cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Victimization, Psychological Distress, and Help-Seeking: Disentangling the Relationship for Latina Victims

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the role of help-seeking on the victimization-psychological distress link. Specifically, we aim to determine whether help-seeking is associated with various forms of psychological distress among victims of interpersonal violence. METHOD: This study used data from the Sexual Assault Among Latinas (SALAS) Study, which surveyed 2,000 Latino women using random digit dial methodology, and queried participants about lifetime victimization, help-seeking behaviors associated with victimization, and psychological distress. Using linear regression with a subsample of the women who experienced victimization in adulthood (N = 242), we evaluated the association of victimization, cultural variables, formal help-seeking, and informal help-seeking on psychological distress. Subsequently, we also evaluated the relationship of each specific form of help-seeking on current psychological distress. RESULTS: Results suggest that formal help-seeking but not informal help-seeking was associated with lower psychological distress among Latino women. Specifically, formal help-seeking was associated with decreased levels of current depression, anger, dissociation, and anxiety. When looking at specific forms of formal help-seeking, reporting to police was the main form of help-seeking associated with decreased levels of current psychological distress. Interaction effects also showed the victimization--anger relationship was stronger for those with higher Latino orientation that were neither of Mexican nor Cuban descent. CONCLUSION: The results support the importance of promoting formal help-seeking behaviors, particularly police reporting, as a way of decreasing the negative psychological impact of victimization. Among Latinas, cultural factors and ethnicity need to be taken into consideration to better understand help-seeking behaviors and emotional functioning.
THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN RIGHTS: A HEGELIAN PERSPECTIVE

models, furnishes us with an example of how to do this successfully, since its discoveries so readily lend themselves to technological advances. Empiricists such as Jacobi move easily to the conclusion that knowledge which does not conform to the pattern of Galilean or Newtonian science and hence serve the survival imperative does not qualify as knowledge at all. The implicit criticism in Hegel's remark (and which he enlarges on in the article cited) is simply that there are other cognitive interests and hence presumably other ways of knowing. What he particularly rejects inJacobi (and I believe indirectly also in Hobbes and Locke) is the assumption that human life must be a perpetual, incomplete striving after satisfaction, either cognitive or material. Hegel's philosophic project rests on the belief that we pursue knowledge, at least in part, to find out who or what we are, not just for the sake of mastering nature. For Hegel, self-knowledge is only possible if we comprehend the world in its fullness and richness, experiencing it completely, i.e., through all possible "shapes of consciousness." But the empiricist epistemology frustrates our selfreflective aim because it furnishes only a highly abstract, diminished image of man and society. No one could truly "discover himself' or "find satisfaction" in contemplating Hobbes' natural man, precisely because he is only constructed by abstraction from everything social and historical. Here, as in Jacobi, the "manifold" is diminished almost "to the point of annihilation."
Prediction of Cefazolin Penetration into High- and Low-Protein-Containing Extravascular Fluid: New Method for Performing Simultaneous Studies

The effect of extravascular fluid protein concentration and drug-protein binding was studied in rabbits with subcutaneously implanted Visking chambers. Chambers containing serum or saline were simultaneously studied in three animals by injecting cefazolin (30 mg/kg) intramuscularly every 4 h for four doses. Five additional animals were then studied for an 8-h period while receiving two doses of cefazolin. Peak and trough serum and chamber fluid were assayed for cefazolin concentration. The three-animal experiment demonstrated that equilibrium in the subcutaneous chambers was reached after two intramuscular injections and that the extravascular fluid levels were stable in comparison to the wide fluctuation of the serum levels. The five-animal experiment demonstrated that after two doses the serum-filled chambers contained 12.9 mug of cefazolin per ml, whereas saline-filled chambers contained 1.8 mug of cefazolin per ml. Ratios of chamber to peak serum for the second study were 12.4% for serum chambers and 1.7% for saline chambers. The cefazolin concentration in high-and low-protein extravascular fluid in both studies could be predicted from the logarithmic mean of the peak and trough serum cefazolin concentration and the antibiotic binding to rabbit serum and extravascular fluid proteins. These observations explain the previously published apparent discrepancies seen in studies of extravascular penetration of highly protein-bound antibiotics such as cefazolin.
Chronic regulation of the proximal tubular Na/H antiporter: From HCO3 to SRC

The proximal tubule is responsible for the reabsorption of 70 to 90% of filtered NaHCO 3 and 50% of filtered NaCl. Approximately 70% of H secretion across the apical or luminal membrane is mediated by an amiloride-inhibitable Na/H antiporter, while the remaining 30% is likely mediated by a vacuolar H-ATPase (Fig. 1) [1, 2]. All of apical membrane NaCl absorption is mediated by an amiloride-inhibitable Na/H antiporter functioning in parallel with Cl/base exchange [3, 4]. Thus the apical membrane Na/H antiporter plays pivotal roles in proximal tubular acidification (NaHCO 3 absorption) and NaCl absorption. Base generated within the cell exits the basolateral membrane on a Na-coupled electrogenic transporter which likely transports 1 Na, 1 HCO 3 , and 1 carbonate ion (Na/HCO 3 /CO 3 cotransporter) [5–8]. Na exits the basolateral membrane on an Na/K pump and the Na/HCO 3 /CO 3 cotransporter; the mechanism of basolateral membrane Cl exit is unresolved. In addition to these processes, the proximal tubule is the major site of ammonia synthesis, and the major site of renal tubular citrate reabsorption. The latter is of relevance to acid/base physiology in that the excretion of one citrate ion in the urine is equivalent to the excretion of three bicarbonate ions. All of the above processes are subject to acute and chronic regulation. While acute regulation is of significant interest, physiologically relevant regulation is more chronic in nature, and generally occurs over hours and days. In this review, we will discuss the chronic regulation of the proximal tubular Na/H antiporter. Chronic regulation of proximal tubular H secretion and Na absorption in most cases involves chronic regulation of the apical membrane Na/H antiporter.
Development of fracture splitting connecting rod

Abstract The fracture splitting method used with connecting rod (C/rod) is attracting attention as a mechanical method that can reduce production cost by decreasing the manufacturing process. In this method, powder metals and forged steel (C70S6) are generally used. These materials are superior in fracture splitting properties, but inferior in fatigue strength and machinability. Therefore, the authors developed microalloyed steel for C/rod which has high fatigue strength and machinability, and started the mass production of fracture splitting C/rod using the steel.
The role of heat-shock proteins in thermotolerance

The role of heat-shock proteins (hsps) in thermotolerance was examined in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In yeast cells, the major protein responsible for thermotolerance is hsp 100. In cells carrying mutations in the hsp 100 gene, HSP 104, growth is normal at both high and low temperatures, but the ability of cells to survive extreme temperatures is severely impaired. The loss of thermotolerance is apparently due to the absence of the hsp 104 protein itself because, with the exception of the hsp 104 protein, no differences in protein profiles were observed between mutant and wild-type cells. Aggregates found in mutant cells at high temperatures suggest that the cause of death may be the accumulation of denatured proteins. No differences in the rates of protein degradation were observed between mutant and wild-type cells. This, and genetic analysis of cells carrying multiple hsp 70 and hsp 104 mutations, suggests that the primary function of hsp 104 is to rescue proteins from denaturation rather than to degrade them once they have been denatured. Drosophila cells do not produce a protein in the hsp 100 class in response to high temperatures. In this organism, hsp 70 appears to be the primary protein involved in thermotolerance. Thus, the relative importance of different hsps in thermotolerance changes from organism to organism.
Quantitative determination of pivalic acid in dipivefrin-containing ophthalmic solutions by gas chromatography

Abstract A capillary gas chromatographic method was developed for the analysis of the degradation product pivalic acid in dipivefrin-containing ophthalmic solutions. The linear calibration range was 1.02 to 102 μg/ml (r = 0.999) and recoveries were greater than 98%. The relative standard deviation was less than 4.2%. The method can be used to accurately monitor pivalic acid levels for routine quality control and is simple and reliable.
Erratum to “Advancing scope of practice for advanced practice clinicians: more than a matter of access” [Contraception 80 (2009) 105–107]

Erratum to “Advancing scope of practice for advanced practice clinicians: more than a matter of access” [Contraception 80 (2009) 105–107] Tracy Weitz⁎, Patricia Anderson, Diana Taylor Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health (Bixby Center), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Oakland, CA 94612, USA Primary Care Initiative, ANSIRH, Bixby Center, UCSF, Oakland, CA 94612, USA Board of Directors, UCSF School of Nursing, Primary Care Initiative, ANSIRH, Bixby Center, UCSF, Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP), Oakland, CA, USA
Task Scheduling in Networks

Scheduling a set of tasks on a set of machines so as to yield an efficient schedule is a basic problem in computer science and operations research. Most of the research on this problem incorporates the potentially unrealistic assumption that communication between the different machines is instantaneous. In this paper we remove this assumption and study the problem of network scheduling, where each job originates at some node of a network, and in order to be processed at another node must take the time to travel through the network to that node. Our main contribution is to give approximation algorithms and hardness proofs for fully general forms of the fundamental problems in network scheduling. We consider two basic scheduling objectives: minimizing the makespan and minimizing the average completion time. For the makespan, we prove small constant factor hardness-to-approximate and approximation results. For the average completion time, we give a log-squared approximation algorithm for the most general form of the problem. The techniques used in this approximation are fairly general and have several other applications. For example, we give the first nontrivial approximation algorithm to minimize the average weighted completion time of a set of jobs on related or unrelated machines, with or without a network.
How r-Plane Al 2 O 3 Surface Modifications Impact the Growth of Epitaxial (001) CeO 2 Thin Films

We present evidence that it is the presence or absence of atomic terraces with a specific crystallographic orientation on the (102) Al2O3 surface that promotes growth of single-crystal (001) CeO2 films over polycrystalline (111) CeO2 films. The CeO2 film nucleates so that the [010] and [100] directions of the film align parallel and perpendicular to the terrace edges. In the absence of terraces, multidomain (111) CeO2 films result in which the in-plane orientation of the two domains are rotated by 85.71°, so that a [110] CeO2 direction aligns parallel to either the $$ \left[ {\bar{2}21} \right] $$ or $$ \left[ {\bar{2}\bar{4}1} \right] $$ Al2O3 direction.
Tracking oligodendrocytes during development and regeneration

Over the past decade, advances in strategies to tag cells have opened new avenues for examining the development of myelin-forming glial cells and for monitoring transplanted cells in animal models of myelin insufficiency. The strategies for labelling glial cells have encompassed a range of genetic modifications as well as methods for directly attaching labels to cells. Genetically modified oligodendrocytes have been engineered to express enzymatic (e.g., beta-galactosidase, alkaline phosphatase), naturally fluorescent (e.g., green fluorescent protein), and antibiotic resistance (e.g., neomycin, zeomycin) reporters. Genes have been introduced in vivo and in vitro with viral or plasmid vectors to somatically label glial cells. To generate germ-line transmission of tagged oligodendrocytes, transgenic mice have been created both by direct injection into mouse fertilized eggs and by "knock-in" of reporters targetted to myelin gene loci in embryonic stem cells. Each experimental approach has advantages and limitations that need to be considered for individual applications. The availability of tagged glial cells has expanded our basic understanding of how oligodendrocytes are specified from stem cells and should continue to fill in the gaps in our understanding of how oligodendrocytes differentiate, myelinate, and maintain their myelin sheaths. Moreover, the ability to select oligodendrocytes by virtue of their acquired antibiotic resistance has provided an important new tool for isolating and purifying oligodendrocytes. Tagged glial cells have also been invaluable in evaluating cell transplant therapies in the nervous system. The tracking technologies that have driven these advances in glial cell biology are continuing to evolve and present new opportunities for examining oligodendrocytes in living systems. Microsc. Res. Tech. 52:766-777, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence that the two sucrose synthetase genes in maize are related

Evidence is presented that the sucrose synthetase coding sequence at the Shrunken locus is distantly related to the sequence encoding a second, minor sucrose synthetase present in maize endosperm. Three doubly mutant sh bz strains lacking at least part of the Sh coding sequence produce an antigenically cross-reactive protein having the same electrophoretic mobility as the Sh-encoded, 92-kD sucrose synthetase monomer, but differing in primary structure. An mRNA is present in endosperm of mutants with deletions at the Sh locus that is weakly homologous to the Sh coding sequence and encodes a 92-kD protein precipitable with antiserum to sucrose synthetase. We conclude that the genes encoding the two different proteins are related.
BIOSYNTHESIS OF S‐ADENOSYL‐L‐METHIONINE IN THE RAT PINEAL GLAND

This investigation provides direct evidence that rat pineal gland contains ATP:L-methionine S-adenosyltransferase. The specific activity of the enzyme is about 25 times greater than that of hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, the unique marker enzyme in this tissue. The major product of the reaction catalyzed by ATP:L-methionine S-adenosyltransferase has been identified as S-adenosyl-methionine which can function as a methyl group donor for the formation of melatonin. The specific activity of pineal ATP:L-methionine S-adenosyltransferase is at least eight times greater than that of brain, and one-half that of the liver enzyme.
Cause of death from liver metastases in colorectal cancer.

Surgically directed therapy for liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) has received substantial attention in the literature as a major focus of treatment for metastatic CRC. It is presumed, but not proven, that liver metastases are a major threat to life. This study examined the course of a cohort of consecutive patients who died with CRC to determine the role played by the presence of liver metastases. This is single-institution retrospective observational study involved all patients who died of CRC. Records were examined and imaging studies reviewed to determine the extent of liver and extrahepatic metastases in these patients. Overall survival in patients with and without liver metastases and those in whom liver metastases were thought to contribute to death was determined. After patient exclusions, the study population totaled 121 patients. There were 75 patients (62 %) with liver metastases at death. In 40 of 75 (53 %) patients, the liver metastases contributed to the patients’ death. In 46 of 121 patients (38 %), metastatic disease did not include liver metastases. Overall survival in patients with and without liver metastases (median survival 12 vs. 8.5 months, p = 0.089) and in those whose liver metastases did or did not contribute to death (median survival 11.5 vs. 14 months, p = 0.361) was not significant. The presence of liver metastases seemed to contribute to death in approximately half of the study patients, although there did not appear to be a survival disadvantage in these patients.
Duodenal acidification and secretin, but not intraduodenal fat, inhibit human gastric acid secretion via prostaglandins.

Abstract Background/Aims: Acid and fat in the duodenum inhibit gastric acid secretion and increase plasma secretin. The role of prostaglandins and secretin in the inhibition of gastric acid secretion by duodenal infusion of hydrochloric acid and fat in healthy human volunteers was studied. Methods: Gastric acid secretion was submaximally stimulated with intravenous pentagastrin followed by duodenal infusion of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid, oleic acid, or intravenous secretin. To inhibit endogenous prostaglandins, the protocol was then repeated after indomethacin treatment. Results: Duodenal fat infusion inhibited acid secretion 80% ± 5% and was unaffected by indomethacin treatment. Intraduodenal acidification inhibited acid secretion by 43% ± 8% and was reduced by indomethacin treatment to 15% ± 4% ( P P Conclusions: Secretin is the predominant mediator for the inhibition of human gastric acid secretion induced by the presence of acid, but not fat, in the duodenum.
Resource management for dynamically-challenged reconfigurable systems

To conserve space and power, and to incorporate dynamic adaptability in embedded systems, it is important to utilize hardware components as best as possible. The hardware customization of application kernels reduces the execution time and possibly the power consumption. Reconfiguring the same hardware to facilitate various customized kernels as execution proceeds greatly reduces the space requirements. When the kernel execution is carefully scheduled considering also the reconfiguration overheads, the obtained performance gain can offset such overheads. We present our policy and experiments of customizing and reconfiguring actual hardware for embedded benchmark kernels implemented on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The results reveal substantial performance improvement and resource conservation.
Sensitivity to referential ambiguity in discourse: The role of attention, working memory, and verbal ability

The establishment of reference is essential to language comprehension. The goal of this study was to examine listeners' sensitivity to referential ambiguity as a function of individual variation in attention, working memory capacity, and verbal ability. Participants listened to stories in which two entities were introduced that were either very similar e.g., two oaks or less similar e.g., one oak and one elm. The manipulation rendered an anaphor in a subsequent sentence e.g., oak ambiguous or unambiguous. EEG was recorded as listeners comprehended the story, after which participants completed tasks to assess working memory, verbal ability, and the ability to use context in task performance. Power in the alpha and theta frequency bands when listeners received critical information about the discourse entities e.g., oaks was used to index attention and the involvement of the working memory system in processing the entities. These measures were then used to predict an ERP component that is sensitive to referential ambiguity, the Nref, which was recorded when listeners received the anaphor. Nref amplitude at the anaphor was predicted by alpha power during the earlier critical sentence: Individuals with increased alpha power in ambiguous compared with unambiguous stories were less sensitive to the anaphor's ambiguity. Verbal ability was also predictive of greater sensitivity to referential ambiguity. Finally, increased theta power in the ambiguous compared with unambiguous condition was associated with higher working-memory span. These results highlight the role of attention and working memory in referential processing during listening comprehension.
Global distribution of naturally occurring marine hypoxia on continental margins

Hypoxia in the ocean influences biogeochemical cycling of elements, the distribution of marine species and the economic well being of many coastal countries. Previous delineations of hypoxic environments focus on those in enclosed seas where hypoxia may be exacerbated by anthropogenically induced eutrophication. Permanently hypoxic water masses in the open ocean, referred to as oxygen minimum zones, impinge on a much larger seafloor surface area along continental margins of the eastern Pacific, Indian and western Atlantic Oceans. We provide the first global quantification of naturally hypoxic continental margin floor by determining upper and lower oxygen minimum zone depth boundaries from hydrographic data and computing the area between the isobaths using seafloor topography. This approach reveals that there are over one million km 2 of permanently hypoxic shelf and bathyal sea floor, where dissolved oxygenis o0.5 ml l � 1 ; over half (59%) occurs in the northern Indian Ocean. We also document strong variation in the intensity, vertical position and thickness of the OMZ as a function of latitude in the eastern Pacific Ocean and as a function of longitude in the northern Indian Ocean. Seafloor OMZs are regions of low biodiversity and are inhospitable to most commercially valuable marine resources, but support a fascinating array of protozoan and metazoan adaptations to hypoxic conditions. r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The use of indene for the calibration of small infrared spectrometers

Abstract Seventy-seven bands in the infrared spectrum of indene in the range 4000–690 cm −1 have been measured with an absolute precision varying from ±3 to ±0.2 cm −1 , using a grating spectrometer. Cyclohexanone and camphor (0.8 weight per cent) can be added to provide additional bands in the 1750–1700 cm −1 region without significantly displacing the position of the indene maxima that lie outside of this range. These liquid systems are chemically stable, provided they are stored in sealed ampules; they are recommended for the calibration of prism spectrometers.
“Reaping” Environmental Justice through Compassion in The Hunger Games

When we look back at literary culture in the future, the early twentyfirst century will be recognized as a golden age of Young Adult literature. Read increasingly by adults as well as teens, young adult fiction has a growing audience and thus a growing influence, particularly when—as has been the case with Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga— the novels become multi-million dollar entertainment empires. The newest testament to the growing popularity of young adult fiction is The Hunger Games, a speculative fiction novel that tackles two of the most pressing environmental issues of our time: the global food system and hunger. Addressing these problems through a grotesque gladiatorial spectacle, the novel repeatedly emphasizes that food is a social and environmental justice concern, showing that how we view the natural world—as “raw materials” to be consumed, manipulated, or contaminated according to our desires—extends to both our domestic labor practices and our use of marginalized human beings globally. Through a fast-paced, action-packed plot, Suzanne Collins indicts the global food system where agribusiness and control over the methods of growth, agricultural knowledge, land rights, and cash cropping
The water use of two dominant vegetation communities in a semiarid riparian ecosystem

Consumptive water use from riparian evapotranspiration is a large component of many semiarid basins’ groundwater budgets — comparable in magnitude to mountain front recharge and surface water discharge. In most long-term groundwater studies the amount of water used by phreatophytes is estimated by empirical formulae and extrapolation of measurements taken elsewhere. These approaches are problematic due to the uncertainties regarding the vegetation’s water source (e.g., groundwater or recent precipitation) and its magnitude. Using micrometeorological techniques in this study, surface energy and water fluxes were measured for an annual cycle over two dominant types of vegetation in the riparian floodplain of the San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona. The vegetation communities were a perennial, floodplain sacaton grassland (Sporobolus wrightii) and a tree/shrub grouping composed largely of mesquite (Prosopis velutina). These measurements are compared with estimates from previous studies. Additionally, measurements of soil water content and water table levels are used to infer the dominant sources of the evaporated water. The results indicate that the grassland relied primarily on recent precipitation, while the mesquite obtained water from deeper in the soil profile. Neither appears to be strongly phreatophytic, which suggests that the dominant, natural groundwater withdrawals in the Upper San Pedro Basin are mainly confined to the narrow cottonwood/willow gallery that lines the river. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Tracking and Identification of a Maneuvering Reentry Vehicle

A igh t model for a maneuvering reentry vehicle was developed for implementation in a bank of extended Kalman lters regulated by a gating network. The system was applied to the tracking and identication at high altitude of reentering spiraling objects accompanied by decoys. The object is being tracked at high altitude by three ground radars providing a variety of measurements which are treated in parallel by two lters, one being an expert tuned for the real target and the other tuned for the decoy. Experiments show that the regulated bank can rapidly correctly identify the object as being the real target.
Machine Learning Models to Predict Performance of Computer System Design Alternatives

Computer manufacturers spend a huge amount of time, resources, and money in designing new systems and newer configurations, and their ability to reduce costs, charge competitive prices, and gain market share depends on how good these systems perform. In this work, we concentrate on both the system design and the architectural design processes for parallel computers and develop methods to expedite them. Our methodology relies on extracting the performance levels of a small fraction of the machines in the design space and using this information to develop linear regression and neural network models to predict the performance of any machine in the whole design space. In terms of architectural design, we show that by using only 1% of the design space (i.e., cycle-accurate simulations), we can predict the performance of the whole design space within 3.4% error rate. In the system design area, we utilize the previously published Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) benchmark numbers to predict the performance of future systems. We concentrate on multiprocessor systems and show that our models can predict the performance of future systems within 2.2% error rate on average. We believe that these tools can accelerate the design space exploration significantly and aid in reducing the corresponding research/development cost and time-to-market.
Octanoate and Nonaoate Oxidation Increases 50–80% Over the First Two Days of Life in Piglet Triceps Brachii and Gracilis Muscle Strips

An in vitro muscle strip incubation system was developed to measure the rate of catabolism of 1 mmol/L [1-(14)C]octanoate, 1 mmol/L [1-(14)C]nonanoate, 1 mmol/L [9-(14)C]nonanoate, and 10 mmol/L [U-(14)C]glucose by measuring the recovery of (14)CO(2). Muscle strips (13 mm × 1.5 mm, ~50 mg) were isolated from triceps brachii and gracilis muscles of newborn and 2-d-old, small ( 1450 g) piglets. The position of the (14)C label in the substrate affected the rate and amount of recovery in (14)CO(2). Therefore, comparisons were made between age groups (0 vs. 2 d old) within substrates but limited across substrates to comparisons of [1-(14)C]-labeled fatty acids. The medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) oxidation rates [pmol/(h · mg)] in muscle strips isolated from piglets from the 2 weight groups ( 1450 g) did not differ (P > 0.99), there was a trend towards a difference between triceps brachii and gracilis muscle (P = 0.09; data not shown), and there were no significant interactions involving pig weight or muscle type; therefore, results were pooled across these factors. During the first 2 d of life, MCFA oxidation [pmol/(h • · mg muscle strip)] increased (P 0.82). By d 2, the oxidation rate of nonanoate as represented by the one carbon was 25% greater than for octanoate (P < 0.05). The conversion of [9-(14)C]nonanoate to (14)CO(2) indicated that muscle had the capacity to oxidize the propionyl-CoA produced by β-oxidation of nonanoate and that odd-chain C-9 MCFA provided anabolic carbon to the citric acid cycle.
Impact of metabolic syndrome on the outcomes of percutaneous renal angioplasty and stenting

Background Endovascular therapy for symptomatic atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is common and effective in the well-selected patient. Hypertension is a common indication for intervention and a major component of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The impact of MetS on outcomes after percutaneous renal intervention is unknown. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of records from patients who underwent endovascular intervention for ARAS and were followed by duplex ultrasound between January 1990 and January 2008. MetS was defined as the presence of ≥3 of the following criteria: Blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg/≥90 mm Hg; triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein ≤50 mg/dL for women and ≤40 mg/dL for men; fasting blood glucose ≥110 mg/dL; or body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2 . The average follow-up period was 3.3 years. Clinical benefit defined as freedom from renal-related morbidity (increase in persistent creatinine >20% of baseline, progression to hemodialysis, death from renal-related causes) or freedom from recurrent hypertension, anatomic patency, restenosis, and patient survival were measured. Results Five hundred ninety-two renal artery interventions were performed in 427 patients. Fifty-two percent were identified as having MetS. Patients with MetS were more often female (35% vs 50%, NoMetS vs MetS). There were no significant differences in presenting symptoms. There was no peri-operative mortality and equivalent morbidity (6% vs 7%, NoMetS vs MetS). Patients with MetS had equivalent survival and cumulative patency. However, the MetS group had a lower five-year freedom from restenosis (87±2% vs 69±9%, NoMetS vs MetS; P P P Conclusion MetS is associated with markedly reduced renal clinical benefit and increased progression to hemodialysis following endovascular intervention for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. MetS is thus a risk factor for poor long-term outcomes following renal interventions.
Magnetic Facilities: Identifying the Convergence Settings of Juvenile Delinquents

Facilities that draw youth from different communities are prone to become offender convergence settings and intercity crime generators. Applying network analysis to self-nominated hangouts of 5,082 delinquent youth residing in Southern California revealed specific facilities acting as regional convergence settings. A small number of magnetic locations (measured by popularity and breadth of appeal) enable the congregation and interaction of youth that would otherwise not be exposed to each other. As predicted, the sociocirculatory structure of place networks remains relatively constant over time. In-degree and betweenness centrality statistics offer a viable analytic strategy to identify facilities operating as stable regional convergence locations. Crime prevention programs invoking effective place management through ordinances may offer a way to publicly govern these private facilities.
The role of transport in chemical nephrotoxicity.

Various physiologic factors play a role in determining the extent of chemical-induced nephrotoxicity. One such factor relates to the transport systems that exist in the kidney. Several examples can...
Behavioral Level Transformation in the CMU-DA System

The Carnegie-Mellon University Design Automation system (CMU-DA) [2] consists of a set of computer programs whose goal is to produce a complete design in a user-specified device technology, given as input a behavioral description of the piece of hardware to be designed and a set of constraints. This paper describes one of the tools in the CMU-DA environment - a software package to perform optimizing transformations at the behavioral level. Motivations for these transformations are given, and an example of their use is shown.
Beliefs about Control and Health Behavior

The desire to control one’s environment and the events in one’s life is a very general human motive. It plays a central role in several basic (although very different) theories of personality and social psychology (e.g., Bandura, 1977; de Charms, 1968; Fromm, 1941; Kelley, 1967; White, 1959). Because the desire for control is such a general motivation, beliefs about whether one has control over one’s life have attracted much research interest. The research that is relevant to health falls into three main categories. The first addresses the question of the extent to which control reduces the stressfulness of an aversive event. The second type of research looks at the results of an attributional style known as “learned helplessness.” The third category of research includes those studies that look at more generalized beliefs about control as an individual difference or personality factor. This chapter will briefly review the first two of these theoretical orientations before delving more deeply into the third individual difference or “locus of control” approach. A brief summary at the end of this chapter will attempt to tie these three orientations together again.
Case Writing as a Vehicle for Promoting Cultural Competency: A Retrospective, Descriptive Qualitative Analysis

Background A variety of approaches are available that provide cultural competency education for practicing physicians. There is, however, still a need for additional, innovative approaches that address continuing education and professional improvement regarding cultural competency for physicians after their training. Objective To assess the potential impact on established clinicians of writing an extended case narrative on cultural competency. Methods We conducted structured interviews of physician contributors (n = 14) to a book of cases on cultural competency. Authors were invited to contribute to the book based on their experiences as established clinicians, and previous expertise in cultural competency research or education was not required. Because of this, the editors employed a process in which they worked with contributors in a one-on-one manner to develop their case(s). Results The participants were experienced physicians (all > 10 years since medical school graduation), most of whom were white (64%) and affiliated with an academic medical center (86%). The majority of the contributors (1) reported that writing their case(s) increased their awareness of, and sensitivity to, issues of cultural competency; (2) indicated that the writing of their case(s) changed their approach to patient care and/or their education of medical students or graduate medical trainees; and (3) would recommend case writing as a vehicle for promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness. Conclusions Although preliminary, these data suggest that the cultural awareness, sensitivity, and competence of established physicians might be enhanced by a process in which clinicians are facilitated in the writing of cases that address issues of culture that are pertinent to their practice and patient experiences.
Lincoln Mediated: The President and the Press through Nineteenth-century Media

With over fifteen thousand books written about Abraham Lincoln, the second most written-about person in history, one is tempted to wonder what new information is left to be discovered. However, in ...
Circannual rhythm in human sperm count revealed by serially independent sampling.

Sperm concentration and total sperm counts from single semen samples from each of 4435 patients requesting vasectomy between September 1972 and December 1977 were analyzed for circannual (about 1year) rhythmicity. Although large temporal variations were found both between years and within years, a trend was noted for higher sperm concentration during the winter than during the summer. When the entire series of data were analyzed by months, a strong circannual pattern was apparent, with the highest sperm counts between February and March and the lowest counts during September. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a circannual rhythm in human sperm concentration and total sperm count. The data must be considered preliminary, but if confirmed by other investigators studying comparable populations, the influence on clinical investigations will be profound.
Abstract 297: SPECT/CT Imaging of Regional Foot Perfusion Provides a Quantitative Index for Evaluation of Targeted Revascularization in the Diabetic Foot

Introduction: No standard quantitative imaging approach exists to evaluate volumetric changes in tissue perfusion in the lower extremities following medical treatment. In this study, we develop and apply a three-dimensional model of the foot for evaluation of regional changes in perfusion following revascularization in diabetic patients with non-healing foot ulcers. We hypothesize that SPECT/CT imaging will permit quantification of regional improvements in tissue perfusion in territories of the foot that contain non-healing ulcers, allowing for quantitative evaluation of revascularization procedures. Methods: Resting 99m Tc-tetrofosmin (dose 554.0 ± 26.6 MBq) SPECT/CT was performed on diabetic patients (n=5; 64 ± 15 yrs) before and 1-3 days after lower extremity angioplasty and/or stenting. The CT attenuation scans were used to define five regions of interest (ROIs) in the foot and for quantification of relative changes in regional perfusion with 99m Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT (Fig. 1A). Radiotracer uptake for each ROI was normalized to injected dose and ROI volume, and expressed as a percent change from baseline value. Results: SPECT/CT imaging demonstrated quantitative improvements in regional tissue perfusion in ROIs containing non-healing ulcers for 4 out of 5 patients following revascularization (Fig. 1B). The single patient demonstrating a negative response (11.7% decrease in perfusion) underwent eventual amputation. Conclusions: Early changes in tissue perfusion following revascularization can be non-invasively evaluated in specific vascular territories of the foot using SPECT/CT imaging and may be associated with wound healing and limb salvage outcomes.
Facilitating the use of implicit memory and learning in the physical therapy management of individuals with Alzheimer disease: a case series.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Physical rehabilitation of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) is often complicated by impairments in explicit memory and learning. Rehabilitation strategies that facilitate the use of the preserved implicit memory system may be effective in treating patients with AD. The purpose of this case series is to describe the application of these strategies, including high-repetition practice, errorless learning (EL), and spaced retrieval, to the physical therapy management of individuals with moderate AD. CASE DESCRIPTION Three women aged 89 to 95 years with moderate AD who resided in an assisted living facility participated in physical therapy to address their mobility limitations. INTERVENTION Twelve physical therapy sessions were scheduled over a period of 4 weeks. Interventions were individually designed to address the mobility needs of each patient, and rehabilitation strategies based on implicit learning principles were integrated into the interventions. OUTCOMES All patients participated in at least 10 of the 12 physical therapy sessions. Improvements in performance of objective measures of balance were observed in all patients, although only 1 patient's balance score exceeded the minimal detectable change. No significant clinical change was observed in any patients on the Timed Up and Go Test or self-selected gait speed. DISCUSSION Principles of implicit learning were integrated into the interventions for these patients with moderate AD. However, the feasibility of applying the EL paradigm was limited. Further research on the effectiveness of EL, spaced retrieval, and other rehabilitation strategies that facilitate implicit learning of mobility skills in patients with AD is needed to promote optimal physical therapy outcomes in this patient population.
Fifty Years Later: The Significance of the Nuremberg Code

The Nuremberg Code 1. The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. This latter element requires that before the acceptance of an affirmative decision by . . .
Rapid Synthesis and Screening of ZnxCd1−xSySe1−y Photocatalysts by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Quaternary-alloyed ZnxCd1−xSySe1−y arrays were prepared from four precursor aqueous/glycerol (3:1) solutions with a robotic piezoelectric dispenser on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glas...
Laboratory Diagnosis of a Suspected Case of Imported Plasmodium ovale Infection

Objective To detect a case of imported Plasmodium ovale. Methods Blood smear of suspected imported malaria patient was prepared and observed by microscopy after Giemsa staining.Nested-PCR and Multiplex PCR were performed.Then the blood smear was reviewed by microscopy. Results Initial microscopy of the blood smear was Plasmodium vivix.Classification Nested PCR produced an expected band of about 800bp in size.Multiplex PCR produced no expected band.Blood smear was reviewed by microscopy.It was confirmed that there were Plasmodium ovale in the blood smear. Conclusion The suspected case of imported malaria patient is confirmed to infect P.ovale by Nested-PCR,Multiplex PCR and microscopic examination.
Create Your Own Permutation Statistics

A permutation of length n is, for us, a list of the numbers {1, 2, . . ., n} in some order, so that (for example) 27163854 is a permutation of length 8.* An inversion in a permutation is any pair of numbers, not necessarily consecutive, that are "out of order" in the sense that the larger number occurs before the smaller one; thus 7 and 5 are an inversion in 27163854, and you can check that there are eleven others. We say that the inversion number of 27163854 is 12. The inversion number occurs at least implicitly in the definition of a determinant as a sum over permutations inversions by which a permutation differs from increasing order are equivalent to row exchanges needed to change a permutation matrix into the identityand the concept dates back to Cramer's pioneering work on determinants in 1750 [4]. (The term inversions seems to date from expository work on determinants by Gergonne in 1813 [9] and Garnier [8] the following year; Cramer called them derangements. See Muir [15] for more details.) It is probably the second best known example of what is called a permutation statistic, which is just a function (typically nonnegative and integer-valued) defined on permutations. The best known example is the number of cycles, and Thanatipanonda's note in this issue discusses what may be the third best known example. There are some wonderful results about inversions [10, 17, 18], but it is not our purpose to discuss them here. Rather we want to point out an easy way to construct another class of permutation statistics: Given a property P that a permutation Z may or may not have, we can record the length of the longest initial segment of Z that has property P. We will prove a simple result about this type of statistic, and look at some nice examples. We will try to maintain a distinction between permutations and sequences. By a sequence of length n we shall mean a list of n distinct positive integers, which may or may not be {1, 2, . . ., n}, in some order. To each sequence of length n we associate a permutation of length n in the natural way, by relabeling the smallest number in the sequence as 1, the second smallest number as 2, and so on, relabeling the largest number as n. We call this permutation the reduction of the sequence; for example, the reduction of 428396 is 315264. We also define the truncation of a sequence a to be a with its last element deleted; for example, the truncation of 2371 is 237. We will focus on properties P satisfying two conditions:
Impact of soil texture on the performance of three soil moisture sensor types

Abstract. Accurate soil moisture sensors can be an important component of precision irrigation water management. There is a large variety of commercial sensors that relate electrical output to soil water content. However, sensor electrical output is also affected by soil characteristics other than water content, such as texture, salinity, temperature, organic matter, etc. This makes it difficult to accurately measure soil moisture with most sensors without prior on-site calibration. In this study we investigated the impact of soil texture on the performance of three types of soil moisture sensors, including the EC-5 sensor (Decagon Devices, Pulman, WA), the VH400 soil moisture sensor probe (Vegetronix, Inc., Riverton, UT), and the Watermark 200ss (Irrometer Company, Inc., Riverside, CA). A replicated laboratory experiment was conducted in 2014 to evaluate the performance of these types of sensors using four major soil textural classes. We found that the three types of sensors had a significant response to changes in soil water content. The EC-5 and VH400 sensors had a linear response, while the Watermark 200ss had a curvilinear response that was explained by an exponential decay function. The response of the three sensors, however, was significantly affected by soil texture, which will significantly affect the trigger point used to initiate irrigation based on the output from these sensors. Therefore, it is suggested that guidelines on how to use these sensors for local soils need to be made available to farmers.