cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Morbidity of Undiagnosed Celiac Disease From a Community-Based Study

Background & Aims Little is known about the prevalence and burden of undiagnosed celiac disease in individuals younger than age 50. We determined the prevalence and morbidity of undiagnosed celiac disease in individuals younger than age 50 in a community. Methods We tested sera from 31,255 residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota ( Results We identified 338 of 30,425 adults with positive results from both serologic tests. Based on this finding, we estimated the prevalence of celiac disease to be 1.1% (95% confidence interval, 1.0%–1.2%); 8 of 830 children tested positive for IgA against tissue transglutaminase (1.0%; 95% confidence interval, 0.4%–1.9%). No typical symptoms or classic consequences of diagnosed celiac disease (diarrhea, anemia, or fracture) were associated with undiagnosed celiac disease. Undiagnosed celiac disease was associated with increased rates of hypothyroidism (odds ratio, 2.2; P P = .03) and ferritin level ( P = .01). During a median follow-up period of 6.3 years, the cumulative incidence of a subsequent diagnosis with celiac disease at 5 years after testing was 10.8% in persons with undiagnosed celiac disease vs 0.1% in seronegative persons ( P Conclusions Based on serologic tests of a community population for celiac disease, we estimated the prevalence of undiagnosed celiac disease to be 1.1%. Undiagnosed celiac disease appeared to be clinically silent and remained undetected, but long-term outcomes have not been determined.
Masculinity, Femininity, Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs, and Rape Myth Acceptance Among Heterosexual College Men and Women

Previous research has found links between masculinity, femininity, cognition, and rape myth acceptance. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sexual dysfunctional beliefs—beliefs about sexuality and gender roles that have been linked to sexual disorders—explain variance in rape myth acceptance beyond that explained by an individual’s masculinity or femininity. Heterosexual college men and women in the U.S. (N = 840) completed a survey online. We found that, among men, masculinity was not associated with rape myth acceptance but that male sexual dysfunctional beliefs were positively associated with rape myth acceptance. Among women, femininity was negatively associated with rape myth acceptance but female sexual dysfunctional beliefs were positively associated with rape myth acceptance. These results suggest that, among both men and women, sexual dysfunctional beliefs are better predictors of rape myth acceptance than masculinity and femininity.
Wideband RF front-end transceiver with integrated phase-locked loop

This paper presents a wideband direct-conversion transceiver front-end implemented in 65nm CMOS technology. The receiver section consists of noise cancellation LNA, down-conversion quadrature mixers, while the transmitter section includes pre-PA driver and up-conversion mixers. For frequency synthesis, a 3.8–7.6GHz PLL is implemented in the chip together with a chain of divide-by-2 circuits for quadrature generation. The transmitter operates from 0.7–3.7GHz with OIP3 better than 15.8dBm. The receiver achieves 3dB RF bandwidth of 0.7–2.6GHz with conversion gain of 29dB and IIP3 better than −6dBm.
A Case Series of the Probability Density and Cumulative Distribution of Laryngeal Disease in a Tertiary Care Voice Center

Objective:To examine the distribution of clinic and operative pathology in a tertiary care laryngology practice.Methods:Probability density and cumulative distribution analyses (Pareto analysis) wa...
Invariants of Regular Models of the Product of Two Elliptic Curves at a Place of Multiplicative Reduction

The divisor class group, (co)homology, and Picard group of the closed fibers of various regular proper models of the product of two elliptic curves at a place of multiplicative reduction are computed. The variation of the isomorphism class of the closed fiber with the variation of the elliptic curves is discussed. The higher direct images of the sheaf, \(\mathbb{Z}/n\), are computed when n is prime to the residue characteristic.
The Influence of Investigative Resources on Homicide Clearances

This paper investigates the influence of case characteristics and investigative resources on homicide clearance rates. We extend a previous evaluation of a problem-oriented policing project intended to improve homicide clearance rates in Boston. Data were collected on N = 465 homicide incidents that occurred between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2014. Confirmatory factor analyses are used to identify latent variables representing investigative resources, initial crime scene results, and subsequent investigative actions and forensic testing. The effects of these investigative factors on homicide clearances net other covariates were estimated using mixed effects logistic regression models. Mediation analysis was then used to decompose the total, direct, and indirect effect of investigative resources on homicide clearances. Exploratory group comparisons were examined to distinguish investigative differences in gang and drug homicides relative to non-gang and non-drug homicides. Investigative resources, crime scene results, and subsequent investigative actions and forensic testing were found to increase the likelihood of homicide case clearance controlling for other covariates. Investigative resources were found to produce both direct and indirect impacts on homicide clearances mediated through its positive influence on initial crime scene results and subsequent investigative actions and forensic testing. Clearance through follow-up investigation was more difficult for gang and drug homicide cases when compared to other homicide cases. While inherited case characteristics matter, enhanced investigative resources and improved practices increase homicide clearances. Beyond investments to improve investigations, gang and drug homicides remain particularly difficult to clear due to a lack of physical evidence and witness cooperation.
Digital Signaling on ISI Channels

Land mobile radio channels are modeled as fading dispersive channels, because of the multipath propagation and the randomly changing medium characteristics. Many types of impairments are observed on these channels such as multipath spread (or delay spread), fading, Doppler spread, nonlinear distortion, frequency offset, phase jitter, impulse noise, thermal noise, and co-channel and adjacent channel interference arising from spectrum sharing. This chapter concentrates on the effects of delay spread, fading, Doppler spread, thermal noise, and co-channel interference. Delay spread causes interference between adjacent symbols, known as intersymbol interference (ISI), a large Doppler spread indicates rapid channel variations and necessitates a fast convergent algorithm when an adaptive receiver is employed, and fading results in a very low received signal-to-noise ratio or signal-to-interference ratio when the channel exhibits a deep fade.
A critique of Mark Colvin's, crime and coercion: An integrated theory of chronic criminality

Colvin (2000) argues that thepropensity for chronic criminal behaviorresults from developmental andsocialization processes that ultimatelyoriginate in the application of erraticcoercive control. He further argues thatthis process operates at multiple levels(i.e., individual, group, andorganizational). In addition, he arguesthat the relationship between the types ofcontrol and criminal behavior is mediatedthrough intergenerational and developmentaleffects, suggesting that the control typethat has the greatest effect on behavior isone that will be passed on to the nextindividual, group, or organization.In this paper, we critique the theoryproposed by Colvin. First, we summarizethe theory. Second, we categorize it interms of its relationship to other types ofcriminology theories. Third, we criticizeit for failing to sufficiently specify itsempirical assertions in order to facilitateempirical testing, and we suggest sixhypotheses that we think capture at least asmall portion of the theory itself.
Educational Intervention Enhances Clinician Awareness of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic Teachings around End-of-Life Care.

Abstract Background: Patients' religious and spiritual values impact their goals and perception of illness, especially at the end of life (EOL). According to the Joint Commission, identifying spiritual beliefs may improve cultural competency and patient-centered care. However, clinicians may be uncomfortable discussing spirituality and unaware of basic religious teachings. Objectives: To assess clinician understanding and knowledge of key Christian, Jewish, and Islamic teachings around EOL care before and after a one-hour educational intervention through video podcast. Design: After literature review and consultation with religious leaders, a pre- and post-test (10 questions per religion plus demographic questions) to assess knowledge of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic teachings and an educational video podcast were developed. The pretest was administered to healthcare providers, followed by a one-hour educational intervention through a video podcast. Next, a post-test was administered. Subjects: Seventy-t...
Evaluation of IV to Enteral Benzodiazepine Conversion Calculations in a Pediatric Intensive Care Setting.

Objectives:To evaluate if institutionally established calculations for transitioning continuous IV midazolam to enteral benzodiazepines maintain Withdrawal Assessment Tool—Version 1 scores equal to or less than preconversion values.Design:Retrospective cohort study evaluating the effectiveness and s
A Lattice QCD study of the $\rho$ resonance

We present a lattice QCD study of the $\rho$ resonance with $N_f=2+1$ clover fermions at a pion mass of approximately $320$ MeV and lattice size $3.6$ fm. We consider two processes involving the $\rho$. The first process is elastic scattering of two pions in P-wave with isospin $1$. Using the Luscher method we determine the scattering phase shift, from which we obtain the $\rho$ resonance mass and decay width $\Gamma(\rho\to\pi\pi)$. The second process is the radiative transition $\pi\gamma\to\pi\pi$, where we follow the Briceno-Hansen-Walker-Loud approach to determine the transition amplitude in the invariant mass region near the $\rho$ resonance and for both space- and time-like photon momentum. This allows us to determine the coupling between the $\rho$, the pion and the photon, and the resulting $\rho$ radiative decay width.
Novel diamond shuttle to deliver flexible bioelectronics with reduced tissue compression

The ability to deliver highly compliant biosensors through the toughest membranes of the central and peripheral nervous system is an important challenge in neuroscience and neural engineering. Bioelectronic devices implanted through dura mater and thick epineurium would ideally create minimal compression and acute damage as they reach the neurons of interest. We demonstrate that a novel diamond shuttle can deliver ultra-compliant polymer microelectrodes to intraneural structures with the smallest cross-sectional area and dimpling reported to date. This was demonstrated in vivo through rat dura mater and feline dura and dorsal root epineurium. The dorsal root ganglia are an especially relevant target for organ function and pain research, and unlike dura mater over the brain, its outer membrane cannot be removed surgically. We present a method of creating a unique diamond shuttle, only 11 microns thick with a T-beam vertical support, that pierces dura and epineurium. This T-beam structure reduced the cross-sectional area of the shuttle by 58% relative to an equivalently stiff silicon shuttle. We also discovered that higher frequency oscillation of the shuttle, at 200 Hz, significantly reduced tissue compression regardless of the insertion speed, while slow speeds independently also reduced tissue compression. Finally, we demonstrate the shuttle delivery of and neural recordings from ultra-fine, flexible arrays (5 microns thick, 65 microns wide) with 60 microelectrodes in a 1.2-mm span from different neural targets. This novel microelectrode shuttle has a large design space making it suitable for research in a variety of central and peripheral nervous system targets and animal models.
A KOI DIAGNOSIS: ACHROMOBACTER XYLOSOXIDANS AS AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF MITRAL VALVE ENDOCARDITIS

Achromobacter xylosoxidans is a rare and unusual cause of native valve endocarditis. A 67-year-old male with a history of rheumatic mitral stenosis and splenectomy presented with 1 week of fevers, chills and worsening dyspnea. On admission, he was febrile to 101.4F. Physical exam revealed no
Therapeutic Positive Airway Pressure Level Predicts Response to Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Study Objectives:To determine whether therapeutic positive airway pressure (PAP) level predicts response to hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) for obstructive sleep apnea using the coprimary outc...
Toward Understanding the Lexical-Morphological Networks of Children With Specific Language Impairment: Analysis of Responses on a Morphological Production Task.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterize the lexical–morphological networks of children with specific language impairment (SLI) compared to children with typical language by analyzing ...
Case report: North Carolina macular dystrophy misdiagnosed as congenital ocular toxoplasmosis.

Purpose This report discusses a case of North Carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD) in a 7-year-old boy initially diagnosed as congenital toxoplasmosis. Genetic testing was performed on the child and his family after the suspicion of NCMD was raised by the treating ophthalmologist. This case report highlights the similarities between congenital toxoplasmosis and NCMD. Methods DNA was collected from the family with consent and underwent comparative genomic hybridization and Sanger sequencing. Results Genetic testing identified a previously reported single base substitution (chromosome 6: 99,593,111 (G>C) NC_000006.11(GRCh38):g.100040987G>C), which confirms a diagnosis of NCMD. Conclusions We believe this is the first confirmed case of NCMD in Australia. This case highlights the similarities between NCMD and more commonly recognized conditions, such as ocular toxoplasmosis, and raises the question; How many other cases are misdiagnosed as ocular toxoplasmosis?
Seeking Changes in Ivory Towers: The Impact of Gender Quotas on Female Academics in Higher Education

Abstract This study examines whether and how gender quotas achieve their primary objective to increase female representation in university faculty positions. Using a longitudinal dataset from South Korea (2001–2017), this study highlights vertical and horizontal segregation in academia and the differential impact of quotas on faculty composition across academic ranks and disciplines. The data shows that gender quotas have a positive effect on female faculty representation at all levels of tenured and tenure-track professorship but not for leadership and higher administrative positions such as Dean, Provost, and President. The findings suggest that uniformly implemented gender quotas focusing on entry-level faculty may not be sufficient to improve gender inequality in higher levels of the academic hierarchy. The mixed evidence as to whether gender quotas are effective at closing the gap across and within academic disciplines implies that the effect of these quotas can be limited and slow-acting in the areas where women are severely underrepresented.
Conformable Fractional Quantitative Approximation of Stochastic Processes

Here we consider and study very general stochastic positive linear operators induced by general positive linear operators that are acting on continuous functions. These are acting on the space of real conformable fractionally differentiable stochastic processes. Under some very mild, general and natural assumptions on the stochastic processes we produce related conformable fractional stochastic Shisha-Mond type inequalities of \(L^{q}\)-type \(1\le q\, 0\), \(\alpha \notin \mathbb {N}\). The impressive fact is that the basic real Korovkin test functions assumptions are enough for the conclusions of our conformable fractional stochastic Korovkin theory. We give conformable fractional applications to stochastic Bernstein operators. See also [9].
Diagnosing 12 prostate needle cores within an hour of biopsy via open-top light-sheet microscopy

Significance Processing and diagnosing a set of 12 prostate biopsies using conventional histology methods typically take at least one day. A rapid and accurate process performed while the patient is still on-site could significantly improve the patient's quality of life. Aim We develop and assess the feasibility of a one-hour-to-diagnosis (1Hr2Dx) method for processing and providing a preliminary diagnosis of a set of 12 prostate biopsies. Approach We developed a fluorescence staining, optical clearing, and 3D open-top light-sheet microscopy workflow to enable 12 prostate needle core biopsies to be processed and diagnosed within an hour of receipt. We analyzed 44 biopsies by the 1Hr2Dx method, which does not consume tissue. The biopsies were then processed for routine, slide-based 2D histology. Three pathologists independently evaluated the 3D 1Hr2Dx and 2D slide-based datasets in a blinded, randomized fashion. Turnaround times were recorded, and the accuracy of our method was compared with gold-standard slide-based histology. Results The average turnaround time for tissue processing, imaging, and diagnosis was 44.5 min. The sensitivity and specificity of 1Hr2Dx in diagnosing cancer were both >90 % . Conclusions The 1Hr2Dx method has the potential to improve patient care by providing an accurate preliminary diagnosis within an hour of biopsy.
Problem Definition and Community Participation in Environmental Health Interventions: An Exploratory Study of Groundwater Arsenic Remediation

Arsenic, a known carcinogen, naturally occurs in the groundwater in large parts of West Bengal, a state in eastern India. Communities that depend on groundwater face twice the lifetime mortality risk for cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and developmental disorders. This study, focused on arsenic-affected communities in the state of West Bengal, offers an initial exploration of how local stakeholders construct groundwater arsenic as a health problem. Arsenic remediation interventions involve a host of international, regional, and local stakeholders (public health departments, government engineers, community health workers, consultants, hydrologists, etc.). How an environmental health problem is constructed has implications for who is considered responsible, what causes it, and pertinently, how/whether affected communities participate in addressing the problem. Drawing from a culture-centered approach, this fieldwork-based study offers three distinct yet related problem construction discourses, viz. social/political, technical and personal, in how the problem of arsenic is construed locally, and how such discourses are related to a particular conceptualization of community participation in environmental health.
Cultural Considerations for Effective Six Sigma Teams

An excellent definition of culture is by Schein (2010), who said that culture is simply the way that people have agreed to do things in a group. The groups discussed in this chapter are organizational, professional, and societal. It is essential that these cultures be considered before starting Six Sigma implementation and when working in Six Sigma teams. Cross-cultural problems arise because the differences and resulting complications are not acknowledged, accepted, and solved. The final section of this chapter is a discussion of methods to make changes that may be needed in culture before a Six Sigma team can be effective.
Electrochemical desalination coupled with energy recovery and storage

Abstract This paper presents the performance of a dual-purpose Zinc|ferricyanide desalination battery for simultaneous desalination and energy storage operations. The zinc|ferricyanide battery consists of an anode chamber with a zinc electrode immersed in ZnCl2(aq) electrolyte, a cathode chamber with a graphite electrode and electrolyte solution of K3[Fe(CN)6](aq) and K4[Fe(CN)6](aq), as well as a middle chamber with saline water to be desalinated. These chambers are separated by anionic and cationic exchange membranes, respectively. A series of experiments were conducted to study the impact of charging and discharging cycles on desalination-salination rates, power storage, and discharge rates at different charging capacities. The electrochemical cell was also characterized in terms of power density and desalination performance under various conditions. Results from this study confirm that the electrochemical battery desalination method has the potential to store energy and the charging-discharging cycles of the battery can provide a mechanism for desalination, which is achieved free of energy consumption. A desalination rate of 30.3% can be achieved during a 12-hr discharge period, which decreased the salinity levels from 41.2 g/L to 28.7 g/L. This result indicates that the process is also suitable for pre-desalination or pretreatment of high saline waters, which is a major challenge for current membrane processes.
Retinal emboli after cervicopetrous junction internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm stenting.

Author(s): Mekonnen, Zesemayat K; Everett, Lesley A; Hetts, Steven W; Afshar, Armin R | Abstract: PurposeTo describe acute and chronic retinal ischemic changes following an internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm stenting procedure, and to review current evidence for risk factors and management of post-procedural retinal ischemic events.ObservationA 50-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of pulsatile tinnitus, headache, and intermittent blurry vision. A CT angiogram of head and neck showed bilateral cervicopetrous internal carotid artery (ICA) pseudoaneurysms. The patient underwent successful repair with angioplasty and stenting of the flow-limiting high-grade (g95%) stenosis of his left high cervical ICA. On post-operative day 1, the patient reported monocular vision loss with a large central scotoma. He was found to have a central macular area of retinal whitening and multiple areas of perivascular retinal whitening on exam, concerning for retinal artery occlusions secondary to peri-procedural emboli. Dual antiplatelet therapy was started and a stroke evaluation was performed. Two months later, his visual acuity in the affected eye was counting fingers and his left eye fundus examination was notable for multiple areas of scattered hemorrhages, microaneurysms, and retinal exudates in the distribution of prior retinal ischemia. OCT imaging revealed atrophic changes in the left macula. Subsequently, the patient completed stage-2 repair of the left ICA pseudoaneurysm followed by uncomplicated repair of the right ICA. Four months later, his left eye visual acuity and retinal findings remained stable.Conclusions and importancePost-procedure retinal emboli and ischemia are important, vision threatening possible ocular complications for patients undergoing carotid vascular and endovascular procedures.
A Plasma-Switch Impedance Tuner for Real-Time, Frequency-Agile, High-Power Radar Transmitter Reconfiguration

Recent policy changes to the United States radar S-band allocation requires that radar transmitters share the 3.45 to 3.7 GHz range with fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication systems. As more radar spectrum is designated for sharing, reconfigurable high-power radar transmitters are needed that can maintain performance while quickly adjusting operating frequency. At the heart of a frequency-agile radar transmitter is a reconfigurable matching network, placed between the power amplifier and the antenna, that can maintain optimal range performance in real time by adaptively matching the antenna to the amplifier. Our impedance tuner consists of laser diodes illuminating semiconductor-plasma switches to selectively expose six microstrip stubs and has an octave tuning range from 2–4 GHz. Using an advanced tuning algorithm, the tuner can optimize output power in approximately 260 µs under control of a software-defined radio platform, an improvement of three orders of magnitude over presently available high-power tuning technologies.
Restoration of default mode network and task positive network anti-correlation associated with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder.

Individuals with bipolar disorder (BP) show abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN), a brain network active at rest and during self-referential cognition. In healthy individuals, the DMN is anti-correlated (strongly negatively correlated) with the task positive network (TPN), a brain network that is active during attention demanding tasks. Mindfulness has been linked to changes in DMN connectivity. We investigated the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) versus supportive psychotherapy (SP) on the relationship between these two networks in individuals with BP. We identified differences in BOLD resting state DMN-TPN connectivity between healthy controls (HC; n = 22) and individuals with DSM-IV BP before treatment (n = 22) using a seed region in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key TPN node. We then explored changes in DMN-TPN connectivity after 12 weeks of MBCT or SP. Before treatment, BP individuals showed positively correlated activity and the HC group showed negatively correlated activity between the DLPFC and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). After treatment, BP individuals who received MBCT showed negatively correlated DLPFC-PCC activity. BP individuals who received SP did not show a significant change. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can restore the anti-correlation between the DMN and TPN in individuals with BP.
Four Predictions for the Criminal Law of 2043

The Model Penal Code has all the markings of an historic document. It is a sophisticated and enlightened model for penal reform that has put the United States in the front row of reformers. And many believe that the likes of such an historic reform will not come again for more than another century.In my view, it can hardly be disputed that the Code is an historic document. It is less clear, however, that we should not expect a dramatically different code before another century.
New perfluoropolymers bearing dialkylamino groups as side chains

New perfluorovinyl monomers such as perfluorovinylamines, perfluoroallylamines and perfluorovinyl ethers bearing a dimethylamino, pyrrolidino, morpholino or piperidino group were subjected to copolymerization. Whereas perfluorovinylamines and perfluoroallylamines copolymerized only with vinylidene fluoride, the radical copolymerization of perfluorovinyl ethers and tetrafluoroethylene afforded copolymers that could be fabricated into films and had high thermal stability and gas permeability. These copolymers bearing cyclic amino groups as side chains were reacted with fuming sulfuric acid and then hydrolysed to give perfluoropolymers bearing carboxyl groups, which showed improved wettability.
The role of climate and out-of-Africa migration in the frequencies of risk alleles for 21 human diseases

Demography and environmental adaptation can affect the global distribution of genetic variants and possibly the distribution of disease. Population heterozygosity of single nucleotide polymorphisms has been shown to decrease strongly with distance from Africa and this has been attributed to the effect of serial founding events during the migration of humans out of Africa. Additionally, population allele frequencies have been shown to change due to environmental adaptation. Here, we investigate the relationship of Out-of-Africa migration and climatic variables to the distribution of risk alleles for 21 diseases. For each disease, we computed the regression of average heterozygosity and average allele frequency of the risk alleles with distance from Africa and 9 environmental variables. We compared these regressions to a null distribution created by regressing statistics for SNPs not associated with disease on distance from Africa and these environmental variables. Additionally, we used Bayenv 2.0 to assess the signal of environmental adaptation associated with individual risk SNPs. For those SNPs in HGDP and HapMap that are risk alleles for type 2 diabetes, we cannot reject that their distribution is as expected from Out-of-Africa migration. However, the allelic statistics for many other diseases correlate more closely with environmental variables than would be expected from the serial founder effect and show signals of environmental adaptation. We report strong environmental interactions with several autoimmune diseases, and note a particularly strong interaction between asthma and summer humidity. Additionally, we identified several risk genes with strong environmental associations. For most diseases, migration does not explain the distribution of risk alleles and the worldwide pattern of allele frequencies for some diseases may be better explained by environmental associations, which suggests that some selection has acted on these diseases.
Incidence and aetiologies of pulmonary granulomatous inflammation: a decade of experience.

Background and objective Granulomatous lung disease (GLD) is caused by a wide range of conditions. Often there is a need to correlate pathological findings with clinical, microbiological or radiological data to determine an aetiology. The aim of this study was to determine the different aetiologies of GLD over the past decade. Methods Among 2228 consecutive lung specimens from 1999 to 2011, 226 cases (10.1%) were positive for GLD. One hundred ninety patients were retrospectively reviewed and diagnoses were assigned based on availability of histological/clinical/microbiological correlation. Results A confident, probable and uncertain diagnosis was made in 68.4%, 13.2% and 18.4% patients. The aetiologies comprised infectious, non-infectious and uncertain in 54.7%, 26.8% and 18.4% patients. Mycobacterial infections constituted 27% of all patients, and included atypical, tuberculous and unclassified mycobacteria in order of frequency. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were visualized in tissue sections in 29% cases and cultured in 73% cases. Fungal infections comprised 27% of all cases, which included Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, Aspergillus and Histoplasma in order of frequency. Fungi were visualized in tissue sections with Gomori methenamine silver (GMS) stain in 83% patients and cultured in 52% cases. Sarcoidosis was the major non-infectious aetiology, constituting 21% of all patients. Necrosis in granulomas was associated with the presence of infection (P < 0.001). Conclusions The aetiology in necrotizing GLD with negative AFB and GMS stains is most likely infectious due to atypical mycobacteria. Coccidioidomycosis was the most common fungal infection. The aetiology in non-necrotizing GLD is most likely non-infectious, probably sarcoidosis.
Research in the delivery of health care: Evolution of a maternity and infant care project

Abstract During the past 12 years the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has played an ever increasing role in the delivery of female health care to low-income women. The programs have undergone changes, administrative and structural. The purpose of this report is to review the objectives of a maternal and infant care project as set forth philosophically, to describe the changes that have occurred and to delineate the reasons for same, and, to present a critical evaluation of the program's activities. Upon review of original objectives it has become clear that a few are spurious, some impossible to achieve, others unrealistic, but most still pertinent and some already attained. The data collected plus other experience permit us to comment upon various matters pertaining to the delivery of female health care.
Superconducting properties of (SN)x

The superconducting properties of polysulfur nitride, (SN)x, are reviewed. It is shown that superconductivity is a bulk property of (SN)x, but that a detailed understanding of many properties of the superconducting state must take account of the fibrous morphology and imperfect nature of (SN)x crystals.
A Comparison of Arteries and Veins in Oxidative Stress: Producers, Destroyers, Function, and Disease

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of oxygen metabolism, normally present in low levels inside cells, where they participate in signaling processes. The delicate balance in the continuous cycle of ROS generation and inactivation is maintained by enzymatic and nonenzymatic endogenous systems. Overwhelming production of ROS (by such sources as the mitochondrial electron transport chain, NADPH oxidase, xanthine oxidase, or uncoupled nitric oxide synthase), when inadequately counteracted by destruction through antioxidant systems (such as superoxide dismutase or catalase), leads to a prooxidant state also known as oxidative stress. Increased levels of ROS and markers of oxidative stress have been consistently found in such cardiovascular diseases as atherosclerosis or hypertension, although controversy still exists over the pathophysiological role of oxidative stress in these conditions. ROS can modulate vascular function either by direct oxidative damage or by activating cellular signaling pathways that lead to abnormal contractile, inflammatory, proliferative, or remodeling properties of the blood vessel. Most current research focuses on these processes in arteries, leaving veins, "the other side" of vascular biology, in obscurity. Veins are different structurally and functionally from arteries. Equipped with a smaller smooth muscle layer compared to arteries, but being able to accommodate 70% of the circulating blood volume, veins can modulate cardiovascular homeostasis and contribute significantly to hypertension pathogenesis. Although the reports on the quantitative differences in ROS production in veins compared to arteries had conflicting results, there is a clear qualitative difference in ROS metabolism and utilization between the two vessel types. This review will compare and contrast the current knowledge of ROS metabolism in arteries versus veins in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying vascular diseases would greatly benefit from a more thorough exploration of the role of veins and venous oxidative stress.
Use of Social Security Work Incentives by supported employment agencies and consumers: findings from a national survey

This article reports findings from a sUlVey of 385 supported employment provider agencies on their use of two Social Security Work Incentives, the Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) and Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE). Results indicated that PASS and IRWE use by supported employment consumers exceeds that of the SSA beneficiary population. PASS and IRWE approval rates were reported to be high, and respondents generally reported few problems in accessing these supports. Set-aside funds were predominantly used to purchase transportation, supported employment selVices, work equipment and supplies, and other needed supports and selVices. Findings are discussed in light of reports by the U.S. General Accounting Office that have found mismanagement and misuse of SSA Work Incentives.
Contemporary Approaches to Critical Thinking and the World Wide Web.

The benefits of critical thinking1 are frequently heard and promoted by today's educators. Critical thinking is now an oft-cited issue in most school subjects. Because of its prevalence, and because making art is a way of thinking, I began researching the concept of critical thinking.
Effect of phleomycin on polyoma virus synthesis in mouse embryo cells.

The addition of phleomycin (25 μg) to primary mouse embryo cells infected with polyoma virus was found to cause 96% inhibition of the synthesis of infectious virus. When ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis was investigated in these cells by use of isotope incorporation, it was found that neither was inhibited drastically. Immunofluorescent staining studies with the use of antibody directed to the viral structural proteins showed that proteins were synthesized in the presence of the antibiotic. However, when deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis was investigated, it was found that DNA synthesis in uninfected cells was completely inhibited within the initial 10 hr of phleomycin addition, whereas DNA synthesis in infected cells proceeded at a reduced rate. Selective DNA extraction (Hirt method) of phleomycin-treated infected cells demonstrated that synthesized viral DNA was salt-extractable, similar to that in infected control cells lacking phleomycin. This extracted DNA was further fractionated by ethidium bromide-cesium chloride density gradient equilibrium centrifugation. The phleomycin-treated preparations revealed twice as much component II (circular nicked and linear) as component I (supercoiled) DNA, whereas the DNA from normally infected control cells showed the reverse picture. It was also demonstrated that viral particles synthesized in the presence of phleomycin did not contain component I DNA. This packaged DNA was found to consist of fragments of both the host and viral types. Cells that were prelabeled with 3 H-thymidine and then treated with phleomycin demonstrated host DNA degradation. However, fragments formed from prelabeled host DNA were not encapsidated into viral particles.
Progression of isolated aortic stenosis: Analysis of 29 patients having more than 1 cardiac catheterization

Abstract Factors related to progression of nonrheumatic aortic stenosis (AS) were analyzed in 29 adult patients who underwent serial hemodynamic studies over a mean of 71 months. AS was congenital in 8 patients and degenerative in 21. The patients were divided into 2 groups on the basis of the change in aortic valve area between the 2 studies. Twelve patients had a ≥ 25% reduction in aortic valve area (Group I) and 17 patients had
Polarizing and non-polarizing thin film coatings

Polarizing and non-polarizing thin film coatings are reviewed that are based on thin film interference effect or in combination with other effects including frustrated total internal reflection, birefringent films and form birefringence of sub-wavelength structures.
Biologics in pediatric Crohn's disease: is it time to move to an earlier therapeutic approach?

The treatment of Crohn’s disease in children has undergone a revolution in the past decade following studies that have demonstrated the efficacy of anti-TNFα agents in producing durable clinical response/remission as well as reversal of growth delay in many patients. The positioning of biologic therapy continues to be debated. Should it be reserved for children failing conventional therapy including immunomodulators or should it be used as primary therapy shortly after diagnosis in children with more severe disease likely to suffer a more complicated disease course? Risk stratification will be crucial to any therapeutic decisions and emerging data hold promise that identification of those most likely to benefit will be available in the near future.
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) holoenzymes regulate death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) in ceramide-induced anoikis

The tumor suppressor, death-associated protein kinase (DAPK), is a Ca2+/calmodulin-regulated Ser/Thr kinase with an important role in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics. Autophosphorylation within the calmodulin-binding domain at Ser-308 inhibits DAPK catalytic activity. Dephosphorylation of Ser-308 by a previously unknown phosphatase enhances kinase activity and proteasome-mediated degradation of DAPK. In these studies, we identified two holoenzyme forms of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), ABαC and ABδC, as DAPK-interacting proteins. These phosphatase holoenzymes dephosphorylate DAPK at Ser-308 in vitro and in vivo resulting in enhanced kinase activity of DAPK. The enzymatic activity of PP2A also negatively regulates DAPK levels by enhancing proteasome-mediated degradation of the kinase. Overexpression of wild type DAPK induces cell rounding and detachment in HEK293 cells; however, this effect is not observed following expression of an inactive DAPK S308E mutant. Finally, activation of DAPK by PP2A was found to be required for ceramide-induced anoikis. Together, our results provide a mechanism by which PP2A and DAPK activities control cell adhesion and anoikis.
A strategic analysis of the Turkish firms in the apparel industry

This paper explores the business strategies of Turkish apparel firms (which are mostly small-sized companies) by examining the competitive conditions which have guided the industry over decades. It presents the current state of the industry as manifested in the companies' core strategies within a strategic fit framework and resource-based view. It identifies the current problems faced by Turkish apparel manufacturers and marketers, with a particular reference to the small- and medium-sized firms in this internationally competitive industry. Then, the paper offers some recommendations to foster the competitiveness of these firms. Finally, it draws conclusions by assessing and comparing the business behaviours and strategies of the Turkish firms and by considering industrial and firm-specific factors.
Convergent and discriminant validity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Problem Behavior for Children (ASD-PBC) against the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2)

Abstract Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate challenging behaviors. Since challenging behaviors are obstacles for social development and learning, it is important to determine if and what challenging behaviors are exhibited. Although there are some measures that asses for challenging behaviors, the majority were not specifically designed to assess for challenging behaviors among children with ASD, or do not solely assess for challenging behaviors. The Autism Spectrum Disorder-Problem Behavior for Children (ASD-PBC) is an 18 item informant based questionnaire designed to measure challenging behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD. Convergent and discriminant validity against the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), demonstrated the validity of the ASD-PBC for use among children and adolescents with ASD.
Orchestrated scheduling and prefetching for GPGPUs

In this paper, we present techniques that coordinate the thread scheduling and prefetching decisions in a General Purpose Graphics Processing Unit (GPGPU) architecture to better tolerate long memory latencies. We demonstrate that existing warp scheduling policies in GPGPU architectures are unable to effectively incorporate data prefetching. The main reason is that they schedule consecutive warps, which are likely to access nearby cache blocks and thus prefetch accurately for one another, back-to-back in consecutive cycles. This either 1) causes prefetches to be generated by a warp too close to the time their corresponding addresses are actually demanded by another warp, or 2) requires sophisticated prefetcher designs to correctly predict the addresses required by a future "far-ahead" warp while executing the current warp.We propose a new prefetch-aware warp scheduling policy that overcomes these problems. The key idea is to separate in time the scheduling of consecutive warps such that they are not executed back-to-back. We show that this policy not only enables a simple prefetcher to be effective in tolerating memory latencies but also improves memory bank parallelism, even when prefetching is not employed. Experimental evaluations across a diverse set of applications on a 30-core simulated GPGPU platform demonstrate that the prefetch-aware warp scheduler provides 25% and 7% average performance improvement over baselines that employ prefetching in conjunction with, respectively, the commonly-employed round-robin scheduler or the recently-proposed two-level warp scheduler. Moreover, when prefetching is not employed, the prefetch-aware warp scheduler provides higher performance than both of these baseline schedulers as it better exploits memory bank parallelism.
Isolation of the zona pellucida and purification of its glycoprotein families from pig oocytes

Abstract The isolation of the porcine zona pellucida, the glycoprotein envelope surrounding the mammalian oocyte, and the purification of its glycoprotein families is described. The zona pellucida was prepared from oocytes isolated from pig ovaries using a razor blade device and sieving procedures with Teflon or nylon screens. In 6–7 man h, the zona pellucida from 5 × 105 oocytes was obtained yielding 12 mg protein and 2.2 mg carbohydrate. The absorptivity of heat solublized and filtered zona pellucida was A280 nm, 1cm1% = 10.8. The four glycoprotein families of the zona pellucida were purified by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrophoretic elution. The electrophoretic purity of these families was greater than 90%. The protein and carbohydrate content and the amino acid and monosaccharide compositions of each of the glycoprotein families were determined.
Magnetic Recording with AC Bias

The function of alternating-current (ac) bias in magnetic recording is analyzed in a manner similar to that used to explain amplitude modulation. Certain simplifying assumptions are made to facilitate manipulation of mathematical expressions. The analytical results are compared with experimental observations of harmonic distortion, amplitude of fundamental, spurious recorded frequencies, frequency response, difficulty of erasure, and the like.
The Solitary Pulmonary Nodule: A Review of 217 Cases

CONCLUSIONS (1)A study of 217 resected asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodules has been presented. (2)Thirty-four per cent of all cases and 53 per cent of patients 50 years of age or older had primary carcinomatous nodules of the lung. These figures are comparable to the Veterans Administration-Armed Forces figures of 31 per cent and 51 per cent respectively. (3)In spite of meticulous diagnostic methods, positive preoperative diagnosis is seldom made in the asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodule. (4)Early eploratory thoracotomy is strongly urged for the undiagnosed asymptomatic pulmonary nodule.
Appropriate topics for nutrition education for the elderly.

Abstract A self-administered questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional survey of 459 individuals, between 55 and 89 years old, to identify topics in food and nutrition of greatest interest and concern to generally healthy, older individuals, and to estimate the extent to which relevant behaviors were related to those concerns. In this study, 84.9% of the married men engaged in food shopping and 83.4% in cooking at least some of the time. There were no gender-related differences in either health concerns or behaviors associated with those concerns. This suggests that nutrition education interventions for the elderly should be designed to appeal to both men and women. Food safety in the home and of the food supply were of great concern to more individuals than any diet and health topic explored, and were associated with several health purchasing and food handling behaviors. Among diet-related topics, concern about salt intake ranked first, followed by weight control, sugar intake, serum cholesterol, and nutritional adequacy of the diet. Concern about these topics and either diagnosis-related information or specific advice from the doctor were associated with reported dietary modifications. Print and audiovisual media were important sources of information about certain topics. This survey was conducted for the immediate purpose of guiding the content of a nutrition education video program for the elderly. However, the information obtained can also be used for the development of other types of programs.