cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caregivers experiences in symptom management for their children who require medical technology at home.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to explore the daily care experiences of caregivers of children who require medical technology. Specific aims were to gain an understanding of their perceptions of (a) how caregivers manage symptoms for their children who require medical technology at home, (b) why the caregivers seek emergency department (ED) and hospital care, and (c) what the caregivers need to manage their child's symptoms at home. The research question was asked, what are the education, skills, and support caregivers report needing to effectively manage their child's symptoms and prevent avoidable ED visits and hospitalizations? DESIGN AND METHODS Interpretive phenomenology was used to examine how caregivers manage their children's symptoms and technology at home, and their reasons for seeking emergency care through ED visits and/or hospitalizations. Self-identified nine primary caregivers of children who required medical technology participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews explored the caregiver's perceptions of the child's needs for symptom and technology management, and needs for education, skills, and support. RESULTS Three themes were found in the participant interviews. Theme 1 was Knowing my child's normal and having confidence with daily caregiving. Theme 1 included a subtheme of Caregivers are proactive and advocates for their child. Theme 2 was This is much different from my child's normal…this is an emergency. Theme 3 was We cannot sleep and we are exhausted. In regard to education, skills, and support, caregivers described their preparation and training in the hospital before their child's discharge from the hospital with a tracheostomy and feeding tube, but lacked knowledge of new situations and symptoms at home with medical technology. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS This study confirms the need for interventions for these caregivers to enhance education, skills, and support caregivers need to effectively manage their child's symptoms and prevent avoidable ED visits and hospitalizations, specifically enhancement of care at home. More education for caregivers of children who require medical technology is recommended to facilitate quality care for the child; few interventions have addressed care for these children, and none address education and management of symptoms and medical technology.
LungRegNet: An unsupervised deformable image registration method for 4D-CT lung.

Purpose To develop an accurate and fast deformable image registration (DIR) method for four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) lung images. Deep learning-based methods have the potential to quickly predict the deformation vector field (DVF) in a few forward predictions. We have developed an unsupervised deep learning method for 4D-CT lung DIR with excellent performances in terms of registration accuracies, robustness, and computational speed. Methods A fast and accurate 4D-CT lung DIR method, namely LungRegNet, was proposed using deep learning. LungRegNet consists of two subnetworks which are CoarseNet and FineNet. As the name suggests, CoarseNet predicts large lung motion on a coarse scale image while FineNet predicts local lung motion on a fine scale image. Both the CoarseNet and FineNet include a generator and a discriminator. The generator was trained to directly predict the DVF to deform the moving image. The discriminator was trained to distinguish the deformed images from the original images. CoarseNet was first trained to deform the moving images. The deformed images were then used by the FineNet for FineNet training. To increase the registration accuracy of the LungRegNet, we generated vessel-enhanced images by generating pulmonary vasculature probability maps prior to the network prediction. Results We performed fivefold cross validation on ten 4D-CT datasets from our department. To compare with other methods, we also tested our method using separate 10 DIRLAB datasets that provide 300 manual landmark pairs per case for target registration error (TRE) calculation. Our results suggested that LungRegNet has achieved better registration accuracy in terms of TRE than other deep learning-based methods available in the literature on DIRLAB datasets. Compared to conventional DIR methods, LungRegNet could generate comparable registration accuracy with TRE smaller than 2 mm. The integration of both the discriminator and pulmonary vessel enhancements into the network was crucial to obtain high registration accuracy for 4D-CT lung DIR. The mean and standard deviation of TRE were 1.00 ± 0.53 mm and 1.59 ± 1.58 mm on our datasets and DIRLAB datasets respectively. Conclusions An unsupervised deep learning-based method has been developed to rapidly and accurately register 4D-CT lung images. LungRegNet has outperformed its deep-learning-based peers and achieved excellent registration accuracy in terms of TRE.
Phone & Spear: A Yuta Anthropology

In Arnhem Land, Yolηu people of all ages are mad for mobile phones and buy them ‘all the time’ (96). Phone & Spear is a rich, ambitious book that reports on their relationship to the digital world....
The Dichotomous Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Central Nervous System

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of intercellular communication. Interest in the role of central nervous system (CNS)-derived EVs has been increasing; however, some skepticism of their importance has persisted because many aspects of their biology remain elusive. This ambiguity is largely due to technical barriers that hamper our ability to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their molecular components and mechanisms responsible for their transmission and uptake. However, accumulating evidence supports the notion that EVs play important roles in basic physiological processes within the CNS during neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. Interestingly, EVs also act to spread toxic polypeptides in neurodegenerative diseases. Developing a more profound understanding of the role that EVs play in the CNS could lead to the identification of biomarkers and potential vehicles for drug delivery. Here we highlight our current understanding of CNS EVs and summarize our current understanding of their complex role in the CNS.
Sucking versus swallowing coordination, integration, and performance in preterm and term infants

Mammalian infants must be able to integrate the acquisition, transport, and swallowing of food to effectively feed. Understanding how these processes are coordinated is critical, as they have differences in neural control and sensitivity to perturbation. Despite this, most studies of infant feeding focus on isolated processes, resulting in a limited understanding of the role of sensorimotor integration in the different processes involved in infant feeding. This is especially problematic in the context of preterm infants, as they are considered to have pathophysiological brain development and often experience feeding difficulties. Here, we use an animal model to study how the different properties of food acquisition, transport, and swallowing differ between term and preterm infants longitudinally through infancy to understand which processes are sensitive to variation in the bolus being swallowed. We found that term infants are better able to acquire milk than preterm infants, and that properties of acquisition are strongly correlated with the size of the bolus being swallowed. In contrast, behaviors occurring during the pharyngeal swallow, such as hyoid and soft palate movements, show little to no correlation with bolus size. These results highlight the pathophysiological nature of the preterm brain and also demonstrate that behaviors occurring during oral transport are much more likely to respond to sensory intervention than those occurring during the "pharyngeal phase."NEW & NOTEWORTHY Physiological maturation of infant feeding is clinically and developmentally significant, but seldom examined as an integrated function. Using longitudinal high-speed videofluoroscopic data, we found that properties of sucking, such as the length of the suck, are more sensitive to swallow physiology than those associated with the pharyngeal swallow itself, such as hyoid excursion. Prematurity impacted the function and maturation of the feeding system, resulting in a physiology that fundamentally differs from term infants by weaning.
Placing a Central Vascular Access Device in a Patient With Substance Use Disorder: The Ethical Position of the Infusion Nurse

When infusion nurses place central vascular access devices in patients with substance use disorder (SUD), they are both enabling treatment and making the patient more vulnerable to his or her addictive illness. Using the lens of rescue enables an exploration of the ethical position of the infusion nurse regarding these patients, even though rescue, per se, is inadequate to the complexity of the situation. Suggestions are offered to both the infusion nurse and the health care team for improving their ethical stance, as well as their care of patients with SUD.
Case report: Increasing the frequency of intramuscular naltrexone administration in a high risk patient with opioid use disorder.

Background: As the United States faces a national opioid crisis, opioid overdose deaths have significantly risen over the past decade. Patients with opioid use disorder, particularly those who use ...
Collecting Pennsylvania Political Twitter Data

During the two most recent elections we have seen the importance of social media, and Twitter in particular, for political discourse. This paper describes the effort of an academic library to collect election-related Twitter data from Pennsylvania-specific organizational accounts and hashtags for 2018 and 2020 in the run-up and aftermath of both election cycles. Because of its importance to understanding contemporary politics and its historic value, libraries need to consider the opportunity to collect and make this data accessible to Pennsylvanians.
Activation of TLR3/interferon signaling pathway by bluetongue virus results in HIV inhibition in macrophages

Bluetongue virus (BTV), a nonenveloped double-stranded RNA virus, is a potent inducer of type Ι interferons in multiple cell systems. In this study, we report that BTV16 treatment of primary human macrophages induced both type I and III IFN expression, resulting in the production of multiple antiviral factors, including myxovirus resistance protein A, 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase, and the IFN-stimulated gene 56. Additionally, BTV-treated macrophages expressed increased HIV restriction factors (apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide 3 G/F/H) and CC chemokines (macrophage inflammatory protein 1-α, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-β, regulated on activation of normal T cell expressed and secreted), the ligands for HIV entry coreceptor CC chemokine receptor type 5. BTV16 also induced the expression of tetherin, which restricts HIV release from infected cells. Furthermore, TLR3 signaling of macrophages by BTV16 resulted in the induction of several anti-HIV microRNAs (miRNA-28, -29a, -125b, -150, -223, and -382). More importantly, the induction of antiviral responses by BTV resulted in significant suppression of HIV in macrophages. These findings demonstrate the potential of BTV-mediated TLR3 activation in macrophage innate immunity against HIV.
The biosynthesis of 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-substituted pteridines. The origin of carbon atoms 6, 7, and 9 of folic acid.

Abstract The use of uniformly labeled 14C-cytidine to preferentially label the ribosyl moiety of the purine nucleotides in growing cultures of Corynebacterium species has been shown. This organism was cultivated in a medium supplemented with uniformly labeled 14C-cytidine and the bacterial growth stopped while the cultures were still in the logarithmic phase. The entire 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-substituted pteridine pool was isolated, purified, and degraded. The specific radioactivity of carbon atoms 6 and 7 and carbon 9 was determined. Guanylic acid was isolated from the bacterial ribonucleic acid and the specific radioactivity of the ribosyl moiety was determined. The average specific radioactivity of the individual carbon atoms from the ribosyl moiety of guanylic acid was shown to agree very closely with the specific radioactivity of carbon atoms 6,7, and 9 of the pteridines. It is concluded that carbon atoms 6, 7, and 9 of folic acid originate as carbon atoms 2', 1', and 3', respectively, of the ribosyl moiety of guanylic acid. The implications of these findings as regards the biosynthesis of the 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-substituted pteridines is discussed.
On the κ-Deformed Cyclic Functions and the Generalized Fourier Series in the Framework of the κ-Algebra

We explore two possible generalizations of the Euler formula for the complex \(\kappa\)-exponential, which give two different sets of \(\kappa\)-deformed cyclic functions endowed with different analytical properties. In a case, the \(\kappa\)-sine and \(\kappa\)-cosine functions take real values on \(\Re\) and are characterized by an asymptotic log-periodic behavior. In the other case, the \(\kappa\)-cyclic functions take real values only in the region \(|x|\leq1/|\kappa|\), while, for \(|x|>1/|\kappa|\), they assume purely imaginary values with an increasing modulus. However, the main mathematical properties of the standard cyclic functions, opportunely reformulated in the formalism of the \(\kappa\)-mathematics, are fulfilled by the two sets of the \(\kappa\)-trigonometric functions. In both cases, we study the orthogonality and the completeness relations and introduce their respective generalized Fourier series for square integrable functions.
Judging Lite: How Arbitrators Use and Create Precedent

Common wisdom has it that arbitrators neither follow nor make precedent, with potentially dire consequences. These include the failure to enforce individual rights and the possibility that, over time, widespread use of arbitration will result in the decay or destruction of the law itself. Although difficult to test directly, this common wisdom can be explored indirectly by analyzing arbitrators’ citation practices. This article conducts such an analysis using a unique dataset of published arbitration awards from four US arbitration regimes: securities, labor, employment, and class action arbitration. It explores how arbitrators use precedent and where that precedent comes from, and it attempts a tentative comparison between the citation practices of judges and arbitrators.Outside of securities and (to some extent) labor arbitration, the arbitrators in the sample routinely wrote lengthy awards that were substantially devoted to legal analysis and that made extensive use of precedent. The vast majority of cited precedent, moreover, came from published judicial opinions. Arbitrators did cite to past arbitration awards, but primarily to fill gaps in the law created by government actors. On the whole, the evidence provides little support for the view that arbitrators and judges engage in qualitatively different kinds of decision-making or opinion-writing.
About technology valuation

The research is based on a review of the literature about technology valuation. First, it illuminates the mechanism of the valuation of technology, which is rooted in the intrinsic value of the technology, and how the price is set by negotiation during the trade of intellectual property. Then the study examines the existing pricing methodology for new technologies. Three approaches, the market approach, the cost approach and the income approach, are compared. The research differs from the prior literature by considering the process of technology transfer and the bargaining considerations of the supplier party, the licensor, the negotiating parties, the licensee, of a technology itself. The result of the research provides a template for the process of technology pricing in view of the negotiation process, taking into consideration the market, cost and income aspects of a technology.
Elements of the smooth muscle alpha-actin promoter required in cis for transcriptional activation in smooth muscle. Evidence for cell type-specific regulation.

To assess the role of cis-acting elements within the smooth muscle alpha-actin gene in smooth muscle cells (SMC), we transfected chicken smooth muscle alpha-actin promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene fusion plasmids into SMC derived from rat and chicken aortas. In marked contrast to effects in chicken skeletal myoblasts and fibroblasts, p122CAT (positions −122 to +19), containing two conserved CArG elements, elicited a modest increase in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter activity in chicken SMC. Addition of upstream sequences between −122 and −151 (p151CAT) increased activity in adult chicken SMC. Addition of sequence between positions −151 and −257 (p257CAT) resulted in a 7-fold increase in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity over that of p151CAT in rat SMC, but not in chicken SMC. A genomic clone encoding the rat smooth muscle alpha-actin gene was isolated, and the 5'-flanking region was partially characterized. Comparison of primary sequence between rat and chicken promoters showed a conserved E box motif at position −214 in the chicken gene and at position −213 in the rat gene. Results of these studies demonstrate that regions upstream of the conserved CArG elements exert potent regulatory effects on transcription and that SMC require different cis-acting elements than other cell types to transcriptionally regulate this gene.
Novel Role of Ten-Eleven-Translocation Methylcytosine Dioxygenase 1 (TET1) in DNA Damage Response

The family of Ten-Eleven-Translocation Methylcytosine Dioxygenases (Tet) catalyzes the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which has been proposed to comprise the...
Considerations Regarding the Development of an Environmental Control and Life Support System for Lunar Surface Applications

NASA is engaged in early architectural analyses and trade studies aimed at identifying requirements, predicting performance and resource needs, characterizing mission constraints and sensitivities, and guiding technology development planning needed to conduct a successful human exploration campaign of the lunar surface. Conceptual designs and resource estimates for environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) within pressurized lunar surface habitats and rovers have been considered and compared in order to support these lunar campaign studies. This paper will summarize those concepts and some of the more noteworthy considerations that will likely remain as key drivers in the evolution of the lunar surface ECLSS architecture.
A model for the analysis of R&D in strategic alliances

A basic model for researching R&D management in a strategic alliance, by extending the standard theory of firms is presented. The model indicates that firms with complementary skills and resources in a strategic alliance will be better off in terms of R&D cost, profit, and competitiveness. An optimal level of R&D for the strategic alliance and its component firms is derived by using the basic model. >
Significance of pH Variance in Predicting Chemical Reaction in Hot Mix Asphalt

AbstractHot mix asphalt (HMA) is a combination of siliceous, calcareous, or intermediate aggregate materials from selected sources, blended with formulated asphalt binders from various asphalt binder producers. These components are modified by additional additives to enhance the bonding of the binders and aggregates. Concern over moisture damage (stripping), defined as the loss of strength and durability in asphalt mixtures when the binder separates from the aggregate, has prompted years of research into a variety of failure mechanisms. Prominent in these failure mechanisms is the pH at the binder–aggregate interface. This technical paper addresses the pH variance of individual components and loose blended HMA mixes from 17 selected material sources and 2 asphalt binder sources to assess the pH of any chemical reactivity. The main objective of the paper is to determine whether pH variances of individual components or mixed HMA materials (asphalt binder, aggregate, and additives) point to suspect component...
Community navigators for breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up

Objective Recent multi-site trials evaluating the efficacy of patient navigation programs have found only modest effects on reducing follow-up time among patients with abnormal breast and cervical cancer screening tests. However, navigators in these efficacy trials have primarily been situated within a hospital or clinic. We sought to describe the translation of clinic-based patient navigation to communitynested patient navigation and explore how disseminating and scaling patient navigation models to community settings can address complex barriers to care.
Glucose and sulfonylureas modify different phases of the membrane potential change during hypoxia in rat hippocampal slices.

Abstract Intracellular recording during hypoxia in submerged hippocampal slices revealed an initial hyperpolarization with decreased membrane input resistance followed by complete depolarization. Glibenclamide (1 μM) reduced and tolbutamide (400 μM) completely blocked the hypoxic hyperpolarization and the accompanying increase in conductance. Neither glibenclamide nor tolbutamide altered the time to 25 or 50% depolarization. Sulfonylurea-treated slices completely depolarized during 10 min of hypoxia and did not recover upon reoxygenation. In contrast, 11 mM glucose had no effect on hypoxic hyperpolarization or conductance, but it significantly slowed hypoxic depolarization. In half of the intracellular recordings made during high glucose hypoxia, the membrane potential and input resistance returned during reoxygenation. Extracellular recordings were used to evaluate the effect of sulfonylureas and high glucose on acute neuronal survival from hypoxia. Glibenclamide (0.1–5 μM) did not change the survival rate of slices exposed to hypoxia, whereas, high glucose (11 and 40 mM) dramatically improved the recovery of population spikes during reoxygenation. These findings support the hypothesis that an ATP-sensitive K+ channel mediates hypoxic hyperpolarization14,15,19, but these channels are not regulated by glucose in the brain as in pancreatic islet-cells. These results also suggest that high glucose protects hippocampal slices from hypoxia by slowing the hypoxia-induced depolarization.
Justice Making in Groups for Homeless Adults: The Emancipatory Communitarian Way

The need for group counseling services for homeless adults is increasing with recent economic and natural disasters, representing crises that exacerbate the ongoing financial and social marginalization of this population. To address their needs, Emancipatory Communitarianism (EC; Prilleltensky, 1997) is suggested for group counselors working to promote critical consciousness, a strengths orientation, self-determination, communal responsibility, and advocacy for the homeless who experience oppression through various forms of social injustices. This article will outline the underlying principles of this approach and provide key strategies for implementing EC in a group counseling setting with homeless adults.
Anemia as an indicator of nutrition in children enrolled in a head start program

Abstract A retrospective chart review was conducted on the records of 467 children who were enrolled in the Head Start program in Alachua County, Florida, which is one of four counties in Florida cited among the 150 worst “hunger counties” in the United States by the Harvard University School of Public Health. The children were examined in the 1989–1990 school year by a team of nurse practitioners, and the data were analyzed to determine the incidence and distribution of anemia. Twenty-five percent of the sample was white, and 75% was black. One half of the white children and 20% of the black children attended schools in rural areas. The mean sample hematocrit value was 35.7%. Twenty-one percent of the sample had hematocrit values of less than 34.0%. More black children were anemic in both rural and urban groups. Black males had the highest rate of anemia at 27.3%; white females had the lowest rate of anemia at 9.8%. These data show that anemia is a serious problem among children from low-income families and suggest that government nutrition programs such as food stamps and WIC are not meeting the needs of these children.
Effect of sequential glycolysis of the lectin of Euonymus europaeus on activation of the classical complement pathway in normal human serum

Abstract The lectin of Euonymus europaeus at concentrations of 5–21μg/ml causes activation of the classical complement (C) pathway (C1, C4, C2) when added to normal human serum at 37°C. At higher concentrations, C3 is also consumed. The effect is dependent on a ‘natural antibody’ in serum of the IgM class which reacts with an epitope of the lectin. With physicochemical methods, the carbohydrate of the lectin was shown to be involved in the activation of C, but not involved in the agglutination of group B erythrocytes. Removal of N -acetyl- d -glucosamine from the lectin with an exoglycosidase greatly reduced the activation of C in serum, but it did not affect erythroagglutination. Using competitive binding studies with various sugars, it was confirmed that N -acetyl- d -glucosamine is the dominant specificity of a determinant for activation of the classical C pathway in serum.
The influence of the lexicon on speech read word recognition: contrasting segmental and lexical distinctiveness.

The neighborhood activation model (NAM; P. A. Luce & Pisoni, 1998) of spoken word recognition was applied to the problem of predicting accuracy of visualspoken word identification. One hundred fiftythree spoken consonant—vowel—consonant words were identified by a group of 12 college-educated adults with normal hearing and a group of 12 college-educated deaf adults. In both groups, item identification accuracy was correlated with the computed NAM output values. Analysis of subsets of the stimulus set demonstrated that when stimulus intelligibility was controlled, words with fewer neighbors were easier to identify than words with many neighbors. However, when neighborhood density was controlled, variation in segmental intelligibility was minimally related to identification accuracy. The present study provides evidence of a common spoken word recognition system for both auditory and visual speech that retains sensitivity to the phonetic properties of the input.
Evaluation of Diagnostic Criteria and Incidence of Acute Mountain Sickness in Preverbal Children

Objective The Children's Lake Louise Score (CLLS) established the diagnostic criteria for acute mountain sickness (AMS) in preverbal children. Prospective application of the CLLS and interobserver agreement for the score had not been evaluated in a controlled trial. A study of children and their parents was used to evaluate the CLLS and determine the incidence of AMS in preverbal children. Methods A prospective, controlled trial. Children ≥3 months and ≤36 months old and their parents living below 1645m were studied over 7 separate days. The CLLS, measured daily by the mother as well as by the father on days 5 and 6, is the sum of scores for fussiness (FS), eating (E), playfulness (P), and sleep (S). Children were studied on days 1 and 2 at home, on day 3 after travel without altitude gain to a hotel, on day 4 at home, on days 5 and 6 at a hotel at 3109m, and on day 7 at home. Using our previous criteria, AMS was diagnosed if the CLLS was ≥7 with both the FS ≥4 and the E+P+S ≥3. Agreement between mothers' and fathers' CLLS values was measured with the kappa statistic (κ). Adults were also evaluated for AMS by the CLLS on days 5 and 6. Results Thirty-seven children (mean age±SD=16.5±10.5 months; 21 girls) participated, and AMS occurred in 7 of them (19%; 95% CI, 8.35%). Among 33 adults, 8 (24%; 95% CI, 9.39%) had AMS. Although the agreement of the parents on the CLLS components was poor, the agreement on the classification of AMS between mother and father was excellent (κ=.67; P Conclusions In this prospective trial, parents demonstrated excellent interobserver agreement for independent use of the CLLS to detect AMS. Consistent with our previous retrospective study, the incidence of AMS at moderate altitude in preverbal children (19%) was similar to that in adults (24%).
Helping the Environment Help the Client: A Sequenced Change Process.

Counselors, often restricting themselves to individual, in-the-office help, are here encouraged to increase their repertoire of skills to include the effective use of environmental change processes. The complexities of a client's existing environment make its analysis an awesome task. One effective way to assist clients is through the Systems Analysis and Organizational Change model that is presented. This procedure describes the principal environmental factors to be considered and alternative actions that might be taken. The mode can be used by counselors in schools, agencies, and institutions.
Separation of histamine and its metabolites using glass capillary gas chromatography and a nitrogen detector

Complete separation of the TMS derivatives of histamine, 1-methyl histamine and 3-methyl histamine was achieved in two minutes in a 7 m × 0.25 mm column coated with SP 2250. Using NPD, histamine was detectable at levels as low as 20 pg. This offers a rapid, sensitive procedure with potential for clinical diagnosis and food analysis.
Well child care for the chronically ill child

Abstract Chronically ill children have the same need for well child care services as other children; however, these needs often are not met in the specialty clinics in which the children receive care. A framework is proposed that the pediatric or public health nurse can use for assessing, modifying if necessary, and implementing child health services for chronically ill children. Provision of the same developmental, screening, and preventive health services that well children normally receive can assist greatly in promoting optimal function in the chronically ill child.
SU-E-T-07: Edema Induced Changes in Tumor Cell Survival Fraction and Tumor Control Probability in 131Cs Permanent Prostate Implant Patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of edema, developed during implant procedure, on tumor cell surviving fraction(SF) and tumor control probability(TCP) in the patients of prostate cancer who underwent 131Cs permanent seed implants. Methods: The impact of edema on SF and TCP, was calculated using LQ equation extended to account for exponential nature of edema decay, dose delivered to dematous prostate and inhomogeneous dose distribution. Where (1) S(D)=(1/V)Σi=1 n [Vpi{1+M0exp(−λet)}Si(D)] Si(D)=exp[−αRi(0)∫0 t[exp(− λt)/{1+M0exp(−λet)}τ/3]dt −βq(t){Ri(0)∫0 t[exp(−λt)/{1+M0exp(−λet)}τ/3]dt }2] and (2) TCP=exp[−ρVpS(D)] Following parameters, α=0.15Gy−1, β=0.05Gy−2, α/β=3.0Gy, Tp=42days, μ=61.6d−1 and ρ=1×106 are used to calculate SF and TCP for 31 patients of 131Cs permanent seed implants for edema half lives(EHL) ranging from 4 days to 34 days and for edemas of magnitudes(M0) varying from 5% to 60% of the actual prostate volume. Results: The dose reductions in 131Cs implants varied from 1.1% (for EHL=4 days and M0=5%) to 32.3% (for EHL= 34 days and M0 = 60%). These are higher than the dose reduction in 125I implants, which vary from 0.3% (for EHL= 4 days and M0 = 5%) to 17.5% (for EHL= 34 days and M0 = 60%). As edema half life increased from 4 days to 34 days and edema magnitude increased from 5% to 60% the SF increased by 4.57 log, and the TCP decreased by 0.80. Conclusions: Compensation of edema induced increase in the SF and decrease in the TCP in 131Cs seed implants should be carefully done by redefining seed positions with the guidance of post needle plans. The presented model in this study can be used to estimate the SF or the TCP for pre plan or real time permanent prostate implants using day 0 post implant CTimages.
Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and thrombocytopenia with absent radii

Thrombocytopenia is a relatively common clinical problem in hospitalized neonates, and it is critical to distinguish infants who have rare congenital thrombocytopenias from those who have acquired disorders. Two well-described inherited thrombocytopenia syndromes that present in the newborn period are congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) and thrombocytopenia with absent radii (TAR). Although both are characterized by severe (< 50,000/microL) thrombocytopenia at birth, the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders and their clinical presentations and courses are distinct. CAMT is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor c-Mpl. TAR is a syndrome of variable inheritance and unclear genetic etiology consisting of thrombocytopenia in association with bilateral absent radii and frequently additional congenital abnormalities. This article summarizes the current understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical course of CAMT and TAR.
A psychometric investigation of two self-report measures of emotional expressivity

Two commonly used self-report measures of emotional expressivity were evaluated in this study, the emotional expressivity scale (EES; Kring, Smith, & Neale, 1994) and the Berkeley expressivity questionnaire (BEQ; Gross & John, 1995). The EES is intended to capture emotion expressivity in general, reflecting a one-factor model. The BEQ is intended to capture the general domain of emotional expressivity by assessing internal emotional experience and the expression of positive and negative emotions, reflecting a hierarchical three-factor model. The proposed models of the EES and the BEQ were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results support the hypothesized factor structure of the EES, but do not support the BEQ.
AXIS: a framework for interactively combining structured algorithms and knowledge based systems

Abstract This paper presents a method for combining Knowedge Based Expert Systems with algorithms that seek a “best” solution rather than a satisfying one. Existing combinations have featured sequential systems, utilizing first one of the two techniques to derive an intermediate solution, then the remaining technique to improve that solution. These systems stand alone, not following any consistent procedure. The proposed framework uses the two approaches interactively. Each solution method is used repeatedly, to generate intermediate solutions to the problem at hand. These intermediate solutions are passed between the methods until an acceptable solution is found. This framework can be adapted to a variety of domains and algorithms. The knowledge based heuristic solutions generated by this interactive method have the potential to be more accurate than pure heuristic solutions, arrived at more quickly than the pure algorithmic solutions, and more valid than either individual approach since structured and unstructured knowledge is used.
Scanning electron microscopy of etched Epon extraocular muscle sections

SUMMARY The internal fine structure of extraocular muscle cells was observed with scanning electron microscopy. One micrometre Epon sections were etched with an iodine acetone solution. When adhered to carbon coated glass, such specimens may be viewed without surface coating. Such preparations provide information about the fibrillar organization of the muscle fibre, as well as its transverse tubular system and M line.
Can Physicians Keep Up? A Quantification of New Information on the Top 25 Drugs from 2000 to 2003

ABSTRACTThe body of knowledge regarding pharmaceutical products is dynamic and growing. Physicians have available to them a number of information sources for drug-related decision making in their practice. Historical and recent publications present medical literature and conferences as sources for information on pharmaceutical products. While historical reports have detailed large volumes of information being disseminated through these sources, no recent work has evaluated the level of information for top-selling drugs provided through these outlets. This study quantified the amount of publications and conference presentations for the 25 top-selling pharmaceutical products and poses questions about practitioners' ability to keep abreast of the changing knowledge base. We found that for each of the top 25 branded outpatient drugs in each year studied an average of 214 scholarly articles were published in literature indexed in Medline® and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts and 158 papers or posters wer...
The Ser/Thr Phosphatase PP2A Regulatory Subunit Widerborst Inhibits Notch Signaling

Drosophila Enhancer of split M8, an effector of Notch signaling, is regulated by protein kinase CK2. The phosphatase PP2A is thought to play an opposing (inhibitory) role, but the identity of the regulatory subunit was unknown. The studies described here reveal a role for the PP2A regulatory subunit widerborst (wdb) in three developmental contexts; the bristle, wing and the R8 photoreceptors of the eye. wdb overexpression elicits bristle and wing defects akin to reduced Notch signaling, whereas hypomorphic mutations in this PP2A subunit elicit opposite effects. We have also evaluated wdb functions using mutations in Notch and E(spl) that affect the eye. We find that the eye and R8 defects of the well-known Nspl mutation are enhanced by a hypomorphic allele of wdb, whereas they are strongly rescued by wdb overexpression. Similarly, ectopic wdb rescues the eye and R8 defects of the E(spl)D mutation, which affects the m8 gene. In addition, wdb overexpression also rescues the bristle defects of ectopically expressed M8, or the eye and R8 defects of its CK2 phosphomimetic variant M8-S159D. The latter finding suggests that PP2A may target M8 at highly conserved residues in the vicinity of the CK2 site, whose phosphorylation controls repression of Atonal and the R8 fate. Together, the studies identify PP2A-Wdb as a participant in Notch signaling, and suggest that M8 activity is controlled by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. The conservation of the phosphorylation sites between Drosophila E(spl) and the HES/HER proteins from mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish raises the prospect that this mode of regulation is widespread.
Are serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors effective in underweight anorexia nervosa

Objective Recent data suggest that serotonin selective reuptake inhibiter (SSRI) medication is useful in preventing relapse in weight-restored anorexics. Our clinical impression has been that SSRIs are not effective in patients who are underweight with anorexia nervosa. Method In order to determine whether there was any benefit for SSRI medication in underweight anorexics, we compared two groups of underweight anorexics upon ad- mission to our inpatient hospital using a retrospective chart review. Results Sixty percent of anorexic patients were taking an SSRI upon admission to our inpatient hospital. The 24 subjects taking an SSRI were compared to the 16 subjects not taking an SSRI. These two groups had similar ages and body weights as well as scores for measures of anxiety and depression and most core eating disorder symptoms. Discussion These results suggest that SSRI medication had no effect on clinical symptoms of malnourished underweight anorexics. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25: 11–17, 1999.
LEUCOCYTE ADHESION MOLECULES IN ISCHAEMIC RENAL INJURY: KIDNEY SPECIFIC PARADIGMS?

1. Renal ischaemic-reperfusion injury (IRI) is an important cause of acute renal failure in native kidneys and in allografts. 2. Leucocyte adhesion molecules CD11/CD18, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and selectins mediate cardiac, skin and muscle IRI in experimental models and recent studies have begun to evaluate their role in renal IRI. 3. The CD11/CD18 has been shown to mediate renal IRI in rat models. 4. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 has a more prominent role in mediating renal IRI than CD11/CD18 in both rat and mouse models. Blockade of both pathways together appears to provide synergistic protection. 5. Unlike in heart and muscle, L-selectin does not appear to mediate leucocyte recruitment to postischaemic kidney or tubular damage. 6. Leucocyte adhesion molecules may mediate renal IRI by mechanisms other than simply leucocyte migration, such as signal transduction and cell transport.
A Critical Evaluation of Internet Marketing of Products That Contain Ephedra

Objective: To evaluate information contained within Internet sites that advertise and market dietary supplements containing ephedra. Material and Methods: We conducted an Internet search to identify Web sites advertising weight-loss supplements that contained ephedra. Between July 7 and July 18, 2002, 4 search engines were used by entering the term herbal weight loss . Outcome measures included disclosure of potential adverse effects of or contraindications to ephedra-containing supplements, disclosure of ephedra alkaloid dosage, and presence of misleading or incorrect information. Results: Thirty-two products and advertisements were identified and systematically evaluated for deviance from truth-in-advertising standards. Of the 32 Web sites analyzed, 13 (41%) failed to disclose potential adverse effects or contraindications to supplement use. Seventeen (53%) did not reveal the dosage of ephedra alkaloids that was recommended. More importantly, 11 sites (34%) contained incorrect or misleading statements, some of which could directly result in serious harm to consumers. Conclusion: If dietary supplements containing ephedra are to continue to be marketed freely, substantial reform in advertising regulation and enforcement is warranted.
Enzymic synthesis of 3′-O- and 6′-O-N-acetylglucosaminyl-N-acetyllactosaminide glycosides catalyzed by β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase from Nocardia orientalis

beta-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase from Nocardia orientalis catalyzed the synthesis of beta-D-GlcNAc-(1 --> 3)-beta-D-Gal-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-GlcNAc-OC6H4NO2-p (1) and beta-D-GlcNAc-(1 --> 6)-beta-D-Gal-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-GlcNAc-OC6H4NO2-p (2) with its isomer beta-D-Gal-(1 --> 4)-[beta-D-GlcNAc-(1 --> 6)]-beta-D-GlcNAc-OC6H4NO2-p (3) through N-acetylglucosaminyl transfer from N-,N'-diacetylchitobiose to p-nitrophenyl beta-N-acetyllactosaminide. The enzyme formed a mixture of trisaccharides 1, 2, and 3 in a ratio of 11:33:56. In the case, when an inclusion complex of p-nitrophenyl beta-N-acetyllactosaminide with alpha-CD was used, compounds 1, 2, and 3 were formed in a molar ratio of 24:63:13. The regioselectivity of glycosidase-catalyzed formation of the trisaccharide glycosides was substantially changed. It resulted not only in a significant increase of the proportion of the desired compounds 1 and 2 but also in the substantial increase of the overall yield of transfer products.
Network design in supply chain management

The distribution function in a supply chain is an important internal service function for any firm, and has been increasingly recognized as playing a strategic role in achieving competitive advantage. This paper proposes improving the distribution function of the supply chain by employing hub‐and‐spoke network designs. Such designs have proven to be effective with third party logistics carriers such as Federal Express, UPS, Norfolk Southern, and Yellow Freight. Several models and heuristic solution techniques have been introduced in the literature in the past ten years. However, the performance of such heuristics, under different transportation environments, has not been examined. This paper acts as a first step in this direction. The performance of two heuristics to solve a hub‐and‐spoke network is compared against the performance of an optimal technique, for various configurations of data. With the results of this study, business managers can, by analyzing the structure of their data, assess the “risk” associated with applying one of the two heuristics. Heuristic developers can also exploit the results of this study to give them insight into areas where heuristics can be developed or strengthened in order to give rise to more robust heuristics.
006. HUMAN GERM CELL FORMATION AND DIFFERENTIATION FROM PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS

Human embryo development begins with the fusion of egg and sperm, followed by reprogramming of the DNA, a series of cell divisions and activation of the embryo’s genome. As development continues, the germ cells (egg and sperm) must be set aside from other cell types. A major cause of infertility in men and women is quantitative and qualitative defects in human germ cell (oocyte and sperm) development. Yet, it has been difficult to study human germ cell development, especially features that are unique relative to model organisms. We have developed a system to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to germ cells and to quantitate and isolate primordial germ cells (PGCs) derived from both XX- and XY-bearing hESCs and iPSCs. This allowed silencing and overexpression of genes that encode germ cell-specific cytoplasmic RNA-binding proteins (not transcription factors) and resulted in the modulation of human male and female germ cell formation and developmental progression. We observed that human DAZL (Deleted in AZoospermia-Like) functions in female and male PGC formation and maintenance, whereas closely-related family members, BOULE and DAZ, promote entry into meiosis and development of haploid gametes with sperm-specific methylation patterns at imprinted loci in the male. We also conducted critical proof-of-concept studies in mice that showed that phenotypes observed in germ cell development in vitro from wildtype, heterozygous, and Dazl–/– mutation-carrying mouse ESCs (mESCs) mirrored the phenotypes that were observed in vivo. Furthermore, transplantation of XX mESC-derived oocytes resulted in recruitment of somatic cells to form follicles. These studies comprised the first direct experimental analysis of the genetics of human germ cell development and set the stage for extensive exploration of complex genetic variants linked to infertility. Results are significant to the generation of gametes for developmental genetic studies and potential clinical applications.
Pediatric ophthalmoscopy by video laryngoscope.

Bilateral multiple-layer retinal hemorrhages are typical of inflicted head injury in infants but are challenging for intensivists to identify and document. A simple tool for non-ophthalmologists to capture retinal images would be valuable. A 2-month-old boy, transferred to our hospital after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, presented with healing rib fractures and brain MRI changes suggesting whole brain and brain stem hypoperfusion injury consistent with the recent cardiac arrest. Inflicted injury was an important potential diagnosis. There was no light reflex in either dilated pupil. An ophthalmologist was unavailable at nighttime. We urgently needed to check and record images of hemorrhage in the fundus (Fig. 1). A video laryngoscope was used (AWS-S100L, Pentax, Japan); no obvious hemorrhage was observed in either fundus. Video laryngoscope is a common modality for daily clinics in ICU, including a CCD camera with an LED. Clear images of the fundus were obtained at the outset, including optic disc and yellow spot to record the initial clinical data. Ophthalmoscopy by video laryngoscope in children is a simple and useful method for clinicians in PICU, especially in the context of possible inflicted injury.