cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Did Bank Lending to Small Business in the United States Fare After the Financial Crisis

Aggregate bank-loan data reported by the FDIC show that bank lending to small businesses plummeted during 2009-2011 following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in Sep. 2008 and the onset of the financial crisis, and continued to decline during the post-crisis years 2012-2015. However, the number of banks also declined during both periods, making it difficult to determine if banks have continued, or loosened, the tight-credit policies of 2009-2011. The current study analyzes bank-level data on both the stock and flow of small-business lending collected by U.S. banking regulators to provide new univariate and multivariate evidence on whether bank lending to businesses - small and large - recovered after the financial crisis. The analysis reveals that bank lending to small businesses remained at depressed levels throughout the post-crisis years, while total-business lending saw somewhat of a recovery. Finally, the analysis documents that the declines in small-business lending were significantly greater at large banks than at small banks, and at banks in worse financial condition than at banks in better financial condition.
Recent advances in dysphagia management.

The literal definition of dysphagia is “disturbed eating”. However, it is more accurately described in clinical practice as a sensation of food or liquid being stuck in the esophagus or chest. If this sensation is associated with pain, it is labeled odynophagia, and if it is associated with persistent obstruction and bolus retention, it is categorized as a food impaction. Through research and technological advances, we continue to expand our understanding of the etiologies and underlying pathophysiology relating to this complaint. However, for now, our clinical algorithms focus on endoscopy and manometry to break down dysphagia into three categories: obstructive dysphagia, esophageal motility disorders, and functional dysphagia. Here, we review some critical pitfalls in our current clinical diagnoses, new proposed underlying mechanisms of esophageal motor disorders, and developing technologies to aid in diagnosis and treatment.
Health information exchange and the frequency of repeat medical imaging.

OBJECTIVES Medical imaging, which is expensive, is frequently repeated for the same patient within a relatively short period of time due to lack of access to previous images. Health information exchange (HIE) may reduce repeat imaging by facilitating provider access to prior images and reports. We sought to determine the effect of an HIE system on the occurrence of repeat imaging. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a cohort study of adult patients who consented to participate in a community-based HIE system in an 11-county region in New York. Using data from 2009-2010, we linked log files of provider HIE usage to administrative claims data from 2 commercial health plans. Using generalized estimation equations, we measured the association between HIE system access and repeat imaging within 90 days. RESULTS Of 196,314 patients in the cohort, 34,604 (18%) of patients had at least 1 imaging procedure, which was equivalent to a rate of 28.7 imaging procedures per 100 patients. Overall, 7.7% of images were repeated within 90 days. If the HIE system was accessed within the 90 days following an initial imaging procedure, imaging was significantly less likely to be repeated (5% repeated with HIE access vs 8% repeated without HIE access, P < .001). HIE system access reduced the adjusted odds of a repeat image by 25% (95% CI, 13%-35%). CONCLUSIONS Use of the HIE system to access previous patient information was associated with a reduction in repeated imaging.
Characteristics analysis on the first epidemic of influenza A(H1N1)in Wenzhou

Objective To analyse the epidemiological characteristics of the first influenza A (H1N1) epidemic in Wenzhou and provide a scientific basis for the measures on control and prevention of influenza. Methods A descriptive epidemiological method was used for analysis of influenza A (H1N1) case data in Wenzhou from May 2009 to July 2010. Results There were 4164 cases (accumulative incidence 53.94/100 000) of influenza A (H1N1) in Wenzhou between May 2009 and July 2010. The peak of incidence was from October 2009 to January 2010, there were 3825 cases, accounted for 91.86%. The patients occurred in eleven counties(districts) of Wenzhou. Most of the cases were found in Lucheng, Ruian and Yueqing counties (districts). Cases for groups aged 5-19 years accounted for 67.39% (2806 The influenza A (H1N1) is gradually transmitted from urbans to rural areas after first imported case is introduced to Wenzhou. The incidence rate is closely related to density of population and mobility of population. Schools are risk sellings for transmissions of influenza A (H1N1). It is very critical to strengthen the epidemiological surveillance for influenza in schools. The influenza A (H1N1) vaccination is specific measures for the prevention of influenza A(H1N1) and gained apparent effectiveness. Key words: Influenza A virus, H1N1 subtype; Epidemiologic characteristics; Intervening measures
Aerodynamic study of paratrooper models used in the C-130 H/J personnel drop operations

Abstract The goal of this study is to conduct time-accurate simulations of several paratrooper models exiting the troop door of a C-130 aircraft. Solutions are calculated using HPCMP CREATETM-AV Kestrel software. Both the second-order, unstructured finite-volume solver of kCFD and the structured Cartesian finite-volume solver of SAMAir, which enables near-body/off-body calculations and adaptive mesh refinement, are used. The objective of this article is to analyze the effects of the unsteady flow field around the troop door on representative paratrooper models positioned at different locations and orientations. The predictions are presented in terms of integrated forces and moments in both time and frequency domains. Averaged forces/moments are reported as well. Vortex shedding frequency with maximum power density is predicted from forces or air velocity measurements at tap points behind the models. The contribution of primitive geometric elements (body, arms, and orientation) to the wake shedding frequencies are detailed, and results include validation of predicted vortex shedding frequency for a cylinder of aspect ratio 10 (length to diameter) with available experimental data. The results show that the adaptive mesh refinement aids in better resolution of the wake structure and better agreement with measured data. When the models exit the C-130 troop doors, the wind deflectors significantly reduce the rearward aerodynamic forces acting on the models compared with free-stream/stand-alone models. However, the flow field around the door changes the roll and yaw moments and the side force (force in the spanwise direction) as compared with the stand-alone model. Finally, the results document the aerodynamic forces and moments as functions of the static position and orientation of the paratrooper model relative to the door. The approach used and results of these simulations form a baseline for future simulation enhancements, which include calculating the exit path of the paratrooper relative to the aircraft, static line jumps, and subsequent parachute deployment.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Household Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Nationally Representative Study.

Previous research has demonstrated that the burden of household food insecurity is disproportionately high among racial/ethnic minority groups, yet no peer-reviewed studies have systematically examined racial/ethnic disparities in household food insecurity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study on household food insecurity during COVID-19 used data from a nationally representative sample of US households through the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) (including all 50 states and the District of Columbia, n = 74,413 households). Six generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were estimated, and the results indicated that households headed by Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, or other racial/ethnic minorities were not significantly more food insecure than White households during the pandemic. However, among food-insecure households, Black households were more likely to report that they could not afford to buy more food; Asian and Hispanic households were more likely to be afraid to go out to buy food; Asian households were more likely to face transportation issues when purchasing food; while White households were more likely to report that stores did not have the food they wanted. Moreover, racial/ethnic minorities were significantly less confident about their household food security for the next 4 weeks than Whites. The coronavirus pandemic crisis has exposed and exacerbated the food injustice in American society. Policymakers and local officials should take concerted actions to improve the capacity of food supply and ensure food equality across all racial/ethnic groups.
Association of Leisure-Time Physical Activity to Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence in Relation to Smoking among Adult Nevadans.

It is well known that cigarette smoking and physical activity have significant impacts on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and morbidity. Meanwhile, it is of interest to understand whether physical activity protects against CVD for smokers in a similar manner as it does for non-smokers. The present study examined how leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with the prevalence of CVD in relation to smoking status among adult Nevadans, using data from the 2010 Nevada Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Of the 3,913 survey respondents, 8.5% self-reported that they had ever been diagnosed with CVD. People with a history of CVD were significantly less likely to engage in LTPA than those with no history of CVD (p < 0.05). After adjusting for common sociodemographic variables, it was revealed that people with CVD were twice more likely to not engage in LTPA than their counterparts independent of smoking status. Without taking LTPA into account, the odds of having CVD for current and former smokers was 1.87–2.25 times higher than the odds for non-smokers. Interestingly, however, if LTPA was accounted for, there was no significant difference in the odds of having CVD between current and non-smokers. These results indicate that LTPA is inversely associated with the prevalence of CVD independent of smoking status, and that regular physical activity may protect against CVD for smokers as well as for non-smokers. Physical activity, along with smoking cessation, should be promoted to better prevent and control CVD among smokers.
Understanding the Role of Emerging Vitamin D Biomarkers on Short-term Persistence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Mid-Adult Women.

BACKGROUND Associations between vitamin D biomarkers and persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) detection have not been evaluated. METHODS 2011-2012 stored sera from 72 women aged 30-50 years with prevalent hrHPV (n = 116 type-specific infections) were tested for 5 vitamin D biomarkers: 25(OH)D and 4 emerging biomarkers, 1,25(OH)2D; 24,25(OH)2D; free vitamin D; and vitamin D binding protein (DBP). The hrHPV detection patterns (persistent vs transient/sporadic) were determined using cervicovaginal swabs collected monthly for 6 months. Associations between vitamin D and short-term type-specific hrHPV persistence were estimated using logistic regression. Our primary exposure was continuous 25(OH)D, with additional biomarkers evaluated as secondary exposures. Primary models were adjusted for age, race, body mass index, education, contraceptives, smoking, season, and calcium/phosphate levels. Sensitivity analyses were restricted from 19 hrHPV types to 14 used in cervical cancer screening. RESULTS In primary analyses, nonsignificant positive associations with hrHPV persistence were observed for measures of 25(OH)D and 24,25(OH)2D. Associations were stronger and significant when restricting to 14 hrHPV types (25(OH)D per 10 ng/mL increase: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.82 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.15-2.88] and aOR, 4.19 [95% CI, 1.18-14.88] DBP-adjusted; 25(OH)D ≥30 vs <30 ng/mL: aOR, 8.85 [95% CI, 2.69-29.06]; 24,25(OH)2D: aOR, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.18-2.88]). 1,25(OH)2D was unassociated with persistence. CONCLUSIONS Serum vitamin D measured by multiple biomarkers showed positive associations with short-term hrHPV persistence that were significant only when restricting to 14 clinically relevant hrHPV types.
Presentation of Rash in a Community-Based Health System

Introduction Coordination of care between primary care providers and dermatologists is important to ensure high quality and cost efficiency. In our integrated care setting, we used a retrospective cohort study to assess which patients self-refer to dermatology and which returned for a follow-up visit in dermatology. Methods We identified 107,832 patients with a new rash diagnosis who presented to primary care or dermatology between January and March 2017. We compared patients who self-referred to dermatology with those who used primary care, using multi-level generalized estimating equations with adjustment for patient-level covariables and medical center. We also characterized patients who returned for a follow-up visit in dermatology. Results Among patients with a new rash diagnosis, 99% were originally seen in primary care. Patients with a history of a dermatological condition were more likely to present to dermatology. Patients with a history of a dermatological condition or with psoriasis, pigment, hair, bullous, or multiple conditions were more likely to have a follow-up visit with a dermatologist. For each outcome, initial location of care and return for a follow-up visit, we found minimal clustering by medical center or provider. Conclusion One percent of patients with a new rash diagnosis self-refer to dermatology in this setting. Patients with a history of a dermatological condition were more likely to self-refer to dermatology and to have a follow-up visit with a dermatologist. Individual dermatologists and primary care providers had little impact on a patient's odds of returning for a follow-up visit.
Building Coarse-Graining into Projections and Generalizing Energy Transfer Theory

It was pointed out that, while the projection operator introduced by Zwanzig effortlessly gives rise to memory functions and, through a lucid scheme of approximations, leads from the microscopic von Neumann equation to the macroscopic Master equation, the memory functions involved are always cosines of time arguments which by themselves always oscillate. To make memories decay in time and thereby be able to describe irreversible dynamics, it is necessary to build the coarse-graining operation within the projection operator. This technique, in the simple but useful form originated by the author, was explained. The recipe was applied in the context of the unrelated phenomenon of ferromagnetism to elucidate how a succession of projection operators can be fashioned for use at different levels of description. The situation around 1970 in the field of energy transfer, with its various interesting conflicts, was described. The theory developed in the first part of the chapter was shown to result in a generalization of the Forster theory of excitation transfer in molecular aggregates as given by Kenkre and Knox in 1974, with explicit recipes for calculating memory functions from absorption and emission spectra. Memories were displayed for several different molecules. The unification of the so-called fast and slow rates addressing questions of exciton coherence was also provided on the basis of memory functions by presenting how, by their very nature, memories help solve coherence problems. This gave a clear resolution of the Perrin-Forster-Davydov puzzle of R3 versus R6 transfer rates, where R is the intermolecular distance between a donor and a receptor molecule.
Measuring Modal Activity for Prediction of Emissions

Abstract A research project is underway to determine a protocol for the estimation of modal activity distributions for specific road facilities. These distributions will be used together with various models to forecast emissions generated by motor vehicles. To obtain the modal activity, vehicle trajectories must be tracked very accurately. Video data collection was one of the methods employed for this tracking. To make accurate measurements from the video, a computerized system was devised. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe the video data collection and analysis, equipment required, preliminary results, and some future tasks.
Prevalence and Predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in a Large Insured Sample of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use as well as parental perceptions of CAM efficacy in a large, geographically diverse sample of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Who dropped the ball on L-DOPA? A patient's lament.

How’s the war on Parkinson’s disease going? That depends on whether you’re a researcher, clinician, or patient. Researchers can claim that they are making spectacular progress in understanding the disease. Clinicians can argue that they manage the symptoms better than at any time in history. If you’re a patient like me, however, then the honest truth is that the war isn’t going very well. The Holy Grail of biomedical research is an intervention that slows, stops, or reverses a disease—a so-called disease-modifying procedure. Over the last decade or so, Phase 3 clinical trials of diseasemodifying therapies for Parkinson’s disease have reported almost universally disappointing results. When tested under placebo-controlled conditions, the three main disease-modifying approaches—protecting neurons (with drugs like selegiline and rasagiline), reviving neurons (with neurotrophic factors like GDNF and neurturin), and replacing neurons (with neural grafts)—have so far failed to deliver. There are many possible reasons for the failures. It may be that the trial designs were flawed. Or it might be that the interventions didn’t work because the disease pathology in the patients being studied was already too advanced to modify. A landmark paper by Jeff Kordower et al., for example, reported that within 5 years of being diagnosed, Parkinson’s disease patients have virtually no functioning dopamine nerve endings left. If the dream of a transformative disease-modifying therapy still lies a decade or more in the future, what
The inverse gaussian models: Analogues of symmetry, skewness and kurtosis

The inverse Gaussian (IG) family is strikingly analogous to the Gaussian family in terms of having simple inference solutions, which use the familiar χ2, t and F distributions, for a variety of basic problems. Hence, the IG family, consisting of asymmetric distributions is widely used for modelling and analyzing nonnegative skew data. However, the process lacks measures of model appropriateness corresponding to \(\sqrt {\beta _1 } \) and β2, routinely employed in statistical analyses. We use known similarities between the two families to define a concept termed IG-symmetry, an analogue of the symmetry, and to develop IG-analogues δ1 and δ2 of \(\sqrt {\beta _1 } \) and β2, respectively. Interestingly, the asymptotic null distributions of the sample versions d1, d2 of δ1, δ2 are exactly the same as those of their normal counterparts \(\sqrt {b_1 } \) and b2. Some applications are discussed, and the analogies between the two families, enhanced during this study are tabulated.
Does Banning Affirmative Action Affect Racial SAT Score Gaps? An Empirical Analysis

This paper conducts an empirical analysis of SAT scores to determine if banning affirmative action has any significant impact on the SAT scores of college bound minority high school students. A rational high school student should alter the amount of time spent studying during high school if any policy affects the marginal return to that activity. Thus, a natural question to ask is whether banning affirmative action affects minorities’ SAT scores differently than it affects non‐minorities’ SAT scores. My analysis centers on the recent elimination of affirmative action in California and Texas. Using SAT data obtained from The College Board, I compare the changes of the test score gap between minorities and non‐minorities over time in the treatment states, relative to a set of control group states.
The Science of Biotechnology

The quest to understand how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next reached a major milestone in the 1950s with the discovery of the complementary double-helix structure of DNA by Watson and Crick and the demonstration by Kornberg that DNA was capable of self-replication. These breakthroughs provided the stimulus for a flurry of research that culminated in a basic understanding of the genetic code and a statement of the central dogma of molecular biology: DNA goes to RNA goes to protein. In expressing a gene, RNA is formed from the DNA template in a process called transcription. The process of RNA forming protein is known as translation. During translation, amino acids are linked to form protein. The primary structure of proteins is thus determined by the sequence of amino acids. Using x-ray crystallography and computer imaging, it has been possible to determine the three-dimensional structure of many proteins and to design small molecule peptides which can either mimic or block the ...
The incentive compatible coarse core when information is almost complete

Abstract Recently, Vohra [J. Econ. Theory 86 (1999) 123] and Forges et al. [Econometrica 70 (2002b) 1865] have shown that Wilson’s [Econometrica 46 (1978) 807] result on the non-emptiness of the coarse core does not extend to the case in which allocations are required to be incentive compatible. We introduce a concept of almost complete information such that the private signals of agents are noisy. We then show that when information is almost complete, it is possible to find an incentive compatible approximation to a coarse core mechanism. Moreover, if the strict cores of the underlying ex post economies are non-empty then the incentive compatible coarse core is also non-empty.
Elucidating water-droplet removal in polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

The process of removing liquid water droplets in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) is examined using a simple analytical model and two-dimensional simulations. Specifically, the stability of a droplet adhering to the wall of the cathode flow channel is examined as a function of the geometry of the flow channel, the applied pressure gradient, and the wetting properties. The result is a prediction of the critical droplet size as a function of the difference between the advancing and receding contact angles, or contact angle hysteresis. The analytical model is shown to qualitatively predict this stability limit when compared to two-dimensional simulation results. The simulations are performed using both Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) methods and level set methods. The ALE and level set predictions are shown to be in good agreement.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A human monoclonal antiprothrombin antibody is thrombogenic in vivo and upregulates expression of tissue factor and E-selectin on endothelial cells.

Summary Prothrombin is now accepted as one of the target antigens recognised by antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. However, it is not clear whether anti-prothrombin antibodies are pathogenic in vivo and if so, the possible mechanism(s) involved. Here, we examined the pathogenic effects of the IS6 monoclonal anti-prothrombin antibody isolated from a patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). IS6 antibody was purified from hybridoma supernatant. Its pathogenic potentials were studied in an in vivo model of induced thrombosis. The expression of tissue factor (TF) and E-selectin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was determined by cyto-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Transcription of TF mRNA was determined by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In vivo, the thrombus size increased significantly when treated with IS6 compared with control-treated mice (5388 ± 1035 μm2 vs. 2845 ± 1711 μm2). In vitro, IS6 induced significant expression of TF and E-selectin on HUVEC, when compared with control preparation (3·1- and 5·1-fold increase compared with the control-treated cells). RT-PCR analysis of TF mRNA transcription showed a 2·5-fold increase of IS6-treated cells over the value obtained with control-treated cells. Taken together, these data show that IS6 monoclonal anti-prothrombin antibody promotes thrombosis and this is associated with TF and E-selectin expression.
Interaction of cadmium with brush border membrane vesicles from the rat small intestine.

Abstract Cd2+ uptake by brush border membrane vesicles isolated from rat small intestine was investigated by a rapid filtration technique. Cd2+ uptake showed time- and temperature-dependence. Changes in medium osmolarity had no effect on Cd2+ uptake, indicating that the process involves primarily binding of Cd2+ to membrane component(s). Membrane-impermeable chelating agents removed only about 60–65% of the bound cadmium from intact vesicles preincubated with Cd; almost all Cd was removed by chelators when membrane permeability was increased by 1-butanol. Thus Cd uptake by membrane vesicles results in binding to both sides of the membrane. Pre-treatment of vesicles with cadmium resulted in a time-dependent inhibition of D -glucose uptake in the presence of a sodium (but not potassium) gradient. This inhibition is correlated with Cd binding to external sites on the D -glucose transporter, and not the driving force for D -glucose transport.
Regulation of bacteriophage λ development by gene N: Properties of a mutation that bypasses N control of late protein synthesis

Abstract A mutation of bacteriophage λ ( byp ) has been isolated that bypasses the normal requirement for gene N for lysozyme production. This mutation appears to confer a clear plaque phenotype and to be located between genes P and Q on the λ genetic map. When combined with the c 17 mutation, the byp mutation allows N − phage to form plaques. The genetic location and biochemical properties of the byp mutation are consistent with the hypothesis that the byp mutation renders gene Q at least partially independent of a normal necessity for N activation. These results support the concept that N has two functional targets essential to growth—DNA replication and gene Q.
Quadrimodal distribution of death after trauma suggests that critical injury is a potentially terminal disease.

Abstract Background Patterns of death after trauma are changing due to advances in critical care. We examined mortality in critically injured patients who survived index hospitalization. Methods Retrospective analysis of adults admitted to a Level-1 trauma center (1/1/2000-12/31/2010) with critical injury was conducted comparing patient characteristics, injury, and resource utilization between those who died during follow-up and survivors. Results Of 1,695 critically injured patients, 1,135 (67.0%) were discharged alive. As of 5/1/2012, 977/1,135 (86.0%) remained alive; 75/158 (47.5%) patients who died during follow-up, died in the first year. Patients who died had longer hospital stays (24 vs. 17 days) and ICU LOS (17 vs. 8 days), were more likely to undergo tracheostomies (36% vs. 16%) and gastrostomies (39% vs. 16%) and to be discharged to rehabilitation (76% vs. 63%) or skilled nursing (13% vs. 5.8%) facilities than survivors. In multivariable models, male sex, older age, and longer ICU LOS predicted mortality. Patients with ICU LOS > 16 days had 1.66 odds of 1-year mortality vs. those with shorter ICU stays. Conclusions ICU LOS during index hospitalization is associated with post-discharge mortality. Patients with prolonged ICU stays after surviving critical injury may benefit from detailed discussions about goals of care after discharge.
Retention of latent segments in regression-based marketing models

Abstract Product design and marketing mix decisions for segmented markets depend crucially on the correct specification of marketing models used as input to these decisions. With real-world data, the true number of segments in a market is unknown. Current evidence from simulation studies suggests that the accuracy of commonly used criteria for determining the number of segments in a market depends on the usage context, including the type of distribution being used to describe the data, the model specification, and the characteristics of the market. This study investigates via simulation the performance of seven segment retention criteria used with finite mixture regression models for normal data. This is one of the most important analysis contexts in marketing research since regression models are used, for example, in conjoint analysis and market response analysis, yet no previous study in either the marketing or statistics literatures explores the segment retention problem for mixture regression models. The study shows that one criterion, Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) with a per-parameter penalty factor of 3 (AIC3), is clearly the best criterion to use across a wide variety of model specifications and data configurations, having the highest success rate and producing very low parameter bias. Currently, this criterion is rarely, if ever, used in the marketing literature.
A role for G-CSF receptor signaling in the regulation of hematopoietic cell function but not lineage commitment or differentiation

To investigate the specificity of cytokine signals in hematopoietic differentiation, we generated mice with a targeted mutation of their G-CSF receptor (G-CSFR) such that the cytoplasmic (signaling) domain of the G-CSFR is replaced with the cytoplasmic domain of the erythropoietin receptor. In homozygous mutant mice, expression of this chimeric receptor had no apparent affect on lineage commitment and was able to support the production of morphologically mature neutrophils. However, mutant neutrophils displayed reduced chemotaxis, and G-CSF-stimulated mobilization of neutrophils and hematopoietic progenitors from the bone marrow to blood was markedly impaired. Thus, the G-CSFR is generating unique signals that are required for certain specialized hematopoietic cell functions but are not required for granulocytic differentiation or lineage commitment.
Transfer across the human gut of environmental plutonium, americium, cobalt, caesium and technetium: studies with cockles ( Cerastoderma edule) from the Irish Sea

Our previous studies have indicated lower values of the gut transfer factor ('f1 values') for plutonium and americium in winkles (Littorina littorea) than adopted by ICRP. The present study was undertaken primarily to investigate whether this observation extends to other species. Samples of cockles (Carastoderma edule) from Ravenglass, Cumbria were eaten by volunteers who provided 24 h samples of urine and faeces. Urine samples indicated f1 values for cockles which were higher than for winkles; for plutonium these ranged overall up to 7 x 10(-4) with an arithmetic mean in the range (2-3) x 10(-4), and for americium up to 2.6 x 10(-4) with an arithmetic mean of 1.2 x 10(-4). Limited data based on volunteers eating cockles from the Solway suggest that f1 values for americium may be greater at distance from Sellafield. The measured values compare with 5 x 10(-4) used by the ICRP for environmental forms of both elements, which would appear to provide adequate protection when calculating doses from Cumbrian cockles. Data for other nuclides were obtained by analysing faecal samples from the volunteers who ate the Ravenglass cockles. Cobalt-60 showed an f1 value in the region of 0.2, twice the value currently used by ICRP. For 137Cs, variabilities were indicated in the range 0.08 to 0.43, within the ICRP value of f1 = 1.0. Technetium-99 gave f1 values up to about 0.6, in reasonable conformity with the ICRP value of 0.5.
What’s new in the surgical care of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS)

The evaluation, classification and surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) continues to evolve. There is a deeper understanding of the 3-dimensional nature of the deformity and the techniques used to realign the spinal column into a more physiologic position with spinal instrumentation and implants prior to performing a spinal fusion. The posterior approach utilizing pedicle screw implants and various forms of derotation techniques have become quite popular and multicenter analysis of the operative results are commonly performed. Inherent to the current treatment is an emphasis on safety, optimal correction and treatment methods emphasizing less invasive approaches with non-fusion technologies. This review will provide a synopsis of the changes in the past decade in the operative care of AIS patients.
Charge Form Factor and Sum Rules of Electromagnetic Response Functions in C 12

An ab initio calculation of the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ elastic form factor and sum rules of longitudinal and transverse response functions measured in inclusive ($e$, ${e}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) scattering are reported, based on realistic nuclear potentials and electromagnetic currents. The longitudinal elastic form factor and sum rule are found to be in satisfactory agreement with available experimental data. A direct comparison between theory and experiment is difficult for the transverse sum rule. However, it is shown that the calculated transverse sum rule has large contributions from two-body currents, indicating that these mechanisms lead to a significant enhancement of the quasielastic transverse response. This fact may have implications for the anomaly observed in recent neutrino quasielastic charge-changing scattering experiments on $^{12}\mathrm{C}$.
Tobacco use trajectories among a large cohort of treated smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Abstract Introduction This study identified distinct tobacco use trajectories across 18 months in 943 veteran smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to describe quit and relapse patterns, examine associations between trajectory groups on baseline characteristics and cessation service utilization, and explore group differences in mental health outcomes. Methods Veterans who participated in a multisite, randomized trial of integrated smoking cessation care were grouped using k-means clustering based on reported daily tobacco use between baseline and 18 months. Four trajectory clusters were identified: no reduction (62%), temporary reduction (11%), late sustained reduction (9%) and early sustained reduction (18%). Results Median quit times in the early, late, temporary, and no reduction groups were 451, 141.5, 97, and 2 days, respectively. Compared to the early reduction group, the temporary reduction group exhibited higher baseline depression (p Conclusions Tobacco use trajectories among treated smokers with PTSD vary distinctly. Characteristics of identified subgroups may lead to targeted interventions among smokers with PTSD and potentially other psychiatric disorders.
Generating Flows on Metric Spaces

Abstract The notion of an arc field on a locally complete (but not necessarily locally compact) metric space is introduced as a generalization of a vector field on a manifold. Generalizing the Cauchy–Lipschitz Theorem, sufficient conditions on arc fields are given under which the existence and uniqueness of solution curves and flows are proven. A continuous analog of an iterated function system is given as an example.
Role of bacteriophage DNA replication in λdg escape synthesis

Abstract The vegetative development of a bacteriophage carrying a repressible bacterial operon in its genome is accompanied by a large increase in the rate of synthesis of the gene products specified by the operon (“escape synthesis”). We have used λ dg phage carrying mutations in essential phage genes to determine which phage functions are necessary for the gal operon to escape repression; these experiments show that the λ dg must be able to carry out DNA replication. To clarify the role of phage DNA replication, we have shown that it is not necessary for a bacterial operon to be physically associated with a replicating phage in order for escape synthesis to occur; the gal operon of the host chromosome is also derepressed during λ dg replication. These findings strongly support an explanation for gal escape synthesis in which derepression results from a depletion of free repressor supply by the presence of the many gal operator regions provided by a replicating λ dg .
Insight into the Structure of Tetramer hTRPV1 from Homology Modeling, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Virtual Screening

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) is a heat-activated cation channel protein, which contributes to inflammation, acute and persistent pain. Antagonists of human TRPV1 (hTRPV1) represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of pain. Developing various antagonists of hTRPV1, however, has been hindered by the unavailability of a 3D structure of hTRPV1. Recently, the structure of rat TRPV1 have been reported and it shares 85.7% sequence identity with hTRPV1. In the present work, we constructed and reported a 3D homology tetramer model of hTRPV1 based on the cryo-EM structures of rTRPV1. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, energy minimizations, and prescreen were applied to select and validate the best model of hTRPV1. The predicted binding pocket of hTRPV1 consists of two adjacent monomers, which were congruent with the experimental data and the cyro-EM structures of rTRPV1. The detailed interactions between hTRPV1 and its antagonists or agonists were characterized by molecular docking. Conformational changes of hTRPV1 upon antagonist/agonist binding were also explored by MD simulation. The different movements of compounds led to different conformational changes of monomers in hTRPV1, indicating that TRPV1 works in a concerted way. We observed that the selective filter was open when hTRPV1 bound with an agonist during MD simulation. For the lower gate of hTRPV1, we observed large similarities between hTRPV1 of agonist-bound and of antagonist bound. A five-point pharmacophore model based on several antagonists was developed and the structural model was used to predict new antagonists for hTRPV1. By using the 3D TRPV1 structure model above, we have performed in-silico screening and identified candidate compounds which are currently being characterized both for binding affinity and for functional activity on human TRPV1 (NIH R01DA025612 and P30DA035778).
The effect of dietary protein on the catabolic influence of progesterone.

In 6 comparative studies carried out on 5 healthy subjects, it was shown that the catabolic influence of administered progesterone could be enhanced by substantial dietary protein increments or suppressed by the restriction of protein intake. These effects were observed if the protein content of a diet was increased without alteration in arbohydrate or fat and also when protein was added at the expense of carbohydrate thus maintaining a constant caloric value in comparative diets. Since the digestion and absorption of dietary protein is known to increase the size of the metabolic pool of amino acids, it was concluded that under the conditions of these experiments progesterone was a more effective catabolic agent when this pool was large. It was accordingly suggested that progesterone enhanced the net rate of protein catabolism primarily by accelerating the utilization of amino acids by the liver.
On the applicability of certain approximations of the Lifshitz theory to thin films

Abstract In an attempt to evaluate the attractive interaction energies between cells, the van der Waals forces between two semi-infinite media composed of substance A and separated by a thin film of substance B are considered on the basis of the Lifshitz theory. An improved approximation is proposed, whereby some previously neglected terms are included in the final expression for forces and interaction energies. The symmetry behavior of forces under interchan e of media is treated. Numerical investigations show that the proposed corrections become important in certain situations. The problem of a correct representation of dielectric coefficients for biological systems for the purpose of calculating dispersion forces is also discussed. A proposed representation of dielectric permeability for the case of liquid water is shown to well represent experimental data. Calculations of the van der Waals forces with the improved representation of dielectric permeabilities for a water-hydrocarbon system show significant changes from previously obtained results.
Anorexia nervosa and exercise. Implications from recent findings.

Recently, the potential abuses of excessive exercise have received a great deal of attention. Several researchers, most notably Yates and colleagues (1983), have suggested that the habitual runner resembles the male equivalent of the patient with anorexia nervosa. Our review of the two modes of behaviour, however, provided little empirical support for the proposed analogy. Indeed, most evidence suggests that while anorexia nervosa represents a serious medical disorder, running is generally an adaptive form of behaviour that often serves to enhance physical and psychological functioning. Instead of a disease model of running, we propose that running represents one method by which individuals learn to regulate their emotional states.
Electrophoretic study of proteins from solubilized eye lens nuclei of fishes

1. Nuclear lens tissue from fishes has been a valuable source of polymorphic proteins. 2. Generally, only the water-soluble proteins have been utilized. The present study describes (a) a solution that extracts both the water-soluble and water-insoluble proteins, and (b) an electrophoretic analysis of these proteins from 13 fish species to test for polymorphism. 3. The electrophoretic method includes among its features membranes that (a) consist of a gel form of cellulose acetate, and (b) are treated with glycine to reduce protein adsorption. 4. Electrophoretic patterns revealed distinct species differences. Polymorphism related to size of fish (a little documented subject) was not found in three of the species, but was demonstrated in varying degrees by the other ten species. 5. The methodology of this study is applicable to diverse biological disciplines, viz, population biology, taxonomy, and developmental biology.
Paradoxical Aspects of Inter-Professional Disagreements in the Management of Short Gut † 153

In the management of short gut, alternatives to long term total parenteral nutrition (TPN) exist, ranging from enteral feeding only to interventional, surgical management such as gut transplant or gut lengthening procedures. To understand attitudes and practice concerning short gut management, a survey was sent in the spring of 1997 to the directors of 102 Neonatology (Neo) and 47 Gastroenterology (GI) fellowship programs with 70% and 85% response respectively. Chi square with Yates correction and Wilcoxon matched paired analysis are used as appropriate.
The analysis of scientometric matrices for policy implications

A method is explained for analysing matrices of statistics where each element should be approximately proportional to some column coefficient and also to some row coefficient. Using U. S. patent data as an example it is shown that entries are usually proportional to country “size” and patent category “size”. Deviations from proportionality expectations when tabulated often suggest policy implications.
Further Results On A New 0 (N2LogN) Algorithm For Spotlight-Mode SAR

A new algorithm has been proposed for spotlight-mode synthetic aperture radar in a recent correspondence by W. Lawton. This new processing scheme assumes that Fourier transform samples of the obtained projections lie on a trapezoidal grid. The spatial domain image is produced through a series of convolutions and DFT's, all performed using FFII's. The geometry of the trapezoidal grid makes this fast algorithm possible, which requires 0 (N2logN) multiplications for an NxN image. In this paper we show that the Lawton algorithm implements a form of trapezoidal-to-Cartesian interpolation followed by a 2-D FFT. We then derive a closed-form approximate expression for the point-target response of the algorithm with Hamming weighting of the acquired data. Next, we simulate reconstructions of point targets and of extended targets composed of groups of point targets. The effects of windowing and incorporation of a Jacobian weighting factor are deter-mined. We also consider the effect on image quality of moderate levels of sampling jitter in the A/D and of deviations of actual data collection angles from those intended. These errors serve to provide Fourier samples of the reflectivity on a grid that deviates from the assumed trapezoidal raster. Overall, the Lawton algorithm is found to be robust, and to produce high quality imagery.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
THE OPTIMAL LOCATIONS OF MULTIPLE BRIDGES, CONNECTING FACILITIES, OR PRODUCT VARIETIES*

ABSTRACT This paper considers the optimal locations of two or more facilities, and the optimal number of facilities, when trips are made in pairs. The results are the same as standard models of spatial competition when there is perfect matching, but not when there is random matching. The first interpretation is bridges across a river, with residential locations on one side matched perfectly or randomly to jobs on the other side. The second interpretation is connecting facilities, such as tennis courts or restaurants where pairs of consumers meet. The third interpretation is product differentiation, with husbands and wives jointly choosing from among varieties.
Body temperature and acid-base regulation (Review article)

Evidence over the last few years would suggest that the observed acid-base equilibrium at various body temperatures is governed by the behavior of the protein buffer, imidazole of peptide histidine. If protein net charge is to remain the same as well as the CO2 stores of blood and tissues as the temperature changes in an open system, it is necessary for the ventilation to adjust itself to the metabolism in such a way that the relative alkalinity of the blood remains constant.
Laparoscopic cystojejunostomy as a treatment option for pancreatic pseudocysts in children—a case report

Pancreatic pseudocysts are a rare entity in children for which many approaches have been described. We report on the case of a 5-year-old boy with a pancreatic pseudocyst after blunt abdominal trauma. The patient's clinical and laboratory examination findings had also revealed an acute pancreatitis. His diagnostic workup included ultrasound examination and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Two large cysts were found at the tail of the pancreas. No injury of the pancreatic or bile duct was found. The child underwent successful laparoscopic cystojejunostomy. The patient was free of complaints after more than 2 years of follow-up. Laparoscopic cystojejunostomy in children with pancreatic pseudocysts may represent an alternative treatment option for large pancreatic pseudocysts.