cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and significance of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in patients with premature ventricular contractions and heart failure treated with vasodilator therapy

Abstract Objectives. This study sought to determine the prevalence and significance of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) in patients with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and heart failure treated with vasodilator therapy. Background. Heart failure patients with ventricular arrhythmia and NSVT have a significantly increased risk of premature cardiac death. Recently there has been the question of whether these arrhythmias are expressions of a severely compromised ventricle or are they independent risk factors. We, therefore, determined the prevalence and significance of NSVT in patients with PVCs and heart failure and on vasodilator therapy. Methods. Twenty-four hour ambulatory recordings were done at randomization, at 2 weeks, at months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 and then every 6 months in 674 patients with heart failure and on vasodilator therapy. The median period of follow-up was 45 months (range 0 to 54). Results. Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia was present in 80% of all patients. Patients without (group 1) and with (group 2) NSVT were balanced for variables: age, etiology of heart disease, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, use of amiodarone and diuretics and left ventricular diameter by echocardiogram. However, group 1 patients had significantly less beta-adrenergic blocking agent use and higher ejection fraction (EF) (p Conclusions. Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia is frequently seen in patients with heart failure and may be associated with worsened survival by univariate analysis. However, after adjusting other variables, especially for EF, NSVT was not an independent predictor of all-cause mortality or sudden death. These results have serious implications in that suppression of these arrhythmias may not improve survival.
Cardiovascular risks and brain function: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of executive function in older adults

Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are associated with cognitive impairment and risk of dementia in older adults. However, the mechanisms linking them are not clear. This study aims to investigate the association between aggregate CV risk, assessed by the Framingham general cardiovascular risk profile, and functional brain activation in a group of community-dwelling older adults. Sixty participants (mean age: 64.6 years) from the Brain Health Study, a nested study of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging using the Flanker task. We found that participants with higher CV risk had greater task-related activation in the left inferior parietal region, and this increased activation was associated with poorer task performance. Our results provide insights into the neural systems underlying the relationship between CV risk and executive function. Increased activation of the inferior parietal region may offer a pathway through which CV risk increases risk for cognitive impairment.
Clinical manifestations of appendiceal pinworms in children: an institutional experience and a review of the literature

The association of Enterobius vermicularis infestation with acute appendicitis varies from 0.2-41.8% worldwide. Our purpose was to determine the significance of Enterobius-associated appendicitis by retrospective review of appendectomies performed during a 5-year period at a major children's hospital. The Surgical Pathology database at Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, was reviewed for appendiceal specimens found to have Enterobius infestation. Corresponding patient charts were evaluated for age, gender, presenting symptoms, laboratory data, operative findings, and clinical course. Of the 1,549 appendectomies performed from January 1998 through January 2003, 21 specimens (1.4%) were found to contain Enterobius vermicularis. Fifteen of the appendectomies were performed for symptoms of acute appendicitis; the remaining six were incidental appendectomies in conjunction with other operations. The mean age was 8.9 years. Ten patients were male; 11 were female. Of the 15 symptomatic children, nine presented with fever >99.0 degrees F, and 11 had a WBC count >10,000. Intra-operative appearance of the appendix ranged from normal to perforation. Pathologic evaluation showed neutrophil or eosinophil infiltration in 15 of the 21 specimens. Enterobius infestation is an uncommon cause of acute appendicitis in children in the United States. It may be associated with acute appendicitis, "chronic appendicitis," ruptured appendicitis, or with no significant clinical symptoms.
Regulation of Chemokine Gene Expression by Contact Hypersensitivity and by Oral Tolerancea

In mice with hapten-induced CH, T cells of the CD4+ and CD8+ phenotypes activated the gene for JE, whereas CD8+ T cells alone caused activation of the gene for IP-10. In animals tolerized by feeding either TNCB or OX, hapten-induced expression of IP-10 but not JE mRNA was lost. The down-regulation of IP-10 gene activation was adoptively transferred from tolerized mice to naive mice by CD4+ splenic T cells. These findings reflect the differential roles of individual T-cell subsets in both enhancing and diminishing chemokine gene expression in contact hypersensitivity reactions.
Activated protein C: biased for translation

The homeostatic blood protease, activated protein C (APC), can function as (1) an antithrombotic on the basis of inactivation of clotting factors Va and VIIIa; (2) a cytoprotective on the basis of endothelial barrier stabilization and anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic actions; and (3) a regenerative on the basis of stimulation of neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Pharmacologic therapies using recombinant human and murine APCs indicate that APC provides effective acute or chronic therapies for a strikingly diverse range of preclinical injury models. APC reduces the damage caused by the following: ischemia/reperfusion in brain, heart, and kidney; pulmonary, kidney, and gastrointestinal inflammation; sepsis; Ebola virus; diabetes; and total lethal body radiation. For these beneficial effects, APC alters cell signaling networks and gene expression profiles by activating protease-activated receptors 1 and 3. APC’s activation of these G protein–coupled receptors differs completely from thrombin’s activation mechanism due to biased signaling via either G proteins or β-arrestin-2. To reduce APC-associated bleeding risk, APC variants were engineered to lack >90% anticoagulant activity but retain normal cell signaling. Such a neuroprotective variant, 3K3A-APC (Lys191-193Ala), has advanced to clinical trials for ischemic stroke. A rich data set of preclinical knowledge provides a solid foundation for potential translation of APC variants to future novel therapies.
Normalizing Cuban refugees : Representations of whiteness and anti-communism in the USA during the Cold War

This article examines the representation of Cuban refugees during the 1960s and 1970s in the USA. Positioning the Cuban refugees as `ideologically' valuable, the US government undertook a substanti...
Identification and characterization of an ecdysiotropic peptide from brain extracts of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar

A peptide (Lymantria TE) was isolated from brains of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, which stimulates synthesis of ecdysteroid in the testes of larval and pupal insects. This ecdysiotropic peptide was purified and its structure determined to be NH2-IIe-Ser-Asp-Phe-Asp-Glu-Tyr-Glu-Pro-Leu-Asn-Asp-Ala-Asp-Asn-Asn-Glu-Val-Leu-Asp-Phe-OH using protein sequence analysis and electrospray mass spectrometry. The peptide was biphasic in activity, with maximal activity in the pupal testes at 10−13 M and 10−9 M, with a minimum at 10−10 M, and with maxima at 10−15 M and 10−10 M and minimum at 10−13 M for larval testes. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 34:175–189, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.1
An appearance representation for multiple reflection components

Variability in object appearance due to illumination conditions has typically been modelled for only diffuse reflection. In this paper we present a method for determining multiple reflection components for a set of photometric images, and describe a linear representation of these reflection elements for enumerating the possible illumination appearances of an object. The proposed approach involves a simultaneous estimation of reflectance parameters that can be generalized to yield a separation for an arbitrary number of reflection components. We show that the separated components of photometric images can be combined to form their counterparts in images with different illumination. Results are presented to illustrate the performance of this method for uncalibrated lighting directions.
Counseling the perimenopausal woman

As we enter the twenty-first century, the numbers of perimenopausal (PMP) women are rapidly increasing in the United States, largely because Baby Boomers are entering this phase of their life. It has been estimated that there are 10 million women currently between the ages of 45 and 49 [1]. Although thousands of studies have been done evaluating menopausal women, there are few that evaluate the changes that occur in the transition from premenopause to postmenopause. This factmakes itmore difficultforboththehealth careproviderandthePMPwomanto make well-informed decisions about health care and health maintenance. Until now,there hasnotbeenanagreedondefinitionoftheperimenopause.Recently,the Council of Affiliated Menopause Societies defined the perimenopause as ‘‘the period immediately prior to the menopause (when the endocrinologic, biologic and clinical features of approaching menopause commence) and the first year after menopause,’’ with natural menopause being defined as ‘‘the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting from the loss of ovarian follicular activity, natural menopause is recognized to have occurred after 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea, for which there is no other obvious pathologic or physiologic cause’’ [2,3]. Currently underway is the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, which evaluates many aspects of the menopause and PMP transition in a multiracial, multi-ethnic, community-based sample of women. The women in this study are between the ages of 42 and 52 at enrollment and will be followed for several years through the transition to menopause. Until such time as this study is completed, clinicians are forced to rely on menopausal data or data from the studies done looking at this age group of women using oral contraceptives (OCs) [4].
Design and performance of a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer for airborne formaldehyde measurements

[1] A tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) was modified for high-precision and high-time-resolution formaldehyde (CH2O) measurements. This enhanced system was deployed in both the clean and polluted troposphere, as part of aircraft missions (TOPSE 2000, TexAQS 2000, and TRACE-P 2001) and ground-based missions (SOS 1999). Measurements of very constant ambient CH2O concentrations were used to determine instrument precisions, which were stable under normal operating conditions, with the exception of brief aircraft cabin pressure changes. Precisions of 15–50 pptv (1σ) were typically achieved for 1 min of averaging, corresponding to absorptions of 0.5–1.7 × 10−6, 3–5 times better than the previous version of the instrument (1998). Responsible modifications included improved temperature and pressure control of instrument components and the use of more stable optical mounts. During the TexAQS 2000 aircraft mission (polluted continental troposphere), measurements of 1 s time resolution were reported. Instrument accuracy was validated by calibration cross checks, interference tests, sample transmission tests, and field comparisons with a DOAS system.
Transverse displacement of the proximal segment after bilateral sagittal osteotomy

Purpose: The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the transverse displacement of the proximal segment and ramus rotation after a bilateral sagittal osteotomy (BSO) with rigid internal fixation (RIF) using bicortical LAG screws. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 37 patients (14 males and 23 females, age range of 14 to 55 years) who underwent a mandibular advancement with BSO and RIF. Posteroanterior and lateral cephalometric radiographs were obtained 1 to 8 weeks before and 1 to 4 weeks after surgery. The transverse displacement and angulation of the proximal segments after surgery were measured on posteroanterior radiographs, using the best-fit method. The amount of mandibular advancement was compared with the amount of transverse displacement of the proximal segments. Results: In the 1 to 4-week postoperative period after a BSO, 36 of 37 subjects showed an increased transverse intergonion distance (5.6 mm) (P .0001) and 35 of 37 patients showed an increased transverse interramus width (3.3 mm) (P .0001). No correlation was found between mandibular advancement and transverse displacement of the proximal segment. Conclusions: The study results indicate that transverse displacements of the proximal segments occur with BSO and RIF. The clinical impact on temporomandibular joint symptomatology or surgical relapse with such displacement was not assessed in the study. Future studies that address these issues may help to determine whether there is an association between proximal segment displacement and surgical relapse, temporomandibular dysfunction, or both.
Colliding dissipative pulses—The shooting manifold

Abstract We study multi-pulse solutions in excitable media. Under the assumption that a single pulse is asymptotically stable, we show that there is a well-defined “shooting manifold,” consisting of two pulses traveling towards each other. In phase space, the two-dimensional manifold is a graph over the manifold of linear superpositions of two pulses located at x 1 and x 2 , with x 1 − x 2 ≫ 1 . It is locally invariant under the dynamics of the reaction–diffusion system and uniformly asymptotically attracting with asymptotic phase. The main difficulty in the proof is the fact that the linearization at the leading order approximation is strongly non-autonomous since pulses approach each other with speed of order one.
Context-sensitive middleware for real-time software in ubiquitous computing environments

Context-awareness is increasingly becoming an important capability in devices for ubiquitous computing environments. These devices use on-board sensors and history of user interaction to collect data that are used to adapt their behavior to suit with the current environment. There is a need to support real-time software in ubiquitous computing environments, especially in reactive systems, such as distributed and mobile sensors, location-based information services, etc. In these cases, both behavior and the interaction among devices depend on constantly changing environmental conditions, in addition to explicit user control. This characteristic requires specific system services to support the development and the runtime operation of real-time context-aware software. This implies that the underlying services must themselves be context-sensitive. Reconfigurable context-sensitive middleware (RCSM) is presented to facilitate real-time context-aware software in ubiquitous computing environments.
Contrasting community compensatory trends in alternative successional pathways in central Amazonia

Based on eight years of annual censuses in secondary forests in central Amazonia, we compared successional dynamics in areas presenting alternative states due to different land use histories. Sites that had been clearcut without subsequent use are dominated by the pioneer genus Cecropia, but their understory is characterized by a diverse species assemblage. In contrast, areas clearcut and then used for pasture are dominated by the genus Vismia, forming nearly monogeneric stands. We evaluated whether such patterns were the outcome of differences in community compensatory trends, leading to a dynamic system of sequential replacement of species in Cecropia stands, and to a persistent stage of succession in Vismia stands. Floristic turnover in Cecropia stands showed strong and consistent negative frequency dependence. In contrast, Vismia stands exhibited little or no frequency dependence, likely due to local competitive interactions or priority effects. In these stands, species of the genera Vismia and Bellucia remained dominant throughout the monitoring period, whereas species initially of low abundance and frequency remained so. Differences in recruitment were the major driver of these alternative states. As species colonization proceeds, we expect dominance in the Vismia stands to diminish, albeit slowly. Our approach proved to be a useful tool for comparing species turnover in systems presenting alternative states.
Connecting the Demographic Dots: Geographic Mobility and Birth Intentions

Having a child is a major determinant of geographic mobility. Little is known, however, about the opposite process—whether geographic mobility is a determinant of fertility. Drawing on social and human capital theories and research on fertility and migration to develop competing hypotheses, the author examines the effects of mobility on changes in birth intentions among married couples. The data are from a U.S. national sample of married couples interviewed five times between 1980 and 1997, with a final sample size of 3,953 person records. Results from multinomial logistic regression equations that control for clustering show conclusively that both short- and long-distance moves increase the odds that couples change their birth intentions, although in both positive and negative directions (i.e., bidirectional). These effects of mobility vary across different levels of human and social capital, with a trend indicating that couples desire children at higher levels of both forms of capital.
The Seasonality of Momemtum: Analysis of Tradability

This paper shows that momentum-based strategies have exhibited high excess returns during the last several decades, especially in December and January. The effect of trading on prices, however, limits the amount that can be invested in such strategies. We find that after taking into account the price impact induced by trades, no more than $200 million can be invested before the apparent profit opportunities vanish. Thus, despite the failure of factor models to explain the persistence of momentum returns at the turn-of-the-year, actual trading does not award abnormal profits. Thus, the existence of momentum seasonality does not contradict the efficient market hypothesis.
Hysteresis and delta modulation control of converters using sensorless current mode

Sensorless current mode (SCM) is a control formulation for dc–dc converters that results in voltage-source characteristics, excellent open-loop tracking, and near-ideal source rejection. Hysteresis and delta modulation are well-known, easy-to-construct large-signal methods for switched systems. Combining either large-signal method with SCM creates a controller that is simpler and more robust than a pulse-width modulation (PWM) based controller. The small-signal advantages of PWM-based SCM are retained and expanded to include converter response to large-signal disturbances. These approaches can be used with any converter topology over a broad range of operating conditions. In the present work, hysteresis and delta modulation SCM controllers are derived and simulated. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the large-signal behavior of both control schemes.
Mining software repositories for model-driven development

One major reason software development projects fail is that the development process is invisible. Managers tend to rely on meetings and reports to understand project status and make decisions, leading to mismanagement due to inaccurate or incomplete information. Software projects typically collect information during development using different tools and store it in repositories. We present a statistical process control (SPC) method of defining, collecting, and analyzing software metrics from software repositories for MDD process control and improvement (PCI). This method, which we call mining software repositories (MSR), can help us change the traditional, static, record-keeping use of software data repositories to a new, active use for predicting and planning various aspects of MDD projects
A qualitative study to explore psychological distress and illness burden associated with opioid-induced constipation in cancer patients with advanced disease:

Background:Constipation affects many patients receiving long-term opioid therapy for cancer pain. Little is known about the nature of psychological distress and the burden associated with this problem. This information may inform the development of effective treatment strategies and ameliorate distress.Aim:The objective was to use qualitative research methods to better understand psychological distress and the burden associated with opioid-induced constipation and its treatment in advanced cancer patients.Design:In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews explored perceptions of psychological distress and burden from opioid-induced constipation. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach involving descriptive and interpretive coding and identification of recurring themes.Setting/participants:Twelve advanced cancer patients with opioid-induced constipation were recruited from a large urban hospital.Results:Patients experienced various types of negative affect and cognitio...
Agent-based modeling and simulation

Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) is a new approach to modeling systems comprised of autonomous, interacting agents. Computational advances have made possible a growing number of agent-based models across a variety of application domains. Applications range from modeling agent behavior in the stock market, supply chains, and consumer markets, to predicting the spread of epidemics, mitigating the threat of bio-warfare, and understanding the factors that may be responsible for the fall of ancient civilizations. Such progress suggests the potential of ABMS to have far-reaching effects on the way that businesses use computers to support decision-making and researchers use agent-based models as electronic laboratories. Some contend that ABMS "is a third way of doing science" and could augment traditional deductive and inductive reasoning as discovery methods. This brief tutorial introduces agent-based modeling by describing the foundations of ABMS, discussing some illustrative applications, and addressing toolkits and methods for developing agent-based models.
Parallax correction in PET using depth of interaction information

The authors investigate the restoration of radial resolution for transaxially off-center sources in a PET ring detector configuration using directly measured depth of interaction (DOI) information. Lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystals are coupled to a photodetector along the radial dimension of the PET ring configuration. Four millimeter wide crystals are segmented into 4 mm and 10 mm lengths in the radial dimension and optically isolated so that scintillation light is localized to the radial extent of the segment, giving 4 mm and 10 mm DOI resolution. The authors also segmented 2 mm wide crystals into 10 mm lengths. This DOI technique is unambiguous but not practical for a multi-ring PET scanner. The objective here is to quantify the intrinsic radial resolution as a function of position within the FOV and DOI resolution. The degradation in radial resolution across 75% of the field of view was reduced by 45% (50%) with DOI resolution equal to one-half (one-third) the crystal length. Improved resolution via narrower crystals was overshadowed by DOI effects at /spl ges/50% off-center positions in 30 mm deep crystals with 10 mm of FOI resolution. Computer simulated images that incorporate 10 mm and 15 mm DOI in 30 mm crystals show improved resolution uniformity over a system without DOI.
Convergence of iterative methods for nonclassically damped dynamic systems

This paper deals with two computationally efficient iterative methods for determining the response of nonclassically damped dynamic systems. Rigorous analytical convergence results related to these iterative methods are provided. Sufficient conditions under which these two iterative schemes are convergent are derived. Three different kinds of damping matrices, namely (i) strongly diagonally dominant, (ii) irreducible and weakly diagonally dominant, and (iii) symmetric and positive definite damping matrices, are considered. Asymptotic rates of convergence are discussed. Theoretical results are illustrated with numerical examples that show vastly improved rates of convergence when compared to earlier iterative schemes.
Encryption schemes from bilinear maps

Encryption schemes are designed to provide data confidentiality and are a fundamental cryptographic primitive with many applications in higher-level protocols. Groups with a bilinear map allow us to build public key encryption schemes with new properties that are otherwise difficult to obtain using groups without a bilinear map. We support our thesis by presenting two encryption schemes based on bilinear groups; the first is a partial solution to the open problem on doubly homomorphic encryption proposed by Rivest et al. in 1978, and the second is the most efficient hierarchical identity based encryption scheme to date. Our main result deals with homomorphic encryption. Using bilinear groups, we developed a homomorphic encryption scheme based on the subgroup decision complexity assumption; this encryption scheme is additively homomorphic and also possesses an additional limited (single) multiplicative homomorphism. Even with such limitations, our encryption scheme allows us to evaluate on encrypted inputs useful formulas such as polynomials of total degree at most two and dot products. Our encryption scheme also lends itself naturally to a secure function evaluation protocol for computing 2-DNFs, which can be used to improve private information retrieval protocols. Our second result deals with hierarchical identity based encryption (HIBE), a generalization of identity based encryption. In previous constructions for HIBE, the length of ciphertexts, as well as the time needed for decryption, grows linearly with the depth of the hierarchy. Our HIBE system has ciphertext size, as well as decryption cost, that is independent of the hierarchy depth. The principal applications for HIBE are forward secure encryption and public key broadcast encryption. Using our HIBE system instead of existing HIBE systems in these two applications results in substantial reductions in the ciphertext size of both these applications.
Fetal valproate syndrome and autism: additional evidence of an association

Autism has been described in association with a variety of medical and genetic conditions. We previously reported on a patient whose clinical phenotype was compatible with both fetal valproate syndrome (FVS) and autism. Here we present five additional patients with FVS and autism. In all five of our patients, there was evidence of cognitive deficits, manifestations of autism, and typical phenotypic characteristics of FVS. The association between this known teratogen and autism has both clinical and research implications.
Supporting time-constrained SQL queries in oracle

The growing nature of databases, and the flexibility inherent in the SQL query language that allows arbitrarily complex formulations, can result in queries that take inordinate amount of time to complete. To mitigate this problem, strategies that are optimized to return the 'first-few rows' or 'top-k rows' (in case of sorted results) are usually employed. However, both these strategies can lead to unpredictable query processing times. Thus, in this paper we propose supporting time-constrained SQL queries. Specifically, a user issues a SQL query as before but additionally provides nature of constraint (soft or hard), an upper bound for query processing time, and acceptable nature of results (partial or approximate). The DBMS takes the criteria (constraint type, time limit, quality of result) into account in generating the query execution plan, which is expected (guaranteed) to complete in the allocated time for soft (hard) time constraint. If partial results are acceptable then the technique of reducing result set cardinality (i.e. returning first few or top-k rows) is used, whereas if approximate results are acceptable then sampling is used, to compute query results within the specified time limit. For the latter case, we argue that trading off quality of results for predictable response time is quite useful. However, for this case, we provide additional aggregate functions to estimate the aggregate values and to compute the associated confidence interval. This paper presents the notion of time-constrained SQL queries, discusses the challenges in supporting such a construct, describes a framework for supporting such queries, and outlines its implementation in Oracle Database by exploiting Oracle's cost-based optimizer and extensibility capabilities.
Sequence Matters: Shelf-Space Allocation under Dynamic Customer-Driven Substitution

Customers who face a stockout situation often decide to purchase a different product in the same category. We analyze the resulting dynamic substitution problem in a retail environment, where customers serve themselves from the store shelves, such that the sequence of customer arrivals affects how scarce products are allocated to customers. We consider a setting with constrained shelf space, and we study how a retailer should optimally allocate such space between substitute products. We characterize environments where the sequence of customer arrivals can have a substantial impact on profitability.
Propagule pressure, genetic structure, and geographic origins of Chondrilla juncea (Asteraceae): An apomictic invader on three continents

 Premise of the study: Assessing propagule pressure and geographic origins of invasive species provides insight into the invasion process. Rush skeletonweed ( Chondrilla juncea ; Asteraceae) is an apomictic, perennial plant that is invasive in Australia, South America (Argentina), and North America (Canada and the United States). This study comprehensively compares propagule pressure and geographic structure of genotypes to improve our understanding of a clonal invasion and enhance management strategies.  Methods: We analyzed 1056 native range plants from Eurasia and 1156 plants from three invaded continents using amplifi ed fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) techniques. We used measures of diversity (Simpson’s D ) and evenness ( E ), analysis of molecular variance, and Mantel tests to compare invasions, and genotype similarity to determine origins of invasive genotypes.  Key results: We found 682 unique genotypes in the native range, but only 13 in the invaded regions. Each invaded region contained distinct AFLP genotypes, suggesting independent introduction events, probably with different geographic origins. Relatively low propagule pressure was associated with each introduction around the globe, but levels of among-population variation differed. We found exact AFLP genotype matches between the native and invaded ranges for fi ve of the 13 invasive genotypes.  Conclusions: Invasion dynamics can vary across invaded ranges within a species. Intensive sampling for molecular analyses can provide insight for understanding intraspecifi c invasion dynamics, which can hold signifi cance for the management of plant species, especially by fiorigins and distributions of invasive genotypes for classical biological control efforts.
Unshackling the Freedom of Information: Open Records Laws and the Right of Non-Citizen Records Access

State governments often face difficult decisions regarding the inherent tension between the public’s right to access government records and the state’s interest in government efficiency; an increase in one necessarily infringes upon the other. One way in which states attempt to strike a balance between these competing interests is through restrictive provisions in state open records laws — informally referred to as “citizens-only provisions” — that explicitly grant public records access to state citizens, but provide no such access to non-state citizens. The Third Circuit and Fourth Circuit disagree as to whether citizens-only provisions are constitutional under the Privileges and Immunities Clause of Article IV, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. More specifically, the courts disagree as to whether the right to access public records is a fundamental right.This Article suggests that the right to access public records is a fundamental right under the Privileges and Immunities Clause. Further, because citizens-only provisions fail to satisfy intermediate scrutiny, these provisions unconstitutionally infringe upon the right to access public records. However, even if citizens-only provisions are deemed unconstitutional, states are not powerless to protect themselves from the potential burdens of non-citizen records requests. To the contrary, this Article identifies several alternative methods of action that states can use in the absence of citizens-only provisions to protect their interests in efficiency. These alternatives include legislative action, charging fees for record production, and delaying response to non-citizen records requestors.
Identidad, ideología y política en el Movimiento Nacional Socialistade Chile, 1932-1938

espanolEl presente articulo intenta argumentar que la identidad fascista que era propia del Movimiento Nacional Socialista chileno -que existiera entre 1932 y 1938-necesariamente se materializo, al menos en algunos aspectos, bajo formas particulares, resultantes de las realidades historicas, sociales, politicas y culturales del pais. En esto el MNS no se distinguia de los otros fascismos, ninguno de los cuales dejaba de traslucir, a su modo, la impronta de sus propias realidades nacionales, por lo cual resulta que ningun fascismo es igual a los otros. Bajo estos supuestos, el presente articulo estudia al MNS, considerandolo tanto en su aspecto universal, como particular. EnglishThis paper tries to argue that the fascist identity of the Chilean National Socialist Movement (NSM) - that existed between 1932 and 1938- was materialized, at least to some extent, under particular ways derived from historical, social, political and cultural realities of the country. In this point, the NSM was no different from other fascist groups that highlighted their own national realities, generating different types of fascism. Under these assumptions, this paper studies the NSM from a universal and particular point of view.
What Should We Do about Source Selection in Event Data? Challenges, Progress, and Possible Solutions

The prospect of using the Internet and other Big Data methods to construct event data promises to transform the field but is stymied by the lack of a coherent strategy for addressing the problem of selection. Past studies have shown that event data have significant selection problems. In terms of conventional standards of representativeness, all event data have some unknown level of selection no matter how many sources are included. We summarize recent studies of news selection and outline a strategy for reducing the risks of possible selection bias, including techniques for generating multisource event inventories, estimating larger populations, and controlling for nonrandomness. These build on a relativistic strategy for addressing event selection and the recognition that no event data set can ever be declared completely free of selection bias.
Evaluation of topotecan in resistant and relapsing multiple myeloma: a Southwest Oncology Group study.

PURPOSETopotecan is a topoisomerase I inhibitor with antitumor activity against hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. We evaluated its activity in refractory and relapsing multiple myeloma patients who had received one prior chemotherapeutic regimen.PATIENTS AND METHODSToptecan 1.25 mg/m2/d was administered as a 30-minute infusion for 5 days repeated every 3 weeks. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 5 microg/kg/d subcutaneously was administered after the first course of treatment if neutropenia was dose-limiting.RESULTSForty-six patients entered the study, with 43 patients eligible. The major toxicity was granulocytopenia with grade 3 or better occurring in 40 of 43 patients treated; 21 of 43 patients developed grade 3 or greater thrombocytopenia. Other significant toxicity included mild nausea in 23 patients and mild vomiting in 13 patients. The overall response rate (partial response or better) was 16% (95% confidence interval, 7% to 31%), with responses occurring in both relapsed and ref...
OP0153 The art of tapering glucocorticoids (GC): A systematic review of studies reporting tapering strategies and outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Background Strategies to taper GC in RA vary considerably and the effects of different tapering strategies on clinical outcome measures are unknown. Objectives To identify GC tapering studies and to evaluate their comparative efficacy and safety with respect to clinical outcomes. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Cochrane Central to identify publications from January 1972 to February 2011. Search terms comprised 3 blocks: disease (RA), intervention (GC and related terms) and outcome (withdrawal/tapering). To maximize our yield, tapering was defined as decreasing to 7.5 or 0 mg daily. The review was divided into 3 stages: titles, abstracts, and full articles. Each was assessed by 2 team members and rejected if it fulfilled one of the following exclusion criteria: (1) Not pertaining to adults with RA, (2) Not a case-control study, cohort study, clinical trial, database/registry, (3) Not pertaining to GC withdrawal, (4) Extension study. Discordant assessments were resolved by a third party arbiter (DEF). Results From an initial listing of 1265 articles, 6 articles met review criteria; each described a different tapering strategy (Table). All were randomized controlled trials. Only 1 study described an objective disease activity measure (DAS44) used to guide the GC taper. 2 Only 4 studies reported whether patients successfully tapered/withdrew GC. Among the 251 patients who initiated a taper, 54 (22%) failed to taper/withdraw. Studies with the lowest failure rates included patients with early RA ( 1yr). One study compared baseline disease characteristics of patients who successfully versus unsuccessfully tapered and showed that successful tapering was associated with younger age and premenopausal status. 3 No studies compared clinical outcome measures or adverse events in patients who successfully versus unsuccessfully tapered. Conclusions There is marked variability in reported GC tapering regimens and many patients fail to withdraw from GC. Well-designed studies, considering age and disease duration, are needed to determine effective and safe strategies for tapering GC. References Lancet 1997;350:309-18. Arthritis Rheum 2005;52:3381-90. Scand J Rheumatol 2007;36:351-8. Ann Rheum Dis 2008;67:656–63. Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:1715-1720. Brit J of Rheumatol 1998;37:930-936. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Degron protease blockade sensor to image epigenetic histone protein methylation in cells and living animals.

Lysine methylation of histone H3 and H4 has been identified as a promising therapeutic target in treating various cellular diseases. The availability of an in vivo assay that enables rapid screening and preclinical evaluation of drugs that potentially target this cellular process will significantly expedite the pace of drug development. This study is the first to report the development of a real-time molecular imaging biosensor (a fusion protein, [FLuc2]-[Suv39h1]-[(G4S)3]-[H3-K9]-[cODC]) that can detect and monitor the methylation status of a specific histone lysine methylation mark (H3-K9) in live animals. The sensitivity of this sensor was assessed in various cell lines, in response to down-regulation of methyltransferase EHMT2 by specific siRNA, and in nude mice with lysine replacement mutants. In vivo imaging in response to a combination of methyltransferase inhibitors BIX01294 and Chaetocin in mice reveals the potential of this sensor for preclinical drug evaluation. This biosensor thus has demonstr...
Linearized Navier-Stokes Analysis for Rotor-Stator Interaction Tone Noise Prediction

Tonal noise due to aerodynamic interaction between turbomachinery blade rows has been conventionally studied using time-linearized, inviscid analyses. While the perturbation equations can employ the inviscid flow approximation, the meanflow calculation has to be viscous to capture the loading distribution on the blades. In a previous study, the authors suggested calculating approximate inviscid meanflow with a “comparable” loading distribution. Experience has shown that this can not only be tedious but also can introduce large variations in predictions. Therefore, a linearized RANS calculation is proposed to replace the linearized Euler calculation. Validation of the approach is performed against semi-analytical solutions of canonical problems, and comparisons against NASA Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) data are presented. It is shown that the geometric trends are reasonably well captured with the approach although no clear improvement in prediction accuracy is observed in comparison to the inviscid approach. Detailed comparisons of predicted rotor wake harmonics against Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) data are also presented.
Inf1uence of Citrus Leaf Nutrition on Survivorship, Sex Ratio, and Reproduction of Euseius tularensis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Citrus trees, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, grown in pots were fertilized weekly for 3 mo after grafting with 1, 1/10, 1/100, or 1/1,000× concentrations of a fertilizer solution. Eggs of the predaceous mite, Euseius tularensis (Congdon), were placed with ice plant, Malephora crocea (Jacquin) pollen on excised leaves, and no differences in survivorship or sex ratio were found during the 1st or 2nd generations of rearing. During the 2nd generation, however, egg production by E. tularensis reared on leaves from the 1× fertilized trees was higher both on the 1st d of oviposition and throughout most of the lifespan of the females compared with the other treatments. As fertilizer concentration decreased, fewer total eggs were deposited by E. tularensis females. Leaf analyses revealed significant, decreasing linear responses in concentrations of N, K, Mn, and Zn in the leaves as fertilizer concentration was decreased. Decreasing concentrations of N and Mn were significantly correlated with decreasing reproduction in the predaceous mite. These data suggest that E. tularensis feeds on leaf sap and its reproductive tential is influenced by the nutritional status of the citrus tree.
Measurements of Spray Characteristics in Preheated Crossflowing Air

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the spray created by Jet A fuel injection from a plate containing a sharp edged orifice 457 microns (0.018 inches) in diameter and a length-to-diameter ratio of 10 into a confined crossflow of preheated air (555 K) at a pressure of 5 atm in the test section at a Weber number of 1000. The investigation was carried out for a fuel-to-air momentum ratio of 20. Phase Doppler technique was used in coincidence mode to measure the droplet diameter and their velocities in two directions. Droplet velocities in the third direction were measured without droplet diameters. Measurements were made in a plane perpendicular to the direction of airflow at a distance of 50 diameters downstream of the orifice. Most droplets sizes were found to be in the range of 10-35 microns. Larger droplets are observed at the periphery of the spray. The droplet velocity in the direction of air flow reached a maximum of 90% of the flow velocity at a location 50 diameters downstream of the orifice at the periphery of the spray. The RMS velocity profile of the component of the velocity in the direction of air flow, had two maxima indicating a strong influence of kidney vortices in the wake of the liquid jet column. This phenomenon was further observed in the case of velocities the wake region wherein the droplets have a mean velocity component towards the centerline of the spray. The components of droplet velocities in the direction of liquid injection follow the trends of droplet diameter. Larger droplets accelerate slower in the direction of air flow and hence the volume weighted velocity in the direction of air flow is lower that the arithmetic mean velocity. The component of the droplet velocities in the direction of liquid injection does not vary much with droplet size since the droplets already carry the momentum with the jet flow.
Service-Learning as Social Education:

Service-learning is a pedagogical process that actively involves students in social analysis, social criticism and social participation. This effort is not community service - which all too often c...
Vitamin D Deficiency in Chronic Kidney Disease

A 64-year-old African American female with years of stable chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to hypertension and diabetes (baseline creatinine 2.0 mg/dL) presented to clinic for evaluation of hypercalcemia. Ten years prior to this presentation, the patient had a parathyroid surgery due to hyperparathyroidism. Several years following the surgery, she began experiencing dizzy spells associated with mild hypercalcemia and elevated intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels. This worsened dramatically in the year prior to this presentation; the patient’s iPTH was measured as high as 523 pg/mL (laboratory range, 10–65 pg/mL), with a serum calcium of 11.8 mg/dL (laboratory range, 8.9–10.3 mg/dL), low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and normal serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D). She had no symptoms associated with her hypercalcemia aside from dizziness. Several medications (nasal calcitonin, bisphosphonates) were unsuccessful in controlling her calcium. An oral form of calcitriol was tried to lower her PTH but worsened her hypercalcemia. Her estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated to be <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at presentation.
A matter of minutes: Breccia dike paleomagnetism provides evidence for rapid crater modification

During an impact event, a crater’s transient structure adjusts gravitationally. Within medium-sized complex craters, a central uplift rises and collapses resulting in large-scale rotations of the target rock. Estimated crater modification rates from numerical models indicate that complex impact craters modify to a structurally stable state within tens of seconds to several minutes after excavation. However, there is little direct geologic evidence constraining these rates. We show how paleomagnetic measurements of lithic breccia dikes emplaced during crater excavation can be used to constrain the rate of crater modification within the central uplift of the ∼34-km-diameter Slate Islands impact structure, Ontario, Canada. The uniformity and linearity of paleomagnetic directions among the clasts and matrix of breccia dikes throughout the impact structure indicate that breccia dikes were frictionally heated above the magnetite Curie temperature (580 °C) during their emplacement and subsequently cooled in situ through magnetic blocking temperatures. The tight grouping of these paleomagnetic directions implies that these breccia dikes cooled and locked in magnetic remanence over a time interval in which the impact structure was not experiencing structural rotations and had already reached a stable state. Conductive cooling of the thinnest sampled breccia dike would have led to the recording of magnetic remanence approximately six minutes after emplacement. This constraint necessitates a stable crater structure only minutes after impact and presents a rare case in which a geological process can be resolved on such a short time scale.