cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using induced accelerations to understand knee stability during gait of individuals with muscle weakness

The purpose of this case series was to quantify the effectiveness of different compensatory strategies used by individuals with muscle weakness to produce knee extension during the stance phase gait. Subjects were three males with less than anti-gravity strength in the quadriceps femoris and a variable pattern of weakness elsewhere in the lower extremity. They walked independently at a self-selected speed without assistive devices. Gait analysis of the pelvis and bilateral lower extremity segments was performed with a six-camera, two force platform motion capture system. Joint angles and net internal moments were computed from the motion data. Induced acceleration analysis was performed to quantify the relative ability of each lower extremity joint moment and gravity to produce knee angular acceleration. Results showed that a variety of adaptive strategies both within and across limbs can control knee position during gait. One subject generated knee extension almost exclusively via the hip extensor moment. Another relied less on the hip extensor moment (39%) and more on the ankle plantar flexor moment (61%) to create knee extension. The third subject used the ipsilateral hip extensor moment (24%) and the contralateral ankle plantar flexor moment (67%) to assist knee extension. The strategy selected by each subject likely was influenced by both their total pattern of impairments and the effectiveness of the available compensations. This case series demonstrates how an induced acceleration analysis can augment a traditional gait analysis to expand and enhance our understanding of compensatory movement control strategies.
Alcohol oxidation by isozyme 3a of liver microsomal cytochrome P-450

Abstract Liver microsomes from rabbits treated chronically with ethanol were solubilized and fractionated to yield a new isozyme of cytochrome P-450 in a homogeneous state. This cytochrome, designated as isozyme 3a on the basis of its relative electrophoretic mobility, is distinct from the known isozymes as judged by its spectral properties, minimal molecular weight, amino acid composition, and NH 2 - and COOH-terminal amino acid sequences. In addition, peptide mapping by high performance liquid chromatography following trypsinolysis indicates that form 3a is a unique gene product. This cytochrome has unusually high activity in the oxidation of ethanol and other alcohols to aldehydes and in the p -hydroxylation of aniline as compared with the other isozymes of P-450. The ethanol-oxidizing activity of isozyme 3a, which requires the presence of NADPH and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and is stimulated by the presence of phosphatidylcholine, is not due to contamination by catalase or an NAD + -or NADP + -dependent alcohol dehydrogenase.
Neuronal cytoskeletal abnormalities in human cerebral cortical dysplasia

The cytoskeletal abnormalities of cortical neurons in human cerebral cortical dysplasia were compared by immunohistochemical methods to the neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Surgical specimens from cortical resections performed for the treatment of intractable childhood seizures as well as autopsied samples from AD patients were analyzed with different antibodies directed against high- or medium-molecular mass neurofilament epitopes, phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated forms of neurofilaments, ubiquitin, the microtubule-associated protein tau, and paired helical filaments (PHF), a defining feature of AD tangles. A strong abnormal increase in immunoreactivity to the high and medium molecular mass neurofilament epitopes was seen in hypertrophic neurons of cortical dysplasia. These neurofilamentous accumulations of cortical dysplasia as well as AD tangles also displayed immunoreactivity with antibodies against phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated neuro-filament epitopes, tau and ubiquitin. Only the AD tangles, however, were immunoreactive to the antiserum to PHF. These results replicate and extend our previous findings that the neurofibrillary accumulations in cerebral cortical dysplasia share some common antigens with the neurofibrillary tangles of AD but do not demonstrate immunoreactivity to PHF antiserum. The results also suggest that the cytoskeletal abnormalities observed in neurons of cortical dysplasia may result in part from alterations in the level of expression, in phosphorylation state or in transport of cytoskeletal components.
Where spectrin snuggles with ankyrin.

Using the crystal structure of β-spectrin repeats 14 and 15 that bind ankyrin, together with a crystal structure of a fragment of ankyrin that binds spectrin, and detailed site-directed mutagenesis, Stabach and Ipsaro and their respective colleagues analyze for the first time the structure of the
Rehabilitation of the crippled larynx: application of the Tucker technique for muscle-nerve reinnervation.

Interruption of laryngeal innervation may partially or totally impair respiration, deglutition and phonation — the three basic laryngeal functions. Tucker has developed a principle of muscle-nerve pedicle transfer for laryngeal reinnervation to relieve airway obstruction following bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. We have applied the principle of reinnervation proposed by Tucker to treat patients not only with airway obstruction, but also with aspiration and impaired phonation due to interruption of laryngeal innervation. There were 23 patients in this study. The functional defects included: Voice alteration in 10 patients, airway obstruction in 8 and aspiration, as well as a voice change, in 5. The causes of injury were surgery in 9 patients, trauma in 5, tumor in 3, polio in 1 and a birth defect in 1 patient. No cause of nerve injury could be determined in 4 patients. The technique employed involved selective reinnervation of the laryngeal nerve branches to one or more laryngeal muscle groups; the muscle groups reinnervated were selected so as to overcome the functional defect of each particular patient. The patients have been followed for 6 mo. or longer. The results have been independently evaluated by a speech pathologist and documented by indirect and direct endoscopic observations, as well as by audio and audio-video recordings. In some cases, there was further documentation by cine-fluoro-audio tape recordings, laryngo-pharyngography, laryngeal tomography and pulmonary function studes. The muscle-pedicle transfer technique described by Tucker was found to be useful to correct laryngeal dysfunction in carefully selected cases.
Failure prediction analysis of an ACCC conductor subjected to thermal and mechanical stresses

In this work, the Aluminum Conductor Composite Core? (ACCC) was numerically investigated to evaluate stress distributions when subjected to thermal and mechanical loads. The thermal analysis was conducted to simulate the cooling cycle of the rod from 250°C to room temperature. Three types of mechanical loads were considered, namely axial tension, small bending, and large bending conditions. This was done to predict potential mechanical failure modes, which could reduce the short term performance of the conductors. It has been shown that the magnitudes of the residual thermal stresses in the composite core are low and insufficient to create internal mechanical damage during manufacturing. As expected, the axial tension analysis indicated that under extreme axial tensile loads the ACCC rod will fail catastrophically. The most important results were obtained through the bending analysis, especially under large displacement conditions. Under these conditions the ACCC rod will develop mechanical compressive damage in its carbon fiber/epoxy section if the rods are bent around relatively small mandrels either during transportation or installation.
A simple and efficient sampling method for estimating AP and NDCG

We consider the problem of large scale retrieval evaluation. Recently two methods based on random sampling were proposed as a solution to the extensive effort required to judge tens of thousands of documents. While the first method proposed by Aslam et al. [1] is quite accurate and efficient, it is overly complex, making it difficult to be used by the community, and while the second method proposed by Yilmaz et al., infAP [14], is relatively simple, it is less efficient than the former since it employs uniform random sampling from the set of complete judgments. Further, none of these methods provide confidence intervals on the estimated values.The contribution of this paper is threefold: (1) we derive confidence intervals for infAP, (2) we extend infAP to incorporate nonrandom relevance judgments by employing stratified random sampling, hence combining the efficiency of stratification with the simplicity of random sampling, (3) we describe how this approach can be utilized to estimate nDCG from incomplete judgments. We validate the proposed methods using TREC data and demonstrate that these new methods can be used to incorporate nonrandom samples, as were available in TREC Terabyte track '06.
Pre-theoretical assumptions in evolutionary explanations of female sexuality

(Received 24 August, 1992) My contribution to this Symposium focuses on the links between sexuality and reproduction from the evolutionary point of view.' The relation between women's sexuality and reproduction is particularly important because of a vital intersection between politics and biology feminists have noticed, for more than a century, that women's identity is often defined in terms of her reproductive capacity. More recently, in the second wave of the feminist movement in the United States, debates about women's identity have explicitly included sexuality; much feminist argument in the late 1960's and early 1970's involved an attempt to separate out an autonomous female sexuality from women's reproductive functions. It is especially relevant, then, to examine biological arguments, particularly evolutionary arguments, to see what they say about whether and how women's sexuality is related to reproduction. We shall find that many evolutionary arguments seem to support the direct linking of female sexuality and reproduction. Yet I will argue that this support is not well-grounded. In fact, I think evolutionary explanations of female sexuality exemplify how social beliefs and social agendas can influence very basic biological explanations of fundamental physiological processes. In this paper, I shall spend some time spelling out a few examples in which assumptions about the close link between reproduction and sexuality yield misleading results, then I shall conclude with a discussion of the consequences of this case study for issues in the philosophy of science. The fundamental problem is that it is simply assumed that every aspect of female sexuality should be explained in terms of reproductive functions. But there is quite a bit of biological evidence that this is an empirically incorrect assumption to make. This raises the question of
Interpreting Sea Level Rise and Rates of Vertical Marsh Accretion in a Southern New England Tidal Salt Marsh

An investigation of marsh accretion rates on a New England type high marsh (Barn Island Wildlife Management Area, Stonington, Connecticut) reveals that this system is sensitive to changes in sea level and storm activity and the peat can accurately record rates of relative submergence as determined by tide gauge records over intervals of 2–5 decades. The results also suggest that the relationship between the accretion deficit and plant community structure is important when utilizing peat records to reconstruct historic sea-level curves within stableSpartina patenshigh marsh communities. In systems where major vegetation changes are prominent over short periods of time (<50 years), interpretations of sea-level rise should be limited to the system in which they are developed unless careful vertical controls can be maintained on the data and multiple datable horizons can be identified within the substrate. The results of this investigation further show that in a stableSpartina patenscommunity within this particular system there is little vertical translocation of137Cs, making this isotope a powerful tool for assessing rates of vertical marsh development since 1954.
Lifetime and Transition Probabilities of np 4 (n+1)p States of Ne ii, Ar ii, and Kr ii*

Lifetime as well as transition probabilities of the first p-excited states of neon+, argon+, and krypton+ have been calculated.
Treatment of severe, painful pes planovalgus deformity with hindfoot arthrodesis and wedge-shaped tricortical allograft.

Background: This study tested the hypothesis that modification of the standard technique of hindfoot arthrodesis with the use of a wedge-shaped tricortical allograft would improve the amount of correction of pes planovalgus deformity. The results were compared to previous reports. Methods: Between 1998 and 2005, the senior author (LBC) performed 13 hindfoot arthrodeses on 12 patients using an allograft to improve correction of the deformity for severe, painful pes planovalgus deformity. The average patient age was 55 (range 27 to 77) years. There were seven women and five men. The indications were posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (seven feet), rheumatoid arthritis (three feet), post-traumatic arthritis and deformity (one foot), congenital pes planovalgus (one foot), and tarsal coalition (one foot). Results: Twelve of 13 feet achieved union by 12 weeks postoperatively. There was one nonunion. The average time to fusion was 12 weeks. All 12 patients were satisfied with the results of the operation. The a...
A model for the comprehensive investigation of a chronic autoimmune disease: the multiple sclerosis CLIMB study.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of central nervous system (CNS) resulting in various disabilities including weakness and imbalance, visual abnormalities, changes in cognition, as well as bladder and sexual dysfunction. The majority of patients begin with a relapsing–remitting course of the disease until eventually there is a progressive decline in disability. With FDA-approved disease modifying therapy now given to the majority of MS patients early in the course of the disease, the advent of MRI imaging, as well as advances in immunology and genetics, the study of MS has entered into an exciting era. Natural history studies of untreated patients have provided a guide for disease prognosis based on the clinical features of the disease but have limited utility in this new era of MS. Major questions are unanswered, including how does treatment affect the long-term clinical course of the disease and are there major subcategories of the disease with different implications for treatment and outcome. Advances in our ability to clinically measure and monitor the disease through MRI imaging technology, immunology, and genetic analysis provide the opportunity to address these critical questions.
The effects of physical exercise on the antioxidative capacity of the liver

Abstract During prolonged physical exercise, both liver and muscle levels of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) increase, while those of reduced glutathione (GSH) decrease. In the plasma, levels of GSSG always increase. The level of total glutathione in the plasma (GSH+GSSG), while always well below 10 μ M in animals at rest, increases dramatically at first (sometimes several-fold) for untrained animals undergoing appreciable workloads; it remains relatively constant at first in either untrained animals undergoing lesser workloads or endurance-trained animals at comparable workloads. We have shown that during extensive physical exercise skeletal muscle is able to maintain high total glutathione levels (always > 60% of control), while the liver is depleted to as much as 20% of control values. More importantly, we have shown that this severe depletion of total glutathione in the liver persists for several hours after exercise. Artificially lowering total glutathione levels in the liver below 20% of control (using phorone) will lead to proportional decreases in the endurance capacity of these animals. Additionally, we have found that endurance training significantly reduces the changes in tissual glutathione levels that result from oxidative stress induced either by physical exercise or drug (acetaminophen) detoxification. These results suggest that prolonged physical exercise, by depleting body (liver) stores of glutathione, may affect the ability of cells to protect themselves against oxidant injury. With repeated oxidant stress (endurance training), many tissues may be able to develop mechanisms to protect themselves against glutathione depletion and thereby increase their ability to deal with oxidant stress.
Synchronization measures of the scalp electroencephalogram can discriminate healthy from Alzheimer's subjects.

Three synchronization measures are applied to scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected from 20 patients diagnosed to have either: (1) no dementia, (2) mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or (3) Alzheimer's disease (AD). We apply the three synchronization measures — the phase synchronization, and two measures of nonlinear interdependency — to the data collected from awake patients resting with eyes closed. We show that the synchronization in potential between electrodes near the left and right occipital lobes provides a statistically significant discriminant between the healthy and AD subjects, and the MCI and AD subjects. None of the three measures appears able to distinguish between the healthy and MCI subjects, although MCI subjects show synchronization values intermediate between healthy subjects (with high synchronization values) and AD subjects (with low synchronization values) on average.
Strategies for improving long-term survival in patients with ESRD

In 2003, more than 320,000 people in the United States were receiving dialysis for ESRD, with predicted increases to 650,000 by 2010 and 2 million by 2030. Mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with ESRD is 10 to 30 times higher than in the general population. The exact mechanism of accelerated CVD in patients with kidney disease is unknown. Treatment costs for ESRD are in excess of $14 billion annually (6.4% of Medicare budget). Strategies to improve long-term outcomes include aggressive risk factor modification, minimization of dialysis complications, and kidney transplantation. Because abnormalities of mineral metabolism contribute to mortality risk, phosphate binder therapy is fundamental. More expensive non-calcium-containing phosphate binders such as sevelamer have been recommended to reduce cardiovascular calcification. However, the lack of outcome data and the $2 to $3 billion annual cost make it difficult to justify widespread utilization of newer binders as first-line therapy. Conversely, kidney transplantation is known to improve survival in ESRD. Progression of atherosclerosis and CVD in patients with renal failure is largely due to loss of renal function per se, and provision of a functioning kidney through renal transplantation halts the progression of CVD and dramatically reduces mortality. Despite this fact, many patients lose Medicare funding for immunosuppressive therapy 3 yr posttransplantation. To achieve the goal of prevention of cardiovascular mortality in patients with ESRD, it clearly would be more prudent, efficacious, and cost-effective to use Medicare prescription drug dollars to provide full coverage for life-long immunosuppressive drug therapy after renal transplantation.
Congregation sites for youthful multiple drug users: locations for epidemiological research and intervention.

Abstract Field research techniques were used to collect observational and interview data at outdoor sites in the south Chicago suburbs where youthful drug users congregated during good weather to buy, sell and use multiple drugs. Results indicated that the distribution system for non-opiate drugs is more stable than previously thought and that drug purchase occurs at such outdoor sites in the summer months and at the homes of drug users' friends during the winter. The largest and most active site in the area, a forest preserve, was intensively studied utilizing epidemiological survey and participant observation techniques. In contrast to smaller, neighborhood sites, this area attracted drug users and dealers intensively involved in heavy multiple drug use. Subjects came from an extremely wide area and were not organized into cohesive friendship groups formed during grade school and high school. A wide range of drug types was regularly available. The large proportion of unemployed youth and high school dropouts among the sample suggested that field intervention techniques at such sites would be more likely to contact those youth most heavily involved in drug distribution and use than programs based in schools or industry.
Intact nuclear membrane in necrotic keratinocytes of Stevens-Johnson syndrome distinguishes complement-mediated target cell lysis in ADCC from cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis

Isolated keratinocyte necrosis, often visible even on light microscopy, is the end result of target cell lysis resulting from several immune mechanisms. On electron microscopy, the keratinocyte necrosis may be distinguished by the concomitant presence or absence of an intact nuclear membrane. This morphological feature allows the deduction of the mechanism responsible for target cell damage. Thus, isolated keratinocyte necrosis with loss of integrity of the nuclear membranes, often associated with calcium deposits within the nucleus, occurs as a result of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis. On the other hand, isolated keratinocyte necrosis with intact nuclear membranes occurs as a result of complement-mediated damage either from antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity or from complement-based membrane attack complex per se. However, in the latter, T lymphocyte subsets are absent. In Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the intact nuclear membrane of necrotic keratinocytes suggests that complement- media...
Patterns of Problem Behavior in Relation to Thriving and Precocious Behavior in Late Adolescence

Several studies have indicated that an early onset of delinquent and problem behaviors is associated with a greater risk of subsequent behavioral and mental health problems. This study builds on that literature by examining histories of behavior problems in relation to indicators of thriving and precocious behavior during late adolescence. Using longitudinal data from 289 high-risk adolescents, participants were classified according to their problem behavior histories at ages 15 and 19. Findings indicated that although some adolescents experienced decline over time in their overt behavior problems, those youth showed fewer indicators of thriving when compared to adolescents with no history of behavior problems. Youth with an earlier onset of behavior problems also evinced an increased risk for precocious behavior. Gender differences and implications for prevention through youth development programming are discussed.
Bryophyte Evolution And Geography

The three extant Divisions comprising the bryophytes extend, as fossils, well back into Palaeozoic time. Bryophyte origin is part of the rise of terrestrial, vascularized, plants with sporopollenin-walled spores in the Silurian. Before the end of Carboniferous time, bryophyte lines were widely present. Separation of Gondwana and Laurasia by the Permian Tethys Sea and subsequent widespread desert episodes fragmented an already diversified bryoflora subjecting it to intense selective pressure. The cool, mesic climate of southern Gondwana provided a refugium for austral bryophytes. Warmer and drier climates of the Permo-Triassic Laurentian-Laurasia favoured drought-adapted or niche-specific groups creating marked systematic discontinuities. The Angaran wet, probably cool, temperate region provided refuge for basic stock for much of today's rich holarctic and wet ‘tropical’ bryofloras. Climatic changes, correlated with tectonic events and the rise of angiosperms, opened habitats favourable for a diversity explosion. Despite demonstrated potential for long-distance dispersal, modern distributions are mostly linked with total floras or establishment on islands prior to niche saturation. Remnants of Gondwanan bryoflora persist in high southern latitudes as disjunctions with the possibility that the folded ranges of the African Cape have been an insular fragment at higher latitudes becoming attached shortly after angiosperm diversification. Floras of southern India and east Africa have common features but the Himalayan flora shows evidence that the Gondwanan flora of the Indian plate was lost during the movement through desert and tropical latitudes; neotropical and palaeotropical floras are distinctive. Much of the northern Australian bryoflora is recently Malesian-derived while the southeast shows strong austral influence and commonality with New Zealand. Tropical Pacific island floras are mostly Malesian-derived but with both holarctic and austral elements present as in Hawaii and the Society Islands. Holarctic bryoflora is circum-polar with temperate areas of Euro-American and far eastern elements floristically bound by disjunct and vicariad species. Kroeber Coefficients of Correlation differ as Pacific island floras are compared and Guttman-Lingoes Smallest Space Coordinates indicates floristic subgroups within Polynesia. Although these and other mathematical treatments yield potentially promising results, the methods are yet unrefined and there is some uncertainty whether characteristics of numbers or of organisms are implicit in the summations.
Identification of Linked Legionella pneumophila Genes Essential for Intracellular Growth and Evasion of the Endocytic Pathway

Legionella pneumophila replicates within a specialized phagosome in cultured cells, a function necessary for its pathogenicity. The replicative phagosome lacks membrane marker proteins, such as the glycoprotein LAMP-1, that are indicators of the normal endocytic pathway. We describe the isolation of several Legionella genes essential for intracellular growth and evasion of the endocytic pathway, using a genetic and cell biological approach. We screened 4,960 ethyl methanesulfonate-mutagenized colonies for defects in intracellular growth and trafficking to the replicative phagosome. Six mutant strains of L. pneumophila that had severe intracellular growth defects in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages were identified. All six mutants were found in phagosomes that colocalized with LAMP-1, indicating defects in intracellular trafficking. The growth defects of two of these strains were complemented by molecular clones from a bank constructed from a wild-type L. pneumophila strain. The inserts from these clones are located in a region of the chromosome contiguous with several other genes essential for intracellular growth. Three mutants could be complemented by single open reading frames placed in trans, one mutant by a gene termed dotH and two additional mutants by a gene termed dotO. A deletion mutation was created in a third gene, dotI, which is located directly upstream of dotH. The delta dotI strain was also defective for intracellular growth in macrophages, and this defect was complemented by a single open reading frame in trans. Based on sequence analysis and structural predictions, possible roles of dotH, dotI, and dotO in intracellular growth are discussed.
Radar sensing of the ocean

Radar remote sensing of the ocean has been the subject of research for about 20 years. Spaceborne radar altimetry and scatterometry are approaching maturity, and synthetic-aperture radars (SAR) show great promise. The principles of radar scattering from the sea are outlined here, along with some recently discovered questions. For wind-vector scatterometry, the principle is presented, and remaining uncertainties are outlined. Principles of SAR imaging of moving targets, and particularly the ocean surface, are outlined. The theory of SAR wave imaging is the subject of considerable controversy, and some principles that can be used in evaluating the various theories are presented, along with brief outlines of the major conflicting theories. Other uses of SAR images are discussed briefly, with a theory to explain the bathymetric expression outlined.
Reduced sputtering of the divertor plate for ITER by thermionic electron emission

The erosion rate and lifetime of the high heat-flux components for next generation fusion devices such as the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) are mainly limited by ion sputtering. The energy of the impinging ions and consequently the sputtering rate is enhanced by the presence of a negative electrostatic field near the high heat-flux components. The sheath potential near (and the sputtering rate of) the divertor plate of the ITER can be very sensitive to electron-emission mechanisms such as secondary electron emission and thermionic electron emission (i.e. the emission of electrons from a hot surface). It is shown that the mechanism of thermionic electron emission could lead to significantly lower incident-ion energies striking the divertor plate for ITER-relevant plasma-edge conditions. The transition temperature of the high heat-flux components for a significant reduction of the sheath potential was found to be in the range of 700-1100 K for materials with a low work function ( approximately=1.5-2.5 eV), and approximately=1500-1800 K for refractory metals (e.g. tungsten) with high work functions ( approximately=4-5 eV). It is expected that this transition temperature would be about 1800 K for carbon or TiC. >
Head CT is of limited diagnostic value in critically ill patients who remain unresponsive after discontinuation of sedation.

Prolonged sedation is common in mechanically ventilated patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine the diagnostic value of head computed tomography (CT) in mechanically ventilated patients who remain unresponsive after discontinuation of sedation. A retrospective review of adult (age >18 years of age) patients consecutively admitted to the medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care medical center. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation for management of respiratory failure for longer than 72 hours were included in the study group. A group that did not have difficulty with awakening was included as a control. The median time after sedation was discontinued until a head CT was performed was 2 days (interquartile range 1.375–2 days). Majority (80%) of patients underwent head CT evaluation within the first 48 hours after discontinuation of sedation. Head CT was non-diagnostic in all but one patient who had a small subarachnoid hemorrhage. Twenty-five patients (60%) had a normal head CT. Head CT findings did not alter the management of any of the patients. The control group was similar to the experimental group with respect to demographics, etiology of respiratory failure and type of sedation used. However, while 37% of subjects in the control group had daily interruption of sedation, only 19% in the patient group had daily interruption of sedation (p < 0.05). In patients on mechanical ventilation for at least 72 hours and who remain unresponsive after sedative discontinuation and with a non-focal neurologic examination, head CT is performed early and is of very limited diagnostic utility. Routine use of daily interruption of sedation is used in a minority of patients outside of a clinical trial setting though it may decrease the frequency of unresponsiveness from prolonged sedation and the need for head CT in patients mechanically ventilated for a prolonged period.
Negative Stereotypes Cause Christians to Underperform in and Disidentify With Science

Despite Christians being a religious majority in the United States, relatively few pursue higher education and careers in science. Our studies show that stereotypes about Christians being less competent in science than other groups are recognized by both Christians and non-Christians and are openly endorsed by non-Christians (Study 1). Our studies further demonstrate that when these stereotypes become salient, Christians are less interested in and identified with science (Study 2) and underperform on science-relevant tasks (Studies 3–5), compared to non-Christians. Even subtle contextual cues that bear more or less relevance to science are sufficient to compromise Christians’ scientific task performance, particularly among the highly religious (Study 5). When these stereotypes are explicitly removed, however, performance differences between Christians and non-Christians disappear. These results suggest that Christians’ awareness of the negative societal stereotypes about their group’s scientific competenc...
Patterns of hemodynamic responses associated with central activation of coronary vasoconstriction

Previous studies in our laboratory have identified several central sites from which coronary vasoconstriction can be elicited by electrical stimulation. The present study was conducted to determine if specific patterns of hemodynamic responses are associated with activation of the coronary vasoconstrictor pathway in the hypothalamus, pons, and medulla. Cats anesthetized with chloralose were instrumented for recording arterial pressure, heart rate, and coronary, femoral, renal, and mesenteric blood flow velocities. After vagotomy and atenolol (1 mg/kg iv), anterior hypothalamus (AHA), parabrachial nucleus (PBN), a site very close to the ventral surface of the pons lateral to the pyramidal tract, and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were stimulated electrically. Stimulation produced a decrease in coronary blood flow that was associated with all of the cardiovascular components of the defense reaction, an integrated response that included a decrease in hindquarter vascular resistance (blocked by methyl atropine), increases in renal and mesenteric vascular resistances, and a pressor response, except no change in renal vascular resistance from RVLM. Different patterns of hemodynamic responses were obtained from sites outside the coronary vasoconstrictor areas. From these results we conclude that coronary vasoconstriction is a frequent component of the defense reaction.
Treatment of Posttraumatic Abdominal Autonomic Neuropathy Manifesting as Functional Dyspepsia and Chronic Constipation: An Integrative East-West Approach

A 52-year-old male with a history of spinal cord injury and cauda equina syndrome resulting in neurogenic bladder presented with chronic constipation and functional dyspepsia that was refractory to medical management. He was treated with an integrative East-West approach including acupuncture, trigger point injections, and Tui Na massage. Both his pain and constipation improved after a series of treatments, and this improvement was largely sustained at 2-year follow-up. This patient's symptoms are consistent with damage to the visceral parasympathetic nervous system. Interestingly, many studies evaluating the mechanisms of acupuncture point to restoration of parasympathetic tone as a mechanism of action. In this article, we describe a case of complex functional gastrointestinal disorders associated with posttraumatic autonomic neuropathy that was refractory to pharmacotherapy and was successfully treated with an integrative East-West approach.
Development of PVDF Membrane Nanocomposites via Various Functionalization Approaches for Environmental Applications

Membranes are finding wide applications in various fields spanning biological, water, and energy areas. Synthesis of membranes to provide tunable flux, metal sorption, and catalysis has been done through pore functionalization of microfiltration (MF) type membranes with responsive behavior. This methodology provides an opportunity to improve synthetic membrane performance via polymer fabrication and surface modification. By optimizing the polymer coagulation conditions in phase inversion fabrication, spongy polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with high porosity and large internal pore volume were created in lab and full scale. This robust membrane shows a promising mechanical strength as well as high capacity for loading of adsorptive and catalytic materials. By applying surface modification techniques, synthetic membranes with different functionality (carboxyl, amine, and nanoparticle-based) were obtained. These functionalities provide an opportunity to fine-tune the membrane surface properties such as charge and reactivity. The incorporation of stimuli-responsive acrylic polymers (polyacrylic acid or sodium polyacrylate) in membrane pores also results in tunable pore size and ion-exchange capacity. This provides the added benefits of adjustable membrane permeability and metal capture efficiency. The equilibrium and dynamic binding capacity of these functionalized spongy membranes were studied via calcium ion-exchange. Iron/palladium catalytic nanoparticles were immobilized in the polymer matrix in order to perform the challenging degradation of the environmental pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE).
Adaptive and responsive survey designs: a review and assessment

Summary The paper reviews the growing literature on responsive and adaptive designs for surveys. These designs encompass various methods for managing data collection, including front loading potentially difficult cases, tailoring data collection strategies to different subgroups, prioritizing effort according to estimated response propensities, imposing stop rules for ending data collection, monitoring key survey estimates throughout the field period, using two-phase or multiphase sampling for following up non-respondents and calculating indicators of non-response bias (such as the R-indicator) other than response rates to monitor and guide fieldwork. We give particular attention to efforts to evaluate these strategies experimentally or via simulations. Although the field seems to have embraced these new tools, most of the evaluation studies suggest they produce marginal reductions in cost and non-response bias. It is clearly difficult to lower survey costs without reducing some aspect of survey quality. Other issues limiting the effectiveness of these designs include weakly predictive auxiliary variables, ineffective interventions and slippage in the implementation of interventions in the field. These problems are not, however, unique to responsive or adaptive design. We give recommendations for improving such designs and for improving the management of data collection efforts in the current difficult environment for surveys.
Experimental tumors after nerve section in an insect.

Conclusion(1) An insect is introduced as a suitable experimental animal offering new possibilities for the study of tumors.(2) Interruption of a nerve has been shown to cause tumorous growth in organs which it supplies. Further experiments, already under way, must show whether this phenomenon occurs only in insects or applies also to vertebrates.
Naturally colonized beef cattle populations fed combinations of yeast culture and an ionophore in finishing diets containing dried distiller's grains with solubles had similar fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Beef steers (n = 252) were used to evaluate the effects of dietary supplement on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Seven pens of 9 steers (63 steers per treatment) were fed diets supplemented with or without yeast culture (YC) or monensin (MON) and their combination (YC × MON). YC and MON were offered at 2.8 g/kg and 33 mg/kg of dry matter intake, respectively. Environmental sponge samples (from each pen floor, feed bunk, and water trough) were collected on day 0. Rectal fecal grab samples were collected on days 0, 28, 56, 84, 110, and 125. Samples were collected and pooled by pen and analyzed for presumptive E. coli O157:H7 colonies, which were confirmed by a multiplex PCR assay and characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing. On day 0, E. coli O157:H7 was detected in 7.0% of feed bunk samples and 14.3% of pen floor samples but in none of the water trough samples. The 71.4% prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in fecal samples on day 0 decreased significantly (P < 0.05) over time. ...
Intraoperative optical biopsy for brain tumors using spectro-lifetime properties of intrinsic fluorophores

We have developed and tested a system for real-time intra-operative optical identification and classification of brain tissues using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS). A supervised learning algorithm using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) employing selected intrinsic fluorescence decay temporal points in 6 spectral bands was employed to maximize statistical significance difference between training groups. The linear discriminant analysis on in vivo human tissues obtained by TRFS measurements (N = 35) were validated by histopathologic analysis and neuronavigation correlation to pre-operative MRI images. These results demonstrate that TRFS can differentiate between normal cortex, white matter and glioma.
Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction: issues and answers.

Immediate breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy, whether it involves prosthetic implantation or a myocutaneous flap procedure, has become a standard option for the care of breast cancer patients. The advantages of breast reconstruction are well understood: it helps to eliminate many of the psychological burdens with which mastectomy patients must contend and allows patients to participate in a normal lifestyle. Immediate breast reconstruction eases much of the initial psychological trauma of mastectomy. For patients who require postoperative radiation, reconstruction is often far less complex if done immediately than if delayed, even though radiation increases the chances of capsular contracture. The knowledge that immediate breast reconstruction is available may reduce patients’ reluctance to seek medical advice when they find a breast lump.
TYPE A-B BEHAVIOR AND SELF-ESTIMATES OF THE FREQUENCY OF HEADACHES IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Individuals who suffer from migraine headaches have been characterized as tense, hard-driving individuals who have difficulty in coping with stress ( 3 ) . These behaviors are similar to those which Friedman and Rosenman (1) used to describe the behavior of the Type A person. This similarity suggested to us that Type A college students might experience headaches more frequently than Type B students. To test this hypothesis, we asked 177 college students to respond to the Glass ( 2 ) version of the Jenkins Activity Survey for college students and to estimate the frequency with which they experienced tension or migraine headaches on a three-point scale, i.e., often, sometimes, never. The Jenkins Survey was scored using the system developed by Glass and, like Glass, we define Type A as Jenkins' score 8 and Type B as Jenkins' score < 8. Using the data in a contingency table, we found chat the relationship between Type A/B behavior and the frequency of headaches was significant, i.e., x2 = 9.26, p < .01, with 4 = .23.
Responsible Behavior in Bureaucrats: An Expanded Conceptual Framework

How can administrators ensure that public employees behave responsibly? What is responsible behavior? Scholars have written much about responsibility but often reflect divergent views. Eight themes or types of responsibility can be found in the literature. Each highlights unique methods to use in order to ensure responsibility and distinct values to consider when evaluating behavior. This typology is expanded into a conceptual framework of responsibility. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
282 HELMET USE DOCUMENTATION PRE- AND POSTINJURY DOCUMENTATION SHEET.

Background Previous studies have shown that routinely completed free text emergency department (ED) medical records contain limited information necessary for injury surveillance. We instituted an injury documentation sheet into our ED records to evaluate impact on documentation rates. Methods The pretest/post-test study design used ICD9 codes to identify bicycle-related injuries. A standardized data collection tool was utilized to review these charts. Time periods before and after institution of a standardized documentation sheet were reviewed. Period 1 was January until December 2004. Period 2 was January until June 2005. Data were entered into Epistat and Z scores were used for comparison. Results Initial review (n = 667) revealed mean age of patient 8.6 years with 46% African American and 67% male. Helmet usage was documented in 49% of charts (81 were wearing helmets, 245 were not wearing helmets). Mechanism of injury was documented as bike alone in 587, bike vs car 13 and bike vs stationary object 64. After implementation of an injury data sheet: n = 205; mean age was 9.24 with 51% African American and 43% male. Helmet use was documented in 77% of cases (26 wearing helmets; 132 not wearing). Mechanism was documented as bike alone 180; bike vs car 96 and bike vs stationary object 20. Helmet use was much more frequently documented after the initiation of an injury documentation reminder sheet (z = 6.97; p Conclusion Documentation is improved with the use of standard injury documentation prompts. Routine use of reminders vastly improves documentation rates.
Effect of flavonol on reduction of acrylamide in Maillard reaction and its correlation with antioxidant capacity

In 2002,the discovery of acrylamide contaminant in heat processing foods got a worldwide attention because of its genetic and reproductive toxicities as well as mutagenic and carcinogenic properties.Therefore,it is necessary to find effective additive agents to reduce the formation of acrylamide in Maillard reaction.We investigated the effects of flavonols on the reduction of acrylamide in an equimolar asparagine-glucose Maillard reaction system using potato matrix and microwave heating.To investigate the dose-response effect,six different levels of flavonols were added into the self-prepared Maillard reaction system and different levels of acrylamide were generated and observed.Meanwhile,the correlation between the inhibitory rate of acrylamide affected by flavonols and the change of Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity(ΔTEAC) in Maillard reaction products was also evaluated.Acrylamide levels in Maillard reaction products were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS / MS) and quantified with multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode after the pretreatment of final products.ΔTEAC values were simultaneously measured by three representative antioxidant evaluation methods,i.e.DPPH(1,1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl),ABTS(2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and FRAP(ferric reducing ability of plasma).The results indicated a non-linear relationship between addition levels of flavonols and inhibitory rate of acrylamide.The optimal addition level of all six flavonols,i.e.kaempferol,kaempferol-3-o-glucoside,quercetin,quercetin-3-o-glucoside,myricetin and rutin was 1×10-9 mol / L,which exerted their maximal inhibitory effect against the generation of acrylamide.The inhibitory rate ranged from 48.9%to 69.3% when different types of flavonols were used at the optimal addition level.TakingΔTEAC as the antioxidant measurement index,the correlation coefficients betweenΔTEAC determined by three different antioxidant evaluation methods(DPPH,ABTS and FRAP) and inhibitory rate of acrylamide were 0.885 3,0.834 2and 0.805 3respectively,indicating a close correlation between the inhibitory effects of flavonols against the generation of acrylamide and the antioxidant capacity in Maillard reaction products.Based on microwave heating and Maillard reaction system,this study not only describes novel experimental system for investigating the inhibitory effect of phytochemicals(e.g.flavonols) against the generation of acrylamide,but also provides substantial evidence of the correlation between the inhibitory rate of acrylamide and antioxidant capacity in Maillard reaction products.