cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Unusual and Rare Presentation of Dermatomyositis Sine Dermatitis Complicated by Neuromyositis.

Dermatomyositis sine dermatitis (DMSD) is a rare autoimmune disease. It's distinguished from classical dermatomyositis (DM) by a lack of skin involvement. DM is known to have a variety of extramuscular manifestations, including interstitial lung disease, myocarditis, and dysphagia. However, peripheral nervous system involvement in DM termed "Neuromyositis" is less often encountered. Neuromyositis diagnosis is controversial due to its rarity, unknown mechanism, and heterogeneity of nerve pathology findings. A 53-year-old woman presented to our hospital following a fall. Six months prior to presentation, she had a sensory disturbance in her right foot. On admission, she had a right foot drop that progressed to right then left lower extremity weakness. A biopsy of the superficial peroneal nerve and long peroneal muscle showed large fiber nerve axonal loss, CD20 B-cell and CD4 T-cell predominant inflammatory infiltrate involving the perimysial connective tissue of the muscle, as well as myocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis with type I fiber predominance. These findings were compatible with dermatomyositis with neuropathic features. Electrophysiological studies of lower extremities revealed severe widespread axonal dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased tibial compound muscle action potential (CMAP), no peroneal motor responses, absent sural sensory nerve action potential (SNAP), and extensive active denervation throughout the left lower extremity. Three months later, she developed bilateral upper extremity weakness. A biopsy of the deltoid muscle that was done eight months after admission showed CD20 B-cell and CD4 T-cell predominant inflammatory infiltrates involving the perimysial connective tissue. These findings were pathologically similar to the first biopsy. Subsequently, a repeat electromyography (EMG) of upper extremities revealed myopathic changes with normal nerve conductions. She ultimately became quadriplegic and ventilator-dependent nine months after admission. She never exhibited any skin findings throughout her course of illness. An extensive imaging and laboratory workup did not reveal any occult malignancy, inflammation, or nutritional deficiency. Our patient did not respond to steroids or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and ultimately passed away. The clinical, pathological, and electrophysiological features suggested the presence of neuromyositis. This case illustrates the importance of recognizing peripheral nervous system involvement as a significant and yet underreported extramuscular manifestation of DM. There are currently no formal management guidelines for neuromyositis.
Factors Affecting Seniors' Decision to Relocate to Senior Living Communities

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the influence of push and pull factors and perceived barriers on seniors’ intention to relocate to senior living communities (SLC). The mediating role of perceived barriers on the proposed relationships were also examined. The data was collected from 363 seniors. Structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to test the study hypotheses. The results indicated that health-related, social and family/friend related, housing and property related push factors, and facility related pull factor positively; and family related, economic, socio-psychological, and knowledge and information barriers negatively influenced seniors’ relocation intention. The study results further indicated that the relationship between health-related push factors and intention to relocate was mediated by family related and socio-psychological barriers, and the relationship between facility related pull factors and intention to relocate was mediated by socio-psychological and economic barriers. The findings provide valuable implications for academicians, SLC operators, health care facilitators and government agencies.
Dugin as a Putin Rescuer

Dugin was quite popular in the beginning of Putin’s tenure and leader of his own party. Some of Putin’s actions, e.g., the purge of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the oil tycoon, who challenged Putin, seemed to indicate that the regime was finally in the process of true totalitarian transformation, and that Dugin would be installed in the Kremlin as Putin’s advisor. This, however, did not happen. Consequently, Dugin’s praise of Putin became increasingly mixed with criticism. Dugin noted here that Putin made mistakes because of the wrong advisor, and the problem could be easily fixed if Dugin and similar-minded people were near Putin to guide his actions.
The Commonalities of Volunteering: How Consensus Global Definitions Accommodate Regional Variations and Why It Is Important to Use Them

This chapter calls attention to the elaborate, 20-year, bottom-up, collaborative research and consensus-building process that has led to the best hope for generating a regular, coherent, cross-nationally comparable, empirical picture of the scale, composition, demographic profile, and forms of volunteering in countries throughout the world. In the process, it explains why improved, systematic, and comparable data on volunteering is so crucial to strengthening the role of volunteering and improving volunteer management, details the obstacles that have stood in the way of a consensus approach to conceptualizing and measuring volunteer work, outlines how these obstacles were addressed, and lays out the volunteer measurement strategy now enshrined in official United Nations and International Labor Organization guidance manuals as a consequence. Finally, the chapter outlines a set of next steps for improving understanding of volunteer work, explains how the establishment of a common conceptualization and measurement method can contribute to this further understanding, and issues a call to the volunteer promotion community to rally behind the recently developed consensus volunteer measurement approach and encourage official statistical agencies to implement the measures it calls for.
Accuracy of anemia screening by point-of-care hemoglobin testing in patients seeking abortion

ABSTRACT Objective Accurate and timely diagnosis of anemia in pregnancy is necessary for safe management of abortion care. Screening for anemia in abortion care is often accomplished using commercially-available point-of-care tests from capillary blood, but the validity of this test has not been investigated in the context of abortion care. We sought to determine the accuracy of a capillary hemoglobin (Hb) among pregnant patients seeking induced abortion. Study Design We conducted a retrospective study of patients seeking abortion care at the University of Illinois at Chicago. We identified 108 subjects with paired capillary Hb and venous complete blood count (CBC) hemoglobin measurements within 7 days of each other and within 14 days before abortion. Agreement analysis was performed using Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots. Results More patients were deemed anemic by capillary than by venous Hb measurement (32% vs 19%, p = 0.030). Capillary Hb correlated with venous Hb (r = 0.85, p Conclusion Results from capillary Hb may be biased toward diagnosing anemia and should be interpreted with caution.
VEXAS within the spectrum of rheumatologic disease.

Abstract The identification of the VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome as a myeloid-driven inflammatory disease resulting from somatic mutations in the UBA1 gene further exposes the increasingly recognized overlap between hematologic disturbances and auto-immunity and/or auto-inflammatory presentations. Although single or multi-lineage cytopenias are a unifying aspect of VEXAS, patients with this condition can present with a wide array of inflammatory findings affecting the skin, lung, joints, eye, vascular system, and cartilaginous structures. As such, it is paramount that generalists, and subspecialty providers familiarize themselves with the clinical characteristics of this condition. This review summarizes the reported clinical symptoms of VEXAS syndrome with a particular focus on its non–hematologic inflammatory features.
People overestimate the self-presentation costs of deadline extension requests

Abstract Across five studies (N = 4151), we investigate a novel barrier that prevents people from making personally beneficial requests: the overestimation of self-presentation costs. Even when deadlines are easily adjustable, people are less likely to request an extension and submit lower quality work when perceived self-presentation costs are higher—such as when the request is visible to a supervisor (Study 1a). Specifically, people are less likely to request an extension when they are concerned with appearing incompetent (Study 2). Yet, other people do not negatively respond to deadline extension requests (Study 1b). Attesting to the importance of self-presentation concerns in shaping extension request behaviors, formal policies that reduce self-presentation concerns increase requests in both online (Study 3) and in-person (Study 4) settings. These findings highlight a novel psychological barrier that prevents people from requesting resources that could increase their performance and more effectively manage their deadlines.
Sonic Hedgehog and Neural Patterning

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is required for the induction of ventral cell types along the dorsal–ventral axis of the entire neural tube. To induce several distinct cell types, Shh functions as a morphogen; distinct cell types are induced at specific concentrations of Shh, which is distributed as a gradient away from its sites of synthesis, the notochord and floor plate. Since Shh is membrane bound and not freely diffusible, several molecules are dedicated to the transport of Shh in the plane of the neuroepithelium and its distribution in a gradient. The interpretation of this gradient is mediated inside the responding cells via two related transcription factors (Gli2 and Gli3), resulting in the stereotypic differentiation of ventral cell types in the developing neural tube.
Inferences On Predictability Of Foreign Exchange Rates Via Generalized Spectrum And Nonlinear Models

It is often documented, based on autocorrelation, variance ratio and power spectrum, that exchange rates approximately follow a martingale process. Because autocorrelation, variance ratio and spectrum check serial uncorrelatedness rather than martingale difference, they may deliver misleading conclusions in favor of the martingale hypothesis when the test statistics are insignificant. In this paper, we explore whether there exists a gap between serial uncorrelatedness and martingale difference for exchange rate changes, and if so, whether nonlinear time series models admissible in the gap can outperform the martingale model in out-of-sample forecasts. Applying the generalized spectral tests of Hong (1999) to five major exchange rates, we find that the changes of exchange rates are often serially uncorrelated, but there exists strong nonlinearity in conditional mean, in addition to the well-known volatility clustering. To forecast the conditional mean, we consider the linear autoregressive, autoregressive polynomial, artificial neural network and functional-coefficient models, as well as their combination. The functional coefficient model allows the autoregressive coefficients to depend on investment positions via an moving average technical trading rule. We evaluate out-of-sample forecasts of these models relative to the martingale model, using four criteria-the mean squared forecast error, the mean absolute forecast error, the mean forecast trading return, and the mean correct forecast direction. White's (2000) reality check method is used to avoid data-snooping bias. It is found that some nonlinear models, particularly their combination, do have superior predictive ability over the martingale model for some currencies in terms of certain forecast evaluation criteria.
Asymptotic Independence and Strong Approximation; A Survey

Strong approximation results are discussed for the partial sum process of i.i.d. sequences of vectors having dependent components, where the components of the approximating process are independent. Many applications are considered for additive functionals in one and two dimensions.
Perceived anxiety control is associated with sleep disturbance in young and older adults.

Objective: This study examined the extent to which perceived anxiety control was related to subjective sleep disturbance in young and older adults.Method: Fifty-one young adults (18 to 30 years old) and 48 older adults (aged 65 years and older) completed questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep disturbance, Anxiety Control Questionnaire to assess perceived control over anxiety, a perceived health rating, and demographic questionnaire. Correlation and multivariable adjusted hierarchical regression analyses examined the extent to which anxiety control was associated with sleep disturbance.Results: Anxiety control and health status were associated with global sleep quality on the PSQI, but no age differences in PSQI scores were found. In post hoc analyses, greater anxiety control was related to shorter sleep latency. Both older age and greater anxiety control were associated with less daytime dysfunction, whereas only older age was associated with better sleep qualit...
The Micro-Precision Interferometer Testbed Instrument Design

The Micro-Precision Interferometer Testbed is essentially a space-based Michelson interferometer suspended in a ground-based laboratory. The purpose of the testbed is to serve as a proving ground for technologies needed for future space-based missions requiring low-vibration environments. A layered control architecture, utilizing isolation, structural control, and active optical control technologies, allows the system to achieve its vibration attenuation goals.
Massive tau neutrino and SN 1987A.

The emission of MeV-mass \ensuremath{\tau} neutrinos from newly formed neutron stars is considered in a simple, but accurate, model based upon the diffusion approximation. The \ensuremath{\tau}-neutrinosphere temperature is found to increase with mass so that the emission of massive \ensuremath{\tau} neutrinos is not suppressed by the Boltzmann factor previously used, (${\mathit{m}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$/${\mathit{T}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$${)}^{1.5}$exp(-${\mathit{m}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$/${\mathit{T}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$), where ${\mathit{T}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$\ensuremath{\sim}4 MeV\char21{}8 MeV. For short \ensuremath{\tau} neutrino lifetimes (${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$\ensuremath{\lesssim}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ sec) decays and inverse decays lead to a reduction in the temperature of the \ensuremath{\tau} neutrinosphere. Using our results, we revise limits to the mass and lifetime of an MeV-mass \ensuremath{\tau} neutrino based upon SN 1987A. Our constraints, together with bounds based upon primordial nucleosynthesis and laboratory experiments, exclude the possibility of a \ensuremath{\tau} neutrino more massive than 0.4 MeV if the dominant decay mode is radiative and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$\ensuremath{\gtrsim}2.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}12}$ sec (${\mathit{m}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$/MeV). The lifetime restriction does not apply for the modes ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathit{e},\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$+\ensuremath{\gamma}. Our technique and results are easily generalized to other hypothetical MeV-mass particles whose interactions are of roughly weak strength. Finally, we speculate on the possible role a 15 MeV\char21{}30 MeV \ensuremath{\tau} neutrino might play in powering supernova explosions.
Profiling atmospheric graupel, snow and ice using TRMM's PR and TMI

Of TRMM's three instantaneous algorithms, the radar-only and combined radar-radiometer algorithms currently produce profiles of liquid rain only. These two algorithms do not attempt to estimate the graupel, snow or other ice distributions. This severely limits their usefulness in estimating the underlying latent heating due to the precipitation. While the radiometer algorithm does produce estimates of liquid rain and undifferentiated solid ice, it does so at a much coarser resolution than the other two and accounts for only a small fraction of the available data. In order to improve the accuracy of TRMM's current estimates of the vertical distribution of the various hydrometeor species, we have refined the combined algorithm to expand its scope and estimate graupel, snow and ice profiles along with the current rain-only estimates, at the resolution of the TRMM radar. The associated uncertainties are automatically quantified and should allow TRMM to produce robust latent heating estimates that have unprecedented accuracy.
Use of snap-fit fasteners in the multi-life-cycle design of products

This paper describes the design and the use of snap-fit fasteners for the multi-life-cycle design of products. The advantages, drawbacks and general design considerations on snap-fits are listed. The paper emphasizes that unlike the design and use of conventional fasteners, every snap-fit used in a product must be designed from scratch. Issues of material strength, fastener geometry, part stiffness, attachment strategy and manufacturability are addressed. This paper also presents the use of compliant mechanisms i.e., design for disassembly in designing a new single piece snap fit fastener, which might be injection molded as a one-piece flexible structure. The conceptual design of a new snap-fit fastener which can be disassembled by using a simple tool is presented.
VIP modulates neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function by a cyclic AMP-dependent mechanism

Neuronal nicotinic ACh receptors (AChRs) mediate synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system, and are regulated by cellular processes and interactions that include second messenger signaling pathways. In the case of chick ciliary ganglion neurons, activation of the cAMP-dependent signaling pathway with cAMP analogs enhances ACh sensitivity in a manner consistent with an increase in the number of functional nicotinic receptors. We have now identified vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) as a neuromodulator or "first messenger" in the cAMP-mediated pathway that regulates neuronal AChRs. Using cAMP imaging and biochemical detection assays, we find that bath application of VIP elevates intracellular cAMP in freshly isolated ciliary ganglion neurons within minutes. The VIP treatment also enhances neuronal ACh sensitivity assessed with whole-cell recording. The enhanced ACh sensitivity produced by VIP appears with a short latency, similar to that associated with the increase in cAMP, and is not additive with the enhanced ACh sensitivity produced by bath application of a cAMP analog. In contrast, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), known to regulate muscle nicotinic AChRs via a cAMP-dependent pathway, has no detectable effect on levels of either cAMP or ACh sensitivity in the neurons. The results indicate that VIP enhances the ACh sensitivity of ciliary ganglion neurons via a cAMP-dependent signaling pathway, presumably by interaction with a specific receptor. Since VIP-like immunoreactivity is present in the presynaptic nerve terminals of avian ciliary ganglia, a VIP-like peptide could modulate AChRs in vivo.
Is the cerebellum involved in learning and cognition

Current studies are examining whether the cerebellum has a functional role in non-motor tasks using both behavioral and physiological methods with animals, and computer simulations of a classical conditioning task. Cerebellar involvement in cognition has been assessed in studies with healthy and neurologically impaired humans. The results have led to new hypotheses that are providing testable predictions about the role of the cerebellum in perception, attention, and other cognitive functions.
Theory of pump-probe spectroscopy using an amplitude approach

A theory of pump probe spectroscopy is carried out using an amplitude approach in a bare state basis. The interplay between absorption and emission is clearly defined in this approach. Both closed and open systems are considered. The theory is applied to a calculation of the dispersion-like structure that appears when the probe frequency is nearly equal to the pump frequency, in the limit of large pump field detuning. The origin of the dispersion-like structure can be traced to interference terms in the absorption spectrum or to a radiative shift. The probe gain which occurs without level inversion cannot be viewed as a parametric process, in its normal sense.
On the fracture morphology of metallic glasses

Abstract The perturbation theory, developed by Mullins and Sekerka to describe instability during crystal growth, has been applied to the problem of the fracture of the liquid layer formed during the deformation of a metallic glass. A relation between the fracture stress and the fine features of the fracture morphology is predicted, in agreement with experimental results.
Kinetics of Miniemulsion Polymerization of Styrene in the Presence of Organoclays

The impacts of nanoclays on the miniemulsion polymerization kinetics of styrene were studied. It was found that both Rp and the fractional conversion decreased upon increasing the organoclay content in the miniemulsion system. In the presence of nanoclay the molecular weight of polystyrene nanoclay composite is lower and the particle size polydispersity of the final composite latex is greater than that of pure styrene miniemulsion polymerization. The effect of the nanoclays is mainly caused by the destabilization of the miniemulsion by the organoclay particles. The increase in the monomer viscosity and the decrease in the diffusion rate of the monomer and the living polymer inside the monomer droplet also accounts for the reduction in the polymerization rate.
The amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in morality and psychopathy

Recent work has implicated the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in morality and, when dysfunctional, psychopathy. This model proposes that the amygdala, through stimulus-reinforcement learning, enables the association of actions that harm others with the aversive reinforcement of the victims' distress. Consequent information on reinforcement expectancy, fed forward to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, can guide the healthy individual away from moral transgressions. In psychopathy, dysfunction in these structures means that care-based moral reasoning is compromised and the risk that antisocial behavior is used instrumentally to achieve goals is increased.
Mediating the digital divide in CALL classrooms: Promoting effective language tasks in limited technology contexts

This paper focuses on the divide at the classroom level in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) that is centered on how those who have technology use it in the pursuit of effective language teaching and learning. This divide is the result in part of the current emphasis on emerging technologies in the CALL literature and in CALL language teacher development that seems to indicate that good CALL activities and lessons can only be carried out with the use of advanced and cutting-edge technologies. The aim of this paper is twofold: (a) to argue that optimal language learning activities can be supported by the use of ‘limited’ technologies, and (b) to present a framework for developing language learning tasks in limited technology contexts. We do not suggest ways to bridge the digital divide that exists between technology haves and have-nots. Instead, we focus on ways to provide effective language learning experiences in CALL classrooms regardless of the technologies available. In doing so, we propose ways to work around the divide created by the overemphasis on new technologies. We suggest that rather than lamenting the fact that our tools are not the latest and greatest, we must pay attention to using the tools at hand to students’ best advantage while we look for ways to obtain additional resources. We must also consider and collaborate with educators who have accepted the position that the use of limited technology cannot be effective in supporting student learning or who do not know how to use their technology to present students with effective opportunities. By addressing these issues in the literature and other forums, the digital divide in CALL classrooms between good technology use and poor technology use can be bridged to the benefit of all.
Regulation of the corticosteroid inducibility of tyrosine aminotransferase in interspecific hybrid cells

Regulation of the corticosteroid inducibility of tyrosine aminotransferase in interspecific hybrid cells
Transient Fetal Acidosis at Amniotomy

Summary: The lower pH and base excess levels sometimes seen in the scalp blood at the time of amniotomy are likely to be secondary to maternal acid base status, which are subjected to postural and other influences. Amniotomy, itself, probably has no significant deleterious effect on fetal acid base status.
Routing Strategies for Multicast Packet Radio Networks

A common problem in a packet radio network (PRN) environment is to construct a multicasting network from a single source to a set of remote destinations which minimizes the number of transmissions. This problem is known to be NP-complete, thus computing an optimal solution may be infeasible for sizable networks. This paper provides two alternative solutions to this problem. The first is a heuristic algorithm which iteratively builds a spanning tree from the destinations to the source. A second solution, included for comparative purposes, is based on the Hopfield neural network whose dynamics are governed by a motion equation and a set of constraints. Both solutions are tested on a variety of instances against an optimal algorithm. Results show the approaches form good solutions (the number of transmissions is within about 3% of the optimum) and run in a fraction of the time required to form the optimal solution.
Herbivore- and Elicitor-Induced Resistance in Rice to the Rice Water Weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel) in the Laboratory and Field

Feeding by herbivores can change plants in ways that make them more resistant to subsequent herbivory. Such induced responses are better-studied in a number of model dicots than in rice and other cereals. In a series of greenhouse and field experiments, we assessed the effects of prior herbivory by the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and of exogenous applications of jasmonic acid (JA) on the resistance of rice plants to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Kuschel), the major pest of rice in the United States. Prior feeding by S. frugiperda and treatment of plants with exogenous JA resulted in increases in the resistance of plants to the weevil. Increases in resistance were manifested as reduced numbers of eggs and first-instars associated with armyworm-injured or JA-treated plants relative to control plants. In field experiments, there was a transient but significant reduction in the number of immature L. oryzophilus on JA-treated plants relative to untreated plants. To our knowledge, this is the first example of direct induced resistance in rice demonstrated in small-plot field experiments. We discuss the potential for the use of elicitor induced resistance in rice.
In Vitro Activity of Cephalothin and Three Penicillins Against Escherichia coli and Proteus Species

The susceptibility of clinical isolates of Escherichia coli (67) and Proteus species (58) to cephalothin, ampicillin, benzyl penicillin, and phenoxymethyl penicillin was determined in vitro by using broth dilution and disk diffusion tests. The data were correlated by using a four-category scheme for interpreting minimal inhibitory concentrations (groups 1 to 4) as recommended by a subcommittee of an international collaborative study of susceptibility testing. With cephalothin and ampicillin, groups 1 (susceptible) and 2 (moderately susceptible) were susceptible by the disk test, and with benzyl penicillin, similar results were observed when the interpretive zone standards were changed. Strains categorized as group 4 (very resistant) were resistant by the disk method, but group 3 (moderately resistant) strains were not adequately distinguished by disk testing. Group 3 susceptibility to benzyl and phenoxymethyl penicillins can be predicted by extrapolating results from tests with ampicillin disks.
The magnetic properties of Tb(Mn1−xFex)2 solid solutions with 0.35⩽x⩽0.65

Abstract The temperature (4.5–700 K) and magnetic field (0–50 kOe) dependencies of the DC magnetization, and AC magnetic susceptibility (5 Oe, 125 Hz AC field) of the polycrystalline C15 Laves phase Tb(Mn1−xFex)2 alloys with x=0.35, 0.5, and 0.65 have been measured. The substitution of Fe for Mn decreases the lattice parameter. At 5 K, the Tb(Mn1−xFex)2 alloys exhibit a ferrimagnetic state because of the antiparallel alignment of the magnetic moments of Tb and the Fe+Mn atoms. The Curie temperature increases with increasing x, while remanence and coercivity decrease with x at low temperatures, and increase in the high temperature region. A slope change of the inverse DC magnetic susceptibility, χDC−1, was observed for all alloys and the corresponding temperature increases with increasing x. The temperature dependencies of the inverse AC magnetic susceptibility, (χ′AC)−1, exhibit a peak at temperature close to the Curie temperature of each alloy and follow the Curie–Weiss law above this temperature.
House dust endotoxin exposure mitigates asthma severity in a tropical environment

Abstract Rationale Studies have shown exposure to bacterial endotoxin to be associated with asthma severity. Asthma prevalence and morbidity has been increasing disproportionately in tropical, developing countries, where sources of domestic endotoxin, especially humidity, animals in close proximity to humans, and high allergen levels are extreme. To date, no studies have characterized domestic endotoxin exposure in the tropics nor examined the impact of this exposure on asthma. Methods To investigate the relationship between exposure to house dust endotoxin (HDE) and asthma severity in an Afro-Caribbean asthmatic population from Barbados, we measured HDE concentrations in the homes of 87 asthmatic sib-pairs. Asthma severity was assessed using a validated questionnaire that yields a quasi-quantitative Asthma Severity Score. Household characteristics considered to reflect overall household hygiene were assessed and tested for association with HDE concentrations. Results We observed HDE concentrations to be high relative to reports in urban settings in non-tropical environments (mean living room composite=21,061 EU/m 2 , range=2649-185,468 EU/m 2 ). Several household characteristics were positively associated with HDE levels, including carpeting (p=0.01), decreased frequency of vacuuming (p=0.003), and cats in the home (p=0.001). Increasing endotoxin content was associated with decreasing asthma severity scores among skin test negative individuals only (p=0.01). Conclusions HDE levels were high in this tropical environment, but comparable to levels observed in farming populations. Despite early and significant exposure to endotoxin, asthma prevalence is high in this population. The inverse relationship between HDE levels and asthma severity supports the idea that microbial load may be protective and highlights the complex role of HDE in disease expression.
Plutonium contamination issues in Hanford soils and sediments: Discharges from the Z-Plant (PFP) complex

Abstract Beginning in 1945, weapons production activities at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation resulted in the discharge of large quantities of Pu and other transuranic elements to the subsurface. The vast majority of the transuranics was disposed in the Hanford central plateau (200 areas) predominately associated with activities at the Z-Plant (Plutonium Finishing Plant) complex. In the past Pu and Am migrated deep into the subsurface at certain locations, although Pu and other transuranics are not currently being detected in significant concentration in any associated groundwaters. Evaluation of the chemical form of the transuranics in the subsurface along with determining the mechanism(s) of the past subsurface migration is important in establishing strategies for long-term site management practices. Unfortunately, the chemical form of the transuranics in the deep subsurface sediments and the past mechanism of vertical migration remain largely unknown. However, initial studies performed as part of this research indicate that the chemical form of Pu can vary from disposal site to disposal site depending upon the waste type and the chemical form can also differ between surface sediments and deep subsurface sediments at the same site. This paper present a summary of the different waste types and locations where transuranics were disposed, the factors that could have lead to subsurface migration via different transport vectors, the information currently available on the chemical form of Pu in the subsurface, and a summary of current research needs.
Transfer matrix approach to earthquake amplification through layered soils

Abstract In this paper, the system transfer matrix for layered soil is obtained as the continued product of the transfer matrices for each individual layer. To determine the transfer function for the medium, the Laplace transformation is used to suppress the time variable in the governing equation, and the fact that the continuity of the shearing stress and the displacement (or equivalently of their transforms) must be maintained across each interface, naturally suggests their choice as the components of a state vector. After the problem has been recast into a transfer matrix setting, the continuity of the state vector is automatically assured by continued matrix multiplication. The transfer matrix for a single soil layer is considered first, for which the complex amplification is obtained. The influence of various levels of damping on the amplification is discussed, and it is shown that the response to a harmonic input is easily determined since the complex amplification is precisely the frequency response function. The multilayered medium is considered next, and it is shown that the amplification term is found through the multiplication of layer transfer matrices. Time response can then be obtained by means of a Fourier inversion which is easily accomplished through a fast Fourier transform algorithm. Finally, the problem of a soil layer on semi-infinite rock is considered in the absence of damping. Since the solution of this problem can be readily obtained in closed form, its discussion and interpretation are relatively simple. The fact that the transmission and reflection of waves at the soil-rock interface does not occur is analytically demonstrated, and explained on physical grounds.
Nonlinear shallow-water oscillations in a parabolic channel : exact solutions and trajectory analyses

A new exact solution of the nonlinear shallow-water equations is presented. The solution corresponds to divergent and non-divergent free oscillations in an infinite straight channel of parabolic cross-section on the rotating Earth. It provides a description of the one-dimensional subclass of shallow-water flows in paraboloidal basins considered by Ball (1964), Thacker (1981), Cushman-Roisin (1987) and others in which the velocity field varies linearly and the free-surface displacement varies quadratically with the spatial coordinates. In contrast to the previous exact solutions describing divergent oscillations in circular and elliptic paraboloidal basins, the oscillation frequency of the divergent oscillation in the parabolic channel is found to depend, in part, on the amplitudes of the relative vorticity and free-surface curvature. This result is consistent with Thacker's (1981) numerical finding that when the free surface in parabolic channel flow is curved, the oscillation frequency depends on the amplitude of the motion. Solutions for parcel trajectories are also presented. The exact solution provides a rare description of a class of nonlinear flows and is potentially valuable as a validation test for numerical shallow-water models in Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks.
Aggression and School Social Dynamics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ordinary.

Abstract A social dynamics perspective of aggression in school is presented. This framework focuses on the role of natural social processes in the establishment and maintenance of aggressive behavior in the school context. The five articles in this special issue are briefly reviewed and a synthesis of their contributions for understanding the social dynamics of aggression in school is underscored. Future research and intervention implications are also discussed. The need for examining the role of school social dynamics in conducting social skills interventions, functional behavioral assessments, and the development of positive behavioral support plans is emphasized.
The Current Paradigm for Breast Irradiation: The Case for Treating the Whole Breast over Six Weeks

Radiation treatment of the entire breast in the setting of breast conserving therapy is currently standard of care in the United States. With the recent arrival of accelerated partial breast irradiation, women have more options and opportunities from which to choose. The robust, long-standing data of whole breast radiotherapy continues to delineate and solidify the rationale for treating the whole breast. In this article, the current paradigm of whole breast treatment is reviewed.
Clusters, molecular layers, and 3D crystals of water on Ni(111)

We examined the growth and stability of ice layers on Ni(111) up to ∼7 molecular layers (ML) thick using scanning tunneling microscopy. At low coverage, films were comprised of ∼1 nm wide two-dimensional (2D) clusters. Only above ∼0.5 ML did patches of continuous 2D layers emerge, coexisting with the clusters until the first ML was complete. The structure of the continuous layer is clearly different from that of the 2D clusters. Subsequently, a second molecular layer grew on top of the first. 3D crystallites started to form only after this 2nd ML was complete. 2D clusters re-appeared when thicker films were partially evaporated, implying that these clusters represent the equilibrium configuration at low coverage. Binding energies and image simulations computed with density functional theory suggest that the 2D clusters are partially dissociated and surrounded by H adatoms. The complete 2D layer contains only intact water molecules because of the lack of favorable binding sites for H atoms. We propose molecular structures for the 2D layer that are composed of the same pentagon-heptagon binding motif and water density observed on Pt(111). The similarity of the water structures on Pt and Ni suggests a general prescription for generating low-energy configurations on close-packed metal substrates.
Evaluating levels of PCR efficiency and genotyping error in DNA extracted from engorged and non-engorged female Dermacentor variabilis ticks.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods are increasingly used to elucidate tick biology. However, DNA extracted from ticks may provide poor PCR templates as a result of PCR inhibition by mammalian blood or contamination by male DNA (in fertilized females). In this study, the effects of removing the bloodmeal and reproductive organs were evaluated through paired DNA extractions in engorged and non-engorged Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae), prior to PCR amplification at 12 microsatellites. The first extraction utilized only mouthparts and legs (‘mouthpart' samples) and the second utilized tick bodies (‘body' samples). The results indicated that contamination by male DNA was an unlikely source of genotyping error in mouthpart and body samples. Engorged females showed higher levels of PCR inhibition in body vs. mouthpart samples, with a 29% decrease in amplification success rates per PCR and a 10-fold increase in levels of missing genotypes in body samples. By contrast, non-engorged females showed little difference in amplification success rates or numbers of missing genotypes in body vs. mouthpart samples. We discuss analytical concerns related to this systematic bias in PCR problems and recommend the removal of the bloodmeal and reproductive organs prior to DNA extraction, especially in engorged female ticks.
Protease Inhibitors Divert Amyloid Precursor Protein to the Secretory Pathway

Addition of cysteine protease inhibitors to cells expressing amyloid precursor protein (APP) resulted in a >2-fold increase in appearance of the secreted extracellular domain of APP in the media. This was accounted for by increased flux of APP into the secretory pathway since protease inhibitors also caused a twofold increase in newly translated, incompletely glycosylated APP detected by pulse-labeling. These results show that a portion of newly translated APP molecules are normally rapidly degraded by cysteine protease(s) but can enter the secretory pathway when degradation is inhibited. Newly translated APP molecules are thus still competent for posttranslational processing in distal cellular compartments. Their degradation thus may not result from misfolding but merely susceptibility to an endoplasmic reticulum localized cysteine protease.
Separation of mammalian cells using programmed gradient sedimentation

Abstract A method is described for the sterile separation of viable, mammalian cells on density gradients of Ficoll in tissue culture medium. The gradients are contained in cylindrical tubes which are centrifuged at low speed at 4.0°C. A computer program is described which permits the rapid determination (during an experiment) of the optimal conditions (Ficoll concentration, gradient slope, and speed and duration of centrifugation) for obtaining the widest possible separation of cell types. The described method theoretically permits separation of cells which differ from each other by as little as one micron in diameter or 0.010 gm/ml in density. Experimental verification of the computer predicted cell sedimentation behavior is presented.
Relative toxicity of the pyrolysis products from some thermoplastic and thermoset polymers

Relative toxicity data on the pyrolysis products of a variety of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers are presented. The data are presented in terms of time to incapacitation and time to death with a fixed sample weight of 1.0 g, and in terms of the apparent lethal concentration required to produce 50 percent mortality within a fixed exposure period of 30 min.
Political correctness, euphemism, and language change: The case of ‘people first.'

Abstract The early 1990s saw the proposal for ‘people first’ language: premodified nouns (disabled people) were to be replaced by postmodified nouns (people with disabilities). This usage was widely adopted in the fields of education and psychology. This article examines the distribution of both patterns in the electronic archives of the Houston Chronicle from 2002 to 2007, well after the suggestion for postmodification euphemism was launched, to investigate how widely the pattern has been adopted in everyday language use. The data from the Houston Chronicle are compared to the usage patterns in Google News ( http://news.google.com/ ). Contrary to the usage in contemporary educational and psychological literature, the Houston Chronicle seems to favor the ‘non-PC’ usage: over 70% of the phrases resort to premodification. The distribution of ‘non-PC’ vs. ‘PC’ phrases, however, is not random: premodification refers to ‘undesirable’ societal elements (e.g., prisoners) or, for instance, to fictional characters in movie descriptions; by contrast, postmodification is reserved for children or non-criminal adults. The juxtaposition of these patterns in contemporary newspaper articles, and their deliberate separation in terms of the semantics of the referent (premodification for ‘undesirable’ or fictional referents; postmodification for ‘vulnerable’ referents) is likely to block the broader adoption of the ‘PC’ syntactic pattern and will ultimately fuel a desire for further euphemisms dependent on lexical innovations. The same patterns appear in Google News; however, lexically ‘non-PC’ usage, together with metalinguistic discussions of how to refer to the target group are much more prevalent in Google News than in the Houston Chronicle.
Superiority of Autogenous Arteriovenous Hemodialysis Access: Maintenance of Function with Fewer Secondary Interventions

The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF K/DOQI) guidelines have advocated autogenous arteriovenous fistulae as a primary procedure for hemodialysis access. This study compared the clinical outcomes between autogenous and prosthetic arteriovenous hemodialysis accesses, determining factors contributing to primary and secondary patency and function. Associated risk factors and number of interventions required to maintain secondary patency in each cohort were also assessed. A vascular database review of consecutive hemodialysis access procedures performed during a 36-month period (January 1999 to December 2001) at an academic institution was conducted. Life-table and log-rank analyses were used to analyze patency rates. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to analyze risk factor influence on patency and function. A total of 231 upper extremity arteriovenous access procedures were performed in 209 patients during this period. One hundred autogenous accesses were created in 100 patients, 68 being forearm Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistulae. A total of 131 prosthetic accesses (ePTFE) grafts were also placed during this period in 109 patients. The demographic profiles of both cohorts were similar. Primary patency at 1 and 2 years was 56% (CI 45-76%) and 39% (CI 28-50%), respectively, in the autogenous group, and 36% (CI 26-45%) and 9% (CI 3-14%), respectively, in the prosthetic group. Differences in secondary patency at 1 year and 2 years were not significant (64% [CI 54-74%] and 53% [CI 42-65%] in the autogenous group vs. 65% [CI 55-73%] and 46% [CI 36-55%] in the prosthetic group). Secondary interventions were required in 87% of the prosthetic cohort (average 0.92 procedures/patient/year) and 57% of the autogenous cohort (average 0.53 procedures/patient/year). Multivariate analysis of associated risk factors demonstrated no significant effects on either primary or secondary patency in both groups. Autogenous accesses have superior primary patency and maintain equal secondary patency with significantly fewer interventions. These data strongly support the NKF K/DOQI guidelines recommending creation of autogenous access whenever possible. These outcomes can provide significant health-care cost benefits when using an algorithm favoring primary creation of autogenous access for hemodialysis.
Complete Genome Sequence and Annotation of a Campylobacter jejuni Strain, MTVDSCj20, Isolated from a Naturally Colonized Farm-Raised Chicken

ABSTRACT Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of human food-borne illness, with contaminated poultry products serving as a main source of human infection. C. jejuni strain MTVDSCj20 was isolated from the cecal contents of a farm-raised chicken that was naturally colonized with Campylobacter. We present here the complete annotated genome sequence of MTVDSCj20.
Magneto-elastic waves in crystals of magnetic molecules

We study magneto-elastic effects in crystals of magnetic molecules. Coupled equations of motion for spins and sound are derived and the possibility of strong resonant magneto-acoustic coupling is demonstrated. Dispersion laws for interacting linear sound and spin excitations are obtained for bulk and surface acoustic waves. We show that ultrasound can generate inverse population of spin levels. Alternatively, the decay of the inverse population of spin levels can generate ultrasound. Possibility of solitary waves of the magnetization accompanied by the elastic twists is demonstrated.