cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immediate Biochemical Changes After Gait Biofeedback in Individuals With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Context Gait biomechanics are linked to biochemical changes that contribute to the development of posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). It remains unknown if modifying peak loading during gait using real-time biofeedback will result in acute biochemical changes related to cartilage metabolism. Objective To determine if acutely manipulating peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) during gait influences acute changes in serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein concentration (sCOMP) among individuals with ACLR. Design Crossover study. Patients or other participants Thirty individuals with unilateral ACLR participated (70% female, age = 20.43 ± 2.91 years old, body mass index = 24.42 ± 4.25, months post-ACLR = 47.83 ± 26.97). Additionally, we identified a subgroup of participants who demonstrated an increase in sCOMP after the control or natural loading condition (sCOMPCHANGE > 0 ng/mL, n = 22, 70% female, age = 20.32 ± 3.00 years old, body mass index = 24.73 ± 4.33, months post-ACLR = 47.27 ± 29.32). Main outcome measure(s) Serum was collected both prior to and immediately after each condition to determine sCOMPchange. Intervention(s) All participants attended 4 sessions that involved 20 minutes of walking on a force-measuring treadmill consisting of a control condition (natural loading) followed by random ordering of 3 loading conditions with real-time biofeedback: (1) symmetric vGRF between limbs, (2) a 5% increase in vGRF (high loading) and (3) a 5% decrease in vGRF (low loading). A general linear mixed model was used to determine differences in sCOMPCHANGE between altered loading conditions and the control group in the entire cohort and the subgroup. Results The sCOMPCHANGE was not different across loading conditions for the entire cohort (F3,29 = 1.34, P = .282). Within the subgroup, sCOMPCHANGE was less during high loading (1.95 ± 24.22 ng/mL, t21 = -3.53, P = .005) and symmetric loading (9.93 ± 21.45 ng/mL, t21 = -2.86, P = .025) compared with the control condition (25.79 ± 21.40 ng/mL). Conclusions Increasing peak vGRF during gait decreased sCOMP in individuals with ACLR who naturally demonstrated an increase in sCOMP after 20 minutes of walking. Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03035994).
Sequence-based U.S. population data for 7 X-STR loci

Abstract The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) U.S. population sample set of unrelated individuals was used to determine allele and haplotype frequencies for seven X-chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) loci in four linkage groups. DXS7132, DXS7423, DXS8378, DXS10074, DXS10103, DXS10135, and HPRTB were sequenced using the ForenSeq DNA Signature Prep Kit on a MiSeq FGx instrument from Verogen. Capillary electrophoresis data produced using the Qiagen Investigator Argus X-12 was compared to ForenSeq length-based alleles and found to be 99 % concordant. For three loci (DXS10103, DXS10074, and HPRTB) the length-based allele call is affected by the extent of flanking region included in the reported sequence. Six of the seven loci gained alleles by sequencing compared to length-based determinations. The increase in alleles are found in both the repeat and flanking region sequences. All sequences for which frequencies are reported in this dataset were cataloged as GenBank records in the STRSeq NCBI BioProject ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/380127 ). Frequency information for both the loci and linkage groups is reported, along with results of statistical tests including gene diversity, polymorphism information content, power of discrimination, and linkage disequilibrium. All supplemental files are available at the NIST Public Data Repository – U.S. population data for Human Identification Markers ( https://doi.org/10.18434/t4/1500024 ).
Will Rejecting Woman-Protective Justifications for Anti-Abortion Laws Result in an Increase of Harassment and Violence?

For abortion rights supporters, the Supreme Court’s 2016 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is nothing but wonderful news. After years of legislative encroachments on the right to choose, the Court’s opinion sent a strong message that legislatures cannot impose a heavy burden on the right to abortion without having support from evidence-based medicine. This is an unequivocal victory for reproductive rights.That does not mean, however, that the future will be all rosy for abortion provision because of this decision. Rather, this decision poses a possible risk for abortion provider and clinic safety. In the past, abortion restrictions have been justified on two different theories - protecting the fetus and protecting the woman. In Whole Woman’s Health, the Supreme Court erected a huge barrier in the way of legislatures seeking to restrict abortion in order to protect the woman. In response, anti-abortion organizations and legislatures may be forced to abandon this justification and rely exclusively on fetus-protection. Historically, there has been a connection between fetus-protection justifications for abortion restrictions and extreme violence and harassment against abortion providers and clinics. This article explores this connection and argues that the decision in Whole Woman’s Health may increase this risk going forward.
Nonmonotonic Electron Mobility in Asymmetrically Doped V-shaped Coupled Quantum Well Field-Effect Transistor Structure

In this paper, we study the nonlinear channel electron mobility μ in an asymmetrically doped double quantum well field-effect transistor (QWFET) structure. The double quantum well consists of V-shaped channels by tailoring the conduction band edge of AlxGa1−xAs alloy through suitable variation of the alloy concentration x. We vary the widths of the wells asymmetrically and analyze their effect on the potential profile which causes drastic changes in the subband electron wave functions (ψn) and energy levels (En). In V-shaped potential, ψn are more localized than that of a square well. The change in the subband electronic structure induces change in occupation of subbands leading to intersubband interactions. We show that oscillatory enhancement in mobility under double subband can be obtained through the ionized impurity scattering through intersubband effects. The typical change of alloy concentration affects the alloy scattering which influences the overall total mobility μ.
The covid-19 vaccine patent waiver: a crucial step towards a "people's vaccine".

An intellectual property waiver alone will not solve the covid-19 vaccine access challenge, other steps will be needed
Reproducibility: Evaluating the Evaluations.

Evaluation is at the heart of reproducibility in research, and the related but distinct concept of replicability. The difference between the two is whether the determination is based on the original author’s source code (replicability), or is independent of the code and based purely on a written description of the method (reproducibility). A recent study of published machine learning experiments concluded that only two-thirds were reproducible, and that paradoxically, having access to the source code did not help with reproducibility, even though it obviously provides for replicability. Reproducibility depends critically, then, on the quality and completeness of both internal and external documentation. The growing popularity of competitions at pattern recognition conferences presents an opportunity to develop and disseminate new best practices for evaluating reproducibility. As an initial step forward, we collected the final reports and reviewed the competition websites associated with recent ICPR and ICDAR conferences. We used this data from 42 competitions to assess current practices and posit ways to extend evaluations from replicability (already checked by some competitions) to reproducibility on application-oriented data. We recommend empirical standards, monitoring competitions, and modified code testing to be considered and discussed by the research community as we all work together to advance the desirable goals of conducting and publishing research that achieves higher degrees of reproducibility. Competitions can play a special role in this regard, but only if certain changes are made in the way they are formulated, run, and documented.
Hospital Preparedness, Mitigation, and Response to Hurricane Harvey in Harris County, Texas.

OBJECTIVE This case study documents Harris County hospitals' flood preparedness and mitigation efforts before Hurricane Harvey, their collective response experience during Hurricane Harvey, and their lessons learned in the storm's aftermath. METHODS The case study was constructed using a survey of hospital emergency managers, semi-structured interviews with local agencies involved in public health, emergency management, and health care, and an analysis of news reports and other documents from a variety of government agencies, local organizations, and hospitals themselves. RESULTS Harris County hospitals learned their most valuable lessons through their direct and repeated experience with flooding over the years, leading to improved preparedness before Hurricane Harvey. Hospital emergency response successes included infrastructure improvements, staff resilience, advanced planning, and pre-established collaboration. However, hospitals still experienced challenges with staff burnout, roadway flooding, and patient evacuation. CONCLUSIONS Although the current state of hospital flood preparedness and mitigation is rather advanced and mature, it is advisable that Harris County takes steps to strengthen emergency management efforts in hospitals with fewer financial and staffing resources and less direct flood experience.
Risk Factors Associated With Readmission After Pancreatectomy: A Single-Institution Retrospective Cohort Study:

BackgroundPancreatectomy has a significant rate of procedure-specific morbidity which can result in readmission. Readmission has been proposed as a measure of quality. The goal of this study is to ...
Violent victimisation trajectories from adolescence through adulthood: consequences for sleep problems.

Background Violent victimisation is a stressful experience that has been linked with sleep problems among children, adolescents and adults. However, prior research has not assessed how victimisation trajectories across different stages of the life-course correspond to sleep outcomes. The present study assesses how trajectories of violent victimisation from adolescence to middle adulthood correspond to sleep behaviours in adulthood. Methods Data are from fives waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N=6015). Semi-parametric group-based trajectory modelling was used to estimate violent victimisation trajectories from adolescence to middle adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between sleep quantity and quality across violent victimisation trajectories. Results The findings demonstrate that the relationship between violent victimisation and sleep in adulthood is not consistent across all victimisation trajectories. Rather, sleep quality and quantity are the worst among those who persistently experience violent victimisation from adolescence through adulthood. Conclusion Persistent exposure to violence can be a particularly damaging experience with consequences for sleep quantity and quality. Establishing interventions that reduce violent victimisation across the life-course and promote positive sleep behaviours among those with a history of victimisation are important public health measures.
Metabolic acidosis regulates RGS16 and G protein signaling in osteoblasts.

The results presented in this study indicate that regulation of regulator of G protein signaling 16 and G protein signaling in the osteoblast plays an important role in modulating the response of o...
The Role of Endoscopic Technology in GastrointestinaI Surgery

Since diseases in the upper gastrointestinal tract, especially gastric problems, were a frequent issue among patients in the twentieth century, both internists and general surgeons were very keen to have a tool to more accurately explore the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum as well as the colon to solve diagnostic questions. As a consequence, both gastroenterologists and surgeons have pushed the development of flexible endoscopy to an excellent diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the past decades. Flexible endoscopy has become a political issue especially in Europe between gastroenterologists and gastrointestinal surgeons, which limits the full exploitation of this great technology for the benefit of patients with GI disease. For GI surgeons it is important to be able to develop endoscopic understanding and skills, the possibility to request at any moment during an operation flexible endoscopic assistance. As a consequence, gastroenterologists and GI surgeons should cooperate in this great technology, since many of the actual endoscopic interventions have replaced surgical procedures or have at least widened the therapeutic spectrum in GI disease.
Metronidazole use in obstetrics and gynecology: A review

Abstract Since metronidazole's introduction in 1960 as an effective antitrichomonal agent, its use has extended to the treatment of amebiasis, giardiasis, nonspecific vaginitis, and anaerobic infections, including upper genital tract infections. It is also being explored as a prophylactic agent in numerous surgical procedures. Recent introduction of an intravenous form has further facilitated its expanded use. This review examines the mode of action and pharmacokinetics of metronidazole and discusses evidence concerning the question of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Current uses of metronidazole are discussed, with the potential problem of bacterial inactivation/resistance explored. Finally, recommendations are made for the use of metronidazole in obstetrics and gynecology, with an emphasis on caution with respect to potential problems, which remain unanswered.
Trends of wind speed in fog

Trends of mean wind speed during fog at some German stations illustrate that variations of a meteorological variable under certain specified conditions may differ considerably from the overall direction of change. The differences between overall mean wind speeds and mean speeds in fog during fall and winter at Berlin, Frankfurt, and Bitburg show a tendency to decrease over periods of 2–3 decades. Because the largest trends are for Berlin and Frankfurt in winter, localized urban effects are more likely to be responsible than large-scale climatic changes. Frequency distributions of wind speed at Berlin and Frankfurt are consistent with the hypothesis that the urban heat island influences the results. Atmospheric pollution may also be relevant.
An Exploratory Study of Myanmar Culture Using Hofstede's Value Dimensions

This paper is an exploratory investigation into the cultural classification of Myanmar (Burmese) culture using the Hofstede-Bond typology. Myanmar was not included in the original or subsequent Hofstede studies, and no empirical data are found in the literature concerning the cultural classification of this country. The results indicate that Myanmar is a low power distance, highly feminine, moderately individualistic, high uncertainty avoidance culture with a moderate long-term orientation. The paper also addresses the similarities and differences between Myanmar and its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Deciphering the Disease Process of Schizophrenia: The Contribution of Cortical Gaba Neurons

Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that is manifest through a variety of clinical signs and symptoms. Among these, impairments in certain critical cognitive functions, such as working memory, appear to represent the core features of the disorder. In this chapter, we review the evidence indicating that disturbances in neurotransmission by a subset of GABA neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are commonly present in schizophrenia. Despite both pre- and postsynaptic compensatory responses, the resulting pathophysiological process, alterations in the perisomatic inhibitory regulation of pyramidal neurons, underlies a reduced capacity for the synchronization of neuronal activity at gamma frequencies that is required for working memory function. We also discuss several pathogenetic mechanisms that could rise to the alterations in GABA neurotransmission and consider the implication of these findings for therapeutic interventions to improve cognitive function in individuals with schizophrenia.
Coronary risk incidence of obese adolescents: Reduction by exercise plus diet intervention

The incidence of coronary heart disease risk factors and the effects of 20 weeks of diet and exercise were studied in 36 obese adolescents. Values for the following risk factors were determined: serum triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level, total cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic BP, maximum work capacity, obesity, and presence of coronary heart disease in the family history. Of the subjects, 97% had four or more risk factors. Two subjects possessed all eight risk factors. The adolescents were randomly assigned to either a control, diet therapy and behavior change, or exercise, diet therapy, and behavior change group. From pre- to posttreatment, a 14.8% and 41.4% reduction in multiple risk was noted for the latter two groups, respectively. No significant difference between the control group and the diet and behavior change group was found. In contrast, the exercise-diet-behavior change group reduced multiple risk (P less than .01) more than either of the other groups. It was concluded that obese adolescents are at high risk for the development of coronary heart disease and that exercise in addition to moderate dietary restriction can result in the reduction of multiple coronary heart disease risk.
SIMx86: An extensible simulator for the Intel 80/spl times/86 processor family

In this paper we exploit object technology to present the design and implementation of SIMx86, an execution-driven simulator for the 80/spl times/86 processor family. We begin by describing the design of a domain model for processor simulators. We demonstrate the extensibility of our design by extending it to include first the Intel 8088 processor and then the 8086 processor. We further demonstrate extensibility by incorporating debugging facilities into our simulator model. To evaluate the performance of our SIMx86 simulator we compare execution times with an existing simulator, the SimpleScalar sim-fast simulator. Our experiments indicate that SIMx86 is competitive with the sim-fast simulator. In most cases, the sim-fast simulator was about three times faster than SIMx86. However, the ease of modification, extension and maintenance provided by our design, offsets the performance gains provided by the traditional approach to simulator construction.
Bulls-Eye – a resource provisioning service for enterprise distributed real-time and embedded systems

Middleware is increasingly used to develop and deploy compo nents in enterprise distributed real-time and embed ded (DRE) systems A key chal lenge in these systems is de vising resource management algorithms that deploy appli cation components properly onto target nodes To provide an accurate view of system re source utilization, these algorithms need monitor resources at runtime Runtime resource monitoring is also needed to make redeployment or reconfigu ration decisions trig gered by various factors, such as failures, attacks, overloads, or changes in quality of service (QoS) re quirements DRE sys tems with a diverse range of applications can therefore benefit from a common re source provisioning service capable of monitoring re source data and ena bling proper resource allocation in a timely manner. This paper provides two contributions to the study of run time resource provi sioning for enterprise DRE systems First, it describes the challenges in devel oping Bulls-Eye, which is an open implementation of the OMG standard Target Manager specification that provides a reusable service for provisioning distrib uted resources in enter prise DRE systems Second, it presents the results of ex periments that applied Bulls-Eye to the multi-layer resource manage ment sub system of a ship board computing environment Our re sults show that provi sioning re sources at runtime in a DRE system via Bulls-Eye simplifies resource manage ment and helps automate adaptations in the face of dynamic changes in operat ing conditions.
Activated clotting time systems vary in precision and bias and are not interchangeable when following heparin management protocols during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective.Our aim was to test the hypothesis that new activated clotting time (ACT) technology, with modifications to instruments and reagents designed to detect earlier clot formation, would be associated with more precise but lower results. A secondary objective was to evaluate the potential impact of any change in ACT measurement on heparin requirements during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods.We compared the precision of two newer ACT systems: Actalyke®, Helena Laboratories, Beaumont, TX and Hemochron Response®, International Technidyne Corporation, Edison, NJ and assessed their bias with reference to a standard ACT system (Hemochron 801, International Technidyne Corporation, Edison, NJ). Bland–Altman analysis was applied to 81 duplicate samples from 22 patients undergoing CPB or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), covering the full clinical range of ACT values. We also estimated the change in heparin dose required to use the Actalyke® rather than the Hemochron 801 results, to achieve our target ACT for CPB (480 seconds), and used a mixed model to test for significance. Results.The precision of the Actalyke® was superior to the Hemochron Response® (mean difference of duplicates ± 0.1% versus ± 4.2%). There was no significant bias (p= 0.93) between the results from the standard analyzers (Hemochron 801 and Response®), but the results from the modified system (Actalyke®) were on average 18% lower than the Hemochron 801 (p< 0.0001). Estimated heparin requirements established that fifty percent of CPB patients would have required additional heparin (5000 to 17500 units), an average increase of 1060 units per patient (p= 0.05), if the Actalyke® values were used to guide anticoagulation during CPB. Conclusions.Our results support the hypothesis that the modified technology (Actalyke®) is associated with more precise but lower ACT results. We estimated these lower values would lead to increased heparin dosing during CPB. The impact of this increase on bleeding after cardiac surgery with CPB is controversial and requires further study.
Minimal model for synchronization induced by hydrodynamic interactions

Motivated by the observed coordination of nearby beating cilia, we use a scale model experiment to show that hydrodynamic interactions can cause synchronization between rotating paddles driven at constant torque in a very viscous fluid. Synchronization is only observed when the shafts supporting the paddles have some flexibility. The phase difference in the synchronized state depends on the symmetry of the paddles. We use the method of regularized Stokeslets to model the paddles and find excellent agreement with the experimental observations. We also use a simple analytic theory based on far-field approximations to derive scaling laws for the synchronization time as a function of paddle separation.
Teaching Visual Literacy in the Astronomy Classroom.

Astronomy classes that teach students to read and write images, diagrams, and plots offer an ideal venue to teach visual literacy.
Social Organization and Mating System of the Prairie Vole, Microtus Ochrogaster

A communal nesting group, formed by additions to a monogamous pair breeding unit, is the basic year-round social unit of the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster. Before communal groups form, presumed monogamous pairs display traits normally associated with monogamy including cohabitation of a common nest, a shared home range, and dissolution of the pair primarily by mortality of one or both members. When juvenile nest mortality was reduced during late autumn-winter, extended-family groups formed. There was no difference in natal dispersal between summer and autumn-winter. Approximately 70% of the animals added to monogamous-pair breeding units were philopatric young. Unrelated adults (30% of the additions) joined extended-family groups in equal proportions in summer and late autumn-winter. Approximately half of the unrelated adults were reproductive when they joined an extended family group. During periods of winter reproduction most winter communal groups included at least one reproductive male and female, approximately half included two or more reproductive males and females (half of these were unrelated adults).
Finding the “PR‐fect” Solution: What Is the Best Tool to Measure Fetal Cardiac PR Intervals for the Detection and Possible Treatment of Early Conduction Disease?

In the absence of structural heart disease, the great majority of cases with complete congenital heart block will be associated with the maternal autoantibodies directed to components of the SSA/Ro – SSB/La ribonucleoprotein complex. Usually presenting in fetal life before 26 weeks’ gestation, once third-degree (complete) heart block develops, it is irreversible. Therefore, investigators over the past several years have attempted to predict which fetuses will be at risk for advanced conduction abnormalities by identifying a biomarker for less-severe or incomplete disease, in this case PR interval prolongation or first-degree atrioventricular block. In this state-of-the-art review, we critically analyze the various approaches to defining PR interval prolongation in the fetus, and then analyze several clinical trials that have attempted to address the question of whether complete heart block can be predicted and/or prevented. We find that, first and foremost, definitions of first-degree atrioventricular block vary, but that the techniques themselves are all similarly valid and reliable. Nevertheless, the task of predicting those fetuses at risk, and who are therefore candidates for treatment, remains challenging. Of concern, despite anecdotal evidence, there is currently no conclusive proof that a prolonged PR interval predicts complete heart block.
Analysis of poliovirus-specific RNA in infected HeLa cells by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract The three forms of poliovirus-specific RNA were resolved by electrophoresis in 2.25% polyacrylamide gels. Treatment of infected cells by either phenol or sodium dodecyl sulfate and pronase yielded the same pattern of virus-specific RNA. Mature poliovirus particles also migrated in a characteristic zone in the gel, separate from the three species of RNA. A method for determining the relative base composition of RNA eluted from gels is described.
Bounds to frequencies of shafts in torsional vibration with restraints and attached masses

Abstract In this paper upper and lower bounds are given to eigenvalues of torsional vibration of the following uniform structures: free shaft elastically restrained at a point; fixed shaft elastically restrained at a point; free shaft with masses elastically attached at points; fixed shaft with a mass elastically attached over an interval. Upper bounds were obtained by using the well-known Rayleigh-Ritz procedure. The more difficult problem of obtaining lower bounds was resolved by using recently developed methods of Bazley and Fox. The various problems discussed in this paper illustrate the use of these lower bound methods and their effectiveness in producing excellent bounds.
Repository replication using SMTP and NNTP

We describe our progress on NSF ISS 0455997, "Shared Infrastructure Preservation Models". The focus of our efforts is to evaluate different preservation models based on Internet infrastructure that sites already have. Specifically, we investigate replicating the contents of a repository using the Simple Mail Transport Protocol ("email") and the Network News Transfer Protocol ("news").
Causality between transnational terrorism and tourism: The case of Spain

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to devise a methodology for estimating the impact of transnational terrorism on tourism. Using monthly data from 1970–1988, we estimate the relationship between terrorism and tourism for Spain. We find that terrorist events have had a significant negative impact on the number of tourists visiting Spain. A typical incident is estimated as scaring away just over 140,000 tourists when all monthly impacts are combined. Moreover, the causality is unidirectional: terrorism affects tourism, but not the reverse.
Molecular orbital calculations on the peroxydimethoxyl dianion, an intermediate of the blank-finkenbeiner reaction

Abstract Reaction of formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of alkali (the Blank-Finkenbeiner reaction) involves a reactive intermediate, peroxydimethoxyl dianion (PDMDA). The HF/6-31++G ** and MP2/6-31++G ** molecular orbital calculations on PDMDA are reported. The energies and geometries of the equilibrium structure and the two rotational transition states of PDMDA are calculated and compared to those of hydrogen peroxide and dimethyl peroxide.
The Causal Order of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Models of Employee Turnover

Abstract This study examines four possible models of the causal relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment in models of employee turnover: (1) satisfaction precedes commitment, (2) commitment precedes satisfaction, (3) satisfaction and commitment have a reciprocal relationship, and (4) satisfaction and commitment have no significant relationship. Structural equation models with two-wave panel data reveal no significant effects between satisfaction and commitment, and the overall fit for each of the four alternative models is virtually identical. Although analysis of the alternative models suggests the relationship between satisfaction and commitment may be spurious due to common determinants, alternative explanations for these results and conclusions for turnover research are discussed.
The body problem in the schizophrenia spectrum

Self-disturbances were central to Bleuler’s concept of schizophrenia. While explicit self-processing deficits have been reported in the schizophrenia-spectrum, phenomenological experiences of the self are poorly understood. Study 1 analyzed 82 First-Person-Accounts (FPAs), collected across three decades by coding for self/body disturbances with the Perceptual Aberration Scale. Study 2 investigated the role of self-disturbances including out-of-body experiences (OBE), in relation to social isolation and parietal functioning in the schizophrenia-spectrum. 55% of the FPAs reported anomalous self/body disturbances. Dissociative experiences were vastly increased in the schizophrenia-spectrum and were exacerbated by loneliness. Patients and high-schizotypes reported OBEs at 5 times the rate of controls. Interestingly, superior mental rotation ability was linked to a weakened sense of self. FPAs provide valuable insight into the phenomenological self-experiences. Self-disturbances, heightened by social isolation, may be central to the schizophrenia-spectrum. Lastly, the relationship between enhanced imagery and self-disturbances highlight the importance of the parietal regions in schizophrenia.
Chemistry of iron(III) complexes of N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide: seven-coordinate iron(III) complexes ligated to deprotonated carboxamido nitrogens

Abstract As part of our continuing effort to develop the chemistry of iron(III) complexes of ligands that employ carboxamido nitrogens to bind the metal center, we have synthesized the designed ligand N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide (POPYH4, Hs are dissociable phenolic and carboxamido hydrogens). Reactions of the completely deprotonated POPY4− with certain iron(III) starting materials in DMF afford pentagonal bipyramidal complexes of the type [Fe(POPY)X2]n− (X=1-MeIm, SCN−), in which the pentadentate POPY4− ligand occupies the equatorial plane. When smaller amounts of base are used, the partially deprotonated POPYH2 2− ligand gives rise to the tetrahedral bis complex [Fe(POPYH2)2]− in which only the phenolic oxygens of the ligand are bound to iron(III). With [Fe2OCl6]2−, one obtains [Fe(POPYH2)(Cl)]2O, a new species that contains a (μ-oxo)diiron(III) core. Here also, POPYH2 2− employs the phenolic oxygens to bind iron and acts as a bidentate ligand. The structures of these complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The conditions for interconversions among the four complexes have also been elucidated. Both [Fe(POPY)X2]n− complexes with coordinated carboxamido nitrogens are stable in air and in aqueous solution. The redox properties of these species indicate that ligated carboxamido nitrogens provide enhanced stability to iron(III) centers.
DNA Binding Made Easy

A mechanism by which proteins of bacterial plant pathogens recognize and control the expression of host plant genes to promote infection is identified.
Abstract 166: MicroRNA profiling analysis identify new signature of tumor-promoting M2-type macrophages

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL M2-type macrophages are a major inflammatory component in prostate cancer and are associated with cancer cell growth, survival, and metastasis. Since recent findings have demonstrated the importance of microRNAs in the differentiation of human cells, we hypothesize that microRNAs are involved in regulating monocytic differentiation into M2-type macrophages and we aim to identify the microRNAs involved. Methods: Human CD14+ PBMCs were isolated from healthy donors and stimulated with cytokines known to promote differentiation into the M2-type macrophages (IL4, IL13, IL6, and MCSF). As controls, we also treated cells with media only and with INFγ, a cytokine known to promote M1-type polarization. Cells were collected at 48 hours post-stimulation and sent for microRNA profiling by microarray. Microarray findings were then confirmed by qRT-PCR. Results: Microarray profiling of cytokine-stimulated M2-type macrophages demonstrated an altered miRNA expression compared to M1-type macrophages and untreated monocytic cells. Specifically, of the 858 microRNAs that were profiled, miR-135a, miR-193b, miR-203, miR-302, miR-375, miR-452, miR-511, miR-603, miR-622, miR-654, miR-938 and miR-1238 were found to be up-regulated by greater than 2 folds. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the microarray results. When the qRT-PCR analysis was repeated for cells treated with cytokines for 6 hours, 18 hours and 24 hours, we noticed that the overexpression in these microRNAs could already be observed at 6 hours post-treatment, although the expression levels were noticeably greater at later timepoints. Flow cytometric analysis showed the surface expression of CD206 (mannose receptor: the well characterized surface marker of M2-type macrophages) in both MCSF and IL-4-treated cells but only after at least 18 hours of stimulation. Conclusions: MicroRNA expression in PBMCs is altered when they are stimulated by M2-type promoting cytokines and the change in microRNA expression preceded the expression of the M2-specific CD206 surface marker. This change in microRNA expression can therefore be used as a marker for M2-polarized macrophages and may play critical roles in the regulation of macrophage differentiation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 166. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-166
Automated skin lesion analysis based on color and shape geometry feature set for melanoma early detection and prevention

Melanoma incidence rates have been increasing for the past three decades. Most people diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer have higher chances to cure, but melanoma survival rates are low comparing to other skin cancer types. It is important to note that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and on average, one American dies from skin cancer every hour. A system to prevent this type of skin cancer is being awaited and is highly in-demand. Early detection of melanoma is one of the major factors to increase the chance of cure significantly. Malignant melanomas are asymmetrical and have irregular borders with rages and notched edges, so analyzing the shape of the skin lesion is important for melanoma early detection and prevention. In this paper, we introduce an automated skin lesion segmentation and analysis for early detection and prevention based on color and shape geometry. The system further incorporates other feature sets such as color to determine the lesion type. In our proposed system, we used PH2 Dermoscopy image database from Pedro Hispano Hospital for the development of our system and for testing purposes. This image database contains a total of 200 dermoscopy images of lesions, including normal, atypical, and melanoma cases. Our approach of analyzing the shape geometry and the color will be helpful to detect atypical lesions before it grows and becomes a melanoma case.
Reply to Austin-Broos and Price

Professors Diane Austin-Broos and Charles Price raise important questions about my paper ‘‘Neoliberalism and Stories of Racial Redemption.’’ In this article, I sought to draw attention to the way critics of ‘‘neoliberalism’’ often take myths of racial progress at face value, failing to critically analyze how civil rights reforms have been implemented. Most specifically, critics of neoliberalism have not confronted the way racial reforms themselves formed part of the broader economic policy agenda that has disinvested in public institutions—the supposed hallmark of neoliberal reforms. Also, many anti-racist scholars have been hesitant to examine how civil rights institutions have narrowed the scope of racial politics to participation within the bureaucratic institutions of local, state and federal government. Part of this oversight, I argue, stems from the appealing idea present in neoliberal theories that current political trends represent a rupture with the past that is often couched in terms of an idealized Fordist state. Despite it becoming increasingly clear that such a state never existed, the notion that the present represents a significant break with the past endures. His notion of discontinuity prevents us from looking at the way that neoliberal reforms have overlapped and often times collaborated with civil rights racial reforms—rather than standing at cross purposes. Both sets of comments share my concern about the relations between statesponsored racial reforms and economic policies that have worsened the living conditions of African Americans in the US. Price presents his concerns more narrowly along the lines of the ethnographic portion of the paper, largely in terms of his experience as an African-American from the South. He agrees with my assertion that conservative economic policies have shaped racial reforms. However, I think he misinterpreted my essay as urging anthropologists to ‘‘side-step race’’ or ‘‘wish it away,’’ as part of what he perceives as my naive wish for a ‘‘post racial society.’’
Route to Co-Acrylic Modified Alkyd Resins via a Controlled Polymerization Technique

Abstract Acrylic modified alkyds were achieved from sequential polymerization of acrylic monomers in the presence of alkyd macro-RAFT agents. Macro-RAFT agents were reached by end-capping a soya-based alkyd with a carboxy-functional trithiocarbonate. The resulting material was then utilized as the RAFT chain transfer agent to affix acrylic blocks onto the alkyd backbone. Butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and ethyl methacrylate were the acrylic monomers used to achieve the acrylic blocks both individually and in combination. The resulting materials were characterized by various analytical techniques including size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Size exclusion chromatography confirms the controlled nature of this approach to acrylated-alkyds and corroborates the NMR spectra that distinctly show the presence of acrylic blocks. Side reactions with the pendant fatty acids and the formation of homopolyacrylate are also distinguished from the analytical results, however, they are suppressed. Pseudo-first-order kinetics behavior and conversion versus molecular weight plots show that the RAFT-mediated reaction afforded a more controlled free radical process for the synthesis of acrylated-alkyd materials. Use of the alkyd macro-RAFT agent provided a new path to acrylated-alkyds that affords a more controlled way to tailor specific material properties.
Some Convexity and Subadditivity Properties of Entropy

Introduction. Statistical mechanics is the science of explaining, predicting and understanding the gross, macroscopic attributes of matter (which may be taken to mean mechanical systems with essentially an infinite number of degrees of freedom) in terms of the elementary dynamical laws governing its atomic constituents. The problems that arise are sufficiently complex and intriguing, but at the same time sufficiently well posed, that the subject is nowadays as much a part of mathematics as of physics. The fields of information theory and ergodic theory had their genesis in statistical mechanical modes of thought and are now well established in the mathematics literature; there will be more to come.
Evolutionary variants of simian virus 40: Cellular DNA sequences and sequences at recombinant joints of substituted variants

Abstract Cellular DNA and host-viral joints present in the reoombinant genome of an evolutionary variant of simian virus 40 (SV40) have been analyzed at the nucleotide sequence level. Cellular DNA segments are interspersed with viral DNA and are arranged in part as tandem sequence repetitions. Some of the cellular DNA was derived from highly repeated sequences of host cell DNA and corresponds to sequences found in other substituted SV40 variants. Ten recombinant host-viral joints have been identified in the variant genome, six of which show distinct nucleotide sequences on both sides of the joint. In all but one instance, sequences about the joint were rich in clusters of A·T base-pairs. In one case, joint sequences could be compared with both viral and cellular sequences from which they were derived: short interrupted stretches of homology with each parental sequence were noted. Of the remaining five joints (which could be compared only with the SV40 parental sequence), two showed patchy homology with SV40 sequences adjacent to the joint. Our general conclusions are (1) recombination between SV40 and cellular DNA occurs at many different nucleotide sequence positions in both parental DNAs, (2) extensive nucleotide sequence homology is not required for such recombination, (3) discontinuous or patchy homology may play a role in the recombination event, and (4) A·T clusters may increase the probability of recombination at a given site.
Combining probabilities and the file drawer problem

The purpose of this paper is to introduce two sets of procedures useful in the task of summarising quantitatively the results of studies in a given area of research. The first of these sets shows how the significance levels of two or more independent studies can be combined to yield an estimate of the overall significance level associated with the entire set of studies being summarised. The second of these sets shows how to cope with the 'file drawer problem', the possibility that the journals are filled with the five per cent of the studies that show Type 1 errors while the file drawers back at the lab are filled with 95 per cent of the studies that show non-significant results of p>.O5.
An event count model for studying health services utilization.

Objectives. The purpose of this article is to first conceptualize health services utilization behavior as event counts. Based on this concept and behavioral theory, the author presents the Generalized Event Count model as an alternative modeling tool for studying health services utilization. This model is theory driven and is consistent with behavioral assumptions. Methods. In presenting the Generalized Event Count model, the author first examines its model assumptions to see whether they conform to elements of behavior theory, assumptions of health services utilization, and the distribution assumption of the nature of the data. To demonstrate the Generalized Event Count model, the author applied this model to an empirical ambulatory care utilization data set from a 1988 household interview of Chinese-Americans in Boston's inner-city community. Results. The Generalized Event Count model analysis suggested that the regular source of medical care and the use of Chinese medicine were strong predictors of physician visits for this population. Further, the Generalized Event Count model was able to test that most of the ambulatory visits within an individual were correlated. Conclusions. Compared with other models, the Generalized Event Count model is more consistent with health services utilization behavioral assumptions. Moreover, it makes an efficient use of information from the utilization data for model estimation. This model has the potential of having broad applications in studying various types of health services utilization, especially for analyzing cross-sectional utilization data.
An asymptotic analysis of the stability of slow hydromagnetic waves

Abstract An asymptotic approximation is applied to study the instability of slow hydromagnetic waves with magnetic diffusion. This approximation extends the method of geometric optics to admit complex valued phase functions. It assumes that the waves are short in some directions other than the azimuthal, and vary slowly in those directions. The approximation embeds the local solution obtained by previous workers in the global asymptotic approximation. It also unifies the derivation of both magnetic field gradient and resistive instabilities.
Effect of several analogs of idoxuridine on the uptake of tritium-labeled thymidine in the rabbit cornea infected with herpes simplex.

The antiviral activity of idoxuridine, a diacetyl derivative of idoxuridine, and 5-bromodeoxyuridine in the treatment of the herpes simplex-infected rabbit cornea was established. These drugs effected a clinical cure, with a cessation of DNA synthesis by the virus, without altering DNA synthesis by the normal basal epithelial cells of the cornea. 5-Iodouracil was not effective clinically in the treatment of the rabbit cornea, nor did that drug alter DNA synthesis by the normal or virus-infected corneal cells.
Consistent reactive participation of group members and reduction of intergroup conflict

ogy. Violent solutions of such conflicts in the past are debatable as long-run solutions of competing interests, but, with the development of atomic and nuclear weapons, the common interest in survival has given reality to the pacifist's old contention about the ultimate absurdity of force as the solution of human problems. "The brotherhood of man," writes C. Wright Mills, "is now less a goal than an obvious condition of biological survival. Before the world is made safe