cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The CCB-ID approach to tree species mapping with airborne imaging spectroscopy.

Background Biogeographers assess how species distributions and abundances affect the structure, function, and composition of ecosystems. Yet we face a major challenge: it is difficult to precisely map species across landscapes. Novel Earth observations could overcome this challenge for vegetation mapping. Airborne imaging spectrometers measure plant functional traits at high resolution, and these measurements can be used to identify tree species. In this paper, I describe a trait-based approach to species identification with imaging spectroscopy, the Center for Conservation Biology species identification (CCB-ID) method, which was developed as part of an ecological data science evaluation competition. Methods These methods were developed using airborne imaging spectroscopy data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). CCB-ID classified tree species using trait-based reflectance variation and decision tree-based machine learning models, approximating a morphological trait and dichotomous key method inspired by botanical classification. First, outliers were removed using a spectral variance threshold. The remaining samples were transformed using principal components analysis (PCA) and resampled to reduce common species biases. Gradient boosting and random forest classifiers were trained using the transformed and resampled feature data. Prediction probabilities were calibrated using sigmoid regression, and sample-scale predictions were averaged to the crown scale. Results CCB-ID received a rank-1 accuracy score of 0.919, and a cross-entropy cost score of 0.447 on the competition test data. Accuracy and specificity scores were high for all species, but precision and recall scores varied for rare species. PCA transformation improved accuracy scores compared to models trained using reflectance data, but outlier removal and data resampling exacerbated class imbalance problems. Discussion CCB-ID accurately classified tree species using NEON data, reporting the best scores among participants. However, it failed to overcome several species mapping challenges like precisely identifying rare species. Key takeaways include (1) selecting models using metrics beyond accuracy (e.g., recall) could improve rare species predictions, (2) within-genus trait variation may drive spectral separability, precluding efforts to distinguish between functionally convergent species, (3) outlier removal and data resampling can exacerbate class imbalance problems, and should be carefully implemented, (4) PCA transformation greatly improved model results, and (5) targeted feature selection could further improve species classification models. CCB-ID is open source, designed for use with NEON data, and available to support species mapping efforts.
Thalassemia: the facts and the controversies.

In the United States, we continue to struggle with and make progress in the treatment of thalassemia. As our culture becomes more diverse, we will likely see more thalassemia in our pediatric populations. Currently, all newborns in the United States are screened for hemoglobinopathies. If a newborn screen returns with large amounts of fetal hemoglobin, alpha hemoglobin, or hemoglobin E, further investigation for thalassemia takes place. This article refreshes knowledge for those not immediately familiar with the red blood cell diseases and presents ethical controversies in care. The Cooley's Anemia Foundation Web site (www.cooleysanemia.org) provides a wealth of information for those with additional interests.
Emergence of letermovir resistance in a lung transplant recipient with ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus infection.

Following a year of valganciclovir prophylaxis, a lung transplant recipient developed cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection that became resistant to ganciclovir, as confirmed by detection of UL97 kinase mutation M460V and a previously uncharacterized UL54 DNA polymerase mutation L516P. The latter mutation is now shown to confer ganciclovir and cidofovir resistance. As predicted from the viral genotype, foscarnet therapy was effective, but resumption of valganciclovir as secondary prophylaxis resulted in a plasma viral load rebound to 3.6 log10 copies/mL several weeks later. Valganciclovir was then replaced by letermovir, resulting in gradual viral load reduction in the first 5 weeks to below the quantitation limit (2.7 log10 copies/mL) for 1 week, followed by 10 weeks of rising viral loads reaching 4.3 log10 copies/mL while on letermovir. At this point, CMV genotypic testing revealed UL56 mutation C325Y, which confers absolute resistance to letermovir. Retreatment with foscarnet was successful. This case adds to the considerable list of proven ganciclovir resistance mutations, and provides an early experience with letermovir resistance after off-label therapeutic use. This experience is consistent with in vitro observations of rapid emergence of letermovir-resistant CMV after drug exposure.
A Simple Structural Estimator of Disclosure Costs

We develop structural estimators for disclosure costs (or benefits), and empirical bounds for the probability of information endowment in a generalized disclosure model nesting Verrecchia (1983) and Dye (1985). The baseline estimator of disclosure costs is a closed-form function of (i) the minimum disclosure surprise, (ii) the average disclosure surprise, and (iii) the frequency of disclosure. Furthermore, it can be computed without solving for either the entire equilibrium of the game or knowledge of distributions. We derive the asymptotic properties of the estimator and illustrate, in simulations, its properties in small samples. A new empirical test is derived which can test for samples incompatible with the theory. The probability of information endowment is not point-identified but can be bounded from above in the case of disclosure benefits. Additionally, adapting an argument from conditional choice probabilities, the estimation extends to a multi-period setting with time-varying frictions as a function of observable state variables. As an application, we conduct the estimation using quarterly management earnings forecasts, characterize the magnitude of the disclosure costs, describe covariates associated with disclosure costs and perform various tests to detect the fraction of firms’ behavior inconsistent with the theory or whose probability of information endowment is significantly less than one. The framework offers a simple theory-based approach to estimating voluntary disclosure models.
Carrot Leaves Maintain Liver Vitamin A Concentrations in Male Mongolian Gerbils Regardless of the Ratio of α- to β-Carotene When β-Carotene Equivalents Are Equalized.

BACKGROUND Carrots are an important horticultural crop that contain provitamin A carotenoids (PACs). Orange carrots have high concentrations of α-carotene, which upon central cleavage yields 1 retinal and 1 α-retinal molecule. The leaves of carrot plants are a source of PACs when consumed. OBJECTIVE Male Mongolian gerbils aged 27-30 d were used to assess the bioefficacy of carrot leaves to maintain vitamin A (VA) status and investigate whether the ratio of α- to β-carotene (α:β-carotene) affected bioefficacy. METHODS After 3 wk depletion, baseline gerbils were killed (n = 6) and the remaining gerbils (n = 60) were divided into 6 groups to receive 4 VA-deficient, carrot leaf-fortified feeds (1:1.4, 1:2.5, 1:5.0, and 1:80 α:β-carotene ratio) equalized to 4.8 nmol/g β-carotene equivalents (βCEs), or VA-deficient feed with (VA+) or without (VA-) retinyl acetate supplements. Carrot-leaf powder from 4 carrot plants with differing α:β-carotene ratios was used. After 4 wk, gerbils were killed and tissues were collected and analyzed for retinoids by HPLC. RESULTS VA+ had higher total liver VA (means ± SD 0.91 ± 0.29 μmol) than all other groups (range: 0.40-0.62) (P ≤ 0.03), and the carrot leaf treatments did not differ from baseline (0.55 ± 0.09 μmol). VA- (0.40 ± 0.23 μmol VA/liver) did not differ from the leaf-fed groups, but 30% became VA deficient (defined as <0.1 μmol VA/g liver). α-Retinol accumulated in livers and lungs and was correlated to total α-carotene consumption (R2 = 0.83 and 0.88, respectively; P < 0.0001). Bioefficacy factors ranged from 4.2 to 6.2 μg βCE to 1 μg retinol. CONCLUSIONS Carrot leaves maintain VA status and prevent deficiency in gerbils regardless of the α:β-carotene ratio. The bioconversion of PACs from carrot leaves to retinol is similar to what has been reported for other green leafy vegetables, making the consumption of carrot leaves a viable method to improve dietary PAC intake.
Medication-enhanced behavior therapy for alcohol use disorder: Naltrexone, Alcoholics Anonymous Facilitation, and OPRM1 genetic variation.

Abstract Medication-assisted behavior treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) holds promise to enhance the efficacy of medication and of behavior therapy when administered individually. The present study examines the treatment benefit of combined outpatient naltrexone (NTX) treatment with Alcoholics Anonymous Facilitation (AAF) behavior therapy, in the context of OPRM1 genotype. The minor OPRM1 Asp40 G-allele has been associated with greater positive reinforcing effects of alcohol consumption and greater alcohol craving, suggesting that individuals carrying the OPRM1 G allele may have an improved naltrexone response. Twenty patients, including 7 G-allele carriers, received 90 days of naltrexone with medication support and dispensing sessions, and ten AAF behavior therapy sessions. During treatment and the eight-week posttreatment follow-up, an overall increase in percent days abstinent was observed for the sample as a whole, but G-allele carriers reported relatively heavier drinking relative to other subjects. These findings suggest that this enhanced medication-assisted behavior treatment is a promising therapeutic combination, and mirror other recent findings that G-allele carriers may require more intensive treatment.
Biofeedback Control of Stomach Acid Secretions and Gastrointestinal Reactions

In the past fifteen years the focus of biofeedback research with humans has been directed toward the modification of psychophysiological and medical disorders which could be conveniently monitored from the surface of the body. Research on such problems as headaches (Budzynski, Stoyva, & Adler, 1970), epilepsy (Sterman, MacDonald, & Stone, 1974), and stress related disorders (Benson, Rosen, Marzetta, & Klemchuk, 1974) has produced encouraging results with such recording methods.
Surgeon volume and reoperation risk after midurethral sling surgery.

Structured Abstract Background Emerging research supports that fewer complications occur in patients operated on by higher surgical volume surgeons. The midurethral sling has been involved in recent warnings and litigation, further supporting a need to understand features that enhance its safety and efficacy. Objective To measure the impact of a surgeon’s volume on their patient’s rate of reoperation after midurethral sling surgery. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study evaluating all surgeons performing synthetic mesh midurethral sling procedures for stress urinary incontinence at a large managed care organization with over 4.5 million members from 2005 to 2016. Physicians’ CPT and ICD-9/10 codes were used to identify the procedures and reoperations performed. The system-wide medical record was queried for demographic and perioperative data. The primary outcome was the overall reoperation rate after midurethral sling. Concentration curves (figure 2) were used to identify the impact of a surgeon’s surgical volume on their rate of reoperation. Demographics, characteristics, and reoperation of patients were compared using chi-square for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank sum for continuous variables. Poisson regression models with a robust error variance were used to calculate the unadjusted and the adjusted risk ratios of reoperation using age, body mass index, marital status, race, parity, vaginal estrogen use, sling type, smoking, diabetes, and menopausal status as covariates. Results 227 surgeons performed 13,404 midurethral slings over the study period and patients had a mean of 4.4 years of follow up. Higher-volume surgeons (>40 procedures/year, ≥95th percentile) performed 47% of surgeries in this cohort and had overall lower rate of reoperation (3.6% vs. 4.2%,95% CI 0.67, 0.94 (p=0.04)) compared to lower-volume surgeons. Higher-volume surgeons had a lower rate of reoperation for surgical failure (2.7% vs. 3.6%, 95% CI 0.55-0.92 (p Conclusions While reoperation rates were low for both higher and lower-volume surgeons, higher-volume surgeons have lower overall rates of reoperation after midurethral sling. This effect is seen most dramatically in reoperation for surgical failure, where patients who have surgery with a higher-volume surgeon are 25% less likely to have post-operative stress urinary incontinence leading to reoperation.
Being Culturally Responsive in a Formative Evaluation of a Professional Development School: Successes and Missed Opportunities of an Educative, Values-Engaged Evaluation:

While evaluators have explored the implementation of culturally responsive evaluation (CRE), the failures of applying CRE are less often told. In this article, we use a reflective case narrative to...
A computational study of burning of vertically oriented leaves with various fuel moisture contents by upward convective heating

Abstract Pyrolysis and combustion of a solid fuel representing a vertically oriented leaf of manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa) were computationally investigated. Various fuel moisture content (FMC) values corresponding to four manzanita leaf treatments studied experimentally by others, were considered. The fuel was exposed to an upward stream of hot gases in a computational configuration resembling the experimental setup where leaves were burned. Time evolution of the normalized mass of the leaves was used to validate the simulations against the experimental data. Examining the time history of heat release rate confirmed that increasing FMC delays ignition time. The ignition times in simulations were in good agreement with those determined by empirical correlations for all FMCs. The burnout times were somewhat shorter in simulations than the empirically-determined ones. Simulations showed that thermal, momentum and concentration boundary layers are formed on the leaf faces. The boundary layers played a significant role in heating, and subsequent moisture evaporation and pyrolysis of the leaves. Within the leaves, an evaporation front propagating inward from the edges, was detected. A considerable amount of liquid moisture remained in the leaf after ignition. Accumulation of water and fuel vapor around the leaf, as a consequence of the leaf moisture evaporation and pyrolysis, displaced oxygen, decreasing the oxygen concentration therein. A post ignition time was characterized by a high temperature zone around the leaf. At such times, oxygen consumption by gas phase combustion resulted in a noticeable decrease in oxygen concentration around the leaf. The flaming pattern after ignition was qualitatively in agreement with previously reported experimental observations.
Targeting fear of positive evaluation in patients with social anxiety disorder via a brief cognitive behavioural therapy protocol: a proof-of-principle study.

Background:Our aim was to develop a brief cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) protocol to augment treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD). This protocol focused specifically upon fear of positive evaluation (FPE). To our knowledge, this is the first protocol that has been designed to systematically target FPE.Aims:To test the feasibility of a brief (two-session) CBT protocol for FPE and report proof-of-principle data in the form of effect sizes.Method:Seven patients with a principal diagnosis of SAD were recruited to participate. Following a pre-treatment assessment, patients were randomized to either (a) an immediate CBT condition (n = 3), or (b) a comparable wait-list (WL) period (2 weeks; n = 4). Two WL patients also completed the CBT protocol following the WL period (delayed CBT condition). Patients completed follow-up assessments 1 week after completing the protocol.Results:A total of five patients completed the brief, FPE-specific CBT protocol (two of the seven patients were wait-listed only and did not complete delayed CBT). All five patients completed the protocol and provided 1-week follow-up data. CBT patients demonstrated large reductions in FPE-related concerns as well as overall social anxiety symptoms, whereas WL patients demonstrated an increase in FPE-related concerns.Conclusions:Our brief FPE-specific CBT protocol is feasible to use and was associated with large FPE-specific and social anxiety symptom reductions. To our knowledge, this is the first treatment report that has focused on systematic treatment of FPE in patients with SAD. Our protocol warrants further controlled evaluation.
At Home in Babel: The Language of Hyperreality in the Immigrant Narrative

Complicated by issues of identity, the immigrant experience is fraught with trauma. As such,authors engage with this theme by manipulating time and setting. These themes reimagineghosts in hyperreal forms distorted by memories and perceptions. This article investigates hyperreality in the context of immigrant literature, this paper will introduce its audience to theghosts haunting our muddled realities.
Pentobarbital Coma With Therapeutic Hypothermia for Treatment of Refractory Intracranial Hypertension in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Single Institution Experience.

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in primary and secondary brain injuries. Secondary brain injury can lead to cerebral edema resulting in increased intracranial pressure (ICP) secondary to the rigid encasement of the skull. Increased ICP leads to decreased cerebral perfusion pressure which leads to cerebral ischemia. Refractory intracranial hypertension (RICH) occurs when ICP remains elevated despite first-tier therapies such as head elevation, straightening of the neck, analgesia, sedation, paralytics, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage, mannitol and/or hypertonic saline administration. If unresponsive to these measures, second-tier therapies such as hypothermia, barbiturate infusion, and/or surgery are employed. Methods This was a retrospective review of patients admitted at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center from 2008 to 2019 for severe TBI who developed RICH requiring placement into a pentobarbital-induced coma with therapeutic hypothermia. Primary endpoints included mortality, good recovery which was designated at Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) of 4 or 5, and improvement in ICP (goal is 25 mmHg prior to pentobarbital/hypothermia initiation had an increased risk of mortality (p=0.0455). There was no statistically significant difference in mean ICP after 24 hours after pentobarbital/hypothermia protocol in survivors vs non-survivors. Increased time to reach 33°C was associated with increased mortality (r=0.47, p=0.047); with a 10.5-fold increase in mortality for >7 hours (OR 10.5, p=0.039). Conclusion Prolonged cooling time >7 hours was associated with a 10.5-fold increase in mortality and ICP>25 mmHg prior to initiation of pentobarbital and hypothermia is suggestive of a poor response to treatment. We recommend patients with severe TBI who develop RICH should first undergo a 12 x 15 cm decompressive hemicraniectomy because they have better survival and are more likely to have ICP <25 mmHg as the highest elevation of ICP if the ICP were to become and stay elevated again. Pentobarbital and hypothermia should be initiated if the ICP becomes elevated and sustained above 20 mmHg with a prior decompressive hemicraniectomy and refractory to other medical therapies. However, our data suggests that patients are unlikely to survive if there ICP does not decrease to less than 15mmHg at 8 and 12 hours after pentobarbital/hypothermia and remain less than 20 mmHg within first 48 hours.
A digital twin framework for machine learning optimization of aerial fire fighting and pilot safety

Abstract The objective of this work is to model and simulate aerial drops of fire retardants in dangerous fire environments. Specifically, the work develops a computational framework for a model problem combining: • [1.] A meshless discrete element component that tracks the trajectory of released airborne materials from a controlled aircraft, ranging from retardant powders to encapsulated packets, subjected to prevailing wind velocities and fire-driven updrafts. • [2.] A Machine Learning Algorithm (MLA) to rapidly ascertain the optimal aircraft (unmanned or manned) dynamics to maximize the fire-retardant release effectiveness (released material usage and target impact). The framework is designed to enable Digital Twin type technologies, i.e. digital replicas that run in real time with the physical system. However, it is also designed to run at much faster rates, in order to enable MLA’s to optimize the planning, by running quickly on laptops and mobile systems. The overall guiding motivation is to provide a useful tool to enable rapid flight-path planning for aerial first-responders in real-time and to train pilots. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the process.
On the Limitations of Unitary Models of the Proof Process

This invited response considers a recent paper by Professors Ronald Allen and Michael Pardo, which defends their own “explanatory” theory of the proof process and critiques three other papers that employ quantified conceptions of uncertainty. The authors maintain that a successful theory of this kind should correspond to the way that jurors actually reason, to the structure of American trials, and to typical jury instructions. They also demand that such a theory should be normatively defensible. Unfortunately, any model that can bridge the gap between these divergent grounds must be a vague approximation to any one of them. Even worse, blurring these lines will impede our ability to identify and evaluate potential reforms to our trial process.
Gaussian Universal Likelihood Ratio Testing

The likelihood ratio test (LRT) based on the asymptotic chi-squared distribution of the log likelihood is one of the fundamental tools of statistical inference. A recent universal LRT approach based on sample splitting provides valid hypothesis tests and confidence sets in any setting for which we can compute the split likelihood ratio statistic (or, more generally, an upper bound on the null maximum likelihood). The universal LRT is valid in finite samples and without regularity conditions. This test empowers statisticians to construct tests in settings for which no valid hypothesis test previously existed. For the simple but fundamental case of testing the population mean of d-dimensional Gaussian data, the usual LRT itself applies and thus serves as a perfect test bed to compare against the universal LRT. This work presents the first in-depth exploration of the size, power, and relationships between several universal LRT variants. We show that a repeated subsampling approach is the best choice in terms of size and power. We observe reasonable performance even in a high-dimensional setting, where the expected squared radius of the best universal LRT confidence set is approximately 3/2 times the squared radius of the standard LRT-based set. We illustrate the benefits of the universal LRT through testing a non-convex doughnut-shaped null hypothesis, where a universal inference procedure can have higher power than a standard approach.
Genetic Testing for Antipsychotic Pharmacotherapy: Bench to Bedside

There is growing research interest in learning the genetic basis of response and adverse effects with psychotropic medications, including antipsychotic drugs. However, the clinical utility of information from genetic studies is compromised by their controversial results, primarily due to relatively small effect and sample sizes. Clinical, demographic, and environmental differences in patient cohorts further explain the lack of consistent results from these genetic studies. Furthermore, the availability of psychopharmacological expertise in interpreting clinically meaningful results from genetic assays has been a challenge, one that often results in suboptimal use of genetic testing in clinical practice. These limitations explain the difficulties in the translation of psychopharmacological research in pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics from bench to bedside to manage increasingly treatment-refractory psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia. Although these shortcomings question the utility of genetic testing in the general population, the commercially available genetic assays are being increasingly utilized to optimize the effectiveness of psychotropic medications in the treatment-refractory patient population, including schizophrenia. In this context, patients with treatment-refractory schizophrenia are among of the most vulnerable patients to be exposed to the debilitating adverse effects from often irrational and high-dose antipsychotic polypharmacy without clinically meaningful benefits. The primary objective of this comprehensive review is to analyze and interpret replicated findings from the genetic studies to identify specific genetic biomarkers that could be utilized to enhance antipsychotic efficacy and tolerability in the treatment-refractory schizophrenia population.
OTME-21. The role of Glioblastoma associated mesenchymal stem cells in immune suppression

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer, with an overall survival of 14.6 months. The tumor microenvironment in GBM plays major roles in immunosuppression and modulation of the response to therapies. GBM patients with higher levels of mesenchymal stem like cells (G-MSC) show poor overall survival as compared to patients with no/lower G-MSC levels. Our lab found that levels of G-MSC corelate with CD4+ T cells in humans and murine models of GBM, and with immunosuppressive molecules like PTGS2, the gene for cyclooxygenase 2. To investigate the mechanism by which G-MSCs promote immunosuppression, we isolated G-MSCs from an orthotopic mouse model of GBM and subjected them to RNASeq analysis to obtain an unbiased picture of transcriptomic changes occurring upon activation. We identified changes in multiple immune modulating pathways involving antigen presentation, leukocyte migration and activation, and immune checkpoints. Our findings indicate that G-MSCs represent a key immune modulating faction in the microenvironment. Further dissection of the role of these cells in immune modulation will aid us in understanding the biology of the brain tumor microenvironment and identifying potential combination therapies.
Multiple complementary studies clarify which co-occurring congener presents the greatest hybridization threat to a rare Texas endemic wildflower (Hibiscus dasycalyx: Malvaceae)

The Neches River Rose Mallow (Hibiscus dasycalyx) is a rare wildflower endemic to Texas that is federally protected in the U.S.A. While previous work suggests that H. dasycalyx may be hybridizing with its widespread congeners, the Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow (H. laevis) and the Woolly Rose Mallow (H. moscheutos), this has not been studied in detail. We evaluated the relative threats to H. dasycalyx posed by hybridization with H. laevis and H. moscheutos by 1) examining their relatedness to one another via modern phylogenomic methods, 2) examining the species’ ecological (dis)similarities to one another using ecological niche modeling, and 3) looking for genomic evidence of hybridization among the three species. Our results suggest that H. dasycalyx is very closely related and ecologically similar to H. laevis, and suggest that H. laevis is interbreeding with H. dasycalyx in the wild. Conversely, H. moscheutos appears to be more distantly related to H. dasycalyx and more ecologically dissimilar, and the two are most likely not hybridizing. For these reasons, we believe that H. laevis poses a greater threat to H. dasycalyx than H. moscheutos. We offer some hypotheses as to why H. dasycalyx and H. laevis are coming into secondary contact where hybridization can occur.
Implementation of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT): Clinical and Policy Implications

Recent advances in computing, data storage, and sensors match up to the rate of increase in medical research, venture capital, and private equity investments in healthcare. These, much like the larger healthcare ecosystem, currently work in silos across therapy areas and geographies with minimal integration. Furthermore, they are subjected to less oversight and scrutiny than other clinical interventions such as diagnostics, medical devices, and therapeutic agents. Regulatory and policy interventions are critical to ensure the efficacy and safety of these new solutions including outcome tracking and risk mitigation; clinical standards, regulatory processes, and oversight; managing biases; and accountability and medicolegal liability. Another key component is navigating the complex ecosystem and all its stakeholders. This chapter explores the impact of IoMT on the key stakeholders, patients, physicians, providers, payors, government, and regulators and touches on some of the best practices from across the world.
Exploring the relationship between neck flexion and neck problems in occupational populations: a systematic review of the literature.

A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the relationship between occupational neck flexion angles and neck problems. The synthesised findings were used to answer three research questions: (1)...
The Critical Role of Early Experience and the Programming of Behavior

Ethologists have described the sensitive adjustments in behavior patterns characteristic of mammalian social groups. Maternal and paternal care of the young, hunting, gathering food, seeking shelter, the behavior of the dominant animal and the meshing support of subordinates do not develop spontaneously. Nor are they purely learned behavior, even in man. Rather they are a mixture of experience and prior programming and require the proper experience at the right time to develop appropriately.
Jennifer Newton. Preventing Mental Ill-Health: Informing Public Health Planning and Mental Health Practice

In her book, Jennifer Newton presents a complex examination of mental ill-health and key factors that might play a significant role in its prevention. She offers a plethora of research that conside...
Short Contact‐Time Reactors

The sections in this article are Introduction Brief History Short Contact-Time Reactions Hydrogen and Syngas Formation from Methane Hydrogen and Syngas from Higher Alkanes Production of Olefins Production of Oxygenates Ketenes from Carboxylic Acids Reaction Mechanisms and Catalysts for SCTR Catalysts for Syngas Formation Syngas Formation: The Reaction Mechanism Catalysts and Reaction Mechanism for Olefin Production Catalysts and Reaction Mechanism for Oxygenate Production Reactor Concepts Summary and Outlook Keywords: short contact-time reactor; olefin production; oxygenate production; syngas formation; reaction mechanisms
Ecology of Water Relations and Thermoregulation

The interaction between animals, their water use and heat regulation. Keywords: osmoregulation; water balance; metabolism; electrolytes; nitrogenous wastes
Influence of Structure Parameters on the Information Diffusion Process in Virtual Networks

This paper examines the effects of composition, size and structure of virtual networks on the diffusion of information. The research extends the Axelrod cultural model (ACM), an established theory rooted in political science research, to explain information dissemination among social actors in ICT-enabled virtual networks (Axelrod 1997). The investigation is focused on the impact of network structure parameters and gives insight on how a manipulation of those parameters influences the diffusion of information in virtual networks.
Social Justice in Practice? Exploring Teacher Candidates’ Commitment Toward Change Agency Through Action Research

Scholars have criticized teacher education programs for using action research (AR) to improve candidates’ technical skills rather than promote its emancipatory goals. The author argues candidates who conduct critical AR promote its emancipatory goals and indicate a commitment to act as change agents for social justice through education. This qualitative study explores how candidates’ AR projects reflect (or not) critical AR. The author analyzed course assignments, student interviews, and her observation notes from a graduate-level AR course to discover how students’ AR projects demonstrate a commitment toward change agency. Candidates’ AR projects reveal that the majority explored cultural and institutional factors that may affect schooling. Additionally, students reported actions taken during and after the AR course that show a developing commitment to incorporate democratic practices into the teaching and learning process. Their reasons for research topics posed appeared to be practical and emancipatory...
Percutaneous catheter pericardiocentesis

Catheter pericardiocentesis is a very useful technique for removing large pericardial effusions, and for this purpose is probably safer than standard pericardiocentesis by needle. It is an easy procedure to perform when proper equipment is available.
Regulation of Substrate Uptake in Nocardia erythropolis

Abstract The regulation of uptake of glucose (GLU), glycerol (GLY), mannitol (MTL), and succinate (SUC) has been examined in Nocardia erythropolis 305. The apparent Km values of the uptake activities of cells subcultured in a medium with the corresponding substrate as the sole carbon source were 205, 48, 8.7, and 36 μM for GLU, GLY, MTL, and SUC, respectively. GLU and GLY uptake activities were constitutive, although there was evidence for an additional inducible component in GLY uptake. Moreover, MTL and SUC uptake activities were inducible. MTL uptake activity was markedly induced by cultivation in MTL medium and partially induced by growth in GLU medium, whereas SUC uptake was induced only by cultivation in SUC medium. SUC added to MTL medium partially repressed the formation of, or inhibited the activity of, MTL uptake. When not induced, uptake of MTL and SUC was proportional to the substrate concentration. The induced uptake of MTL and SUC and the constitutive uptake of GLU were energy dependent and carrier mediated. Uptake of GLY, constitutively or when induced, was also carrier mediated.
MSH activity in pituitaries of rats treated with hypothalamic extracts.

Abstract Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) activity of pituitaries from rats receiving hypothalamic extracts was increased as compared with controls. The hypothalamic extracts also lightened frogs previously darkened by removal of the hypothalamic region. These results further support the concept of the existence of a hypothalamic factor which inhibits the release of MSH from the pituitary.
Safety in Objects: Discourses of Violence and Value—The Rokeby Venus and Rhythm 0

Is it better for women to be valued as subjects or as objects in the eyes of society? Most feminist critics would answer almost automatically with the former, as much feminist philosophy and criticism has worked to free women from a condemnation to “object” status and win for them a “subject” status equal to that of men. In light of historical, oppressive, gender-biased treatment of both women and representations of women in art and literature, feminist theorists and critics have used the term “subject” to designate an agent or self who is licensed to full participation and rights within society, including the right to observe and use “objects”; in doing so, they have pointed out the means by which legal, social, and linguistic systems have constructed this “subject” as male. 1 In contrast, the term “object” within feminist criticism often signifies an individual whose agency, social participation and rights, and even “selfhood” is not licensed or guaranteed; this “object,” which society recognizes as “female,” is, moreover, seen not as a full self with both mind and body but rather as reducible to her body alone. Even as modernist criticism has given way to postmodern considerations of multiple, fractured, and unstable subjects and selves, feminist theorists have continued to draw attention to the systematic inequalities between men and women that still make distinctions between subjects and objects useful when speaking about the material, social, and physical discrimination women face. 2 Thus, by posing its opening question, this piece may at first seem to query one of the key assumptions that has governed feminist theory in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. I hope, however, to show how such a question—and giving the latter, “object,” as its answer—does not contradict feminist aims but rather highlights the ways in which these aims have not yet been reached. To do so, I will show how one particular tradition of feminist criticism, feminist art criticism, has distinguished between subjects and objects along gendered lines, and I will investigate and trouble the faith that this tradition has placed in performance art to rectify subject/object inequali
Monetary Costs of Gender and Ethnicity Disaggregated Group-Based Offending

Research on criminal careers has examined distinct longitudinal patterns of offending across unique trajectories of offenders and a recent study has linked the costs of criminal offending imposed by these unique trajectories, with a specific focus on chronic offenders. In this study, we use longitudinal data from the Second Philadelphia Birth Cohort Study to examine the extent to which the monetary costs of crime across distinct trajectories of crime vary across both gender and ethnicity. Results indicate that male adolescent-peaked and low and high-rate chronic offending impose substantial costs, and the average costs imposed on society by one male high-rate chronic offender is greater than $1.5 million. Although female chronic offending is rarer, these female offenders still impose greater than $750,000 in costs on average. African-American chronic-offending costs the most of any racial/ethnic trajectory group at greater than $1.6 million on average for each chronic offender. Hispanic chronic offending on average costs slightly more than $200,000, and low-rate White offending costs greater than $100,000 on average. Costs also appear to peak at different ages for males and females and for African-Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. Policy implications and study limitations are also discussed.
Microstructure of single and dual-ion irradiated Fe-20Ni-15Cr and Ti-6Al-4V alloys

Abstract An experimental austenltic alloy, Fe-20 wt. % Ni-15 wt. % Cr, and a commercial titanium alloy, Ti-64 (Ti-6 wt. % Al-4 wt. % V), have been dual-ion irradiated with heavy ions (Ni + or V + ) and 3 He + , and also single-ion irradiated with heavy ions. For the Fe-Ni-Cr alloy, a dose dependence study at 700°C revealed that swelling decreased as the rate of helium injection was increased from 5:1 to 55:1 He:dpa (appm He:dpa); concomitantly, the nature of the cavities changed from void-like (underpressured) at 5:1 He:dpa to near equilibrium (or possibly overpressured) helium bubbles at 55:1 He:dpa. Furthermore, simultaneous injection of helum at 16:1 He:dpa did not cause a significant change in the peak swelling temperature. In the titanium alloy, both single and dual-ion irradiations caused profuse precipitation of β -phase (BCC) platelets in the α -phase (HCP) matrix at all irradiation temperatures (450–650°C). Cavities formed only at the highest irradiation temperature (660°C) during singleion irradiation, but formed at all irradiation temperatures (541–624°C) for dual-ion irradiation at 10:1 He:dpa.
OUR IGNORANCE CONCERNING INSECTS

That, my friends, completes the serious part of what I came all the way from New York to say. Our ignorance concerning insects does not depress me because I feel certain that we shall learn. The insect menace does not frighten me because I believe that we can overcome it if we stop our calamity howling and get dorvn to constructive fundamental rvork. In what follows I invite you to join with me in some of the excursions of a museum man who has had the curious Museum experience of having had charge for more than twenty years of a large taxonomic collection without ever describing a new species or changing the name of an old one.
738 EFFECTS OF HYPOXEMIA ON POSTPRANDIAL GI BLOOD FLOW AND OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN NEWBORN PIGLETS

The normal postprandial response in newborn piglets is characterized by increased gastrointestinal(GI)blood flow (QGI), O2. delivery (DO2GI), O2 extraction (O2 ExGI) and O2, consumption (VO2GI). Hypoxemia may modify these physiological changes. To test this hypothesis, nine 2-4 day old piglets were made hypoxemic (PaO2: 26-28 torr for 45 min.)& fed with 30ml/kg of pig milk (Group I). 6 piglets were made hypoxemic but not fed (Group II) and 4 were fed but not hypoxemic (Group III). QGI1, (ml·min · 100g−1, microsphere method), DO2 GI(ml O2 · min · 100g−), O2ExGI(%), and VO2GI (ml O2·min−1 · 100g−1) during Baseline (B), and hypoxemic (H) and/or fed (F, 30-min postprandial) periods were: (M±SEM) The normal increase in VO2GI to meet the postprandial metabolic demands was not observed in Group I, because the increase in O2ExGI produced by feeding did not fully compensate for the decrease in QGI and DO2GI produced by hypoxemia. We conclude that hypoxemia blunts the normal postprandial hyperemia and the extent to which blunted GIO2 uptake satisfies the postprandial O2, demand remains to be determined.
Spinor theory of general relativity without elementary gravitons

Abstract We propose a generally covariant and locally Lorentz invariant theory of a Majorana spinor field ψ μ α . Our theory has no elementary spin-2 quanta, but does reproduce Einstein's general relativity as a classical solution. We compare this situation to the possibility of finding classical monopoles in a gauge theory, even though no such elementary object is introduced at the outset.
Proportional odds regression and sieve maximum likelihood estimation

SUMMARY This paper introduces, under a censoring mechanism, an estimation procedure for the baseline function and the regression parameters in the proportional odds model based on the sieve maximum likelihood method. The procedure uses monotone splines of variable orders and knots as approximations for the baseline function and an approximately unbiased estimator of the comparative Kullback-Leibler risk to select the best approximation. The procedure adapts to various unknown structures of the baseline function such as spatial structures and smoothness of an unknown degree. The proposed procedure is implemented for right-censored and so-called Case 2 interval-censored data. The estimated regression parameters are shown to be asymptotically normal and efficient. The small sample operating characteristics of the proposed procedure are examined via simulations and are illustrated on a dataset from a study of breast cancer patients.
A Practical Approach to Genetic Testing for von Willebrand Disease

von Willebrand disease (vWD) is the most commonly diagnosed congenital bleeding disorder. The laboratory diagnosis of type 2 variants and type 3 vWD is reasonably well defined, and characterization of the von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene has facilitated definition of their molecular basis. However, for type 1 vWD, the laboratory diagnosis poses a diagnostic dilemma, and knowledge of its molecular basis is evolving. Characterization of the vWF gene and refinement of genetic techniques have led to an evolving repertoire of genetic tests. Genetic testing is costly, and thus judicious use will be increasingly important for appropriate genetic counseling of patients with vWD and their family members. This article provides a practical approach to utilization of genetic testing in vWD.
External beam irradiation for retinoblastoma: patterns of failure and dose-response analysis

Abstract Eighteen children with retinoblastoma (25 eyes) were treated with external beam radiation at the Mayo Clinic between January 1977 and January 1987; 15 eyes were in groups I to III and 10 were in groups IV and V (ReeseEllsworth classification). The median number of tumors per eye was 3. Radiation therapy consisted of 4- or 6-MV photons. Doses varied from 39 to 51 Gy in 1.8- to 3.0-Gy fractions. Fourteen eyes were treated through lateral fields by anterior segment-sparing techniques, and 11 eyes were treated by an anterior approach with no attempt at anterior segment sparing. All patients survived (median follow-up, 31.5 months). Cataracts developed in five eyes at a median of 23 months, four in eyes treated with anterior segment-sparing techniques. Of the 15 group I to III eyes, 6 required additional treatment; 4 were salvaged with cryotherapy or photocoagulation and 2 were enucleated. Of the 10 group IV and V eyes, 8 required additional treatment; 4 were salvaged with cryotherapy or photocoagulation, 1 with persistent disease is being followed closely, and 3 were enucleated. Ten (71%) of the 14 eyes treated with anterior segment-sparing techniques required additional treatment (9 of the 10 for tumors anterior to the equator). Four (36%) of the 11 eyes treated with an anterior approach required additional treatment (3 of the 4 for tumors in the posterior pole of group IV or V eyes). Ninety percent of the tumors 10 disc diameters or smaller (1 disc diameter = 1.6 mm) were controlled independently of dose and fractionation used when they were not in the low-dose area of the anterior retina of an eye treated with an anterior segment-sparing technique. We find that use of lateral, anterior segment-sparing techniques has a high risk of anterior retinal tumor development and cataract formation and should be abandoned in favor of techniques that treat the entire retina. A dose of 45 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions appears to be adequate for local control of tumors smaller than 10 disc diameters. Larger tumors may require additional treatment.
Using a Peptide System to test the Coiled-Coil Model of Polyglutamine Aggregation

We test a recent hypothesis from the literature that proposes a role for helical interactions in polyglutamine aggregation. We use as our model system a peptide sequence based on the GCN4-pLI parallel coiled-coil tetramer, with lysines at all e and c heptad positions, fused to a short polyglutamine of 25 residues. The coiled-coil sequence will bind preferentially to a second peptide, ecE, which contains glutamates at the same e and c heptad positions, to form a stable tetramer. using CD, FTIR, and DLS methods, we show that the lysine-containing peptide, ecK-Q25KK, when studied alone, shows a significant decrease in aggregation kinetics when compared to a control peptide, KKQ25KK. We show that ecK-Q25KK aggregates via a coiled-coil rich intermediate over a period of a week, and then transitions to a cross beta-sheet conformation after an additional week. Such a transition is not observed when ecE peptide is present, presumably due to increased stabilization of the coiled-coil conformation. We added a proline-containing linker between the coiled-coil sequence and the polyQ sequence to test whether inhibition of helix propagation would influence the kinetics of this assembly reaction. We found that the addition of the linker significantly slowed down the assembly kinetics. We also studied the morphology of the resultant fibrils, using AFM and TEM, and found that the fibrils are quite similar to those observed previously for the KKQ25KK model system. Our results are surprising since the natural N-terminal sequence from the huntingtin protein significantly accelerates beta-sheet aggregation, also in a model involving coiled-coil interactions. The difference in our results from these earlier experiments may lie in the stability of the coiled-coil interactions, with our coiled-coil sequence (28 residues) being longer than that found in the huntingtin sequence (17 residues).