cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myxedema Heart and Pseudotamponade.

Context Thyroid hormone plays a critical role in cardiovascular function. Severe hypothyroidism can be associated with "myxedema heart" characterized by relative bradycardia and pericardial effusion. Effusions associated with severe hypothyroidism can be large. Despite the large volume of effusions, tamponade is not a common consequence. However, with the incorporation of echocardiography into routine practice for evaluation of effusion, echocardiographic findings suggestive of clinical tamponade occur frequently. Case description We report a series of 3 patients with large pericardial effusions secondary to severe hypothyroidism. These cases serve to demonstrate the discordance between echocardiographic signs consistent with tamponade with a patient's stable clinical hemodynamics. We also report the development of bronchial obstruction, a rare complication of a large effusion due to severe hypothyroidism. Conclusions While pericardial effusion associated with severe hypothyroidism has been described for decades, the echocardiographic findings may be less well known and may lead to unnecessary downstream testing or invasive management. We use our case series to facilitate a summary of what is known about the epidemiology, mechanism and physiology, and expected outcomes of myxedema associated pericardial effusion. Finally, in the setting of current paucity of clinical guidelines, we aim to familiarize clinicians with the phenomenon of pseudotamponade and suggest management strategies for myxedema associated pericardial effusion to guide clinicians to use conservative medical management in majority of cases.
Pharmacologic Treatments for Gastroesophageal and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease

Both over-the-counter and prescription medications are used widely in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Patients with mild or intermittent symptoms may benefit from lifestyle modifications and as-needed antacids. Histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) are an appropriate therapy for patients with mild reflux symptoms. Patients with severe disease or erosive esophagitis should be managed with proton pump inhibitors while lifestyle and dietary changes are initiated. Potassium-competitive acid blockers are a promising new class of acid blockers, which act faster than PPIs but are not yet widely available in the United States. Promotility agents can be helpful in patients with GERD and comorbid motility disorders but are not usually effective in patients with GERD alone. Less is known about the benefits of these medications in patients with LPR.
The Justice Department's Pattern-or-Practice Police Reform Program, 1994–2017: Goals, Achievements, and Issues

The Department of Justice's pattern-or-practice police reform program has been an unprecedented event in American policing, intervening in local and state law enforcement agencies as never before a...
Use of and Comorbidities Associated With Diagnostic Codes for COVID-19 in US Health Insurance Claims.

Accurate identification of COVID-19 diagnosis in patient medical records is essential for studies using administrative data to examine morbidity, mortality, and risk factors associated with COVID-19.1 Before April 1, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested using the existing International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code B97.29 (other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere) as the primary diagnostic code for patients infected with COVID-19.2 On April 1, 2020, a new code U07.1 (2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease) was added to ICD-10-CM3 and was rapidly adopted by hospitals.4 Our study examined how nonhospital and hospital health care professionals have used these diagnostic codes in practice using a national medical claims data set in the US. We analyzed the comorbidities associated with COVID-19 diagnosis to assess the specificity of the legacy code and the importance of using both codes.
Qualitative Approaches to Language in CSCL

In this chapter, we discuss qualitative approaches to the study of language and discourse and their potential relevance for CSCL researchers. We begin by overviewing these approaches generally. Next, we discuss how language-based methodologies have historically been used in CSCL. We contextualize two of the more common methodological approaches in the field: conversation analysis and interaction analysis. Next, we discuss two methodological approaches to discourse analysis that have not yet seen wide use in CSCL but that we argue are of relevance to the field: critical discourse analysis and discursive psychology. For each approach, we briefly outline its history, analytic process, and quality markers and provide an illustrative example. We conclude by discussing the challenges and possibilities for using qualitative approaches to language in CSCL research.
Feasibility of sub-second CT angiography of the abdomen and pelvis with very low volume of contrast media, low tube voltage, and high-pitch technique, on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner.

Abstract Background Concerns about potential risks of using contrast media in patients with chronic renal insufficiency limit the utilization of CT angiography in this population. Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of abdominopelvic CTA with very low volumes of contrast media. Material and methods In this retrospective study, 20 patients with chronic renal insufficiency underwent high-pitch abdominopelvic (AP) CTA on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner with 30 mL of nonionic iodinated contrast. The homogeneity of intravascular attenuation at the suprarenal aorta, infrarenal aorta, and the right common iliac artery was measured. Image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were used to assess objective image quality. Subjective image quality was evaluated on a 5-point scale (1 = unacceptable; 5 = excellent). Results Twelve male and eight female patients underwent CTA of the abdomen and pelvis at 80 kVp. Five CTAs also included the chest (CAP). The mean scan duration was 0.78 ± 0.19 s for AP and 0.96 ± 0.06 s for CAP CTAs. The mean ± SD of attenuation at suprarenal aorta, infrarenal aorta, and right common iliac artery were 235.1 ± 68.0, 249.2 ± 61.3, and 254.4 ± 67.7 HU, respectively. The attenuation was homogeneous across vascular levels (P = 0.06). All scans had diagnostic subjective image quality with the median (IQR) of 3.5 (1.75). CNR and SNR were homogeneous across vascular levels (P = 0.08 and P = 0.14, respectively). Conclusion Sub-second, high-pitch abdominopelvic CTA with a low volume of contrast in patients with chronic renal insufficiency is technically and clinically feasible with good diagnostic image quality and homogenous attenuation across vascular levels.
Discussion with M. Granger Morgan, William Nitze, and Jonathan Pershing

Ms. Werner: The U.S. plan says that measures will meet stabilization and you say the U.S. is the only country to do so. But if the reality is that the U.S. has a gap, no matter how large, is this not in a sense false advertising?
A thermodynamically consistent and numerically stable formulation for the description of diffusion in polymeric gels

This work proposes a stable equal-order element formulation for polymeric gels at finite deformations. From the numerical point of view the description of flow in incompressible elastic media such as gels leads to singularities in the coupled system of equations of the corresponding finite element discretization unless certain requirements are met to satisfy the Ladyženskaja-Babuska-Brezzi (LBB) condition. The proposed computationally efficient mixed enhanced assumed strain method allows to satisfy the LBB condition and to account for locking phenomena without the requirement of higher order interpolations for the displacement field. The proposed model can be employed in various fields where the modeling of flow in incompressible media undergoing finite deformations is of interest such as Computational Soil Mechanics or Computational Biomechanics. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Probability in decoherent histories

The decoherent (consistent) histories formalism has been proposed as a means of eliminating measurements as a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics. In this formalism, probabilities can be assigned to any description which satisfies a particular consistency condition. The formalism, however, admits incompatible descriptions which cannot be combined, unlike classical physics. This seems to leave an ambiguity in the choice of the description. I argue that this ambiguity is removed by considering the observer as a physical system.
Meta-programming with Typed Object-Language Representations

We present two case studies demonstrating the use of type-equality constraints in a meta-language to enforce semantic invariants of object-language programs such as scoping and typing rules. We apply this technique to several interesting problems, including (1) the construction of tagless interpreters; (2) statically checking de Bruijn indices involving pattern-based binding constructs; and (3) evolving embedded DSL implementations to include domain-specific types and optimizations that respect those types.
Niemann-Pick type C mutations cause lipid traffic jam

The Niemann–Pick C protein (NPC1) is required for cholesterol transport from late endosomes and lysosomes to other cellular membranes. Mutations in NPC1 cause lysosomal lipid storage and progressive neurological degeneration. Cloning of the NPC1 gene has given us tools with which to investigate the function of this putative cholesterol transporter. Here, we discuss recent studies indicating that NPC1 is not a cholesterol-specific transport molecule. Instead, NPC1 appears to be required for the vesicular shuttling of both lipids and fluid-phase constituents from multivesicular late endosomes to destinations such as the trans-Golgi network.
Fostering Entrepreneurship: Developing a Risk-taking Culture in Singapore

About 10 years ago the Singapore Government realized that entrepreneurial spirit was lacking in its general population. These conclusions were confirmed by an empirical survey, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), an annual assessment of the national level of entrepreneurial activity. The paternalistic and authoritative approach of the government contributed to the general population’s averseness to participating in riskoriented ventures. Removing impediments to entrepreneurship is a key challenge for the government and the business sector if the island republic is to maintain its national competitiveness. This article explores the various initiatives taken by the government to stimulate risk-taking and attempts to ascertain if the various measures can be used as key factors to strengthen the inherent cultural values that stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit.The observations can serve as a useful tool for academics and managers in recognizing the cultural traits that influence and help foster entrepreneurial tendencies.
Contaminating Signals in Severe Nonlinearities

Although the signals that eventually produce the desired system outputs do not usually encounter severe nonlinearities, we must understand the effects of such processes because other important system signals do. A frequently encountered severe nonlinearity is in the LO path of a frequency converter. Large signals and spurs that accompany them can get into the signal path by various processes and noise figure can also be affected. Fortunately, these severe nonlinearities have common features that provide a way for us to analyze their important system effects.
Eco-tourism System and Its Sustainable Development of Yinchuan National Wetland Park in Ningxia Province

Wetland park is a wetland ecosystem with the functions of biodiversity conservation,eco-tourism and environmental education. In this paper,the connotation of eco-tourism system of Yinchuan national wetland park,including eco-tourists,eco-tourism resources,eco-tourism industry and eco-tourism environment were analyzed. The countermeasures of wetland resource development and utilization and the sustainable development of wetland eco-tourism system on the wetland biodiversity conservation,environmental management of wetland eco-tourism,talent cultivation,functional divisions of wetland park and tourism culture are suggested.
Effects of lesions of temporal-parietal junction on perceptual and attentional processing in humans

When stimuli with larger forms (global) containing smaller forms (local) are presented to subjects with large lesions in the right hemisphere, they are more likely to miss the global form than the local form, whereas subjects with large lesions in the left are more likely to miss the local than the global form. The present study tested whether the global/local impairment in subjects with posterior lesions was due to deficits in controlled attentional processes, passive perceptual processes, or both. Attentional control was examined by measuring reaction time changes when the probability of a target appearing at either the global or local level was varied. Patients with unilateral right or left lesions centered in temporal-parietal regions and age-matched controls served as subjects. Because neurophysiological and neuropsychological evidence have implicated temporal regions in visual discrimination and inferior parietal regions in the allocation of attention to locations in the visual field, patients with left hemisphere lesions were further subdivided into those with lesions centered in the superior temporal gyrus (LSTG) or rostral inferior parietal lobule (LIPL). Patients with right hemisphere injury could not be analogously subdivided. The results revealed that the LSTG group was able to control the allocation of attention to global and local levels normally, while the LIPL group was not. In contrast, the LSTG group showed a strong baseline reaction time advantage toward global targets, while normals and the LIPL group showed no advantage toward one level or the other. Finally, the perceptual component was affected differentially by lesions in the right hemisphere and LSTG, with lesions in the left favoring global targets and lesions in the right favoring local targets. These findings indicate that the hemispheric global/local asymmetry is due to a perceptual mechanism with a critical anatomical locus centered in the STG.
In vivo Efficacy of Ferrihydrite as an Enterosorbent for Arsenic: Short-Term Evaluation in Rodents

The use of dietary adsorbents to reduce arsenic (As) exposure is innovative. Ferrihydrite successfully sorbs arsenite and asenate over a wide range of pH conditions and the As–ferrihydrite complexes are stable in gastrointestinal (GIT) models. Our objectives were to (1) compare structural characteristics (using x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared [FTIR] spectroscopy) and As binding affinities of industrially produced ferrihydrite (IDF) and lab-synthesized ferrihydrite and (2) evaluate the efficacy of the material displaying the best sorption capability as an As enterosorbent in a short-term mammalian model. Lab-synthesized ferrihydrite displayed superior binding affinity for both arsenate and arsenite in vitro, which led to its use in the in vivo portion of the study. Young Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed either a control diet or a 0.5% w/w ferrihydrite feed. After 1 wk of acclimation, rats were given 0.5 ml of 500 mg/L arsenate or arsenite via gavage with or without ferrihydrite. Rats were...
Formation of a Novel Amidinium‐Bridged Polyhedral Borane Ion by Incorporation of an Acetonitrile Solvent Molecule

Acetonitrile acts as more than a solvent in the oxidation of the ammonioborate [B20H17NH3]3− with benzoquinone. The unusual product 1 contains an amidinium group that bridges both decaborate cages. Further oxidation yields 2, in which the unusually short C−N bond lengths indicate considerable double-bond character. •=B, ○=BH.
Phylogenetic relationships within Cortinarius subgenus Myxacium, sections Defibulati and Myxacium

Phylogenetic relationships of two sections from subgenus Myxacium in the brown-spored agaric genus Cortinarius were studied using nuclear DNA sequence data from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene of 23 spe- cies of Cortinarius, including seven subgenera. Of these, ten species represent the focal study group from sections Defibulati and Myxacium, three species represent three additional sections within subgenus Myxacium, and ten species represent six remaining subgenera within Cortinarius. Phylogenies inferred using parsimony and maximum likelihood strongly supported the two sections as monophyletic, but did not support the subgenus Myxacium as a distinct lin- eage. Neither method of analysis resolved relation- ships below the sectional level. Morphological traits were examined for the two monophyletic groups tra- ditionally classified as sections Defibulati and Myxa- cium. Absence of clamp connections is a synapomor- phy of section Defibulati. Cladistic analyses confirm that members sampled from subgenus Myxacium in other sections are more closely allied with other sub- genera, suggesting the current taxonomy needs re- vision to reflect phylogenetic relationships.
Guided-wave magneto-optic and acousto-optic Bragg cells for RF signal processing

In this paper the most recent advances on noncollinear guided-wave magnetooptic (MO) Bragg interactions in which the light waves propagate in directions nearly orthogonal to that of the magnetostatic waves, the resulting MO Bragg cells, and two applications are given. First, the basic interaction geometry and underlying physical mechanisms, and the realization of wideband MO Bragg cells in pure and Bismuth-doped YIG-GGG waveguides for the carrier frequencies ranging from 2 to 12 GHz are presented. Applications of the wideband MO Bragg cells to light beam scanning and real-time spectral analysis of microwave signals are then described. Finally, comparative advantages and disadvantages of guided-wave MO Bragg cells versus their acoustooptic (AO) counterparts are discussed.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Implementation of 3D linear phase coefficient composite filters

The use of 3-Dimensional information in face recognition requires pose estimation. We present the use of 3-Dimensional composite correlation filter to obtain pose estimation without the need for feature identification. Composite correlation filter research has been vigorously pursued in the last three decades due to their applications in many areas, but mainly in distortion-invariant pattern recognition. While most of this research is in two-dimensional space, we have extended our study of composite filters to three-dimensions, specifically emphasizing Linear Phase Coefficient Composite Filter (LPCCF). Unlike previous approaches to composite filter design, this method considers the filter design and the training set selection simultaneously. In this research, we demonstrate the potential of implementing LPCCF in head pose estimation. We introduce the utilization of LPCCF in the application of head pose recovery through full correlation using a set of 3-D voxel maps instead of the typical 2-D pixel images/silhouettes. Unlike some existing approaches to pose estimation, we are able to acquire 3-D head pose without locating salient features of a subject. In theory, the correlation phase response contains information about the angle of head rotation of the subject. Pose estimation experiments are conducted for two degrees of freedom in rotation, that is, yaw and pitch angles. The results obtained are very much inline with our theoretical hypothesis on head orientation estimation.
Asthma and Sleep

Asthma significantly affects quality of sleep. Asthma physiology follows a diurnal pattern with peak flow at its lowest during early morning hours. The type and timing of release of inflammatory mediators also varies during the day and nighttime. Nocturnal symptoms are common in poorly controlled asthma. Hence, these nighttime symptoms play a significant role in the assessment of asthmatic patients as demonstrated in validated asthma control and quality of life questionnaires. Comorbid conditions may include allergic rhinitis, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux, all of which may worsen asthma symptoms, especially during sleep. In addition, exposure to greater loads of allergens in susceptible individuals during sleep is a significant problem and must be addressed to break the cycle of poor asthma control. Thus, asthma education for better symptom control should address these particular issues surrounding sleep.
Cytoplasmic evaluations during substitution backcrossing inSolanum

Sterility-resistant cytoplasmic factors ofSolanum tuberosum spp.andigena (Juz. & Buk.) Hawkes and ofSolanum phureja (Juz. & Buk.) were combined with chromosomal genes ofS. tuberosum ssp.tuberosum. Eleven morphological characters of reciprocal F1 and BC1 progenies were monitored to evaluate rate of progression towards characteristics occurring in the recurrent ssp.tuberosum parent. Female and male fertilities of F1 and BC1 populations were also evaluated. Cytoplasmic factors did not influence morphological parameters consistently, except those relating directly to fertility. Differences between reciprocal progeny depended more upon the genes of individual parents used in crosses than on cytoplasm source. No consistent reciprocal differences occurred in tuber characters and those differences which arose seem to reflect a maternal rather than a cytoplasmic influence. F1 and BC1 progenies containing the sterility-resistant cytoplasmic factors of ssp.andigena or ofS. phureja had higher fertility than their respective reciprocal progenies with cytoplasm of ssp.tuberosum.
My avatar behaves well and this feels right: Ideal and ought selves in video gaming

Prosocial and violent games were investigated in relation to empathy with avatars and amount of postgame donation. Participants who played a prosocial game demonstrated greater empathy, while those who played a violent game said they would donate a greater amount of money. Flow was found to be a function of the 3-way interaction between game type, self-perception, and regulatory focus. Higgins’s (1987) regulatory focus and self-discrepancy (1997) theories are used to explain the underlying theoretical mechanisms behind these results
Bioinformatic analysis of the distribution of inorganic carbon transporters and prospective targets for bioengineering to increase Ci uptake by cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacteria have evolved a carbon-concen- trating mechanism (CCM) which has enabled them to inhabit diverse environments encompassing a range of inorganic carbon (Ci: HCO 3 and CO2) concentrations. Several uptake systems facilitate inorganic carbon accu- mulation in the cell, which can in turn be fixed by ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Here we survey the distribution of genes encoding known Ci uptake sys- tems in cyanobacterial genomes and, using a pfam- and gene context-based approach, identify in the marine (alpha) cyanobacteria a heretofore unrecognized number of puta- tive counterparts to the well-known Ci transporters of beta cyanobacteria. In addition, our analysis shows that there is a huge repertoire of transport systems in cyanobacteria of unknown function, many with homology to characterized Ci transporters. These can be viewed as prospective targets for conversion into ancillary Ci transporters through bio- engineering. Increasing intracellular Ci concentration cou- pled with efforts to increase carbon fixation will be beneficial for the downstream conversion of fixed carbon into value-added products including biofuels. In addition to CCM transporter homologs, we also survey the occurrence of rhodopsin homologs in cyanobacteria, including bacte- riorhodopsin, a class of retinal-binding, light-activated proton pumps. Because they are light driven and because of the apparent ease of altering their ion selectivity, we use this as an example of re-purposing an endogenous trans- porter for the augmentation of Ci uptake by cyanobacteria and potentially chloroplasts.
Controlled atmospheres for quarantine control of three pests of table grape

Two controlled atmosphere treatments (45% CO 2 + 0.5% O 2 and 45% CO 2 + air [11.5% O 2 ]) significantly increased mortality of Platynota stultana Walsingham; Pacific spider mites, Tetranychus pacificus McGregor; and western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande. The small difference in response of arthropods to the 2 controlled atmosphere treatments indicated greater response to 45% CO 2 + 11.5% O 2 . Temperature (0 and 5°C) had a significant effect on arthropod mortality (i.e., arthropods treated at 0°C showed greater mortality). We detected no effects of exposure to the controlled atmosphere treatments for 10 or 15 d at 0°C on the table grapes. Treatment with 45% CO 2 + 11.5% O 2 at 0°C appeared to be the best method for disinfestation of table grapes of these 3 pests.
Microstructural development in irradiated vanadium alloys

Abstract Three simple vanadium alloys, V-5A1, V-1Ni, and V-2Ti-1Ni have been examined to determine the effects of fast neutron irradiation on microstructural evolution. Specimens were irradiated in EBR II at temperatures in the range 425 to 600°C to doses of 15 and 31 dpa. Each alloy responded very differently to irradiation. All V-5A1 specimens were generally void-free and contained high densities of coherent precipitates, and moderate densities of network dislocations. Swelling was much higher in V-1Ni. Voids were uniformly distributed, but with widely varying shape and size. Precipitation of two types also developed. The response in V-2Ti-1Ni was intermediate to that of the other two alloys. Irradiation produced extensive precipitation of thin rods and a moderate density of large voids often associated with much larger precipitate particles. The dislocation structure strongly interacted with the rod precipitate particles.
SSRI-Induced extrapyramidal side-effects and akathisia: implications for treatment:

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may occasionally induce extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS) and/or akathisia.This maybe a consequence of serotonergically-mediated inhibition of the dopaminergic system. Manifestations of these effects in patients may depend on predisposing factors such as the presence of psychomotor disturbance, a previous history of drug-induced akathisia and/or EPS, concurrent antidopaminergic and/or serotonergic therapy, recent monoamine oxidase inhibitor discontinuation, comorbid Parkinson's disease and possibly deficient cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzyme status. There is increasing awareness that there may be a distinct form of melancholic or endogenous depression with neurobiological underpinnings similar to those of disorders of the basal ganglia such as Parkinson's disease. Thus, it is not surprising that some individuals with depressive disorders appear to be susceptible to developing drug-induced EPS and/or akathisia. In addition, the propensity for the SSRIs to i...
In vivo determination of mouse olfactory mucus cation concentrations in normal and inflammatory states.

Objective Olfaction is impaired in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The study has two aims: (1) to determine whether changes in cation concentration occur in the olfactory mucus of mice with CRS, which may affect chemo-electrical transduction, (2) and to examine whether these alterations are physiologically significant in humans.
Modular 12 Gauge Shotgun Beanbag Accuracy Study

As with all less-than-lethal weapons, the user is frequently left to estimate the optimum effective range of their weapon. Factory literature often exaggerates effective ranges and other features, which can be misleading and potentially dangerous in the deployment of the weapon. Using a modular combat shotgun and its three barrels, this study examined the accuracy of 12 gauge bean bag rounds in relation to barrel length. Accuracy was measured by point of impact and projectile spread in relation to the deviation from the point of aim. Our observations for the selected shotgun and bean bag rounds show that, at distances under 12 m (40 ft), the projectile was both accurate and reliable. At greater distances, both accuracy and reliability decreased. The 25 cm (10 in), 36 cm (14 in), and 46 cm (18 in) barrels can be used in close proximity from 3 m (10 ft)—15 m (50 ft) without a considerable loss of accuracy. This is of major significance as the use of shotguns during tactical room clearing is often limited by the length of barrel. These findings suggest that even the shortest length barrel tested would perform well if the targets are not engaged beyond 15 m (50 ft). Beyond this distance, the 46 cm (18 in) barrel is the most accurate performer and will reliably engage targets out to the maximum tested range of 24 m (80 ft).
Human brucellosis occurrences in inner mongolia, China: a spatio-temporal distribution and ecological niche modeling approach

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease and remains a major burden in both human and domesticated animal populations worldwide. Few geographic studies of human Brucellosis have been conducted, especially in China. Inner Mongolia of China is considered an appropriate area for the study of human Brucellosis due to its provision of a suitable environment for animals most responsible for human Brucellosis outbreaks. The aggregated numbers of human Brucellosis cases from 1951 to 2005 at the municipality level, and the yearly numbers and incidence rates of human Brucellosis cases from 2006 to 2010 at the county level were collected. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS) and ecological niche modeling (ENM) were integrated to study the distribution of human Brucellosis cases over 1951–2010. Results indicate that areas of central and eastern Inner Mongolia provide a long-term suitable environment where human Brucellosis outbreaks have occurred and can be expected to persist. Other areas of northeast China and central Mongolia also contain similar environments. This study is the first to combine advanced spatial statistical analysis with environmental modeling techniques when examining human Brucellosis outbreaks and will help to inform decision-making in the field of public health.
Post craniotomy extra-ventricular drain (EVD) associated nosocomial meningitis: CSF diagnostic criteria

Because external ventricular drains (EVDs) provide access to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), there is potential for EVD associated acute bacterial meningitis (EVD-AM). Post-craniotomy, in patients with EVDs, one or more CSF abnormalities are commonly present making the diagnosis of EVD-AM problematic. EVD-AM was defined as elevated CSF lactic acid (>6 nmol/L), plus CSF marked pleocytosis (>50 WBCs/mm(3)), plus a positive Gram stain (same morphology as CSF isolate), plus a positive CSF culture of neuropathogen (same morphology as Gram stained organism). We reviewed 22 adults with EVDs to determine if our four CSF parameters combined accurately identified EVD-AM. No single or combination of <4 CSF parameters correctly diagnosed or ruled out EVD-AM. Combined our four CSF parameters clearly differentiated EVD-AM from one case of pseudomeningitis due to E. cloacae. We conclude that our four CSF criteria combined are useful in diagnosing EVD-AM in adults.
Innovation and diffusion of technology: A human process.

In this article, I argue that the overarching problem in the innovation and diffusion of technology is that efforts to introduce computer systems and advanced telecommunications fail because technical experts and managers ignore the underlying psychological dynamics of organizational change. A brief case is presented that illustrates this common problem in technology transfer: the failure to recognize change and innovation as a human process and the consequential resistance to change and learning (Diamond, 1993), which is combined with workers' anger and resentment at the "experts " and the technical manner in which the innovation is introduced. After discussing some of the contributing factors to this problem, I present the concept of organizational resilience as a description of the ideal context for innovation and diffusion of technology—a transitional space from which ideas and technologies can be tested and critically examined for their appropriateness and relevance to practice.
Lack of association between plasma homocysteine and angiographic coronary artery disease in the era of fortification of cereal grain flour with folic acid.

Abstract Homocysteine is associated with coronary disease (CAD). However, the strength of the association after accounting for traditional and emerging risk factors is unclear, particularly since flour fortification with folate was mandated in the USA. We analyzed the association between traditional and emerging risk factors and CAD in 504 patients undergoing clinically-indicated angiography between July 1998 and January 1999. Significant CAD (≥50% stenosis in ≥1 artery) was present in 271 patients (54%). Mean homocysteine (μmol/l) was 9.36±3.07; hyperhomocysteinemia (>13 μmol/l) was present in 7.9% of patients. Mean homocysteine was 9.29±3.02 in patients with no disease (no stenoses or stenoses 50% stenosis in one coronary artery), 9.28±3.19 in patients with two VD, and 10.1±3.89 in patients with three VD ( P =0.0793). Multivariate analysis that included age, gender, smoking, LDL, HDL, Lp(a), apo A1, and apo B revealed no independent association between quartile of homocysteine and odds ratio (OR) for CAD. In summary, we found no association between homocysteine and CAD on angiography. The homocysteine-lowering effect of folate-fortified flour, or the inclusion of many traditional and emerging risk factors in multivariate analysis, are potential explanations.
Visual Materials in the Journal Dom iskusstv

This essay describes the vin'etki[vignettes] placed at the beginnings and ends of texts throughout the two journal issues of Dom iskusstv[House of Arts]. The images, often created specifically to reflect the written word, mark the journal as a post-revolutionary continuation of Mir iskusstva[World of Art]'s legacy and aesthetics, and represent significant stylistic and thematic elements of some of the era's best known graphic artists. Also addressed is the documentary significance of the only photograph reproduced in the journal: it depicts an exhibition of Boris Kustodiev's work hosted at the House of Arts in 1921.
Fukushima Daiichi, Normal Accidents, and Moral Responsibility: Ethical Questions about Nuclear Energy

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 pm Japan Standard Time, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale rumbled off the northeast coast of Japan. Not far from the epicenter of this quake the Fukushima ...
Ensemble Forecasting of Hurricane Tracks

Because of the initial data uncertainties, it is inevitable that operational hurricane track forecasting practice would, in the future, follow an ensemble forecast approach. The ensemble technique is becoming increasingly popular for the middle-latitude weather forecasts. This paper focuses on an ensemble forecast methodology for the hurricane track forecast procedure. In this study, an ensemble perturbation method is applied for hurricane track predictions using the Florida State University's Global Spectral Model with horizontal spectral resolution of T63 and 14 vertical levels. The method is based on the premise that (a) model perturbation grows linearly during the first few days of model integration, and (b) in order to make a complete set of ensemble perturbations of hurricane forecasts, both hurricane initial position and its structure and environment need to be perturbed. The initial position of the hurricane is perturbed by displacing its original position 50 km equally toward the north, south, ea...
Protein folding in the central cavity of the GroEL–GroES chaperonin complex

The chaperonin GroEL is able to mediate protein folding in its central cavity. GroEL-bound dihydrofolate reductase assumes its native conformation when the GroES cofactor caps one end of the GroEL cylinder, thereby discharging the unfolded polypeptide into an enclosed cage. Folded dihydrofolate reductase emerges upon ATP-dependent GroES release. Other proteins, such as rhodanese, may leave GroEL after having attained a conformation that is committed to fold. Incompletely folded polypeptide rebinds to GroEL, resulting in structural rearrangement for another folding trial in the chaperonin cavity.
THYMIDYLATE SYNTHASE : STRUCTURE, INHIBITION, AND STRAINED CONFORMATIONS DURING CATALYSIS

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a long-standing target for chemotherapeutic agents because of its central role in DNA synthesis, and it is also of interest because of its rich mechanistic features. The reaction catalyzed by TS is the methylation of dUMP, with the transferred methyl group provided by the cofactor methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2THF). Recently, several crystal structure determinations and mechanistic studies have led to a deeper understanding of the TS reaction mechanism, and address the role of conformational change in TS catalysis and inhibition. Included among these structures are complexes of TS bound to substrate dUMP; cofactor CH2THF; the nucleotide analogs 5-fluoro-dUMP, 5-nitro-dUMP and dGMP; and the promising antifolates BW1843, ZD1694, and AG337. From these studies, a picture of TS emerges where ligand-induced conformational changes play key roles in catalysis by straining the thiol adduct that occurs during the reaction; by protecting the highly reactive reaction intermediates; and by providing a means to stabilize a high-energy conformer of the cofactor after initial binding of a low-energy conformer. The best inhibitors of TS also induce and stabilize a conformational change in TS. One inhibitor, BW1843, distorts the active site on binding, and intercalates into a hydrophobic patch between two mobile subdomains in the protein. Also discussed are recent developments in the cell biology and regulation of eukaryotic TS and the use of structure-based drug design in the development of the antifolates currently in clinical trial for the treatment of cancer.
Role of α1-adrenergic receptors in the intermediolateral column in mediating the pressor responses elicited by the stimulation of ventrolateral medullary pressor area

Microinjections of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor agonists into the intermediolateral cell column of the spinal cord (IML) elicit sympathoexcitatory responses. This observation, together with the identification of projections of epinephrine-containing cells in the rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area (VLPA) to the IML, has prompted speculation that epinephrine may mediate pressor responses to the stimulation of the VLPA. This hypothesis was tested in pentobarbital-anesthetized, artificially ventilated, male Wistar rats. A mesenteric arterial branch was cannulated for monitoring blood pressure. Pressor responses were elicited predominantly from T8-T10 by injections (1.7 nmol/20 nl) of L-glutamate into the IML; maximum pressor responses (29.3 +/- 4 mmHg) were elicited from T9. Pressor responses were also elicited by injections of epinephrine into the IML at T9; maximum pressor effect (16.3 +/- 1.2 mmHg) was elicited by a dose of 0.05 pmol/20 nl. This effect of epinephrine at T9 was blocked by prior injections of prazosin (a selective alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blocker; 0.125 pmol/20 nl) at the same site. Stimulation of the VLPA by unilateral microinjections of glutamate elicited pressor responses (56 +/- 12 mmHg). Bilateral injections of prazosin at T8-T10, in the dose (0.125 pmol) that blocked a maximally effective dose of epinephrine, did not block the pressor responses to subsequent injections of glutamate into the VLPA. On the other hand, bilateral microinjections of AP-7 (an NMDA receptor blocker; 1 nmol/20 nl), but not DNQX (10 pmol; a non-NMDA receptor blocker), into the IML at T8-T10 blocked the pressor effects of the subsequent injections of glutamate into the VLPA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
σ1 Receptors in rat striatum regulate NMDA-stimulated [3H]dopamine release via a presynaptic mechanism

Abstract The role of the σ1 receptor in the regulation of N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA)-stimulated [3H]dopamine release from rat striatal slices was examined. The σ receptor agonist 1S,2R-(−)-N-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]-N-methyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexylamine (BD737) inhibited stimulated release in a concentration-dependent manner. The σ1 receptor antagonist, 1-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4-(2′-(4″-fluorophenyl)-2′-oxoethyl)piperidine HBr (DuP 734), reversed inhibition of release by BD737. Haloperidol, di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG) and N-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]-N-methyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)ethylamine (BD1008) reversed the BD737-mediated inhibition of release. Haloperidol and DTG also antagonized inhibition of stimulated release by (+)-pentazocine. Furthermore, BD737 and (+)-pentazocine inhibited stimulated release in the presence of tetrodotoxin, suggesting that σ1 receptors regulating dopamine release are located on dopaminergic nerve terminals. These data suggest that σ1 receptors may be important in the regulation of glutamate-stimulated dopamine release.
ACA Dependent Coverage Provision Reduced High Out-Of-Pocket Health Care Spending For Young Adults

Since September 2010 the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has required that insurers allow children to remain as dependents on their parents’ private insurance plans until age twenty-six. Studies have shown that this provision increased coverage rates among young adults. In this article we analyze whether the provision also protected young adults from large and uncertain out-of-pocket expenses. We found that the policy was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the share of young adults facing annual out-of-pocket expenditures greater than $1,500 (decreasing from 4.2 percent to 2.9 percent), compared to an increase in the proportion of their slightly older peers facing such expenditures (increasing from 4.4 percent to 5.4 percent), a net difference of −2.4 percentage points, or 57 percent. We conclude that the dependent coverage provision in the ACA provides financial protection for young adults at a time when they often face high debt burden but low wages.
‘Here Beats the Heart of the Young Socialist State’: 1970s' East Berlin as Socialist Bloc Tourist Destination

Drawing on the archival records of East Berlin's main tourist organisations, Berlin-Information and Travel Agency GDR-Berlin, this article examines a short phase in East Berlin's life as a dynamic tourist destination. It begins by exploring the vision of the GDR authorities when they made plans for the new central area focused on the Alexanderplatz in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and when they introduced visa-free travel in the early 1970s. It then goes on to examine the actual engagement with the space by socialist travelers during the peak of East Berlin's period as an important Socialist Bloc tourist destination in the 1970s. Existing scholarship on the GDR's experiment with visa-free travel in the 1970s has focused singularly on the shopping and smuggling activities of socialist tourists to the GDR. The historical record, however, reveals a more nuanced story. Socialist tourists, I argue, saw visa-free travel as more than a mere occasion to acquire goods that were scarce at home and East Berlin as ...
A programming package for some general modes of arithmetic

An interpretive programming package is described for computation with operands which may be real, complex, single or double precision, or real multiple precision. It also performs operations on matrices formed from these elements. A simple language structure is used to describe the computation.
A structured approach to family intervention after brain injury

Objective:Given the limitations of the literature, a structured approach to helping families after brain injury is clearly needed.Main Outcome Measures:On the basis of considerable clinical experience and research review, this article describes the Brain Injury Family Intervention (BIFI), developed
How Common is Peer Disagreement? On Self‐Trust and Rational Symmetry

In this paper I offer an argument for a view about the epistemology of peer disagreement, which I call the “Rational Symmetry View”. I argue that this view follows from a natural (if controversial) conception of the epistemology of testimony, together with a basic entitlement to trust our own faculties for belief formation. I then discuss some objections to this view, focusing on its relationship to other well-known views in the literature. The upshot of this discussion is that, if the Rational Symmetry View is correct, much of the action in the epistemology of disagreement relates—not to how one should treat those one regards as an “epistemic peer” in the sense popular in that literature—but rather to who one should treat as such.
Solution to unsymmetric finite element diffusive-convective equations by a modified conjugate gradient method

Abstract A modified conjugate gradient (MCG) method, recently derived for symmetric positive definite matrices, has been extended to solve sparse sets of arbitrary linear non-symmetric equations. The original system Ax = b is ideally transformed into the symmetric positive definite system A T Ax = A T and an approximate inverse K −1 of A is obtained with the incomplete LU (Crout) factorization of A . A straightforward derivation of the symmetric MCG scheme is applied to the transformed equations. If K −1 is a satisfactorily good approximation to A − in the sense required by MCG, the eigenvalues of the iteration matrix are favourably distributed in the vicinity of 1 and MCG turns out to be very rapidly convergent. This condition occurs when the vast majority of the rows of A are diagonally dominant. A further acceleration is obtained by taking the initial guess equal to the initial solution of the Newton iteration. The new scheme has been experimented on sparse matrices arising from the finite element integration of the diffusive-convective equation in various physical environments (e.g. surface water, subsurface water and atmosphere). The results show that when the time integration step Δt is relatively large and the convection is not negligible, most of the equations of A are not diagonally dominant and therefore MCG is slowly convergent. If Δt is kept sufficiently small to allow A to be diagonally or nearly diagonally dominant, K −1 is close to A −1 and convergence is very fast.
A new framework for debugging globally optimized code

With an increasing number of executable binaries generated by optimizing compilers today, providing a clear and correct source-level debugger for programmers to debug optimized code has become a necessity. In this paper, a new framework for debugging globally optimized code is proposed. This framework consists of a new code location mapping scheme, a data location tracking scheme, and an emulation-based forward recovery model. By taking over the control early and emulating instructions selectively, the debugger can preserve and gather the required program state for the recovery of expected variable values at source breakpoints. The framework has been prototyped in the IMPACT compiler and GDB-4.16. Preliminary experiments conducted on several SPEC95 integer programs have yielded encouraging results. The extra time needed for the debugger to calculate the limits of the emulated region and to emulate instructions is hardly noticeable, while the increase in executable file size due to the extra debug information is on average 76% of that of the executable file with no debug information.