cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multidisciplinary Update on Genital Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Review.

Importance Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a predilection for the genital region. Genital HS requires medical and surgical management as well as close collaboration among a multidisciplinary team. Observations Hidradenitis suppurativa is a disease of the hair follicles that results in recurrent nodules, abscesses, and tunneling sinus tracts. Medical treatment mainstays include antibiotics and retinoids, but the evolving class of biologic medications has gained traction in the treatment of moderate and severe disease. Many of the medical therapies come with adverse effects requiring clinical and laboratory monitoring over the course of treatment. When lesions are refractory to therapy or are too large for medical therapy alone, surgical intervention is required. Surgical procedures can include treatment of affected areas with deroofing or excision of affected skin. When large portions of genital skin are removed, reconstruction is necessary to restore function and aesthetics of the genitals. We describe a variety of reconstructive techniques based on the size and location of the skin deficiency. Conclusions and Relevance Effective management of genital hidradenitis suppurativa requires a thorough understanding of medical and surgical techniques for prevention, treatment, and reconstruction of genital defects.
Ablation therapy and implantable device based approaches for supraventricular arrhythmias

Abstract Supraventricular tachycardia is a commonly encountered condition. Atrial fibrillation has a particularly high incidence in the aging population of industrialized nations. While medical therapy was the mainstay of treatment for several decades, improvements in invasive catheter ablation have made this the preferred therapy in many cases. With an impetus provided by the very high incidence, prevalence, and clinical burden of atrial fibrillation, techniques to improve the safety and efficacy of atrial fibrillation ablation have progressed rapidly over the last two decades. This chapter initially outlines supraventricular tachycardia mechanisms, diagnostic testing, and the therapies. It then focuses in depth on emerging technologies in invasive management of atrial fibrillation.
A systematic analysis of Cu-based membrane-electrode assemblies for CO2 reduction through multiphysics simulation

Copper-based membrane-electrode assemblies (Cu-MEAs) hold promise for increasing the energy efficiency for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C2+ products, while maintaining high current densities. However, fundamental understanding of Cu-MEAs is still limited compared to the wealth of knowledge available for aqueous-electrolyte Cu systems. Physics-based modeling can assist in the transfer of knowledge from aqueous to vapor-fed systems by deconvoluting the impacts of various physical processes and accelerating the optimization of Cu-MEAs. Here, we simulate Cu-MEA performance and describe how the change in cell architecture leads to changes in cell performance and optimization. Our results reveal nonuniformity of product distribution in the catalyst layer, allowing us to explore catalyst-layer properties as design parameters for increasing the energy efficiency of C2+ product formation. We discuss multiphase flow and water-management issues and show how membrane properties, specifically the electro-osmotic coefficient, affect the efficacy of feeding liquid water to hydrate the membrane. Finally, we explore tradeoffs associated with operating Cu-MEAs at 350 K in order to increase the supply of water and the preferential formation of products with higher activation energies (typically C2+ products).
Influence of salesperson political skill: improving relationship building and reducing customer-directed deviance

The purpose of this research is to understand the use of political skill (PS) in the context of business-to-business seller’s relationship building and ethical decision-making. Drawing on social in...
Tuberculous Thyroiditis Post COVID-19 Infection

Thyroid tuberculosis (TT) is a rare disease and can be a diagnostic challenge. Here we highlight a case of TT following COVID-19 infection. A 38-year Myanmar immigrant female presented with nocturnal fever, fatigue, nausea, sore throat, appetite and weight loss for 1 week with dysphagia, neck swelling, dyspnea, and watery diarrhea. Medical history included renal transplant due to ESRD from IgA nephropathy, DM and treated latent TB with no prior or family history of thyroid disease. She had COVID 7 months ago, complicated by allograft rejection. She was tachycardic, febrile but not in acute distress. Neck exam revealed diffuse thyromegaly with tenderness on right lobe without bruit, palpable cervical lymphadenopathy nor tremors. Labs showed WBC 12.8x109/L (4.8-10), and ESR 50 ml/hr (20-40). On admission, she developed AKI and immunosuppressant meds were discontinued. She was started on broad-spectrum antibiotic. CT chest reported moderate loculated right pleural effusion with mid and lower lobe consolidation. Blood and urine culture, pleural fluid, sputum culture for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and QuantiFERON-TB were negative. Upon persistent fever, RIPE therapy (rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol) was started and stopped after 10 days due to transaminitis and negative TB PCR. Further labs showed TSH 0.04 mIU/ml (0.27-4.2), FT4 2.81 ng/dl (0.93-1.7), TT3 127 ng/dl (80-200), negative TPO and TSI. Endocrinology was consulted for thyroiditis. Ibuprofen and Propranolol were initiated with continuation of prednisone. Repeat thyroid labs normalized in 4 days. US thyroid noted diffuse, heterogenous thyromegaly without hypervascularity or abscess. CT neck showed diffuse thyromegaly 4.2x7.2x7.5 cm in size;right thyroid lobe extended to posterior clavicle with enhanced capsule, without discrete lymph node or vascularity changes, suggestive of thyroiditis. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of left thyroid lobe drained 3 ml purulent fluid and AFB were seen on direct smear. She was diagnosed as TT, but unable to restart RIPE therapy due to worsening liver function. She expired after cardiac arrest due to intracranial bleeding and brain abscess. Thyroid tuberculosis is a rarely reported clinical entity. This is the first reported case of secondary TB (TT) in post-COVID infected patient from reactivation of latent TB. In our case, follicular destruction caused initial hyperthyroidism with later recovery. It can be difficult to distinguish subacute from suppurative thyroiditis due to TB. Imaging may not always show clear abscess formation. FNA is crucial for diagnosis, and drainage of any abscess. Anti-TB meds can be given, surgery is rarely required. TT should be considered in any immunocompromised patient with fever and neck pain. Imaging should also include evaluation for any CNS spread of TB. Early detection and treatment will help reduce significant morbidity and mortality.
Chasing Giants: Simulation and the United Nations’ Trompe l’oeil Games

This essay examines how Francois Debrix’s Re-Envisioning Peacekeeping: The United Nations and the Mobilization of Ideology “revisions global politics” and complicates scholarship in international relations and human geography by situating his analysis at the level of simulation, conceptualizing United Nations peacekeeping efforts as trompe l’oeil games that “fool the eye.” Specifically, it analyzes how Debrix’s analysis pushes the borderlines of scholarship in human geography by going beyond the critique of Cartesian perspectivalism with its attendant masculine mind/body dualism that is often levied at mainstream geographical discourses by critical and feminist geographers. After doing this, this essay outlines how Re-Envisioning Peacekeeping casts a critical light on the foreign policy analyses disseminated by scholars such as Samantha Power and Thomas Weiss, who ascribe specific “moralizing intentions” to international institutions like the UN. This essay ultimately argues that Debrix’s analysis of the “New Word Order” and disciplinary neoliberalism is increasingly relevant in the contemporary setting, where YouTube and TikTok videos and images contribute to the proliferation of individualizing empty frames.
The timed 25-foot walk in a large cohort of multiple sclerosis patients:

Background:The timed 25-foot walk (T25FW) is a key clinical outcome measure in multiple sclerosis patient management and clinical research.Objectives:To evaluate T25FW performance and factors assoc...
Assessing the limitations of just-in-time energy delivery in the ERCOT interconnection

Abstract In February of 2021, an atypical continental weather pattern imposed lower-than-average temperatures on the southern U.S. Prolonged subfreezing temperatures in turn put substantial strain on Texas’s energy systems. The electric grid of Texas, operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), was crippled by a number of technical and operational difficulties initiated by the extreme weather. Freeze-offs on natural gas equipment and wind shortages resulted in significant under-generation, at times approaching 50% of load forecasts. Blackouts and prolonged rolling outages were the result. These rolling outages, necessary to retain broader stability and grid synchronism, proved effective in providing necessary grid stabilization. However, such actions left millions of Texas residents without power, heat, water, and other life sustaining resources during several of coldest days in recent memory, causing hundreds of fatalities. Analysis of the event indicates that the lack of both sufficient baseload and dispatchable generating capacity is the result of a number of interweaved operational constraints placed on grid operators by alterations in the interconnection’s fuel resource availability. Fuel supplies are no longer readily stored on-hand in sufficient quantity, and just-in-time delivery creates dependence on suppliers who are themselves subject to the forces of extreme weather.
Pacing During Cardiac Arrest

The incidence of sudden arrhythmic deaths continues to be a significant problem despite the fact that mortality from acute coronary syndromes continues to decrease in response to early interventions and improved secondary prevention (1, 2, 3). Most patients with coronary artery disease who suffer cardiac arrest (CA) do not have acute myocardial infarction (AMI [4, 5, 6]). Thus, primary arrhythmic causes of CA are becoming increasingly important.
Entrepreneurship: First Results from Russia

Studies of the determinants of entrepreneurship have emphasized three distinct perspectives: market institutions, social networks and personal characteristics. Using data from a pilot survey with over 2,000 interviews in 7 cities across Russia, we find evidence for a particularly strong effect of social networks: individuals whose relatives and childhood friends are entrepreneurs are more than twice as likely to be entrepreneurs. Mothers' characteristics play a significant role in determining future entrepreneurs.
Oxidative deamination of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine by rat kidney L-amino acid oxidase.

Cell-free extracts prepared from rat kidney or liver catalyzed the oxidative deamination of S-adenosyl- L -homocysteine to S-adenosyl-γ-thio-α-ketobutyrate. This reaction was found to be catalyzed by L -amino acid oxidase ( L -amino acid:oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating), EC 1.4.3.2). In the presence of catalase, 0.48 µmole of oxygen was consumed for each micromole of substrate oxidized, and 1 µmole each of S-adenosyl-γ-thio-α-ketobutyrate and ammonia were formed. In the absence of catalase oxygen consumption was doubled. The pH optimum for S-adenosyl-γ-thio-α-ketobutyrate formation ranged from 8.8 to 9.2 and the Km value for S-adenosyl- L -homocysteine was 2.48 × 10−2 M . At substrate concentrations of 10 m M and at pH 9.0, the ratio of specific activities with S-adenosyl- L -homocysteine to that with L -leucine or with L -methionine was 0.31 and 0.41, respectively. Partially purified L -amino acid oxidase was also found to be active with L -homocysteine and S-adenosyl- L -methionine.
Towards more sustainable transportation

Environmental concerns are growing trends in higher education. However, some universities still have mixed reactions towards incorporating sustainability into urban and regional planning curricula. In the arena of transportation planning education, traditional curricula have underestimated the contribution of bicycle and pedestrian planning to create more sustainable transportation systems. To reverse this trend, the US Department of Transportation has developed a sample course on bicycle and pedestrian planning with the intention of distributing it through planning and engineering schools. The objective is to discuss and report the results of the first attempt to teach this sample course in Massachusetts. Closes with four lessons learned in communicating sustainability in transportation planning education.
Fragmentation of Recursive Relations in Distributed Datbases

In a distributed database system, it is advantageous to fragment a relation and store the fragments at various sites. In this paper, the fragmentation problem of recursive relations is studied. A distributed database model is established for studying the general fragmentation issues. Based on the concept of partial order sets, we have proposed two approaches for fragmenting recursive relations. The first approach uses the union of lattices to represent a fragment. The second approach defines a fragment by using a maximal node and the recursive part of the relation.
Isolation of an Lc-specific Escherichia coli bacteriophage.

Abstract We isolated an OmpF-specific bacteriophage whose host range mutant, SQ108h2, requires the presence of the Lc porin for its attachment and which can be used to screen or select for Lc-defective mutants among Escherichia coli K-12 strains lysogenic for the PA-2 converting phage.
Game Models for Open Systems

An open system is a system whose behavior is jointly determined by its internal structure, and by the input it receives from the environment. To solve control and verification problems, open systems have often been modeled as games between the system and the environment; we argue that the game view of open systems should be extended also to the definitions of system refinement and composition. We give a symmetrical interpretation to games between system and environment: the moves of the system represent the outputs that the system can generate (the output guarantees), and symmetrically, the moves of the environment represent the inputs that the system can accept (the input assumptions). We argue in favor of defining refinement of open systems in terms of alternating simulation, which is the relation between games that plays the same role of simulation between transition systems. Alternating simulation captures the principle that a component refines another if it has weaker input assumptions, and stronger output guarantees. Furthermore, we argue in favor of a notion of composition that accounts for the compatibility between input assumptions and output guarantees, and that enables the synthesis of new input guarantees for the composed system. These game-theoretical notions of refinement and compatibility are related to the type-theoretical notions of subtyping and type compatibility, and give rise to an expressive modeling framework for component-based design and verification.
πΔΔ coupling constant

We calculate the $\pi \Delta\Delta$ coupling $g_{\pi^0\Delta^{++}\Delta^{++}}$ using light cone QCD sum rule. Our result is $g_{\pi^0\Delta^{++}\Delta^{++}}=(11.8\pm 2.0)$.
Independent or weakly interacting customers

Nearly all of the textbook literature on queues deals with the application of the theory of Markov processes to queueing systems and, furthermore, is almost entirely restricted to the evaluation of equilibrium distributions. One exception to the above pattern is a class of systems in which customers do not physically interact or interact only occasionally or slightly while in the system under consideration. Most of these should probably be described as’stochastic service systems’ rather than’queueing systems’ since there is (usually) no queue, but they have customarily been included as a part of the literature of queueing theory, perhaps because such systems can be considered as limiting cases of queueing systems or because some people use the same mathematical techniques to analyze them as for systems with queues. In fact, the best techniques for analyzing such systems are quite different from those used in describing queues.
Analytical electron microscopy study of shock synthesized zinc ferrite

Mixtures of zinc oxide and hematite were shock loaded to various conditions, some of which resulted in the formation of zinc ferrite. Selected samples of reacted and unreacted mixtures were examined for the presence of zinc ferrite. Shock synthesized ferrite, having the spinel crystal structure, was found to occur as recrystallized regions within a heavily deformed matrix of well mixed reactants. The synthesized ferrite was not stoichiometric, but rather was found to be Zn1−xFe2+xO4, where x=0.09+/-0.02.
Structure and variability of human chromosome ends.

Mammalian telomeres are thought to be composed of a tandem array of TTAGGG repeats. To further define the type and arrangement of sequences at the ends of human chromosomes, we developed a direct cloning strategy for telomere-associated DNA. The method involves a telomere enrichment procedure based on the relative lack of restriction endonuclease cutting sites near the ends of human chromosomes. Nineteen (TTAGGG)n-bearing plasmids were isolated, two of which contain additional human sequences proximal to the telomeric repeats. These telomere-flanking sequences detect BAL 31-sensitive loci and thus are located close to chromosome ends. One of the flanking regions is part of a subtelomeric repeat that is present at 10 to 25% of the chromosome ends in the human genome. This sequence is not conserved in rodent DNA and therefore should be a helpful tool for physical characterization of human chromosomes in human-rodent hybrid cell lines; some of the chromosomes that may be analyzed in this manner have been identified, i.e., 7, 16, 17, and 21. The minimal size of the subtelomeric repeat is 4 kilobases (kb); it shows a high frequency of restriction fragment length polymorphisms and undergoes extensive de novo methylation in somatic cells. Distal to the subtelomeric repeat, the chromosomes terminate in a long region (up to 14 kb) that may be entirely composed of TTAGGG repeats. This terminal segment is unusually variable. Although sperm telomeres are 10 to 14 kb long, telomeres in somatic cells are several kilobase pairs shorter and very heterogeneous in length. Additional telomere reduction occurs in primary tumors, indicating that somatic telomeres are unstable and may continuously lose sequences from their termini.
Lung epithelial ion transport and fluid movement during the perinatal period

During fetal life, the mammalian lung is a secretory organ that serves no respiratory function. Its potential airspaces are filled with liquid that flows from the pulmonary circulation across the epithelium in response to the osmotic force generated by Cl- secretion of airway and distal lung epithelial cells. As birth approaches, net Cl- secretion across the respiratory tract epithelium decreases, and this is associated with a reduction in the flow of liquid into the lung lumen. The cause for this change is unknown, but several recent studies indicate that it may be related to alterations in the hormonal milieu to which the lung epithelium is exposed late in gestation. The switch from placental to pulmonary gas exchange at birth requires rapid removal of liquid from the lung lumen. During labor and the immediate postnatal period, the pulmonary epithelium changes from a predominantly Cl- secreting membrane to a predominantly Na(+)-absorbing membrane, with resultant reversal of the direction of flow of lung liquid. There is considerable evidence that this change reflects an active metabolic process involving increased Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in lung epithelial cells, which drives liquid from the lung lumen into the interstitium, with subsequent absorption into the pulmonary circulation.
Efficacy of celecoxib in the treatment of CNS lymphomas: an in vivo model

Object. The incidence of primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) has increased over the past several decades. Unfortunately, even with the most effective therapeutic regimen (that is, methotrexate with wholebrain radiation therapy), PCNSL recurs within a few years in more than half of the treated patients and is eventually fatal. Because PCNSL usually occurs in older patients and in those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, combination treatments in which both chemo- and radiation therapy are used is often poorly tolerated and results in a significant reduction in the quality of life. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the selective cyclooxygenase2 inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex), can block the growth of lymphoma cells in vitro. Methods. To create an experimental animal model in vivo for the PCNSL study, the authors intracranially injected a human B-cell lymphoma cell line into nude mice. Their data demonstrate that this experimental model is an excellent one for human PCNSL with brain and leptomeningeal involvement. They also evaluated the feasibility of using celecoxib as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of PCNSL. Nude mice with intracranial lymphomas were treated with celecoxib contained in the animal chow. The treated animals demonstrated significantly prolonged survival times compared with the untreated animals. Conclusions. Based on the authors’ data, celecoxib may be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of PCNSL.
Does bioturbation by a benthic fish modify the effects of sediment contamination on saltmarsh benthic microalgae and meiofauna

Abstract A microcosm experiment was conducted using a replicated factorial design to determine if a benthic fish modifies the effects of sediment-bound contaminants (diesel fuel and two levels of a Cu, Cr, Pb, Hg and Cd mixture) on saltmarsh benthic primary producers and consumers. The naked goby, Gobiosoma bosc, a burrowing fish that preys on small macrofauna, was added to experimental microcosms. Goby burrowing and foraging significantly increased turbidity and disrupted the sediment surface. Results were typified by complex and varied responses with many statistically significant effects and interactions among treatments. Although G. bosc modified the responses to both diesel and metal pollution in invertebrates (but not microalgae), bioturbation did not increase or decrease the toxic effects of metals or diesel, and diesel–metal interactions did not vary in response to G. bosc. Specifically, G. bosc inhibited a trend toward diesel-induced increases in nematode abundance, and diesel toxicity inhibited increases in ostracod abundance stimulated by G. bosc. Diatoms, nematodes and the copepod Pseudostenhelia wellsi decreased in treatments with G. bosc. However, G. bosc lead to increases in cyanobacteria and ostracods and a trend toward increases in the copepod Pseudobradya sp. Our findings suggest that microcosm experiments are potentially poor mimics of natural systems without bioturbation. Conclusions about the direct and indirect effects of contaminants may differ with and without bioturbation. Finally, our work suggests that the direct effects of toxicants may inhibit or mask bioturbation effects that stimulate population growth of some meiofauna.
Degree divisibility in character correspondences

Abstract Recent results of the author prove the existence of bijections of certain sets of irreducible characters which satisfy many nice properties. In particular, these correspondences imply a strengthened version of the McKay Conjecture for solvable finite groups which takes into account fields of values and Schur indices. In the present paper, we prove that these correspondences have also the additional property that the degree of the corresponding character divides the degree of the original character, and we say something about the quotient as well.
Effect of catfish and salmon diet on platelet phospholipid and blood clotting in healthy men

Abstract The effect of diets containing either catfish or salmon fish on blood clotting and platelet phospholipid fatty acid composition was studied in 17 healthy, young men. The subjects received a control diet for 21 days followed by either catfish diets (n = 9) or salmon diets (n = 8) for an additional 19 days. Catfish and salmon diets prolonged the subjects' bleeding times (by 66% and 57%, respectively) and clotting times (by 25% and 31%, respectively), P
Effects of intraabdominally insufflated carbon dioxide and elevated intraabdominal pressure on postoperative gastrointestinal transit: an experimental study in mice.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Postoperative ileus after abdominal operations is thought to be related to the degree of surgical trauma, and it has been shown that the simple act of opening the peritoneum can decrease gastrointestinal motility. Accordingly, some investigators have shown a reduction in the duration of postoperative ileus after laparoscopic procedures. It is not clear, however, if this reduction is secondary to less manipulation of the viscera or to the lack of an abdominal incision. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of intraabdominal insufflation with CO 2 on postoperative gastrointestinal transit. Methods: Twenty-eight male mice weighing between 25 and 30 g were divided randomly into 4 groups: Control (unoperated), Incision (conventional laparotomy), Cecal (laparotomy plus cecal manipulation), and Insufflation (abdominal insufflation with CO 2 ). Postoperative gastrointestinal motility was assessed by weighing total fecal output over the first 15 postoperative hours. Results: Fecal pellet output over 15 hours in the untreated control group was 1.20 ± 0.12 g. In mice subjected to peritoneal incision alone, fecal pellet output was significantly decreased to 0.82 ± 0.11 g ( P 2 , fecal pellet output was not significantly different from untreated controls (1.2 ± 0.05 g; not significant). Fecal pellet output was markedly reduced by incision combined with cecal manipulation (0.24 ± 0.02 g, P Conclusions: The current study findings show that abdominal insufflation, in a procedure similar to that used during laparoscopic surgery, had no measurable effect on gastrointestinal transit in awake mice. This suggests that the lack of an abdominal incision can contribute to a reduced postoperative ileus after abdominal surgery.
Strategic alliances: Gateway to the new Europe?

Abstract A form of corporate renewal, strategic alliances are attractive in the context of the Single European Market. With the prospect of a more unified Europe, the development of alliances among firms without an established manufacturing and service operation in Europe is more urgent than ever. The potential for a ‘two-track’ programme for Europe also suggests that firms located in nations from both tracks. However, before taking the plunge, companies should assess the longer term implications of any alliance. Not all alliances are the same, and many alliances are of only limited duration. What types of alliances are possible? and what forces lead to their formation and dissolution? This article addresses these questions and, what they mean for strategic alliance activity in Europe in the 1990s.
Effects of droplet thermal state on deposit microstructure in spray forming

Spray forming with mush uniform-droplets deposited onto a solidified deposit surface produced a fine, equiaxed microstructure in a Sn-5wt.%Pb alloy. The equiaxed grains are those of the Sn-rich phase and were delineated with thin films of the Pb-rich phase along the grain boundaries. No splat or spray boundaries were noted. The equiaxed microstructure evolved mainly from fragmented and randomly oriented crystals which originally formed in the droplets before impact. The lack of splat boundaries was explained by the local epitaxial growth of the grains in the prior splat and the oxide-free deposit surface maintained during the experiment. Use of mush droplets is the single most important requirement for the formation of equiaxed microstructures in a spray deposit. The thermal state of the deposit surface may play only a minor role. Molten droplets produced a rapidly solidified columnar microstructure by the epitaxial growth of the Sn-rich phase. No splat boundaries were produced. The primary Sn-rich phase columnar grains were contiguous through the entire deposit thickness of about 20 mm. A schematic process-microstructure map for the spray forming process is used to show the entire process window and expected microstructures for spray forming with uniform-droplet sprays.
Sublethal Effects of Three Pesticides on Larval Survivorship, Growth, and Macromolecule Production in the Aquatic Midge, Chironomus tentans (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Effects of long-term exposure to each of three pesticides including atrazine, DDT, and chlorpyrifos on larval survivorship, growth, and macromolecule (total body protein and RNA) production were evaluated in the aquatic midge, Chironomus tentans, under laboratory conditions. Newly hatched larvae were exposed to atrazine at 30 and 150 μg/L, DDT at 0.01 and 0.05 μg/L, or chlorpyrifos at 0.02 and 0.10 μg/L throughout one life cycle. Larval survivorship was evaluated at 20 d and the end of the test, and larval growth at 20 d. Chlorpyrifos at 0.1 μg/L reduced the midge survivorship by 67% after 20-d exposure. However, neither atrazine nor DDT affected larval survivorship. The ash-free dry weight of midge larvae exposed to chlorpyrifos at 0.1 μg/L was 1.5-fold greater than that of the control whereas neither atrazine nor DDT showed a significant effect on the ash-free dry weight. In addition, exposures of midges to chlorpyrifos at 0.1 μg/L increased the adult emergence rate by 81% as compared to the control although the actual number of adults that emerged from chlorpyrifos-treated larvae was significantly decreased. Both the increased ash-free dry weight of larvae and increased adult emergence rate were likely caused by reduced competition for both food and space among the survivors due to increased larval mortality. Although neither total protein nor total RNA production was significantly affected in larvae exposed to each pesticide for 20 d, a significantly higher number of males over females (ratio = 4) emerged from midges exposed to DDT at 0.05 μg/L. Our study indicates that chronic exposure to low concentrations of chlorpyrifos and DDT results in significant mortality of midge larvae and alteration of the sex ratio of adult emergence, respectively. Because midges are important components of the food web, our results suggest that effects elicited directly or indirectly by long-term pesticide exposures may potentially disrupt both food chains and community structure in aquatic environments.
Marital status and stage at diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma: results from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, 1973-2006.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effect of marital status on risk of late-stage cutaneous melanoma diagnosis. METHODS: Information about melanoma patients was obtained from Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), 1973-2006. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate relative risks of late-stage disease at diagnosis. RESULTS: After exclusion criteria, 192,014 adult melanoma patients remained for analyses. After adjustment for age, race, year of diagnosis, tumor histology, anatomic site, socioeconomic status, and SEER site, the relationship between estimated risk of late-stage melanoma diagnosis and marital status was dependent on sex (P < .0001 for interaction). Although unmarried patients had a higher risk of being diagnosed at a late stage among men and women, the magnitude of the effect varied by sex. Moreover, among married, single, and divorced or separated patients, men had more than a 50% increase in risk of late-stage diagnosis when compared with women. Widowed men and widowed women, however, were not statistically different in their stage at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study are important and may be used by clinicians and public health practitioners interested in increasing the proportion of melanoma patients diagnosed at an early stage through screening, perhaps by specifically targeting unmarried individuals in addition to having broad-based skin cancer prevention programs. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Covariant one-loop fermion emission amplitudes in closed string theories

We calculate the 2 fermion-2 boson and the 4 fermion scattering amplitudes at one loop in the NSR formulation of the heterotic and type II superstring theories using the covariant fermion emission vertex. The results are shown to agree with well known amplitudes calculated in the light-cone gauge in the Green-Schwarz formulation. The agreement of the 4-fermion amplitude entails the use of a new ϑ-function identity which we also prove.
Human performance in the task of port placement for biosensor use.

Background We conducted a study of participants’ abilities to place a laparoscopic port for in vivo biosensor use. Biosensors have physical limitations that make port placement crucial to proper data collection. A new port placement algorithm enabled evaluation of port locations, using segmented patient data in a virtual environment.
Qualitative study of high-cost patients in an urban primary care centre.

OBJECTIVES We examined patient accounts of illness and care among primary care patients whose medical services costs were high in order to illuminate factors associated with high cost. METHODS Thirty-three primary care patients with multiple chronic illnesses in an urban clinic serving a resource poor neighbourhood were selected from a range of high medical cost patients. Participants were interviewed with open-ended questions to investigate experiences of illnesses and care; their responses were examined for prominent themes using qualitative analysis methodology. RESULTS Patients sorted themselves into two categories based on the dominant focus of the roles of the care givers: one termed 'professional', in which the focus was on the competence and effectiveness of the care giver; and the second, 'personal', in which the focus was on the interpersonal relationship. DISCUSSION We examine similarities with other recent studies, suggest factors influencing these two different types of relationships such as intensity of involvement in the healthcare system as well as personality characteristics, and explore the challenge for healthcare programme development. We also noted that these two ways of conceptualizing the doctor-patient relationship may have adaptive or maladaptive consequences depending on the match between physician and patient.
Analyzing household brand switching: A stochastic model

In a recent study, Kahn, Morrison and Wright showed that for exponentially distributed interpurchase times (of individuals), the household choice process approaches a zero-order process as the number of individuals in the household increases, even though the purchasing behavior of each individual is first order. We show that their result holds for any arbitrary interpurchase-time distribution that has a density over some interval. Thus, additional support is provided for their conclusion that the empirically observed zero-order choice behavior at the household level may not convey much information about individuals' choice behavior. We also derive a general formula that determines exactly the degree of dependence between two successive household purchases for any given family size and (well-behaved) interpurchase-time distribution.
Using voluntary cough to detect penetration and aspiration during oropharyngeal swallowing in patients with Parkinson disease.

Background Identification of people with Parkinson disease (PD) who are at risk for aspiration is important, especially because of the high prevalence of aspiration pneumonia. Methods Fifty-eight consecutive patients (Hoehn and Yahr stage II-III; average age 72.3) were enrolled in the study. Measures of airflow during voluntary cough production and the degree of penetration/aspiration on a 3-oz oropharyngeal swallow task, derived from videofluorographic images, were examined. Results To detect at-risk people (those with penetration and/or aspiration on the 3-oz swallow task), four objective measures of voluntary cough (compression phase duration [CPD], expiratory phase rise time [EPRT], expiratory phase peak flow [EPPF], and cough volume acceleration [CVA)]) were collected. CPD, EPRT, EPPF, and CVA measurements produced significant area under the curve (AUC) analyses and likelihood ratios equal to 0.83:2.72, 0.71:2.68, 0.69:1.75, and 0.78:18.42, respectively. CPD, EPRT, EPPF, and CVA measurements demonstrated sensitivities of 95.83%, 70.83%, 87.50%, and 84.53%, and specificities of 64.71%, 73.53%, 50.01%, and 97.06%, respectively. For detection of aspiration, EPPF was significantly associated with an AUC=0.88 and with an EPPF Conclusions The data from this pilot study suggest that in patients with PD, objective airflow measures from voluntary cough production may identify at-risk penetrator/aspirators. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the discriminative ability of voluntary cough airflow characteristics to model airway compromise in people with PD.
Microfluidic extensional rheometry using a hyperbolic contraction geometry

Microfluidic devices are ideally suited for the study of complex fluids undergoing large deformation rates in the absence of inertial complications. In particular, a microfluidic contraction geometry can be utilized to characterize the material response of complex fluids in an extensionally-dominated flow, but the mixed nature of the flow kinematics makes quantitative measurements of material functions such as the true extensional viscosity challenging. In this paper, we introduce the ‘extensional viscometer-rheometer-on-a-chip’ (EVROC), which is a hyperbolically-shaped contraction-expansion geometry fabricated using microfluidic technology for characterizing the importance of viscoelastic effects in an extensionally-dominated flow at large extension rates (\(\lambda \dot \varepsilon _a \gg 1\), where \(\lambda \) is the characteristic relaxation time, or for many industrial processes \(\dot \varepsilon _a \gg 1\) s\(^{-1}\)). We combine measurements of the flow kinematics, the mechanical pressure drop across the contraction and spatially-resolved flow-induced birefringence to study a number of model rheological fluids, as well as several representative liquid consumer products, in order to assess the utility of EVROC as an extensional viscosity indexer.
An Alternative to the Bar-Lev, Bobovitch, and Boukai Randomized Response Model

In this article, an alternative randomized response model is proposed. The proposed model is found to be more efficient than the randomized response model studied by Bar-Lev, Bobovitch, and Boukai (2004). The relative efficiency of the proposed model is studied with respect to the Bar-Lev et al. (2004) model under various situations.
Streptozotocin-induced diabetes reduces retrograde axonal transport in the afferent and efferent vagus nerve

Diabetes-induced alterations in nerve function include reductions in the retrograde axonal transport of neurotrophins. A decreased axonal accumulation of endogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the vagus nerve of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was previously shown. In the current study, no changes in the NGF and NT-3 protein or mRNA levels in the stomach or atrium, two vagally innervated organs, were noted after 16 or 24 weeks of diabetes. Moreover, the amounts of neurotrophin receptor (p75, TrkA, TrkC) mRNAs in the vagus nerve and vagal afferent nodose ganglion were not reduced in diabetic rats. These data suggest that neither diminished access to target-derived neurotrophins nor the loss of relevant neurotrophin receptors accounts for the diabetes-induced alteration in the retrograde axonal transport of neurotrophins. To assess whether diabetes causes a defect in axonal transport that may not be specific to neurotrophin transport, we studied the ability of a neuronal tracer (FluoroGold, FG) to be retrogradely transported by vagal neurons of control and diabetic rats. After vagal target tissue (stomach) injections of FG, the numbers of FG-labeled afferent and efferent vagal neurons were counted in the nodose ganglion and in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, respectively. After 24 weeks of diabetes, FG was retrogradely transported to more than 50% fewer afferent and efferent vagal neurons in the STZ-diabetic compared to control rats. The diabetes-induced deficit in retrograde axonal transport of FG is likely to reflect alterations in basic axonal transport mechanisms in both the afferent and efferent vagus nerve that contribute to the previously observed reductions in neurotrophin transport.
Dynamic morphogenetic events characterize the mouse visceral endoderm

Several lines of evidence suggest that the extraembryonic endoderm of vertebrate embryos plays an important role in the development of rostral neural structures. In mice, neural inductive signals are thought to reside in an area of visceral endoderm that expresses the Hex gene. Here, we have conducted a morphological and lineage analysis of visceral endoderm cells spanning pre- and postprimitive streak stages. Our results show that Hex-expressing cells have a tall, columnar epithelial morphology, which distinguishes them from other visceral endoderm cells. This region of visceral endoderm thickening (VET) is found overlying first the distal and then one side of the epiblast at stages between 5.5 and 5.75 days post coitum (d.p.c.). In addition, we show that the epiblast has an anteroposterior-compressed appearance that is aligned with the position of the VET. Intracellular labeling of VET/Hex-expressing cells reveals an anterior and anterolateral shift from their distal epiblast position. VET/Hex-expressing cells are first localized to the anterior side of the epiblast by 5.75 d.p.c. and form a crescent on the anterior half of the embryo at the onset of gastrulation. Subsequently, VET descendants are distributed along the embryonic/extraembryonic boundary by headfold stages at 7.5 d.p.c. The morphological characteristics and position of VET/Hex-expressing cells distinguishes the future anteroposterior axis of the embryo and provide landmarks to stage mouse embryos at preprimitive streak stages. Moreover, the morphological characteristics of pregastrulation mouse embryos together with the stereotyped shift in the position of visceral endoderm cells reveal similarities among amniote embryos that suggest an evolutionary conservation of the mechanisms that pattern the rostral neurectoderm at pregastrula stages.
Hard sphere equation of state in the close-packed limit

In the expansion of the hard sphere equation of state about close-packing, pV/NkT = 3/α + C0 + C1α + …, where α = VV0 − 1, the first two perturbation terms C0 and C1 have been evaluated by molecular dynamics averages for systems of hard dodecahedra in the fcc and hcp configurations. The two lattices have identical values of C0 within the precision of the calculation, but the fcc value of C1 is lower than the hcp value by about 10 %.
Demand and the impact of leading questions on eyewitness testimony

Recently, Loftus and her associates have demonstrated that the ability of subjects to respond accurately to questioning about an event they witnessed can be systematically imparied by the interposition of misleading questions between exposure to the event and assessment of accuracy. One explanation for this low eyewitness accuracy is that it is due to demand characteristics created by the misleading questions. The present study addresses this issue using a modification of the paradigm developed by Loftus, Miller, and Burns (1978). The results indicate that even when the final accuracy test does not easily allow subjects to accede to demand pressure, significant impairment of eyewitness accuracy is still obtained. Since this lowered accuracy does not seem due to simple compliance to demand pressure, it suggests that misleading questions do in fact interfere with subsequent eyewitness accuracy.
Concordance of symptoms in recurrent depressive episodes

The presence or absence of 12 depressive symptoms was examined in 93 bipolar and 108 unipolar patients who had two discrete episodes of major depression over a 5-year period. For each symptom the concordance of its presence or absence across episodes was low. The agreement observed was largely that to be expected by chance. A substantial amount of concordance was obtained if differences in episode intensity (propensity to have symptoms) were taken into account. This suggests that although there may be factors related to depression which remain stable across episodes, symptom presentation is moderated by other factors, such as intensity, which vary from episode to episode.
The growth of mercury cadmium telluride by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Hg1−xCdxTe layers have been grown on CdTe substrates using dimethylcadmium, diethyltelluride and mercury in a horizontal reactor. Details of conditions for growth of these layers is provided in this paper. Specular surfaces of Hg1−xCdxTe with x≥0.1 were obtained on (100) 3°→(110) oriented CdTe substrates. The morphology of the layers with various compositions is also presented here. Both n-type and p-type layers could be obtained. The mobility of these layers was measured over the temperature range of 10 to 300 K. The mobility of n-type of Hg0.81Cd0.19Te layers, measured at 2.1 kG was 3.0×105 cm2/V·s at 60 K, falling to 2×105 cm2/V·s at 10 K. ρ-Type layers were also grown, and are described in this paper. Anomalous behavior was observed in some of these p-type layers. Reasons for this behavior are presented in this paper.
Role-Playing in Counselor Student Development

This study examined how role-plays impacted 27 counseling students' overall skills as measured by instructor ratings and self-ratings during practice triads in a microskills course. A Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test revealed no significant difference for scripted versus personal concerns role-plays. Students indicated a strong belief that role-plays were an effective way to build overall counseling skills.
AIM-HI: a framework for request routing in large-scale IT global service delivery

In many network and IT (information technology) systems, users submit loosely defined (or "fuzzy") requests to obtain answers, solutions, or resources. Fuzzy requests are often presented in problem tickets and processed by an IT service management system. In such a system, problems are typically reported using vague user-generated descriptions of the symptoms (e.g., "my e-mail is not working"). Making use of the reported symptoms, the incident management system is then responsible for identifying the component causing the problem. An accurate and quick diagnosis from the fuzzy symptoms becomes critical for an efficient and timely resolution of the problem. In this paper, we propose a system for automated incident management using historical information (AIM-HI), a framework for autonomous routing of requests in large-scale IT global service delivery. AIM-HI incorporates historical request resolution information and frequency, together with queue bouncing trends to extrapolate algorithms for streamlining and automating the dispatch of requests or work among support groups and IT specialists. The simplicity and scalability of AIM-HI should lead to deployment in actual real operational systems in the future.
Cognitive Complexity and Apprehension about Communication: A Preliminary Report:

This study tested the hypothesis that there should be a negative and significant correlation between cognitive complexity and apprehension about communication. Indeed, there was, -.43, which confirmed the hypothesis (N = 72 college students).