cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intrathecal baclofen withdrawal: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Introduction. Spasticity is an endpoint of a variety of neurologic disorders with upper motor neuron damage. There have been several studies demonstrating improvement in spasticity through administration of intrathecal baclofen. Withdrawal from oral baclofen has been well described. Intrathecal baclofen withdrawal has been less frequently reported. We present a case of withdrawal after intrathecal baclofen pump catheter failure. Patient. A 14-year-old boy presented with fevers, which were thought to be related to recent spine surgery and possible pneumonia. Eventual workup revealed evidence of intrathecal baclofen withdrawal owing to pump catheter failure. His fevers, with temperatures of up to 40°C, and painful muscle spasms resolved and his clinical condition improved after pump exploration and resumption of intrathecal delivery. Conclusions. Intrathecal baclofen withdrawal can be life threatening. Prompt recognition and restoration of an adequate intrathecal baclofen dose is essential for recovery.
The Problem of Rule‐Following in Compositional Semantics

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle l'argument de la finitude developpe par S. Kripke, afin de montrer que les faits ne determinent pas l'application des regles, lance un serieux defi a la conception commune de l'application des regles dans le cadre de la semantique compositionnelle des langages naturels
Tools for multiple granularity analysis of brain MRI data for individualized image analysis

Abstract Voxel-based analysis is widely used for quantitative analysis of brain MRI. While this type of analysis provides the highest granularity level of spatial information (i.e., each voxel), the sheer number of voxels and noisy information from each voxel often lead to low sensitivity for detection of abnormalities. To ameliorate this issue, granularity reduction is commonly performed by applying isotropic spatial filtering. This study proposes a systematic reduction of the spatial information using ontology-based hierarchical structural relationships. The 254 brain structures were first defined in multiple ( n = 29) geriatric atlases. The multiple atlases were then applied to T1-weighted MR images of each subject's data for automated brain parcellation and five levels of ontological relationships were established, which further reduced the spatial dimension to as few as 11 structures. At each ontology level, the amount of atrophy was evaluated, providing a unique view of low-granularity analysis. This reduction of spatial information allowed us to investigate the anatomical features of each patient, demonstrated in an Alzheimer's disease group.
PReS-FINAL-2052: Costs of biologics in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: past, present and future

In the past decade biologics have changed the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness and safety of the available biologics in JIA. Biological therapy used to be reserved for the severely ill JIA patients refractory to conventional therapy. Due to the treatment success of several biologics, more and more patients with JIA are now being treated with these drugs. In addition studies show that some patients may benefit from biologic therapy early in the disease course. However biologics are very expensive compared to conventional treatment. From a social-economic view the additional costs of new interventions should be weighted against their incremental health benefits compared to standard care.
Millisecond methane steam reforming via process and catalyst intensification

The steam reforming of methane on a rhodium/alumina based multifunctional microreactor is simulated using fundamental chemical kinetics in a pseudo-two-dimensional microreactor model. The microreactor consists of parallel catalytic plates, whereby catalytic combustion and reforming take place on opposite sides of a wall. Heat exchange happens through the wall. It is shown that reforming can happen in millisecond or lower contact times and proper balancing of flow rates can give high conversions, reasonably high temperatures, and high yield to syngas. It is found that tuning catalyst surface area and internal and external mass and heat transfer through reactor sizing can lead to further process intensification.
Long-range walking techniques in positional cloning strategies.

The past several years have seen an explosive growth in our understanding of the organization and structure of mammalian genomes, and refinements of existing techniques for genetic analysis, physical mapping, and large-fragment cloning techniques may well be enough to continue the momentum of that explosion for some time to come. Although refinement of existing techniques will certainly be necessary, the development of new and better cloning techniques may, perhaps, no longer be our most urgent need. The most important challenge that we face at present may in fact be that of finding efficient ways to share existing resources and information rapidly and equitably throughout the scientific community so that progress can continue unimpeded, and to catalog, correlate, and interpret the wealth of new data that is so rapidly accumulating.
3D Target Scale Estimation and Motion Segmentation for Size Preserving Tracking in PTZ Video

In size preserving video tracking, the cameras focal length (zoom) is adjusted automatically to compensate for the changes in the targets image size caused by the relative motion between the camera and the target. The accurate estimation of these changes is paramount to the system performance. The existing method of choice for real-time target scale estimation applies structure from motion (SFM) based on the weak perspective projection model [1]. We design a target scale estimation algorithm with linear solution based on the more advanced paraperspective projection model. Another key problem in SFM based algorithms is the separation between foreground and background features (image corners), especially when composite camera and target motions are involved. This paper also addresses a fast foreground/background separation algorithm, the affine shape method. The resulting segmentation automatically adapts to the targets 3D geometry and motion. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scale estimation and segmentation algorithms in tracking translating and rotating objects with a PTZ camera while preserving their sizes.
Nonlinear system identification using a Gabor/Hopfield network

This paper presents a method of nonlinear system identification using a new Gabor/Hopfield network. The network can identify nonlinear discrete-time models that are affine linear in the control. The system need not be asymptotically stable but must be bounded-input-bounded-output (BIBO) stable for the identification results to be valid in a large input-output range. The network is a considerable improvement over earlier work using Gabor basis functions (GBF's) with a back-propagation neural network. Properties of the Gabor model and guidelines for achieving a global error minimum are derived. The new network and its use in system identification are investigated through computer simulation. Practical problems such as local minima, the effects of input and initial conditions, the model sensitivity to noise, the sensitivity of the mean square error (MSE) to the number of basis functions and the order of approximation, and the choice of forcing function for training data generation are considered.
Volume effects in the thermodynamics of binary substitutional solid solutions at high temperatures

Abstract Recent measurements of the variation with temperature and composition of the elastic properties of Fe-based solid solution containing the substitutional solutes Mn, Ni and Cr have enabled calculations to be made of the effect of the composition-dependent variation of the specific volume of the lattice upon the partial thermodynamic functions of the solute species. The calculations show that, in contrast to the case of binary interstitial solid solutions, the effects are of the same order, or less, as the normal uncertainty in the experimental determination of the partial thermodynamic functions of solid solutions at high temperatures (1273 K).
Tailored anteromedial lobectomy in the treatment of refractory epilepsy of the temporal lobe: long term surgical outcome and predictive factors.

Objective: To analyze long-term results and to determine prognostic factors on seizure outcome in a series of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) who underwent anteromedial temporal lobectomy (AMTL). Materials and methods: From 1995 to 1998 forty-two patients suffering from non-lesional TLE underwent tailored AMTL at our Institution. We retrospectively reviewed surgical results and calculated predictive factors of good outcome in the long term. Results: Sixty-four percent of patients were rendered seizure free (median follow up 60 months). Eleven cases (26.2%) had a significant reduction of disabling epileptic episodes. Poor seizure control was observed in four patients (9.5%). Overall surgical morbidity was 4.7%. Medial temporal sclerosis (MTS) was the most common histopathological finding (69% of cases). The presence of unilateral hippocampal abnormalities on qualitative MRI was significantly associated with excellent postoperative outcome (p < 0.011). Qualitative preoperative MRI had a positive predictive value of 83% in detecting both MTS at pathological examination and excellent outcome. Conclusions: Tailored AMTL is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of selected patients with medically refractory TLE. Data from preoperative qualitative MRI well correlated with histopathological findings. The presence of unilateral hippocampal atrophy on qualitative MRI was predictive of excellent outcome in the long-term follow up.
Processing Instruction, Prior Awareness and the Nature of Second Language Acquisition: A (Partial) Response to Batstone

Batstone (2002a) proposes an approach called 'the given-to-new principle' for understanding second language acquisition. In his discussion of the principle, he comments on processing instruction (PI), and offers several criticisms of PI and of one of the research studies into the effectiveness of PI. In the present paper, I review the nature of PI and the research that has been conducted on it since 1993. My conclusion is that Batstone's analysis and critique of PI is unfounded, and also that PI captures his given-to-new principle via the feedback learners get during instruction. Hence, I conclude that PI itself achieves what Batstone proposes with his principle, and that, rather than standing in contrast to the given-to-new principle, PI is a rather good supplement to this 'discourse'-oriented approach to instruction.
What older adults can teach us about designing better ballots

FEATURE AT A GLANCE: In this article, we examine the interplay between electronic voting technology machine types (touchscreen vs. touchscreen + keypad) and ballot designs (full ballot vs. one office per page) that together comprise the interface to which voters are exposed. Using a gerontological approach, we show that determining the most usable system for voters with the most limited capabilities (in this study, older participants) also corresponded to higher performance across groups (younger participants). Because older adults are more sensitive to slight differences in human-computer interaction designs, examining their performance may help shed light on potential problems that could otherwise go undetected.
An In-Situ Study of Laser-Induced Plume Radiance and Thermal Effects of Laser Irradiated Polycarbonate and Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Samples

Threats of lasers to human eyes and electro-optics on the modern battlefield has been significantly increased due to the rapid growth of laser technology in military applications. Currently polycarbonate (PC) and poly [methyl methacrylate] (PMMA) are being used as transparencies for aircraft and goggle materials for aircrews and combat soldiers [Ref 1,2]. A carefully monitored laser test was conducted on these two particular polymers using a medium-power, continuous-wave CO 2 laser to determine the brightness of the laser-induced plume radiance and how much luminance was transmitted to the back of the sample. Plume luminance for photopic (daytime) and scotopic (nighttime) visual conditions, as well as the recovery times for human eyes exposed to these levels of luminance were calculated. Our test results demonstrated that the plume induced by the CW CO 2 laser irradiation can be an ocular hazard to soldiers operating behind these conventional transparent materials.
Verrucous carcinoma of the penis: report of a case and review.

SUMMARY A case of verrucous carcinoma of the penis is presented with a brief review of the problems encountered in therapy. The aetiology and pathology of the tumour are discussed as well as the accepted treatment. The indolent course of this lesion, its low incidence of metastasis, and the characteristic gross and microscopic pattern are emphasised.
Effects of cyclosporin A and FK506 on Fc epsilon receptor type I-initiated increases in cytokine mRNA in mouse bone marrow-derived progenitor mast cells: resistance to FK506 is associated with a deficiency in FK506-binding protein FKBP12

Abstract The inhibitory effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 on Fc epsilon receptor type I-initiated increases in cytokine mRNA and the expression of their intracellular binding proteins were studied in interleukin 3 (IL-3)-dependent, mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). In BMMCs sensitized with IgE anti-trinitrophenyl, CsA inhibited trinitrophenylated bovine serum albumin-induced increases in mRNA for IL-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and IL-6 in a dose-related manner (IC50 values of 4, 65, and 130 nM, respectively). FK506 did not inhibit hapten-specific increases of mRNA for TNF-alpha or IL-6, and for IL-1 beta the IC50 was greater than 50-fold higher than that of CsA. Neither agent inhibited exocytosis of the endogenous secretory granule mediators beta-hexosaminidase and histamine at the IC50 values for inhibition of increases in cytokine mRNA. BMMCs expressed cyclophilin, and CsA inhibited the phosphatase activity of cellular calcineurin with an IC50 of approximately 8 nM. That CsA inhibited IL-1 beta mRNA accumulation in IgE-activated BMMCs with an IC50 similar to that for inhibition of calcineurin activity, whereas the IC50 values were approximately 20-fold higher for the inhibition of TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA, suggests that the induction of TNF-alpha and IL-6 is less dependent upon calcineurin activity than is the induction of IL-1 beta. BMMCs were deficient in the 12-kDa FK506-binding protein FKBP12, but not FKBP13, as assessed by RNA and protein blot analyses. FK506 did not inhibit calcineurin phosphatase activity in BMMCs, even at drug concentrations of 1000 nM. The resistance of BMMCs to inhibition of Fc epsilon receptor type I-mediated increases in cytokine mRNA by FK506 is most likely due to their deficiency of FKBP12 and the related inability to inhibit the activity of calcineurin.
A monte-carlo code for computing transport coefficients in weakly ionized gas

Summary form only given. A Monte-Carlo code (MCSwarm) has been developed to provide transport coefficients in weakly ionized gases. The code can generate transport coefficients in crossed electric and magnetic fields for a wide varietv of gases including N2, O2, SF6 , H2, H2O, Ar, Ne, CO2, and He. The code follows many different interactions including rotational and vibrational modes, electronic excitation, ionization, and momentum transfer. The MC Swarm code provides an accurate method for computing electron mobility, ionization, and attachment rates suitable for particle-in-cell modeling of electron-beam-induced conductivity. The transport coefficients generated by MCSwarm are suitable at pressures above 1 torr. These coefficients have been incorporated into the fully electro-magnetic 3D PIC code Quicksilver (QS). To benchmark the QS model, we have modified an existing Febetron electron-beam pulser to produce an 100 ns electron beam pulses with a peak energy of 80 keV and a current density ranging from 1 A/cm2 to 1 kA/cm2. The net transported current 10 cm from the beam injection location agrees well with the QS simulations. The line-integrated electron density is measured by laser interferometry and also agrees well with the code calculations. The simulations show that emission boundary conditions are very important in determining where currents flow and that the effects of beam scattering in air are negligible for pressures below 20 torr. The code calculations further show that, for the parameters considered here, the electric field at high pressure is too small to cause avalanche and plasma production is dominated by beam-impact ionization.
PSYCHOLOGY: A CLOSED SYSTEM OF SELF-EVIDENT INFORMATION?

To estimate the self-evidence of basic principles of psychology, 50 UCLA introductory psychology students answered 21 multiple-choice questions each embodying one learning or memory phenomenon. 71% of the items were answered correctly more often than chance. The probability of an item being answered correctly was unrelated to the subjects' familiarity with the names of the phenomena and unrelated to professional psychologists' ratings of the importance of the phenomena. The possibility that we may spend an inordinate amount of item dealing with self-evident principles, because we do not seek outside evaluation of our work, is discussed.
Increased expression of interleukin-6 family members and receptors in urinary bladder with cyclophosphamide-induced bladder inflammation in female rats

Recent studies suggest that JAK-STAT signaling pathways contribute to increased voiding frequency and referred pain of CYP-induced cystitis in rats. Potential upstream chemical mediator(s) that may be activated by CYP-induced cystitis to stimulate JAK/STAT signaling are not known in detail. In these studies, members of the interleukin (IL)-6 family of cytokines including, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), IL-6 and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and associated receptors, IL-6 receptor (R) α, LIFR and gp130 were examined in the urinary bladder in control and CYP-treated rats. Cytokine and receptor transcript and protein expression and distribution were determined in urinary bladder after cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis using quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Acute (4 hr; 150 mg/kg; i.p.), intermediate (48 hr; 150 mg/kg; i.p.) or chronic (75 mg/kg; i.p., once every 3 days for 10 days) cystitis was induced in adult, female Wistar rats with CYP treatment. Q-PCR analyses revealed significant (p ≤ 0.01) CYP duration- and tissue- (e.g., urothelium, detrusor) dependent increases in LIF, IL-6, IL-6Rα, LIFR and gp130 mRNA expression. Western blotting demonstrated significant (p ≤ 0.01) increases in IL-6, LIF and gp130 protein expression in whole urinary bladder with CYP treatment. CYP-induced cystitis significantly (p ≤ 0.01) increased LIF-immunoreactivity (IR) in urothelium, detrusor, and suburothelial plexus whereas increased gp130-IR was only observed in urothelium and detrusor. These studies suggest that IL-6 and LIF may be potential upstream chemical mediators that activate JAK/STAT signaling in urinary bladder pathways.
Capital Shares: The Way Back into the With of Christianity

AbstractIn the ten years since the publication of Michael Hardt's and Antonio Negri's Empire, the relationship between Christianity and global capital has received increasing theological attention among the adherents, critics, sympathizersssa, and apostates of Radical Orthodoxy. At stake in this conversation is the possibility that Christianity might provide a universal ontology sufficient to ground a counter-hegemonic, specifically socialist, praxis. One question that many of these authors rarely address, however, is the extent to which Christian universalism has been responsible for the emergence of global capital in the first place. This article will address this profound split at the heart of a tradition; that is, Christianity's culpability for and resistance to global capital. To this end, "Capital Shares" sketches the aporia of Christianity's relation to Empire and then appeals to Jean-Luc Nancy's "deconstruction of Christianity"; in particular, his attempt to find "a source of Christianity, more or...
Intravesical Prostatic Protrusion in Men in Olmsted County, Minnesota

Purpose: Ultrasonically measured intravesical prostatic protrusion may be a promising noninvasive method of assessing bladder outlet obstruction. Previous investigations of this technique focused on patients with acute urinary retention and symptomatic men identified in urology clinics, which may not reflect the distribution of intravesical prostatic protrusion in community dwelling men.Materials and Methods: In 2006 a total of 322 white men residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota underwent transrectal ultrasound examination which permitted direct measurement of intravesical prostatic protrusion. Cross-sectional associations between lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic enlargement and intravesical prostatic protrusion were measured. Rapid increases in lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic enlargement measures as predictors of severe intravesical prostatic protrusion were also assessed.Results: Overall 10% of these men had an intravesical prostatic protrusion of 10 mm or greater. Greater int...
Analyzing Incomplete Political Science Data: An Alternative Algorithm for Multiple Imputation

We propose a remedy for the discrepancy between the way political scientists analyze data with missing values and the recommendations of the statistics community. Methodologists and statisticians agree that "multiple imputation" is a superior approach to the problem of missing data scattered through one's explanatory and dependent variables than the methods currently used in applied data analysis. The discrepancy occurs because the computational algorithms used to apply the best multiple imputation models have been slow, difficult to implement, impossible to run with existing commercial statistical packages, and have demanded considerable expertise. We adapt an algorithm and use it to implement a general-purpose, multiple imputation model for missing data. This algorithm is considerably easier to use than the leading method recommended in statistics literature. We also quantify the risks of current missing data practices, illustrate how to use the new procedure, and evaluate this alternative through simulated data as well as actual empirical examples. Finally, we offer easy-to-use that implements our suggested methods.
Directly Administered Antiretroviral Therapy in Methadone Clinics Is Associated with Improved HIV Treatment Outcomes, Compared with Outcomes among Concurrent Comparison Groups

Background. Directly administered antiretroviral therapy (DAART) in methadone clinics has the potential to improve treatment outcomes for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—infected injection drug users (IDUs).Methods. DAART was provided at 3 urban methadone clinics. Eighty-two participants who were initiating or reinitiating highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) received supervised doses of therapy at the clinic on the mornings on which they received methadone. Treatment outcomes in the DAART group were compared with outcomes in 3 groups of concurrent comparison patients, who were drawn from the Johns Hopkins HIV Cohort. The concurrent comparison patients were taking HAART on a self-administered basis. The 3 groups of concurrent comparison patients were as follows: patients with a history of IDU who were receiving methadone at the time HAART was used (the IDU-methadone group; 75 patients), patients with a history of IDU who were not receiving methadone at the time that HAART was used (the IDU-nonmethadone group; 244 patients), and patients with no history of IDU (the non-IDU group; 490 patients).Results. At 12 months, 56% of DAART participants achieved an HIV type 1 RNA level <400 copies/mL, compared with 32% of participants in the IDU-methadone group (P = .009), 33% of those in the IDU-nonmethadone group (P = .001), and 44% of those in the non-IDU group (P = .077). The DAART group experienced a median increase in the CD4 cell count of 74 cells/mm 3 , compared with 21 cells/mm 3 in the IDU-methadone group (P = .04), 33 cells/mm 3 in the IDU-nonmethadone group (P = .09), and 84 cells/mm 3 in the non-IDU group (P = .98). After adjustment for other covariates in a logistic regression model, DAART participants were significantly more likely to achieve viral suppression than were patients in each of the 3 comparison groups.Conclusions. These results suggest that methadone clinic—based DAART has the potential to provide substantial clinical benefit for HIV-infected IDUs.
Prediction of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias by Intracardiac Repolarization Variability Analysis

Background— Arrhythmic sudden cardiac death (SCD) is generally mediated by ventricular fibrillation (VF) or fast ventricular tachycardia (FVT). We studied the predictive value of temporal QT variability detected from various sources of cardiac electric signal: surface ECG, far-field (FF), and near-field (NF) intracardiac electrograms (EGMs) in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Methods and Results— Surface ECG and FF and NF intracardiac EGMs were simultaneously recorded at rest (mean heart rate, 74±15 bpm) for 4.5±1.3 minutes in 298 patients (mean age, 59±14; 216 male [73%]) with structural heart disease and an implanted Medtronic ICD for primary (231 patients, 78%) or secondary (67 patients, 22%) prevention of SCD. During mean follow-up of 16±8 months, 52 (13.1% per person-year of follow-up) patients sustained VT/VF and received appropriate ICD therapies, but only 19 (4.8% per person-year of follow-up) patients sustained FVT/VF with cycle length ≤240 ms. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the highest QT variability index (QTVI) quartile from all cardiac sources (surface ECG; NF and FF EGMs) is associated with event-free survival ( P =0.038 for ECG; P =0.024 for FF EGM; P =0.012 for NF EGM). QTVI was a predictor of all VT/VF events and FVT/VF in the multivariate Cox model (including ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy, history of revascularization procedures, LVEF, New York Heart Association class). Strong significant correlation among QTVI determined from all 3 sources was found. Conclusion— Repolarization lability is present throughout the ventricular myocardium. Increased intracardiac QT variability predicts VT/VF events in patients with structural heart disease. Received October 16, 2008; accepted March 3, 2009.
Curvature-Based Registration for Slice Interpolation of Medical Images

Slice interpolation is a fast growing field in medical image processing. Intensity-based interpolation and object-based interpolation are two major groups of methods in the literature. In this paper an object based method for slice interpolation using a modified version of curvature registration is proposed. Due to non-linear nature of image registration the results of forward and backward registration can be different. Therefore assuming a linear displacement between corresponding pixels of reference and moving image, a functional is minimized and the displacement fields for both reference and moving images with respect to the missing in-between slice are computed and used for reconstruction of the missing slice. The proposed approach is evaluated quantitatively by using the Mean Squared Difference (MSD) as metric. The produced results show significant visual improvement in preserving sharp edges in images.
DC-line current ripple reduction of a parallel hybrid modular multilevel HVDC converter

Parallel hybrid modular multilevel converter (PH-MMC) is one of the potential converter topologies for highvoltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission systems. Due to the circuit topology of a PHMMC, the dc-bus voltage contains low-order harmonics and cannot be fully regulated at a constant dc voltage. This paper proposes a zero-sequence voltage injection (ZSVI)-based model predictive control (MPC) strategy to control the dc current/power flow and simultaneously minimize the dc-current ripple. The proposed strategy takes the advantage of a cost function minimization technique to determine and inject the optimal zero-sequence voltage components into the dc-bus voltage of a PHMMC system. Performance of the proposed strategy for a 21-level PHMMC-based HVDC station system is evaluated in the PSCAD/EMTDC software environment. The reported results demonstrate the proposed ZSVI-MPC strategy can regulate the dc current while reducing its ripple.
Self-similarity of multi-access interference processes in multimedia wireless CDMA networks

We study the temporal structure of multi-access interference (MAI) in multimedia CDMA networks. Our results show that the MAI process is "self-similar", indicating directly that the MAI is long-range dependent and there exists a predictive structure of the MAI across multiple time scales.
Ability of transstadially infected Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) to transmit West Nile virus to song sparrows or western fence lizards.

Abstract The hypothesis that Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls (Acari: Ixodidae) may serve as a reservoir and vector of West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) in California was tested by determining the ability of this tick species to become infected with the NY99 strain of WNV while feeding on viremic song sparrows, to maintain the infection transstadially, and then to transmit WNV to recipient naive song sparrows and western fence lizards during the nymphal stage. The percentage of ticks testing positive by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) decreased from 77% of 35 larvae at day 6 after ticks were transferred to donor song sparrows (day of detachment) to 23% of 35 nymphs at 59 d postinfestation (≈19 d after molting to the nymphal stage). However, the percentage of ticks positive by RT-PCR from which infectious virus was recovered by Vero cell assay decreased from 59% on day 6 to 12% on day 59, even though there was no statistically significant decrease in the q...
Phylogenetic Relationships within Zaluzianskya (Scrophulariaceae s.s., tribe Manuleeae): Classification Based on DNA Sequences from Multiple Genomes and Implications for Character Evolution and Biogeography

Abstract Zaluzianskya (Scrophulariaceae s.s., tribe Manuleeae) is a diverse genus of 55 species of annual and perennial herbs, endemic to southern Africa. This study used DNA sequence data from the nrDNA ITS regions, rpl16, and trnL-trnF to produce the first broad phylogenetic hypotheses for Zaluzianskya, allowing the first tests of the monophyly of the genus and its sections, as well as an examination of character evolution. Reyemia nemesioides was placed within Zaluzianskya with strong support. This is consistent with several morphological characteristics of both species of Reyemia. Sections Zaluzianskya and Holomeria are not monophyletic. The single species sampled from section Macrocalyx (Z. mirabilis) was nested within section Nycterinia according to the chloroplast and combined data, but placed sister to Nycterinia according to the ITS data. Several species do not form clades. Populations of Z. villosa and Z. gracilis were nested within a Z. affinis clade while Z. divaricata was nested within a Z. p...
California Central Valley Summer Heat Waves Form Two Ways

AbstractCalifornia Central Valley (CCV) heat waves are grouped into two types based on the temporal and spatial evolution of the large-scale meteorological patterns (LSMPs) prior to onset. The k-means clustering of key features in the anomalous temperature and zonal wind identifies the two groups. Composite analyses show different evolution prior to developing a similar ridge–trough–ridge pattern spanning the North Pacific at the onset of CCV hot spells. Backward trajectories show adiabatic heating of air enhanced by anomalous sinking plus horizontal advection as the main mechanisms to create hot lower-tropospheric air just off the Northern California coast, although the paths differ between clusters.The first cluster develops the ridge at the west coast on the day before onset, consistent with wave activity flux traveling across the North Pacific. Air parcels that arrive at the maximum temperature anomaly (just off the Northern California coast) tend to travel a long distance across the Pacific from the ...
Endogenous Digitalis-Like Factors

(1986). Endogenous Digitalis-Like Factors. CRC Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 177-200.
The relationship between collective action and serious illness in western Kenya

By 2012 HIV had infected about 1.6 million Kenyans and an estimated 58 000 had died due to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS rates in western Kenya are disproportionately high compared to the rate in Kenya as a whole. This study aimed to assess gender differences in participation in collective action in households affected by serious illness (e.g., HIV/ AIDS, TB) in western Kenya. We expected serious illnesses would reduce collective action due to a reduction in the number of adults and their ability to care for themselves and others. We used data from a mixed-methods study that used multiple-case embedded-case studies for rural households in western Kenya. The study investigated the relationship between collective action and households affected by serious illnesses. Household health was assessed from information about seriously ill members in 120 households. This information was compared with data about collective action activities and demographic data. Nearly half (48%) the households reported serious illness. More th...
Somatic Embryogenesis and the Technology of Synthetic Seed

Synthetic seeds are functionally defined as somatic embryos engineered to be of use in commercial plant production (Gray 1990b). The actual form of synthetic seed (i.e., presence or absence of a synthetic seed coat, whether they are hydrated or dehydrated, quiescent or not, etc.) may vary depending on the specific crop application.
Automated renal histopathology: digital extraction and quantification of renal pathology

The branch of pathology concerned with excess blood serum proteins being excreted in the urine pays particular attention to the glomerulus, a small intertwined bunch of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. Normal glomeruli allow moderate amount of blood proteins to be filtered; proteinuric glomeruli allow large amount of blood proteins to be filtered. Diagnosis of proteinuric diseases requires time intensive manual examination of the structural compartments of the glomerulus from renal biopsies. Pathological examination includes cellularity of individual compartments, Bowman’s and luminal space segmentation, cellular morphology, glomerular volume, capillary morphology, and more. Long examination times may lead to increased diagnosis time and/or lead to reduced precision of the diagnostic process. Automatic quantification holds strong potential to reduce renal diagnostic time. We have developed a computational pipeline capable of automatically segmenting relevant features from renal biopsies. Our method first segments glomerular compartments from renal biopsies by isolating regions with high nuclear density. Gabor texture segmentation is used to accurately define glomerular boundaries. Bowman’s and luminal spaces are segmented using morphological operators. Nuclei structures are segmented using color deconvolution, morphological processing, and bottleneck detection. Average computation time of feature extraction for a typical biopsy, comprising of ~12 glomeruli, is ∼69 s using an Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790 CPU, and is ~65X faster than manual processing. Using images from rat renal tissue samples, automatic glomerular structural feature estimation was reproducibly demonstrated for 15 biopsy images, which contained 148 individual glomeruli images. The proposed method holds immense potential to enhance information available while making clinical diagnoses.
Comorbidities of Psoriatic Arthritis — Metabolic Syndrome and Prevention: A Report from the GRAPPA 2010 Annual Meeting

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with serious comorbidities such as increased cardiovascular risk, hypertension, depression, and reduced quality of life. Patients with psoriasis have been observed to have an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome compared with the general population; recently, this has also been observed in patients with PsA. This review focuses on the comorbidities associated with PsA, with an emphasis on risks of coronary artery disease and metabolic syndrome. We also discuss the development of a comprehensive approach for the management of comorbidities of PsA. The review summarizes a presentation at the 2010 annual meeting of GRAPPA (Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis).
Temperature Regulation of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats in Cave Habitats

The Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana , was noted in environments of 8° to 43°C and relative humidities of 10 to 100%. Large populations of bats usually occurred between 15° and 38°C and 65 to 95% relative humidity. Greatest populations were noted at 25° to 38°C. The temperatures of some Texas caves seem to be influenced by the heat given off by the bats as well as by the outside temperatures. Apparently migration is not directly related to cave temperature. Examination of body temperatures of roosting adult bats throughout the year in ambient temperatures of 12° to 36°C indicated that the subspecies usually regulates its body temperature at high levels in the wild and appears more temperature stable than many Microchiroptera that have been studied. Body temperatures of young bats (from birth until capable of flight) were well above environmental temperatures. Young bats had higher body temperatures as they became older and were at higher ambient temperatures. Regulation of the body temperature at high levels in low environmental temperatures seems to occur by increased heat production, although heat loss is apparently retarded by clustering behavior. Body temperature regulation at high cave temperatures appears to occur in the following ways: The body temperature of the bats remains below that of the deep cluster temperature by virtue of heat loss to the rocks and air which are at lower temperatures. Bats possibly move to cooler sites in the cave in times of heat stress and may separate from one another on the cave ceiling to increase heat loss. By flying and thus greatly increasing the surface area for heat loss the bats seem able to reduce their body temperatures.
Nicotine-induced cortical activation among nonsmokers with moderation by trait cognitive control

Considerable research suggests that nicotine enhances cognitive control-related processes (e.g., attention, memory) among nicotine-deprived smokers, both in terms of behavior and neural indices (e.g., ERP, slow-wave EEG). Nicotine may also increase cognitive control among nonsmokers, and this may vary as a function of trait cognitive control. It is important to examine the effects of nicotine on cognitive control-related processes among nonsmokers as these effects may provide a path for the initiation of smoking. The objectives of the study were to examine in nonsmokers (1) the effect of nicotine on resting cortical activity, an indirect measure of cognitive control, and (2) trait cognitive control as a moderator of nicotine-induced cortical activity changes. Eighty participants were given placebo and 7-mg nicotine patches in separate sessions for this counter-balanced, double-blind, within-subject study. Resting cortical activity was measured with EEG for a 3-min period with eyes opened. Average alpha-1 band power density values in frontal and central regions were lower during the nicotine versus placebo condition, which provides evidence of nicotine-induced cortical activation. Furthermore, those with lower self-reported cognitive control exhibited greater nicotine-induced reductions in alpha-1 power density values. These individual differences in nicotine-induced cortical activation are consistent with a model of nicotine self-medication whereby individuals with lower cognitive control may find smoking more reinforcing via amelioration of related cognitive deficits.
Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry determination of cadmium content in rice uncertainty evaluation

Objective To establish a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was developed for the determination of cadmium content in rice uncertainty analysis methods,find out the main influencing factors. Methods To establish the mathematical model of uncertainty,the uncertainty of system analysis and calculation of each component in[1].Results According to GB / T 5009.15 2003,and the determination of cadmium in food,determination of the content of cadmium in rice,when the results of 406 μg / kg,the expanded uncertainty of 12.9 μg / kg(k = 2). Conclusion Hold good played an important part in the sample measurement process,was used to determine the conditions and strict control of the preparation of the standard solution is the key to reduce the uncertainty of measurement.
Effect of long‐term lithium administration on renal phosphorus handling

Renal phosphorus handling was evaluated in 12 lithium carbonate-treated psychiatric patients. Serum phosphorus was normal and serum lithium values were within the therapeutic range in all subjects. Serum calcium concentrations measured in 6 of the patients were found to be within the normal range; in the same patients serum parathyroid hormone levels were normal in 4 and slightly elevated in 2. Phosphorus clearance (14 +/- 3 [se] ml/min) and tubular reabsorption of phosphorus (88 +/- 2%) during oral sodium bicarbonate loading were not significantly different from those in 10 healthy control subjects. In a subgroup of 5 patients and 5 control subjects, phosphorus excretion did not increase after bicarbonate loading. In these subjects, phosphorus excretion rates after bicarbonate loading were not different. Although experimental studies suggest that lithium inhibits renal cortical adenylate cyclase stimulation by parathyroid hormone, our data did not indicate any striking effect of long-term lithium administration on serum calcium and serum phosphorus or on renal phosphorus handling.
Photodynamic Therapy for Malignant Skin Lesions

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a form of phototherapy involving a photosensitizer, a light source, and tissue oxygen. Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and its ester derivative methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) are commonly used photosensitizers acting as prodrugs for protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). PpIX accumulates in abnormal epidermis and upon subsequent exposure to and activation by the appropriate light source generates reactive oxygen species that selectively destroy diseased lesions. PDT has been established to be a safe and effective treatment for superficial skin cancers and premalignant skin lesions. Pain is the most severe adverse effect but can be effectively managed. Porphyria is an important contraindication. Common approved PDT protocols include Levulan 20 % solution ALA-PDT activation with blue light for treatment of actinic keratosis (AK) in the USA and Metvix/Metvixia MAL-PDT for treatment of AK, Bowen’s disease, and basal cell carcinoma in Europe. Off-label, ALA-/MAL-PDT have been reported to treat invasive squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, Paget’s disease, and various benign inflammatory disorders and to prevent recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma in organ transplant recipients. Combination therapy of PDT with other treatment modalities such as cryotherapy, surgery, and field therapies is being explored with preliminary data suggesting improved efficacy, tolerability, and long-term results. In addition, PDT offers enhanced cosmetic outcome compared to cryotherapy or surgery. PDT can also be used for skin photorejuvenation.
Investigation of nonlinear optical properties of exfoliated MoS2 using Photoacoustic Zscan

We studied nonlinear absorption characteristics of exfoliated Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) dispersion in 1-Methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and demonstrate a dual absorption characteristic at 532nm nanosecond pulsed laser wavelength. A number of recent reports demonstrate a saturable absorption in MoS2 and other 2D materials at low fluences and a deviation from this saturable absorption at higher fluence using open aperture Z scan (OZ scan) technique. It has been suggested that this deviation at higher fluences is due to nonlinear optical scattering. We have recently developed a new technique which combines OZ scan and photoacoustic Z-scan (PAZ-scan). It can measure photoacoustic and optical transmission signals simultaneously. The data obtained from both signals are employed to find nonlinear absorption parameters in non-linear optical materials. Our results reveal that non-linear scattering is not the cause of deviation of 2D materials from saturable absorption at higher fluences. We propose that the optical limiting behavior at higher fluence in these 2D materials is dominated by free carrier absorption.
Brainstem Mechanisms Governing the Tonic and Reflex Control of the Circulation

One of the classical problems of cardiovascular physiology has been the localization of neurons in the brainstem required for maintenance of normal levels of arterial pressure (AP). Experiments dating back to the mid-19th century demonstrate that removal of the brain rostral to the medulla oblongata had no effect on AP while transection of the spinal cord at the first cervical segment results in its collapse (1). Such studies demonstrated that neurons localized somewhere in the medulla provide sufficient excitation of preganglionic sympathetic neurons in the intermediolateral columns of the spinal cord to maintain vascular tone.
Coagulation Studies in Preoperative Neurosurgery Patients

This chapter focuses on the preoperative coagulation assessment of patients undergoing cranial and spinal neurosurgery. Although it has been common, even standard, practice to obtain preoperative laboratory assessment of the platelet count, prothrombin time (PT)/international standardized ratio (INR), and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in adult patients in preoperative neurosurgical settings, the value of this practice has been questioned and the published evidence on this topic suggests that the routine use of these studies neither reliably identifies patients who will suffer surgical bleeding complications nor safely excludes those who will not. As a result, a variety of alternative laboratory assessments like bleeding time (BT), and platelet function tests such as the PFA-100 have sparked interest. Similarly, clinical assessment tools to formalize preoperative history taking with respect to coagulation issues have also been developed and continue to be refined. However, as of this writing none have clearly demonstrated a high sensitivity and specificity for the outcomes of interest. Nevertheless, understanding the various available laboratory tests and clinical assessment tools provides the basis for informed decision making with respect to patient care in this area.