cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pilot study of virtual visits in Huntington disease.

Background Virtual visits through web-based video conferencing can increase access to specialty care for individuals with Huntington disease (HD) and facilitate research participation. Objective To determine the feasibility of conducting virtual visits directly into the homes of individuals with HD, to assess the reliability of conducting remote versus in-person motor assessments, and to determine the test-retest reliability of conducting motor assessments remotely. Methods Individuals with mild to moderate HD underwent baseline in-person clinic assessments and completed a HD care survey. Participants were randomized to receive three virtual visits from one of two physicians over four months that included a modified Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale motor examination (excluding rigidity and balance assessments) via web-based video conferencing. Intraclass coefficients (ICC) were calculated to determine the level of agreement between remote and in-person assessments. Participants also completed a survey on their interest in telemedicine. Results Thirteen individuals underwent baseline assessments, eleven (85%) participants completed at least one virtual visit, and 27 (82%) of 33 total virtual visits were completed. Remote motor scores demonstrated good reliability (ICC = 0.78; n = 11) compared to in-person motor scores. Test-retest reliability of motor scores conducted remotely was excellent (ICC = 0.90; n = 11). Participants expressed moderate future interest in using virtual visits to participate in research and to receive care. Conclusion In this pilot study, virtual visits into the home were feasible and reliable for conducting motor assessments in HD. Larger scale studies need to confirm and generalize these findings to a broader population of participants.
Estimating policy-relevant health effects of ambient heat exposures using spatially contiguous reanalysis data

Regional National Weather Service (NWS) heat advisory criteria in New York State (NYS) were based on frequency of heat events estimated by sparse monitoring data. These may not accurately reflect temperatures at which specific health risks occur in large geographic regions. The objectives of the study were to use spatially resolved temperature data to characterize health risks related to summertime heat exposure and estimate the temperatures at which excessive risk of heat-related adverse health occurs in NYS. We also evaluated the need to adjust current heat advisory threshold and messaging based on threshold temperatures of multiple health outcomes. We assessed the effect of multi-day lag exposure for maximum near-surface air temperature (Tmax) and maximum Heat Index derived from the gridded National Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) reanalysis dataset on emergency department (ED) visits/ hospitalizations for heat stress, dehydration, acute kidney failure (AKF) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) using a case-crossover analysis during summers of 2008–2012. We assessed effect modification using interaction terms and stratified analysis. Thresholds were estimated using piecewise spline regression. We observed an increased risk of heat stress (Risk ratio (RR) = 1.366, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.347, 1.386) and dehydration (RR = 1.024, 95% CI: 1.021, 1.028) for every 1 °C increase in Tmax on the day of exposure. The highest risk for AKF (RR = 1.017, 95% CI: 1.014, 1.021) and CVD (RR = 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000, 1.002) were at lag 1 and 4 respectively. The increased risk of heat-health effects persists up to 6 days. Rural areas of NYS are at as high a risk of heat-health effects as urban areas. Heat-health risks start increasing at temperatures much lower than the current NWS criteria. Reanalysis data provide refined exposure-response functions for health research, in areas with sparse monitor observations. Based on this research, rural areas in NYS had similar risk for health effects of heat. Heat advisories in New York City (NYC) had been reviewed and lowered previously. As such, the current NWS heat advisory threshold was lowered for the upstate region of New York and surrounding areas. Enhanced outreach materials were also developed and disseminated to local health departments and the public.
Nonuniversal opinion dynamics driven by opposing external influences.

We study the opinion dynamics of a generalized voter model in which $N$ voters are additionally influenced by two opposing news sources whose effect is to promote political polarization. As the influence of these news sources is increased, the mean time to reach consensus scales nonuniversally as ${N}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$. The parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ quantifies the influence of the news sources and increases without bound as the news sources become increasingly influential. The time to reach a politically polarized state, in which roughly equal fractions of the populations are in each opinion state, is generally short, and the steady-state opinion distribution exhibits a transition from near consensus to a politically polarized state as a function of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$.
The Platelet Millionaire: A Rare Cause of Thrombocytosis in an Adolescent

Objectives: • Primary myelofibrosis is rare in pediatrics, often manifesting as persistent idiopathic thrombocytosis. • Transitions from pediatric to adult medical care can be complicated by workup requiring invasive procedures. J.M., an 18-year-old healthy male, presented for excessive gingival bleeding after wisdom tooth extraction. Workup revealed persistent thrombocytosis to 1,165K, prompting a referral to hematology-oncology. A peripheral smear was notable for many platelets but normal RBC morphology. He had splenomegaly on abdominal ultrasound and a decreased von-Willebrand's activity to antigen ratio, suggesting acquired vWD. A bone marrow biopsy was advised; however, J.M. became lost to follow up for over 9 months owing to self-reported anxiety about the procedure. He remained asymptomatic in this interim until he re-presented to clinic for easy bruising, with no other evidence of bleeding at the time. The biopsy was pursued, revealing hypercellular marrow for age with left shifted granulocytic and erythroid maturation, abnormal megakaryocytes, and 3% blasts. This was consistent with primary early myelofibrosis (PMF), positive for MF-1, CALR, and TP53 mutations and negative for JAK2 and BCR-ABL. He was transitioned to adult hematology, maintained on baby aspirin, and referred for potential allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). PMF is characterized by marrow fibrosis due to secretion of fibroblast growth factor by clonally proliferative megakaryocytes. It is a disease of adulthood, with 67 years being the median age at diagnosis. Only 100 cases have been reported in children, most of which are secondary to AML, ALL or other malignancies.1 Most patients present with complications of extramedullary hematopoiesis or bleeding.2 Diagnosis is suggested by a leukoerythroblastic picture on peripheral smear and confirmed with a bone marrow biopsy “dry tap” revealing marrow fibrosis.3 Prognosis in pediatric PMF is difficult to predict but outcomes tend to be worse;4 TP53 mutation is rare and based on limited adult studies may portend a poorer prognosis.5 Our young patient with this rare mutation was therefore referred for HSCT evaluation. Further complicating this case was J.M.'s anxiety, which delayed definitive diagnosis by biopsy. He only agreed to it when, at the med-peds clinic, the concept of local pain management was discussed. Anticipation of upcoming procedures by primary care physicians and close follow-up is especially important for patients transitioning from pediatric to adult providers. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Single-Cell Profiles of Retinal Ganglion Cells Differing in Resilience to Injury Reveal Neuroprotective Genes.

Summary Neuronal types in the central nervous system differ dramatically in their resilience to injury or other insults. Here we studied the selective resilience of mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following optic nerve crush (ONC), which severs their axons and leads to death of ∼80% of RGCs within 2 weeks. To identify expression programs associated with differential resilience, we first used single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to generate a comprehensive molecular atlas of 46 RGC types in adult retina. We then tracked their survival after ONC; characterized transcriptomic, physiological, and morphological changes that preceded degeneration; and identified genes selectively expressed by each type. Finally, using loss- and gain-of-function assays in vivo, we showed that manipulating some of these genes improved neuronal survival and axon regeneration following ONC. This study provides a systematic framework for parsing type-specific responses to injury and demonstrates that differential gene expression can be used to reveal molecular targets for intervention.
Prolegomena to Any “Metaphysics of the Future”: A Critical Appraisal of John Haught's Evolutionary Theology

This article examines John Haught's proposal for a “metaphysics of the future” within his program for an evolutionary theology. After offering an overview of Haught's metaphysics and its roots in process thought, it argues that Haught's account undermines his larger goal of dialogue between science and religion by making all knowledge of reality dependent on a prior and explicitly religious experience. This critique is brought into greater relief through a comparison with the thought of Bernard Lonergan, whose epistemology and metaphysics Haught has engaged numerous times throughout his career. The final section suggests one way of reframing Haught's project that avoids these serious issues without jettisoning his important core insights.
Associations Between Teacher Ratings and Direct Assessment of Elementary Students’ Speech and Language Skills:

We investigated the associations between teacher-rated and direct assessments of early elementary students’ speech and language skills to explore whether using teachers as primary screeners yielded...
The Pediatric Obesity Encounter: Literature and Resources to Help with 4 Common Issues

We review here best practices and resources for pediatricians providing pediatric obesity management in 4 key areas: how to assess all of the relevant factors contributing to obesity, how to provide nutrition education, how to counsel families who eat out regularly, and what to do with patients who frequently make poor eating choices. While there are many resources indicating recommendations for the physical exam and laboratory tests, there are very few resources that give pragmatic advice on the counseling aspects of the pediatric obesity encounter. We note new nutrition research showing the importance of avoiding ultra-processed foods. Most importantly, we list several resources regarding useful questionnaires, nutrition guidance, and even further training for pediatricians. There is a need for more curation of resources in different aspects of obesity care. We hope that this review and list of resources are helpful for pediatricians and will empower families and can be expanded in the future.
Who Are You Asking?: Qualitative Methods for Involving AAC Users as Primary Research Participants

When trying to understand people's perspectives, qualitative researchers in HCI often use methods which assume participants can easily communicate verbally. There are few dedicated resources in HCI which provide an overview of qualitative methods to effectively gather the perspectives of people who cannot easily communicate verbally; specifically, people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). As a result, AAC users might be excluded from studies using methods such as interviews or focus groups, even if they fit the researcher's target population. To address this problem, I review literature from both HCI and therapeutic AAC research fields to discuss methods used with AAC users. In addition, I present relevant case examples from my own qualitative research and propose a framework to guide HCI researchers on choosing appropriate methods when involving AAC users as central research participants. I also identify design opportunities for HCI researchers to innovate on the tools and methods used for qualitative research with AAC users. This paper provides an easily accessible overview of qualitative methods HCI researchers can use with AAC users as participants.
Predictive ability, validity, and responsiveness of the multi-biomarker disease activity score in patients with rheumatoid arthritis initiating methotrexate.

Abstract Background/Objective We assessed the predictive value, validity, and responsiveness of the multi-biomarker disease activity (MBDA) score in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients initiating methotrexate. Methods We examined data from a 16-week, open-label study of methotrexate in RA. Disease activity was assessed and the MBDA score was calculated using serum that was collected and banked from baseline and week 16. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed whether MBDA scores predicted treatment response. Pearson correlations assessed the convergent validity and external responsiveness of the MBDA score with other measures of RA disease activity. Internal responsiveness was assessed by calculating standardized response means (SRMs). Results A total of 130 patients initiated the study, with follow-up MBDA scores available on 95 patients. Baseline MBDA scores did not predict ACR response or achieving low disease activity. Higher baseline DAS28-ESR scores were significantly associated with an ACR20 response (odds ratio 1.89 per unit, 95% CI 1.20–2.96) but not ACR50, ACR70, or low disease activity. The MBDA score moderate-to-weakly correlated with the DAS28-ESR and ESR at baseline and week 16, with weak-to-very weak correlations with patient global and function. Change in MBDA scores moderately correlated with changes in DAS28-ESR and ESR, while weakly correlating with changes in patient global and function. The DAS28-ESR (SRM 1.31) demonstrated greater responsiveness following methotrexate treatment than the MBDA score (SRM 0.71). Conclusions MBDA scores did not predict treatment response to methotrexate. The MBDA score weak-to-moderately correlated with baseline and post-treatment disease activity measures and was less responsive to methotrexate-related improvement than the DAS28-ESR.
Making or breaking metal‐dependent catalytic activity: The role of stammers in designed three‐stranded coiled coils

While many life-critical reactions would be infeasibly slow without metal cofactors, a detailed understanding of how protein structure can influence catalytic activity remains elusive. Using de novo designed three-stranded coiled coils (TRI and Grand peptides formed using a heptad repeat approach), we examine how the insertion of a three residue discontinuity, known as a stammer insert, directly adjacent to a (His)3 metal binding site alters catalytic activity. The stammer, which locally alters the twist of the helix, significantly increases copper-catalyzed nitrite reductase activity (CuNiR). In contrast, the well-established zinc-catalyzed carbonic anhydrase activity (p-nitrophenyl acetate, pNPA) is effectively ablated. This study illustrates how the perturbation of the protein sequence using non-coordinating and non-acid base residues in the helical core can perturb metalloenzyme activity through the simple expedient of modifying the helical pitch adjacent to the catalytic center.
Neonatal brain connectivity outliers identify over forty percent of IQ outliers at 4 years of age.

BACKGROUND Defining reliable brain markers for the prediction of abnormal behavioral outcomes remains an urgent but extremely challenging task in neuroscience research. This is particularly important for infant studies given the most dramatic brain and behavioral growth during infancy. METHODS In this study, we proposed a novel prediction scheme through abstracting individual newborn's whole-brain functional connectivity pattern to three outlier measures (Triple O) and tested the hypothesis that neonates identified as "brain outliers" based on Triple O were more likely to develop as IQ outliers at 4 years of age. Without need for training with behavioral data, Triple O represents a novel proof-of-concept approach to predict later IQ outcomes based on neonatal brain data. RESULTS Triple O correctly identified 42.1% true IQ outliers among a mixed cohort of 175 newborns with different term, twin, and maternal disorder statuses. Triple O also reached a high level of specificity (96.2%) and overall accuracy (90.3%). Further incorporating a demographic information indicator, the enhanced Triple O+ could further differentiate between high and low 4YR IQ outliers. Validation tests against seven independent reference samples revealed highly consistent results and a minimum sample size of ~50 for robust performance. CONCLUSIONS Considering that postnatal brain growth and various environmental factors likely also contribute to 4YR IQ, the fact that Triple O, based purely on neonatal functional connectivity data, could identify >40% of 4YR IQ outliers is striking. Together with the very high level of specificity, each outlier predicted by Triple O represents a meaningful risk but future efforts are needed to explore ways to identify the rest of outliers. Overall, with no need for training, a high level of robustness, and a minimal requirement on sample size, the proposed Triple O approach demonstrates great potential to predict later outlying IQ performances using neonatal functional connectivity data.
Unionization, Compensation, and Voice Effects on Quits and Retention

This study explores the relationships among unionization, compensation practices, and employee attachment (quit rates and tenure) among trucking companies to assess the applicability of Freeman and Medoff's exit/voice argument. Unionization was associated with lower quit rates, higher tenure, a better compensation package, and stronger voice mechanisms. The relationship of unionization to quit rates and tenure becomes nonsignificant after accounting for compensation (pay and benefits), and voice mechanisms do not add explanatory variance.
'Pistol Shots Ring Out in the Barroom Night': Bob Dylan’s 'Hurricane' as an Exam (or Course) in Criminal Procedure

Bob Dylan wrote the song Hurricane to draw the public’s attention to the conviction of the boxer, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, for a crime (multiple murders) which Carter did not commit. Dylan’s song – and its performance as a part of Dylan’s fabled Rolling Thunder Tour – brought significant public attention to this case (and the miscarriage of justice it reflected), and eventually led to the granting of federal habeas corpus (a decision affirmed by the Third Circuit) and the freeing of Carter from state prison in New Jersey. The song takes the listener from the facts of the crime, through the back story of Carter as an individual, through the trial and conviction. In an earlier article about Bob Dylan’s jurisprudence, I wrote that this song “is a textbook example of how racism can affect every aspect of the criminal justice system,” listing nine legal issues that Dylan discusses in the lyrics. See Michael L. Perlin, Tangled Up in Law: The Jurisprudence of Bob Dylan, 38 FORD. URB. L.J. 1395, 1405-07 (2011). In this article, I conclude that the lyrics of this song would provide the basis for a perfect examination question in Criminal Procedure (a course I taught for about 15 years), or perhaps, even, the core of a course in Criminal Procedure. In this paper, first, I briefly discuss the song, and the significance of its live performances in the 1970s. After this, I reprint the song’s lyrics. Then, I discuss the opinion that granted habeas corpus, and the Third Circuit opinion substantially affirming it. Next, I consider all the criminal procedure issues raised by the song, in a section in which I look at (1) “the law,” (2) Dylan’s characterization of the issues in question, and (3) as best as I can, the “inside baseball” on what actually happened (drawing on reported cases, transcript excerpts and other scholarship). Following this, I discuss the cases briefly in the context of the legal school of thought known as therapeutic jurisprudence. I conclude with some final thoughts on the consonance between Dylan’s jurisprudential and political values and the values I seek to assert in my writings.
Effective GPU Parallelization of Distributed and Localized Model Predictive Control.

To effectively control large-scale distributed systems online, model predictive control (MPC) has to swiftly solve the underlying high-dimensional optimization. There are multiple techniques applied to accelerate the solving process in the literature, mainly attributed to software-based algorithmic advancements and hardware-assisted computation enhancements. However, those methods focus on arithmetic accelerations and overlook the benefits of the underlying system's structure. In particular, the existing decoupled software-hardware algorithm design that naively parallelizes the arithmetic operations by the hardware does not tackle the hardware overheads such as CPU-GPU and thread-to-thread communications in a principled manner. Also, the advantages of parallelizable subproblem decomposition in distributed MPC are not well recognized and exploited. As a result, we have not reached the full potential of hardware acceleration for MPC. In this paper, we explore those opportunities by leveraging GPU to parallelize the distributed and localized MPC (DLMPC) algorithm. We exploit the locality constraints embedded in the DLMPC formulation to reduce the hardware-intrinsic communication overheads. Our parallel implementation achieves up to 50x faster runtime than its CPU counterparts under various parameters. Furthermore, we find that the locality-aware GPU parallelization could halve the optimization runtime comparing to the naive acceleration. Overall, our results demonstrate the performance gains brought by software-hardware co-design with the information exchange structure in mind.
Prenatal Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) Flame Retardants and Breast Tissue Composition among Adolescents Girls

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals including PBDEs during the prenatal period may affect breast development and composition and the risk of developing breast cancer in adulthood. We examine...
Cross Cultural Comparison of Users’ Barge-in with the In-Vehicle Speech System

The focus of this paper is user barge-in behavior during interactions with an in-vehicle speech system. This study is part of a cross-cultural research conducted in the US and China that explored the cultural differences regarding users’ expectations and interactions with in-vehicle speech applications. In this paper, we describe the methodology of the field study, the interface of the prototype, the experimental set up, the analysis procedure, as well as the participants’ demographics from both the US and China. We categorize the observed barge-in behavior and the typical scenarios in which it occurred, from both prompt timing and a dialog sequence perspective. After analyzing all barge-in instances, we discuss design implications for a barge-in feature and system prompts of an in-vehicle speech system that considers the different cultural norms of the two regions.
Structure and Function of the Crustacean Larval Salt Gland

Publisher Summary This chapter explores that halobionts are organisms that can live, reproduce, and complete their life cycle in concentrated brines. These organisms can be phylogenetically quite diverse, ranging from the primitive halobacteria and unicellular algae to complex vascular plants and animals. A harsh environmental habitat, such as is found in inland salt lakes and coastal salterns, usually demands that organisms evolve special adaptations to osmotic stress to maintain water and electrolyte balance compatible with their life cycle. For halobionts which seek “osmotic conformity,” life is sustained in large measure by the fact that the internal osmotic pressure within individual cells is controlled by accumulating a compatible organic solute. The chapter discusses that halobacteria achieve similar control over intracellular osmotic pressures by genetic manipulation of macromolecules that comprise the subcellular organelles. Many of the cytoplasmic proteins of halobacteria have undergone extensive amino acid substitutions, primarily in the acidic amino acids. These substitutions enable cytosolic proteins to be more functional in the presence of high intracellular inorganic osmolyte. Finally, it focuses on two classes of aquatic arthropods, the insects, and crustaceans that are among the most successful animal halobionts.
Altruism, Noise, and the Paradox of Voter Turnout: An Experimental Study

This paper addresses the paradox of voter turnout, wherein observed voting participation rates are far greater than what rational choice theory would predict. Voters face multiple voting choices, stochastic voting costs, and candidates offering different economic platforms. A combination of two approaches attempts to resolve this paradox: quantal response equilibrium (QRE) analysis, which introduces noise into the decision-making process, and the possibility of ethical (altruism-motivated) voting. A series of laboratory experiments empirically tests the predictions of the resulting model. Participants in the experiments are also given opportunities for communicating online with their immediate neighbors, in order to enhance the chances that subjects would realize the possibility of ethical voting. The results show that ethical voting occurs but gains momentum only in the presence of a vocal advocate and even then it mostly dissipated by the second half of the session. The QRE-based model was able to explain some but not all of the overvoting that was observed, relative to the Nash equilibrium prediction. There is evidence to suggest that communication via the chat feature generated some of the voting and also some of the ethical voting.
Endocrine Function in Female Rhesus Monkeys After Hypothalamic Disconnection

Fourteen adult female rhesus monkeys, 8 with regular menstrual cycles and 6 ovariectomized, were subjected to hypothalamic disconnection using a modified Halasz-type knife. Complete “islands” were produced in 5 animals. In 4 of these, the, “island” included the medial basal hypothalamus and the suprachiasmatic nucleus and its immediately adjacent preoptic area. None of the animals developed diabetes insipidus. The animals with complete “islands” doubled their body weights within 10 months. Four of these continued to show either spontaneous or estrogen-induced LH surges. An increase of serum estrogen-stimulated neurophysin concentrations accompanying the LH surge occurred in all animals. There was a loss in diurnal variation of cortisol in all monkeys. Basal prolactin levels were elevated in only one animal who had damage to the medial basal hypothalamic area. Although the prolactin response to TRH was not affected by the procedure, it was diminished in the ovariectomized animals. Growth hormone release af...
Solution of Nonlinear Vibration Problem of a Prestressed Membrane by Adomian Decomposition

Aj = Adomian polynomial for the jth ordinary differential equation E = modulus of elasticity gj = part of the jth equation independent of the dependent variables Lj = easily invertible operator in the jth ordinary differential equation Nj = nonlinear operator in the jth ordinary differential equation Rj = remaining linear part in the jth ordinary differential equation u = displacement along the X direction v = displacement along the Y direction w = displacement along the Z direction = Poisson’s ratio = density
Creep and plasticity of hexagonal polycrystals as related to single crystal slip

The role of slip on basal, prismatic and pyramidal systems of hexagonal single crystals in determining inelastic polycrystalline behavior is studied using a uniform strain-rate upper bound and a self-consistent method. Steady power-law creep is considered. Included as a limiting case is rigid-perfectly plastic behavior, for which the upper bound to the yield stress of the polycrystal coincides with the Bishop-Hill bound for these materials. When the resolved shear stress needed to produce a given level of slip on the pyramidal systems is large compared to that on the other systems the upper bound lies well above the self-consistent estimate. Scif-consistent theory indicates that overall inelastic deformation of a polycrystal is possible without pyramidal slip. Implications for hexagonal materials, including ice, are discussed.
Thermomodulation of the aluminum L2,3 absorption edge

Abstract Thermomodulation spectra were obtained near the Al L2,3 edge in Al films, using synchrotron radiation. These spectra, temperature derivatives of the absorption coefficient, completely resolve the two spin-orbit components. A fit to the shape of one component shows that broadening of the Fermi function is the dominant mechanism for the temperature dependence one-electron or many-body absorption process, is needed near the region of the “spike”.
Role of two-dimensional echocardiography, pulsed, continuous wave and color flow Doppler techniques in the assessment of ventricular septal rupture after myocardial infarction

Two-dimensional echocardiography, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler techniques were used for the evaluation of 15 consecutive patients (9 men, 6 women; mean age 71 years, range 61 to 79) with ventricular septal rupture due to acute myocardial infarction (7 anterior, 8 posterior). Standard and modified off-axis 2-dimensional echocardiographic views from parasternal, apical and subcostal windows correctly identified this defect in 14 of the 15 patients. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography confirmed the presence of left-to-right-sided shunt by showing a high-velocity, aliased, systolic flow and a low-velocity diastolic flow in the right ventricle in 14 patients. Continuous wave Doppler echocardiography showed a high-velocity systolic and low-velocity diastolic flow signal of left-to-right shunt in 14 patients. Color flow Doppler imaging identified a left-to-right shunt in all 6 patients in whom it was performed. Doppler and 2-dimensional echocardiographic studies missed a small apical septal defect in 1 patient with anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Two-dimensional echocardiography correctly diagnosed right ventricular infarction in all 5 patients with posteroinferior infarction. Ventricular septal rupture and/or left-to-right-sided shunt was confirmed in all 15 patients by the following: surgical inspection in 11, necropsy in 3, left ventricular cineangiography in 5 and right-sided heart catheterization and oximetry data in 13 patients. Data indicate that 2-dimensional echocardiography correctly shows the precise location of septal rupture in most patients after acute myocardial infarction and allows assessment of left and right ventricular infarction and function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Some Thoughts on a "Beloved Community".

Hall and Campano echo Jones and Rainville's call for compassion and humility in literacy coaching and argue that this is an urgent endeavor in an increasingly top-down educational climate. They offer collective analysis, through teacher inquiry communities and teacher activism, as a potential site of hope for making sense of the larger sociopolitical contexts of schooling and cite their own research and writing as resources for readers.
Number needed to screen: development of a statistic for disease screening

Objectives: To develop the number needed to screen, a new statistic to overcome inappropriate national strategies for disease screening.Number needed to screen is defined as the number of people that need to be screened for a given duration to prevent one death or adverse event. Design: Number needed to screen was calculated from clinical trials that directly measured the effect of a screening strategy. From clinical trials that measured treatment benefit, the number needed to screen was estimated as the number needed to treat from the trial divided by the prevalence of heretofore unrecognised or untreated disease. Directly calculated values were then compared with estimate number needed to screen values. Subjects: Standard literature review. Results: For prevention of total mortality the most effective screening test was a lipid profile. The estimated number needed to screen for dyslipidaemia (low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration >4.14 mmol/1) was 418 if detection was followed by pravastatin treatment for 5 years. This indicates that one death in 5 years could be prevented by screening 418 people. The estimated number needed to screen for hypertension was between 274 and 1307 for 5 years (for 10 mm Hg and 6 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure reduction respectively) if detection was followed by treatment based on a diuretic. Screening with haemoccult testing and mammography significantly decreased cancer specific, but not total, mortality. The number needed to screen for haemoccult screening to prevent a death from colon cancer was 1374 for 5 years, and the number needed to screen for mammography to prevent a death from breast cancer was 2451 for 5 years for women aged 50-59. Conclusion: These data allow the clinician to prioritise screening strategies. Of the screening strategies evaluated, screening for, and treatment of, dyslipidaemia and hypertension seem to produce the largest clinical benefit.
Predictive Depositional Model for Glacial Aquifers

In an investigation of the hydrogeology of bedrock valley fills in northeastern Wisconsin, it was determined that the yield and spatial distribution of glacial aquifers are controlled by bedrock topography and glacial geology. Lithologic control for identification and classification of aquifer units was obtained from several hundred drillers' logs calibrated by auger borings and interviews. Transmissivities of drift aquifers calculated from specific capacity tests using Jacob's equation agree well with estimates made from lithologic logs. Seismic refraction and gravity surveys were coupled with well log data to derive a bedrock elevation map. Vertical variability maps calculated from the lithologic logs show that bedrock topography strongly influences the distribution and character of glacial units, and clearly delineate the two glacial aquifer types present, valley and morainal units. Morainal units parallel the Late Wisconsin end moraine trends, while valley units are perpendicular to the moraines. The morainal units are small ice-contact features such as kames, fans, and deltas. The valley units are stream deposits and may have been deposited subglacially. Valley aquifers are the most productive units. Using lithologic and geophysical data, and statistical analysis, a predictive depositional model can be proposed. This conceptual model allows knowledge of bedrock topography to be coupled with glacial geology to predict the spatial distribution of glacial aquifers.
Deepening shadows: The eclipse of press rights in Kyrgyzstan

In March 2005, a relatively nonviolent uprising ousted an authoritarian president in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. In the aftermath of the so-called Tulip Revolution, press rights advocates and journalists welcomed the promise of greatly enhanced freedoms. However, the new regime proved to be as authoritarian and corrupt as its predecessor and little liberalization of the press system was evident five years later. Physical assaults continued, including murders, as did harassment, libel suits, impediments to access to information, license denials and self-censorship. There was only slow movement toward privatizing of state-owned media. Independent and oppositional media also remained in financial peril due to the country’s weak economy and high poverty level. Thus, 20 years after independence and a half-decade after the Tulip Revolution, the Soviet propaganda model for a press system was dead in name, but many major attributes survived, with significant implications for the continuum of authori...
Infrastructure state transition probability computation using duration models

Sound infrastructure deterioration models are essential for accurately predicting future conditions which, in turn, are key inputs to effective maintenance and rehabilitation decision-making. The challenge central to developing accurate deterioration models is that condition is often measured on a discrete scale, such as inspectors' ratings. Furthermore, deterioration is a stochastic process that varies widely with several factors, many of which are generally not captured by available data. Therefore, probabilistic discrete state models are often used to characterize deterioration. Such models are based on transition probabilities which capture the nature of the evolution of condition states from one time point to the next. However, current methods for determining such probabilities suffer from several serious limitations. An alternative approach addressing these limitations is presented in this paper. A probabilistic model of the time spent in a state is derived and the approach used for estimating its parameters is described. Furthermore, a methodology for determining the corresponding state transition probabilities from the developed duration model is presented. Finally, the overall methodology is demonstrated using a data set of reinforced concrete bridge deck observations. Introduction and Motivation Accurate predictions of infrastructure condition are essential for effective maintenance and rehabilitation decision-making. Infrastructure condition is often represented by discrete ratings or states. For example, for bridge decks, the Federal Highway Administration bridge rating system is most commonly used where inspectors employ ratings of 9 to 0 with 9 representing near-perfect condition IAssistant Professor, The Ohio State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, 470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Phone: +614-292-5949. Fax: +614-292-3780. E-marl: mishalani@osu.edu. 2Associate Professor, University of California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 114 McLaughlin Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Phone: +510-643-1084. Fax: +510-642-1246. E-mail: madanat@ce.berkeley.edu.
Arms Race Modeling: Problems and Prospects

Since Lewis F. Richardson's seminal contribution in arms race modeling, there has been a proliferation of arms race models in journals and books across many disciplines. Despite this proliferation, there are some fundamental methodological problems associated with Richardson-type models and the arms race modeling enterprise in general that have not been adequately addressed. We discuss these methodological problems and offer some suggestions on where the arms race modeling enterprise should head.
Broadband extreme ultraviolet probing of transient gratings in vanadium dioxide.

Nonlinear spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft x-ray spectral range offers the opportunity for element selective probing of ultrafast dynamics using core-valence transitions (Mukamel et al., Acc. Chem. Res. 42, 553 (2009)). We demonstrate a step on this path showing core-valence sensitivity in transient grating spectroscopy with EUV probing. We study the optically induced insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) of a VO2 film with EUV diffraction from the optically excited sample. The VO2 exhibits a change in the 3p-3d resonance of V accompanied by an acoustic response. Due to the broadband probing we are able to separate the two features.
Comparative effects of tobacco smoking and nasal nicotine.

Abstract Objective. Compare the electroencephalographic (EEG) and cardiovascular effects of tobacco smoking and nasal nicotine in the same subjects. Methods. Eleven volunteer smokers were studied after >10 h of overnight tobacco deprivation. Quantitative EEG was used to measure brain electrical changes produced by four different treatments. Each subject smoked a low (0.08 mg) and average nicotine (1 mg) yield cigarette on one test day and received placebo and nicotine nasal spray (0.5 mg/spray) on a second day in a counterbalanced design. EEG activity was measured from 16 scalp electrodes and analyzed as delta, theta, alpha 1 , alpha 2 , beta 1 , and beta 2 frequency bands. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and plasma venous nicotine concentrations (VNC) were monitored during both sessions. EEG data from all 16 channels at each of six frequencies were compared over 10 min using repeated measures ANOVA analysis. Changes in HR, BP, and VNC from baseline were compared using ANOVA followed by post hoc Scheffe's test. Results. Smoking an average nicotine delivery cigarette resulted in highly significant decreases in alpha 1 activity, significant increases in alpha 2 activity, and significant increases in both HR and VNC compared to all other conditions. Conclusion. When smokers are allowed to pace themselves, cigarette smoking is far more effective than nasal nicotine in activating the EEG and increasing HR and VNC. This lack of equivalent physiological effects may explain the low success rate when nicotine nasal spray is used by those trying to quit smoking.
Glassy behavior in quantum Hall bilayers

Interlayer tunneling in quantum Hall bilayer systems is investigated via numerical simulations of the classical two dimensional XY model with a symmetry-breaking field. It is shown that sufficiently strong disorder induces strings of overturned spins and unpaired vortices to proliferate through the system. This string glass state supports low energy excitations which lead to anomalously large dissipation when a small tunneling is present, as observed in experiment. Strong interlayer tunneling currents can depin the strings and lead to nearly normal dissipation above a critical current. This depinning phenomenon also explains the behavior of experiments in parallel magnetic fields.
Influence of pH, current and copper on the biological dechlorination of2,6-dichlorophenol in an electrochemical cell

Abstract This research investigates the stimulation of biological reduction of chlorinated organic compounds using an electric current and evaluates the influence of pH, current and heavy metals on the system. Copper and 2,6-dichlorophenol (2,6-DCP) were used as the test heavy metal and chlorinated organic compound, respectively. Microorganisms capable of dechlorinating 2,6-DCP were cultured in a completely-mixed recycle reactor. Serum bottle batch tests using this mixed culture showed that increasing the levels of H 2 addition from 0 to 8 mL per day enhanced 2,6-DCP dechlorination, a pH of approximately 8.1 was optimum for 2,6-DCP dechlorination, and added copper concentrations of 0.05 to 0.2 mg/L showed inhibition of 2,6-DCP dechlorination. Suspended-growth batch tests performed in a divided electrochemical cell with the mixed culture in the cathode compartment showed that 2,6-DCP was rapidly dechlorinated at passed currents of −5 and −10 mA, an added copper concentration of 3 mg/L was the threshold copper level that caused the inhibition of 2,6-DCP dechlorination, and copper was removed from solution. Abiotic electrochemical tests showed minimal 2,6-DCP dechlorination. This study demonstrated that the formation of H 2 on the cathode generated highly reducing conditions that induced the dechlorination of 2,6-DCP, and simultaneous heavy metal removal and biological reductive dechlorination can be obtained in bioelectrochemical systems.
Unknotting tunnels in two-bridge knot and link complements

We give a complete classification of the unknotting tunnels in 2-bridge link complements, proving that only the upper and lower tunnels are unknotting tunnels. Moreover, we show that the only strongly parabolic tunnels in 2-cusped hyperbolic 3-manifolds are exactly the upper and lower tunnels in 2-bridge knot and link complements. From this, it follows that the upper and lower tunnels in 2-bridge knot and link complements must be isotopic to geodesics of length at most ln(4), where length is measured relative to maximal cusps. Moreover, the four dual unknotting tunnels in a 2-bridge knot complement, which together with the upper and lower tunnels form the set of all known unknotting tunnels for these knots, must each be homotopic to a geodesic of length at most 6ln(2).
Some recent work on prebiological synthesis of organic compounds

Origin of constituents of nucleic acid and protein molecules, noting biological molecules synthesis under conditions similar to those prevailing in prebiotic Earth, following Oparin-Haldane hypothesis
Influence of planting date on potato leafhopper population and hopperburn development

Percentage hopperburn development was greater in the early maturing varieties than in the late maturing varieties regardless of the planting date. Percentage hopperburn development was reduced by deferring the planting date with both early and late varieties of potatoes. Nymphal leafhopper population is closely correlated with percentage hopperburn development in respect to time of planting. The results indicate that the relative earliness or lateness of a variety is not the prime factor in determining its resistance or susceptibility to hopperburn.
An Intelligent Sensing System for Sleep Motion and Stage Analysis

Abstract Monitoring the movements of the human during sleep can potentially give us a good estimation of aspects of the bodily as well as mental state of a human. When such data are combined, either with the knowledge of a sleep pathologist or with a special automated diagnosis system, they could prove quite useful towards the diagnosis of various types of sleep disorders such as parasomnias, insomnia, and dyspnea. Furthermore, such data could also be useful towards diagnosis of various medical conditions, and towards quantitative evaluation of the effects of drug therapy that is administered to a patient who is suffering from poor sleep quality, an important indication of which is the duration and patterns of various sleep stages. The intelligent sensing system that we present consists of a thermal infrared camera, a budget three-electrode budget EEG device, and algorithms for analysis and motion processing which we designed for this system. The main measurables that we derived from our system are of three kinds: a) descriptions of sleep stages (personalized probabilistic model), b) movement graphs, and c) relations between stages and motion. An empirical study with two subjects was carried out, where sensory recordings for multiple nights were captured and analyzed, illustrating the capacity of our sensory system towards providing the above measurables, and quite importantly, towards acting as a strong foundation for future wider deployment of in-home sleep self-monitoring and diagnosis tools.
Effect of isovector natural-parity exchange in vector meson photoproduction

Abstract The effect of an isovector natural parity (A2) exchange amplitude in πo and ω photo-production at high energy from hydrogen, deuterium, and complex nuclei is investigated. The predictions of two phenomenological models are compared with experiment and are found to be in fair agreement, although more accurate data could distinguis the models. Photoproduction of ω from complex nuclei may be affected strongly by the existence of A2 exchange contributions of the magnitude suggested by the vector dominance model.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND NEWSPAPER READERSHIP

An hypothesized association of psychological sense of community and newspaper readership was tested using telephone interviews with 1,007 randomly selected respondents in two states. The survey contained a 5-items measure of psychological sense of community and two indices of newspaper readership, amount of interest in local, state, and national news (3 items) and breadth of reading (14 items in one sample and 23 items in another). Regression analyses indicated significant relationships between scores on the Psychological Sense of Community scale and both readership indices after controlling for 5 demographic variables. Respondents with high scores on the Psychological Sense of Community scale reported a high interest in news about local, state, and national topics. Also, they claimed to read frequently many sections of their local newspaper.