cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Cardiovascular Risk to Guide Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment

Importance The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) demonstrated the benefit of lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP) to 120 mm Hg, yet other trials, such as Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation–3 (HOPE-3), did not find consistent benefit. How to incorporate these results into the treatment of those with elevated SBP in the general population is not clear. Objectives To assess the representativeness of SPRINT and HOPE-3 relative to patients in the United States and to explore the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles of various populations with elevated SBP. Design, Setting, and Participants The study examined data from nonpregnant adults aged 20 to 79 years participating in the 2007-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who had complete data available (n = 14 142), representing 206.9 million US adults. The study was performed from October 1, 2015, to August 2, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures The study estimated the number and characteristics of adults with SBP of 120 mm Hg or higher, including SPRINT and HOPE-3 eligibility, and estimated who may have newly required treatment initiation or intensification if various trial or risk-based criteria were applied. Results NHANES included completed clinical evaluations from mobile examination centers on 15 974 adults aged 20 to 79 years (mean [SD] age, 45.9 [15.5] years). The study excluded 182 pregnant women and 1650 adults in whom CVD risk data were unavailable, leaving a final study population of 14 142 (50.5% women [95% CI, 49.6%-51.3%] and 49.5% men [95% CI, 48.6%-50.4%]). An estimated 53.3 million untreated and 19.8 million treated US adults have an SBP in the diagnostic and treatment gray zone (120-139 mm Hg), a small proportion of whom would have been eligible for SPRINT (5.4% untreated, 13.9% treated) or HOPE-3 (13.9% treated, 1.7% untreated). Even among those with prior CVD or high risk of CVD and elevated SBP (120-139 mm Hg), only a few would have qualified for SPRINT (27.0% and 21.9% of untreated and treated patients, respectively) or HOPE-3 (10.6% and 2.1% of untreated and treated, respectively). If blood pressure treatment recommendations were extended to adults with an SBP between 120 and 139 mm Hg, as well as prior CVD or CVD risk of 15% or higher, then 5.8 million untreated adults would be reclassified as treatment eligible; furthermore, 8.5 million treated patients would require medication intensification. Conclusions and Relevance Millions of US adults have elevated SBP and high CVD risk, most of whom would not have been eligible for SPRINT. Until more definitive evidence becomes available, clinicians should consider a management paradigm based on CVD risk in addition to blood pressure measurements.
Craniometric Data Analysis and Estimation of Biodistance

Abstract Assessing biological distance among populations using craniometric variables has a long history in anthropological research. This chapter provides a brief summary of some of the pivotal contributions of early anthropologists and reviews the development of the discipline over the last century. An in-depth description of data collection protocols is offered, which includes an overview of available instrumentation, landmarks, and associated measurements. A discussion of heritability of cranial traits is provided with a summary of common analytical techniques and a review of seminal human variation studies that have influenced the estimation of biological distance.
Protecting the Vulnerable or Ripe for Reform? State Income Tax Breaks for the Elderly—Then and Now:

State governments have a long history of providing income tax relief to their elderly constituents. Our research investigates the current distributional and revenue effects of these tax breaks, as ...
Final Commentary to the Cross-Disciplinary Thematic Special Series: Special Education and Mathematics Education:

Four studies into characteristics and instructional needs of students with learning disabilities are summarized in this article. These studies are also reviewed in the wider context of mathematics ...
Increasing GABA reverses age-related alterations in excitatory receptive fields and intensity coding of auditory midbrain neurons in aged mice

A key feature of age-related hearing loss is a reduction in the expression of inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central auditory system. This loss is partially responsible for changes in central auditory processing, as inhibitory receptive fields play a critical role in shaping neural responses to sound stimuli. Vigabatrin (VGB), an antiepileptic agent that irreversibly inhibits γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) transaminase, leads to increased availability of GABA throughout the brain. This study used multi-channel electrophysiology measurements to assess the excitatory frequency response areas in old CBA mice to which VGB had been administered. We found a significant post-VGB reduction in the proportion of V-type shapes, and an increase in primary-like excitatory frequency response areas. There was also a significant increase in the mean maximum driven spike rates across the tonotopic frequency range of all treated animals, consistent with observations that GABA buildup within the central auditory system increases spike counts of neural receptive fields. This increased spiking is also seen in the rate-level functions and seems to explain the improved low-frequency thresholds.
Innovation, resiliency and transformation: leveraging the strength of older marginalised women

Despite being gainfully employed, many older marginalised women experience economic oppression. Nevertheless, women survive economic oppression through innovation, resistance and resiliency. In order to explore the survival phenomena, a critical, multidimensional research study was conducted combining critical participatory action research (CPAR) and the African-centred, Black feminist autoethnographic methodologies. Utilising Yosso's community wealth theory to analyse data, the findings suggest that older, financially vulnerable women have unique life experiences related to racialised and gendered poverty via the 'strong woman' schema and other coping behaviours. The co-researchers (participants in participatory action research are called co-researchers) discussed ways to re-claim their inner strength and collectively overcome financial vulnerability and promote financially functional aging through what the author describes as mindful strength consciousness (MSC) theory. The author hopes the MSC framework will expand the current discourse surrounding marginalised women and will provide a foundation for personal agency and societal transformation for older women as they transcend the effects of financial vulnerability.
Ultrasonographic and clinicopathologic features of segmental dilatations of the common bile duct in four cats.

Case series summaryThis case series documents ultrasonographic and clinicopathologic features of four cats with marked segmental dilatations of the common bile duct (CBD). All cats had additional ultrasonographic changes to the hepatobiliary system, including hepatomegaly, tubular to saccular intra/extrahepatic biliary duct dilatation and biliary debris accumulation. Based on all available data the presence of extrahepatic biliary duct obstruction (EHBDO) was ruled out in 3/4 cases and was equivocal in one case. One cat underwent re-routing surgery to address the CBD dilatation after multiple recurrent infections, one cat was euthanized and had a post-mortem examination and two cats were medically managed with antibiotics, liver protectants, gastroprotectants and cholerectics.Relevance and novel informationThe ultrasonographic features of the CBD in this population of cats were supportive of choledochal cysts (CCs). The maximal diameter of the CBD dilatations exceeded 5 mm in all cases, a sign that has be...
Bird conservation potential of fire and herbicide treatments in thinned pine stands

Abstract Fire-maintained pine (Pinus spp.) forests, characterized by a diverse herbaceous layer, sparse midstory layer, and a dominant pine overstory, once covered approximately 30 million ha in the southeastern United States. Fire suppression, landscape changes, and land management changes have contributed to reduced suitability of many pine stands for fire-dependent species, including many avian species in regional decline. However, intensively managed loblolly pine (P. taeda) stands treated with prescribed fire and herbicide could help restore or maintain fire-dependent communities within working landscapes. Therefore, we investigated avian responses to combinations of prescribed fire and herbicide (imazapyr) treatments within a matrix of intensively managed pine stands in east-central Mississippi, USA. We used a randomized complete block design of 6 mid-rotation, thinned pine stands (blocks) each with 4 treatments (control, burn only, herbicide only, burn + herbicide) assigned to 10-ha experimental units. We applied imazapyr herbicide (Arsenal®) during fall 1999 and burned units during winter every 3 years, beginning in 2000. We conducted avian point counts from year pre-treatment (1999) through 9 years post-treatment (2000–2008) and summarized annual vegetation structure and composition. We used 34 of 64 observed avian species for analyses using mixed models, repeated measures ANCOVA. Across the 9-year post-treatment study period, fire and imazapyr differentially affected avian communities with our combination treatment (fire + imazapyr) favoring high-priority, open pine bird species most. However, remaining treatments (burn only, imazapyr only, controls) provided additional vegetation gradients for species preferring greater structure diversity or canopy coverage. Our results indicated that fire and herbicide treatments can maintain vegetation structure attractive to a bird community of high-conservation value, while concurrently meeting economic and sustainable forestry goals. Although primarily managed for economic gain, intensively managed forests can provide suitable habitat conditions for avian species of conservation concern helping land managers meet biodiversity objectives.
Neoadjuvant BRAF- and Immune-Directed Therapy for Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a devastating disease with a dismal prognosis. Patients who have disease confined to the thyroid and who are able to undergo complete surgery and chemoradiation stand the best chance for survival. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of patients have distant metastases at diagnosis, and most present with locally advanced, unresectable tumors. Nevertheless, BRAF-mutated ATC patients represent a subset of cases who can benefit from a combination therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors. Here, a patient is presented with end-stage, locally advanced, unresectable ATC who was treated with this combination. Immunotherapy with pembrolizumab was added at the first sign of progression after which he achieved a partial response to therapy, enabling a complete surgical resection followed by postoperative chemoradiation to be undertaken. This novel neoadjuvant approach to BRAF-mutated ATC should be studied in further in clinical trials.
Practice: Anthropological Aspects

While the word practice carries its everyday meaning in some anthropological contexts, it also enters the discipline in a highly theoretized way. As a theoretical concept, practice derives from the work of Husserl, Heidegger, and Polanyi, but it is most closely related to the anthropology of Pierre Bourdieu. Dispositions, according to Bourdieu, have two parts—the habitus (a generative principle of regulated improvisations) and the practices which the habitus makes possible. On this model, human action is relational, recursive, and reflexive. By understanding action as more flexible than the execution of rules—one must marry, let's say, a cross-cousin—Bourdieu makes a space in anthropological accounts for strategy and the passing of time. On the other hand, his debt to Marx entails recognizing that strategic possibilities are constrained by economic structures and relations of domination. At a time when many anthropologists are inclined to abandon the notion of culture altogether, practice theory represents an attempt to preserve meaning in the study of behavior by joining it to a sophisticated theory of power and strategy.
Correlates of nicotine dependence in men with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a 33-year follow-up.

Identify correlates of nicotine dependence [lifetime (l) and ongoing (o)] in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood. We conducted a 33-year prospective follow-up of boys (mean age 8) with combined type ADHD (n = 135/207, 65% original sample). Correlates of nicotine dependence in adulthood were selected from characteristics obtained in childhood and adolescence. Among selected childhood features, only immature behavior was significantly related to nicotine dependence (OR(o) = 0.29, p = 0.02), indexing decreased risk. In contrast, several adolescent variables significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with nicotine dependence at mean age 41, including alcohol substance use disorder (SUD, OR(l) = 4.97), non-alcohol SUD (OR(o) = 4.33/OR(l) = 10.93), parental antisocial personality disorder (OR(l) = 4.42), parental SUD (OR(l) = 3.58), dropped out of school (OR(l) = 2.29), impulsivity (OR(o) = 1.53/OR(l) = 1.59), hyperactivity (OR(o) = 1.38), and number of antisocial behaviors (OR(o) = 1.10/OR(l) = 1.14). Results highlight the role of adolescent psychopathology in the development of nicotine dependence, motivating prospective longitudinal efforts to better define the developmental trajectories of risk and protection.
Metastatic Subdural Hematoma with Dural Metastasis Secondary to Poorly Differentiated Adenocarcinoma of Unknown Origin

Background Metastatic subdural hematoma with dural metastasis in the setting of an underlying malignancy is a rare condition that is difficult to diagnose and associated with a poor prognosis. Knowledge of this rare entity is of a paramount importance to neurosurgeons, as its diagnosis may affect the management plan and overall survival. Here, we report a rare case of atraumatic subdural hematoma with dural metastasis in a patient with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of unknown origin. Case Description A 34-year-old man presented with an insidious onset of headaches, severe light headedness, progressive low back pain, and generalized weakness for 2 weeks. On imaging, he was found to have left-sided acute on chronic subdural hematoma with midline shift. The patient underwent surgical evacuation of the hematoma and the subdural membrane was biopsied. Histopathologic examination revealed metastatic poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of unclear origin. A full metastatic workup was unremarkable. Conclusions Metastatic subdural hematoma with dural metastasis should be included in differential diagnosis of subdural hematoma, especially in patients with atypical presentation and in the presence of an underlying malignancy, as it may affect the management plan and overall survival.
Chapter 19 – Molecular Basis of Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Much of the progress in the understanding of gastrointestinal disorders has continued to center on the molecular underpinning of gastrointestinal neoplasia in the 21st century. First, the development of cancer in the setting of inflammatory conditions is well represented by the association of Helicobacter pylori with gastric cancer and of inflammatory bowel diseases with colorectal cancer. Second, the development of cancer in patients with hereditary predisposition syndromes has shed light not only in the mechanisms of hereditary neoplasia, but has also led to major progress in the understanding of the molecular basis of the more common forms of sporadic cancer. The molecular characterization of the steps of gastrointestinal neoplastic development and progression has led to advances in disease diagnosis and treatment and has opened the opportunity for development of more targeted approaches to cancer prevention, surveillance, and novel therapeutics. This chapter focuses on the disease processes that most clearly illustrate the concepts and advances in molecular pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. It includes neoplastic diseases associated with a background of chronic inflammation, well-characterized gastrointestinal hereditary cancer syndromes, and the so-called sporadic cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily reviewing gastric and colonic carcinogenesis.
Comparing Fast Pressure Jump and Temperature Jump Protein Folding Experiments and Simulations

The unimolecular folding reaction of small proteins is now amenable to a very direct mechanistic comparison between experiment and simulation. We present such a comparison of microsecond pressure and temperature jump refolding kinetics of the engineered WW domain FiP35, a model system for β-sheet folding. Both perturbations produce experimentally a faster and a slower kinetic phase, and the "slow" microsecond phase is activated. The fast phase shows differences between perturbation methods and is closer to the downhill limit by temperature jump, but closer to the transiently populated intermediate limit by pressure jump. These observations make more demands on simulations of the folding process than just a rough comparison of time scales. To complement experiments, we carried out several pressure jump and temperature jump all-atom molecular dynamics trajectories in explicit solvent, where FiP35 folded in five of the six simulations. We analyzed our pressure jump simulations by kinetic modeling and found that the pressure jump experiments and MD simulations are most consistent with a 4-state kinetic mechanism. Together, our experimental and computational data highlight FiP35's position at the boundary where activated intermediates and downhill folding meet, and we show that this model protein is an excellent candidate for further pressure jump molecular dynamics studies to compare experiment and modeling at the folding mechanism level.
Addressing Immigration‐Related Stress in a Culturally Adapted Parenting Intervention for Mexican‐Origin Immigrants: Initial Positive Effects and Key Areas of Improvement

Culturally adapted evidence-based parenting interventions constitute a key strategy to reduce widespread mental health disparities experienced by Latinx populations throughout the United States. Most recently, the relevance of culturally adapted parenting interventions has become more prominent as vulnerable Latinx populations are exposed to considerable contextual stressors resulting from an increasingly anti-immigration climate in the country. The current study was embedded within a larger NIMH-funded investigation, aimed at contrasting the differential impact of two culturally adapted versions of the evidence-based parenting intervention known as GenerationPMTO©. Specifically, a sample of low-income Mexican-origin immigrants was exposed either to a culturally adapted version of GenerationPMTO primarily focused on parent training components, or to an enhanced culturally adapted version in which parenting components were complemented by sessions focused on immigration-related challenges. The sample for the study consisted of 103 Mexican-origin immigrant families (190 individual parents). Descriptive analysis and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) indicated that exposure to the enhanced intervention, which included context- and culture-specific sessions, resulted in specific benefits for parents. However, the magnitude of the impact was not uniform for mothers and fathers and differed according to the type of immigration-related stress being examined (i.e., intrafamilial vs. extrafamilial stress). Overall, findings indicate the relevance of overtly addressing contextual (e.g., discrimination) and cultural challenges in culturally adapted interventions, as well as the need to increase precision according to the extent to which immigration-related stressors impact immigrant mothers and fathers in common and contrasting ways. Implications for family therapy practice and research are discussed.
Hands-on program evaluation training: The evolution of a doctoral course.

This article provides details of the background for the focus of this special issue—the accounts from groups of students who conducted evaluations of a local agency while enrolled in a Program Eval...
Exceeding WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Obligations: Nepal Overcoming Tobacco Industry Interference to Enact a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policy

BACKGROUND The tobacco industry works to block, delay, and weaken national tobacco control legislation to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This article reviews how Nepal overcame industry opposition and to a comprehensive tobacco control law implementing the FCTC. METHODS We triangulated newspaper articles and policy documents with key informant interviews. RESULTS With the support of international health groups, local tobacco control advocates worked with policymakers in Nepal to pass a comprehensive tobacco control law that exceeded FCTC obligations. The tobacco industry exploited a time of political transition to block consideration by Parliament, arranged and sponsored foreign tours for legislators, made death threats to tobacco control advocates and their families, and argued for the economic importance of tobacco farms. Despite strong interference from Health, and Law and Justice ministers, a 2009 Supreme Court ruling helped tobacco control advocates secure a comprehensive tobacco control law in 2011 that included rotating pictorial health warning labels covering 75% of both sides of cigarette packages, 100% smoke free public places and workplaces, private homes and vehicles, and a tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship ban. CONCLUSIONS Advocates in developing countries should utilize Nepal's experience to reject tobacco industry offers of compromise and continue educating politicians and legislators to generate political support to pass a comprehensive tobacco control law. Technical and financial support from international agencies, and effective collaboration and coordination of civil societies, and utilization of domestic litigation are helpful in LMICs where governance is weak (the abstract in Nepali is available as a Supplementary Material). IMPLICATIONS The tobacco industry exploited a time of political transition in Nepal in its effort to block comprehensive tobacco control policy in Parliament by sponsoring foreign tours of legislatures, making death threats to tobacco control advocates and their families, and arguing for the economic importance of tobacco farms. Tobacco control advocates used litigation to raise awareness and educate legislators and promote strong legislation with the involvement of international health groups. Technical and financial support from international agencies, and effective collaboration and coordination of civil societies, and utilization of domestic litigation are helpful in LMICs where governance is weak.
#ThisIsOurLane: Incorporating Gun Violence Prevention into Clinical Care

This article reviews the medical community’s evolving perspective on its role in gun violence prevention efforts, particularly evaluating the evidence for and potential impact of patient education and firearm safety counseling. Growing numbers of physicians and professional medical societies recognize gun violence as a public health crisis and are increasingly supporting a more active role for the profession to address it. In spite of this urging, relatively few physicians routinely address firearm safety with their patients, in part driven by a lack of standardized education about how to incorporate gun violence prevention into clinical care. Clinicians have a unique opportunity to prevent firearm-related injuries and death by performing firearm safety screening and violence prevention counseling at the bedside. With growing evidence for the effectiveness of such counseling and increasing number of widely available resources, clinicians across medical disciplines are well positioned to address this unmet need.
Incidental bifid median nerve with a wandering ulnar division separated by the third flexor digitorum superficialis muscle: importance of ultrasound evaluation

Ultrasound evaluation of the median nerve is commonly performed in patients with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome. Radiologists should be familiar with variant anatomy of the median nerve to assist clinicians in the management of these patients, particularly when surgery is being considered. A 63-year-old female was being evaluated for a ganglion cyst and was incidentally found to have a bifid median nerve with wandering ulnar division which coursed superficial to the third digit flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle belly. The patient did not have any symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome so surgery has not been performed; however this case highlights the importance of ultrasound evaluation to avoid potential perioperative complications.
Catheter-Directed Mechanical Thrombectomy in Massive Pulmonary Embolism With Cardiogenic Shock

We discuss a patient who presented with cardiogenic shock secondary to massive pulmonary embolism and right ventricular failure. She was managed by a multidisciplinary heart team and treated with catheter-directed thrombectomy, followed by ProtekDuo (Tandem [Liva Nova], London, United Kingdom) heart percutaneous right ventricular support leading to complete recovery from this often fatal condition. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Investigation approaches to quantify wind-induced load and response of tall buildings: A review

Abstract The number of tall buildings has significantly increased in all around the world due to rapid technology and urbanization advancements. However, the wind-induced response has always been a major concern for tall buildings since it notably influences the serviceability and structural safety of these huge and expensive structures. A large number of studies have been carried out in the past to study the wind-induced response of tall buildings. Despite a considerable amount of research related to this topic, all methodologies used to study the wind-induced vibration of this structure can be briefly classified into three categories of wind tunnel test, numerical simulation, and field measurement. This paper reviews the past studies on wind response of tall buildings while providing sufficient information on the mechanism and identification techniques. The comprehensive literature reviewed here can help to better understand the effects of wind-induced loads on tall buildings and give intuitive insights through comparison of past studies. Moreover, with knowledge of wind-induced response, urban sustainability can be improved by designing tall buildings that are less vulnerable to wind load and lead to more energy-efficient and occupant-friendly cities. Eventually, a roadmap for future research on this topic is provided.
Abstract 14418: Association Between 2018 Unos Heart Transplant Policy Changes and Likelihood of Transplant for Patients in Rural versus Urban Settings

Introduction: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) recently extended the radius for which a heart transplant candidate can be matched with a donor in order to improve transplantation access for ...
Militant Acts: The Role of Investigations in Radical Political Struggles: by Marcello Hoffman, Albany, New York, State University of New York Press, 2019, 192 pp., $68.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-4384-7261-4

Marxist thought has inspired research frameworks in many diverse fields ranging from the social sciences and historiography to literature, philosophy, art, and cultural studies. In his latest book ...
Rethinking delusions: A selective review of delusion research through a computational lens.

Abstract Delusions are rigid beliefs held with high certainty despite contradictory evidence. Notwithstanding decades of research, we still have a limited understanding of the computational and neurobiological alterations giving rise to delusions. In this review, we highlight a selection of recent work in computational psychiatry aimed at developing quantitative models of inference and its alterations, with the goal of providing an explanatory account for the form of delusional beliefs in psychosis. First, we assess and evaluate the experimental paradigms most often used to study inferential alterations in delusions. Based on our review of the literature and theoretical considerations, we contend that classic draws-to-decision paradigms are not well-suited to isolate inferential processes, further arguing that the commonly cited ‘jumping-to-conclusion’ bias may reflect neither delusion-specific nor inferential alterations. Second, we discuss several enhancements to standard paradigms that show promise in more effectively isolating inferential processes and delusion-related alterations therein. We further draw on our recent work to build an argument for a specific failure mode for delusions consisting of prior overweighting in high-level causal inferences about partially observable hidden states. Finally, we assess plausible neurobiological implementations for this candidate failure mode of delusional beliefs and outline promising future directions in this area.
Role of ERβ in adipocyte metabolic response to wheel running following ovariectomy

Estrogen receptor  (ERb), one of the two major estrogen receptors, acts via genomic and non-genomic signaling pathways to affect many metabolic functions, including mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. This study assessed the effect of ERb classical genomic activity on adipocyte-specific and systemic metabolic responses to wheel running exercise in a rodent model of menopause. Female mice lacking the ERb DNA-binding domain (ERbDBDKO, N = 20) and wild-type (WT, N = 21) littermate controls were fed high-fat diet (HFD), ovariectomized (OVX), and randomized to control (no running wheel) and exercise (running wheel access) groups and were followed for eight weeks. Wheel running did not confer protection against metabolic dysfunction associated with HFD+OVX in either ERbDBDKO or WT mice, despite increased energy expenditure. Unexpectedly, in the ERbDBDKO group, wheel running increased fasting insulin and surrogate measures of insulin resistance, and modestly increased adipose tissue inflammatory gene expression (P<0.05). These changes were not accompanied by significant changes in adipocyte mitochondrial respiration. It was demonstrated for the first time, that female WT OVX mice do experience exercise-induced browning of white adipose tissue, indicated by a robust increase in uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) (P<0.05). However, KO mice were completely resistant to this effect, indicating that full ERb genomic activity is required for exercise-induced browning. The inability to upregulate UCP1 with exercise following OVX may have resulted in the increased insulin resistance observed in KO mice, a hypothesis requiring further investigation.
The nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (Fabricius): I. Virus propagation and its virulence

Abstract Results of a pilot program demonstrated that (1) The nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) can be propagated in larvae reared on a semisynthetic diet; (2) the virus thus produced is effective against both species; (3) the techniques are applicable to commercial production and costs may be in the realm of commercial feasibility.
Treatment of Hypertension in Children With Catecholamine-Secreting Tumors: A Systematic Approach.

Management of blood pressure in children with pheochromocytoma and other catecholamine-secreting tumors (CSTs) is unique and challenging. The authors report a single-center experience using sequential α-adrenergic blockade (phenoxybenzamine), increased fluid intake, and β-blockade for presurgical management of 10 CSTs in children. In this retrospective review, mean duration for blood pressure control in preparation for surgery was 4.5±2.6 weeks. Intraoperative hypertension was noted transiently (<2 hours) in eight patients (80%) and was treated with continuous infusion of short-acting antihypertensive agents. Two (20%) patients required vasopressor medication infusion to manage intraoperative hypotension. Only two (20%) patients developed postoperative hypotension and required vasopressor medication infusion for <24 hours. All antihypertensive medications were discontinued in the immediate (≤4 days) postoperative period in 80% of patients. In conclusion, a systematic and multidisciplinary approach utilizing adrenergic blockade is effective in treating children with CSTs.
A Systems Engineering Evaluation of Passive Restraint Systems for Crash-Impact Attenuation in Air Transport Aircraft

Advanced crash-impact protective equipment and techniques which have application to crew and passenger crash safety in jet transport aircraft have been evaluated. Thirty-two state-of-the-art concepts have been analyzed from a systems engineering viewpoint with respect to several engineering, psychological, and medical disciplines. In order to provide a framework to determine the function level of each concept, an event-oriented flow chart of the crash and escape event has been prepared. The 17 events occurring during a crash are included, beginning with system installation and concluding with emergency evacuation of a disabled aircraft. Performance with respect to the events on the flow chart are rated in terms of hazards of system use, maintainability, reliability, human factors, and other technological considerations.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor enhances the excitability of rat sensory neurons through activation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor and the sphingomyelin pathway

Neurotrophin-mediated signalling cascades can be initiated by activation of either the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) or the more selective tyrosine kinase receptors. Previously, we demonstrated that nerve growth factor (NGF) increased the excitability of sensory neurons through activation of p75NTR to liberate sphingosine 1-phosphate. If neurotrophins can modulate the excitability of small diameter sensory neurons through activation of p75NTR, then brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) should produce the same sensitizing action as did NGF. In this report, we show that focally applied BDNF increases the number of action potentials (APs) evoked by a ramp of depolarizing current by reducing the rheobase without altering the firing threshold. This increased excitability results, in part, from the capacity of BDNF to enhance a tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium current (TTX-R INa) and to suppress a delayed rectifier-like potassium current (IK). The idea that BDNF acts via p75NTR is supported by the following observations. The sensitizing action of BDNF is prevented by pretreatment with a blocking antibody to p75NTR or an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase (dimethylsphingosine), but not by inhibitors of tyrosine kinase receptors (K252a or AG879). Furthermore, using single-cell RT-PCR, neurons that were sensitized by BDNF expressed the mRNA for p75NTR but not TrkB. These results demonstrate that neurotrophins can modulate the excitability of small diameter capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons through the activation of p75NTR and its downstream sphingomyelin signalling cascade. Neurotrophins released upon activation of a variety of immuno-competent cells may be important mediators that give rise to the enhanced neuronal sensitivity associated with the inflammatory response.
A hybrid procedure for classifying synoptic weather types for Louisiana, USA

A hybrid synoptic classification procedure for classifying Louisiana weather types based on the manual Muller system is presented. This procedure produces a synoptic classification system for Louisiana that harnesses the strengths of both manual and automated classifications, while eliminating the weaknesses. The Muller weather types archive from 1981 to 2001 is used in conjunction with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Reanalysis dataset to develop sea level pressure composites for each Muller weather type. The composites are used as seeds in an automated correlation-based algorithm to generate weather types from 1981 to 2001. Results of the automated procedure are compared to the Muller weather type catalog. Despite systematic differences between the two classifications, including the inability of the hybrid procedure to identify frontal placement, the hybrid classification correctly matched the Muller weather type for 52% of the seed days. In addition, the automated catalog captured the seasonal distribution and interannual variability of the Muller types remarkably well. The hybrid synoptic weather classification system applied to weather properties at Shreveport and New Orleans showed significant differences between weather types. The automated procedure does not replicate the Muller weather type classification exactly; however, it is homogenous within itself and has value for describing the variability of surface weather in Louisiana. In fact, it is arguably advantageous for some applications, owing to its objectivity, speed, and reproducibility.
TU-CD-213-04: Panel Discussion

As part of the AAPM’s Scope of Practice, medical physicists are expected to collaborate effectively with practioners and allied health care providers. Interpersonal skills such as communication, negotiation and persuasion are vital for successful collaboration to achieve shared goals. This session will provide some theoretical background of these interpersonal skills as well as specific techniques and practical tools to influence others. Applications of these interpersonal skills for administrative and human resource management purposes vital to medical physicists will be shared. Session attendees will gain knowledge and tools to help them effectively collaborate with administrative and physician leaders in areas such as capital and human resource selection, prioritization, and implementation. Participants will hear methods of how to articulate their goals and to understand the goals of administration, helping ensure alignment of purpose. Session speakers will present one of the topics: equipment selection, budget creation, contracts, and program-related policy development. Specifics may include designing a business case in language that administrators understand, calculating the prioritization of budget requests, and influencing policies for safe and effective care. Human resource topics may include staffing justification, recruitment for fit, employment contracts, and benefits. Speakers will provide examples in both radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging departments and will share experiences and outcomes of their approaches for better results. Learning Objectives: After this course attendees will be better able to 1. Understand the shared goal between administrative and physicist leadership. 2. Articulate the “why” of the technical or human resource need. 3. Utilize communication, negotiation and persuasion tools to improve collaboration.
Neural networks: New tools for modelling and data analysis in science

To provide a primer for the study of scientific applications of connectionist systems, the dynamical, statistical, and computational properties of the most prominent artificial neural-network models are reviewed. The basic ingredients of neural modeling are introduced, including architecture, neuronal response, dynamical equations, coding schemes, and learning rules. Perceptron systems and recurrent attractor networks are highlighted. Applications of recurrent nets as content-addressable memories and for the solution of combinatorial optimization problems are described. The backpropagation algorithm for supervised training of multilayer perceptrons is developed, and the utility of these systems in classification and function approximation tasks is discussed. Some instructive scientific applications in astronomy, physical chemistry, nuclear physics, protein structure, and experimental high-energy physics are examined in detail. A special effort is made to illuminate the nature of neural-network models as automated devices that learn the statistics of their data environment and perform statistical inference at a level that may approach the Bayesian ideal. The review closes with a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of neural networks as aids to modeling and data analysis in science.
Gas Phase Studies of Intermolecular Interactions and Relaxation

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Intermolecular Effects on Chemical Shifts 3 Temperature Dependence of Nuclear Shielding in the Isolated Molecule 4 Spin Relaxation in the Gas Phase 5 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Alignment and dataset identification of linked data in Semantic Web

The Linked Open Data LOD cloud has gained significant attention in the Semantic Web community over the past few years. With rapid expansion in size and diversity, it consists of over 800 interlinked datasets with over 60 billion triples. These datasets encapsulate structured data and knowledge spanning over varied domains such as entertainment, life sciences, publications, geography, and government. Applications can take advantage of this by using the knowledge distributed over the interconnected datasets, which is not realistic to find in a single place elsewhere. However, two of the key obstacles in using the LOD cloud are the limited support for data integration tasks over concepts, instances, and properties, and relevant data source selection for querying over multiple datasets. We review, in brief, some of the important and interesting technical approaches found in the literature that address these two issues. We observe that the general purpose alignment techniques developed outside the LOD context fall short in meeting the heterogeneous data representation of LOD. Therefore, an LOD-specific review of these techniques especially for alignment is important to the community. The topics covered and discussed in this article fall under two broad categories, namely alignment techniques for LOD datasets and relevant data source selection in the context of query processing over LOD datasets.
College Textbook Reading Assignments and Class Time Activity.

A convenient cluster sample of 105 undergraduate students at a regional university in the midsouth completed a survey regarding their use of college textbooks, what strategies might increase the likelihood of their reading textbook assignments, and their preference for how class time was used. Descriptive analysis was conducted on the results and chi-square was run on 25 selected comparisons, with a Bonferroni correction of the resulting alphas. About half the students reported that they do read the assigned textbook readings. Freshmen were significantly more likely to report that outside reading should not be required of students prior to coming to class, and less likely to report having used or known about e-textbooks. Strategies reported to most likely prompt reading the textbook included in-class quizzes over text material, assigning graded study-guides to complete while reading; testing over material found in the textbook but not covered in class; and assigning shorter reading assignments. Preferences for use of class time varied by experience in college, but the majority of students preferred group discussion and application of material to real life rather than just lecture over the textbook content.
Optimization of Joined-Wing Aircraft

The joined wing is an innovative aircraft configuration with a rear wing that has its root attached near the top of the vertical tail and a tip that sweeps forward to join the trailing edge of the main wing. This study demonstrates the application of numerical optimization to aircraft design and presents a quantitative comparison of joined-wing and conventional aircraft designed for the same medium-range transport mission. The computer program developed for this study used a vortex-lattice model of the complete aircraft to estimate aerodynamic performance, and a beam model of the lifting-surface structure to calculate wing and tail weight. Weight estimation depended on a fully stressed design algorithm that included a constraint on buckling and a correlation with a statistically based method for total lifting-surface weight. A variety of "optimum" joined-wing and conventional aircraft designs are compared on the basis of direct operating cost, gross weight, and cruise drag. Maximum lift and horizontal tail buckling were identified as critical joined-wing design issues. The addition of a buckling constraint is shown to decrease the optimum joined-wing span and increase direct operating cost by about 4%. The most promising joined-wing designs were found to have a joint location at about 70% of the wing semispan, a fuel tank in the tail to trim, and a flap spanning 70% of the wing. These designs are shown to cost 3% more to operate than a conventional configuration designed for the same medium-range mission.
Cardiomyocyte function after burn injury and lipopolysaccharide exposure: Single-cell contraction analysis and cytokine secretion profile

Abstract Introduction: A component of multiorgan dysfunction in burned patients is heart failure. Burn trauma has been shown to induce cytokine synthesis of IL-6, IL-1-beta, and TNF-alpha which can negatively impact cardiac function. We examined the effect of burn injury and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure on cardiomyocyte contraction and cytokine secretion. Methods: Rats underwent a full-thickness 30%TBSA scald or sham burn. At 1,6,12 and 24 hours post-burn cardiomyocytes were isolated, plated at 50,000 cells/well, and incubated with 0, 1, 10, 25, and 50 micrograms/ml LPS for 18 hours. Supernatants were assayed by ELISA for IL-6, IL-1-beta, and TNF-alpha. Sarcomere length during contraction was recorded using a variable rate video camera with length detection software. Results: Peak relative sarcomere shortening was decreased in the burn vs. sham group at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-burn (p Conclusions: Burn injury diminished peak sarcomere shortening. LPS inhibits sarcomere shortening in a dose-dependent fashion where cytokine levels are increased in cardiomyocytes 1 hour post-burn, this difference is abolished at 6, 12, and 24 hours. Exposure of cardiomyocytes to LPS does not have an effect on cytokine synthesis.
Format based data compression

One way to increase the amount of information that can be stored on data storage devices is to develop techniques for reducing redundancy in the data. The obvious first approach is the development of variable length records that repeat the fields for tables and array only as many times as required. This approach helps considerably, but the problem of redundancy in the fields that make up the record still remains. In most computer systems, the fields in a record are assumed to be fixed length, padded on the right with blanks if they are alphanumeric, and padded on the left with zeros if they are numeric. This approach can be wasteful of storage space since field lengths are usually set so they can accommodate even the longest of the data items that will be placed in the field. For fields holding data like an individual's last name, this usually means setting aside about 20 or 25 character positions even though most last names are considerably shorter.
Sterility induced in tobacco budworms by combination of reserpine and gamma irradiation affected by age and sex of pupae

Female Heliothis virescens (F.) were sterilized completely when pupae from larvae reared on diets containing reserpine (0.1% wt/v) were exposed to 7.5, 10, 15, or 20 krad of gamma irradiation; mating frequency and longevity of resulting adults were unaffected. Although egg hatch was inhibited completely when females reared on reserpine were irradiated as 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-day-old pupae and crossed with untreated males, some hatch occurred when they were irradiated as 10- to 12-day-old pupae. Males were not sterilized completely by the combinations of treatment (egg hatch was never inhibited completely), but when young male pupae were irradiated, the percentage egg hatch was more reduced than when older pupae were treated.