cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating underpinning, complexity and implications of ethical situations in humanitarian operations: qualitative study through the lens of career humanitarian workers.

Introduction Data regarding underpinning and implications of ethical challenges faced by humanitarian workers and their organisations in humanitarian operations are limited. Methods We conducted comprehensive, semistructured interviews with 44 experienced humanitarian aid workers, from the field to headquarters, to evaluate and describe ethical conditions in humanitarian situations. Results 61% were female; average age was 41.8 years; 500 collective years of humanitarian experience (11.8 average) working with diverse major international non-governmental organisations. Important themes included; allocation schemes and integrity of the humanitarian industry, including resource allocation and fair access to and use of services; staff or organisational competencies and aid quality; humanitarian process and unintended consequences; corruption, diversion, complicity and competing interests, and intentions versus outcomes; professionalism and interpersonal and institutional responses; and exposure to extreme inequities and emotional and moral distress. Related concepts included broader industry context and allocations; decision-making, values, roles and sustainability; resource misuse at programme, government and international agency levels; aid effectiveness and utility versus futility, and negative consequences. Multiple contributing, confounding and contradictory factors were identified, including context complexity and multiple decision-making levels; limited input from beneficiaries of aid; different or competing social constructs, values or sociocultural differences; and shortcomings, impracticality, or competing philosophical theories or ethical frameworks. Conclusions Ethical situations are overarching and often present themselves outside the exclusive scope of moral reasoning, philosophical views, professional codes, ethical or legal frameworks, humanitarian principles or social constructivism. This study helped identify a common instinct to uphold fairness and justice as an underlying drive to maintain humanity through proximity, solidarity, transparency and accountability.
Managing the multifaceted nature of type 2 diabetes using once‐weekly injectable GLP‐1 receptor agonist therapy

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE As a highly prevalent chronic condition associated with complications and high mortality rates, it is important for pharmacists to have a comprehensive understanding of the impact of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and available treatment options. The use of injectable glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) is recommended as an effective and convenient treatment regimen for improving glycaemic control in individuals with T2D, with a good safety profile; however, the wider extent of its potential benefits often are unknown to clinical pharmacists. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the impact of T2D on individuals and to discuss the multifaceted role of once-weekly (QW) GLP-1 RAs in addressing these challenges. METHODS This is a narrative review of the published literature regarding the use of injectable GLP-1 RAs in managing health complications in people with T2D. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Recent findings reveal additional benefits of GLP-1 RAs in managing T2D complications, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. Dulaglutide and semaglutide have been shown to provide additional CV benefit in patients at high risk of CV events compared with standard of care/placebo and may offer renal protection in patients with chronic kidney disease. Cost-effectiveness studies, taking into consideration these different complications, have shown that QW GLP-1 RAs were cost-effective compared with other therapies. GLP-1 RAs may also help to improve overall health-related quality of life, reducing the risk of depression and 'diabetes distress', and limiting the risk of hypoglycaemia. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION From the literature, this appears to be the first review of the evidence supporting the multifaceted role of QW GLP-1 RAs in T2D, with particular emphasis on their use in comorbid conditions, as well as associated potential financial and well-being benefits. The results suggest that QW GLP-1 RAs may be an attractive treatment option for improving glycaemic control in T2D, especially in individuals with (or at risk of) additional comorbidities or health complications.
The Civil War after the Civil War: Conflict, Reconciliation and Locality in Russian Civil War Monuments, 1922–1941

The Civil War’s denouement into separate Bolshevik and White emigre memorial spaces meant that its monuments served to represent conflict between still-hostile sides, not promote reconciliation bet...
The braid group surjects onto G2 tensor space

Author(s): Morrison, Scott | Abstract: Let V be the 7-dimensional irreducible representation of the quantum group Uq(g2). For each n, there is a map from the braid group ℬn to the endomorphism algebra of the n-th tensor power of V, given by ℛ matrices. Extending linearly to the braid group algebra, we get a map AB_n --g End_{U_q(g_2)}(V^{\otimes n}).Lehrer and Zhang have proved that map is surjective, as a special case of a more general result.Using Kuperberg’s spider for G2, we give an elementary diagrammatic proof of this result.
Augmentation Cystoplasty: Fourth-Line Therapy for Refractory Idiopathic Overactive Bladder

Abstract Objective: Idiopathic overactive bladder (iOAB) refractory to conventional first-, second-, and third-line therapies is a challenging condition to manage. Fourth-line therapy, specifically...
Urine tungsten and chronic kidney disease in rural Colorado

Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a cause of global morbidity and mortality in agricultural communities. The San Luis Valley (SLV) is a rural agricultural community in southern Colorado with geographic and sociodemographic risk factors for CKD, including a water supply contaminated by heavy metals. Methods We obtained pre-existing sociodemographic, clinical, and urine trace metal data for 1659 subjects from the San Luis Valley Diabetes Study, a prospective cohort study. We assessed prospective associations between urine tungsten (W) and time-to-CKD using accelerated failure time models (n = 1659). Additionally, logistic models were used to assess relationships between urine W and renal injury markers (NGAL, KIM1) using Tobit regression (n = 816), as well as epidemiologically-defined CKD of unknown origin (CKDu) using multiple logistic regression (n = 620). Results Elevated urine W was strongly associated with decreased time-to-CKD, even after controlling for hypertension and diabetes. Depending on how CKD was defined, a doubling of urine W was associated with a 27% (95% CI 11%, 46%) to 31% (14%, 51%) higher odds of developing CKD within 5 years. The relationship between urine W and select renal injury markers was not significant, although urine NGAL was modified by diabetes status. Elevated (>95%ile) urinary W was significantly associated with CKDu (OR 5.93, 1.83, 19.21) while adjusting for known CKD risk factors. Conclusions Our data suggest that increased exposure to W is associated with decreased time-to-CKD and may be associated with CKDu. Given persistence of associations after controlling for diabetes and hypertension, W may exert a primary effect on the kidney, although this needs to be evaluated further in future studies.
Designing and Implementing a Virtual Anatomic Pathology Elective During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed conventional undergraduate medical education, converting previously in-person clerkships into virtual experiences. In order to allow students to gain exposure to t...
MIRDcell v3.01 Predicts Response of Nonuniform Distribution of Ac-225 labeled Nanocarriers in Multicellular Tumor Spheroids

1576 Introduction: The MIRD Schema can be used to calculate the absorbed dose to tissues from radiopharmaceuticals. MIRDcell v2.17, software released by the MIRD Committee in 2014, implements the Schema to calculate absorbed doses and surviving fractions of cells in multicellular clusters that are labeled with radiopharmaceuticals. The accuracy of the biologic responses predicted with MIRDcell hinges in part on the distribution of cellular activity and corresponding distribution of cellular absorbed dose. In this work, we use experimentally measured activity distributions and a new version (v3.01) of MIRDcell to predict response of ~ 400 micro-meter diameter tumor spheroids to Ac-225 labeled liposome nanocarriers. Predictions are compared with experimental outcomes. Materials and Methods: The experimental data for the spheroids analyzed in this study was provided by the Sofou lab (published and unpublished). The liposomes were prepared with a releasing (R+) and a nonreleasing (R−) membrane, and an adhesion (A+) or no adhesion property (A-) to increase the exposure times of the tumor cells to the delivered therapeutics. Spheroids were treated with 0 or 9.25 kBq/mL of 225Ac-labeled nanocarrriers with the properties: R−A−, R−A+,R+A−, and R+A+. Following the end time at day 20, spheroids were plated for growth. Once the untreated condition reached confluency, the percent outgrowth was calculated as the number of cells counted for each treatment normalized by the number of cells of the untreated condition. The concentration of the nanocarriers as a function of radial position was measured at several times during the uptake and clearance phases. The time-integrated activity per cell was determined as a function of radial position and was estimated using a weighted fit, non-weighted fit and a hybrid of a trapezoidal and an exponential fit to the clearance data beyond the last data point, to uptake and clearance data. This time integrated activity per cell as a function of radial position was used as input data by MIRDcell v3.01, along with the estimated mean activity per cell, and the absorbed dose was calculated for each cell. The surviving fraction of cells in the spheroid was then simulated by MIRDcell for each nanocarrier. Results: The uptake and clearance of the nanocarriers were best represented by the hybrid fit. Preliminary results of the MIRDcell-predicted surviving fraction for the drugs R+A+ and R−A− are in good agreement with the experimental fractional outgrowths. The results for R-A+ are within reason, however those for R+A- are in poor agreement. Conclusions: This preliminary work demonstrated the ability of the software tool MIRDcell to predict the outgrowth of tumor cell clusters treated with Ac-225 nanocarriers with satisfactory accuracy in most cases. Further work is needed to improve the predictive accuracy. Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the contribution from all group members of the Sofou lab. This work was supported by the NIH grant number 1R01CA198073 and 1R01CA245139.
Machine learning and quantum computing for reactive turbulence modeling and simulation

Abstract A perspective is given on some prospects of machine learning and quantum computing for modeling and simulation of turbulent reactive flows. This perspective is a more comprehensive and extended form of the 13th Elsevier Distinguished Lecture in Mechanics delivered by the author.
Social media as a modern Emergency Broadcast System: A longitudinal qualitative study of social media during COVID-19 and its impacts on social connection and social distancing compliance

In the wake of COVID-19 social distancing recommendations, social media assumed a central - if unofficial - role in ensuring that individuals remained informed and connected throughout the pandemic. Yet while research shows that social media can be an effective platform for connecting individuals socially and fostering social support exchanges, both the platforms themselves as well as the support exchanged therein have been mired in considerable controversies regarding their use as a tool for positive social engagement. The goal of this study is to qualitatively evaluate longitudinal changes to social media engagement during social distancing recommendations and orders to shelter-in-place. To do this, we collected longitudinal, qualitative survey data from a group of adults over the eight weeks during which most states had issued orders to shelter-in-place. We analyze data for evidence of social connection, stress reduction, and support exchange, and evaluate the impact of online social ties on staying informed and on compliance with CDC recommendations and shelter-in-place orders. Results showed a clear longitudinal evolution of users’ online social engagement. Early use was characterized by agentic purposeful engagement, information sharing, and community resource mobilization. However, over time these patterns gave way to more passive use characterized by listlessness, contentiousness and misinformation as the pandemic wore on in weeks. As social media comes to occupy an increasingly important role in the exchange of information (and misinformation) this study has important implications for the health of users and the role of social media in future disasters, including how social media impacts both stress and health related behaviors.
Bioengineering Strategies To Develop Podocyte Culture Systems.

Unraveling the complex behavior of healthy and disease podocytes by analyzing the changes in their unique arrangement of foot processes, slit diaphragm and the 3D morphology is a long-standing goal in kidney-glomerular research. The complexities surrounding the podocytes' accessibility in animal models and growing evidence of differences between humans and animal systems have compelled researchers to look for alternate approaches to study podocyte behaviors. With the advent of bioengineered models, an increasingly powerful and diverse set of tools is available to develop novel podocyte culture systems. This review discusses the pertinence of various culture models of podocytes to study podocyte mechanisms in both normal physiology and disease conditions. While no one in vitro system comprehensively recapitulates podocytes' in vivo architecture, we emphasize how the existing systems can be exploited to answer targeted questions on podocyte structure and function. We highlight the distinct advantages and limitations of using these models to study podocyte behaviors and screen therapeutics. Finally, we discuss various considerations and potential engineering strategies for developing next-generation complex 3D culture models for studying podocyte behaviors in vitro.
Frozen phonon calculations for the L(2/3,2/3,2/3) phonon of niobium and molybdenum

Publisher Summary Materials with high superconducting transition temperatures frequently exhibit anomalous features in their phonon dispersion curves. The origin of those anomalies and their significance for superconductivity are discussed in this chapter. Two seemingly different models are proposed to explain these anomalies in terms of the electron–phonon interaction. The first model focuses on real space charge-density distortions (CDDs), while the second model emphasizes the states in reciprocal space near the Fermi energy. To test the assumptions in the two models and to better understand the details of the electronic response to lattice vibrations in transition metals, self-consistent frozen phonon calculations are performed for the q=(2/3,2/3,2/3) phonon in Nb and Mo. The chapter also presents initial results for the CDDs associated with that phonon and discusses the differences between Nb and Mo. It discusses how phenomenological models are generalized to include CDDs. Models that are based on microscopic theory emphasize electronic screening by localized orbitals. Those orbitals indicate that the dip arises from monopolar charge fluctuations.
An infinite family of manifolds with bounded total curvature

The negative answer to the following problem of V. I. Arnold is given: Is the number of topologically different k-manifolds of bounded total curvature finite?
Dokumentation von beschrifteten altsüdarabischen Antiken

The inscriptions incised on a number of Ancient South Arabian plaques and pedestals of stelae and statues, originated from the Republic of Yemen, were analyzed, commented and translated.
Chloromethylation of Aromatic Compounds

The replacement of a hydrogen atom by a chloromethyl group in a single operation has come to be known as chloromethylation. The process is illustrated by its earliest example, a synthesis of benzyl chloride carried out by Grassi and Maselli. This chapter is limited to nuclear chloromethylation of aromatic compounds. Typical procedures are given and an attempt is made to indicate the scope and limitations of the reaction. Keywords: chloromethylation; benzene; xylene; triisopropylbenzene; naphthalene; nitrophenol; acetomesitylene; scope; limitations; related reactions
Certainties and Uncertainties in Long-Lived Chronometers

Evidence is provided for the confirmation of the long-held suspicion that 232Th/238U is not a very long-lived chronometric pair. It is argued, however, that it nevertheless provides a firm lower limit to the age of the Galaxy, It is also shown that 187Re/187Os is a very long-lived chronometric pair; thus, the Re/Os pair gives an upper limit to TGal, the Galaxy’s age. From current data, our limits give a model independent range for TGal of 6.4 Gyr ≲ TGal ≲ 22.6 Gyr with a best fit model of TGal≲15 Gyr. Any conclusions about needing a cosmological constant to fit age constraints are thus very model dependent. A discussion of the current uncertainties in the input parameters is also presented.
Setting the World Right

A U T H 0 R. Dean and Gerard C. & Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, Yale Law School; Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 1998-2001. This Essay derives from remarks delivered at T'he Yale LawJournal's 2006 Symposium on Executive Power; the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Law Institute; and the Yale Law School American Constitution Society 2005 Conference on "The Constitution in 2020"; and my remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 11, 2006. I should disclose that I served as Counsel of Record for Amici Curiae Madeleine K. Albright and 21 Former Senior U.S. Diplomats in Support of Petitioner Salim Ahmed Hamdan in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. I was also a member of the ABA Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine, referenced at note 76. I am grateful to Kate Desormeau and Judy Coleman of Yale Law School for outstanding research assistance.
Mixed signal BIST: fact or fiction

Is mixed-signal BIST a viable, general-purpose test solution? Many of today's SoC devices embed complex analog and mixed-signal cores, and some in the industry have seen mixed-signal BIST as one of the most promising potential solutions. Nonetheless, mixed-signal BIST is far from a general-purpose solution and will remain an ad-hoc solution in the foreseeable future. But because of increasing demands on mixed-signal core testing and the drive to lower the cost of test, the use of mixed-signal BIST will grow, both as an alternative and supplement to traditional mixed signal test methods.
Adolescent substance abuse treatment in the United States: exemplary models from a national evaluation study.

Text delivers detailed descriptions of exemplary drug treatment programs for adolescent substance abuse. Covers outpatient, residential, family-oriented, and therapeutic community programs. Addresses the trends in adolescent substance use and various treatment approaches.
Methylation‐Specific PCR

DNA methylation is a dynamic covalent modification of DNA that is found in transcriptionally repressed regions of the genome. In concert with other epigenetic modifications, such as the repressive histone H3 modifications of lysine 9 and lysine 27 methylation, DNA methylation acts to repress gene expression through the formation of condensed chromatin structures. Thus, DNA methylation is a marker for gene repression. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) is a rapid and inexpensive method that can be used to determine the methylation status of DNA. MSP can be used to assess CpG methylation at imprinted genes and on the inactive X chromosome. In addition, MSP can be used to investigate the aberrant DNA methylation that occurs in diseases such as fragile X syndrome and in many types of cancers. MSP is rapid, inexpensive, and relatively simple to perform and provides a powerful tool to investigate these epigenetic processes.
Properties and subcellular localization of myocardial fatty acyl-coenzyme A oxidase

The properties and subcellular localization of fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (FAO) were studied in rat heart homogenates. After differential centrifugation, FAO was sedimentable and enriched in a "light-mitochondrial" fraction. FAO had a pH optimum of 8-9. Among straight-chain, saturated fatty acyl-CoAs, the enzyme showed a marked preference for medium chain substrates (C12 greater than C10 = C8 greater than C16 = C14 greater than C6) over a concentration range up to 100 microM. No activity was observed with C4-CoA. The apparent Michaelis constant (Km) for C12-CoA was 5-10 microM. After removal of nuclei by low-speed centrifugation, combined subcellular particle preparations were obtained by high-speed centrifugation and layered on linear density gradients of metrizamide. After density equilibration, FAO showed a symmetric distribution centered at p = 1.16-1.18, like that of the enzyme catalase, a marker for microperoxisomes. In contrast, enzyme markers for mitochondria, lysosomes, sarcolemma, and sarcoplasmic reticulum were recovered in low-density regions of the gradient. These results provide a direct demonstration of fatty acyl-CoA oxidase in cardiac tissue and its association with microperoxisomes.
Analysis of the mode-specific excited-state energy distribution and wavelength-dependent photoreaction quantum yield in rhodopsin.

The photoreaction quantum yield of rhodopsin is wavelength dependent: phi(lambda) is reduced by up to 5% at wavelengths to the red of 500 nm but is invariant (phi = 0.65 +/- 0.01) between 450 and 500 nm (Kim et al., 2001). To understand this nonstatistical internal conversion process, these results are compared with predictions of a Landau-Zener model for dynamic curve crossing. The initial distribution of excess photon energy in the 28 Franck-Condon active vibrational modes of rhodopsin is defined by a fully thermalized sum-over-states vibronic calculation. This calculation reveals that absorption by high-frequency unreactive modes (e.g., C[double bond]C stretches) increases as the excitation wavelength is shifted from 570 to 450 nm whereas relatively less energy is deposited into reactive low-frequency modes. This result qualitatively explains the experimentally observed wavelength dependence of phi(lambda) for rhodopsin and reveals the importance of delocalized, torsional modes in the reactive pathway.
Characterization of the Active Intermediate of a GroEL–GroES-Mediated Protein Folding Reaction

Abstract Recent studies of GroE-mediated protein folding indicate that substrate proteins are productively released from a cis ternary complex in which the nonnative substrate is sequestered within the GroEL channel underneath GroES. Here, we examine whether protein folding can occur in this space. Stopped-flow fluorescence anisotropy of a pyrene–rhodanese–GroEL complex indicates that addition of GroES and ATP (but not ADP) leads to a rapid change in substrate flexibility at GroEL. Strikingly, when GroES release is blocked by the use of either a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog or a single-ring GroEL mutant, substrates complete folding while remaining associated with chaperonin. We conclude that the cis ternary complex, in the presence of ATP, is the active state intermediate in the GroE-mediated folding reaction: folding is initiated in this state and for some substrates may be completed prior to the timed release of GroES triggered by ATP hydrolysis.
Organic electronics based pressure sensor towards intracranial pressure monitoring

The intra-cranial space, which houses the brain, contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that acts as a fluid suspension medium for the brain. The CSF is always in circulation, is secreted in the cranium and is drained out through ducts called epidural veins. The venous drainage system has inherent resistance to the flow. Pressure is developed inside the cranium, which is similar to a rigid compartment. Normally a pressure of 5-15 mm Hg, in excess of atmospheric pressure, is observed at different locations inside the cranium. Increase in Intra-Cranial Pressure (ICP) can be caused by change in CSF volume caused by cerebral tumors, meningitis, by edema of a head injury or diseases related to cerebral atrophy. Hence, efficient ways of monitoring ICP need to be developed. A sensor system and monitoring scheme has been discussed here. The system architecture consists of a membrane less piezoelectric pressure sensitive element, organic thin film transistor (OTFT) based signal transduction, and signal telemetry. The components were fabricated on flexible substrate and have been assembled using flip-chip packaging technology. Material science and fabrication processes, subjective to the device performance, have been discussed. Capability of the device in detecting pressure variation, within the ICP pressure range, is investigated and applicability of measurement scheme to medical conditions has been argued for. Also, applications of such a sensor-OTFT assembly for logic sensor switching and patient specific-secure monitoring system have been discussed.
Release of N2,3-ethenoguanine from chloroacetaldehyde-treated DNA by Escherichia coli 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II.

Abstract The human carcinogen vinyl chloride is metabolized in the liver to reactive intermediates which form N2,3-ethenoguanine in DNA. N2,3-Ethenoguanine is known to cause G----A transitions during DNA replication in Escherichia coli, and its formation may be a carcinogenic event in higher organisms. To investigate the repair of N2,3-ethenoguanine, we have prepared an N2,3-etheno[14C]guanine-containing DNA substrate by nick-translating DNA with [14C]dGTP and modifying the product with chloroacetaldehyde. E. coli 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II, purified from cells which carry the plasmid pYN1000, releases N2,3-ethenoguanine from chloroacetaldehyde-modified DNA in a protein- and time-dependent manner. This finding widens the known substrate specificity of glycosylase II to include a modified base which may be associated with the carcinogenic process. Similar enzymatic activity in eukaryotic cell might protect them from exposure to metabolites of vinyl chloride.
On the Use of Accelerated Test Methods for Screening High Temperature Polymeric Composite Materials

A rational approach to the problem of accelerated testing of high temperature polymeric composites is discussed. The methods provided are considered tools useful in the screening of new materials systems for long-term application to extreme environments that include elevated temperature, moisture, oxygen, and mechanical load. The need for reproducible mechanisms, indicator properties, and real-time data are outlined as well as the methodologies for specific aging mechanisms.
Lead poisoning and reproduction: effects on pituitary and serum gonadotropins in neonatal rats.

Abstract In order to investigate the effects of neonatal lead poisoning on pituitary gonadotropic function, newborn rats were given daily doses of lead (25, 100, and 200 mg/kg) by gastric gavage. Control rats were given deionized water. Groups of animals were sacrificed at 10, 15, and 20 days of age and serum and pituitary levels of the gonadotropins follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as pituitary contents of luteninizing hormone (LH) were determined by radioimmunoassay. Lead concentrations in blood, bone, brain, and pituitary tissues of similarly treated 15-day-old rats were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Lead content in bone (femur) and brain showed dose-dependent elevations throughout the dose range; in blood, it reached a plateau of about 1000 μg% already at the dose of 100 mg/kg/day. Lead remained at undetectable levels (
Fusion of hyperspectral and ladar data for autonomous target detection

Robust fusion of data from disparate sensor modalities can provide improved target detection performance over those attainable with the individual sensors. In particular, detection of low-radiance manmade objects or objects under shadow obscuration in hyperspectral imagery (HSI) with acceptable false alarm rates has proven especially challenging. We have developed a fusion algorithm for the enhanced detection of difficult targets when the HSI data is simultaneously collected with LADAR data. Initial detections are obtained by applying a sub-space RX (SSRX) algorithm to the HSI data. In parallel, LADAR-derived digital elevation map (DEM) is segmented and coordinates of objects within a specific elevation range and size are returned to the HSI processor for their spectral signature extraction. Each extracted signature that has not been already detected by SSRX is used in secondary HSI detection employing the adaptive cosine estimator (ACE) algorithm. We show that spatial distribution of ACE score allows for confident discrimination between background elevations and manmade objects. Key to cross-characterization of the data is the accurate co-alignment of the image data. We have also developed an algorithm for automatic co-registration of ladar and HSI imagery, based on the maximization of mutual information, which can provide accurate, sub-pixel registration even if the case when the imaging geometries for the two sensors differ. Details of both algorithms will be presented and results from application to field data will be discussed.
Results of U.S. randomized clinical trial of cryotherapy for ROP (CRYO-ROP).

Twenty-three centers collaborated in this prospectively designed study involving infants born weighing less than 1251 grams. Patients examinations began 4 to 6 weeks from birth. For entry into the study, two investigators had to agree that an eye had developed stage 3 ROP involving a threshold number of at least 5 contiguous or 8 total clock hour sectors of zone 1 or 2, and 'plus' disease to a degree specified by a standard photograph. Cryotherapy was lightly applied to the avascular zone between the ridge of ROP and the ora serrata, in an average of about 50 separate spots. Outcome was determined 3 and 12 months following randomization, by means of masked readings of fundus photographs. Preliminary results were published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, Vol. 106, pp. 471-479, 1988. In these results from 172 of the 291 study patients, 43.0% of the control eyes had an adverse outcome (defined as retinal detachment, macular fold, or retrolental mass), as compared to 21.8% adverse outcome for eyes that received cryotherapy.
Design and Analysis of Simulated Consumer Choice or Allocation Experiments: An Approach Based on Aggregate Data:

The authors integrate concepts in conjoint analysis and discrete choice theory in econometrics to develop a new approach to the design and analysis of controlled consumer choice or resource allocat...
Comments on 'Measurement of the absorption coefficients for the He-Ne laser radiation in a pure hydrogen plasma'

In a recent publication in this journal, Oke described an experiment designed to measure the total absorption coefficients for 0.6328- and 1.15-μm He−Ne laser radiation in a hydrogen plasma. It is the purpose of the present note to indicate some errors in the publication which invalidate the conclusions drawn by the author.
Electrochemical detection of lesions in DNA.

Electrochemical DNA-based sensors that exploit the inherent sensitivity of DNA-mediated charge transport (CT) to base pair stacking perturbations are capable of detecting base pair mismatches and some common base damage products. Here, using DNA-modified gold electrodes, monitoring the electrocatalytic reduction of DNA-bound methylene blue, we examine a wide range of base analogues and DNA damage products. Among those detected are base damage products O4-methyl-thymine, O6-methyl-guanine, 8-oxo-guanine, and 5-hydroxy-cytosine, as well as a therapeutic base, nebularine. The efficiency of DNA-mediated CT is found not to depend on the thermodynamic stability of the helix. However, general trends in how base modifications affect CT efficiency are apparent. Modifications to the hydrogen bonding interface in Watson−Crick base pairs yields a substantial loss in CT efficiency, as does added steric bulk. Base structure modifications that may induce base conformational changes also appear to attenuate CT in DNA as do those that bury hydrophilic groups within the DNA helix. Addition and subtraction of methyl groups that do not disrupt hydrogen bonding interactions do not have a large effect on CT efficiency. This sensitive detection methodology based upon DNA-mediated CT may have utility in diagnostic applications and implicates DNA-mediated CT as a possible damage detection mechanism for DNA repair enzymes.
Legalization Programs and the Integration of Unauthorized Immigrants: A Comparison of S. 744 and IRCA:

Experiences under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) may prove to be a poor guide for understanding how smoothly today's unauthorized immigrants will integrate into the economy u...
Nitric oxide and the cerebral circulation.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent vasodilator that was initially described as the mediator of endothelium-dependent relaxation (endothelium-derived relaxing factor, EDRF). It is now known that NO is produced by a variety of other cell types.Endothelium produces NO (EDRF) under basal conditions and in response to a variety of vasoactive stimuli in large cerebral arteries and the cerebral microcirculation. Endothelium-dependent relaxation is impaired in the presence of several pathophysiological conditions. This impairment may contribute to cerebral ischemia or stroke. Activation of glutamate receptors appears to be a major stimulus for production of NO by neurons. Neuronally derived NO may mediate local increases in cerebral blood flow during increases in cerebral metabolism. NO synthase-containing neurons also innervate large cerebral arteries and cerebral arterioles on the brain surface. Activation of parasympathetic fibers that innervate cerebral vessels produces NO-dependent increases in cerebral blood flo...
Chronic gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) treatment: a potential model of dopamine hypoactivity.

Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) is a general depressant of the central nervous system which has proved to be a useful tool for studying the dopamine system. Administration of GBL to rats produces an acute blockade of impulse flow in the nigro-neostriatal dopaminergic pathway, in effect causing a reversible pharmacological lesion of this pathway. In this study the effects of chronic treatment of rats with GBL were examined. After 1 month of chronic treatment, the average firing rates of A9 dopamine cells were significantly depressed below those of control rats. Striatal dihtdroxyphenylacetic acid levels were also depressed, while striatal dopamine levels and in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase activity (measured by dopa accumulation after inhibition of dopa decarboxylase) were at control values.
Ankyrin-Tiam1 interaction promotes Rac1 signaling and metastatic breast tumor cell invasion and migration.

Tiam1 (T-lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1) is one of the known guanine nucleotide (GDP/GTP) exchange factors (GEFs) for Rho GTPases (e.g., Rac1) and is expressed in breast tumor cells (e.g., SP-1 cell line). Immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analyses indicate that Tiam1 and the cytoskeletal protein, ankyrin, are physically associated as a complex in vivo. In particular, the ankyrin repeat domain (ARD) of ankyrin is responsible for Tiam1 binding. Biochemical studies and deletion mutation analyses indicate that the 11-amino acid sequence between amino acids 717 and 727 of Tiam1 ((717)GEGTDAVKRS(727)L) is the ankyrin-binding domain. Most importantly, ankyrin binding to Tiam1 activates GDP/GTP exchange on Rho GTPases (e.g., Rac1). Using an Escherichia coli-derived calmodulin-binding peptide (CBP)-tagged recombinant Tiam1 (amino acids 393-728) fragment that contains the ankyrin-binding domain, we have detected a specific binding interaction between the Tiam1 (amino acids 393-738) fragment and ankyrin in vitro. This Tiam1 fragment also acts as a potent competitive inhibitor for Tiam1 binding to ankyrin. Transfection of SP-1 cell with Tiam1 cDNAs stimulates all of the following: (1) Tiam1-ankyrin association in the membrane projection; (2) Rac1 activation; and (3) breast tumor cell invasion and migration. Cotransfection of SP1 cells with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Tiam1 fragment cDNA and Tiam1 cDNA effectively blocks Tiam1-ankyrin colocalization in the cell membrane, and inhibits GDP/GTP exchange on Rac1 by ankyrin-associated Tiam1 and tumor-specific phenotypes. These findings suggest that ankyrin-Tiam1 interaction plays a pivotal role in regulating Rac1 signaling and cytoskeleton function required for oncogenic signaling and metastatic breast tumor cell progression.
FRENCH LIBERALISM’S “INDIAN DETOUR”: LOUIS DUMONT, THE INDIVIDUAL, AND LIBERAL POLITICAL THOUGHT IN POST-1968 FRANCE

Liberalism in France has typically been concerned with political, rather than economic, issues. Its classic texts—those of Constant, Guizot, and Tocqueville—were written in the aftermath of the Revolution, and reflected on the historical and political problems that grew out of it: the nature of the modern state, the rights and duties of the individual, and the nexus of institutions that mediated their relationship. These writings defined the contours of modern French liberalism, and became a key resource for thinkers in the late 1970s, notably Pierre Rosanvallon and Marcel Gauchet, who were looking for ways to revitalize the liberal-democratic project. In his 1985 study of Guizot, Rosanvallon could regret that “the question of liberalism in French political culture of the nineteenth century is ‘missing’ in contemporary thought.”1 If the task of political theory was to recover this intellectual tradition, what were the terms of the recovery? Which ideas were missing from the conceptual landscape of the 1970s to inspire it?
Heterogenous void nucleation in irradiated materials

The variables associated with heterogeneous nucleation of voids on second phase precipitate surfaces are considered and these variables are incorporated into a theory applicable to irradiated materials.
Characterization and optimization of high-power InGaAs/InP photodiodes

The performance of 34-μm-diameter InGaAs/InP charge compensated modified uni-traveling carrier photodiodes (CC MUTCs) is studied using a commercial device simulator based on a drift-diffusion model. Excellent agreement has been achieved between simulations and experiments. The origin of the degradation of responsivity at high optical injection level is investigated. Parameters of the photodiode are further optimized to maximize the saturation current without sacrificing bandwidth and responsivity.
Effect of nebulizer type and antibiotic concentration on device performance.

We compared the performance of selected ultrasonic and jet nebulizers when aerosolizing several antibiotic formulations to determine optimum combinations for delivery of a respirable antibiotic aerosol. Three ultrasonic devices were tested: the UltraNeb 99/100®, the UltraAIR® and the Aerosonic®. The reusable jet nebulizers were the Dura ProNeb®, Pari-LL® and the Sidestream®. The six disposable jet nebulizers were Marquest Acorn II®, Hudson T Updraft® II, Baxter MistyNeb®, Pari-LC®, Pari IS-2®, and a disposable Sidestream®. Each jet was tested with four compressors: a DeVilbiss AP-50®, a Pulmo-Aide®, a DuraNeb® and a PariMaster®. All nebulizing systems were initially tested with normal saline. From the initial data, six jet nebulizers and one ultrasonic device were tested with varying concentrations of tobramycin, gentamicin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin and colistin. Output was assessed by measuring volume (milliliters per minute), and amount of drug (milligrams per minute) nebulized. We then measured mean particle size of the antibiotic aerosol with seven jet nebulizers and two different compressors, Pulmo-Aide® and PariMaster®, and two ultrasonic devices. The rate of nebulization of saline and antibiotic solutions (milliliters per minute) was greater with the ultrasonic device(s) than all jet nebulizer systems tested. Increasing the reservoir antibiotic concentration increased the drug output (milligrams per minute) with the jet nebulizers to a maximum, followed by decreasing output. When antibiotic concentrations were increased the output decreased more precipitously with the ultrasonic devices than with the jet nebulizers. At the highest antibiotic concentrations tested, the ultrasonic devices had the lowest output. Particle size distribution was most dependent on the specific jet device, with particle size distribution less affected by a specific antibiotic or its concentration. Higher reservoir concentrations can be utilized for increasing output of respirable antibiotic aerosols by jet nebulizers. We conclude that antibiotic output is dependent upon both the nebulizing system and the reservoir concentration of antibiotic. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1997; 23:249–260. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Phenylethanolamine-N-Methyl transferase may control methionine demethylation

Abstract Rats fed diets which contained 15% of casein and 0.620% of methionine with 0.0002, 0.02 and 0.42% of dietary inorganic sulfate had a dietary sulfate-related change in methionine metabolism. Rats fed the diets low in sulfate (0.0002%) had a 35% increase in methionine metabolism compared to rats fed the diets high in sulfate (0.42%). In contrast, rats fed the diet low in sulfate (0.0002%) had the lowest level of tissue S-adenosyl-methionine and the highest activity of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase activity. Those animals fed the diet normal with respect to sulfate (0.02%) had intermediate levels of S-adenosylmethionine and phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase activity. Rats fed the diet high in sulfate (0.42%) had the highest level of tissue S-adenosyl-methionine and the lowest phenylethanol-amine-N-methyl transferase activity. Due to the inverse relationship between S-adenosylmethionine and phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase activity, it appears that the catecholamines may function as a methyl sink for the increase in the metabolism of methionine required to provide sulfate for rats fed diets low in sulfate.
Optimization of the Energy-Storage Inductors for DC-to-DC Converters

Three sets of design graphs and equations are developed to facilitate design of the energy-storage inductors for dc-to-dc converters. Using the design graphs, a quick estimate of the inductor minimum weight, the transistor peak current, and the inductor power loss can be obtained. Tradeoff studies can be conveniently conducted using these graphs. The effects of duty cycle controllers, constant frequency and constant tON, on the optimal selection of the energystorage inductors are assessed.
Common problems with statistical aspects of periodontal research papers.

Enormous advances have been made over the past decade concerning the proper use of statistical techniques in reporting periodontal research. However, numerous articles still appear which use inappropriate or less than optimal statistical methods. This paper describes the most common problems encountered in a recent review of the literature, and presents suggestions which will hopefully improve the quality of statistical information reported in future research articles. J Periodontol 1990;61:206–208.
Inflammation as a mediator of the relationship between cortical thickness and metabolic syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), the clustering of obesity, high blood pressure, and disordered glucose and lipid/lipoprotein metabolism within a single individual, is associated with poorer cognitive function. It has been hypothesized that cognitive impairment in MetS occurs primarily within the context of inflammation. MetS risk factors are also associated with thinning of the cerebral cortex. However, the mechanisms by which MetS and inflammation affect the brain are poorly understood. The present study used statistical mediation to examine the relationship between MetS risk factors, cortical thickness in a priori regions of interest (ROIs) and inflammation. ROIs were chosen from the previous literature. Forty-three adults between the ages of 40 and 60 years underwent a health screen, neuropsychological testing and structural magnetic resonance imaging. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory markers (interleukin 1, interleukin 2, interleukin 6 and C-Reactive Protein) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. A higher number of MetS risk factors were associated with thinning in the inferior frontal ROI (β = −0.35, p = 0.019) as well as higher levels of serum interleukin 2 (β = 0.31, p = 0.04). A higher level of serum interleukin 2 was also associated with reduced thickness in the inferior frontal gyrus (β = −0.41, p = 0.013). After accounting for the effects of interleukin 2, the number of MetS risk factors was no longer associated with cortical thickness in the inferior frontal gyrus indicating successful statistical mediation. The results indicate a potentially important role for inflammation in linking MetS to cortical thinning and cognitive vulnerability.
Photonic crystal disk lasers

A novel type of nanolasers, which combines the advantages of photonic crystal lasers and microdisk lasers, has been demonstrated based on InAlGaAs/InGaAs quantum wells using pulsed optical pumping at room temperature. It incorporates the properties of small footprint, small mode volume, and submilliwatt threshold, and favors vertical emission. We believe that this type of laser acts as a promising candidate for highly-integrated on-chip nanolasers in applications for signal processing and index sensing.
Mildred codding: An interview with Cushing's medical artist

Mildred Codding was Dr. Harvey Cushing's medical illustrator and was closely involved with many of his original articles and books. From a recent interview with her we gained many insights into life as a medical artist for the father of modern neurosurgery, both in and outside of the operating room. The artistic drawing techniques of Miss Codding and Dr. Cushing are compared.
A comparison of the psychological characteristics of male and female able-bodied and wheelchair athletes

The purpose of this study was to compare selected psychological characteristics between male and female able-bodied and wheelchair athletes. All subjects completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Morgan (1980) has reported that based on the POMS elite able-bodied male and female athletes possess superior mental and emotional health compared to the general population. Based on this investigation, this result can now be extended to male and female wheelchair athletes.
Item Placement and Wording Effects on Overall Ratings.

The purpose of the studies was to investigate the influence of the placement and wording (either positively or negatively) of rating scale items on students' overall course and instructor ratings. In both studies six evaluation forms were administered wherein 0, 10 or 20 of 30 scale items were negatively worded and presented either before or after overall ratings were assigned by students. In study one, the six forms were randomly administered to students enrolled in a single course taught by one instructor. In study two, the six forms were randomly administered in 14 course sections taught by 7 instructors. Results of both studies indicated that the overall ratings of the course and instructor were not significantly effected by the positive or negative wording of the scale items. The placement of the scale items after rather than before overall ratings were assigned, however, lowered the global assessments of the course in study one but not in study two.