cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pseudo-factor-XI deficiency: effect of an inhibitor of factor XI adsorption to surface

Recently we have described a normal plasma activity that modulates contact activation by inhibiting adsorption of factor XI to activating surfaces. Here we report the first identified case in which a patient has abnormal clotting tests due to an excess of a similar activity. The patient's plasma had a prolonged partial thromboplastin time and low apparent factor XI assay. His plasma prolonged the partial thromboplastin time of normal plasma and partially neutralized normal factor XI activity in vivo and in vitro. Analysis in dilute plasma revealed normal amounts of factor XI activity and antigen. Factor XI adsorption from plasma to activating surfaces was tested by adding a small amount of 125I-labeled purified factor XI to plasma, exposing the mixture to a glass tube or kaolin, and determining the amount of factor XI adsorbed to the surface. Whereas normal plasma and plasmas deficient in factor XII, factor XI, or Fletcher factor yielded about 4% adsorption to glass, factor XI adsorption from patient's plasma was less than 1%, indicating the presence of an adsorption inhibitor. This inhibitor did not affect factor XI activation or the activity of preformed factor XIa. It was not adsorbed by AI(OH)3 and was present in serum and the macroglobulin peak on gel filtration of the plasma through Sephadex G-200. The patient's history does not allow a definitive conclusion as to whether this inhibitor was associated with abnormal bleeding.
The Demand for Censorship

Censorship is the moral or legislative process by which society "agrees" to limit what an individual can do, say, think, or see. The proliferation of censorship movements of all kinds has heretofore been relatively ignored by economists. In this study, a conceptual model is developed describing the economic rationale underlying an individual's relative support for censorship, even if censorship is expected to reduce the amount of acceptable information available. To support the conceptual framework, the demand for Internet censorship is empirically analyzed using survey data gathered on-line during 1998. The results indicate the characteristics of those who tend to favor censorship.
Data Assimilation Methods for Neuronal State and Parameter Estimation

This tutorial illustrates the use of data assimilation algorithms to estimate unobserved variables and unknown parameters of conductance-based neuronal models. Modern data assimilation (DA) techniques are widely used in climate science and weather prediction, but have only recently begun to be applied in neuroscience. The two main classes of DA techniques are sequential methods and variational methods. We provide computer code implementing basic versions of a method from each class, the Unscented Kalman Filter and 4D-Var, and demonstrate how to use these algorithms to infer several parameters of the Morris–Lecar model from a single voltage trace. Depending on parameters, the Morris–Lecar model exhibits qualitatively different types of neuronal excitability due to changes in the underlying bifurcation structure. We show that when presented with voltage traces from each of the various excitability regimes, the DA methods can identify parameter sets that produce the correct bifurcation structure even with initial parameter guesses that correspond to a different excitability regime. This demonstrates the ability of DA techniques to perform nonlinear state and parameter estimation and introduces the geometric structure of inferred models as a novel qualitative measure of estimation success. We conclude by discussing extensions of these DA algorithms that have appeared in the neuroscience literature.
The Effect of the Affordable Care Act on Entrepreneurship among Older Adults

One goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to enable entrepreneurship by increasing access to non-employer-based health insurance. We evaluate the extent to which the ACA was successful at this, providing some of the first estimates of the effect of the main provisions of the ACA on entrepreneurship. We are the first to focus specifically on older adults, whose higher average health costs and health insurance premiums make health insurance more salient to their labor market decisions. We do so using data from the American Community Survey and a difference-in-difference strategy, taking advantage of Medicare-eligibles as a control group less affected by the ACA. We find that the ACA led to a 3–4% increase in self-employment. We find similar increases in the likelihood of being self-employed in an incorporated business and of generating at least $5000 in business income, as well as a 9% increase in the likelihood of being self-employed full time. By lowering the cost of non-employer health insurance policies to older adults, the ACA appears to have eased their transition from employment to self-employment.
Genetic history of Chad.

Objectives The Sahel is a semi-arid zone stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east and from the Sahara in the north to the Sudanian Savanna in the south. Here, we investigated the genetic history of the spread of Northern African ancestry common among Berbers, the Y DNA haplogroup R1b-V88, and Chadic languages throughout the Sahel, with a focus on Chad. Materials and methods We integrated and analyzed genotype data from 751 individuals from Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan, and Sudan in the context of a global reference panel of 5,966 individuals. Results We found that genetic diversity in Chad was broadly divided by a north-south axis. The core ancestry of Southern Chadians was Central African, most closely related to Pygmies. Southern Chadians then experienced four waves of gene flow over the last 3,000 years from West-Central Africans, Eastern Africans, West-Central Africans again, and then Arabians. In contrast, Northern Chadians did not share Central African ancestry and were not influenced by the first wave of West-Central Africans but were influenced by Northern African ancestry. Discussion We found that Y DNA haplogroup R1b entered the Chadian gene pool during Baggarization. Baggara Arabs spoke Arabic, not Chadic, implying that people carrying R1b-V88 were not responsible for the spread of Chadic languages, which may have spread approximately 3,700 years ago. We found no evidence for migration of Near Eastern farmers or any ancient episodes involving Eurasian backflow.
Short-Term Forecast for Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP) Data Sets

This paper investigate the accuracies of short-term forecast for MISO’s locational marginal pricing (LMP) data sets. A collection of methods such as rolling average, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), and long short-term memory (LSTM) were applied to a three-year data sets and compared against MISO’s forecasting approach. Our preliminary findings indicate that the use of recurrent neural networks (RNN) gains an additional 25% increase in forecasting accuracy compared to MISO’s forecasting approach.
Laboratory Study of Gypsum Dissolution Rates for an Abandoned Underground Mine

Groundwater reestablishment in abandoned gypsum mines causes pillar dissolution until the groundwater reaches the groundwater’s gypsum saturation potential. In some cases, however, especially in shallow mines, groundwater can continue to flow through the mine resulting in the additional dissolution of the mine’s support pillars leading to possible pillar collapse. Pillar dissolution will depend on the amount and quality of the groundwater flowing through the mine and the dissolution rate of the gypsum. The Domtar Mine in Grand Rapids Michigan operated for over 140 years mining a 30-m-deep high-quality gypsum deposit. In 2000, the mine was abandoned with the removal of the mine’s dewatering pumps allowing the groundwater to flood the mine. The mine is located along the north side of the Grand River and has groundwater flowing through the mine to the Grand River. Interstate I-196 is located over the east side of the mine. To analyze the stability of the mine’s pillars, the gypsum dissolution rate was investigated. In this research, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the dissolution rate of natural gypsum in both stagnant and flowing water. The existing published dissolution rates were reviewed and compared to the investigation’s results. The tests confirmed that the dissolution can be represented by a first-order kinetic equation. The normalized dissolution coefficient was measured for stagnant water at 1.6 × 10−3 (cm/s) following the power law of k = 0.0021F0.1854 for flowing water, where F is the water’s flow rate and k is dissolution coefficient.
Diversity and Inclusion in Plastic Surgery Education: A National Survey by the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons

Introduction:To date, there have been few studies in the field of plastic surgery examining the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of educators and residents regarding diversity and inclusion, especially for the purposes of enhancing resident education, improving diversity efforts, and addressing he
Bacteremia and Bacterial Sepsis

The term “bacteremia” refers to the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. Transient bacteremia is quite common, occurring during normal activities of daily life such as brushing ones teeth or straining to stool. The vast majority of transient bacteremias are inconsequential because the innate host immune system clears the bacteria from the blood. Intermittent bacteremia occurs during focal bacterial infections such as pneumonia or pyelonephritis. Continuous bacteremia is present when the focus on the infection includes an intravascular site, such as a heart valve or an infected deep venous thrombus. The clinical presentation of a patient with bacteremia spans a broad spectrum ranging from fever without a source to life-threatening septic shock. Recognizing the signs and symptoms suggestive of bacteremia and understanding which laboratory tests and other supporting information help to identify the source of the infection are important skills for all providers. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS criteria have been shown to be helpful in identifying patients who are likely to be bacteremic. Since early treatment with intravenous antibiotics reduces the morbidity and mortality that is associated with bacteremia and sepsis, they should be administered as soon as the diagnosis is suspected and blood cultures have been collected. Empiric treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics should be reviewed on at least a daily basis, and de-escalated to narrow-spectrum options once a specific bacterial pathogen has been identified, and its drug susceptibilities are known.
Fault Location Method for Distribution Network Based on Improved Apparent Impedance

The safety and stability of distribution network is directly related to the reliability of costumers. However, the complexity of the structure and variety of conductors in distribution network makes the fault location methods based on uniformed parameters unsuitable for distribution network. Therefore, an improved apparent impedance fault location method based binary search is proposed in this paper. In order to avoid calculated the fault distance directly, the method obtain the fault position by comparing difference between the calculated fault reactance and actual line reactance. This method overcomes the requirement of uniformed parameters in traditional impedance method, and the simulation results show that it can fault location accurately in distribution network.
Expanding Library Resources for Data and Compute-Intensive Education and Research

As reproducible research tools and skills become increasingly in-demand across disciplines, so too does the need for innovative and collaborative training. While some academic departments incorporate software like R or Python in coursework and research, many students remain reliant on self-teaching in order to gain the necessary skills to work with their data. However, given the growing number of students interested in computational tools and resources for research automation, relying on student self-teaching and learning is not an efficient method for training the next generation of scholars. To address the educational need for computational thinking and learning across various academic departments on campus, the UC San Diego Library has been running Software Carpentry workshops (two day bootcamps to introduce foundational programming concepts and best practices) since 2015. The Library, as a discipline-agnostic entity with a history of serving as a trusted resource for information, has been well positioned to provide training for this new era of research methodology. The core of our success is the collaboration with the growing community of Software and Data Carpentry instructors at UC San Diego with expertise in various research disciplines. Building on this strong partnership and leveraging the Library’s resources and expertise in digital literacy, the campus can better support data-driven and technologically-focused education and research.
Principles of development: the case of dependency.

In this commentary, I underscore the two developmental principles or laws pointed to by this series of papers on child-teacher dependency; namely, that behavior and development are coherent and tha...
The China-DPRK Relations: from Perceived Marginalization to a Spirited Comeback

The summit diplomacy between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in March 2018 brought forth the issue of China’s marginalization in Northeast Asian affairs. While China’s perceived loss of influence in North Korea since Kim Jong-un took power went viral in traditional and social media, the most audacious believed that the young leader was “defecting” to the West with his nuclear weapons. The article asks if the claims can be substantiated by the Sino-DPRK relations in 2012–2017 and if the claims failed to see the comprehensive nature of an asymmetrical relationship. China’s top interest in North Korea is regime stability, code-named “peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula,” that has strong geostrategic implications connected with the ever rising rivalry between China and the USA. This top interest coincides with North Korea’s security paranoia as it is exemplified in its nuclear and missile programs. Using these two premises, the article explores how China’s policy behaviors toward Pyongyang in 2012–2017 correspond with these two premises and how the key issues in China-DPRK relations reflect these two premises. The article argues that the China-DPRK relations did not fracture in the first 6 years of Kim Jong-un’s rule. The bilateral ties have experienced a spirited rejuvenation after the Kim-Trump summit diplomacy because China remains motivated to nurture the relations in new circumstances for their respective national interests.
Creating a Value Dashboard for Orthopaedic Surgical Procedures.

Background Value-based health-care delivery is a framework for restructuring our health-care systems with the goal of providing better outcomes for patients at lower cost. Value is determined by patient health outcomes per dollar spent on health services. We sought to develop a value dashboard that could be used to easily track and improve the value of total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA). Methods We created a value dashboard for TKAs and THAs at our institution. Value was defined as quality of outcomes per dollar spent. The dashboard for each procedure displayed the average value by surgeon, compared with institutional averages for physical function scores and cost. Quality metrics were determined by weighted surgeon ranking using a modified Delphi process and included both clinical and patient-reported outcomes, as measured by the mean change in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10 (PROMIS-10) physical function score, mean change in the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Joint Replacement (HOOS-JR) or the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Joint Replacement (KOOS-JR), mean change in the modified Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, complication rate, periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rate, and 30-day readmission rate. Average direct costs per surgeon were used. Data from January 2017 through April 2018 were included to ensure 1-year follow-up. Results Six surgeons were included in the value dashboard for TKA, and 5 were included in the THA dashboard. The value for TKA by surgeon ranged from 7% below to 12% above the institutional benchmark. The value for THA by surgeon ranged from 12% below to 7% above the institutional benchmark. Conclusions The proposed dashboard utilizes value in a health-care framework and could be used for comparing and improving value for THA and TKA. This dashboard successfully combined patient outcome metrics and direct costs of surgical procedures. Future studies should focus on involving patients in this process and using national data to create benchmarks, which could provide a more accurate representation of value than using institutional averages.
Effects of Elaborations Included in Textbooks: Large Time Cost, Reduced Attention, and Lower Memory for Main Ideas

Textbooks currently include many elaborations that describe, illustrate, and explain main ideas, increasing the length of these textbook chapters. The current study investigated if the cost in additional reading time that these elaborations impose is outweighed by benefits to memory for main ideas. Given that elaborations in textbooks sometimes fail to produce memory benefits, the current study also investigated if the reason is that less time is spent reading main ideas sentences in elaborated versus unelaborated texts. In two experiments, participants read a textbook passage with just the main ideas or with these main ideas and elaborations. Two days later, participants completed tests of their memory for the main ideas. Conceptually replicating previous research, elaborations did not provide a memory benefit commensurate with the time cost they imposed. Results also indicated that the lack of benefit is at least partially attributable to less time spent reading main ideas for the elaborated versus unelaborated text. To further investigate why students spent less time on main idea sentences, Experiment 2 provided evidence that this difference may be due to difficulty discriminating main ideas from elaborations while reading. In sum, textbook elaborations may impair memory for main ideas due to less time spent on these main ideas despite the large overall time cost imposed; thus elaborated texts can be less effective than unelaborated texts.
Contact Stability Analysis of Magnetically-Actuated Robotic Catheter Under Surface Motion

Contact force quality is one of the most critical factors for safe and effective lesion formation during cardiac ablation. The contact force and contact stability plays important roles in determining the lesion size and creating a gap-free lesion. In this paper, the contact stability of a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-actuated robotic catheter under tissue surface motion is studied. The robotic catheter is modeled using a pseudo-rigid-body model, and the contact model under surface constraint is provided. Two contact force control schemes to improve the contact stability of the catheter under heart surface motions are proposed and their performance are evaluated in simulation.
Myocarditis in COVID-19 presenting with cardiogenic shock: a case series.

Background SARS-CoV2, also known as COVID-19, is a specific strain of coronavirus that is responsible for an ongoing global pandemic. COVID-19 primarily targets the respiratory system via droplet transmission, causing symptoms similar to influenza, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It is now known to impact other organ systems, causing significant cardiovascular and gastrointestinal illness, among others. Case summary We describe two cases of COVID-19 induced myocarditis presenting with cardiogenic shock. These cases highlight the importance of understanding the lethal cardiac complications of COVID-19 infection, as well as its presentation, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and potential treatment options. These two cases involve patients without underlying cardiovascular disease risk factors who experienced prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Both patients presented with cardiogenic shock more than one week after symptom onset and diagnosis. These cases demonstrate the late presentation of myocarditis and cardiogenic shock, treated with corticosteroids and inotropes, with subsequent recovery of cardiac function. Discussion The cases highlight the importance of recognizing late presentation viral myocarditis secondary to COVID-19 infection, even in patients without underlying cardiac disease.
Chapter 3 Rapid Reaction Methods in Biochemistry

Publisher Summary The idea of a rapid reaction is so much conditioned by experience and laboratory equipment as to be hard to define nowadays. When the first rapid reactions in biochemistry were studied by Hartridge and Roughton more than 60 years ago, a rapid reaction was simply one too fast to follow using a stopwatch to time removal of samples from a reaction vessel. A modern equivalent might define rapid as beyond the reach of the apparatus expected to be part of the equipment of an average biochemical laboratory, and translate into a half-time less than 5-10 sec. The choice of methods to discuss is even more difficult because little equipment has achieved off-the-shelf status, and groups of workers have assembled unique systems tailored to specific applications. It seems reasonable to expect that the use of rapid reaction methods in biochemistry will grow considerably in the future, less through expansion in the application of conventional methods to systems in solution, than through the development and application of new methods applicable in growing areas of the subject such as cell biology. Such methods will have to be applicable to systems in which significant structure has been preserved, and be concerned with reactants as yet little studied, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium ions.
Experiments Leading to Laser Induced Fusionx

The basic requirements for energy production via controlled thermonuclear fusion are discussed. The application of high peak power laser radiation to this problem is considered. A description of the requirements on radiation wavelength, pulse duration and focused field strength is given with emphasis placed on a controlled fusion reactor configuration providing both ignition and containment properties. Present experimental evidence for laser fusion is reviewed and compared with our theoretical understanding of this approach.
Buckling Analysis of Structures with Interval Uncertainty

In order to ensure the safety of a structure, adequate strength for structural elements must be provided. In addition, the catastrophic deformations such as buckling must be prevented. In most buckling analyses, structural properties and applied loads are considered certain. Using the linear finite element method, the deterministic buckling analysis is done in two main steps. First, a static analysis is performed using an arbitrary ordinate of applied load. Using the obtained element axial forces, the geometric stiffness of the structure is assembled. Second, performing an eigenvalue problem between the structure's elastic and geometric stiffness matrices yields the structure's critical buckling loads. However, these deterministic approaches disregard uncertainty in the structure's material and geometric properties. In this work, an interval formulation is used to represent the uncertainty in the structure's parameters such as material characteristics. Then, the developed interval finite element methods are extended to solve for the bounds of possible values of loads that will result in a structural instability. Analogous to deterministic problem, the analysis requires that bounds on element axial forces in each frame element in a structure be calculated. These axial forces are calculated from a linear system of interval equations resulting from the static structural analysis. Using the calculated axial loads, a subsequent interval eigenvalue problem is solved for the critical buckling loads of the structure. The unique properties of finite element methods result in sharp solutions for both the interval linear system of equations and the interval eigenvalue problem. A structural problem is presented as an exemplar. The sharpness of the solution is demonstrated by comparing to exact solutions.
Bilski v. Kappos: Everything Old is New Again

My goal in this brief Essay is to introduce the symposium papers by describing the basics of the Bilski case. I also offer a brief thought about where interested observers might turn next in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's § 101 jurisprudence for insights about how that court may implement Bilski's unmistakable revival of Benson and Fook. Specifically, now that the 15-year Alappat/State Street misadventure, with its patent-maximizing "useful, concrete, and tangible result" standard, has come to an end, it is time to revisit the reasoning and results in a rich trove of cases from the Federal Circuit and its predecessor, the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (CCPA).
Mechanism by which commensal bacteria limit inflammation (MUC4P.844)

Trillions of bacteria live in homeostasis within the gastrointestinal tract and provide a variety of benefits to the host immune system. One beneficial function of the healthy microbiota is to protect the host from enteric pathogens; however, little is known about the mechanisms by which this occurs. We utilize a mouse model in which a single dose of the commensal bacterium, Bacillus subtilis , protects mice from disease induced by the enteric pathogen Citrobacter rodentium . Our goal is to elucidate the mechanism by which B. subtilis protects from inflammation caused by infection with C. rodentium . We identified exopolysaccharides (EPS) to be the active molecule of B. subtilis , and a single i.p. dose of EPS protects mice from infection. Because protection occurs within a few days, we hypothesized that EPS elicits a protective response by modulating the innate immune system. EPS binds F4/80 + CD11b + peritoneal macrophages, and after i.p. injection of EPS, we identified F4/80 + CD11b + cells that are MHCII + CD206 + , indicative of alternatively activated macrophages. We further show that peritoneal macrophages from EPS-treated mice suppress T cell proliferation in vitro, suggesting that these cells contribute to EPS mediated protection from inflammation. We are testing if these cells differentiate in the peritoneum following EPS treatment and whether they mediate protection from C. rodentium induced inflammation.
Chemical Messenger Systems

Neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neuromodulators are the chemical messengers that allow one cell to communicate with another cell or with itself.
Chapter 6 Optical information for collision detection during deceleration

Abstract In this chapter we will review the empirical and theoretical research on collision detection during deceleration. Most research on this issue has examined the time derivative of τ. An alternative to τ is presented that utilizes perceived speed and distance information for estimating collisions during deceleration. Finally, a general model for collision detection is presented that accounts for the detection of collision events for linear or non-linear paths and for constant or varying speeds. An important perceptual task is detecting and perceiving collision events. Many of the chapters in the present volume focus on the usefulness of the optical variable τ-which specifies the time to contact during an impending collision. The focus of this chapter is to review and discuss the time derivative of τ or τ · - which can specify a collision during deceleration. We will describe the theoretical usefulness of this information for regulating speed during braking, and review the empirical research on this optical variable. We will also present an alternative model to τ · , the constant deceleration analysis. Finally, we will discuss the broader issue of optical information for detecting collisions, including a general model for collision detection.
Biped robot locomotion in scenes with unknown obstacles

Focuses on sensor-based motion planning of a biped robot operating in an environment with obstacles. Using its sensors, the robot is able to obtain local information about its surroundings. A number of stable walking patterns are investigated. Depending on the shape and location of an obstacle on the robot's way, the decision making algorithm chooses the best relevant walking pattern; the robot then negotiates the obstacle and resumes stable motion. The proposed control strategy is based on the zero moment point. The stability of each walking pattern is ensured by adjusting the swing leg center of mass and hip position trajectories in a trial and error fashion, fast enough for real-time implementation. Simulation experiments demonstrate stability of motion when negotiating various obstacles.
Stochastic Modeling of Flow and Transport in Porous and Fractured Media

Estimation of various flow and mass transport parameters can be seen as a problem of spatial statistics. The definition of the properties of porous and fractured media in space and time using the concept of random functions provides means for (i) studying the inherent heterogeneity, (ii) evaluating the spatiotemporal variability of the properties, and (iii) assessing the uncertainty associated with their estimated values. In this chapter, the fundamentals of stochastic subsurface hydrology are presented. Applications include mapping hydrogeological properties, flow and transport in porous and fractured media, and inverse problems. Keywords: porous media; fractured media; spatial random functions; stochastic partial differential equations; statistics; geostatistics; inverse problem; joint inversion; subsurface characterization; fate transport; perturbation methods; spectral methods; spatial and temporal moments; ergodicity; stationarity; macrodispersivity; Monte Carlo simulations; conditional and unconditional simulations; Bayesian analysis; fracture connectivity
ACACIA: An Agency Based Collaboration Framework for Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Systems

We introduce a collaboration framework called ACACIA for multi-agent systems (MAS). ACACIA is a high level framework that focuses on heterogeneous agents. Our main goal is to create a collaboration framework that precludes the re-engineering of existing software agents. We also apply a case-based coordination scheme in which a database of collaboration protocols can be consulted during the collaboration process. This paper gives a macro-level description of our framework which is based mainly on the notion of agencies. First, we give our own view of agents and then present agency as our metaphor for agent organization. The rest of the paper will discuss ACACIA's problem solving paradigm and runtime system.
Critical Care of Intrathoracic Complications of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common underlying malignancy in cancer patients admitted to intensive care units. Because of the proximity to vital organs in the mediastinum, lung cancer frequently causes complications requiring critical care, including cardiac tamponade, central airway obstruction, massive hemopytsis, and superior vena cava syndrome. In addition, radiation and chemotherapeutic agents used to treat lung cancer may cause life-threatening pneumonitis in a minority of patients. There are several management options available for each complication. Educated decisions must be made based on individual patient circumstances. Technological advances have allowed for successful treatment of the majority of patients with such complications. For example, photoresection with the NdYAG laser can relieve dyspnea in 18% of patients with airway obstruction; hemorrhage can be controlled 80% of the time with bronchial artery embolization; and symptoms of superior vena cava syndrome may be relieved in more than 90% o...
Keep it going: maintaining health conversations using relational and instrumental approaches

The initial moments of conversations, particularly discussions addressing difficult or unexpected health topics, establish the context and tone of the entire discussion. We examined how elements of relational and instrumental communication occurring within the first five minutes of the request impacted the length of the discussion. A sample of 16 U.S. tissue banking organizations and their staff (n = 226) making telephone requests for donation to families of tissue-donation eligible patients (n = 1,465) agreed to participate in the research. The first five minutes of 430 (29.4%) audiorecorded request conversations were qualitatively coded and analyzed. The primary outcome measure was whether the conversation continued beyond the first five minutes (yes/no). Aspects of both relational and instrumental communication were associated with discussion length. A logistic regression analysis found that the total number of distinct topics disclosed and requesters' vocal affect during the discussion as well as characteristics of the family member approached about donation predicted conversational maintenance. This research demonstrates that "thin slices" of effective relational and instrumental communication can have a significant, positive impact on conversation length.
Determinacy and the sharp function on the reals

Abstract DuBose, D.A., Determinacy and the sharp function on the reals, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 55 (1992) 237–263. We characterize in terms of determinacy, the existence of the least inner model of “every real has a sharp”. We let ♯1 be the (partial) sharp function on the reals and define two classes of sets, (Π01)∗ and (Π01)∗+, which lie strictly between ∪β
Lysosomes and essential fatty acid deficiency

The hydrolytic activity usually associated with lysosomes increased in the homogenates and subcellular fractions of rat liver as a result of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. The proportion of the total (tissue homogenate) activity found in each subcellular fraction, however, was unchanged by EFA deficiency.
Microstructure and hardness of fiber laser deposited Inconel 718 using filler wire

A continuous wave 5 kW fiber laser welding system was used to deposit INCONEL® alloy 718 (IN718) layers in conduction mode by applying filler wire with a composition similar to the parent metal, which was extracted directly from a scrapped, service-exposed IN718 aerospace component. The quality of the deposits was characterized in both the as-deposited and fully heat-treated conditions in terms of the macrostructure, defects, microstructure, and hardness. Integral deposits with no visible porosity were obtained using the fiber laser deposition technique. In the as-deposited clad zone, weld metal liquation cracking led to the presence of minor microcracks in the lower layer beads near the layer interface. The crack healing behavior observed after post-clad heat treatment of the IN718 deposits supports the marked potential of using the laser deposition technique by filler wire addition to manufacture and repair/remanufacture superalloy components for aerospace applications.
From Treading Water to Smooth Sailing: Mentoring for New Academic Librarians

The two authors were paired as part of a formal mentoring program for orientation and to prepare for eventual promotion and tenure. One author has over twenty-five years’ experience on campus, and the other author has completed one year in her current position. During that first year, various themes emerged to remind both librarians that the more things change, the more they remain the same. As the mentoring experience evolved, it became difficult to distinguish the mentor from the mentee because both librarians understood that discussing common issues was mutually beneficial.
Dissociation of haemoglobin Chesapeake into subunits.

AMONG the large number of human haemoglobin variants of known structure, most are functionally normal. Haemoglobin Chesapeake (α2 92 Arg→Leu β2) is the first one found in association with elevated whole blood oxygen affinity and familial erythrocytosis. By contrast with haemoglobin A, isolated haemoglobin Chesapeake displays a six-fold increase in oxygen affinity and a marked reduction in haem–haem interaction (Hill's coefficient n=1.3), but a normal Bohr effect2. In the past two years, other variants with similar properties have been reported, but none has been studied as extensively as haemoglobin Chesapeake. These mutants provide considerable information relating the structure and function of haemoglobin, for their amino-acid substitutions are likely to be at sites crucial to the normal function of the molecule. It is of considerable interest that in four of these haemoglobins (Chesapeake, J-Capetown, Yakima and Kempsey), the substitutions are located in the area of contact between the α1 and β2 chains3. Three-dimensional models constructed from the X-ray crystallographic data of Perutz and associates indicate that, during oxygenation, there is considerable movement of the β chains relative to the α chains at this interface4. It is likely that the symmetrical dissociation of oxyhaemoglobin into αβ dimers also occurs at the α1β2 contact areas5,6.
Poverty and the Forward Falling Labor Supply Function—A Microeconomic Analysis

Abstract Existing subsistence, efficiency, target income and limited aspiration theories impose a backward-bending labor supply behavior on poor workers in less developed countries. Recent empirical studies of worker behavior in the unorganized sectors of LDCs contradict this view and report evidence of both a forward-falling and an upward-rising labor supply. This study formulates an increasing elasticity of substitution utility function model to analyze the observed behaviors. The function displays both nonhomotheticity and variable elasticity properties, and is capable of generating labor supply curves with forward-falling and upward-rising segments. While the upward-rising supply is considered to be usual worker behavior, the forward-falling segment represents a below-subsistence distress sale phenomenon, and the subsistence income of the worker is implied to occur at the turning point joining the two segments of the supply curve. Econometric estimates of the utility and the labor supply functions provide support to the theoretical results.
Biventricular repair in patients with heterotaxy syndrome

Objective Complex intracardiac and extracardiac anatomy is often confronted during biventricular repair in patients with heterotaxy syndrome. We examined factors affecting surgical outcomes in these patients. Methods Between January 1990 and July 2007, 371 patients received a diagnosis of heterotaxy syndrome; 91 (91/371, 24.5%) underwent biventricular repair. Left atrial isomerism was present in 73% (66/91) and right atrial isomerism in 10% (9/91), with indeterminate atrial anatomy in 17% (16/91). Median age at biventricular repair was 6.8 months (5 days to 22.3 years). Systemic venous anomalies were present in 75 patients, pulmonary venous anomalies in 26, and endocardial cushion defects in 36. Transposition complexes were present in 15 patients with atrioventricular discordance in 10; 8 underwent double switch, 2 received a physiologic repair, 2 underwent arterial switch, and 3 underwent the Rastelli operation. Other conotruncal anomalies included double-outlet right ventricle in 10 patients, tetralogy of Fallot in 3, and hemitruncus in 2. Separation of systemic from pulmonary venous return included intra-atrial baffling in 48 patients and extracardiac grafting in 2. Combined lesions were common, occurring in 99% (90/91). Statistical analysis with Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were performed. Results Average follow-up was 44.9 ± 57.5 months (3 days to 189.3 months). Kaplan–Meier estimated survival was 93.4% at 10 years; unbalanced complete atrioventricular canal was the only risk factor for mortality ( P = .006). Subsequent procedures were common with a 10-year freedom from reoperation or reintervention of 38% ± 7.5%. Arrhythmias occurred in 36 (39.6%) patients; bradyarrhythmia in 27 (29.7%) and tachyarrhythmia in 15 (16.5%). Freedom from any arrhythmia was 53.9% ± 6.7% at 10 years. Conclusions Excellent survival for patients with heterotaxy undergoing biventricular repair can be expected, even for multiple, complex lesions. Reintervention is common, and arrhythmia is a long-term concern. This experience shows that patients with heterotaxy syndrome and complex cardiac anatomy can be considered for biventricular repair. Patients with unbalanced complete atrioventricular canal are a high-risk group for which selection criteria are particularly important.
Calcium inhibition of adenylate cyclase: studies in turkey erythrocyte and S49 CYC- cell membranes.

Abstract We studied the mechanism of calcium inhibition of adenylate cyclase using partially purified components of the enzyme complex and computer analysis of free metal and substrate concentrations. A sigmoidal relationship was observed between percentage maximal adenylate cyclase activity with 1-isoproterenol/guanylyl-β,γ-imidodiphosphate and the calculated free calcium. Fifty percent inhibition occurred at 2.5 × 10 −4 m free calcium. This inhibition appeared to be independent of calmodulin. Calcium inhibited the holocatalytic enzyme in a manner indentical to that of the native enzyme, but did not affect the ability of 1-isoproterenol and guanylyl-β,γ-imidodiphosphate to promote the formation of the holocatalytic state. There was no effect of calcium on the conformation of the activated G unit nor on the holocatalytic enzyme as determined by sedimentation velocity analysis. Calcium did not cause detectable dissociation of the activated G unit from the catalytic unit, nor convert activated G unit to an inactive form. Calcium inhibition of the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase was studied in S49 CYC − lymphoma cell membranes. High concentrations of calcium inhibited manganese-stimulated CYC − enzyme, but this could be explained by competition between calcium and manganese for ATP. With addition of forskolin, CYC − adenylate cyclase utilized MgATP 2− as substrate and was shown to have a separate binding site for free magnesium. Calcium inhibited forskolin-stimulated CYC − enzyme by competing with free magnesium for its regulatory site. Calcium inhibition was noncompetitive with respect to MgATP 2− . We conclude that calcium inhibits adenylate cyclase by direct competition with magnesium for a regulatory site on the catalytic unit.
Endothelium-independent relaxation of rabbit coronary artery by 17β-oestradiol in vitro

1. We assessed the relaxant effect of 17 beta-oestradiol (10(-7), 10(-6) and 10(-5) M) on rabbit isolated coronary arteries precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha (3 x 10(-6) M), high extracellular potassium (30 mM) and Bay K 8644 (10(-6) M) plus high extracellular potassium (15 mM) by measuring isometric tension. 17 beta-Oestradiol (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) induced significant relaxation in coronary arteries from male and female rabbits. No differences were seen between arteries with or without endothelium. There were also no differences between coronary arteries isolated from male and female rabbits. 2. Inhibitors of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and vasodilator prostanoids, namely, reduced haemoglobin, N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and indomethacin, did not affect the relaxation induced by 17 beta-oestradiol in endothelium-intact coronary arteries. 3. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, did not affect the coronary artery relaxation induced by 17 beta-oestradiol. 4. The calcium concentration-dependent contraction curve in potassium-depolarization medium was shifted to the right by 17 beta-oestradiol (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) in the rabbit coronary artery and rat aorta. The -log EC50s of calcium in control and after incubation with 17 beta-oestradiol (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) were 3.7 +/- 0.09, 3.1 +/- 0.10 and 2.8 +/- 0.08 respectively in rabbit coronary arteries and 3.8 +/- 0.11, 3.3 +/- 0.14 and 2.9 +/- 0.15 in rat aorta. 5. The results indicate that 17 beta-oestradiol induces rabbit coronary artery relaxation by an endothelium-independent mechanism in vitro. A calcium antagonistic property may be involved in the mechanism of rabbit coronary arterial relaxation by 17beta-oestradiol.
Extrusion Chemistry of Wheat Flour Proteins: I. Free Radical Formation

ABSTRACT Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to study free radical production in hard red wheat flours extruded according to a two-level fractional factorial experimental design (11 and 14% protein content, 160 and 185°C, 16 and 20% moisture, 300 and 500 rpm screw speed, and mass flow rate of 225 and 400 g/min). All spectra showed dominant broad singlets (g = 2.0053–2.0059) from nitrogen-centered radicals originating from heat-induced peptide scission and reactions of lipid radicals with side-chain amino groups. At 77 K, sulfur-oxyl or peroxyl radicals (g = 2.008–2.018), thiyl radicals (g = 2.025), and disulfide radical species (g = 2.032–2.035 and 2.05–2.06), resulting from intra- and intermolecular electron migration and shear-induced scission of disulfides, sometimes were present. The strongest EPR signals occurred under conditions of maximum free radical production and minimum opportunity for radical recombination: high protein flour (14%), high die temperature (180°C), and low...
Solubility of C60 in alcohols and alkanes

The solubility of C60 was determined at room temperature in seven normal alcohols, four isoalcohols, four diols, one triol, and seven alkanes. It was discovered that C60 forms supersaturated solutions with alcohols and alkanes. The enigmatically low solubility of C60 in octane, observed in previous studies, was confirmed. Solubilities are less than about 35 ng/g in solvents with cohesion parameters larger than about 30 MPa12. When the data are examined with the Hildebrand-Scatchard equation corrected for the Flory-Huggins size effect term, the datapoints of the alkanes and the normal alcohols fall on a common second order polynomial curve. The solubilities in the diols are about three orders of magnitude above that curve; the solubilities of the iso-alcohols lie slightly below the curve. From the data we have deduced a free energy of melting of C60 to the undercooled liquid at room temperature of 108 kJ/mol.
Determinants of Intercountry Internet Diffusion Rates

This article employs cross-sectional data from 100 countries to analyze the main determinants of intercountry Internet diffusion rates. We set up an empirical model based on strong theoretical foundations, in which we regress Internet usage on variables that capture social, economic, and political differences between these countries. Our results support past findings that economic strength, infrastructure, and knowledge of the English language positively affect Internet connectivity. In addition to these indicators, the openness of a country, tertiary enrollment, and income equality are found to also have a significant positive effect on Internet diffusion.