cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moro vowel harmony: implications for transparency and representations*

This paper describes and analyses the vowel-harmony system of the Kordofanian language Moro. Moro has a cross-height dominant-recessive raising harmony system in which high vowels and a central mid vowel trigger harmony, while peripheral mid vowels and a central low vowel are harmony targets. Schwas can co-occur with any of the vowels, appearing inert to harmony. Yet when schwas occur alone in a morpheme, some trigger harmony and some do not. We suggest that an original ATR-harmony system shifted to a height system via merger and centralisation, producing two distinct central vowels, rather than a single schwa. One vowel patterns with the higher vowels in triggering harmony, and the other patterns with the lower vowels. We also propose that a particle-based representation offers the best characterisation of the groupings of target and trigger vowels in the language.
Advancement in resist materials for sub-7 nm patterning and beyond

The rapid development in dense integrated circuits requires significant advancement in small scaling patterning technology. EUV technology is considered as a powerful solution for the sub-7 nm node pattering and beyond. The high performance resist development is required for the practical applications of the EUV patterning for high volume manufacturing. In the current work, the requirements for the development of next generation resist materials is reviewed and summarized to propose the design criterion for high performance photoresist materials.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Interactions with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are not mutually exclusive. The notion that GERD and EoE can be distinguished by the response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment is based on the mistaken assumption that gastric acid suppression is the only important therapeutic effect of PPIs, and therefore only GERD can respond to PPIs. We believe that a clinical or histologic response to PPIs does not rule in GERD or rule out EoE. We recommend a trial of PPI therapy for patients with symptomatic esophageal eosinophilia, even if the diagnosis of EoE seems clear-cut.
Night shift preparation, performance, and perception: are there differences between emergency medicine nurses, residents, and faculty?

Author(s): Richards, John R; Stayton, Taylor L; Wells, Jason A; Parikh, Aman K; Laurin, Erik G | Abstract: OBJECTIVE:Determine differences between faculty, residents, and nurses regarding night shift preparation, performance, recovery, and perception of emotional and physical health effects. METHODS:Survey study performed at an urban university medical center emergency department with an accredited residency program in emergency medicine. RESULTS:Forty-seven faculty, 37 residents, and 90 nurses completed the survey. There was no difference in use of physical sleep aids between groups, except nurses utilized blackout curtains more (69%) than residents (60%) and faculty (45%). Bedroom temperature preference was similar. The routine use of pharmacologic sleep aids differed: nurses and residents (both 38%) compared to faculty (13%). Residents routinely used melatonin more (79%) than did faculty (33%) and nurses (38%). Faculty preferred not to eat (45%), whereas residents (24%) preferred a full meal. The majority (g72%) in all groups drank coffee before their night shift and reported feeling tired despite their routine, with 4:00 a.m. as median nadir. Faculty reported a higher rate (41%) of falling asleep while driving compared to residents (14%) and nurses (32%), but the accident rate (3% to 6%) did not differ significantly. All had similar opinions regarding night shift-associated health effects. However, faculty reported lower level of satisfaction working night shifts, whereas nurses agreed less than the other groups regarding increased risk of drug and alcohol dependence. CONCLUSION:Faculty, residents, and nurses shared many characteristics. Faculty tended to not use pharmacologic sleep aids, not eat before their shift, fall asleep at a higher rate while driving home, and enjoy night shift work less.
Reduced Ultrafine Particle Concentration in Urban Air: Changes in Nucleation and Anthropogenic Emissions

Nucleation is an important source of ambient ultrafine particles (UFP). We present observational evidence of the changes in the frequency and intensity of nucleation events in urban air by analyzing long-term particle size distribution measurements at an urban background site in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during 2001–2002 and 2016–2017. We find that both frequency and intensity of nucleation events have been reduced by 40–50% over the past 15 years, resulting in a 70% reduction in UFP concentrations from nucleation. On average, the particle growth rates are 30% slower than 15 years ago. We attribute these changes to dramatic reductions in SO2 (more than 90%) and other pollutant concentrations. Overall, UFP concentrations in Pittsburgh have been reduced by ∼48% in the past 15 years, with a ∼70% reduction in nucleation, ∼27% in weekday local sources (e.g., weekday traffic), and 49% in the regional background. Our results highlight that a reduction in anthropogenic emissions can considerably reduce nucleation ...
Improving imaging strategies in pediatric appendicitis: a quality improvement initiative.

Abstract Background Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program identified our hospital as an outlier for preoperative computed tomography (CT) use in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children. We performed a quality improvement project to reduce this utilization in favor of ultrasound-based diagnoses (ultrasonography [US]) through creation and implementation of an evidence-based appendicitis algorithm. Methods Over a 2-y period (1 y preceding and 1 y following institution of the algorithm), the clinical information of all pediatric patients operated on for suspicion of acute appendicitis following imaging studies in our institution was collated. Basic characteristics were compared before and after protocol implementation using the chi-square test for categorical variables and the nonparametric, independent sample test of medians for numerical variables. Imaging modalities used and clinical outcomes were compared using chi-square analysis. Results A total of 227 patients (117 preprotocol and 110 postprotocol implementation) were evaluated in our emergency department and operated on for suspicion of acute appendicitis. There were no differences in age, sex, race, or body mass index between the two periods. There were also no differences in length of stay (P = 0.27), acute and perforated appendicitis rates (P = 0.59), negative appendectomy rates (P = 0.40), or postoperative complications (P = 0.19). There was a significant reduction in the utilization of CT, from 65.8% to 22.0%, with a concurrent increase in the utilization of US (P Conclusions With the implementation of a standardized, multidisciplinary algorithm, CT utilization was decreased and concurrently US utilization was increased without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy or patient outcomes.
Benign and malignant tumors of the esophagus

On a global basis, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still the leading cancer in the esophagus, and it is ranked as the eighth in incidence and the sixth in mortality among tumors of all sites. However, its incidence varies significantly among different geographic and ethnic subgroups. The Asian Esophageal Cancer Belt includes western and northern China, Mongolia, southern parts of the former Soviet Union, Iran, Iraq, and eastern Turkey. The highest incidence, 700 per 100,000, was reported in Linxian, China. The multifactorial causes for this high incidence are still to be further elucidated, but they likely include cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol use, dietary habit (vitamin deficiency etc.), different food processing, environmental exposure, etc.
Civil Rights and the Myth of Popular Sovereignty

The civil rights movement ostensibly sought to bring black Americans into the mainstream of American life. However, it was purposely and specifically directed toward more limited goals. The laws passed were designed to free blacks from acts of overt or even violent racial bias, to provide social equality in public accommodations, and to extend traditional political rights to black citizens. Basically these goals have been achieved. The theory behind the civil rights movement was that, once freed from overt intimidation and given basic political rights, blacks would be able to translate their gains into political power and economic equality. These assumptions have, for the most part, proven wrong. In an elite/ special-interest-dominated system heavily influenced by wealth and based on an economic structure that neglects and exploits millions of citizens, genuine political power and economic quality have eluded black Americans. These points are easily proven and are increasingly obvious to blacks.
Crystalline-Cored Mid-Continent Anticlines and Domes

Scattered across the central part of the United States are anticlinal and domal mountains in which erosion has removed the thin, overlying sedimentary sequence and exposed underlying crystalline rock in their core. The characteristic landscape is one of massive, rugged highlands. Chapter 11 describes these domal mountains, which include the Adirondack Mountains of New York, the Black Hills of South Dakota, the St. Francois Mountains of Missouri, the Wichita and Arbuckle Mountains of southern Oklahoma, the Llano Uplift of West Texas, several domal mountains in the northern Great Plains and Colorado Plateau, and the Middle-Southern Rocky Mountain region. The crystalline rock in most of these areas is part of the ancient North America crystalline slab. Some of the domes are ancient uplands hundreds of millions of years old. A few developed when a young igneous intrusion pushed up and domed the sedimentary layers above them. The Middle-Southern Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau, and the western part of the Great Plains together form a broad, regional dome that results in some of the highest elevations in the country.
Comparison of posterior lamellar resection versus lumpectomy for initial management of localized tarsal conjunctival sebaceous carcinoma in 54 cases.

Purpose: Comparison of outcomes of localized eyelid sebaceous carcinoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition categories T1, T2, T3) following initial management with posterior lamellar resection (PLR) versus (vs) lumpectomy (nonposterior lamellar resection, non-PLR). Methods: This was a retrospective, comparative, interventional case series. Of 54 patients, 26 were managed by PLR and 28 by nonPLR. The main outcome measures were vision loss, orbital exenteration, lymph node metastasis, and remote metastasis were the main outcome measures. Results: A comparison of PLR vs nonPLR revealed no difference in mean age at presentation (70 vs 72 years), race (Caucasian 100% vs nonCaucasian 93%), gender (female 54% vs male 71%), entering mean visual acuity (20/30 vs 20/50), or corneal involvement (23% vs 11%). There was significant difference in clinical features with PLR demonstrating greater mean basal diameter (21 mm vs 12 mm, P = 0.004), and positive margins were seen more frequently in PLR (69% vs 46%). There was significantly less number of surgical procedures in PLR to achieve complete tumor control (1.7 vs 2.5, P = 0.001). Outcomes at mean 55 months follow-up revealed significantly better control with PLR (vs nonPLR) with fewer orbital exenterations (15% vs 43%, P = 0.038), fewer lymph node, and systemic metastases (0% vs 39%, P
Training a Paraprofessional to Implement Video Prompting With Error Correction to Teach a Vocational Skill

Very few individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been trained in the vocational skills needed to obtain gainful employment. Moreover, although there is an abundance of research evaluat...
Assessing Academic Integrity Using SafeAssign Plagiarism Detection Software

Higher education has struggled with the problem of plagiarism since institutions were first founded. In the current educational environment where technology and access are integral to institutional functionality and student learning, the concern about plagiarism has been elevated with claims that the availability of sources, commonly sought from the Internet, has made the incidence plagiarism worse. In light of this sentiment and research literature that indicates a systemic problem, it is critical that institutions are aware of their current academic integrity environment. Such information is necessary to address problems, if they exist, and to best manage integrity issues as well as how to assist students in avoiding these quandaries. This study sought to provide baseline data for a large, online, aviation oriented postsecondary institution. A sample of 659 student records were collected in this study of which 520 (78.9%) included a SafeAssign index. The uncorrected SafeAssign index mean was 22.2% (Md = 17%, s2 = 390.9, s = 19.8). Among the uncorrected SafeAssign submissions, 216 (41.5%) had initial report values in excess of 15% similarity and 57 (11.0%) had originality indices in excess of 40%. When making corrections for potential false positive results, the mean corrected SafeAssign index was 20.9% (Md = 17%, s2 = 220.4, s = 14.8) with 206 (39.6%) of papers equaling or exceeding the 15% threshold and 19 (3.7%) of corrected cases had originality indices in excess of 40%. Additional statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between SafeAssign values and final grades. Also, comparisons were made with previous studies. The findings indicate that the institution needs to evaluate its plagiarism policies and student education on the topic. It also highlights the importance of such studies at other institutions to determine benchmarks. Suggestions for future research are provided.
Subsegments and the emergence of segments

Q Theory proposes that the most granular and basic temporal unit of abstract phonological representation is not the segment, as widely assumed in classic generative phonology, but the quantized subsegment. With a more granular quantization of the speech stream, Q Theory provides phonological grammar with the representational capability to model behaviors that affect both the parts and the wholes of segments. In Q Theory, segments are emergent from strings of subsegments and from subsegmental interactions based on the principles of similarity, proximity, and co-occurrence that already underlie phonological operations. Evidence is presented from linguistic typology, and mechanics are drawn from speech segmentation and recognition. Q Theory makes it possible to develop an advanced theory of complex segments.
Dysplastic Platelets and Circulating Megakaryocytes in Chronic Myeloproliferative Diseases. I. The Platelets: Ultrastructure and Peroxidase Reaction

A light and electron microscopic study was made of the circulating platelets from five patients with variants of the chronic myeloproliferative diseases (agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, chronic granulocytic leukemia, and "megakaryocytic leukemia"). Morphologic abnormalities were found in at least some of the platelets in all of the patients. Presence of giant forms, paucity or absence of granulation, disorganization and scarcity of the microtubules, and haphazard distribution and hypertrophy of the dense tubular and open canalicular systems constituted the main abnormalities. Additionally, there were features of platelet immaturity, including abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes and presence of Golgi profiles, centrioles, and nuclear remnants. The relationship, if any, of these morphologic abnormalities to the hemostatic defects in myeloproliferative diseases remains to be elucidated.
Accelerating Deep Neural Networks for Real-time Data Selection for High-resolution Imaging Particle Detectors

This paper presents the custom implementation, optimization, and performance evaluation of convolutional neural networks on field programmable gate arrays, for the purposes of accelerating deep neural network inference on large, two-dimensional image inputs. The targeted application is that of data selection for high-resolution particle imaging detectors, and in particular liquid argon time projection chamber detectors, such as that employed by the future Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. We motivate this particular application based on the excellent performance of deep neural networks on classifying simulated raw data from the DUNE LArTPC, combined with the need for power-efficient data processing in the case of remote, long-term, and limited-access operating detector conditions.
Attention, Psychological Bias, and Social Interactions (Presentation Slides, for Finance Theory Group Wharton Summer School (Long Version))

This is the long version of presentation slides on "Attention, Psychological Bias, and Social Interactions." Many of the psychological biases studied in behavioral finance derive from limited cognitive processing power. I will discuss a general framework for modeling limited attention and economic decisions, and applications to financial issues. I will then turn to how limited attention and other psychological factors bias the transmission of information and behaviors between financial decision makers. I will describe applications of these ideas to the evolution of agents’ beliefs, trading or project decisions, asset pricing and return anomalies, and consumption/saving decisions.
Separation of Structurally Similar Anabolic Steroids as Cation Adducts in FAIMS-MS.

Novel synthetic anabolic androgenic steroids have been developed not only to dodge current antidoping tests at the professional sports level, but also for consumption by noncompetitive bodybuilders...
Impact of marijuana smoking on lung function in older persons.

The report by W.C. Tan and co-workers raises important questions regarding the impact of marijuana smoking on lung function in older individuals but fails to directly answer themhttp://bit.ly/2LP2AYi
Axonal Transport as an In Vivo Biomarker for Retinal Neuropathy

We illuminate a possible explanatory pathophysiologic mechanism for retinal cellular neuropathy by means of a novel diagnostic method using ophthalmoscopic imaging and a molecular imaging agent targeted to fast axonal transport. The retinal neuropathies are a group of diseases with damage to retinal neural elements. Retinopathies lead to blindness but are typically diagnosed late, when substantial neuronal loss and vision loss have already occurred. We devised a fluorescent imaging agent based on the non-toxic C fragment of tetanus toxin (TTc), which is taken up and transported in neurons using the highly conserved fast axonal transport mechanism. TTc serves as an imaging biomarker for normal axonal transport and demonstrates impairment of axonal transport early in the course of an N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic retinopathy model in rats. Transport-related imaging findings were dramatically different between normal and retinopathic eyes prior to presumed neuronal cell death. This proof-of-concept study provides justification for future clinical translation.
Shedding light on optical cochlear implant progress

Electrical cochlear implants (CI) currently lack the frequency and intensity resolution to allow detection of complex sounds in background noise. The use of microscale optoelectronics in conjunction with optogenetics provides a promising direction in CI technology to allow improvements in spectral resolution, providing a richer soundscape for users. The present work offers the first instance of using multi-channel μLED-based optical CI to demonstrate optogenetic activation of auditory neurons.
A bilateral tumor model identifies transcriptional programs associated with patient response to immune checkpoint blockade.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is efficacious in many diverse cancer types, but not all patients respond. It is important to understand the mechanisms driving resistance to these treatments and to identify predictive biomarkers of response to provide best treatment options for all patients. Here we introduce a resection and response-assessment approach for studying the tumor microenvironment before or shortly after treatment initiation to identify predictive biomarkers differentiating responders from nonresponders. Our approach builds on a bilateral tumor implantation technique in a murine metastatic breast cancer model (E0771) coupled with anti-PD-1 therapy. Using our model, we show that tumors from mice responding to ICB therapy had significantly higher CD8+ T cells and fewer Gr1+CD11b+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) at early time points following therapy initiation. RNA sequencing on the intratumoral CD8+ T cells identified the presence of T cell exhaustion pathways in nonresponding tumors and T cell activation in responding tumors. Strikingly, we showed that our derived response and resistance signatures significantly segregate patients by survival and associate with patient response to ICB. Furthermore, we identified decreased expression of CXCR3 in nonresponding mice and showed that tumors grown in Cxcr3−/− mice had an elevated resistance rate to anti-PD-1 treatment. Our findings suggest that the resection and response tumor model can be used to identify response and resistance biomarkers to ICB therapy and guide the use of combination therapy to further boost the antitumor efficacy of ICB.
1600. Closing the gap on moxifloxacin breakpoints for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

Background Moxifloxacin (MOX) has in vitro activity against Enterobacterales and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM). Although MOX commonly displays lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)50/90 values against SM when compared to levofloxacin, there are currently no established MOX breakpoints for treatment of SM. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has established interpretive categories and MIC breakpoints for levofloxacin (S ≤2µg/ml) against SM. The US Food and Drug Administration and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing provide MOX breakpoints for Enterobacterales with susceptible MICs represented at ≤ 2 µg/mL and ≤ 0.25 µg/mL, respectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate MOX MIC distribution against SM strains recovered from clinical specimens.
CoREST has a conserved role in facilitating SPR-5/LSD1 maternal reprogramming of histone methylation

Maternal reprogramming of histone methylation is critical for reestablishing totipotency in the zygote, but how histone modifying enzymes are regulated during maternal reprogramming is not well characterized. To address this gap, we asked whether maternal reprogramming by the H3K4me1/2 demethylase SPR-5/LSD1/KDM1A, is regulated by the co-repressor protein, SPR-1/CoREST in C. elegans and mice. In C. elegans, SPR-5 functions as part of a reprogramming switch together with the H3K9 methyltransferase MET-2. By examining germline development, fertility and gene expression in double mutants between spr-1 and met-2, we find that spr-1 mutants are partially compromised for spr-5; met-2 reprogramming. In mice, we generated a separation of function Lsd1 M448V point mutation that compromises CoREST binding, but only slightly affects LSD1 demethylase activity. When maternal LSD1 in the oocyte is derived exclusively from this allele, the progeny phenocopy the increased perinatal lethality that we previously observed when LSD1 was reduced maternally. Together, these data are consistent with CoREST having a conserved function in facilitating maternal LSD1 epigenetic reprogramming.
Active learning in robotics: A review of control principles

Abstract Active learning is a decision-making process. In both abstract and physical settings, active learning demands both analysis and action. This is a review of active learning in robotics, focusing on methods amenable to the demands of embodied learning systems. Robots must be able to learn efficiently and flexibly through continuous online deployment. This poses a distinct set of control-oriented challenges—one must choose suitable measures as objectives, synthesize real-time control, and produce analyses that guarantee performance and safety with limited knowledge of the environment or robot itself. In this work, we survey the fundamental components of robotic active learning systems. We discuss classes of learning tasks that robots typically encounter, measures with which they gauge the information content of observations, and algorithms for generating action plans. Moreover, we provide a variety of examples – from environmental mapping to nonparametric shape estimation – that highlight the qualitative differences between learning tasks, information measures, and control techniques. We conclude with a discussion of control-oriented open challenges, including safety-constrained learning and distributed learning.
Correction: The vascular niche in next generation microphysiological systems

Correction for ‘The vascular niche in next generation microphysiological systems’ by Makena L. Ewald et al., Lab Chip, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00530h.
On the Similarity of Odocoileus Hemionus and O. Virginianus Mandibles

Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) was performed on 37 middle mandible variables of modern Odocoileus virginianus and Odocoileus hemionus specimens from Missouri and Wyoming, respectively, in ord...
Modular Organization of the Prefrontal Cortex: The Legacy of Patricia Goldman-Rakic

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the brain area that distinguishes us as uniquely human. It guides decision making based on past experience, allowing us to break away from reflexively responding to the sensory conditions on hand at any moment. Sequential planning, cognitive flexibility and rational thinking all rely on the PFC. When Patricia Goldman-Rakic began her research career in the 1970s, the PFC was a terra incognita. Her work dispelled the notion that higher cognitive function is beyond the reach of the scientific method and revealed the basic neurobiology governing prefrontal executive function. Goldman-Rakic started her journey by probing the behavior disrupted by lesions in the PFC. An early foray into anatomic tract tracing led to the discovery of columns of afferent terminal labeling in the PFC. From this foothold, she began a relentless quest to understand the modular organization of prefrontal architecture and how the vertical arrangement of functionally related neurons translates into the mechanistic underpinnings of working memory. She characterized neuronal activity in the PFC that forms the essence of spatial mnemonic capacity. Her work teased apart the intricacies of local neurocircuitry in the PFC and examined modulation of this circuitry by monoaminergic neurotransmitters, especially dopamine. Goldman-Rakic’s studies of executive function extended from the regional level in distinguishing the dorsal and ventral domains that process spatial and object information, respectively, to the subcellular level in mapping the precise distribution of dopamine receptors. Her life’s work stands today as the foundation for our contemporary understanding of prefrontal cortical function.
Enteroviral protease 2A cleaves dystrophin: Evidence of cytoskeletal disruption in an acquired cardiomyopathy

Enteroviruses such as Coxsackievirus B3 can cause dilated cardiomyopathy, but the mechanism of this pathology is unknown. Mutations in cytoskeletal proteins such as dystrophin cause hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy, but it is unclear if similar mechanisms underlie acquired forms of heart failure. We demonstrate here that purified Coxsackievirus protease 2A cleaves dystrophin in vitro as predicted by computer analysis. Dystrophin is also cleaved during Coxsackievirus infection of cultured myocytes and in infected mouse hearts, leading to im- paired dystrophin function. In vivo, dystrophin and the dystrophin-associated glycoproteins α-sarcoglycan and β-dystroglycan are morphologically disrupted in infected myocytes. We suggest a molecular mechanism through which enteroviral infection contributes to the patho- genesis of acquired forms of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Erythropoietin structure-function relationships : high degree of sequence homology among mammals

To investigate structure-function relationships of erythropoietin (Epo), we have obtained cDNA sequences that encode the mature Epo protein of a variety of mammals. A first set of primers, corresponding to conserved nucleotide sequences between mouse and human DNAs, allowed us to amplify by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) intron 1/exon 2 fragments from genomic DNA of the hamster, cat, lion, dog, horse, sheep, dolphin, and pig. Sequencing of these fragments permitted the design of a second generation of species-specific primers. RNA was prepared from anemic kidneys and reverse-transcribed. Using our battery of species-specific 5' primers, we were able to successfully PCR-amplify Epo cDNA from Rhesus monkey, rat, sheep, dog, cat, and pig. Deduced amino acid sequences of mature Epo proteins from these animals, in combination with known sequences for human, Cynomolgus monkey, and mouse, showed a high degree of homology, which explains the biologic and immunological cross-reactivity that has been observed in a number of species. Human Epo is 91% identical to monkey Epo, 85% to cat and dog Epo, and 80% to 82% to pig, sheep, mouse, and rat Epos. There was full conservation of (1) the disulfide bridge linking the NH2 and COOH termini; (2) N-glycosylation sites; and (3) predicted amphipathic alpha-helices. In contrast, the short disulfide bridge (C29/C33 in humans) is not invariant. Cys33 was replaced by a Pro in rodents. Most of the amino acid replacements were conservative. The C-terminal part of the loop between the C and D helices showed the most variation, with several amino acid substitutions, deletions, and/or insertions. Calculations of maximum parsimony for intron 1/exon 2 sequences as well as coding sequences enabled the construction of cladograms that are in good agreement with known phylogenetic relationships.
Optical Detection of Clusters of Galaxies

Taken literally, galaxy clusters must be comprised of an overdensity of galaxies. Almost as soon as the debate was settled on whether or not the “nebulae” were extragalactic systems, it became clear that their distribution was not random, with regions of very high overand under-densities. Thus, from a historical perspective, it is important to discuss the detection of galaxy clusters through their galactic components. Today we recognize that galaxies constitute a very small fraction of the total mass of a cluster, but they are nevertheless some of the clearest signposts for detection of these massive systems. Furthermore, the extensive evidence for differential evolution between galaxies in clusters and the field means that it is imperative to quantify the galactic content of clusters. Perhaps even more importantly, optical detection of galaxy clusters is now inexpensive both financially and observationally. Large arrays of CCD detectors on moderate sized telescopes can be utilized to perform all-sky surveys with which we can detect clusters to z ∼ 0.5. Using some of the efficient techniques discussed later in this section, we can now survey hundreds of square degrees for rich clusters at redshifts of order unity with 4-m class telescopes, and similar surveys, over smaller areas but with larger telescopes are finding group-mass systems to similar distances. Looking to the future, ever larger and deeper surveys will permit the characterization of the cluster population to lower masses and higher redshifts. Projects such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will map thousands of square degrees to very faint limits (29th magnitude per square arcsecond) in at least five filters, allowing the detection of clusters through their weak lensing signal (i.e., mass) as well as the visible galaxies. Ever more efficient cluster-finding algorithms are also being developed, in an effort to produce catalogs with low contamination by line-of-sight projections, high completeness, and well-understood selection functions.
Bacterial lipopolysaccharide inhibits VEGFR2 expression and cell migration in fetal mouse lung mesenchyme (540.1)

Infection and inflammation inhibit normal lung development. We have previously measured multiple alterations in growth factor expression and signaling that may link inflammation with abnormal devel...
Free Marketeers, Policy Wonks, and Yankee Democracy: School Vouchers in New Hampshire, 1973-1976.

In this article, Jim Carl uses archival sources and interviews to chronicle the effort to bring school vouchers to New Hampshire. In 1973, the New Hampshire Department of Education initiated a plan, funded by the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, to institute vouchers in a handful of school districts. Though the initiative had the support of prominent economists, scholars, and political leaders at federal and state levels, the state's urban districts declined to participate, and in the few rural districts that agreed to the planning phase, voters rejected vouchers in 1976. Although advocates chalked up the reversal of support to voter apathy and opposition from the teachers union, Carl identifies deeper reasons for the rejection of the vouchers, including the exclusion of sectarian schools, concerns about federal interference, and the logistical challenges of implementing vouchers in rural areas. The obstacles in New Hampshire yielded lessons for policymakers seeking to build popular and political supp...
Predictors of Permanent Pacemaker Implantation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Objective Determine predictors of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Design A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing TAVR at the authors’ institution. Extracted data included patient demographics, electrocardiogram, procedural, and echocardiographic data. Multivariate regression was performed to identify associations with PPM implantation. Setting Single-center academic hospital. Participants Patients undergoing TAVR. Interventions This study was retrospective. No interventions were performed on patients. Measurements and Main Results Baseline electrocardiogram, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, age, and echocardiographic parameters were not predictors of PPM implantation. However, multiple deployments was a risk factor, and degree of paravalvular leak trended toward significance. Ten patients required placement of a 2nd valve, or valve-in-valve (VIV). Of the 10 patients with VIV, 5 (50%) required a PPM, compared with 8 (14%) of 56 patients with a single valve (OR 6.0, p = 0.02). PPM implantation occurred in 5 (42%) patients with no leak, 8 (19%) patients with trace leak, and no patients with mild or moderate leak (p = 0.085). In patients with no or trace leak, VIV increased the likelihood of PPM from 17.4% to 62.5% (OR 7.9, p = 0.006). For the 42 patients with trace leak, VIV increased the likelihood of PPM from 11.4% to 57.1% (OR 10.33, p = 0.005). Conclusions The authors found VIV placement, and likely degree of paravalvular leak, to be predictors of PPM placement. VIV and the degree of leak may be useful markers for postoperative prophylactic pacemaker placement.
A kinematic approach for coordinated motion of a robot and a positioning table

Abstract Tracking a path for such applications as welding using a coordinated motion scheme between a five axis robot and a two-dimensional table offers several advantages over the use of a single manipulator. Faster excetion speed, ability to handle large workpieces, and improvement in tracking accuracy at sharp corners in the path can be achieved through such a scheme. This paper discusses a method for coordinating the motion of two such manipulators where the two manipulators are simultaneously moved to track a path at constant speed. A method for resolving the motion among the two manipulators based on kinematics is presented. Implementation of the scheme on an industrial manipulator and a positioning table is discussed. Actual results of tracking a path under different control scenarios are presented.
Chronopharmacologic considerations when treating the patient with hypertension: A review

Recognition of the existence of circadian variation in exacerbation of cardiovascular disease may have relevance to clinical use of cardioactive agents. Physiologic rational for the chronobiology of cardiac disease exists and can provide a basis on which to examine the efficacy of agents to manage cardiac disease. The use of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) devices have advanced our ability to describe the interplay of chronobiologic rhythms and pharmacodynamic response to antihypertensive medications. This review summarizes the studies evaluating the use of various antihypertensive medications in the context of using 24-hour blood pressure monitoring devices. The studies are described in an attempt to increase awareness of chronobiology and potential implications of designing chronotherapeutic regimens.
Encyclopedia of Associations

The Encyclopedia of Associations is a directory of national nonprofit organizations in the United States, offering detailed information about associations in a wide variety of fields. Begun largely as a directory of business related organizations, the Encyclopedia of Associations (EA) expanded coverage to include 17 distinct areas such as public affairs organizations, hobby and avocational organizations, and athletic and sports organizations. The EA has also increased the amount of information given with each entry. In addition to the standard identification data given in the first edition, information now covers such points as conventions, publications, and affiliated organizations. Throughout its various editions readers have been encouraged to submit corrections, comments, and suggestions to the publisher so that EA could continue to be an accurate tool in a usable format.
Bragg diffraction of colliding spatial photorefractive solitons in SBN

The use of spatial solitons to effect optical interconnects is being actively studied by a number of researchers. Perhaps unjustifiably overlooked in this work is the formation of a grating where two solitons intersect, and the diversion of light into a new path through the resulting Bragg diffraction. An experiment is conducted in which solitons, formed from two mutually coherent argon beams, collide at an angle of several degrees in the Strontium Barium Niobate (SBN-60) crystal. Up to 35% of the intensity of one beam is transferred into the other; if one beam is interrupted, a significant rise or drop in intensity is observed in the other. Using the two solitons, the control over their own paths, and the exchange of information between them at their intersection, an interconnect system is established. Experimental and theoretical results pertinent to those concepts are presented, and a possible interconnection system based on these ideas is discussed.
Small signal properties of field effect devices

The small signal properties of field effect devices are treated analytically. The analysis is based upon an active, distributed transmission line analogy to the conductive channel of field effect devices. Within the limitations of the gradual channel approximation, a general analysis is presented which is applicable to both junction and MOS field effect devices. Equivalent circuits are obtained which describe field effect device characteristics in the region below saturation as well as in the current saturation region. Effects of parasitic elements on the terminal y parameters in practical devices are considered. Specific device models are considered for junction devices and MOS devices and the more important equivalent circuit parameters are evaluated in terms of the dc terminal voltages.
Fellowship by thesis

RCVS proposals on future routes to fellowship include closure of the thesis route ( VR , June 29, 2013, vol 172, p 671). Fellowship by thesis offers an opportunity for graduates in non-university employment to test their abilities and resourcefulness in pursuing a problem or phenomenon …
B-cell activity of polyclonal antithymocyte globulins.

Polyclonal antithymocyte globulins (AThG) are a subset of antilymphocyte antibody preparations derived from the sera of rabbits or horses immunized with unfractionated cells isolated from pediatric human thymi. In vivo, AThG preparations have been used to successfully treat antibody mediated rejection in kidney transplant recipients. In vitro, AThG can induce apoptosis of naive and memory B cells and terminally differentiated plasma cells. The presence of B-cell reactive antibodies in AThG results from a thymic inoculum containing a significant percentage of CD20(+) B cells and CD138(+) plasma cells. In this paper, the experimental and clinical evidence supporting the B-cell activity of AThG preparations, and their mechanisms of action, are reviewed.
Isogenies of Drinfeld Modules over Finite Fields

Abstract We classify isogeny classes of Drinfeld modules over a finite field in terms of Weil numbers. A precise result on isomorphism classes in an isogeny class is given for rank 2 F r [ T ]-modules.
In vitro analysis of modulators of intercellular communication: Implications for biologically, based risk assessment models for chemical exposure.

Ever since the publication of Silent Spring (Carson, 1962), we have heightened our concern about the potential environmental and human health effects caused by exposure to natural and man-made chemicals. With the demonstration that a known 'carcinogen' could induce DNA damage that was not repaired, in a manner similar to ultraviolet-lightinduced DNA damage in a cancer-prone human syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum (Lieberman, 1971), the 'intellectual seed' was set for the development of a major paradigm in the field of chemical carcinogenesis (Trosko et al., 1989c). The hypothesis stating "carcinogens are mutagens" (Ames et al., 1973), and the term "genotoxicity" (Ehrenberg et al., 1973) were quick to follow. Subsequently, an explosion of experimental observations resulted from tests designed to examine if chemicals could "cause" cancer in laboratory animals (bioassays) and if these same chemicals had genotoxic properties. The effectiveness of both the paradigm, which underpinned the design, and the interpretation of all these studies have been shown to be very weak (Tennant et al., 1987). While this failure in 'scientific precision' for the short-term tests to predict the bioassay results in animals, based on the paradigm of "carcinogens are mutagens", has been attributed to the fact that mutagenesis is only one component in carcinogenesis (Douglas et al., 1988), the discussion of the limitations of the short-term tests for genotoxicity and of the non-genotoxic mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis seem to dwell on factors that might prevent genotoxic chemicals from being detected in short-term tests or bioassays (Ashby, 1986; Benigni, 1987; Clayson, 1987; Clive, 1987; Douglas et al., 1988; Kuroki and Matsushima, 1987). In effect, discussion of the discordance between the short-term genotoxicity results and prediction of the wholeanimal effects has been to 'save' the paradigm. It is the purpose of this paper to outline the possible reasons for this discordance, namely: (a) the
Effect of pharmaceutical formulation on health care expenditures for hypertension: A study of verapamil in a medicaid population

Abstract A significant barrier to the management of hypertension is the extent to which patients comply with the treatment regimen. Recent pharmacotherapeutic advances in the treatment of hypertension have included the development of sustained-release (SR) dosage formulations, which provide patients with the convenience of once-daily administration. To determine the economic utility of providing prescription coverage for the SR formulation of verapamil, a calcium channel antagonist, under the state of South Carolina's Medicaid program, a 1-year retrospective analysis was undertaken. Data for this analysis were obtained from the state of South Carolina's Medicaid computed archive. The study population consisted of 481 ambulatory Medicaid beneficaries diagnosed with hypertension and prescribed either the SR or immediate-release (IR) formulation of verapamil. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the incremental influence of selected demographic characteristics, utilization of medical services before diagnosis for hypertension, and prescribed formulation of verapamil on health care expenditures 1 year postdiagnosis. Patients prescribed the SR formulation of verapamil achieved a significant increase ( P ⩽ 0.05) in the medication possession ratio, an index of compliance, compared with those prescribed the IR formulation (0.73 ± 0.62 versus 0.59 ± 0.83 in the SR and IR groups, respectively). The results indicate that the SR formulation of verapamil was associated with a significant decrease ( P ⩽ 0.05) in aggregate health care expenditures of $184.29 over the 1-year study period. The SR formulation was also associated with a significant increase in expenditures for antihypertensive therapy (+ $92.71; P ⩽ 0.05), and a decrease in financial commitments for physician (−$63.52; P ⩽ 0.05), hospital (−$173.96, P ⩽ 0.05), and laboratory (−$39.52) services. Evidence from this study suggests that economic evaluations involving pharmaceuticals must extend beyond the procurement cost of a given medication. At the managerial and policy levels, these data argue for an increased use of therapeutic alternatives that facilitate a reduction in a patient's daily dosing schedule for antihypertensive therapy.
Synthesis, activity and structure–activity relationship of noroviral protease inhibitors

The protease of norovirus, an important human pathogen, is essential for the viral replication and, therefore, represents a potential drug target. A series of tripeptide-based inhibitors of the protease were designed, synthesized and tested, among which several potent inhibitors were identified with Ki values as low as 75 nM. The structure–activity relationships of these inhibitors are discussed.
Comparative Efficacy of K-ABC Subtests VS. WISC-R Subtests in the Differential Classification of Learning Disabilities

Comparison of IQ-subtest scores has gained new popularity with the recent introduction of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). The present study addressed questions pertinent to the utility of K-ABC subtests in differentiating LD children from students classified as EMR, SEM, and referred but Unclassified. In addition, it directly compared the efficacy of K-ABC subtests vs. subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) in this task. The sample consisted of 265 children (181 males, 84 females) referred for psychological evaluations; 171 were classified LD. The LD group was further divided into two subgroups: those who showed significant ability-achievement discrepancies (LDdisc; n = 42) and those who did not (LDno; n = 129). Hierarchical discriminant-function analyses showed that subtest scores from both the K-ABC and the WISC-R differentiated the LDdisc group from children in the other categories. However, subsequent classification analyses revealed that neith...
Incidence of Enucleation in a Defined Population

We conducted a population-based study of long-term trends in the incidence of enucleation. From 1956 through 1988, enucleation was performed on 99 residents (55 males and 44 females) of Olmsted County, Minnesota. The mean annual age-adjusted incidence per 100,000 population for males (5.17) was 50% greater than that for females (3.49; P = .04). An increase in the enucleation rate was noted with increasing age (P = .001), with the highest incidence in patients who were 70 to 79 years of age. A decrease in the incidence of enucleation over time (P = .002) was observed in Olmsted County residents who were at least 40 years of age and was caused primarily by the decreasing incidence of neovascular glaucoma and tumor-related enucleations. The incidence of traumatic enucleations did not significantly decrease (P = .25) over this three-decade study period.