cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of continuous positive airway pressure treatment on the recurrence of atrial fibrillation post cardioversion: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Observational data suggest that positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can reduce the risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) post-direct current cardioversion (DCCV) or catheter ablation. Methods We conducted a study of adult patients with AF and sleep apnea, stratified by age and gender, who underwent successful DCCV to sinus rhythm, and who were randomized to receive PAP or usual care. Those with sleepiness, significant cardiac or respiratory disease were excluded. Patients were followed for ≤1 year. Primary outcome assessed was time to AF recurrence. Secondary outcomes included sleepiness and quality of life measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Functional Outcome of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ) respectively. Results Of 1757 patients that were screened, 34 underwent polysomnography for this study, 25 of whom had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >5/h. Twelve were randomized to PAP therapy and 13 to usual care. All eligible patients were found to have OSA. There were no differences in body mass index, blood pressure, ejection fraction, AHI, or nocturnal oxygen parameters between intervention and control groups (all p > 0.05). AF recurred in 25% of patients in the PAP and control groups, at 129.0 ± 166.5 versus 109.3 ± 73.2 days respectively, p = 0.98; there were no differences in ESS (5.8 ± 2.6 versus 5.7 ± 2.3; p = 0.17) or FOSQ (18.3 ± 1.5 versus 17.5 ± 1.9; p = 0.26) at follow-up. Conclusions This is the first randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of treatment of OSA on recurrence of AF post-DCCV, and did not detect a difference between those treated with PAP versus usual care. Clinical trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov , identifier number: NCT00263757 .
Congressional Processes and Public Approval of New Laws

Does how Congress makes a law affect public approval of that law? This question has been little studied, but the rising use of unorthodox processes in Congress raises concerns about the perceived l...
Development of Grade II Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease Is Associated with Improved Survival after Myeloablative HLA-Matched Bone Marrow Transplantation using Single-Agent Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide.

Abstract Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) can be used as the sole immunosuppression after myeloablative conditioning (MAC) for HLA-matched bone marrow transplantation (BMT). However, the effects of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with this platform are undefined. We retrospectively analyzed 298 consecutive adult patients with hematologic malignancies who engrafted after MAC HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD; n = 187) or HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD; n = 111) T-cell–replete BMT with PTCy 50 mg/kg on days +3 and +4. After MSD and MUD BMT, 35% and 57% of patients, respectively, developed grade II acute GVHD (aGVHD) by 100 days, 11% and 14% grade III to IV aGVHD by 100 days, and 9% and 16% chronic GVHD (cGVHD) by 1 year. In landmark analyses at 100 days after HLA-matched BMT, 4-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 57% (95% confidence interval [CI], .49 to .67) and 40% (95% CI, .31 to .51) in patients without grades II to IV aGVHD, and 68% (95% CI, .59 to .78) and 54% (95% CI, .44 to .65) in patients with grade II aGVHD. In adjusted time-dependent multivariable analyses, grade II aGVHD was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio, .58; 95% CI, .37 to .89; P = .01) and PFS (hazard ratio, .50; 95% CI, .34 to .74; P
Preliminary Validation of a Cable-Driven Powered Ankle–Foot Orthosis With Dual Actuation Mode

Motor weakness at the ankle joint is a major contributor to locomotor deficits in stroke, as the ankle provides the largest propulsive moment during walking, compared to the knee and the hip joints. In this paper, a novel lightweight powered ankle–foot orthosis (AFO), named Stevens ankle–foot electromechanical (SAFE) orthosis, is presented and evaluated. The prominent feature of the SAFE orthosis relies on its two alternative actuation modes (AMs): 1) fully active and 2) semi-active. The former mode utilizes two BLDC motors to provide ankle plantar- and dorsi-flexion torques, whereas the latter replaces the motor on the dorsiflexion side with a set of linear springs. This design allows direct investigation of how the introduction of a passive antagonistic element may affect the performance of a powered AFOs. Experimental results from both bench-top tests and human walking tests indicate that the performance of the two AMs are comparable in terms of device transparency and torque tracking. Implications of these results for the design of future powered AFOs are discussed in this paper.
Sodium salicylate alters temporal integration measured through increasing stimulus presentation rates.

Objective: High doses of sodium salicylate (SS) are known to induce tinnitus, general hyperexcitability in the central auditory system, and to cause mild hearing loss. We used the auditory brainste...
Engineering a microbial biosynthesis platform for de novo production of tropane alkaloids.

Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are a class of phytochemicals produced by plants of the nightshade family used for treating diverse neurological disorders. Here, we demonstrate de novo production of tropine, a key intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of medicinal TAs such as scopolamine, from simple carbon and nitrogen sources in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Our engineered strain incorporates 15 additional genes, including 11 derived from diverse plants and bacteria, and 7 disruptions to yeast regulatory or biosynthetic proteins to produce tropine at titers of 6 mg/L. We also demonstrate the utility of our engineered yeast platform for the discovery of TA derivatives by combining biosynthetic modules from distant plant lineages to achieve de novo production of cinnamoyltropine, a non-canonical TA. Our engineered strain constitutes a starting point for future optimization efforts towards realizing industrial fermentation of medicinal TAs and a platform for the synthesis of TA derivatives with enhanced bioactivities. Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are a group of phytochemicals that are used to treat neurological disorders. Here, the authors engineer baker’s yeast to produce tropine, a key intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of TAs, and cinnamoyltropine, a non-canonical TA, from simple carbon and nitrogen sources.
Gibson, Katie L. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Legacy of Dissent: Feminist Rhetoric and the Law. Tuscaloosa, AL: The University of Alabama Press, 2018. 184 pp. $44.95 (hardcover: 978-0-8173-1978-6; ebook: 978-0-8173-9175-1).

Katie L. Gibson’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Legacy of Dissent: Feminist Rhetoric and the Law is centrally concerned with how Ginsburg contests the Supreme Court’s habitual patriarchal bias by shifting ...
Sharpening methods for low-contrast images based on nonlocal differences

RESUMEN: Varios fenomenos, tales como el ruido cuantico y la dispersion, existentes en el proceso de obtencion de imagenes con rayos X industriales, asi como la complejidad estructural de la pieza radiografiada, pueden dar como resultado imagenes de rayos X industriales borrosas y de bajo contraste, lo que origina dificultades en el analisis de las imagenes de rayos X. Este estudio propuso un algoritmo mejorado de ajuste adaptativo para aumentar el contraste y la calidad de estas imagenes de rayos X. Se establecio una relacion de caracteristicas no locales entre los pixeles de la imagen y el entorno por medio de un modelo de filtrado no local basado en el modelo de medicion del indice de similitud estructural (SSIM). Se calculo la semejanza estructural de los pixeles basados en bloque en el area de la ventana de busqueda. El peso mejorado se combino con el enfoque de la imagen resultando una gran mejora. La capacidad del algoritmo para conservar los bordes se verifico mediante pruebas de imagen. Finalmente, el algoritmo propuesto contribuyo a mejorar la calidad del contraste de las imagenes mediante experimentos de simulacion. Los resultados demuestran que las caracteristicas en diferencias no locales basadas en zonas anexas reflejan ricos detalles de las imagenes. Las imagenes de rayos X, de mayor nitidez con el algoritmo propuesto se caracterizan por sus excelentes efectos visuales y sus ricos detalles, con valores de entropia de informacion (IE) de 2,1464, 4,2453 y 3,7283 y similitudes estructurales de 0,9521, 0,9238 y 0,9534. Los pesos calculados por el SSIM indican que existe una gran similitud estructural entre la imagen nitida y la original. Las imagenes procesadas por el algoritmo de contrastado basado en diferencias no locales presentan detalles valiosos, a la vez que mantienen eficazmente los valores de los parametros objetivos. Este estudio proporciona referencias para mejorar la calidad de las imagenes de bajo contraste. Palabras clave: no local, SSIM (medida del indice de similitud estructural), nitidez, bajo contraste.
Multiplicative controllability of the reaction-diffusion equation on a parallelepiped with finitely many zero hyperplanes

We study the global approximate controllability of the reaction-diffusion equation in a parallelpiped $ \Omega = (a_1,b_1 ) \times \ldots (a_n,b_n) \subset R^n $, governed by a multiplicative control in a reaction term. It is assumed that the initial state $ u_0 $ admits zeros only on the intersections of $ \Omega$ with finitely many hyperplanes, parallel to the sides of $ \Omega$, and that $ u_0$ changes its sign after crossing such hyperplanes (we further refer to them as the "hyperplanes of change of sign" or "zero hyperplanes"). This paper can be viewed as a continuation of work presented in \cite{CanKh, CanKh2} for the controllability of the one dimensional reaction-diffusion equation with solutions admitting finitely many zeros. However, the methods of \cite{CanKh, CanKh2} are intrinsically one dimensional, while in this paper we introduce a novel approach to deal with the case of multiple spatial variables.
Decentralized dynamic functional network connectivity: State analysis in collaborative settings

As neuroimaging data increase in complexity and related analytical problems follow suite, more researchers are drawn to collaborative frameworks that leverage data sets from multiple data-collection sites to balance out the complexity with an increased sample size. Although centralized data-collection approaches have dominated the collaborative scene, a number of decentralized approaches-those that avoid gathering data at a shared central store-have grown in popularity. We expect the prevalence of decentralized approaches to continue as privacy risks and communication overhead become increasingly important for researchers. In this article, we develop, implement and evaluate a decentralized version of one such widely used tool: dynamic functional network connectivity. Our resulting algorithm, decentralized dynamic functional network connectivity (ddFNC), synthesizes a new, decentralized group independent component analysis algorithm (dgICA) with algorithms for decentralized k-means clustering. We compare both individual decentralized components and the full resulting decentralized analysis pipeline against centralized counterparts on the same data, and show that both provide comparable performance. Additionally, we perform several experiments which evaluate the communication overhead and convergence behavior of various decentralization strategies and decentralized clustering algorithms. Our analysis indicates that ddFNC is a fine candidate for facilitating decentralized collaboration between neuroimaging researchers, and stands ready for the inclusion of privacy-enabling modifications, such as differential privacy.
Reply to Özdemir, "Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine and COVID-19 Relationship"

First, we thank Dr. Ozdemir for having enough interest in our paper (1) to submit the Letter to the Editor. As an Opinion/Hypothesis paper, the very nature of the publication is to spark debate or counterarguments. Our recently funded clinical trial (Parsemus Foundation and Fast Grant, Emergent Ventures at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University) and primate studies (Fast Grant) are still in preliminary stages; therefore, we do not yet have data and associated statistical analyses to support the hypothesis that can be used to fully respond to the points made by Dr. Ozdemir. Since our publication, however, additional anecdotal/circumstantial evidence supporting the hypothesis has accumulated with very little negative evidence. This includes information passed on to us by individuals with personal experiences or knowledge otherwise (i.e., military information, refugee camps, countries with recent measles-mumps-rubella [MMR] vaccination campaigns for adults) or via prepublications. But to address the specific points made, we offer the following. Our opinion manuscript was not intended …
Mobile health assessments of geriatric elements in older patients with atrial fibrillation: The Mobile SAGE-AF Study (M-SAGE)

Background Geriatric conditions (eg, cognitive impairment, frailty) are increasingly recognized for their impact on clinical and quality-of-life outcomes in older patients with cardiovascular disease, but are not systematically assessed in the context of clinical visits owing to time constraints. Objective To examine feasibility of remote monitoring of the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial status of older adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) via a novel smartphone app over 6 months. Methods Forty participants with AF and eligible for anticoagulation therapy (CHA2DS2VASc ≥2) enrolled in an ongoing cohort study participated in a mobile health pilot study. A 6-component geriatric assessment, including validated measures of frailty, cognitive function, social support, depressive symptoms, vision, and hearing, was deployed via a smartphone app and 6-minute walk test was completed using a Fitbit. Adherence to mobile assessments was examined over 6 months. Results Participants were an average of 71 years old (range 65–86 years) and 38% were women. At 1 month, 75% (30/40) of participants completed the app-based geriatric assessment and 63% (25/40) completed the 6-minute walk test. At 6 months, 52% (15/29) completed the geriatric assessment and 28% (8/29) completed the walk test. There were no differences in demographic, clinical, or psychosocial factors between participants who completed the surveys at 6 months and those who did not. Participants, on average, required less than 10 minutes of telephone support over the 6-month period. Conclusion It is feasible, among smartphone users, to use a mobile health app and wearable activity monitor to conduct serial geriatric assessments in older patients with AF for up to 6 months.
Elucidating the radiation chemistry of prototypical tin-oxo resist with first-principles computations

Metal-organic systems have shown great promise as EUV resists. They have demonstrated good sensitivity and etch resistance while maintaining high resolution and low line edge roughness, making them a potential pathway to modify the tradeoff between resolution, line edge roughness, and sensitivity common to organic chemically amplified resists. In particular, tin-based systems have attracted significant interest and the two known families of fab-ready metal organic resist are based on organotin compounds. Part of this interest derives from the high EUV absorption cross-section of tin, but an equally important driver is the unique chemistry of the element, which affords a multiplicity of coordination environments and a tin-carbon bond stable with respect to hydrolysis, yet sensitive to cleavage by ionizing radiation. Realizing the patterning potential promised by these empirical properties will require a better understanding of the fundamental chemistry behind them, and has already motived several academic and industrial investigations. In this contribution we continue our previous work to develop a deeper understanding of tin-carbon bond chemistry with quantum chemistry using the well-known Sn12 “football” cluster archetype. We demonstrate the consistency between our computations and experimental data. And then we move on to explore a more detailed description of ionization and electron attachment induced chemistry. Investigations of electronic structure would shed light on what chemical reactions can happen subsequently.
An evaluation of the safety and preliminary efficacy of peri‐ and post‐ operative treprostinil in preventing ischemia and reperfusion injury in adult orthotopic liver transplant recipients

Background Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only treatment option for various end-stage liver diseases. Ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury is one of the unavoidable complications/conditions in OLT. In 2019, a total of 8896 livers were transplanted of which >94% organs were procured from deceased donors. An increase in the use of extended criteria donor (ECD) livers for transplantation further unraveled the role of hepatic I/R injury on short-term and long-term graft outcomes. Despite promising outcomes with the use of antioxidants, free radical scavengers, and vasodilators; I/R-mediated liver injury persists and significantly influences the overall clinical outcomes. Treprostinil, a synthetic prostacyclin I2 (PGI2 ) analog, due to its vasodilatory property, antiplatelet activity, and its ability to downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines can potentially minimize I/R injury. Aim We investigated the safety and preliminary efficacy of continuous intravenous infusion of treprostinil in liver transplant recipients in a prospective, single-center, non-randomized, interventional study. Material and methods This was a dose escalation (3 + 3 design) phase 1/2 study. Deceased donor liver transplant recipients received 5 ng/kg/min for two days, or 2.5, 5, and 7.5 ng/min/kg for 5 days as a continuous infusion. Multiple blood samples were collected for biochemical parameter assessment and for measuring treprostinil levels. Indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate was used as a measure of hepatic functional capacity. Results Subjects tolerated continuous infusion of treprostinil up to 5 ng/kg/min for 120 h with no occurrence of primary graft non-function (PNF), minimized need for ventilation support, reduced hospitalization time, 100% graft and patient survival, and improved hepatobiliary excretory function comparable to normal healthy adults. Discussion Treprostinil can be administered to liver transplant patients safely during the perioperative period. Conclusion Based on this phase 1/2 study, further efficacy studies of treprostinil in preventing I/R injury of liver should be conducted to potentially increase the number of livers available for transplantation.
Spine surgery complexity score predicts outcomes in 671 consecutive spine surgery patients.

Background The spine surgery complexity score (SSCS), previously reported by us, is a simple grading system to predict postoperative complications and hospital length of stay (LOS). This scale is based on the technical difficulty of the spinal procedures being performed. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review to validate SSCS in 671 consecutive patients undergoing spine procedures at a quaternary academic hospital. Results The SSCS was predictive of the hospital LOS and postoperative complications (defined by the ClavienDindo score), based on linear regression analysis (P < 0.001 for both). Conclusion Categorizing procedures according to the SSCS may enable neurosurgeons to assess surgical risk and predict longer LOS courses after spine surgery. Thus, it may prove useful in preoperative patient evaluation/ education and determining a prognosis based on surgical complexity.
Does Eligibility Classification Matter? Tracking Cardiac Autonomic Function during a Collegiate Soccer Season

The current study examined differences in heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) across student-athlete eligibility classifications within a men's soccer team. The study also aimed to identify any differences in HRV while competing at home or away. Data collection covered an entire collegiate season, commencing in the preseason and concluding upon elimination from the NCAA Soccer tournament. Comparisons of HR and HRV, paired with self-reported subjective measures, were documented between student-athlete eligibility classifications, home versus away games, and based on soccer position (forward, midfielder, defender, goalkeeper). HR and HRV were similar based on student-athlete eligibility. Heart rate exhibited a small, but statistically significant decrease (β = -1.7 bpm (95% CI: -2.9, 0.57), p = 0.003) for the away games relative to home. HRV showed a statistically significant increase in the away game setting (β = 2.1 (95% CI: 0.78, 3.38), p = 0.002). No difference in HRV was observed across eligibility classification. This lack of difference may be attributed to a different perception of stress amongst male athletes. Athletes also exhibited a reduced HRV at home, likely as an indication of their readiness to compete paired with an increased self-confidence, given there was no difference in any subjective measures of mood or stress or between games played away or at home.
Teaching Time-Inconsistency Consistently

This paper places Kydland and Prescott's classic analysis of time inconsistency in a fuller context by examining their result in five different economic environments. Pedagogically, the paper uses ...
Quasicontinuous refractive index tailoring of SiNx and SiOxNy for broadband antireflective coatings

A broadband antireflective coating for silicon was fabricated by tailoring the compositions of SiNx and SiOxNy during conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The coating’s refractive index was quasicontinuously graded, e.g., from 3.22 to 1.44 at 1550 nm. Over the 280–3300 nm wavelength range, the reflectance was below 8% peak and 4.3% average. The deposited stack was composed of dense dielectric materials. This enables patterning and processing into robust devices after coating deposition. Using single layer ellipsometry data, the transfer matrix method was applied to predict the multilayer coating’s reflectance spectra. The results showed good agreement with experimental data.
Increasing capacity of multi-cell cooperative cellular networks with nested deployment

This paper proposes a novel deployment for multi-cell cooperative cellular networks based on the two-dimensional (2D) nested co-array, and analyzes its sum-rate capacity and spectrum efficiency. The system model is based on the traditional hexagonal cellular array, in which each hexagon represents a marcocell. We take advantage of the invariance in the difference co-array so that the 2D nested array is able to calculate all elements in the covariance matrix of channel fading coefficients. Based on this premise, we demonstrate that the derivation procedure of average sum-rate capacity for the cooperative cellular networks is still valid for the nested distributed base stations (BSs) in the non-fading and Rayleigh fading channels. In numeric simulations, the derived formulas are consistent with the results from previous references. More importantly, given the same number of BSs, the proposed distribution significantly increases the sum-rate capacity of the system.
Do You See What I Am?: How Observers’ Backgrounds Affect Their Perceptions of Multiracial Faces

Although race is one of the most salient status characteristics in American society, many observers cannot distinguish the racial ancestries of multiracial youth. This paper examines how people per...
New Radiocarbon Constraints on the Upwelling of Abyssal Water to the Ocean’s Surface

The output from seven different ocean model simulations is compared on the basis of the Δ14C difference between North Pacific deep water and Antarctic surface water. This set of models produces a range of North Pacific-Antarctic Δ14C differences between -173‰ and -108‰, all but the smallest of which are substantially larger than the actual pre-bomb difference, -80 to -110‰. Predicted values are highly correlated with the quantity of mid-depth water which flows out of the Pacific to the south. A circulation in which most of the Antarctic bottom water flows back out of the basin at mid-depth produces the smallest North Pacific-Antarctic Δ14C differences, whereas a circulation in which all the inflow of bottom water upwells through the thermocline produces the largest and least realistic differences. According to the models, upwelled abyssal water becomes entrained into the wind-driven convergence of thermocline water toward the equator. When it reaches the surface it spreads to the north and south, producing a Δ14C minimum along the equator. A detailed analysis of both pre-bomb and post-bomb Δ14C data indicates that the oldest water in the tropical Pacific is actually found south of the equator and is associated with the upwelling off Peru, not the upwelling along the equator. Toggweiler et al. (1991) trace the low-Δ14C signal in the Peru upwelling to deep water raised to the surface around Antarctica which is pushed northward into the thermocline by circumpolar winds. According to the models, even a small amount of abyssal water upwelling through the thermocline (~3x106 m3·s -1) leaves a characteristic signal in the surface Δ14C distribution which is not observed. One is left with the general conclusion that there is very little upwelling associated with a top-to-bottom thermohaline circulation in the world ocean. Virtually all the upwelling of abyssal water to the ocean’s surface occurs around Antarctica where it is mainly wind-forced. The implications of this conclusion for the carbon cycle are discussed.
Orbital Branch of the Infraorbital Artery: Further Characterization of an Important Surgical Landmark

AbstractThe orbital branch of the infraorbital artery, a key vascular structure that is not universally noted in orbital textbooks and atlases, is clinically significant, since injury to it can result in perioperative hemorrhage. We conducted a cadaver dissection to document its presence, measure its location, and evaluate it histopathologically. It was present in 8 of 9 orbits and was a mean distance of 16.6 mm (range 10–23) from the inferior orbital rim. In half of the specimens, there were 2 separate structures seen. Histopathology confirmed these structures to be neurovascular bundles.
Differentially expressed genes in embryonic cardiac tissues of mice lacking Folr1 gene activity

Heart anomalies are the most frequently observed among all human congenital defects. As with the situation for neural tube defects (NTDs), it has been demonstrated that women who use multivitamins containing folic acid peri-conceptionally have a reduced risk for delivering offspring with conotruncal heart defects [1–3]. Cellular folate transport is mediated by a receptor or binding protein and by an anionic transporter protein system. Defective function of the Folr1 (also known as Folbp1; homologue of human FRα) gene in mice results in inadequate transport, accumulation, or metabolism of folate during cardiovascular morphogenesis. We have observed cardiovascular abnormalities including outflow tract and aortic arch arterial defects in genetically compromised Folr1 knockout mice. In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the failure to complete development of outflow tract and aortic arch arteries in the Folr1 knockout mouse model, we examined tissue-specific gene expression difference between Folr1 nullizygous embryos and morphologically normal heterozygous embryos during early cardiac development (14-somite stage), heart tube looping (28-somite stage), and outflow track septation (38-somite stage). Microarray analysis was performed as a primary screening, followed by investigation using quantitative real-time PCR assays. Gene ontology analysis highlighted the following ontology groups: cell migration, cell motility and localization of cells, structural constituent of cytoskeleton, cell-cell adhesion, oxidoreductase, protein folding and mRNA processing. This study provided preliminary data and suggested potential candidate genes for further description and investigation. The results suggested that Folr1 gene ablation and abnormal folate homeostasis altered gene expression in developing heart and conotruncal tissues. These changes affected normal cytoskeleton structures, cell migration and motility as well as cellular redox status, which may contribute to cardiovascular abnormalities in mouse embryos lacking Folr1 gene activity.
Acute Mania in the Setting of Severe Hypothyroidism

Although the associations between depression and hypothyroidism and between mania and hyperthyroidism are well described, mania in the setting of hypothyroidism is unusual. The authors present the case of a patient whose acute mania appears to have been precipitated by hypothyroidism secondary to postpartum thyroiditis. This case underscores the importance of thyroid screening in patients with mood and psychotic disorders, including patients who lack the classical psychiatric features of thyroid dysfunction. Further investigation is required on the nature of the relationship between thyroid function and bipolar disorder and any implications it may have for the diagnosis and treatment of this illness.
The Low-z Intergalactic Medium. II. Lyβ, O VI, and C III Forest

We present the results of a large survey of H I, O VI, and C III absorption lines in the low-redshift (z 30 m?, we calculate a typical IGM absorber size r0 ~ 400 kpc, similar to scales derived by other means. The COG-derived b-values show that H I samples material with T < 105 K, incompatible with a hot IGM phase. By calculating a grid of CLOUDY models of IGM absorbers with a range of collisional and photoionization parameters, we find it difficult to simultaneously account for the O VI and C III observations with a single phase. Instead, the observations require a multiphase IGM in which H I and C III arise in photoionized regions, while O VI is produced primarily through shocks. From the multiphase ratio N/N, we infer the IGM metallicity to be ZC = 0.12 Z?, similar to our previous estimate of ZO = 0.09 Z? from O VI.
902. Modulation of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels in Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons by an Inducible Adenoviral Vector In Vivo

Injury to the nerve or dorsal root ganglion (DRG) reduces voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel expression and increases neuronal excitability in DRG neurons. Kv channels are therefore potential targets of gene therapy for chronic pain. An adenoviral vector, containing a reporter gene encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) and a Kv gene, was delivered to the fourth lumbar (L4) DRG of adult rat by microinjection via a small catheter inserted under the epineurium of the spinal nerve 3 to 5 mm from the DRG. The in vivo expression of the transferred gene was controlled by an ecdysone analog via an ecdysone-inducible promoter in the viral vector. Three types of vectors were used. A control vector (AdEGI) contained only the GFP gene. A vector intended to reduce votage gated potassium channels (AdKv1.xDN) had a dominant-negative Kv1.3 gene that disrupted Kv1 channels. A vector to increase inwardly rectifying K current (AdKir2.1) had the human Kir2.1 gene. Sharp-electrode intracellular recordings were obtained in vivo from the ipsilateral L4 DRG neurons. As early as one day, and lasting longer than 2 weeks, injection of the control vector AdEGI produced a slight but significant decrease in force of a Von-Frey filament required to elicit withdrawal of the ipsilateral hindpaw. There was no decrease in withdrawal latency to heating the same paw. Compared with the effects of AdEGI, induction of the AdKv1.xDN produced (1) a further decrease of mechanical withdrawal threshold, and (2) increased neuronal excitability as indicated by a decreased rheobase, higher input resistance, and a wider action potential with a smaller afterhyperpolarization in GFP-labeled medium and large cell bodies of DRG neurons. Whereas induction of the AdKir2.1 produced no significant change in paw withdrawal, it did decrease neuronal excitability in GFP-labeled DRG neurons as indicated by a hyperpolarized resting potential, a higher rheobase and a lower input resistance. By applying adenoviral vectors carrying different types of potassium channel genes, we could either increase or decrease the excitability of DRG neurons, and modulate the pain-related behaviors of the animal. In order for gene therapy to treat neuropathic pain we will need to develop viral vectors that reach a greater number of hyperexcitable neurons.
TH‐E‐217BCD‐01: Contrast‐To‐Noise Ratio Is Not an Appropriate Measure of CT Image Quality When Comparing Different Iterative Reconstruction Algorithms

Purpose: Contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) is currently one of the pass/fail criteria in acceptance testing and annual quality control of CTscanners as well as for ACR accreditation. However CNR does not take into account background noise correlations. The non‐prewhitening observer model signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNRNPW) on the other hand accounts for noise correlations, and has been shown to correlate with the performance of human observers in the task of detecting low‐contrast signals in uniform backgrounds. The purpose of this work was to investigate the differences between these two performance metrics, CNR and SNRNPW. Methods:Images of the ACR CT Accreditation Phantom were acquired on a clinical 64‐slice CTscanner. First, phantom images were acquired for four different exposure values and reconstructed with the standard algorithm. Next, phantom images were acquired at one exposure and reconstructed with six additional iterative reconstruction algorithm settings available on the scanner. Slice thickness was 3mm. CNR was computed according to ACR guidelines. For the SNRNPW measurements, 10 image slices were extracted that contained the low‐contrast signals, resulting in 40 signal samples for each signal size. SNRNPW was estimated using a template‐matching technique. Results: Increasing exposure from 250mAs to 400mAs improved both CNR and SNRNPW by about 25% and 50%, respectively. However, across the seven reconstruction algorithms, CNR increased by 67%, whereas SNRNPW increased by less than 3%, for the 6‐mm, 5‐mm and 4‐mm diameter signals. Conclusions: SNRNPW and CNR exhibited similar trends when the exposure was varied. However, for different reconstruction algorithms, the observed increase in CNR was absent in for SNRNPW. This implies that low‐contrast signal visibility did not improve, and supports that CNR is not an appropriate figure‐of‐merit for evaluating dose reduction potential across different reconstruction algorithms.
Ordering transitions triggered by specific binding of vesicles to protein-decorated interfaces of thermotropic liquid crystals.

We report that specific binding of ligand-functionalized (biotinylated) phospholipid vesicles (diameter = 120 ± 19 nm) to a monolayer of proteins (streptavidin or anti-biotin antibody) adsorbed at ...
THE GENETICS OF CERATOSTOMELLA RADICICOLA AND THE PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHALAROPSIS AND CHALARA

CERATOSTOMELLA RADICICOLA, the perfect stage of Chalaropsis, is a heterothallic pyrenomycete with long-necked perithecia and hyaline single-celled ascospores. Asexual reproduction is accomplished by means of two types of conidia, the microconidia (fig. 6) produced endogenously, and the macroconidia (fig. 2, 3) borne on sympodially branched macroconidiophores. Previous studies (Bliss, 1941; El-Ani et al., 1957) have revealed the occurrence of two distinct strains on roots of the date palm, the black strain (fig. 1) producing dark macroconidia (fig. 3) and black perithecia (fig. 5b), and the brown strain (fig. 1) in which both macroconidia (fig. 2) and perithecia (fig. 5a) are brown. The ascospores are uninucleate (fig. 7), and single-ascospore cultures are hermaphroditic, selfsterile, and of two compatibility types (A and a), which must be brought together before perithecia can be produced. When black and brown strains are mated, the progeny has been found to consist of black and brown thalli in a 1:1 ratio. Thus the two strains differ genotypically from each other by black to brown has been observed in vitro. Recently two mutants (fig. 1), gray and tan, which arose spontaneously in vitro were used with the other strains for further genetic investigation, the results of which are described in the present paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Cultures of C. radicicola derived from single ascospores were grown on two media, potato-dextrose-yeast agar (2g. yeast extract/I.) on which rapid vegetative growvth at temperatures of 27-30?C. ensures morphological distinction of each strain; and Bacto prune agar (48 g./l.) used mainly for perithecial production. In crosses between two thalli, conidia suspended in distilled sterile water were transferred from one thallus to another of different compatibility. Perithecia with mature ascospores were formed within four days. Single-ascospore cultures grown on the potato-dextrose-yeast agar medium were assorted according to their morphological characters within a week. In order to determine the mating type and perithecial color of each single-ascospore culture, a small conidial inoculum was transferred from the unknown thallus to each of two tester thalli of the same perithecial color but differing in compatibility factors. Tester thalli with perithecial color presumably different from that of the tested culture were chosen. For example, if the single-ascospore a single gene. As yet, however, no mutation from
Providing Quality Palliative Care in End-Stage Alzheimer Disease:

Providing quality palliative care is a daunting task profoundly impacted by diminished patient capacity at the end of life. Alzheimer disease (AD) is a disorder that erases our memories and is projected to increase dramatically for decades to come. By the time the patients with AD reach the end stage of the disease, the ability of patients to provide pertinent subjective complaints of pain and discomfort would have vanished. Historical perspectives of palliative care, exploration of the AD process, ethical issues, and crucial clinical considerations are provided to improve the understanding of disease progression and quality of care for patients with end-stage AD.
A simplified method for the double embedding of tissue.

(1949). A Simplified Method for the Double Embedding of Tissue. Stain Technology: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 223-224.
An exact solution for unsteady duct flow due to a moving center body

Flow perturbations produced by small rigid motion of a circular cylinder in a rigid concentric circular duct containing uniform axial flow are simulated using an incompressible inviscid model of the fluid behavior. An exact solution is obtained and used to compute the force and moment on the center body. The behavior of these quantities is discussed in the context of flow induced vibrations.
A method for pulsed carbon dioxide laser treatment of epidermal nevi

From SkinCare Physicians, Chestnut Hill,a Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston,b and Department of Medicine (Dermatology), Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover.c Funding sources: Departmental research funds, SkinCare Physicians, Chestnut Hill, Mass. Conflict of interest: None. Reprint requests: Murad Alam, MD, 7515 Main, Suite 240, Houston, TX 77030. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:554-6. Copyright © 2002 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. 0190-9622/2002/$35.00 + 0 16/1/120628 doi:10.1067/mjd.2002.120628 E pidermal nevi seldom impair function or pose a substantial risk of malignant degeneration.1 Removal of these lesions is hence performed for the purpose of reducing disfigurement and alleviating discomfort. Localization to cosmetically sensitive areas, such as the head and neck or distal extremities, can be acutely embarrassing for patients. Extensive epidermal nevi can cover much of the body surface and, if present in intertriginous areas, can become tender, macerated plaques. Surgical excision, dermabrasion, cryosurgery, electrosurgery, and laser surgery have each been used to treat epidermal nevi, but no ideal treatment is yet available.2 From a technical standpoint, removal of the lesions is difficult.2-5 Superficial means of removal often result in recurrence. Aggressive approaches may be more successful but also tend to produce postoperative scarring. In particular, surgical excision always causes scar formation and thus is reserved for the smallest lesions. Dermabrasion, if superficial, is associated with a high rate of recurrence, and deep dermal dermabrasion can culminate in hypertrophic scarring. Cryosurgery has similar limitations, with the risks including slow healing, exudation, swelling, and not uncommonly, depigmented scarring. Medical treatments for epidermal nevi have also been attempted.4,5 Reportedly, corticosteroids applied under occlusion or by injection, as well as tretinoin cream applied topically, may sometimes be partially effective. Systemic retinoids may be beneficial for the treatment of widespread systematized epidermal nevi, but the requirement of life-long therapy may be inappropriate for smaller lesions.6,7 Laser treatment of epidermal nevi has been sporadically performed by a few dermatologists for 2 decades. Recent advances in laser technology have increased the ease, precision, and safety of such treatment, which we believe can now be done on a routine basis by physicians with basic laser skills. We describe a reliable and effective method for treating epidermal nevi with the pulsed carbon dioxide laser. The indications, advantages, and limitations of the technique are discussed.
Broadband Shock Noise Reduction in Turbulent Jets by Water Injection

Abstract The concept of effective jet properties introduced by the author (Kandula M. Prediction of turbulent jet mixing noise reduction by water injection. AIAA J 2008;46(11):2714–22) has been extended to the estimation of broadband shock noise reduction by water injection in supersonic jets. Comparison of the predictions with the test data for cold and hot underexpanded supersonic nozzles shows a satisfactory agreement. The results also reveal the range of water mass flow rates over which saturation of mixing noise reduction and existence of parasitic noise are manifest.
Prevalence and predictors of exposure to multiple metals in preschool children from Montevideo, Uruguay

The extent of children's exposure to multiple toxic metals is not well described in many developing countries. We examined metal exposures in young children (6-37 months) from Montevideo, Uruguay and their mothers (15-47 years) participating in a community-based study. Hair samples collected from 180 children and their mothers were analyzed for: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and arsenic (As) concentration using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Median metal levels (microg/g) were: Pb 13.69, Mn 1.45, Cd 0.17, and As 0.09 for children and Pb 4.27, Mn 1.42, Cd 0.08, and As 0.02 for mothers. Of the child and maternal samples, 1.7% and 2.9% were below the limit of detection (LOD) for Cd, and 21.3% and 38.5% were below the LOD for As, respectively. Correlations between maternal and child levels ranged 0.38-0.55 (p<0.01). Maternal hair metal levels were the strongest predictors of metal concentrations in children's hair. Girls had significantly lower As levels than boys (p<0.01) but did not differ on other metals. In addition, in bivariate logistic regressions predicting the likelihood that the child would be exposed to multiple metals, hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL (OR=2.12, p<0.05), blood lead (OR=1.17, p<0.01), and the mother being exposed to two or more metals (OR=3.34, p<0.01) were identified as significant predictors of increased likelihood of multiple metal exposure. Older child age (OR=0.96, p<0.05), higher maternal education (OR=0.35, p<0.01), and higher number of household possessions (OR=0.83, p<0.01) were significantly associated with decreased likelihood of multiple metal exposure. Preschool children in Uruguay are exposed to multiple metals at levels that in other studies have been associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits. Sources of exposure, as well as cognitive and behavioral consequences of multiple metal exposure, should be investigated in this population.
Column chromatography of lipides: odd-numbered straight-chain fatty acids of menhaden oil.

Das Vorkommen vonn-Nona-,n-Hepta-,n-Penta- undn-Tridekansaure in Menhaden-Ol wird papierchromatographisch bewiesen. Die Sauren werden nach Hydrierung oder Oxydation geeigneter Fraktionen mit Hilfe der Saulenchromatographie isoliert, eine Trennung, die auf der Verteilung der Methylester zwischen Silikon-Ol und wasserigem Acetonitril beruht. Es werden die Anteile der gerad- und ungeradzahligen Sauren des Menhaden-Oles verglichen.
Checking Perceptions and Reality in Small-Town Innovation Research

This article reports on the results of a study of innovation in programs and practices on the part of city and county governments in four western states. The objective of the research was to identi...
Drug-induced alterations in respiration of rat brain cortex and striatum slices in a carbon dioxide-bicarbonate-buffered medium.

Abstract Rates of oxygen utilization were measured with an oxygen electrode in rat brain cortex and striatum slices. Values obtained for respiratory rates in cortex (approximately 85 μmoles/hr/g wet weight) and striatum (about 43 μmoles/hr/g) were similar in both bicarbonate and tris-buffered solutions. Addition of potassium chloride (to 70 mM) elicited an increase in oxygen utilization in both preparations. Exposure to procaine (10 mM) reduced the respiration rate to levels substantially below control values and prevented the K + -induced increase in respiration rate. Pentobarbital sodium (1 mM) and, perhaps to a lesser extent, caffeine (5 mM) also decreased the control respiration rates and inhibited the K + -induced stimulation of respiration rates. Nicotine (0.67 mM) had no effect on control or K + -stimulated respiration rates in cortex or striatum slices. Effects of procaine appeared to be additive with those of caffeine and pentobarbital, and are probably attained by different cellular mechanisms. Observation of similar respiratory rates in bicarbonate and tris solutions also suggests that correlations may be attempted between brain tissue respiration studies in CO 2 -free media and measurements of ionic parameters in the presence of bicarbonate-buffered solutions.
An envelope generation algorithm for packing and layout applications

In this paper, an algorithm and associated procedure for computing the envelope of non-convex manifold objects is proposed. The envelope generation algorithm is developed in the context of vehicle packaging and layout and is intended for use during the conceptual phase of the vehicle design process. The envelope generation algorithm presented in this paper is designed to work with complex manifold geometry and can be interpreted as the non-convex hull of an object (or a set of objects). The algorithm presented in this paper is primarily intended for probabilistic envelope generation based on spatial occupancy, however it can also be used to generate the envelope of a set of objects, envelope with a desired offset from the outer surface of the object, and motion envelope of an object. The proposed method is based on voxelization of the manifold geometry and thus it converts surface representation into volumetric representation to generate the envelope. The proposed envelope generation algorithm is demonstrated on sufficiently complex hypothetical geometries and a real-world application of the proposed algorithm to vehicle occupant packaging is presented. This proposed envelope generation algorithm can reduce the design time and automate certain aspects of the vehicle design process.