cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blocks' Network: Redesign Architecture Based on Blockchain Technology

The internet is a global network that uses communication protocols. It is considered the most important system reached by humanity, which no one can abandon [1]. However, this technology has become a weapon that threatens the privacy of users, especially in the client-server model, where data is stored and managed privately. Additionally, users have no power over their data that store in a private server, which means users’ data may interrupt by government or might be sold via service provider for-profit purposes. Furthermore, blockchain is a technology that we can rely on to solve issues related to client-server model if appropriately used. However, blockchain technology uses consensus protocol, which is used for creating an incontrovertible system of agreement between members across a distributed network [2]. Thus, the consensus protocol is used to slow all member down from generating too fast in order to control the network creation pattern, which leads to scalability and latency problems. This paper will present a platform that leverages modernize blockchain called Blocks’ Network. The system is taking into consideration the issues related to privacy and confidentiality from the client-side model, and scalability and latency issues from the blockchain technology side. Blocks’ network is a public and a permissioned network that use a multi-dimensional hash to generate multiple chains for the purpose of a systematic approach. The proposed platform is users’ assembly point to create a decentralized network via P2P protocols. The system has a high data flow due to frequent use by participants (e.g., the use of the Internet). Besides, the system will store all traffic of the network overtly via Blocks’ Network.
Posterior Intercostal Lymph Nodes Double Recurrence and Death Risk in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Background Posterior intercostal lymph nodes, previously undescribed for cancer staging, are part of the lymphatic drainage of the pleural space. This study assessed the impact of posterior intercostal lymph nodes on survival in patients undergoing extended pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods As part of the thoracic lymphadenectomy, posterior intercostal lymph nodes were accessed by incising the endothoracic fascia at the level of the rib heads. These nodes were systematically harvested in 56 consecutive patients undergoing extended pleurectomy decortication in a clinical trial. The impact of these nodes on progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed by multiple statistical methods. Results Median PFS and OS were 11.6 and 25.5 months, respectively. In 6 of 56 patients (11%), posterior intercostal lymph nodes were the only positive nodes, and overall, 48.2% had posterior intercostal lymph node metastases. Patients with N2 disease had significantly poorer prognosis if the posterior intercostal lymph nodes were involved: PFS (7.3 vs 14.9 months, P = .002) and OS (14.4 vs 26.1 months, P = .028). In the multivariable models, after adjustment for nodal stage and other prognostic factors, intercostal nodes remained associated with a 2.5-fold elevated risk of progression (P Conclusions Metastases to posterior intercostal lymph nodes independently more than doubled the risk of progression and death and were the only site of nodal metastases in 11% of patients. These nodes warrant further investigation, including nonoperative techniques to identify and factor them into treatment decision making.
The Long-Term Treatment of Depression

Depression is a recurrent and chronic disorder requiring long-term treatment. Although this fact is generally well accepted, depression remains frequently underrecognized and often undertreated. Recent guidelines recommend that treatment with antidepressants should be continued for at least 4 to 6 months after the initial response and that long-term prophylactic treatment be given to patients who have experienced 2 or more depressive episodes. However, there is little consensus on the duration for which continuation or maintenance treatment should be given. This article reviews the long-term strategy for the treatment of unipolar major depression, particularly in terms of duration of treatment, and which types of patients would benefit from maintenance treatment.
Influence of Community and Culture in the Ethical Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in a Pandemic Situation: Deliberative Democracy Study.

Background: Stark gaps exist between projected health needs in a pandemic situation and the current capacity of health care and medical countermeasure systems. Existing pandemic ethics discussions have advocated to engage the public in scarcity dilemmas and attend the local contexts and cultural perspectives that shape responses to a global health threat. This public engagement study thus considers the role of community and culture in the ethical apportionment of scarce health resources, specifically ventilators, during an influenza pandemic. It builds upon a previous exploration of the values and preferences of Maryland residents regarding how a finite supply of mechanical ventilators ought to be allocated during a severe global outbreak of influenza. An important finding of this earlier research was that local history and place within the state engendered different ways of thinking about scarcity. Objective: Given the intrastate variation in the themes expressed by Maryland participants, the project team sought to examine interstate differences by implementing the same protocol elsewhere to answer the following questions. Does variation in ethical frames of reference exist within different regions of the United States? What practical implications does evidence of sameness and difference possess for pandemic planners and policymakers at local and national levels? Methods: Research using the same deliberative democracy process from the Maryland study was conducted in Central Texas in March 2018 among 30 diverse participants, half of whom identified as Hispanic or Latino. Deliberative democracy provides a moderated process through which community members can learn facts about a public policy matter from experts and explore their own and others’ views. Results: Participants proposed that by evenly distributing supplies of ventilators and applying clear eligibility criteria consistently, health authorities could enable fair allocation of scarce lifesaving equipment. The strong identification, attachment, and obligation of persons toward their nuclear and extended families emerged as a distinctive regional and ethnic core value that has practical implications for the substance, administration, and communication of allocation frameworks. Conclusions: Maryland and Central Texas residents expressed a common, overriding concern about the fairness of allocation decisions. Central Texas deliberants, however, more readily expounded upon family as a central consideration. In Central Texas, family is a principal, culturally inflected lens through which life and death matters are often viewed. Conveners of other pandemic-related public engagement exercises in the United States have advocated the benefits of transparency and inclusivity in developing an ethical allocation framework; this study demonstrates cultural competence as a further advantage.
One-Dimensional, First-Order Systems

This chapter analyzes the evolution of a state variable in one-dimensional, first-order, discrete dynamical systems. It introduces a method of solution for these systems, and it characterizes the trajectory of the state variable, in relation to its steady-state equilibrium, examining the local and global (asymptotic) stability of this steady-state equilibrium.
Quadruple Hydrogen Bonding Supramolecular Elastomers for Melt Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

This manuscript describes the versatility of highly directional, noncovalent interactions, i.e., quadruple hydrogen bonding (QHB), to afford novel polyurea segmented supramolecular polymers for melt extrusion three-dimensional (3D) printing processes. The molecular design of the polyurea elastomers features (1) flexible polyether segments and relatively weak urea hydrogen-bonding sites in the soft segments to provide elasticity and toughness, and (2) strong ureido-cytosine (UCyt) QHB in the hard segments to impart enhanced mechanical integrity. The resulting polyureas were readily compression-molded into mechanically-robust, transparent, and creasable films. Optimization of polyurea composition offered a rare combination of high tensile strength (95 MPa), tensile elongation (788% strain), and toughness (94 MJ/m3), which are superior to a commercially available Ninjaflex elastomer. The incorporation of QHB facilitated melt processability, where hydrogen bonding dissociation provided low viscosities at printing temperatures. During cooling, directional self-assembly of UCyt QHB facilitated the solidification process and contributed to part fidelity with the formation of a robust physical network. The printed objects displayed high layer fidelity, smooth surfaces, minimal warpage, and complex geometries. The presence of highly directional QHB effectively diminished mechanical anisotropy, and the printed samples exhibited comparable Young's moduli along (x-y direction, 0°) and perpendicular to (z-direction, 90°) the layer direction. Remarkably, the printed samples exhibited ultimate tensile strains approaching 500% in the z-direction prior to failure, which was indicative of improved interlayer adhesion. Thus, this design paradigm, which is demonstrated for novel polyurea copolymers, suggests the potential of supramolecular polymers with enhanced mechanical performance, melt processability, recyclability, and improved interlayer adhesion for melt extrusion additive manufacturing processes.
Integrating a Pharmacy Student into a Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling Course: A Pilot.

The Problem: Interprofessional educational experiences are a requirement in pharmacy and counseling curricula. However, scheduling conflicts between professional programs and lack of administrative support create barriers for students who want to take a course in another healthcare program. Innovation: This pilot enabled a pharmacy student to participate in a counseling course for 8 weeks. The course “Integrated Healthcare” is a 3-credit required core-course in the Master of Arts in marriage and family therapy (MFT) program. It explores the connection between emotional, psychological and physical health, covering information on behavior change, psychopharmacology, and common ways in which mood and anxiety manifest in the body. Class activities were matched to pharmacy interprofessional standards, in addition to Interprofessional Collaborative Practice competencies (IPEC). Critical Analysis: All IPEC core competencies were achieved during this course. One pharmacy student and 18 counseling students helped one another understand the importance of their different roles in patient care. The course also established relationships between pharmacy and counseling faculty, paving the way for more interprofessional class experiences. Conclusion: This pilot integrating pharmacy and counseling students in a course demonstrates that administrative barriers can be overcome and collaborative learning benefit is achieved for everyone involved. Article Type: Note
Paracervical blocks facilitate timely brachytherapy amidst COVID-19.

Abstract Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic presents serious challenges for brachytherapists, and in the time-sensitive case of locally advanced cervical cancer, the need for curative brachytherapy (BT) is critical for survival. Given the high-volume of locally advanced cervical cancer in our safety-net hospital, we developed a strategy in close collaboration with our gynecology oncology and anesthesia colleagues to allow for completely clinic-based intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT). Methods and Materials This technical report will highlight our experience with the use of paracervical blocks (PCBs) and oral multimodal analgesia (MMA) for appropriately selected cervical ICBT cases, allowing for completely clinic-based treatment. Results 18 of 19 (95%) screened patients were eligible for in-clinic ICBT. The excluded patient had significant vaginal fibrosis. 38 of 39 intracavitary implants were successfully transitioned for entirely in-clinic treatment utilizing PCBs and oral MMA (97% success rate). One case was aborted due to inadequate analgesia secondary to a significantly delayed case start time (PO medication effect diminished). 95% of patients reported no pain at the conclusion of the procedure. The median (IQR) D2cc for rectum and bladder were 64.8 (58.6–70.2) Gy and 84.1 (70.9–89.4) Gy, respectively. Median (IQR) CTV high-risk D90 was 88.0 (85.6–89.8) Gy. Conclusions In a multidisciplinary effort, we have successfully transitioned many ICBT cases to the clinic with the use of PCB local anesthesia and oral multimodality therapy in direct response to the current pandemic, thereby mitigating exposure risk to patients and staff as well as reducing overall health care burden.
Testing Relativistic Effect of Propagation of Gravity by Very-Long Baseline Interferometry

It is shown that the finite speed of gravity affects very-long baseline interferometric observations of quasars during the time of their line-of-sight close angular encounter with Jupiter. The next such event will take place in 2002, September 8. The present Letter suggests a new experimental test of general relativity in which the effect of propagation of gravity can be directly measured by very-long baseline interferometry as an excess time delay in addition to the logarithmic Shapiro time delay (Shapiro, I. I., 1964, Phys. Rev. Lett., 13, 789).
The Tōji Lecture Hall Statue Mandala and the Choreography of Mikkyō

The Lecture Hall of Tōji, a monastery in modern Kyoto, houses a group of twenty-one statues unequaled in age and type among surviving esoteric icons in East Asia. Once under the direction of the Japanese esoteric, or mikkyō , master Kūkai, Tōji was the first urban center for his Shingon teachings. The present-day Lecture Hall dates to the late sixteenth century but it closely follows the original plan, with the raised altar located over the original altar. Today there is no consensus about the use or meaning of the Tōji Lecture Hall sculptural program. Scholarship on the altar typically presents it as an iconographic program with sources in the textual works brought from China by Kūkai, with an emphasis on the stateprotecting function of those texts. This chapter helps to understand the relationship of the Tōji statues to mikkyō ritual or the foundations for Kūkai's teachings in early Heian-period Japan. Keywords: altar; Japanese esoteric; Kyoto; mikkyō ; Tōji lecture hall statue
Comparison of tracheal resection outcomes at a university hospital vs county hospital setting

Objectives To evaluate the role of hospital setting on outcomes in open airway surgery by comparing patients who underwent surgery (cricotracheal resection [CTR] or tracheal resection [TR]) at a publicly funded county hospital vs a private university hospital. Methods Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing CTR or TR at two institutions; a private university hospital and a publicly funded county hospital from September 2014 to September 2019. Length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, total time to discharge, minor and major complications were the primary endpoints. Significance was defined as a P-value less than .05. Results There were a total of 43 patients (17 county, 26 university) who had CTR or TR during the study period. Length of stay outcomes was reported as mean length of stay ± SD. There was a significant difference in ICU stay at the county hospital (7.17 (±5.36 days) compared to the university hospital (2.52 ± 1.85 days, P < .003) and a nearly significant total length of stay difference at the county hospital (12.4 ± 9.06 days) compared to the university hospital (7.84 ± 4 days, P < .072) There was overall a low incidence of complications but slightly more in the county compared to the university population. Conclusion Patients who underwent open airway surgery at the county hospital were more likely to have a longer ICU stay and slight increase in complications despite having a lower ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) classification and younger age. These outcomes are multifactorial and may be related to poorer access to primary care preoperatively leading to delay in diagnosis and treatment, poorly controlled or undiagnosed medical comorbidities, and differences in hospital resources. Level of Evidence IV.
Evaluation of the Onclarity HPV assay on the high-throughput COR system

Background: Here we compare the performance of the high-throughput BD COR System (COR) to the Viper LT System (Viper) using the BD Onclarity HPV assay.Research Design and Methods: Remnant clinical specimens, contrived specimens in SurePath (BD) and PreservCyt (Hologic) media, and prospective clinical specimens in BD Cervical Brush Diluent (CBD) were tested. Outcomes included intra-laboratory agreement of Onclarity results on COR and inter-system agreement between COR and Viper.Results: Onclarity reproducibility on COR resulted in standard deviation and correlation of variation of Ct values ranging from 0.14 to 1.98 and 0.49% to 2.15%, respectively, for contrived specimens, and 0.9-3.08 and 2.89-9.21%, respectively, for clinical specimens. In the COR and Viper clinical agreement study, OPA for Onclarity ranged from 97.1%-98.9%, depending on the collection media type. PPA values for pooled, HPV(+) specimens at low positive (C95), and moderate positive (3XC95) target concentrations were ≥95.0% and 100%, respectively; PPA values associated with HPV 16, 18, 31, 45, 33/58, 52, 35/39/68, 51, and 56/59/66, individually, ranged from 93.8%-100%.Conclusions: Onclarity performance on COR is equivalent to Viper, and is accurate and reproducible for detection of all high-risk HPV genotypes, with a throughput of 330 results from a single 8-hour shift.
Efficacy of remote physiological monitoring-guided care for chronic heart failure: an updated meta-analysis

Previous studies have reported contradictory findings on the utility of remote physiological monitoring (RPM)-guided management of patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Multiple databases were searched for studies that evaluated the clinical efficacy of RPM-guided management versus standard of care (SOC) for HF patients. The primary outcome was HF-related hospitalization (HFH). The secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular-related (CV) mortality, and emergency department (ED) visits. Pooled relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and combined using a random-effects model. A total of 16 randomized controlled trials, including 8679 HF patients (4574 managed with RPM-guided therapy vs. 4105 managed with SOC), were included in the final analysis. The average follow-up period was 15.2 months. There was no significant difference in HFH rate between the two groups (RR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.84–1.07; P = 0.36). Similarly, there were no significant differences in CV mortality (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.73–1.02, P = 0.08) or in ED visits (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.59–1.08, P = 0.14). However, RPM-guided therapy was associated with a borderline statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality (RR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.78–1.00; P = 0.05). Subgroup analysis based on the strategy of RPM showed that both hemodynamic and arrhythmia telemonitoring–guided management can reduce the risk of HFH (RR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64–0.97; P = 0.02) and (RR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.67–0.94; P = 0.008) respectively. Our study demonstrated that RPM-guided diuretic therapy of HF patients did not reduce the risk of HFH but can improve survival. Hemodynamic and arrhythmia telemonitoring–guided management could reduce the risk of HF-related hospitalizations.
A 3D structural SARS-CoV-2-human interactome to explore genetic and drug perturbations

Emergence of new viral agents is driven by evolution of interactions between viral proteins and host targets. For instance, increased infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 compared to SARS-CoV-1 arose in part through rapid evolution along the interface between the spike protein and its human receptor ACE2, leading to increased binding affinity. To facilitate broader exploration of how pathogen-host interactions might impact transmission and virulence in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we performed state-of-the-art interface prediction followed by molecular docking to construct a three-dimensional structural interactome between SARS-CoV-2 and human. We additionally carried out downstream meta-analyses to investigate enrichment of sequence divergence between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 or human population variants along viral-human protein-interaction interfaces, predict changes in binding affinity by these mutations/variants and further prioritize drug repurposing candidates predicted to competitively bind human targets. We believe this resource ( http://3D-SARS2.yulab.org ) will aid in development and testing of informed hypotheses for SARS-CoV-2 etiology and treatments.
Ultimate Strength of Biaxially Loaded Steel H-Columns

Computations to obtain the ultimate strength of a biaxially loaded column are fairly involved and, at present, only numerical methods are available to obtain the best possible solutions for most cases. For practical purposes, however, these numerical approaches are often laborious. This paper presents an approximate method based on an idealized biaxial interaction equation of the cross section which leads to algebraic relations between axial force and biaxial bending moments in the ultimate state of the column, from which numerical design charts may be prepared. Numerical examples are shown for a symmetric as well as an unsymmetric loading case.
An Introduction to the Policy Process : Theories, Concepts and Models of Public Policy Making

A concise, accessible introduction to the public policy process that can be read on may levels. The author's direct writing style and extensive use of examples will appeal to students as well as practitioners. The book offers an extensive overview of the best current thinking on the policy process, with an emphasis on accessibility and synthesis rather than novelty or abstraction. An extensive glossary of terms, keyed to the chapters in which each term is most thoroughly discussed; an annotated bibliography; and an introduction to web-based research, with a guide to the most important and reliable public policy research sites, are among the book's many useful features.
Fingerprint-Based Detection and Diagnosis of Malicious Programs in Hardware

In today's Integrated Circuit industry, a foundry, an Intellectual Property provider, a design house, or a Computer Aided Design vendor may install a hardware Trojan on a chip which executes a malicious program such as one providing an information leaking back door. In this paper, we propose a fingerprint-based method to detect any malicious program in hardware. We propose a tamper-evident architecture (TEA) which samples runtime signals in a hardware system during the performance of a computation, and generates a cryptographic hash-based fingerprint that uniquely identifies a sequence of sampled signals. A hardware Trojan cannot tamper with any sampled signal without leaving tamper evidence such as a missing or incorrect fingerprint. We further verify fingerprints off-chip such that a hardware Trojan cannot tamper with the verification process. As a case study, we detect hardware-based code injection attacks in a SPARC V8 architecture LEON2 processor. Based on a lightweight block cipher called PRESENT, a TEA requires only a 4.5% area increase, while avoiding being detected by the TEA increases the area of a code injection hardware Trojan with a 1 KB ROM from 2.5% to 36.1% of a LEON2 processor. Such a low cost further enables more advanced tamper diagnosis techniques based on a concurrent generation of multiple fingerprints.
Gauging the Scholarly Value of Connecting Research to Teaching

The field of second language studies crosses many disciplines, each with its own history, focus, and community of researchers. Considering connections between research and language pedagogy, I will focus here on the fields of applied linguistics, second language studies or second language acquisition, and foreign language education. Grabe (2002) traces the origins of the broadest of these three disciplines, applied linguistics, to the first issue of Language Learning: A Journal of Applied Linguistics in 1948. Offering a definition that conceives the field as much larger than language learning, VanPatten (1999) says that "applied linguistics is in essence any use of linguistic theory . . . for any domain other than the development of linguistic theory" (p. 51). This definition fits the broad scope of the journal Applied Linguistics, which, according to its editorial policy, "publishes research into language with relevance to realworld problems" with its primary interest in making "connections between fields, theories, research methods, and scholarly discourses," and less interest "in the ad hoc solution of particular problems" (see "Aims" in the front matter of any issue). Given the local nature of many teaching problems, as Han points out, pedagogical applications might not receive high scholarly value for this journal, a reflection of their nonnecessity for the broad nature of the field.
Mind the Gap: Understanding the U.S. Perspective on Privacy in Safe Harbor/Data Transfer Negotiations

Transnational businesses are craving harmonization in the law and policy of data transfer across the Atlantic. The U.S.-EU safe harbor agreement fell on hard times in 2014, but its continuation seems a commercial essentiality and a political inevitability. The White House has been pushing a policy shift toward the EU position on consumer privacy since 2012. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Commerce, for matters within its purview, negotiated to resolution EC concerns over safe harbor. But law enforcement data use — not within the department’s purview — remained a sticking point. And with a new data protection regulation on the EU horizon, the spirit of cooperation in the north Atlantic is increasingly soured by reproach in U.S. media, political, and economic circles. Frustratingly, from a European perspective, the United States seems of two minds on the problem of privacy. And so it is. Businesses struggle to achieve seamless transatlantic commerce, a level playing field for market competition and growth. At the same time, the EU privacy framework cuts against the grain of certain deep-seated and structural biases in U.S. law and culture. Abraded by this tension, U.S. nerves are raw on the subjects of privacy, government regulation, and the very relationship of the United States with continental Europe. Business leaders, politicians, and lawyers can benefit by understanding how U.S. and European privacy perspectives diverge and by minding the gap.
A SURVEY OF ISOZYME POLYMORPHISM IN A DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER NATURAL POPULATION

ABSTRACT A survey of biochemical polymorphism among glucose- and non-glucose-metabolizing enzymes was carried out on the June 1973 collection from the South Amherst, Mass. Drosophila melanogaster natural population. Polymorphic levels are among the highest recorded for this species; polymorphism among glucose-metabolizing enzymes did not differ significantly from that among non-glucose-metabolizing enzymes. Two loci, G6Pd on the × and Est-6 on the 3rd chromosome, displayed significant excesses of heterozygotes. Adh on the 2nd and Idh , Odh and Ao on the 3rd chromosome showed significant heterozygote deficiencies. Idh is ten map units to the left of Est-6 , Odh twelve map units to the right and Ao is seven units beyond Odh . Temperatures in the two-week June period prior to collection were exceedingly variable. Daily high/low ranged between 76°/40° and 97°/65°F. These results support the findings of Frydenberg and Simonsen (1973) that in some populations glucose-metabolizing enzymes tend to be as polymorphic as non-glucose-metabolizing ones. They also add to the evidence obtained from other plant and animal populations that increased biochemical polymorphism is associated with more variable and/or colder climates. The increase may in part be due to increased polymorphism among glucose-metabolizing enzymes. Comparisons utilizing published data on other D. melanogaster populations and on D. robusta indicate a clinal increase in heterozygosity among glucose-metabolizing enzymes as one moves northward.
Identification of the ATP Binding Domain of Recombinant Human 40-kDa 2′,5′-Oligoadenylate Synthetase by Photoaffinity Labeling with 8-Azido-[α-32P]ATP

Three isoforms of the interferon-inducible 2′,5′-oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetase that require double-stranded RNA have been isolated and cloned. However, identification of the amino acid(s) of 2-5A synthetase directly interacting with ATP is crucial to the elucidation of the mechanism of the enzymatic conversion of ATP to 2′,5′-oligoadenylates by 2-5A synthetase. Recombinant human 40-kDa 2-5A synthetase has been expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in E. coli and purified to near homogeneity in milligram quantities. The azido photoprobe, 8-azido-[α-32P]ATP, has been used to identify the ATP binding domain of the recombinant human 40-kDa 2-5A synthetase. Specific covalent photoincorporation of 8-azido-[α-32P]ATP into the 2-5A synthetase, tryptic digestion of the covalently 32P-labeled enzyme, isolation of the photolabeled phosphopeptide by metal (Al3+) chelate chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography identified a 32P-pentapeptide, which has been assigned to the ATP binding domain of 2-5A synthetase. The radioactive pentapeptide has the sequence D196FLKQ200 in which the photoprobe, 8-azido-[α-32P]ATP, chemically modified the amino acid lysine 199. The catalytic importance of Lys199 was further established by mutation of lysine 199 to arginine 199 and histidine 199 using site-directed mutagenesis. The K199R and K199H recombinant human 40-kDa 2-5A synthetase mutants bind 8-azido-ATP and the allosteric activator, poly(I)·poly(C) but are enzymatically inactive. These photoaffinity labeling and mutation data strongly suggest that lysine 199 is essential for the formation of a productive 2-5A synthetase-ATP-double-stranded RNA complex for the enzymatic conversion of ATP to 2-5A.
Clinical efficacy of amiodarone in treatment of recurrent ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation

The clinical antiarrhythmic efficacy of amiodarone treatment was examined in 196 patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) resistant to other antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients had received a mean of 4.4 +/- 1.9 unsuccessful drug trials over a mean of 15.2 months prior to amiodarone treatment of recurrent VF in 57 patients; recurrent, sustained VT in 95 patients; and recurrent, nonsustained VT in 44 patients. Amiodarone dosage during the first 2 to 4 weeks of treatment was 800 to 1600 mg/day. During long-term follow-up, amiodarone dosage was reduced to 200 to 600 mg/day, based on the control of arrhythmia and patient tolerance. Electrophysiologic studies were performed prior to and after 2 or more weeks of amiodarone treatment. After a mean follow-up of 16.2 +/- 13.0 months, 126 (64%) of 196 patients continued successful treatment with amiodarone. At electrophysiologic study, amiodarone prevented VT induction in 13 patients, and although VT was induced in 101 patients, 80 patients continued treatment for 14.2 months without recurrence of spontaneous VT. Amiodarone treatment was discontinued because of recurrent VT in 22 patients, sudden cardiac death in 15 patients, adverse effects in 12 patients, and noncardiac death in 21 patients. In nine patients, recurrent VT/VF appeared related to amiodarone-induced exacerbation of arrhythmia. Pulmonary toxicity occurred in seven patients, and 19 patients developed blue skin discoloration. Other adverse effects were usually dosage related. In summary, amiodarone was a highly effective antiarrhythmic drug, but at the dosages employed, the risk of significant adverse effects warrants careful surveillance during treatment.
A Multilevel Nonlinear Profile Analysis Model for Dichotomous Data

This study linked nonlinear profile analysis (NPA) of dichotomous responses with an existing family of item response theory models and generalized latent variable models (GLVM). The NPA method offers several benefits over previous internal profile analysis methods: (a) NPA is estimated with maximum likelihood in a GLVM framework rather than relying on the choice of different dissimilarity measures that produce different results, (b) item and person parameters are computed during the same estimation step with an appropriate distribution for dichotomous variables, (c) the model estimates profile coordinate standard errors, and (d) additional individual-level variables can be included to model relationships with the profile parameters. An application examined experimental differences in topographic map comprehension among 288 subjects. The model produced a measure of overall test performance or comprehension in addition to pattern variables that measured the correspondence between subject response profiles a...
Subshifts of the three dot system

An example of a two-dimensional subshift is the set of arrays $\{x_{(i,j)}:(i,j)\in\mathbb{Z}^2\}$ of zeros and ones for which $x_{(i,j)}+x_{(i+1,j)}+x_{(i,j+1)}=0$ for each $i,j\in\mathbb{Z}$ , where addition is taken modulo 2. There are two shift operators, the horizontal shift and the vertical shift. This subshift is called the Ledrappier example or the three dot dynamical system . In this paper we give an internal description of all transitive subshifts for which one of the shift operators is sofic in the usual one-dimensional sense.
When Your Clients are in Jail

Nursing in jails has been present for a long time and yet is still an emerging practice field. Often nurses are isolated in their practice arena and may be confused by the culture of the setting. The author examines the culture of correctional health care in an attempt to assist jail nurses in developing a framework for practice. Elements of a correctional culture are examined and contrasted with a nursing culture.
Gill‐filament ossifications: a possible morphological synapomorphy uniting the families Balitoridae and Cobitidae (Ostariophysi: Cypriniformes)

Ossifications associated with the gill filaments of members of the Balitoridae and Cobitidae are described for the first time. Although gill-filament ossifications are common in teleosts, similar ossifications were not observed in other members of the order Cypriniformes. Their presence is interpreted as a shared and derived character uniting the families Balitoridae and Cobitidae as a monophyletic group.
Characterstics of motor innervation of muscle spindles in the monkey.

The motor nerve supplies of four whole muscle spindles and 16 half spindles (equator and one pole) from lumbrical muscles of the monkey were reconstructed by light microscopy of serial, 1-microm-thick transverse sections.The 24 poles of spindle were innervated by 37 fusimotor (gamma) axons and 18 skeletofusimotor (beta) axons. Sixty-seven percent of spindle poles received gamma axons only, 25% were supplied by both gamma and beta axons or beta axons only, and 8%were not innervated by motor axons. All beta axons except one and 35% of the gamma axons innervated one type of intrafusal fiber only. The other 65% of gamma axons coinnervated two or three different types of intrafusal fiber. Gamma axons innervated the (dynamic) bag1, intrafusal fiber together with the (static) bag2,and or chain fibers in 65% of the poles of spindle in which the bag1 fiber received motor supply. The bag2 fiber shared gamma-innervation with either the bag1 or chain fibers in nearly every spindle pole. The chain fibers were usually coinnervated with the bag2 fiber by gamma axons. Compared to spindIes in the cat tenuissimus muscle, the monkey spindle received fewer gamma axons and had a higher incidence of shared gamma-innervation between the dynamic and static intrafusal fibers. Unlike cat tenuissimus spindles, the monkey spindles lacked gamma axons selective to the bag2 fiber. However, the beta motor system within the monkey lumbrical muscle was organized in a manner similar to the cat tenuissimus muscle. The significance of these observations is discussed relative to the general motor organization and function of spindles in different muscles and species of mammals.
A Liquid Crystal “Heat Switch”∗

A novel method of controlling heat flow from a surface is discussed. The method employs a nematic liquid crystal. A convective motion of the liquid crystal can be induced by subjecting it to either an AC or DC electric field. If the liquid crystal is used to transfer heat between two surfaces, the heat transfer rate can be controlled by varying the electric field strength. It is shown that the heat transfer rate through a thin layer of the liquid crystal can be increased by 25 limes when an electric field is present. This paper briefly discusses the physical phenomena that induce the convective motion in the liquid crystal due to the electric field. Experiments to determine the effects of field strength and gap distance on the enhancement of the heat transfer rate are discussed. An abrupt change in the rate of increase of the heat transfer rate with increasing voltage was found and is believed to be caused by a change in the fluid flow structure. This “heat switch” may find applications in aerospace and e...
Hypoxia regulates the cAMP- and Ca2+/calmodulin signaling systems in PC12 cells.

Hypoxic/ischemic trauma is a primary factor in the pathology of various disease states. Yet, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in cellular responses and adaptations to hypoxia. As a means of identifying intracellular signaling systems that are regulated in response to hypoxia, the effects of acute and chronic hypoxia on the activity of protein kinase A (PKA) and Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK-II) were evaluated in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Chronic (>6 hr), but not acute exposure to hypoxia (5% O2) significantly decreased both PKA enzyme activity and immunoreactivity compared to control levels. This effect was not due to hypoxia-induced alterations in cell number or viability. Similarly, chronic hypoxia significantly decreased CaMK-II enzyme activity and protein levels in PC12 cells. These data demonstrate that down-regulation of the cAMP and Ca2+/CaM-signaling systems is a mechanism by which PC12 cells adapt to long-term hypoxia.
Implementation of sensitivity and resolution modeling for SPECT with cone-beam collimator

We implemented a fully-3D ordered-subsets expectation-maximization (OSEM) algorithm with attenuation compensation, distance-dependent blurring (DDB), and sensitivity modeling for SPECT performed with a cone-beam collimator (CBC). The experimentally obtained detector response to point sources across FOV was fitted to a two-dimensional Gaussian function with its width (FWHM) varying linearly with the source-to-detector distance and with very weak sensitivity dependence on the emission angle. We obtained CBC SPECT scans of a physical point-source phantom, a Defrise phantom, and a female patient, and we investigated performance of our algorithm. To correctly simulate DDB and sensitivity, a blurring kernel with a radius of up to 10 elements had to be used for a 128x128 acquisition matrix, and volumetric ray tracing rather than line-element-based ray tracing has to be implemented. In the point-source phantom reconstruction we evaluated the uniformity of FWHM for the radial, tangential and longitudinal directions, and sensitivity vs. distance. An isotropic and stationary resolution was obtained at any location by OSEM with DDB and sensitivity modeling, only when volumetric ray tracing was used. We analyzed axial and transaxial profiles obtained for the Defrise phantom and evaluated the reconstructed breast SPECT patient images. The proposed fully-3D OSEM reconstruction algorithm with DBB and sensitivity modeling, and attenuation compensation with volumetric rays tracing is efficient and effective with significant resolution and sensitivity recovery.
When homology equivalence implies homotopy equivalence for 2-complexes

Abstract Let K and L be two finite 2-dimensional CW-complexes with the same fundamental group. If the fundamental group is finite and abelian, it is well known that K and L are homotopy equivalent and simple homotopy equivalent if and only if they are homology equivalent via a map that induces an isomorphism on the fundamental group. We generalize this result to left-iterated semi-direct products of finite cyclic groups. We must add other hypotheses which were automatically satisfied in the abelian case. Example of groups that satisfy the hypotheses include dihedral groups of order 4 n .
A novel component from citrus, ginger, and mushroom family exhibits antitumor activity on human meningioma cells through suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Recurrent meningiomas constitute an uncommon but significant problem after standard (surgery and radiation) therapy failure. Current chemotherapies (hydroxyurea, RU-486, and interferon-α) are only of marginal benefit. There is an urgent need for more effective treatments for meningioma patients who have failed surgery and radiation therapy. Limonin, Tangeritin, Zerumbone, 6-Gingerol, Ganoderic Acid A, and Ganoderic Acid DM are some of the plant derivatives that have anti-tumorgenic properties and cause cell death in meningioma cells in vitro. Due to its ease of administration, long-term tolerability, and low incidence of long-term side effects, we explored its potential as a therapeutic agent against meningiomas by examining their efficacy in vitro against meningioma cells. Treatment effects were assessed using MTT assay, Western blot analysis, caspases assay, and DNA fragmentation assay. Results indicated that treatments of IOMM-Lee and CH157MN meningioma cells with Limonin, Tangeritin, Zerumbone, 6-Gingerol, Ganoderic Acid A, and Ganoderic Acid DM induced apoptosis with enhanced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSK3β) via inhibition of the Wnt5/β-catenin pathway. These drugs did not induce apoptosis in normal human neurons. Other events in apoptosis included downregulation of tetraspanin protein (TSPAN12), survival proteins (Bcl-XL and Mcl-1), and overexpression apoptotic factors (Bax and caspase-3). These results provide preliminary strong evidence that medicinal plants containing Limonin, Tangeritin, 6-Gingerol, Zerumbone, Ganoderic Acid A, and Ganoderic Acid DM can be applied to high-grade meningiomas as a therapeutic agent, and suggests that further in vivo studies are necessary to explore its potential as a therapeutic agent against malignant meningiomas.
Hexose absorption from jejunal loops in situ in zinc-deficient and Zn-supplemented rats

1. Immature, male Wistar rats were given a low-zinc semi-synthetic diet (2 mg Zn/kg) for 22–28 d. Control groups received a similar diet supplemented with 58 mg Zn/kg either ad lib ., or in amounts matched to the consumption of the Zn-deficient group. There was a rapid onset of reduced food consumption and growth retardation in the Zn-depleted animals. 2. Serosal surface area of small intestines taken from Zn-deficient rats was significantly reduced compared with that of control animals. Villi, dissected from samples of proximal jejunum, were markedly smaller than those of control rats and were present in greater numbers per unit area of serosa. 3. Luminal loss of galactose from jejunal loops in situ was significantly greater in the Zn-deficient rats compared with controls when expressed in terms of unit dry weight of intestine and serosal or villous surface area. Since only a small proportion of the total galactose remained in the mucosal tissue and associated extracellular space, this loss could only be accounted for by an increased efficiency of net transepithelial transport. Differences in total galactose absorption per unit length of jejunum were not so marked. 4. This intestinal adaptation to Zn-deficiency allows the maintenance of normal, and possibly increased, rates of hexose transfer into the body of animals exhibiting severe growth retardation, reduced food utilization and abnormal glucose metabolism.
Modification of reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana under spaceflight conditions

Reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. cv. Columbia plants was investigated under spaceflight conditions on shuttle mission STS-51. Plants launched just prior to initiation of the reproductive phase developed flowers and siliques during the 10-d flight. Approximately 500 flowers were produced in total by the 12 plants in both the ground control and spaceflight material, and there was no significant difference in the number of flowers in each size class. The flower buds and siliques of the spaceflight plants were not morphologically different from the ground controls. Pollen viability tests immediately post-flight using fluorescein diacetate indicated that about 35% of the pollen was viable in the spaceflight material. Light-microscopy observations on this material showed that the female gametophytes also had developed normally to maturity. However, siliques from the spaceflight plants contained empty, shrunken ovules, and no evidence of pollen transfer to stigmatic papillae was found by light microscopy immediately post-flight or by scanning electron microscopy on fixed material. Short stamen length and indehiscent anthers were observed in the spaceflight material, and a film-like substance inside the anther that connected to the tapetum appeared to restrict the release of pollen from the anthers. These observations indicate that given appropriate growing conditions, early reproductive development in A. thaliana can occur normally under spaceflight conditions. On STS-51, reproductive development aborted due to obstacles in pollination or fertilization.
Calcium cycling and contractile activation in intact mouse cardiac muscle

1. Excitation-contraction coupling in mouse cardiac muscle remains poorly characterized, despite the fact that the mouse is the mammalian species of choice for genetic manipulation. In this study, we characterized the relationship between internal calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and contraction in intact mouse ventricular muscle loaded with fura-2 salt at 20-22 degrees C. 2. Both Ca2+ transient amplitude and twitch force increased monotonically as external Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o) was increased up to 8.0 mM, with no changes in diastolic levels or in the times to peak of either Ca2+ transients or force. The decay of Ca2+ transients was accelerated as [Ca2+]o increased, while relaxation was prolonged. Both Ca2+ transient amplitude and twitch force increased as stimulation rate increased from 0.2 to 4 Hz, but the increase in force was much greater than the underlying increase in [Ca2+]i. 3. The steady-state force-[Ca2+]i relationship revealed an [Ca2+]i required for 50 % of maximal activation (Ca50) of 0.95 +/- 0.08 microM, a Hill coefficient of 9.9 +/- 2.6, and a maximal Ca2+-activated force (Fmax) of 60 +/- 5 mN mm-2. 4. Unlike rat ventricular myocardium, mouse cardiac muscle resists supraphysiological [Ca2+]o. The strong positive force-frequency relationship in mouse cardiac muscle, with increases of force disproportionate to the increases in Ca2+ transients, suggests frequency-dependent 'sensitization' of the myofilaments. During steady-state activation, mouse muscle exhibits decreased Ca2+ responsiveness relative to other species, but high co-operativity. 5. These physiological features of mouse cardiac muscle merit consideration when interpreting the phenotypic consequences of genetic manipulations