cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel technology as platform for interventions for caregivers and individuals with severe mental health illnesses: A systematic review

Abstract Background Severe mental illnesses (SMIs) have been found to be associated with both increases in morbidity-mortality, need for treatment care in patients themselves, and burden for relatives as caregivers. A growing number of web-based and mobile software applications have appeared that aim to address various barriers with respect to access to care. Our objective was to review and summarize recent advancements in such interventions for caregivers of individuals with a SMI. Methods We conducted a systematic search for papers evaluating interactive mobile or web-based software (using no or only minimal support from a professional) specifically aimed at supporting informal caregivers. We also searched for those supporting patients with SMI so as to not to miss any which might include relatives. Results Out of a total of 1673 initial hits, we identified 11 articles reporting on 9 different mobile or web-based software programs. The main result is that none of those studies focused on caregivers, and the ones we identified using mobile or web-based applications were just for patients and not their relatives. Limitations Differentiating between online and offline available software might not always have been totally reliable, and we might have therefore missed some studies. Conclusions In summary, the studies provided evidence that remotely accessible interventions for patients with SMI are feasible and acceptable to patients. No such empirically evaluated program was available for informal caregivers such as relatives. Keeping in mind the influential role of those informal caregivers in the process of treatment and self-management, this is highly relevant for public health. Supporting informal caregivers can improve well-being of both caregivers and patients.
Phase II study of nab-paclitaxel in refractory small bowel adenocarcinoma and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP)-high colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT Background Hypermethylation of promoter CpG islands [CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP)] represents a unique pathway for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), characterized by lack of chromosomal instability and a low rate of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutations, which have both been correlated with taxane resistance. Similarly, small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA), a rare tumor, also has a low rate of APC mutations. This phase II study evaluated taxane sensitivity in SBA and CIMP-high CRC. Patients and methods The primary objective was Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 response rate. Eligibility included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0/1, refractory disease, and SBA or CIMP-high metastatic CRC. Nab-paclitaxel was initially administered at a dose of 260 mg/m2 every 3 weeks but was reduced to 220 mg/m2 owing to toxicity. Results A total of 21 patients with CIMP-high CRC and 13 with SBA were enrolled from November 2012 to October 2014. The efficacy-assessable population (patients who received at least three doses of the treatment) comprised 15 CIMP-high CRC patients and 10 SBA patients. Common grade 3 or 4 toxicities were fatigue (12%), neutropenia (9%), febrile neutropenia (9%), dehydration (6%), and thrombocytopenia (6%). No responses were seen in the CIMP-high CRC cohort and two partial responses were seen in the SBA cohort. Median progression-free survival was significantly greater in the SBA cohort than in the CIMP-high CRC cohort (3.2 months compared with 2.1 months, P = 0.03). Neither APC mutation status nor CHFR methylation status correlated with efficacy in the CIMP-high CRC cohort. In vivo testing of paclitaxel in an SBA patient-derived xenograft validated the activity of taxanes in this disease type. Conclusion Although preclinical studies suggested taxane sensitivity was associated with chromosomal stability and wild-type APC, we found that nab-paclitaxel was inactive in CIMP-high metastatic CRC. Nab-paclitaxel may represent a novel therapeutic option for SBA.
Crash avoidance and driver assistance technologies - are they used?

Abstract Crash avoidance technologies have potential to mitigate collisions, and actual crash reductions have been identified for some systems. This study measured observed on-off rates of these technologies as an indicator of use, with a focus on lane maintenance systems (i.e., designed to keep vehicles within lanes by warning, braking, and/or steering) and studied factors that might increase their acceptance and use. Vehicles from nine manufacturers fitted with lane maintenance systems were observed at service departments during 2016. Systems were turned on in 51% of 983 vehicles. The activation rate was higher for systems with braking/steering interventions and vibrating warnings and decreased with total mileage. Large proportions of front crash prevention (93%), blind spot monitoring (99%), rear cross-traffic alert (97%), and driver monitoring alert (90%) systems were enabled, and most optional settings were set to factory defaults. Owner surveys linked to observations showed that drivers who had lane maintenance systems turned off believed warnings were distracting and unnecessary compared with drivers whose systems were on.
Computational humor and Christie Davies’ basis for joke comparison

While historically computational humor paid very little attention to sociology and mostly took into account subparts of linguistics and some psychology, Christie Davies wrote a number of papers that should affect the study of computational humor directly. This paper will look at one paper to illustrate this point, namely Christie’s chapter in the Primer of Humor Research. With the advancements in computational processing and big data analysis/analytics, it is becoming possible to look at a large collection of humorous texts that are available on the web. In particular, older texts, including joke materials, that are being scanned from previously published printed versions. Most of the approaches within computational humor concentrated on comparison of present/existing jokes, without taking into account classes of jokes that are absent in a given setting. While the absence of a class is unlikely to affect classification – something that researchers in computational humor seem to be interested in – it does come into light when features of various classes are compared and conclusions are being made. This paper will describe existing approaches and how they could be enhanced, thanks to Davies’s contributions and the advancements in data processing.
Phytobezoar: A Brief Report with Surgical and Radiological Correlation

Gastrointestinal bezoars, collections of incompletely digested material within the alimentary tract, can present as a diagnostic challenge and should be considered in the differential diagnosis and management of small bowel obstruction, ischemic bowel, or bowel perforation. We present a case of a 37-year-old man with a distant history of laparotomy for superior mesenteric artery thrombosis requiring partial small bowel resection of the jejunum who presented with worsening abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and hematemesis. An abdominal computed tomography revealed dilated loops of small bowel with a transition point at the ileum, distal to his prior bowel anastomosis. He was managed initially nonoperatively, but persistent vomiting and worsening distention necessitated urgent exploratory laparotomy. During the procedure, a 4 cm by 3 cm phytobezoar was discovered at the midjejunum. The patient had an unremarkable postoperative course with no further symptoms at 1-year follow-up. Timely diagnosis and treatment of bezoar is essential to minimize patient complications.
CLINICAL REACTIONS TO ANTIVENIN

ABSTRACT This report indicates that reliable statistics on the incidence, severity and the other variables as they relate to delayed serum reactions cannot be determined by the sole criterion of the number of patients who return for the treatment of a reaction. The present study also indicates that neither the incidence of delayed serum reactions or their severity are contraindications for the use of antivenin, when a patientfs life, limb, or tissue loss are at stake.
Can Prudence Be Enhanced

Some bioethicists have argued that moral bioenhancement, complementing traditional means of enhancing individuals' moral dispositions, is essential if we are to survive as a species. Traditional means of moral enhancement have historically included civil legislation, socially recognized moral exemplars, religious teachings and disciplines, and familial upbringing. I explore the necessity and feasibility of pursuing methods of moral bioenhancement as a complement to such traditional means, grounding my analysis within a virtue-theoretic framework. Specifically, I focus on the essential intellectual virtue for proper moral reasoning, prudence, and whether proposed methods of moral bioenhancement could facilitate the cultivation of this virtue within the psyches of moral agents. I conclude that certain means of bioenhancement may serve to augment the ability to reason prudentially and assist moral agents to align their wills with their higher-order rational desires, though such means require those higher-order desires to already have been formulated independently.
Evaluation of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for the Reduction of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Hospitalized Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation:

Background: Guidelines recommend antithrombotic therapy in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism (SSE) based on an assessment utili...
P173 Healthy Children, Healthy Families: Parents Making a Difference: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Healthy Children Healthy Families (HCHF): Parents Making a Difference! is an eight-session curriculum designed for use with low-income parents to promote parenting practices that positively influence children's healthy eating and active play.Assess impacts of HCHF on parenting practices and self-efficacy, diet quality and physical activity of parents and children from pre- to post-education as compared to a delayed intervention group; and retention of behavior change over 16 weeks post-education.A randomized controlled trial was conducted with low-income parents (n = 391) of children 3-5 years old from 11 daycares in New York City. EFNEP paraprofessionals delivered group lessons in English or Spanish; half the groups were Spanish speaking.Data on reported behaviors were collected four times, nine weeks apart: pre- (T1) and post-HCHF (T2 for immediate education, T3 for delayed education) and retention of behavior change in the medium term (T4). Targeted behaviors included intake of sweetened beverages, energy-dense foods, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, smaller portions, physical activity, screen time behaviors, and parenting skills. In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 graduates after T4.Data were analyzed for participants who graduated from HCHF (> six-sessions); no demographic differences were found between eligible enrollees and graduates. Participants in both immediate and delayed education groups reported significant change (P < .001) in targeted behaviors post-graduation (T2 and T3 respectively). There was no statistical difference in targeted behaviors between groups at T3 or T4 indicating retention of behavior change among immediate and delayed education participants. In interviews, participants reported lasting change in their own and their children's behavior, and also among other family members.HCHF is effective in supporting parents and children in making and maintaining behavior changes consistent with preventing unhealthy weight gain and chronic disease.None.
Silver Diamine Fluoride in Children Using Physiologically Based PK Modeling.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is used topically to prevent or arrest dental caries and has been tested clinically in toddlers to elderly adults. Following SDF application, small quantities of silve...
Role of Surgery and Perioperative Therapy in Older Patients with Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND It is unclear whether results from recent trials of resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are generalizable to older patients, who are underrepresented. We aimed to evaluate outcomes of surgery and of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy in older patients with resectable PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS We included patients aged ≥65 years with upfront resectable PDAC from a prospectively maintained pancreatic cancer registry from 2007 to 2016. Patients were stratified into ages 65-75 and 75+ years. Overall survival (OS) was assessed in treatment comparisons: (A) surgery (n = 636) versus nonsurgical (n = 178), (B) neoadjuvant therapy (n = 139) versus upfront surgery (n = 497), and (C) adjuvant therapy (n = 379) versus surgery alone (n = 118). We compared neoadjuvant (n = 139) versus adjuvant therapy (n = 379) in an exploratory analysis. RESULTS Nine hundred and three patients had a median age of 73.7 (range, 65-96.6) years. Median OS was 26.6 versus 11.9 months (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj ], 0.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-0.52; p < .001) in Comparison A groups, 30.7 versus 25.8 months (HRadj , 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49-0.96; p = .03) in Comparison B groups, and 26.9 versus 17.4 months (HRadj , 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44-0.88; p = .008) in Comparison C groups, respectively. OS benefit in these treatment comparisons was present in age group 75+ with HRadj 0.24 (95% CI, 0.16-0.36; p < .001) in Comparison A and HRadj 0.52 (95% CI, 0.27-1; p = .049) in Comparison B, but not in Comparison C with HRadj 0.68 (95% CI, 0.43-1.08; p = .1). Statistically comparable median OS of patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy stratified by age groups was observed. CONCLUSION Older patients with resectable PDAC who received surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, or adjuvant therapy appeared to have improved survival outcomes compared with those who did not receive such treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Older patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in general are underrepresented in large clinical trials and less well studied in terms of the role of surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, and adjuvant therapy. This study collected data on older patients with resectable PDAC from a prospectively maintained single-institutional pancreatic cancer registry of a tertiary referral center from 2007 to 2016. It was found that, with multidisciplinary evaluation, older patients with resectable PDAC who received surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, or adjuvant therapy appeared to have improved survival outcomes compared with those who did not receive such treatment. These results are of substantial importance to practitioners who treat older patients, who are traditionally underrepresented in most clinical trials.
On Ergodicity of Time-Varying Distributed Averaging Dynamics

We consider time-varying distributed averaging dynamics. We show a necessary and a sufficient condition for ergodicity of such dynamics. First, we extend a well-known result in ergodicity of time-homogeneous (time-invariant) averaging dynamics and we show that ergodicity of a dynamics necessitates that its (directed) infinite flow graph has a spanning rooted tree. Then, we show that if groups of agents are connected using a rooted tree and the averaging dynamics restricted to each group is P* and ergodic, then the dynamics over the whole networks is ergodic. In particular, this provides a general condition for convergence of consensus dynamics where groups of agents capable of reaching consensus follow each other on a time-varying network.
The exigencies of transboundary water security: insights on community resilience

Societies across the globe strive to achieve water security—that is, assure access to sufficient water of acceptable quality for humans and the environment for changing, sustainable societies and ecosystems. But rapid and significant changes in environmental and social systems complicate attempts to assure water-secure conditions. This challenge is further magnified by transboundary conditions—while landscapes and physical processes disregard political borders, human institutions managing these resources often lack the traditions and capital for ensuring resilient, community-based responses to water shortage and contamination. This review highlights how features of community resilience contribute to enhancing transboundary water security using nine examples from the U.S.–Mexico border region. The cases demonstrate how public participation, adaptivity and flexibility, and social mobilization to promote equity and justice help to nurture and maintain community resilience, to the benefit of transboundary water security.
Read between the lineata: A revision of the tattooed wasps, Zagrammosoma Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), with descriptions of eleven new species.

The genus Zagrammosoma Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is revised. Twenty-six species are recognized, of which 23 have been molecularly verified in a phylogenetic context using 28S, ITS2, and COI. Zagrammosoma is recovered as monophyletic, worldwide in distribution, and morphologically distinct from Cirrospilus Westwood. Zagrammosoma interlineatum Girault stat. rev. is elevated from synonymy. The following synonymies are proposed: Zagrammosoma mirum Girault under Zagrammosoma flavolineatum Crawford n. syn., Zagrammosoma dulanense Cao & Zhu under Zagrammosoma talitzkii Boucek n. syn. The following species are described as new: Zagrammosoma calvini Perry n. sp. (Argentina, Chile), Zagrammosoma deliae Perry n. sp. (Peru), Zagrammosoma fisheri Perry n. sp. (USA), Zagrammosoma galapagoense Perry n. sp. (Ecuador: Galapagos Islands), Zagrammosoma headricki Perry n. sp. (Mexico, USA), Zagrammosoma metallicum Perry n. sp. (USA), Zagrammosoma occidentale Perry n. sp. (Mexico, USA), Zagrammosoma triangulum Perry n. sp. (USA), Zagrammosoma trifurcatum Perry n. sp. (Belize, USA), Zagrammosoma villosum Perry n. sp. (Nearctic, Neotropical), Zagrammosoma yanegai Perry n. sp. (Thailand). The following new combination is proposed: Cirrospilus variegatus (Masi) n. comb, from Zagrammosoma. Descriptions, distribution maps, host associations, and a key to all known species are provided.
The potential role of Colchicine in preventing coronary vascular disease in childhood-onset lupus: a new view on an old drug.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematous have a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which is not fully explained by traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors. Despite increasing life expectancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematous, mortality due to cardiovascular disease, the major cause of death in these patients, has not changed. Children with lupus suffer from more aggressive disease compared to their adult counterparts, and there is a growing concern for their increased risk of cardiovascular disease as they age. There is an unmet need for therapies to address the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in childhood-onset lupus. Colchicine has many anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective properties, including inhibition of IL-1β and IL-18 activity, key proinflammatory cytokines that are predictive of future adverse cardiovascular events. In the Colchicine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial (COLCOT), colchicine was recently found to have significant benefit with minimal risk in adults with previous myocardial infarction for prevention of secondary vascular disease. While adult studies are promising, no studies have been conducted in pediatric patients to investigate colchicine’s potential for cardiovascular protection in children and adolescents with lupus. Studies investigating colchicine’s potential role for cardiovascular protection are needed in pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematous.
Gang‐related crime in Los Angeles remained stable following COVID‐19 social distancing orders

The onset of extreme social distancing measures is expected to have a dramatic impact on crime Here, we examine the impact of mandated, city‐wide social distancing orders aimed at limiting the spread of COVID‐19 on gang‐related crime in Los Angeles We hypothesize that the unique subcultural processes surrounding gangs may supersede calls to shelter in place and allow gang‐related crime to persist If the normal guardianship of people and property is also disrupted by social distancing, then we expect gang violence to increase Using autoregressive time series models, we show that gang‐related crime remained stable and crime hot spots largely stationary following the onset of shelter in place In responding to disruptions to social and economic life on the scale of the present pandemic, both police and civilian organizations need to anticipate continued demand, all while managing potential reductions to workforce Police are faced with this challenge across a wide array of crime types Civilian interventionists tasked with responding to gang‐related crime need to be prepared for continued peacekeeping and violence interruption activities, but also an expansion of responsibilities to deal with “frontline” or “street‐level” management of public health needs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Criminology & Public Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Computational examination of a proposed highly-strained natural product

Abstract A recently reported small natural product, 4-oxabicyclo[3.2.2]nona-1(7),5,8-triene, possesses a structure with a very strained geometry. In particular, the 3-atom bridge between para positions of an aromatic ring has no precedence in the literature. In this computational study, we herein report that the data for the surprising structure fits better with 4-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol, tyrosol. In addition, we compare the original structure for this compound with related paracyclophanes and other strained molecules using Density Functional Theory, highlighting the severe strain in the proposed structure. This report highlights the importance of carefully examining the data and structures of “new” compounds prior to reporting them in the literature, and elemental analysis in particular is recommended as a key method for characterizing new compounds.
"National Standards" vs the Free Standards of Culture: Matthew Arnold's Culture and Anarchy and Contemporary Educational Philistinism

Amelie Oksenberg Rorty, at the outset of the wonderful, and very full, recent collection of essays, Philosophers on Education, apologizes for the omission of several important thinkers. Included on her short list of six is Matthew Arnold. The reason for this omission was probably the lack, in the late nineties when the volume was compiled, of a single scholar “qualified, willing, and sympathetic” enough to write about Arnold. This essay’s purpose is to explain and to start to fill this gap.
High-Tin Bronze Gong Making

Over the last twenty years, there has been a discernable increase in the number of scholars who have focused their research on metal production, working and use in antiquity, a field of study which has come to be known as archaeometallurgy. Materials scientists and conservators have worked primarily in the laboratory while archaeologists have conducted fieldwork geared to the study of metal technology in a cultural context with laboratory analysis as one portion of the interpretive program.
Spectra and structure of organogermanes: Microwave and Raman spectra of methyltrichlorogermane☆

Abstract The microwave spectrum of methyltrichlorogermane has been investigated in the region 26.5 to 40.0 GHz. The ground state rotational constants, B , were found to be 1602.19, 1601.42, 1601.10, 1600.71, 1600.02, 1537.84, 1537.10, and 1536.36 MHz for the symmetric top molecules CH 3 70 Ge 35 Cl 3 , CH 3 72 Ge 35 Cl 3 , CH 3 73 Ge 35 Cl 3 , CH 3 74 Ge 35 Cl 3 , CH 3 76 Ge 35 Cl 3 , CH 3 70 Ge 37 Cl 3 , CH 3 72 Ge 37 Cl 3 , and CH 3 74 Ge 37 Cl 3 , respectively. For the asymmetric top molecules CH 3 72 Ge 35 Cl 2 37 Cl and CH 3 74 Ge 35 Cl 2 37 Cl the ground state rotational constants A , B , and C were found to be 1597.96, 1559.31, 1203 and 1597.17, 1558.59, 1207 MHz, respectively. From the rotational constants the r s values for the GeCl bond distance of 2.135 ± 0.006 A and the CGeCl bond angle of 106.0 ± 0.7° were obtained. The centrifugal distortion constant for the CH 3 Ge 35 Cl 3 species was calculated to be 0.35 ± 0.08 kHz. The Raman spectra of methyltrichlorogermane has been recorded in the gas phase and the methyl torsional overtone (Δ ν = 2) was observed. From the observed frequency shift the barrier to internal rotation has been calculated to be 1.45 kcal/mole.
Indenter Elastic Modulus and Hertzian Ring Crack Initiation

Hertzian ring crack initiation was studied in several brittle materials using spherical indenters made from different materials. Target materials included silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and borosilicate glass. Indenter materials included glass, zirconia, steel, silicon nitride, alumina, and tungsten carbide. Decreasing the elastic modulus of the indenter against every one of the target materials resulted in the target material exhibiting ring crack initiation at lower forces. The trend is consistent and conclusive. This response is described in regards to the Poisson's mismatch between indenter and target and the associated friction effects that it produces.
Phylogenetic autocorrelation of extinction threat in globally imperilled amphibians

The global extinction crisis demands immediate action to conserve species at risk. However, if entire clades such as superfamilies are at risk due to shared evolutionary history, a shift towards conserving clades rather than individual species may be needed. Using phylogenetic autocorrelation analysis, we demonstrate that multiple kinds of extinction threat clump within the amphibian tree of life. Our study provides insight into how these threats may collectively influence the extinction risk of whole clades, consistent with the supposition that related species, with similar traits, share an intrinsic vulnerability to common kinds of threat. Most strikingly, we find a significant concentration of ‘enigmatic’ decline and critically endangered status within families of the hyloid frogs. This phylogenetic clumping of risk is also geographically concentrated, with most threats found in Central and South America, and Australia, coinciding with reported outbreaks of chytridiomycosis. We speculate that the phylogenetic clumping of threat represents, in part, shared extinction proneness due to shared evolutionary history. However, even if the phylogenetic clumping of threat were simply a by-product of shared geography, this concordance between phylogenetic and geographical patterns represents a prime opportunity. Where practical, we should implement conservation plans that focus on biogeographical regions where threatened clades occur, thereby improving our ability to conserve species. This approach could outperform the usual triage approach of saving individual species after they have become critically endangered.
Nanomaterials for Environmental Remediation

Over the last 10-15 years, there has been an explosion of activity in the design and synthesis of nanomaterials built around a wide variety of basic architectures. In more recent years, a portion of this effort has focused on the environmental impacts and environmental applications of these nanomaterials. Why all this interest in nanomaterials? What advantages might these tiny structures provide to environmental remediation efforts? This chapter is intended to provide an overview of research in this area, as well as outline some of the advantages that these materials provide to environmental clean-up efforts.
Fringe visibility of multimode laser light scattered through turbid water.

Several years ago Swanson [Proc. SPIE 1750, 397 (1992)] performed a simple Michelson interferometric determination of the coherence length of a multimode argon-ion laser after the light passed through a tank of water. As colloidal particles were added to the water the observed coherence length (as measured by twice the distance the mirror moved for fringes to disappear) decreased. Subsequently, a series of careful experiments were performed with a single-mode laser to more accurately measure this change. In these experiments it was found that the 1.5-MHz width of the 514.5-nm line of a single-mode argon-ion laser broadened by as much as 1.3 ± 0.2 MHz when small colloidal particles were added. At first glance such a broadening should not have resulted in any discernible change in the original Michelson experiment because the gain curve for the multimode laser is of the order of a few gigahertz. The zeros in the fringe visibility function depend on the spectral characteristics of the modes. Upon scattering, the spectral characteristics of the individual laser modes change from Voigt functions, containing both Lorentzian and Gaussian components, to primarily Gaussian. It is this change in the statistical properties of the modes, not the broadening, that accounts for the change in the fringe visibility for a multimode source.
Book Review Essays

Risking AIDS and Transcending It: Sexuality, Politics and AIDS in Brazil: In Another World? Herbert Daniel and Richard Parker. Risking AIDS and Transcending It: Transcending AIDS: Nurses and HIV Patients in New York City. Peggy McGarrahan.
The central role of fat and effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor–γ on progression of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease

Recent evidence suggests that progression of insulin resistance parallels progression of atherosclerosis. Fat plays an integral role in the development of type 2 diabetes and vascular injury. The balance of adipose-derived substances, including free fatty acids, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, leptin, adiponectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, determine both insulin action and the state of vascular inflammation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) ligands promote the balance of these substances to enhance insulin-mediated glucose uptake and decrease inflammation. PPAR-gamma ligands reverse the major defect of the insulin resistance syndrome and have important effects that inhibit atherosclerosis, improve endothelial cell function, and attenuate inflammation. Although more research is needed, data suggest that PPAR-gamma ligands may prevent the progression of insulin resistance to diabetes and endothelial dysfunction to atherosclerosis.
Subxiphoid approach for insertion of ICDs after previous median sternotomy.

Abstract To avoid the risks both of repeat median Sternotomy and of thoracolomy, the modified subxiphoid approach was adopted for insertion of implantable cardioverter-defibriliators in 10 patients who had previously undergone cardiac operations via median Sternotomy. Effective implantable cardioverter-defibrillator systems were implanted in all patients. There were no operative deaths and no hemorrhagic or respiratory complications. One patient underwent repositioning of a dislodged superior vena caval electrode, and an infected generator pocket developed in 1 patient. Early extubation was routine. Two patients were observed in the coronary care unit for the first postoperative night. Postoperative pain was controlled with oral analgesic agents. The subxiphoid approach is safe and effective, and it carries a substantially lower risk of complications than other techniques, even in this high-risk group of patients. By minimizing the need for admission to the intensive care unit, invasive monitoring, and prolonged ventilatory support, by reducing surgical complications, and by shortening the hospital stay, the subxiphoid approach saved an average of $3,295 per patient.
The continuing challenge of Hodgkin's disease.

Patients with Hodgkin’s disease, treated at most major medical centers, enjoy a cure rate on the average of approximately 75 percent. An additional 5 or 10% will not die of Hodgkin’s disease, because of the success of secondary treatments or because their deaths result from other related or unrelated causes. There are subgroups of patients who fare better or worse than this average, depending on prognostic factors such as age, stage, bulk, or site of disease and on the primary management program.
Current-induced breakdown in p-type collector AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs

The current-induced breakdown phenomenon, which can occur in p-type collector heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), is described. It is shown that the breakdown voltage across the p-type collector junction of HBTs decreases rapidly with increasing current density. The effects of collector structure, doping concentration, and layer thickness are analyzed. >
Arbitrage pricing and the stochastic inflation tax in a multisector monetary economy

Abstract A dynamic general equilibrium multifactor asset pricing model for a monetary economy with capital accumulation and multisector production is constructed. Equilibrium Clower constraints on some investment goods and some consumption goods are imposed. An equilibrium APT model is constructed where the covariance between the inflation tax, distorted equilibrium investment returns, and fundamental forcing processes are important in determining equilibrium risk prices. The model is used to address issues concerning the relative importance of real and nominal factors in asset pricing raised in recent papers by Chen, Roll, and Ross (1986) and Cochrane (1991, 1992).
Spectral sensitivity and colour vision in the ground-dwelling sciurids: results from golden mantled ground squirrels and comparisons for five species.

Abstract Behavioural measurements of several indices of visual sensitivity and colour vision for the golden-mantled ground squirrel ( Spermophilus lateralis ) are reported. The spectral sensitivity functions for this animal show a change from having a single peak at about 520 nm to having a strongly bipartite appearance with peaks at about 540 and 460 nm as the level of light adaptation is increased from low to higher levels. Discrimination tests reveal that these squirrels have dichromatic colour vision with spectral neutral points centered at 507·5 nm. Comparisons are made of the visual capacities of five species of ground-dwelling sciurids, all of which have been tested in the same situations. These comparisons indicate that: (1) the retinas of all of these species contain a small number of functional rods in addition to a much more obvious cone population; (2) the spectral sensitivity functions of these species do not show systematic variations; (3) the cone pigments found in the retinas of these animals have sensitivity peaks at about 440 and 525 nm; (4) all of these species have dichromatic colour vision; (5) there is no evidence for systematic differences in visual sensitivity or colour vision among these five species.
Voronoi Tessellation Analysis of Clathrate Hydrates

Molecular simulation of clathrate hydrate has provided significant advancements in our understanding of hydrate properties and formation. In this work, we report the application of Voronoi tessellation to characterize the structuring of water and guest molecules forming hydrates. Tessellation of perfect sI and sII hydrate reveals positions of Voronoi vertices similar to the oxygen atoms of enclathrating water molecules. Applying tessellation to a simulation trajectory of hydrate formation, and using a further selection criteria based on polyhedra volume and coordination number, we identify numbers and types of cagelike polyhedra. Voronoi analysis of this type results in similar numbers of identified cages but with differing topologies. However, once nearest neighbor methanes are also enclathrated, the topologies of the Voronoi polyhedra approach that of the actual water cages. Since only methane coordinates are required, Voronoi tessellation is a fast and simple tool that can be used as an order parameter...
Renal vein renins: inability to predict response to revascularization in patients with hypertension.

To determine whether the captopril-stimulated renal vein renin ratio (CSRVRR) could enable identification of patients with hemodynamically significant renovascular lesions who would respond to revascularization, the authors measured CSRVRRs in 143 consecutive patients with hypertension who had been selected because of clinical features suggestive of renovascular hypertension. All patients underwent conventional renal arteriography. Renovascular hypertension was the final diagnosis if revascularization resulted in cure or improvement in blood pressure. Complete data were available for 133 patients. Twenty patients had renovascular hypertension; CSRVRR was greater than 1.5 in 13 of these 20 patients (sensitivity, 65%). However, it was also greater than 1.5 in 54 of the 113 patients without renovascular hypertension (false-positive rate, 47.8%). The positive predictive value of CSRVRR was 18.6%; the negative predictive value, 89.3%. It is concluded that CSRVRR is not sufficiently sensitive to enable predicti...
Increased transperitoneal bacterial translocation in laparoscopic surgery.

Background: The indications for laparoscopic surgery have expanded to include diseases possibly associated with peritonitis such as appendicitis, perforated peptic ulcers, and diverticulitis. The safety of carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum in the presence of peritonitis has not been proved. Our previous investigations demonstrated increased bacteremia associated with CO2 insufflation. In effort to clarify the relative effects of intraabdominal pressure and type of gas, this study was designed to measure bacterial translocation with different gases at different pressures of pneumoperitoneum. Methods: For this study, 110 rats were given intraperitoneal bacterial innoculations with Escherichia coli and equally divided into five groups of 20 animals each. The study groups included a control group with no pneumoperitoneum administered (n = 30), insufflation at a commonly used pressure of 14 mmHg with helium (n = 20) and CO2 (n = 20), and low insufflation at 3 mmHg with helium (n = 20) and CO2 (n = 20) in an effort to minimize influences related to pressure. Blood cultures were checked at 15-min intervals for the first 45 min, then hourly thereafter for a total of 165 min after peritoneal inoculation with 2 × 107E. coli. Results: There is increased risk of bacterial translocation in comparing groups that underwent pneumoperitoneum with those that did not in the rat peritonitis model. Furthermore, these findings are dependent on the presence or absence of gas, but not necessarily on the type of gas used for insufflation. In the low-pressure groups of both gases (helium and CO2), bacterial translocation was significantly increased, as compared with the control group. Low pressure also was associated with increased bacterial translocation, as compared with high pressure, but beyond 30 min of insufflation, no significant differences were apparent. Conclusions: The risk of bacterial translocation in the E. coli rat peritonitis model is increased with insufflation using CO2 or helium, and this effect is more significant at lower pressures (3 mmHg) than at higher pressures (14 mmHg). However, no clinically applicable conclusions regarding the relative effects from type of gas or insufflation pressures could be confirmed.
In vivo synchrotron study of thallium speciation and compartmentation in Iberis intermedia

Thallium (Tl) is a metal of great toxicological concern and its prevalence in the natural environment has steadily increased as a result of manufacturing and combustion practices. Due to its low natural abundance and increasing demand, Tl is the fourth most expensive metal, thus, recovery and reuse could be a profitable endeavor. The hyperaccumulator Iberis intermedia was examined via in vivo micro-X-ray absorption near edge (μ-XANES) and micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) spectroscopies to determine the speciation and distribution of Tl within leaves of the plant. I. intermedia plants were cultivated under controlled conditions in 0, 10, and 20 mg Tl kg-1 soil leading to a shoot concentration of up to 13 430 mg Tl kg-1 dry weight plant mass during 10 weeks of growth. Live plant leaves were examined by μ-XANES and μ-XRF which determined aqueous Tl(I) to be the model species distributed primarily throughout the vascular network. A direct relationship of vein size to Tl concentration was observed. The high up...
Global information technology: A meta analysis of key issues

Recently, there has been an increasing number of studies and articles that have identified and ranked global information technology (IT) issues in various parts of the world. The objective of this article is to aggregate the results of these studies and explore the possibility of linkage of these key IT issues to environmental and organizational factors. An organizing framework for global IT issues is developed and one of the factors in the framework, the level of economic development of the country, is analyzed to observe its impact on the ranking of key IT issues. Cluster analysis on a sample of ranked IT issues from 16 different regions indicates a linkage between the level of economic development of a region and the ranking of various types of IT issues. The analysis provides stronger support for the three-way classification of regions into developed, developing, and under-developed rather than the more recent four-way classification of developed, newly industrialized, developing, and under-developed.
Surgical treatment for constipation in children and adults

Functional constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders. In both children and adults, most patients are managed conservatively with good results. In this review, we focus on the surgical approach to constipation. Patients who lack the capacity to consistently have voluntary bowel movements may need mechanical emptying of the colon through an enema program; for them, surgery to allow for antegrade enemas, (via the appendix or using a button device) is useful. Those patients with severe constipation not responsive to intense medical treatment may be candidates for other surgical interventions, such as resection of the dysfunctional colonic segment (rectosigmoid or whole colon), or plication, -pexy, and STARR techniques for evacuatory disorders secondary to obstructive anatomical features. Permanent stomas are an option of last resort.
Distribution of the residual sum of squares in fitting inequalities

SUMMARY Consider a model for n observations, Yi = ,ti + o'6i (i = 1, ..., n), where the 6i are n independent unit normal variables and the ,ui are restrained by p linear inequalities. The maximum-likelihood estimate of {1tij is {Yoi} minimizing (Y - Y0)2 subject to the linear inequalities; the computation of {Y0i} requires quadratic programming. This paper is concerned with the distribution of the residual sum of squares (Y - Y0)2, which it is natural to use for inference about oc2. Using the Kuhn-Tucker conditions, which the Yoi must satisfy, upper and lower bounds are obtained for the percentage points of S(Y - YO)2/o.2. The upper bound is 2(Y - Y0)2/o.2 -k which holds conditionally on exactly n-k independent linear inequalities being satisfied as equations by the Yoi. A direct lower bound u, n, n-k is given with (n-k) regarded as a random variable. A more satisfactory Bayesian lower bound lX2(n-k) (< Y-Y0,)2/o.2 holds if V. is a priori uniformly distributed over its possible values, and under restrictive conditions on the linear inequalities. This bound holds conditionally, given n - k. Some suggestions for further developments are given, and an application to paired comparisons considered.
Visual and Phonological Processing of Words: A Comparison of Good and Poor Readers

At the beginning of the school year, 80 first graders, half receiving phonics instruction and half receiving whole word instruction, were asked to spell, read aloud, and recognize 60 regular and exception words. A standardized reading test and phoneme segmentation test were also administered. Those above grade level in reading excelled in phonological recoding and application of grapheme-phoneme correspondence rules and were weaker in utilization of visual-orthographic knowledge. Those below grade level applied visual more than phonological coding and benefited from the visual-orthographic knowledge available in a clue word. Results support a continuum of visual and phonological analysis skills in first-grade reading consistent with Frith's (1985) logographic, alphabetic, and orthographic skill levels.
The Covert Moral Structure

We may detect through the study of the pervasiveness of the morality of a society the foundation upon which it rests. This what I have called elsewhere the implicit dominant ontology. The theory of reality of a society is what makes the society possible by holding together in a single comprehensive scheme all of its articles and endeavors, its persons, their beliefs, skills and techniques, and its artifacts, including languages and tools—everything as well as everybody contributing to the composition of the society. It is implicit because seldom recognized as such by the members of the society, it is dominant because it determines everything else in the society, and it is an ontology because that is the name for the theory of reality. Since the implicit dominant ontology determines everything else in a society it determines among other things the morality of the society.
Structure and properties of the fundamental elastic plate matrix

This work presents further development of the octet formalism established by the authors for the classical Kirchhoff anisotropic plate theory. The structure of the fundamental elastic plate matrix is fully explored and the explicit expression is provided. The matrices N 2 and -N 3 are proved to be positive semi-definite. Thus, H and L are positive definite. Further studies are concerned with a rotated coordinate system. The transform relation between the eigenvectors in the original and the rotated coordinate system is given. The fundamental elastic plate matrix associated with the eigenrelation referring to the dual coordinate systems, N(0), is studied. The major properties that hold in the Stroh sextic formalism for generalized plane strain problems are also valid in the octet formalism for thin plate bending problems. In particular, we generalize a property in Stroh's formalism for any non-semisimple matrix N(0). We show a new property in the octet formalism. The non-semisimple cases of N(0) are discussed. Finally, we make it transparent that the mixed/hybrid formalism of others is precisely one of sixteen permuted forms of the octet formalism.