cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Therapeutic Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin in Treating Scleroderma-Associated Raynaud's Phenomenon: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective To assess the therapeutic efficacy of local injections of botulinum toxin type A (Btx-A) in improving blood flow to the hands of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) secondary to scleroderma. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, patients with scleroderma-associated RP received Btx-A (50 units in 2.5 ml sterile saline) in one randomly selected hand and sterile saline (2.5 ml) in the opposite hand. Follow-up at 1 and 4 months postinjection included laser Doppler imaging of hands, patient-reported outcomes, and physical examination. We compared outcomes using paired t-tests and population-average generalized models with generalized estimating equations. Results Of 40 patients enrolled, 25 had limited scleroderma and 15 had diffuse scleroderma. From baseline to 1-month follow-up, there was a greater reduction in average blood flow in Btx-A–treated hands compared to placebo-treated hands. The model estimated that this difference was statistically significant (average difference −30.08 flux units [95% confidence interval −56.19, −3.98], P for interaction = 0.024). This difference was mainly influenced by patients with longstanding RP and diffuse scleroderma. Change in blood flow at 4-month follow-up was not significantly different between groups. Clinical measures (QuickDASH, McCabe Cold Sensitivity Score, pain on a visual analog scale, and Raynaud's Condition Score) improved slightly for Btx-A–treated hands. Conclusion Our laboratory-based laser Doppler imaging flow data do not support using Btx-A to treat RP in all scleroderma patients. The secondary clinical outcomes suggest some positive effect, but its clinical meaningfulness is questionable. The role of Btx-A in treating RP should be further studied with more homogeneous patient populations and in unique clinical situations such as acute digital ischemia.
The Logic of the 26S Proteasome

The ubiquitin proteasome pathway is responsible for most of the protein degradation in mammalian cells. Rates of degradation by this pathway have generally been assumed to be determined by rates of ubiquitylation. However, recent studies indicate that proteasome function is also tightly regulated and determines whether a ubiquitylated protein is destroyed or deubiquitylated and survives longer. This article reviews recent advances in our understanding of the proteasome's multistep ATP-dependent mechanism, its biochemical and structural features that ensure efficient proteolysis and ubiquitin recycling while preventing nonselective proteolysis, and the regulation of proteasome activity by interacting proteins and subunit modifications, especially phosphorylation.
High Accuracy Measurements Using a Scanning System with a Single Point Triangulation Sensor

The capabilities of non-contact laser spot triangulation sensors for high accuracy measurements have slowly increased over the past decade, and now have usable resolution below 0.1 μm. The Dimensio...
Detrimental effect of systemic vascular risk factors on brain hemodynamic function assessed with MRI.

Background and purposeVascular risk factors have been associated with decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) but this is etiologically nonspecific and may result from vascular insufficiency or a respo...
Synthesis and characterization of an iron complex bearing a hemilabile NNN-pincer for catalytic hydrosilylation of organic carbonyl compounds

A low-coordinate iron(II) complex (CztBu(PztBu)2)Fe[N(SiMe3)2], 1 bearing an NNN-pincer ligand was prepared and fully characterized. Intramolecular C–H activation on the 5-position of a pyrazole at elevated temperatures was observed. Complex 1 was found to be an efficient and chemoselective pre-catalyst for the hydrosilylation of organo carbonyl substrates.
Near-optimal planning using approximate dynamic programming to enhance post-hazard community resilience management

Abstract The lack of a comprehensive decision-making approach at the community level is an important problem that warrants immediate attention. Network-level decision-making algorithms need to solve large-scale optimization problems that pose computational challenges. The complexity of the optimization problems increases when various sources of uncertainty are considered. This research introduces a sequential discrete optimization approach, as a decision-making framework at the community level for recovery management. The proposed mathematical approach leverages approximate dynamic programming along with heuristics for the determination of recovery actions. Our methodology overcomes the curse of dimensionality and manages multi-state, large-scale infrastructure systems following disasters. We also provide computational results showing that our methodology not only incorporates recovery policies of responsible public and private entities within the community but also substantially enhances the performance of their underlying strategies with limited resources. The methodology can be implemented efficiently to identify near-optimal recovery decisions following a severe earthquake based on multiple objectives for an electrical power network of a testbed community coarsely modeled after Gilroy, California, United States. The proposed optimization method supports risk-informed community decision makers within chaotic post-hazard circumstances.
Spectral-Element Simulations of Acoustic Waves Induced by a Moving Underwater Source

In this study, we model acoustic waves induced by moving acoustic sources in three-dimensional (3D) underwater settings based on a spectral-element method (SEM). Numerical experiments are conducted...
The Old Testament in Colossians: A Response to Paul Foster

This article is a response to Paul Foster’s recent critiques of the attempts made by Christopher Beetham, Gordon D. Fee and myself (= BFB) to discern allusions and echoes in Colossians (Foster’s ﬁr...
Study on Power Supply Reliability of Sending End Matching Power Access to Ultra-high Voltage AC and DC Hybrid Power Grid

With the continuous operation of ultra-high voltage (UHV) AC and DC power transmission and transformation projects in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Inner Mongolia power grid has become a UHV AC and DC hybrid system. However, the development of AC and DC projects is not balanced, and the characteristics of “strong DC and weak AC” are obvious, It is bound to affect the safe and stable operation of UHV power grids, when sending end matching thermal power units connecting to UHV AC and DC hybrid power grid, the reliability of power supply is difficult to be guaranteed. Taking the sending end regional power grid of Xilinhot to Taizhou (Jiangsu Province) UHV DC transmission project (hereinafter referred to as Xitai DC) as the research object, by using Power System Analysis Software Package simulation software, this paper deeply analyzes the influence of high-power matching power supply on the safe and stable operation of the power grid after connecting to the UHV AC and DC hybrid power grid, and put forward the corresponding prevention and control measures.
Trademarks, specialized complementary assets, and the external sourcing of innovation

Abstract In this article, I study the relationship between valuable trademarks and a firm’s technology sourcing strategy. The Profiting from Innovation (PFI) and Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) perspectives have generated competing predictions regarding firms’ historical stock of valuable trademarks and their decision to pursue external technology sourcing. To conduct the empirical analysis, I use a sample of innovator firms in the manufacturing sectors from the Division of Innovative Labor survey, matched to the USPTO trademark data. Consistent with the TCE perspective, I find that firms with valuable trademarks are less likely to commercialize external inventions, and are likely to have lower innovation performance if they do so. I further show a boundary condition for PFI such that when firms are new entrants to an industry but already holding valuable trademarks, they are more likely to commercialize external innovations.
Western Name Authority File: A Pilot Regional Name Authority Project

AbstractThe prospect of authority control in digital libraries creates unique challenges. Digital library systems and software often do not support integrated authority control, which can create is...
Sustainability of a Care Pathway for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder on an Inpatient Psychiatric Service

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently hospitalized within general psychiatric settings, which are not usually designed to meet their needs. An initial evaluation of a care pathway developed for youth with ASD receiving services in a general psychiatric inpatient unit (ASD-CP) showed promise in improving outcomes while using few resources (Kuriakose et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 48:4082–4089, 2018). As sustainability of inpatient psychiatric initiatives is imperative but rarely investigated, this study examined the stability of ASD-CP outcomes during an 18-month follow-up period (n = 15) compared to the 18-month initial evaluation (n = 20) and 18-month pre-implementation (n = 17) periods. Decreased use of crisis interventions, including holds/restraints and intramuscular medication use, was sustained in the 18 months after the initial implementation period. Implications and limitations are discussed.
The Discretized Momentum Operator

Discrete versions of continuous models are central to numerical calculations in physics and engineering. A very common problem in setting up a discrete model is how to handle derivatives. There are...
Integrating spatial capture-recapture models with variable individual identifiability

Many applications in ecology depend on unbiased and precise estimates of animal population density. Spatial capture recapture models and their variants have become the preferred tool for estimating densities of carnivores. Within the spatial capture-recapture family are variants that require individual identification of all encounters (spatial capture-recapture), individual identification of a subset of a population (spatial mark-resight), or no individual identification (spatial count). In addition, these models can incorporate telemetry data (all models) and the marking process (spatial mark-resight). However, the consistency of results among methods and the relative precision of estimates in a real-world setting are unknown. Consequently, it is unclear how much and what type of data are needed to achieve satisfactory density estimates. We tested a suite of models to estimate population densities of black bears (Ursus americanus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), cougars (Puma concolor), and coyotes (Canis latrans). For each species we genotyped fecal DNA collected with detection dogs. A subset of individuals from each species were affixed with GPS collars bearing unique markings to be resighted by remote cameras set on a 1 km grid. We fit 10 models for each species ranging from those requiring no animals to be individually recognizable to others that necessitate full individual recognition. We then assessed the contribution of incorporating telemetry data to each model and the marking process to the mark-resight model. Finally, we developed an integrated hybrid model that combines camera, physical capture, genetic, and GPS data into a single hierarchical model. Importantly, we find that spatial count models that do not individually identify animals fail in all cases whether or not telemetry data are included. Results improved as models contained more information on individual identity. Models where a subset of individuals were identifiable yielded qualitatively similar results, but can produce quantitatively divergent estimates, suggesting that long-term population monitoring should use a consistent method across years. Incorporation of telemetry data and the marking process can produce more accurate and precise density estimates. Our results can be used to guide future study designs to efficiently estimate carnivore densities for better understanding of population dynamics, predator-prey relationships, and community assemblages.
The privatization and marketization of US schooling

This paper describes the trend towards the privatization and marketization of US schooling across three domains. We begin by describing the trend in recent pro-market policy reforms — proposed or enacted — to US schooling. This reform trend can be explained in terms of the growing importance of economic theory and economic evidence in social and political discourse. Briefly, we review mainstream economic theory and evidence to see what general lessons can be drawn, with a focus on productive efficiency. In the main section of the paper, we look at the direct evidence for US schooling not only in terms of the productive efficiency of schools, but also equity in schools, freedom of choice for parents and students, and the social cohesion produced by schools. Our review reaches a number of conclusions which suggest that the trend toward privatization and marketization may generate greater productive efficiency. Although the economic analysis is deficient in several ways and may have limited pertinence for social goods such as education, it highlights the need for strong and effective systems of accountability. Regardless of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, however, it may be difficult to prevent further steps toward marketization.
Cardiovascular disease, risk factors, and health behaviors among cancer survivors and spouses: A MEPS Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalences of CVD, CVD risk factors. and health behaviors among cancer survivor-spouse dyads, assess how these prevalences differ by role (survivor vs spouse) and gender, and report congruences in health behaviors between survivors and their spouses. Methods We identified 1026 survivor-spouse dyads from the 2010-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We used weighted multivariable logistic and linear regressions to analyze the data related to CVD, CVD risk factors, and health behaviors. Results Survivors and spouses reported high prevalences of CVD and CVD risk factors but low engagement in healthy behaviors, including non-smoking, physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight (proxy for healthy diet). Gender and role differences were significantly related to the prevalence of CVD, CVD risk factors, and health behaviors among survivors and spouses. From 39% to 88% of survivors and spouses were congruent in their current smoking status, physical activity engagement/disengagement, and BMI. Conclusion Cancer survivors and spouses have high rates of CVD and CVD risk factors and poor engagement in healthful lifestyle behaviors. A high proportion of survivors and spouses were congruent in their current smoking status, physical activity engagement/disengagement, and BMI. Effective lifestyle interventions are needed for this high-risk population. Couple-focused interventions may be well-suited for these dyads and warrant further study. Implications for cancer survivors Both cancer survivors and their spouses need to be non-moking, more physically active, and maintain normal BMI in order to reduce their high risk of CVD and CVD risk factors.
Fractures’ associated mortality risk in orthogeriatric inpatients: a prospective 2-year survey

To determine differences in mortality between hip-, vertebral- and upper extremity fractures of orthogeriatric inpatients and mortality’s respective age dependence. All fracture-related death rates were comparable and not significantly different. Age stratification showed a reduction in relative death risk at higher age in all groups. The fracture event was an indicator of higher susceptibility of death in relatively younger orthogeriatric patients independent of fracture entity. The most common osteoporotic fragility fractures are hip, vertebral and upper extremity fractures. An association with increased mortality is widely described with their occurrence. Fracture-specific associated death rates were determined in a 2-year follow-up for patients treated on an orthogeriatric ward. These were compared amongst each other, examined for changes with age and their impact on the relative mortality risk in relation to the corresponding population. We assessed all patients that were treated in the course of a year on an orthogeriatric ward and suffered from the following injuries: hip (HF), vertebral (VF) and upper extremity fractures (UEF). In a 2-year follow-up it was possible to determine the month of death in the case of the patient’s decease. Pairwise comparisons of the three fracture type death rates were performed through Cox-Regression. We stratified the fracture-dependent absolute mortality and age-specific mortality risk (ASMR) for age groups 71–80, 81–90 and 91–95. Overall, we assessed 240 patients with HF, 96 with VF and 127 with UEF over the span of a year. 1- and 2-year-mortality was: HF: 29.6% a.e. 42.9%, VF: 29.2% a.e. 36.5%, UEF: 20.5% a.e 34.6%. Pairwise comparisons of these mortality values revealed no significant differences. In association with HF and VF, we observed a significant increase of 2-year mortality for the oldest compared to the youngest patients (HF: 60.4% vs. 22.5%; p = 0.028) (VF 70% vs. 14.3%; p = 0.033). The analogue comparison for UEF revealed no relevant difference in age-dependent mortality (40.9% vs. 31.1%; p = 0.784). Common for all fracture types ASMR’s were more elevated in the younger patients and decreased with higher age. The fracture-related mortality in the 2-year follow-up was comparable. We observed a reduction of relative mortality risk in the oldest patients. While a direct influence of fracture on mortality must be supposed, we support the thesis of the fracture rather being an indicator of higher susceptibility of timely death.
How Accurate is Our Knowledge of the Galaxy Bias

Observations of the clustering of galaxies can provide useful information about the distribution of dark matter in the universe. In order to extract accurate cosmological parameters from galaxy surveys, it is important to understand how the distribution of galaxies is biased with respect to the matter distribution. The large-scale bias of galaxies can be quantified either by directly measuring the large-scale (? 60 h ?1 Mpc) power spectrum of galaxies or by modeling the halo occupation distribution of galaxies using their clustering on small scales (? 30 h ?1 Mpc). We compare the luminosity dependence of the galaxy bias (both the shape and the normalization) obtained by these methods and check for consistency. Our comparison reveals that the bias of galaxies obtained by the small-scale clustering measurements is systematically larger than that obtained from the large-scale power spectrum methods. We also find systematic discrepancies in the shape of the galaxy-bias-luminosity relation. We comment on the origin and possible consequences of these discrepancies which had remained unnoticed thus far.
Relationship of rectal temperature at first treatment for bovine respiratory disease complex in feedlot calves to probability of not finishing the production cycle normally

Monitoring rectal temperature is a common component of health protocols, and treatment decision may be influenced by rectal temperature at time of initial diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The objective of this project was to determine potential associations between rectal temperature at first-time identification of BRD and the probability of not finishing the production cycle normally.
Fundamentals of Missionary Leadership: What We Know with Reasonable Confidence

Missionaries find themselves in various leadership positions. The behavioral science literature on leadership can be confusing, but several principles can be asserted with reasonable confidence. Five of these principles are presented and applied to missionary contexts in order to help missionaries better contribute to completing the Great Commission.
Core and supplemental elements of hospitality in the sharing economy: Insights from semantic and tonal cues in Airbnb property listings

Abstract Advances in peer-to-peer sharing, made popular by platforms like Airbnb, have altered previous conceptualizations of the lodging hospitality product. This study performs semantic and tonal analyses on a large-scale dataset collected from Airbnb. Our results support a concept of lodging hospitality that comprises core products and services, supplemental customer care, and a third factor we term ‘host sharing.’ Furthermore, the study offers insight into the topics and rhetorical tactics currently defining lodging hospitality marketing on the Airbnb platform. These findings can be used to provide guidance for Airbnb hosts to provide suitable information in their listings.
A Review of Artificial Intelligence's Neural Networks (Deep Learning) Applications in Medical Diagnosis and Prediction

This paper reviews deep learning applications in medical diagnosis and prediction, such as Convolutional Neural Networks, Fully Convolutional Networks, and Generative Adversarial Networks in medical image analysis. It further summarizes the strength and weaknesses of deep learning in medical imaging and suggests that deep learning's great potential in medical fields.
Complex Differential Geometry

The theory of complex manifolds overlaps with several branches of mathematics, including differential geometry, algebraic geometry, several complex variables, global analysis, topology, algebraic number theory, and mathematical physics. Complex manifolds provide a rich class of geometric objects, for example the (common) zero locus of any generic set of complex polynomials is always a complex manifold. Yet complex manifolds behave differently than generic smooth manifolds; they are more coherent and fragile. The rich yet restrictive character of complex manifolds makes them a special and interesting object of study. This book is a self-contained graduate textbook that discusses the differential geometric aspects of complex manifolds. The first part contains standard materials from general topology, differentiable manifolds, and basic Riemannian geometry. The second part discusses complex manifolds and analytic varieties, sheaves and holomorphic vector bundles, and gives a brief account of the surface classification theory, providing readers with some concrete examples of complex manifolds.
Enseignement, mémoire, histoire: Les examens d’histoire de 4e secondaire du secteur de la formation générale au Québec (1970-2012)

Resume Le present article entend contribuer a la connaissance de l’enseignement de l’histoire au Quebec en analysant les copies d’examen de fin d’annee (juin) de 4e secondaire du secteur de la formation generale en Histoire du Quebec et du Canada, puis en Histoire et education a la citoyennete elabores par le ministere de l’Education [du loisir et du sport] du Quebec de 1970 a 2012. Cette analyse parait instructive a plus d’un titre. Elle permet, entre autres, non seulement de suivre l’evolution des attentes du Ministere par rapport a l’enseignement de l’histoire du Quebec sur une tres longue periode, mais de suivre au plus pres les biais ideologiques, les perspectives methodologiques et les choix epistemologiques des examinateurs du Ministere. Entreprendre l’analyse des epreuves annuelles, c’est toucher au plus pres des tensions qui animent les relations entre faits et identites, histoire et memoire. Abstract This article contributes to our understanding of the teaching of history in Quebec by analyzing fourth-year secondary school students’ final exams in the course History of Quebec and Canada—which later became History and Citizenship Education—elaborated by Quebec’s Ministry of Education (Recreation and Sport) from 1970 to 2012. Such an analysis proves enlightening in many respects. It not only constitutes an exceptional measure of the long-term evolution of the Ministry’s expectations when it comes to teaching history in Quebec, but also provides an indication of the Ministry’s ideological bias, methodological perspectives, and epistemological choices. By reviewing more than 40 years of annual exams, one can better understand the tensions that animate, in this particular context, the relations between facts and identities, history and memory.
The Upside of Intellectual Property's Downside

Intellectual property law exists because exclusive private rights provide an incentive to innovate. This is the traditional upside of intellectual property: the production of valuable information goods that society would otherwise never see. In turn, too much intellectual property protection is typically viewed as counterproductive, as too much control in the hands of private rightsholders creates more artificial scarcity and imposes more costs on future innovators than the incentive effect warrants. This is the traditional downside of intellectual property: reduced production and impeded innovation. This article turns the traditional discussion on its head and shows that intellectual property’s putative costs can actually be benefits. It does so by recognizing that innovation is not always good—that there are certain industries that society may prefer to suppress. If intellectual property reduces production and impedes innovation in those industries, then its protection would be a net gain for society. We examine a handful of such industries (tax planning, biotech, fashion, and pornography) and demonstrate that keeping (or bringing) them under the intellectual property umbrella may be the best way to stifle them. In short, we describe the circumstances under which intellectual property’s downside is society’s upside. * Professor of Law, University of Richmond. The authors would like to acknowledge the help of Dawn-Marie Bey, Hamilton Bryson, Dan Burk, Tim Holbrook, Corinna Lain, Mark Lemley, Mark McKenna, Shari Motro, Dan Murphy, Kristen Osenga, Rafael Pardo, Jack Preis, Rod Smolla, and participants in the 2009 Intellectual Property Scholars Conference, 2009 SEALS Conference, Spring 2009 Virginia Junior Faculty Forum, 2007 What If Conference at Michigan State, and faculty colloquia at University of Richmond School of Law, Seattle University School of Law, and the University of Washington School of Law. ** Professor of Law and Director of the Intellectual Property Institute, University of Richmond. In addition to the individuals mentioned above, Jim would like to thank his own personal upside, Jane Savoca. All errors is Chris’s. The Upside of Intellectual Property’s Downside
Whether one votes and how one votes

The aim of this paper is to determine if whether one votes effects the vote that is cast. Using an economic model of voting and observed voting results on nuclear power referenda, the answer is a resounding yes. Overcoming registration, turnout, and “roll off” hurdles dramatically increases the odds of voting against nuclear power. Indeed, participation swamps both economic and preference variables in the explanation of nuclear power voting outcomes. The lesson is that there is a structure to participation at the polls that should not be ignored by those interested in analyzing voting outcomes.
On Understanding the Cyclical Behavior of the Price Level and Inflation

In this paper, we examine the relationship between the price level and output and the inflation rate and output at business-cycle frequencies. In the first part of the paper, we develop a methodological approach to characterizing joint business cycle correlations. In particular, we are interested in providing a characterization of the frequency that a pair of correlation coefficients will occur. We apply this methodology to the contemporaneous correlation between the price level and output and between the inflation rate and output. We apply linear filters to the cyclical components, create a time series and compute the correlations. It is straightforward to construct histograms of the two correlation coefficients. In the second part, we specify a model economy with a form of rational inattention. In this setting, we perform numerical simulations to determine if the model economy can generate correlations quantitatively similar to those observed in the data. It can.
Enhancing storage system availability on multi-core architectures with recovery-conscious scheduling

In this paper we develop a recovery conscious framework for multi-core architectures and a suite of techniques for improving the resiliency and recovery efficiency of highly concurrent embedded storage software systems. Our techniques aim at providing continuous availability and performance during recovery while minimizing the time to recovery and the need for rearchitecting the system (legacy code). The main contributions of our recovery conscious framework include (1) a task-level recovery model, which consists of mechanisms for classifying storage tasks into recovery groups and dividing the overall system resources into recovery-oriented resource pools, and (2) the development of recovery-conscious scheduling, which enforces some serializability of failure-dependent tasks in order to reduce the ripple effect of software failure and improve the availability of the system. We present three alternative recovery-conscious scheduling algorithms; each represents one way to trade-off between recovery time and system performance. We have implemented and evaluated these recovery-conscious scheduling algorithms on a real industry-standard storage system. Our experimental evaluation results show that the proposed recovery conscious scheduling algorithms are non-intrusive and can significantly improve (throughput by 16.3% and response time by 22.9%) the performance of the system during failure recovery.
Cryoablation and Angiographic Evidence of a Concealed Right Atrial Appendage to Right Ventricle Accessory Pathway in an Infant

We report a case of successful cryoablation of a concealed accessory pathway from the right atrial appendage to the right ventricle in an infant. A 4-month-old female who had previously undergone successful ablation of a left-sided accessory pathway was taken to the electrophysiology lab due to recurrent supraventricular tachycardia. While in this second supraventricular tachycardia, we found earliest atrial activation in the distal right atrial appendage. Angiography confirmed a connection between right atrial appendage and the right ventricle. Cryoablation at this location promptly terminated the supraventricular tachycardia. Following ablation, there were no further inducible arrhythmias and ventriculo-atrial dissociation was appreciated.
Pharmacological Strategies for Enhancing Cognition in Schizophrenia

Researchers have long recognized that individuals with schizophrenia experience challenges in a wide range of cognitive domains, and research on cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is not a recent phenomena. However, the past 10–20 years have seen an increasing recognition of the central importance of cognition to understanding function and outcome in this illness (Green et al. in Schizophr Bull 26:119–136, 2000), an awareness that has shifted the emphasis of at least some work on schizophrenia. More specifically, there has been a rapidly growing body of work on methods of enhancing cognition in schizophrenia, as a means to potentially facilitate improved outcome and quality of life for individuals with this debilitating illness. The current chapter reviews the results of a range of studies examining adjunctive pharmacological treatments to enhance cognition in schizophrenia using a range of designs, including single-dose studies, open-label repeated dosing studies, and double-blind parallel group and crossover designs with repeated dosing. Although many of the single-dose and open-label studies have suggested positive cognitive effects from a range of agents, few of the larger-scale double-blind studies have generated positive results. The current state of results may reflect the need to identify alternative molecular mechanisms for enhancing cognition in schizophrenia or the need to reconceptualize the ways in which pharmacological agents may improve cognition in this illness, with a concomitant change in the traditional clinical trial study design used in prior studies of cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia.
Examining the utility of fishery and survey data to detect prey removal effects on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

One focus of mitigation for Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) declines in Alaska has been to restrict commercial fishery activity around sea lion rookeries and haul-outs. However, a variety of statistical hypothesis tests have failed to relate sea lion population metrics to fish and fishing variables, prompting speculation that regulations may be unwarranted. In this study, we use simulation to show that standard hypothesis tests often have overstated power to detect a relationship between Steller sea lion vital rates and fish or fishing variables. The power and utility of hypothesis tests largely depend on choosing appropriate dependent and independent variables. In particular, pup counts were the most effective for diagnosing fecundity effects, and successive ratios of adult counts were the most effective for diagnosing survival effects. Fish relative abundance was the most effective independent variable, with other choices (e.g., fishery catch) often resulting in misleading inferences. We argue tha...
Impaction of the Ventricular Septum by Porcine Mitral Valves

Impaction of the ventricular septum by a porcine mitral valve was noted by echocardiography in three asymptomatic and one symptomatic patient. When compared to 42 patients without septal impaction, no single echocardiographic feature predicted impaction. The detection of impaction in asymptomatic patients was more common than expected and does not imply valve dysfunction. Close follow-up is indicated for potential prosthesis or myocardial complications.
The Effects of Sponge (Porifera) Biofouling on Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Fitness: Reduction of Glycogen, Tissue Loss, and Mortality

ABSTRACT The effects of freshwater sponge (Porifera) overgrowth on the fitness of adult zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were examined in East Chicago and Michigan City, Indiana harbors in southern Lake Michigan. There was significant reduction in glycogen content of sponge-covered zebra mussel soft tissue wet weight (mean=2.6%) when compared to the non sponge-covered population (mean=3.9%). Similarly, the soft tissue wet weight of sponge-covered zebra mussels (15 to 25 mm size class) was lower when compared to non-covered mussels. A comparison of the live:dead ratios of zebra mussels in both populations showed overgrowth by sponges had a significant lethal effect. These data suggest that the epibiont growth of freshwater sponges on adult zebra mussel shells negatively impacts the growth and survivability of zebra mussels.
College Students' Support of Rights for Members of the Gay Community

Support of rights for gay men and lesbians was investigated in a sample of students from 12 colleges and universities across the United States. The belief that religious teachings against homosexuality are not reasonable was the strongest predictor of support, followed by the belief that homosexuality is caused by biological forces beyond control of the individual, the belief that friends and parents were accepting of homosexuality, and having a school acquaintance known to be gay. More traditional gender-role beliefs and having a roommate known to be gay were significantly associated with less supportive attitudes. University educators can create the opportunity for students to examine and challenge beliefs.
Agarra el momento/seize the moment: Developing communication activities for a drug prevention intervention with and for Latino families in the US Southwest.

This article presents the development of parent–child communication activities by applying Community-Based Participatory Research and focus group methodology. Three parent–child communication activities were developed to enhance an already efficacious parenting intervention: (1) agarra el momento or seize the moment uses everyday situations to initiate conversations about substance use, (2) hay que adelantarnos or better sooner than later stresses being proactive about addressing critical issues with youth, and (3) setting rules and expectations engages parents in establishing rules and expectations for healthy and effective conversations with youth. Focus group data are presented to illustrate how thematic content from the focus groups was used to inform the development of the activities and, furthermore, how such methods supported the development of a culturally grounded intervention.
Limited English proficient Hmong- and Spanish-speaking patients’ perceptions of the quality of interpreter services

Abstract Background Language barriers are a large and growing problem for patients in the US and around the world. Interpreter services are a standard solution for addressing language barriers and most research has focused on utilization of interpreter services and their effect on health outcomes for patients who do not speak the same language as their healthcare providers including nurses. However, there is limited research on patients' perceptions of these interpreter services. Objective To examine Hmong- and Spanish-speaking patients' perceptions of interpreter service quality in the context of receiving cancer preventive services. Methods Twenty limited English proficient Hmong ( n =10) and Spanish-speaking participants ( n =10) ranging in age from 33 to 75 years were interviewed by two bilingual researchers in a Midwestern state. Interviews were audio taped, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Analysis was done using conventional content analysis. Results The two groups shared perceptions about the quality of interpreter services as variable along three dimensions. Specifically, both groups evaluated quality of interpreters based on the interpreters' ability to provide: (a) literal interpretation, (b) cultural interpretation, and (c) emotional interpretation during the health care encounter. The groups differed, however, on how they described the consequences of poor interpretation quality. Hmong participants described how poor quality interpretation could lead to: (a) poor interpersonal relationships among patients, providers, and interpreters, (b) inability of patients to follow through with treatment plans, and (c) emotional distress for patients. Conclusions Our study highlights the fact that patients are discerning consumers of interpreter services; and could be effective partners in efforts to reform and enhance interpreter services.
Improved compensation in flow cytometry by multivariable optimization

Conventional compensation of flow cytometry (FMC) data of an N-stained sample requires additional data sets, of N single-stained control samples, to estimate the spillover coefficients. Single-stained controls however are the least rigorous controls because any of the multi-stained controls are closer to the N-stained sample. In this article, a new, optimization based, compensation method has been developed that is able to use not only single- but also multi-stained controls to improve estimates of the spillover coefficients. The method is demonstrated on a data set from five-stained dentritic cells (DCs) with five single-stained and eight multi-stained controls. This approach is practical and leads to significant improvements in FCM compensation. © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Fatal varicella due to the vaccine-strain varicella-zoster virus

We describe a death in a 15-mo-old girl who developed a varicella-like rash 20 d after varicella vaccination that lasted for 2 mo despite acyclovir treatment. The rash was confirmed to be due to vaccine-strain varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This is the first case of fatal varicella due to vaccine-strain VZV reported from the United States. The patient developed severe respiratory complications that worsened with each new crop of varicella lesions; vaccine-strain VZV was detected in the bronchial lavage specimen. Sepsis and multi-organ failure led to death. The patient did not have a previously diagnosed primary immune deficiency, but her failure to thrive and repeated hospitalizations early in life (starting at 5 mo) for presumed infections and respiratory compromise treated with corticosteroids were suggestive of a primary or acquired immune deficiency. Providers should monitor for adverse reactions after varicella vaccination. If severe adverse events develop, acyclovir should be administered as soon as possible. The possibility of acyclovir resistance and use of foscarnet should be considered if lesions do not improve after 10 d of treatment (or if they become atypical [e.g., verrucous]). Experience with use of varicella vaccine indicates that the vaccine has an excellent safety profile and that serious adverse events are very rare and mostly described in immunocompromised patients. The benefit of vaccination in preventing severe disease and mortality outweigh the low risk of severe events occurring after vaccination.
An Experimental Investigation of Multimode Responses in a Cantilever Beam

An experimental investigation into the planar, multimode response of a cantilever metallic beam to a transverse harmonic excitation is presented. The cantilever beam was tested in both the horizontal and vertical directions. In the vertical configuration, the beam was excited near its fourth natural frequency and energy was transferred from the directly excited fourth mode to a low-frequency mode through both resonant and nonresonant modal interactions. In the latter case, the response contained contributions from the first and fourth modes, whereas in the former case, the response contained contributions from the fourth, second, and fifth modes. The mechanism responsible for the resonant interaction involving the three modes is a subcombination internal resonance of the additive type; that is, Ω w 4 1/2(ω 2 + ω 5 ), where the ω i are the natural frequencies of the beam. This type of resonance occurs in systems with a dominant cubic nonlinearity. In the horizontal configuration, the beam was excited near its fourth and sixth natural frequencies. Again, energy was transferred to a low-frequency mode, but in this case only through a resonant interaction due to a subcombination internal resonance of the additive type. Power spectra, time series, and frequency- and amplitude-response curves were obtained for characterization of the dynamic multimode responses.
Ground- and excited-state electronic structure of an iron-containing molecular spin photoswitch

The electronic structure of the cation of [Fe(ptz)(6)](BF(4))(2), a prototype of a class of complexes that display light-induced excited-state spin trapping (LIESST), has been investigated by time-independent and time-dependent density-functional theories. The density of states of the singlet ground state reveals that the highest occupied orbitals are metal centered and give rise to a low spin configuration Fe(2+)(3d(xy) ( upward arrow downward arrow)3d(xz) ( upward arrow downward arrow)3d(yz) ( upward arrow downward arrow)) in agreement with experiment. Upon excitation with light in the 2.3-3.3 eV range, metal-centered spin-allowed but parity-forbidden ligand field (LF) antibonding states are populated which, in conjunction with electron-phonon coupling, explain the experimental absorption intensities. The computed excitation energies are in excellent agreement with experiment. Contrary to simpler models we show that the LF absorption bands, which are important for LIESST, do not originate in transitions from the ground to a single excited state but from transitions to manifolds of nearly degenerate excited singlets. Consistent with crystallography, population of the LF states promotes a drastic dilation of the ligand cage surrounding the iron.
The Stretch of Strategic Management Discourse: A Critical Analysis

This article investigates the stretch of strategic management discourse, accomplished through writing economic development into the umbrella of strategic management. Building on the notion of authors as institutional entrepreneurs, I use discourse analysis methodology to analyze selected texts by Michael Porter that accomplish this discursive stretch. Findings illustrate the reality produced by the stretch of strategic management discourse, the discursive mechanisms used to accomplish this stretch, and how these mechanisms are concealed. I conclude with implications for future research investigating instances of stretch of strategic management discourses and for critical approaches to strategic management and economic development.
Elasticity of tantalum single crystals

It was demonstrated that the thin rod resonance technique applied to Ta single crystals of known orientation gives values of the single crystal elastic consthnts that are comparable to those obtained by other resonance techniques and by the pulse-echo technique. The thin rod resonance technique, although it requires a rather large number of specimens to obtain good statistical precision, requires somewhat less rigorous attention to such factors as specimen orientation, preparation of planar surfaces, and measurement of specimen length, all of which are essential in obtaining results of comparable precision using other techniques. (P.C.H.)
Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with nesidioblastosis: histologic features and growth factor expression

Hypoglycemia secondary to nesidioblastosis is rare in adults, and the pathogenesis of this condition is unknown. To determine factors leading to nesidioblastosis in adults, we analyzed 36 cases of nesidioblastosis including 27 cases of postgastric bypass nesidioblastosis and 9 cases of idiopathic nesidioblastosis in adults by immunohistochemistry using antibodies to insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), insulin-like growth factor one receptor-alpha epidermal growth factor receptor, transforming growth factor-beta1 and 2, and transforming growth factor-beta receptor type 3. Fifty-two surgically excised pancreatic specimens from patients with benign exocrine tumors and no evidence of hypoglycemia were used as controls. There was increased IGF2, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 receptor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta receptor 3 expression in islets from nesidioblastosis patients compared to controls. Peliosis-type vascular ectasia was more common in nesidioblastosis patients compared to controls. These findings suggest that increased production of growth factors and growth factor receptors may contribute to the development of nesidioblastosis in adults.
Substrate and bond coat compositions: factors affecting alumina scale adhesion

Abstract Thermally grown oxide scales that form beneath ZrO 2 top coats play an important role in determining the performance of thermal barrier coatings. Numerous factors, including the composition of both the alloy substrate and the bond coat, affect adhesion of the α -Al 2 O 3 scale. Three areas of focus in the formation of an `ideal', adherent scale encompass: (1) migration of Al and other elements in the metal substrate, (2) segregation of elements to the metal–scale interface and the scale grain boundaries, and (3) generation of stresses in the scale. Examples of the effects of reactive elements, Pt, indigenous S, and reaction temperature on scale adhesion are discussed.