cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ACA Medicaid expansion reduced disparities in use of high-volume hospitals for pancreatic surgery

Abstract Background Early evaluation of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion demonstrated persistent disparities among Medicaid beneficiaries in use of high-volume hospitals for pancreatic surgery. Longer-term effects of expansion remain unknown. This study evaluated the impact of expansion on the use of high-volume hospitals for pancreatic surgery among Medicaid and uninsured patients. Methods State inpatient databases (2012-2017), the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database, and the Area Resource File from the Health Resources and Services Administration, were used to examine 8,264 non-elderly adults who underwent pancreatic surgery in nine expansion and two non-expansion states. High-volume hospitals were defined as performing 20 or more resections/year. Linear probability triple differences models measured pre- and post-Affordable Care Act utilization rates of pancreatic surgery at high-volume hospitals among Medicaid and uninsured patients versus privately insured patients in expansion versus non-expansion states. Results The Affordable Care Act’s expansion was associated with increased rates of utilization of high-volume hospitals for pancreatic surgery by Medicaid and uninsured patients (48% vs 55.4%, P = .047) relative to privately insured patients in expansion states (triple difference estimate +11.7%, P = .022). A pre-Affordable Care Act gap in use of high-volume hospitals among Medicaid and uninsured patients in expansion states versus non-expansion states (48% vs 77%, P Conclusion Medicaid expansion was associated with greater utilization of high-volume hospitals for pancreatic surgery among Medicaid and uninsured patients. These findings are informative to non-expansion states considering expansion. Future studies should target understanding referral mechanism post-expansion.
Reliable Characterization of Unstable Pulse Trains in Third-Order Versions of Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating

We show that the RANA approach, which reliably retrieves pulses in stable trains, reliably retrieves pulses in third-order FROG even in the presence of unstable pulse shapes. Importantly, it reliably indicates the presence of instability.
DT-SSIM: A Decentralized Trustworthy Self-Sovereign Identity Management Framework

In a ubiquitous environment enclosing cooperative Internet of Things (IoT) devices, individuals, and entities, Digital Identity Management (DIM) becomes critical and challenging. DIM pertains to device identities authentication and verification to enable trustworthy service exchange, data collection, and decision making. DIM is the supporting pillar for all online services and the foundation for security and authentication mechanisms. Due to the extreme heterogeneity, scale, and configuration complexity of such environments, enabling trustworthy DIM is crucial and seriously challenging. In an IoT context, devices use local (Digital Identities) DIs stored within a tamper-proof unit and verified by a centralized authority for authentication. The recent attacks on IoT systems showed how vulnerable such a design is. It is also an inherent problem that influences humans. From that, Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) has emerged as a decentralized DIM approach embracing the concept of portable selfpossession identity. SSI was presented to decouple the DI from the owner to enable large-scale cooperation. However, DI storage and verification still occur on the device and in a centralized manner. Utilizing a local single-point-of-failure storage memory for verifiable credentials is one of the considerable drawbacks in contemporary SSI. In this regard, this paper introduces DTSSIM, a novel Decentralized Trustworthy Self-Sovereign Identity Management framework. DT-SSIM integrates the secret share scheme with the Blockchain-based smart contracts technologies to provide transparent and trustworthy SSI-based digital identity management services for IoT. Storing IoT identity credentials outside the devices’ local storage preserves the identity credentials from being tampered with or misused. Evaluations and discussions show the resiliency assessment of the system and the cost and estimated running times for verification processes in DTSSIM.
The role of clinician assistants in addressing perinatal depression.

BACKGROUND Upwards of one in seven individuals experience perinatal depression and many individuals cannot access treatment. In response, perinatal depression is increasingly being managed in the obstetric setting. This study aimed to characterize the experiences of clinicians and clinician assistants to inform the extent to which clinician assistants can help address depression in obstetric settings. METHODS This cross-sectional analysis used data from an ongoing cluster randomized control trial: The PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM). Participants included clinicians (physicians, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners) and clinician assistants (medical assistants, nursing assistants). Baseline data regarding practices and attitudes of clinicians and clinician assistants toward addressing depression in the obstetric setting were described. Logistic regressions were used to examine the association of clinician time to complete work and depression management. RESULTS Clinician assistants experienced significantly fewer time constraints than did clinicians. However, having adequate time to complete work was not significantly associated with increased depression management in clinicians. Clinician assistants reported feeling that addressing depression is an important part of their job, despite variation in doing so. CONCLUSION Clinician assistants are interacting with perinatal women extensively and are a vital part of obstetric care workflows. Clinician assistants report that they want to address depression and have time to do so. Thus, clinician assistants may be poised to help address the mental health needs of perinatal individuals.
Prevalence of peripheral neuropathy defined by monofilament insensitivity in middle-aged and older adults in two US cohorts.

Peripheral neuropathy is associated with substantial morbidity, but risk factors other than diabetes are largely uncharacterized. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and risk factors for peripheral neuropathy in adults with and without diabetes from two different population-based studies in the US. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 5200 black and white participants from NHANES (1999-2004, age 40-85 years) and 3362 black and white participants from the ARIC Study (2016-2017, age 70-89 years) who underwent monofilament testing for peripheral neuropathy using a shared protocol. We used logistic regression to quantify age, sex, and race-adjusted risk factor associations for peripheral neuropathy among middle-aged (40-69 years) and older (≥ 70 years) adults. The age, sex, and race-adjusted prevalence of peripheral neuropathy (decreased sensation on monofilament testing) was 10.4% for middle-aged adults in NHANES, 26.8% for older adults in NHANES, and 39.2% for older adults in ARIC. Diabetes was an important risk factor, but more strongly associated with peripheral neuropathy in middle-aged (OR ~ 5 for long-standing diabetes) compared to older adults (ORs ~ 1.5-2). Male sex (ORs ~ 2), black race (ORs ~ 1.3-1.5), and greater height (ORs ~ 1.5-3) were robust risk factors for peripheral neuropathy. Other risk factors included body mass index, education, and peripheral artery disease. The burden of peripheral neuropathy defined by abnormal monofilament testing among older adults is substantial, even among adults without diabetes. Studies are needed to understand the etiology and prognosis of peripheral neuropathy in the absence of diabetes.
Social Support Effects on Neural Stress and Alcohol Reward Responses.

Social support (SS), or having people to depend on during times of stress, may offer an emotional and neurological buffer to problem drinking. Specifically, SS may modulate reward and stress-related brain responses to mitigate perceptions of alcohol reward and stress. There is limited evidence, however, on this topic and specifically on brain networks that may modulate SS effects on stress and alcohol reward. Here we present a review of the current literature on this topic as well as data from a large community sample of 115 social drinkers. Findings from a novel fMRI task viewing alcohol cue, stress, and neutral images, in separate blocks, while providing ratings on subjective feelings of alcohol craving, stress, and arousal are included. Lower SS significantly predicted greater alcohol craving during alcohol cue and stress conditions, higher baseline levels of stress, and greater arousal in the alcohol cue, relative to neutral condition. Remarkably, individuals with low SS showed greater reward activation (ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VmPFC) and ventral striatum) during alcohol cue exposure, while those with high SS showed no such activation (p < 0.001, family wise error corrected at 0.05). Furthermore, individuals with lower SS showed greater stress circuit (VmPFC, dorsal striatum, and periaqueductal gray) activation not observed in the high SS groups. Both groups showed increased amygdala activation under stress condition. The findings support the notion that SS is a powerful modulator of stress response and reward motivation. High SS buffers neural and subjective stress responses, while low SS potentiates greater reward seeking with higher alcohol craving and greater brain activation during alcohol cue exposure. Previous research and current results suggest the need to further explore the role of SS in those at risk of developing alcohol use disorder and assess novel prevention strategies to boost SS in at-risk drinkers.
Regenerative Likelihood Ratio Control Schemes

We discuss the problem of monitoring where models driving the data are undergoing abrupt changes in time, such as shifts or drifts. We introduce a unified methodology based on the use of likelihood ratio tests that enables one to obtain control schemes that provide both good (and, under some conditions, optimal) statistical performance and are relatively easy to implement. These schemes depend on just one design parameter and require a limited computational effort that is dynamically adjusted based on process conditions. An example pertaining to multivariate control of the normal mean is discussed in detail.
Software Project Planning Using Agile

As technology and business are turbulently changing, Agile software project management is taking over traditional project management due to its flexibility, short time-to-market, and customer involvement. This paper digs the background reason for agile software project management and focuses on the development of software project planning using Agile. The Agile software project planning is overviewed; the traditional project planning is compared with the Agile project planning; and the detailed concerns with the agile project planning are outlined. The differences between traditional project planning and Agile project planning are analyzed; adaptability to the increasing turbulent and unpredictable market changes is discussed, including release planning, timebox planning and day planning; and risk planning and management in Agile software projects are presented, including risks from tasks and risks from people.
High-speed heterostructure devices: Gate resistance and the Schottky-barrier interface

Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. A lbert E instein Introduction The gate resistance R g (Figure 15.16) has long been recognized as a very important parasitic parameter that can be difficult to reduce to an acceptable value. R g degrades the noise figure and power gain. For the field-effect transistor (FET) depicted in Figure 14.1, the gate and drain voltages (and source ground) are applied to metal pads outside the active FET area. The gate, drain and source metallizations carry the currents laterally in the yz -plane onto the active FET area, and deliver the currents in an essentially uniform fashion in the x direction to the semiconductor. For the source and drain this is typically not a problem because of their larger extension in the y direction, and the thick interconnect metallizations available (neither is shown in Figure 14.1, which only depicts the central core of the device). The source and drain resistances ( R s and R d ) are thus not limited by the metallization resistance, but by the contact and semiconductor components discussed in Section 14.6.2. The situation is different for the gate because of its much smaller extension in the y direction. Consequently, in order to reduce the gate resistance for submicron gates, much effort has gone into developing T-gate processes (Figure 14.1; Section 17.7). This chapter will show that there is much more to the gate resistance, and therefore that there are additional ways to reduce it. In particular, we will discuss an interfacial component which, in its purest form, is intimately tied to the mechanism responsible for Schottky-barrier formation.
Lie Groups and Lie Algebras

Lie groups and their Lie algebras play a central role in geometry, topology, and analysis. Here we can only give a brief introduction to this fascinating topic.
Surgical Revascularization versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Optimal Medical Therapy in Diabetic Patients with Multi-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients with DM and CAD undergoing revascularization with either a surgical or a percutaneous approach are at higher risk of adverse outcomes and mortality compared with non-DM patients. It is within this background that the optimal choice of revascularization is of critical importance in this high-risk population. The large FREEDOM trial randomized 1900 patients with DM and multivessel CAD to either revascularization with coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG) surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Compared with PCI, CABG significantly reduced the rates of death and myocardial infarction but was associated with a higher risk of stroke. In a real-world setting the decision-making process for the optimal revascularization strategy in these patients is challenging as many clinical factors may influence the decision to either pursue a surgical or a percutaneous revascularization. However, the current consensus is that CABG should be the preferred revascularization strategy in diabetic patients with extensive multivessel CAD.
Separation of Solid Waste Using Trommel Screens

An approach to the design selection of a trammel screen is to consider the device from a material handling viewpoint. There is more than one way to select the length of a trammel screen. Until more operating data is available, the correct constraint to consider will remain unknown.
CG-Cell: an NPB benchmark implementation on cell broadband engine

The NAS Conjugate Gradient (CG) benchmark is an important scientific kernel used to evaluate machine performance and compare characteristics of different programming models. CG represents a computation and communication paradigm for sparse linear algebra, which is common in scientific fields. In this paper, we present the porting, performance optimization and evaluation of CG on Cell Broadband Engine (CBE). CBE, a heterogeneous multi-core processor with SIMD accelerators, is gaining attention and being deployed on supercomputers and high-end server architectures. We take advantages of CBE's particular architecture to optimize the performance of CG. We also quantify these optimizations and assess their impact. In addition, by exploring distributed nature of CBE, we present trade-off between parallelization and serialization, and Cell-specific data scheduling in its memory hierarchy. Our final result shows that the CG-Cell can achieve more than 4 times speedup over the performance of single comparable PowerPC Processor.
Jugdep S. Chima. The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India: Political Leadership and Ethnonationalist Movements

Jugdep S. Chima explores the political violence aimed at bringing an independent Sikh state, and argues that the ethnic and political leaders’ self-interest largely shaped the ethnonationalist move...
Labeling of Soybeans with the Stable Isotope 70Zn for Use in Human Metabolic Studies

Radiozinc (65Zn) was used to assess the efficiency of incorporation of the label into soybean seeds by means of a noncycling hydroponic system. It was found that 21.3 and 27.6% of the applied dose was incorporated into the mature seeds when the tracer was applied during vegetative or flowering stages of growth cycle, respectively. The latter method was adapted to labeling with the stable isotope 70Zn, and quantitative incorporation of this isotope was investigated within and among hydroponic culture pots each containing four plants. It was found that on the average 17.7% +/- 3.0% of the applied dose was recovered in the mature seeds harvested from each pot. The mass isotope enrichment ratio for 70Zn: 68Zn in these seeds was 2.93 +/- 0.38 (mean +/- SD) compared with the natural ratio of 0.0343, indicating a high degree of stable isotope enrichment. Results of soybean fractionation studies showed that the enrichment was somewhat higher in the defatted meal fraction as compared with the full-fat, the hull, and the whole seed, indicating somewhat preferential translocation of the applied stable isotope in the protein. Despite this small but observable difference, all fractions were highly enriched with 70Zn. The data from this study indicated that noncycling hydroponic culture may be effectively employed to intrinsically label soybeans with the stable isotopes of zinc for use in human feeding trials dealing with the issues of zinc availability. A 100-g portion of such labeled seeds provided 38-43 g protein and 490-620 micrograms 70Zn in various processed products for use in human feeding studies.
The availability of cloud-free Landsat ETM+ data over the conterminous United States and globally

Abstract The U.S. Landsat satellite series provide the longest dedicated land remote sensing data record with a balance between requirements for localized high spatial resolution studies and global monitoring. As with any other optical wavelength satellite sensor, cloud contamination greatly compromises image usability for land surface studies. Additionally, selective scene acquisition due to payload, ground station and mission cost constraints further reduces Landsat image availability. Since the 1999 launch of the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) a Long-term Acquisition Plan (LTAP) has been used to anticipate user requests with the goal of annually refreshing a global daytime archive of cloud-free ETM+ data. This research evaluates the availability of cloud-free Landsat ETM+ data over the conterminous U.S. and globally using 3 years of ETM+ cloud fraction metadata archived by the U.S. Landsat project. Landsat application requirements including obtaining at least one cloud-free observation in a year, a season, and two different seasons, or at least a pair of cloud-free observations occurring no more than 16, 32, 48, 64, and 80 days apart within a year and season are considered. Probabilistic analyses indicate that over the conterminous U.S., land applications requiring at least one cloud-free observation in a year, a season, two different seasons, or at least two cloud-free observations occurring within any period of the year, are on average largely unaffected by cloud cover, except for certain Winter applications and cloudy scenes near the U.S.–Canada border and the Great Lakes. Cloud becomes a constraint when at least two cloud-free observations are required from the same season over the conterminous U.S., especially when the separation between observations is restricted to short time intervals. Global applications requiring at least one cloud-free observation in a season, in two different seasons, and applications requiring at least two cloud-free observations in a year, are all severely affected by cloud and data availability constraints; and globally it is generally not practical to consider land applications that require at least two cloud-free observations in any season. Globally, only land applications requiring at least one cloud-free observation per year are largely unaffected by cloud cover and the reduced global ETM+ data availability. These results are specific only to the U.S. Landsat ETM+ archive; they suggest the need for an increased global Landsat acquisition rate for the current and future Landsat missions and/or the development of new approaches to mitigating cloud contamination in the U.S. global Landsat ETM+ archive.
Evidence against the presence of NMDA receptors at a central glutamatergic synapse in leeches.

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, able to detect the coincidence of pre- and postsynaptic events, is considered to be the molecular analogue of associative learning. Associative learning is well known in leeches, particularly for reflexive shortening. The neuronal circuits underlying shortening have been documented and include neurons that release glutamate. Is this type of learning in leeches also mediated by NMDA receptors? The synapse between the P sensory neuron and the motoneuron-like AP cell was examined and: (1) NMDA failed to elicit a response in the AP cell, (2) the NMDA receptor antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphopentanoic acid affected synaptic transmission only at high, non-specific levels, and (3) the antagonist for the glycine-binding site 7-chloro-kynurenic acid at 20 µM did not inhibit transmission. Therefore, there are evidently no NMDA receptors at the P to AP synapse, suggesting other mechanisms of associative learning in leeches.
MiR-422a as a potential cellular microRNA biomarker for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs. Recently, miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in the etiology of various diseases. However, little is known about their roles in the development of osteoporosis. Circulating monocytes are osteoclast precursors that also produce various factors important for osteoclastogenesis. Previously, we have identified a potential biomarker miR-133a in circulating monocytes for postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this study, we aimed to further identify significant miRNA biomarkers in human circulating monocytes underlying postmenopausal osteoporosis.
The Bias in Favor of Venture Capital Finance in U.S. Entrepreneurial Education: At the Expense of Trade Credit

The authors examine whether U.S. college-level entrepreneurship education demonstrates a bias favoring venture capital (VC) financing while marginalizing trade credit financing, and the resulting impact on entrepreneurship students. A sample of U.S. business textbooks and survey data from entrepreneurship students reveals a significant bias toward VC at the expense of trade credit. Despite this overexposure to VC, students only indicate a very basic understanding of how VC works. These findings suggest that business educators are doing a poor job by favoring a complex and rare finance method such as VC over a widely used and accessible source such as trade credit.
Gene Therapy for Cerebral Vascular Disease

Background Gene transfer to peripheral arteries has been accomplished with catheter-based approaches. Recently, gene transfer to the carotid artery and intracranial vessels has been achieved both in vitro and in vivo. Although gene therapy for cerebral vascular disease may not be accomplished for years, currently available methods probably will allow novel approaches to the study of vascular biology. Purpose This mini-review summarizes current methodology and describes some potential goals of gene therapy. Transfection of vessels might be used to prevent vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, stimulate growth of collateral blood vessels, stabilize atherosclerotic plaques, and prevent restenosis after angioplasty. Gene transfer approaches also may be useful in treating ischemia by inhibition or overexpression of cytokines and by effects on neurons. Some formidable barriers to gene therapy are the current lack of safe and effective vectors for gene transfer, the difficulty in delivering vectors to intracr...
Pediatric Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy Through the Laryngeal Mask Airway

Objective: To determine the usefulness and safety of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as an adjunct to pediatric flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB). Design: A case-series retrospective study. Setting: Pediatric otolaryngology tertiary referral center, outpatient and inpatient operating suites. Patients: Retrospective review of charts of children who had FOB performed with the use of LMA by the pediatric otolaryngology service. The patients were ages 3 months to 18 years with respiratory symptoms requiring FOB for diagnosis. Interventions: Use of LMA to support airway during FOB with spontaneous ventilation with the patients under general anesthesia. Main Outcome Measures: Ability to perform airway evaluation with FOB and LMA; number and type of complications. Results: Seventeen patients, ages 3 months to 18 years (median age, 39 months) underwent FOB with use of LMA. In 2 patients use of LMA failed—1 from airway obstruction with LMA in place, which required intubation, and another who could not have LMA appropriately placed. Fifteen patients underwent uncomplicated FOB through the LMA. None of these 15 patients required unplanned endotracheal intubation. Two patients with mandibular hypoplasia required LMA use for airway evaluation when the glottis could not be visualized at direct laryngoscopy. Conclusions: The LMA is a safe and effective adjunct to pediatric FOB. Laryngeal mask airway use for FOB allows evaluation of the airway during spontaneous ventilation without an endotracheal tube or a face mask. Larger fiberoptic scopes can be used through the LMA compared with pediatric FOB performed through the nose or through an endotracheal tube. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;122:1364-1367
Fine Mapping of C (Chromogen for Anthocyanin) Gene in Rice

Seven residual heterozygous lines (RHLs) displaying different genotypic compositions in the genomic region covering probable locations of C (Chromogen for anthocyanin) gene on the short arm of rice chromosome 6 were selected from the progenies of the indica cross Zhenshan 97B/Milyang 46. Seeds were harvested from each of the seven plants, and the resultant F2:3 populations were used for fine mapping of C gene. It was shown in the populations that the apiculus coloration matched to basal leaf sheath coloration in each plant. By relating the coloration performances of the populations with the genotypic compositions of the RHLs, the C locus was located between rice SSR markers RM314 and RM253. By using a total of 1279 F2:3 individuals from two populations showing coloration segregation, the C locus was then located between RM111 and RM253, with genetic distances of 0.7 cM to RM111 and 0.4 cM to RM253. Twenty-two recombinants found in the two populations were assayed with seven more markers located between RM111 and RM253, including six SSR markers and one marker for the C gene candidate, OsC1. The C locus was delimited to a 59.3-kb region in which OsC1 was located.
Structure of confined polymer thin films subject to shear

Using neutron reflectivity and the newly developed Shear Confinement Cell (SCC), we have directly quantified the density distribution of opposing neutral polymer brushes confined between parallel plates in good solvent conditions. With an average separation between the plates of approximately 1000 A, our measurements show that the density profile in the overlap region between opposing polymer brushes flattens consistent with predictions from molecular dynamics simulations. A significant increase in density at the anchoring surfaces due to compression of the brush layers is observed. This compression or collapse of the brushes in restricted geometries strongly suggests that high-density brushes do not interpenetrate significantly in good solvent conditions. In addition, for the first time, we have measured the effects of an applied shear stress on the sample. We find that for neutral brushes, shear creates a totally new disentangled structure which surprisingly relaxes only after a time span of a few weeks.
The interrelationship between TGF-β1 and nitric oxide is altered in salt-sensitive hypertension

The study of salt-sensitive hypertension has been facilitated by development of genetic models, especially the Dahl/Rapp salt-sensitive (S) rat. S rats rapidly become hypertensive after initiation ...
Recovery times following induction of anaesthesia with propofol, methohexitone, enflurane or thiopentone in children

Summary We have measured the times to early recovery in forty children aged 3-14 years in whom anaesthesia was induced by intravenous propofol, methohexitone, thiopentone or inhalation of enflurane. Maintenance anaesthesia consisted of inhalation of nitrous oxide, oxygen and enflurane via a face mask. Early recovery, assessed by the Steward recovery score, was significantly faster after propofol, methohexitone or inhalation of enflurane compared with thiopentone (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in recovery times between propofol, methohexitone or enflurane. We conclude that the use of propofol to induce anaesthesia does not hasten recovery in children undergoing short day-case procedures compared with methohexitone or inhalation of enflurane.
Geographic views of human development

Human development can be divided into three stages: human ancestors (Lower Palaeolithic), early human races (Middle Palaeolithic) and modern humans (Upper Palaeolithic). Regional differentiation has been detected in the Lower Palaeolithic and is strongly developed in the Middle Palaeolithic but continues into the Upper Palaeolithic less marked. Clearly mixture at all levels accounts for this. Early humans absorbed the pre-existing regionalizations even as they further differentiated. Modern humans resulted from Upper Palaeolithic people spreading across the world and again absorbing the previous differentiations.
L-Alanyl-L-Tyrosine As A Tyrosine Source During Total Parenteral Nutrition. Infusion at 0.5 and 2 mmoles/kg/day in Adult Rats

Summary: Tyrosine peptides, such as L-alanyl-L-tyrosine, have excellent solubility and are potential sources of iv tyrosine. Infusion of L-alanyl-L-U-14C-tyrosine as part of a total parenteral nutrition regimen in the rat at a level of 0.5 mmole/kg/day resulted in rapid labeling of tissue tyrosine pools, production of 14CO2, incorporation of 14C-labeled tyrosine into protein, and minimal urinary losses (7.7%). Plasma tyrosine levels, however, remained at fasting. Infusion of L-alanyl-L-tyrosine at 2 mmole/kg/day increased plasma tyrosine above fasting levels and maintained tissue tyrosine at levels seen in orally fed control animals without increasing the percent lost in urine (5.5%). Rapid utilization of L-alanyl-L-tyrosine was noted at both infusion levels with no accumulation of peptide noted in plasma. Plasma and tissue free tyrosine pools were rapidly labeled, as was tissue protein. Radioactivity incorporated in tissue protein was shown to be tyrosine after acid hyrolysis. Speculation: Tyrosine content of parenteral solutions is limited by poor tyrosine solubility. Tyrosine peptides are soluble and are well utilized during iv feeding of adult rats. This suggests that tyrosine peptides are a reasonable source for supplying the tyrosine requirements of iv fed infants.
Mechanism of the thermal decomposition of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(η1-acenaphthenyl)

The complexes (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(η1-acenaphthenyl) (I), (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2 (η1-trans-β-deuterioacenaphthenyl) (II), and (η-C5D5)Fe(CO)2, (η1-acenaphthenyl) (XIII) have been prepared and their thermal decomposition studied in vacuo and in refluxing toluene. All three complexes decompose to produce mixtures of acenaphthene (VII), acenaphthylene (VIII), and [C5H5Fe(CO)2]2 (VI). Biacenaphthenyl (IX) is also obtained from the thermolysis of I in toluene. The formation of alkene VIII, and, to a lesser extent, alkane VII is suppressed by external CO. Thermolysis of I in toluene-d8 and of II in vacuo and in toluene produces deuterium-enriched VII. The acenaphthene generated from the decomposition of XIII also contains deuterium. The above observations are accomodated by a mechanistic scheme involving competing β-elimination, ironcarbon bond homolysis to produce the acenaphthenyl radical, and CpH abstraction by an undetermined pathway.
A Vietnam Filmography

(1981). A Vietnam Filmography. Journal of Popular Film and Television: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 61-67.
Control of organ-specific autoimmunity by immunoregulatory CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells.

Abstract CD4 + CD25 + T cells regulate the activity of autoreactive T cells. Depletion of these cells results in the development of a wide-spectrum of organ-specific autoimmune diseases. In vitro model systems have been developed to study the function of these potent suppressor cells. Following their activation via their T-cell receptor, they downregulate the responses of CD25 – effectors by a T–T interaction.
Identification of pathologic features associated with “ulcerative colitis-like” Crohn’s disease

Identification of pathologic features associated with “ulcerative colitis-like” Crohn’s disease
Aminosalicylate Therapy in the Prevention of Dysplasia and Colorectal Cancer in Ulcerative Colitis

Background & Aims Aminosalicylates have been suggested as chemopreventive agents for colorectal cancer (CRC) in ulcerative colitis (UC). We studied the effect of aminosalicylate use on dysplasia and CRC risk in chronic UC. Methods UC patients with dysplasia or CRC were matched with controls by disease duration, extent, and age at diagnosis. The total amount of aminosalicylates over the duration of the disease and the mean daily amount of drug was calculated. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of aminosalicylates to the risk of neoplasia; potential confounders were controlled in a multivariable model. Results Twenty-six cases (8 CRC, 18 dysplasia) were matched with 96 controls. Cases and controls were similar in age (median, 43 vs 42.5 y), age at diagnosis of UC (median, 29.5 vs 30.5 y), duration of UC (median, 11.5 vs 9 y), and extent of disease (58% pancolitis), sex, family history of UC, history of primary sclerosing cholangitis, and smoking history. Cases were more likely to have a family history of CRC than controls (27% of cases, 9% of controls, P = .036). Conditional logistic regression adjusted for disease duration, age at diagnosis, and family history of CRC showed that aminosalicylate use of 1.2 g/day or more was associated with a 72% reduction in the odds of dysplasia/CRC (odds ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.85). As the total dose of aminosalicylates increased, the odds of dysplasia/CRC decreased (P = .056). Conclusions This case-control study shows a significant risk reduction of dysplasia and CRC in UC patients exposed to aminosalicylate therapy.
Gender and Uveitis

Sex differences in medicine include sex-specific diseases occurring only in one sex and sex-related diseases that are more common to one sex. Indeed differences in incidence, presentation, and course of disease between males and females are common. Eye disease is no exception. According to the WHO website, “In every region of the world and at all ages, females have a significantly higher risk of being visually impaired.” WHO estimates that globally there are approximately 314 million people with visual impairment and that women account for more than 64.5%. Even adjusted for age, the overall odds ratio of blind women to men is 1.43, representing a range from 1.39 in Africa to 1.63 in industrialized countries [1]. Gender-based differences refer to hormonal changes in menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause, disease susceptibility, and other anatomic or physiologic differences between women and men. Although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, recent research demonstrates a link between sex hormones and microbial exposure in which microbiome can trigger testosterone-dependent protection from autoimmunity in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model [2, 3]. Sex hormones, X-chromosome-related effects, and epigenetic and environmental factors also affect activation and differentiation of different immune cells that play important roles in infectious and autoimmune diseases [4]. The differences of ocular diseases between the sexes are nowhere more apparent than in the field of ocular inflammation. Females as a gender group have heightened immune responses not only to foreign antigens but also to self-antigens. Thus there is a greater preponderance of autoimmune disorders including noninfectious uveitis in women than in men. Recently, the Pacific Ocular Inflammation Study reported that, of 217 061 eligible patients, 872 were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes, and 224 cases of uveitis were confirmed. The overall uveitis incidence rate was 24.9 cases per 100000 person-years. The annual prevalence rates for 2006 and 2007 were 57.5 and 58.0 per 100000 persons, respectively. No difference in incidence rate was found by sex (P = 0.63), but female patients had a higher prevalence (P = 0.008) [5]. This special issue attempts to identify gender- and sex-based differences in various uveitides: infectious and noninfectious autoimmune uveitis, for example, multiple sclerosis in young and middle-aged women, juvenile idiopathic arthritis in girls, and syphilitic uveitis in HIV infected patients in males. Clinical manifestations and courses may appear differently between female and male patients in certain uveitides. Gender-based differences in uveitis should be also considered in care and treatment of the diseases, as well as the underlying genetic background and physical and social environment. Chi-Chao Chan Debra A. Goldstein Janet L. Davis H. Nida Sen
No association between ADCYAP1R1 and post-traumatic stress disorder in two independent samples

No association between ADCYAP1R1 and post-traumatic stress disorder in two independent samples
Aspirin attenuates the anxiolytic actions of ethanol.

Abstract The present study examined the effect of aspirin on the anxiolytic action of ethanol. Previous research has shown that ethanol reliably produces an anxiolytic effect on rodent's plus-maze performance while aspirin has been demonstrated to attenuate several of ethanol's behavioral actions. Female Sprague–Dawley rats were given s.c. aspirin doses of 0 or 150 mg/kg, followed 30 min later by s.c. ethanol doses of 0, 1.0 or 1.6 g/kg. After 5 min, animals were tested in the elevated plus-maze. Although aspirin did not have a significant effect on anxiety-related behavior, it did attenuate the anxiolytic action of ethanol at the dose of 1.0 g/kg, but not at the 1.6 g/kg dose. Thus, aspirin by itself does not appear to possess anxiolytic actions, but does modify the anxiolytic actions of 1.0 g/kg, but not 1.6 g/kg ethanol.
Synergistic Regulation of Angiogenic Sprouting by Biochemical Factors and Wall Shear Stress

The process of sprouting angiogenesis involves activating endothelial cells (ECs) in a quiescent monolayer of an existing vessel to degrade and migrate into the underlying matrix to form new blood vessels. While the roles of biochemical factors in angiogenic sprouting have been well characterized, the roles of fluid forces have received much less attention. This review summarizes results that support a role for wall shear stress in post-capillary venules as a mechanical factor capable of synergizing with biochemical factors to stimulate pro-angiogenic signaling in ECs and promote sprout formation.
The heat shock response is self-regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels

Abstract When Drosophila cells are shifted from 25°C to 37°C, the synthesis of a small group of proteins (the heat shock proteins or HSPs) is rapidly induced, while most preexisting synthesis is repressed. On return to normal growing temperatures, synthesis of HSPs is gradually repressed and normal synthesis is restored. We show that production of HSP 70 (the major heat-induced protein in these cells) is quantitatively correlated with the degree of stress. The level of synthesis is controlled both transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally through repression of HSP 70 mRNA synthesis and destabilization of HSP 70 transcripts. These regulatory mechanisms depend upon the accumulation of the HSPs themselves; when the production of functional HSPs is blocked, HS transcription continues and HS mRNAs are stable, accumulating in vast quantities; if the block is released, a specific quantity of functional HSP must accumulate before HS transcription is repressed and preexisting HS mRNAs are destabilized. Evidence is also presented that indicates that the same quantity of HSP 70 is required to release the block in normal protein synthesis.
Desensitisation does not selectively alter sodium channels.

WHEN depolarising drugs are applied to the endplate region of skeletal muscle fibres, the postjunctional membrane undergoes a rapid increase in ionic conductance. This increased permeability, largely for Na+ and K+, is slowly reversed if the agonist application is sustained. The gradual diminuition of response to agonist is due to endplate desensitisation1. Many factors influencing desensitisation have been described, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of desensitisation remain unknown. Two fundamental types of mechanisms have been postulated to explain the phenomenon of desensitisation2–6. In the first, desensitisation is viewed as resulting from an alteration in the chemical receptor or binding site. The second type of mechanism suggests that desensitisation results from an alteration at some extrareceptor site such as that controlling the ionic channel in the endplate membrane. Kuba and Koketsu7 have shown that the reversal potential for acetylcholine was shifted to more negative values at desensitised end-plates. They argued that this change was due to a selective decrease in GNa and therefore supported the view that an extra-receptor mechanism was important in the development of desensitisation. In contrast Koester8 found no significant alteration in the reversal potential at desensitised endplates. In view of these conflicting observations we have re-investigated the question of whether there is or is not a selective alteration in endplate conductance during desensitisation. We report here that desensitisation does not selectively alter sodium channels.
Connexins within the rat larynx.

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine the types and localization of connexins within the rat larynx. Study Design Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) of the epiglottis and laryngeal mucosa was used to identify connexins (Cx). Immunohistochemical labeling was then used to localize the Cxs within the larynx. Methods Twelve larynges from 3 to 4 month old Fisher-344 rats were used. RNA was extracted (N = 8) and cDNA produced. Primers for Cx26, Cx30, Cx32, Cx37, Cx40, and Cx43 were added and qRT-PCR performed. Others larynges were serially sectioned for immunohistochemistry. Results qRT-PCR revealed Cx43, Cx32, and Cx30 within the epiglottis and Cx43 in the vocal folds and Cx43 and Cx32 within the subglottic mucosa. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed these results. Conclusion The rat epiglottis is rich in Cx43, Cx32, and Cx30 whereas the vocal folds contain Cx43 and the subglottic mucosa Cx43 and Cx32. Their localizations suggest involvement in secretion for protective purposes and they may play a key role in laryngeal pathoses.
Statistical Power and Research in Occupational Therapy

The rationale of statistical hypothesis testing is reviewed, and the concepts of experimental error and power are introduced and discussed. A post hoc power analysis of 205 statistical tests from 22 articles reporting occupational therapy research is presented. The effect sizes and power coefficients for each of the statistical tests reviewed were analyzed, and the evaluation revealed a significant difference in power values based on effect-size calculations: Studies reporting small and medium effect sizes were associated with low power and were subject to a high probability of Type II experimental error. The power of the tests reviewed and the estimated Type II error rates were shown to vary significantly for small, medium, and large effects. This was not true for Type I error rates, which remained constant for all effect sizes. The implications of the findings and the importance of pre-experimental power evaluations for fields such as occupational therapy, where research endeavors frequently reveal smal...
The Thermal Expansion of Solids

Under appropriate conditions, the thermal expansion of a solid is closely related to the Gr\"uneisen parameter $\ensuremath{\gamma}$. This in turn may be derived from the variation of the characteristic frequency of the lattice with volume. If, however, this variation is calculated from the usual expressions for the velocity of sound in solids at zero pressure, the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ does not agree with that predicted from lattice theory, and an anomalous thermal expansion is predicted for a solid with a purely harmonic atomic potential.General expressions for the dependence on volume of the velocity of plane waves in one-, two-, and three-dimensional lattices are obtained, and hence the corresponding Gr\"uneisen $\ensuremath{\gamma}'\mathrm{s}$. The three-dimensional $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ differs by a numerical constant from that used by Slater. All three expressions are now consistent when applied to a body with a purely harmonic atomic potential and predict no thermal expansion.
A Fast-Running Finite Element Based Method for Evaluating the Blast Performance of Laminated Insulated Glazing

The current state of practice in the design and assessment of Insulated Glazing Units to resist blast loading utilizes calculation methods to estimate the performance. The most prevalent methods used for calculating the window’s performance have been developed from a single degree of freedom (SDOF) approach. This paper presents an alternative, finite element based, approach to analyzing the blast performance of laminated insulated glazing units. The modeling approach is described for each of the primary components represented in the analysis and the results of an indicative model are compared against an equivalent analysis calculated using SDOF methods.Copyright © 2008 by ASME