cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium Channel Blockers

KEY POINTS AND PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: • Calcium channel blockers, which dilate arteries by reducing calcium flux into cells, effectively lower blood pressure, especially in combination with other drugs, and some formulations of agents of this class are approved for treating angina or cardiac dysrhythmias. • Calcium channel blockers reduce blood pressure across all patient groups, regardless of sex, race/ethnicity, age, and dietary sodium intake. • Nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are more negatively chronotropic and inotropic than the dihydropyridine subclass, which is important for patients with cardiac dysrhythmias or who need β-blockers. • Extensive experience in comparative randomized trials indicates that an initial calcium antagonist can prevent all major types of cardiovascular disease, except heart failure (for which a diuretic is superior). Initial dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers have not reduced the rate of progression of renal disease as well as inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system, although members of the nondihydropyridine subclass can reduce albuminuria. • High doses of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers often cause edema, headache, flushing and tachycardia; high doses of verapamil can cause constipation. Diltiazem and verapamil have important drug interaction with digoxin and cyclosporine, among others.
Artificial intelligence and COVID-19: A multidisciplinary approach

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a colossal toll in human suffering and lives. A significant amount of new scientific research and data sharing is underway due to the pandemic which is still rapidly spreading. There is now a growing amount of coronavirus related datasets as well as published papers that must be leveraged along with artificial intelligence (AI) to fight this pandemic by driving news approaches to drug discovery, vaccine development, and public awareness. AI can be used to mine this avalanche of new data and papers to extract new insights by cross-referencing papers and searching for patterns that AI algorithms could help discover new possible treatments or help in vaccine development. Drug discovery is not a trivial task and AI technologies like deep learning can help accelerate this process by helping predict which existing drugs, or brand-new drug-like molecules could treat COVID-19. AI techniques can also help disseminate vital information across the globe and reduce the spread of false information about COVID-19. The positive power and potential of AI must be harnessed in the fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 in order to save lives and limit the economic havoc due to this horrific disease.
Multidimensional processing in the amygdala

Brain-wide circuits that coordinate affective and social behaviours intersect in the amygdala. Consequently, amygdala lesions cause a heterogeneous array of social and non-social deficits. Social behaviours are not localized to subdivisions of the amygdala even though the inputs and outputs that carry social signals are anatomically restricted to distinct subnuclear regions. This observation may be explained by the multidimensional response properties of the component neurons. Indeed, the multitudes of circuits that converge in the amygdala enlist the same subset of neurons into different ensembles that combine social and non-social elements into high-dimensional representations. These representations may enable flexible, context-dependent social decisions. As such, multidimensional processing may operate in parallel with subcircuits of genetically identical neurons that serve specialized and functionally dissociable functions. When combined, the activity of specialized circuits may grant specificity to social behaviours, whereas multidimensional processing facilitates the flexibility and nuance needed for complex social behaviour.
Visualizing Historic Networks in Studies in Art Education

Throughout the 56-year history of Studies in Art Education, scholars have repeatedly articulated concern that research within the field is disconnected. Most recently this problem has been categori...
Effective Topology of Bolted Connections for Detecting Damage Using Guided Wave Ultrasonics

AbstractStructures will eventually develop defects due to aging or overloading, which negatively affect the load-bearing capacity. In certain design details, defects are hidden and difficult to ins...
Marijuana use among adult liver transplant candidates and recipients.

BACKGROUND Data regarding marijuana (MJ) use among liver transplant (LT) candidates are limited. We set out to determine the incidence and pre- and post-LT outcomes of adult LT candidates with a self-reported history of MJ use. METHODS Baseline clinical characteristics, waitlist, and post-LT outcomes of adult LT candidates from January 2010 to March 2017 were compared. RESULTS Among 2690 LT candidates, 630(23%) and 298(11%) reported a history of MJ use and use within the past 12 months, respectively. Although the proportion of MJ users increased over time(β = .76, p = .03), the proportion listed and transplanted did not change. Listing for LT increased with male (OR 1.24, 95% CI 11.01-1.52), MELD score (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15), HCC (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.39-2.41) but decreased among MJ users (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.91, p = .01). The median time to listing was longer among MJ users compared to non-users (115 vs. 87 days, p < .0005). Post-LT survival was similar in 83 MJ users and 306 non-users. CONCLUSION The proportion of MJ users among LT candidates is increasing. MJ users have a greater burden of psychosocial issues which may contribute to longer evaluations and lower rate of LT listing. Post-LT survival was not impacted by self-reported MJ use history.
Microwave Radiometer RFI Detection Using Deep Learning

Radio frequency interference (RFI) is a risk for microwave radiometers due to their requirement of very high sensitivity. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission has an aggressive approach to RFI detection and filtering using dedicated spaceflight hardware and ground processing software. As more sensors push to observe at larger bandwidths in unprotected or shared spectrum, RFI detection continues to be essential. This article presents a deep learning approach to RFI detection using SMAP spectrogram data as input images. The study utilizes the benefits of transfer learning to evaluate the viability of this method for RFI detection in microwave radiometers. The well-known pretrained convolutional neural networks, AlexNet, GoogleNet, and ResNet-101 were investigated. ResNet-101 provided the highest accuracy with respect to validation data (99%), while AlexNet exhibited the highest agreement with SMAP detection (92%).
Influence of hierarchy on risk communication during robot-assisted surgery: a preliminary study.

A hierarchical structure is where all individuals are organized according to importance and are subordinate to a single person. In the operating room (OR), this structure may negatively impact the quality of communication and jeopardize patient safety. We examined how the surgical team’s hierarchical relationships affect the frequency and timing of risk communication, and their influence on situational awareness (SA) in the OR. Overhead cameras and lapel microphones were used to record the OR environment. Recordings and transcriptions of 10 robot-assisted prostatectomies were examined for risk utterances among team members. Utterances were classified by sender–recipient exchange, timing (determined by phrasing to be proactive or reactive to an error/negative event), and the Oxford Non-Technical Skills (NOTECHS) SA score. Surgeon’s and trainee surgeon’s utterances were classified by their on-console status. Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between dependent factors, and ANOVAs were used to evaluate the effect of hierarchy and timing on NOTECHS score. Of 4,583 examined utterances, 329 (7%) were risk-related. There was no significant difference in utterance frequency based on hierarchical status of sender and recipient (p = 0.16). Utterances made by the surgeon or trainee surgeon had higher NOTECHS scores when off versus on the console (scores: 1.8 vs 2.4, p < 0.01). These utterances were more reactive on the console (32%) and proactive off the console (28%). Proactive utterances had higher NOTECHS scores than reactive utterances (scores: 2.5 vs 1.8, p < 0.01). The surgical hierarchy significantly impacted the frequency of risk communication within the OR. Timing and on-console status further influenced the efficacy of risk communication.
A Simplified Method for the Diagnosis of Constrictive Pericarditis in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

Importance Enhanced ventricular interdependence is a highly sensitive and specific criterion for the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis (CP), but simultaneous ventricular measurements can be challenging at cardiac catheterization. Ejection times (ETs) correlate with stroke volumes and can be easily measured from arterial pressure tracings. Objective To assess respirophasic changes in pulmonary artery (PA) ETs and aorta (Ao) ETs as a marker for enhanced ventricular interdependence. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective analysis of simultaneous left-side and right-side heart catheterizations between January 2006 and January 2017 was performed. The data were analyzed in June 2020. All catheterizations were performed at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. This study evaluated patients undergoing left-side and right-side heart catheterization for assessment of CP after noninvasive evaluation was inconclusive. Main Outcomes and Measures Measurements of the PA and Ao ETs were made during inspiration and expiration. Ventricular interaction was mainly assessed by evaluating the difference of ETs from expiration to inspiration as well as the difference in Ao minus the difference in PA. Results A total of 10 patients with surgically proven CP and 10 patients without CP (restrictive cardiomyopathy or severe tricuspid regurgitation) were identified. Of these 20 included patients, 10 (50%) were female, and the median (interquartile range) age was 59.5 (47.0-67.5) years. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or baseline hemodynamic measurements. In patients with CP compared with those without CP, there was a significantly greater decrease in PA ET (mean [SD], -31.8 [28.6] vs 5.1 [9.5]; P < .001) and a nonsignificantly greater increase in Ao ET (mean [SD], 19.0 [15.7] vs 10.5 [9.1]; P = 0.20) during expiration vs inspiration. Thus, the difference in Ao ET minus the difference in PA ET during expiration vs inspiration was significantly greater in those with CP compared with those without CP (mean [SD], 50.8 [22.5] milliseconds vs 5.4 [15.2] milliseconds; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, PA and Ao measurements of ETs throughout the respiratory cycle were a simple, easily obtainable, and accurate parameter for the diagnosis of CP.
Buckling of Inelastic, Tapped, Pin-Ended Columns

A numerical method for finding buckling loads of pin-ended tapered columns which are elastic, elastic-plastic, or completely plastic is presented. An enclosure theorem is used to find upper and lower bounds on the first eigenvalue, which is a measure of the lowest buckling load of the mathematical model of the column. A numerical method is used to systematically determine the least upper bound and the greatest lower bound. By using an effective modulus of elasticity, upper and lower bounds on the first eigenvalue are found for inelastic as well as elastic material behavior. A three-parameter stress-strain relationship is used to describe the behavior of the material. In order to assess the adequacy in the elastic-plastic and plastic ranges of the effective modulus description used in the mathematical model, the computed bounds are compared to the results of tests on 44 aluminum columns having various tapers and slenderness ratios. The experimental data are in good agreement with the lower bound of the analysis of the mathematical model.
Treatment of Vagotomy-Induced Chronic Pylorospasm in Dogs

Summary Both Syntropan, which has a paralyzing effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, and Urecholine, which has a stimulating effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, have been found to provide relief from long standing post-vagotomy pylorospasm in the dog. Other commnly used antispasmodics tested had little or no effect on such spasm. The following concerns generously supplied the indicated drugs: Hoffman-La Roche, Inc., Syntropan and Ro 2-3202; G. D. Searle & Co., Banthine and Pavatrine; William P. Poythress & Co., Trocinate; Ciba Pharmaceutical Products, Inc., Trasentine; Endo Products, Inc., Mesopin.
Replacing dietary soybean meal with canola meal improves production and efficiency of lactating dairy cows.

Previous research suggested that crude protein (CP) from canola meal (CM) was used more efficiently than CP from solvent soybean meal (SBM) by lactating dairy cows. We tested whether dietary CP content influenced relative effectiveness of equal supplemental CP from either CM or SBM. Fifty lactating Holstein cows were blocked by parity and days in milk into 10 squares (2 squares with ruminal cannulas) in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square trial. Five squares were fed: (1) low (14.5–14.8%) CP with SBM, (2) low CP with CM, (3) low CP with SBM plus CM, (4) high (16.4–16.7%) CP with SBM, and (5) high CP with CM; the other 5 squares were fed the same diets except with rumenprotected Met plus Lys (RPML) added as Mepron (Degussa Corp., Kennesaw, GA) and AminoShure-L (Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY), which were assumed to provide 8 g/d of absorbed dl-Met and 12 g/d of absorbed l-Lys. Diets contained [dry matter (DM) basis] 40% corn silage, 26% alfalfa silage, 14 to 23% corn grain, 2.4% mineral-vitamin premixes, and 29 to 33% neutral detergent fiber. Periods were 3 wk (total 15 wk), and data from the last week of each period were analyzed using the Mixed procedures of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The only effects of RPML were increased DM intake and milk urea N (MUN) and urinary N excretion and trends for decreased milk lactose and solids-not-fat concentrations and milk-N:N intake; no significant RPML × protein source interactions were detected. Higher dietary CP increased milk fat yield and tended to increase milk yield but also elevated MUN, urine volume, urinary N excretion, ruminal concentrations of ammonia and branched-chain volatile fatty acids (VFA), lowered milk lactose concentration and milk-N:N intake, and had no effect on milk true protein yield. Feeding CM instead of SBM increased feed intake, yields of milk, energy-corrected milk, and true protein, and milk-N:N intake, tended to increase fat and lactose yields, and reduced MUN, urine volume, and urinary N excretion. At low CP, MUN was lower and intake tended to be greater on SBM plus CM versus SBM alone, but MUN and N excretion were not reduced to the same degree as on CM alone. Interactions of parity × protein source and parity × CP concentration indicated that primiparous cows were more responsive than multiparous cows to improved supply of metabolizable protein. Replacing SBM with CM reduced ruminal ammonia and branched-chain VFA concentrations, indicating lower ruminal degradation of CM protein. Replacing SBM with CM improved milk and protein yield and N-utilization in lactating cows fed both low- and high-CP diets.
An efficient packet switching architecture for next-generation military satellite networks

The lack of commercial network technology well-suited for unique military operating conditions is a challenge that is particularly acute in the area of military satellite communications (MILSATCOM). While some network technology issues such as the performance problems associated with TCP over satellite systems have been well-studied and documented, there has been very little focus on the technical and practical issues associated with incorporating packet-switching and possibly even IP routing functionality onto satellite payloads. This is a particularly important area of concern at the present time due to ongoing efforts to bring packet-switched IP-centric networking capabilities to next-generation MILSATCOM. In this paper, we propose an efficient packet-switching protocol suite that is optimized for IP internetworking in the space segment. The proposed approach presents a dynamic solution over which a number of routing architectures can be overlaid, while conserving precious resources that are typically consumed in a wasteful manner by routing control information and commercial multicast solutions.
A systematic review of validated methods for identifying transfusion-related ABO incompatibility reactions using administrative and claims data.

Purpose This paper aimed to systematically review algorithms to identify transfusion-related ABO incompatibility reactions in administrative data, with a focus on studies that have examined the validity of the algorithms. Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Iowa Drug Information Service database, and Embase. A Google Scholar search was also conducted because of the difficulty identifying relevant studies. Reviews were conducted by two investigators to identify studies using data sources from the USA or Canada because these data sources were most likely to reflect the coding practices of Mini-Sentinel data sources. Results One study was found that validated International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM) codes representing transfusion reactions. None of these cases were ABO incompatibility reactions. Several studies consistently used ICD-9-CM code 999.6, which represents ABO incompatibility reactions, and a technical report identified the ICD-10 code for these reactions. One study included the E-code E8760 for mismatched blood in transfusion in the algorithm. Another study reported finding no ABO incompatibility reaction codes in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, which contains data of 2.23 million patients who received transfusions, raising questions about the sensitivity of administrative data for identifying such reactions. Two studies reported perfect specificity, with sensitivity ranging from 21% to 83%, for the code identifying allogeneic red blood cell transfusions in hospitalized patients. Conclusions There is no information to assess the validity of algorithms to identify transfusion-related ABO incompatibility reactions. Further information on the validity of algorithms to identify transfusions would also be useful. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lessons learned: building and deploying shared virtual environments

The design and structure of virtual environments have an impact on the nature of the social interactions found within the environment. Our goal in this chapter is to understand better why some designs and structures support sustainable, dynamic social interactions, while others do not. Over the past six years, the Virtual Worlds Group at Microsoft Research [1] has designed, deployed, and studied two virtual environment products, Microsoft V-Chat [2] and the Virtual Worlds Platform [3]. With both of these products, we designed tools for others to build and deploy their own environments, and we built and supported environments of our own. Over the years, hundreds of world builders have used these products to build virtual environments for their own communities. Thousands of end users have visited, joined, and helped to develop communities. Through our prototyping, observations, and data collection we have learned a number of lessons about the design process of community builders and the impact of design on the social dynamics of virtual environments. The following chapter describes Microsoft V-Chat and the Virtual Worlds Platform, our research process, and the central lessons we have learned.
Oxidative polymerization of ribonuclease A by lignin peroxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Role of veratryl alcohol in polymer oxidation.

The mechanism of lignin peroxidase (LiP) was examined using bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase) as a polymeric lignin model substrate. SDS/PAGE analysis demonstrates that an RNase dimer is the major product of the LiP-catalyzed oxidation of this protein. Fluorescence spectroscopy and amino acid analyses indicate that RNase dimer formation is due to the LiP-catalyzed oxidation of Tyr residues to Tyr radicals, followed by intermolecular radical coupling. The LiP-catalyzed polymerization of RNase is strictly dependent on the presence of veratryl alcohol (VA). In the presence of 100 µm H2O2, relatively low concentrations of RNase and VA, together but not individually, can protect LiP from H2O2 inactivation. The presence of RNase strongly inhibits VA oxidation to veratraldehyde by LiP; whereas the presence of VA does not inhibit RNase oxidation by LiP. Stopped-flow and rapid-scan spectroscopy demonstrate that the reduction of LiP compound I (LiPI) to the native enzyme by RNase occurs via two single-electron steps. At pH 3.0, the reduction of LiPI by RNase obeys second-order kinetics with a rate constant of 4.7 × 104m–1·s–1, compared to the second-order VA oxidation rate constant of 3.7 × 105 m–1·s–1. The reduction of LiP compound II (LiPII) by RNase also follows second-order kinetics with a rate constant of 1.1 × 104 m–1·s–1, compared to the first-order rate constant for LiPII reduction by VA. When the reductions of LiPI and LiPII are conducted in the presence of both VA and RNase, the rate constants are essentially identical to those obtained with VA alone. These results suggest that VA is oxidized by LiP to its cation radical which, while still in its binding site, oxidizes RNase.
Richard Wagner: A Research and Information Guide

Using This Research Guide Acknowledgments I. Introducing Wagner II. Surveying Wagner: Compendia and Other Survey Studies III. Researching Wagner: Reference Works of Various Kinds IV. The Documentary Legacy V. Wagner's Life and Character VI. Wagner as Composer: Studies in Techniques, Styles, and Influences VII. Wagner as Music Dramatist 1: Surveys Studies VIII. Wagner as Music Dramatist 2: The Earlier and Unfinished Operas and Music dramas IX. Wagner as Music Dramatist 3: Hollander, Lohengrin, and Tannhauser X. Wagner as Music Dramatist 4: Meistersinger, Parsifal, Tristan, and the Ring XI. Wagner as Instrumental and Vocal Composer and Arranger XII. Performing Wagner: Studies of Performance Practices, Productions, and Media Issues XIII. Wagner as Poet, Prose Writer, Philosopher, and Revolutionary XIV. Criticizing Wagner: Wagner's Critics and the Wagner Reception XV. Wagner and Culture, Past and Present: Literature, Psychology, and the Visual Arts XVI. Wagner and Anti-Semitism XVII. After Wagner: Bayreuth, the Festivals, and Wagner's Descendents Index
Elizabeth LeCompte in Rehearsal: An Intern's Perspective

During a six month internship (from May to November 2009) with the experimental theatre company the Wooster Group, I had the opportunity to sit through rehearsals and document what I saw while the company developed their production of Tennessee Williams’s Vieux Carre . This experience offered me the unique position to compare what I had learned about Elizabeth LeCompte in the library (through such writers as David Savran and Andrew Quick) with what I saw in the flesh. When LeCompte arrived on my first day, she started rehearsals with three pieces of inspiration: first, a film clip of an actor in Farewell My Concubine whose performance she mocked for poor precision; second, a Ben Brantley review criticizing JoAnne Akalaitis’s The Bacchae for lacking “teeth;” and third, a line from Alexander Star’s appreciation of recently deceased literary critic Richard Poirier, which says, “the most powerful works of literature offer ‘a fairly direct access to pleasure’ but become ‘on longer acquaintance, rather strange and imponderable.’” These pieces of inspiration mark what I discovered to be three distinct qualities of LeCompte’s personality in rehearsal: precision, teeth, and the imponderable. I offer here an inside perspective of LeCompte in rehearsal as she collaborates with her company, sifting through the challenges inherent in Williams’s play, to demonstrate how LeCompte works, not only as a director, but a artist subject to the pressures and restraints of a not-for-profit company in the heart of New York City.
Biodiversity, Governance, and the Allocation of International Aid for Conservation

There is little systematic knowledge about the magnitude and allocation of international funding flows to support biodiversity conservation in the developing world. Using the newly released AidData compilation, we present a comprehensive assessment of official donor assistance for biodiversity during 1980–2008. We find that biodiversity aid increased markedly in the early 1990s, but that estimates of current aid are likely overstated and donor commitments at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit have not been met. Aid has been well targeted, however, in that the allocation of biodiversity aid is positively associated with the number of threatened species in recipient countries after controlling for country size, national population, and wealth. Biodiversity aid is also positively associated with indicators of good governance. Our results provide an empirical measure of progress toward international conservation funding targets, a baseline against which future flows can be compared, and information necessary to assess the effectiveness of biodiversity aid.
Generalize higher-order moments in independent component analysis

In independent component analysis (ICA), random-variable independence is often equated with factorization of the joint moments, expectations of products of powers. This paper shows that many nonpower functions are equally useful: if E[f(X)g(Y)] factors into E[f(X)]E[g(Y)] for every f and g from an independence class, then random variables X and Y are independent. Examples of and sufficient conditions for independence classes are presented for bounded random variables.
The 'stabilization' of linear systems with quantized feedback

The author addresses the problem of stabilizing an unstable time-invariant discrete-time linear system by means of state feedback when the measurements of the state are quantized. It is found that there is no finite-memory control strategy which stabilizes the system in the traditional sense of making all closed-loop trajectories tend asymptotically to zero. If the system is not excessively unstable, however, one can implement feedback strategies which bring closed-loop trajectories arbitrarily close to zero for an arbitrarily long time. If the system is too unstable to apply these control laws, it is found that when ordinary linear feedback of quantized state measurements is applied, the resulting closed-loop system exhibits qualitative behavior which is chaotic. When the state is one-dimensional, a quantitative statistical analysis of the resulting closed-loop dynamics reveals the existence of an invariant measure on the state space which is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure and with respect to which the closed-loop system is ergodic. >
Simulating Oil Droplet Dispersal From the Deepwater Horizon Spill With a Lagrangian Approach

An analytical multiphase plume model, combined with time-varying flow and hydrographic fields generated by the 3-D South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico model (SABGOM) hydrodynamic model, were used as input to a Lagrangian transport model (LTRANS), to simulate transport of oil droplets dispersed at depth from the recent Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill. The plume model predicts a stratification-dominated near field, in which small oil droplets detrain from the central plume containing faster rising large oil droplets and gas bubbles and become trapped by density stratification. Simulated intrusion (trap) heights of ~ 310–370 m agree well with the midrange of Q1 conductivity-temperature-depth observations, though the simulated variation in trap height was lower than observed, presumably in part due to unresolved variability in source composition (percentage oil versus gas) and location (multiple leaks during first half of spill). Simulated droplet trajectories by the SABGOM-LTRANS modeling system showed that droplets with diameters between 10 and 50 μm formed a distinct subsurface plume, which was transported horizontally and remained in the subsurface for >1 month. In contrast, droplets with diameters ≥90 μm rose rapidly to the surface. Simulated trajectories of droplets ≤50 μ mi n diameter were found to be consistent with field observations of a southwest-tending subsurface plume in late June 2010 reported by Camilli et al. [2010]. Model results suggest that the subsurface plume looped around to the east, with potential subsurface oil transport to the northeast and southeast. Ongoing work is focusing on adding degradation processes to the model to constrain droplet dispersal.
Cardiac models in drug discovery and development: a review.

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death in the developed world. Developing novel therapies for diseases like heart failure is crucial, but this is hampered by the high attrition rate in drug development. The withdrawal of drugs at the final hurdle of approval is mostly due to their unpredictable effects on normal cardiac rhythm. The advent of cardiac computational modeling in the last six decades has significantly aided the understanding of heart function. Recently, these models have been increasingly applied towards designing and understanding therapies for cardiac disease. This article will discuss how cellular models of electrophysiology, cell signaling and metabolism have been used to investigate pharmacological therapies for cardiac diseases including arrhythmia, ischemia and heart failure.
The effect of maximum voluntary contraction on endurance times for the shoulder girdle

Abstract This study investigated endurance times as percentages of maximum voluntary contractions (MVCs) in 12 healthy females (mean 25.8±4.3 years) in 5 postures and at 7% MVCs. The shoulder postures utilized were 30/90 (shoulder forward flexion=30° and included elbow angle=90°), 60/90, 90/120, 120/150, and 150/180. The %MVCs were 5%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75%, and 90% of MVC at each of these postures. Outcome measures included: endurance times, ratings of perceived exertion, fatigue ratings, pain ratings, and surface electromyography (trapezius and mid-deltoid). As expected the endurance time decreased non-linearly with an increase in %MVC. However, the relationship between endurance time and %MVC differed significantly from Rohmert's curve and suggests it considerably overestimates endurance times for %MVCs 45%. This study's curve did not become asymptotic even at 5% MVC. Shoulder posture (shoulder forward flexion angle) had a significant effect on endurance time. In general, endurance time decreased with an increase in shoulder flexion angle up to 120° and then it increased. Thus, overhead work (hands above the head) would appear to be better designed with a greater degree of forward flexion, rather than in front of the worker at lower degrees of forward flexion. Relevance to industry Published data on endurance times for the shoulder girdle are scant, yet shoulder injuries are neither rare nor inexpensive. This study completely redefines the relationship between endurance time and %MVC for the shoulder girdle. It will allow for a better definition of worker capabilities for the design of overhead work.
Compressing surface plasmons for nano-scale optical focusing

A major challenge in optics is how to deliver and concentrate light from the micron-scale into the nano-scale. Light can not be guided, by conventional mechanisms, with optical beam sizes significantly smaller than its wavelength due to the diffraction limit. On the other hand, focusing of light into very small volumes beyond the diffraction limit can be achieved by exploiting the wavelength scalability of surface plasmon polaritons. By slowing down an optical wave and shrinking its wavelength during its propagation, optical energy can be compressed and concentrated down to nanometer scale, namely, nanofocusing. Here, we experimentally demonstrate and quantitatively measure the nanofocusing of surface plasmon polaritons in tapered metallic V-grooves down to the deep subwavelength scale - approximately lambda/40 at wavelength of 1.5 micron - with almost 50% power efficiency.
Isoflurane is an effective alternative to ketamine/xylazine/acepromazine as an anesthetic agent for the mouse electroretinogram

The electroretinogram (ERG) is an essential measure of retinal function for studying mouse models of retinal disease. Ketamine, in combination with xylazine and/or acepromazine, is the most commonly used anesthetic agent. Although it works well in most situations, some fragile mouse strains have high mortality rates with this ketamine cocktail. We compared isoflurane with the ketamine cocktail in a longitudinal study of light-adapted and dark-adapted ERGs in C57BL/6J mice. Waveforms were averaged, oscillatory potentials (OPs) were extracted by digital filtration, and key ERG parameters were analyzed. The ERG waveforms were qualitatively similar with both anesthetics, and the male and female ERG parameters did not show significant differences. For light-adapted ERGs, b-wave amplitude and implicit time, and wavelet index were decreased under isoflurane anesthesia, whereas for dark-adapted ERGs, a- and b-wave implicit times were decreased and wavelet index was increased. The dark-adapted b-wave amplitude showed a significant inverse correlation with animal weight and age. Rod phototransduction gain and the Naka-Rushton n and R (max) parameters were the same for both anesthetics, and only the Naka-Rushton log k parameter was significantly elevated for isoflurane anesthesia. We propose that isoflurane is a satisfactory alternative to the ketamine cocktail for anesthesia in the mouse ERG. Precise quantitative comparisons, however, should only employ study designs using isoflurane versus isoflurane, or ketamine versus ketamine. Moreover, in light of the effects of both isoflurane and the ketamine cocktail on blood glucose levels, it would be prudent to control the fasting state of the animals in quantitative ERG studies.
Preemptive intrathecal ketamine injection produces a long-lasting decrease in neuropathic pain behaviors in a rat model.

Background and Objectives. Ketamine is an N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, which has been found to effectively treat somatic and neuropathic pain. This study examines the effect (on neuropathic pain) of preemptive ketamine using different routes of administration (intrathecal versus intraperitoneal). Methods. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved the study. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-275 g) were divided into three treatment groups [intrathecal saline/intraperitoneal saline or Control (CTL), intrathecal ketamine/intraperitoneal saline (ITK), and intrathecal saline/intraperitoneal ketamine (IPK)] prior to undergoing surgery to induce neuropathic pain by tight ligation of the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves. All drugs were given 15 minutes before nerve ligation. The ITK group received intrathecal ketamine (0.5% solution, 1 mg/kg), the IPK group received intraperitoneal ketamine (0.5% solution, 1 mg/kg), saline was given in equal volume (approximately 0.05 mL). Mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia, and ongoing pain behaviors indicative of neuropathic pain were assessed on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 14 using validated methods. Results. Compared with the CTL group, the ITK group showed a state of decreased mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia, and ongoing pain as revealed by the von Frey hair, acetone, and cold plate testing, respectively. Further, this decrease was sustained for at least 2 weeks. The IPK group showed intermediate results between the CTL and ITK. Conclusions. Neuropathic pain behaviors were significantly reduced for at least 2 weeks after intrathecal ketamine was preemptively administered to animals undergoing surgery to induce neuropathic pain. The mechanism of action is thought to be prevention of spinal cord sensitization.
GSTAR: generalized storage-aware routing for mobilityfirst in the future mobile internet

The Internet is at a historic inflection point where mobile, wireless devices are becoming so dominant that core architectural changes are necessary to efficiently support them. This paper presents the high-level concepts and design decisions used to realize the key routing component of the MobilityFirst architecture, which is a clean-slate project being conducted as part of the NSF Future Internet Architecture program. In particular, we describe GSTAR, a mobilitycentric generalized storage-aware routing approach based on the following key design principles: separation of names from addresses, late binding of routable addresses, in-network storage, and conditional routing decision space. The GSTAR protocol described is based on hop-by-hop forwarding of large protocol data units (PDUs) between routers with storage. The packet header incorporates both name and address information enabling routers to execute a hybrid forwarding algorithm that uses topological addresses when available and refers back to names (i.e. global identifiers) to deal with dynamically changing points of attachment and disconnection. At a local level, GSTAR utilizes both fine-grain path quality information and DTN-style connectivity information to deal with the many challenges found in mobile environments.
Matrices with isomorphic diagonal hypergraphs

Let A be an nxn matrix of 0's and 1's with total support. The diagonal hypergraph of A is the hypergraph whose vertices are the positive positions of A and whose edges are the positive diagonals of A. We investigate which nxn matrices with total support have diagonal hypergraphs isomorphic to that of A, and the structure of such isomorphisms.
Security and Liberty: The Image of Balance*

There seems to be general acceptance in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 that some adjustment in the scheme of civil liberties is inevitable. This is partly the product of political defeatism: the state is always looking to limit liberty, and a terrorist emergency provides a fine opportunity. The idea of striking a new balance can be interpreted more or less literally. The term "civil liberties" represents a variety of concerns about the impact of governmental powers upon individual freedom. Perhaps the rule that the government must not imprison anybody it does not propose to charge with an offense is best understood on the model of the rule in chess that one may not move one's king into check. Ronald Dworkin observes a temptation to think that the extraordinary gravity of the crimes that were committed on September 11 is itself a reason for diminishing the protections afforded to those who are charged with such offenses.
Beyond Beowulf Clusters: As clusters grow in size and complexity, it becomes harder and harder to manage their configurations.

In the early ’90s, the Berkeley NOW Project under David Culler posited that groups of less capable machines could be used to solve scientific and other computing problems at a fraction of the cost of larger computers. In 1994, Donald Becker and Thomas Sterling worked to drive the costs even lower by adopting the then-fledgling Linux operating system to build Beowulf clusters at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. By tying desktop machines together with open source tools such as PVM, MPI, and PBS, early clusters—which were often PC towers stacked on metal shelves with a nest of wires interconnecting them—fundamentally altered the balance of scientific computing. Before these first clusters appeared, distributed/parallel computing was prevalent at only a few computing centers, national laboratories, and a very few university departments. Since the introduction of clusters, distributed computing is now, literally, everywhere.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY ASSOCIATED WITH TELEVISION VIEWING

The association of childhood obesity with TV viewing has not been previously examined. Cycle II and Cycle III of the National Health Examination Survey provided representative samples of non-institutionalized U.S. populations aged 6-11 and 12-17 years old respectively. 2153 of the 7119 children studied during Cycle II were restudied in Cycle III (n=6671). Hours of TV viewing were obtained by parental report in Cycle II and self-report in Cycle III. Obesity was defined as a triceps skinfold > the 85th percentile. In both cross sectional samples, increased TV viewing was significantly (p < .01, p <.001) associated with an increased prevalence of obesity, whereas no significant effect existed for other leisure activities. The slope of the regression of obesity prevalence on TV was positive and significant in both samples and indicated an increase in the probability of obesity of 0.6-2% for each additional daily hour of TV. TV in Cycle II was signifcantly related to the probability of obesity in Cycle III, even when prior obesity was controlled. In all three samples (2 cross-sectional, 1 prospective) the significant association of TV and obesity persisted when controlled for other characteristics significantly associated with obesity (season, region, population density, race, SES, parental age and family size). These data infer a causal association of TV viewing and obesity. Potential mechanisms include reduced physical acitivity and increased consumption of calorically dense foods. Conversely, both obesity and TV viewing could relate to other unmeasured family behaviors.
Fatty acid interactions with a helix-less variant of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein.

Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) binds a single molecule of long-chain fatty acid in an enclosed cavity surrounded by two antiparallel beta-sheets. The structure also contains two short alpha-helices which form a cap over one end of the binding cavity adjacent to the methyl terminus of the fatty acid. In this study, we employed a helix-less variant of I-FABP known as delta 17-SG [Kim, K., Cistola, D.P.,& Frieden, C. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 7553-7558] to investigate the role of the helical region in maintaining the integrity of the binding cavity and mediating the acquisition of ligand. Fluorescence and NMR experiments were used to characterize the energetic, structural, and kinetic properties of fatty acid binding to this variant, and the results were compared and contrasted with those of wild-type I-FABP and a single-site mutant, R106T. Remarkably, oleate bound to delta 17-SG with a dissociation constant of 4.5 microM, a value comparable to that for R106T and approximately 20-100-fold higher than that for wild-type I-FABP. Heteronuclear two-dimensional NMR spectra for [2-13C]palmitate complexed with delta 17-SG revealed a pattern nearly identical to that observed for the wild-type protein, but distinct from that for R106T. In addition, the ionization behavior of bound [1-13C]palmitate and the nearest neighbor patterns for [2-13C]palmitate derived from 13C-filtered NOESY experiments were very similar for delta 17-SG and the wild-type protein. These results implied that the fatty acid-protein interactions characteristic of the carboxyl end of the fatty acid binding cavity in the wild-type protein were essentially intact in the helix-less variant. In contrast, 13C-filtered NOESY spectra of [16-13C]palmitate bound to delta 17-SG indicated that the fatty acid-protein interactions at the methyl end of the binding cavity were disrupted. As determined by stopped-flow fluorescence, the observed ligand association rates for both delta 17-SG and wild-type I-FABP increased with increasing oleate concentration, but only the wild-type protein exhibited a limiting value of 1000 s-1. This rate-limiting process was interpreted as a conformational change involving the helical region that allows the ligand access to the internal cavity. Simulation and fitting of the kinetic results yielded ligand association rates for delta 17-SG and wild-type I-FABP that were comparable. However, the dissociation rate for wild-type protein was 16-fold lower than that for delta 17-SG. We conclude that the alpha-helices of I_FABP are not required to maintain the integrity of the fatty acid binding cavity but may serve to regulate the affinity of fatty acid binding by selectively altering the dissociation rate constant. In this manner, conformational changes involving the alpha-helical domain may help control the transfer of fatty acids within the cell.
Dosage comparison of Congo Basin and West African strains of monkeypox virus using a prairie dog animal model of systemic orthopoxvirus disease.

Abstract The prairie dog is valuable for the study of monkeypox virus (MPXV) virulence and closely resembles human systemic orthopoxvirus disease. Herein, we utilize a variable dose intranasal challenge with approximately 103, 104, 105, and 106 PFU for each clade to further characterize virulence differences between the two MPXV clades. A trend of increased morbidity and mortality as well as greater viral shedding was observed with increasing viral challenge dose. Additionally, there appeared to be a delay in onset of disease for animals challenged with lower dosages of virus. Mathematical calculations were used to determine LD50 values and based on these calculations, Congo Basin MPXV had approximately a hundred times lower LD50 value than the West African clade (5.9 × 103 and 1.29 × 105 respectively); reinforcing previous findings that Congo Basin MPXV is more virulent.
Twenty-four-hour continuous electrocardiography during exercise and free activity in 80 apparently healthy runners.

Abstract To determine the incidence of arrhythmias and conduction disturbances in trained athletes and the level of physical training at which they occur, 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings were obtained in 80 healthy runners during both exercise and free activity. Subjects were grouped according to the number of miles per week (mpw) they had regularly run during the previous 3 months: Group I—0 to ≤ 5 mpw (≤ 8 km); Group II—⪢5 to ≤ 15 mpw (⪢ 8 to ≤ 24 km); Group III—⪢ 15 to ≤ 30 mpw (⪢ 24 to
Biochemical analysis of the interaction of fibronectin with IgG and localization of the respective binding sites.

Abstract Fibronectin (Fn), a mosaic protein composed of multiple copies of three different module types (F1, F2 and F3), has been found associated with circulating immune complexes (ICs) and immunoglobulin (Ig) aggregates in a variety of IC diseases and myeloproliferative disorders. We have previously shown that a proteolytic fragment of M r = 25,900 Da, from the NH 2 -terminal domain of Fn, composed of five type 1 modules ( 1 F1- 5 F1) binds to the major Ig classes under physiologic conditions, suggesting that the presence of Fn in ICs and cryoglobulins results from a physicochemical binding interaction between these two molecules. Using an ELISA, we now show that the interaction between Fn and IgG is: (1) not influenced by any other constituent of plasma; (2) unaffected by temperature; and (3) has an estimated K d of 3.77 × 10 −9 M. In addition, we have further delineated the respective sites involved in the interaction between Fn and IgG. Recombinant type 1 module pairs ( 1 F1. 2 F1 and 4 F1. 5 F1) from the NH 2 -terminus of Fn, expressed in yeast, were employed in an ELISA and affinity chromatography and compared with the 25.9 kDa ( 1 F1- 5 F1) fragment and intact Fn for binding to IgG. The 4 F1. 5 F1 and the 25.9 kDa fragment bound to immobilized IgG and inhibited Fn binding to IgG to nearly the same extent as the intact molecule (IC 50 : Fn = 6.77 × 10 −9 M; 25.9 kDa fragment = 5 × 10 −9 M; 4 F1. 5 F1 = 7.6 × 10 −9 M). Thus, the binding site for IgG on the Fn molecule is localized to and completely conferred by the 4 F1. 5 F1 module pair (residues 151–244). Similar experiments using papain-generated Fab and Fc fragments of IgG localized the Fn binding site on IgG to the Fc region of the IgG molecule. Fn bound to the Fc fragment with a nearly identical K d of 3.69 × 10 −9 M, as to intact IgG (3.77 × 10 −9 M). These studies support the hypothesis that the interaction between Fn and Ig may contribute to the pathophysiology of immune complex related disorders.