cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amyloid fibrils from the N-terminal prion protein fragment are infectious

Recombinant C-terminally truncated prion protein PrP23-144 (which corresponds to the Y145Stop PrP variant associated with a Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker-like prion disease) spontaneously forms amyloid fibrils with a parallel in-register β-sheet architecture and β-sheet core mapping to residues ∼112-139. Here we report that mice (both tga20 and wild type) inoculated with a murine (moPrP23-144) version of these fibrils develop clinical prion disease with a 100% attack rate. Remarkably, even though fibrils in the inoculum lack the entire C-terminal domain of PrP, brains of clinically sick mice accumulate longer proteinase K-resistant (PrPres) fragments of ∼17-32 kDa, similar to those observed in classical scrapie strains. Shorter, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker-like PrPres fragments are also present. The evidence that moPrP23-144 amyloid fibrils generated in the absence of any cofactors are bona fide prions provides a strong support for the protein-only hypothesis of prion diseases in its pure form, arguing against the notion that nonproteinaceous cofactors are obligatory structural components of all infectious prions. Furthermore, our finding that a relatively short β-sheet core of PrP23-144 fibrils (residues ∼112-139) with a parallel in-register organization of β-strands is capable of seeding the conversion of full-length prion protein to the infectious form has important implications for the ongoing debate regarding structural aspects of prion protein conversion and molecular architecture of mammalian prions.
Architectural considerations for highly scalable computing to support on-demand video analytics

The processing demands on video analytics calls for special design considerations to achieve scalability. Numerous factors influence the running time of an analytics job. The time consumed for raw computing can be improved by well-engineered approaches to execute certain sub-tasks. High scalability can be achieved by selectively distributing computational components. We elucidate such factors that aid scalability and present design choices for architecting them. The principles outlined in this research were used to implement a distributed on-demand video analytics system that was prototyped for the use of forensics investigators in law enforcement. The system was tested in the wild using video files as well as a commercial Video Management System supporting more than 100 surveillance cameras as video sources. The architectural considerations of this system are presented. Issues to be reckoned with in implementing a scalable distributed on-demand video analytics system are highlighted.
Extension of the Mechanical Threshold Stress Model to Static and Dynamic Strain Aging: Application to AA5754-O

Based on the mechanical threshold stress model and the visco-plastic self-consistent algorithm, a modified constitutive model is developed to model static strain aging and dynamic strain aging for application to a non-heat treatable aluminum alloy, AA5754-O. The implementation is based on a combination of the evolution of dislocation density and the effect of solutes on both mobile dislocations and forest dislocations. Using this model, the stress–strain behavior of AA5754-O is simulated in multi-path, multi-temperature, and variable strain rate tensile tests. The low temperature and strain rate sensitivities of the modified mechanical threshold stress model in the dynamic strain aging regime are successfully accounted for. The results show quantitative agreement with experimental data from multiple sources.
Diasporic Africa: A Reader

Introduction Diasporic AfricaMichael A. GomezPart I Transformations of the Cultural and Technological during Slavery1 In an Ocean of BlueFrederick Knight2 BatuqueJoao Jose Reis3 The Evolution of Ritual in the African DiasporaJames H. SweetPart II Memory and Instantiations of the Divine 4 Bitter Herbs and a Lock of HairJermaine O. Archer5 Embracing the Religious ProfessionDiane Batts Morrow6 Finding the Past, Making the FutureFran Markowitz7 Spatial Responses of the African Diaspora in JamaicaElizabeth Pigou-DennisPart III Recon?guring the Political/Contesting the Conceptual 8 Blacks and Slavery in MoroccoChouki El Hamel9 Race and the Making of the NationTyler Stovall10 "[She] devoted twenty minutes condemning all other forms ofgovernment but the Soviet"Erik S. McDu?e11 "Boundaries of Law and Disorder"Rose C. Thevenin12 Writing the Diaspora in Black International Literature "With Wider Hope in Some More Benign Fluid ..."Wendy W.Walters13 Displacing DiasporaAsale Angel-AjaniAbout the Contributors Index
The Escalating Complexity of Family Caregiving: Meeting the Challenge

The escalating complexity of family caregiving today is all too familiar to American families struggling to provide care for an aging relative or friend. This chapter describes the increasing complexity of family care from the perspective of two emerging trends: (i) family caregivers are now providing medical/nursing tasks at home that were once provided only in hospitals and nursing homes, and by healthcare professionals, and (ii) more family caregivers are in the labor force, juggling demands to balance work, caregiving, and other family responsibilities. Public policies and practices can help to address these challenges if we begin now to lay the foundation for a better system of family support in the future.
Acute starvation in mice reduces the number of T cells and suppresses the development of T-cell-mediated immunity.

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of starvation on T-cell mediated host defences. In mice starved for 72 hr, the number of thymocytes fell by 98%, spleen cells by 82% and peripheral blood cells by 44%. By 7 days after the end of starvation, values had returned to within 50% of baseline. The percentage of L3T4 and Lyt-2 antigen-bearing cells fell in the thymus, but the percentage of Thy-1.2-positive cells did not change. Starvation decreased the percentage of lymphocytes in peripheral blood but increased the percentage of granulocytes. During starvation, the cellularity in thymuses, spleens and peripheral blood was preserved in adrenalectomized mice compared to normal or sham-adrenalectomized mice. Confirming previous results of ours, starved mice were resistant to i.v. challenge with Listeria monocytogenes immediately after starvation. However, when starved mice were immunized with a sublethal dose of Listeria immediately after starvation and challenged 3-4 weeks later, they were less resistant to Listeria than fed, immunized mice. Similarly, spleen cells of starved, immunized mice had a reduced capacity to transfer immunity passively to non-immune mice. Increasing the immunizing dose of Listeria in starved mice increased the level of immunity that developed. These data indicate that starved mice have a marked reduction in T-cell cellularity, possibly related to corticosteroid production during the stress of starvation. Although starved mice were relatively resistant to Listeria immediately after starvation, they had a reduced capacity to develop T-cell mediated immunity to Listeria. This deficiency could be partly overcome by increasing the immunizing dose of Listeria.
Evaluating the Relevance of the 2013 Tokyo Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Cholecystitis.

Background The 2013 Tokyo Guidelines (TG13) are used to diagnose, grade severity, and guide management of acute cholecystitis (AC). The aim of our study was to verify the diagnostic criteria, severity assessment, and management protocols based on the TG13. Study Design Our prospectively maintained emergency general surgery registry was used to review patients who had a surgical consultation for right upper quadrant pain (from 2013 to 2015). Diagnosis and severity were graded based on TG13 and compared with pathology reports. Our institutional management protocols were compared with TG13. Results Nine hundred and fifty-two patients were analyzed, of which 857 had biliary diseases. Mean age was 42 ± 18 years and 67% were female. Seven hundred and seventy-nine had a cholecystectomy, 15 underwent cholecystostomy tube placement, and 63 patients were managed conservatively. Only 4% were febrile on presentation and 51% of patients had leukocytosis. Fifty-nine percent of patients did not have any signs of AC on ultrasonography. The TG13 criteria had a sensitivity of 53% for diagnosing AC (definitive 27%, suspected 26%, and undiagnosed 47%) when compared with the final pathology report; 92.5% of patients with grade I, 93% with grade II, and even 64% with grade III, underwent cholecystectomy safely at our institute. There were no differences in complication rates (3.7% vs 4.7%; p = 0.81), return to operating room rates (0.6% vs 0.7%; p = 0.95), or mortality rates (0.3% vs 0%; p = 0.96) between grade I and grade II patients who underwent early cholecystectomy. Conclusions The TG13 diagnostic criteria lack sensitivity and missed more than half of the patients with AC, as many patients lack clinical signs (fever and leukocytosis). The TG13 recommendations for conservative management and delayed cholecystectomy in grade II and grade III disease are not warranted.
Savings Medicare Beneficiaries Need for Health Expenses: Some Couples Could Need As Much As $370,000, Up from $350,000 in 2016

This EBRI Notes article examines the amount of savings Medicare beneficiaries are projected to need to cover program premiums, deductibles, and certain other health expenses in retirement. More specifically, for the purposes of this study, the health expenses for which savings are accumulated are premiums for Medicare Parts B and D, premiums for Medigap Plan F, and out-of-pocket spending for outpatient prescription drugs. Data come from a variety of sources and are used in a Monte Carlo simulation model that simulated 100,000 observations, allowing for the uncertainty related to individual mortality and rates of return on assets in retirement. In 2017, a 65-year-old man needs $73,000 in savings and a 65-year-old woman needs $95,000 if each have a goal of having a 50 percent chance of having enough savings to cover premiums and median prescription drug expenses in retirement. If they want a 90 percent chance of having enough savings, the man needs $131,000 and the woman needs $147,000. A couple with median prescription drug expenses needs $169,000 if they have a goal of having a 50 percent chance of having enough savings to cover health care expenses in retirement. If the couple wants a 90 percent chance of having enough savings, they need $273,000. For a couple with drug expenses at the 90th percentile throughout retirement who want a 90 percent chance of having enough money saved for health care expenses in retirement by age 65, targeted savings is $368,000 in 2017. From 2016 to 2017, projected savings targets increased between 1 percent and 6 percent. In contrast, savings targets declined between 2011 and 2014, but then increased from 2014 to 2016 as well. Despite the increase in savings targets since 2014, the 2017 savings targets continue to be lower than they were in 2012 almost across the board.
Global patterns of protection of elevational gradients in mountain ranges

Protected areas (PAs) that span elevational gradients enhance protection for taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity and facilitate species range shifts under climate change. We quantified the global protection of elevational gradients by analyzing the elevational distributions of 44,155 PAs in 1,010 mountain ranges using the highest resolution digital elevation models available. We show that, on average, mountain ranges in Africa and Asia have the lowest elevational protection, ranges in Europe and South America have intermediate elevational protection, and ranges in North America and Oceania have the highest elevational protection. We use the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Target 11 to assess the proportion of elevational gradients meeting the 17% suggested minimum target and examine how different protection categories contribute to elevational protection. When considering only strict PAs [International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories I–IV, n = 24,706], nearly 40% of ranges do not contain any PAs, roughly half fail to meet the 17% target at any elevation, and ∼75% fail to meet the target throughout ≥50% of the elevational gradient. Observed elevational protection is well below optimal, and frequently below a null model of elevational protection. Including less stringent PAs (IUCN categories V–VI and nondesignated PAs, n = 19,449) significantly enhances elevational protection for most continents, but several highly biodiverse ranges require new or expanded PAs to increase elevational protection. Ensuring conservation outcomes for PAs with lower IUCN designations as well as strategically placing PAs to better represent and connect elevational gradients will enhance ecological representation and facilitate species range shifts under climate change.
Quantitative Measurement of Binding Sites and Washout Components for Calcium Ion in Vascular Smooth Muscle

In a recent review article (Weiss, 1977a), a general hypothesis was developed concerning the central importance of Ca2+ to any comprehensive understanding of responsiveness of muscle systems to pharmacological agents. Briefly, this view was that both the qualitative and the quantitative nature of the muscle response to a given agent is directly determined by the amounts of intracellular Ca2+ available and this, in turn, is a direct consequence of differing Ca2+-binding properties of the specific cytoarchitecture present in each particular type of muscle. This is not to say that other phases of the sequence beginning with the drug-receptor interaction are not also essential. However, determination of the nature of the final response obtained is not a function of receptor activation but, rather, a result of alterations in membrane binding and permeability characteristics and, ultimately, a direct function of the intracellular Ca2+ level. Though this relationship exists in all types of muscle, elaboration of correlations between muscle tension and Ca2+ distribution and movements has not progressed as rapidly in smooth muscle as in striated muscle. The sequence of events leading from membrane excitation to muscle contraction in striated muscle has been convincingly documented (see Sandow, 1965; Bianchi, 1968) and related to clearly defined morphological structures. However, in smooth muscle anatomical structures resembling those observed in striated muscle are not as readily identified and, partly as a consequence of this, specific cellular sources and sites for Ca2+ cannot be delineated in a parallel fashion.
A study of trade-specific occupational ergonomics considerations in the U.S. construction industry.

Objective: The aim of this survey study was to identify trade-specific ergonomic issues, and discuss practical solutions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and injuries in the construction industry. Method: Thirty-two construction firms in the Midwestern United States completed the final survey questionnaire. Twelve different construction skilled trades participated included: general contractor, road, heavy and highway, concrete, electrical, carpentry, landscaping, plumbing, roofing, steel erection, street lighting/traffic signal, and utility construction. Total workforce of the participating companies numbered 11,118 employees. Result: More than 90% of the participants in the survey had a written safety program; however, the majority of the firms did not have a trade-specific ergonomic intervention. The survey revealed that construction constructors perceived safety (worker well-being) as a high priority in their company. This study suggested that construction skilled-trade jobs the construction worker to employ trade-specific hand tools and working body positions that may contribute to different types of WMSD risks, body parts injured, and injury sources. Possible practical construction trade-specific ergonomic solutions might be considered includinge: selection of ergonomic hand tools, reduction of weight of construction materials, and promotion of wellness exercises. Conclusion: This paper may imply that need for more trade-specific ergonomics program elements to help alleviate the work- related musculoskeletal problems in the construction field.
Physical inactivity and coronary heart disease in elderly patients.

Because physicians are viewed as reliable sources of health information, and owing to the substantial number of physician contacts with elderly patients either with or without coronary heart disease, physician advice regarding the adoption of regular patterns of moderately intensive physical activity has the potential to decrease coronary risk in elderly populations. The message should emphasize the adverse consequences of chronic inactivity and highlight that even modest increases in the level of habitual physical activity in older adults can limit the decline in functional reserve, improve functional capacity, decrease coronary risk, and lessen mortality.
Enhancing GaN LED Efficiency through Nano-Gratings and Standing Wave Analysis

Based on our recent work, this paper reviews our theoretical study on gallium nitride (GaN) light-emitting-diode (LED). The focus of the paper is to improve LED light extraction efficiency through various nano-grating designs. The gratings can be designed at different locations, such as at the top, the middle, and the bottom, on the LED. They also can be made of different materials. In this study, we first present a GaN LED error-grating simulation model. Second, nano Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) top gratings are studied and compared with conventional LED (CLED) using standing wave analysis. Third, we present results related to a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS), SiO2 Nanorod array (NR), and Ag bottom reflection layer. Finally, we investigate the nano-top ITO grating performance over different wavelengths to validate our design simulation, which focusing on a single wavelength of 460 nm.
The Ethical Environment and Nurse Emotional Exhaustion: A Longitudinal Study

Although there has been a fair amount of research into the stress of health care providers, particularly nurses, most of this research has not considered that health care includes frequent ethical ...
Extramammary Paget's Disease

Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous malignancy most commonly affecting the genitals, perineum, and perianal area of the elderly. Despite its rarity, to those impacted, the disease and its treatment can have a tremendous impact on quality of life. Commonly confined to the epidermis, EMPD can be invasive, associated with contiguous extension or upward pagetoid spread of underlying malignancy or with distant synchronous malignancy. Because of its association with other cancers, formal evaluation is warranted. Treatment varies widely and evidence-based approaches are lacking. The authors review the workup and management options for the patient with EMPD.
Social network, activity space, sentiment, and evacuation: what can social media tell us?

Hurricanes are one of the most common natural hazards in the United States. To reduce fatalities and economic losses, coastal states and counties take protective actions, including sheltering in pl...
The Controversial Role of Interval Appendectomy

The merits of non-operative management of both uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis have already been discussed earlier in this publication. The focus of this chapter is on what happens next and whether an interval appendectomy is necessary. As a surgeon, how do you decide whether or not to perform an interval appendectomy, and how can the surgical literature help us to make the right decision?
Abolitionist Feminism as Prisons Close: Fighting the Racist and Misogynist Surveillance “Child Welfare” System

The global prison industrial complex was built on Black and brown women’s bodies. This economy will not voluntarily loosen its hold on the bodies that feed it. White carceral feminists traditionall...
Bioinformatic analysis of brain-specific miRNAs for identification of candidate traumatic brain injury blood biomarkers

Background: Detection of brain-specific miRNAs in the peripheral blood could serve as a surrogate marker of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here, we systematically identified brain-enriched miRNAs, and tested their utility for use as TBI biomarkers in the acute phase of care. Methods: Publically-available microarray data generated from 31 postmortem human tissues was used to rank 1,364 miRNAs in terms of their degree of brain-specific expression. Levels of the top five ranked miRNAs were then prospectively measured in serum samples collected from 10 TBI patients at hospital admission, as well as from 10 controls. Results: The top five miRNAs identified in our analysis (miR-137, miR-219a-5p, miR-128-3p, miR-124-3p, and miR-138-5p) exhibited 31 to 74-fold higher expression in brain relative to other tissues. Furthermore, their levels were elevated in serum from TBI patients compared to controls, and were collectively able to discriminate between groups with 90% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Subsequent informatic pathway analysis revealed that their target transcripts were significantly enriched for components of signaling pathways which are active in peripheral organs such as the heart. Conclusions: The five candidate miRNAs identified in this study have promise as blood biomarkers of TBI, and could also be molecular contributors to systemic physiologic changes commonly observed post-injury.
Financial Viability: A Descriptive Study of African American Banks’ Efficiency:

African American community banks appear to be losing ground in their communities. The number of African American community banks continued to trend downward during the past two decades, suffering c...
Nudges Do Not Undermine Human Agency

Some people believe that nudges undermine human agency, but with appropriate nudges, neither agency nor consumer freedom is at risk. On the contrary, nudges can promote both goals. In some contexts, they are indispensable. There is no opposition between education on the one hand and nudges on the other. Many nudges are educative. Even when they are not, they can complement, and not displace, consumer education.
Digital Eco System: Cyber Bodies, Cyber Lives, and Cyber Narratives:

In this essay, I try to embody the fragmented nature of our digital culture and lives. Through autoethnographic writing and personal vignettes, I narrate and theorize five interrelated themes: inte...
All Choice is Political: A Conversation with Shawkat M. Toorawa

Shawkat M. Toorawa serves as Professor of Arabic Literature and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University. In this conversation he reflects on his decades-long experience as a teacher and administrator in the U.S. and abroad; the role of politics in classroom and curriculum; and the impact of race, religion, and international crisis on pedagogical engagement.
The Influence of Gender Categories and Gender Stereotypes on Young Children's Generalizations of Biological and Behavioral Characteristics.

We examined the influence of categorization and stereotyping on young children’s (N = 96; 39 to 71 months of age) use of gender to make generalizations regarding novel biological and behavioral cha...
Investor Competition and the Cost of Capital

I provide evidence that investor size matters in the market for short-term securities. Between January 2011 and November 2020, the largest asset management families obtained significantly higher promised returns from their money market securities than smaller families. Furthermore, I show that the enactment of Money Market Mutual Fund reforms on October 2016 decreased measures of competition in several categories of Money Market Mutual Funds. Consistent with improving market power, the largest fund families raised their lending rates (by 8 basis points) on their existing borrowers. These results highlight the trade-off in enacting macro-prudential policies and encouraging capital market efficiency.
Judicial Attire: An Alteration to ‘Under the Robes'

In 2009, I wrote an article, “Under the Robes: A Judicial Right to Bare Arms and Legs and . . .?,” suggesting that, if only for reasons of economic efficiency, at least some judges might be wearing nothing, or almost nothing, under their robes. This comment reports on an instance — involving the legendary lawyer, law professor, bar review lecturer, and judge Irving Younger — where my hypothesis turned out to be spot-on.
Advancing solid-state band gap predictions.

Perhaps the most important property of a material is its fundamental band gap. This is the energy difference between adding and subtracting one electron from a system. It distinguishes metals from insulators and gives us information about the electronic response of the material to external influences. This is crucial in myriad technological applications like batteries, semiconductors, alloys, electronic devices, and photovoltaic materials, to name a few. Band gap predictions employing quantum simulations have steadily progressed over the years, but an accurate method valid across the broad spectrum of materials with diverse band gaps was lacking. Wing et al. (1) take a decisive step forward in the first-principles prediction of fundamental band gaps with accuracy rivaling experimental error bars in their measurement, a feat that builds upon the contributions of multiple research groups during the last few decades. For many years, the workhorse of computational materials modeling has been density functional theory (DFT), particularly for properties like band gaps where quantum effects are preponderant. DFT is a relatively simple model whose roots precede the formulation of quantum mechanics (2). It essentially describes electrons as independent particles interacting via an effective potential obtainable from an exchange-correlation energy functional of the electron density. Somewhat paradoxically, the existence of this functional can be easily proven, but its practical realization has turned out to be much more challenging than perhaps originally envisioned. For several decades, researchers have systematically improved the accuracy of DFT, making it a valuable aid for chemistry, physics, and materials science. However, across the broad range of solid-state materials, the fundamental band gap has remained stubbornly difficult to predict with high accuracy. The form of DFT most appropriate to calculate band gaps is known as generalized Kohn–Sham theory (3), a model where the functional depends on all the orbitals that electrons can … [↵][1]1Email: guscus{at}rice.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Degrees that Are Low for Isomorphism

We say that a degree is low for isomorphism if, whenever it can compute an isomorphism between a pair of computable structures, there is already a computable isomorphism between them. We show that while there is no clear-cut relationship between this property and other properties related to computational weakness, the low-forisomorphism degrees contain all Cohen 2-generics and are disjoint from the Martin-Lof randoms. We also consider lowness for isomorphism with respect to the class of linear orders.
DELEP Seeds Will Go to the Arctic

The DELEP seed collection has increased steadily over the 22 years that DELEP has existed. Tod~y there are over 3500 accessions representing 221 genera and 1356 species. Several years ago the importance of duplicating this unique collection was recognized and arrangements were made to establish a back-up collection at the National Plant Germplasm System (USDA) seed bank in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Population Dynamics and an Elementary Model

We can think of a population as a group of individuals of the same species which live together at the same time and in the same place. This statement implies the coexistence of, and potential interaction or intercommunication between, all the members of the population, and that the population is distinctly defined in space. The spatial element, which is implied in statements such as “the population of New York” or “the population of insects in a wheat field,” is very important because it delimits the geographic boundaries of the population system being considered. Although the boundaries are often drawn rather arbitrarily, they should, ideally, enclose a distinct population unit (a much more strict definition used by systematic biologists is presented in Note 2.1).
Hydrogen Peroxide and Platelet Function

Hydrogen peroxide, at concentrations in the micromolar range, can influence platelet function. Although H2O2 causes no detectable platelet aggregation at these concentrations, it can aggregate platelets which have been previously exposed to any of several aggregating agents. H2O2 can enhance bath aggregation and the subsequent disaggregation of platelets, as initiated by ADP. Preexposure of platelets to H2O2 blunts the subsequent response to ADP. Washed platelets are susceptible to H2O2. Catalase-treated H2O2 has no effect on platelet function. H2O2 does not appear to act by altering either the aggregating agent or plasma thrombin generation. These data suggest that minute amounts of H2O2, which could theoretically be generated in vivo at sites of platelet plug formation, could play a regulatory role in the dynamics of growth and/or dissipation of the hemostatic plug. The blood granulocyte could participate in hemostasis and thrombosis via H2O2 generation.
Exploring Misconceptions in Palliative Care in a Multi-Disciplinary ALS Clinic (P3.319)

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine how comfortable patients and their caregivers are with discussing future directives with clinic staff, and to assess the level of knowledge that clinicians have about palliative care and ask about their comfort levels in having palliative care discussions with terminally ill patients. BACKGROUND: ALS is a devastating terminal neurodegenerative disease that follows a predictable clinical trajectory, as such palliative care consultation should begin soon after diagnosis. Authors Temel et al. 2010 found that in a randomized trial the introduction of palliative care early after diagnosis for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer increased median survival and increased quality of life vs. patients assigned to standard of care. However, currently clinicians and patients tend to avoid palliative care discussions until the final stages of disease progression and deterioration largely due to the stigmas associated with palliative care. DESIGN/METHODS: Study population includes patients with ALS, their caregivers, and the ALS multidisciplinary clinic team. A questionnaire containing 10 questions was administered to patients and their caregivers during clinic to assess their comfort in addressing future concerns with the clinic team. A separate questionnaire containing nine questions was given to clinic staff to assess the level of general understanding of palliative care and its treatment goals. We analyzed the patient responses to characterize their general experiences in our clinic, and accounted for the clinicians responses of their general knowledge level of palliative care. RESULTS: Pending CONCLUSIONS: Palliative care seeks help from many sources typically found in multidisciplinary clinics to guide terminally patients through their care options. By addressing misconceptions in palliative care thought by clinicians and seeking answers from patients and their caregivers about future planning, we hope to discover when patients want to begin discussions about advanced directives and treatment goals throughout their disease. Disclosure: Dr. Kaplan has nothing to disclose.
Silicon-directed nazarov cyclizations-IV : Further studies in stereochemical control

Abstract The silicon-directed Nazarov cyclization was shown to proceed with good to excellent stereoselectivity in cyclohexenyl systems bearing a variety of ring substituents. In all cases the trans family of isomers predominated, and cis ring-fused products were formed exclusively. The potential for stereocontrol by increasing the bulk of silicon substituents was limited for five-membered rings and good for six-membered rings. Phenylsilanes were found to participate in cyclization.
Engineering controls for noise attenuation in the cement industry

Cement industry hearing protection and noise control regulations are projected to change significantly. In 1998 the Mine Safety and Health Administration plans to require formal hearing protection and audiometric testing programs and begin phasing in other new requirements over time. Engineering controls are proposed as the primary method for protecting workers' hearing, with administrative measures and personal protective equipment allowed as secondary controls. Numerous types of noise-attenuating engineering controls are feasible and have been successfully installed in a variety of crushing, grinding, material handling and other cement manufacturing applications, yielding significant reductions in noise levels and corresponding increases in permissible employee exposure times. Installing sound absorbers, barriers and silencers, treating surfaces to reduce noise reflection, and changing power transmission and other auxiliary equipment reduce noise generation at the source and interrupt noise propagation paths. Pro-active managers and engineers can team with equipment manufacturers and noise attenuation specialists to modify, retrofit or replace existing equipment, and specify, select and install new equipment to achieve quieter operations.
Seeing Through the Surface: Non-invasive Characterization of Biomaterial–Tissue Interactions Using Photoacoustic Microscopy

At the intersection of life sciences, materials science, engineering, and medicine, regenerative medicine stands out as a rapidly progressing field that aims at retaining, restoring, or augmenting tissue/organ functions to promote the human welfare. While the field has witnessed tremendous advancements over the past few decades, it still faces many challenges. For example, it has been difficult to visualize, monitor, and assess the functions of the engineered tissue/organ constructs, particularly when three-dimensional scaffolds are involved. Conventional approaches based on histology are invasive and therefore only convey end-point assays. The development of volumetric imaging techniques such as confocal and ultrasonic imaging has enabled direct observation of intact constructs without the need of sectioning. However, the capability of these techniques is often limited in terms of penetration depth and contrast. In comparison, the recently developed photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) has allowed us to address these issues by integrating optical and ultrasonic imaging to greatly reduce the effect of tissue scattering of photons with one-way ultrasound detection while retaining the high optical absorption contrast. PAM has been successfully applied to a number of studies, such as observation of cell distribution, monitoring of vascularization, and interrogation of biomaterial degradation. In this review article, we highlight recent progress in non-invasive and volumetric characterization of biomaterial–tissue interactions using PAM. We also discuss challenges ahead and envision future directions.
The Effects of Widowhood on Disabled Older Women (The Women's Health and Aging Study)

This study examined the effects of becoming widowed for older women with pre-existing physical disability. Data from three consecutive interviews from the Women's Health and Aging Study (WHAS) were...
Immunotoxin lesion of hypothalamically projecting norepinephrine and epinephrine neurons differentially affects circadian and stressor-stimulated corticosterone secretion.

Hindbrain norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) neurons play a pivotal role in the central distribution of sensory signals derived from the internal environment. Their projections influence the various secretory patterns of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and are essential for feeding and adrenal medullary responses to glucoprivation. NE and E terminals in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) and associated hindbrain cell bodies can be virtually eliminated by PVH microinjection of a retrogradely transported conjugate of saporin (SAP, a ribosomal toxin) and a monoclonal antibody against dopamine beta-hydroxylase (dbetah), i.e. dbetah mouse monoclonal antibody conjugated to SAP (DSAP). To examine the effects of selective elimination of NE/E afferents on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activation, we injected DSAP into the PVH and measured corticosterone secretion under basal circadian conditions and in response to two distinct challenges: glucoprivation and forced swim. DSAP lesions profoundly impaired glucoprivation-induced corticosterone secretion and induction of CRH heteronuclear RNA and Fos mRNA in the PVH, without impairing basal CRH mRNA expression, circadian corticosterone release, or the corticosterone response to swim stress. Thus, NE/E projections influence corticosterone secretion only in certain circumstances. They are required for the response to glucoprivation, but are dispensable for circadian activation and for the response to swim stress.
Disorder-enhanced delocalization and local-moment quenching in a disordered antiferromagnet

The interplay of disorder and spin-fluctuation effects in a disordered antiferromagnet is studied. In the weak-disorder regime $(Wl~U),$ while the energy gap decreases rapidly with disorder, the sublattice magnetization, including quantum corrections, is found to remain essentially unchanged in the strong correlation limit. Magnon energies and N\'eel temperature are enhanced by disorder in this limit. A single paradigm of disorder-enhanced delocalization qualitatively accounts for all these weak disorder effects. Vertex corrections and magnon damping, which appear only at order ${(W/U)}^{4},$ are also studied. With increasing disorder a crossover is found at $W\ensuremath{\sim}U,$ characterized by a rapid decrease in sublattice magnetization due to quenching of local moments, and formation of spin vacancies. The latter suggests a spin-dilution behavior that is indeed observed in softened magnon modes, lowering of N\'eel temperature, and enhanced transverse spin fluctuations.
Drift estimation for Brownian flows

The problem of estimating the drift of a stochastic flow given Lagrangian observations is an estimation problem for a multidimensional diffusion with a degenerate diffusion matrix. The maximum-likelihood estimator of the constant drift is considered. A long-time asymptotic of its mean-square error (MSE) is computed. It is shown that the time-space average of the observed Lagrangian velocities has the same asymptotic. These estimators are compared to the least-squares estimator based on Eulerian data. In the most important, for applications, two-dimensional case the Lagrangian estimator is typically preferable for incompressible flows, while for flows close to potential the Eulerian estimator is better.
From the Historian-another matter of history (scalar product)

The basic incorrectness of the scalar product approach to deriving the differential expression for the divergence of a vector function in the Cartesian system is demonstrated. The origin of the approach is traced, and its ubiquity in the literature is documented. >
Socialization Ambiguity in Samoan Adolescents: A Model for Human Development and Stress in the Context of Culture Change

Rapid globalization is forcing youth around the world to confront new developmental challenges, and conceptual models are needed that can capture this experience and its developmental implications. Exposure to nontraditional lifestyles opens up new socialization opportunities and raises the possibility of stress-inducing dissonance between participating socializing agents and the messages they deliver. Socialization ambiguity is introduced as a model for culture change and adolescent stress, and it is applied to a sample of 10- to 20-year-olds (N=295) in the islands of Samoa. A physiological marker of stress (antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus) is employed to overcome some of the difficulties associated with measuring stress outcomes. Socialization ambiguity is found to be a significant source of stress on the remote island of Savai'i and the transitional area of rural Upolu, although the direction of the association is different, possibly reflecting divergent socialization goals in these two regions.
Sleep and the Sleep Environment of Older Adults in Acute Care Settings

The purpose of this descriptive pilot study was to describe sleep characteristics of hospitalized older adults and the nighttime environmental noise and light they encountered. Study participants included patients in an acute care setting; actigraphy and light and sound meters were used to measure the variables. Mean sleep time was 215 minutes, and the average sleep efficiency was 44.72%. Nighttime sleep was fragmented into 5 to 38 intervals of 15 to 24 minutes, with frequent awakenings. Mean light levels were 6.14 lux, with peak intensities of 59.68 lux lasting 95 minutes each night. Mean sound levels were 52.87 dB(A). Sleep was markedly impaired in an environment of elevated light and sound levels. Understanding the role of noise and light in the sleep efficiency of ill older adults can help nurses identify sources of noise and light and initiate sleep improvement protocols.
Observation of the kramers turnover region in the isomerism of trans-stilbene in fluid ethane

Abstract Fluorescence of trans-stilbene in ethane at 350 K gives the barrier crossing rates as a function of pressure in the range 0 to 170 atm. The data demonstrate a peak in the rate at 120 atm (a collision frequency of (6–7)×1012 s−1, or a viscosity of 0.03 cP). The data are discussed in terms of the dimensionality; clustering near the critical pressure; collisional deactivation; and local field effects.
Predicting postoperative pulmonary function in patients undergoing lung resection.

Objective: Our aim was to determine the effect of lung resection on spirometric lung function and to evaluate the accuracy of simple calculation in predicting postoperative pulmonary function in patients undergoing lung resection. Design: We reviewed preoperative and postoperative pulmonary function test results on patients who were followed in the multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic between July 1991 and March 1994 and who underwent lung resection. The predicted postoperative FEV 1 and FVC were calculated based on the number of segments resected and were compared with the actual postoperative FEV 1 and FVC. Setting: This study was conducted at a university, tertiary referral hospital. Patients: All patients were evaluated at a multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic and underwent lung resection by one surgeon (L.A.L.). Measurements and main results: Sixty patients undergoing 62 pulmonary resections were reviewed. The predicted postoperative FEV 1 and FVC were calculated using the following formula: predicted postoperative FEV 1 (or FVC)=preoperative FEV 1 (or FVC)×(1-(SX 0.0526)); where S=number of segments resected. The actual postoperative FEV 1 and FVC correlated well with the predicted postoperative FEV 1 and FVC for patients undergoing lobectomy (r=0.867 and r=0.832, respectively); however, the predicted postoperative FEV 1 consistently underestimated the actual postoperative FEV 1 by approximately 250 mL. For patients undergoing pneumonectomy, the actual postoperative FEV 1 and FVC did not correlate as well with the predicted postoperative FEV 1 and FVC (r=0.677 and r=0.741, respectively). Although there was considerable variability, the predicted postoperative FEV 1 consistently underestimated the actual postoperative FEV 1 by nearly 500 mL. Of the patients undergoing lobectomy, eight also received postoperative radiation therapy. When analyzed separately, patients receiving combined therapy lost an average of 5.47% of FEV 1 per segment resected. This contrasts with a 2.84% per segment reduction in FEV 1 for patients who did not receive radiation therapy. Conclusions: This simple calculation of predicted postoperative FEV 1 and FVC correlates well with the actual postoperative FEV 1 and FVC in patients undergoing lobectomy. The predicted postoperative FEV 1 consistently underestimated the actual postoperative FEV 1 by approximately 250 mL. The postoperative FEV 1 and FVC for patients undergoing pneumonectomy is not accurately predicted using this equation. The predicted postoperative FEV 1 for patients undergoing pneumonectomy was underestimated by an average of 500 mL and by greater than 250 mL in 12 of our 13 patients. Thus, by adding 250 mL to the above calculation of predicted postoperative FEV 1 , we improve our ability to estimate FEV 1 for patients undergoing lobectomy and we identify a minimal postoperative FEV 1 for patients undergoing pneumonectomy. Finally, combined modality treatment with surgery followed by radiation therapy may result in additive lung function loss.
Developmental Signalling: Sorting out the signals

New insights into the developmental roles played by the TGF-beta family of signalling molecules come from the identification in Drosophila of two transmembrane receptors encoded by the thick veins and saxophone genes.
Age estimation and lead–radium dating of Antarctic toothfish ( Dissostichus mawsoni ) in the Ross Sea

Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) are the target of an important commercial fishery in the Southern Ocean, yet age data used for management have not been comprehensively tested for accuracy. In this study, Antarctic toothfish were aged using counts of otolith growth zones based on criteria established for Patagonian toothfish, D. eleginoides, a closely related species. To validate these ages, the radioactive disequilibrium of lead-210 and radium-226 in otolith cores was measured and used as an independent chronometer to accurately determine age across the range of fish caught in large numbers by the fishery. Growth-zone counts indicated Antarctic toothfish live to at least 39 years of age, and were in close agreement with the chronometer, validating the age estimation criteria and the accuracy of age estimates. Von Bertalanffy growth function parameters indicated Antarctic toothfish were relatively slow-growing (k = 0.111), especially in relation to their maximum size (L ∞ = 158.9 cm).
Costs and complications of hospitalizations for children with cerebral palsy

Background: Although many children with cerebral palsy (CP) develop secondary conditions requiring hospitalization, in-patient hospital utilization by this population has not been characterized.Objective: To characterize hospitalizations in children with CP and to compare them with hospitalizations of those without CP using a large national data set.Methods: Analysis of the Healthcare Utilization Project Kid Inpatient Database, a weighted survey of paediatric discharges from US hospitals in 1997.Results: In 1997, 37 000 children with CP were hospitalized, generating charges approaching $600 million. Children with CP demonstrated longer lengths of stay (6.3 vs 4.1 days, p < 0.001), higher total charges ($16 024 vs $9952, p < 0.001), more diagnoses (5.6 vs 3.0, p < 0.001) and more procedures (1.7 vs 1.1, p < 0.001) per admission. Five major diagnostic categories accounted for 83.2% of the discharge diagnoses for children with CP (48.6% for those without CP, p < 0.001). Children with CP were more often trans...