental frequency and substantial change in mode shape results from variations in payload through a practical range. Payload rotary inertia is shown to cause a qualitative change in mode shape resulting in loss of observability/controllability in some cases. Implications to plant and control design are discussed including sensor placement and accommodation of dynamic changes. Analytical results are compared to those measured on an experimental beam and show very good agreement in modal frequency and shape.
Globalization, Social Movements, and Education

Background/ContextThis essay is a part of a special issue that emerges from a year-long faculty seminar at Teachers College, Columbia University. The seminar's purpose has been to examine in fresh ...
Foraging ontogeny in a suburban population of Black Phoebes (Sayornis nigricans)

ABSTRACT The ability to forage successfully is intimately tied to survivorship of juveniles in many avian species, yet may take varying amounts of time to develop in young birds. We examined the development of foraging skills in juvenile Black Phoebes (Sayornis nigricans). Black Phoebes are insectivorous and forage by scanning for and then pursuing potential prey while in flight. We hypothesized that before they disperse, ~2 months after fledging, phoebes should forage as successfully and with the same mechanics as adults. Because foraging proficiency should affect time allocation, we also compared how juveniles and adults divided their time among foraging and other activities. We found that by 7 weeks of age, phoebes foraged as successfully as the adults; however, they spent more time flying and less time perched. In line with their gained efficiency, by around 6 weeks of age, scanning rates and foraging flight durations of juveniles were similar to adults. Overall, these results confirm that the complex...
Evaluating Health and Wellness Mobile Applications

Patient, consumer, and provider use of health and medical mobile applications (apps) on smartphones and tablets continues to grow. The number of apps specifically for health and medical purposes al...
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive tumors: Clinical, radiographic and genomic characteristics, and unusual sites of metastases.

e21130Background: ALK gene rearrangements are observed in about 4-8% Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Due to low incidence there is limited knowledge about patterns of metastasis in ALK+ tumors....
Using Patients' Social Network to Improve Compliance to Outpatient Screening Colonoscopy Appointments Among Blacks: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives Patient navigation improves colorectal cancer screening among underserved populations, but limited resources preclude widespread adoption in minority-serving institutions. We evaluated whether a patient's self-selected social contact person can effectively facilitate outpatient screening colonoscopy. Methods From September 2014 to March 2017 in an urban tertiary center, 399 black participants scheduled for outpatient screening colonoscopy self-selected a social contact person to be a facilitator and provided the person's phone number. Of these, 201 participants (50.4%) were randomly assigned to the intervention arm for their social contact persons to be engaged by phone. The study was explained to the social contact person with details about colonoscopy screening and bowel preparation process. The social contacts were asked to assist the participants, provide support, and encourage compliance with the procedures. The social contact person was not contacted in the usual care arm, n = 198 (49.6%). We evaluated attendance to the scheduled outpatient colonoscopy and adequacy of bowel preparation. Analysis was performed by intention to treat. Results The social contact person was reached and agreed to be involved for 130 of the 201 participants (64.7%). No differences were found in the proportion of participants who underwent screening colonoscopy (77.3% vs 77.2%; relative risk = 1.01; 95% confidence interval: 0.91-1.12), but there was a modest increase in the proportion with adequate bowel preparation with social contact involvement (89.1% vs 80.9%; relative risk = 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.21). Discussion Engaging a patient's social network to serve in the role of a patient navigator did not improve compliance to outpatient screening colonoscopy but modestly improved the adequacy of bowel preparation.
Use of Chemiluminescence Assays to Monitor the Surface Characteristics and Biological Reactivity of Freshly Fractured vs Aged Silica

Inhalation of crystalline silica is often associated with the development of pulmonary disease (Ziskind et al., 1976). Recently, it has been proposed that freshly sheared silica may have surface properties that make it more reactive with lung tissue than aged silica, and that this unique reactivity of freshly crushed silica enhances its pathogenicity. A recent study in our laboratory strongly supports this theory (Vallyathan, et al., 1988a; 1988b). We found that grinding of silica cleaves bonds in a silica tetrahedral lattice generating reactive free radicals sites on the surface of the silica particles. The presence of surface radicals on freshly ground silica was monitored by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The ESR signal generated from fresh silica in air is characteristic of Si-O- and S-i radicals. evidence, i.e., the ESR signal after the addition of a spin trap (DMPO) and its sensitivity to ethanol, indicates that these silicon-based surface radicals can react with water to form hydroxyl radicals \((\mathop {OH}\limits^. )\). Results also indicate that these surface radicals make fresh silica more cytotoxic than aged silica; i.e., fresh silica causes more membrane damage as evidenced by hemolysis and lipid peroxidation.
The Politics of Taxes for Health: An Analysis of the Passage of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax in Mexico

AbstractThis article explores the politics of passage of the SSB tax in Mexico, using published documents, media articles, and interviews with key stakeholders. The article examines first the perio...
Rapid Detection of Cercospora beticola in Sugar Beet and Mutations Associated with Fungicide Resistance Using LAMP or Probe-Based qPCR

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, is the most destructive disease of sugar beet worldwide. Although growing CLS-tolerant varieties is helpful, disease management currently requires timely application of fungicides. However, overreliance on fungicides has led to the emergence of fungicide resistance in many C. beticola populations, resulting in multiple epidemics in recent years. Therefore, this study focused on developing a fungicide resistance detection "toolbox" for early detection of C. beticola in sugar beet leaves and mutations associated with different fungicides in the pathogen population. A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was developed for rapid detection of C. beticola in infected sugar beet leaves. The LAMP primers specific to C. beticola (Cb-LAMP) assay was able to detect C. beticola in inoculated sugar beet leaves as early as 1 day postinoculation. A quinone outside inhibitor (QoI)-LAMP assay was also developed to detect the G143A mutation in cytochrome b associated with QoI resistance in C. beticola. The assay detected the mutation in C. beticola both in vitro and in planta with 100% accuracy. We also developed a probe-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for detecting an E198A mutation in β-tubulin associated with benzimidazole resistance and a probe-based qPCR assay for detection of mutations in cytochrome P450-dependent sterol 14α-demethylase (Cyp51) associated with resistance to sterol demethylation inhibitor fungicides. The primers and probes used in the assay were highly efficient and precise in differentiating the corresponding fungicide-resistant mutants from sensitive wild-type isolates.
EVs Are Not the Answer: A Mobility Justice Critique of Electric Vehicle Transitions

Within climate–energy–transport scholarship and professions there is a growing consensus that electric vehicles (EVs), which include personal cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans, and pickup t...
The long-term performance of privatization-related ADR issues

Abstract American depository receipts (ADRs) have been increasingly used in the share issue privatization process (SIP) by privatizing governments, both in developed and developing countries. In this study, long-term performance of 143 privatization-related ADR programs were analyzed. The ADR programs covered in the study were initiated between 1984 and 1999 and included a diverse mix of companies from 29 different industries across 31 developed and emerging markets. The analysis of the long-run performance of these programs revealed interesting patterns. In all cases, average cumulative returns and average cumulative abnormal returns of developed country privatization-related ADRs exceeded emerging market privatization returns. The same conclusion was reached using an alternative return calculation methodology. While sample companies generally outperformed their respective country indices and the FT World Index, they under performed the S&P 500 Index. In addition, findings indicate that Level I issues traded in over-the-counter (OTC) markets outperform the Level II and Level III ADRs traded in the NYSE, as well as 144A private placements.
Epileptologists infrequently discuss the risk of intubation with patients with epilepsy in the United States.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess how frequently epileptologists discuss advance directives regarding intubation and mechanical ventilation with patients with epilepsy. A secondary aim was to understand the attitudes of neurologists toward discussion and implementation of such advance directives in epilepsy care. METHODS An online study survey was developed and distributed by email invitation to 210 neurologists at academic epilepsy and neurophysiology programs in the United States in December 2018. RESULTS Seventy-seven neurologists, 95% with a clinical practice focus of epilepsy in adults, participated in the study (37% response rate). Three percent reported discussion of risk of intubation with "every" or a "majority" of patients newly diagnosed with epilepsy. Seventy-seven percent indicated a neurologist was the "most appropriate provider to have discussions concerning mechanical ventilation with patients with epilepsy." Twenty-five percent "strongly agreed" that "every patient with epilepsy should have an advance directive specifying their preferences concerning mechanical ventilation in the setting of treatment for seizures." A majority favored overriding a hypothetical patient's advance directive specifying no intubation in the context of airway compromise as a consequence of status epilepticus and its treatment. CONCLUSIONS Epileptologists infrequently discuss the risk of intubation and mechanical ventilation with patients with epilepsy. Many felt that such discussions are unnecessary with most patients, but also best led by a neurologist. Neurologists with expertise in epilepsy may favor overriding advance directives in the setting of status epilepticus. Further data is needed surrounding discussion and implementation of advance care planning in patients with epilepsy.
Analysis of the impact of educational technology on social inequity in the united states

The desire to improve and modernize education through educational technology is met with a daunting wall, as educational technologies oftentimes reflect and exacerbate social inequities. This work explores the growth in United States’ educational inequity stemming from the interdependent relationships between education, the digital divide, and social inequities. Diving into three case studies, this paper addresses the privatization consequences that result from the disproportionate funding barriers that schools in marginalized communities face in purchasing Smart Boards, as well as the dangerous impacts of SMART Technologies’ techno-solutionist marketing in worsening educational inequities. In comparison, massive open online courses (MOOCs), which are designed with the goal of improving education equity, appear to circumvent the funding barriers that Smart Boards provide, but fail to address the more tailored educational needs of marginalized communities – ultimately landing at the same fate as that of Smart Boards in worsening educational inequities. Lastly, this paper investigates reading software related to improving education for students with reading issues and blind students. Massively popular and effective in helping these students be more engaged and independent in reading, reading software is overall successful in creating a positive push toward educational equity. However, individual reading software can easily fall to the same failures of Smart Boards and MOOCs in contributing to educational inequity.
Loops, TADs, Compartments, and Territories are Elastic and Robust to Dramatic Nuclear Volume Swelling

Layers of genome organization are becoming increasingly better characterized, but less is known about how these structures respond to perturbation or shape changes. Low-salt swelling of isolated chromatin fibers or nuclei has been used for decades to investigate the structural properties of chromatin. But, visible changes in chromatin appearance have not been linked to known building blocks of genome structure or features along the genome sequence. We combine low-salt swelling of isolated nuclei with genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and imaging approaches to probe the effects of chromatin extension genome-wide. Photoconverted patterns on nuclei during expansion and contraction indicate that global genome structure is preserved after dramatic nuclear volume swelling, suggesting a highly elastic chromosome topology. Hi-C experiments before, during, and after nuclear swelling show changes in average contact probabilities at short length scales, reflecting the extension of the local chromatin fiber. But, surprisingly, during this large increase in nuclear volume, there is a striking maintenance of loops, TADs, active and inactive compartments, and chromosome territories. Subtle differences after expansion are observed, suggesting that the local chromatin state, protein interactions, and location in the nucleus can affect how strongly a given structure is maintained under stress. From these observations, we propose that genome topology is robust to extension of the chromatin fiber and isotropic shape change, and that this elasticity may be beneficial in physiological circumstances of changes in nuclear size and volume.
Multi-task deep learning-based survival analysis on the prognosis of late AMD using the longitudinal data in AREDS

Abstract Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss. Some patients experience vision loss over a delayed timeframe, others at a rapid pace. Physicians analyze time-of-visit fundus photographs to predict patient risk of developing late-AMD, the most severe form of AMD. Our study hypothesizes that 1) incorporating historical data improves predictive strength of developing late-AMD and 2) state-of-the-art deep-learning techniques extract more predictive image features than clinicians do. We incorporate longitudinal data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies and deep-learning extracted image features in survival settings to predict development of late-AMD. To extract image features, we used multi-task learning frameworks to train convolutional neural networks. Our findings show 1) incorporating longitudinal data improves prediction of late-AMD for clinical standard features, but only the current visit is informative when using complex features and 2) “deep-features” are more informative than clinician derived features. We make codes publicly available at https://github.com/bionlplab/AMD_prognosis_amia2021.
Electronic restoration: eliminating the ravages of time on historical maps

Geographic and mathematic analyses of historical maps require highly accurate adjustments to manuscripts in order to eliminate distortions caused by time and use. Earlier proposals for electronic restoration only offered effective solutions when compensating for tightly bound or straightly creased books. Applying a different solution, we have encountered a way of electronically restoring the map to its original shape, producing not only a more beautiful map, but also one suitable for further geographical analyses.
Within-Group Concentration, Between-Group Concentration, and the Winners and Losers of Digital Music Distribution

By lowering search costs, making more products available, and providing access to free content, information technology (IT) has changed patterns of market concentration in media industries such as recorded music. In this paper, I argue that to understand how IT has changed media markets we need to go beyond considering market concentration in terms of the distribution of sales by product, and also consider the distribution of sales by group of products: between-group concentration. With cross-country panel data, I show that IT had different effects on sales that depended strongly on the between-group concentration in each country at the time of the internet shock. I develop and test the hypothesis that the formal industry fared relatively better in markets with more between-group concentration than in markets with less. I conclude with a discussion of lessons and further questions implied by the results.
Discrete Lagrangian Methods for Designing Multiplierless Two-Channel PR-LP Filter Banks

In this paper, we present a new search method based on the theory of discrete Lagrange multipliers for designing multiplierless PR (perfect reconstruction) LP (linear phase) filter banks. To satisfy the PR constraints, we choose a lattice structure that, under certain conditions, can guarantee the resulting two filters to be a PR pair. Unlike the design of multiplierless QMF filter banks that represents filter coefficients directly using PO2 (powers-of-two) form (also called Canonical Signed Digit or CSD representation), we use PO2 forms to represent the parameters associated with the lattice structure. By representing these parameters as sums or differences of powers of two, multiplications can be carried out as additions, subtractions, and shifts. Using the lattice representation, we decompose the design problem into a sequence of four subproblems. The first two subproblems find a good starting point with continuous parameters using a single-objective, multi-constraint formulation. The last two subproblems first transform the continuous solution found by the second subproblem into a PO2 form, then search for a design in a mixed-integer space. We propose a new search method based on the theory of discrete Lagrange multipliers for finding good designs, and study methods to improve its convergence speed by adjusting dynamically the relative weights between the objective and the Lagrangian part. We show that our method can find good designs using at most four terms in PO2 form in each lattice parameter. Our approach is unique because our results are the first successful designs of multiplierless PR-LP filter banks. It is general because it is applicable to the design of other types of multiplierless filter banks.
Lyso-Sulfatide Binds Factor Xa and Inhibits Thrombin Generation by the Prothrombinase Complex.

Blood coagulation reactions are strongly influenced by phospholipids, but little is known about the influence of sphingolipids on coagulation mechanisms. Lysosulfatide (lyso-SF) (sulfogalactosyl sphingosine) prolonged factor Xa (fXa) 1-stage plasma clotting assays, showing it had robust anticoagulant activity. In studies using purified clotting factors, lyso-SF inhibited >90% of prothrombin (II) activation for reaction mixtures containing fXa/factor Va (fVa)/II, and also inhibited II activation generation by fXa/ phospholipids and by Gla-domainless-fXa/fVa/phospholipids. When lyso-SF analogs were tested, results showed that N-acetyl-sulfatide was not anticoagulant, implying that the free amine group was essential for the anticoagulant effects of lyso-SF. Lyso-SF did not inhibit fXa enzymatic hydrolysis of small peptide substrates, showing it did not directly inhibit the fXa activity. In surface plasmon resonance studies, lyso-SF bound to immobilized inactivated fXa as well as inactivated Gla-domainless-fXa. Confirming this lyso-SF:fXa interaction, fluorescence studies showed that fluorescently-labeled-fXa in solution bound to lyso-SF. Thus, lyso-SF is an anticoagulant lipid that inhibits fXa when this enzyme is bound to either phospholipids or to fVa. Mechanisms for inhibition of procoagulant activity are likely to involve lyso-SF binding to fXa domain(s) that are distinct from the fXa Gla domain. This suggests that certain sphingolipids, including lyso-SF and some of its analogs, may down-regulate fXa activity without inhibiting the enzyme’s active site or binding to the fXa Gla domain.
A DPYD Variant (Y186C) in Individuals of African Ancestry Is Associated With Reduced DPD Enzyme Activity

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is used to treat many aggressive cancers, such as those of the colon, breast, and head and neck. The responses to 5-FU, with respect to both toxicity and efficacy, vary among racial groups, potentially because of variability in the activity levels of the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD, encoded by the DPYD gene). In this study, the genetic associations between DPYD variations and circulating mononuclear-cell DPD enzyme activity were evaluated in 94 African-American and 81 European-American volunteers. The DPYD-Y186C variant was unique to individuals of African ancestry, and DPD activity was 46% lower in carriers as compared with noncarriers (279 ± 35 vs. 514 ± 168 pmol 5-FU min(-1) mg(-1); P = 0.00029). In this study, 26% of the African Americans with reduced DPD activity were carriers of Y186C. In the African-American cohort, after excluding Y186C carriers, homozygous carriers of C29R showed 27% higher DPD activity as compared with noncarriers (609 ± 152 and 480 ± 152 pmol 5-FU min(-1) mg(-1), respectively; P = 0.013).
Antimicrobial Peptides in Reptiles

Reptiles are among the oldest known amniotes and are highly diverse in their morphology and ecological niches. These animals have an evolutionarily ancient innate-immune system that is of great interest to scientists trying to identify new and useful antimicrobial peptides. Significant work in the last decade in the fields of biochemistry, proteomics and genomics has begun to reveal the complexity of reptilian antimicrobial peptides. Here, the current knowledge about antimicrobial peptides in reptiles is reviewed, with specific examples in each of the four orders: Testudines (turtles and tortosises), Sphenodontia (tuataras), Squamata (snakes and lizards), and Crocodilia (crocodilans). Examples are presented of the major classes of antimicrobial peptides expressed by reptiles including defensins, cathelicidins, liver-expressed peptides (hepcidin and LEAP-2), lysozyme, crotamine, and others. Some of these peptides have been identified and tested for their antibacterial or antiviral activity; others are only predicted as possible genes from genomic sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis of the reptile genomes is presented, revealing many predicted candidate antimicrobial peptides genes across this diverse class. The study of how these ancient creatures use antimicrobial peptides within their innate immune systems may reveal new understandings of our mammalian innate immune system and may also provide new and powerful antimicrobial peptides as scaffolds for potential therapeutic development.
Nucleus and spindle of Bacillus megatherium in fission and sporulation.

THE cells of Bacillus megatherium have been stained by DeLamater1, Fitz-James2, Robinow3 and others with various dyes to show the chromatin-threads after pretreatment with perchloric acid, chloric acid or other reagents. Chromosomes have been observed occasionally in mitosis as well as a structure which I identify with the spindle described by Lindegren et al. 4 in the yeast cell. The large ellipsoidal nucleus containing the chromosomes in the centre of the bacterial cell can be observed in the living cell. This structure is identical with that which DeLamater1 observed in stained material of Bacillus megatherium and which Whitefield and Murray5 observed in stained cells of Shigella dysentriae. The chromosomes appear when dried (unheated) bacterial smears are stained with 1 per cent aqueous gentian violet. They are not clear when stained directly with Giemsa solution but stain clearly with Giemsa after pretreatment with 10 per cent perchloric acid for 20 min. (Fig. 1,a).
Some antagonisms between naturally occurring amino acids, peptides and keto acids in adaptive enzyme synthesis and growth

Abstract Glycylvaline and α-ketoisovaleric acid replace valine for synthesis of the adaptive malic enzyme in Lactobacillus arabinosus as well as for growth of the organism. Isoleucine, glycylisoleucine, and α-keto-β-methylvalerate competitively inhibit the utilization of valine, glycylvaline, and α-ketovalerate, respectively, for both synthesis of the adaptive malic enzyme and growth, but valine and its derivatives are each inhibited by the corresponding analog, but not by the other two derivatives of the analog. Each competitive inhibition involving the keto acids, peptides, or free amino acids is independent of the other two competitive inhibitions; so the utilization of keto acid and peptide does not involve the inhibited site of utilization of the free amino acid. The formation of an active form of valine for enzyme synthesis by separate pathways from keto and amino acid and peptide affords a plausible explanation for these results.
TCR-induced T cell activation leads to simultaneous phosphorylation at Y505 and Y394 of p56lck residues

Biochemical studies have demonstrated that phosphorylation of lymphocyte cell kinase (p56(lck) ) is crucial for activation of signaling cascades following T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. However, whether phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of the activating or inhibitory tyrosine residues occurs upon activation is controversial. Recent advances in intracellular staining of phospho-epitopes and cytometric analysis, requiring few cells, have opened up novel avenues for the field of immunological signaling. Here, we assessed p56(lck) phosphorylation, using a multiparameter flow-cytometric based detection method following T cell stimulation. Fixation and permeabilization in conjunction with zenon labeling technology and/or fluorescently labeled antibodies against total p56(lck) or cognate phospho-tyrosine (pY) residues or surface receptors were used for detection purposes. Our observations showed that activation of Jurkat or primary human T cells using H(2) O(2) or TCR-induced stimulation led to simultaneous phosphorylation of the activating tyrosine residue, Y394 and the inhibitory tyrosine residue, Y505 of p56(lck) . This was followed by downstream calcium flux and expression of T cell activation markers; CD69 and CD40 ligand (CD40L). However, the extent of measurable activation readouts depended on the optimal stimulatory conditions (temperature and/or stimuli combinations). Treatment of cells with a p56(lck) -specific inhibitor, PP2, abolished phosphorylation at either residue in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these observations show that TCR-induced stimulation of T cells led to simultaneous phosphorylation of p56(lck) residues. This implies that dephosphorylation of Y505 is not crucial for p56(lck) activity. Also, it is clear that cytometric analysis provides for a rapid, sensitive, and quantitative method to supplement biochemical studies on p56(lck) signaling pathways in T cells at single cell level.
A stepwise approach to database design

As evidenced by the high cost of processing data, an important problem facing the Database Administrator is the effective design of the database. Database design is a complex problem that not only pervades the data processing function but eventually the entire enterprise or agency.Recent results indicate that an effective database design must be based on both processing and non processing-oriented information represented in an information structure perspective and usage perspective. Utilizing a database management system as the vehicle for processing the data and a data reorganization function to integrate these perspectives, a three step design approach is proposed:Step 1. Design for the information structure perspectiveStep 2. Design programs to be independent on the logical structure and augment with a statistics gathering mechanismStep 3. Reorganize database from the statistics gathered from usage perspectiveThis Stepwise approach facilitates an incremental design methodology in which the logical data structure form the information perspective is adapted to statistics on the usage perspective. It also provides an integrating mechanism for combining the information structure perspective and the usage perspective. Such a methodology, however, is based on two important presuppositions: i) the information structure perspective is a reasonable basis for collecting statistics; and ii) a high degree of data independence (logical as well as physical) is provided in database management systems.
Localization and Tracking of Passive RFID Tags

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is poised for growth as businesses and governments explore applications implementing RFID. The RFID technology will continue to evolve to meet new demands for human and target location and tracking. In particular, there are increasing needs to find and track the positions of multiple RFID tagged items that are closely spaced. As a result, localization and tracking techniques with higher accuracy, yet low implementation complexity are required. This paper examines the applicability of direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation methods to the localization and tracking problems of passive RFID tags. Different scenarios of stationary and moving targets are considered. It is shown through performance analysis and simulations that simple DOA estimation methods can be used to provide satisfactory localization performance.
Space for Cultural and Spiritual Experiences in Social Work Education and Clinical Training

In general education, European American values stand as the unacknowledged norm and are perceived as being culturally neutral or culture free. By recognizing European American culture and spirituality as one of many diversities, social work students may better identify biased values and expectations inherent in the traditional monocultural and monospiritual approach. By providing space for European American culture and spirituality in social work education, among many others, intersubjective interactions become possible. While recognizing the increasing needs of multicultural/multispiritual heritage populations, in this article, the author reexamines cultural and spiritual competencies, focusing on relational issues that are not currently emphasized enough because of a strong conceptual association of competency with knowledge and skills-based practices.
Platinum complexes of terpyridine: Interaction and reactivity with biomolecules

Abstract Research on the coordination chemistry of Pt(II) terpyridine complexes spans more than 75 years, with significant recent work exploring the bioinorganic and medicinal chemistry of this diverse and versatile family of coordination compounds. This paper reviews the research literature describing investigations of the interactions of Pt(II) terpyridine complexes with nucleic acids and proteins.
Response to Dreyfus

Dreyfus acknowledges that he was wrong to think practical intelligence, as I conceive it, is situation‐independent. But he still thinks my view of mindedness can be characterized in terms of “detac...
Some comments on GMTI false alarm rate

A typical Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radar specification includes the parameters Probability of Detection (P D ) - typically on the order of 0.85, and False Alarm Rate (FAR) - typically on the order of 0.1 Hz. The PD is normally associated with a particular target 'size', such as Radar Cross Section (RCS) with perhaps some statistical description (e.g. Swerling number). However, the concept of FAR is embodied at a fundamental level in the detection process, which traditionally employs a Constant-FAR (CFAR) detector to set thresholds for initial decisions on whether a target is present or not. While useful, such a metric for radar specification and system comparison is not without some serious shortcomings. In particular, when comparing FAR across various radar systems, some degree of normalization needs to occur to account for perhaps swath width and scan rates. This in turn suggests some useful testing strategies.
Indocyanine Green Angiography: A Perspective on Use in the Clinical Setting

Purpose To review the history of indocyanine green (ICG) angiography and to present a personal perspective on its use in the clinical setting today. Design Perspective with literature review and opinions based on personal experience. Methods To acquire views from international retinal physicians experienced with the technique on uses in their facilities and to compare them to the author's personal standards. Results The author and contributing retinal physicians had surprisingly similar views for most, but not all, applications for ICG angiography use in the clinical setting. Conclusions ICG angiography is recommended for a few highly selective chorioretinal disorders, including certain forms of neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration, other neovascular maculopathies, chronic central serous chorioretinopathy, choroidal hemangiomas, and posterior uveitis.
Three-dimensional correlation of MR images to muscle tissue response for interventional MRI thermal ablation

We are treating tumors using radiofrequency (RF) ablation under interventional MRI (iMRI) guidance. We investigated the ability of MR to monitor the treated region by comparing MR thermal lesion images to cellular damage as seen histologically. Our new methodology allows 3D registration that should enable more accurate correlation than previous 2D methods. Using a low-field (0.2T) open magnet iMRI system for probe guidance, we applied RF ablation to the thigh muscle of four New Zealand White rabbits. To relate in vivo MR and histology images, we obtained intermediate ex vivo MR images and pictures of thick tissue slices obtained using a specially designed apparatus. Registration was done with a computer algorithm that matches tracks of needle fiducials placed near the tissue of interest. After registration, we determined the region inside the circular, hyperintense rim in MR closely corresponds to the region of necrosis as determined by histology on animals sacrificed 30 minutes after ablation. This is good evidence that iMRI images can be used for real-time feedback during thermal RF ablation treatments.
Discovery of Candidate H2O Disk Masers in Active Galactic Nuclei and Estimations Of Centripetal Accelerations

Based on spectroscopic signatures, about one-third of known H2O maser sources in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are believed to arise in highly inclined accretion disks around central engines. These disk maser candidates are of interest primarily because angular structure and rotation curves can be resolved with interferometers, enabling dynamical study. We identify five new disk maser candidates in studies with the Green Bank Telescope, bringing the total number published to 30. We discovered two (NGC 1320, NGC 17) in a survey of 40 inclined active galaxies (v sys < 20, 000 km s?1). The remaining three disk maser candidates were identified in monitoring of known sources: NGC 449, NGC 2979, and NGC 3735. We also confirm a previously marginal case in UGC 4203. For the disk maser candidates reported here, inferred rotation speeds are 130-500 km s?1. Monitoring of three more rapidly rotating candidate disks (CG 211, NGC 6264, VV 340A) has enabled measurement of likely orbital centripetal acceleration, and estimation of central masses ((2-7) ?107 M ?) and mean disk radii (0.2-0.4 pc). Accelerations may ultimately permit estimation of distances when combined with interferometer data. This is notable because the three AGNs are relatively distant (10,000 km s?1 <v sys < 15, 000 km s?1), and fractional error in a derived Hubble constant, due to peculiar motion of the galaxies, would be small. As signposts of highly inclined geometries at galactocentric radii of ~0.1-1 pc, disk masers also provide robust orientation references that allow analysis of (mis)alignment between AGNs and surrounding galactic stellar disks, even without extensive interferometric mapping. We find no preference among published disk maser candidates to lie in high-inclination galaxies. This provides independent support for conclusions that in late-type galaxies, central engine accretion disks and galactic plane orientations are not correlated.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners by People with Physical Disabilities: Estimates from a National US Survey

Purpose. To estimate the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner use, assess the reasons for use, and determine the symptoms for which CAM practitioners were consulted in a national US sample of insured adults with physical disabilities.Methods. Data for this study come from a longitudinal survey conducted in 2000 and 2001 on a national sample of 830 adults with health insurance who had one of four disabling conditions: multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and arthritis. Estimates of annual prevalence and reasons and symptoms for which CAM practitioners were consulted are derived from cross-sectional analysis of the 2001 survey data. Prior use of CAM was assessed using the 2000 survey.Results. CAM practitioners were consulted by 19% of the sample, a rate similar to, or higher than the general population. CAM use was more prevalent among women than men (24 vs. 10%), in the Western US (30%) compared to the Midwest (20%) Northeast (14%), and South (10%) and ...