cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychoactive substance use prior to the development of iatrogenic opioid abuse: A descriptive analysis of treatment-seeking opioid abusers.

Physicians are frequently thought to be a major source of opioids diverted for non-therapeutic purposes, largely because it is so difficult for them to discern which patients might abuse them. In this study we sought to determine whether those who were first exposed to an opioid through a physician's prescription, and subsequently developed a substance use disorder, had a history of using psychoactive drugs prior to abusing opioids. Patients entering one of 125 drug treatment programs across the country for opioid abuse were asked to provide detailed histories of psychoactive drug use prior to their initial opioid exposure. Nearly half (47.1%, N=4493) indicated they were first exposed to opioids through a prescription from their physician to treat pain. Of these, 94.6% indicated experience with at least one other psychoactive substance (mean=4.55±0.05) prior to, or coincident with, their first exposure to an opioid from a physician. Alcohol (92.9%), nicotine and/or tobacco (89.5%), and marijuana (87.4%) were used by nearly all patients prior to, or coincident with, their first opioid prescription. If one excludes these drugs, 70.1% (N=2913) still reported some psychoactive drug use of licit or illicit stimulants (77.8%), benzodiazepines (59.8%) or hallucinogens (55.2%). Our results indicate that pain patients who developed a substance use disorder were rarely drug naive prior to receiving their first opioid prescription. Rather, most have an extensive history of psychoactive drug use. As such, physicians should routinely ascertain complete licit and illicit drug histories in patients for whom they prescribe opioids.
Structure of human nSMase2 reveals an interdomain allosteric activation mechanism for ceramide generation

Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2, product of the SMPD3 gene) is a key enzyme for ceramide generation that is involved in regulating cellular stress responses and exosome-mediated intercellular communication. nSMase2 is activated by diverse stimuli, including the anionic phospholipid phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylserine binds to an integral-membrane N-terminal domain (NTD); however, how the NTD activates the C-terminal catalytic domain is unclear. Here, we identify the complete catalytic domain of nSMase2, which was misannotated because of a large insertion. We find the soluble catalytic domain interacts directly with the membrane-associated NTD, which serves as both a membrane anchor and an allosteric activator. The juxtamembrane region, which links the NTD and the catalytic domain, is necessary and sufficient for activation. Furthermore, we provide a mechanistic basis for this phenomenon using the crystal structure of the human nSMase2 catalytic domain determined at 1.85-A resolution. The structure reveals a DNase-I–type fold with a hydrophobic track leading to the active site that is blocked by an evolutionarily conserved motif which we term the “DK switch.” Structural analysis of nSMase2 and the extended N-SMase family shows that the DK switch can adopt different conformations to reposition a universally conserved Asp (D) residue involved in catalysis. Mutation of this Asp residue in nSMase2 disrupts catalysis, allosteric activation, stimulation by phosphatidylserine, and pharmacological inhibition by the lipid-competitive inhibitor GW4869. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the DK switch regulates ceramide generation by nSMase2 and is governed by an allosteric interdomain interaction at the membrane interface.
π-η mixing from QCD sum rules

Abstract The q 2 dependence of the π-η mixing amplitude is examined with the use of QCD sum rules. The linear slope of the mixing function θ ( q 2 ) is found to be much smaller than that for ϱ-ω mixing. Thus the mixing amplitude is approximately the same in the space-like region as in the time-like one, and one may neglect the q 2 dependence of the mixing. A comparison between a hadron-meson, an effective chiral model, and the QCD sum rules approaches is made.
Correlates of employment and postsecondary education enrolment in Afghanistan and Iraq veterans with traumatic brain injuries

Primary Objective: About 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can result in postconcussive symptoms and difficulty transitioning from the milita...
Effects of circular gait training on balance, balance confidence in patients with stroke: a pilot study

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effects of circular gait training on balance and balance confidence in patients with stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen patients with stroke were randomly divided into either the circular gait training (CGT) group (n=8) or the straight gait training (SGT) group (n=7). Both groups had conventional therapy that adhered to the neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) approach, for 30 min. In addition, the CGT group performed circular gait training, and the SGT group practiced straight gait training for 30 min. Each intervention was applied for 1 h, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale were used to test balance and balance confidence. [Results] After the intervention, both groups showed significant increases in balance and balance confidence. Significant improvements in the balance of the CGT group compared with the SGT group were observed at post-assessment. [Conclusion] This study showed that circular gait training significantly improves balance in patients with stroke.
Ruling out Pulmonary Embolism in the Primary Care Setting.

What is the best approach to evaluate patients with suspected pulmonary embolism in the outpatient, primary care setting?
Introduction: Romantic Hellenism, the Philosophy of Nature, and Subjective Anxiety

Certain poetic and philosophic texts of the Romantic period respond to a subjectivism they perceive in the wake of Kant’s critiques. The philosophy of nature (Naturphilosophie), particularly as it appears in Friedrich Schelling’s work of the 1790s, along with the notion of an idealized Greece that acts as a site of aesthetic and ontological wholeness, unite in the production of metaphors and figures of oneness that resist this subjectivism and solipsism. Nature and Hellenism join forces in the face of subjective anxiety.
Ethiopian language policy and health promotion in oromia

In the time of HIV/AIDS, epidemics for which we have no vaccination or cure, public health is bound entirely to depend on the traditional health education strategies to stop or contain this disease. This reality demands that we travel extra miles and thoroughly employ every health promotion tool at our disposal. The Ottawa Charter for health promotion stressed the need for public policy to create supportive social conditions for health. This necessitates a commitment to enduring social conditions for health and raises topics that have been neglected by the traditional public health scholars. A close examination of the colonial language policy of Ethiopia reveals that language is not value free and is intermingled with power and has significant public health impacts. In this paper, I critically examine Ethiopian language policy within the framework of health promotion and demonstrate the ways in which such policy creates a barrier for the Oromo people in making life choices. Additionally it hinders them from ensuring the conditions in which they can be healthy. This paper addresses a gap in the research literature on the impacts of colonial language policies on health promotion.
Valence-Band Electronic Structures of Cu+-Doped ZnS, Alloyed Cu–In–Zn–S, and Ternary CuInS2 Nanocrystals: A Unified Description of Photoluminescence across Compositions

Copper-doped and copper-based colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have attracted broad attention as phosphors in many contexts, but fundamental aspects of their electronic structures that give rise to their photoluminescence are not understood. Here, we report a detailed systematic investigation of the electronic structures of Cu+-doped ZnS, alloyed Cu–In–Zn–S, and CuInS2 nanocrystals (NCs) using density functional theory. These calculations demonstrate a continuous evolution in electronic structure from lightly doped to ternary compositions. As an impurity, Cu+ introduces isolated midgap d orbitals above the valence-band edge, with large Cu(3d)–S(3p) covalency. As the Cu+ content is increased in Cu–In–Zn–S alloys, these orbitals evolve to become the CuInS2 valence band in the ternary limit. The calculations further describe the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) as localized and Cu(3d)-based for all compositions from Cu+-doped ZnS to stoichiometric CuInS2. The calculations predict that the Cu(3d)...
Neurodegeneration and locomotor dysfunction in Drosophila scarlet mutants

Parkinson9s Disease (PD) is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, resulting in progressive locomotor dysfunction. Identification of genes required for the maintenance of these neurons should help to identify potential therapeutic targets. However, little is known regarding the factors that render dopaminergic neurons selectively vulnerable to PD. Here we show that Drosophila melanogaster scarlet mutants exhibit an age-dependent progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, along with subsequent locomotor defects and a shortened lifespan. Knockdown of Scarlet specifically within dopaminergic neurons is sufficient to produce this neurodegeneration, demonstrating a unique role for Scarlet beyond its well-characterized role in eye pigmentation. Both genetic and pharmacological manipulation of the kynurenine pathway rescued loss of dopaminergic neurons by promoting synthesis of the free radical scavenger Kynurenic Acid (KYNA) and limiting the production of the free radical generator 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK). Finally, we show that expression of wild-type Scarlet is neuroprotective in a model of PD, suggesting that manipulating kynurenine metabolism may be a potential therapeutic option in treating PD.
Sustained exposure to acute migraine medications combined with repeated noxious stimulation dysregulates descending pain modulatory circuits: Relevance to medication overuse headache.

BackgroundLoss of conditioned pain modulation/diffuse noxious inhibitory controls has been demonstrated in patients with migraine and medication overuse headache. We hypothesized that exposure to a...
Magnesium isotope fractionation during granite weathering

Abstract The Mg isotope compositions of weathering profiles developed on granite and granodiorite bedrock have been analyzed to investigate Mg isotope behavior during the weathering of felsic rocks in a continental environment. δ26Mg generally exhibits a small increase from the bedrock values, which range from −0.17 ± 0.06‰ to +0.07 ± 0.06‰, until the upper two meters in which a decrease is observed, producing near surface values between −0.14 ± 0.06‰ and +0.09 ± 0.06‰. The small observed increase in isotopic composition below 2 m is likely due to Mg loss to the hydrosphere during biotite weathering and in situ illite production, while the decrease at depths
Problematizing Disability Disclosure in Higher Education: Shifting Towards a Liberating Humanizing Intersectional Framework

Disability disclosure contains significant implications when considering democratic educational opportunities for students with disabilities in higher education. Especially for graduate students with disabilities, there is minimal research on their experiences with disability disclosure. In a collaborative autoethnography, two doctoral students with disabilities engage in a critical dialogue about how disability disclosure operates within everyday interactions. Through dialogue and praxis, our narratives highlight how acts of disability disclosure continuously construct the notion of disability, democracy, citizenship, and empowerment in higher education. In turn, critical reexaminations of disability disclosure may present insight into future directions that will ensure equal educational opportunities, attainment and achievements for all.
Does meeting physical activity recommendations ameliorate association between television viewing with cardiovascular disease risk? A cross-sectional, population-based analysis.

Objectives As a common form of sedentary behaviour, television viewing is associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI) as well as overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study examined the extent to which meeting the recommended volume of weekly physical activity (PA) reduced the association between television viewing with the outcomes of BMI and CVD risk. A second aim was to determine the number of hours (ie, cut-point) of daily television viewing that conferred a higher BMI and CVD risk for a large population-based sample of adults. Design Population-based, cross-sectional study. Setting UK Biobank recruited across 35 centres in the UK between 2006 and 2010. Primary outcome CVD risk, as measured by the 30-year Framingham risk score. Results Linear regression models indicated that every additional hour of television viewing per day was associated with a 3% increase in CVD risk (aCoeff=0.03, d=0.16, p Conclusions These data underscore the independent association between television viewing with cardiovascular risk and suggest that reducing television viewing to less than 2.5 hours per day, even in physically active adults, is a clinical and public health priority.
Amyloid in the breast: retrospective review with clinicopathological and radiological correlation of 32 cases from a single institution

AIMS Mammary amyloid is an uncommon and easily overlooked pathological diagnosis with ambivalent presentation. Herein, we delineate the clinicopathological and radiographic characteristics of mammary amyloid. METHODS AND RESULTS The Department of Pathology database was searched from 1993 to 2019 for keywords 'breast' and 'amyloid', yielding 32 cases from 23 patients, including consultation cases. All patients were female, age range = 52-81 (mean = 67.4 years). The left breast was involved more than the right (43 versus 33%, respectively); bilateral amyloid involvement was also present (24%). Amyloid was most often associated with a benign histopathological diagnosis (57%), lymphoma in 39% [all B cell lymphomas; five of nine were mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma] and rarely with a concurrent epithelial malignancy (invasive lobular carcinoma, 4%). Of the 14 patients with available clinical history, amyloid presented as a mass clinically or radiographically (six patients, 43%), as microcalcifications (five patients, 36%), and only occasionally as an asymmetry (14%) or fibroglandular density (7%). Microscopic examination detected microcalcifications in an additional nine cases (total 14 patients; 44% of the cohort). Interestingly, one patient had concurrent epithelial and haematological malignancy and amyloid within an axillary lymph node. Co-morbidities included autoimmune diseases and multiple myeloma. CONCLUSION The majority of mammary amyloid cases are associated with benign histopathological findings, while imaging most frequently noted microcalcifications or mass lesions. To avoid overlooking amyloid as simply fat necrosis or fibroelastotic stromal change, a low threshold for performing ancillary stains should be considered in elderly women with benign core needle findings performed for mass lesions or microcalcifications.
Neonatal and Postneonatal Pulmonary Hypertension

During transition at birth with ventilation of the lungs, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreases from high fetal values, leading to an 8 to 10-fold increase in pulmonary blood flow (Qp). In some infants, this transition does not occur, resulting in pulmonary hypertension (PH). In infants, PH can present as: (a) primary PH in term neonates (idiopathic), (b) PH secondary to lung disease or hypoplasia in term infants, (c) acute PH in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), (d) chronic PH with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants and (e) post-neonatal PH. A hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can exacerbate PH in preterm infants due to increased Qp. Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) can complicate BPD with PH. Diagnosis of PH is based on clinical features, echocardiography and, in some intractable cases, cardiac catheterization. Therapy of PH includes oxygen, invasive or non-invasive ventilation, correction of acidosis, surfactant and selective and non-selective pulmonary vasodilators such as inhaled nitric oxide and sildenafil, respectively. Early closure of a hemodynamically significant PDA has the potential to limit pulmonary vascular remodeling associated with BPD and PH. The role of thiamine in pathogenesis of PH is also discussed with the recent increase in thiamine-responsive acute pulmonary hypertension in early infancy. Recognition and prompt therapy of PH can prevent right ventricular dysfunction, uncoupling and failure.
3071 – IMPROVED HOMING IN A CONDITIONING-FREE ZEBRAFISH TRANSPLANTATION MODEL

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is a treatment used to replace the defective blood system of patients with malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. However, the biology behind donor-cell engraftment and cell-niche interaction is incompletely understood. Zebrafish is an ideal model to visualize engraftment and cell-niche interaction due to its optical transparency, which allow for whole-organism imaging. We have established a novel conditioning-free transplantation model using an HSC-deficient (runx1 W84X) mutant zebrafish. The lack of definitive hematopoiesis in these mutants provides empty HSC niche and no adaptive immune system thus diminishing the risk of graft failure or rejection. Transplantation of donor marrow cells that ubiquitously express green fluorescent protein (ubi:GFP) into these HSC-deficient mutants at 2 days-post fertilization resulted in significantly higher GFP+ donor cell engraftment than in HSC-competent animals. Transplanted runx1 mutants showed improved survival by more than 3-fold with sustained long-term, serial-repopulating, multi-lineage engraftment in adults. To decipher when the differences in engraftment occurs, we employed serial imaging to visualize hematopoietic cell homing throughout zebrafish larvae. From 4-7 days post fertilization, we observed seeding of GFP+ cells into all hematopoietic tissues including the thymus and kidney marrow (equivalent to mammalian bone marrow) with HSC-deficient runx1 mutants showing better donor cell seeding compared to HSC-competent (wild type and runx1 heterozygote) animals as early as 3 days post-transplant. This finding demonstrates the importance of the availability of recipient HSC niche in the success of engraftment, and indicate the utility of the model to provide novel insight into the earliest stages of engraftment improving our understanding of HSC transplantation outcome.
Challenges for Black Workers After 2020: Antiracism in the Gig Economy?

Black workers’ fortunes in the coming decades are tied to the expansion of the Gig economy, the impact of which is to destroy employee status. Because much antiracism law and policy has been transmitted to society through the medium of employment law, the disappearance of employee status should be of concern to all foes of racism. This short essay argues that Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 should be expanded to cover all forms of racist workplace conduct. Regulatory arbitrage will continue to challenge the definition of employment for the foreseeable future. It is fitting that one of the great antiracist laws in the history of the United States be modified to cut through the haze, ensuring that Black workers have remedies for racist workplace conduct, however the workplace may be fortuitously or strategically defined, now or in the future. Acceptable, but not quite as good, alternatives to expanding Section 1981 are to explicitly cover independent contractors with existing antiracist employment law (such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964); or to embrace the “ABC” employment test, which makes it much more difficult for employers to inappropriately classify employees (entitled to the protections of antiracist and other employment laws) as independent contractors (who are not entitled to those protections).
“They Shall Beat Their Swords into Plowshares”: Orthodox-Eastern Catholics Conflicts and the Ecumenical Progress That They Generated

The relationship between Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches started out tense, or even violent. But throughout the centuries, some of the “swords” turned into “plowshares”: the reasons for discord became ecumenical upsurges. This chapter addresses the developments that occurred in the past hundred years such as outlawing of Byzantine Catholic churches by Communist regimes, their persecution of both churches, rise of “ecumenism behind bars”—the union that Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic martyrs shared in prison, and forceful transfer of church buildings as well as Orthodox and Catholics worshiping in the same space. This chapter addresses the questions of whether a process of Latinization is inherent in union with Rome and whether the Code of Canons of Eastern Churches is sufficient to preserve the Eastern identity and guarantee proportional representation in church structures.
Femoroacetabular Impingement, Labral Tears, and Hip Arthroscopy

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and labral tears, as well as abductor tendon tears, are increasingly recognized as a cause of pre-arthritic hip pain, particularly in younger athletes. Tearing of the labrum is most commonly attributed to FAI, as 95% of patients with FAI will have a labral tear. Abductor tears most often develop insidiously without history of trauma and in the setting of chronic tendon degeneration or tendinopathy. Less commonly, the tear may be attributed to an acute injury. Both conditions are diagnosed with a combination of clinical examination maneuvers, plain film imaging, and advanced radiographic studies such as magnetic resonance imaging. Physical therapy, judicious use of medications, activity modification, and targeted injections are the mainstays of non-operative management. Arthroscopic/endoscopic repairs as well as osteoplasty in the setting of FAI with labral debridement and/or augmentation represent common surgical interventions.
Exact optimal stopping for multidimensional linear switching diffusions

The paper studies a class of multidimensional optimal stopping problems with infinite horizon for linear switching diffusions. There are two main novelties in the optimal problems considered: the underlying stochastic process has discontinuous paths and the cost function is not necessarily integrable on the entire time horizon, where the latter is often a key assumption in classical optimal stopping theory for diffusions, cf. [22, Corollary 2.9]. Under relatively mild conditions, we show, for the class of multidimensional optimal stopping problems under consideration, that the first entry time of the stopping region is an optimal stopping time. Further, we prove that the corresponding optimal stopping boundaries can be represented as the unique solution to a nonlinear integral equation. We conclude with an application of our results to the problem of quickest real-time detection of a Markovian drift.
Drug Actions on Thermoregulatory Mechanisms

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pharmacology of thermoregulation in light of newer physiological knowledge and presents an analysis of drug effects on the body temperature. Hence, the effects of chemical agents have been examined on body temperature in terms of their actions on the various physiologic processes that operate as a regulatory system. While this approach provides a suitable organizational basis for subject treatment, it is all too evident that sufficient pharmacodynamic data are not available for most of the agents to permit satisfactory analyses of their thermoregulatory actions. A suitable theoretical scheme of body temperature regulation contains the elements of three basic forms of control-systems design— namely, on-off, proportional, and rate control types. Integral control is apparently not consistent with what is known about physiologic regulation at a fixed setpoint. However, the possibility that integral control may operate during shifts in the setpoint should not be discounted. Discussion of temperature control processes demands the consideration of their functional relationship to other life-sustaining processes. Most intriguing is the fact that the thermoregulatory machinery—central and peripheral—is also variously used for circulatory, respiratory, alimentary, and locomotor functions. Yet the adjustment of a system does not compromise control of the others. On the other hand, disturbance of a system is not without its consequences upon the others. It is these very consequences that can give insight into the physiologic complexities of the vital processes and provide clues to the actions of drugs that influence those processes.
Rotational structure of highly deformed 99Y: Decay of 99Sr.

The level structure of the N=60 isotone $^{99}\mathrm{Y}$ has been studied via the decay of $^{99}\mathrm{Sr}$. \ensuremath{\gamma} singles and \ensuremath{\gamma}-\ensuremath{\gamma} coincidence measurements have resulted in 71 \ensuremath{\gamma} transitions placed in a decay scheme with 26 levels. \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray multiscaling measurements give a $^{99}\mathrm{Sr}$ half-life of 270\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10 ms. Five rotational bands, including the previously identified K=(5/2) ground-state band, have been identified in $^{99}\mathrm{Y}$. Nilsson orbitals, with bandhead energies in keV in parentheses, associated with these five bands are (5/2)[422] (0), (5/2)[303] (487), (3/2)[301] (536), (1/2) [431] (1011), and (3/2)[431] (1119). The rotational features are consistent with an axially symmetric deformation in the range 0.3 to 0.4. The characteristics of these bands and their associated \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray transitions are discussed.
Advanced Life Cycle Cost Modeling

Abstract Systems for future civilian and military space missions on a national or international basis will be selected with life cycle cost (LCC) as a primary evaluation criterion. It reflects the current realization that only systems which are considered affordable will be built in the future due to the constraints in national budgets. This environment calls for innovative cost modeling techniques which have more precise prediction capabilities than current ones, can account for greater variations in design, management, fabrication and operation methods, and are particularly suited for cost benefit analyses. Most of the existing estimating methods either require detailed design and fabrication definitions for bottoms-up costing, or relate cost to physical concept characteristics, e.g., weight and estimated complexity. Heavy emphasis is given to the use of suitably modified historical data for reasons of easy validation. The historical data, however, often come from systems designed for different applicat...
Studies on the Specificity and Mechanism of Action of Hepatic Glutathione-Insulin Transhydrogenase

Studies on the specificity and mechanism of action of hepatic glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase, an enzyme capable of catalyzing the reductive cleavage of the disulfide bonds of insulin in the presence of excess reduced glutathione, have been carried out. By coupling reactions catalyzed by glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase to that of glutathione reductase, it was indicated that during the course of enzyme action, transhydrogenase undergoes reduction by GSH and that the reduced enzyme is autoxidizable; it is inferred that this reduced form is an active intermediate during transhydrogenase-catalyzed reductions of disulfide-substrates. Under conditions of limited spontaneous air oxidation of protein sulfhydryls, transhydrogenase was shown to promote also the net oxidation of such thiols as the reduced forms of insulin and RNase. During the process of reoxidation of reduced forms of insulin and RNase, glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase was capable of enhancing the rates of regeneration of the native proteins from their reduced precursors as determined by their immunologic and enzymic properties, respectively. Furthermore, this transhydrogenase was able to promote the reconstitution of the native activity from a reduced form of RNase already extensively oxidized by dehydroascorbate. Contrary to previous indications, glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase was found to have no observable activity in specifically directing the preferential re-establishment of the native configuration of insulin. On the basis of evidence presented in this study, a mechanism involving a series of disulfide-interchange reactions has been proposed to explain the aforementioned reactions catalyzed by glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase. The possible relationship or identity of the transhydrogenase to other insulin-reducing and RNase-reactivating enzymes is pointed out. In substrate specificity studies on a number of chemically modified and proteolytically degraded forms of insulin, it was found that neither biological activity nor native structure is prerequisite for activity as substrate for glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase-catalyzed reduction.
The extracardiac Fontan procedure.

The extracardiac modification of the Fontan procedure for complex single ventricle congenital cardiac disease is the latest attempt at improving on both the short-term and long-term results of this operation. This procedure differs from other modifications in that the inferior vena cava is detached from the heart and connected via a conduit to the pulmonary artery. It uses the fluid dynamic advantages of the cavopulmonary connection type of Fontan procedure but has other potential advantages as well. It is not necessary to cross-clamp the aorta to perform this procedure. Although quite a bit of prosthetic material is necessary to make the appropriate connections, none of this is exposed to the systemic circulation. Atrial flutter, a common early and late complication of other modifications of the Fontan procedure, appears to be less common with the extracardiac technique. The major disadvantages of this modification are the greater exposure of the venous pathway to potentially thrombogenic surfaces and the larger amount of prosthetic material involved in constructing the connection of the inferior vena cava to the pulmonary artery. Although the intermediate-term results with this procedure have been very favorable, issues that remain unresolved include the growth potential of the pathway, risk of late obstruction, and risk of atrial arrhythmias occurring late.
Distribution of neuraminidase and n-acetylneuraminate lyase activities among corynebacteria, mycobacteria, and nocardias.

In Corynebacterium diphtheriae and closely related neuraminidase-producing corynebacteria, we have found an N-acetylneuraminate (NAN) lyase activity which cleaves NAN into N-acetyl-d-mannosamine and, presumably, pyruvate. In vitro, these lyases can be shown to synthesize NAN. A survey of representative corynebacteria, “plant pathogenic corynebacteria,” mycobacteria, and nocardias revealed that only those corynebacteria closely related to C. diphtheriae exhibited both neuraminidase and NAN lyase activities.
Effects of Plasmalemmal V-ATPase Activity on Plasma Membrane Potential of Resident Alveolar Macrophages

The acid-base status and functional responses of alveolar macrophages (mφ) are influenced by the activity of plasmalemmal V-type H+-pump (V-ATPase), an electrogenic H+ extruder that provides a possible link between intracellular pH (pHi) and plasma membrane potential (Em). This study examined the relationships among Em, pHi, and plasmalemmal V-ATPase activity in resident alveolar mφ from rabbits. Em and pHi were measured using fluorescent probes. Em was −46 mV and pHi was 7.14 at an extracellular pH (pHo) of 7.4. The pHi declined progressively at lower pHo values. Decrements in pHo also caused depolarization of the plasma membrane, independent of V-ATPase activity. The pH effects on Em were sensitive to external K+, and hence, probably involved pH-sensitive K+ conductance. H+ were not distributed at equilibrium across the plasma membrane. V-ATPase activity was a major determinant of the transmembrane H+ disequilibrium. Pump inhibition with bafilomycin A1 caused cytosolic acidification, due most likely to the retention of metabolically generated H+. V-ATPase inhibition also caused depolarization of the plasma membrane, but the effects were mediated indirectly via the accompanying pHi changes. V-ATPase activity was sensitive to Em. Em hyperpolarization (valinomycin-clamp) reduced V-ATPase activity, causing an acidic shift in baseline pHi under steady-state conditions and slowing pHi recovery from NH4Cl prepulse acid-loads. The findings indicate that a complex relationship exists among Em, pHi, and pHo that was partially mediated by plasmalemmal V-ATPase activity. This relationship could have important consequences for the expression of pH- and/or voltage-sensitive functions in alveolar mφ.
Immigrating, Assimilating, Cashing in? Analyzing Property Values in Suburbs of Immigrant Gateways

Assets like properties determine opportunities. Many immigrants have begun to bypass cities and move straight to suburbs. Until the recent house price crash, suburbs had been perceived as locations where appreciation rates were high, but this perception might no longer hold true. Not many studies have focused on suburban house prices with regard to race, ethnicity, and nativity. This study fills the gap in terms of nativity. This study uses data from the 2000 US Census and the 2005–2009 American Community Survey to perform regression analyses to analyze immigrant gateways as delineated by Singer (2008) with regard to median values of owner-occupied housing units and the factors that influence median values, while also differentiating between inner cities and suburbs. Results show that there are differences in terms of values and appreciation rates among suburbs of immigrant gateways, indicating different economic integration patterns.
Long-term low-dose glucocorticoid therapy associated with remission of overt renal tubular acidosis in Sjögren's syndrome

Renal tubular acidosis and focal interstitial inflammatory cell infiltrate secondary to Sjogren's syndrome remitted with low-dose glucocorticoid therapy over five and one half years in a patient with associated mild systemic lupus erythematosus. Such response has not been previously documented. This observation may have therapeutic applications for renal tubular acidosis associated with Sjogren's syndrome that deserve further investigation.
Enzyme catalyzed biochemical production in a polydimethylsiloxane microreactor

Study of an aqueous-phase reaction in an enzyme- catalyzedpolydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microreactor is underway. In the present work, urease - an enzyme that catalyzes urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide has been immobilized within open microchannels of 450 micrometers (micrometers ) in diameter or less. Microchannels are templated within PDMS. Preliminary results demonstrate the proof of concept for conversion biochemicals via a PDMS-based microreactor system.
Radiation risk to dialysis patients.

To the Editor: We read with interest the article of Kinsella et al.,1 who report that diagnostic X-ray could cause as much as a 7% increase of cancer-related mortality in long-term dialysis patients. We have considered some of the same data, and we reach a more benign conclusion.
Effects of Surface Flats on the Performance of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft

T HE characterization of the aerodynamic performance of airfoils has been the subject of focused study since the 1910s. An implicitly assumed requirement is that the model fidelity (experimental or computational) is such that it is an exact rendering of the proposed full-scale flight article. In many instances, however, the actual wing profile may not be representative of its design. Generally, this becomes a greater issue as the size and dimensions of the vehicle reduce. With the proliferation of small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles, such concerns have increased in relevance. Wing geometry deviationsmay be due to damage, poor assembly, or simplified structure and design. This is commonly seen in radio-controlled (R/C) aircraft. Weight and cost considerations result in aircraft composed largely of balsa and plywood with aMonoKote skin covering. Generally, the wing skin is not supported between the ribs or the leadingand trailing-edge spars. This naturally results in flats when the skin is attached and stressed. As a result, the airfoil design and that actually implemented on the aircraft may be significantly different. Although wing/airfoil contour issues or alterations due to effects such as battle damage [1,2] have been investigated, little information appears available on a systematic study of contour effects thatmay result fromR/C modeling techniques. Consequently, a low-speed wind-tunnel investigation has been undertaken to quantify the effect of surface flats on the behavior of a Clark-Y airfoil. Data presented include surface pressure, wake survey, integral lift and drag coefficients, and surface flow visualization.
Interaction of Saturn's magnetosphere and its moons: 2. Shape of the Enceladus plume

[1] The Saturnian moons in the inner magnetosphere are immersed in a plasma disk that rotates much faster than the moon's Keplerian speed. The interaction of the rotating plasma with the moons results in a disturbance in the Saturnian magnetospheric plasma that depends on the nature of obstacle that the moon represents. In particular at Enceladus, such perturbations in the magnetic field and flowing plasma enable us to infer the 3-D shape of the Enceladus plume and its outgassing rate. In this paper, we apply our 3-D magnetohydrodynamic model to extensively study the effects of different plume and disk plasma conditions on the interaction. By finding the best agreement with the observations of two diagnostic flybys, one with its point of closest approach on the upstream side and the other on the downstream side, we determine the plume intensity and configuration. We find that mass loading in the plume is less efficient close to the surface of the moon, where the neutral density is the highest. For E2 and E5, the opening angle of the plume is about 20°, and the plume is tilted toward the corotating direction. The upstream density has a significant effect on the mass loading rate, while its effect on the magnitude of the magnetic perturbation is less significant. An upstream velocity component in the Saturn direction helps to explain the observed magnetic perturbation in the By component and signals the need to consider Enceladus's effect on the global plasma circulation in addition to the local effect. Quantitative comparisons of the simulated and observed interaction are provided.
Radiology Resident Dictation Instruction: Effectiveness of the Didactic Lecture

Purpose The study's purpose was to determine the effectiveness of a didactic lecture for teaching and evaluating radiology resident dictation skills. Methods A 23-question test was created to assess resident knowledge of the American College of Radiology practice guidelines for reporting and our institution-specific requirements for communication of diagnostic imaging results. The test was administered to 23 residents before and after a 40-minute didactic lecture covering the structure of radiology reports and requirements for communication of imaging findings. The pre- and postlecture tests were graded on the basis of the number of correct answers. Data were analyzed using the mixed linear model for repeated measures and the Holm test for group comparisons. Results Mean pre- and postlecture test scores were 74.6% ± 2.73% and 94.6% ± 5.94% for postgraduate year (PGY) 2, 88.1% ± 5.55% and 95.6% ± 4.50% for PGY 3, 94.8% ± 2.5% and 100% ± 0% for PGY 4, and 96.8% ± 1.79% and 98.4% ± 2.19% for PGY 5, respectively. The increase of pre- to postlecture test scores was statistically significant for PGY 2, PGY 3, and PGY 4 residents ( P Conclusion Test scores for PGY 2 to PGY 4 residents significantly increased after didactic instruction on the reporting and communication of diagnostic imaging results. These findings suggest that a lecture and test format can be used to teach and assess radiology resident reporting and communication skills.
NEW METALLOPORPHYRINS, THORIUM AND YTTRIUM COMPLEXES OF TETRAPHENYLPORPHIN

meso-Tetraphenyl-porphyrin (I) reagiert mit den Acetylacetonaten von Thorium(IV) und Yttrium(III) zu den entsprechenden Komplexen (II) bzw. (III).
Immunolocalization of γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid-Containing Proteins in Developing Molar Tooth Germs of the Rat

Abstract The localization of dentin γ'-carboxyglutamic acid containing proteins (DGP's) was examined in rat molar tooth germs at various stages of development by immunostaining with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Odontoblasts and their processes stained positive, whereas all other cells were negative. No staining was found in predentin. Dentin stained only after a mild demineralization. The results support the concept that DGP's are deposited by odontoblasts directly into the mineralizing dentin.
Laser flash photolysis study of methanol addition to the C60 radical cation

Stable alcohol adducts of buckminsterfullerene (C60) can be created via addition to C60 radical cations. The radical cations were generated by photosensitized electron transfer from C60 in a solution of N-methylacridinium hexafluorophosphate and biphenyl. Growth and decay of the C60 radical cation population was monitored by transient absorption spectroscopy at 980 nm. The lifetime of the transient decreases in the presence of methanol, supporting trapping of the radical cation.
Experimental Investigation of Free Stream Turbulence Effects on Flow Separation

An experimental investigation of a separated boundary layer flow has been attempted which has been created by perturbing a flat plate flow with a favorable pressure gradient immediately followed by an adverse pressure gradient. The aim of the research program is possible control of flow separation by means of free stream turbulence. The flow is configured in a large-scale low speed wind tunnel where measurements of turbulence can be obtained with high spatial and temporal resolution. A model has been designed by using CFD analysis. Mean wall pressure and vorticity flux measurements are reported in this paper. Twelve experiments with three different mesh size grids at three different Reynolds numbers have been carried out. Three bulk flow parameters seem to characterize the flow: The Reynolds number of the boundary layer, Re+ , the Reynolds number of the flow through the grid, ReM , and the solidity of the grid. It was found that the pressure coefficient depends weakly on the solidity of the grids. Vorticity flux also depends on the grid used to generate free stream turbulence. The location of maximum or minimum vorticity flux moves upstream at higher ReM .Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Effects of chlordecone exposure on brain neurotransmitters: Possible involvement of the serotonin system in chlordecone-elicited tremor

The purpose of this study was to correlate the chlordecone-elicited tremor activity with alterations of brain neurotransmitters. A single injection of chlordecone (80 mg/kg, ip) significantly increased the brain levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) but did not affect the concentrations of dopamine, dihydroxphenylacetic acid, aspartate, taurine, glutamate, glycine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). There was a dose- and time-related correlation between the increases in striatal 5-HIAA levels and tremor after chlordecone treatment. A subsequent study with pargyline indicated that the increase in striatal 5-HIAA level represented an increase in the turnover of serotonin. This study plus the previous finding that pizotifen (BC-105), a serotonin receptor blocker, attenuated chlordecone-elicited tremor strongly suggests a possible involvement of the serotonin system in mediating the tremor elicited by this insecticide.
Asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimate in Markov processes

In this note the asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimate in a Markov process is established. The underlying process is assumed to be stationary and also to satisfy certain additional regularity conditions. The assumptions which are used herein are slightly different from those usually found in the literature and are less restrictive.
Neuropsychology and the self-concept.

The biological basis of the self is discussed in relation to neuropsychological findings in cases with focal brain injury. This material demonstrates that the self is deposited at an early phase in the process of object realization and distributes into the private space of imagery and the external space of object perception. A disruption or truncation of this process results in an erosion of the self that is similar across the different perceptual modalities. From the pattern of pathological breakdown, it is concluded that the self is a categorical, relational entity that achieves autonomy in the context of an act of cognition that is fully derived, i.e., actualizes completely. The autonomy depends on the completeness of this derivation. The preliminary locus of the self in the mental state entails a holistic or multimodal phase of potential before perceptual individuation. The relation of the self-concept to antecedent phases in the microgenesis of a cognition, the relation to feeling, personal history, and the immediate past, points to a limbic transition in the outward development of the mental state.
Effect of cation exchange on surfactant-enhanced solubilization of trichloroethene

The objective of this study was to develop the single-well push-pull test as a diagnostic tool for assessing the potential for cation exchange to adversely affect the phase behavior of sodium . dihexyl sulfosuccinate surfactant Aerosol MA 80-I and its solubilization of trichloroethene .TCE in the subsurface. Laboratory push-pull tests were conducted on a model natural aquifer sediment collected from a TCE-contaminated field site and a test solution consisting of 36,800 . . mgrl 3.7 wt.% sulfosuccinate, 100,000 mgrl 10 wt.% isopropanol, and 3200 mgrl 0.32 . wt.% KBr. Laboratory experiments were designed to simulate conditions occurring during single-well, Apush -pullB tests. In batch experiments conducted in the presence of excess TCE, the test solution gave a Winsor Type I system with an enhanced aqueous TCE solubility of 26,700 mgrl and a solution density of 1.000 grcm 3 . The sulfosuccinate surfactant was transported conservatively in sediment packs containing no TCE. However, increasing concentrations of Ca 2q and Mg 2q resulting from cation exchange caused the TCE solubilization potential of the injected surfactant to exceed values predicted from the solubilization isotherm. Sulfosuccinate surfactant transport was strongly retarded in sediment packs containing 5 vol.% residual TCE because cation exchange resulted in the formation of a Winsor Type II system, which resulted in the partitioning of the sulfosuccinate surfactant into the residual TCE phase. Conservative sulfosuccinate transport was observed in a separate sediment pack containing 5 vol.% residual TCE when a 130 meqrl Na q pre-flush was used to reduce quantities of Ca 2q and Mg 2q in the sediment pack prior to
Helping hypertensive clients help themselves: the nurse's role.

Abstract Nurses have an important role in helping hypertensive clients accept, understand, and adhere to a therapeutic plan of self-care. This paper examines the nurse's role in helping hypertensive clients help themselves. Strategies include developing a therapeutic relationship, guiding, supporting, and teaching. The nurse can enhance the client-provider relationship by establishing a good rapport, being nonjudgmental, individualizing care, treating the whole person, and creating an effective clinic structure.