cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Algebraic geometry and geometric modeling: insight and computation

The conventional wisdom expressed at several recent joint conferences and workshops on algebraic geometry and geometric modeling – Algebraic Geometry and Geometric Modeling 2002, Vilnius, Lithuania, The MSRI Workshop on Real Algebraic Geometry in Applications, Berkeley, 2004, and Algebraic Geometry and Geometric Modeling 2004, Nice, France – is that algebraic geometry has much to offer geometric modeling. Algebraic geometry and geometric modeling both deal with polynomials: Algebraic geometry investigates the algebraic and geometric properties of polynomials; geometric modeling uses polynomials to build computer models for industrial design and manufacture. Since algebraic geometry is by far the older, more mature discipline, geometric modeling should have a lot to learn from algebraic geometry.
Using facial emotional signals for communication between emotionally expressive avatars in virtual worlds

In this paper we explore the applications of facial expression analysis and eye tracking in driving emotionally expressive avatars. We propose a system that transfers facial emotional signals including facial expressions and eye movements from the real world into a virtual world. The proposed system enables us to address the questions: How significant are eye movements in emotion expression? Can facial emotional signals be transferred effectively, from the real world into virtual worlds? We design an experiment to address the questions. There are two major contributions of our work: 1) We propose a system that incorporates eye movements for transferring facial emotions; 2) We design an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of the facial emotional signals.
Protein Crystals: Molecular to Continuum Level Models Based on Crystal Plasticity Theory

Biological materials are extremely well organized in a hierarchical structure from the molecular building blocks at their first level of organization up to the tissue and organ levels with fascinating nonuniform (anisotropic) properties. Nature utilizes hierarchical structures in an intriguing way to self-assemble biomaterials based on molecular building blocks such as amino acids, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and lipids that are organized into efficient multifunctional structures and systems ranging from the nanoscopic to the macroscopic length scales [1, 2]. The most basic properties and functions of the biomaterials are defined at the very first level of organization. Therefore, it is imperative to incorporate information from the finer scale biological processes, which often govern processes at the coarser scale, to measure the properties and analyze the functions of biological systems.
Drug-Eluting Vascular Grafts

Coronary artery bypass grafting is often associated with complications of restenosis, thrombosis, and/or infection, which may lead to graft failure and severe mortality. To prevent these complications, various commercially available drugs have been successfully incorporated into and released from vascular grafts for local treatment, thus avoiding of systemic side effects. Major trends in the development of drug-eluting vascular graft are described, such as fabrication, technological aspects, and pharmacokinetics. In reviewing the current scope and future directions of drug-eluting vascular grafts, this chapter focuses primarily on electrospinning as a promising platform technology for creating a new generation of vascular grafts, which provide controlled focal drug release and harbor prospects for long-term safety and patency.
Factors Associated with Visual Outcome after Photocoagulation for Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic Retinopathy Study Report #13

Six risk factors for severe visual loss despite panretinal (scatter) photocoagulation were identified by analyzing data collected during the first 5 years after randomization in the Diabetic Retinopathy Study. Proportional hazards regression revealed NVD (neovascularization on/around the optic disc) to be the most important risk factor. The risk of severe visual loss rose with increasing NVD, hemorrhages/microaneurysms, retinal elevation, proteinuria, and hyperglycemia and fell with increasing "treatment density." These results are similar to previous DRS findings on untreated eyes. The importance of "treatment density" as an independent predictor of visual outcome is a new finding and lends support to the common clinical practice of repeating photocoagulation if initial treatment does not reduce or stabilize retinal neovascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:23-28,1989 The Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS) demonstrated that panretinal (scatter) photocoagulation reduces the risk of "severe visual loss" (SVL, denned below) in eyes with proliferative or severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy by 50 to 60%. 1>2 In addition to testing the effect of photocoagulation, data collected by this study are useful for examining associations between baseline characteristics and visual outcome. For example, the third DRS report described the association of four ocular factors with the development of severe visual loss in the untreated eyes: preretinal/vitreous hemorrhage, retinal neovascularization, neovascularization on or within one disc diameter of the optic disc (NVD), and severity of new vessels. 3 The 2-year incidence of severe visual loss increased as the number of these risk factors increased, ranging from 4% in the untreated eyes lacking any of these four factors to 37% in those with all four risk factors.
Exercise training increases the Ca2+sensitivity of tension in rat cardiac myocytes

The heart is known to respond to a program of chronic exercise in ways that enhance cardiac function. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in training-induced improvements in the contractile f...
Unintended Demographic Bias in GPA/DAT-Based Pre-Admission Screening: An Argument for Holistic Admissions in Dental Schools

Screening of applicants for admission to dental school often relies on metrics such as overall undergraduate grade point average (oGPA) and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores to identify desirable prospective students. The aim of this study was to assess unintended selection bias that may be overlooked or mitigated with holistic review and the influence of metrics at one U.S. dental school. Descriptive range analysis of oGPA and science GPA (sGPA), DAT scores, and total experience hours was performed for the 2017-18 application cycle for all applicants, those who self-identified as underrepresented minorities (URM), non-traditional applicants (with postbaccalaureate or master’s coursework), and socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) applicants reporting low parental employment-occupation scores. The results showed that, in screening this school’s applicant pool, metrics-based candidate selection would favor those candidates in the 80th percentile of GPA and DAT Academic Average (AA) scores. Unless mitigated by other screening factors, reliance on these metrics tended to favor majority, traditional, and non-URM SED applicants. These findings suggested that the new admitted class would likely have fewer dental experience and employment hours than in the overall applicant pool. Interestingly, more non-traditional, SED, and URM applicants could be considered if higher general employment and dental experience hours had more impact in the screening process. These results illustrate the importance of deliberately considering non-cognitive metrics and characteristics to admit a more diverse student body.
Latina Educational Trajectories to the Academy: Early Experience, Education Policies, and Mentoring

In this article, I examine three Latinas’ early educational experiences, key individuals who shaped their academic paths, their mentorship influences, and the policies and programs that propelled them to complete their doctoral studies. I offer an in-depth analysis, situated in Latinx critical theory (LaCrit) and Chicana feminist theory, of a group of Latinas in the academy, the individuals, education policies, and institutional resources that shaped that their trajectories. I discuss two findings that emerged in their early and doctoral education experiences: the role of education policies and programs as experienced by them, and how race and racism intersected with their educational trajectory. I offer two recommendations to improve pathways for Latina doctoral students: continued advocacy for education policies that widen opportunities and implementation of asset-based mentoring programs.
The psychological experience of children with cerebral palsy

Abstract Many children with cerebral palsy face considerable challenges in their day to day life. Some will be highly dependent on those around them. While motor deficits are most commonly reported, children with cerebral palsy also experience higher rates of challenging behaviour, attention difficulties, social communication problems and to a lesser extent mood disorders in comparison to the general population. Personal risk factors for psychological distress include normal intellect, communication problems and less functional disability. Due to their need for higher levels of care and support, their parent's emotional state and parenting style also highly impacts on the child's development. Research groups have designed parenting interventions and mindfulness groups to support and enhance the parenting of young people with CP. This short article summarises what is known about the psychological experience of children and what interventions are helpful and evidence-based.
Unexplained patterns of grey wolf Canis lupus natal dispersal

Natal dispersal (movement from the site of birth to the site of reproduction) is a pervasive but highly varied characteristic of life forms. Thus, understanding it in any species informs many aspects of biology, but studying it in most species is difficult. In the grey wolf Canis lupus, natal dispersal has been well studied. Maturing members of both sexes generally leave their natal packs, pair with opposite‐sex dispersers from other packs, near or far, select a territory, and produce their own offspring. However, three movement patterns of some natal‐dispersing wolves remain unexplained: 1) long‐distance dispersal when potential mates seem nearby, 2) round‐trip travels from their natal packs for varying periods and distances, also called extraterritorial movements, and often not resulting in pairing, and 3) coincidental dispersal by individual wolves from a given area in the same basic directions and over the same long distances. This perspective article documents and discusses these unexplained dispersal patterns, suggests possible explanations, and calls for additional research to understand them more clearly.
Regional Anesthetic Blocks for Donor Site Pain in Burn Patients: A Meta-Analysis on Efficacy, Outcomes, and Cost.

Background Skin graft donor site pain significantly affects pain management, narcotic use, and hospital length of stay. This study is intended to evaluate the efficacy of regional anesthesia in the burn population to decrease narcotic consumption and to assess the impact on hospitalization costs. Methods PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and ScienceDirect were searched with the following inclusion criteria: comparative studies, adult populations, burn patients, autologous skin grafting, regional nerve blocks, and traditional narcotic regimens. Outcomes assessed included narcotic consumption, pain scores, and opioid side effects. Meta-analysis obtained pooled values for morphine consumption and side effects. Cost analysis was performed using published data in the literature. Results Final analysis included 101 patients. Cumulative morphine consumption at 72 hours was lower for patients treated with regional anesthesia versus patient-controlled analgesia (PCA; single shot 25 ± 12 mg, continuous regional 23 ± 16 mg, control 91.5 ± 24.5 mg; P < .05). Regional anesthesia decreased nausea/vomiting (P < .05) and lowered subjective pain scores. Regional anesthesia interventions cost less than PCA, single shot less than continuous (P < .05). Conclusion Regional anesthesia at skin graft donor sites significantly decreases narcotic consumption in burn patients. Regional anesthesia is cost-effective, decreases side effects, and may result in shorter hospital stays due to improved pain management.
A redefining Wernicke's area: receptive language and discourse semantics

This report calls for a more exacting definition of Wernicke's area in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders to reflect an accurate view of brain functioning with regard to decoding discourse semantics. Conventional definitions are provided to delineate the general usages of important terms used by many professional dictionaries and glossaries when defining Wernicke's area, receptive aphasia, understanding, and comprehension. Five levels of semantic decoding are described. A stanza from Tennyson's In Memoriam is used to show the dynamics of discourse semantic decoding and to logically establish that "language understanding" can virtually engage the brain as a whole and the totality of a person's mind. A more accurate definition is provided, indicating that Wernicke's area is not the center for oral language understanding, only an important conduit to language comprehension.
Design of an AR Visor Display System for Extravehicular Activity Operations

An Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) is one of the most challenging operations during spaceflight. The current technology utilized during a spacewalk by an astronaut crewmember includes real-time voice loops and physical cuff checklists with procedures for the EVA. Recent advancements in electronics allow for miniaturized optical displays that can fit within a helmet and provide an alternative method for a crewmember to access mission data. Additionally, cameras attached to helmets provide EV astronauts' several Point of Views (POVs) to Mission Control Center (MCC) and Intra-Vehicular (IV) astronauts. These technologies allow for greater awareness to protect astronauts in space. This paper outlines the design and development of a custom augmented reality (AR) visor display to assist with human spaceflight operations, particularly with EVAs. This system can render floating text checklists, real-time voice transcripts, and waypoint information within the astronaut's Field of View (FOV). These visual components aim to reduce the limitations of how tasks are communicated currently. In addition, voice commands allow the crewmember to control the location of the augmented display, or modify how the information is presented. The team used the Microsoft HoloLens 1 Head Mounted Display (HMD) to create an Augmented Reality Environment (ARE) that receives and displays information for the EVA personnel. The ARE displays the human vitals, spacesuit telemetry, and procedures of the astronaut. The MCC and other astronauts can collaborate with the EVA crewmember through the use of a 3D telepresence whiteboard, which enables 2-way visual communication. This capability allows interaction with the environment of the EV astronaut without actually having to be outside the spacecraft or even onboard. Specifically, mission personnel in a Virtual Reality (VR) Oculus Rift head mounted display could draw shapes in the EV members' view to guide them towards a particular objective. To test the system, volunteers were asked to proceed through a mission scenario and evaluate the user interface. This occurred both in a laboratory setting and in an analog mockup at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC), using both the Microsoft Hololens and Oculus Rift in coordination with the NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) Competition. The major goal of testing the User Interface (UI) was determining features contributing to a minimized cognitive workload and improving efficiency of task completion. AR technology has the potential of dramatically improving EVA performance for future manned missions. With the HoloLens, the team implemented an efficient and elegant design that can be individualized by the user. The system provides as much functionality as possible while remaining simple to promote user-friendliness.
Vida Saludable: Los alimentos pueden afectar sus medicamentos

Algunos alimentos pueden afectar la manera en que los medicamentos con prescripcion o sin prescripcion medica funcionan, ya sea retardando, disminuyendo o aumentando la cantidad del medicamento que el cuerpo absorbe. Esto puede ocasionar efectos secundarios peligrosos y no deseados. Written by Paulina Wittkowsky and Linda B. Bobroff, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, revised January 2018. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy677
Telemedicine for contraceptive counseling: An exploratory survey of US family planning providers following rapid adoption of services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Objective During the COVID-19 pandemic, many clinicians started offering telemedicine services. The objective of this study is to describe the experience of US family planning providers with the rapid adoption of telemedicine for contraceptive counseling during this period. Study design This is a cross-sectional web-based survey of family planning providers practicing in the United States. Results A total of 172 providers completed the survey (34% response rate). Of these, 156 (91%) provided telemedicine services in the 2 months preceding the survey. Most (78%) were new to telemedicine. About half (54%) referred less than a quarter of contraception patients for in-person visits, and 53% stated that the most common referral reason was long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) insertion. A majority of providers strongly agree that telemedicine visits are an effective way to provide contraceptive counseling (80%), and that this service should be expanded after the pandemic (84%). If asked to provide telemedicine visits after the pandemic, 64% of providers would be very happy about it. Many providers used personal phones or smartphones to conduct telemedicine visits but stated that ideal devices would be work-issued computers, tablets, or phones. More than half (59%) of providers prefer video over phone visits. Conclusions Family planning clinicians in the United States reported a positive experience with telemedicine for contraceptive counseling during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and believe that this service should be expanded. Clinicians seem to prefer using work-issued devices and conducting video rather than phone visits. Implications Telemedicine is a promising option for providing contraceptive counseling even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. An investment in hospital or clinic-issued devices that allow for video conferencing may optimize clinicians’ telemedicine experience.
Ultrasound-guided external jugular and femoral arterial cannulation for juvenile swine.

Central venous and arterial access through minimally invasive techniques has been described in adult pigs. This article demonstrates success in juvenile animals. Using ultrasound guidance and the m...
Visualization of Jet Impingement and Ignition in a Piston-cylinder Chamber

The transportation sector accounts for almost a third of the United States' energy consumption. We are developing predictive simulations of the complex in-cylinder processes of internal combustion engines to improve performance and decrease pollutant emissions. We provide a first look at the jet impingement and ignition inside a piston-cylinder chamber using volume rendering. Through the visualization, we constructed a complete 3D picture of the jet impingement on the piston-bowl walls leading to the formation of pockets of auto-ignition of the fuel-air mixture. These auto-ignition pockets subsequently lead to flame stabilization, releasing the chemical energy for conversion to useful work. A detailed physical picture of flame stabilization, as provided by the visualization techniques presented in this study, help in the design of next-generation internal combustion engines.
Controversies in Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: Is There a Role for Venous Stents?

The role of endovascular therapy in venous thoracic outlet syndrome (VTOS) is critical but complex, particularly with regard to the role of stent placement. The borders of the venous thoracic outlet are rigid, potentially limiting the utility of stents in the pre-surgical setting and creating significant long-term problems if the thoracic outlet is not decompressed. Following decompression, there is evidence that most patients can achieve long term patency with angioplasty alone, but in a certain subsets of patients, post-decompression stenting (ideally with long-term follow up) may provide lasting results.
Intramedullary nailing of extra-articular distal tibial fractures

Aims The aim of this study was to determine the immediate post-fixation stability of a distal tibial fracture fixed with an intramedullary nail using a biomechanical model. This was used as a surro...
Competing Political Visions in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong

This study analyzes the degree to which the issues of democracy and the relationship between Hong Kong and Mainland China have polarized Hong Kong’s elite politics. By analyzing roll call voting behavior in the Legislative Council (LegCo, 1998–2012), I present empirical findings that these competing political visions have been the single most important cleavage in the legislature. At the same time, however, there are substantial differences among the LegCo members on the salience of this Beijing/democracy issue dimension. The political elites who are directly elected are less aligned to the main issue dimension. Roll call voting behaviors of the independents and the minor party members are also less explained by the major political issue cleavage. These findings provide an additional lens for a better understanding of the political landscape in Hong Kong.
Clinical Geriatric Research

Clinical investigators face formidable methodologic and ethical challenges in the study of elderly people. To define problems specific to geriatric research the fundamental elements of clinical research are outlined and considerations important to a geriatric study population are identified. Because of the underestimated biologic variation of elderly people, the evaluation of new interventions in one older population may be difficult to generalize to all older people. Inasmuch as older people represent a study population with a lifetime of cumulative exposures for various diseases such as cancer, historical cohort studies are particularly suitable research designs. Despite these advantages, the retrospective study of certain interventions research designs. Despite these advantages, the retrospective study of certain interventions in older people, for example cardiopulmonary resuscitation, requires thoughtful attention to avoid strong and often subtle selection biases. Issues of informed consent and the presence of multiple, comorbid illnesses, especially relevant to clinical trials, are problematic in studying geriatric conditions. Recently, instruments measuring function and disability have been used extensively by investigators in geriatric research, but the precise way to quantify these observations remains controversial. Testing artifacts may be considerably greater in older persons than in many of the populations in which the instruments have been validated. Finally, certain statistical assumptions and inferences may be inappropriate in the study of older people.
Ascariasis causing pulmonary arterial hyperplasia in cats.

SUMMARY Medial hyperplasia of the pulmonary arteries (MHPA) in cats was experimentally produced with Toxocara cati and the lesions induced were identical to naturally occurring cases. T. cati is probably the most common cause of MHPA of cats but other parasites which migrate through the lungs also initiate the lesion.
Producing Citizens: Women, Parenthood, and the Democratic Public Sphere

The motivation for this project stems from the realization that political institutions and the policies they produce not only govern citizen action, but cultivate and condition citizen desires. Unfortunately, the means by which they do so, and the direction in which such desires are formed, often do not work to sustain democracy. If institutions and policymakers play this role in constructing and fulfilling undemocratic desires, then making change on the level of public institutions is a way to alter the context in which desires are formed and pursued, a way to make and sustain social change. In this essay, we examine this dynamic in terms of contemporary understandings of motherhood and its relationship to work by complicating the language of “choice” that is so prevalent in these discussions. The essay pursues three avenues of critique. First, we look at the possibility of reframing women’s “choices” as mothers’ “sacrifices” to more accurately describe the conditions and effects of many women’s choices. Finding the language of sacrifice useful but insufficient to motivate political change, we then move to an examination of the ways in which women’s decisions and desires about family and work are constructed within specific social contexts. We attend here to the different constraints and choices that women of different classes face, and acknowledge the multiplicity of desires among women. Third, we draw on the insights of behavioral economics to highlight the role of the state in women’s decision processes and to explore ways in which changes to the choice architecture could help produce a more democratic society, one in which women are not forced to “choose” to make illegitimate sacrifices of their own well-being, and in which the public sphere is much more representative of the population.
Comparison of Stream Invertebrate Response Models for Bioassessment Metrics1

Waite, Ian R., Jonathan G. Kennen, Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, Kimberly A. Jones, and James L. Orlando, 2012. Comparison of Stream Invertebrate Response Models for Bioassessment Metrics. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 570-583. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00632.x Abstract: We aggregated invertebrate data from various sources to assemble data for modeling in two ecoregions in Oregon and one in California. Our goal was to compare the performance of models developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques with models developed using three relatively new techniques: classification and regression trees (CART), random forest (RF), and boosted regression trees (BRT). We used tolerance of taxa based on richness (RICHTOL) and ratio of observed to expected taxa (O/E) as response variables and land use/land cover as explanatory variables. Responses were generally linear; therefore, there was little improvement to the MLR models when compared to models using CART and RF. In general, the four modeling techniques (MLR, CART, RF, and BRT) consistently selected the same primary explanatory variables for each region. However, results from the BRT models showed significant improvement over the MLR models for each region; increases in R2 from 0.09 to 0.20. The O/E metric that was derived from models specifically calibrated for Oregon consistently had lower R2 values than RICHTOL for the two regions tested. Modeled O/E R2 values were between 0.06 and 0.10 lower for each of the four modeling methods applied in the Willamette Valley and were between 0.19 and 0.36 points lower for the Blue Mountains. As a result, BRT models may indeed represent a good alternative to MLR for modeling species distribution relative to environmental variables.
Three-dimensional bimetallic oxides constructed from molybdophosphonate chains and secondary-metal/4-pyridyltetrazole components

Abstract The hydrothermal reactions of molybdenum(VI) oxide, 1,2-ethylene diphosphonic acid, 4-pyridyltetrazole (4-Hpt) and the appropriate metal acetate yielded a series of three-dimensional bimetallic oxides of the general formula [Mx(4-Hpt)y(H2O)z{Mo5O15(O3PCH2CH2PO3)}]·nhydrate (M = Co or Ni, x = 2, y = 2, z = 6; M = Cu, x = 4, y = 3, z = 1). The Co(II) and Ni(II) phases are isomorphous with structures constructed from the common {Mo5O15(O3PCH2CH2PO3)}n4n− chains linked through binuclear {M2(4-Hpt)2(H2O)6}4+ subunits to provide the three-dimensional connectivity. The copper(I) species consists of the molybdophosphonate chains embedded in a framework of Cu(I) tetrahedra linked through the tetrazole nitrogen donors of the 4-Hpt ligands.
An Improved Bipolar Junction Transistor Model for Electrical and Radiation Effects

The use of bipolar technology in hardened electronic design requires an in-depth understanding of how the Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) behaves under normal electrical and radiation environments. Significant improvements in BJT process technology have been reported, and the successful use of sophisticated Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools has aided implementation with respect to specific families of hardened devices. The most advanced BJT model used to date is the Improved Gummel-Poon (IGP) model which is used in CAA programs such as the SPICE II and SLICE programs. The earlier Ebers-Moll model (ref 1 and 2) has also been updated to compare with the older Gummel-Poon model. This paper describes an adaptation of an existing computer model which incorporates the best features of both models into a new, more accurate model called the Improved Bipolar Junction Transistor model. This paper also describes a unique approach to data reduction for the B(Ic) and VBE (ACT) vs Ic characterizations which has been successfully programmed in Basic using a Commodore PET computer. This model is described in the following sections.
A critical comparison of methods for hydroperoxide measurement in oxidized polyolefins

Hydroperoxide products in solid oxidized polyolefins have been measured by iodometry, Fe2+ reaction and by derivatization infrared spectroscopy methods. Polyethylene, polypropylene and elastomers were oxidized by photo, thermal and γ-initiation. The traditional iodometric method appears to be highly reliable within certain constraints of reaction time imposed by sample crosslinking. The Fe2+ reaction was found to give values consistently one order of magnitude below the true level because of failure of the reagents to penetrate into the oxidized polymers even after a prior swelling step. Derivatization of hydroperoxides by reaction with nitric oxide produced nitrates which could be measured by infrared spectroscopy with high sensitivity. Total nitrate yields agreed well with iodometric determination of hydroperoxide for reaction conditions under which the nitrates were stable. Different nitrates, and hence hydroperoxides, could be identified and quantified by this method.
Lung transplantation is warranted for stable, ventilator-dependent recipients

Abstract Background . Lung transplantation for patients on ventilators is a controversial use of scarce donor lungs. We have performed 500 lung transplants in 12 years and 21 of these have been in ventilator-dependent patients. Methods . A retrospective review of patient records and computerized database was performed. Living patients were contacted to confirm their health and functional status. Results . Patients included 13 men and 8 women with a mean age of 43 years. Sixteen patients were considered stable awaiting lung transplant, whereas 5 patients were unstable with acute graft failure after prior lung transplantation. Stable patients had been ventilated for a mean of 57 ± 46 days whereas unstable patients had been supported for 10 ± 9 days. Half of the patients required cardiopulmonary bypass support during the transplant, and there was no statistical difference in the frequency of CPB in stable and unstable patients ( p = 0.61). Three hospital deaths included 0 of 16 of the stable patients and 3 of 5 of the unstable patients ( p = 0.01). Long-term actuarial survival was significantly better in stable versus unstable patients ( p = 0.02), with 5-year survival 40% for stable patients and 0% for unstable patients. Conclusions . Lung transplantation can be successfully conducted in stable patients who have become ventilator dependent after listing for transplantation. Acute retransplantation for early lung dysfunction is high risk and has produced poor long-term results.
Myocardial 99mTc-tetrofosmin uptake during adenosine-induced vasodilatation with either a critical or mild coronary stenosis: comparison with 201Tl and regional myocardial blood flow.

Background Clinical studies have shown a comparable coronary stenosis detection rate between 99mTc-tetrofosmin and 201Tl but with smaller defect magnitudes for 99mTc-tetrofosmin. The goals of this study were to measure the first-pass extraction fraction (EF) of 99mTc-tetrofosmin in canine myocardium and to compare 99mTc-tetrofosmin with 201Tl uptake during adenosine-induced vasodilatation in dogs with various degrees of coronary stenosis. Methods and Results EF was calculated in 4 anesthetized, open-chest dogs after intracoronary administration of 125I-labeled albumin and 99mTc-tetrofosmin. In another 16 dogs with either critical (n=6) or mild (n=10) left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenoses, 201Tl and 99mTc-tetrofosmin were administered during adenosine infusion (250 μg · kg−1 · min−1). Dogs were killed 5 minutes later, and tracer activities were determined by ex vivo imaging of heart slices and by well counting. Mean 99mTc-tetrofosmin EF was 54.0±3.7%. In the 6 critical-stenosis dogs, the LAD-to-left circumflex artery (LCx) microsphere flow ratio was 0.22±0.02 with adenosine. The LAD-to-LCx activity ratios were 0.37±0.04 for 201Tl and 0.67±0.05 for 99mTc-tetrofosmin ( P <.01). For the 10 mild-stenosis dogs, the LAD-to-LCx flow ratio was 0.44±0.05. The 201Tl activity ratio was 0.58±0.04, compared with 0.81±0.04 for 99mTc-tetrofosmin ( P <.01). Thus, in both groups, 99mTc-tetrofosmin uptake underestimated the flow disparity more than 201Tl. Similarly, magnitudes of ex vivo image defects were significantly greater for 201Tl than for 99mTc-tetrofosmin in both groups. Conclusions In this canine model, relative underperfusion with adenosine stress is better resolved with 201Tl than with 99mTc-tetrofosmin and may be explained by the lower EF for 99mTc tetrofosmin. With clinical imaging, greater 201Tl attenuation and redistribution may lessen this advantage.
Comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of canine intranasal neoplasia.

Objectives Canine intranasal neoplasia is commonly evaluated using computed tomography to indicate the diagnosis, to determine disease extent, to guide histological sampling location and to plan treatment. With the expanding use of magnetic resonance imaging in veterinary medicine, this modality has been recently applied for the same purpose. The aim of this study was to compare the features of canine intranasal neoplasia using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Le Dernier Cartoucherie: refuge and the performance of care

In 2003, the Paris-based theatre company Theâtre du Soleil launched Le Dernier Caravanserail: Odyssees, a collaborative creation based on stories that company members had collected from refugees at the Sangatte refugee camp outside Calais, among other locations. Scenes of moral reasoning dotted the six-hour spectacle, calling to mind the international media frenzy that followed the short lifetime (1999–2003) of the camp: if Sangatte was the ultimate embodiment of French compassion toward those in need, why did many resist confinement and hope to escape? By way of a closer look at the Sangatte scenes in Caravanserail, this paper asks several questions: How did the company engage the recent turn toward ‘humanitarian’ effort in French immigration policy in its depiction of the refugee experience? What were the structures of care and compassion with which the performance itself approached its subjects? And finally, how was performance practice, with its sensitivity to questions of affect and corporeality, tak...
Analysis of Ad5 hexon and 100K ts mutants using conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Adenovirus type 5 is mutants deficient in hexon metabolism were investigated using conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies directed against hexon capsomeres and the viral 100K protein. The is mutants map either in the hexon structural gene or in the gene encoding the 100K protein, a major, late nonstructural protein. All of the mutants examined (tsl, ts2, ts3, ts4, ts17, and ts20 of J. F. Williams, M. Gharpure, S. Ustacelebi, and S. McDonald (1971). J. Gen. Virol. 11, 95–101 ) were unable to produce the capsomeric form of hexon (a trimer of three hexon monomers) at the nonpermissive temperature. However, all of the mutants retained the ability to produce a complex of 100K and hexon which has been demonstrated to play a major role in the assembly of hexon trimers. The mutants accumulated nontrimerized hexon in this is complex in the perinuclear region of the cell. Several of the mutants (tsl, ts2, ts3) were found to successfully assemble hexon synthesized at the nonpermissive temperature upon shift down to the permissive temperature, even in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor. The mutant, ts2, which maps in the hexon structural gene, was found to be dependent on protein synthesis for transport of hexon trimers into the nucleus during temperature shift down, while the 100K is mutants, tsl and ts3, were independent of protein synthesis for both hexon assembly and transport.
Bifunctional promoter of type IV collagen COL4A5 and COL4A6 genes regulates the expression of α5 and α6 chains in a distinct cell-specific fashion

Type IV collagen is present ubiquitously in basement membranes. A bifunctional promoter regulates the expression of the alpha1/alpha2 genes, and the alpha3/alpha4 and the alpha5/alpha6 genes are also considered to be regulated by putative bifunctional promoters. Unlike the other type IV collagen chains, the alpha5(IV) and alpha6(IV) chains do not always co-localize and are present in distinct basement membranes. To address such dichotomy in the alpha5(IV) and alpha6(IV) gene regulation, we cloned a mouse genomic DNA fragment containing the promoter region between the two transcription start sites of these genes and we then placed this putative promoter sequence between the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and Luciferase reporter genes, so that these genes would be transcribed in opposite directions in this unique construct. Glomerular endothelial cells and mesangial cells generate the kidney glomerular basement membrane, which always contains the alpha5(IV) chain but not the alpha6(IV) chain. In contrast, the basement membranes of Bowman's capsule and distal tubuli (produced by the tubular epithelial cells) contain the alpha6(IV) chain. We demonstrate that, in response to TGF-beta (transforming growth factor beta), epidermal growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor, expression from the alpha5(IV) gene is significantly enhanced in the glomerular endothelial cells and mesangial cells, but not expression from the alpha6(IV) gene. In contrast, the expression from the alpha6(IV) gene, and not that from the alpha5(IV) gene, was significantly enhanced in response to growth factors in the tubular epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate that the proximal bifunctional promoter regulates the expression of the alpha5(IV) and alpha6(IV) genes in a cell-specific manner and offers the first demonstration of the promoter plasticity in growth factor regulation of type IV collagen genes in different tissues of the body.
Police Reform and The Department of Justice: An Essay on Accountability

In 1994, Congress promulgated a significant piece of legislation that may prove to have an extremely important impact on the operation of local police departments. Section 14141 of Title 42, enacted as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, prohibits governmental authorities or those acting on their behalf from engaging in "a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officials" that deprives persons of "rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States." Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a violation has occurred, the Justice Department is authorized to sue for equitable and declaratory relief "to eliminate the pattern or practice." At this writing, the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has brought two civil suits pursuant to Section 14141—suits that have resulted in consent decrees with the police departments of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Steubenville, Ohio. The Department, moreover, is reported to be investigating or monitoring at least nine other police agencies—in Los Angeles, California; Orange
Pancreatic islet cell membranes: Extraction of a possible glucoreceptor

Abstract Solubilized cell membranes of dog pancreatic islets, in contrast to membranes from acinar cells, include a component which forms complexes with glucose, mannose, and fructose, each of which is a stimulus to insulin secretion. Galactose and 3-O- methylglucose , which are not secretory stimuli, are not complexed. Thus, this component has the specificity expected of the receptor site through which these cells are stimulated to secrete insulin.
Application of the Marcus Cross Relation to Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactions

The transfer of a hydrogen atom—a proton and an electron—is a fundamental process in chemistry and biology. A variety of hydrogen atom transfer reactions, involving iron complexes, phenols, hydroxylamines, tBuOOH, toluene, and related radicals, are shown to follow the Marcus cross relation. Thus, the Marcus theory formalism based on ground-state energetics and self-exchange rates, originally developed for electron transfer processes, is also valuable for hydrogen atom transfer. Compounds that undergo slow proton transfer (C–H bonds) or slow electron transfer (cobalt complexes) also undergo slow hydrogen atom transfer. Limitations of this approach are also discussed.
Temporal gene expression profiling reveals CEBPD as a candidate regulator of brain disease in prosaposin deficient mice.

Background Prosaposin encodes, in tandem, four small acidic activator proteins (saposins) with specificities for glycosphingolipid (GSL) hydrolases in lysosomes. Extensive GSL storage occurs in various central nervous system regions in mammalian prosaposin deficiencies.
Understanding the Cox Regression Models With Time-Change Covariates

The Cox regression model is a cornerstone of modern survival analysis and is widely used in many other fields as well. But the Cox models with time-change covariates are not easy to understand or visualize. We therefore offer a simple and easy-to-understand interpretation of the (arbitrary) baseline hazard and time-change covariate. This interpretation also provides a way to simulate variables that follow a Cox model with arbitrary baseline hazard and time-change covariate.
Calcium signaling in systemic lupus erythematosus T cells: a treatment target.

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) T cells display a hyperactive calcineurin-NFAT pathway. The aim of this study is to answer whether this pathway is responsible for the aberrant SLE T cell function and test the effectiveness of the recently recognized calcineurin inhibitor dipyridamole in limiting SLE related pathology.
Informed consent for contact lens patients

Abstract The legal doctrine of informed consent mandates that the practitioner provide sufficient information so a patient can refuse or consent to an optometric procedure in a knowledgeable, willing and intelligent manner. Informed consent is especially important for contact lens patients. The informed consent procedures presented here are simple and straightforward. They should be a natural part of optometric practice and will better educate patients about the benefits and risks of the proposed course of treatment. Failure to comply with informed consent requirements can be a major source of liability for contact lens practitioners.
Prevalence of significant knee pain among older Americans: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of persistent knee pain among older adults in the US. DESIGN: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey with an in-person interview and medical examination SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Between 1988 and 1994, 6596 adults aged 60 to 90+ years were examined as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks were over-sampled to produce reliable estimates for these groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Participants were asked to report whether they had experienced knee pain on most days for the 6 weeks preceding their medical exam. RESULTS: Overall, 18.1% of US men and 23.5% of US women aged 60 years and older reported knee pain. Sixty- to ninety-year-old men reported knee pain less frequently than their age-matched female counterparts. There was a trend for reports of knee pain to increase steadily as these adults aged from 60 to 85 years. The highest prevalence of knee pain was reported among 85- to 90-year-old men (23.7%) and women (30.0%). Among non-Hispanic white adults older than age 60, 18.4% of men and 22.0% of women reported knee pain. Reports of knee pain among non-Hispanic black men and Mexican American men were similar to those of their non-Hispanic white counterparts. In contrast, 26.4% of Mexican American women and 32.8% of non-Hispanic black women reported knee pain. We also found that difficulty in performing physical functioning activities was associated with a higher prevalence of knee pain. CONCLUSIONS: Many US adults older than age 60 years report knee pain, and the prevalence is higher in older adults. Reports of knee pain are highest among non-Hispanic black women and the oldest Americans. Intervention strategies are needed to prevent and better manage knee pain among older US adults to stem the adverse health consequences and diminished quality of life associated with this common problem. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:1435–1438, 1999.
Mechanisms of methyl and ethyl parathion resistance in the western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract The mechanisms of methyl parathion and ethyl parathion resistance were studied in two populations (Phelps and York) of western corn rootworm adults ( Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte). Results of these studies indicate that the resistance is due to the combined effects of metabolic detoxification and target site insensitivity and that different processes are involved in conferring resistance in the two resistant populations. Resistance to methyl parathion is partially suppressible by the hydrolytic enzyme inhibitor DEF in both resistant populations, suggesting involvement of hydrolytic enzymes, and is in agreement with the increased general esterase activity toward naphtholic ester substrates observed in both resistant populations. Resistance was also partially suppressed by the monooxygenase inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PBO), but only in the York population. This suppression of the resistance by PBO is consistent with the significantly higher cytochrome P-450-dependent activities (epoxidation and N -demethylation) that were observed in the York population. In vivo metabolism experiments with 14 C-labeled ethyl parathion confirm involvement of metabolic detoxification in the resistance based on differences in the rates of metabolite formation in both resistant populations. However, the York and Phelps populations again displayed significant differences in the overall pharmacokinetics and profiles of metabolite formation, indicating that the two populations employ different resistance mechanisms. Comparison of acetylcholinesterase inhibition by methyl paraoxon among the resistant and susceptible populations indicated that only the Phelps population possessed a decrease in sensitivity to inhibition (twofold). Therefore, we conclude that increased metabolic detoxification by NADPH-dependent monooxygenases and general esterases confers resistance to the York population, while acetylcholinesterase insensitivity and hydrolytic metabolism interact to confer resistance in the Phelps population.