cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utility of D-dimer as a Prognostic Factor in SARS CoV2 Infection: A Review

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is currently a public health emergency and has been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. It has commonly been associated with pulmonary manifestations and there is a growing body of evidence of multisystem involvement of the virus. As evidenced by various case reports and cohort studies, COVID-19-associated coagulopathy has been a common manifestation amongst the critically ill and has been associated with increased mortality. The presence of venous thromboembolic events in patients who are critically ill due to COVID-19 has prompted the adoption of anticoagulation regimens aimed at preventing thromboembolic phenomena. Coagulation abnormalities have also been implicated in the progression and the severity of COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). There is strong evidence that D-dimer levels help predict which patients are at risk of thromboembolic events, progression to ARDS, DIC, immune dysregulation and mortality. We will review the utility of D-dimer as screening tool and in the risk stratification of COVID-19 patients prone to developing thromboembolic events, DIC, immune dysregulation and death. To date, the studies that have been published show the presence of elevated D-dimer levels in both the adult and pediatric populations and the measured level correlates with disease severity. Studies have also shown the relative increase of D-dimer levels in non-survivors compared to survivors. The elevation of D-dimer levels has shown to guide clinical decision making, namely the initiation of therapeutic anticoagulation and mortality benefit in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia compared to severe non COVID-19 pneumonia. Although the current body of literature suggested the use of D-dimer as a risk stratification tool and as a test to augment clinical judgement regarding the initiation of anticoagulation, randomized control trials are needed to fully understand the relationship between COVID-19 infection and the efficacy of D-dimer assays in clinical decision making.
Confocal Imaging of Both Mitochondrial and Cytosolic Free Ca2+ in Cardiac Myocytes Co-Loaded with Rhod 2 and Fluo 3: Inhibition by Ruthenium Red of Mitochondrial but not Cytosolic Ca2+ Transients

Previously, we showed rapid mitochondrial Ca2+ transients in adult rabbit cardiac myocytes during the contractile cycle. Ruthenium red, an inhibitor of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake by the Ca2+ uniporter, inhibits mitochondrial Ca2+ transients in adult rabbit cardiac myocytes during electrical stimulation. Here, we extend this finding to show that ruthenium red inhibition is specific for mitochondrial Ca2+ transients and not cytosolic Ca2+ transients.Ca 2+-tolerant adult rabbit cardiac myocytes were isolated by collagenase and hyaluronidase digestion and loaded in the cold with 2.5 μM Rhod 2-AM for 30 minutes. Subsequently, the cells were incubated in nutrient medium at 37°C for 4-6 hours during which time cytosolic but not mitochondrial Rhod 2 was lost. Subsequently, the myocytes were loaded with 10 μM Fluo 3-AM for 15 minutes at 37°C, conditions that lead to predominantly cytosolic localization of Fluo 3. In sequential scans, the red fluorescence of Rhod 2 and the green fluorescence of Fluo 3 were imaged using a Zeiss LSM 410 laser scanning confocal microscope.
BluBLE, space-time social distancing to monitor the spread of COVID-19: poster abstract

Social distancing has been the key factor which has helped control the COVID-19 pandemic spread. We present BluBLE, which utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based mobile sensing to help monitor these social distancing protocols. Specifically, we formulate the problem in two parts - spatial and temporal social distancing. The spatial distancing formulation aims to enforce the 6 feet distance recommended by various public health organization around the world. The temporal distancing formulation aims to inform and prevent users from entering high-occupancy regions (hotspots) in buildings. BluBLE achieved more than 80 % classification accuracy in both the tasks, that is, predicting if a user is within '6' feet of another user as well as characterizing the user's location within a particular hotspot.
Institution-Broker Relationship and Mutual Fund Proxy Voting

We show that mutual funds are more likely to hold and significantly overweight stocks of their broker banks. Correspondingly, funds’ proxy voting is biased towards management of their brokers in contentious proposals. Such voting bias has a material impact on voting outcomes. In return, client mutual funds with greater portfolio overweighting and voting support receive larger allocations of underpriced IPOs from connected broker banks. Our study not only uncovers a new mechanism—being brokers’ friendly shareholders—through which the two parties maintain their quid pro quo relationships, it also raises a broader concern on shareholder monitoring of important financial institutions.
Internet Appendix to Large Dimensional Latent Factor Modeling with Missing Observations and Applications to Causal Inference

The Internet Appendix collects the proofs and additional results that support the main text. We show in simulations that our estimators perform well relative to alternative estimators and can be improved even further with an iterative approach. We also confirm that the distribution results, statistical power and robustness to misspecification hold under a variety of simulation setups. Lastly, we collect the detailed proofs for all the theoretical statements.
Suicide, Race, and Social Work: A Systematic Review of Protective Factors among African Americans

Purpose: Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. This systematic review examines social work's contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live.Method: Using a critical race theory, we examine protective factors specific to African Americans that may mitigate suicide risks. Results reveal that the social work profession has produced 20 suicide-related studies between 1980 and 2018.Results: Identify three types of protective factors against suicide among African Americans. These are: micro-level factors (private regard / strong African American identity and impulsive response to discrimination), mezzo-level factors (family support and the role of women), and macro-level factors (social support, poverty and lack of awareness, religion, access to care, and internal response to community violence).Conclusion: Finding demonstrate evidence of the relationship between protective factors and suicide among African Americans. Implications for the use of Critical Race Theory in Social Work research and practice are provided along with implications to advance suicide training in social work education programs.
Effects of Short-Term Exposure to Diesel Exhaust on the Ecophysiology, Growth, and Fecundity of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)

Plants growing along roadways are often exposed to vehicle exhaust containing both particulate matter (PM) and various gases that could affect gas exchange and thus plant reproduction. To investigate effects of diesel exhaust exposure on plant ecophysiology, growth, and fecundity, individuals of soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.) were exposed to either exhaust from a diesel generator or ambient air. Exposure occurred daily over a 5-day period (beginning 18 June 2013) using open-top chambers in an agricultural field in southwestern Ohio, United States. Plants were evaluated at 3 times (before, directly after exposure, and following a 5.5-week post-treatment recovery period) for photosynthetic rate ( A ), stomatal conductance ( g ), water use efficiency ( WUE ), stomatal clogging due to PM deposition, and number of nodes. Aboveground biomass, fruit number, mean seed number, and seed mass were measured for soybean after the recovery period. In soybean, A minimally decreased with exposure to diesel exhaust (compared to the control), but an increase in g and a decrease in WUE were detected after the exhaust treatment. Chicory exhibited a relatively low increase in A after the treatment, but there were no clear differences in g or WUE . Growth and fecundity were similar among all soybean plants directly after treatment, but after 5.5 weeks plants exposed to diesel exhaust had increased vegetative biomass while exhibiting no difference in fecundity. These plant species reacted differently to short-term diesel exhaust exposure, suggesting that the impact of diesel exhaust will depend on both the plant species and its physiology.
Multimode two-dimensional vibronic spectroscopy. I. Orientational response and polarization-selectivity.

Two-dimensional Electronic–Vibrational (2D EV) spectroscopy and two-dimensional Vibrational–Electronic (2D VE) spectroscopy are among the newest additions to the coherent multidimensional spectroscopy toolbox, and they are directly sensitive to vibronic couplings. In this first of two papers, the complete orientational response functions are developed for a model system consisting of two coupled anharmonic oscillators and two electronic states in order to simulate polarization-selective 2D EV and 2D VE spectra with arbitrary combinations of linearly polarized electric fields. Here, we propose analytical methods to isolate desired signals within complicated spectra and to extract the relative orientation between vibrational and vibronic dipole moments of the model system using combinations of polarization-selective 2D EV and 2D VE spectral features. Time-dependent peak amplitudes of coherence peaks are also discussed as means for isolating desired signals within the time-domain. This paper serves as a field guide for using polarization-selective 2D EV and 2D VE spectroscopies to map coupled vibronic coordinates on the molecular frame.
COVID-19 Pediatric Dermatology

Children are a unique subset of patients in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, often presenting asymptomatically, mildly, or atypically. Manifestations of the skin may be a primary (or the only) presenting sign. Recognizing cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 in the pediatric population is important to guiding precautions, testing, and management for patients and close contacts. Whereas some dermatologic signs in children overlap with those in adults, other skin findings are reported with higher frequency in children and may be clues to multisystemic sequelae. This article describes presentation, pathophysiologic theories, and management strategies for cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 in children.
Randomized controlled trial of technology-assisted case management in low-income adults with type 2 diabetes: Effect on quality of life and blood pressure.

IntroductionA novel randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of a technology-assisted case management program in a low income, rural population previously where nurses titrated medication ov...
Evaluating a smartphone application to increase the quantity and improve the quality of supervised practice driving.

Background The learner stage of graduated driver licensing (GDL), when teenagers are supervised by an adult driver, represents an opportunity to develop skills that could confer a safety benefit during their years of independent driving. This paper describes the design of a teenage driving study, which aims to evaluate the impact of a smartphone application, the ‘DrivingApp,’ to increase the quantity and improve the quality of supervised practice driving. Methods This longitudinal intervention study of teenage drivers and a parent/guardian spans the final 6 months of the learner licence and the first year of independent driving. Participants will be assigned to experimental or control groups using block allocation. Parent–teenage dyads assigned to the intervention arm will receive information about their practice driving via a smartphone application, including miles driven and total drive time. Baseline and monthly surveys will be administered to both experimental and control participants to measure the outcome measures during the learner stage: (1) practice driving amount, (2) consistency and (3) variety. Outcomes during independent driving are (1) self-reported number of attempts at the driving test and (2) number of crashes during the first year of independent driving. Discussion Improving the quality of teenagers’ supervised practice driving is an unmet research need. This study will contribute to the evidence about what can be done during the learner period of GDL to maximise teenage drivers’ safety during the first years of independent driving, when crash risk is highest.
Primaquine Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN), Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC), and Nanoemulsion (NE): Effect of Lipid Matrix and Surfactant on Drug Entrapment, in vitro Release, and ex vivo Hemolysis.

Primaquine (PQ), an 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial drug, has been widely used for the eradication of hypnozoites from the liver and, therefore, recognized as the radical cure of malaria. However, the clinical applications of PQ are restricted to patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency due to severe dose-related hemolytic side effects. Nanoparticle carriers have shown great potential in achieving higher PQ concentrations in the target site, thereby reducing dose-related systemic toxicity caused by non-specific exposure. This work aims to develop, compare, and evaluate three PQ-loaded lipid-based drug carriers including solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), and nano-emulsions (NE). The optimized PQ-SLN, PQ-NLC, and PQ-NE had a particle size of 250 nm, a PDI range of 0.1 to 0.3, a zeta potential of − 30 mV, and entrapment efficiency of ~ 90%. All lipid formulations showed sustained release in both simulated gastric and intestinal fluids over 6 h. Four empirical models — including zero-order, Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Hixson-Crowell models — were tested to understand the drug release mechanisms of PQ-SLN, PQ-NLC, and PQ-NE. The model fitness was found to be the highest in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model for all the PQ-loaded lipid formulations (R2: 0.88–0.94). No significant changes were observed in the entrapment efficiency, particle size, and PDI of lipid formulations throughout 1 month of storage at 4 °C and 25 °C. PQ-SLN and PQ-NLC can be further lyophilized with cryoprotectants to improve long-term stability. Finally, the treatment of erythrocytes with PQ-SLN, PQ-NLC, and PQ-NE reduced erythrocyte hemolysis by approximately 4.5-fold compared to the free drug solution.
Differential survival of systemic B-cell lymphomas initially diagnosed in the skin: a population-based study of 883 patients

Although the majority of lymphomas are diagnosed in lymph nodes, bone marrow, or other viscera, initial diagnosis of systemic lymphomas in the skin is a rare but important occurrence in dermatology. This study seeks to quantify the incidence of initial skin presentation in patients with systemic B-cell lymphomas (BCL) via examination of data in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-18 database; cases of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma were excluded. We found that an initial diagnosis of lymphoma in the skin is a very rare occurrence for systemic B-cell lymphomas, comprising < 0.3% of cases overall. Follicular lymphoma was the most likely to be diagnosed in the skin (1.47%), followed by marginal zone lymphoma (MZL, 0.5%), mantle cell lymphoma (0.4%), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, 0.23%), Burkitt lymphoma (0.23%), Hodgkin lymphoma (0.04%), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (0.006%). While indolent systemic lymphomas (MZL and FL) presenting initially in the skin have a better prognosis than those presenting at other sites, the more aggressive systemic DLBCL presenting in the skin does not demonstrate improved prognosis.
Transformations and Categories in Syntax

Many linguists are interested in the question, What is the relation between the grammatical form and the logical form of natural language sentences? Let us suppose that the grammatical form of sentences is given by a transformational grammar G, which generates each sentence with an associated structural description, consisting of the sequence of constituent structure trees in a transformational derivation of that sentence. The set of all such pairs of sentences and their structural descriptions can be thought of as the set of grammatical forms. Let us also suppose that the logical form of sentences is represented in an appropriate logic, or disambiguated interpreted language L, and think of the set of well-formed formulas of L as the set of logical forms. Suppose finally that we have a ‘translation’ mapping Ф from the set of grammatical forms to the set of logical forms. Then our question is, What are the properties of Ф? The basic issue that has divided transformational grammarians for nearly ten years is whether Ф is trivial. Linguists of the Generative Semantics school have held that it is, and those of the Interpretive Semantics school have held that it is not. Ф can be thought of as a system of rules of semantic interpretation.1
Investigation of charge-transfer absorptions in the uranyl UO22+(VI) ion and related chemical reduction of UO22+(VI) to UO2+(V) by UV–Vis and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies

Abstract The uranyl UO22+(VI) cation (hydrated) exhibited strong charge-transfer absorptions at 350–400 nm in aqueous solutions containing bromide and iodide. The charge-transfer absorptions originate from a single-electron transfer from a halide anion to the uranium(VI) valence shell. Their intensities (represented by absorbance at 375 nm) were found to be directly proportional to molar concentrations of the halide (bromide or iodide) and UO22+ in solution, respectively, showing the nature of a bimolecular interaction in the charge-transfer absorption transition. The absorptions were also greatly enhanced by sulfuric acid, and their intensity (absorbance at 375 nm) increased linearly as a function of the acid molarity. An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study has indicated that the charge-transfer also took place slowly in the dark, resulting in appreciable thermal chemical reduction of diamagnetic UO22+(VI) (hydrated) to paramagnetic UO2+(V) (hydrated) (g = 2.08) by bromide and iodide. In the presence of sulfuric acid, CH3SOCH3 (DMSO) was shown by EPR to undergo a charge-transfer oxidation by UO22+(VI) to a stable CH3SOCH2 (DMSO ) radical (singlet, g = 2.01), and UO22+(VI) was reduced to UO2+(V). A possible mechanism for this oxidation–reduction has been proposed. The charge-transfer absorption transition (350–400 nm) between UO22+(VI) and phenol (PhOH) in acetone was observed and characterized. A chemical oxidation–reduction of UO22+(VI) [in the form of UVIO2(acetone)52+] and PhOH in acetone was found by EPR to give UO2+(V) [in the form of UVO2(acetone)5+] and a stable phenoxyl (PhO ) radical (singlet, g = 2.00) via a simultaneous charge-transfer and deprotonation pathway.
A Cellular Striptease Act

Proteins on the cell surface can be cleaved by proteolytic enzymes. In the Perspective, Werb and Yan outline the many purposes of these cleavage events-to provide ligand for binding to receptors (as shown in the report by Peschon et al. on p. 1281), to eliminate ligand on receptors and to increase or decrease cell-cell interactions. Such proteolysis can be regulated and is turning out to be widely used by the cell.
Novel ligands against prostate cancer for targeted drug delivery

B14 The development of drug delivery vehicles using robust targeting moieties has the potential to provide powerful new therapeutics for cancer. Most current targeted systems rely on a single antigen which makes them effective on limited patient populations and ineffective when certain cell changes occur. We isolated pools of nuclease-resistant oligonucleotides that bind and get taken up by cancer cells while not interacting with normal cells. These pools feature hundreds of modified RNA sequences that provide a robust targeting platform for multiple targets on the cancer cells. We used these molecules to deliver Doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug, and demonstrated an efficient transport of drug into PC3 and LNCaP prostate-cancer cells that led to a specific and significant cell death of the target cells. Additionally, we conjugated these oligonucleotides to 80nm polymeric nanoparticles and demonstrated similar specific uptake only by the targeted cells. Currently our efforts are focused on the identification of the proteins responsible for the internalization of aptamers, which will possibly be the novel marker for human prostate cancer. We also launched the project, in which our nanotechnology will be thoroughly applied on anti-PSMA antibody as an alternative targeting ligand for human prostate cancer. The developed technology for the described delivery vehicle can potentially be designed to target other types of cancer and may deliver various molecules into cells, such as drugs and siRNA.
Option pricing in a lognormal securities market with discrete trading

Abstract In a recent paper Lee et al. derive a pricing formula which is significantly different from that of Black and Scholes. Their derivation is inconsistent due to their failure to recognize that the rate of return of an option written on an asset whose rate of return is lognormally distributed will not be lognormally distributed.
Review article: evolving concepts in treatment and disease modification in ulcerative colitis

Background More than two-thirds of ulcerative colitis patients experience at least one relapse over a period of 10 years. Treatments that reduce the likelihood of relapses also reduce the risk of long-term complications. Aim To review three topics: the current standard of treatment for ulcerative colitis, evolving concepts in treatment, and disease modification as a treatment goal of the future. Results Currently, 5-aminosalicylates are the standard treatment for the induction and maintenance of remission in mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis patients. Evidence suggests that patients who take oral 5-amino-salicylates regularly are nearly six times more likely to experience regression in disease severity than those who do not. Additional treatment options such as corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biological therapies and ciclosporin are available for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis patients, or those who do not respond to 5-aminosalicylate. Surgery becomes pertinent for more than one-third of ulcerative colitis patients during the course of their disease. With the availability of a variety of therapies, advances in surgery and improved management strategies, a better understanding of patient treatment expectations can help improve the quality of care for ulcerative colitis patients. Conclusions Disease modification is increasingly becoming a treatment goal in the management of ulcerative colitis. However, long-term studies are needed to examine further the disease modifying role of 5-aminosalicy-lates.
Revising documents with text editors, handwriting-recognition systems, and speech-recognition systems.

Twelve participants were given marked-up manuscripts to edit. Results showed that editing was done much faster (50% and 90%) with a simulated handwriting-recognition system and with a simulated spe...
Lithuania: History and Future of the Currency Board Arrangement

The paper examines the evolution of the institutional setup of Lithuania`s Currency Board Arrangement (CBA) and competitiveness from 1994 through 2001, with a view to determining the resilience of the Lithuanian CBA to external shocks in 2002-03. First, several indicators of competitiveness are analyzed in the context of productivity gains and flexibility of the labor market and prices are considered. Then, the equilibrium exchange rate and misalignments of the actual rate from it are estimated in a cointegration framework. The paper concludes that, under current policies, the CBA would be able to cope with sizable external shocks during 2002-03 provided supporting policies remain in place.
All‐or‐None Law

The major parts of a neuron or nerve cell include the dendrites, the cell body, and the axon, which is a single, relatively long process extending away from the cell body. The neuron typically receives information from neighboring neurons through chemical substances called neurotransmitters that are released near the dendrites and cell body. The neuron may relay this information to other neurons by the nerve impulse, which is a characteristic of the axon.
Experienced radio-guided surgery teams can successfully perform minimally invasive radio-guided parathyroidectomy without intraoperative parathyroid hormone assays.

Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is an accepted treatment option for primary hyperparathyroidism. The need for intraoperative parathyroid hormone assays (iPTH) to confirm adenoma removal remains controversial. We studied minimally invasive radio-guided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) performed using preoperative sestamibi localization studies, intraoperative gamma detection probe, and the selective use of frozen section pathology without the use of iPTH. This is a single institution review of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism treated with MIRP by surgeons experienced in radio-guided surgery between October 1, 1998 and July 15, 2005. Information was obtained by reviewing computer medical records as well as contacting primary care physicians. Factors evaluated included laboratory values, pathology results, and evidence of recurrence. One hundred forty patients were included with a median preoperative calcium level of 11.3 mg/dL (range, 9.6-17) and a PTH level of 147 pg/mL (range, 19-5042). The median postoperative calcium level was 9.3 mg/dL. All patients were initially eucalcemic postoperatively except for one who had normal parathyroid levels. However, five (4%) patients required reexploration for various reasons. Of the failures, one was secondary to the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism, and therefore would not have benefited from iPTH, one had thyroid tissue removed at the first operation, and three developed evidence of a second adenoma. One of these three patients had a drop in PTH level from 1558 pg/mL preoperatively to 64 pg/mL on postoperative Day 1, indicating that iPTH would not have prevented this failure. Thus, only three (2.1%) patients could have potentially benefited from the use of iPTH. MIRP was successful in 96 per cent of patients using a combination of preoperative sestamibi scans, intraoperative localization with a gamma probe, and the selective use of frozen pathology. This correlates with reported success rates of 95 per cent to 100 per cent using iPTH. We conclude that minimally invasive parathyroidectomy can be successfully performed without using iPTH assays.
prsB is an allele of the Salmonella typhimurium prsA gene: characterization of a mutant phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase.

Abstract The Salmonella typhimurium prsB mutation was previously mapped at 45 min on the chromosome, and a prsB strain was reported to produce undetectable levels of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase activity and very low levels of immunologically cross-reactive protein in vitro (N.K. Pandey and R.L. Switzer, J. Gen. Microbiol, 128:1863-1871, 1982). We have shown by P22-mediated transduction that the prsB gene is actually an allele of prsA, the structural gene for PRPP synthetase, which maps at 35 min. The prsB (renamed prs-100) mutant produces about 20% of the activity and 100% of the cross-reactive material of wild-type strains. prs-100 mutant strains are temperature sensitive, as is the mutant PRPP synthetase in vitro. The prs-100 mutation is a C-to-T transition which results in replacement of Arg-78 in the mature wild-type enzyme by Cys. The mutant PRPP synthetase was purified to greater than 98% purity. It possessed elevated Michaelis constants for both ATP and ribose-5-phosphate, a reduced maximal velocity, and reduced sensitivity to the allosteric inhibitor ADP. The mutant enzyme had altered physical properties and was susceptible to specific cleavage at the Arg-101-to-Ser-102 bond in vivo. It appears that the mutation alters the enzyme's kinetic properties through substantial structural alterations rather than by specific perturbation of substrate binding or catalysis.
Fast and Frugal Heuristics

Cognitive heuristics are fundamental to human judgment and decision making. Often described as rules of thumb that are used in lieu of optimal procedures (e.g., when resources are limited, or knowledge is incomplete), cognitive heuristics may also be understood as essential psychological mechanisms that guide information search and produce decisions by effectively and efficiently exploiting information structures in the environment. This article describes a selection of simple but powerful, task-specific, fast and frugal heuristics (FFHs) as suggested by Gigerenzer, Todd, and the ABC Research Group. Underlying assumptions related to concepts of ecological rationality are presented, as are basic mechanisms of, and research into the validity of FFHs. Keywords: fast heuristics; frugal heuristics; human judgment and decision making; ecological rationality; modeling
Racial Differences in Associative Style

Consideration of qualitative differences between Negro (N = 60) and white (N = 42) subjects' associative hierarchies based upon 53 target-words revealed that Negro associative hierarchies exhibited smaller proportions of unique associations (UA's) to opposites, adjectives, and both concrete and abstract nouns. Negro subjects gave the highest percentage of UA's to descriptive adjectives, whereas white subjects gave the most UA's to concrete and abstract nouns. Regarding primary and secondary associations, Negroes and whites gave identical primary associations to opposite-evoking words (N = 14) but differed on 50% of the secondary associations to these same words. For the 39 words that were not so tightly associatively interconnected, the races differed on 50% of the primary and 74% of the secondary associations given. When the races differed, Negroes exhibited a tendency to give either opposites or syntagmatic responses as primary and secondary associations. These data together with those of Belcher and Ca...
Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Multiple Foil Bremsstrahlung Sources

The bremsstrahlung output obtained from the interaction of a single relativistic electron beam with multiple converter foils in a wire-initiated plasma channel has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Agreement of model predictions with the measured spatial variation in thermoluminescent dosimetry is satisfactory in view of the limited source diagnostics. The utility of the model for investigating parameter dependences in this complex scheme is demonstrated. Preliminary experimental results are analyzed in order to compare the multiple-foil approach with a more conventional single-foil scheme employing Bz transport and compression. The maximum dose-area product obtained from multiple-foil experiments was approximately 50% higher than that obtained from the standard single-foil configuration.
Status of the CDMS search for WIMPs

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment uses germanium and silicon detectors cooled to 20 mK to attempt to detect weakly interacting dark matter particles in our galactic halo. Simultaneous measurement of phonons and ionization from interactions in these detectors allows a high degree of background rejection. We discuss recent results obtained with an array of two 165 g germanium detectors and a 100 g silicon detector after a 33 live-day exposure. Further development of this technology should allow us to explore a significant fraction of the MSSM parameter space for neutralino dark matter.
903-13 Selenium-Containing Antioxidant (Ebselen) Improves the Response to Balloon Injury in the Pig Coronary Model: Effects on Vascular Remodeling

Smooth muscle cell proliferation is critical to the pathogenesis of restenosis. Oxygen-derived radicals are known cell mitogens. We tested whether ebselen, a selenium-containing heterocyclic compound with antioxidant activity could reduce intimal thickening and increase luminal size after balloon injury (BI) in the coronary artery model. Nineteen normolipemic pigs were given (BI) of the LAD and LCX coronary arteries. At random 9 pigs were pretreated with ebselen (2.4 g twice per day) for 3 days before Bl and continued until sacrifice (2 weeks after BI). Coronary atrery sections were evaluated by computer morphometry. The maximal intimal thickness (MIT), intimal area (IA) luminal perimeter (LP), vessel perimeter (VP), and fracture length (FL) were measured. The relation between the injury index (FL/LP) and intimal response to injury was determined. Results Linear regression showed good correlation between the amount of injury (FL/LP) and IA in the control group (r = 0.88) versus no correlation (r = 0.34) in the ebselen group. MIT was reduced in treated pigs. Download : Download high-res image (94KB) Download : Download full-size image Control Ebselen p MIT (mm) 0.42 0.36 0.02 LP (mm) 5.10 5.48 0.04 Conclusions : Ebselen improves the coronary response to BI due to a beneficial effect on luminal remodeling by enhancing luminal size and by reduction of intimal thickening.
Progressive Enlargement of the Regurgitant Orifice in Patients with Chronic Aortic Regurgitation

The severity of aortic regurgitation is dependent on the size of the regurgitant orifice, the left ventricular response to volume overload, and the diastolic pressure difference across the aortic valve. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the aortic regurgitant orifice increases over time in patients with audible chronic aortic regurgitation. To assess serial changes in aortic regurgitant severity by the use of two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, 59 patients (29 men and 30 women) with audible chronic aortic regurgitation were prospectively identified and evaluated annually with two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiograms. Patients were followed for a median of 38 months. We measured two separate indicators of the size of the regurgitant orifice: the color Doppler regurgitant jet width and the Doppler-derived regurgitant orifice area. Jet width increased with time (0.5 +/- 0.4 cm at baseline, 0.04 +/- 0.01 cm/year slope, p < 0.001). The regurgitant orifice area also increased (0.12 +/- 0.14 cm2 at baseline, 0.01 +/- 0.01 cm2/year, p = 0.05). Changes in regurgitant orifice area were related to changes in left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (p < 0.001). There were no significant changes in left ventricular chamber dimensions, volumes, and regurgitant volume over time in this cohort. Increases in jet width and orifice area occurred in patients with all degrees of baseline disease severity, with bicuspid or tricuspid leaflet morphology, and with male or female sex. In this prospective study of chronic aortic regurgitation, both jet width and Doppler-derived regurgitant orifice area increased over time. These findings suggest that one factor in the progression of chronic aortic regurgitation is enlargement of the orifice.
Study of cytotoxic and therapeutic effects of stable and purified silver nanoparticles on tumor cells

We have synthesized and purified silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (11.3 ± 2.3 nm) that are stable (non-aggregated) in cell culture medium and inside single living cells. We have developed new imaging methods to characterize sizes and number of single NPs in the medium and in single living cells in real-time and determine their stability (non-aggregation) in the medium and in single living cells at single NP resolution. These new approaches allow us to study toxic and therapeutic effects of single Ag NPs on tumor cells (L929, mouse fibroblast cells) with determined sizes and concentrations (doses) of NPs over time at single NP and single cell resolution. We found that Ag NPs inhibited the growth and division of tumor cells and their nuclei, in a dose and time dependent manner, showing significant inhibitory effects and abnormal cells with giant undivided nuclei or multiple nuclei beyond 12 h incubation. The results show that Ag NPs inhibited the segregation of chromosomes, but not their replication. Intracellular Ag NPs were well distributed in the cell population, and located in the nuclei and cytoplasm with higher numbers in the cytoplasm. This study demonstrates the possibility of using Ag NPs to inhibit the growth and division of tumor cells and using their cytotoxicity for potential therapeutic treatments. This study offers a new method to count the number of single NPs in the medium for characterization of their concentration and stability at single NP resolution over time.
C*-Subalgebras Generated by a Single Operator in B(H)

In this paper, we characterize a C *-subalgebra C *(x) of B(H), generated by a single operator x. We show that if x is polar-decomposed by aq, where a is the partial isometry part and q is the positive operator part of x, then C *(x) is *-isomorphic to the groupoid crossed product algebra $\mathcal{A}_{q}\times_{\alpha }\mathbb{G}_{a}$ , where $\mathcal{A}_{q}=C^{*}(q)$ and $\mathbb{G}_{a}$ is the graph groupoid induced by a partial isometry part a of x.
Bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in practice today.

Background The use of orthoses in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis has a long history. The purpose of this article is to summarize the current practice of bracing in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Methods The literature from the past 25 years was reviewed for primary papers that contained accepted inclusion criteria for bracing, meta-analyses, and summaries of existing opinion. Recent literature was also reviewed for current bracing practices. Results The highest level of existing evidence comes from a prospective center-randomized study by Nachemson et al, which showed that bracing was effective for single curves of 25 to 35 degrees in female patients with a starting Risser score of 0 to 2. Two other studies with meta-analyses came to opposite conclusions because of variations in the examined investigations. Although there are few studies that compare different types of treatment, most show an improved outcome versus historical controls. The yearly number of peer-reviewed papers on the topic has increased markedly over this time. Two prospective randomized multicenter trials are underway. Reviews suggest that most orthopaedic specialists recommend bracing but that they differ on expected results. There is also a proliferation of interest in bracing by nonorthopaedists, with more varied indications. There are many types of full-time and part-time braces, and their designs and indications are described. Conclusions Brace treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis continues to be frequently used, and the number of brace types has increased. Predicting progressive curves and refining indications requires additional investigation.
Resistant nosocomial enterococcal infections

Enterococcus faecalis, formerly classified as Streptococcus faecalis, belongs to Lancefield group D and is frequently isolated from nosocomial infections. Of the nosocomial infections reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in its National Nosocomial Infection Survey (NNIS), enterococci were isolated from 11% of cases. Frequently, E. faecalis is recovered as one of several kinds of bacteria causing infections complicating abdominal or pelvic surgery; in such situations, its role is difficult to assess. On the other hand, it is clearly a pathogen when it is isolated from a normally sterile site, such as the urinary tract, serous cavities, the subarachnoid space, or the blood. Enteroccus spp are regarded as a separate genus based on DNA homology; they are identified in the clinical microbiology laboratory by their ability to grow in media containing 40% bile, cleave esculin, and grow in broth containing 6.5% NaCl. Most laboratories do not attempt to speciate enterococci. Enterococci currently account for 9% of all nosocomial bacteremias that occur at the University of Michigan Hospital and 14% of all bacteremias that occur at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Hospital.
Girls, aggression, and emotion regulation.

Many studies have demonstrated that boys are more aggressive than girls (see J. D. Coie & K. Dodge, 1997, for a review) and that emotion regulation difficulties are associated with problematic behaviors (N. Eisenberg & R. A. Fabes, 1999; M. Gilliom, D. S. Shaw, J. E. Beck, M. A. Schonberg, & J. L. Lukon, 2002). However, recent findings indicate that gender differences in aggressive behaviors disappear when assessments are broadened to include relational aggression--behaviors designed to harm the relationship goals of others by spreading rumors, gossiping, and eliciting peer rejection of others. Moreover, although difficulties regulating emotions have been reported for physically aggressive children, little research has examined these processes in relationally aggressive children. This article argues that investigation into the associations between emotion regulation and relational aggression is a critical direction for future research on the etiology and prevention of mental health problems in girls. Language: en
Dialectical Realism and Radical Commitments:Brecht and Adorno on Representing Capitalism

Bertolt Brecht and Theodor W. Adorno stand for opposing modes and stances within an artistic modernism oriented toward radical social transformation. In his 1962 essay ‘Commitment’, Adorno advanced a biting critique of Brecht’s work and artistic position. Adorno’s arguments have often been dismissed but, surprisingly, are seldom closely engaged with. This paper assesses these two approaches that have been so central to twentieth-century debates in aesthetics: Brecht’s dialectical realism and Adorno’s sublime or dissonant modernism. It provides what still has been missing: a close reading and immanent critique of Adorno’s case against Brecht. And it clarifies one methodological blind spot of Adorno’s formalist conceptualisation of autonomy: he fails to provide the detailed analysis of context that his own dialectical method immanently calls for. The paper shows how and why Brecht’s dialectical realism holds up under Adorno’s attack, and draws conclusions for contemporary artistic practice.
Stopped-flow fluorometry with available instrumentation.

Abstract Stopped-flow fluorescence experiments were conducted on a microscale in a spectrofluorometer by using an air-driven mixer attachment. All parts of the system employed, including the electronic components, are commercially available. There are many biochemical reactions of interest which take place in 0.05 to 10 seconds, that can be studied by fluorescence in this simple system. Examples shown are: ( 1 ) combination of carbonic anhydrase with a fluorescent sulfonamide; ( 2 ) reduction of α-ketoglutarate catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase at high concentration (1.5 mg/ml); and ( 3 ) formation of a ternary complex of lactate dehydrogenase. The mixing accessory is based on the design of R. Harvey and is compatible with a number of spectrometers.
Outcomes with an alternate list strategy for heart transplantation.

Background Heart transplantation (HT) is an effective therapy for end-stage heart failure, but its impact is limited by the scarcity of donor organs and stringent selection criteria for both donors and recipients. The creation of an alternate list to match recipients with contraindications to traditional HT with sub-optimal donor organs has been implemented at some centers, but outcomes using this approach are uncertain. Methods We created an alternate list that matched recipients in whom standard HT was contraindicated with donor organs that had been rejected for use in standard transplantation. Data on patient characteristics and outcomes were compared with a control group of patients transplanted on the standard list over the same time period. Results Fifty patients received HT on the alternate list, compared with 195 on the standard list. The most common reasons for recipient listing on the alternate list were age >65 years ( n = 28) and diabetes with end-organ dysfunction ( n = 9). Alternate-list patients were older and more likely to have an ischemic etiology and diabetes mellitus. The most common reasons for allocation of donor organs to alternate-list patients were coronary artery disease ( n = 12), positive hepatitis serology ( n = 12) or left ventricular (LV) dysfunction ( n = 8). Two-year survival was 70% for alternate-list patients compared with 88% for standard-list patients ( p = 0.02). Post-transplant morbidity did not differ significantly between the 2 groups except that alternate-list patients were hospitalized more frequently. Conclusions The use of an alternate list can expand the applicability of HT to patients who would otherwise be denied this therapy. Although associated with greater morbidity and mortality than standard-list HT, alternate-list HT resulted in clinical outcomes that were significantly better than the natural history of end-stage heart failure.
Evaluation of linkage disequilibrium in wheat with an L1-regularized sparse Markov network

Linkage disequilibrium (LD) is defined as a stochastic dependence between alleles at two or more loci. Although understanding LD is important in the study of the genetics of many species, little attention has been paid on how a covariance structure between many loci distributed across the genome should be represented. Given that biological systems at the cellular level often involve gene networks, it is appealing to evaluate LD from a network perspective, i.e., as a set of associated loci involved in a complex system. We applied a Markov network (MN) to study LD using data on 1,279 markers derived from 599 wheat inbred lines. The MN attempts to account for association between two markers, conditionally on the remaining markers in the network model. In this study, the recovery of the structure of a LD network was done through two variants of pseudo-likelihoods subject to an L1 penalty on the MN parameters. It is shown that, while the L1-regularized Markov network preserves features of a Bayesian network (BN), the nodes in the resulting networks have fewer links. The resulting sparse network, encoding conditional independencies, provides a clearer picture of association than marginal LD metrics, and a sparse graph eases interpretation markedly, since it includes a smaller number of edges than a BN. Thus, an L1-regularized sparse Markov network seems appealing for representing conditional LD with high-dimensional genomic data, where variables, e.g., single nucleotide polymorphism markers, are expected to be sparsely connected.
Scanning electron microscopy of normal and mitogen-stimulated mouse lymphoid cells.

Abstract Surfaces of normal, cultured, and mitogen-stimulated mouse lymphoid cells have been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Lymphocytes with smooth highly villous and intermediate surfaces were observed in cell suspensions from both spleens and thymuses of normal mice and from spleens of congenitally athymic (nude) mice. Several strain-specific surface features were noted. Most striking of these was the spine-like appearance of microvilli on C57BL 6 lymphocytes. Although thymus cell suspensions contained somewhat more smooth cells than did spleen cell preparations, lymphocyte derivation could not be inferred from SEM examination. Studies of cells stimulated with agents mitogenic for thymus-derived lymphocytes (concanavalin A) or for bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (lipopolysaccharide) suggested instead that, in the mouse, development of a complex villous surface is a general concomitant of lymphocyte activation and transformation.