cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homeostasis in the soybean miRNA396–GRF network is essential for productive soybean cyst nematode infections

Heterodera glycines, the soybean cyst nematode, penetrates soybean roots and migrates to the vascular cylinder where it forms a feeding site called the syncytium. MiRNA396 (miR396) targets growth-regulating factor (GRF) genes, and the miR396–GRF1/3 module is a master regulator of syncytium development in model cyst nematode H. schachtii infection of Arabidopsis. Here, we investigated whether this regulatory system operates similarly in soybean roots and is likewise important for H. glycines infection. We found that a network involving nine MIR396 and 23 GRF genes is important for normal development of soybean roots and that GRF function is specified in the root apical meristem by miR396. All MIR396 genes are down-regulated in the syncytium during its formation phase while, specifically, 11 different GRF genes are up-regulated. The switch to the syncytium maintenance phase coincides with up-regulation of MIR396 and down-regulation of the 11 GRF genes specifically via post-transcriptional regulation by miR396. Furthermore, interference with the miR396–GRF6/8–13/15–17/19 regulatory network, through either overexpression or knockdown experiments, does not affect the number of H. glycines juveniles that enter the vascular cylinder to initiate syncytia, but specifically inhibits efficient H. glycines development to adult females. Therefore, homeostasis in the miR396–GRF6/8–13/15–17/19 regulatory network is essential for productive H. glycines infections.
Drug-induced liver injury: what was new in 2008?

Background: Given the number of publications appearing annually regarding drug-induced liver injury (DILI), there remains a need to concisely summarize each year's new crop of case series and reports as well as the advances in mechanisms of liver injury and in the field of pharmacogenomics relating to DILI. Objective: To present an up-to-date review of the past year's most important clinical studies and reports of DILI, placing them into context of previous publications. Methods: A Medline search was conducted of all manuscripts appearing in the fields “hepatotoxicity” and “drug-induced liver injury” during the calendar year 2008. The most clinically relevant English language case reports and studies exploring mechanisms and risk factors for DILI were then chosen for review, and supplemented with older literature where appropriate. Conclusions: As in past years, 2008 was replete with publications dealing with virtually all facets of DILI, including updated incidence and prevalence data, as well as the lat...
Selective Production of Aromatics by Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Furan with In Situ Dehydrogenation of Propane

Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) of furan was studied with the co-feeding of propane over ZSM-5, CrOx/Al2O3, and mixed catalysts with both ZSM-5 and CrOx/Al2O3 to combine the dehydrogenation of propane and CFP of furan in the presence of in situ generated propylene. With 15 vol % propane co-feeding, a slight increase in aromatic yield was observed over ZSM-5 catalyst. These enhancement was further improved by using mixed catalysts consisting of CrOx/Al2O3 and ZSM-5 with different weight ratios. Over the best mixed catalyst with CrOx/Al2O3 to ZSM-5 weight ratio of 2, a nearly 2-fold increase in the aromatic yield was obtained. The toluene selectivity was also increased from 37% to 50%. The increase in aromatic yield is directly dependent on the propane to total flow volume ratio. Moreover, the coke formation within ZSM-5 was also reduced, leading to a slower catalyst deactivation. From mechanistic studies, a two-step cascade reaction pathway was observed over the bifunctional mixed catalysts. It was proposed...
Study of Graduates in the Education of the Visually Disabled

Graduates with masters degrees in education of the visually disabled (N = 52) were queried by a mailed questionnaire about (a) their specific educational and personal characteristics, (b) their vocational behavior (c) perceptions of their preparation program, and (d) the value of their preparation in relation to their present positions. A 98 percent return showed the difference between the means for preparation and value of preparation not to be significant. However examination of the t ratios by each of seven competency areas indicated the ratings differed significantly in the following three areas: (a) techniques and methods of instruction, (b) acquisition and preparation of educational materials, and (c) general special education competency.
Analytical evaluation of ovality and application to fuel elements in Experimental Breeder Reactor II subassemblies

Ovality of elliptically distorted cylindrical fuel elements has long been observed for several fuel-element designs including Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) driver-fuel elements. The objective of this paper is to report the derivation and application of a simple and effective technique to quantify ovality in any elliptically distorted cylindrical geometry. The technique has been applied to EBR-II blanket and driver-fuel elements with and without spacer wires, respectively. 8 refs.
Exercise and lifestyle changes in pediatric asthma.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to discuss the most recent studies on lifestyle interventions in pediatric asthma. We include studies on physical activity and exercise, sedentary time, nutrition, behavioral therapy and the role of schools. Recent findings Several small studies in children with asthma suggest that exercise interventions can improve aerobic fitness, asthma symptoms or control and quality of life. Existing evidence supports recommending higher intake of fruits and vegetables for asthma risk and control. In contrast, the 'Western diet' - high in refined grains, highly processed foods, red meats and fried foods with low intake of fruits and vegetables - has a proinflammatory effect and may alter microbiota composition leading to worse asthma outcomes. Finally, there are opportunities to utilize schools to promote physical activity, though standardization of asthma management in the schools is needed. Summary Assessing physical activity/fitness levels, sedentary time and nutritional status is important in the management of children with asthma, as they are modifiable factors. Larger rigorous studies evaluating lifestyle interventions are needed to better inform current asthma guidelines as well as to understand the underlying mechanism(s) related to physical activity and diet in asthma.
Predictions of neonatal porcine bridging vein rupture and extra-axial hemorrhage during rapid head rotations

Abstract When the head is rotated rapidly, the movement of the brain lags that of the skull. Intracranial contents between the brain and skull include meninges, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and cerebral vasculature. Among the cerebral vasculature in this space are the parasagittal bridging veins (BVs), which drain blood from the brain into the superior sagittal sinus (SSS), which is housed within the falx cerebri, adhered to the inner surface of the skull. Differential motion between the brain and skull that may occur during a traumatic event is thought to stretch BVs, causing damage and producing extra-axial hemorrhage (EAH). Finite element (FE) modeling is a technique often used to aid in the understanding and prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and estimation of tissue deformation during traumatic events provides insight into kinematic injury thresholds. Using a FE model of the newborn porcine head with neonatal porcine brain and BV properties, single and cyclic rapid head rotations without impact were simulated. Measured BV failure properties were used to predict BV rupture. By comparing simulation outputs to observations of EAH in a development group of in vivo studies of rapid non-impact head rotations in the piglet, it was determined that failure of 16.7% of BV elements was associated with a 50% risk of EAH, and showed in a separate validation group that this threshold predicted the occurrence of EAH with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for single rapid non-impact rotations. This threshold for failed BV elements performed with 90% overall correct prediction in simulations of cyclic rotational head injuries. A 50% risk of EAH was associated with head angular velocities of 94.74 rad/s and angular accelerations of 29.60 krad/s2 in the newborn piglet. Future studies may build on these findings for BV failure in the piglet to develop predictive models for BV failure in human infants.
Certainty and intention in pregnancy decision-making: An exploratory study.

Introduction Abortion is often characterized as an inherently difficult decision, despite previous research finding high levels of decision certainty among abortion patients. Minimal research has examined decision certainty among pregnant people not seeking abortions. We examined whether abortion patients experienced higher levels of decision uncertainty than their counterparts choosing to continue their pregnancies, and whether levels of uncertainty differed according to the intendedness of the pregnancy. Method In a cross-sectional survey of pregnant women recruited from eight primary and reproductive health clinics across the U.S., we assessed pregnancy decision, intendedness, and levels of decision certainty. In this exploratory analysis among the 176 individuals who were currently pregnant, we used multinomial Poisson regressions to evaluate differences in decision certainty by pregnancy decision. We also examined whether pregnancy intention modified the effect of pregnancy decision on certainty. Results Approximately half (49%) of the sample had decided to have an abortion; 42% had decided to continue the pregnancy; and 9% were not sure. A small minority (6%) reported clinically significant levels of decision conflict. Among those deciding on abortion, 22% expressed any uncertainty related to their decision, compared to 19% among those carrying to term and 69% among those not sure. The hypothesized interaction between decision certainty and pregnancy intention was not significant in multivariable models. The predicted percent with decision uncertainty among intended pregnancies was identical among those who had decided on abortion (14%) and those who had decided to continue pregnancy (14%); among those with unintended pregnancies, uncertainty was reported by 26% of those who had decided on abortion and 28% of those who had decided to continue the pregnancy. Conclusions Similar levels of uncertainty about their pregnancy decision among all pregnant patients, regardless of pregnancy decision, challenge the narrative that abortion is a particularly difficult medical and personal decision. That pregnancy intention appears to play a role in shaping decision certainty for all pregnant individuals indicates future research on decision making should consider the role of pregnancy intendedness. The prevalence of some uncertainty among participants carrying to term suggests options counseling may be useful for individuals, regardless of pregnancy decision.
REM sleep without atonia is associated with increased rigidity in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Objective Increased muscle activity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (i.e. REM sleep without atonia) is common in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study tested the hypotheses that people with PD and REM sleep without atonia (RSWA) would present with more severe and symmetric rigidity compared to individuals with PD without RSWA and age-matched controls. Methods Sixty-one individuals participated in this study (41 PD, 20 controls). An overnight sleep study was used to classify participants with PD as having either elevated (PD-RSWA+) or normal muscle activity (PD-RSWA−) during REM sleep. Quantitative measures of rigidity were obtained using a robotic manipulandum that passively pronated and supinated the forearm. Results Quantitative measures of forearm rigidity were significantly higher in the PD-RSWA+ group compared to the control group. Rigidity was significantly more asymmetric between limbs in the PD-RSWA− group compared with controls, while there was no significant difference in symmetry between the control and PD-RSWA+ groups. Conclusion In people with mild to moderate PD, RSWA is associated with an increased and more symmetric presentation of upper limb rigidity. Significance Dysfunction of brainstem systems that control muscle tone during REM sleep may contribute to increased rigidity during wakefulness in people with PD.
Using Telemedicine and Infographics for Physician-Guided Home Drain Removal

ObjectiveMeasures to decrease hospital length of stay and outpatient visits are crucial during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Physician-guided home drain removal presents a poten...
Recanalization of cervicocephalic artery dissection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: While there exists a substantial literature on the risk factors and clinical manifestations of cervical artery dissection (CeAD) including carotid and vertebral artery, little is known about postdissection recanalization. The goal of our study was to provide a descriptive analysis of CeAD and recanalization after dissection with neuroimaging follow up. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 51 consecutive patients with confirmed diagnoses of CeAD based on neuroimaging. Demographic data, risk factors, and dissection characteristics were recorded. Neuroimaging studies were performed at 0, 3, 6, and >6 months. RESULTS: Among 51 cases, the mean age of dissection (mean ± standard error) was 49.4 ± 1.92 years, and female comprised 58.8% of the patients. Extent of stenosis was 100% dissection in 37.3%, 51%–99% in 41.2%, and CONCLUSIONS: The recanalization of CeAD occurs mainly within the first 6 months after symptom onset, following which healing slows down. The study did not find an association between location, pattern, or nature of dissection on artery recanalization.
An Evaluation of the Use of Aggressive Fluid Resuscitation in the Early Treatment of Sepsis Patients.

Introduction Fluid resuscitation is a critical aspect of the sepsis protocol with the usual initial dose being 30 mL per kilogram. Although this dose is well accepted in patients with normal cardiac function, there is some significant variation in clinical practice concerning the optimal fluid resuscitation in septic patients with underlying congestive heart failure (CHF). Many different approaches have been tried to best treat these patients by using lesser volumes of fluid. The purpose of this retrospective study is to attempt to better define optimal fluid resuscitation in congestive heart failure patients and whether standard fluid resuscitation exacerbates CHF in these cases. Methods This was a retrospective study involving patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) during the time period of September of 2016 through March of 2019 with a primary diagnosis of sepsis and pre-existing CHF. Data collected from the data warehouse and patient charts included demographics, total amount of fluid received in the ED and outcome data. Evidence of fluid overload (chest X-ray [CXR] evidence, rising B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP], or use of diuretics), was evaluated with respect to in-hospital mortality, white blood cell (WBC) count and comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], hypertension and coronary artery disease). Results There were 422 patients included in the cohort. Of the 422, 113 (26.8%) patients showed evidence of fluid overload on CXR during hospital stay and received diuretics and therefore considered in the CHF exacerbation group. The patients that experienced CHF exacerbation were significantly older (mean ± SD, 70.9 ± 11.8 years versus 67.4 ± 15.1 years, p=0.014). Patients with exacerbation also received more fluid (median and interquartile range, 3.0, 2:5.5 L versus 2.0, 1:4.3 L, p=0.017). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for fluid to predict exacerbation resulted in an area under the curve of 0.59 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.52 to 0.65, p=0.012. The Youden Index was used to determine an optimal cutoff value of 2.6 L. The percentage of patients in the exacerbation group above the threshold was significantly higher (57.3%) than those without exacerbation (43.3%), p=0.019. Following multivariate analysis, age greater than 60 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.5; CI: 1.4-4.6, p=0.003) and fluid cutoff of 2.6 L (OR: 1.9; CI: 1.2-3.1, p=0.007) were both found to be independent predictors of CHF exacerbation. There was no significant difference in mortality based on the total fluid received in the ED. Conclusion The findings of this study showed that septic patients with pre-existing CHF who received more than 2.6 L of fluid in the ED were 90% more likely to develop symptoms of CHF exacerbation with no evidence of lowering mortality compared to the group that received less than 2.6 L. Our data supports the practice of limiting total fluid resuscitation in CHF to 2.6 L and reconfirms the idea that fluid resuscitation for patients with CHF needs to be individualized.
Gilead Sciences Sued for Failing to Bring a Follow-on Version of Truvada to Market Sooner

In 2012, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Truvada as the first drug for use in the prevention of HIV infection in healthy people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity. Developed and marketed by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Truvada is a fixed-dose combination of two antiretroviral compounds, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricitabine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified both TDF and the combination of TDF and emtricitabine found in Truvada as “essential medicines.” In 2015, Gilead began marketing products containing tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) as a safer and more effective alternative to TDF. Recently, Gilead became the target of multiple lawsuits filed in California state courts accusing the company of negligence, strict product liability, and fraud, based on the company’s decision not to bring TAF-based products to market sooner. The plaintiffs are individuals who took TDF-containing products like Truvada and claim that they suffered injury caused by TDF that could have been avoided if a TAF-containing product had been available. Ironically, Congress is currently considering legislation that would make so-called “product hopping” a presumptive antitrust violation. A “product hop” occurs when a drug company brings a “follow-on” version of an already approved drug to market, such as a combination product containing an already approved product (e.g., Truvada), or a new prodrug version of an existing drug (e.g., TAF) . This Article describes Gilead’s work developing and marketing tenofovir-based drugs like Truvada, as well as the company’s efforts aimed at making the drug more readily available worldwide. It then review the allegations to be found in one of the lawsuits recently filed against Gilead in California. This is followed by a discussion of the proposed legislation intended to deter pharmaceutical product hopping, including some analysis showing how, if enacted, the proposed legislation could have rendered it a presumptive antitrust violation for Gilead to bring TAF-containing products to market after the company had already begun marketing a TDF-based product.
Transplantation of the Developing Mammalian Visual System

Processing of the visual image in the brain requires an orderly relay of information between the various visual centers. This is accomplished by having these visual centers interconnect in very precise patterns. A good example of this is the projection of the retinal ganglion cells to the brain. The axons of the ganglion cells course along a well-defined tract, enter only very specific nuclei in the brain, and within these nuclei terminate in a retinotopic fashion such that neighboring retinal ganglion cells terminate in neighboring areas of the central visual nuclei. A major problem in developmental neurobiology is to determine how these patterns of connections develop. The transplantation technique affords one method by which to study this problem.
Isolated infection of a decommissioned penile prosthesis reservoir with Actinomyces neuii.

ABSTRACT Introduction Inflatable penile prostheses (IPPs) are a well‐established and reliable treatment for medication refractory erectile dysfunction. The most serious complication with IPPs is infection, with the reported incidence after primary placement 1% to 3% and after revision surgery 8% to 18%. Aim The aim of this report is to describe an infected decommissioned IPP reservoir with Actinomyces neuii with successful preservation of a functioning implant. Methods After 9 years of successful use with an IPP (AMS 700 CX) for Peyronie's disease and organic erectile dysfunction, a 79‐year‐old man underwent replacement with an AMS 700 LGX. The decommissioned reservoir was kept in the right prevesical space, and the new reservoir was placed in the left prevesical space. Three months later, he presented with right inguinal pain and swelling. Results He was found to have an infected right reservoir with A. neuii , sparing his new IPP. After removal of the right reservoir, he had an uneventful recovery and has shown no evidence of infection in the new device. Conclusion Revision surgery for IPPs carries a higher risk for implant infection. This is the first report of a genitourinary implant infection with A. neuii . Aggressive surgical and medical treatment may allow preservation of the functioning implant, despite gross infection of the decommissioned reservoir. Hsi RS, Hotaling JM, Spencer ES, Bollyky PL, and Walsh TJ. Isolated infection of a decommissioned penile prosthesis reservoir with Actinomyces neuii . J Sex Med 2011;8:923–926.
Reconsideration of self-complexity as a buffer against depression

Self-complexity (SC) theory proposes that a highly differentiated self-concept protects against the depressogenic impact of negative life events. Linville's influential prospective study appeared to support this proposition (P. W. Linville, 1987). Subsequent reports have raised questions about the construct validity of Linville's operationalization of self-complexity (defined by the degree to which self-reported personality descriptors are dispersed across self-aspects), as well as the robustness of a buffering effect of self-complexity. In the present replication, Linville's SC measure was again found to moderate the impact of stress on depressive symptoms. However, contrary to SC theory, the form of the Stress × SC interaction was not clearly consistent with stress protection. Also contrary to SC theory, the interaction of stress and SC was entirely explained by the number of self-descriptive personality traits endorsed in the SC task. Both of these findings suggest that with regard to depressive symptoms, reports of a stress-buffering effect for self-complexity are premature.
Neonatal Exposure to Antigen Induces a Defective CD40 Ligand Expression that Undermines Both IL-12 Production by APC and IL-2 Receptor Up-Regulation on Splenic T Cells and Perpetuates IFN-γ-Dependent T Cell Anergy

T cell deletion and/or inactivation were considered the leading mechanisms for neonatal tolerance. However, recent investigations have indicated that immunity develops at the neonatal stage but evolves to guide later T cell responses to display defective and/or biased effector functions. Although neonatal-induced T cell modulation provides a useful approach to suppress autoimmunity, the mechanism underlying the biased function of the T cells remains unclear. In prior studies, we found that exposure of newborn mice to Ig-PLP1, a chimera expressing the encephalitogenic proteolipid protein (PLP) sequence 139-151, induced deviated Th2 lymph node cells producing IL-4 instead of IL-2 and anergic splenic T cells that failed to proliferate or produce IFN-gamma yet secreted significant amounts of IL-2. However, if assisted with IFN-gamma or IL-12, these anergic splenic T cells regained full responsiveness. The consequence of such biased/defective T cells responses was protection of the mice against experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. In this study, investigations were performed to delineate the mechanism underlying the novel form of IFN-gamma-dependent splenic anergy. Our findings indicate that CD40 ligand expression on these splenic T cells is defective, leading to noneffective cooperation between T lymphocytes and APCs and a lack of IL-12 production. More striking, this cellular system revealed a requirement for IL-2R expression for CD40 ligand-initiated, IL-12-driven progression of T cells into IFN-gamma production.
Carleson type estimates for second order elliptic equations with unbounded drift

We derive a Carleson type estimate for positive solutions of non-divergence second order elliptic equations Lu = a ij D ij u + b i D i u = 0 in a bounded domain Ω ⊂ ℝ n . We assume that b i ∈ L n (Ω) and Ω is a twisted Holder domain of order α ∈ (1/2, 1] which satisfies a weak regularity condition. We also provide an example which shows that the main result fails in general if α ∈ (0, 1/2]. Bibliography: 18 titles.
Does the upper main sequence extend across the whole H-R diagram

The effect of using Carson's (1976) radiative opacities in evolutionary sequences of stellar models has been studied over the mass range from 7 to 60 solar masses. The opacities are very large in the outer part of the envelope and induce such enormous radii for masses greater than about 30 solar masses for a heavy-element fraction of 0.02 or about 20 solar masses for a heavy-element fraction of 0.04 that the evolutionary tracks during the phase of core hydrogen burning extend across the whole H-R diagram. The choice of the Schwarschild or Ledoux criterion for convection makes very little difference for the behavior of the tracks. Evolution through the effective-temperature range (in logarithms) of 3.6 to 4.0 occurs in all cases on a rapid (secular) time scale. Core helium burning takes place exclusively in the red-supergiant configuration for stellar masses exceeding 8 solar masses (heavy-element fraction of 0.02) or 6 solar masses (heavy-element fraction of 0.04). These stellar models seem to be in significantly better agreement with the observed distribution of bright stars on the H-R diagram than are the older models based on the Cox-Stewart opacities. It can be inferred that a large envelope opacity (e.g., Carson's) exists and that substantial mass loss takes place in very massive late-type supergiants.
Aspects of global coherence of magnetospheric behavior

This paper reviews ways in which the magnetosphere manifests coherent behavior on a global scale. Because the magnetosphere is a magnetic object, and is thus deformable under the constraint of total magnetic flux conservation, it can and does exhibit coordinated changes across its whole volume. As a trivial example, the early model of the magnetosphere, envisioned as a magnetically closed vacuum cavity, is compressible as a whole, obeying certain scaling laws. The operative dynamics is simply magnetic compression responding to variable solar wind dynamic pressure. Magnetospheric behavior gets more interesting and its global coherence less obvious when one adds the magnetosphere's response to a variable interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Then, in addition to changes associated with magnetic compression, there are changes associated with magnetic tension. Aspects of global coherence that then emerge include the following (to a degree that depends on the strength of the coupling to the IMF): one-way transfer of magnetic flux from the dayside to the nightside (magnetotail) associated with a buildup of the region 1 current system and erosion of the dayside magnetosphere, and, under very strong coupling, saturation of erosion and of the cross polar cap potential; two-way transfer of magnetic flux known as the Dungey cycle associated with substorms and, for very strong coupling, sawtooth substorms; a change in shape of the magnetopause as coupling strength increases that includes the development of a dimple at the nose and Alfven wings along the flanks; involvement of the magnetosheath and bow shock in global dynamics to such an extent that the boundary of the magnetosphere can be said to be the bow shock. One intention of this review is to demonstrate that these aspects are not separate phenomena but occur together as an integral mode of global magnetospheric behavior.
The effects of dietary fish oil on alveolar type II cell fatty acids and lung surfactant phospholipids.

The purpose of this study was to determine the responsiveness of alveolar type II cells to dietary fish oil and the consequent effects on alveolar and lung surfactant. Rats were fed a corn oil or a fish oil diet for four weeks. Dietary n−3 fatty acids were readily incorporated into the type II cell phospholipids as indicated by higher levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (2.77±0.10%) and docosahexaenoic acid (1.63±0.10%) in the group receiving the fish oil diet. The elevated levels of n−3 fatty acids were accompanied by concomitant reduction in arachidonic acid and linoleic acid. Neither eicosapentaenoic acid nor docosahexaenoic acid was incorporated into type II cell triacylglycerols. Feeding a fish oil containing diet increased surfactant phospholipids, particularly 1,2-disaturated acyl phosphatidylcholines in whole lung compared to a corn oil diet. However, the amount of surfactant found in the alveolus was not different between the two diet treatment groups. The results suggest that dietary n−3 fatty acids stimulate synthesis and/or inhibit degradation of lung surfactant without altering surfactant secretion in alveoli.
Community–wide Emergency Department Visits by Patients Suspected of Drug–seeking Behavior

Objective: To measure community–wide ED use by patients at high risk for drug–seeking behavior. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was performed to analyze a cohort of university hospital ED patients seen January 1 to June 30, 1990, for specific pain–related diagnoses (i.e., ureteral colic, toothache, back pain, abdominal pain, or headache) and either independently identified on at least one other local hospital's “patient alert” list or having a drug–related death during 1990. Patients with terminal illnesses were excluded. The frequency of ED (and affiliated urgent care clinic) visits and hospital admissions were determined for January 1 to December 31, 1990, at seven local hospitals. Detailed, supplemental chart review was performed for visits to three of these hospitals from 1990 to 1992. Results: Thirty patients were identified as being at risk for drug–seeking behavior (mean age: 34.3 years; range: 21–55 years; 50% males). We identified 379 visits for this cohort (86% ED visits, 9.8% urgent care visits, 4.7% hospital admissions), for an average of 12.6 visits (range: 2–33) per patient per year. On average, each patient visited 4.1 (range: 1–7) different hospitals and used 2.2 (range: 1–6) different aliases. Two patients died of drug overdose. Supplemental chart review revealed 28 episodes (among 17 different patients) in which a patient was told that he or she “would receive no further ‘narcotics’” from that facility; these patients subsequently received controlled substances from another hospital in 93% of these instances and from the same facility in 71%. Conclusions: Patients identified as being at high risk for drug–seeking behavior have high community–wide ED visit rates. Improving communication between and within hospitals may help identify patients who could benefit from more consistent community–wide care and appropriate treatment for addiction.
Evaluation of the transmitted exposure through lead equivalent aprons used in a radiology department, including the contribution from backscatter.

A study was conducted to evaluate the radiation transmission through lead equivalent aprons that are used in a radiology department. A large area beam (poor geometry) was employed for the transmission measurements, and backscatter was simulated by placing 7" of Lucite behind each apron. Separate ionization chambers were used to measure the incident and transmitted x-ray beams. Transmission measurements were made at 70 kVp and 100 kVp through aprons and protective shields from eight different vendors that were marked 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm lead equivalent. Transmissions through 0.254 mm and 0.508 mm of pure lead were also measured and were compared with the transmissions through the lead equivalent materials. In addition, the area densities of the aprons were measured to compare radiation transmission with respect to the weights of the aprons. At 70 kVp, the transmission through 0.254 mm of pure lead was 5.4% and the transmissions through the 0.25 mm lead equivalent materials were 4.3% to 10.2% with a mean value of 7.1% and a standard deviation (s.d.) of 1.4%. At 100 kVp, the values were 15% for 0.254 mm pure lead and 12.3% to 20.7% (mean 16.8%, s.d. 2.1%) for the 0.25 mm lead equivalent materials. The transmission through the 0.508 mm pure lead sample was 0.9% at 70 kVp, and the corresponding transmissions through the 0.5 mm lead equivalent materials were 0.6% to 1.6% (mean 1.0%, s.d. 0.2%). At 100 kVp, the transmission through the 0.508 mm lead sample was 5% and those through the 0.5 mm lead equivalent materials were 3.5% to 6.7% (mean 4.9%, s.d. 0.7%). The radiation transmissions at 70 kVp, through two "lead-free" 0.5 mm lead equivalent aprons, were 1.7% and 1.9% and at 100 kVp the transmissions were 6.1% and 6.8%, respectively. This study indicates that there is a need to establish methods for acceptance testing of aprons and a need to establish acceptance limits for the x-ray transmission of aprons at specific kVp values. There is also a need for the establishment of appropriate methods and frequencies of routine quality assurance testing of radiation protection aprons.
Spin-polarized light-emitting diodes and lasers

Spin-polarized light sources are a new class of devices in which the radiative recombination of spin-polarized carriers results in luminescence exhibiting a net circular polarization. The operation principles and design of spin-polarized light sources are discussed. A comprehensive review of experimental work on spin-polarized light-emitting diodes and surface-emitting lasers is provided, concluding with a discussion of future prospects.
Normal modes of an incompressible and stratified fluid model including the vertical and horizontal components of coriolis force

Numerical solutions of the normal modes of a linearized Boussinesq fluid model are studied with respect to the variable static stability in height z , the Brunt-Vaisala frequency N ( z ). The model includes both the vertical and horizontal components of Coriolis force. Our aim is to explore the characteristics of the little-known class of normal modes, referred to as the ‘boundary-induced inertial (BII)’ modes, in addition to the traditional inertio-gravity (IG) modes. Two kinds of finite-difference schemes are used to set up the eigenvalue-eigenvector matrix problem for crosscheck. Numerical results of the characteristics of IG and BII modes are presented for the case of an exponential form of N ( z ), together with the cases of constant N , whose exact solutions are used to check the performance of the numerical models. Because the frequencies of BII modes are close to the inertial frequency, which is a singular point of the model, the eigenfunctions of BII modes become highly oscillatory in z for a large value of N . It is shown that, under a realistic profile of N ( z ) in the oceans, the BII modes can appear complementary to the IG modes throughout the domain, suggesting that the joint consideration of both the IG and BII modes is necessary to understand the near-inertial oscillations in the seas.
Relationships between propranolol plasma protein binding, glycoprotein concentration, and enzyme induction following phenobarbital administration in the dog☆

Les donnees obtenues ne sont pas suffisamment precises pour repondre definitivement a la question posee initialement: l'induction de la production de glycoproteine α 1 -acide est-elle differente de l'induction du metabolisme des medicaments? Il a ete montre qu'il n'existe pas de differences importantes dans le parametre principal gouvernant la sensibilite de chacun des phenomenes envers le phenobarbital
Arm injury produces long-term behavioral and neural hypersensitivity in octopus.

Abstract Cephalopod molluscs are the most neurally and behaviorally complex invertebrates, with brains rivaling those of some vertebrates in size and complexity. This has fostered the opinion that cephalopods, particularly octopuses, may experience vertebrate-like pain when injured. However, it is not known whether octopuses possess nociceptors or if their somatic sensory neurons exhibit sensitization after injury. Here we show that the octopus Abdopus aculeatus expresses nocifensive behaviors including arm autotomy, and displays marked neural hyperexcitability both in injured and uninjured arms for at least 24 h after injury. These findings do not demonstrate that octopuses experience pain-like states; instead they add to the minimal existing literature on how cephalopods receive, process, and integrate noxious sensory information, potentially informing and refining regulations governing use of cephalopods in scientific research.
Further observations on the significance of A-equine-2/63 antibodies in man

The antibody pattern of equine-2/63 viruses has been more sharply defined using a large number of human sera collected in 1964. The birth dates of persons exhibiting the richest experience with equine-2/63-like viruses delineate a period of past prevalence in man of equine-2/63-like viruses. The period is believed to have begun in the mid-1870's and to have terminated in 1889–1890 at the time of the first Asian pandemic. The equine-2/63 antibodies found in human sera react specifically in the photometric test of Drescher. The equine-2/63 antibody pattern advances along the age scale in exact concordance with the passage of time. The homologous antibody response of the older subjects to equine-2/63 vaccine is more vigorous, reflecting the conditioning effects of prior exposures to equine-2/63 antigens. A "one-way cross" between equine-2/63 virus and A2 and A1 strains has been demonstrated. The antigenic ties between strains of influenza A isolated from humans, swine, horses, and birds is recognized and discussed. It is apparent that horses do not constitute an active reservoir for strains of human involvement. The epidemiologic significance of the antigenic linkages between strains isolated from different species remains obscure.
An intelligent tool for re-engineering software modularity

The author describes a software tool that provides heuristic modularization advice for improving existing code. A heuristic design similarity measure is defined, based on the Parna information hiding principle. The measure supports two services: clustering, which identifies groups of related procedures, and maverick analysis, which identifies individual procedures that appear to be in the wrong module. The tool has already provided useful advice in several real programming projects. The tool will soon incorporate an automatic tuning method, which allows the tool to learn from its mistakes, adapting its advice to the architect's preferences. A preliminary experiment demonstrates that the automatically tuned similarity function can assign procedures to modules very accurately. >
Consumer-Driven Health Care: Answer to Global Competition or Threat to Social Justice?

Health planning in the United States is rapidly approaching a fork in the policy road, with one direction leading the nation toward a universal plan with strong government involvement and the other direction strengthening existing market-based reforms and preserving a commercial health insurance industry. "Consumer-driven health care," a slogan that captures a range of market-based approaches to preserving patient choice and increasing cost savings, is most commonly implemented in the form of individual health savings accounts. These accounts are offered to employees as a means of increasing the cost sharing ofpersonal health care expenses. The author provides an overview of health insurance history and discusses some implications of abandoning earlier practices of risk pooling health care expenses across a wider community. Access and affordability issues connected with the adoption of a consumer-driven health care system in the United States are addressed. Parallels are drawn between the expansion of community-based insurance in the United States following World War II and social work's historic commitment to social justice and economic inclusion. Suggestions are made for social workers'involvement in health policy discourse and activism during this critical time ofnational reflection on universal versus market-based reforms for the U.S. health care system.
Comparative Analysis of Numerical Schemes for Hypersonic Re-entry Flows

Viscous and inviscid flowfields around a complex multiconic re-entry vehicle (with ablated nose shapes) are computed at three representative altitudes along a realistic re-entry trajectory. The effects of turbulence models on the aerodynamic predictions are studied. Results are presented for the trajectory and shape-change, inviscid flow field, viscous shock-layer, and parabolized Navier-Stokes calculations. All the methods used in the study are discussed in terms of their accuracy in predicting the wall-measurable quantities and the aerodynamic forces and moments, the required computing times, solution efficiency and ease of application, and possible remedies for the most commonly encountered numerical difficulties. As a final note, the use of a viscous shock-layer scheme for the blunt-body solutions and the AFWAL parabolized Navier-Stokes scheme for the afterbody flowfield solutions are suggested as potential design and analysis tools for the range of re-entry conditions considered (30-150 kft).
Resection of Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysms in a Takayasu's Arteritis Patient

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic vasculitis of unknown cause. Coronary arteries are affected in approximately 10% of cases with aneurysm formation being extremely rare. Coronary aneurysms (not related to Takayasu's arteritis) have been surgically treated with aneurysm resection and coronary bypass. We describe the case of a young woman found to have giant coronary artery aneurysms. She underwent resection of the aneurysms and short segment saphenous vein bypass to the right and left coronary arteries. In reviewing the literature, this seems to be the first case of Takayasu's arteritis related to coronary artery aneurysm treated surgically with a good result.
Holographically recorded reverse-mode transmission gratings in polymer-dispersed liquid crystal cells

We have synthesized one-dimensionally structured and switchable reverse-mode transmission gratings in polymer-dispersed liquid crystalline materials by holographic exposure technique using the 540 nm wavelength from a solid-state laser. These structures offer the potential for electrically switchable diffractive optical elements, whose functionality can be switched on by applied electric fields. We present results for the diffraction efficiency (η) as functions of curing-time, intensity of the writing-beams, polarizations of the writing, as well as probe beams, and frequency of the electric field. For exposure times much shorter than the time needed for complete-cure of the grating structure, η increases upon application of the electric field; for an electric field of 14 MV/m @1.1 kHz, we observe \(\frac{\Delta\eta}{\eta}\sim 1100\%\) with switching time constant of ∼15 ms.
UBA domains mediate protein-protein interactions between two DNA damage-inducible proteins.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes RAD23 and DDI1 were identified in a screen for multicopy suppressors of the temperature-sensitivity of a mutant allele of S. cerevisiae PDS1. Pds1 is a regulator of anaphase that needs to accumulate and then be degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway at the metaphase-anaphase transition for cells to progress normally through mitosis. Both the Rad23 and Ddi1 pds1 suppression phenotypes depend on a shared motif known as a UBA domain found in a variety of proteins associated with ubiquitin metabolism. UBA domains were found to be essential for homodimerization of Rad23 and heterodimerization between Rad23 and Ddi1, but not for homodimerization of Ddi1. This observation, coupled with the findings that Rad23 and Ddi1 UBA domains bind ubiquitin and that dimerization of Rad23 blocks ubiquitin binding, suggests a possible mechanism for regulating Rad23 and Ddi1 function.
Improving App Inventor usability via conversion between blocks and text

We have developed TAIL, a textual programming language isomorphic to the blocks language of MIT App Inventor (AI), and have extended AI with code blocks, a novel mechanism that enables bidirectional conversions between blocks and text fragments. TAIL improves AI's usability by facilitating the reading, writing, and sharing of programs, and may also ease the transition from blocks to text programming.
Mutual Inductance in the Bird-Cage Resonator

Abstract Formulas are derived to account for the effect of the mutual inductances, between all meshes, upon the electrical resonance spectra bird-cage resonators, and similar structures such as the TEM resonator of P. K. H. Roschmann (United States Patent 4,746,866) and J. T. Vaughanet al.(Magn. Reson. Med.32,206, 1994). The equations are parameterized in terms of isolated mesh frequencies and coupling coefficients, and ought therefore apply not only to simple magnetic couplings used in the derivation, but to electromagnetic couplings as well. A method for measuring the coupling coefficients—applicable to shielded as well as unshielded resonators—is described, based upon the splitting of frequencies in pairs of coupled resonators; and detailed comparisons are given between calculated and measured resonance spectra: for bird-cage resonators, with and without shields, and for the TEM resonator.
Quantum dynamics simulation of few body Coulomb systems

Abstract This paper describes a parallel algorithm for quantum dynamics simulations of three body Coulomb problems. The algorithm has been implemented on a SIMD (single instruction multiple data) computer (MasPar MP1). The algorithm employs the finite-difference and split operator (FD-SPO) method and variable time-step technique. A transformation of wavefunction to polar coordinates and a modified finite-difference method are introduced to reduce the number of the dimension and to handle singularities. The variable-time-step scheme improves the efficiency four times.