cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerated junctional tachycardia at a rate of 190 beats/minute following cryosurgery and aneurysmectomy for ventricular tachycardia: a case report.

In this case study we report a 59-year-old man who underwent combined aneurysectomy, endocardial resection, and cryosurgery for recurrent ventricular tachycardia. Following surgery he developed an accelerated junclional tachycardia with rates up to 190/min arising near the area of cryoablation which involved the junctional region. Using intracavitary recording and stimulation this tachycardia was shown to arise from ihe junctional area and had characteristics suggesting accelerated automaticity. During the electrophysiological study the focus of the tachycardia was temporarily obtunded by catheter trauma. After reappearance of the arrhythmia, successful suppression was achieved using diphenylhydantoin. (PACE, Vol. 5, May-June, 1982)
Personality and the Association of Pain and Depression

Objectives The objectives of this study were to test the hypotheses that pain is associated with depression independent of personality and that neuroticism moderates this association. Method Multiple regression analyses were conducted in a group of 404 older primary care patients assessed with validated measures. Results Bodily pain was independently associated with depression. Neuroticism moderated the associations between pain and both depressive symptom severity and major depression, albeit not independent of overall medical burden; the relationships were stronger in subjects with lower neuroticism scores. Conclusions The association of bodily pain with depression may be greater in those previously at lower risk on account of low neuroticism.
AN AUTORADIOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE ROOT EPIDERMIS OF THE SWITCH GRASS (PANICUM VIRGATUM)

A B S T R A C T Analyses of 3H-uridine, 3H-thymidine, and 3H-lysine incorporation in the root epidermis of Panicum virgatum were undertaken. Highly significant differences between the mean incorporation of 3H-uridine and 3H-lysine in epidermal and adjacent cortical cells were observed. While the cortex exhibited a steady decrease of precursor incorporation with distance from the apex, the epidermal cells exhibited differential incorporation. These results were regarded as further evidence for the hypothesis that cells of two maturation potentials exist in the epidermis of this panicoid grass. Treatment with 20.0 ,ug/ml of actinomycin D resulted in a differential inhibition in the epidermal-cortical incorporation of 3H-uridine. The possibility of endopolyploidy in the epidermis was suggested by the observation that root hairs, hair initials, and some epidermal cells incorporated two to four times more 3H-thymidine than meristematic cells. Neither puromycin nor actinomycin D treatment affected the proteinpositive particles present in the cytoplasm of epidermal cells in this grass. Similarly, RNase did not affect their structural integrity. Attempts to clarify the significance of these inclusions and their possible role, if any, in the differentiation of the epidermis are now in progress. IT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED that in the grass root epidermis two contrasting cellular patterns may be found. The epidermis of festucoid grasses, which includes such genera as Poa, Agrostis, and Phleum, is characterized by long and short cells (trichoblasts) alternating within a row (Sinnott, 1939). This pattern results from an asymmetric mitosis that occurs in the basal region of the meristem (Sinnott and Bloch, 1939; Brumfeld, 1942; Goodwin and Avers, 1956). Unlike festucoid grasses, the epidermal cells of panicoid grasses (e.g., Panicum, Chloris, Sporobolus) have
Tandem stacking structure for polymer solar cells by using semi-transparent electrodes

To increase the absorption of sunlight in polymer solar cells a large active layer thickness is desired. This, however, is limited by the short charge carrier diffusion lengths in the active organic materials. Efficient light harvesting can be achieved in organic solar cells by using a tandem structure. However, fabricating a tandem structure for polymer solar cells presents its own difficulties. Since the polymer film is solution processed, spin-coating multiple layers in tandem can result in significant damage to the underlying layers. This problem can be overcome by fabricating separate PV cells and stacking them in tandem. Here, we report a multiple-device stacked structure where two polymer photovoltaic cells are stacked together with the help of a multi-layer semi-transparent electrode, made of lithium fluoride (LiF) / aluminum (Al) / gold (Au) metal layers. The semi-transparent electrode is used as the top contact in the bottom cell to efficiently transmit the unabsorbed photons to the upper cell. Maximum transparency of up to 80% is achieved for the semitransparent cathode. In the stacked structure, the open circuit voltage and the short circuit current are twice those of a single cell. As a result, power conversion efficiency of up to 2.6% is achieved, which is double than that of a single cell.
Empirical methods for controlling false positives and estimating confidence in ChIP-Seq peaks.

High throughput signature sequencing holds many promises, one of which is the ready identification of in vivo transcription factor binding sites, histone modifications, changes in chromatin structure and patterns of DNA methylation across entire genomes. In these experiments, chromatin immunoprecipitation is used to enrich for particular DNA sequences of interest and signature sequencing is used to map the regions to the genome (ChIP-Seq). Elucidation of these sites of DNA-protein binding/modification are proving instrumental in reconstructing networks of gene regulation and chromatin remodelling that direct development, response to cellular perturbation, and neoplastic transformation. Here we present a package of algorithms and software that makes use of control input data to reduce false positives and estimate confidence in ChIP-Seq peaks. Several different methods were compared using two simulated spike-in datasets. Use of control input data and a normalized difference score were found to more than double the recovery of ChIP-Seq peaks at a 5% false discovery rate (FDR). Moreover, both a binomial p-value/q-value and an empirical FDR were found to predict the true FDR within 2–3 fold and are more reliable estimators of confidence than a global Poisson p-value. These methods were then used to reanalyze Johnson et al.'s neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF) ChIP-Seq data without relying on extensive qPCR validated NRSF sites and the presence of NRSF binding motifs for setting thresholds. The methods developed and tested here show considerable promise for reducing false positives and estimating confidence in ChIP-Seq data without any prior knowledge of the chIP target. They are part of a larger open source package freely available from http://useq.sourceforge.net/ .
Grain Growth of ZnO during Bi2O3 Liquid-Phase Sintering

Grain growth of ZnO during the liquid-phase sintering of binary ZnO–Bi2O3 ceramics has been studied for Bi2O3 contents from 3 to 12 wt% and sintering from 900° to 1400°C. The results are considered in combination with previously published studies of ZnO grain growth in the ZnO–Bi2O3 system. For the Bi2O3 contents of the present study, the rate of ZnO grain growth is found to decrease with increasing Bi2O3. Activation analysis, when combined with the results of similar analyses of the previous studies, reveals a change in the rate-controlling mechanism for ZnO grain growth. Following a low-Bi2O3-content region of nearly constant activation energy values of about 150 kJ/mol, further Bi2O3 additions cause an increase of the activation energy to about 270 kJ/mol. consistent with accepted models of liquid-phase sintering, it is concluded that the rate-controlling mechanism of ZnO grain growth during liquid-phase sintering in the presence of Bi2O3 changes from one of a phase-boundary reaction at low Bi2O3 levels to one of diffusion through the liquid phase at about the 5 to 6 wt% Bi2O3 level and above.
Granulocytic Sarcoma (Chloroma) of the Breast in an Adolescent Patient: Ultrasonographic Findings

Granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma), often associated with myeloblastic leukemia, is an uncommon malignant tumor that rarely involves the breast.1–3 The few reported cases in adults were diagnosed by mammography and fine needle aspiration biopsy. Breast masses in adolescents are rarely malignant, but when imaging is indicated, ultrasonography is the modality of choice.4 We describe the sonographic findings of granulocytic sarcoma involving the breast in an adolescent patient.
Design and Performance of a Scalable, Parallel Statistics Toolkit

Most statistical software packages implement a broad range of techniques but do so in an ad hoc fashion, leaving users who do not have a broad knowledge of statistics at a disadvantage since they may not understand all the implications of a given analysis or how to test the validity of results. These packages are also largely serial in nature, or target multicore architectures instead of distributed-memory systems, or provide only a small number of statistics in parallel. This paper surveys a collection of parallel implementations of statistics algorithm developed as part of a common framework over the last 3 years. The framework strategically groups modeling techniques with associated verification and validation techniques to make the underlying assumptions of the statistics more clear. Furthermore it employs a design pattern specifically targeted for distributed-memory parallelism, where architectural advances in large-scale high-performance computing have been focused. Moment-based statistics (which include descriptive, correlative, and multicorrelative statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), and k-means statistics) scale nearly linearly with the data set size and number of processes. Entropy-based statistics (which include order and contingency statistics) do not scale well when the data in question is continuous or quasi-diffuse but do scale well when the data is discrete and compact. We confirm and extend our earlier results by now establishing near-optimal scalability with up to 10,000 processes.
Contrasting effects on plasma lipoproteins of intravenous versus oral administration of a triglyceride-phospholipid emulsion.

. The effect of fat on plasma lipoproteins was compared when administered by the oral and intravenous routes to healthy control subjects on a low fat diet for 5–6 weeks. During this time each subject underwent two 5 day periods of fat supplementation with a soya bean triglyceride-egg yolk phospholipid emulsion (Intralipid), once via intragastric tube, once intravenously. Changes in plasma lipoproteins were assessed by measurement of their lipid and protein content. Intragastric fat administration significantly decreased the level of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), whereas intravenous fat administration caused a significant rise in low density lipoprotein (LDL). Morphological evidence of persistence of exogenous phospholipid in plasma following intravenous fat administration was confirmed by alterations in the fatty acid composition of lecithin in the d 1. 006–1. 063 fraction of plasma. In vitro studies showed that ex change readily occurred between Intralipid and LDL lecithin, causing the latter to assume a more saturated pattern. It is concluded that the occurrence of similar changes in vivo could explain the rise in low density lipoprotein following intravenous fat, possibly by influencing the catabolic rate of the apoprotein. Hydrolysis of ingested phospholipids during absorption presumably explains why none of these changes occurred after oral fat supplementation, and would seem to be an important regulatory function of the small intestine in relation to plasma lipoprotein metabolism.
Improving continuous positive airway pressure adherence among adults

Study objectives: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard of treatment for patients diagnosed with significant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It has been estimated that approximately 30%-50% of patients diagnosed with OSA reject CPAP immediately and 80% of patients prescribed CPAP are noncompliant within a year after starting CPAP therapy. Nonadherence with CPAP greatly reduces the overall effectiveness of treatment of OSA, leaving these patients at an increased risk for comorbid conditions, impaired daily functioning and decreased quality of life. The purpose of this study was to improve CPAP adherence by implementing an intervention that consisted of an education program and increased patient support options as well as increased provider education. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study design. CPAP adherence rates on 660 patients at an academic sleep center in New York City were collected, 326 patients at baseline and 334 post-intervention. Interventions, included provider education on OSA and CPAP adherence; an improved and actively supported, individualized, patient education program; and additional individual and group patient support options were available for patients. Results: Increased provider education, individualized intense patient education and patient support options increased CPAP adherence by 21%. Increase in adherence between baseline and post-intervention group was statistically significant ( p = .005). Conclusions: A targeted program of increased patient education and intensive patient support was effective at increasing CPAP adherence. The use of similar approaches may improve CPAP adherence in other centers. It is crucial to improve CPAP adherence among patients diagnosed with significant OSA in order to improve outcomes.
Noninvasive thermometry assisted by a dual-function ultrasound transducer for mild hyperthermia

Mild hyperthermia is increasingly important for the activation of temperature-sensitive drug delivery vehicles. Noninvasive ultrasound thermometry based on a 2-D speckle tracking algorithm was examined in this study. Here, a commercial ultrasound scanner, a customized co-linear array transducer, and a controlling PC system were used to generate mild hyperthermia. Because the co-linear array transducer is capable of both therapy and imaging at widely separated frequencies, RF image frames were acquired during therapeutic insonation and then exported for off-line analysis. For in vivo studies in a mouse model, before temperature estimation, motion correction was applied between a reference RF frame and subsequent RF frames. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were examined; in the in vitro and in vivo studies, the average temperature error had a standard deviation of 0.7°C and 0.8°C, respectively. The application of motion correction improved the accuracy of temperature estimation, where the error range was -1.9 to 4.5°C without correction compared with -1.1 to 1.0°C following correction. This study demonstrates the feasibility of combining therapy and monitoring using a commercial system. In the future, real-time temperature estimation will be incorporated into this system.
Outgassing Measurements Combined with Vacuum Ultraviolet Illumination of the Deposited Materials

The “photofixing” of organic molecules to external spacecraft surfaces, by vacuum ultraviolet radiation, has been a long standing concern for the aerospace community. Increased rates of molecular deposition have been observed, quantitatively using quartz crystal microbalances, during several ground based simulations in which vacuum ultraviolet radiation illuminated the deposition surface. However, a common chemical process in which vacuum ultraviolet radiation is used to degrade or photolysis organic molecules suggests that “photofixing” is not a universal occurrence and that some molecules may be broken down into smaller and possibly more volatile molecules. Temperature-controlled quartz crystal microbalance measurements, quantifying the loss of deposited organic materials during vacuum ultraviolet radiation illumination of the deposition surface, suggest that some aerospace materials contribute less to spacecraft surface contamination than common outgassing measurement techniques would imply.
Overview of occupational immunologic lung disease.

Occupational factors are important in an ever-increasing number of respiratory diseases.’ These include obstructive airways diseases such as asthma, a wide array of interstitial fibrotic and granulomatous diseases, and certain malignant diseases of the lung. It is becoming increasingly apparent that immunologic mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of many of these diseases.’ For example, IgE-mediated reactions are often prominently involved in the pathogenisis of many forms of occupational asthma and both immune complex-mediated and delayed cellmediated reactions have been shown to be important in the production of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Considerably less is known about involvement of such mechanisms in chronic bronchitis or pulmonary fibrosis induced by various inorganic occupational agents. In addition to occupational exposure to gases, vapors, and organic and inorganic dusts, environmental factors such as atmospheric pollution with cigarette smoke and other organic or inorganic particles also often contribute to the development of pulmonary disease in the workplace environment. The enormous increase in the use of simple chemicals and organic compounds since World War II continues to foster
Experimental assessment of scalar mixing models for large-eddy simulation

LES models for subgrid scalar flux, dissipation, and variance are tested ap rioriusing experimental data of a turbulent crossflowing jet. The models tested include: for the subgrid scalar flux, eddy diffusivity, scale similarity, mixed, and dynamic structure models; for
Solving cryptogenic histories using host and parasite molecular genetics: the resolution of Littorina littorea's North American origin

Even after decades of investigation using multiple sources of evidence, the natural histories of some species remain unclear (i.e. cryptogenic). A key example is Littorina littorea, the most abundant intertidal snail in northeastern North America. Native to Europe, the snail's ecological history in North America has been debated for over 100 years with no definitive resolution. To resolve its cryptogenic status, we used molecular genetics from a novel combination of the snail and a highly associated trematode parasite, Cryptocotyle lingua. Based on mitochondrial sequences of 370 L. littorea and 196 C. lingua individuals, our results demonstrate a significant reduction in genetic diversity in North America vs. Europe, North American haplotypes nested within European haplotypes, and mean divergence estimates of approxiamtely 500 years ago from Europe for both host and parasite--thus supporting a recent introduction of both host and parasite to North America from Europe. Our study therefore resolves not only a specific cryptogenic history, but it also demonstrates the success of our approach generally and could be used in resolving difficult invasion histories worldwide.
A self-reconfigurable manipulator system with dextrous bracing structure

The authors present a dextrous bracing structure of a dual-arm system as a means of implementing a self-reconfigurable manipulator system. The dextrous bracing structure allows a dual-arm system to relocate the bracing point between two arms, select the type of contact as the bracing point, and lock or release the joints of individual arms. The self-reconfigurable dual-arm system is now capable of reconfiguring its topology through serial, parallel and bracing structures, supporting general types of contact, rigid or sliding, as well as locking or releasing some of its joints as needed. The focus is on an analysis of the effects of the dextrous bracing on the performance of a dual-arm system in terms of dual-arm manipulabilities and resistivities. The analysis shows that a self-reconfigurable dual-arm system with a dextrous bracing structure gives continuously varying performance characteristics ranging from serial to parallel structures. >
Gender and Racial Disparities in Driving Cessation Among Older Adults

OBJECTIVES: To longitudinally examine gender and racial disparities in driving cessation among older adults. METHODS: Data came from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) Study (N = 1,789). Logistic generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to identify predictors of driving cessation; stratified analysis and interaction terms were used to determine whether factors differed by gender and race. RESULTS: Two hundred and five (11.5%) participants stopped driving over the study period. Education was associated with increased risk of cessation for men (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.10 to 1.78), but decreased risk for women (AOR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.82-0.98). Being married was associated with lower risk of cessation for men (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.06-0.56) but was unrelated to cessation for women (AOR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.56-1.80). Results were consistent with the hypothesis that racial disparities in cessation widen with increasing age. DISCUSSION: Factors predictive of driving cessation vary by gender. Racial disparities in cessation are wider at older ages. Transportation policies and programs should account for social determinants and aim to address social disparities in driving mobility among older adults. Language: en
Unpassivated high power deeply recessed GaN HEMTs with fluorine-plasma surface treatment

In this letter, unpassivated high power deeply recessed GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are reported. The introduction of a thick graded AlGaN cap layer and a novel fluorine-plasma surface treatment reduced the gate-leakage current and increased breakdown voltage significantly, enabling the application of much higher drain biases. Due to excellent dispersion suppression achieved at an epitaxial level, an output power density of more than 17 W/mm with an associated power added efficiency (PAE) of 50% was measured at 4 GHz and V/sub DS/=80 V without SiN/sub x/ passivation. These results demonstrate the great potential of this novel epitaxial approach for passivation-free GaN-based HEMTs for high-power applications.
Managing multi-configuration hardware via dynamic working set analysis

Microprocessors are designed to provide good average performance over a variety of workloads. This can lead to inefficiencies both in power and performance for individual programs and during individual phases within the same program. Microarchitectures with multi-configuration units (e.g. caches, predictors, instruction windows) are able to adapt dynamically to program behavior and enable/disable resources as needed. A key element of existing configuration algorithms is adjusting to program phase changes. This is typically done by "tuning" when a phase change is detected --- i.e. sequencing through a series of trial configurations and selecting the best.Algorithms that dynamically collect and analyze program working set information are studied. To make this practical, we propose working set signatures --- highly compressed working set representations (e.g. 32-128 bytes total). Algorithms use working set signatures to 1) detect working set changes and trigger re-tuning; 2) identify, recurring working sets and re-install saved optimal reconfigurations, thus avoiding the time-consuming tuning process; 3) estimate working set sizes to configure caches directly to the proper size, also avoiding the tuning process. Multi-configuration instruction caches are used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithms. When applied to reconfigurable instruction caches, an algorithm that identifies recurring phases achieves power savings and performance similar to the best algorithm reported to date, but with orders-of-magnitude savings in the number of re-tunings.
Impact on circuit performance of deterministic within-die variation in nanoscale semiconductor manufacturing

As semiconductor technology advances into the nanoscale era and more functional blocks are added into systems-on-chip, the interface between circuit design and manufacturing is becoming blurred. An increasing number of features, traditionally ignored by designers, are influencing both circuit performance and yield. As a result, design tools need to incorporate new factors. One important source of circuit-performance degradation comes from deterministic within-die variation from lithography imperfections and Cu-interconnect chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). To determine how these within-die variations impact circuit performance, we need a new analysis tool. Thus, we have proposed a methodology to involve layout-dependent within-die variations in static timing analysis. Our methodology combines a set of scripts and commercial tools to analyze a full chip. The tool has been applied to analyze delay of ISCAS85 benchmark circuits in the presence of imperfect lithography and CMP variation
Using THz time-scale infrared spectroscopy to examine the role of collective, thermal fluctuations in the formation of myoglobin allosteric communication pathways and ligand specificity

In this investigation we use THz time-scale spectroscopy to conduct an initial set of studies on myoglobin with the aim of providing further insight into the global, collective thermal fluctuations in the protein that have been hypothesized to play a prominent role in the dynamic formation of transient ligand channels as well as in shaping the molecular level basis for ligand discrimination. Using the two ligands O2 and CO, we have determined that the perturbation from the heme–ligand complex has a strong influence on the characteristics of the myoglobin collective dynamics that are excited upon binding. Further, the differences detected in the collective protein motions in Mb–O2 compared with those in Mb–CO appear to be intimately tied with the pathways of long-range allosteric communication in the protein, which ultimately determine the trajectories selected by the respective ligands on the path to and from the heme-binding cavity.
Dependency, Difference and the Global Ethic of Longterm Care

P do not spring up from the soil like mushrooms. People produce people. People need to be cared for and nurtured throughout their lives by other people, at some times more urgently and more completely than at other times. Who is available to do the labor of care and who gets the care they require is contingent on political and social organization. Similarly, norms surrounding both the giving and receiving of care, while dictated in part by the nature of human need, is also conditioned by cultural and ethical understandings and by economic and political circumstances. The distribution of care therefore is a question of justice and the interactions between carer, cared for, and the larger community an appropriate matter of ethical inquiry. Demographic alterations due to birth and mortality rates, migration, and employment opportunities (and expectations) can have a profound impact on the availability and quality of care, and on the distributive questions of who does the caring and who gets care. Furthermore these demographic shifts affect the provision of care on a global level, when those who can pay for care buy the services of careworkers in other parts of the world. Care and dependency, particularly in the form of dependency care have been, are, or are likely to be features of all our lives. By “care,” in the context of this article, I mean the support and assistance one individual requires of another where the one in need of care is “inevitably dependent” that is, dependent because they are too young, too ill or impaired, or too frail, to manage daily The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 13, Number 4, 2005, pp. 443–469
Coupling of flagellar gene expression to flagellar assembly in Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and Escherichia coli.

How do organisms assess the degree of completion of a large structure, especially an extracellular structure such as a flagellum? Bacteria can do this. Mutants that lack key components needed early in assembly fail to express proteins that would normally be added at later assembly stages. In some cases, the regulatory circuitry is able to sense completion of structures beyond the cell surface, such as completion of the external hook structure. In Salmonella and Escherichia coli, regulation occurs at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. One transcriptional regulatory mechanism involves a regulatory protein, FlgM, that escapes from the cell (and thus can no longer act) through a complete flagellum and is held inside when the structure has not reached a later stage of completion. FlgM prevents late flagellar gene transcription by binding the flagellum-specific transcription factor ς28. FlgM is itself regulated in response to the assembly of an incomplete flagellum known as the hook-basal body intermediate structure. Upon completion of the hook-basal body structure, FlgM is exported through this structure out of the cell. Inhibition of ς28-dependent transcription is relieved, and genes required for the later assembly stages are expressed, allowing completion of the flagellar organelle. Distinct posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms occur in response to assembly of the flagellar type III secretion apparatus and of ring structures in the peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide layers. The entire flagellar regulatory pathway is regulated in response to environmental cues. Cell cycle control and flagellar development are codependent. We discuss how all these levels of regulation ensure efficient assembly of the flagellum in response to environmental stimuli.
Advances in the Analysis of Toxic Heavy Elements Having Variable Chemical Forms

Recent advances in the development of analytical techniques that permit the chemical speclatlon of various forms of selected heavy elements is discussed. In particular, the various chemical forms of arsenic, mercury, and lead are described with reference to their quantitative assessment in various media. The methods employed in this fashion include gas-liquid chromatography, the various types of atomic absorption spectrometry, absorption spectrophotometry, end miscellaneous methods. Where possible, comments are Included regarding the media studied, lower detection limits, accuracy, and precision data.
Adiponectin resistance exacerbates insulin resistance in insulin receptor transgenic/knockout mice.

OBJECTIVE— Adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity and contributes to insulin9s indirect effects on hepatic glucose production. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— To examine adiponectin9s contribution to insulin action, we analyzed adiponectin levels and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in insulin receptor transgenic/knockout mice (L1), a genetic model of resistance to insulin9s indirect effects on hepatic glucose production. RESULTS— In euglycemic, insulin-resistant L1 mice, we detected hyperadiponectinemia with normal levels of adiponectin receptor-1 and -2. Moreover, adiponectin administration is unable to lower glucose levels or induce activation of AMPK, consistent with a state of adiponectin resistance. In a subset of hyperglycemic L1 mice, we observed decreased mRNA expression of AdipoR2 in liver and muscle, as well as decreased peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)α target gene expression in liver, raising the possibility that deterioration of adiponectin/AdipoR2 signaling via PPARα activation contributes to the progression from compensated insulin resistance to diabetes. In contrast, we failed to detect changes in other markers of the systemic or local inflammatory response. CONCLUSIONS— These data provide evidence for a mechanism of adiponectin resistance and corroborate the notion that adiponectin potentiates hepatic insulin sensitivity.
The structure of solutions near a sonic line in gas dynamics via the pressure gradient equation

Abstract A key issue in gas dynamics in two space dimensions is the regularity of solutions near a sonic curve. We build a large class of regular solutions with given boundary conditions on the sonic line. The modeling equation is the pressure gradient equation, which is the same as Euler system when the parameters of the gas are pushed to certain extreme. We use a novel set of coordinates, involving both the space–time and state variables, to split regular terms from singular terms in the analysis.
Transplantation of fetal dopamine neurons in primate brain reverses MPTP induced parkinsonism.

Publisher Summary Parkinsonian signs were produced in the African Green monkeys by the administration of the toxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The transplantation of fetal neurons from the substantia nigra into two monkeys with severe symptoms of hypokinesia, postural and resting tremor, the episodes of movement freezing, and difficulty in initiating movements resulted in a reversal of these symptoms. The functional degree of recovery corresponded with the immunohistochemical observation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons in the host caudate nucleus and putamen in these two animals. Dopamine metabolite levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were also elevated in these monkeys. A third monkey with parkinsonian signs received nigral tissue into a control site, the cingulate cortex. This animal failed to show recovery from the toxin-induced parkinsonism. Both early and late gestational tissue survived and showed growth of neurites, which suggested a wide developmental window in the primate brain. The combination of morphological evidence of survival and growth, the elevated neurochemical indices, and the reversal of behavioral motor impairment following the transplantation of fetal neurons into monkeys with parkinsonian signs may provide therapeutic insights into the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Protein Hormones and Gestation

The frequency of mammalian fetal loss caused by a deficiency of endocrine hormones is not known. This ignorance is attributable to a lack of knowledge concerning the number of hormones required for maintenance of gestation at various stages, and the specific biologic roles of such hormones. It is hoped that a brief review of our knowledge about certain protein gonadotrophic hormones associated with human pregnancy may induce those present at this conference to search for such hormones in the mammals with which they are most familiar. Methods of bioassay, immunologic assay and protein separation have been used in studying two human gestational gonadotrophins: human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and human placental lactogen (HPL). It seems appropriate, therefore, to describe and criticize in some detail the techniques used in studying these two hormones.
Relationships between an invasive shrub Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii, Caprifoliaceae) and environmental factors on recruitment of sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum, Aceraceae) in southwestern Ohio1,2

Invasion of deciduous forests by woody shrubs such as Lonicera maackii is known to negatively impact the abundance and richness of native herbs, but effects on recruitment of seedlings and saplings of native trees, such as Acer saccharum, are less well known. Ultimately, these impacts could alter the species composition of forest trees. Our study was designed to evaluate the impact of L. maackii and environmental factors on recruitment of A. saccharum seedlings and on the transition of seedlings to saplings and saplings to mature trees. We selected four study sites in southwestern Ohio where we censused L. maackii and A. saccharum seedlings, saplings, and trees in 16 plots (eight with and eight without L. maackii) at each site. We measured L. maackii abundance and maximum diameter of the primary stem (an indication of shrub size), edaphic factors (soil density, pH, soil percentage of nitrogen [%N], soil percentage of carbon [%C]), topographic factors (elevation, slope, aspect), biotic factors (overall tree abundance), and human influences (proximity to roadways). Using a generalized linear mixed model with model comparison techniques, we found that in plots with larger L. maackii, seedling recruitment was lower, the transition from seedlings to saplings was greater, and the transition from saplings to trees was unaffected. Seedling recruitment increased with increasing soil %C, but decreased with increasing soil %N. Slope was positively associated with a greater transition from seedlings to saplings, and soil density and soil %C negatively affected the transition to trees. The transition to trees was higher with greater tree abundance, and the transition to saplings and trees was greater away from roadways. Overall, these results indicate that environmental factors have positive and negative impacts on recruitment of A. saccharum, and large L. maackii have both a negative and positive relationship to recruitment. Further studies will be necessary to uncover the mechanisms involved in the negative and positive relationships of L. maackii to recruitment of A. saccharum.
Design and Operation of a Cryogenic Nitrogen Pulsating Heat Pipe

We report the design, experimental setup and successful test results using an innovative passive cooling system called a "Pulsating Heat Pipe" (PHP) operating at temperatures ranging from 77 K to 80 K and using nitrogen as the working fluid. PHPs, which transfer heat by two phase flow mechanisms through a closed loop tubing have the advantage that no electrical pumps are needed to drive the fluid flow. In addition, PHPs have an advantage over copper straps and thermal conductors since they are lighter in weight, exhibit lower temperature gradients and have higher heat transfer rates. PHPs consist of an evaporator section, thermally anchored to a solid, where heat is received at the saturation temperature where the liquid portion of the two-phase flow evaporates, and a condenser where heat is rejected at the saturation temperature where the vapor is condensed. The condenser section in our experiment has been thermally interfaced to a CT cryocooler from SunPower that has a cooling capacity of 10 W at 77 K. Alternating regions of liquid slugs and small vapor plugs fill the capillary tubing, with the vapor regions contracting in the condenser section and expanding in the evaporator section due to an electric heater that will generate heat loads up to 10 W. This volumetric expansion and contraction provides the oscillatory flow of the fluid throughout the capillary tubing thereby transferring heat from one end to the other. The thermal performance and temperature characteristics of the PHP will be correlated as a function of average condenser temperature, PHP fill liquid ratio, and evaporator heat load. The experimental data show that the heat transfer between the evaporator and condenser sections can produce an effective thermal conductivity up to 35000 W/m-K at a 3.5 W heat load.
Assessing the Informed Consent Skills of Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians.

Background Informed consent (IC) is an essential component of shared medical decision-making between patients and providers in emergency medicine (EM). The basic components required for adequate consent are well described, yet little is published investigating whether EM residents demonstrate adequate IC skills. Objective To assess the ability of EM residents to obtain IC for an invasive emergency procedure using a novel assessment tool, and to assess reliability and validity of the tool. Methods This was an observational study in which participants were initially blinded to the primary objectives of the study. Each participant conducted a video-recorded history and physical examination with a standardized patient (SP), requiring tube thoracostomy due to spontaneous pneumothorax. Two faculty EM physicians independently reviewed the videos and evaluated the participants’ IC skills. First, they gave an overall impression of whether IC was obtained; they then evaluated the participants using a 30-point scoring tool based on the five elements of IC (decision-making capacity, disclosure, voluntariness, understanding, and physician recommendation). Upon all participants’ case completion, we revealed the primary objectives and gave participants the option to withdraw from the study. Descriptive statistics and Kappa coefficient were generated from the data collected. Results Twenty-two residents completed the study. None withdrew from the study after the primary objectives were revealed. Twenty residents (91%) obtained adequate IC based on both reviewers’ overall impression. One disagreement occurred between reviewers (κ=0.64). The mean IC score on a 30-point scale was 18.5 +/- 0.5. Conclusions In a simulated setting, most EM residents at this training program possess the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain IC prior to an invasive procedure. The assessment tool appears reliable and demonstrates construct validity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Shaping effects on toroidal magnetohydrodynamic modes in the presence of plasma and wall resistivity

This study explores the effects of plasma shaping on magnetohydrodynamic mode stability and rotational stabilization in a tokamak, including both plasma and wall resistivity. Depending upon the plasma shape, safety factor, and distance from the wall, the β-limit for rotational stabilization is given by either the resistive-plasma ideal-wall (tearing mode) limit or the ideal-plasma resistive-wall (resistive wall mode) limit. In order to explore this broad parameter space, a sharp-boundary model is developed with a realistic geometry, resonant tearing surfaces, and a resistive wall. The β-limit achievable in the presence of stabilization by rigid plasma rotation, or by an equivalent feedback control with imaginary normal-field gain, is shown to peak at specific values of elongation and triangularity. It is shown that the optimal shaping with rotation typically coincides with transitions between tearing-dominated and wall-dominated mode behavior.
Unexpected heart block in the delivery room: the utility of ECG monitoring

A woman, who had not received adequate prenatal care, arrived in labour at 38 weeks’ gestation and rapidly delivered a 3 kg baby boy via repeat caesarean section. At the time of arrival, the head was engaged in the pelvis, and a vaginal hand was used during the delivery. Fetal heart rate patterns were unknown prior to delivery, due to scant fetal monitoring. She reported a history of depression and tobacco use during pregnancy. Soon after birth, at about 3 minutes, the advanced neonatal resuscitation team was called. The infant was floppy and without heart beats detectable by pulse oximetry, despite initial standard neonatal resuscitation efforts. He was receiving …
Balanced octave-tunable absorptive bandstop filter

This paper presents, for the first time, a balanced octave-tunable absorptive bandstop filter. The balanced (differential) operation is realized by coupling two transmission lines with an opposite polarity to each of two high-Q tunable Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) cavity resonators. The filter is based on the 90o hybrid-coupler absorptive bandstop filter topology enabling high levels of rejection over a wide tuning range. Both simulated and measured results are shown. The total size of the proposed filter is 0.39λ g × 0.36λ g (λ g at 1.57 GHz), and it is tunable from 1.57–3.18 GHz with 102% tuning range. Over the full range, the measured 10-dB fractional bandwidth ranges from 1–2.4%, and the attenuation level is better than 47 dB.
Conclusion. Animal Testimony

This final chapter focuses on one of the lesser known but most poignant of Levi’s short stories, “Cena in piedi” [Buffet Dinner], in which he presents his own experience through the perspective of a kangaroo named Innaminka. By interpreting this story, this conclusive chapter gathers all of the themes as they have been explored in the previous sections and draws conclusive remarks about Levi’s literary animals, their ethical and aesthetical functions within his body of work, and their importance for Animal Studies.
Lower Socioeconomic Status Is Associated with Groin Wound Complications after Revascularization for Peripheral Artery Disease

Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) after lower extremity revascularization are a common cause of increased morbidity in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Understanding the multifaceted risk factors for SSIs may suggest closer monitoring for certain patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk factors associated with incidence of SSIs, including patient demographics, operative factors, and socioeconomic status. Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was queried for all patients who underwent any femoral exposure for the purposes of treating PAD from 2014 to 2017 at a single, academic, public hospital. Patient demographics, procedural data, and a variety of socioeconomic parameters were collected from chart review. Zip code geocoding was also used to obtain surrogates for local socioeconomic factors. The primary outcome measure was SSI within 90 days of operation. Results A total of 136 patients were identified, of which 19 (14%) developed an SSI. The only demographic variable associated with an increased risk of infection was body mass index (24.8 vs 30.1, P Conclusions Socioeconomic factors, including poorer household income, are strongly associated with an increased risk of postoperative SSIs after lower extremity revascularization. Modifiable variables, such as preoperative optimization and procedural conduct, also display an effect on the development of an SSI. As a result, health care providers should maintain a high index of suspicion for the development of SSI in patients with lower socioeconomic status.
Direct Reactor Auxiliary Cooling System

Historically, the idea of implementing a loop known as Direct Reactor Auxiliary System (DRACS) as a passive heat removal system in a nuclear power plant for safety purpose is nothing new. The DRAC system originally was derived from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), and then it was improved in later fast reactor designs such as Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project (CRBRP) by Westinghouse around 1970s time frame on their Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) and then later on was manufacture for French reactor known as Phoenix-II, which went into operation in France during 1978 time frame. The DRACS has been proposed for Advanced High-Temperature Reactor (AHTR) as the passive decay heat removal system. The DRACS features three coupled natural circulation/convection loops relying completely on buoyancy as the driving force. In the DRACS, two heat exchangers, namely, the DRACS Heat Exchanger (DHX) and the Natural Draft Heat Exchanger (NDHX), are used to couple these natural circulation/convection loops. In addition, a fluidic diode is employed to restrict parasitic. In addition, a fluidic diode is employed to restrict parasitic flow during normal operation of the reactor and to activate the DRACS in accidents.