cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost-Utility Analysis of Glaucoma Medication Adherence.

Purpose The majority of patients with glaucoma do not take their medications as prescribed. Estimates of the cost-utility value of adherence to prescribed glaucoma medication are vital to implement potentially effective interventions. Design Cost-utility analysis using Monte Carlo microsimulations incorporating a series of Markov cycles (10 000 iterations per strategy). Participants Patients with glaucoma aged ≥40 years with a full lifetime horizon (up to 60 years). Methods The analysis estimated glaucomatous progression on the basis of data from the United Kingdom Glaucoma Treatment Study. Participants with glaucoma entered the model at age 40 years with a mean deviation in the better-seeing eye of −1.4±−1.9 decibels (dB) and −4.3±−3.4 dB in the worse-seeing eye. Participants whose glaucoma worsened each year accumulate −0.8 dB loss compared with −0.1 dB loss for those who remained stable. Data from the Glaucoma Laser Trial and the Tube versus Trabeculectomy Studies were used to assign probabilities of worsening disease among treated patients. Claims data estimating rates of glaucoma medication adherence over 4 years were used to assign probability of adherence. Those with poor adherence were modeled as having outcomes similar to the placebo arm of the clinical trials. As patients’ mean deviation deteriorated, they transitioned between health states from mild (≥−6 dB), to moderate ( Main Outcome Measures Cost and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of glaucoma medication adherence. Results Beginning at an initial glaucoma diagnosis at age 40 years, patients proceeded to single-eye blindness as early as 19 years among those who were nonadherent and 23 years for those remaining adherent. Total healthcare costs for adherent patients averaged $62 782 (standard deviation [SD], 34 107), and those for nonadherent patients averaged $52 722 (SD, 38 868). Nonadherent patients had a mean loss of 0.34 QALYs, resulting in a cost-effectiveness ratio of $29 600 per QALY gained. Conclusion At a conservative willingness to pay of $50 000/QALY, there is room to expand services to improve patient adherence.
Heart Transplantation in Muscular Dystrophy Patients: Is it a Viable Option?

Background: Cardiomyopathy is a common complication among muscular dystrophy (MD) patients and often results in advanced heart failure and premature death. In spite of this, there is hesitancy to c...
A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relations Between Motivation and Reading Achievement for K–12 Students:

The purpose of this meta-analytic review was to investigate the relation between motivation and reading achievement among students in kindergarten through 12th grade. A comprehensive search of peer...
Accurate Bathymetric Maps From Underwater Digital Imagery Without Ground Control

Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry can be used with digital underwater photographs to generate high-resolution bathymetry and orthomosaics with millimeter-to-centimeter scale resolution at relatively low cost. Although these products are useful for assessing species diversity and health, they have additional utility for quantifying benthic community structure, such as coral growth and fine-scale elevation change over time, if accurate length scales and georeferencing are included. This georeferencing is commonly provided with “ground control,” such as pre-installed seafloor benchmarks or identifiable “static” features, which can be difficult and time consuming to install, survey, and maintain. To address these challenges, we developed the SfM Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5), a towed surface vehicle with an onboard survey-grade Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and five rigidly mounted downward-looking cameras with overlapping views of the seafloor. The cameras are tightly synchronized with both the GNSS and each other to collect quintet photo sets and record the precise location of every collection event. The system was field tested in July 2019 in the U.S. Florida Keys, in water depths ranging from 3 to 9 m over a variety of bottom types. Surveying accuracy was assessed using pre-installed stations with known coordinates, machined scale bars, and two independent surveys of a site to evaluate repeatability. Under a range of sea conditions, ambient lighting, and water clarity, we were able to map living and senile coral reef habitats and sand waves at mm-scale resolution. Data were processed using best practice SfM techniques without ground control and local measurement errors of horizontal and vertical scales were consistently sub-millimeter, equivalent to 0.013% RMSE relative to water depth. Survey-to-survey repeatability RMSE was on the order of 3 cm without georeferencing but could be improved to several millimeters with the incorporation of one or more non-surveyed marker points. We demonstrate that the SQUID-5 platform can map complex coral reef and other seafloor habitats and measure mm-to-cm scale changes in the morphology and location of seafloor features over time without pre-existing ground control.
First-Episode & Early Psychosis in Transition-Age Youth

This chapter reviews common presentations of psychosis in transitional age youth (TAY) with a focus on schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Diagnostic approaches and assessment tools are outlined in addition to the clinical course and outcomes unique to this population. Evidence-based treatment of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is highlighted with an emphasis on coordinated specialty care (CSC) programs that utilize team-oriented recovery-based principles and a shared decision-making philosophy. Special consideration is given to the importance of using a developmental approach while engaging with transitional age youth with early psychosis and their families.
Screening and Treatment of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis in Correctional Settings

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) include a broad category of bacterial, viral, protozoan, and fungal infections and ectoparasitic infestations. For three of these bacterial infections – chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis – there is substantive evidence that screening and treatment in correctional settings can play a critical role in their control. We will describe the epidemiology of these infections, the appropriate populations to target for screening, methods to increase treatment of identified infections, evidence of the impact of detention screening in controlling them, and the cost-effectiveness of screening in detention.
Microbial Pathogenic Factors: Small-Colony Variants

A variant subpopulation of Staphylococcus aureus has been characterized that is defective in electron transport. These organisms grow slowly and are typical of the small-colony variants (SCVs), which were found to be defective in respiratory activity. Recent work has shown that most of the clinical isolates have inactive electron transport because of biosynthetic defects in the pathways leading to the synthesis of electron transport chain components. The changes in membrane potential and ATP also suggest that electron transport is decreased in both SCVs and adherent bacteria. SCVs from a variety of genera and species have most frequently been isolated from patients and animals treated with antibiotics, especially aminoglycosides, but also sulfonamides and β-lactam antibiotics. The host environment may favor the selection of staphylococcal SVCs. The basis for the persistent and antibiotic resistant infections may be related to the ability of S. aureus SCVs to reside within cultured cells. Pigment formation and aminoglycoside transport require ATP and an intact electron transport system. The yellow carotenoid pigments that give S. aureus SCV colonies their characteristic color require ATP for their biosynthesis. Menadione and hemin are the two most frequent substances that reverse the S. aureus SCV phenotype. In addition, thiamine is a co-factor used in menadione biosynthesis and CO2 may be involved in the synthesis of the porphyrin ring found in hemin.
Finite element method in undergraduate engineering education

This article describes how the finite element method can be integrated into the education of undergraduate mechanical engineering students. The teaching of finite element theory, the use of commercial software in engineering courses, and the application of the finite element method in the context of mechanical design and analysis are discussed.
Categorial Grammar and Phrase Structure Grammar: An Excursion on the Syntax-Semantics Frontier

The notion of a phrase structure grammar first came to the attention of the linguistic community with the publication in 1957 of Syntactic Structures, wherein Noam Chomsky asserted that phrase structure grammars were inadequate for linguistic description. He went on to argue for a model of linguistic structure in which the constituent structure trees produced by a phrase structure grammar were subsequently subjected to operations called transformations that added, deleted, or moved constituents. Successive versions of Chomsky’s transformational grammar came to be accepted as the standard framework for syntactic theory.
Chapter 10 When is waste not a waste

Publisher Summary This chapter presents answer to the question when is a waste not a waste? It is described that waste is not a waste when it has a productive purpose. While there may be current barriers, including scientific, technical, or economic, to inherent zero-waste design, it is important to note that the concept of waste is human. In other words, there is nothing inherent about materials, energy, space, or time that makes it waste except that a defined use for it has not been imagined or implemented. Therefore, if the creation of the waste cannot be avoided under given conditions or circumstances, designers, and engineers should consider alternative mechanisms to effectively exploit these resources for value-added, beneficial use as a feedstock by capturing it within the process, the organization, or beyond. This turns a cost and liability into savings and benefit. It is important to consider that the materials and energy that were utilized and are now wastes have embedded entropy and complexity representing an investment in cost and resources. This indicates that the recovery of waste as a feedstock represents both potential environmental and economic benefits.
Prediction of long‐term ABS relaxation behavior

The applicability of time–temperature superposition to tensile stress relaxation of ABS plastics has been verified at strains from 0.5 to 5% for temperatures in the range of 10–50°C. Master curves have been compiled to predict the long-term stress relaxation at 23°C. and a stress–strain–reduced time surface has been constructed. A comparison of relaxation times and activation energies has confirmed that a strain increase facilitates stress relaxation up to yield. The decay of relaxation modulus at linear viscoelastic strains was shown to be equivalent to that of tensile creep modulus. By normalizing the master curves to originate at yield stress and then converting them into multiaxial from the strain which gives the best data fit with long-term hydrostatic pipe-burst strength was shown to be at yield or beyond. The ABS yield-strain master curves at 23°C. were shown to match satisfactorily the long-term pipe-rupture data. Activation energies for ABS relaxation have been compared below and above the rigid matrix Tg, to assess the degree of stiffening of the polymer in the solid state.
Polymerization of Formaldehyde by an Immobilized Thiamine Catalyst on Cation-Exchange Resin

Thiamine is a primary catalyst of carbohydrate production from a simple chemical. As the best immobilization method, we succeeded in immobilization of thiamine on a cation exchange resin, and formaldehyde polymerization with the immobilized catalyst. The desorption and decomposition of the immobilized thiamine can be suppressed in an organic solvent and by using the cation-exchange resin in the sodium ion form. The main product is 1, 3-dihydroxyacetone in all reaction under our conditions. The effect of the base concentration and the diffusion in the particle on the reaction rate are not observed under our conditions. Formaldehyde polymerization with the thiamine immobilized resin in 1, 4-dioxane proved to be able to express the equation, –d [formaldehyde]/dt = k [thiamine] [formaldehyde]. The activation energy of the reaction can be estimated to be approximately 82 kJ mol–1.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CAPTIVES LEAVING THE CAMEROONS FOR THE AMERICAS, 1822–37

On the basis of identifying the likely geographic origins of African names extracted from the Sierra Leone Liberated African registers, this essay estimates the provenance of the transatlantic slave trade that drew on the Cameroons estuary between 1822 and 1837. The sample, drawn from six separate vessels, is broken down by age and sex category and constitutes about 7 per cent of all Africans who left from the region in these years. It makes possible analysis of changes over time, comparisons of age and sex with distance between embarkation point and likely provenance zone, as well as interaction between Old Calabar and the Cameroons regions in the supply of slaves. The great majority of the captives originated within 200 miles of the coast and within 120 miles of the modern border with Nigeria.
Internal Migration in Decline

Internal migration rates in the United States have been steadily declining for at least twenty-five years: In 1984, 6.4 percent of the population moved between counties but by 2006—well before the most significant economic crisis since the Great Depression—annual intercounty migration rates had already declined to 4.7 percent and by 2010 to 3.5 percent. Despite the implications of the migration decline, it is poorly recognized and understood. The analysis shows that over the last thirty years, three broad trends have combined to pull migration rates dramatically lower: an increase in dual-worker couples, increased household indebtedness, and the widespread rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The first two are probably linked, as households have responded to decreasing real income over the last quarter-century through greater female labor force participation and maintaining current levels of consumption by borrowing ever more heavily from the equity in their homes. Thus, although thi...
A comparative study of US EPA 1996 and 1999 emission inventories in the west Gulf of Mexico coast region, USA

Emission inventory is one of the required inputs to air quality models. To assist in the urban and regional modeling efforts, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has compiled a National Emission Inventory (NEI) for criterion pollutants, and the precursors of ozone and particulate matter (PM). In December 2002, EPA released the 1999 NEI estimates (NEI99), which represent the most recent national emission data. However, the data sets are not in model-ready format for air quality simulations. This present work converts the NEI99 Final Version 2 data sets into Inventory Data Analyzer (IDA) format and processes the data using the Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) modeling system to generate a gridded emission inventory in a domain covering the west Gulf Coast Region, USA. The spatial and diurnal emission characteristics of the gridded emission inventories are then assessed and compared with those of the National Emission Trend 1996 (NET96). The NEI99 database contains more complete emission records in both area and point sources. It is also found that NEI99 data exhibit greater emissions with respect to point and mobile sources but smaller emissions with respect to area sources when compared to the corresponding gridded NET96 data in the same study domain. The most distinct differences between the NEI99 and NET96 databases are CO emission of mobile sources, SO2 emissions of point sources, and VOC/PM/NH3/NOx emissions of area and non-road sources. The gridded NEI99 data show low VOC/NOx ratios (<2–5) in the urban areas of the study domain.
A comparison of the effects on the Shwartzman phenomenon of leukopenia produced by nitrogen mustard and by whole body irradiation.

The effect of leukopenia on the susceptibility of rabbits to the localized Shwartzman reaction was studied in those receiving whole body irradiation and nitrogen mustard respectively. Of animals receiving nitrogen mustard in which the total polymorphonuclear leukocyte count was less than 100 cells/c.mm. only 17 per cent developed positive local Shwartzman reactions whereas 75 per cent of irradiated animals with total polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts less than 100 cells/c.mm. had positive reactions. A local Shwartzman reaction occurred in 60 of 71 control rabbits (85 per cent). Animals of both the treated groups showed positive Shwartzman reactions at a time when their total polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts were less than 500 cells/c.mm. From the findings, it is concluded ( a ) that the presence of normal numbers of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes is not an obligatory prerequisite condition to the localized hemorrhagic necrosis of the Shwartzman phenomenon, and ( b ) the mechanisms of action of nitrogen mustard and whole body irradiation on body tissues differ in relation to the Shwartzman reaction.
Quantitative Measures of Change Based on Feature Organization

One important task of site monitoring is change detection from aerial images. Change, in general, can be of various types. In this paper we address the problem of developmental change at a site. For instance, we would like to know about new construction at a previously undeveloped site and possibly monitor its progress. Model based approaches are not suited for this kind of change as it usually happens in unmodeled areas. Since it is difficult to infer construction activity by predicting and verifying specific local features, we rely on more global statistical indicators.The thesis of this paper is that the change induced by human activity can be inferred from changes in the organization among the visual features. Not only will the attributes of the individual image features change but also the relationships among these features will evolve. With the progress of construction we expect to see increased structure among the image features. We exploit this emerging structure, or organization, to infer change. In this paper, we propose four measures to quantify the global statistical properties of the individual features and the relationships among them. We base these measures on the theory of graph spectra. We provide extensive analysis of the robustness of these measures under various imaging conditions and demonstrate the ability of these organization-based measures to detect coarsely incremental developmental changes.
Evaluation of Time Domain Propagation Measurements of UWB Systems Using Spread Spectrum Channel Sounding

Spread spectrum sounding experiments for indoor wireless channel over a frequency band spanning 2-12 GHz, which exceeds the full FCC UWB band, are reported. Experiments were carried out for directional spiral antennas in line-of-sight (LOS) and omnidirectional biconical antennas in nonline-of-sight (NLOS) environments, in the latter case with up to 15 m antenna separation. For biconical antennas, channel multipath dispersion is the main reason for the delay spreads, while for spirals, frequency-dependent delays of the antennas modify signals upon radiation and reception. A special emphasis of this work is to assess the accuracy of the measured impulse responses extracted from the received waveforms by deconvolution in a typical indoor environment. In one scheme to assess accuracy, impulse responses obtained using different spread spectrum waveforms are compared; independent measurements show excellent agreement, with correlation coefficients about 0.99. In a second assessment approach, accuracy is tested by performing time reversal experiments based on the measured channel impulse response. Correlation coefficients between experimental and theoretical time-reversal traces are on the order of 0.98, which further confirms highly accurate measurements.
Electronic effects and effects of particle morphology in n-hexane conversion over zeolite-supported platinum catalysts

n-Hexane conversion over zeolite-supported platinum catalysts has been studied at 360°C in a packed bed reactor. In the absence of sulfur impurities, the deactivation appears to be due to two types of coke formation. The propensity for terminal hydrogenolysis is primarily determined by the particle morphology, i.e., the type of surface sites exposed. The increase in benzene selectivity correlates with a shift to lower stretching frequencies of the CO absorption bands, indicating that an increase in the electron density at the surface metal atoms results in higher benzene selectivity. The effect of the support in the high activity and aromatization selectivity of a monofunctional platinum catalyst for n-hexane conversion is observed to be twofold, i.e., the stabilization of extremely small metal particles of specific morphology under reaction conditions and metal-support interaction, resulting in an increased electron density over the metal particles.
Effect of cosolvents on ethyl acetate enhanced percutaneous absorption of levonorgestrel

Abstract The effect of various cosolvents on ethyl acetate (EtAc) enhanced percutaneous absorption of levonorgestrel (LN) was studied using excised hairless mouse skin. The steady-state flux of LN through hairless mouse skin was increased when mixtures of EtAc and ethanol (EtOH) were used as donor phase solvents relative to that when neat EtAc was used. For example, the flux of LN was increased about 2 fold (4.5 to 10 μg/cm2 h) when EtOH was added to EtAc at a volume fraction of 0.5 relative to neat EtAc. In contrast, the flux of LN from water was measured at 0.02 μg/cm2 h. Adding oleic acid or isopropyi myristate at a volume fraction of 0.5 in EtAc lowered the flux to approximately 1.0 μg/cm2 h. In contrast, when oleic acid was added to EtAc/EtOH (1:1) or EtOH, both at a volume fraction of 0.05, the transdermal flux of LN was found to be 9 and 7 μg/cm2 h, respectively. Apparent diffusion coefficients and partition coefficients were calculated and it was found that EtAc and EtOH increased the diffusivity of LN relative to water while skin/vehicle partition coefficients correlated roughly with the observed flux of LN from the saturated solutions, with the exception of the water vehicle.
Estimated inventory of livestock and poultry manure resources in the United States

Abstract Livestock and poultry manure is a valuable resource which may be effectively used to supplement or replace inorganic fertiliser and livestock feed, or for energy production. Ineffective utilisation may result in a wasted resource or pollution from improper storage and disposal. About 100 million metric tons of manure (dry basis) were estimated to have been voided by livestock and poultry in the US in 1974. About 47% was produced by beef cattle on range, 23% by dairy cattle and 12% by hogs. The estimated amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium voided with the manure were 3·7, 0·9 and 2·2 million metric tons, respectively. Significant changes often occur in the amounts of manure and nutrients after voiding, when considering different lengths storage time and different types of waste handling system. The quantity of manure in 1974 decreased about 11% to 90 million metric tons as a result of these losses. Nitrogen decreased to 2·4 million tons. Approximately half the manure was estimated to have been produced in areas where economic collection was feasible. The remainder was voided by animals on range and pastureland. In 2260 counties of the United States in 1974, at least 50% of the manure was produced by one commodity. In almost 70% of those counties, beef cattle on pasture or range produced the majority of the manure. Considering only the manure which is economically recoverable, in about 56% of the 2168 counties dairy cattle were the major contributor, followed by feeder cattle, hogs and broilers in decreasing order of importance. Estimated concentrations of manure on available cropland were highest in the New England region, followed by the mid-Atlantic, south Atlantic and Pacific regions. The number of livestock and poultry could increase from one-third to about five times—depending on geographic region—and still not exceed the minimum agronomic loading rate.
Transient Kinetic Studies Support Refinements to the Chemical and Kinetic Mechanisms of Aminolevulinate Synthase

Abstract 5-Aminolevulinate synthase catalyzes the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent condensation of glycine and succinyl-CoA to produce carbon dioxide, CoA, and 5-aminolevulinate, in a reaction cycle involving the mechanistically unusual successive cleavage of two amino acid substrate α-carbon bonds. Single and multiple turnover rapid scanning stopped-flow experiments have been conducted from pH 6.8–9.2 and 5–35 °C, and the results, interpreted within the framework of the recently solved crystal structures, allow refined characterization of the central kinetic and chemical steps of the reaction cycle. Quinonoid intermediate formation occurs with an apparent pKa of 7.7 ± 0.1, which is assigned to His-207 acid-catalyzed decarboxylation of the α-amino-β-ketoadipate intermediate to form an enol that is in rapid equilibrium with the 5-aminolevulinate-bound quinonoid species. Quinonoid intermediate decay occurs in two kinetic steps, the first of which is acid-catalyzed with a pKa of 8.1 ± 0.1, and is assigned to protonation of the enol by Lys-313 to generate the product-bound external aldimine. The second step of quinonoid decay defines kcat and is relatively pH-independent and is assigned to opening of the active site loop to allow ALA dissociation. The data support important refinements to both the chemical and kinetic mechanisms and indicate that 5-aminolevulinate synthase operates under the stereoelectronic control predicted by Dunathan's hypothesis.
Effect of myocardial fiber direction on epicardial potentials.

BACKGROUND Understanding the relations between the architecture of myocardial fibers, the spread of excitation, and the associated ECG signals is necessary for addressing the forward problem of electrocardiography, that is, predicting intracardiac and extracardiac ECGs from known intracardiac activity. So far, these relations have been studied experimentally only in small myocardial areas. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that potential distributions measured over extensive epicardial regions during paced beats reflect the direction of superficial and intramural fibers through which excitation is spreading in both the initial and later stages of ventricular excitation. We also tried to establish whether the features of the epicardial potential distribution that correlate with fiber direction vary as a function of pacing site, intramural pacing depth, and time elapsed after the stimulus. An additional purpose was to compare measured epicardial potentials with recently published numerical simulations depicting the three-dimensional spread of excitation in the heart muscle and the associated potential fields. METHODS AND RESULTS The hearts of 18 mongrel dogs were exposed and 182 to 744 unipolar electrograms were recorded from epicardial electrode arrays (2.3 x 3.0 to 6.5 x 6.5 cm). Hearts were paced at various intramural depths through an intramural needle. The overall number of pacing sites in 18 dogs was 241. Epicardial potential distributions, electrographic waveforms, and excitation time maps were displayed, and fiber directions in the ventricular wall underlying the electrodes were determined histologically. During the early stages of ventricular excitation, the position of the epicardial maxima and minima revealed the orientation of myocardial fibers near the pacing site in all cases of epicardial and intramural pacing and in 60% of cases of endocardial or subendocardial pacing. During later stages of propagation, the rotation and expansion of the positive areas correlated with the helical spread of excitation through intramurally rotating fibers. Marked asymmetry of potential patterns probably reflected epicardial-endocardial obliqueness of intramural fibers. Multiple maxima appeared in the expanding positive areas. CONCLUSIONS For 93% of pacing sites, results verified our hypothesis that epicardial potential patterns elicited by ventricular pacing reflect the direction of fibers through which excitation is spreading during both the initial and later stages of propagation. Epicardial potential distributions provided information on the site of origin and subsequent helical spread of excitation in an epicardial-endocardial, endocardial-epicardial, or double direction. Results were in agreement with previously published numerical simulations except for the asymmetry and fragmentation of the positive areas.
SyntenyTracker: a tool for defining homologous synteny blocks using radiation hybrid maps and whole-genome sequence.

Background The recent availability of genomic sequences and BAC libraries for a large number of mammals provides an excellent opportunity for identifying comparatively-anchored markers that are useful for creating high-resolution radiation-hybrid (RH) and BAC-based comparative maps. To use these maps for multispecies genome comparison and evolutionary inference, robust bioinformatic tools are required for the identification of chromosomal regions shared between genomes and to localize the positions of evolutionary breakpoints that are the signatures of chromosomal rearrangements. Here we report an automated tool for the identification of homologous synteny blocks (HSBs) between genomes that tolerates errors common in RH comparative maps and can be used for automated whole-genome analysis of chromosome rearrangements that occur during evolution.
Automatic liquid helium transfer system

Abstract An automatic LHe transfer system for use with small (∼50 l) research dewars is described. The system is simple and is designed to be safe and reliable.
Altered expression of insulin‐like growth factor I and its receptor during multistage carcinogenesis in mouse skin

We examined the possible role of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-I receptor (IGF-Ir) during multistage carcinogenesis in mouse skin. For this purpose, the expression of both IGF-I and IGF-Ir was investigated in mouse skin during tumor promoter treatment and in primary papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) obtained from SENCAR mice treated with standard initiation-promotion regimens. IGF-I transcripts were not detectable or only weakly detectable in normal SENCAR mouse epidermis by northern or reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, respectively, whereas IGF-I transcripts (primarily a 7.0-kb transcript) were readily detected in RNA preparations from the dermis by both northern blot analysis and RT-PCR analysis. In contrast, IGF-Ir transcripts were observed in RNA samples from both epidermis and dermis of control SENCAR mice. Single and multiple topical treatments with 3.4 nmol of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) had no effect on dermal or epidermal IGF-I and IGF-Ir mRNA levels. In contrast, the levels of IGF-I transcripts were elevated (2.5- to 15-fold) in a significant number of mouse skin tumors (71% of all tumors examined). Transcripts of 7.0, 2.5, and 1.3 kb were more consistently overexpressed in skin tumors compared with epidermis, whereas the two smaller transcripts were most consistently overexpressed compared with the dermis. The levels of an 11.0-kb IGF-Ir transcript were also elevated (2.5- to 8-fold) in some papillomas (20%) and SCCs (55%), but the percentage of tumors exhibiting this property (32% of all tumors examined) was lower than the percentage overexpressing IGF-I. These data suggest that altered expression of IGF-I and IGF-Ir may play a role in multistage carcinogenesis in the mouse skin model. The inability of TPA to induce elevated IGF-I or IGF-Ir expression suggests that these changes in skin tumors are coincident with tumor formation and not a direct result of altered epidermal proliferation per se. Altered expression of IGF-I in a high percentage of papillomas may indicate that IGF-I has an important role in the development of autonomous growth in these tumors. The higher percentage of SCCs with altered levels of IGF-Ir mRNA may indicate a role for these changes in the later stages (i.e., tumor progression) of carcinogenesis in this model system. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Impact of a US Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety Communication on Zolpidem Dosing: An Observational Retrospective Cohort.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND Zolpidem is a sedative-hypnotic widely prescribed in the United States. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a drug safety communication regarding its dosing in women. OBJECTIVE To compare compliance with FDA-approved dosing for zolpidem in women before and after a drug safety communication, and to evaluate compliance based on pharmacy location and prescriber type. METHOD This was a retrospective, observational cohort study. New prescriptions for Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, or Zolpimist or their respective generics dispensed from Kerr Drug pharmacies in North Carolina to women 18-64 years of age between April and September of 2012 ("before" cohort) or April and September of 2013 ("after" cohort) were included. χ(2) tests were conducted to assess overall compliance, as well as compliance based on location (urban or rural) and prescriber type (physician or midlevel), with FDA-approved dosing for zolpidem. Trends in total prescription volume and total zolpidem prescription volume for all Kerr Drug pharmacies over the study period were also described. RESULTS A total of 14,156 prescriptions for zolpidem were included in the primary analysis. Sixteen percent of prescriptions dispensed were in compliance with FDA recommendations following the FDA alert. A statistically significant increase was observed in compliance with FDA-approved dosing for zolpidem (odds ratio = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.35-1.65; P < .0001) postdrug safety communication. Significant increases in compliance were also observed in the post-FDA communication subgroups based on location and prescriber type, though no subgroup was found to be significantly more compliant than another. CONCLUSIONS The release of a drug safety communication by the FDA resulted in a statistically significant increase in proper dosing of zolpidem in women. Further research is needed in order to determine the impact of FDA alerts on prescribing patterns and the reasons for therapeutic substitution after such alerts.
Combining classifiers for improved classification of proteins from sequence or structure.

Background Predicting a protein's structural or functional class from its amino acid sequence or structure is a fundamental problem in computational biology. Recently, there has been considerable interest in using discriminative learning algorithms, in particular support vector machines (SVMs), for classification of proteins. However, because sufficiently many positive examples are required to train such classifiers, all SVM-based methods are hampered by limited coverage.
Evaluation of Potential Protective Factors Against Metabolic Syndrome in Bottlenose Dolphins: Feeding and Activity Patterns of Dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida

Free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) living in Sarasota Bay, Florida appear to have a lower risk of developing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome compared to a group of dolphins managed under human care. Similar to humans, differences in diet and activity cycles between these groups may explain why Sarasota dolphins have lower insulin, glucose, and lipids. To identify potential protective factors against metabolic syndrome, existing and new data were incorporated to describe feeding and activity patterns of the Sarasota Bay wild dolphin community. Sarasota dolphins eat a wide variety of live fish and spend 10-20% of daylight hours foraging and feeding. Feeding occurs throughout the day, with the dolphins eating small proportions of their total daily intake in brief bouts. The natural pattern of wild dolphins is to feed as necessary and possible at any time of the day or night. Wild dolphins rarely eat dead fish or consume large amounts of prey in concentrated time periods. Wild dolphins are active throughout the day and night; they may engage in bouts of each key activity category at any time during daytime. Dive patterns of radio-tagged dolphins varied only slightly with time of day. Travel rates may be slightly lower at night, suggesting a diurnal rhythm, albeit not one involving complete, extended rest. In comparison, the managed dolphins are older; often fed a smaller variety of frozen-thawed fish types; fed fish species not in their natural diet; feedings and engaged activities are often during the day; and they are fed larger but fewer meals. In summary, potential protective factors against metabolic syndrome in dolphins may include young age, activity and small meals fed throughout the day and night, and specific fish nutrients. These protective factors against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are similar to those reported in humans. Further studies may benefit humans and dolphins.
Carbonic anhydrase activity in Rana pipiens skin: biochemical and histochemical analysis

Carbonic anhydrase activity was demonstrated biochemically and localized histochemically in epidermis of Rana pipiens. The activity observed throughout the lower epidermis was diminished or abolished by periods of fixation which did not affect the activity in upper epidermis. In the latter region, the enzyme was demonstrated only in certain cells with a flask shape known to have numerous mitochondria and a system of convoluted apical membranes. Such findings raise the possibility that these distinctive cells play a role in transport functions of the isolated frog skin suppressed by carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
Upgrading low-quality natural gas with H2S- and CO2-selective polymer membranes: Part II. Process design, economics, and sensitivity study of membrane stages with recycle streams

Abstract The cost of membrane separation processes for removing CO 2 and H 2 S from low-quality natural gas can be reduced for some concentration ranges of CO 2 and H 2 S by utilizing concurrently two different types of polymer membranes, one with a high CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity and the other with a high H 2 S/CH 4 selectivity. The polymers considered in this exploratory study were 6FDA-HAB polyimide for the removal of CO 2 and [poly(ether urethane urea)] (PEUU) for the removal of H 2 S. It was required that the concentrations of CO 2 and H 2 S in low-quality natural gas be reduced to US pipeline specifications (≤2 mol% CO 2 and ≤4 ppm H 2 S). Low-quality natural gas was simulated in this study by CH 4 /CO 2 /H 2 S mixtures containing up to 40 mol% CO 2 and 10 mol% H 2 S. Twenty-seven membrane process configurations (PCs) were examined by computer simulations and optimized in order to determine the most economical configurations. Part I of this study considered only PCs without recycle streams [J. Hao, P.A. Rice, S.A. Stern, Upgrading low-quality natural gas with H 2 S- and CO 2 -selective polymer membranes. Part I. Process design and economics of membrane stages without recycle streams, J. Membr. Sci. 209 (2002) 177–206]. In Part II, reported below, the study was extended to two- and three-stage PCs with various recycle options. A sensitivity analysis was also made to determine the effects of variations in feed flow rate, feed pressure, membrane module cost, and wellhead price of natural gas on process economics. The economically optimal PCs were found to be either two membrane stages connected in series with or without recycle streams or single stages without recycle, depending on feed composition and selected operating conditions. The optimal two-stage PCs with recycle streams would utilize the H 2 S/CH 4 -selective membranes in the first stage and either the CO 2 /CH 4 or the H 2 S/CH 4 -selective membranes, or both, in the second stage. Three-stage membrane PCs were not found to be economically competitive under the conditions assumed in this study.
Does alendronate improve bone mineral density in patients with RA treated with glucocorticoids

Does alendronate improve bone mineral density in patients with RA treated with glucocorticoids?
On modification of the relative complexity metric

Abstract Software reliability and software complexity are closely related issues in software development. An elegant definition of relative complexity was proposed in [1,2]. The definition given in [1,2] needs modification. Depending on how many factor loadings are used in the factor analysis different complexity results are obtained. Hence the definition of relative complexity given in those papers is subjective. The object of this paper is to suggest a modified definition of relative complexity. Different measures based on the magnitude of the eigenvalues obtained from the correlation matrix are suggested in this paper. The relative complexity of 27 programs given in [3] has been calculated using different factor loadings.
Enhancing the Accuracy of the Determine Checklist for Frail, Homebound Elderly

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To identify the need for a more sensitive, diagnostic screening tool, compared to the DETERMINE Checklist to assess nutritional risk in the homebound, elderly population. The homebound elderly is a population at high risk for poor nutritional status. Use of the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) screening tools can identify both minor and major indicators of malnutrition and allow for effective, appropriate use of healthcare resources. The purpose of this research project was (1) to assess if the DETERMINE Checklist accurately identified the frail, homebound, elderly population at high nutritional risk and (2) to determine if a revised diagnostic screen was needed. The House Calls Program is a medical service of the Department of Geriatrics, affiliated with a 125 bed community teaching hospital in Cambridge, MA., providing home visits to homebound persons age 60 years and older. In the study, a total of 53 patients, 41 females and 12 males, completed the Checklist individually or with assistance from caregivers, administered by physicians or nurse practitioners. The significance of the relationship between the Checklist screening score, laboratory values (hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, cholesterol and total lymphocyte count) and malnutrition related disease states were evaluated. There was no correlation found between the Checklist screening scores and low laboratory values that would indicate malnutrition. The mean average score from the Checklist was 5.7; 5.7 versus 5.4 for men and women, respectively. A total of 25 patients (47%) scored at high nutrition risk, 24 patients (52.8%) scored at moderate nutrition risk and 4 patients (7.5%) scored at low nutrition risk. Patients diagnosed with diabetes correlated with a high score on the checklist (score average=8.1). Overall, the Checklist did not accurately identify those patients at high nutritional risk because the disease states and laboratory scores were not included in the Checklist. The study supports the need for a revised, more sensitive diagnostic screening tool. The Level II NSI screening tool includes objective data such as height, weight, body mass index, albumin, and cholesterol to identify malnutrition more accurately in this population.
How mineralogy and slope aspect affect REE release and fractionation during shale weathering in the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory

Abstract To understand the factors that control rare earth elements (REE) release and fractionation during shale weathering, we investigate the REE contents in solid (bedrock, regolith, stream sediments), and natural waters (stream, and pore waters) from a first-order catchment developed entirely on gray shales in central Pennsylvania, USA. Up to 65% of the REE (relative to parent bedrock) is depleted from the weathering profiles in the acidic and organic-rich soils due to chemical leaching. In addition, newly formed fine particles were also lost along with the down-slope movement of soil waters. Weathering profiles on the south-facing slope show less depletion of REE than those on the north-facing slope (33% vs. 45% on average). We hypothesize that the different degrees of REE depletion on the two transects reflect a history of different chemical weathering rates and possible different surface erosion rates, controlled by contrasting slope aspect-induced microclimate conditions. In addition, weathering profiles, natural waters and sequential extractions all show a preferential removal of Middle REE (up to 22% more) relative to Light REE and Heavy REE during shale weathering, due to preferential release of MREE from rhabdophane. Furthermore, the long-term phosphate mineral dissolution rates (e.g., rhabdophane) were estimated at 10 − 15 to 10 − 14 mol m − 2 s − 1 under field conditions, based on REE depletion profiles. Strong positive Ce anomalies (average [Ce/Ce*] N value: 1.79) observed in the regolith, stream sediments, and regolith extractions point to the fractionation and preferential precipitation of Ce as compared to other REE, due to the generally oxidizing conditions during release, transport, and redistribution of REE in the surface and subsurface environments. Positive Eu anomalies (average [Eu/Eu*] N value: 1.30) observed in the natural waters of the catchment are attributed to weathering of plagioclases in the shale bedrock. This study highlights the use of REE as natural tracers for low-temperature geochemical processes.
Molecular addition compounds of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine with boron trifluoride and monoalkylboranes

N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethylethylenediamine (TMED) reacts with Et2O:BF3 to give the highly insoluble adduct TMED:2 BF3. TMED also reacts with representative monoalkylboranes to form both TMED-monoalkylborane (TMED: BH2R) and the corresponding bis-adducts (TMED:2BH2R). These are air stable and can be stored for long periods. Boron trifluoride rapidly removes TMED from these adducts, liberating the corresponding monoalkylboranes. This procedure provides a new valuable means of storing monoalkylboranes as their stable adducts with TMED, with rapid regeneration of the parent monoalkylboranes as desired.
Self-Efficacy Assessment and Generalization in Physical Education Courses1

Physical education courses can have effects that generalize past their immediate task as measured by increases in domain-specific self-efficacy. It was predicted that competitive combative courses like boxing would be more likely to have skills generalize to other domains than noncontact courses like swimming. A Physical Education Self-Efficacy Scale was created that focused on 2 different domains of self-efficacy: 1 specific to the course (physicality), and 1 in a disparate domain (leadership initiative). Students were given the scale before and after the 2 different courses. Results indicate that there were small but significant increases in both subscales for students enrolled in boxing, but not for students enrolled in swimming. Physicality self-efficacy also correlated strongly with performance. Implications and mechanisms for generalization of self-efficacy to neighboring domains are discussed.