cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient-Centered Research Abstracts : Cost-Effectiveness of Management Stratagies for Chronic Recurrent Genital Herpes: A Pilot Analysis

PURPOSE: Genital herpes management has concentrated on episodic treatment or prophylaxis of recurrences. However, significant morbidity arises from stigma surrounding the diagnosis. We investigated the effect of including treatment of disease stigma on the cost-effectiveness of genital herpes treatment. METHODS: Using a Markov decision model, we estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness of four strategies for genital herpes management: no intervention, counseling only, chronic antiviral suppression only, or both counseling and suppression. All strategies used antivirals for symptomatic recurrences. The Markov cycle length was 1 week with a 10 year time horizon. A societal perspective was taken, with costs and benefits discounted at 3%/yr. We used literature and expert estimates of parameter values, and assumed that counseling decreases disutility from stigma but has no effect on symptomatic recurrences, while chronic antiviral suppression decreases both. The disutility of stigma was estimated at 0.05 (for a utility of 0.95 on a scale where 0 = death & 1 = perfect health), and the disutility of a symptomatic recurrence was 0.10 (a utility of 0.90). Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: In the baseline analysis, the incremental cost-effectiveness of counseling only compared to no intervention is $2570 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Antiviral suppression without counseling is weakly dominated by counseling plus suppressive therapy, which costs $68,500/QALY gained compared to counseling only. Results are not sensitive to variation of counseling costs (baseline $500, range $200–1000), symptomatic recurrence treatment costs (baseline $24.50, range $0–100), recurrence frequency while on suppressive therapy (baseline 1/yr, range 0–6/yr), or time horizon (1–10 years). Counseling plus antiviral suppression costs less than $50,000/QALY when: suppression costs less than $19.74/wk (baseline $26.32/wk), recurrences without suppression are more frequent than 11.5/yr (baseline 6/yr), stigma utility is less than 0.92, recurrence utility is less than 0.82, counseling decreases stigma by less than 17% (baseline 50%), or antiviral suppression decreases stigma by more than 77% (baseline 50%). CONCLUSION: Although suppressive therapy is being aggressively marketed for genital herpes, this analysis suggests that counseling to reduce stigma is more cost-effective than antiviral suppression unless genital herpes is very severe, suppression is less expensive, or herpes recurrence utilities are relatively low. These results suggest a need for more definitive determination of utilities for recurrent genital herpes and a basic understanding of the determinants and modifying factors of genital herpes stigma.
Relation of Bone Mineral Density to Stress Test–Induced Myocardial Ischemia

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans of the spine and left hip were performed before stress testing for myocardial ischemia in 629 women and 136 men (mean age 63 years) with chest pain and no previous coronary artery disease. Of the 765 patients, 254 (33%) had osteoporosis, 260 (34%) had osteopenia, and 251 (33%) had normal bone mineral density (BMD). Stress test–induced myocardial ischemia was present in 95 of 254 patients (37%) with osteoporosis, in 81 of 260 patients (31%) with osteopenia, and in 62 of 251 patients (25%) with normal BMD (p = 0.002 comparing osteoporosis with normal BMD and p = 0.007 comparing osteoporosis or osteopenia with normal BMD). Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia had a 1.7 times higher chance of stress test–induced myocardial ischemia than those with normal BMD after controlling the confounding effects of systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, and age. In conclusion, patients with chest pain undergoing stress testing have a higher prevalence of stress test–induced myocardial ischemia if they have osteoporosis or osteopenia than if they have normal BMD.
Reproducibility of head-up tilt-table testing in pediatric patients with neurocardiogenic syncope.

The aim of this study is to assess the reproducibility of a head-up tilt-table test protocol so it may be used to more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment protocol. Children between the ages of 10 and 18 years presenting to the cardiology department at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin with a diagnosis of neurocardiogenic syncope were eligible for the study. The patients were tilted to 70° for 30 minutes or until a positive test occurred. Patients with a positive test were retilted using the same protocol. Parameters measured included heart rate, blood pressure, and the presence or absence of syncope or presyncope. Twenty-two patients were enrolled in the study. Seventeen patients had a positive test on first tilt. Fifteen had a positive tilt test on the second tilt. There were no significant differences between the two tilts with regard to mean differences of baseline heart rate, systolic blood pressure, or mean arterial pressure. There were no significant differences between the two tilts with regard to mean differences in time until symptoms, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, or mean arterial blood pressure at time of symptoms. This study shows that the head-up tilt-table test protocol used is reproducible in adolescents with the diagnosis of neurocardiogenic syncope.
Power as a function of communality in factor analysis

It was recently reported that the likelihood ratio test (LRT) in unrestricted factor analysis “has considerable power even when the sample size is only 10.” Here it is shown that (1) the power of this LRT depends on the communalities (h2), (2) the average h2 in the simulation on which this conclusion was based far exceeds any found in French’s review of 20 years of factor-analytic work, and (3) for more realistic h2, the power of the test barely exceeds the α level for N = 30 and remains poor for Ns as large as 100.
Remarks on a Vibronic Origin for the Diffuse Band Spectrum

It has been demonstrated that the diffuse band spectrum could not originate as a series of vibronic transitions from atomic impurities in interstellar MgO grains as has recently been proposed since laboratory spectra of such materials show no evidence for such complex structure. Furthermore, recent observational evidence indicates that the extinction feature at 160 nm in the standard interstellar extinction curve upon which the identification of interstellar MgO was founded is actually the result of a calibration error in the original observational data.
A Manufactured Housing Studio: Home/On the Highway

The dominant norms of the architecture and culture of American domestic structures should be understood by student designers, in order that they can formulate positions that work with – even as they challenge – those norms. Manufactured housing (formerly known as mobile homes, house trailers, or trailer homes) is an underexamined component of the domestic setting. Special processes of regulation, production, and supply have shaped this domestic type. Manufactured housing is important though it is neither widely nor well understood. With its identifiable physical and sociological characteristics, manufactured housing is undeniably significant, affecting people, communities, and settlements.
Conditioned-aversive aspects of electric shock

Abstract Two experiments were reported in which it was observed that a weak shock became more aversive as a result of appropriate pairing of that stimulus with a stronger shock. The enhanced aversiveness of the weak shock was reflected in Experiment 1 by an apparent increase in the reinforcement provided by response-contingent termination of that shock. In Experiment 2, the weak shock was observed to be more suppressive of a consummatory-response baseline following appropriate pairings of the weak and strong shocks. The results of these studies were discussed in terms of their implications for certain aversive-conditioning situations in which shocks may serve, in part, as conditioned stimuli.
“We Always Have a Beer after the Meeting” How Norms, Customs, Conventions, and the Like Explain Behavior

There are a vast number of ways of explaining human behavior in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation. One family of accounts seeks to explain behavior using terms such as norms, customs, tradition, convention, and culture. Despite the ubiquity of these terms, it is not fully clear how these concepts really explain behavior, how they are related, how they differ, and what they contrast with. In this article, I hope to answer such questions.
[001] tilt grain boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films

Abstract Grain boundaries in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- x superconductor thin films grown on (001) MgO by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have been characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). It was found that the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- x thin films were highly textured with the c axes, or [001] orientation, nearly parallel between grains and perpendicular to the MgO substrate. A majority of the grain boundaries are long-angle boundaries with a tilt angle, θ, less than 15°. The low-angle boundaries appear to be strongly faceted on an atomic scale in such a way that the boundary planes tend to be parallel to the (100), (010), or (110) lattice planes in one of the adjacent grains. Almost all of the lattice planes, except for a number of distorted regions along the boundaries, are continuous across the boundaries from one grain to another, accommodating the misorientation with a slight bending of the lattice planes. The small-angle boundaries are shown to consist of arrays of dislocations. A domain structure formed by the interchange of a and b axes has been observed in large grains. The domain boundaries are strongly faceted with the (100) and (010) lattice planes parallel to the boundaries. These observations on the atomic structure of boundaries are used to discuss the effect of grain boundaries on superconductor properties in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- x thin films.
Transmission-line modeling of photoconductive switches

A transmission-line model was used to study the asymmetric illumination of photoconductive switches. We studied the evolution of the electric field within the first 2 ns of optical illumination. The electric fields were significantly compressed in the regions of low photocarrier density. Also, the field collapse was slower and the switching efficiency reduced in the assymetric illumination case. Both the symmetric and the asymmetric cases were investigated experimentally with our electro-optic sampling system. The experimental results confirmed the predictions of the transmission-line model.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A simulation model for welfare policy analysis

Abstract This paper describes a new approach to large-scale simulation modeling for the analysis of public welfare policies. Whereas conventional microanalytic simulation models extrapolate the dynamic behavior of a representative sample of individuals to the corresponding target population, the new modeling technique disaggregates an exogenous demographic forecast into enough detail to evaluate the impact and cost of proposed social programs. This approach uses a multivariate extension of the Johnson translation system of probability distributions to estimate the percentage of individuals in a target population who satisfy given program eligibility criteria. The methodology is demonstrated in a prototype decision support system for analysis of the Institutional Care and Community Care programs of the Texas Department of Human Services.
Transcanal hypotympanotomy: Management of glomus tumors of the middle ear and hypotympanum

Glomus tumors involving the temporal bone may vary from a tiny glomus tympanicum to a massive skull base tumor. Smaller glomus tumors do not require a full skull base resection and can be effectively managed via a transcanal hypotympanotomy. The evaluation and management of smaller glomus tympanicum and jugular tumors are reviewed. Transcanal removal of smaller glomus tympanicum tumors is possible if the margins of the tumor can be clearly visualized. Larger glomus tympanicum and smaller glomus jugular tumors are removed using a transcanal hypotympanotomy. The techniques, indications, and limitations of these approaches are presented for consideration in the management of smaller glomus tumors involving the temporal bone.
Targeted Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2a Gene Delivery to Restore Electrical Stability in the Failing Heart

Background—Recently, we reported that sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2a (SERCA2a), the pump responsible for reuptake of cytosolic calcium during diastole, plays a central role in the molecular mechanism of cardiac alternans. Heart failure (HF) is associated with impaired myocardial calcium handling, deficient SERCA2a, and increased susceptibility to cardiac alternans. Therefore, we hypothesized that restoring deficient SERCA2a by gene transfer will significantly reduce arrhythmogenic cardiac alternans in the failing heart. Methods and Results—Adult guinea pigs were divided into 3 groups: control, HF, and HF+AAV9.SERCA2a gene transfer. HF resulted in a decrease in left ventricular fractional shortening compared with controls (P<0.001). As expected, isolated HF myocytes demonstrated slower sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake, decreased Ca2+ release, and increased diastolic Ca2+ (P<0.05) compared with controls. Moreover, SERCA2a, cardiac ryanodine receptor 2, and sodium-calcium exchanger protein expres...
The spleen: Development and functional evaluation

Despite the fact that the spleen has multiple functions, only one has been widely used for evaluation of the organ by imaging techniques (phagocytosis of 99m Tc sulfur colloid). The usual splenic uptake of this radiocolloid can be used to determine the size, location, and integrity of the organ. A major use of splenic radiocolloid imaging has been in the study of congenital defects. Thus, eventration of the diaphragm, accessory spleens, splenogonadal fusion, the asplenia and polysplenia syndromes, and the wandering spleen are amenable to study by means of intravenously administered radiocolloid. Interference with the splenic uptake of radiocolloid can be either focal or generalized (as in functional asplenia). Imaging of the spleen has a major role in evaluating suspected trauma of the organ and in following its clinical course. The return of splenic function after splenectomy (splenosis or accessory spleens) can be documented by radionuclide imaging, and likely by hematologic techniques when the volume of tissue is sufficiently large. The detection of intrasplenic lesions is important in tumor staging and as an alterting sign to an ongoing process.
Experimental study of Fuel decomposition and hydrocarbon growth processes for practical Fuel components in nonpremixed flames : Mtbe and related alkyl ethers

Fuel decomposition and hydrocarbon growth processes of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and related alkyl ethers have been studied experimentally in soot-producing nonpremixed flames. Temperature, C1–C12 hydrocarbons, and major species were measured in coflowing methane/air flames whose fuel was separately doped with 5000 ppm of MTBE, n-butyl methyl ether (NBME), sec-butyl methyl ether (SBME), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME; =1,1-dimethylpropyl methyl ether). The consumption rates of the dopants, several simple kinetic calculations, and the dependence of the observed products on fuel composition indicate that the dominant decomposition process was unimolecular dissociation, not H-atom abstraction. The dominant dissociations were four-center elimination of alcohols for the doubly branched ethers (MTBE, ETBE, and TAME) and CO fission for the linear ether (NBME), while four-center elimination and CO fission were comparably important for the singly branched ether (SBME). These dissociations produced alkenes which further reacted to produce alkadienes/alkynes, alkenynes, acetylenic compounds, and aromatics. The dependence of the maximum benzene mole fractions on fuel composition was consistent with benzene formation through reactions of highly-unsaturated C3 and/or C4 hydrocarbons (C3H3, n-C4H3, C4H4, n-C4H5, etc.). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 345–358, 2004
Substance P as prophylaxis for JP-8 jet fuel-induced immunotoxicity

Previous studies have shown that short-term, low-concentration JP-8 exposure had significant effects on the immune system that persisted for extended periods of time. It was found that administration of aerosolized substance P (SP) was able to protect exposed animals from JP-8-induced immune changes, whereas administration of SP antagonists compounded the deleterious effects of jet fuel exposure. Thus, SP administration appears to be a relatively simple and efficient means to reverse the immunotoxicity due to hydrocarbon exposure. In the current study, aerosolized SP was analyzed for its potential prophylactic ability to counteract JP-8-induced immunotoxicity. It was observed that concentrations as low as 1 nM were effective in ameliorating the effects of JP-8 exposure on the immune system. SP administered before JP-8 exposure could prophylactically protect both the spleen and thymus from significant organ weight loss, but could not completely restore immune cell numbers to normal, baseline levels. Furthe...
A modified model of T-cell differentiation based on mTOR activity and metabolism.

Current models of T-helper-cell differentiation depict the generation of effector cells from a naive T cell based on the cytokine environment upon T-cell-receptor engagement. We propose a new model of CD4(+) T-cell activation, differentiation, and function whereby the outcome of antigen recognition is dictated by mTOR activity and the subsequent up-regulation of selective metabolic function. Such a model more readily explains the generation of effector and memory cells including the concept of effector and memory Foxp3(+) regulatory cells.
Dynamic-range analysis and maximization of micropower G m -C bandpass filters by adaptive biasing

We analyze and present an input gain-varying scheme for maximizing dynamic range in a well-known G m -C bandpass filter by both minimizing noise for small input signals, and by achieving balanced swing levels at all filter nodes for large input signals. A micropower bandpass filter suitable for use in cochlear implants and other power-constrained biomedical applications was implemented and tested in subthreshold CMOS. At a center frequency of 1.4kHz and quality factor of 4, the filter has 70dB of dynamic range (57dB maximum SNR, 2.5% total harmonic distortion (THD)) and consumes 2.55µW of power.
Memory Binding in Early Childhood: Evidence for a Retrieval Deficit

Previous research has suggested that performance for items requiring memory-binding processes improves between ages 4 and 6 (J. Sluzenski, N. Newcombe, & S. L. Kovacs, 2006). The present study suggests that much of this improvement is due to retrieval, as opposed to encoding, deficits for 4-year-olds. Four- and 6-year-old children (N = 48 per age) were given objects, backgrounds, and object + background combinations to remember. Younger children performed equivalently to 6-year-olds during a working memory task for all types of memory questions but were impaired during a long-term memory task for the object + background combinations. Furthermore, this deficit was completely due to differences in false alarm rates, suggesting that separate analyses of hits and false alarms may be preferable to corrected recognition scores when studying memory development.
An improved two-way partitioning algorithm with stable performance (VLSI)

A two-way partitioning algorithm is presented that significantly improves on the highly unstable results typically obtained from the traditional Kernighan-Lin-based algorithms. The algorithm groups highly connected components into clusters and rearranges the clusters into two final subsets with specified sizes. It is known that the grouping operations reduce the complexity, and thus improve the results, of partitioning very large circuits. However, if the grouping is inappropriate, the partitioning results may degenerate. To prevent degeneration, a ratio cut approach is used to do the grouping. By a series of experiments based on the tradeoff between cut weight and CPU time, the value which controls the resultant number of groups is determined. Good experimental results have been observed for cut weight and CPU time. >
Human Albumin Therapy of Acute Ischemic Stroke Marked Neuroprotective Efficacy at Moderate Doses and With a Broad Therapeutic Window

Background and Purpose—We examined the neuroprotective efficacy of moderate-dose human albumin therapy in acute focal ischemic stroke and defined the therapeutic window after stroke onset, within which this therapy would confer neurobehavioral and histopathological neuroprotection. Methods—Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with halothane/nitrous oxide and received 2-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) by a poly-l-lysine–coated intraluminal suture. Neurological status was evaluated during occlusion (60 minutes) and daily for 3 days after MCAo. In the dose-response study, human albumin doses of either of 0.63 or 1.25 g/kg or saline vehicle (5 mL/kg) were given intravenously immediately after suture removal. In the therapeutic window study, a human albumin dose of 1.25 g/kg was administered intravenously at 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, or 5 hours after onset of MCAo. Three days after MCAo, brains were perfusion-fixed, and infarct volumes and brain swelling were determined. Results—Moderate-dose al...
A psychoanalytic viewpoint of behavior modification in clinical and educational settings.

The Day Care Center of the University of Colorado Medical Center is a psychoeducational facility in the Department of 'Psychiatry which has been in operation since 1962. It serves a population of 16 to 18 elementary-school-age children whose social and academic problems are particularly manifest in the school setting. These children attend the Center from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. daily for a period of 1 to 2 years with the goal of their returning to public school programs. The staff consists of teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, pediatricians, and auxiliary personnel, and trainees in the indicated professional disciplines. A special education program is provided together with psychoanalytically oriented therapy for the children and their parents. In addition to this intramural activity, the Center conducts consultation and inservice training programs in a number of public elementary schools. The Center also functions as a research facility in special education and treatment methods for children and families. The Center, an environmental resource, has made it possible to program corrective and remedial efforts for troubled children. Such
Mutations in DNA replication genes reduce yeast life span.

Surprisingly, the contribution of defects in DNA replication to the determination of yeast life span has never been directly investigated. We show that a replicative yeast helicase/nuclease, encoded by DNA2 and a member of the same helicase subfamily as the RecQ helicases, is required for normal life span. All of the phenotypes of old wild-type cells, for example, extended cell cycle time, age-related transcriptional silencing defects, and nucleolar reorganization, occur after fewer generations in dna2 mutants than in the wild type. In addition, the life span of dna2 mutants is extended by expression of an additional copy of SIR2 or by deletion of FOB1, which also increase wild-type life span. The ribosomal DNA locus and the nucleolus seem to be particularly sensitive to defects in dna2 mutants, although in dna2 mutants extrachromosomal ribosomal circles do not accumulate during the aging of a mother cell. Several other replication mutations, such as rad27{Delta}, encoding the FEN-1 nuclease involved in several aspects of genomic stability, also show premature aging. We propose that replication fork failure due to spontaneous, endogenous DNA damage and attendant genomic instability may contribute to replicative senescence. This may imply that the genomic instability, segmental premature aging symptoms, and cancer predisposition associated with the human RecQ helicase diseases, such as Werner, Bloom, and Rothmund-Thomson syndromes, are also related to replicative stress.
Brain Mechanisms for Interpreting the Actions of Others From Biological-Motion Cues

Humans are an intensely social species. Our social abilities depend upon specialized brain systems for rapidly recognizing the faces of others, for interpreting the actions of others through an analysis of biological-motion cues, and for determining the emotional states of others via inspection of facial expression. Recent work has implicated the superior temporal sulcus (STS) region as an important component of the social brain. Functional neuroimaging studies have provided clues about how this region is involved in the visual analysis and interpretation of other people's actions. STS activity is modulated by the context within which the actions of biological entities are observed. Such a contextual influence is consistent with a broader tradition within social psychology emphasizing the powerful influences of situational and contextual factors on behavior and perception. The STS region also shows promise as a region of importance in the investigation of both typical and impaired social-cognitive develop...
Forces and Geometry Optimization in First-Principles Atomic Cluster Calculations

We make use of the existing formalism for calculating atomic forces within the local density approximation (LDA) to determine forces in all-electron, local orbital electronic structure calculations. The forces are calculated as the proper total energy derivatives, including the necessary basis-set corrections. Our technique evaluates the LDA potential exactly on a variationally determined integration mesh which allows all integrals relevant to the electronic structure problem to be computed to any desired accuracy. We demonstrate the high accuracy of forces calculated using our method with an application to the molybdenum dimer. Several issues concerning the accuracy of the forces are discussed, including self-consistency effects, and the effects of integration error. We discuss the use of the forces in dynamical routines for geometry optimizations.
Alterations in Murine Delayed Type Hypersensitivity Responses by Delta-8-THC and Cannabinol

AbstractThe ability of cannabinol and delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC), two cannabinoid mihuana components, to msdify delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cells (SPEC) was investigated in mice. Reduction of DTH reactivity by cannabinol required multiple, daily, postimnunization drug administration. Neither multiple preimnunization dosings nor a single postirrununization dosing was effective. Delta-8-THC produced Werate (13–33%) suppression of DTH reactivity only upn multiple, preimnunization treatments, whereas postimnunization administration only delayed peak DTH reactivity 24 hours Without altering the absolute response level. These results indicate that delta-8-THC and cannabinol possess slight to msderate activity in the suppression of DTH.
FIFTY YEARS AS A PLANT PHYSIOLOGIST

This chapter is a chronological and biographical sketch of the professional life of a botanist-plant physiologist. He just happens to be of African-American descent. He cites his early education and through college and graduate school, as well as his war years at the University of Chicago. His postdoc appointment at Caltech with James Bonner was really his professional beginning and highlight. Most of his teaching and research years were spent at Tuskegee University and the George Washington Carver Research Foundation. He spent several tours of research activity, in both the United States and foreign countries. His contact with plant physiologists was quite broad, both in the United States and overseas. Finally, in his senior years, he has turned to mentoring young students into careers in the biological and allied sciences. This activity, he states, has "kept me young beyond my chronological age."
Toward a taxonomy of concept designs for improved robustness

The term ‘robust design’ denotes various engineering methods intended to make a product's function more consistent despite variations in the environment, manufacturing, deterioration, and customer use patterns. Most robust design methods are employed at the detailed design stage, but the benefits derived may be significantly higher if efforts are made earlier in the design process so that the design concept itself is inherently capable of being made robust. To make progress toward these ends, we studied a large number of inventions documented by US patents that claimed robustness as a key advantage over the prior art. We grouped these patents on the basis of the general strategies they employed. We found that the strategies can be usefully organized via the P-diagram. This paper will describe a few of these strategies by means of examples and explain the relationship of the strategies to the P-diagram.
The Origins of Competence and Achievement Motivation in Personal Causation

I am going to take the position of the loyal opposition. I maintain that the state of the art suggests to me that it is time that we stop studying achievement motivation. Like all other psychological variables, achievement motivation is a part of a whole—the whole is a person. It is time that we stopped studying variables and started studying persons in action. Let me explain with a crude analogy about the state of the art of psychology.
EFFECT OF AUTOLYSIS ON THE DIFFERENTIAL SOLU′BILITY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE POSTERIOR LOBE OF THE PITUITARY BODY1 2

THE ORIGINAL purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the marked disproportion between the pressor and the oxytocic prin′ciples in the posterior lobe of the pituitary glands of whales described by Geiling (1935) and associates (1936), was due to a differential autolysis of the principles of the gland before removal or to a disproportion peculiar to the species. Geiling and associates found the pressor activity of these glands to be 100 per cent of the standard, but the oxytocic content varied from 10 to 40 per cent of the standard. However, Oldham (1938) showed that a similar disproportion appeared in the armadillo under conditions that seem to ex′elude differential autolysis as the only explanation. In the latter work the glands were removed from the armadillos immediately after death. On the other hand, glands removed from the small white whale (porpoise) assayed 100 per cent of the standard for both hormones (Geiling and Coon).
Modification Site Localization Scoring Integrated into a Search Engine

Large proteomic data sets identifying hundreds or thousands of modified peptides are becoming increasingly common in the literature. Several methods for assessing the reliability of peptide identifications both at the individual peptide or data set level have become established. However, tools for measuring the confidence of modification site assignments are sparse and are not often employed. A few tools for estimating phosphorylation site assignment reliabilities have been developed, but these are not integral to a search engine, so require a particular search engine output for a second step of processing. They may also require use of a particular fragmentation method and are mostly only applicable for phosphorylation analysis, rather than post-translational modifications analysis in general. In this study, we present the performance of site assignment scoring that is directly integrated into the search engine Protein Prospector, which allows site assignment reliability to be automatically reported for all modifications present in an identified peptide. It clearly indicates when a site assignment is ambiguous (and if so, between which residues), and reports an assignment score that can be translated into a reliability measure for individual site assignments.
Susceptibility of various life stages of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) to flameless catalytic infrared radiation

In laboratory experiments, a sameless catalytic infrared emitter, fueled by propane, was used to disinfest hard red winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L., containing different life stages of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), an economically important insect species associated with stored wheat in Kansas. The emitter generates infrared radiation in the 3Ð7-m range. The life stages of R. dominica exposed to infrared radiation included eggs, larvae in different stages of development, pupae, and 2-wk-old adults. A noncontact infrared thermometer measured grain tem- peratures continuously during exposures of infested wheat to infrared radiation. The grain temper- atures attained were insuenced by wheat quantity; distance from the emitter; and exposure time, which in turn insuenced effectiveness against various life stages of R. dominica. In general, higher grain temperatures were attained in 113.5 g of wheat as opposed to 227.0 g, and at 8.0 cm from the emitter surface rather than at 12.7 cm, and during a 60-s exposure compared with a 45-s exposure. Logistic regression indicated the probability of death of various life stages of R. dominica was temperature dependent. The log odds ratios showed old larvae were less susceptible to infrared radiation than young larvae. Approximately 94% mortality of all R. dominica life stages occurred when using 113.5 g of wheat, exposed for 60 s at a distance of 8.0 cm from the emitter, resulting in mean SE wheat temperatures that ranged between 107.6 1.4 and 113.5 0.5C. Our results with small grain quantities show sameless catalytic infrared technology to be a promising tool for disinfestation of stored wheat.
The Radiation Hazards (RAD HAZ) Program on the Formulation of Standards

The over-all approach taken in the preparation of RF radiation hazard standards and some basic studies in the areas of RF measurement instrumentation are treated in generalities. Specific problems which need to be investigated before final standards can be formulated are delineated. Emphasis is placed on the evolution and composition of radiation hazard standards, RF radiation instrumentation, electromagnetic wave propagation in the "near field" and RF field intensity sensors. Sensor investigations discussed cover the Hall effect and the pearl chain phenomenon.
Indicators of genetic and environmental influence in alcohol-dependent individuals

Although much is known about genetic and environmental influences in alcohol dependence at the population level, little is known about the relative contribution of such influences on individuals. As an initial step toward individual assessment, concordance for the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, version III alcohol symptoms was determined in a sample (n = 113) of male monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Items were assigned to a genetic or environmental scale on the basis of significant MZ/DZ differences in proband-wise concordance rates. Weights were assigned to items based on factor analyses. For the genetic scale, significant differences were found between MZ and DZ intraclass correlations. No significant differences were found between MZ and DZ correlations on the environmental scale. When scores on the environmental scale were controlled, genetic scale scores were correlated with earlier age of onset of alcohol problems and a shorter interval between first intoxication and onset of alcohol problems. When scores on the genetic scale were controlled, environmental scale scores were correlated with later age of onset of alcohol problems and a longer interval between first intoxication and onset of alcohol problems. These results suggest it is possible to assess relative influence of genetic and environmental factors in individual cases of alcohol dependence.
Rapid Identification of Mitochondrial Cytochrome B Haplotypes by Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism in Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) Populations

Newly designed primers amplified a 365-bp fragment including the 3′ end of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b). Field collected specimens of the sand fly, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva), from two Brazil locations provided test DNA. The primers, based on consensus sequences from a taxonomic spectrum of arthropods, have also amplified DNA successfully from Lutzomyia shannoni Dyar, Lutzomyia cruzi (Mangabeira), and the mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) was used to recognize the presence of L. longipalpis haplotypes; these were verified subsequently by sequencing the polymerase chain reaction products. The sensitivity of SSCP was demonstrated by (1) the detection of single nucleotide differences in SSCP variants and (2) no sequence variation in specimens with the same SSCP mobility. The application of new primers and the SSCP technique provided a valuable addition to available population genetic tools: they increased the efficiency of detection of variability in the cyt b gene and decreased the time required for screening large numbers of specimens to detect nucleotide variation.
Comparison study of graphene based conductive nanocomposites using poly(methyl methacrylate) and polypyrrole as matrix materials

Graphene was used as the filler to mix with two kinds of polymer materials, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polypyrrole (PPy). PMMA is an insulator and PPy is an intrinsic semiconducting/conducting polymer. Graphene/PMMA nanocomposite (GrPMMA) was produced by solution blending and spin-coating deposition, and graphene/PPy nanocomposite (GrPPy) was produced by in situ polymerization and doctor-blade coating. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the structures of GrPMMA and GrPPy. The electrical conductivity was studied as a function of graphene concentration for both GrPMMA and GrPPy. The electrical conductivity of PMMA was improved drastically after adding graphene, and the electrical conductivity of GrPMMA increases as the graphene concentration increases. However, the electrical conductivity of PPy decreases after adding graphene, and the electrical conductivity of GrPPy decreases as the graphene concentration increases. The difference in change in electrical conductivity of PMMA and PPy after addition of graphene may be due to the different electron transport mechanisms of those two nanocomposite materials.
Development of an Integrated Theory of Surgical Recovery in Older Adults

Experts argue the health care system is not prepared to meet the unique needs of older surgical patients, including how to provide the best care during the recovery phase. Nutrition plays a critical role in the recovery of surgical patients. Since older adults are at risk for malnutrition, examining the role of nutrition as a mediator for surgical recovery across the care continuum in older adults is critical. Presently there is a paucity of frameworks, models, and guidelines that integrate the role of nutrition on the trajectory of postoperative recovery in older surgical patients. The purpose of this article is to introduce the Integrated Theory of Surgical Recovery in Older Adults, an interdisciplinary middle-range theory, so that scholars, researchers, and clinicians can use this framework to promote recovery from surgery in older adults by considering the contribution of mediators of recovery (nutritional status, functional status, and frailty) unique to the older adults.
User password repetitive patterns analysis and visualization

Purpose – Passwords have been designed to protect individual privacy and security and widely used in almost every area of our life. The strength of passwords is therefore critical to the security of our systems. However, due to the explosion of user accounts and increasing complexity of password rules, users are struggling to find ways to make up sufficiently secure yet easy-to-remember passwords. This paper aims to investigate whether there are repetitive patterns when users choose passwords and how such behaviors may affect us to rethink password security policy. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop a model to formalize the password repetitive problem and design efficient algorithms to analyze the repeat patterns. To help security practitioners to analyze patterns, the authors design and implement a lightweight, Web-based visualization tool for interactive exploration of password data. Findings – Through case studies on a real-world leaked password data set, the authors demonstrate how the ...
Additions to the Uredinales Reported for Peru

The Uredinales reported in this paper were collected, for the most part, by Macbride and Featherstone and were made available for study by Dr. Francis Drouet, the Chicago Natural History Museum. All specimens are deposited in the Chicago Natural History Museum, with duplicates in the Arthur Herbarium of the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station. Species of rusts or of hosts marked with an asterisk are those not recorded by Garcia Rada and Stevenson (La Flora Fungosa Peruana. 112 pp. 1942. Lima, Peru).
An Ecological Analysis of School Engagement Among Urban, Low-Income Latino Adolescents:

This study examined a multidimensional model of school engagement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004) among low-income, urban Latino adolescents. Ecological theory suggests that students’ school...
Information Management in Infectious Diseases: Survival of the Fittest

Like all physicians, infectious disease practitioners are concerned and uncertain about their future role as the United States undergoes a major reform of its health care system. Managed care has become the dominant type of health care provided to most patients in the United States, and specialists are increasingly threatened as patient referrals decrease, reimbursements decline, and health care organizations preferentially recruit primary care physicians over specialists. These changes may represent a potential shift in responsibilities and duties for many infectious disease practitioners. The primary role of the infectious disease physician has traditionally been consultative, although many practitioners have organized programs in infection control, hospital epidemiology, and antibiotic management. These programs have become more important as managed care organizations understand the implications of their potential cost savings. The value of these programs will also be significantly enhanced by the ongoing revolution in medical information management that is being driven by computerization. This paper outlines the enlarging role of computerized information management in clinical patient care and its impact on infectious disease practitioners who are increasingly involved in infection control, hospital epidemiology, and antibiotic management programs, as well as in the development of computerized clinical information systems.
Surface-Bound Ruthenium Diimine Organometallic Complexes: Excited-State Properties

Ruthenium complexes of the general formula [Ru(CO)(H)(L2)(L′2)][PF6] (L2 = trans-2PPh3, L′ = η2-4,4′-dicarboxybipyridine (1); L2 =trans-2Ph2PCH2CH2COOH, L′2 = bipyridine (2); L2 = Ph2PCHCHPPh2, L′ = η2-5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline (3); L2 = trans-2PPh3, L′2 = η2-4-carboxaldehyde-4′-methylbipyridine (4)) have been shown to have longer emission lifetimes and higher quantum yields in solution compared with more symmetrical molecules such as [Ru(bpy)3][Cl]2. Compound 4 is obtained as a mixture with the corresponding acetal, 4′. These less symmetrical complexes have been covalently immobilized on the surface of silica polyamine composites, and their photophysical properties have been studied. The surface-bound complexes have been characterized by solid-state CPMAS 13C, 31P, and 29Si NMR, UV–vis, and FT-IR spectroscopies. Excited-state lifetime studies revealed that, in general, the lifetimes of the immobilized complexes are 1.4 to 8 times longer than in solution and are dependent on particle size (300–500 μm ve...
Ceratiocaris from the Silurian Waukesha Biota, Wisconsin

Abstract. Phyllocarids of the Waukesha Biota were systematically and taphonomically evaluated. Three Ceratiocaris species are present in the biota: C. macroura Collette and Rudkin, 2010; C. papilio Salter in Murchison, 1859; and C. pusilla Matthew, 1889. Specimens range in completeness from nearly complete, including the cephalic to caudal regions, to isolated telsons and furcae. Evidence of Salter's position is present in only three specimens. Relatively complete specimens are interpreted to represent corpses, rather than molts; whereas specimens including only the pleon and caudal region, or caudal region, and specimens with evidence of Salter's position likely represent exuviae. Specimens are preserved essentially as compression fossils exhibiting two types of preserved cuticle: brown inner cuticle, which tends to be impressed over the topography of bedding planes on which specimens are preserved, and blue-gray phosphatized cuticle exhibiting sub-millimeter scale relief. Cuticle phosphatization likely ...
One-dimensional organic lead halide perovskites with efficient bluish white-light emission.

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites, an emerging class of solution processable photoactive materials, welcome a new member with a one-dimensional structure. Herein we report the synthesis, crystal structure and photophysical properties of one-dimensional organic lead bromide perovskites, C4N2H14PbBr4, in which the edge sharing octahedral lead bromide chains [PbBr4 2−]∞ are surrounded by the organic cations C4N2H14 2+ to form the bulk assembly of core-shell quantum wires. This unique one-dimensional structure enables strong quantum confinement with the formation of self-trapped excited states that give efficient bluish white-light emissions with photoluminescence quantum efficiencies of approximately 20% for the bulk single crystals and 12% for the microscale crystals. This work verifies once again that one-dimensional systems are favourable for exciton self-trapping to produce highly efficient below-gap broadband luminescence, and opens up a new route towards superior light emitters based on bulk quantum materials. Low-dimensional systems exhibit unique optical properties. Yuanet al. demonstrate one-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites with highly efficient bluish white-light emission due to efficient exciton self-trapping in the quantum-confined structure.