cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Autonomous Software Agents in Decision Support Systems

The purpose of this research is to define autonomous software agents, and describe a general framework for the use of agents in decision support systems (DSS). Because definitions of software agents extant in the literature are divergent, we develop and provide a descriptive definition useful for our purpose. The benefits of agents and the particular characteristics of agents leading to DSS enrichment are examined. To facilitate this we build a DSS, described elsewhere in the literature, and enhance it with different types of autonomous software agents. From this experience, a general framework for agent-enabled DSS is suggested.
Long-term immunogenicity of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine: Follow-up at 15 years

We conducted a 10-15 years follow-up to a long-term prospective cohort study on the immunogenicity of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in Alaska Native children, who were initially vaccinated between 3-6 years of age. Children received three vaccine doses (320 E.U.) and were randomized into the following vaccination schedules: A (0, 1, 2 months); B (0, 1, 6 months); and C (0, 1, 12 months). Sera were collected every 2 years and tested for hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV). Levels 20 mIU/mL were considered protective. Anti-HAV geometric mean concentrations were compared by vaccination schedule at 10, 12 and 14 years of follow-up, using ANOVA. Antibody decline over the entire 15-year follow-up period was also analyzed. While none of the inter-schedule comparisons differed significantly from each other at the 10, 12 and 14-year periods, schedules B and C had significantly higher anti-HAV levels than schedule A over the entire 15 years of the study ( P< 0.01). All schedule B and C children maintained seroprotective levels in all follow-up periods. Fourteen percent of schedule A children fell below seroprotective levels at 14 years. Our model estimated that anti-HAV geometric mean concentrations would fall below seroprotective levels at 26, 30 and 32 years for schedules A, B and C, respectively. The data indicate that hepatitis A immunity lasts at least 15 years after vaccination in children and that a booster dose is not needed during that time. However, continued monitoring is necessary to assess the need for a booster dose later in the second and third decade after receipt of the primary series.
Abstract 5317: JAK2 regulates oxidative damage-induced epigenetic alterations

Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species at sites of chronic inflammation cause oxidative DNA damage in epithelial cells, contributing to carcinogenesis. Aberrant silencing of key genes by promoter CpG island DNA hypermethylation occurs in many cancers that form at sites of chronic inflammation. Yet, it is not completely understood how these aberrant DNA methylation alterations are initiated. We hypothesize that the recruitment of epigenetic silencing proteins to sites of oxidative DNA damage is important for initiating DNA methylation. Here we demonstrate that after hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment, mismatch repair proteins MSH2 and MSH6 become localized to sites of oxidative DNA damage, resulting in the recruitment of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) members to chromatin. This recruitment results in the formation of repressive chromatin in the promoters of tumor-suppressor genes and the concomitant transient reduction in their expression. We sought to further understand the mechanism that drives H2O2-induced MSH2 and MSH6 chromatin binding. Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is a kinase that is canonically known to be activated by cytokines and growth hormones and phosphorylate the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription (STATs). Here, we demonstrate that in response to treatment with H2O2, but not interleukin 6 (IL-6), JAK2 translocates to the nucleus and interacts with MSH2 and MSH6. Nuclear JAK2 is important for H2O2-induced chromatin interaction of MSH2, MSH6, DNMT1 and PRC2 members. Interestingly, H2O2-induces a global and site-specific increase in trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) that is also dependent on JAK2. Furthermore, by analyzing TCGA datasets, we demonstrate high JAK2 mRNA expression correlates with CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) status in gastric and colorectal cancer. All together, these findings suggest JAK2 plays a key role in initiating oxidative damage-induced epigenetic alterations during inflammation-driven tumorigenesis. Ultimately, understanding the mechanism of initiation of cancer-specific promoter DNA hypermethylation may lead to treatment strategies to reduce aberrant epigenetic changes induced by chronic inflammation and therefore reduce tumorigenesis. Citation Format: Ning Ding, Sam Miller, Heather O9Hagan. JAK2 regulates oxidative damage-induced epigenetic alterations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5317.
Sheet-based flexible technologies for mechanical sensing

Flexible electronic technologies offer the potential for the co-integration of mechanical sensors that measure the state of the flexible surface under actuation or deformation. This format of sensor offers significant opportunities for the instrumentation of existing systems for a range of applications such as touch, measurement of acoustic field, and the detection of deformation modes of a system. Beyond the instrumentation of existing systems, flexible devices can themselves serve as actuators, allowing for sheet-based robotic devices, as well as the development of sensor formats for challenging applications.
Collapsible Underwater Docking Station Design and Evaluation

Persistent undersea operation is dependent on effective and accessible underwater docking and charging mechanisms for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Existing docking stations are able to support extended operations with one specific AUV and generally require extensive modification to the AUV to function. This paper presents a new underwater docking station that can support a wide range of AUVs with minimal modification required. Key aspects of the docking station design are the simplified funnel design that reduces manufacturing and deployment complexity and the docking adapter. The adapter can be used as a drop-in replacement for a more traditional AUV antenna with the addition of recharging electronics. It is the only component that contacts the docking station meaning that one station can support AUVs over a wide range of designs and sizes. This work is focused on optimization of the terminal homing stage for docking. Specifically, the effect of impact velocity relative to capture envelope and impact force is studied. Based on the initial optimization of the docking system, a target impact velocity of 1.0m/sresults in the largest effective capture envelope and the minimum impact force when using a Dolphin II AUV.
Application of Lactobacillus gasseri 63 AM supernatant to Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds prevents sepsis in murine models of thermal injury and dorsal excision.

Introduction. Severely burned patients are susceptible to bacterial infection within their burn wounds, which frequently leads to sepsis, multiple organ failure and death. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa , an organism inherently resistant to multiple antibiotics, is a common cause of sepsis in these patients. Aim. Development of a topical treatment unrelated to conventional antibiotics is essential for prevention of P. aeruginosa infection and sepsis, leading to a role for the direct application of probiotics or their by-products. Methodology. We examined the effectiveness of 20× concentrated supernatant from Lactobacillus gasseri strain 63 AM (LgCS) grown in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe broth in inhibiting P. aeruginosa biofilms in vitro, as well as in reducing wound bioburden and P. aeruginosa sepsis in vivo. Results. LgCS inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1, prevented its biofilm development and eliminated partially developed PAO1 biofilms. In the murine model of thermal injury, a single injection of LgCS following injury and PAO1 infection reduced mortality to 0 % and prevented systemic spread (sepsis). Furthermore, a second injection of LgCS 24 h after the first eliminated PAO1 from the wound. In the murine dorsal excision infection model, either LgCS or ceftazidime treatment of the PAO1-infected wound significantly reduced the mortality rate among infected mice, while combining LgCS with ceftazidime eliminated mortality. Conclusion. These results suggest the potential of LgCS in preventing sepsis from P. aeruginosa infection in severely burned and other immunocompromised patients.
Long-Term Clinical and Neuronuclear Imaging Sequelae of Cancer Therapy, Trauma, and Brain Injury

Neuronuclear imaging has been used for several decades in the study of primary neurodegenerative conditions, such as dementia and parkinsonian syndromes, both for research and for clinical purposes. There has been a relative paucity of applications of neuronuclear imaging to evaluate nonneurodegenerative conditions that can also have long-term effects on cognition and function. This article summarizes clinical and imaging aspects of 3 such conditions that have garnered considerable attention in recent years: cancer- and chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment, posttraumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury. Further, we describe current research using neuroimaging tools aimed to better understand the relationships between the clinical presentations and brain structure and function in these conditions.
The means to an end: an examination of gender inequality in athletic aid distribution and graduation rates

This article examines two issues central to the interests of student-athletes and the universities that serve them, the distribution of athletic aid and graduation rates. More specifically, this ar...
Institution-specific utilization of the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors operative skills curriculum: From needs assessment to implementation.

Abstract Background The American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery operative skills curriculum standardizes training. However, simulation resources are variable with curriculum implementation institution dependent. Our aim was to use Kern's six steps of curricular development to demonstrate how to tailor the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery Phase 2 curriculum to program specific needs. Methods Problem identification and general needs assessment was performed. Targeted needs assessment of general surgery residents and attendings was conducted to determine perceived importance of operative skills and residents’ confidence with these skills and attendings perceptions of deficiencies in technical skills using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills criteria. Educational strategies were developed dependent on program resources. The program was piloted between 2018 to 2019 and implemented in the 2019 to 2020 academic year. Assessment of resident technical skills and resident or faculty teaching skills was performed for each session. Resident confidence with procedures was assessed using the Zwisch scale before and after modules. Curricular evaluations were completed by residents after each module. Results The previous curriculum did not comprehensively cover Phase 2 modules and was not tailored to the needs of residents. Targeted needs assessment revealed differences in prioritization of learning for techniques by seniority (most important operation for faculty: laparoscopic cholecystectomy, postgraduate year 4 and 5: laparoscopic partial colectomy, interns: open inguinal/femoral hernia repair). Faculty identified technical skills on which to focus (ie, interns’ knowledge of a specific procedure, postgraduate year 4 and 5 flow of the operation and forward planning). Educational strategies employed included wet and dry lab simulations and online materials. Residents reported increased procedural confidence after curriculum completion. Conclusion This comprehensive implementation of the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery Phase 2 skills curriculum effectively used resources and expertise of an institution and focused on the knowledge and technical deficiencies of the target learners. Improvement in learner confidence was demonstrated by this approach.
Height Fluctuations of Random Lozenge Tilings Through Nonintersecting Random Walks

In this paper we study height fluctuations of random lozenge tilings of polygonal domains on the triangular lattice through nonintersecting Bernoulli random walks. For a large class of polygons which have exactly one horizontal upper boundary edge, we show that these random height functions converge to a Gaussian Free Field as predicted by Kenyon and Okounkov [28]. A key ingredient of our proof is a dynamical version of the discrete loop equations as introduced by Borodin, Guionnet and Gorin [5], which might be of independent interest.
Formal Measures of the Informal Sector Wage Gap in Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru

Using comparable micro-level data from three countries, we ask what type of person works in the informal sector and whether informal workers earn lower wages than observationally equivalent workers in the formal sector. The characteristics of informal workers are similar across countries. Surprisingly, when we control for these personal characteristics, we find a significant wage premium associated with formal employment in El Salvador and Peru but a premium associated with work in the informal sector in Mexico. A model of endogenous selection offers little help in explaining the differences in wage patterns. The research casts doubt on the received wisdom that the informal sector, always and everywhere, is a poorly paid but easily entered refuge for those who have no other employment opportunities.
Worry-related sleep problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents in 88 low-, middle-, and high-income countries: an examination of individual- and country-level factors

A strong association between sleep problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) has been demonstrated in high-income countries. The sleep-STB relationship, however, is minimally understood among youth in low and middle-incomes countries. There also is a limited understanding of how individual- (i.e., age, sex) and country-level (i.e., economic inequality, economic quality) factors may moderate the magnitude of the sleep-STB association among youth. Data were analyzed from the cross-national Global School-based Health Survey 2003–2017, which assessed a range of health behaviors among school-enrolled adolescents aged 11–18 years from 88 low-, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries. Multilevel models were used to examine the influence of individual- and country-level factors on the association between past-year worry-related sleep problems and past-year suicide ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts. Worry-related sleep problems were significantly associated with suicide ideation, plans, and attempts. Adolescent sex, country economic quality (income group designation), and country economic inequality moderated the sleep-STB association, but age did not. The sleep-STB relationship was stronger for males and across macroeconomic indices, the relationship was generally strongest among upper-middle income countries (economic quality) and countries with a big income gap (economic inequality). When examining how individual-level factors differentially affected the sleep-STB relationship within economic quality (income group designation), the effects were driven by older adolescents in high-income countries for suicide ideation and suicide plans. Study findings suggest an important role for global macroeconomic factors, for males, and older adolescents in high-income countries in the sleep-STB relationship. Future directions include expanding worldwide coverage of countries, assessing a wider range of sleep problems, and longitudinal work to understand potential mechanisms in the sleep-STB relationship.
A call for trauma-informed intensive care.

Psychological trauma impacts two-thirds of Americans, suggesting that many intensive care unit (ICU) patients have a history of trauma. Our manuscript calls for translating the well-established system of trauma-informed care to the ICU setting - an approach we term "trauma-informed intensive care." While trauma-informed approaches are being increasingly applied in medical settings such as emergency departments and burn units, the ICU is often overlooked, despite the fact that the ICU environment may be perceived as particularly threatening to those who have experienced trauma. Now is an ideal time to advance efforts for trauma-informed intensive care, given heightened public attention to the ICU experience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trauma-informed intensive care may promote more positive patient experiences and support patient recovery from critical illness.
The Typological Expectation of Psalm 68 and its Application in Ephesians 4:8

Paul’s use of Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8 has historically been a crux interpretum for New Testament hermeneutics and Pauline scholars alike, for Paul appears to misapply the features of the psalm to Christ. In light of recent scholarship, this paper argues that Paul’s apparent misapplication of the psalm is resolved by a proper recognition of the psalm’s typological framework. Paul applied Psalm 68:18 to Christ in light of the psalm’s typological expectation and its redemptive–historical fulfilment in Christ. The psalm’s typological indicators are evident in view of its retrospective and prospective orientation and the probable allusions to Exodus 15 and Judges 5. YHWH’s ascension, captives, and gifts in Psalm 68:18 correspond to and anticipate a greater ascension, captives, and gifts. The eschatological interpretation of the psalm explains its use in Ephesians 4:7-16, for it sheds light on the unusual appearance of διό introducing the citation, the textual modifications Paul introduced to the citation, Paul’s choice of Psalm 68:18 in particular, and Paul’s emphasis on ministers of the word in Ephesians 4:11-16. This analysis absolves Paul from the charge of hermeneutical insensitivity and aptly illustrates his hermeneutical approach to the Old Testament Scriptures.
Health Literacy and Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract Health literacy has been called the first public health movement of the 21st century. Practical health literacy for chronic disease prevention and management currently involves a variety of domains centered on communication and empowerment. Understanding who may be at risk and identifying a variety of strategies for outreach programs focused on CVD prevention and self-management can help at-risk clients obtain full program benefits. A discussion of CVD health literacy resources is included.
Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

The minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion approach is a versatile technique for the surgical treatment of a multitude of degenerative spinal maladies. It represents a robust and durable approach that provides three-column stability and relief of patients’ pain symptoms. The TLIF technique involves a complete facetectomy and thereby allows for a more lateral exposure to the disk space obviating neural retraction. This chapter describes indications and contraindications for the MIS TLIF approach. We describe a detailed technique to successfully accomplish restoration of lordotic curvature. In order to enhance patient clinical outcomes, pearls and pitfalls described with the approach are addressed. Also, possible surgical complications are herein described and specific ways to avoid these errors are reported. Lastly, a review of the most current literature related to the MIS TLIF approach provides examples of advantages, feasibility, and applications of the technique.
Fluorescence of metal chelate compounds of 8-quinolinol—III: The mono-(8-quinolinol)-aluminium species in absolute ethanol

Abstract Fluorometric, absorptiometric, and potentiometric data have confirmed the existence of a fluorescent species formed between aluminium ion and 8-quinolinol having a ligand-to-metal molar ratio of one. This species in absolute ethanol is probably a polynuclear complex and has a formation constant estimated to be in the order of 109. The nature of the chelation reaction is discussed; it apparently proceeds via replacement by oxine of a solvated ethoxide ion and a solvated ethanol molecule from the co-ordination sphere of the aluminium ion.
Toward SLAM on Graphs

We present an algorithm for SLAM on planar graphs. We assume that a robot moves from node to node on the graph using odometry to measure the distance between consecutive landmark observations. At each node, the robot follows a branch chosen at random, without reporting which branch it follows. A low-level process detects (with some uncertainty) the presence of landmarks, such as corners, branches, and bumps, but only triggers a binary flag for landmark detection (i.e., the robot is oblivious to the details or “appearance” of the landmark). Under uncertainties of the robot’s odometry, landmark detection, and the current landmark position of the robot, we present an E-M-based SLAM algorithm for two cases: (1) known, arbitrary topology with unknown edge lengths and (2) unknown topology, but restricted to “elementary” 1- and 2-cycle graphs. In the latter case, the algorithm (flexibly and reversibly) closes loops and allows for dynamic environments (adding and deleting nodes).
Mossy fiber synaptic reorganization induced by kindling: Time course of development, progression, and permanence

Recent studies have revealed that mossy fiber axons of granule cells in the dentate gyrus undergo reorganization of their terminal projections in both animal models of epilepsy and human epilepsy. This synaptic reorganization has been demonstrated by the Timm method, a histochemical technique that selectively labels synaptic terminals of mossy fibers because of their high zinc content. It has been generally presumed that the reorganization of the terminal projections of the mossy fiber pathway is a consequence of axonal sprouting and synaptogenesis by mossy fibers. To evaluate this possibility further, the time course for development of Timm granules, which correspond ultrastructurally to mossy fiber synaptic terminals, was examined in the supragranular layer of the dentate gyrus at the initiation of kindling stimulation with an improved scoring method for assessment of alterations in Timm histochemistry. The progression and permanence of this histological alteration were similarly evaluated during the behavioral and electrographic evolution of kindling evoked by perforant path, amygdala, or olfactory bulb stimulation. Mossy fiber synaptic terminals developed in the supragranular region of the dentate gyrus by 4 d after initiation of kindling stimulation in a time course compatible with axon sprouting. The induced alterations in the terminal projections of the mossy fiber pathway progressed with the evolution of behavioral kindled seizures, became permanent in parallel with the development of longlasting susceptibility to evoked seizures, and were observed as long as 8 months after the last evoked kindled seizure. The results demonstrated a strong correlation between mossy fiber synaptic reorganization and the development, progression, and permanence of the kindling phenomenon.
Compaction of Forest Roads in Northwestern Oregon – Room for Improvement

Monitoring the construction and as-built conditions of a low volume aggregate surfaced forest road in Northwest Oregon coupled with detailed laboratory testing of the subgrade soils allowed an analysis of the potential benefits of improved structural road design and construction control. Specifically, subgrade compaction was found to be far below desirable levels that would achieve greater subgrade strength, and based on a common design equation, allow for the use of significantly less aggregate. It is inferred that a combination of inadequate compaction energy and failure to account for the detrimental influence of high field moisture content resulted in poor subgrade densities. This case study showed that a 34 percent saving in aggregate cost may be possible.
Cadres and Kin: Making a Socialist Village in West China, 1921–1991.

Cadres and Kin: Making. Socialist Village in West China, 1921–1991. Gregory A. Ruf. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1998. 249 pp.
The positron microprobe at LLNL

Abstract The electron linac-based positron source at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provides the world's highest current beam of keV positrons. We are building a positron microprobe that will produce a pulsed, focused positron beam for 3-dimensional scans of defect size and concentration with sub-micron resolution. The widely spaced and intense positron packets from the tungsten moderator at the end of the 100 MeV LLNL linac are captured and trapped in a magnetic bottle. The positrons are then released in 1 ns bunches at a 20 MHz repetition rate. With a three-stage re-moderation we will compress the cm-sized original beam to a 1 μm diameter final spot on the target. The buncher will compress the arrival time of positrons on the target to less than 100 ps. A detector array with up to 60 BaF2 crystals in paired coincidence will measure the annihilation radiation with high efficiency and low background. The energy of the positrons can be varied from less than 1 keV up to 50 keV. The target can be instrumented to allow in situ annealing, cooling and stress.
Method for improving efficiency of randomized search placement algorithms

This paper describes a method for improving convergence of actuator or damper placement algorithms that employ randomized search techniques. An easily computed scalar measure of effectiveness is calculated for each possible location independently from damper properties. This quantity is then used to weight the random selection or mutation. Simulated annealing or genetic search algorithms optimizing damper placement to minimize RMS displacement benefit from the weighted selection. Two models of controlled structures testbeds are used to show improvements in convergence. Optimal or near-optimal sets of five member dampers are found in fewer iterations and with greater frequency using the new method.
Transcriptional Control of Endothelial Cell Development

The transcription factors that regulate endothelial cell development have been a focus of active research for several years, and many players in the endothelial transcriptional program have been identified. This review discusses the function of several major regulators of endothelial transcription, including members of the Sox, Ets, Forkhead, GATA, and Kruppel-like families. This review also highlights recent developments aimed at unraveling the combinatorial mechanisms and transcription factor interactions that regulate endothelial cell specification and differentiation during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.
The coconut palm—mankind’s greatest provider in the tropics

Its stem and foliage furnish building material and thatching for the native, and the milk of its fruit gives him nourishment, while the meat of the fruit provides an edible delicacy and industrially important coconut oil for man in the Temperate Zones.
A methodology for planning bus service

A methodology to assist transportation planners in designing bus services is developed. The methodology is most relevant for use in locations where bus service of the type being studied does not currently exist and therefore no information is available on past choice behavior, or in instances when transferability of travel models estimated in another location is difficult. The methodology assesses the sensitivity of bus service characteristics upon intended bus usage using survey data collected in Orange County, California, by the Orange County Transit District (OCTD). The methodology is based on a nonparametric statistical test developed by Kolmogorov and Smirnov.
Harnessing Openness to Improve Research, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

ner of our lives. In a series of reports, we have examined how these two changes are increasing the “openness” of information, processes, and institutions. The degree of openness of information, for example, can differ dramatically. To the extent that people have access to information, without restrictions, that information is more open than information to which people have access only if they are subscribers, or have security clearances, or have to go to a particular location to get it. But accessibility, quite similar to the concept of transparency, is only one aspect of openness. The other is responsiveness. Can one change the information, repurpose, remix, and redistribute it? Information (or a process or an institution) is more open when there are fewer restrictions on access, use, and responsiveness. The Internet, in particular, has vastly expanded openness. It is changing the nature of information, processes, and institutions by making them more accessible to people next door and around the world. It also makes information more responsive—capable of being enhanced, or degraded, through the digital contributions of anyone interested enough to make the effort, be they experts, devoted amateurs, people with an ax to grind, or the merely curious. In this report we examine higher education through the lens of openness. Our goal is to understand the potential impact of greater openness on colleges and uni-
Atomic structure of amorphous particles produced by spark erosion

The atomic structure of amorphous particles of composition ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{75}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{15}$${\mathrm{B}}_{10}$ produced by spark erosion was studied by the energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction technique and was compared to that of the amorphous ribbon of the same composition produced by melt spinning. It was found that the nearest-neighbor Fe-Fe correlation is almost identical for the ribbon and the particles of different sizes, whereas the second peak of the radial distribution function shows considerable differences among the samples. The result is consistent with decreased metal-metalloid compositional short-range order in the particles compared to that in the ribbon sample.
Infinite Hamiltonian paths in Cayley digraphs of hyperbolic symmetry groups

Abstract The hyperbolic symmetry groups [ p,q ], [ p,q ] + , and [ p + , q ] have certain natural generating sets. We determine whether or not the corresponding Cayley digraphs have one-way infinite or two-way infinite directed Hamiltonian paths. In addition, the analogous Cayley graphs are shown to have both one-way infinite and two-way infinite Hamiltonian paths.
Inotropic and lusitropic abnormalities in the genesis of heart failure

Cardiac pumping action is governed by two interdependent systems: those that govern contraction and the emptying of the heart (inotropic) and those that control its relaxation and filling (lusitropic). The signs and symptoms of ‘heart failure’ can be caused by abnormalities of either or both of these systems. Major technological advances in the evaluation of the cardiac patient, especially those that utilize measurements of ventricular volume, coupled with potent new drugs that can modify differently the inotropic and lusitropic properties of the myocardium, make it necessary to understand the role that each plays in the genesis of the clinical syndrome of heart failure.
Investigation of mechanisms linking media exposure to smoking in high school students.

Background Media exposure has been found to impact adolescent smoking, although the mechanisms of this relationship have not been thoroughly investigated. Drive for thinness and tobacco advertising receptivity, both shown to be associated with smoking, are two potential mediators. Methods 967 twelfth grade students completed a self-report survey as part of a longitudinal study of biobehavioral predictors of smoking. Exposure to magazines and television, drive for thinness, tobacco advertisement receptivity, and twelfth grade smoking level were the primary variables of interest. Effects of gender, race, BMI, smoking exposure, and perceived physical appearance were controlled for in the model. Results Exposure to fashion, entertainment, and gossip magazines had indirect effects on smoking via drive for thinness and tobacco advertisement receptivity. There was a direct effect of health, fitness, and sports magazine reading on smoking. Television watching had no significant effects on smoking. Conclusions Adolescents who read fashion, entertainment, and gossip magazines may be more likely to smoke, in part, because of a higher drive for thinness and greater receptivity to cigarette advertisements. Conversely, adolescents reading Health and Fitness magazines may be less likely to smoke. Drive for thinness and tobacco advertising receptivity are thus potential targets for adolescent smoking intervention.
Fracture resistance of a glass-fibre reinforced rubber-modified thermoplastic hybrid composite

Toughening mechanisms in a hybrid amorphous thermoplastic composite containing both distributed rubber particles and rigid glass fibres have been investigated. Tensile properties were measured for a range of materials with varying rubber particle and glass-fibre contents, and different rubber particle sizes. Fracture toughness was characterized by separating the overall fracture into its initiation and propagation components. Deformation and fracture modes at crack tips were optically characterizedin situ during loading. The results indicate that both initiation and propagation toughness are enhanced by rubber particle additions to the glass-fibre reinforced composite. Synergistic effects between glass fibres and rubber particles are identified: for example, glass fibres inhibit crazing at rubber particles, and rubber particles tend to promote crazing at fibre/matrix interfaces and also void initiation at fibre ends. Toughening mechanisms are discussed in the light of available models.
Ab initio study of the (COS)+2 complex

Abstract The ion-molecule complex (COS) + 2 is predicted to be bound by a 2c–3c bond between two sulfur atoms. The lowest energy structure has C 2 symmetry with a S---S distance of 2.866 A at the UHF/6–31G* level. The calculated binding energy at the [PMP4/ 6–31+G*] + ZPC level (19.9 kcal/mol) is in good agreement with a photoionization measurement (17.2 kcal/mol) and an estimate based on measured (COS + CO 2 and COS + N 2 O binding energies (19.5 kcal/mol). An alternative structure bound by an O---O interaction is 13.5 kcal/mol higher in energy due to an unfavorable 2c–4e destabilizing interaction.
Data Parallel Wave-Equation Datuming With Irregular Acquisition Topography

Seismic data gathered on land is distorted by irregular acquisition topography. Seismic imaging algorithms are generally applied to data which is redatumed to a planar surface. In regions of mild topography where the near surface velocity is much slower than the subsurface velocity, a static shift is adequate for this transformation. However, when the necessary shift increases in magnitude and when the near surface velocity is not much slower than the subsurface velocity, the static approximation becomes inadequate. Under these circumstances static shift distorts the wave field and degrades velocity analysis and imaging. In this case wave equation datuming is more appropriate than static shift.
Quantitative Determination of Several Metallic Elements in Whole Cysts of Heterodera Schachtii By Neutron Activation Analysis

Field collected cysts of Heterodera schachtii were analyzed for a variety of metals by neutron activation analysis. Significant differences are observed in the levels of zinc and vanadium found in cysts collected from fallow soil in the spring as compared with cysts collected immediately after harvest in the fall.
Subcellular concentrations of estrone, estradiol, androstenedione and 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17‐β‐OH‐SDH) activity in malignant and non‐malignant human breast tissues

Total and subcellular (cytosol and nuclear) concentrations of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and androstenedione were determined in non-malignant (n = 61) and malignant (n = 65) human breast tissues obtained from post-menopausal women. The 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta-OH-SDH) activity was determined in 800g supernatant fraction. Total estrogens, E1 and E2 levels and 17 beta-OH-SDH activity were significantly (p less than 0.005, 0.0005, 0.001, respectively) higher in malignant than in non-malignant breast tissues. We failed to observe significant changes in subcellular steroid concentrations or enzyme activity associated with patients' obesity or tumor estrogen receptor status. When the steroid levels were analyzed in relation to clinical staging of the disease, nuclear contents of estradiol were significantly higher (p less than 0.005) in Stage-IV patients than in those with less advanced disease (Stages I to III). 17 beta-OH-SDH activity was significantly (p less than 0.001) lower in patients with advanced disease than in those with relatively less advanced (Stages I to III) disease and was positively correlated with tissue concentration of androstenedione. Our present data indicate that differential intracellular metabolism of steroid hormones may have some influence on availability of estradiol at nuclear sites. In postmenopausal women, local interconversion of estrogens may provide sufficient estrogenic stimulus to enhance the growth and progression of breast tumors.
Effects of the Diet on Brain Neurotransmitters

The synthesis of neurotransmitters in mammalian brain responds rapidly to changes in precursor availability. Serotonin synthesis depends largely on the brain concentrations of l-tryptophan, its precursor amino acid. This relationship appears to be physiologic: when brain tryptophan levels vary because of insulin secretion or meal ingestion, corresponding alterations occur in the rate of serotonin formation. The ability of any food to modify brain tryptophan (and serotonin) depends on how its ingestion changes the serum concentrations of not only tryptophan, but also several other large neutral amino acids that compete with tryptophan for uptake into the brain. Such precursorinduced changes in brain serotonin appear to be functionally important: animals having a reduced level of brain serotonin (caused by the chronic ingestion of a naturally tryptophan-poor diet, such as corn) demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to painful stimuli; this pain sensitivity can be acutely restored to normal values by a single injection of L-tryptophan, which rapidly elevates brain serotonin. The synthesis of catecholamines (e.g., dopamine, norepinephrine) in the brain also varies with the availability of the precursor amino acid L-tyrosine. Single injectionsof this amino acid increase brain tyrosine levels and accelerate brain catechol synthesis, while injections of a competing neutral amino acid (e.g., leucine, tryptophan) reduce brain tyrosine and its rate of conversion to dopa. The rate of catecholamine synthesis, however, appears to be influenced less by precursor levels than is serotonin formation: tymsine hydroxylase, which catalyzes the ratelimiting step in catecholamine synthesis, responds strongly to end-product inhibition and to other controls that reflect variations in neuronal activity. The synthesis of acetylcholine in brain responds to substrate (choline) availability much like serotonin synthesis. Short-term alterations in brain choline levels are mirrored by similar changes in brain acetylcholine concentration. Variations in the daily dietary intake of choline also modify brain choline and acetylcholine. The relationship between choline availability and acetylchoiine synthesis has already found a clinical application: choline has been used successfully in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia, a disorder of the central nervous system thought to reflect a deficiency in cholinergic transmission. These relationships between precursor availability from the periphery and brain neurotransmitter synthesis may ultimately provide the brain with information about peripheral metabolic state.
Studies of Neutral Beam Power Loss in Stray Magnetic Fields

Reionization losses in neutral beams for magnetic confinement devices are significant and thus they are an important design consideration. This paper presents an overview of the analyses and data of the past ten years. Included is the traditional analysis, or Classical Effect, which considers the ion source and neutralizer as gas sources; the Culham Effect, which considers gas molecules knocked from walls as a significant additional gas source; and the PLT effect, which suggests wall outgassing is a significant additional gas source.
Conditional reasoning following contradictory evidence: A developmental analysis

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that young adults do not correctly understand the logical relationship of the conditional (if p the q ) as it applies to hypothesis testing, and most training procedures have not been productive. However, the introduction of contradictory evidence following faulty inferences has led to accurate inferences with conditional statements. Third and seventh grade and college studients (9, 13, and 21 years of age, respectively) were tested to assess developmental differences in improvement following contradiction training and to test whether improved performance transfers to other conditional reasoning tasks. Significant improvement in conditional reasoning was found for the young adult group following the introduction of contradictory evidence, and the positive effect of the treatment transferred across tasks. The third grade students showed no effects from the introduction of the contradiction, but the seventh graders were often confused by the introduction of the contradiction. Seventh grade and college student performances were generally worse than that of the third graders for the positive instances ( p · q ), but while the contradiction training improved college studients' performance it did not affect the seventh graders. The results are discussed in terms of changes in cognitive structures.
Indirect Functional Assessment of Stereotypy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Abstract Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by the presence of repetitive behavior and stereotyped patterns of interest and activities. It is common for clinicians to assume that repetitive behaviors are maintained by automatic reinforcement but, as with any challenging behavior, the function of stereotypy should not be assumed based on its topography. Previous research on the functional assessment of stereotypy has produced mixed results, and most previous studies on the functional assessment of stereotypy in children with ASD have included small sample sizes, so more research in this area is warranted. In the current study, indirect functional assessments consisting of the questions about behavioral function (QABF) were conducted across 53 children and adolescents with ASD. The QABF produced interpretable results in a high percentage of cases and 90% of the stereotypic behavior appeared to be maintained by automatic reinforcement.
A case-matched validation study of anatomic severity grade score in predicting reinterventions after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair

Background In 2002, the Society for Vascular Surgery created the anatomic severity grading (ASG) score to classify abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Our objective was to identify the predictive capability and cutoff value of preoperative ASG score for reintervention after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods We completed a retrospective review of AAA patients treated with elective EVAR from 2007 through 2011. Patients who had reinterventions as well as preoperative M2S (M2S Inc, West Lebanon, NH) three-dimensional reconstructions were identified and compared with a case-matched control group of patients without reintervention. ASG component scores (neck, aortic, and iliac) and total ASG scores were calculated using M2S software. Results Of the 623 patients treated with EVAR, 79 (13%) had reinterventions of which 45 had preoperative M2S three-dimensional reconstructions available for ASG score calculation. The reintervention group (mean age, 74 ± 8; 80% male) had a mean ASG score of 18 ± 5 (range, 8-30) compared with a cohort of 45 EVAR patients (mean age, 74 ± 7; 80% male) who had a mean ASG score of 13 ± 4 (range, 6-21; P After area under the receiver-operating curve analysis, an ASG score of 17 was highly predictive for reintervention (area = 0.8; sensitivity = 60%; specificity = 78%; positive predictive value = 73%; negative predictive value = 66%). An ASG score of 13 was highly predictive for freedom from reintervention (sensitivity = 93%; specificity = 47%; positive predictive value = 64%; negative predictive value = 88%). The lowest ASG score that yielded a 100% reintervention rate was 22. The majority of reinterventions fell into three categories: proximal extension cuff (n = 18; 40%), distal extension limb (n = 7; 16%), and type II endoleak embolization (n = 13; 29%). Those that received proximal extensions had significantly higher mean total ASG score (19 vs 15; P = .0005), mean neck score (3.28 vs 2.36; P = .047), and mean aorta score (7.39 vs 2.36; P = .004). Those that received distal extensions had a significantly higher mean iliac score (9.00 vs 6.86; P = .013), and those that required an embolization had a significantly higher mean aorta branch score (1.92 vs 1.19; P = .017). Conclusions Preoperative total ASG score strongly predicts reintervention after EVAR. Use of a cutoff ASG value predictive of prohibitive reintervention rates could help guide the decision between endovascular vs open AAA repair.
Translation and validation of Caregiving Satisfaction Scale into Korean.

The purpose of this study was to establish the equivalence and to examine the psychometric properties of a Korean translation of the Caregiving Satisfaction Scale (CSS). A convenience sample of 44 bilingual Koreans was selected. The Cronbach's alpha for the English and Korean versions were .87 and .90, respectively. There was significant mean difference between items 3 and 12 of the English items and their Korean translations. Pearson's Correlations demonstrated that 13 of the 15 CSS items had significant correlations (r = .35-.75, p < .05) between two versions. The correlation between total scores of both versions was .86 (p < .001). Overall, none of the items would be regarded as having unacceptable numeric properties. According to the fine process for translation, back-translation, and bilingual field test, the Korean version of the CSS appears to have concrete construct validity and reliability for use in measuring caregiver satisfaction in the Korean population.
Individualized gonadotropin regimens for follicular stimulation in macaques during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles

Follicular stimulation was compared in macaques receiving sequential gonadotropin treatment which was terminated after seven, eight, or nine days depending on the time required to attain preselected criteria of follicular maturation. Although estradiol levels and follicle sizes varied, the number of follicles and oocytes/animal, oocyte nuclear maturity, IVF rates and progesterone levels during the luteal phase were similar among groups. Reducing the duration of gonadotropin treatment to individualize follicular stimulation regimens does not compromise follicle or gamete quality.