cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Martin G. St. John Sutton, Jeroen Bax, Mariell Jessup, Josep Brugada, Martin Schalij, eds. 324 pages. London, UK: Informa UK Ltd, 2007. $235. ISBN 1–84184–637–8. Over the past several years, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) clearly has established itself as a central therapy in the management of moderate to severe congestive heart failure in the setting of dilated cardiomyopathy with intraventricular conduction delay. In 2007, >70 000 of these devices were implanted in the United States, and ≈35% of all implantable cardioverter-defibrillators that were newly implanted or replaced last year have CRT capability. Randomized prospective clinical trials have demonstrated enhanced survival, improved exercise capacity and functional class, and durable reverse left ventricular remodeling with CRT in a majority of patients studied. In some patients, the response to therapy can be dramatic. Despite the growing enthusiasm of heart failure specialists and electrophysiologists in applying this therapy, several limitations are apparent and numerous questions remain unanswered. Approximately one third of patients fail to demonstrate subjective improvement or to remodel their ventricles in a positive fashion over time. This lack of response may be closely tied to patient selection. Clinical trials to date have relied on QRS duration to identify patients with mechanical dyssynchrony, but the correlation of electrical and mechanical events is far from perfect. Various methods of quantifying mechanical dyssynchrony with greater accuracy than the surface ECG, including strain rate, tissue Doppler and 3-dimensional echocardiography, and magnetic resonance imaging are competing for superiority in recent published studies. Once implanted, the optimal method of programming atrioventricular and interventricular delay is abstruse to most cardiologists and implanting physicians. Employing CRT in patients with right ventricular conduction delay on …
Mapping Risk Assessment Strategy for COVID-19 Mobile Apps’ Vulnerabilities

Recent innovations in mobile technologies are playing an important and vital role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. While mobile apps’ functionality plays a crucial role in tackling the COVID-19 spread, it is also raising concerns about the associated privacy risks that users may face. Recent research studies have showed various technological measures on mobile applications that lack consideration of privacy risks in their data practices. For example, security vulnerabilities in COVID-19 apps can be exploited and therefore also pose privacy violations. In this paper, we focus on recent and newly developed COVID-19 apps and consider their threat landscape. Our objective was to identify security vulnerabilities that can lead to user-level privacy risks. We also formalize our approach by measuring the level of risk associated with assets and services that attackers may be targeting to capture during the exploitation. We utilized baseline risk assessment criteria within the scope of three specific security vulnerabilities that often exists in COVID-19 applications namely credential leaks, insecure communication, and HTTP request libraries. We present a proof of concept implementation for risk assessment of COVID-19 apps that can be utilized to evaluate privacy risk by the impact of assets and threat likelihood.
Realizing Controlled, Shape-Morphing Metallic Components for Deployable Structures

Abstract Transformational advances in additive manufacturing combined with the unique functional behavior of shape memory alloys (SMAs) has propelled the field of 4D printing “smart” materials. In this study, we leverage multiple processing pathways with additive manufacturing to design and fabricate SMA components capable of precise, self-guided shape change that could actuate large-scale (up to 25 × 25 × 33 cm3) structures under external thermal stimuli. The dual benefits of minor alloy doping (
Blue Nights: The Complexity of Grief

Blue Nights: The Complexity of Grief is a coat that was inspired by the book Blue Nights by Joan Didion. The book is focused on the loss of Didion’s only child, Quintana Ro. Didion remembers the stephanotis flowers her daughter wore on her wedding day, and the gaura and Lily of the Nile flowers that grew in their home in California. The typical color associated with mourning is black, however, Didion uses the color of blue nights to convey the feeling of melancholy, nostalgia, memories, and time passing. We created a design with these flowers and used cyanotype printing technique to print it onto 40”x60” denim canvases. We then constructed an oversized, A-line shaped coat with a cut-on oversized collar and one-piece facing that is attached at the top left loose afterward.
Process modeling and simulation of ethylene oxide production by implementing pinch and cost analysis

Abstract This study focused on the modeling and simulation of the Ethylene Oxide (EO) production process in Aspen plus software and energy optimization of the whole process using the Pinch analysis. This work focused on ethylene oxide production by the air-based system and modeled and simulated the whole process in Aspen plus® using the S.R.K. and PSRK thermodynamic models. By process design, modeling and simulation, the behavior of the actual process has been predicted. After process simulation, it has been concluded that control the oxygen concentration by controlling the airflow and controlling the reactor's temperatures causes an impact on our desired product. When the oxygen concentration increases, ethylene is oxidized completely and generated useless products such as carbon dioxide and water to enhance production. Energy optimization of ethylene oxide production is completed through Pinch analysis and saves 18.27million $ per year, which is consumed in heating or cooling streams.
Complicated Objects on Regular Trees

Our goal in these lectures will be to study what kind of description is possible for complicated objects that arise from or can be associated with dynamical systems. In particular we will try to understand the structure of Cantor sets and strange attractors and the focal point will be cruder--thermodynamic understanding.
Central bank intervention with sample selection: Japan 1977–1979

Abstract This paper shows that Japanese foreign exchange market intervention during the late seventies was aimed at resisting dollar depreciation. This is contrary to IMF guidelines.
Techniques for improving filters in power grid contingency analysis

Electrical power grid contingency analysis aims to understand the impact of potential component failures and assess a system's capability to tolerate them. The computational resources needed to explore all potential x-component failures, for modest sizes of x > 1, is not feasible due to the combinatorial explosion of cases to consider. A common approach for addressing the large workload is to select the most severe x-component failures to explore (a process we call filtering). It is important to assess the efficacy of a filter; in particular, it is necessary to understand the likelihood that a potentially severe case is filtered out. A framework for assessing the quality/performance of a filter is proposed. This framework is generalized to support resource-aware filters and multiple evaluation criteria.
Combined decision-feedback multiuser detection/soft-decision decoding for CDMA channels

This paper evaluates the performance of decision-feedback multiuser detectors with coding for CDMA channels. A combined multiuser detection/soft-decision Viterbi decoding scheme is proposed (for asynchronous CDMA channels with convolutional coding) which allows total control over the reliability of decision-feedback mechanism. Its performance is compared to that of conventional detection and linear-decorrelation detection with soft-decision decoding. Simulation and analysis is undertaken for synchronous CDMA channels. It is found that the scheme works very well especially for weak users and when multiuser interference is large. However, strong users do not gain much with this scheme over a linear-decorrelation detector.
Mitochondrial DNA mutations in a patient with sex reversal and clinical features consistent with Fraser syndrome

We describe a 20-year-old 46,XY woman, with clinical findings of Fraser syndrome and three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. The patient had microphthalmia, blindness, widely spaced nipples, bifid ureter, syndactyly of the toes, and mental retardation. Sonography showed the presence of a uterus and intra-abdominal gonads. The proband was screened for mtDNA mutations because of chronic gastrointestinal pseudo-obstruction, urinary tract dysmotility, seizures, mental retardation and persistent macrocytosis, as well as the intermittent elevation of methylmalonic acid. Analysis of point mutations by multiplex polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific oligonucleotide dot-blot hybridization revealed three homoplasmic mtDNA mutations, T14484C, T4216C, and T3394C. This represents a unique case with sex reversal, Fraser-like syndrome, and mitochondrial disease.
Males on demand: the environmental–neuro-endocrine control of male sex determination in daphnids

Branchiopod crustaceans (e.g., Daphnia sp.) and some other taxa utilize both asexual and sexual reproduction to maximize population sustainability. The decision to switch from asexual to sexual reproduction is triggered by environmental cues that foretell a potentially detrimental change in environmental conditions. This review describes the cascade of events beginning with environmental cues and ending with changes in gene expression that dictate male sex determination in daphnids, the initial event in the switch to sexual reproduction. Several environmental cues have been identified which, either in isolation or in combination, stimulate male sex determination. These cues are typically associated with change of season, exhaustion of resources or loss of habitat. Maternal daphnids receive and respond to these cues, we propose, through the secretion of neuropeptides, which suppress (hyperglycemic hormone-like neuropeptides, allatostatin) or stimulate (allatotropin) the male sex differentiation program. In response, maternal daphnids produce the male sex-determining hormone, methyl farnesoate. Methyl farnesoate binds to a protein MET that dimerizes with the protein SRC forming an active transcription factor. This complex then regulates the expression of genes, primarily doublesex (dsx), involved in programming the single-celled embryo to develop into a male. In the absence of methyl farnesoate programming, the embryo develops into a female. Epigenetic modifications of the genome as a possible mode of methyl farnesoate action and the utility of this model to decipher the role of epigenetics in sex differentiation in other species are discussed.
Part I Overview

Over the last few decades, the study of microbial pathogens focused on pragmatic topics such as vaccine development and the identification of virulence factors and their molecular effects on the host. This work leaves a legacy that is a storehouse of knowledge on many important pathogens, as well as a template for studying newly identified pathogens. Israel et al. isolated Helicobacter pylori isolates that arose in one individual six years after the original sequenced isolate J99 was isolated from that person. The study demonstrated considerable genetic diversity among the newer isolates compared with the reference isolate, showing that ''microevolution,'' occurs continuously in the specialized niche in which H. pylori is found. Genes may be activated or silenced by random changes that occur in runs of repetitive nucleotides, through the process of slipped-strand mispairing during DNA replication. The population dynamics and structures of disease-causing microbes are of more than simply academic interest, as Maiden and Urwin point out, because a full understanding of them is essential for developing effective vaccine strategies. Much of evolution takes place by mutation and selection, which are relatively slow processes, but rapid acquisition of virulence traits has occurred with the introduction of pathogenicity islands in many species. Microarray analysis confirms earlier data that the seventh-pandemic El Tor O1 strains and the emergent O139 strains are virtually the same clone albeit with different lipopolysaccharide gene clusters. Evolutionary studies of microbial pathogens will continue to reveal numerous surprises.
Genetic markers for analysing symbiotic relationships and lateral gene transfer in Neotropical bradyrhizobia

Assays with seven sets of lineage-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers in the ribosomal RNA region were performed on 96 isolates of the Bradyrhizobium sp. nodule bacteria from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The isolates were derived from 10 legume host species in six genera (Centrosema, Desmodium, Dioclea, Inga, Machaerium and Vigna). The PCR assays differentiated 13 composite genotypes, and sequencing of a 5' 23S rRNA region indicated that all but one had a unique sequence. The most common genotype (seen in 44% of the isolates) was associated with all six legume host genera, and had a marker profile and 5' 23S rRNA sequence identical to a Bradyrhizobium lineage associated with several other legume genera in Panama and Costa Rica. Another 46% of the isolates had genotypes found to be associated with two to three legume genera. Bradyrhizobium strains with low host specificity thus appear to be prevalent in this tropical forest. Based on 16S rRNA and 5' 23S rRNA markers, most of the isolates had clear affinities to either B. japonicum or B. elkanii. However, one strain (Cp5-3) with a B. elkanii-type 16S rRNA marker had a 5' 23S rRNA region resembling B. japonicum. A partition homogeneity test indicated that relationships of strain Cp5-3 were significantly discordant for 16S rRNA vs. 23S rRNA sequences, and a runs test detected significant mosaic structure across the rRNA region. Lateral gene transfer events have therefore played a role in the evolution of symbiotic bacteria in this environment.
Query-based attitude control of high-autonomy spacecraft

In August 1993, heavy meteor activity caused the Olympus telecommunications satellite (S/C) to lose attitude reference. The spacecraft's emergency reacquisition mode consumed so much propellant that the mission had to be terminated one year ahead of schedule. The Olympus scenario is a good example of the limited autonomy exhibited by modern spacecraft systems. This paper modifies an adaptive control scheme which can be applied to this problem. The proposed method is a "query-based" adaptive control scheme which uses a cutting-plane algorithm known as the ellipsoid method to identify stabilizing controller gains. The query-based adaptation scheme is demonstrated on a detailed simulation of the the Olympus satellite. The results show that the proposed method is able to identify nominal station keeping controller gains for the Olympus scenario outlined above.
Digital metamaterials for single pixel imaging in the Far Infrared

Single pixel cameras are useful imaging devices where it is difficult or infeasible to fashion focal plan arrays. For example in the Far Infrared (FIR) - and longer wavelength ranges - it is difficult to perform imaging by conventional detector arrays, owing to the cost and size of such an array. The typical single pixel camera uses an optical arrangement that forms a conjugate image plane. A spatial light modulator (SLM) is placed in the conjugate image plane and used to sample various portions of the image. The spatially modulated light emerging from the SLM is then sent to a single detector where the light is condensed with suitable optics for detection.
1.4.3 System of Systems Pain Points

The INCOSE SoS Working Group (SoSWG) identified the need to understand the SoS issues of importance to the systems engineering community as an initial SoSWG activity at their meeting in January 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida. The results of the survey and follow-up interaction with SoSWG members, identified seven areas of challenge or SoS Pain Points. This paper summarizes the survey and working group feedback and describes the pain points along with the questions they pose for the systems engineering community. The work described in this paper is the product of the INCOSE Systems of Systems Working Group, and acknowledges the contributions of working group members, including Alan Harding, Scott Workinger, Kelly Griendling, Eric Honour, Claire Ingram, Michael Henshaw, Bryan Herdlick, and others who responded to the survey and participated in the formulation and discussions of these SoS pain points.
Application of molecular corresponding states theory to highly nonideal liquid mixtures

There are four points of flexibility in present molecular formulations of the corresponding states idea. At these points the procedure followed or the numerical values can be tailored to achieve better agreement between predicted and experimental properties without violation of physical principles. These flexibilities are the exponent values used in the pair-potential function, the averaging procedure used to obtain an effective mixture pair-potential function, the combination rule for unlike-pair parameters, and the selection of a reference substance. The first two flexibilities are used in this paper to show that the conformal-parameter equations can correlate excess free energy and activity coefficient data of highly nonideal liquid mixtures. A pair-type-probability function is introduced in the averaging procedure used to obtain a mixture pair-potential function. Any macroscopic or molecular property may be used in this weighting function to improve mixture-property prediction.
THE SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST “I” AS IRONIST: TOWARD ALTERNATIVE WORLDS*

Symbolic Interactionist Irony (SII) has as its aspiration, possibility, and achievement the creation of alternative worlds of seeing and doing. The constituent features of irony as detached from and skeptical of all available perspectives elevate its status to that as transcendental of extant reality. The internal logic-of-discovery and reflexive mood of SII conclude that all knowledge have an inseparable personal and autonomous basis. Hence, there are alternative ways but no final way of knowing. Knowledge without final truth value is–and can only be–an alternative world of seeing and doing. Nonetheless, an ironic alternative world is seen as an emergent that has its own integrity from the interaction of facts against analytic perspectives. The works of Erving Goffman and Joseph R. Gusfield, and their roots in the writings of Kenneth Burke, are read as having conceptual resonance for SII as an intellectual style. An ironic reading is thus offered of how SII practice is possible and how this practice refocuses the worlds of seeing and doing.
Neoplasms of the small intestine.

Our experience with small intestinal neoplasms at the Medical College of Virginia has been reviewed. There were 78 benign and malignant neoplasms observed in our surgical pathology laboratory over a 20-year period. There were 34 benign small-bowel tumors, but the majority of these lesions were asymptomatic incidental findings at the time of surgery for other conditions. There were 21 patients with malignant neoplasms of the small bowel and 23 patients with carcinoid, a potentially malignant lesion. Clinical observations and the results of treatment are reviewed.
A parametric study of froth stability and its effect on column flotation of fine particles

Abstract Laboratory flotation tests have been conducted to examine the effect of froth stability on the column flotation of finely pulverized coal. It has been demonstrated that the upgrading of coal in a flotation column can be significantly improved when froth stability is properly controlled through the manipulation of appropriate variables such as gas flow rate (Vg), wash water flow rate (Vw), froth height, wash water addition point, and feed solid concentration. Increases in wash water flow rate and gas flow rate promoted froth stability, resulting in higher combustible recovery, but possibly higher ash recovery as well. The optimum rates were determined to be 2 and 0.3 cm/s for Vg and Vw, respectively. The specific influence of wash water flow rate on water recovery was found to be closely related to how the frother dosage was maintained. Coal particles could stabilize or destabilize the froth, depending on their size and concentration in the cell. Those in −100 mesh fraction destabilized froth at lower concentrations and stabilized it at higher concentrations while micronized particles always showed froth-breaking power. The froth profiles of solid content and ash content were established at varying wash water flow rates and wash water addition points, from which it was concluded that froth cleaning occurred primarily at the pulp–froth interface and drainage above the wash water addition point.
A unified conceptual model for diagnostic errors: underdiagnosis, overdiagnosis, and misdiagnosis

Progress in diagnostic error research has been hampered by a lack of unified terminology and definitions. This article proposes a novel framework for considering diagnostic errors, offering a unified conceptual model for underdiagnosis, overdiagnosis, and misdiagnosis. The model clarifies the critical separation between 'diagnostic process failures' (incorrect workups) and 'diagnosis label failures' (incorrect diagnoses). By dividing processes into those that are substandard, suboptimal, or optimal, important distinctions are drawn between 'preventable', 'reducible,' and 'unavoidable' diagnostic errors. The new model emphasizes the importance of mitigating diagnosis-related harms, regardless of whether the solutions require traditional safety strategies (preventable errors), more effective evidence dissemination (reducible errors; harms from overtesting and overdiagnosis), or new scientific discovery (currently unavoidable errors). Doing so maximizes our ability to prioritize solving various diagnosis-related problems from a societal value perspective. This model should serve as a foundation for developing consensus terminology and operationalized definitions for relevant diagnostic-error categories.
The evolution of a sub-cloud layer structure associated with a severe storm-a case study

Using meteorological tower data from the NSSL (National Severe Storms Laboratory) in Oklahoma, evolutionary characteristics of a turbulent boundary layer are examined during the pre-storm and storm periods on May 20, 1977. Analyses include the vertical profiles of mean and turbulent quantities of wind, temperature, mixing ratio, momentum, and sensible and latent heat fluxes for the pre-storm and storm periods. The results indicate that a substantial modification occurs in the character of the lower boundary layer in each of these periods. In the pre-storm (no precipitation) the boundary layer is characterized by a weakly stratified mixed layer; the energy source is found located in the surface layer, and the dominant term in the turbulent budget equation is shear generation. During the storm period, the mixed layer yields to a stable boundary layer, due to a net cooling effect associated with the storm-scale motions at lower levels. The structure of the boundary layer is mainly determined by the storm-scale fluxes originating from the cloud layer. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1982.tb01832.x
Crowdsourcing taste research: genetic and phenotypic predictors of bitter taste perception as a model.

Understanding the influence of taste perception on food choice has captured the interest of academics, industry, and the general public. The latter as evidenced by the extent of popular media coverage and use of the term supertaster. Supertasters are highly sensitive to the bitter tastant propylthiouracil (PROP) and its chemical relative phenylthiocarbamide. The well-researched differences in taste sensitivity to these bitter chemicals are partially controlled by variation in the TAS2R38 gene; however this variation alone does not explain the supertaster phenomenon. It has been suggested that density of papillae, which house taste buds, may explain supertasting. To address the unresolved role of papillae, we used crowdsourcing in the museum-based Genetics of Taste Lab. This community lab is uniquely situated to attract both a large population of human subjects and host a team of citizen scientists to research population-based questions about human genetics, taste, and health. Using this model, we find that PROP bitterness is not in any way predicted by papillae density. This result holds within the whole sample, when divided into major diplotypes, and when correcting for age, sex, and genotype. Furthermore, it holds when dividing participants into oft-used taster status groups. These data argue against the use of papillae density in predicting taste sensitivity and caution against imprecise use of the term supertaster. Furthermore, it supports a growing volume of evidence that sets the stage for hyperguesia, a reconceptualization of heightened oral sensitivity that is not based solely on PROP or papillae density. Finally, our model demonstrates how community-based research can serve as a unique venue for both study participation and citizen science that makes scientific research accessible and relevant to people’s everyday lives.
Reaching the Hard to Reach: Lessons Learned from a Statewide Outreach Initiative

Despite high levels of need, many federal assistance programs are underutilized, with differential participation rates among demographic subpopulations. Outreach efforts seek to address challenges facing potentially eligible program recipients. This article examines a statewide initiative to address barriers to participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), focusing on the elderly and people with disabilities, eligible immigrants, and low-income working households. We describe a dynamic approach that relies on community partnerships and utilizes media messaging, information dissemination, and direct client assistance to reach our target populations. The data illustrate how continuous evaluation allows for systematic adaptation of strategies, highlighting lessons learned for future outreach efforts. 1 1The name of the Food Stamp Program was officially changed as a result of the 2008 Farm Bill to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Work reported on here began with the Food...
A multidimensional motivation instrument

Individual empirical studies of motivation show little divergent validity of various factors and call for better measures, especially multidimensional instruments. The same conclusions were reached from a meta analysis of 40 motivation studies by Uguroglu and Walberg (1979). After a study of approximately 50 instruments that measured motivation constructs of social, emotional, and physical self-concept; locus of control; and achievement motivation, among others, a 23-anchored-item questionnaire using a five-point scale was developed that included these factors. The instrument was administered in May of the first and second year to 115 students in grades three through eight. The purpose of the research was to operationalize and field test a motivation instrument using multidimensional measures; also to consider whether any change would occur in the correlation of a multidimensional instrument to various achievement measures over unidimensional ones. Results of the study show the correlations of motivation to academic achievement, test-retest reliability, and the predictive validity of a multidimensional instrument.
Measuring properties of contrails to estimate their effects on climate

[1] Condensation trails, or so-called contrails, formed by freezing of ice crystals in the exhaust from aircraft jet engines, could affect climate. Like natural cirrus clouds, contrails change atmospheric temperatures not only by blocking sunlight from reaching the Earth's surface but also by preventing terrestrial radiation from escaping the Earth's atmosphere. However, contrails' effects on climate are not well constrained because few studies of contrail properties exist, and hence, their microphysical properties are poorly known. In a new study, Voigt et al. directly measured ice particle sizes and numbers in 14 contrails from nine different aircraft of the present-day commercial fleet, including the largest operating passenger aircraft. They obtained an extensive data set of contrails from which they determined the contrail optical depth, a measure of how much light is attenuated by these man-made clouds. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL047189, 2011)
EEG coherence: topography and frequency structure

Topographical patterns of bipolar EEG coherence are frequency specific, indicating the presence of diverse neuroanatomical and neurophysiological factors in EEG production. Bipolar EEG coherence values were calculated at 50 frequency bins ranging from 3 to 28 Hz for 39 coherence pairs. Data were derived from 4.25 min of resting EEG obtained from 106 healthy adult male subjects and analyzed in 0.5 Hz bins by Fourier transform methods. Frequency bands were clearly separated at 8.5 and 13 Hz, with a less distinct separations at 6 and 20 Hz. Within pair (non-topographic) and across pair (topographic), measures gave similar patterns of separation. Significant pathways were primarily anterior-posterior interhemispheric or perpendicular to the anterior-posterior axis. There was little difference between left and right for comparable pairs. Theta band coherent activity involves distinct midline and temporal sources, with temporal sources showing anterior/posterior differentiation. In contrast, alpha activity has a distinct posterior focus, while beta activity shows no clear global structure. A spatially homogeneous model based on characteristics of thalamocortical connectivity accounts for much of the data, but departures from the model indicate the contribution of other neural factors to coherence.
A registry-based case-control study of mycosis fungoides.

Abstract The etiology of mycosis fungoides is unknown. Two possible causes (an unknown retrovirus with increased prevalence among never-married men, and prior malignancies) were investigated to determine whether they are associated with the incidence of mycosis fungoides. During 1973 to 1986, 953 case patients with mycosis fungoides or Sezary syndrome were registered by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Each was matched by 5-year age group, sex, ethnicity, and geographic area to four control subjects, one each with cancer of the pancreas, brain, and stomach, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. For never- versus ever-married men, none of the relative risks differed significantly from those for women (odd ratios, .8–1.0). For any prior malignancy, the relative risks (and 95% confidence intervals) were 1.3 (.9–2.0), 1.2 (.8–1.8), 1.0 (.7–1.5), and 1.1 (.7–1.6). These data reject the previous relative risk estimate of 3.3 with greater than 99% power, and are consistent with only a small risk, if any, attributable to prior malignancy.
Nocturnal penile tumescence and effects of complete spinal cord injury: possible physiologic mechanisms

Abstract Objectives To determine the role of the spinal cord in the initiation and/or modulation of nocturnal erectile activity, we measured nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) in men with complete spinal cord injuries at known locations. Methods Eighteen men between the ages of 27 and 57 years (mean 45) with known complete spinal cord lesions and no history of other medical problems adversely affecting erectile function completed International Index of Erectile Function questionnaires and underwent RigiScan testing for two consecutive nights. RigiScan tracings were evaluated for the presence and quality of NPT activity. Erectile episodes lasting longer than 10 minutes with base and tip rigidity greater than 70% were designated “good”; the remainder were designated “borderline,” “poor,” or “absent.” Results Of 9 men with cervical injuries and 9 with thoracic injuries, 8 and 3, respectively, had evidence of NPT. Of the 9 men with cervical injuries, 3 had one or more “good” nocturnal erections, and 1 of 9 men with thoracic injuries had one or more “good” nocturnal erections. The mean duration of the single longest erectile event was 26 minutes in men with cervical spinal injuries and 12 minutes in men with thoracic spinal injuries. Men with cervical and thoracic injuries had a mean overall International Index of Erectile Function score of 10 and 16 and a mean erectile domain score of 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusions Spinal regulation is critical for nocturnal erectile activity, and the isolated thoracic cord is less effective than the isolated cervical cord in maintaining NPT. Despite the presence of nocturnal erectile activity, volitional erectile function in spinal cord-injured men is significantly impaired.
Comparison of the proliferation and differentiation of myogenic satellite cells and embryonic myoblasts derived from the turkey

Abstract 1. 1. Embryonic and posthatch turkey skeletal muscle development was compared in in vitro studies using clonal-derived embryonic myoblasts and satellite cells. 2. 2. Although population doubling times were similar between the two lines (25.4 hr for satellite cells and 26.4 hr for embryonic myoblasts), embryonic myoblasts consistently began log phase growth 24 hr earlier than satellite cells. 3. 3. Differentiation (fusion) of embryonic myoblasts was maximized by 36 hr in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium containing 1% horse serum compared with 72 hr for satellite cells. 4. 4. When administered a serum-free medium which supports proliferation of turkey satellite cells, embryonic myoblasts differentiated to form myotubes.
Black Females and Lethal Violence: Has Time Changed the Circumstances under Which They Kill?

Increases in lethal violence, the disproportionate representation of blacks as victims and offenders, and the more active participation and redefined roles of women in various aspects of life, makes the study of black female behavior in lethal acts of violence essential and important. The question of whether social changes in American society, specifically the women's rights movement, have impacted the circumstances or situations under which black females murder is examined. Secondary data on 119 black female homicide offenders and survey data on nine additional offenders were gathered through the project, “Black Homicide and the Urban Environment.” Analysis indicates that the circumstances surrounding the homicide incidents are still congruent with Wolfgang's findings [1], however, many changes appear to be occurring. It appears that if these changes continue for another decade Wolfgang's theory may no longer serve as an appropriate explanation for black female behavior in acts of lethal violence.
Vemurafenib-Associated Pancreatitis: Case Report

Vemurafenib is a novel BRAF kinase inhibitor indicated in metastatic melanoma patients with V600E mutation. We report the first case of vemurafenib-associated pancreatitis. Two weeks after initiation of vemurafenib, a patient presented to the emergency department with severe epigastric pain and a serum lipase of 1544 units/L. Drug-induced pancreatitis was diagnosed on exclusion of all other potential causes. Vemurafenib was rechallenged at half the daily dose and the patient subsequently developed exacerbated symptoms of pancreatitis after two doses. The strong temporal relationship between drug exposure and toxicity, along with the positive results from a rechallenge study, strongly support a conclusion of causality. To our knowledge, this is the first report of vemurafenib-induced pancreatitis.
A Simple, Mechanistic Model for Directional Instability during Mitotic Chromosome Movements

During mitosis, chromosomes become attached to microtubules that emanate from the two spindle poles. Thereafter, a chromosome moves along these microtubule "tracks" as it executes a series of movements that bring it to the spindle equator. After the onset of anaphase, the sister chromatids separate and move to opposite spindle poles. These movements are often characterized by "directional instability" (a series of runs with approximately constant speed, punctuated by sudden reversals in the direction of movement). To understand mitosis, it is critical to describe the physical mechanisms that underlie the coordination of the forces that drive directional instability. We propose a simple mechanistic model that describes the origin of the forces that move chromosomes and the coordination of these forces to produce directional instability. The model demonstrates that forces, speeds, and direction of motion associated with prometaphase through anaphase chromosome movements can be predicted from the molecular kinetics of interactions between dynamic microtubules and arrays of microtubule binding sites that are linked to the chromosome by compliant elements.
Effects of a Two-Parent Welfare Program: Factors Associated With Time to Employment

This article describes a study of time to employment for 502 randomly sampled participants in an experimental two-parent public assistance program. The study analyzed participant charac teristics, work-related program components, and labor market conditions as related to length of time to participant employment. Event history analysis was used to regress a proportional hazard rate of employment onto the explanatory vanables. A multivanate model of factors associated with the hazard rate for employment mcluded weeks unemployed prior to program apphcation, age in years, semirural district, Native American race, weeks employed at last job, years of education, and hourly wage of last employment. Findings support long-held assumptions regarding ties between two-parent families and the labor market. Implications for practice include caution against arbitrary program time limits and encouragement of policies that support and enable education and employment for families at risk of poverty.
Earliest symptoms discriminating juvenile‐onset bipolar illness from ADHD

Objectives: Controversy surrounds the diagnosis and earliest symptoms of childhood-onset bipolar illness, emphasizing the importance of prospective longitudinal studies. To acquire a preliminary, more immediate view of symptom evolution, we examined the course of individual symptoms over the first 10 years of life in juvenile-onset bipolar illness (JO-BP) compared with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Parents of formally diagnosed children retrospectively rated 37 symptoms in each year of the child’s life based on the degree of dysfunction in their child’s usual family, social, or educational roles. A subset of children with onset of bipolar disorder prior to age 9 (JO-BP) compared with those with ADHD was the focus of this analysis. Results: Brief and extended periods of mood elevation and decreased sleep were strong early differentiators of JO-BP and ADHD children. Depressive and somatic symptoms were later differentiators. Irritability and poor frustration tolerance differentiated the two groups only in their greater incidence and severity in JO-BP compared with a moderate occurrence in ADHD. In contrast, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and decreased attention showed highly similar trajectories in the two groups. Conclusions: Elevated mood and decreased sleep discriminated JO-BP and ADHD as early as age 3, while classic ADHD symptoms were parallel in the groups. These retrospective results provide preliminary insights into symptom differences and their temporal evolution between bipolar disorder and ADHD in the first 10 years of life.
Novel targeted therapeutics for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Virtually all patients that succumb to prostate cancer die of metastatic castration-resistant disease. Although docetaxel is the standard of care for these patients and is associated with a modest prolongation of survival, there is an urgent need for novel treatment strategies for metastatic prostate cancer. In the last several years, great strides have been made in our understanding of the biological and molecular mechanisms driving prostate cancer growth and progression, and this has resulted in widespread clinical testing of numerous new targeted therapies. This review discusses some of the key therapeutic agents that have emerged for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the last 5 years, with an emphasis on both molecular targets and clinical trial design. These agents include mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway inhibitors, anti-angiogenic drugs, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway inhibitors, apoptosis-inducing drugs, endothelin receptor antagonists, receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK) ligand inhibitors, vitamin D analogues, cytochrome P17 enzyme inhibitors, androgen receptor modulators, epigenetic therapies, vaccine therapies, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4 blocking agents.
Ten unanswered questions in multimodal communication

The study of multimodal communication has become an active and vibrant field. This special issue of Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology brings together new developments in this rapidly expanding area. In this final contribution to the special issue, I look to the future and discuss ten questions in need of further work, touching on issues ranging from theoretical modeling and the evolution of behavior to molecular mechanisms and the development of behavior. In particular, I emphasize that the use of multimodal communication allows animals to switch between sensory channels when one channel becomes too noisy, and suggest that a better understanding of this process may help us both to understand the evolution of multisensory signaling and to predict the success of species facing environmental changes that affect signaling channels, such as urbanization and climate change. An expanded section is included on the effects of climate change on animal communication across sensory channels, urging researchers to pursue this topic due to the rapidity with which the environment is currently transforming.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) regulates thrombospondin-1 and Nox4 expression in hypoxia-induced human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation.

AbstractTransforming growth factor-s1 (TGF-β1) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) are hypoxia-responsive mitogens that promote vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, a critical event in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We previously demonstrated that hypoxia-induced human pulmonary artery smooth muscle (HPASMC) cell proliferation and expression of the NADPH oxidase subunit, Nox4, were attenuated by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist, rosiglitazone. The current study examines the hypothesis that rosiglitazone regulates Nox4 expression and HPASMC proliferation by attenuating TSP-1 signaling. Selected HPASMC were exposed to normoxic or hypoxic (1% O2) environments or TSP-1 (0-1 μg/ml) for 72 hours ± administration of rosiglitazone (10 μM). Cellular proliferation, Nox4, TSP-1, and TGF-s1 expression and reactive oxygen species generation were measured. Mice exposed to hypoxia (10% O2) for three weeks were treated with rosiglitazone (10 mg/kg/day) for the final ...
Clinical poliomyelitis in the early neonatal period

Summary The case history is presented of aninfant showing the clinical picture of paralytic poliomyelitis at the time of the first physical examination on the fourth day of life. Laboratory data, particularly the spinal fluid findings, were consistent with although not completely confirmative of this diagnosis. The ante-partum history and the clinical features of the case suggest that this may have been an intrauterine infection. Based on this report and a discussion of the literature, the hypothesis is suggested clinically that a viremia may at times be present in poliomyelitis.
Developing sorbent standards for spill response: Effects of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Free Trade Agreement

For the past five years the Millsaps Sorbent Laboratory has been actively engaged in developing standards for initial and long-term oil spill remedial technologies. As a voting member of the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) F-20 Committee, Canadian General Standards Board, and the US Coast Guard Sorbents Task Force, the laboratory has been engaged in developing useful, pragmatic protocols for various chemical and physical sorbent and filtration technologies driven by the deadlines imposed by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). The “open border” approach to certification of technologies and products promulgated by the US/Canadian Free Trade Agreement has placed the US users and producers of such products and systems in a unique and tenuous position. Canadian standards and goals are grandfathered into the United States under this agreement and products have official US government certification based on Canadian regulations. This situation is unfavorable to the US domestic environment and economy for several specific scenarios. Included in these scenarios are: abundant warmwater zones and inland waters of the US versus Canada, the basic chemical variation between Canadian and US crude oils, the different generally accepted remediation technologies in the US versus Canadian, and the technology validation procedures prior to purchase inherent to both countries.
The Old Study And The Correlative Study: Implications For PACS

For PACS to be clinically acceptable and cost-effective, it must be able to perform the electronic equivalent of all the functions currently performed by the filerooms of conventional radiology departments. This performance must be at an equal or superior level to that of the conventional fileroom if PACS is to be welcomed in the clinical environment. It follows, then, that it is important to analyze each of those functions in detail. This paper set out to examine one of those, the retrieval of the appropriate prior studies needed for comparison with a new imaging study with the goal of answering two questions: (1)what are the quantitative implications of this function for image traffic and archiving in PACS? (2)do simple algorithms exist that would, in the large majority of cases, duplicate (or improve on) the actions of a conventional fileroom?
Use of Intravenous Mannitol in Postperfusion Oliguria-Anuria

We have applied the principle of acute functional renal failure in the management of the oliguric-anuric state encountered in 19 of 158 patients undergoing open-heart operations. Mannitol was administered to nine patients who experienced acute renal failure, with successful diuresis and restoration of kidney function in eight.
Fine-Scale Selection of Habitat by the Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Abstract Proper management of grasslands and shrublands requires an understanding of the factors that influence the persistence of organisms. We compare differences in vegetation between sites occupied by the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and random sites to investigate composition of grasses and forbs and the importance of cover. We observed that birds selected habitat, at least in part, based on composition of grasses and forbs. There was generally a larger variance in diversity of plants for random sites compared to sites associated with presence of lesser prairie-chicken. The role of vegetative cover in selection of habitat is important for avoidance of predators, but use of cover also is a means of thermoregulation. Risk-sensitive behavior is a trade-off between avoiding predation and suitable microclimate. We report evidence that the lesser prairie-chicken consistently seeks to limit the risk of predation and selects locales with a favorable microclimate; birds select sites mor...