cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary care providers perform more neurologic visits than neurologists among Medicare beneficiaries.

Rationale, aims and objectives Little is known about which medical providers, other than neurologists, are involved in the care of neurologic conditions. We aimed to describe the current distribution of outpatient neurologic care by provider type. Methods We conducted a restrospective, cross-sectional analysis using a 20% national sample claims database that contains information on medical care utilizations from adult Fee-for-Service Medicare beneficiaries in 2015. We identified patient visits for evaluation and management services for common neurologic conditions and by medical provider type. The main outcome was the proportion of visits for neurologic conditions by medical provider type, both in aggregate and across neurologic conditions. Results 40% of neurologic visits were performed by primary care providers (PCPs) and 17.5% by neurologists. The most common neurologic conditions were back pain (49.3%), sleep disorders (8.0%), chronic pain/abnormality of gait (6.4%), peripheral neuropathy (5.9%), and stroke (5.5%). Neurologists cared for a large proportion of visits for Parkinson's disease (75.6% vs 20.8%), epilepsy (70.9% vs 26.6%), multiple sclerosis (63.9% vs 26.2%), other central NS disorders (54.2% vs 24.9%), and tremor/RLS/ALS (54.0% vs 31.2%) compared to PCPs. PCPs provided a greater proportion of visits for dizziness/vertigo (57.8% vs 9.3%) and headache/migraine (50.4% vs 35.0%) compared to neurologists. Conclusions PCPs perform more neurologic visits than neurologists. With the anticipated increased demand for neurologic care, strategies to optimize neurologic care delivery could consider expanding access to neurologists as well as supporting PCP care for neurologic conditions.
The Ethics of Speculative Anticipation and the Covid-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone, a statement that is true by definition, yet woefully unhelpful in our understanding of it and its effects today and in the future. Thus we find ourselves in a moment unprepared for the fast-approaching, unanticipated future. Under stable conditions, we might operate with a “good working model of an anticipated ‘future’” to speculate on our preparedness for the possible (Adams, Murphy, and Clarke 2009, 247). Or we may speculate in order to reimagine social relations within new ethical frameworks (Jones 2015). We anticipate what we imagine and envision as possible (Adams, Murphy, and Clarke 2009). We are writing and thinking about this not under stable conditions, but in the early moments of the COVID-19 pandemic when anticipation of and speculation about what is to come is being challenged and contradicted daily in the news cycle by government officials, experts, and everyday citizens. Our thinking, as well as this contribution to the scholarship on the COVID-19 crisis, is defined by an ineluctable tension about what is and what might be. In this musing, we attempt to flesh out just one aspect of the COVID-19 crisis: the anticipatory and speculative nature of COVID-19 thinking. We direct our attention during this time of crisis to how different forms of ethical thinking are joining up, interweaving, and braiding. By framing ethics in the context of anticipation, our aim is to capture threads of anticipation and speculation that may be used to tether attempts to create the future with, after, or beyond the novel coronavirus and/or the next crisis.
Syllabus Tone, More Than Mental Health Statements, Influence Intentions to Seek Help:

Background:Mental health issues are increasing in higher education and finding ways for students to get help when needed is important.Objective:We tested if the tone of a short syllabus and the pre...
Neonates with Right Aortic Arch Requiring Arch Reconstruction: A Single-Institution Experience

Abstract Background Reconstruction of a right aortic arch (RAA) is rarely required in the newborn period and has rarely been reported. Methods All patients who underwent a RAA repair in the neonatal period from a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. The primary outcome measures included survival, complications, and reintervention. Results Between 1984 to 2020, 15 patients were identified. Nine patients (60%) presented with an interrupted aortic arch (IAA), five (33%) with a hypoplastic arch, and one (7%) with anomalous origin of the brachiocephalic vessels. All patients had associated complex congenital heart disease. Median age at surgery was six days (range, 2-29), median weight 3.11 kg (range, 2.5-4.18). Genetic syndromes were prevalent and 77% of IAA patients had DiGeorge syndrome. Surgical techniques included end-to-side (27%), end-to-end (27%) or side-to-side anastomosis (13%) and placement of an interposition graft (7%). 65% required patch augmentation. Median intensive care unit and total hospital length of stay were 20 days (range, 7 - 92) and 28 days (range, 10 - 240), respectively. At median follow-up of 3.97 years (range, 0.19-36), 13 of 15 (87%) patients were alive. Vocal cord paralysis was found in 27%, hemidiaphragm paralysis in 13% and significant airway compression in 27%. Overall, 27% patients required reintervention on the aortic arch; two surgical and two percutaneous balloon dilation. Conclusions RAA reconstruction in the newborn period is rare and associated with complex lesions with an acceptable reintervention rate.
Peptide nucleic acids and their role in gene regulation and editing

The unique properties of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) makes it a desirable candidate to be used in therapeutic and biotechnological interventions. It has been broadly utilized for numerous applications, with a major focus in regulation of gene expression, and more recently in gene editing. While the classic PNA design has mainly been employed to date, chemical modifications of the PNA backbone and nucleobases provide an avenue to advance the technology further. This review aims to discuss the recent developments in PNA based gene manipulation techniques and the use of novel chemical modifications to improve the current state of PNA mediated gene targeting.
Labour trafficking victim participation structures in the United States, Russia, and globally: Strategic implications: Typy angażowania się ofiar w pracę przymusową w Stanach Zjednoczonych, w Rosji i na świecie: implikacje strategiczne

Using data from the Counter Trafficking Data Collabourative (CTDC; N = 9,900), we developed breakdowns of labour trafficking victims worldwide, for two countries (the USA and Russia), and by job category (e.g. ‘domestic worker’). These tables refer to the frequency with which each of nine victim types occur, based on their motivation to participate in a trafficking arrangement. For instance, ‘Tricked and Trapped’ comprises a large segment of US labour trafficking victims. Such victims willingly begin jobs, but are subsequently forced to continue. Based on attitude-behaviour and marketing theory, the intervention framework prescribes specific interventions for each victim type. These include ‘information sharing,’ ‘radical and moderate confrontation,’ ‘economic and noneconomic rewards,’ and more. The results of our study indicate that labour trafficking victims can vary substantially by region and job category. For instance, Russia’s highest percentage of labour trafficking victims hold construction jobs as ‘Enlightened Apostates’ (e.g. those tricked by a friend) while most US victims perform ‘unspecified’ work as ‘Trapped and Robbed’ (i.e. minors and coerced adults) victims. Thus, the interventions prescribed for them will vary.
Comparative clinical outcomes evaluation of hospitalized patients infected with Clostridioides difficile ribotype 106 vs. other toxigenic strains

Abstract Background Although Clostridioides difficile surveillance often identifies emerging strains, clinical outcome evaluations are rarely performed. Ribotype (RT) 106 is a commonly isolated C. difficile strain worldwide; however, studies investigating RT 106 clinical outcomes are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical outcomes of RT 106 infections compared with two other endemic strains of varying virulence. Methods This multicenter study evaluated adults hospitalized with C. difficile infection (CDI). C. difficile samples underwent PCR ribotyping and patients infected with RT 106 were compared to patients infected with a known hypervirulent strain (RT 027) and a strain associated with less virulence (RT 014–020). Electronic medical records were reviewed by blinded investigators to assess the primary outcome of poor clinical outcome (composite of initial clinical failure, discharge to a higher level of care, 90-day CDI recurrence, and CDI-contributable mortality). Results A total of 396 patients with CDI were identified (RT 106, 32.3%; RT 027, 29.3%; RT 014–020, 38.3%). Patients infected with RT 014–020 less often experienced a poor clinical outcome (40%) compared with RT 106 (56%) and RT 027 (65%) infection (P Conclusion This study demonstrated that the emergent C. difficile RT 106 was associated with increased rates of poor clinical outcomes compared to RT 014–020 and comparable poor clinical outcomes to RT 027. These findings can help to better understand the clinical significance of this and future emerging ribotypes.
Reliable Estimates of Power Delivery During Mechanical Ventilation Utilizing Easily Obtained Bedside Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) requires repetitive transfer of energy from the ventilator to the compromised lung. To understand this phenomenon, 2 sets of equations have been developed to partition total inflation energy into harmless and hazardous components using an arbitrary level of alveolar pressure as a threshold beyond which further energy increments may become damaging. One set of equations uses premeasured resistance and compliance as inputs to predict the energy that would be delivered by typical ventilator settings, whereas the other equation set uses observed output values for end-inspiratory peak and plateau pressure of an already completed inflation. METHODS: Our aim for this study was to compare the relative accuracy of these equation sets against the performance of a physical one-compartment model of the respiratory system, programmed with information readily available at the bedside and ventilated using both constant and decelerating flow profiles. Accordingly, equations of each set were compared against the corresponding energy areas measured by digital planimetry of pressure-volume curves for 76 ventilator and patient parameter combinations and over 500 power calculations. RESULTS: With few exceptions, all equations strongly correlated with their corresponding measurements by planimetry. CONCLUSIONS: This validation of threshold-partitioned energy equations suggests their potential utility for implementing practical strategies for VILI avoidance.
Vorgänge im Erdinnern

Die Hauptbestandteile der auf die Erdoberflache auftreffenden Meteoriten sind Silizium-, Eisen-und Magnesiumoxide sowie metallisches Eisen. Es sind Bruchstucke, die bei der Kollision von Objekten im Asteroidengurtel aus diesen herausgebrochen wurden. Sie liefern ein Modell fur den Aufbau und die chemische Zusammensetzung der Erde und der erdahnlichen Planeten. In chondritischen Meteoriten sind die Metall-und Silikatphasen im Millimeterbereich willkurlich vermengt. Man nimmt an, daβ die Materie ursprunglich so vorgelegen hat, als sie in die Planeten eingebaut wurde. In chondren freien Meteoriten dagegen sind die Silikat-und Metallphasen voneinander abgeschieden, wie man an dem polierten Schnitt des Brenham-Meteoriten erkennt. Daraus gewinnen wir die Vorstellung, daβ die Asteroiden, aus denen diese Meteoriten stammten, aufschmolzen. Dabei konnte das dichte metallische Eisen zum Kern durchsickern, und das Silikat legte sich wie ein Mantel um den Kern entstand.
Adam Smith in Beijing: Lineages of the Twenty-first Century – By Giovanni Arrighi

For some years, the recently deceased Giovanni Arrighi has argued that a shift in the geographic core of the global capitalist economy, from the United States to China, is imminent, inaugurating it...
On searching misspelled collections

We describe an unsupervised, language-independent spelling correction search system. We compare the proposed approach with unsupervised and supervised algorithms. The described approach consistently outperforms other unsupervised efforts and nearly matches the performance of a current state-of-the-art supervised approach.
A supersymmetricSpL(6) ×UY(1) model

A supersymmetricSpL(6)×UY(1) model (SUSYSp(6)) is proposed as an extension of the standard electroweak model. The model is applied in a phenomenological study of Bd0\(\overline b \)d0 mixing. It is found that the supersymmetric (SUSY) partner z of the extra Z′ can significantly cancel the other contributions to bring the mixing parameterxd within the experimentally allowed range 0.57≲xd≲0.77 for a top mass of 158≲mt≲194 GeV. Other interesting and possibly novel features of flavor-changing neutral currents (FCNC) in SUSY theories with horizontal gauge symmetries are pointed out.
A Peanut Nodule Lectin in Infected Cells and in Vacuoles and the Extracellular Matrix of Nodule Parenchyma

Root nodules on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) accumulate a galactose/lactose-binding lectin that is similar, but not identical, to the major seed lectin in peanut. The function of the peanut nodule lectin (PNL) is not known. In the current study, we have investigated the location of lectin in the nodule using immunogold labeling and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISA). Lectin was most abundant in the nodule parenchyma, where it accumulated in vacuoles, suggesting a possible role as a vegetative storage protein. Lectin was also detected in the extracellular matrix in the nodule parenchyma, a location that corresponds to the tissue layer forming a barrier to oxygen diffusion. The potential for interactions between PNL and other cell wall components, including a previously described high-molecular weight glycoprotein that co-localizes with PNL, is discussed. Within infected cells, lectin was not detectable by immunogold labeling within the cytoplasm, but light labeling was suggestive of lectin localization within the symbiosome lumen. Analysis of fractionated symbiosomes by the more sensitive ELISA technique confirmed that lectin was present within the symbiosome, but was not bound to bacteroids. Our results indicate that PNL probably plays several roles in this nitrogen-fixing symbiosis.
Validation of multi-stage telephone-based identification of cognitive impairment and dementia

Many types of research on dementia and cognitive impairment require large sample sizes. Detailed in-person assessment using batteries of neuropyschologic testing is expensive. This study evaluates whether a brief telephone cognitive assessment strategy can reliably classify cognitive status when compared to an in-person "gold-standard" clinical assessment. The gold standard assessment of cognitive status was conducted at the University of Southern California Alzheimer Disease Research Center (USC ADRC). It involved an examination of patients with a memory complaint by a neurologist or psychiatrist specializing in cognitive disorders and administration of a battery of neuropsychologic tests. The method being evaluated was a multi-staged assessment using the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status-modified (TICSm) with patients and the Telephone Dementia Questionnaire (TDQ) with a proxy. Elderly male and female patients who had received the gold standard in-person assessment were asked to also undergo the telephone assessment. The unweighted kappa statistic was calculated to compare the gold standard and the multistage telephone assessment methods. Sensitivity for classification with dementia and specificity for classification as normal were also calculated. Of 50 patients who underwent the gold standard assessment and were referred for telephone assessment, 38 (76%) completed the TICS. The mean age was 78.1 years and 26 (68%) were female. When comparing the gold standard assessment and the telephone method for classifying subjects as having dementia or no dementia, the sensitivity of the telephone method was 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.36, 1.00), the specificity was 1.00 (95% confidence interval 0.89,1.00). Kappa was 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.69, 1.000). Considering a gold-standard assessment of age-associated memory impairment as cognitive impairment, the sensitivity of the telephone approach is 0.38 (95% confidence interval 0.09, 0.76) specificity 0.96 (CI 0.45, 0.89) and kappa 0.61 (CI 0.37, 0.85). Use of a telephone interview to identify people with dementia or cognitive impairment is a promising and relatively inexpensive strategy for identifying potential participants in intervention and clinical research studies and for classifying subjects in epidemiologic studies.
Solution of the three-dimensional compressible, laminar, and turbulent boundary-layer equations with comparisons to experimental data

A technique for solving three-dimensional boundary-layer flows is presented. The governing equations are transformed to obtain a nondimensional form and a similarity-type transform is defined for the normal coordinate and velocity. The resulting equation is solved in an iterative mode using a finite difference technique suggested by Dwyer (1968). A simple mean field turbulence model is discussed and numerical data obtained in a test case are compared with experimental data.-
Refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: state-of-the-art treatment

Nonresponse to treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder is common, associated with substantial impairment, and understudied. Little practical advice is available to clinicians on next-step treatment strategies for patients who have not responded well to 2 trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Available options include continuation of SSRI treatment, switching to another SSRI or selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, augmenting with atypical neuroleptics or cognitive-behavioral therapy, or utilizing novel treatment approaches. The authors synthesize state-of-the-art treatment and give practical advice for clinicians.
Rotator Cuff Disease

Shoulder pain is a common clinical presentation. Though the spectrum of disorders affecting the shoulder is quite diverse, emphasis is often placed on abnormalities of the rotator cuff and glenohumeral joint instability. The rotator cuff plays an important role in both the function and stability of the shoulder. Moreover, its pathology, with early and accurate diagnosis, is amenable to treatment, which can markedly affect patient outcome. This unit presents an MR imaging protocol for evaluation of the glenohumeral joint. Though specific emphasis is placed on the rotator cuff, it can also be used for global assessment of the shoulder.
Improving the training speed of three-layer feedforward neural nets by optimal estimation of the initial weights

The authors formulate the training problem for three-layer feedforward neural nets based on the well known linear algebra of D. Rumelhart et al. (1986). Then, they develop two estimation algorithms, called the forward estimation algorithm and the recurrent estimation algorithm, to estimate the initial weights. The basic idea is to set the initial weights space as close as possible to a global minimum before training, consequently reducing the training time. It is theoretically and empirically shown that a training procedure is unnecessary if the number of hidden units is equal to or greater than the number of training patterns minus one. Simulations were conducted for several problems. Results showed that the training speed is significantly improved by both initial weight estimation algorithms. >
Good regions to deblur

The goal of single image deblurring is to recover both a latent clear image and an underlying blur kernel from one input blurred image. Recent works focus on exploiting natural image priors or additional image observations for deblurring, but pay less attention to the influence of image structures on estimating blur kernels. What is the useful image structure and how can one select good regions for deblurring? We formulate the problem of learning good regions for deblurring within the Conditional Random Field framework. To better compare blur kernels, we develop an effective similarity metric for labeling training samples. The learned model is able to predict good regions from an input blurred image for deblurring without user guidance. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations demonstrate that good regions can be selected by the proposed algorithms for effective image deblurring.
Leveraging MEDLINE indexing for pharmacovigilance - Inherent limitations and mitigation strategies

Display Omitted We demonstrate significant improvement over a baseline approach to identifying ADEs from MEDLINE indexing.This approach mitigates some of the inherent limitations of MEDLINE indexing for pharmacovigilance.ADEs extracted from MEDLINE indexing are complementary to, not a replacement for, other sources. BackgroundTraditional approaches to pharmacovigilance center on the signal detection from spontaneous reports, e.g., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse event reporting system (FAERS). In order to enrich the scientific evidence and enhance the detection of emerging adverse drug events that can lead to unintended harmful outcomes, pharmacovigilance activities need to evolve to encompass novel complementary data streams, for example the biomedical literature available through MEDLINE. Objectives(1) To review how the characteristics of MEDLINE indexing influence the identification of adverse drug events (ADEs); (2) to leverage this knowledge to inform the design of a system for extracting ADEs from MEDLINE indexing; and (3) to assess the specific contribution of some characteristics of MEDLINE indexing to the performance of this system. MethodsWe analyze the characteristics of MEDLINE indexing. We integrate three specific characteristics into the design of a system for extracting ADEs from MEDLINE indexing. We experimentally assess the specific contribution of these characteristics over a baseline system based on co-occurrence between drug descriptors qualified by adverse effects and disease descriptors qualified by chemically induced. ResultsOur system extracted 405,300 ADEs from 366,120 MEDLINE articles. The baseline system accounts for 297,093 ADEs (73%). 85,318 ADEs (21%) can be extracted only after integrating specific pre-coordinated MeSH descriptors and additional qualifiers. 22,889 ADEs (6%) can be extracted only after considering indirect links between the drug of interest and the descriptor that bears the ADE context. ConclusionsIn this paper, we demonstrate significant improvement over a baseline approach to identifying ADEs from MEDLINE indexing, which mitigates some of the inherent limitations of MEDLINE indexing for pharmacovigilance. ADEs extracted from MEDLINE indexing are complementary to, not a replacement for, other sources.
Can the US Retain Primacy

(2011). Can the US Retain Primacy? Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 23-36.
Global loss of imprinting leads to widespread tumorigenesis in adult mice

Loss of imprinting (LOI), commonly observed in human tumors, refers to loss of monoallelic gene regulation normally conferred by parent-of-origin-specific DNA methylation. To test the function of LOI in tumorigenesis, we developed a model by using transient demethylation to generate imprint-free mouse embryonic stem cells (IF-ES cells). Embryonic fibroblasts derived from IF-ES cells (IF-MEFs) display TGFbeta resistance and reduced p19 and p53 expression and form tumors in SCID mice. IF-MEFs exhibit spontaneous immortalization and cooperate with H-Ras in cellular transformation. Chimeric animals derived from IF-ES cells develop multiple tumors arising from the injected IF-ES cells within 12 months. These data demonstrate that LOI alone can predispose cells to tumorigenesis and identify a pathway through which immortality conferred by LOI lowers the threshold for transformation.
Accelerating Text Searching through Signature Trees.

La «signature» d'un texte est obtenue par une analyse informatique qui permet de coder ses particularites et d'obtenir ainsi une reconnaissance personnelle de son contenu. Cet article montre brievement comment l'utilisation de cette signature ameliore la recherche documentaire et demontre que cette efficacite est augmentee si l'on utilise des «arbres de signatures». Cet argument est illustre par un exemple test dont les resultats sont analyses; l'amelioration obtenus, sauf dans quelques cas particuliers, au niveau des performances de la recherche compense largement l'accroissement de memoire qu'exige le stockage de l'arbre de signature. (INTD)
Coexistence of increased levels of adiposity, insulin, and blood pressure in a young adult cohort with elevated very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol : the Bogalusa heart study

Clustering and interrelationships of elevated levels (>75th percentile) of adiposity, insulin, blood pressure, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) were examined in a selected subset (n = 89) of a young adult cohort aged 18 to 26 years, whose childhood (ages 10 to 18 years) VLDL-C and/or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were in the upper or lower percentiles of the distribution. Among the young adults with elevated VLDL-C and LDL-C levels, 23% had increased adiposity and systolic blood pressure, 17% had increased insulin levels and systolic blood pressure, 17% had increased insulin levels and adiposity, and 13% had increased insulin levels, adiposity, and systolic blood pressure; corresponding values among those with elevated VLDL-C and normal (<75th percentile) LDL-C levels were 29%, 18%, 24%, and 18%. As adults, the group with elevated VLDL-C and LDL-C levels had increased adiposity (P = .02) and systolic blood pressure (P = .002) in comparison to those with normal VLDL-C and LDL-C levels, whereas the group with elevated VLDL-C and normal LDL-C levels had increased fasting plasma insulin levels (P = .05) and systolic blood pressure (P = .007). These 89 individuals had undergone a glucose tolerance test during childhood. As children, the group with elevated VLDL-C and LDL-C levels displayed increased adiposity (P = .001), post-glucose plasma insulin response (P = .02), and fasting plasma free fatty acid levels ([FFA] P = .05) in comparison to those with normal VLDL-C and LDL-C levels; on the other hand, the group with elevated VLDL-C and normal LDL-C levels had increased fasting plasma FFA levels (P = .05) and post-glucose plasma FFA response (P = .04). Thus, conditions of elevated adiposity, insulin level, and blood pressure strongly coexist in “healthy” young adults with elevated VLDL-C levels, and subtle abnormalities in measures of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism are already apparent in their childhood.
Widespread fitness alignment in the legume-rhizobium symbiosis

Summary •Although ‘cheaters’ potentially destabilize the legume–rhizobium mutualism, we lack a comprehensive review of host–symbiont fitness correlations. •Studies measuring rhizobium relative or absolute fitness and host benefit are surveyed. Mutant studies are tallied for evidence of pleiotropy; studies of natural strains are analyzed with meta-analysis. •Of 80 rhizobium mutations, 19 decrease both partners’ fitness, four increase both, two increase host fitness but decrease symbiont fitness and none increase symbiont fitness at the host’s expense. The pooled correlation between rhizobium nodulation competitiveness and plant aboveground biomass is 0.65 across five experiments that compete natural strains against a reference, whereas, across 14 experiments that compete rhizobia against soil populations or each other, the pooled correlation is 0.24. Pooled correlations between aboveground biomass and nodule number and nodule biomass are 0.76 and 0.83. •Positive correlations between legume and rhizobium fitness imply that most ineffective rhizobia are ‘defective’ rather than ‘defectors’; this extends to natural variants, with only one significant fitness conflict. Most studies involve non-coevolved associations, indicating that fitness alignment is the default state. Rhizobium mutations that increase both host and symbiont fitness suggest that some plants maladaptively restrict symbiosis with novel strains.
Total costs of energy services

Abstract An energy service may be defined as a measure of the service actually provided to ultimate consumers by their own use of energy, quantified, for example, by using units of work or of heat at various temperatures. In this paper, we present estimates of total costs of 15 energy services for the year 1972. These costs include the cost of producing and distributing commercial forms of energy, the cost of the equipment that utilizes this energy in providing services, and the cost of operating and maintaining the end-use equipment. The overall cost of energy service in 1972 is estimated to be nearly $400 billion, a figure equal to magnitude to about one-third of the 1972 gross national product. Categories of energy services are identified in which major technological changes in the manner of providing the service might make the greatest difference in the overall cost of energy service.
Chemotactic factor inactivator release from rat leukocytes.

Rat neutrophils, alveolar macrophages, and peritoneal macrophages each released chemotactic factor inactivator (CFI) activities under conditions of endocytosis (uptake of opsonized zymosan particles and preformed immune complexes). CFI activities in supernatant fluids from phagocytizing leukocytes were found for the chemotactic factors from the third (C3) and the fifth (C5) components of complement and for the bacterial chemotactic factor (present in culture supernatant fluids fromEscherichia coli.) CFI activity could also be demonstrated in homogenates obtained from disrupted leukocytes. CFI release from intact leukocytes was dependent on the duration of incubation of leukocytes with the phagocytic stimulus. No quantitative relationships were noted between the amount of CFI activity and the amount ofβ-glucuronidase in phagocytic supernatant fluids released from leukocytes. The release of CFI activities from phagocytizing leukocytes may represent a regulatory (“turn-off”) mechanism for the inflammatory response.
Biomechanical models for the pathogenesis of specific distal upper extremity disorders

Background Knowledge of the pathogenesis of most disorders that occur in the distal upper extremity is generally lacking. The individual roles of postulated etiologic factors, such as biomechanical or psychosocial exposures, are poorly understood and their potential interactions even less so. This article proposes biomechanical or physiological models of pathogenesis for specific distal upper extremity disorders. Methods Tendon entrapment of the dorsal wrist compartments (tenosynovitis), peritendinitis, lateral epicondylitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome are common specific neuromusculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities observed among workers. The normal anatomy and function of the targeted structures is considered the initial state; their pathology is considered the final state. Using biomechanical or physiological principles combined with clinical observations and experimental studies, pathways leading from the initial state to the final state are proposed. Each model defined a critical biomechanical or physiological attribute that was considered to best characterize 'dose.' Two temporal patterns of exposure (duration vs. repetition) were used to characterize 'dosage.' The roles of long-term exposure vs. unaccustomed work were mentioned, but not incorporated into the models. Results Compressive force transmitted to the extensor retinaculum was considered the critical factor in the model for tendon entrapment at the dorsal wrist compartments. Two models were proposed for lateral epicondylitis. One emphasized the role of eccentric exertions; the other emphasized contact pressure from the radial head. The model for peritendinitis relied on localized muscle fatigue. Seven plausible models were presented for carpal tunnel syndrome. Conclusions It is possible to propose biologically plausible models of pathogenesis that are both coherent with current knowledge of tissue responses and consistent with clinical observations; however, more than one model was plausible for some conditions. Additional research is needed to determine which, if any, of the proposed models might be correct. Such models may be useful to health care providers and ergonomists in the context of primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:353-369, 2002.
In and out of the bull's eye: protein kinase Cs in the immunological synapse

The immunological synapse (IS) formed between immune cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) provides a platform for signaling. Protein kinase C (PKC)θ localizes in the T cell IS within the central supramolecular activation cluster (cSMAC), where it associates with CD28 and mediates T cell receptor (TCR)/CD28 signals leading to effector T (Teff) cell activation. In regulatory T (Treg) cells, PKCθ is sequestered away from the IS, and inhibits suppressive function. Other PKCs localizing in the IS mediate additional functions in various immune cells. Further work is needed to identify mechanisms underlying PKC recruitment or exclusion at the IS, potential redundancy among IS-localized PKCs, and the relevance of PKC localization for IS dynamics and lymphocyte activation.
Combined Mössbauer spectroscopic, multi-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopic, and density functional theoretical study of the radical SAM enzyme spore photoproduct lyase

Spore photoproduct lyase (SPL), a member of the radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) superfamily, catalyzes the direct reversal of the spore photoproduct, a thymine dimer specific to bacterial spores, to two thymines. SPL requires SAM and a redox-active [4Fe–4S] cluster for catalysis. Mossbauer analysis of anaerobically purified SPL indicates the presence of a mixture of cluster states with the majority (40 %) as [2Fe–2S]2+ clusters and a smaller amount (15 %) as [4Fe–4S]2+ clusters. On reduction, the cluster content changes to primarily (60 %) [4Fe–4S]+. The speciation information from Mossbauer data allowed us to deconvolute iron and sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectra to uncover electronic (X-ray absorption near-edge structure, XANES) and geometric (extended X-ray absorption fine structure, EXAFS) structural features of the Fe–S clusters, and their interactions with SAM. The iron K-edge EXAFS data provide evidence for elongation of a [2Fe–2S] rhomb of the [4Fe–4S] cluster on binding SAM on the basis of an Fe···Fe scatterer at 3.0 A. The XANES spectra of reduced SPL in the absence and presence of SAM overlay one another, indicating that SAM is not undergoing reductive cleavage. The X-ray absorption spectroscopy data for SPL samples and data for model complexes from the literature allowed the deconvolution of contributions from [2Fe–2S] and [4Fe–4S] clusters to the sulfur K-edge XANES spectra. The analysis of pre-edge features revealed electronic changes in the Fe–S clusters as a function of the presence of SAM. The spectroscopic findings were further corroborated by density functional theory calculations that provided insights into structural and electronic perturbations that can be correlated by considering the role of SAM as a catalyst or substrate. .
A Method for Determining Press Fluid in Cooked Beef

SUMMARY Methods are presented for cooking a small sample of meat in a Pyrex tube, termed tube-cooking, and for determining press fluid in a small sample (1/2 g) of cooked beef, referred to as the 1-minute method. The 1-minute method was compared with the 15-minute method since both of these methods use the Carver Press. When the results were averaged and compared, the correlation was close. Besides being faster than the 15-minute method, the 1-minute method has the advantages that a small sample of meat is used, no grinding of the meat is necessary, and a greater percent of press fluid is obtained.
Excess fibrinogen adsorption to monolayers of mixed lipids.

Abstract Adsorption of fibrinogen to the monolayers of mixed lipids, dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) and eicosylamine (EA) was measured at a surface pressure of 20 mN/m by an in situ surface plasmon resonance technique. Pressure–area isotherms of DPPC + EA mixtures on water and buffer subphases indicated good lipid miscibility and some contraction of the monolayers at intermediate and higher surface pressures. Surface electric potential of the DPPC + EA monolayers showed excess values for intermediate DPPC:EA ratios. Fibrinogen adsorption and its adsorption rates from a dilute solution (0.03 mg/ml) were proportional to the fraction of EA in the monolayer indicating that protein binding was primarily driven by electrostatic interactions between positive EA charges in the monolayer and a net negative protein charge. At a higher protein concentration (0.06 mg/ml) both the fibrinogen adsorbed amount and its maximum adsorption rate showed excess values relative to the pure EA for 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 DPPC + EA monolayers. This excess adsorption could be explained, in part, by the contraction of the monolayers with intermediate DPPC:EA ratios which resulted in an excess surface electric potential.
The thrombogenic potential of argon ion laser endarterectomy

The surface thrombogenicity of atheromas, conventional endarterectomy (CE), laser endarterectomy (LE), and laser angioplasty (LA) were compared in the rabbit arteriosclerosis model. Normal (N = 6) and arteriosclerotic (N = 15) rabbits underwent thoracoabdominal exploration. Multiple CEs and LEs were performed in 12 arteriosclerotic rabbits leaving a segment of intact atheroma between each endarterectomy. Multiple LAs were performed in three arteriosclerotic rabbits. Argon ion laser radiation was used for all laser procedures. Blood (0.05 ml) from normal rabbits was placed on the CE surface, LE surface, LA surface, atheroma, and normal intima and clotting times were determined. Surface thrombogenicity was calculated as the ratio of the clotting time of the CE, LE, LA, or atheroma to normal intima. Surface thrombogenicity was 1.0 +/- 0.03 for normal intima (control), 0.58 +/- 0.06 for atheromas (P less than 0.001), 0.46 +/- 0.08 for CE (P less than 0.001 from atheromas), 0.46 +/- 0.08 for LE (P = NS from CE), and 0.27 +/- 0.09 for LA (P less than 0.001 from CE and LE). The thrombogenicity of LE is the same as the thrombogenicity of CE. Both forms of endarterectomy are less thrombogenic than LA in the rabbit model.
Improved Edge Directed Super-Resolution (EDSR) with hardware realization for surveillance, transportation, and multimedia applications

In this paper, we present an improved Edge Directed Super Resolution (EDSR) technique to produce enhanced edge definition and improved image quality in the resulting high resolution image. The basic premise behind this algorithm remains, like its predecessor, to utilize gradient and spatial information and interpolate along the edge direction in a multiple pass iterative fashion. The edge direction map generated from horizontal and vertical gradients and resized to the target resolution is quantized into eight directions over a 5 × 5 block compared to four directions over a 3 × 3 block in the previous algorithm. This helps reduce the noise caused in part due to the quantization error and the super resolved results are significantly improved. In addition, an appropriate weighting encompassing the degree of similarity between the quantized edge direction and the actual edge direction is also introduced. In an attempt to determine the optimal super resolution parameters for the case of still image capture, a hardware setup was utilized to investigate and evaluate those factors. In particular, the number of images captured as well as the amount of sub pixel displacement that yield a high quality result was studied. This is done by utilizing a XY stage capable of sub-pixel movement. Finally, an edge preserving smoothing algorithm contributes to improved results by reducing the high frequency noise introduced by the super resolution process. The algorithm showed favorable results on a wide variety of datasets obtained from transportation to multimedia based print/scan application in addition to images captured with the aforementioned hardware setup.
Constant Volume Operators and Lateral Inhibition

Abstract Constant volume (CV) operators are nonlinear image processing operators in which the area covered by the pointspread function around each point in the input image varies inversely with the light intensity at that point. This operation is designed to make spatial resolution increase with retinal illuminance, but it proves to have unexpected side-effects that mimic other important properties of human spatial vision, including Mach bands and Weber's law. Mach bands are usually attributed to lateral inhibition in the retina, and when retinal image processing is modeled by a linear operator they imply such inhibition, since they cannot be produced by a nonnegative impulse response. CV operators demonstrate that Mach bands and other high-pass filter effects can be created by purely positive pointspread functions, i.e., without inhibition. This paper shows in addition that if one attempts to combine lateral inhibition with a CV operation, the results are dramatically wrong: the edge response always contains Mach bands that bulge in the wrong direction. Thus within the nonlinear theoretical framework provided by CV operators, lateral inhibition is neither necessary nor sufficient for modeling Mach bands and other high-pass filter properties of spatial vision.
A survival analysis of the revictimization of children: the case of Colorado

This paper reports the results of a survival analysis of patterns of revictimization of children with records of confirmed cases of maltreatment in Colorado during the 4-year period 1986-1989. The study examined the cases of 24,507 children in that state's Child Abuse and Neglect Registry for evidence of their revictimization. Hazard rates for repeat offenses were highest immediately after the initial incident of abuse or neglect. Risk of revictimization was greater for younger children and for females, but those relationships were strongly mediated by the form of maltreatment. The rate of revictimization of physically neglected children exceeded that for other major types of maltreatment. Although abused and neglected children were most at risk immediately after their incident of abuse or neglect, they remained at greater risk of mistreatment for years thereafter.
Time-dependent propagation of high-energy laser beams through the atmosphere: II

The computation of time-dependent three-space-dimensional laser beam propagation is described. The methods are applicable to the propagation of high energy laser beams through the atmosphere in the presence of a horizontal wind and turbulence for most situations of interest. Possible cases are propagation of cw beams through stagnation zones, multi-pulse propagation, including the self-consistent treatment of pulse self-blooming, and propagation involving transonic slewing. The solution of the Maxwell wave equation in Fresnel approximation is obtained by means of a discrete Fourier transform method, which, surprisingly, gives excellent results for diffraction problems. The latter provide a stringent test for the accuracy of any solution method. Considerable use is also made of discrete Fourier transform methods in solving the hydrodynamic equations. The treatment of turbulence is based on the generation of random phase screens at each calculation step along the propagation path. In a time-dependent calculation the random phase screens can be either made to move with the wind at a given propagation position or generated anew for each successive time.
Crustal extension and magmatic processes: COCORP profiles from Death Valley and the Rio Grande rift

New crustal-scale information on the interaction between normal faulting and magmatic activity is provided by recent COCORP deep seismic reflection profiles in Death Valley, California, and by reprocessing of the COCORP data from the Socorro area of the Rio Grande rift, New Mexico. The most striking feature on the seismic sections from these areas is a prominent, subhorizontal series of reflectors at mid-crustal depth. Previous studies have suggested that thin tabular magma bodies lie within the mid-crustal reflective zones. In addition, because they are traced without apparent offset beneath faults both mapped at the surface and interpreted from the COCORP data, these mid-crustal horizons are here inferred to be detachments or zones of tectonic decoupling. Upper-crustal Cenozoic faults do not appear to penetrate deeper than 15 km in Death Valley and 13 km in the Rio Grande rift. In Death Valley, these faults are relatively planar, with moderate dips (20° to 35°), and appear to bound large basement rocks. One such zone of normal faults can be traced from the magma body inferred at 15 km depth beneath central Death Valley to the surface location of a 690,000-yr-old basaltic cinder cone. Listric and low- to moderate-angle normal faults are evident on the reprocessed New Mexico data and constitute the structural component of upper-crustal extension. In particular, a listric master fault traceable to depths as great as 13 km is inferred to underlie the Albuquerque basin. Unlike the Death Valley data, no faults are observed to merge with the Socorro magma body per se. Rather, subhorizontal to moderately west-dipping packages of reflections are imaged between the base of the faulted upper crust (13 km depth) and the mid-crustal magma body (about 20 km depth). The middle crust marks a major rheological boundary between the faulted upper crust and a ductile lower crust extending by penetrative flow and intrusion. Events seen in the middle and lower crust are generally subhorizontal, and prominent layering is observed. A band of reflections attributed to the crust-mantle boundary is evident on most seismic sections. The upper mantle appears seismically transparent. On some of the profiles, the events attributed to the base of the crust are the deepest in a series of strong and continuous reflections, at least one of which is a layer of magma. This association supports the suggestion that magmatic intrusions are a probable cause for the high reflectivity observed in the deep crust of many extensional terranes.
Evaluation of precipitation samplers for assessing atmospheric fluxes of trace organic contaminants

Abstract Four automated, wet-only integrating precipitation samplers were deployed at a site 50 km north of Minneapolis, MN in 1966 to assess the ability of each to collect and isolate selected semi-volatile organic chemicals in rain. The four samplers were evaluated on the basis of rainfall collection efficiency, mechanical reliability and ability to provide precise measures of concentrations and fluxes. Rain samples were analyzed for about 70 compounds including 17 PAHs, 38 PCB congeners and a suite of 9 chiorinated pesticides and benzenes. The samplers performed about equally in rain and compound collection efficiency although mechanical problems are not uniform amongst samplers. All samplers exhibited organic compound retention on the collection surface and/or sampling train averaging 26% of the PAH and 40% of total PCBs. Although not a problem in assessing total concentrations and fluxes, this phenomenon makes the determination of organic compound speciation and of atmospheric removal processes in integrated rain samples problematic.