cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain: Evaluating Risk for Chronic Postsurgical Pain.

Background The pathophysiology of pain involves complex nervous system interactions after initial noxious stimuli. When stimuli persist, biochemical and structural changes occur in the nociceptive pathways of the central and peripheral nervous systems, leading to pain sensitization. Peripheral and central sensitization are key in the transition from acute to chronic pain. This development of chronic pain is particularly common following various surgical procedures, with many postsurgical patients experiencing persistent pain for significant periods. Chronic pain is a common and severe complication of surgery, and preventing its development is tantamount in improving patient outcomes. Objectives To understand underlying pathophysiology of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) and the underlying risk factors predisposing the transition from acute to CPSP. To review our ability to identify patients at highest risk for the development CPSP. To identify evidence-based multimodal approaches that can aid in the prevention of CPSP. Study design Narrative review of peer-reviewed literature. Setting Inpatient surgical centers. Methods Medline and Cochrane databases were reviewed to identify publications relevant to CPSP pathophysiology, risk factors, predictive models, and prevention. Publications were selected based on author expertise to summarize our current understanding of CPSP. Results This review presents our current understanding of CPSP in the following domains: underlying pathophysiology, predisposing risk factors, predictive models of CPSP, and preventative strategies. Each section provides a structured review of key evidence base to understand the complex topic of CPSP. Limitations This narrative review is a nonsystematic review of relevant publications aimed at presenting succinct overview of CPSP. Conclusions The incidence of CPSP can potentially be reduced through early identification of perioperative, genetic, physiologic, and psychologic factors. Models predicting the development of CPSP continue to improve and may help focus preventative efforts in patients at highest risk. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of multimodal analgesia and anesthetic techniques in the reducing rates of CPSP development. Key words Acute pain, chronic postsurgical pain, pain sensitization, chronic pain prevention, regional anesthesia, pain adjuncts, neuraxial anesthesia, chronic pain risk factors.
Acoustic Coding of Information in a Complex Social Network: Identity Signaling in Northern Elephant Seals

The process of learning plays a pivotal role when an animal must correctly identify individuals within a dynamic social group. In male–male competition for access to reproductive success, a male’s ability to learn the calls that are associated with one’s rival can help to maintain structured dominance relationships and reduce the costs associated with fighting. Male northern elephant seals operate in one of the most competitive breeding systems among mammals, and selection pressures for accurate rival assessment are extreme. Through a long-term field effort that has tracked individual males over multiple breeding seasons, we have found that male elephant seals are operating in a large, spatially dynamic social network, which is conducive to the emergence of individual acoustic recognition and associative learning. Given their accessibility during the breeding season, the northern elephant seal provides an excellent comparative framework for studies of the relationship between signal function and an individual’s social environment.
Optimized Highly Efficient SSCB Using Organic Substrate Packaging for Electric Vehicle Applications

Solid State Circuit Breakers (SSCBs) are an attractive protection solution for their arcless current interruption and fast actuation speeds over mechanical breakers. This paper proposes a Bidirectional SSCB (BSSCB) with a thermally defined and digitally controlled current time profile for fault protection in EV and other low-voltage DC systems. The paper proposes an organic packaging approach utilizing flex circuitry to develop a reliable, cost-effective power module for BSSCBs. The paper studies transient heat transfer in the power modules using finite element analysis (FEA). An RC themal ladder network is extracted to define a fusing curve. To demonstrate and verify the design, a 1kV/50 A SiC MOSFET BSSCB prototype is fabricated and tested, having a power density of 60 $W/cm^{3}$ and 4x reduction in form factor over presently researched breakers. Also, given are results for 750 V/150 A operation showing interruption in 2.4 $\mu$s.
When causal inference meets deep learning

Bayesian networks can capture causal relations, but learning such a network from data is NP-hard. Recent work has made it possible to approximate this problem as a continuous optimization task that can be solved efficiently with well-established numerical techniques.
Engaging Youth in Placemaking: Modified Behavior Mapping.

Typically excluded from conversations about place, youth are becoming recognized as agents of change in placemaking. This article explores adapting a quantitative research method, behavior mapping, into a more youth-friendly qualitative participatory action research (PAR) method for placemaking projects, namely modified behavior mapping (MBM). The goal of MBM is to instigate placemaking conversations with youth with an understanding of an aspect of the lived experience of place and existing behavior. Sites are divided into observation zones, and youth are led through the zones by a trained facilitator. Like the quantitative method, MBM requires a list of behaviors of interest and a basemap. Behaviors are organized into groups on an observation sheet in a youth-friendly checklist format. A new checklist is printed for each observation zone. Basemaps can be an aerial photo or a downloaded map; however, creating a basemap by taking measurements will create science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities. While in the observation zone, youth check the behaviors observed. Unlike the quantitative method, MBM does not require strict data collection protocols or a statistical analysis which makes the method more youth-friendly. Instead, MBM affords an opportunity for youth to reflect on their use of space and on others’ use of space. Results are disseminated through focus group discussions in order to create design programs or designs of place.
Changing Disparity of Gastric Cancer Incidence by Histological Types in US Race-Specific Populations

Background:The incidence pattern of gastric cancer by histological types across major race/ethnic groups is unknown.Methods:Age-standardized rates from 1992-2016 by race/ethnicity were calculated u...
Single-Barrel, Double-Barrel, and Fenestrated Endografts to Facilitate Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Large RVOT.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that narrowing the landing zone using commercially available endografts would enable transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) using commercially available transcatheter heart valves. Background TPVR is challenging in an outsized native or patch-repaired right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). Downsizing the RVOT for TPVR is currently possible only using investigational devices. In patients ineligible because of excessive RVOT size, TPVR landing zones were created using commercially available endografts. Methods Consecutive patients with native or patch-repaired RVOTs and high or prohibitive surgical risk were reviewed, and this report describes the authors’ experience with endograft-facilitated TPVR (EF-TPVR) offered to patients ineligible for investigational or commercial devices. All EF-TPVR patients were surgery ineligible, with symptomatic, severe pulmonary insufficiency, enlarged RVOTs, and severe right ventricular (RV) enlargement (>150 ml/m2). TPVR and surgical pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR) were compared in patients with less severe RV enlargement. Results Fourteen patients had large RVOTs unsuitable for conventional TPVR; 6 patients (1 surgery ineligible) received investigational devices, and 8 otherwise ineligible patients underwent compassionate EF-TPVR (n = 5 with tetralogy of Fallot). Three strategies were applied on the basis of progressively larger RVOT size: single-barrel, in situ fenestrated, and double-barrel endografts as required to anchor 1 (single-barrel and fenestrated) or 2 (double-barrel) transcatheter heart valves. All were technically successful, without procedure-related, 30-day, or in-hospital deaths. Two late complications (stent obstruction and embolization) were treated percutaneously. One patient died of ventricular tachycardia 36 days after EF-TPVR. Compared with 48 SPVRs, RV enlargement was greater, but 30-day and 1-year mortality and readmission were no different. The mean transvalvular pressure gradient was lower after EF-TPVR (3.8 ± 0.8 mm Hg vs. 10.7 ± 4.1 mm Hg; p Conclusions EF-TPVR may be an alternative for patients with pulmonic insufficiency and enlarged RVOTs ineligible for other therapies.
Fecal microbiota transplantation and Clostridioides difficile infection among privately insured patients in the United States

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) may be rising in severity in the US over the past decade and its treatment landscape is changing given the recent adoption of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) We built a retrospective observational cohort using a database of a national care-plan containing medical claims of over 50 million individuals between 2008 and 2019. We used International Classification of Disease (ICD) and prescription data to identify patients with CDI. We estimated trends in disease burden and FMT use, and evaluated complications post FMT using a phenome-wide association approach. We identified 38,396 patients with CDI; the median age was 60 years (IQR 45–74) and 60% were female (n = 23,374). The rate of CDI increased from 33.4 to 69.46 cases per 100,000 person-years between 2008 and 2015, and stabilized from 2015 to 2019 (increase of 4.77 cases per 100,000 person-years per year, 95% CI 3.55–5.98 prior to 2015 vs. 2.01 95% CI − 10.16 to 14.18 after 2015). Of the 7715 patients with recurrent CDI, 407 patients (5%) underwent FMT. Gastrointestinal complications were increased within 1 month post FMT (OR 99.60, p < 0.001). Sepsis was identified in two individuals (0.49% 95% CI 0.05–1.7%) within the first month post FMT. The risk of CDI recurrence significantly decreased post FMT compared with anti-CDI antibiotics in the multivariable model (raw-recurrence rate 9.8% vs 36%, aOR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.12–0.53, p < 0.001). We show that FMT is strongly associated with a decrease in CDI recurrence compared with the usual care with generally mild complications for up to 2 years.
INCHE: High-Performance Encoding for Relational Databases through Incrementally Homomorphic Encryption.

Homomorphic encryption (HE) offers data confidentiality by executing queries directly on encrypted fields in the database-as-a-service (DaaS) paradigm. While fully HE exhibits great expressiveness but prohibitive performance overhead, a better balance between flexibility and efficiency can be achieved by partially HE schemes. Performance-wise, however, the encryption rate of state-of-the-art HE schemes is still orders of magnitude lower than the I/O throughput, rendering the HE scheme the performance bottleneck. This paper proposes INCHE, an incrementally homomorphic encryption scheme, which aims to boost the performance of HE schemes by incrementally encrypting fields in relational databases. The key idea of INCHE is to explore the intrinsic correlation between plaintexts and cache them for future reuse such that expensive HE primitives from plaintexts to ciphertexts are avoided. We prove the semantic security of INCHE under the chosen-plaintext attack (CPA) model and show that its time complexity is linear in the plaintext length. We implement an INCHE prototype by extending the Symmetria cryptosystem and verify its effectiveness on both randomly-generated data and the TPC-H benchmark.
Networks and Graphs

Although not as ubiquitous as algebra or tables, as discussed in Chapter 8, networks and graphs have often been used for optimization. In addition to graph-based languages for optimization, many systems have been implemented for specific types of problems, including project management software and interactive vehicle routing systems. Vehicle routing systems make extensive use of different types of graphs and networks [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] since a road map is just a graph. With respect to graph-based representations, this chapter concentrates on two topics: general systems for representing and manipulating graphs (Section 13.2), and techniques for drawing graphs in a clear, coherent fashion (Section 13.3).
The substantia nigra and its relations with the striatum in the monkey.

Publisher Summary Different sets of dopamine-containing neurons are affected in different clinical disorders. For example, in idiopathic Parkinson's disease and in certain other parkinsonian syndromes, including the parkinsonism induced by metabolites of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), the nigrostriatal pathway is much more severely affected than the mesolimbic pathway. The most consistent and severe damage in Parkinson's disease and MPTP-induced Parkinsonism is in the nigral complex itself. Examining the functional relationship between the dopamine-containing midbrain neurons and the striatum could thus be crucial in understanding how the input–output processing of the striatum ultimately affects the control of voluntary motor behavior. From a strictly cytoarchitectonic point of view, the substantia nigra of the monkey can be divided into the classic pars compacta and pars reticulata on the basis of the different cell densities in these subdivisions, and into two other subdivisions: the dorsolateral pars lateralis and a fourth much more recently designated cell group, the “pars mixta.” The pars mixta includes the dorsal part of the pars compacta of earlier accounts together with neurons of the adjoining tegmentum. The pars mixta probably in part corresponds to the pars gamma of the human substantia nigra. In some studies, alternative nomenclatures have been applied to these dopamine-containing cell groups in the nonhuman primate.
Unfulfilled Promise: Income Inequality, Communist Regimes, and Failed Democratic Transitions

The relationship between democracy and wealth has long been considered one of the more robust associations within the literature on democratizing states. One side of the debate situates wealth within the context of economic development, and argues that high levels of economic development are associated with higher levels of democracy. Others focus upon the incentive structure of the political and economic actors within the state rather than the structural trajectory of economic development to explain levels of democratization in a given country. Carles Boix argues that as income inequality rises and asset specificity takes on a specific form than the chances of democratic emergence and stability decreases. I argue that Boix’s assumptions associated with redistribution and taxation being the primary motivation for preference formation regarding democratization is not conceptually appropriate in communist regimes since pressures associated with taxation that determines the costs of redistribution operate very differently than conceptualized (or possibly not at all) in these types of authoritarian regimes. If preference formation regarding democratization in communist regimes is not driven by concern about redistribution and taxation than conclusions that are derived from a model that assumes such an association does not fit the political realities in communist countries. In short, since political elites and their preferences are formulated differently in these states then Boix’s theory operates differently (or possibly not at all) under these conditions. I test my argument using a nested analysis research design that utilizes a large-n dataset and case-study of Vietnam.
The Sensitivity of Salt Wedge Estuaries to Channel Geometry

AbstractThe authors develop a two-layer hydraulic model to determine the saline intrusion length in sloped and converging salt wedge estuaries. They find that the nondimensional intrusion length = CiL/hS depends significantly on the channel bottom slope and the rate and magnitude of landward width convergence, in addition to the freshwater Froude number. In the definition of , Ci is a quadratic interfacial drag coefficient, L is the salt wedge intrusion length, and hS is the depth at the mouth of the estuary. Bottom slope is found to limit the saline intrusion length, and this limitation accounts for the deviation of the observed exponent n in a scaling relationship with the river discharge of the form L ~ Q−n from the canonical value of 2 to 2.5 predicted by the theory of Schijf and Schonfeld for a flat, prismatic estuary. The authors find that estuary convergence is important only when the ratio of the slope-limited intrusion length to the convergence length is greater than one, and that the effects of ...
A probabilistic model of action for least-commitment planning with information gathering

AI planning algorithms have addressed the problem of generating sequences of operators that achieve some input goal, usually assuming that the planning agent has perfect control over and information about the world. Relaxing these assumptions requires an extension to the action representation that allows reasoning both about the changes an action makes and the information it provides. This paper presents an action representation that extends the deterministic STRIPS model, allowing actions to have both causal and informational effects, both of which can be context dependent and noisy. We also demonstrate how a standard least-commitment planning algorithm can be extended to include informational actions and contingent execution.
Lattice displacements above T C in the layered manganite La 1.2 Sr 1.8 Mn 2 O 7

Neutron-diffraction data presented in this paper demonstrate the relevance of lattice displacement above T[sub C], in our understanding of the evolution of the crystal structure with temperature in the layered colossal magnetoresistance manganite La[sub 1.2]Sr[sub 1.8]Mn[sub 2]O[sub 7]. The anomalous temperature behavior of thermal diffuse scattering in La[sub 1.2]Sr[sub 1.8]Mn[sub 2]O[sub 7] strongly suggests that it arises from lattice displacements and correlates directly with anomalies in the displacement parameters of the O and Mn atoms and the Mn-O bond lengths. From our measurements, the insulator-metal transition can be described as a transition from a high-temperature state with disordered Mn-O bond lengths to a low-temperature state with a more uniform distribution on Mn-O bonds. These observations are in agreement with polaronic charge transport above T[sub C] in the perovskite manganites; as electron hopping is responsible for bond disorder above T[sub C], below the transition where e[sub g] carriers are delocalized, any lattice displacements are uniformly averaged. [copyright] [ital 1999] [ital The American Physical Society]
A spectrum of situatedness for world language educators: a self-assessment tool

Creemos que la educacion en el mundo del lenguaje, en todos los niveles de la ensenanza, en los Estados Unidos esta en crisis. En este articulo respondemos a esta crisis mediante la propuesta de un modelo situacional y su relacion con cinco diferentes enfoques pedagogicos existentes en la ensenanza de idiomas a nivel mundial. Esclareceremos este espectro con la ayuda de cuadros del salon de clases que ilustren diferentes escenarios en el mundo del lenguaje y algunos de sus componentes curriculares. Concluimos el articulo con la presentacion de una herramienta que ayude al lector a orientar y direccionar sus propias practicas pedagogicas. Esta herramienta no se debe concebir como una opcion prescrita sino mas bien como un instrumento para orientar y guiar nuestros esfuerzos academicos. Se espera que esta nocion del modelo propuesto sea util para encontrar una terminologia mas exacta para caracterizar nuestras aulas de clase y nuestras practicas pedagogicas. Estamos abogando por una vision mas equilibrada y reflexiva del desarrollo curricular, en el cual la filosofia de los docentes y sus puntos de vista pedagogicos sean los principales agentes para el desarrollo programatico y el cambio.
Organization of short-term verbal memory in language areas of human cortex: Evidence from electrical stimulation

Abstract Short-term verbal memory (STVM) performance was measured during electrical stimulation of human left frontal-parietal-temporal cortex, at craniotomy under local anesthesia for the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy. The areas of cortex where stimulation alters language, as measured by object naming, are separate but adjacent to the areas where stimulation alters STVM. There are differential effects of stimulation during input, storage, and output phases of STVM at different cortical sites. These suggest that cortex adjacent to the posterior language area is a site of storage of STVM, while cortex adjacent to anterior language area is involved in retrieval from STVM.
Analysis of Water Morphology in the Active Area and Channel-to-Manifold Transitions of a PEM Fuel Cell

To achieve optimal performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, effective water management is crucial. Cells need to be fabricated to operate over wide ranges of current density and cell temperature. To investigate these design and operational conditions, the present experiment utilized neutron radiography for measurement of in-situ water volumes of operating PEM fuel cells under varying operating conditions. Fuel cell performance was found to be generally inversely correlated to liquid water volume in the active area. High water concentrations restrict narrow flow field channels, limiting the reactant flow, and causing the development of performance-reducing liquid water blockages (slugs). The analysis was performed both quantitatively and qualitatively to compare the overall liquid water volume within the cell to the flow field geometry. The neutron image analysis results revealed interesting trends related to water volume as a function of time. At temperatures greater than 25°C, the total liquid water volume at start-up in the active area was the lowest at 1.5 A/cm2. At 25°C, 0.1 A/cm2 performed with the least amount of liquid water accumulation. However, as the reaction progressed at temperatures above 25°C, there was a crossover point where 0.1 A/cm2 accumulated less water than 1.5 A/cm2. The higher the temperature, the longer the time required to reach this crossover point. Results from the current density analysis showed a minimization of water slugs at 1.5 A/cm2, while the temperature analysis showed unexpectedly that, independent of current density, the condition with lowest water volume was always 35°C.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Ten-year trends in heart valve replacement operations.

Abstract Background . There has been increasing concern in recent years about the quality and cost of heart valvular replacement procedures. The purpose of this study is to examine the profile of patients undergoing valvular operations during the past decade, and to look at trends in outcome and resource utilization over that period. Methods . Clinical and procedural data of 2,972 patients undergoing heart valve replacement at Emory University Hospitals between 1988 and 1997 were recorded prospectively on standardized forms by trained medical personnel and entered into a computerized database. Results . There were 1,802 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR), 966 undergoing mitral valve replacement (MVR), and 204 undergoing combined aortic and mitral valve procedures (AVR + MVR). No patients were excluded. There was a statistically significant trend for patients undergoing AVR, MVR, or AVR + MVR over time to be older and sicker by multiple criteria. Nonetheless, procedural outcome and in-hospital mortality for patients undergoing AVR remained unchanged. Cost and length of stay increased from 1988 to 1992 when a concerted effort to decrease resource utilization began. Between 1992 and 1997 for AVR, length of stay decreased from 13.4 to 8.0 days and cost from $37,047 to $21,856. Similarly, between 1992 and 1997 for MVR, length of stay decreased from 15.6 to 8.1 days and cost from $45,072 to $21,747. The net result over the time period from 1988 to 1997 was an average decline in the cost of operation of $785 a year, adjusted for other factors. Conclusions . This study reveals that outcome of valvular replacement during the period from 1988 to 1997 has remained constant despite the patients becoming older and sicker during the same period. This constant outcome has been accomplished, but length of stay has decreased significantly. Hospital costs increased during the first years of the study period, but then decreased to levels in 1997 that were equal to or significantly less than 1988 levels.
Business ethics: Conflicts, practices and beliefs of industrial executives

This paper presents the responses of 118 executives to a mail survey which examined their views of business ethics and various business practices. In addition to identifying various sources of ethical conflict, current business practices are also examined with respect to how ethical or unethical each is believed to be. Results are also presented which outline executive responses to four ethical business situations. Overall conclusions to the study are outlined, as well as future research needs.
Petroeuros: A Threat to U.S. Interests in the Gulf?

A lmost 70 percent of the world's international currency reserves the money that nations use to finance international trade and protect themselves against financial speculators takes the form of U.S. dollars. The dollar is used for this purpose because it is relatively stable. It is produced by a nation with a major share of world trade and financial assets, and certain commodities, in particular oil, are denominated in it. The net result is a large diversified demand for dollars. 1 Still, the use of the U.S. dollar as an international currency has been declining gradually for over 30 years. In the past several years, this reduction in the share of dollar reserves has accelerated with the decline in the value of the dollar and the rise of the euro as a legitimate contender for reserve-currency status. Traditionally, speculation over movements in the dollar's value has focused on technical issues
Uncooled infrared and terahertz detectors based on micromechanical mirror as a radiation pressure sensor

We consider midinfrared (5 - 25 μm) and terahertz (100 - 1000 μm), room-temperature detectors based on a microcantilever/micromirror sensor of the radiation pressure. The significant enhancement of sensitivity is due the combination of non-absorption detection and a high quality optical microcavity. Applications for spectrometry and imaging are analyzed. It is shown that the radiation pressure sensor potentially has sensitivity at the level of or better than the best conventional uncooled detectors.
A macrofunction for computer processing of comprehensive renal function studies.

Details of a series of computer programs associated with a complex renal function procedure, all linked together into a single “macrofunction” are presented. Input consisted of not only in vivo nuclear medicine information, but also data concerning patient identification, urine volumes, voiding time, urine specific gravity, blood pressure and other pertinent information. Computer output consisted of images, curves and typed information presented in an integrated format ready for inclusion into the patient's record.
REM sleep behaviour disorder: a window on the sleeping brain

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Ictal SPECT in patients with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder’, by Mayer et al. (doi:10.1093/brain/awv042). REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) continues to serve as an increasingly instructive window on the sleeping brain. The identification of RBD in humans in 1986 was predicted by Michel Jouvet’s 1965 feline model produced by bilateral perilocus coeruleus lesions and subsequently replicated in the rat (Schenck et al. , 2002). Initially, human RBD was felt to be a curious and fascinating experiment in nature resulting in the isolated absence of atonia during REM sleep, permitting the ‘acting out of dreams’ (or, the ‘dreaming out of acts’). As more diverse groups of patients were studied, and as patients with RBD were followed over time, a number of interesting facts and correlations emerged. One of these was that the overwhelming majority (up to 90%) of patients with what initially appeared to be ‘idiopathic’ RBD would eventually develop a neurodegenerative disease (often following a delay of decades), particularly one of the synucleinopathies (Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, or multiple system atrophy) (Iranzo et al. , 2014). Furthermore, waking motor manifestations of bradykinesia and hypophonia in patients with comorbid Parkinson’s disease and RBD were markedly improved during movements and vocalizations within episodes of RBD (De Cock et al. , 2007). Similar findings were reported for RBD associated with multiple system atrophy (De Cock et al. , 2011), with enhanced facial expression, improved speech and faster/stronger movements in REM sleep compared to wakefulness. These improvements were unlikely to be due to enhanced dopamine transmission because patients with multiple system atrophy are poorly …
Filtration properties of mycelial microbial broths

The filtration properties of three mycelial cultures (Streptomyces griseus, Streptomyces tendae, and Penicillium chrysogenum) have been measured and quantified in terms of standard filtration equations. Three of the filtration parameters, the hyphal density, the index of compressibility, and the Kozeny constant, were found to vary systematically with broth age and with the visually observed morphology (i.e., pellets vs filaments). Since broth age and mycelial morphology both have a strong influence on bioreactor productivity, it is suggested that filtration could be used for on-line monitoring of mycelial fermentations.
STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY: SOCIETAL OBJECTIVES AND THE CORPORATE WELFARE ARGUMENT

I. INTRODUCTION Virtually all industrialized nations encourage greater investment in research and development (RD in some cases the government actually shares some RD Link, 2006; Tassey, 2005), the resistance to such programs in general, and ATP specifically, makes sensational headlines and Congressional Testimony. Carnahan (2005) in a recent Forbes.com article claims that "the notion of government-led industrial and technological development has been widely discredited." There has been public backlash against programs like ATP claiming that they are little more than corporate welfare. (2) Moore (1997) of the Cato Institute, in testimony before a U.S. Senate subcommittee, (3) cites ATP as the most egregious example of corporate welfare. His argument concerns the efficiency of capital markets as: the very essence of our modern-day capitalist system. The underlying theology of the ATP is that government can identify companies and emerging technologies that warrant capital financing better than the proven experts in the financial markets can (Moore, 1997). The problem with this reasoning, in our view, is that Cato has a myopic view of societal benefits. It may well be that venture capitalists can identify companies and technologies that maximize profits, but there are other components of the government's objective function. Just as importantly, this view does not take into account industries characterized by intra-industry international competition. The results of this article suggest that in a two-country world, the home country benefits by subsidizing its domestic firm both when the away country does not subsidize and when it does. Thus, what we call the "Dual" subsidy regime, when both countries subsidize their local firm, is the Nash equilibrium of the subsidy game. The question of whether these equilibrium subsidies constitute corporate welfare hinges on whether the governments' objective function (i.e., social surplus, the sum of consumer surplus, profits, other domestic benefits, minus the cost of the subsidy) increases or decreases as compared to the "Base" case of no subsidies at all. An RD Haaland and Kind, 2006). Neither is it hard to find examples where ATP funds projects for U.S. firms, the funding agency in another country funds the U.S. firm's foreign competitor, and both firms are being funded for similar technologies. For example, the EU's Framework Program has awarded grants to EU firms in the photonics industry since Framework's inception in 1984. …
GWAS or Gee Whiz, PSAS or Pshaw: Elucidating the biologic and clinical significance of genetic variation in cardiovascular disease

Over the last two decades, the genetic underpin-ningsofheritablecardiovasculardiseasehavebeenunveiledwith the discovery of rare pathogenic mutations that causecardiac channelopathies and cardiomyopathies. In addition,the inﬂuence of common genetic variation (polymorphisms)on both physiology and pathology is slowly being illumi-nated. As technology has advanced, so has our ability tofurther interrogate the genome. With the completion of theﬁnal draft of the Human Genome Project in 2004,
Endothelial colony-forming cells and mesenchymal stem cells from ECMO circuits of term infants

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been examined in numerous adult diseases and have been suggested as a cellular-based therapy. However, there are no reports describing EPCs being isolated from newborn peripheral blood. Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), a subtype of EPCs, were isolated from blood collected from 12 neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits. ECFCs were isolated in all samples. We unexpectedly isolated a distinctly different colony of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in seven samples. Both cell types expressed the expected endothelial or mesenchymal cell surface antigens. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ECFCs and MSCs isolated from peripheral blood of critically ill term newborns. Both cells types may be mobilized in response to critical illness or to the ECMO circuit. Further studies evaluating the role of stem cells in various newborn conditions are warranted.
Earnings quality effect of state antitakeover statutes

Abstract Existing theories suggest two opposite effects that antitakeover protection may have on earnings management: the exacerbating effect and the mitigating effect. We use the introduction of state antitakeover laws during the mid- to late-1980s as a natural experiment to test the relationship between antitakeover protection and earnings quality. The results show that firms incorporated in states that passed the laws have lower magnitudes of abnormal accruals and higher levels of earnings informativeness in the post-passage periods, suggesting that antitakeover protection mitigates earnings management and enhances earnings quality. Further evidence shows that reductions in earnings management are concentrated in firms with low firm-level antitakeover protection and in firms with serious agency problems, and that the earnings management effect of state antitakeover laws is likely to be of short-term duration.
Phosphorylation of the porcine skeletal and cardiac muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum ryanodine receptor

Porcine skeletal and cardiac muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicle fractions enriched in the ryanodine receptor were phosphorylated in the presence of [γ-32P]MgATP and either exogenous cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK), or Ca2+ plus calmodulin. Phosphorylation of the cardiac muscle ryanodine receptor in the presence of either cAMP-PK or calmodulin (6.4 and 10.6 pmol Pi/mg SR respectively) was approximately equal to or twice the [3H]ryanodine binding activity of this preparation (5.2 pmol/mg). Furthermore, cardiac muscle ryanodine receptor Pi incorporation catalyzed by cAMP-PK and calmodulin was approximately additive. In skeletal muscle SR, however, the level of cAMP-PK or calmodulin catalyzed phosphorylation of the intact ryanodine receptor (0.2 or 2.9 pmol Pi/mg SR, respectively) was much less than the [3H]ryanodine binding activity of this fraction (11.6 pmol/mg). Furthermore, Pi incorporation into the intact skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor was 3–8-fold less than that incorporated into a component of slightly lower Mr. Although this latter component comigrated with an immunoreactive fragment of the ryanodine receptor on polyacrylamide gels, it did not appear to be derived from the ryanodine receptor. We conclude that the significant phosphorylation of the cardiac muscle SR ryanodine receptor indicates a likely physiological role for protein kinase-mediated regulation of this Ca2+-channel. In contrast, the minimal phosphorylation of the skeletal muscle SR ryanodine receptor indicates that such a role of protein kinases is unlikely in this tissue.
Barium Evokes Glutamate Release from Rat Brain Synaptosomes by Membrane Depolarization: Involvement of K+, Na+, and Ca2+ Channels

During K(+)-induced depolarization of isolated rat brain nerve terminals (synaptosomes), 1 mM Ba2+ could substitute for 1 mM Ca2+ in evoking the release of endogenous glutamate. In addition, Ba2+ was found to evoke glutamate release in the absence of K(+)-induced depolarization. Ba2+ (1-10 mM) depolarized synaptosomes, as measured by voltage-sensitive dye fluorescence and [3H]-tetraphenylphosphonium cation distribution. Ba2+ partially inhibited the increase in synaptosomal K+ efflux produced by depolarization, as reflected by the redistribution of radiolabeled 86Rb+. The release evoked by Ba2+ was inhibited by tetrodotoxin (TTX). Using the divalent cation indicator fura-2, cytosolic [Ca2+] increased during stimulation by approximately 200 nM, but cytosolic [Ba2+] increased by more than 1 microM. Taken together, our results indicate that Ba2+ initially depolarizes synaptosomes most likely by blocking a K+ channel, which then activates TTX-sensitive Na+ channels, causing further depolarization, and finally enters synaptosomes through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels to evoke neurotransmitter release directly. Though Ba(2+)-evoked glutamate release was comparable in level to that obtained with K(+)-induced depolarization in the presence of Ca2+, the apparent intrasynaptosomal level of Ba2+ required for a given amount of glutamate release was found to be several-fold higher than that required of Ca2+.
1310 KINETIC AND METABOLIC STUDIES OF AN INTRAVENOUSLY ADMINISTERED IMMUNOGLOBULIN PREPARATION IN A NEONATAL LAMB MODEL

Bacterial sepsis and meningitis persist as major neonatal problems despite a wide variety of effective antibiotics. Recent studies have shown that a deficiency of opsonic antibody is associated with increased risk to developing group B strep-tococcal (GBS) sepsis and meningitis. We have previously shown that a new human immunoglobulin preparation modified for intravenous administration (MISG) protected suckling rats from lethal GBS infection. The present studies were designed to evaluate the kinetics and metabolic effects of MISG in the neonatal lamb. MISG (0.5 to 1.0 gm/kg) was given IV over 15 min and blood samples were obtained at 15, 30 and 60 min, and at 4 and 24 hr. No overt toxic or anaphylactic effects were observed. IgG levels peaked at about 800 mg/dl (0.5 gm/kg/dose) and 1500 mg/dl (1.0 gm/kg/dose). Changes in serum osmolality and oncotic pressure were minimal, but serum glucose levels were elevated at 30 and 60 min after infusion. Post infusion Na, K and Cl were not different from baseline levels. These data show that IV administration of MISG in a neonatal model elevates serum IgG levels without inducing serious side effects. Passive administration of human IgG to neonates may provide a valuable adjunct to standard antibiotic therapy of bacterial disease and future studies appear warranted.
Change in the template specificity of RNA polymerase during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis.

RNA polymerase from sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis fails to transcribe phage ϕe DNA in vitro while RNA polymerase from vegetative cells is active with the same template.
Polymerized crystalline colloidal array sensing of high glucose concentrations.

We are developing photonic crystal glucose sensing materials to continuously monitor relatively high glucose concentrations, such as found in blood. We modified our synthetic fabrication methodologies in order to increase the glucose concentration range and to increase the reproducibility of our PCCA fabrication. We have also advanced our understanding of the sensing response by developing a mechanical method to independently determine the hydrogel cross-link density. Our investigation of the sensing mechanism indicates that glucose binding depends mainly on the boronic acid concentrations and affinities. We determined the binding constant of 2-fluoro-5-aminophenyl boronic acid for glucose under physiological conditions. We have examined the dependence of glucose sensing upon interferences by other species that ligand to boronic acids, such as lactate and human serum albumin. We examined the stability of our sensors over a period of weeks at room temperature and demonstrated that we could further stabiliz...
G-Closed fields and imbeddings of quadratic number fields

Abstract A field, K , that has no extensions with Galois group isomorphic to G is called G -closed. It is proved that a finite extension of K admits an infinite number of nonisomorphic extensions with Galois group G . A trinomial of degree n is exhibited with Galois group, the symmetric group of degree n , and with prescribed discriminant. This result is used to show that any quadratic extension of an A n -closed field admits an extension with Galois group A n .
Patient with Acute Shortness of Breath, Elevated D-Dimer, and a Previous History of Cancer

A 69-y-old man with a history of small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and pulmonary hypertension stated that he had shortness of breath. The D-dimer level was elevated at 1,385. The patient inhaled a calculated 51.8 MBq (1.4 mCi) of 99mTc-diethylenetriminepentaacetic acid aerosol, after which
Sketching with projective 2D strokes

Freehand sketching has long had appeal as an artistic medium for conceptual design because of its immediacy in capturing and communicating design intent and visual experience. We present a sketching paradigm that supports the early stages of design by preserving the fluidity of traditional freehand drawings. In addition, it attempts to fill the gap between 2D drawing programs, which have fixed views, and 3D modeling programs that allow arbitrary views. We implement our application as a two-dimensional drawing program that utilizes a projective representation of points — i.e. points that lie on the surface of a unit sphere centered at the viewpoint. This representation facilitates the production of novel re-projections generated from an initial perspective sketch and gives the user the impression of being immersed in the drawing or space. We describe a method for aligning a sketch drawn outside the system using its vanishing points, allowing the integration of computer sketching and freehand sketching on paper in an iterative manner. The user interface provides a virtual camera, projective grids to guide in the construction of proportionate scenes, and the ability to underlay sketches with other drawings or photographic panoramas.
Cultural sensitivity: Problems and solutions in applied and preventive intervention

Abstract Applied and preventive intervention research must consider cultural diversity as a matter of course, not only for reasons of social justice, ethical acceptability, and effectiveness, but given major historical and demographic changes in the United States. This article raises several issues commonly encountered in such research—from key conceptual issues surrounding the construct of race, ethnicity, culture, and minority status, to the conceptualization, design, recruitment, measurement, delivery, data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of an intervention—and suggests possible solutions aimed at fostering genuine cultural sensitivity while satisfying the demands of rigorous scientific inquiry. This article is not a guide to the do's and don'ts of cultural sensitivity, but rather an attempt to stimulate discussion in an area that should be of concern to all psychologists interested in applied and preventive intervention.
Characterization of the mouse liver cell line FL83B

Abstract The previously reported mouse liver cell line FL83B has been characterized more completely with respect to its light and electron microscopic appearance, chromosomal composition, and ability to secrete various serum proteins. These cells bear many striking morphological similarities to parenchymal liver cells. Chromosomal analysis showed that the cells were transformed. The ability of these cells to grow in a completely chemically defined medium permitted the unequivocal demonstration of the synthesis of at least 12 mouse serum proteins including albumin and high density lipoprotein.
An investigation of the sensitivity of a land surface model to climate change using a reduced form model

In an illustration of a model evaluation methodology, a multivariate reduced form model is developed to evaluate the sensitivity of a land surface model to changes in atmospheric forcing. The reduced form model is constructed in terms of a set of ten integrative response metrics, including the timing of spring snow melt, sensible and latent heat fluxes in summer, and soil temperature. The responses are evaluated as a function of a selected set of six atmospheric forcing perturbations which are varied simultaneously, and hence each may be thought of as a six-dimensional response surface. The sensitivities of the land surface model are interdependent and in some cases illustrate a physically plausible feedback process. The important predictors of land surface response in a changing climate are the atmospheric temperature and downwelling longwave radiation. Scenarios characterized by warming and drying produce a large relative response compared to warm, moist scenarios. The insensitivity of the model to increases in precipitation and atmospheric humidity is expected to change in applications to coupled models, since these parameters are also strongly implicated, through the representation of clouds, in the simulation of both longwave and shortwave radiation.
Ferrrous hemoglobin scavenging of endothelium derived nitric oxide is a principal mechanism for hemoglobin mediated vasoactivities in isolated rat thoracic aorta.

The exact mechanism of hemoglobin (Hb) associated vasoconstriction has not been elucidated. We investigated this problem using isolated superfused rat aortic rings with intact endothelium. Human stroma-free hemoglobin solution (SFH) at 2uM reversed vaso relxation induced by 33uM acetylcholine (Ach). Further, pretreatment with 4uM SFH inhibited Ach(333uM) induced dilation. The SFH induced contraction was reversible by glyceryltrinitrate (GTN), a nitric oxide (NO) donor. Preincubation with a NO synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (NAME, 0.4mM) caused almost complete inhibition of the Hb vasoactivity. Unlike SFH (ferrous oxyHb), prenitrosylated SFH (HbNO) or ferric Hb derivatives (e.g., metHb, HbCN) did not elicit vasoconstriction. The presence of 2uM SFH did not significantly reduce the vasodilatory effectiveness of endothelium independent vasodilators isoproteranol (ISO) and papaverine (PPV). These results suggest that a primary mechanism for Hb vasoconstrictor activity is ferrous Hb scavengin...
Increased hyaluronic acid production on stimulation of DNA synthesis in chick embryo fibroblasts.

Increased hyaluronic acid production on stimulation of DNA synthesis in chick embryo fibroblasts