cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization, effectiveness, and safety of tranexamic acid use in hip fracture surgery: A population-based study.

Abstract Objective To assess the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) use in hip fracture surgery. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using the Premier Healthcare database. A propensity score matching approach was applied to assess associations between TXA use and blood transfusion, perioperative complications, length of stay (LOS), and hospitalization cost. Results In 153,169 patients, TXA use was associated with a 17% decrease in odds of blood transfusion, no increase in the risk of perioperative complications, 16% shorter LOS, and minimal effects on hospitalization cost. Conclusion Our results are in support of a wider use of TXA in hip fracture surgery. Level of evidence Level III.
Should Judges Justify Recourse to Broader Contexts When Interpreting Statutes

Courts purport to abandon ordinary meaning only when words in a statute accommodate more than one meaning; to look to surrounding words, legislative history, and then public policy considerations, only if those previous efforts fail. The canon of statutory construction, “a word is known by its associates,” generally means nearest associates, or near as possible. An analogous language philosophy principle counsels increasing search radius only as needed. Dimensional extension advances the sequence to broader domains of information. Such incrementalist restrictions should require consistent justification of each broadening step by the inadequacy of preceding steps. But courts don’t do this, and shouldn’t. This essay references the legal debate between “textualists” and non-textualists and its philosophical parallel between minimalists and pragmatists. It illustrates court departures from the incrementalist model, and concludes that when judges choose broad evidentiary contexts in seeking statutory meaning, they need no more justification than when they choose narrower ones.
PURINE ENZYME ACTIVITIES AS MARKERS OF LYMPHOCYTIC DIFFERENTIATION: STUDIES OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM HORSES HORSES WITH SEVERE COMBINED IMMUNODEFICIENCY (SCID): 116

Foals with SCID lack both identifiable B lymphocytes and functional T lymphocytes. Morphological characterization of SCID lymphocytes showed them to be large granular lymphocytes (LGL), a morphology associated with natural killer (NK) cells in human and rat systems. Like NK and T lymphocytes, SCID LGL could be maintained in continuous culture in the presence of interleukin 2 (I1-2). The distribution of cell surface antigens and purine enzymatic activities were evaluated. Surface markers on fresh SCID LGL resembled normal peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) except for the pan-T marker (26%, SCID; 62%, Normal). Incubation of SCID and normal PBL with IL-2 for 2 weeks increased the percentage of cells carrying the lymphoid precursor (from 10% to 55%) and the monocytic (from 3% to 52%) markers. Normal PBL, however, lost the pan-T marker (from 62% to 2%) while no change was detected for SCID cells. Purine enzymatic activities (6 enzymes) for fresh SCID cells were 2 to 10 times higher than for normal PBL. When normal PBL were maintained in culture with IL-2 for several weeks, morphology and enzymatic activities had changed to those of fresh SCID LGL. These results suggest that LGL from SCID horses may be related to NK or T lymphocytes. (Supported by USPHS grant HD 08886.)
Themes, Doctrine, and Pedagogy in the 2013-14 National Health Law Moot Court Competition Problem

This publication contains two parts: a complete moot court problem and an essay explaining what the problem set out to explore. Topics covered include the First Amendment speech rights of government employees; the Health Care Quality Improvement Act as a source of immunity from tort and contract damages; employment as a locus of coercion and opportunity; and the debate over dangers attributed to vaccinations and the failure to vaccinate children.
An Inclination for Intimacy: Depictions of Mental Health and Interpersonal Interaction in Popular Film

One of the most potent influences on normative interpersonal behaviors is entertainment media (e.g., film). Evidence has long suggested that the portrayal of individuals managing mental health concerns is associated with erratic and violent behavior. Such health-framing tendencies could influence consumers’ mental models, prototype scripts, and other behavioral expectations about social interaction involving someone with a mental health condition. To date, however, no prior study has provided an interaction analysis of discrete instances of social engagement in popular media as they pertain to interactions involving someone who is managing mental illness relative to those interactions that do not. Here, we undertake this task, observing disproportionate schematic associations of mental illness with relatively more intimacy—in terms of topic, setting, and relationship types, among other characteristics—within film with mental health portrayal emphases. Implications for these patterns are discussed.
Abnormal Coagulation as a Risk Factor for Postoperative Complications After Primary and Revision Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have an increased likelihood of having an abnormal coagulation profile compared with the general population. Coagulation abnormalities are often screened for before surgery and considered during perioperative planning. This study assesses a preoperative abnormal coagulation profile as a risk factor for postoperative complications after total hip arthroplasty (THA), revision THA (rTHA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and revision TKA (rTKA) and then examines specific coagulopathies to determine their influence on complication rates. Methods Patients who underwent THA, rTHA, TKA, or rTKA from 2011 to 2017 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database and then assessed for preoperative abnormal coagulation profiles. Various postoperative complications were analyzed for each cohort, and two separate multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between abnormal coagulation and postoperative complications. Results 403,566 THA, rTHA, TKA, or rTKA cases were identified, and 40,466 (10.0%) of patients were found to have an abnormal coagulation profile. Patients with preoperative coagulation abnormalities had higher likelihoods of postoperative complications after primary TJA than in revision TJA. An international normalized ratio>1.2 was associated with the most types of postoperative complications, followed by a bleeding disorder diagnosis. A partial thromboplastin time>35 seconds was associated with only one type of postoperative complication, while a platelet count Conclusion TJA in patients with abnormal coagulation profiles may result in adverse outcomes. These patients may benefit from preoperative intervention. Prophylactic care needs to be personalized to the specific coagulation abnormalities present.
Groove-deepening trochleoplasty reduces lateral patellar maltracking and increases patellofemoral contact pressures: Dynamic simulation

Groove-deepening trochleoplasty is performed to restore patellar stability by increasing the lateral constraint applied to the patella by the trochlear groove. Multibody dynamic simulation of knee function was used to characterize the influence of groove-deepening trochleoplasty on patellar tracking and patellofemoral contact pressures. Computational models were created to represent seven knees with trochlear dysplasia, indicated by a flat trochlear groove and supratrochlear spur. The models were manipulated to remove the spur and deepen the trochlear groove to represent the average shape following a trochleoplasty. Knee squatting was simulated for the preoperative and postoperative conditions. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in output parameters were identified with repeated measures comparisons at every 5° of knee flexion. Trochleoplasty significantly decreased lateral patellar tracking, particularly at low knee flexion angles. Trochleoplasty decreased the peak lateral shift of the patella (bisect offset index) with the knee extended from 0.87 ± 0.14 to 0.75 ± 0.12. Trochleoplasty also significantly decreased the contact area and increased the maximum contact pressure at multiple flexion angles. Trochleoplasty decreased the average contact area by approximately 10% in mid-flexion, with a corresponding increase in the average maximum contact pressure of 13%-23%. Decreased contact area and increased contact pressures are related to altered patellofemoral congruity due to reshaping the femur without a corresponding change to the patella. Clinical significance: The results indicate groove-deepening trochleoplasty decreases lateral patellar maltracking, reducing the risk of patellar dislocations, but can elevate patellofemoral contact pressures, which could contribute to long-term degradation of cartilage.
How Community Ideology Influences How Much Firms Pollute

Utilizing ten years of panel data on 13,198 US commercial facilities, this study examines whether political contexts of facility location influences the amount of hazardous pollution facilities emi...
The world market risk premium and U.S. macroeconomic announcements

Abstract Conditional tests of the International CAPM in previous studies (e.g., Harvey, 1991) help identify predictability but not causality. In this paper, we take an event-study approach to examine if the world market risk premium is particularly higher on prescheduled US macroeconomic announcement days. Empirically, we apply the Savor and Wilson (2014) methodology to daily US stocks as well as foreign stocks cross-listed in the US. Our findings suggest that there is a causal relationship from the state of the global economy to the world market risk premium.
Integrative nuclear FGFR1 signaling (INFS) pathway mediates activation of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene by angiotensin II, depolarization and protein kinase C

The integrative nuclear FGFR1 signaling (INFS) pathway functions in association with cellular growth, differentiation, and regulation of gene expression, and is activated by diverse extracellular signals. Here we show that stimulation of angiotensin II (AII) receptors, depolarization, or activation protein kinase C (PKC) or adenylate cyclase all lead to nuclear accumulation of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and FGFR1, association of FGFR1 with splicing factor-rich domains, and activation of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene promoter in bovine adrenal medullary cells (BAMC). The up-regulation of endogenous TH protein or a transfected TH promoter-luciferase construct by AII, veratridine, or PMA (but not by forskolin) is abolished by transfection with a dominant negative FGFR1TK-mutant which localizes to the nucleus and plasma membrane, but not by extracellularly acting FGFR1 antagonists suramin and inositolhexakisphosphate (IP6). Mechanism of TH gene activation by FGF-2 and FGFR1 was further investigated in BAMC and human TE671 cultures. TH promoter was activated by co-transfected HMW FGF-2 (which is exclusively nuclear) but not by cytoplasmic FGF-1 or extracellular FGFs. Promoter transactivation by HMWFGF-2 was accompanied by an up-regulation of FGFR1 specifically in the cell nucleus and was prevented FGFR1(TK-) but not by IP6 or suramin. The TH promoter was also transactivated by co-transfected wild-type FGFR1, which localizes to both to the nucleus and the plasma membrane, and by an exclusively nuclear, soluble FGFR1(SP-/NLS) mutant with an inserted nuclear localization signal. Activation of the TH promoter by nuclear FGFR1 and FGF-2 was mediated through the cAMP-responsive element (CRE) and was associated with induction of CREB- and CBP/P-300-containing CRE complexes. We propose a new model for gene regulation in which nuclear FGFR1 acts as a mediator of CRE transactivation by AII, cell depolarization, and PKC.
MOVIES AND MYSPACE: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OFFICIAL WEB SITES VERSUS ONLINE PROMOTIONAL CONTESTS

ABSTRACTFew studies have examined the effects of Internet promotions within social networking sites. This study uses a comparison of online survey results from an official movie site and a movie contest promotion within a MySpace site to examine the effectiveness of the two online promotional tactics. Results indicate that overall the official Web site was more effective than the MySpace promotional page at increasing intent to see the movie. However, on the basis of the findings, the authors believe the most effective campaign would use both an official Web site and a social networking site. This study suggests additional research to explore the effectiveness of advertising messages on social network platforms and understand how users interact and respond to messages within these social communities.
The neuroendocrine effects of early life trauma

This chapter delineates the developmental trauma disorder (DTD) diagnosis proposed by the National Child Traumatic Stress DSM-V Taskforce. The numerous clinical expressions of the damage resulting from childhood interpersonal trauma are currently relegated to a whole variety of seemingly unrelated comorbidities, such as conduct disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and separation anxiety. The chapter discusses the effects of childhood interpersonal trauma on brain activity, self-awareness and social functioning. Several large-sample studies have examined the causal relationship between childhood interpersonal trauma and DTD symptoms. These studies have documented the correlations of age of first trauma exposure, trauma severity and duration of exposure with DTD symptoms. Contemporary neuroscience research suggests that effective treatment needs to involve learning to modulate arousal, learning to tolerate feelings and sensations by increasing the capacity for interoception and learning that, after confrontation with physical helplessness, it is essential to engage in taking effective action.
Quantifying the vitamin D3 synthesizing potential of UVB lamps at specific distances over time.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the ultraviolet B (UVB) output and in vitro previtamin D3 synthesis over time from various artificial light sources. Three incandescent lamps, T-Rex Active UVHeat 160 watt spot, T-Rex Active UVHeat 160 watt flood, and ZooMed PowerSun 160 watt flood, and two 1.2 m fluorescent lamps, Sylvania Blacklight 350 BL and ZooMed Reptisun 5.0, were studied. Total UVB irradiance and concentration of previtamin D synthesized using an in vitro ampoule model were quantified initially and at monthly intervals for 1 year. Incandescent lamps were measured at distances of 0.9 and 1.5 m while fluorescent lamps were measured at distances of 30.5 and 45.7 cm at the lamp's center, using both the radiometer and ampoules. Fluorescent lamp irradiance was also measured at the lamp's ends. Data were analyzed as a repeated measures split-plot in time using SAS with all mean differences determined using Least Squares Means. Incandescent lamp irradiance differences were seen at various distances. The UVHeat lamps had consistently higher previtamin D3 production and irradiance readings compared with the PowerSun lamp. Reptisun 5.0 was consistently higher in UVB irradiance over Sylvania BL 350 at both 30.5 and 45.7 cm. However, there were no differences when comparing conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3. Irradiance differences were detected between the centers and ends of the fluorescent lamps. Until UVB requirements for vitamin D3 synthesis in animals are determined, it is impossible to state that one light is superior to another. Zoo Biol 29:741–752, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Differential roles of medial prefrontal subregions in the regulation of drug seeking

The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in shaping cognition and behavior. Many studies have shown that medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in seeking, extinction, and reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rodent models of relapse. Subregions of mPFC appear to play distinct roles in these behaviors, such that the prelimbic cortex (PL) is proposed to drive cocaine seeking and the infralimbic cortex (IL) is proposed to suppress cocaine seeking after extinction. This dichotomy of mPFC function may be a general attribute, as similar dorsal-ventral distinctions exist for expression vs. extinction of fear conditioning. However, other results indicate that the role of mPFC neurons in reward processing is more complex than a simple PL-seek vs. IL-extinguish dichotomy. Both PL and IL have been shown to drive and inhibit drug seeking (and other types of behaviors) depending on a range of factors including the behavioral context, the drug-history of the animal, and the type of drug investigated. This heterogeneity of findings may reflect multiple subcircuits within each of these PFC areas supporting unique functions. It may also reflect the fact that the mPFC plays a multifaceted role in shaping cognition and behavior, including those overlapping with cocaine seeking and extinction. Here we discuss research leading to the hypothesis that dorsal and ventral mPFC differentially control drug seeking and extinction. We also present recent results calling the absolute nature of a PL vs. IL dichotomy into question. Finally, we consider alternate functions for mPFC that correspond less to response execution and inhibition and instead incorporate the complex cognitive behavior for which the mPFC is broadly appreciated.
Exporting planning: The work of Thomas Karsten in colonial Indonesia

During the past decade or so the interest in planning history in Europe and America has been accompanied by research into the extension of European planning concepts into former colonial empires during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Interest in the exportation of planning which Anthony King (1980) discussed remains, as is borne out in the research of Robert Home (1990) concerning the British colonial empire and Nico van der Heiden (1990) concerning the former Dutch possessions in Southeast Asia. American planners long have been familiar with Daniel Burnham, sometimes described as the father of American planning, and the attention he gave to the reshaping of Manila as well as his laying out of the hill station of Baguio initiated during a six-week visit to the American colony of the Philippines beginning in December of 1904 (Hines, 1974, pp.203-10; Moore, 1921, pp.239,242,245). This chapter describes the planning ideas which the Dutch architect and planner Thomas Karsten (1884–1945) championed in the former Dutch East Indies, presentday Indonesia, which is now the fifth most populous nation in the world. It analyzes the degree to which in his publications he reflected European planning thought and the extent to which European ideas accorded with the particular social and economic circumstances of colonial Indonesian cities. It concludes with a comment on the contrast between European building regulations and conditions then existing in indigenous urban enclaves.
Integrating amplifiers broaden field for Application of electric drives

This type of speed regulator should provide new applications for electric drives and set new machine-performance standards. Often these drives will provide greater flexibility of control and allow machine-design simplifications.
Studies on Leaf Surface Lipid of Tobacco III. Compositional Change in Alkane during Growth and Senescence of Tobacco Leaves

Alkane is the major constituent of epicuticular wax universally distributed in plants. Tobacco leaves contained 5–10 mg of alkane per 1000 cm2. The content gradually increased with leaf age. Leaves on the upper stalk contained more alkane than those on lower stalk. Components with carbon numbers from 27 to 33 occupied more than 98 % of the total alkane content. In relative ratios of alkane components, anteiso-C30 and normal-C31 were most drastically and increased, respectively, with leaf age regardless of stalk position. On the other hand, normal-C29 and normal-C33 increased and decreased, respectively, from the upper to lower stalk positions without being affected by leaf age. These results suggest the possible use of alkane composition as an index of leaf maturity and stalk position, for example, the ratio of anteiso-C30/normal-C31 for maturity and normal-C33/normal-C29 for stalk position.
The growth of functional rat glial cells in a serumless medium

Abstract A clonal line of rat glial cells (C 6 ) that produces the brain-specific protein, S-100, has been successfully adapted to grow in a serumless, chemically-defined medium without loss of its differentiated function. The results of nutritional studies of these adapted cells (C 6 s) emphasize the importance of determining the individual requirements of different cell lines for their optimal growth and function. These optimal conditions, which have yet to be completely determined for C 6 s cells, do include an absolute requirement for iron. Differences in patterns of growth and fatty acid composition are observed between the parent and adapted cell lines. Growth-promoting factors are produced by C 6 s cells, the characterization of which could be important to the understanding of cellular growth and control processes. The ability of functional cells to grow in a serumless medium should simplify study of the nature and control of some of the complex biochemical functions of cells.
Enlarging One's Stall or How Did All of These Sets Get in Here?

Following historical developments, this article traces two basic motives for employing sets within a physical setting and discusses whether they truly pose a problem for ‘mathematical naturalism’.
Income-related differences in the use of evidence-based therapies in older persons with diabetes mellitus in for-profit managed care.

Author(s): Brown, Arleen F; Gross, Amy G; Gutierrez, Peter R; Jiang, Luohua; Shapiro, Martin F; Mangione, Carol M | Abstract: ObjectivesTo determine whether income influences evidence-based medication use by older persons with diabetes mellitus in managed care who have the same prescription drug benefit.DesignObservational cohort design with telephone interviews and clinical examinations.SettingManaged care provider groups that contract with one large network-model health plan in Los Angeles County.ParticipantsA random sample of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes mellitus aged 65 and older covered by the same pharmacy benefit.MeasurementsPatients reported their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Annual household income (g or =$20,000 or l$20,000) was the primary predictor. The outcome variable was use of evidence-based therapies determined by a review of all current medications brought to the clinical examination. The medications studied included use of any cholesterol-lowering medications, use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) for cholesterol lowering, aspirin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in those with diabetic nephropathy. The influence of income on evidence-based medication use was adjusted for other patient characteristics.ResultsThe cohort consisted of 301 persons with diabetes mellitus, of whom 53% had annual household income under $20,000. In unadjusted analyses, there were lower rates of use of all evidence-based therapies and lower rates of statin use for persons with annual income under $20,000 than for higher-income persons. In multivariate models, statin use was observed in 57% of higher-income versus 30% of lower-income respondents with a history of hyperlipidemia (P =.01) and 66% of higher-income versus 29% of lower-income respondents with a history of myocardial infarction (P =.03). There were no differences by income in the rates of aspirin or ACE inhibitor use.ConclusionAmong these Medicare managed care beneficiaries with diabetes mellitus, all of whom had the same pharmacy benefit, there were low rates of use of evidence-based therapies overall and substantially lower use of statins by poorer persons.
World television news: An analytical map

This article analyzes five main groupings of world television news organizations: national broadcast networks, international TV news agencies, regional news exchanges, global satellite networks, and regional satellite vernacular networks. Key news organizations and the relations among them are analyzed to demonstrate an emerging web of global television that is both vertically and horizontally structured.
Testing the performance of a novel spectral reflectance sensor, built with light emitting diodes (LEDs), to monitor ecosystem metabolism, structure and function

Abstract We developed and tested the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) to monitor vegetation reflectance in narrow spectral bands as a tool suitable for quantifying and monitoring ecosystem structure, function and metabolism. LEDs are appealing because they are inexpensive, small and reliable light sources that, when used in reverse mode, can measure spectrally selective radiation. We selected LEDs in red and near-infrared wavebands as they are used to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The lab experiments revealed that the LEDs showed linear relation with a hyper-spectral spectroradiometer (R2 > 0.94 and 0.99 for red and NIR, respectively) and marginal sensitivity to temperature. To test the efficacy of this novel sensor, we measured spectral reflectance with LEDs over an annual grassland in California over 3.5 years. The LED-sensor captured daily to interannual variation of the spectral reflectance at the two bands with reliable and stable performance. The spectral reflectance in the two bands and NDVI proved to be useful to identify the leaf-on and leaf-off dates (mean bias errors of 5.3 and 4.2 days, respectively) and to estimate canopy photosynthesis (R2 = 0.91). We suggest that this novel instrument can monitor other structural and functional (e.g. leaf area index, leaf nitrogen) variables by employing LEDs that have other specific wavelengths bands. Considering that off-the-shelf LEDs cover a wide range of wavebands from the ultraviolet to near-infrared regions, we believe that the research community could explore a range of similar instruments across a range of bands for a variety of ecological applications.
Institutional anomie and societal variations in crime: a critical appraisal

Messner and Rosenfeld have proposed an institutional anomie theory of crime, incorporating the proposition that societal investments in programs to buffer citizens from capricious market forces (decommodification) are inversely related to rates of lethal violence among societies. They support this argument through an analysis of variations in homicide rates among nations. However, the research relevant to their theory is quite limited with numerous claims and arguments yet to be examined. This paper outlines several limitations of the theory and brings data from the World Values Surveys and other sources to bear on their characterization of American culture in comparison to other nations, their arguments about the impact of economic dominance on other institutions, and alternative explanations of the link between decommodification and homicide. Finally, the relevance of the theory to serious property crime is considered and shown to generate serious problems for institutional anomie theory when evaluated as a general theory of crime.
On Colonial Authority and Statistics: the Statistics System of the Chosŏn Government-General and its Censuses by Park Myoung-kyu and Seo Ho-chul

Statistical practices have often been assumed as routine and prosaic, if not entirely value-neutral, activities of the modern state, and as more or less universal in nature across European and non-...
Use Of Corrosion-Resistant Weld Overlays For High-Pressure Applications

High performance, corrosion resistant alloys are specified for oilfield applications where severe environments such as general corrosion, pitting, crevice corrosion, chloride stress corrosion cracking and more importantly sulphide stress corrosion cracking are encountered. Historically, alloy 625 weld overlay has successfully been used in severe corrosive environments.
High Speed Dynamics of Photonic Crystal Nanocavity Laser

We demonstrated high-speed photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with response time as short as ~2ps and direct modulation speeds exceeding 100 GHz. Such high-speed characteristics are enabled by the use of cavity quantum electrodynamics effects such as strong spontaneous emission rate enhancement
Benzofurazan Sulfides for Thiol Imaging and Quantification in Live Cells through Fluorescence Microscopy

Thiol groups play a significant role in various cellular functions. Cellular thiol concentrations can be affected by various physiological or pathological factors. A fluorescence imaging agent that can effectively and specifically image thiols in live cells through fluorescence microscopy is desirable for live cell thiol monitoring. Benzofurazan sulfides 1a–1e were synthesized and found to be thiol specific fluorogenic agents except 1d. They are not fluorescent but form strong fluorescent thiol adducts after reacting with thiols through a sulfide-thiol exchange reaction. On the other hand, they exhibit no reaction with other biologically relevant nucleophilic functional groups such as −NH2, −OH, or −COOH revealing the specificity for the detection of thiols. Sulfide 1a was selected to confirm its ability to image cellular thiols through fluorescence microscopy. The compound was demonstrated to effectively image and quantify thiol changes in live cells through fluorescence microscopy using 430 and 520 nm a...
Radionuclide studies of esophageal transit and gastroesophageal reflux

Esophageal scintigraphy is a sensitive test for evaluating esophageal emptying. Use of this test in combination with gastroesophageal scintigraphy should provide useful information about esophageal and gastroesophageal function, which should be of great clinical value to both the clinician and the investigator Gastroesophageal scintigraphy is the most sensitive noninvasive test for detecting gastroesophageal reflux; it permits quantitation of reflux; the technique is simple and rapid, and can be completed in 5 minutes in any nuclear medicine section equipped with a gamma camera. It is the first quantitative test of reflux and is useful in measuring the effectiveness of various therapies. Variations of the technique have been applied to detecting reflux and pulmonary aspiration in infants and children.
Dosage and cell line dependent inhibitory effect of bFGF supplement in human pluripotent stem cell culture on inactivated human mesenchymal stem cells.

Many different culture systems have been developed for expanding human pluripotent stem cells (hESCs and hiPSCs). In general, 4–10 ng/ml of bFGF is supplemented in culture media in feeder-dependent systems regardless of feeder cell types, whereas in feeder-free systems, up to 100 ng/ml of bFGF is required for maintaining long-term culture on various substrates. The amount of bFGF required in native hESCs growth niche is unclear. Here we report using inactivated adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells as feeder cells to examine long-term parallel cultures of two hESCs lines (H1 and H9) and one hiPSCs line (DF19-9-7T) in media supplemented with 0, 0.4 or 4 ng/ml of bFGF for up to 23 passages, as well as parallel cultures of H9 and DF19 in media supplemented with 4, 20 or 100 ng/ml bFGF for up to 13 passages for comparison. Across all cell lines tested, bFGF supplement demonstrated inhibitory effect over growth expansion, single cell colonization and recovery from freezing in a dosage dependent manner. In addition, bFGF exerted differential effects on different cell lines, inducing H1 and DF19 differentiation at 4 ng/ml or higher, while permitting long-term culture of H9 at the same concentrations with no apparent dosage effect. Pluripotency was confirmed for all cell lines cultured in 0, 0.4 or 4 ng/ml bFGF excluding H1-4 ng, as well as H9 cultured in 4, 20 and 100 ng/ml bFGF. However, DF19 demonstrated similar karyotypic abnormality in both 0 and 4 ng/ml bFGF media while H1 and H9 were karyotypically normal in 0 ng/ml bFGF after long-term culture. Our results indicate that exogenous bFGF exerts dosage and cell line dependent effect on human pluripotent stem cells cultured on mesenchymal stem cells, and implies optimal use of bFGF in hESCs/hiPSCs culture should be based on specific cell line and its culture system.
Time-varying risk The case of the American computer industry

A bivariate GARCH-in-mean model for individual stock returns and the market portfolio is designed to model volatility and to test the conditional Capital Asset Pricing Model versus the conditional Residual Risk Model. We find that a univariate model of volatility for individual stock returns is misspecified. A joint modelling of the market return and the individual stock return shows that a major force driving the conditional variances of individual stocks is the history contained in the market return variance. We find that a conditional residual risk model, where the variance of the individual stock return is used to explain expected returns, is preferred to a conditional CAPM. We propose a partial ordering of securities according to their market risk using first and second order dominance criteria.
Interferon regulatory factors in human lupus pathogenesis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe multisystem autoimmune disease that results from both genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Many lines of investigation support interferon alpha (IFN-α) as a causal agent in human lupus, and high levels of serum IFN-α are a heritable risk factor for SLE. Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) are a family of transcription factors involved in host defense, which can induce transcription of IFN-α and other immune response genes after activation. In SLE, circulating immune complexes that contain nucleic acid are prevalent. These complexes are recognized by endosomal Toll-like receptors, resulting in activation of downstream IRF proteins. Genetic variants in the IRF5 and IRF7 genes have been associated with SLE susceptibility, and these same variants are associated with increased serum IFN-α in SLE patients. The increase in serum IFN-α related to IRF5 and 7 genotypes is observed only in patients with particular antibody specificities. This suggests that chronic stimulation of the endosomal Toll-like receptors by autoantibody immune complexes is required for IRF SLE-risk variants to cause elevation of circulating IFN-α and subsequent risk of SLE. Recently, genetic variation in the IRF8 gene has been associated with SLE and multiple sclerosis, and studies support an impact of IRF8 genotype on the IFN-α pathway. In summary, the SLE-associated polymorphisms in the IRF family of proteins seem to be gain-of-function variants, and understanding the impact of these variants on the IFN-α pathway in vivo may guide therapeutic strategies directed at the Toll-like receptor/IRF/IFN-α pathway in SLE.
Ultrastructural changes in the stratum corneum after profuse swabbing of the skin with dimethyl sulfoxide.

Dimethyl sulfoxide /DMSO/ effect on morphology in basal layers of stratum corneum of guinea pig skin after profuse swabbing
Heart rate level and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT Objective To assess whether antisocial children are characterized by low heart rate. Method A meta-analysis was conducted on 45 independent effect sizes of the resting heart rate–antisocial behavior relationship obtained from 40 studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were conducted between 1971 to 2002 using a total of 5,868 children. A secondary meta-analysis was also conducted on heart rate during a stressor. Results Significant overall effect sizes were found for both resting heart rate ( d = −0.44, p d = −0.76, p Conclusions Low resting heart rate appears to be the best-replicated biological correlate to date of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Several theoretical interpretations of this relationship are outlined that should be examined in future studies.
Teaching freshmen VHDL-based digital design

Industry demand for highly-skilled digital VLSI and embedded systems engineers has made the teaching of design a challenging task for undergraduate educators. Increasingly challenging electronic design automation (EDA) environments call for a variety of skills in engineering graduates which necessitate not only industrial skills but also fundementals in basic science and digital design. These urgent needs are addressed by creating a digital logic design course taught at the freshman level that introduces students to VHDL design of digital VLSI systems while including core concepts. Critical thinking, logic synthesis and circuit innovation take priority over conventional analysis techniques. This case study includes example design projects that have been successfully implemented at The University of Akron.
Immunity to vaginal herpes simplex virus-2 infection in B-cell knockout mice

We investigated the involvement of antibody in protection against vaginal herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) infection by comparing intact and B-cell knockout (KO) mice. Vaginal immunization of intact mice with attenuated HSV-2 markedly reduced an HSV-2 challenge infection in the vagina. In contrast, immunization of B-cell KO mice produced less immunity against the challenge infection and that immunity occurred in a different pattern. At 20 hr after challenge, immunostaining of virus proteins in the vaginal epithelium and shed virus protein titres in the vaginal secretions were not significantly different between immunized and non-immunized B-cell KO mice and were much greater than in immunized intact mice. At 48 hr after challenge, the vaginal infection in immunized B-cell KO mice was markedly less than at 20 hr but remained approximately sevenfold higher than in intact mice. This pattern of challenge infection in the vagina indicates that B cells, and probably the antibody derived from them, provided significant protection against reinfection in intact mice, especially during the first 20 hr after challenge, while other effector mechanisms became important between 20 and 48 hr after challenge. To determine whether T-cell immunity in immunized B-cell KO mice was equal to that in intact mice, we assessed interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secretion by memory T cells in vivo in the vagina at 20 hr after challenge. We found no significant differences in the up-regulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens in the epithelium, up-regulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in vascular endothelium, or recruitment of T cells to the mucosa, indicating that the memory T-cell response to virus challenge was the same in intact and B-cell KO mice.
Infants and their families at risk: Assessment and intervention

Une des premisses essentielles des modeles d'intervention et de l'education d'un enfant est que le comportement du nourrisson fait partie d'un systeme de communication avec le milieu de mode de soin. Cependant, les nourrissons varient selon les messages qu'ils transmettent au milieu de mode de soin et les parents varient selon leur aptitude a interpreter les signaux de leurs nourrissons et a offrir une mode de soin approprie. Cet article examine la tension que peut exister entre la communication du nourrisson et le mode de soin approprie
Institutions, military policy, and human rights in Colombia.

In the past 20 years the people of Colombia have experienced increasing social and political violence. This political violence reached extreme levels during the administration of President Ernesto Samper (1994-1998), as 15,000 Colombians became victims of political killings (Bland, 1998:10). A central part of this violence has been the counterinsurgency war being waged by the government against well-armed guerrilla armies, with noncombat killings related to this war generally exceeding killings in combat. Throughout this war, the Colombian government has been able to maintain its system of competitive elections and relative control over the armed forces and actually broadened its "democracy" with a new constitution in 1991. How are we to explain this apparent contradiction? How has the civilian leadership' maintained its control over the state in the face of increasing social instability and violence? Why has the military been content with the power that it wields within this system? In order to answer these questions I examine military policy2 over the past 15 years, arguing that understanding Colombia's power structure and its relationship with the United States are central to understanding that policy. The distribution of power within a political system and the institutions that operate to regularize and maintain this distribution define the opportunities and constraints that guide, limit, and trigger individual or class action (Barrow, 1993: 14).
A GENERALIZED PERTURBATION APPROACH TO THE ANALYSIS OF MASS TRANSFER WITH CHEMICAL REACTION

A generalized perturbation approach is presented for the analysis of the simultaneous absorption of two gases in a liquid accompanied by a chemical reaction. The main objective is to derive approximate analytical solutions for the enhancement factors of the solute gases, for all reaction rates. The method consists of constructing a regular perturbation solution for slow reaction, whose convergence is accelerated by means of an Euler transformation, thereby extending its range of utility for larger reaction rates. Convergence is further improved by suppressing the leading singularity of the Euler-transformed series. The accelerated solution is found to predict the enhancement factors very accurately in the slow, intermediate and fast reaction regimes, and in particular, approach the boundary layer limit associated with fast reaction.
Threshold of Basin Discretization Levels for HSPF Simulations with NEXRAD Inputs

AbstractBasin discretization effects in HSPF simulations were investigated to provide useful insights for hydrologists to determine the proper catchment size for basin scale modeling. The next generation radar (NEXRAD) rainfall estimates were incorporated into the HSPF modeling environment to generate streamflows at various catchments sizes ranging from 37 to 2,484 km2. This research aims to identify how HSPF model performance can be improved by a marginal level of spatial discretization in rainfall-runoff modeling. Parameter estimation software was used for model calibration using data periods from 1998 to 2000. All simulations at different discretization levels above approximately 23% of the basin size resulted in good statistical values, with correlation coefficients of 0.82–0.87 and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients of 0.61–0.73. However, the modeling performances of HSPF are limited when the catchment size reaches below 8.18% of the basin size, regardless of automatic calibration efforts. The r...
Race Differences in Sexual Behavior: A Critique of Rushton and Bogaert’s Evolutionary Hypothesis

Rushton and Bogaert (1987) presented evidence of race differences in sexual behavior, sex-related physical characteristics, and sex-related physiological processes. They argued that these data supported a theory of genetic race differences in rK reproductive strategies. Rushton and Bogaert's (1987) article is criticized here on four grounds. First, they did not explain why natural selection would have favored different reproductive strategies for different races. Second, their data on race differences are of questionable validity because their literature review was selective and their original analyses were based on self-reports. Third, they provided no evidence that these race differences had significant effects on reproduction or that sexual restraint is a K characteristic. Finally, they did not adequately rule out environmental explanations for their data.
Low-Temperature Anharmonicity and the Debye-Waller Factor

Debye-Waller factor factorization facilitates experimental data analysis to yield low temperature anharmonicity gauge
Robust FPGA intellectual property protection through multiple small watermarks

A number of researchers have proposed using digital marks to provide ownership identification for intellectual property. Many of these techniques share three specific weaknesses: complexity of copy detection, vulnerability to mark removal after revelation for ownership verification, and mark integrity issues due to partial mark removal. This paper presents a method for watermarking field programmable gate array (FPGA) intellectual property (IP) that achieves robustness by responding to these three weaknesses. The key technique involves using secure hash functions to generate and embed multiple small marks that are more detectable, verifiable, and secure than existing IP protection techniques.
An approximate method for scattering in elastodynamics— the Born approximation II: SH-waves in infinite and half-space

Abstract The general formulation presented earlier is applied to the scattering of SH-waves by cavities and rigid inclusions. As an assessment of the range of validity of the Born approximation, the cases with a circular geometry are studied for infinite and half spaces. Both near and far field results are obtained. The results indicate that the approximation is good for up to ka ≊ 1 (k=wave number, a = radius of the circle) for the details of the scattering. Excellent agreement is observed however for almost the entire range of ka for the global motion of a rigid inclusion.
Young children reorient by computing layout geometry, not by matching images of the environment

Disoriented animals from ants to humans reorient in accord with the shape of the surrounding surface layout: a behavioral pattern long taken as evidence for sensitivity to layout geometry. Recent computational models suggest, however, that the reorientation process may not depend on geometrical analyses but instead on the matching of brightness contours in 2D images of the environment. Here we test this suggestion by investigating young children's reorientation in enclosed environments. Children reoriented by extremely subtle geometric properties of the 3D layout: bumps and ridges that protruded only slightly off the floor, producing edges with low contrast. Moreover, children failed to reorient by prominent brightness contours in continuous layouts with no distinctive 3D structure. The findings provide evidence that geometric layout representations support children's reorientation.
A synthesis for SF5 substituted fluorocarbon polymers

Synthesis of both hydrocarbon and perfluorocarbon vinyl polymers containing the SF5 group have been accomplished by the reaction of elemental fluorine with poly (S-vinyl-O-t-butylthiocar bonate(. The resulting linear polymers have pendant SF5 groups with similar structures to polytetrafluoroethylene and polyethylene.