cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relationship between identification and patterns of change in spouses' body images during and after pregnancy.

Although several conceptual frameworks of nursing have been developed in recent years, few research projects have evolved from them. The present study represents at attempt to derive a theoretical model and hypotheses from an abstract conceptual framework of nursing and to empirically test the hypotheses. The theoretical model for the investigation was derived from the conceptual framework of the family as a living open system (Fawcett, 1975). The framework represents an extension of Rogers’ (1970) conceptualization of man to the family. Rogers (1970) postulates that man and environment are complementary energy fields characterized by wholeness, openness, unidirectionality, pattern and organization, sentience and thought. Alterations in pattern and organization are postulated to be continuous and to reflect the mutual and simultaneous interactions between man and environment. The family is also an energy field engaged in mutual and simultaneous interactions with the environment. The family is a living open system, an integral, unified whole characterized by a unique and ever-changing pattern and organization. It is a system of interrelated systems, the family members, and a system of relationships. The family evolves unidirectionally and posseses sentience and thought (Fawcett, 1975). Since the family is an open system, any change in one family member is accompanied by changes in the other members (Bowen, 1966; Lederer and Jackson, 1968; Watzlawick, et al., 1967). The present investigation was based upon a theoretical model which utilized the concepts of openness, pattern and organization, and mutual and simultaneous interaction within the family system. It was postulated that since the family is an open system, change in the pattern and organization of one family member would be associated with a similar change in other family members. Furthermore, since change in pattern and organization is effec-
WE‐G‐211‐08: Performance Study of Regularized Phase Retrieval from X‐Ray Differential Phase Contrast Projection Image

Purpose: X‐ray differential phase contrast (DPC) projection imaging has shown promise for superior imagecontrast. In the field of medical imaging, however, its differential nature makes the projection image difficult to use for direct diagnosis. In this study, a phase retrieval method is introduced to generate phase images, which are compared with absorption images to demonstrate the benefits of phase contrast projection imaging. Methods: The method involves the minimization of a cost function that includes two terms: a quadratic norm that enforces consistency between the phase image and the DPC image, and a nonconvex norm of the phase image's gradient in the direction perpendicular to the stripes. A weighting parameter &#945; is applied to the second term to tailor the content of stripes. This cost function is minimized to solve for the phase image. A grating‐based DPC system was used to acquire the DPC and absorption images of a cylindrical phantom. The DPC, absorption, directly‐integrated phase and regularized phase images were compared. To evaluate the image quality, simulated spheres of different contrasts and diameters were added to the experimental data. CNR of the beads in the integrated image was used as the figure of merit to optimize the regularization. Results: The retrieved phase image provides complementary information of the phantom that is otherwise lost in the direct‐integrated images because of the presence of stripe noise. Regularized integration improved image quality in terms of CNR and the content of stripe noise. The optimal regularization parameter can be determined from the peaks of the CNR‐&#945; curves and is dependent on the object's contrast. Conclusions: Regularized integration allows for artifact‐free phase retrieval from DPC images and a fair comparison between phase contrast and absorption images. DPC imaging's potential application in medical imaging is highlighted by the complementary information provided by the phase image.
Speech Recognition Technology and Students With Writing Difficulties: Improving Fluency.

The present study investigated the effects of speech recognition technology (SR) and advance planning on children's writing processes. Fluent and less fluent writers, ages 11 to 14, composed 4 narratives, via handwriting and SR, both with and without advance planning. Less fluent children's handwritten narratives were significantly inferior to those of fluent children in terms of length, quality, and surface errors. For less fluent writers, SR (a) significantly increased the length and (b) decreased the surface errors of narratives. Although narrative length related positively to holistic quality, SR did not significantly improve quality. Advance planning helped children to compose more fully developed stories. For children with writing difficulties, advance planning and SR may each independently support text generation.
Improved numerical computation of uniform beam characteristic values and characteristic functions

The problem of the lateral bending vibrations of a uniform cross section Euler-Bernoulli beam has been treated by many investigators. The most widely accepted solution technique is to apply the method of separation of variables to the governing partial differential equation. In this manner the temporal and spatial portions of the solution can be treated individually. Several forms of the spatial characteristic function have been put forth by past investigators. The inherent problem which rises in the use of these characteristic functions is the numerical instability arising from the excessive magnitudes of the computed terms. These instabilities are especially noted in the computation of higher mode characteristic functions. A new form of the characteristic function is presented here which limits the magnitude of all terms to the approximate range of ±1. This is accomplished by avoiding all large, positive exponentials. The same concept is continued for the reliable evaluation of the system eigenvalues and other required parametric values. The results of this study can be readily applied for the reliable computation of all beam characteristic function state values, with no upper bound limit on the mode shape number. All of the required computation can be carried out in single precision computations with no practical sacrifice in rigor.
Optical vector receiver operating near the quantum limit

An optical receiver concept for binary signals with performance approaching the quantum limit at low average signal energies is developed and analyzed. A conditionally nulling receiver that reaches the quantum limit in the absence of background photons has been devised by Dolinar, however this receiver requires ideal optical combining and complicated real-time shaping of the local field, hence tends to be difficult to implement at high data rates. A simpler nulling receiver that approaches the quantum limit without complex optical processing, suitable for high-rate operation has been suggested earlier by Kennedy. Here we formulate a vector receiver concept that incorporates the Kennedy receiver together with a physical beamsplitter, but also utilizes the reflected signal component to improve signal detection. It is found that augmenting the Kennedy receiver with classical coherent detection at the auxiliary beamsplitter output, and optimally processing the vector observations, always improves on the performance of the Kennedy receiver alone, significantly so at low average photon rates. This is precisely the region of operation where modern codes approach channel capacity. It is also shown that the addition of background radiation has little effect on the performance of the coherent receiver component, suggesting a viable approach for near quantum-limited performance in high background environments.
Virilization of Female Rats by Prenatally Administered Progestin1

Some of the synthetic progestins administered to pregnant women to prevent spontaneous abortion are known to induce genital virilization in female fetuses. The present study sought to clarify the virilizing action of one of these progestins, 17α-19-nortestosterone (Norlutin). Norlutin was administered to pregnant rats for 5 days during the last quarter of gestation. The anogenital distance of the pups was measured at birth. The development of the genitals, ovarian cyclicity and behavioral receptivity were assessed when the animals matured. The degree of genital virilization was found to vary directly with dose of progestin. Females treated with a high dose of progestin never developed an external vaginal opening. Despite pronounced genital virilization, the females did develop ovarian cyclicity and oviolated, and did exhibit the lordosis response which is indicative of sexual receptivity both spontaneously and when given exogenous estrogen and progesterone. (Endocrinology 78: 965, 1966)
Drug insight: anti-tumor-necrosis-factor therapy for ankylosing spondylitis.

Tumor necrosis factor is a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis. As discussed in this Review, data from randomized controlled trials show that anti-tumor-necrosis-factor agents can control symptoms effectively and possibly prevent the progression of this chronic inflammatory disorder. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the spine and peripheral joints that can lead to significant disability if left untreated. Conventional treatments can be successful in alleviating symptoms; however, this approach has not been shown to halt the progression of disease. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is central to the pathogenesis of AS. Several anti-TNF drugs have been developed and have been shown to control symptoms effectively, and possibly to prevent both clinical and radiographic progression of disease, in patients with AS. This review discusses the data from clinical trials that have assessed the use of TNF inhibitors in patients with AS, and briefly outlines other biologic therapies that have been studied.
Temporal trends in maternal medical conditions and stillbirth

Objective The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and temporal trends of medical conditions among women with stillbirth and to determine the effect of medical comorbidities on the trend of stillbirth. Study Design The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for the years 2008–2010 was first queried for all delivery-related discharges. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) calculated for medical conditions among women with stillbirth. The NIS was then queried for the years 2000–2010, and the effect of maternal medical conditions on the stillbirth rate was estimated. Results From 2008 to 2010, there were 51,080 deliveries to women with stillbirth, giving a rate of 4.08 per 1000 live births. Women with stillbirth were more likely to be African American (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 2.07–2.17), with an age less than 25 years (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.16–1.22) or older than 35 years (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.37–1.44) compared with women without stillbirth. Medical conditions such as cardiac, rheumatological, and renal disorders; hypertension; diabetes; thrombophilia; and drug, alcohol and tobacco use, were independent predictors of fetal demise in multivariable logistic regression modeling. From 2000 to 2010, despite an increase in the total number of births to women with comorbidities, there was a significant decrease in the stillbirth rate, which was more pronounced among women with comorbidities compared with women without comorbidities ( P = .021). Conclusion From 2000 to 2010, there was a significantly greater decrease in the stillbirth rate among women with maternal medical conditions than there was among women without comorbidities. These findings occurred despite an overall increase in the number of pregnancies to women with medical comorbidities over the time period. Because the NIS does not include information on gestational age, birthweight, or whether subjects had antepartum testing, we are not able to determine the effect of these variables on the observed outcomes.
Marine lipid concentrate and atherosclerosis in the rabbit model.

Twenty-seven New Zealand white rabbits underwent balloon de-endothelialization of the aorta and iliac arteries while consuming a 2% cholesterol, 10% peanut oil rabbit chow. Ten of these rabbits were fed 1 ml of concentrated marine fish lipid (MaxEpaTm) daily. Six weeks after de-endothelialization, angiography of the treated arteries was performed and histologic cross-sections of the terminal aorta were measured with a planimeter. Iliac artery luminal diameters were also measured at consecutive 3-mm divisions from the aortic bifurcation and found to have a mean lumen diameter of 1.60 ±0.08 mm in the marine lipid-supplemented group (M) and 1.38 ± 0.12 mm in the control group (C) (P < 0.001). Analysis of variance on individual segmental diameters confirmed this difference. However, neither the angiographic diameters nor histologic, cross-sectional, luminal areas of the terminal aorta were different between groups. Instead, the mean cross-sectional area of the terminal aortic wall was significantly greater in the marine lipid-fed group (4.4 ± 1.2 mm2 in M and 3.1 ± 0.6 mm2 in C, P < 0.01). In addition, the vessel wall area showed a positive correlation with red blood cell (RBC) incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (r = 0.82, P < 0.005) in both groups. In the M group, RBC eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acids increased 100% and 650%, respectively, over baseline. We conclude that marine fish lipids (1) are incorporated into rabbit RBC cell membranes during feeding, (2) increase vessel wall thickness of the distal aorta in proportion to the docosahexaenoic acid present, without compromising the luminal area, and (3) provide mild sparing of the luminal diameters of more distal arteries in this model of atherosclerosis.
Infectious bursal disease virus polyprotein expression arrests growth and mitogenic stimulation of B lymphocytes

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes lymphocytolysis and immunosuppression in infected poultry. The IBDV genome encodes a polyprotein VP243 that is post-translationally cleaved by the VP4 protease into the two structural proteins pVP2 and VP3. The objective of the present study was to determine if IBDV polyprotein induced suppression of bursal B lymphocyte growth and their capacity for proliferation. Bursal B cells were examined both for chickens infected with IBDV and for chickens orally inoculated with a DNA construct expressing IBDV VP243 polyprotein. Bursae were collected at 0, 12, 24 and 48 hours after inoculation. Proliferation of bursal B cells (purified AvBu1+ cells) in response to concanavalin A mitogenic stimulation was significantly suppressed by infection at 1 day old with either the classical STC or variant E strains of IBDV. Oral administration of DNA constructs expressing the IBDV VP243 polyprotein from either the classical STC or variant E strains in the pCR3.1 vector resulted in persistent, moderate levels of construct in the bursa until at least 48 hours after inoculation. The VP243 DNA construct similarly induced suppression of proliferation for bursal lymphocytes independently of the virus infection. Expression of VP243 polyprotein in transiently transfected DT40 B lymphocyte culture also suppressed cell growth and proliferative responses to mitogen stimulation. Polyprotein expression did not affect cell viability and suppression of proliferation probably occurred by means of cell cycle arrest. The expression of the mature viral proteins VP2, VP4 or VP3 did not change the rate of cell proliferation or response of B cell cultures to mitogen. The results suggested that IBDV polyprotein is a mediator of immunosuppression.
Integrating Ethics and Strategy: A Pragmatic Approach.

An organizing framework is set out for the diverse literature on business ethics in relation to strategic management. It consists of sets of bi-polar components, spanning themes and topical themes, with a derived typology of contributions. Then, in the spirit of classical pragmatism, the organizing framework is re-cast as an integrative conceptual model of the strategy–ethics relationship. The approach recognizes that both pragmatism and dialectics can underpin progress towards integration, encompassing both normative and empirical aspects.
Computed tomography of the normal seminal vesicles.

Abstract Fifty patients without pelvic pathology were studied in order to determine the normal appearance of the seminal vesicles on computed tomography (CT). The seminal vesicles could be identified in all patients. The mean length of each seminal vesicle was 3.1 ± 0.5 cm and the mean width was 1.5 ± 0.4 cm. Calculated areas of the seminal vesicles assuming an ellipsoid shape were 3.6 ± 1.1 cm 2 for each side. When correlated with patients' ages, no significant difference was identified between age and the length of the seminal vesicles, however, a significant difference was noted between the widths ( P P
Flow cytometry detection and evaluation of bladder tumors.

The diagnosis and classification of bladder cancer are based primarily on histologic and cytologic light microscopy. The significant cytologic alternations are abnormal (increased) DNA content and structural changes in chromatin. Measurements of DNA content carried out by flow cytometry on suspensions of tumor cells and bladder irrigation specimens correlate well with clinical and biopsy findings. Badalament et al (Badalament RA, Kimmel M, Gay H, et al. Cancer 1987;59:2078-2085) reported that a single bladder wash flow cytometry correctly detected 83% of bladder cancers. The technique is most sensitive in detecting early, in situ, and superficially invasive carcinoma. In 100 urologic patients with non-neoplastic disease of the bladder, Klein et al (Klein FA, Herr HW, Sogani PC, et al. J Urol. 1982;127:946-948) reported only two false-positive examinations. Flow cytometry appears to be at least as valuable as conventional urinary cytology, without the need of an experienced cytopathologist. However, as specimens must be collected by bladder irrigation via catheter or cytoscope, the technique is most suitable not for population screening, but in monitoring high-risk populations: industrial workers or others exposed to carcinogens, persons with a history of urothelial tumors, and adult patients referred for urologic examinations because of hematuria, unexplained, recurrent cystitis, or other urologic symptoms. DNA flow cytometry also has been valuable in monitoring the conservative treatment of bladder cancer and of predictive value in the intravesical bacille Calmette-Guerin treatment of superficial carcinomas of the bladder. Dual parameter measurements of DNA content and antigen expression are now under evaluation, as are measurements of chromatin structure alteration, metabolism, and proliferative rate. These promise to discriminate subsets of bladder cancer that may be predictive of clinical behavior.
Developing winning baseball teams: a neural net analysis

With an annual payroll of more than US$2 billion, major league baseball is big business. That being the case, it is not surprising that baseball's general managers are looking for ways to improve organisational performance. Neural networks have seen growing use in a variety of management applications, including finance, marketing, and operations. The purpose of this paper is to show how neural networks can be used to forecast individual and team outcomes as a means to help management improve overall organisational performance. The analytical paradigm described in this paper consists of a three-tiered hierarchical design that combines a number of specific on-field and off-field factors in predicting team performance. The results reveal that the developed model estimated the Runs Scored (RS) and the Runs Against (RA) within 5% of the actual performance over a five-year period. The paper also discusses some of the economic implications of implementing changes in the overall team structure.
Noninvasive clinical staging modalities for lung cancer

Clinical staging of lung cancer helps to determine the extent of disease and stratify patients into similar therapeutic and prognostic categories. A primary goal of clinical staging is to separate patients with potentially resectable disease from those that are unresectable. Initial assessment of the patient by history and physical examination combined with laboratory values can suggest metastatic spread of the disease. When abnormal, these clinical factors may have value in terms of predicting prognosis, but their use in early stage lung cancer is limited because of the low prevalence of symptoms, physical exam findings, and laboratory abnormalities in this group. For clinical staging, patients almost always undergo a postero-anterior and lateral chest radiograph and a computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest and upper abdomen to include the liver and adrenal glands. Although CT scanning provides exquisite anatomic information, it is less than optimal for determining lymph node status. Over the last several years, CT scanning combined with positron-emission tomography (PET) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has significantly improved the accuracy of clinical staging. The use of FDG-PET continues to be defined in the non-invasive evaluation of the primary tumor, nodal involvement, and metastatic disease. Despite the recent advancements in radiologic assessment of lung cancer, invasive sampling is still often performed for pathologic confirmation.
Salvage Prostatectomy With Bladder Neck Closure, Continent Catheterizable Stoma and Bladder Augmentation: Feasibility and Patient Reported Continence Outcomes at 32 Months

Purpose: Salvage prostatectomy after radiation therapy is associated with a high rate of urinary incontinence. To avoid this outcome in candidates with preexisting voiding symptoms, such as frequency, urgency and urge incontinence, we performed concurrent bladder augmentation with bladder neck closure and a catheterizable stoma. Urinary incontinence and patient satisfaction were evaluated.Materials and Methods: Between October 2000 and February 2003, 11 patients underwent salvage prostatectomy with bladder neck closure and ileal augmentation using catheterizable appendicovesicostomy or Monti ileovesicostomy. Self-reported outcome measures included patient questionnaires and the validated Incontinence Symptom Index.Results: The indication for surgery was recurrent adenocarcinoma of the prostate in 10 patients and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the urethra in 1. All patients underwent prior radiation. Mean ± SD followup after prostatectomy and reconstruction was 32 ± 7.5 months. The physician noted tha...
Imaging of acute right lower abdominal quadrant pain

This article reviews the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis, indications and options for appendiceal imaging, compares appendiceal CT techniques, and describes the imaging findings with appendicitis and alternative conditions that can clinically mimic appendicitis.
Relaxation of the (1 1 1) surface of δ-Pu and effects on atomic adsorption: An ab initio study

Abstract The computational formalism of the full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals (FP-LAPW+lo) method has been employed to study the relaxation of the δ-Pu(1 1 1) surface and the consequent effects for atomic adsorption of C, N, and O atoms on this surface. The underlying theoretical principle is the generalized gradient approximation to density functional theory (GGA-DFT) and the surface was modeled by a five-layer slab with a (2×2) surface unit cell. Upon relaxation of the slab, the interlayer separation between the surface and the subsurface layers expanded by 7.1% with respect to the bulk interlayer separation, while the separation between the subsurface and central layers expanded by 0.4%. To study adsorption on the surface, the adatoms were allowed to approach the surface at four high symmetry adsorption sites, namely, the top, bridge, hollow FCC, and hollow HCP sites, the adlayer structure corresponding to a coverage of 0.25 of a monolayer in all cases. The hollow FCC adsorption site was found to be the most stable site for C and N with chemisorption energies of 6.420 and 6.549 eV, respectively, while the hollow HCP adsorption site was found to be the most stable site for O with a chemisorption energy of 7.858 eV. The respective distances of the C, N, and O adatoms from the surface were found to be 1.22, 1.09, and 1.22 A. The work function and net magnetic moments, respectively, increased and decreased in all cases upon chemisorption compared with the bare δ-Pu(1 1 1) surface. The electronic structure of the interactions between the adsorbates and the substrate is discussed in detail.
Protein malnutrition alone and in combination with endotoxin impairs systemic and gut-associated immunity.

Because protein-malnourished or endotoxemic patients are at an increased risk of developing nosocomial infections, this study was performed to investigate the effects of protein malnutrition and endotoxemia, alone and in combination, on systemic and intestinal immunity. Protein malnutrition was created by feeding the animals a solid diet containing 0.03% protein. Subgroups of these protein-malnourished mice were killed after being challenged with saline or endotoxin on days 0, 7, 14, or 21. At death, the animals were weighed, tissues were harvested for histologic analysis (ileum, mesenteric lymph node [MLN], liver, and spleen), mitogen responsiveness (MLN, Peyer's patches, and spleen), and xanthine oxidase measurements (ileum and cecum). Separate groups were evaluated for survival. Both the saline and endotoxin-challenged mice had lost about 30% of their body weight after 21 days on the low-protein diet. The protein-malnourished mice were more susceptible to endotoxin-induced mortality (70% at 21 days) th...
Ink-Jet Printing, Self-Assembled Polyelectrolytes, and Electroless Plating: Low Cost Fabrication of Circuits on a Flexible Substrate at Room Temperature

The driving forces behind the development of flexible electronics are their flexibility, lightweightedness, and potential for low-cost manufacturing. However, because of physical locations, traditional thermal processes cause deformations in the flexible substrate. As a result, the adhesion quality of the printed wires is deteriorated. This article reviews recent developments in printing circuits on a flexible substrate by combining self-assembled polyelectrolytes, ink-jet printing of a catalyst, and electroless plating of metals. The limitations and potential applications of this technology are also discussed. Experiments implementing this technology demonstrated significant results. By a vibration-induced assistance during an ink-jet printing catalyst process, line width and blurring can be controlled to within ′3% variation. Following the IPC 6013 standard for flexible electronics, the results after thermal cycling (288 °C, 6 times) and a hot oil test (260 °C, 3 times) indicated that the metallic circuit had retained excellent adhesion properties and electric characteristics. We also report the first successful demonstration of a metal film in a via-hole inner wall on a flexible substrate. This novel fabrication method is ideal for the realization of large area, flexible electronics and furore multilayer flexible substrate Application, such as flexible display, chip on flexible substrate, etc. particularly where traditional lithographic processes can not be applied.
Redox control systems in the nucleus: mechanisms and functions.

Proteins with oxidizable thiols are essential to many functions of cell nuclei, including transcription, chromatin stability, nuclear protein import and export, and DNA replication and repair. Control of the nuclear thiol-disulfide redox states involves both the elimination of oxidants to prevent oxidation and the reduction of oxidized thiols to restore function. These processes depend on the common thiol reductants, glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin-1 (Trx1). Recent evidence shows that these systems are controlled independent of the cytoplasmic counterparts. In addition, the GSH and Trx1 couples are not in redox equilibrium, indicating that these reductants have nonredundant functions in their support of proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, nuclear protein trafficking, and DNA repair. Specific isoforms of glutathione peroxidases, glutathione S-transferases, and peroxiredoxins are enriched in nuclei, further supporting the interpretation that functions of the thiol-dependent systems in nuclei are at least quantitatively distinct, and probably also qualitatively distinct, from similar processes in the cytoplasm. Elucidation of the distinct nuclear functions and regulation of the thiol redox pathways in nuclei can be expected to improve understanding of nuclear processes and also to provide the basis for novel approaches to treat aging and disease processes associated with oxidative stress in the nuclei. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 13, 489–509.
On the rhodanines and their presence in biologically active ligands

Abstract An innovative use of cluster analysis is presented to compare the output from different levels of theory. A dendrogram shows the relative energies of the tautomers of methylidene rhodanine (5-methylene-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one), computed by the semiempirical molecular orbital method AM1, are remarkably similar to the ab initio values from the LANL2DZ++(d,p) basis set, which involves effective core potentials augmented by polarization and diffuse functions. However, the optimized bond lengths and bond angles at the AM1 and AM1/SM1 levels do not agree well with those obtained at the 6–31G∗ and LANL2DZ++(d,p) levels of theory or with experiment. Database searching is used to obtain an indication of how common the rhodanine ring is. The prevalence of rhodanine-containing compounds of pharmaceutical interest is very small despite the fact that the compounds exhibit a wide variety of bioactivity.
Slow unfolding explains high stability of thermostable ferredoxins: common mechanism governing thermostability?

The role of kinetics in governing exceptional stability of thermophilic ferredoxins has been explored. Strikingly, unfolding-rate constants (pH 7, 20 °C) are over eight (log10) orders of magnitude slower for the thermophiles than for a large set of unrelated mesophilic proteins. Also at low pH, where ionic interactions are diminished, unfolding of the thermophilic ferredoxins is significantly slower than unfolding of the mesophiles at pH 7, emphasizing the importance of hydrophobic interactions. A kinetic barrier towards unfolding may be a common strategy used by many proteins to withstand extreme conditions.
Arthroscopic treatment of transchondral talar dome fractures

Flake fractures of the talar dome involving the cartilaginous surface and subchondral bone have been called transchondral talar dome fractures, a term specific for both anatomical and traumatic etiology of this lesion, and more descriptive than the previously used "osteochondritis dissecans" of the talus. The diagnosis is made by standard ankle radiographs and the lesion should be suspected in all "sprained ankles" that have continued disability following standard treatment. Surgical treatment has been recommended for Stage 3 and Stage 4 (detached/displaced fragments). Surgical treatment for removal of symptomatic lesions has, in the past, involved an arthrotomy for exposure with removal of the fracture fragment and curetting and drilling of the donor bed. Posteromedial fractures are often hard to reach through a standard approach and exposure may require an osteotomy of the medial malleolus. The use of the arthroscope in both confirmation of diagnosis and surgical treatment has proved to be beneficial in the treatment of these symptomatic fractures. The technique allows direct visualization of the pathology with adequate debridement with minimal iatrogenic trauma and early mobilization and return to preinjury status. The series includes 10 ankles in nine patients with eight posteromedial lesions, six Stage 3 and two Stage 4, and two anterolateral lesions, both Stage 4. All patients were treated arthroscopically for removal of the loose fragment and curettage of the osteochondral bed. Subjective and objective follow-up at a minimum of 6 months revealed good results in nine of the ten patients.
Alley Receives 2007 Roger Revelle Medal

I can't think of anyone on the planet more deserving of the Roger Revelle Medal than Richard Alley. He's not only a brilliant climate scientist but also a highly gifted communicator. Let me first say a few worlds about Richard's science. It centers on glaciers and branches out from there to many aspects of climate and paleoclimate. To me, Richard is the “answer man.” When I'm puzzled about something I read or hear, I call or e-mail Richard. Nine times out of 10 he gives me a well-reasoned, easily understood explanation, and if it's not on the tip of his tongue, he'll get back to me. Traditionally, his papers deal with the movement of glaciers over their substrates and how ice shelves influence this motion, but with the advent of the central Greenland ice core program, he has immersed himself in the reading of these records and what they have to tell us about the relationship between climate and ocean circulation.
Sonography of Upper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis

The incidence of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has increased significantly in the last few decades, probably secondary to the more widespread use of central venous lines. Those caring for patients both with and without known risk factors for thromboembolic venous disease should realize the importance of expertise in the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and management of upper extremity DVT.
Experimental study of airfoil performance with vortex generators.

The canard airfoil from the Voyager aircraft was tested in Ohio State University's subsonic wind tunnel. This highly optimized laminar flow section had good clean airfoil performance, but suffered severe lift and drag penalties with early boundary-layer transition. These performance penalties resulted from a midchord boundary-layer separation. An experimental program was conducted to document this problem and then to design and test vortex generators in order to improve the tripped airfoil performance while having the least effect on the clean airfoil. A set of properly designed vortex generators were found to increase the lift and reduce the drag of the contaminated airfoil. A brief study documented a significant drag rise due to a rough surface in the turbulent boundary-layer region.
Rapid B1 mapping using orthogonal, equal-amplitude radio-frequency pulses

We present a new phase-based method for mapping the amplitude of the radio-frequency field (B1) of a transmitter coil in three-dimension. This method exploits the noncommutation relation between rotations about orthogonal axes. Our implementation of this principle in the current work results in a simple relation between the phase of the final magnetization and the flip angle (FA). In this study, we focus on FAs less than 90°. Our method is rapid and easy to implement compared with the existing B1 mapping schemes. The mapping sequence can be simply obtained by adding to a regular three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence a magnetization preparation radio-frequency pulse of the same FA but orthogonal in phase to the excitation radio-frequency pulse. This method is demonstrated capable of generating reliable maps of the B1 field within 1 min using FAs no larger than 60°. We show that it is robust against T1, small chemical shift, and mild background inhomogeneity. This method may especially be suitable for B1 mapping in situations (e.g., long-T1 and hyperpolarized-gas imaging) where magnitude-based methods are not readily applicable. A noise calculation of the FA map using this method is also presented. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An integrative approach to understanding mechanosensation

The ability for a living organism to sense and respond to its external environment is crucial to its survival. Understanding mechanosensation, the mechanism by which organisms react in response to mechanical stimuli, presents many interesting and challenging problems for both experimental and computational biologists. A major difficulty in studying mechanosensors is their inherent multiscale nature. The systems involved in mechanosesnsing can span eight orders of magnitude in length scale and up to 10 orders of magnitude in time scale. Trying to ascertain information across these length and time scales simultaneously is challenging. This problem has led to the need to approach these types of problems using an integrative approach, combining both computational and experimental biology. This review classifies the major types of mechanosensors and explains methods that have been employed in understanding their behavior, both using modeling and experimental techniques. Multiscale modeling methods combined with experimental techniques in an integrative approach are suggested as ways of undertaking the study of such systems.
Accumulation of perchlorate in tobacco plants: development of a plant kinetic model

Previous studies have shown that tobacco plants are tolerant of perchlorate and will accumulate perchlorate in plant tissues. This research determined the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of perchlorate in tobacco plants. Three hydroponics growth studies were completed under greenhouse conditions. Depletion of perchlorate in the hydroponics nutrient solution and accumulation of perchlorate in plant tissues were determined at two-day intervals using ion chromatography. Perchlorate primarily accumulated in tobacco leaves, yielding a substantial storage capacity for perchlorate. Mass balance results show that perchlorate degradation was negligible in plants. Tobacco plants were shown to effectively accumulate perchlorate over a wide range of initial concentrations (10 ppb to 100 ppm) from the hydroponics solution. Results suggest that tobacco plants are potential plants for the phytoremediation of perchlorate. A mathematical model was developed to describe the distribution of perchlorate in tobacco plants under rapid growth conditions. The Plant Kinetic (PK) model defined a plant as a set of compartments, described by mass balance differential equations and plant-specific physiological parameters. Data obtained from a separate hydroponics growth study with multiple solution perchlorate concentrations were used to validate predicted root, stem, and leaf concentrations. There was good agreement between model predictions and measured concentrations in the plant. The model, once adequately validated, can be applied to other terrestrial plants and inorganic chemicals currently used for both phytoremediation and ecological risk assessment.
CO2 angiography for peripheral arterial imaging

Key Points This article demonstrates that carbon dioxide (CO2) based angiography can be performed in patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) with a resulting rate of AKI of ∼5%. The study also demonstrates a high rate of complications from CO2 angiography—ranging from pain to death. Future research will need to focus on clarifying the role of CO2 angiography given the safety profile noted in the literature.
Tc enhancement of the (Tl, Pb, Bi)Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O systems

Abstract Tc enhancement of the Tl-1223 and Tl-2223 phase with nominal compositions of (Tl0.6Pb0.2Bi0.2)Sr1.6Ca2.4Cu3Oy and Tl1.7Ca2.3Ba2Cu3Oy was performed by systematically annealing the as-sintered samples in closed system with various oxygen partial pressures. Tc can be raised by up to 7 K after annealing at 860 °C and 820 °C for Tl-12223 and 2223 respectively. A comparison of the annealing effect on the chemical stability. We also find that the Tc enhancement can be achieved without overall compositional change in the Tl-1223 system.
Regulation of serine dehydratase induction in rat liver.

SummaryWhen amino acids are infused intravascularly, the enzyme, serine dehydratase, is not induced in liver of adrenalectomized rats as it is when amino acids are given orally. The amino acids appear not to act directly on the liver to induce the enzyme. In fact when injected intravascularly, they inhibit the normal glucagon induction of serine dehydratase but not that induced by hydrocortisone. Intravascular administration of either histidine or concentrated NaCl is inhibitory as are amino acids administered intravascularly to the diabetic rat. The uptake of amino acids and glucose by the liver of glucagon-treated rats after amino acid infusion as measured by distribution of 3H-cycloleucine and 14C-methyl glucoside is the same as in rats treated with glucagon only. Thus it appears that insulin is not the factor responsible for the inhibition of enzyme induction.The authors express appreciation to Dr. H. C. Pitot for helpful suggestions and discussion during the course of the experiments and to Suzanne M...
Performance of incremental update in database rule processing

The PARADISER (parallel and distributed environment for rules) system has been designed to provide efficient rule program evaluation on large databases. In PARADISER, an incremental update facility is provided for efficiently maintaining the consistency of a database rule inference process while changes to the initial set of facts occurs front some external source. We present measured performance results of incremental update in PARADISER by studying the behavior of two rule-based benchmark programs. The results we present indicate that incremental update can provide substantial performance gains when judiciously applied in appropriate contexts. >
Developmental cell fate and virulence are linked to trehalose homeostasis in Cryptococcus neoformans

Among pathogenic environmental fungi, spores are thought to be infectious particles that germinate in the host to cause disease. The meningoencephalitis-causing yeast Cryptococcus neoformans is found ubiquitously in the environment and sporulates in response to nutrient limitation. While the yeast form has been studied extensively, relatively little is known about spore biogenesis, and spore germination has never been evaluated at the molecular level. Using genome transcript analysis of spores and molecular genetic approaches, we discovered that trehalose homeostasis plays a key role in regulating sporulation of C. neoformans, is required for full spore viability, and influences virulence. Specifically, we found that genes involved in trehalose metabolism, including a previously uncharacterized secreted trehalase (NTH2), are highly overrepresented in dormant spores. Deletion of the two predicted trehalases in the C. neoformans genome, NTH1 and NTH2, resulted in severe defects in spore production, a decrease in spore germination, and an increase in the production of alternative developmental structures. This shift in cell types suggests that trehalose levels modulate cell fate decisions during sexual development. We also discovered that deletion of the NTH2trehalase results in hypervirulence in a murine model of infection. Taken together, these data show that the metabolic adaptations that allow this fungus to proliferate ubiquitously in the environment play unexpected roles in virulence in the mammalian host and highlight the complex interplay among the processes of metabolism, development, and pathogenesis.
Suppression of menstrual prostaglandins and relief of dysmenorrhea with ibuprofen.

This communication reports the results of a double-blind, cross-over study to determine the efficacy of the prostaglandin (PG) synthetase inhibitor ibuprofen (MotrinB , Upjohn) in relieving primary dysmenorrhea, and in suppressing the release of PG in menstrual fluid. A total of 7 patients and 23 menstrual cycles were studied, following a double-blind cross-over protocol. All subjects recruited for the study were 23-25 years of age, nulliparous, weighed 50-70 kg, had a history of primary dysmenorrhea starting within a year of their menarche, had no clinical evidence of pelvic pathology on repeated bimanual pelvic examination, and were not on any form of hormonal contraception or intrauterine device. One or more control cycles, during which no medication was taken, were studied in each patient. In the study cycles, 400 mg ibuprofen or a placebo of identical appearance were taken four times a day, beginning 3 days before through 3 days after the expected onset of menses, with a total duration not exceeding 7 consecutive days in any cycle. The patients abstained from sexual intercourse in the last week of their cycle and did not take any other medications. All cycles studied were ovulatory as documented by biphasic basal body temperature and plasma progesterone.
Risk assessment in the genomic era: Are we missing the low-hanging fruit?

Accurate risk prediction is vital to medical decision making. Determination of the screening frequency, institution of primary prevention measures, acceleration of secondary treatment, consideration of advanced therapies versus palliative care, and assessment of cost effectiveness are all dependent on assumptions about risk. Increasingly, risk markers are being shown to be effective tools to identify who will most likely derive benefit from effective therapies, including statins for primary prevention1 and early aggressive catheterization strategy for acute coronary syndromes.2
A generalized BCJR algorithm and its use in turbo synchronization

A generalization of the BCJR algorithm is derived to compute joint posterior probabilities of arbitrary sets of symbols given received data. A special case of the new algorithm that computes pairwise joint probabilities is used to evaluate the second order statistics needed for EM estimation of carrier phase and symbol timing offsets in a digitally modulated waveform. This EM estimator is integrated into a turbo synchronization loop in which soft information is exchanged between the generalized BCJR algorithm (the synchronizer) and an LDPC decoder.
Simulating Ionosphere-Induced Scintillation for Testing GPS Receiver Phase Tracking Loops

A simple model is proposed for simulating equatorial transionospheric radio wave scintillation. The model can be used to test Global Positioning System phase tracking loops for scintillation robustness because it captures the scintillation properties that affect such loops. In the model, scintillation amplitude is assumed to follow a Rice distribution, and the spectrum of the rapidly-varying component of complex scintillation is assumed to follow that of a low-pass second-order Butterworth filter. These assumptions are justified, and the model validated, by comparison with phase-screen-generated and empirical scintillation data in realistic tracking loop tests. The model can be mechanized as a scintillation simulator that expects only two input parameters: the scintillation index S 4 and the decorrelation time tau0. Hardware-in-the-loop tests show how the model can be used to test the scintillation robustness of any compatible GPS receiver.
TAKING STOCK: The Constructivist Research Program in International Relations and Comparative Politics

▪ Abstract Constructivism is an approach to social analysis that deals with the role of human consciousness in social life. It asserts that human interaction is shaped primarily by ideational factors, not simply material ones; that the most important ideational factors are widely shared or “intersubjective” beliefs, which are not reducible to individuals; and that these shared beliefs construct the interests of purposive actors. In international relations, research in a constructivist mode has exploded over the past decade, creating new and potentially fruitful connections with long-standing interest in these issues in comparative politics. In this essay, we evaluate the empirical research program of constructivism in these two fields. We first lay out the basic tenets of constructivism and examine their implications for research methodology, concluding that constructivism's distinctiveness lies in its theoretical arguments, not in its empirical research strategies. The bulk of the essay explores specific...