cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isn't Your Staff Trained To Manage My Mother?

Sylviaisthenursingadministratorofalong-termcarefacility. Ms. A, an 84-year-old resident with dementia, has developed severe paranoid delusions, has threatened other residents, andisaggressivewithcaretothepointthatstafffearfortheir safety. The facility’s physician performs a thorough assessment, including for potential medical contributors to her behavior (e.g., pain), and concludes that an atypical antipsychotic is warranted. The next day, Sylvia receives a call from Ms. A’s anxious daughter, who has been scouring the Internet for information about antipsychotics in dementia. “They’re not supposed to be that helpful,” she says, “And the doctor said there’s a warning about almost doubling the risk
Remote displacement analysis using multimode fiber-optic bundles

An improved method for holographically recording displacement through fiber optics is presented. The object is illuminated by focusing the exit end of a multimode fiber bundle on the test surface. The real image of the object is transmitted through a second coherent bundle to a photographic plate where it is recorded using a reference wave front. The resulting image-plane hologram is reconstructed in white light. Experimental results agree well with theory and demonstrate the potential of measuring displacement on surfaces far removed from the basic holographic setup; or, in remote areas of a structure where optical access is limited.
Layout design method supporting form three-dimensional composition

In order to cope with the issue of shaping the form outline in initial conceptual design phase,the process of form design is described as a top-down layout process from the view product modeling.Based on three-dimensional composition principle in industrial design,a meth for constructing a 3D draft model is proposed,which uses form unit as basic element and divides form design into two phases:outline design and detail design.Finally,its feasibility is verified through a case of refrigerator.
Dynamic monitoring of disinfection and sterilization efficacy in large general hospitals

OBJECTIVE To understand the disinfection and sterilization work quality in two large general hospitals in Guangdong Province and to find out the problems existing in the course of control nosocomial infection.METHODS Every month in 2008~2009,field selective examination and bacteriological examination method were used to carry out about the efficacy of disinfection and sterilization in priority departments in hospital.RESULTS In the 987 samples from two large general hospitals in two years,the qualification rate was 62.9%.The qualified rate of surgical hand,hygiene hand and endoscopy were 94.5%,61.2% and 87.1%,respectively.The qualified rates of water from dental handpieces and dental unit waterlines were 33.8% and 45.4%,the qualified rate of sewage in hospital was 42.9%.CONCLUSION Hospital need enhance the survillance and disinfection of dental unit waterline,add more device of hand hygiene and enhance the hand hygiene education for hospital staffs.
Treatment of locoregional esophageal cancer

Since the mid 1970s combined-modality treatment has been investigated for locoregional cancer of the esophagus. Single-institution pilot studies of preoperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy have shown that 40% to 60% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma achieve a partial response, while an occasional patient has a pathologically documented complete response (CR). Two randomized trials involving small numbers of patients have not confirmed the survival benefit for preoperative chemotherapy that some pilot studies suggested. A large, multicenter intergroup trial is in progress, comparing preoperative and postoperative cisplatin/5-fluorouracil chemotherapy with immediate surgery, and includes both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma histologies. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy programs have used survival and pathologic CR as end points. Single-institution and multicenter pilot studies have consistently reported pathologic CR in 25% to 30% of patients. Median survivals have varied from 12 to 29 months. The results from multicenter pilot trials are at the lower end of this range, with more encouraging results coming from single institutions. One randomized trial in progress compares a 3-week intensive cisplatin/vinblastine/5-fluorouracil and concurrent radiotherapy regimen followed by surgery with immediate surgery. No completed comparative trials have been published. Chemoradiotherapy without surgery is a more recent approach stimulated both by the poor survival rates with primary surgery and by its associated morbidity and mortality. The results of the intergroup randomized trial of concurrent cisplatin 5-fluorouracil/radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone have demonstrated a role for chemotherapy. Median survival and 12- and 24-month survival improved significantly with the combined-modality treatment. This treatment program is now recommended for patients with locoregional disease who are not candidates for surgery. The optimal management of patients with esophageal cancer is still unknown. Accurate methods to stage patients clinically and to identify prognostic factors are needed. The randomized trials in progress evaluating preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy and preoperative chemoradiotherapy are essential to move forward with improved treatment strategies.
Self-regulatory dimensions of academic learning and motivation.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the self-regulatory dimensions of academic learning and motivation. Educators have grown increasingly skeptical about explanations of learning and motivation that emphasize limitations of learners' abilities and social environmental backgrounds and have turned their attention to students' strategic efforts to manage their own achievement through specific beliefs and processes. Most current efforts to define the “self-regulation of academic learning” have adopted multidimensional criteria, which stress personal metacognitive, motivational, behavioral, and environmental processes used to enhance academic achievement. This chapter describes the self regulation of achievers and underachievers, dimensions of academic self regulation, and research on self-regulatory beliefs and processes in detail. The strategic qualities of self-regulated learners enable investigators to explain educational findings that conflict with fixed views of human functioning, such as exemplary achievement by minority students from disadvantaged backgrounds attending inner city schools as well as underachievement of youngsters from more fortunate backgrounds. The research on self-regulatory beliefs and processes may be divided into four sections such as, self-motivational techniques, self-regulatory methods and time management, self-regulation of performance, and regulating one's own physical and social environment. Students' use of learning strategies and self-monitoring of academic progress can strengthen their self-efficacy beliefs and intrinsic motivation.
Anemia after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation: characteristics and implications.

BackgroundAnemia is common in patients with heart failure and is associated with adverse outcomes. Management of anemia in CF-LVAD patients is not well studied. Our purpose is to characterize and i...
Survey of Research Issues In LEO/MEO Based Global Mobile Communication Systems

On May 5, 1997 a Delta II rocket carried the first Iridium satellites into orbit, by mid-November 1997 thirty-nine satellites were in orbit. It is expected that during 1998, Iridium will become fully operational and available for public use. LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellite based communication systems will provide, in the coming decade, widespread wireless communication services from any place to any place on Earth. Among their cited advantages is the fact that they transcend the boundaries imposed by local, state and regional governing bodies. LEO/MEO have the potential of providing instant communication services to regions lacking of telecommunication infrastructure. They support wireless communication from and to areas not covered by cellular or geostationary phone systems. They make it economically viable to provide mobile communication services to areas with low population density, or to areas with low demand for wireless communications. LEO/MEO based communication systems will offer and support a wide range of services including: voice based communications, paging services, one and two way messaging, data communications, video and multimedia services, broadcasting, positioning, monitoring and data collection, narrowband and wideband broadcasting and communication services.
Robots and Political Economy

Fears of artificial intelligence-induced apocalypse and Terminator conundrums reveal an enduring puzzle concerning the prospects for human prosperity and security in an automated global political economy. This puzzle reflects human fear of the unknown and the unpredictability of technological change. Each contribution herein, constitutes brief interventions intended to provoke reflection, deliberation, and investigation into the practical implications to human affairs presented by the advent of autonomous robots, artificial intelligence, and, more generally, automated and autonomous information technologies. Our objective is to emphasize that understanding how human affairs will affect and be effected by such technologies must include, in addition to theory, an analysis of how automated and autonomous information technologies may alter practices of human affairs.
Patellar Instability Management: A Survey of the International Patellofemoral Study Group.

Background:Although patellofemoral instability is among the most prevalent knee disorders, the management of patients with this condition is complex and remains variable, given the lack of long-ter...
Electroluminescence analysis for spatial characterization of parasitic optical losses in silicon heterojunction solar cells

Electroluminescence (EL) coupled with reflection measurements are used to spatially quantify optical losses in silicon heterojunction solar cells due to plasmonic absorption in the metal back contacts. The effect of indium tin oxide back reflector in decreasing this plasmonic absorption is found to increase the reflection from the back nickel (Ni)-aluminum (Al) and Al metals by ∼12% and ∼41%, respectively, in both bifacial and front junction silicon solar cells. Losses due to back reflection are calculated by comparison between the EL emission signals in high and low back reflection samples and are shown to be in agreement with standard reflection measurements. We conclude that the optical properties of the back contact can significantly influence the EL intensity which complicates the interpretation of EL as being primarily due to recombination especially when comparing two different devices with spatially varying back surface structures.
H76α Emission from the Sgr A 15 km s-1 Cloud

We report VLA observations of H76α emission from the H II region in M-0.13-0.08, the Sgr A “15 km s-1 cloud.” The line to continuum flux ratio implies an electron temperature T e ~ 7500 K, slightly lower than measurements of T e in Sgr B2. The deduced number of early stars and the infrared luminosity are consistent with a normal IMF in this cloud.
Spinal seizures in ammonia intoxication.

Ammonia intoxication is well known to produce seizures (1). These seizures may be cortical or spinal in origin (1,2,3,4,5). Because ammonia predominantly increases the excitability of the spinal cord (1,2), most seizures are probably spinal in origin. The pathophysiology of cortical and spinal seizures induced by ammonia intoxication is not well understood. In addition, it has not been investigated when these spinal seizures occur during the course of ammonia intoxication. This study attempts to elucidate these little understood issues.
On the Subject of Negative Auxiliary Inversion

This article presents a novel analysis of Negative Auxiliary Inversion (NAI) constructions such as didn't many people eat, in which a negated auxiliary appears in pre-subject position. NAI, found in varieties including Appalachian, African American, and West Texas English, has a word order identical to a yes/no question, but is pronounced and interpreted as a declarative. We propose that NAI subjects are negative DPs, and that the negation raises from the subject DP to adjoin to Fin (a functional head in the left periphery). Three properties of NAI motivate this analysis: (i) scope freezing effects, (ii) the various possible and impossible NAI subject types, and (iii) the incompatibility of NAI constructions with true Double-Negation interpretations. Implications for theories of Negative Concord, Negative Polarity Items, and the representation of negation are discussed.
Phenotypic and genome-wide association with the local environment of Arabidopsis.

The environment imposes critical selective forces on all living organisms, and the sessile nature of plants makes them particularly useful for investigating the relationship between genetic variation and environmental adaptation. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, extensive information on phenotypic and genotypic variation is available, but comparable information on environmental variation within the native range of the species is lacking. Here, we compile 204 geoclimatic variables to describe the local environments of Arabidopsis accessions with known collection sites encompassing a wide geo-environmental range, and fully sequenced genomes from the 1001 Genomes Project. We identify candidate adaptive genetic variation associated with these environmental variables, and validate this approach through comparison with previous experimental studies, and by targeted confirmation of a role of the heterotrimeric G-protein γ subunit, AGG3, in cold tolerance, as newly predicted from our environmental genome wide association study (GWAS). To facilitate identification of adaptive variation, we created Arabidopsis CLIMtools: interactive web-based databases of the environment × genome associations and correlations between the local environments and 131 phenotypes compiled from previous experimental GWASs. Our study presents an extensive analysis of the local environments, landscape genomics and phenotypic variation of Arabidopsis, and illustrates how ‘in silico GWAS’ approaches can inform and complement experimental phenomics studies. Detailed information is already available on the genotypic and phenotypic variation of Arabidopsis. Here, extensive georeferenced environmental data from natural populations are compiled to identify adaptive variation.
Alkali-Stabilized Pt-OHx Species Catalyze Low-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Reactions.

A dramatic enhancement of the catalytic activity of Pt-Al2O3 and Pt-SiO2 for the low-temperature (about 100 °C) water-gas shift reaction occurs by addition of Na+ or K+ ions.
Uncertainty propagation in simulation predictions of generalized Newtonian fluid flows

Abstract We elucidate how uncertainties from rheological measurements manifest in a Generalized Newtonian Fluid (GNF) flow prediction. As specific examples, the resistance and velocity of a settling sphere under gravity in Carbopol and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution was predicted using a Herschel–Bulkley and a Carreau model. Uncertainties in model predictions are quantified, accounting for parametric uncertainties in geometry and rheological models. While the prediction for a settling sphere in PVP falls within the quantified uncertainty bounds, the self-consistent predictions for Carbopol do not. This quantifies the inadequacy of a GNF model for Carbopol in this configuration. Generalizing these results, a validation procedure is presented as a framework for including model-parameter uncertainties in model predictions and identifying model-form error. This information provides quantitative assessments to inform decisions.
Multi-stage Pretraining for Abstractive Summarization.

Neural models for abstractive summarization tend to achieve the best performance in the presence of highly specialized, summarization specific modeling add-ons such as pointer-generator, coverage-modeling, and inferencetime heuristics. We show here that pretraining can complement such modeling advancements to yield improved results in both short-form and long-form abstractive summarization using two key concepts: full-network initialization and multi-stage pretraining. Our method allows the model to transitively benefit from multiple pretraining tasks, from generic language tasks to a specialized summarization task to an even more specialized one such as bullet-based summarization. Using this approach, we demonstrate improvements of 1.05 ROUGE-L points on the Gigaword benchmark and 1.78 ROUGE-L points on the CNN/DailyMail benchmark, compared to a randomly-initialized baseline.
Transplantation of insulin-like growth factor-1 laden scaffolds combined with exercise promotes neuroregeneration and angiogenesis in a preclinical muscle injury model

The regeneration of skeletal muscle can be permanently impaired by traumatic injuries, despite the high regenerative capacity of native muscle. An attractive therapeutic approach for treating severe muscle inuries is the implantation of off-the-shelf engineered biomimetic scaffolds into the site of tissue damage to enhance muscle regeneration. Anisotropic nanofibrillar scaffolds provide spatial patterning cues to create organized myofibers, and growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are potent inducers of both muscle regeneration as well as angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to test the therapeutic efficacy of anisotropic IGF-1-releasing collagen scaffolds combined with voluntary exercise for the treatment of acute volumetric muscle loss, with a focus on histomorphological effects. To enhance the angiogenic and regenerative potential of injured murine skeletal muscle, IGF-1-laden nanofibrillar scaffolds with aligned topography were fabricated using a shear-mediated extrusion approach, followed by growth factor adsorption. Individual scaffolds released a cumulative total of 1244 ng ± 153 ng of IGF-1 over the course of 21 days in vitro. To test the bioactivity of IGF-1-releasing scaffolds, the myotube formation capacity of murine myoblasts was quantified. On IGF-1-releasing scaffolds seeded with myoblasts, the resulting myotubes formed were 1.5-fold longer in length and contained 2-fold greater nuclei per myotube, when compared to scaffolds without IGF-1. When implanted into the ablated murine tibialis anterior muscle, the IGF-1-laden scaffolds, in conjunction with voluntary wheel running, significantly increased the density of perfused microvessels by greater than 3-fold, in comparison to treatment with scaffolds without IGF-1. Enhanced myogenesis was also observed in animals treated with the IGF-1-laden scaffolds combined with exercise, compared to control scaffolds transplanted into mice that did not receive exercise. Furthermore, the abundance of mature neuromuscular junctions was greater by approximately 2-fold in muscles treated with IGF-1-laden scaffolds, when paired with exercise, in comparison to the same treatment without exercise. These findings demonstrate that voluntary exercise improves the regenerative effect of growth factor-laden scaffolds by augmenting neurovascular regeneration, and have important translational implications in the design of off-the-shelf therapeutics for the treatment of traumatic muscle injury.
Evaluation of Abbott anti-SARS-CoV-2 CMIA IgG and Euroimmun ELISA IgG/IgA assays in a clinical lab.

Abstract Background We report our findings of test performance especially specificity of a fully automated Abbott Architect anti-SARS-CoV-2 CMIA IgG and Euroimmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA IgA/IgG in human plasma. Methods We used positive cohort of 97 samples from Covid-19 patients or healthcare workers, collected at late time points from symptom onsets. We also included another cohort of 215 samples as negative controls, 78 of which had positive serology test results of other infectious diseases or autoimmunity. Assay specificity was assessed by using a total of 847 anonymized samples which were collected before the Covid-19 pandemic from local patient populations seeking clinical care for rheumatoid diseases, thyroid cancer, and therapeutic drug monitoring. Results Abbott IgG, Euroimmun IgG/IgA had high precision, demonstrated by both intra- and inter-day CVs of Conclusions Our evaluation confirmed high specificity of the Abbott IgG assay, while it was lower for Euroimmun IgG. Euroimmun IgA has suboptimal specificity which may limit its clinical use. Assay sensitivity was high for both Abbott and Euroimmun IgG assays.
Teamwork in the Time of COVID-19.

Strong and effective clinical teamwork has been shown to improve medical outcomes and reduce medical errors1. Incorporating didactic and clinical activities into undergraduate medical education in which students work in teams will develop skills to prepare them to work in clinical teams as they advance through their education and careers. At the Yale School of Medicine, we foster the development of team skills in the classroom through team-based learning (TBL) and in clinical settings with the Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience (ILCE). Both TBL and ILCE require students work in close physical proximity. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to immediately adapt our in-person activities to an online format and then develop clinical and interprofessional experiences that adhere to social distancing guidelines. Here we describe our approaches to solving these problems and the experiences of our students and faculty.
Exploring ethno-racial policy for the Garinagu in Central America: making the case for Black Indigeneity:

Across the Central American region, several groups received political autonomy by the end of the 20th century. By granting autonomy to these groups, countries like Nicaragua acknowledged certain po...
Treatment Outcomes of Primary Transscleral Cyclophotocoagulation

Purpose To report treatment outcomes of primary transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) in glaucomatous eyes. Design Retrospective noncomparative study. Participants Forty-eight eyes with a diagnosis of glaucoma and no previous incisional ocular surgery. Methods Continuous-wave TSCPC was applied to the ciliary body. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was surgical success defined as an IOP ≤ 21 mmHg and reduced by 20% or more from baseline, IOP > 5 mmHg, no reoperation for glaucoma, and no loss of light perception vision. Secondary outcome measures included visual acuity (VA) and complications. Results Glaucoma eyes were stratified into 2 groups: (1) those with pretreatment IOP >21 mmHg (high group) and (2) those with pretreatment IOP ≤ 21 mmHg (low group). Mean ± standard deviation (SD) IOP at baseline was 30.6 ± 6.3 mmHg in the high group and 16.2 ± 2.8 mmHg in the low group. Mean ± SD number of glaucoma medications at baseline was 4.1 ± 0.8 in the high group and 3.6 ± 1.1 in the low group. Based on our success criteria, the cumulative probability of success during the first year of follow-up was 58.3% in the high group and 28.1% in the low group (P = 0.052). Postoperative mean IOP was significantly lower than baseline IOP in the high group at 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 18-month postoperative visits (P Conclusions Continuous-wave TSCPC was effective in lowering IOP in glaucoma patients without prior incisional ocular surgery whose disease was recalcitrant to medical therapy, particularly those with baseline IOP of more than 21 mmHg.
WE-EF-BRD-04: MR in the OR: The Growth and Applications of MRI for Interventional Radiology and Surgery

MRI-guided treatment is a growing area of medicine, particularly in radiotherapy and surgery. The exquisite soft tissue anatomic contrast offered by MRI, along with functional imaging, makes the use of MRI during therapeutic procedures very attractive. Challenging the utility of MRI in the therapy room are many issues including the physics of MRI and the impact on the environment and therapeutic instruments, the impact of the room and instruments on the MRI; safety, space, design and cost. In this session, the applications and challenges of MRI-guided treatment will be described. The session format is: 1. Past, present and future: MRI-guided radiotherapy from 2005 to 2025: Jan Lagendijk 2. Battling Maxwell’s equations: Physics challenges and solutions for hybrid MRI systems: Paul Keall 3. I want it now!: Advances in MRI acquisition, reconstruction and the use of priors to enable fast anatomic and physiologic imaging to inform guidance and adaptation decisions: Yanle Hu 4. MR in the OR: The growth and applications of MRI for interventional radiology and surgery: Rebecca Fahrig Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the history and trajectory of MRI-guided radiotherapy 2. To understand the challenges of integrating MR imaging systems with linear accelerators 3. To understand the latest in fast MRI methods to enable the visualisation of anatomy and physiology on radiotherapy treatment timescales 4. To understand the growing role and challenges of MRI for image-guided surgical procedures My disclosures are publicly available and updated at: http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/radiation-physics/about-us/disclosures.php
Is It Realistic to Expect a Preservice Teacher to Create an Inquiry-based Classroom?

(1999). Is It Realistic to Expect a Preservice Teacher to Create an Inquiry-based Classroom? Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 175-194.
A method to remove GO taper and cross-polarization errors from compact range scattering measurements

A method to minimize the taper and cross-polarization errors caused by the offset, focus-fed reflector system in a compact range facility is presented. The method is based on the knowledge of the locations of the various scattering centers of the target under test. These locations can be obtained using image processing. Results are presented and discussed. >
A quantitative characterization of control flow context: software measures for programming environments

Abstract : A review of published measures of control flow complexity in programs reveals three major deficiencies: loss of information, lack of specificity, and lack of analytical support. A new approach is used to characterize the control structure of a program, with the aim of defining properties and measures of control flow that can be of immediate use to programmers, regardless of their utility as complexity measures. Mathematical rigor and analytical evaluation techniques are used to define a set of properties of control structure and a corresponding vector of measures. Instead of defining the properties and measures for an entire flowgraph, they are defined at the node level, reflecting the control flow surrounding each node in a flowgraph. The properties and their measures reflect the following characteristics of control flow: nesting, iteration, structuredness, and predecessors. Algorithms for computing the properties and their measures are presented. An assessment of the computational complexity of the algorithms shows that they are feasible programming environment tools. A finite path set, representing all possible execution sequences, is evaluated as a characterizing property. Desired characteristics of the path set are defined and used to evaluate four published path subset criteria. Those criteria are shown to be deficient, so a fifth criterion is defined. However, the path set satisfying this fifth criterion is shown to be too large to be of practical use to a programmer. (Author)
Analysis of the Total Scattering Using the Quantitative High Pressure Pair Distribution Function: Case Studies

X-ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis have been used to investigate the structural changes in nano-crystalline mackinawite (FeS), with three distinct particle sizes, at high pressure. Nano-crystalline mackinawite undergoes an irreversible first-order phase transition at about 3 GPa from tetragonal mackinawite to orthorhombic FeS-II. The transition mechanism and the grain size effect on the transition pressure and the compressibility have been determined.
Technology-mediated TBLT – researching technology and tasks, edited by Marta González-Lloret and coedited by Lourdes Ortega

Responding to the growing body of research promoting technology integration in language teaching (e.g., Blake 2013), Marta Gonzalez-Lloret and Lourdes Ortega's edited volume, Technology-Mediated TB...
Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Method Using a Full Field Digital Mammography System

We report on the design of a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method applied to Hologic Selenia digital mammography systems. The aim of the project is to quantify breast composition without thickness assumptions. The method is intended to be applied to standard mammography views as well as ex vivo breast samples. We established the calibration and accuracy using novel calibration phantoms. In this paper, we present our method and preliminary results using an excised whole breast sample. Results showed an average accuracy on the measurements to be less than 3% in the determination of the percent density of the breast phantoms. The chemical analysis of the excised breast and the DXA results agreed within 2%.
Supporting the Internet as a Platform for International Trade: Opportunities for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Developing Countries

This paper is about the potential of the Internet as a platform for international trade, with a focus on the opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and developing countries. The Internet has evolved since the 1990's from an online storefront into a means for businesses to reach consumers globally and as a business input that can increase the productivity and ability of businesses to compete. Additionally, these commercial opportunities are no longer limited to Internet companies but are available for business in all sectors of the economy. There are however, a range of restrictions that prevent the realization of the potential of the Internet to grow international trade. These include limits on Internet access, particularly in developing countries. Restrictions on cross-border data flows and market access restrictions on trade in goods and services are also important. Different consumer protection laws across jurisdiction and limited access to dispute settlement for online transaction create risk in using the Internet to engage in international trade. This paper analyzes these restrictions and proposes how international trade law and policy and respond.
Neutrino Mass: Mechanisms and Models

In these lectures (at the 2007 Summer School in Akyaka, Mugla, Turkey), I discuss the various mechanisms for obtaining small Majorana neutrino masses, as well as specific models of varying complexity, in the context of the standard model and beyond.
Global Environmental Threats: why they are hard to see and how a medical model may contribute to their understanding.

Our Oxford University Press book, ‘Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity’, which was published in 2008, described examples of how our health and lives are affected when we damage the living world (1). I am increasingly alarmed at the current accelerated pace and magnitude of our damaging the global environment, and how little policy-makers and the public seem to recognize this. I am particularly concerned that it is so difficult for most people to grasp what is happening to our small planet, what is happening by our own hands.
Chronic treatment with dopamine receptor antagonists: behavioral and pharmacologic effects on D1 and D2 dopamine receptors

Rats were treated for 21 d with the selective D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390, the selective D2 dopamine receptor antagonist spiperone, the nonselective dopamine receptor antagonist cis- flupentixol, or a combination of SCH23390 and spiperone. In addition, a group of rats received L-prolyl-L-leucyl-glycinamide (PLG) for 5 d after the 21 d chronic spiperone treatment. Chronic treatment with SCH23390 resulted in a significant increase in D1 dopamine receptor density with no change in the D2 dopamine receptor density. Conversely, spiperone treatment resulted in a significant increase in D2 dopamine receptors and no change in D1 dopamine receptor density. PLG treatment had no effect. SCH23390 plus spiperone treatment resulted in a significant increase in both D1 and D2 dopamine receptor densities. However, although in vitro cis-flupentixol has an equal affinity for D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, only the D2 dopamine receptor density increased after chronic treatment with cis-flupentixol. In vivo treatment with the protein-modifying reagent N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy- 1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ), which irreversibly inactivates D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, was used to investigate the paradoxical, selective D2 dopamine receptor up-regulation induced by cis-flupentixol treatment. In vivo treatment with cis-flupentixol before EEDQ administration prevented the D1 and D2 dopamine receptor reductions induced by EEDQ. However, cis-flupentixol protected, in a dose- dependent manner, a greater percentage of D2 dopamine receptors than of D1 dopamine receptors from EEDQ-induced modification. These data indicate that, in vivo, cis-flupentixol preferentially interacts with D2 dopamine receptors and could explain why only D2 dopamine receptors were up-regulated following chronic treatment with cis-flupentixol. Rats were tested for their cataleptic response to the administered drug over the course of the chronic drug treatment. Catalepsy scores of rats receiving spiperone decreased over the course of treatment, with a significant reduction in catalepsy occurring by treatment day 5. The profound catalepsy observed in rats receiving SCH23390 did not change over the 21 d of treatment. Rats receiving cis-flupentixol demonstrated tolerance to its cataleptogenic effects, with a significant reduction in catalepsy observed by treatment day 7. During the 3 week treatment, the time between drug injection and a full cataleptic response to cis- flupentixol increased from 20 to 60 min, suggesting a tolerance to the D2, but not D1, dopamine receptor antagonism by cis- flupentixol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Antigen-Driven Murine CD4+ T Lymphocyte Proliferation and Interleukin-2 Production Are Diminished by Dietary (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

This study is the first to describe the impact of consuming a diet rich in (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from fish oil on antigen-driven activation of naive CD4+ T lymphocytes. To accomplish this, we used lymphocytes isolated from T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice (i.e., DO11.10). A large portion of the T lymphocytes from these mice expresses a TCR specific for a peptide within the ovalbumin (OVA) molecule (OVA(323-339)). When this antigen is presented in the context of major histocompatibility complex I-A(d) with costimulation, these naive CD4+ T cells become activated, produce interleukin (IL)-2 and clonally expand. (n-3) PUFA enrichment was accomplished by feeding DO11.10 mice one of two nutritionally complete experimental diets that differed only in the source of fat: lard or menhaden fish oil [high in (n-3) PUFA]. After 2 wk of consuming the experimental diets, lymphocytes were isolated from the spleen of each mouse, then cultured in the presence of antigen (i.e., OVA(323-339)) or concanavalin A (Con A), a nonspecific, polyclonal T cell stimulus. IL-2 production and lymphocyte proliferation were determined after 48 and 72 h, respectively. Naive CD4+ T lymphocytes from fish oil-fed mice stimulated with antigen produced less IL-2 ( approximately 33%; P < 0.001) and proliferated to a lesser extent ( approximately 50%; P < 0.0001) than the same cells from lard-fed DO11.10 mice. When stimulated with Con A, (n-3) PUFA did not affect either proliferation or IL-2 production. In summary, we report for the first time that feeding mice a diet enriched with (n-3) PUFA reduces in vitro antigen-stimulated production of IL-2 and subsequent proliferation of naive CD4+ T lymphocytes.
System Identification of a Nonlinear Mode for the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

A study is presented to identify a nonlinear bending mode for a 60-m space structure. This study was done in support of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and postflight height reconstruction efforts. For this purpose, one linear model and three nonlinear models of the structural mode were considered and evaluated. The best model was determined based on in-flight data collected during the mission and was implemented as part of the final ground software that was used for reconstructing relative radar antenna motion for the SRTM interferometer payload. High accuracy estimates of the relative states were essential for supporting the motion compensation algorithm used in the radar interferometry processor for calculating the desired topographic maps. The improvement resulting fromidentifying nonlinear modal behavior contributed to meeting mission performance requirements.
The Variation of Viscosity With Temperature and Pressure for Various Real Lubricants

To date, nearly all analyses of lubricant traction behavior in the Hertzian zone of concentrated contact have been performed with viscosity correlations which understate the effect of pressure and temperature at high pressures. We present viscometer measurements of lubricant viscosity for pressures to 1.4 GPa and temperatures to 165°C for various lubricants including automotive transmission fluids, aerospace lubricants, a turbine oil, and a metal working oil. Parameters of a free-volume correlation are provided for use in numerical modeling of traction, film thickness, and roughness interactions in concentrated contact.
Progressive reduction in protein synthesis during involution and aging of the mouse thymus.

Abstract Total proteolytic activity and protein synthesis were measured in cell-free extracts of the thymus during its involution in 1–30-week-old C57B1/6J mice, and in 10-, 12-, 14-, and 24-month-old adult mice of the same strain. The mean specific activity of the proteolytic enzymes exhibited no significant change during involution or throughout the mean life-span of the animals. In contrast, the rate of protein synthesis decreased rapidly during involution, and continued to decrease at a slower rate during aging of the mice.
Mutations in a shuttle vector exposed to activated mitomycin C.

The cytotoxicity of the potent antibiotic and antitumor agent mitomycin C (MMC) is due to its irreversible binding to DNA. Alkylating species generated by bioreductive activation of MMC are known to cause monoadducts and cross-links in DNA by specifically binding to guanine residues. To gain insight into how these lesions lead to base- and sequence-specific mutations, shuttle vector pSP189 was treated with MMC chemically reduced by treatment with sodium borohydride, replicated in human Ad293 cells, rescued in bacteria, and analyzed for mutations in the supF tRNA gene sequence. The MMC-induced mutations were predominantly base substitutions. Eighty-four percent of the base substitutions were transversions, with G:C←T:A the major transversion. Single base deletions were the other major mutational event, and 77% of these were G:C deletions. Base positions 115, 123, and 163 were mutational hot spots based on the frequency of independent mutations. Identification of a single MMC adduct (presumed to be a modified G on the basis of its Rf value) and clustering of MMC-induced mutations at three GC-rich areas (nt 100–123, 152–163, and 168–176) suggested that the mutational spectrum we found was due to binding of MMC to guanine on either strand of the plasmid DNA. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Large Negative Stress Phase Angle (SPA) Attenuates Nitric Oxide Production in Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells

Hemodynamics plays an important role in cardiovascular physiology and pathology. Pulsatile flow (Q), pressure (P), and diameter (D) waveforms exert wall shear stress (WSS), normal stress, and circumferential strain (CS) on blood vessels. Most in vitro studies to date have focused on either WSS or CS but not their interaction. Recently, we have shown that concomitant WSS and CS affect EC biochemical response modulated by the temporal phase angle between WSS and CS (stress phase angle, SPA). Large negative SPA has been shown to occur in regions of the circulation where atherosclerosis and intimal hyperplasia are prevalent. Here, we report that nitric oxide (NO) biochemical secretion was significantly decreased in response to a large negative SPA of -180 deg with respect to an SPA of 0 degrees in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) at 5 h. A new hemodynamic simulator for the study of the physiologic SPA was used to provide the hemodynamic conditions of pro-atherogenic (SPA = -180 deg) and normopathic (SPA = 0 deg) states. The role of complex hemodynamics in vascular remodeling, homeostasis, and pathogenesis can be advanced by further assessment of the hypothesis that a large negative SPA is pro-atherogenic.
Reinterpreting the best biomarker of oxidative stress: The 8-iso-PGF2α/PGF2α ratio distinguishes chemical from enzymatic lipid peroxidation

The biomarker 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) is regarded as the gold standard for detection of excessive chemical lipid peroxidation in humans. However, biosynthesis of 8-iso-PGF2α via enzymatic lipid peroxidation by prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthases (PGHSs), which are significantly induced in inflammation, could lead to incorrect biomarker interpretation. To resolve the ambiguity with this biomarker, the ratio of 8-iso-PGF2α to prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) is established as a quantitative measure to distinguish enzymatic from chemical lipid peroxidation in vitro, in animal models, and in humans. Using this method, we find that chemical lipid peroxidation contributes only 3% to the total 8-iso-PGF2α in the plasma of rats. In contrast, the 8-iso-PGF2α levels in plasma of human males are generated >99% by chemical lipid peroxidation. This establishes the potential for an alternate pathway of biomarker synthesis, and draws into question the source of increases in 8-iso-PGF2α seen in many human diseases. In conclusion, increases in 8-iso-PGF2α do not necessarily reflect increases in oxidative stress; therefore, past studies using 8-iso-PGF2α as a marker of oxidative stress may have been misinterpreted. The 8-iso-PGF2α/PGF2α ratio can be used to distinguish biomarker synthesis pathways and thus confirm the potential change in oxidative stress in the myriad of disease and chemical exposures known to induce 8-iso-PGF2α.
Some Health Literacy Aspects of a Photovoice Project

The Tulsa Photovoice project, arising from a week-long immersive experience for students at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine in Tulsa, Oklahoma, introduced medical students and others to a community-based, participatory research project. The project yielded nearly 500 photographs that documented community and relevant health issues and other survey and interview data. A preliminary examination of the data from the project reveals some aspects relating to the research participants' health literacy and provides important insights into the communication skills of the health providers involved.
Graphs as aids to knowledge construction: Signaling techniques for guiding the process of graph comprehension.

Graphical displays are frequently used to express quantitative information in texts, but viewers are sometimes unable to comprehend and learn the relevant information. According to a cognitive analysis, graph interpretation involves (a) relatively simple pattern perception and association processes in which viewers can associate graphic patterns to quantitative referents and (b) more complex and error-prone inferential processes in which viewers must mentally transform data. Experiment 1 establishes that graphs can be redesigned to improve viewers' interpretations by minimizing the inferential processes and maximizing the pattern association processes required to interpret relevant information. In Experiments 2 and 3, the researchers isolated one important factor that affects viewers' interpretation (i.e., the perceptual organization of the information in graphs). If relevant quantitative information is perceptually grouped to form visual chunks (because relevant data points are either connected in line graphs or close together in bar graphs), then viewers describe relevant trends. If relevant information is not perceptually grouped, viewers are less likely to comprehend relevant trends.
Impact of Calcium Intake and Intestinal Calcium Absorption on Kidney Stones in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

Purpose: Intestinal calcium absorption is thought to have a critical role in nephrolithiasis. However, to our knowledge no study has directly assessed this association. Therefore, we explored the relationship among intestinal fractional calcium absorption, calcium intake and nephrolithiasis.Materials and Methods: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures is a prospective cohort of 9,704 postmenopausal women recruited from population based listings in 1986 and followed for more than 20 years. Secondary analyses were performed of 7,982 women who reported their history of nephrolithiasis, of which 5,452 (68%) underwent an oral radioactive calcium assay (45Ca). The impact of dietary and supplemental calcium on intestinal fractional calcium absorption was evaluated, and factors independently associated with nephrolithiasis were determined.Results: Fractional calcium absorption decreased with increased calcium intake, with no difference between dietary and supplemental calcium. Fractional calcium absorption was highe...
Cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and carmustine: pharmacokinetics of carmustine following multiple alkylating-agent interactions

Cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and carmustine (CPA/cDDP/BCNU) constitute a combination alkylating-agent regimen commonly used with autologous marrow support. Its therapeutic effectiveness is accompanied by sporadic life-threatening and fatal toxicities, the most common of which is acute lung injury. We have previously shown that variation in the BCNU AUC can be correlated to the risk of pulmonary injury in patients receiving CPA/cDDP/BCNU. In an attempt to understand further the role of interpatient variation in drug pharmacokinetics (PK) with respect to pharmacodynamic outcomes, we evaluated the effect of pretreatment with CPA, cDDP, or both on BCNU PK in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The drug-administration pattern was designed to mimic that of the CPA/cDDP/BCNU regimen in patients. Each pretreatment increased both the absolute value of and the variation in BCNU AUC relative to the control values. These findings are consistent with an important rate-limiting elimination pathway for BCNU in rats and may explain the wide interpatient variability of BCNU AUC and the sporadic pulmonary toxicity seen in patients receiving CPA/cDDP/BCNU.
Studies on desalination by reverse osmosis

The structure of cellulose acetate membranes used for desalination in the process of reverse osmosis has been examined. By means of a technique involving aqueous solutions of the stain Biebrich Scarlet, the membranes are shown to consist of two regions, one of which acts as a mechanical support for the much thinner desalinating layer. The phenomenon of asymmetric permeation across these membranes has been studied and shown to be a consequence of the two-layer structure of the membrane.