cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Latest Concepts in Inpatient Hepatic Encephalopathy Management

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a common complication in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, significantly impacts quality of life and also survival. Current nomenclature recognizes type A HE (acute liver failure), type B (portosystemic shunts absent liver disease), and type C (liver disease). Recently, it has been observed that HE is an additional risk factor for death in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Thus, it has been proposed that HE in the setting of ACLF be considered a separate entity and that there may be important subtypes, namely isolated HE (without extrahepatic organ failure) and HE-associated ACLF (with extrahepatic organ failure), that carry different prognoses. The mechanism of the latter is not well known but thought to be from the combination of hyperammonemia and systemic inflammation. The confirmation of HE diagnosis requires exclusion of other possible causes. Precipitating factors of HE must be treated if they are identified. Early detection of extrahepatic organ failure is vital for risk stratification purposes and to determine the need for organ support. Specific HE treatment should be initiated with a nonabsorbable disaccharide (i.e., lactulose) in most cases. Rifaximin can be added in patients not responding to lactulose. Other treatments including zinc, l-ornithine l-aspartate, branched-chain amino acids, and molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) can be considered in refractory HE. If technically feasible, large portosystemic shunts may be embolized. Ultimately, liver transplant is the most definitive treatment option for HE, especially in the setting of ACLF. However, current organ allocation system does not take HE into account and active infection in ACLF can be a contraindication for liver transplant.
Parallel Algorithms and Architectures for Consistent Labeling

Publisher Summary This chapter describes parallel algorithms and architectures for consistent labeling. The chapter presents the development of a simple systolic implementation of the straightforward sequential method and of a faster sequential algorithm that runs in O ( n 2 m 2 ) time. In the latter algorithm, each time unit corresponds to a simple arithmetic/logic operation. Based on this algorithm, a second design is proposed. The designs assume that a communication step takes comparable time as a computation step. A parallel algorithm to handle this situation is also presented in the chapter. This algorithm is suitable for implementation on distributed and shared memory multiprocessor systems. Results of implementation of this algorithm on various configurations of an iPSC/860 are also presented in the chapter.
Molecular biology of peptide receptors

Peptides are a large class of endogenous molecules involved in neurotransmission. Most peptide receptors have a typical seven transmembrane spanning-like structure. Structure-function analysis of cloned peptide receptors has revealed important information on the ligand binding domains and regions of the receptors involved in coupling to G proteins and cellular effector systems. Somatostatin receptors consist of a family of five receptor subtypes which have approximately 50% amino acid sequence identity. Selective ligands have been identified at 3 of the 5 receptors and have been useful in revealing distinct functions of those subtypes. The subtype SSTR2 mediates important physiological actions of somatostatin including regulation of growth hormone release and is a target of anticancer agents. Ligand binding domains of this receptor have been identified using site-directed mutagenesis approaches. A region of four amino acids at the juncture of the third extracellular loop and transmembrane seven is involved in binding of synthetic hexaand octapeptide analogs of somatostatin. A phenylalanine within this region is especially critical for binding octapeptide analogs such as Sandostatin. The third intracellular loop of this receptor may be particularly important in coupling the receptor to G proteins and appears to contain sites that may be involved in the desensitization of the receptor. In fact, this receptor becomes phosphorylated during desensitization. Phosphorylation of sites within the third intracellular loop of the receptor may be responsible for uncoupling the receptor from G proteins and cellular effector systems. Biochemical studies have revealed which G proteins associate with this receptor and have indicated that different G proteins link the receptor to distinct cellular effector systems. Because of the important physiological roles of this receptor and its involvement in mediating therapeutic actions of somatostatin analogs, non-peptide SSTR2 drugs may have a number of clinical uses. Structure-function analysis of this receptor may facilitate the development of these drugs.
Evacuated FM08 Fuses Carry a Sustained Arc in a Bus over 75 VDC

The FM08 style fuse is specified to interrupt an overcurrent of up to 300 A in a bus of up to 125 VDC, but this applies only when its barrel is filled with air. When placed into a space-grade vacuum, the FM08 style fuse exhausts its air within a year. Then, the probability of an enduring arc is high for all ratings when the bus is above 75 VDC, and the overcurrent is large. The arc endures until something else interrupts the current. The fuse can violently eject metal vapor or other material during the sustained arcing. The evacuated FM08 does not develop a sustained arc when interrupted in a bus of 38 VDC or less, at least when there is little inductance in the circuit. This is consistent with its successful use in many spacecraft having buses in the range 24 to 36 volts.
Investors as Regulators: Green Bonds and the Governance Challenges of the Sustainable Finance Revolution

This Article examines the role of the global financial markets in promoting sustainability and the governance challenges arising from this phenomenon. A growing range of financial instruments and strategies catalyze the desire of investors and corporations to support environmentally and socially sustainable commercial activity. This Article focuses on green bonds, a form of debt financing whose proceeds are specifically dedicated to environmentally-friendly “green” projects, assets, and business activities. Having emerged in the past three years, green bonds are expected to play an integral role in responding to the existential threat and enormous costs posed by climate change. Largely missing from the still-nascent green bond market are government regulators. Instead, its governance is decentralized and primarily shaped by private governance regimes (such as investment standards, certification schemes, ratings, and third-party assessment), which compete or collaborate with each other for market adoption. In comparison to public regulation, private governance is often faster to implement and more responsive to the needs of market participants but may suffer from a lack of legitimacy, accountability, and consistency and be susceptible to greenwashing. To address these deficits, this Article identifies and analyzes governance gaps in the green bond market and outlines a public-private hybrid regulatory framework to optimize the interests of investors and stakeholders.
Upper Pole Access for Prone Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: Advantage or Risk?

Abstract Objective To analyze the outcomes of upper pole access during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), an option pole often avoided due to the concern for pleural injury. Methods We retrospectively collected data on patients undergoing PCNL at our institution. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to access: supracostal upper calyx (group 1), subcostal upper calyx (group 2) and non-upper calyx (group 3). Preoperative imaging was reviewed to assess stone burden, Hounsfield units (HU), location and Guy's Stone Score (GSS). Patients were considered stone-free if residual fragments were 3 mm or smaller on CT scan. Results We analyzed 329 PCNLs (Left: 174; Right: 155). Stones had a median size of 32mm, 800 HU and GSS of 2. Groups 1, 2 and 3 had 119, 108 and 102 patients, respectively. The 90-day complication rate was 20.4% (7.9% Clavien 3-4). Group 1 patients, with higher BMI and larger stones, had higher SFR than group 3 (89.9% vs 79.4%, p=0.038), but with a significantly higher risk of complications (p=0.001). Within group 1, left PCNL (7.0% vs 24.2%, p=0.016) and BMI ≥30 (6.9% vs 25.0%, p=0.013) carried a lower risk of chest tube insertion. There was no difference in complications between groups 2 and 3 (1.9% vs. 2.9%). Conclusion Upper pole access is safe and effective, particularly if done below the ribs. Supracostal access is an effective option to achieve higher stone-free rates in complex stones, while carrying a risk of significant hydrothorax, particularly on the right side and in non-obese patients.
Precision immunization: a new trend in human vaccination

Vaccination has been one of the major revolutions in the history of human health. Vaccination programs have targeted entire populations such as infants or elderly subjects as a matter of being efficient with time and resources. These general populations are heterogeneous in terms of factors such as ethnicity, health status, and socio-economics. Thus, there have been variations in the safety and effectiveness profiles of certain vaccinations according to current population-wide strategies. As the concept of precision medicine has been raised in recent years, many researchers have suggested that vaccines could be administered more precisely in terms of particular target populations, vaccine formulations, regimens, and dosage levels. This review addresses the concept and framework of precision immunization, summarizes recent and representative clinical trials of among specific populations, mentions important factors to be addressed in customizing vaccinations, and provides suggestions on the establishment of precision immunization with the goal of maximizing the effectiveness of vaccines in general.
Abstract 185: Role of Substance P in Pathogenesis of Chemotherapy Associated Cardiotoxicity.

Doxorubicin (DOX), is broadly considered the most active single agent available for many cancers. Doxorubicin has been known to induce, cardiotoxicity and life-threatening heart failure or acute co...
Hearing Conservation in Industry

Noise-induced hearing loss is a major and entirely preventable public health problem. Effective prevention of this disorder has yet to be achieved in the United States but would improve the overall hearing health of the population more than the treatment of all other otologic disorders combined. Losses that are mild to moderately severe and maximal at 3, 4 or 6 kHz are typical but not pathognomonic. Individual differences in susceptibility are substantial but unpredictable. Hearing conservation programs are now required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for almost all employees whose daily exposure to noise exceeds a time-weighted average of 85 dBA (A-weighted sound pressure level). The permitted exposure level is 90 dBA time-weighted average, above which engineering or administrative controls or hearing protectors are required. Workers with lesser exposures (85 to 90 dBA time-weighted average) who have hearing changes must be similarly protected. Many, but not all, elements of required hearing conservation programs have been specified recently by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Medical supervision and otologic referral are important components of hearing conservation programs because otologic problems other than noise-induced hearing loss are common in industrial populations. Compensation for noise-induced hearing loss, which is awarded through state workers' compensation boards, as well as certain federal sources, varies widely.
Ferrofluid-associated Cutaneous Dyschromia: Discoloration of Hand and Fingers Following Accidental Exposure to Ferromagnetic Fluid.

Background: Ferrofluid is a colloidal suspension that usually consists of surfactant-coated nanoparticles of magnetite (Fe3O4) in a carrier liquid. Ferromagnetic fluid forms spikes when the liquid is exposed to a magnetic field. Purpose: The authors describe a man who developed temporary discoloration of his right palm and fingers after accidental cutaneous contact with ferrofluid and discuss some of the current and potential applications of this unique liquid. Methods: A 28-year-old man was evaluating the effects of magnetic fields using ferrofluid. He performed a modification of the “leaping ferrofluid” demonstration in which he held a superstrong (14,800 gauss magnetic field strength) N52 rare earth neodymium magnet in his palm and slowly lowered that hand over an open bowl that was filled with ferrofluid. Results: As the magnet approached the liquid, the ferrofluid became magnetized. The liquid leaped from the bowl and contacted not only the magnet, but also the palmar surface of his hand and fingers, resulting in a black-brown dyschromia of the affected skin. The discoloration completely resolved after two weeks without any adverse sequellae. Conclusion: Ferrofluid has numerous current and potential applications; in addition to being of value educationally and aesthetically (after being subjected to magnetic fields), it is also utilized for audio loudspeakers, medical innovations (such as a component of either a research tool, a diagnostic aid, or a treatment modality), and seals. Although the authors’ patient did not experience any acute or chronic toxicity from his cutaneous exposure to ferrofluid, conservative follow-up for individuals who experience skin contact with ferromagnetic fluid may be appropriate.
3 – LINEAR SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary Both in the theory of differential equations and in their applications, the linear systems of ordinary differential equations are extremely important. The linear systems of ordinary differential equations are also frequently used as a first approximation to nonlinear problems. Moreover, the theory of linear ordinary differential equations is often useful as an integral part of the analysis of many nonlinear problems. This chapter discusses the general properties of linear systems. It discusses the special cases of linear systems of ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients and linear systems of ordinary differential equations with periodic coefficients. The chapter discusses special properties of nth order linear ordinary differential equationsa and explains that a matrix can be similar to a diagonal matrix without having simple eigenvalues. Matrices and vectors are either real valued or complex valued.
Venus and the Arts of Love in Renaissance Florence

In this volume, Rebekah Compton offers the first survey of Venus in the art, culture, and governance of Florence from 1300 to 1600. Organized chronologically, each of the six chapters investigates one of the goddess's alluring attributes – her golden splendor, rosy-hued complexion, enchanting fashions, green gardens, erotic anatomy, and gifts from the sea. By examining these attributes in the context of the visual arts, Compton uncovers an array of materials and techniques employed by artists, patrons, rulers, and lovers to manifest Venusian virtues. Her book explores technical art history in the context of love's protean iconography, showing how different discourses and disciplines can interact in the creation and reception of art. Venus and the Arts of Love in Renaissance Florence offers new insights on sight, seduction, and desire, as well as concepts of gender, sexuality, and viewership from both male and female perspectives in the early modern era.
Vehicle Yaw Rate and Sideslip Estimations: An Application for Comparative Analysis of a MIMO Youla Controller Output Observer, Linear and Nonlinear Kalman Filters, and Kinematic Computation

To reveal the benefits of a newly developed estimation technique Youla Controller Output Observer (YCOO) [1], this paper provides a comparative study a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) YCOO and various types of Kalman Filters, such as (Linear) Kalman Filter (LKF), Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF), in estimating yaw rate and sideslip of a vehicle. We compare how each estimation technique performs and test the robustness of these estimators under plant parameters and environmental uncertainties, such as vehicle mass and tire-road coefficient of friction variations. We consider realistic situations such as sensor bias, and provide analysis and potential solutions for YCOO when dealing with these practical problems.
Progress Toward Sapphire Optical Fiber Sensors for High-Temperature Applications

High-temperature measurements are of significant importance in various harsh-environment engineering fields, such as fossil fuel production, and the metallurgical and aviation industries. In recent years, there is a steady trend to shift from conventional electronic sensors to optical fiber sensors for high-temperature applications. In particular, optical fiber sensors are small in size, immune to electromagnetic interference, readily applicable for remote sensing, have high elasticity, and incorporate capabilities for multiplexing and distributed sensing. However, commonly used fused silica optical fiber sensors exhibit severe limitations at ultrahigh temperatures due to significantly degraded optical and mechanical properties at temperatures >1000 °C. The excellent optical transparency, thermal and chemical stability, mechanical robustness, and high melting temperature (~2040 °C) of single-crystal sapphire fibers (SFs) make them a strong candidate for sensing applications in high-temperature environments. Translation of the sensing schemes from mature silica fiber sensors to SF sensors has undergone tremendous growth and advancements in the past two decades. However, hurdles to the development of a near-term deployable SF sensing system have proven persistent due to the highly multimodal nature of SFs. This article reviews sensing techniques that have been implemented with SFs recently. The aim is to provide a comprehensive summary of past research on SF sensing systems. Perspectives on further research into the challenging yet promising arena are also discussed.
Barriers to Technology Use and Endocrinology Care for Underserved Communities With Type 1 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Disparities in type 1 diabetes related to use of technologies like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and utilization of diabetes care are pronounced based on socioeconomic status (SES), race, and ethnicity. However, systematic reports of perspectives from patients in vulnerable communities regarding barriers are limited. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To better understand barriers, focus groups were conducted in Florida and California with adults ≥18 years old with type 1 diabetes with selection criteria including hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis, HbA1c >9%, and/or receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center. Sixteen focus groups were conducted in English or Spanish with 86 adults (mean age 42 ± 16.2 years). Transcript themes and pre–focus group demographic survey data were analyzed. In order of frequency, barriers to diabetes technology and endocrinology care included: 1) provider level (negative provider encounters); 2) system level (financial coverage); and 3) individual level (preferences). RESULTS Over 50% of participants had not seen an endocrinologist in the past year or were only seen once including during hospital visits. In Florida, there was less technology use overall (38% used CGMs in FL and 63% in CA; 43% used pumps in FL and 69% in CA) and significant differences in pump use by SES (P = 0.02 in FL; P = 0.08 in CA) and race/ethnicity (P = 0.01 in FL; P = 0.80 in CA). In California, there were significant differences in CGM use by race/ethnicity (P = 0.05 in CA; P = 0.56 in FL) and education level (P = 0.02 in CA; P = 0.90 in FL). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide novel insights into the experiences of vulnerable communities and demonstrate the need for multilevel interventions aimed at offsetting disparities in diabetes.
Getting Out in Front of the Owl of Minerva Problem

Our meta-argumentative vocabulary supplies the conceptual tools used to reflectively analyse, regulate, and evaluate our argumentative performances. Yet, this vocabulary is susceptible to misunderstanding and abuse in ways that make possible new discursive mistakes and pathologies. Thus, our efforts to self-regulate our reason-transacting practices by articulating their norms makes possible new ways to violate and flout those very norms. Scott Aikin identifies the structural possibility of this vicious feedback loop as the Owl of Minerva Problem. In the spirit of a shared concern for the flourishing or our rational, argumentative practices, this paper approaches the Owl of Minerva Problem from a vantage point that, by comparison with Aikin’s, affords perspectives that are more pessimistic in some aspects and more optimistic in others. Pessimistically, the problem at the root of the weaponization of our meta-argumentative vocabulary is motivational, not structural. Its motivational nature explains its resistance to the normal repertoire of reparative (meta-)argumentative maneuvers, as well as revealing a profound and deeply entrenched misunderstanding of the connection between our reasons-transacting practices and the goods achievable within them. Optimistically, in the absence of this motivational problem, the misunderstandings and errors made possible by our meta-argumentative vocabularies are amenable to remedy by familiar techniques of discursive instruction and repair. More optimistically, even though our meta-argumentative vocabularies are generated only retrospectively, they can be used prospectively, thereby making possible an aspirational motivation resulting in a virtuous cycle of increasingly autonomous normative self-regulation. Properly harnessed, the Owl of Minerva releases the Lark of Arete.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Tat and Rev as Potential Targets for Drug Development

This chapter discusses the potential of HIV Tat, Rev, and their cellular cofactors as drug targets. Tat interacts with numerous transcriptional regulatory factors and presumably by virtue of its interaction with transcription activation response (TAR) RNA, recruits these factors to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promoter. Thus, HIV-1 transcription directed from the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) is balanced by the actions of kinases and phosphatases, and both can be potential targets for drug development. Tat promotes the elongation of viral transcripts by increasing the occupancy time of CDK9/cyclin T1 on the HIV-1 LTR. Small-molecule inhibitors of Tat-TAR RNA interaction, small-molecule inhibitors of CDKs such as CDK9 or CDK2, and inhibitors that disrupt the interaction of Tat with additional host cell factors such as p300/CREB binding protein-associated factor (PCAF) and/or inhibit cellular activities of the host cell factors could all be viable anti-HIV drug candidates. Both Tat and TAR RNA are essential for activated HIV-1 transcription, and were thus the first candidates to be considered for drug design that targeted HIV-1 transcription. Antiviral development against HIV-1 regulatory proteins Tat and Rev represents a conceptual work in progress. In the arena of inhibiting Tat and Rev cellular cofactors, the concerns over host toxicity have not been fully resolved. Future efforts are needed to address the two major challenges of mechanistic specificity and functional toxicity.
Molluscan Fauna of the Gore Pit Site in Comanche County, Oklahoma

The unionid shells from the Gors Pit site (34CM131) were collected from the burned rock and shell concentrations and were subjected to burning. All of the unionid species and the one sphaerid species indicate that the local environment of 6000 B.P. was similar to that of the present. All of the species indicate the presence of perennial water.
Connective tissue diseases: Is SLE many single-organ diseases or an overlapping spectrum?

Emerging science characterizes lupus as a systemic spectrum disorder, rather than as multiple single-organ diseases. So is it time to capitalize on this progress and begin evaluating treatment options on the basis of physiologic mechanisms instead of organ involvement?
Understanding enterprise behavior using hybrid simulation of enterprise architecture

Today, the design of business enterprises is much more art than science. The complex structure and behavior of enterprises makes it difficult to untangle cause and effect amidst its components and their relationships. In order for managers to understand how an enterprise's architecture affects its behavior, they need tools and techniques to help them to manage the complexity of the enterprise. The practice of enterprise architecting continues to make advances in this area with reference frameworks that can be used to guide the decomposition and analyze the potential behavior of a proposed enterprise architecture. This research seeks to extend the practice of enterprise architecting by developing an approach for creating simulation models of enterprise architectures that can be used for analyzing the architectural factors affecting enterprise behavior and performance. This approach matches the content of each of the “views” of an enterprise architecture framework with a suitable simulation methodology such as discrete event modeling, agent based modeling, or system dynamics, and then integrates these individual simulations into a single hybrid simulation model. The resulting model is a powerful analysis tool that can be used for “what-if” behavioral analysis of enterprise architectures. This approach was applied to create a hybrid simulation model of the enterprise architecture of a real-world, large-scale aerospace enterprise. Simulation model analysis revealed potential misalignments between the current enterprise architecture and the established strategy of the enterprise. The simulation model was used to analyze enterprise behavior and suggest relatively minor changes to the enterprise architecture that could produce up to a 20% improvement in enterprise profitability without increasing resources to the enterprise. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
A rapid and sensitive cellular enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (CELISA) for the detection and quantitation of antibodies against cell surface determinants. I: A comparison of cell fixation and storage techniques

Abstract A solid phase cellular ELISA was designed and evaluated for the detection of antibodies specific for cell surface determinants. It was hypothesized that certain fixation and freezing procedures would result in stabilization of cell structures for prevention of antigen diffusion and extraction during washing procedures. This would assure assay accuracy and convenient sample management. It was hypothesized that fixation with certain reagents prior to analysis would not alter antigenicity of antibody targeted epitopes. In order to improve the preservation of the cells following cell binding to the solid phase matrix while still retaining antigenicity and morphology, a series of fixatives and storage procedures were screened to determine which were best suited for CELISA. Methanol, washing buffer (WB), Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS), and 0.5% formalin in HBSS were examined by comparing their relative cell binding capacity and the subsequent cell morphology. In consideration of all variables, fixation in 0.5% formalin provided the best maintenance of cell antigenicity, morphology, binding, and was associated with consistent results. Cells used immediately after fixation and fixed cells used after storage at −80°C for up to 12 months were compared to determine if long term storage affected antigenicity. Since frozen cells and fresh cells demonstrated statistically identical positive to negative ratios and consistency of antibody binding, it was determined that long term frozen storage of formalin-fixed cells did not adversely affect antibody binding capacity to cell surface determinants.
A Self-Guided Tour of an Impoverished Neighborhood Changes Pediatric Residents’ Perspectives

The neighborhood in which one lives impacts health across the lifespan. As such, neighborhood context—the risks and assets present within a patient’s neighborhood—may be an important consideration in the primary care setting. This study assessed a neighborhood-based immersion curriculum for pediatric residents that included a self-guided tour of a local impoverished neighborhood. Impact of the curriculum was evaluated via competence-based self-assessments. After completion of the curriculum, residents (n = 41) reported an enhanced understanding of neighborhood resources and contextual hardships. Our findings suggest that a neighborhood tour may serve as an appropriate introduction to the effects of neighborhood on health.
Manufacturing stresses in die due to die attach process

Manufacturing of the electronic packages consisting of different materials leads to the development of the residual stresses due to mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion. Thus, to properly assess service life of the packages, those stresses must be taken into account. An experimental technique, the digital image analysis enhanced moire interferometry ( DIAEMI), was used to measure the in-situ out-of-plane displacements of the die due to the die-attach process. This information was related to the residual stresses in the die. Several test dies, with and without coating, were prepared and two different bonding materials, "low-stress" and "high-stress", were used for analysis of the induced stresses. The initial and final (after die-attach) surface contour patterns of the dies were observed and recorded. Out-of-plane displacements of the dies were obtained and induced stresses were calculated by a hybrid finite element method. The results show that stresses in die induced by high-stress bonding material are on average five times higher than the stresses induced by low-stress material. It was also found that during die-attach some of residual stresses induced by chip's coating were released. The obtained results were compared with the straight forward finite element method prediction. It shows that the stresses predicted by the straight forward finite element analysis are much higher than the stresses obtained by the hybrid method. >
Discourse, daño, and healing in north coastal Peru.

This paper argues that discourse is culturally recognized as powerful and dangerous, significantly informing both the illness experience known as dano (magical aggression) and its traditional cure in North‐coastal Peru. Words are viewed as a type of symbolic currency which negotiate and “transact” identity in an economic, social, and psychological environment in which self‐esteem is generally viewed as a scarce commodity and tied to the opinions of others. In the case presented, gossip is a verbal mode of dano that is perceived as a threat to the victim's constructed identity: the physical and emotional symptoms of dano directly relate to the anxiety about what people will say (que diran). I examine the symbolism of the mesa or traditional healing ceremony in terms of this “economy” of discourse to illustrate how the patient's personal experience is linked to a culturally powerful metaphor and then transformed in order to effect the cure.
Alternatively Spliced TCR mRNA Induced by Disruption of Reading Frame

Nonsense codons that prematurely terminate translation generate potentially deleterious truncated proteins. Here, we show that the T cell receptor-beta (TCRbeta) gene, which acquires in-frame nonsense codons at high frequency during normal lymphocyte development, gives rise to an alternatively spliced transcript [alternative messenger RNA (alt-mRNA)] that skips the offending mutations that generate such nonsense codons. This alt-mRNA is up-regulated by a transfer RNA-dependent scanning mechanism that responds specifically to mutations that disrupt the reading frame. The finding that translation signals regulate the levels of alternatively spliced mRNAs generated in the nucleus may alter the current view of how gene expression is controlled in eukaryotic cells.
Soybean Cultivar Identification Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography of Chromatography of Seed Proteins

This study examines the applicability of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for soybean cultivar identification
Analysis of differentiation antigens on normal and carcinogen-altered rat epithelial cells in vivo and in culture

Two murine monoclonal antibodies, 3BG8 and 9BG8, which were raised against a rat tracheal squamous-cell-carcinoma cell line, recognize cell-surface antigens on normal rat squamous epithelium (skin, esophagus, vagina, and cornea) as well as on carcinogen-exposed, immortalized, rat tracheal epithelial cells. Monoclonal antibody 3BG8 binds to a 115-kilodalton cell-surface protein on undifferentiated basal cells of the epithelium, while the binding of the other antibody, 9BG8, occurs in both differentiated and undifferentiated populations of normal squamous epithelium and squamous cell carcinomas. Undifferentiated tracheal carcinomas bound only the 3BG8 antibody. No binding of either antibody was detected on normal tracheal mucociliary epithelium. Only under conditions that induce squamous differentiation of rat tracheal epithelium was binding of 3BG8 and 9BG8 detected. For reasons which are not clear at present, 9BG8 dramatically inhibits the growth of normal tracheal and esophageal cells in primary culture, whereas only 3BG8 affects the growth of carcinogen-altered tracheal cell lines. Based on antigen characterization and distribution, it is concluded that the 3BG8 and 9BG8 epitopes are localized on differentiation antigens which differ from others that have been previously described.
Wave-Field Interaction With Complex Structures Using Equivalence Principle Algorithm

A domain decomposition scheme based on the equivalence principle, similar to Huygens' principle, for integral equation solvers and the method of moments is introduced. The equivalence principle allows the replacement of unknown currents distributed in a volume in space by equivalence currents residing on the surface that bounds the volume. It also allows the dissociation of the solution of one region from that of another region. In this manner, problems of high complexity can be encapsulated by surfaces of simpler shapes using less unknowns. It can aid in parallel algorithms, reusability of solutions, as well as improving the condition number of a matrix system when disparate mesh or adaptive mesh are needed. The challenge arises when an equivalence surface intercepts a current-carrying conductor, because the breakup of the current into separate pieces gives rise to charge singularity. A junction basis can be used to mitigate this singularity. However, a better solution is to introduce a tap basis to model the current that intercepts with the equivalence surfaces. Using this scheme, the current continuity is conserved and the singularity of the charges is avoided. The solution is shown to be accurate
Comparison of teboroxime and thallium for the reversibility of exercise-induced myocardial perfusion defects

To determine the optimal technique for the scintigraphic detection of exercise-induced myocardial perfusion defects, we compared teboroxime scanning to both stress/redistribution thallium imaging and the thallium reinjection method following exercise in 35 patients. The overall concordance for the presence of a perfusion defect between teboroxime and thallium scanning was 91% (p < 0.01) and 89% when teboroxime was compared with stress/reinjection thallium imaging (p < 0.01). More segments per scan with fixed defects were observed with redistribution imaging than with teboroxime or thallium reinjection (2.9 vs 2.0 vs 1.9; p < 0.02). Additionally, more transient defects were present with teboroxime than thallium, but less than with reinjection imaging. One half of the 52 fixed perfusion abnormalities on stress/redistribution thallium imaging demonstrated reversibility with both teboroxime imaging and thallium reinjection scanning, but less than 50% of these segments were concordant. Teboroxime allows for improved detection of reversible perfusion defects compared with stress/redistribution thallium scanning, but more ischemia is noted with thallium reijection. The variation in the detection of segmental ischemic defects between tebroxime scintigraphy and thallium reinjection scanning probably reflects different physiologic properties and imaging protocols of these perfusion agents.
Study on Melting and Crystallization of Short-linear Chains from Debranched Waxy Starches by in Situ Synchrotron Wide-angle X-ray Diffraction

Abstract In situ melting and crystallization of short-linear α-1,4-glucan (short-chain amylose, or SCA) from debranched waxy starches were investigated by synchrotron wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Amorphous SCA was prepared by dissolving completely debranched waxy starches in alkaline solution and neutralized by hydrochloric acid. When hydrated with 50% water at 25 °C, all amorphous SCA crystallized immediately and gave a B-type structure. The SCA from debranched waxy potato starch had a longer average chain length and a higher melting temperature but relatively lower crystallinity upon hydration; it was not completely melted at 100 °C and retained its original B-type structure during rapid cooling. In contrast, the SCA from debranched waxy wheat and waxy maize starches had a large portion of low molecular weight fractions, a higher crystallinity upon hydration, and a lower melting temperature. These differences suggest that amylopectin short chains crystallized more readily but their crystals were weaker than those of long chains. After the B-type crystals of hydrated SCA from waxy wheat and waxy maize starches melted, they reformed into the A-type polymorph upon rapid cooling. The thermal properties showed that the A-type polymorph of debranched waxy wheat and waxy maize starches had a higher melting temperature than their B-type structure.
Male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Male lower urinary tract symptoms, benign prostatic hyperplasia, enlargement of the prostate, and bladder outlet obstruction are common among aging men and will increase in socioeconomic and medical importance at a time of increased life expectancy and aging of the baby boomer generation. This article reviews the epidemiology, management, and therapeutic options for these conditions. In patients bothered by moderate to severe symptoms, providers can make educated and differential choices between several classes of drugs, alone or in combination, to treat effectively and improve the symptoms in most men. Despite the efficacy of medical therapy, there will be patients who require referral to a urologist either early, to rule out prostate cancer and other conditions, or later, after initial medical therapy and lifestyle management has failed. Perhaps as many as 30% of patients fail to achieve sufficient symptom improvement with medication, lifestyle adjustment, and fluid management, and may require more invasive or surgical treatment options.
A human-derived probe, p82H, hybridizes to the centromeres of gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan

A human-derived centromeric sequence, p82H, hybridizes to DNA from gorilla, chimpanzee, pygmy chimpanzee, and orangutan. On DNA blots, multimeric ladders based on 170 or 340 bp repeat units are seen. In metaphase chromosome preparations from these species, p82H hybridizes to the centromeric region of every chromosome. p82H forms less stable hybrids with DNA from the lion-tailed macaque and does not hybridize to DNA or chromosomes of the owl monkey or the mouse.
The three-dimensional structure of ‘loop-like’ coronal mass ejections

We have measured the brightness and latitudinal extent of the depleted (cavity) region behind the leading edge of three coronal mass ejection (CME) events from the Skylab epoch. The events chosen are among those believed to be typical of non-impulsive, ‘loop-like’ CMEs (Sime, MacQueen, and Hundhausen, 1984). The pre-event coronal brightness has been matched by a model corona, assuming both a background contribution and a contribution from a range of hypothetical streamer models, distinguished by differing longitudinal extent. Then, assuming that the cavities are voided regions in which the local electron density is negligible, we estimate their minimum line-of-sight extent and find them to be comparable to, or greater than, their measured latitudinal extent. As a result, we suggest this unambiguously demonstrates the three-dimensional nature of these — and likely, this class of — events.
Elevated cerebral glutamate and myo-inositol levels in cognitively normal middle-aged adults with metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and diminished cognitive function. Given that the cerebral mechanisms mediating the relationship between peripheral metabolic dysfunction and cognitive impairment are unknown, we set out to examine the relationship between diagnosis of metabolic syndrome and cerebral metabolism. Thirteen participants with MetS (aged 48 ± 6 years) and 25 healthy adults (aged 51 ± 6 years) underwent neuropsychological assessment, health screen and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) examining N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol (mI), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and glutamate (Glu) concentrations in occipitoparietal grey matter. Cerebral metabolite ratios (NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, mI/Cr, and Glu/Cr) of participants with MetS, defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria, were compared with controls matched for age, education, cognition, and emotional function. There were no significant differences in global cognitive function, memory, language, and psychomotor performance between the groups. Diagnosis of MetS was associated with significantly higher mI/Cr (F(1,36) = 5.02, p = 0.031) and Glu/Cr ratio (F(1,36) = 4.81, p = 0.035). Even in cognitively normal adults, MetS is related to cerebral metabolic disturbances, a possible indication of early brain vulnerability. Longitudinal studies that begin in mid-life can help validate the use of 1H MRS markers as indicators of long-term cognitive outcomes.
Effects of Board and Ownership Structure on Corporate R&D Strategy

This study examined the extent to which the percentage of outside directors on a corporation’s board of directors, the concentration of equity ownership, and the roles of individual and institution...
Boundary constraints for singular value decomposition of spectral data

Singular value decomposition (SVD) and principal component analysis enjoy a broad range of applications, including, rank estimation, noise reduction, classification and compression. The resulting singular vectors form orthogonal basis sets for subspace projection techniques. The procedures are applicable to general data matrices. Spectral matrices belong to a special class known as non-negative matrices. A key property of non-negative matrices is that their columns/rows form non-negative cones, with any non-negative linear combination of the columns/rows belonging to the cone. This special property has been implicitly used in popular rank estimation techniques know as virtual dimension (VD) and hyperspectral signal identification by minimum error (HySime). Data sets of spectra reside in non-negative orthants. The subspace spanned by a SVD of a set of spectra includes all orthants. However SVD projections can be constrained to the non-negative orthants. In this paper two types of singular vector projection constraints are identified, one that confines the projection to lie within the cone formed by the spectral data set, and a second that only restricts projections to the non-negative orthant. The former is referred to here as the inner constraint set, the latter the outer constraint set. The outer constraint set forms a broader cone since it includes projections outside the cone formed by the data array. The two cones form boundaries for the cones formed by non-negative matrix factorizations (NNF). Ambiguities in the NNF lead to a variety of possible sets of left and right non-negative vectors and their cones. The paper presents the constraint set approach and illustrates it with applications to spectral classification.
Influence of the duration of abstinence on the relative reinforcing effects of cigarette smoking

Sustaining smoking abstinence during the initial weeks of a cessation effort is highly correlated with long-term smoking abstinence. However, experimental research is needed to establish a direct causal relationship between achieving early abstinence and lowered relapse risk. In the present study, we tested whether a period of sustained abstinence directly decreases the relative reinforcing effects of cigarette smoking. Participants were 63 adult smokers who were randomized into one of three conditions: 14-day (14C), 7-day (7C), and 1-day (1C) contingent payment for smoking abstinence. Smoking status was assessed three times per day for 14 consecutive days using breath carbon monoxide monitoring and an abstinence criterion of ≤4 ppm. In the 14C condition, monetary payment was contingent on abstinence for all 14 days; in the 7C condition, payment was noncontingent for days 1–7 and contingent for days 8–14; in the 1C condition, payment was noncontingent for days 1–13 and contingent for day 14. On day 14, all participants completed a 3-h preference session under controlled laboratory conditions wherein they could make a maximum of 20 exclusive choices between options to smoke (two puffs/choice) or earn money ($0.25/choice). Preference was deemed an index of the relative reinforcing effects of smoking and money. A significantly lower proportion of participants in the 14C condition ever chose the smoking option (19%) compared to those in the 7C (57%) or 1C (62%) conditions. These results provide experimental evidence that sustained abstinence can decrease the relative reinforcing effects of smoking, an effect that may be related to the commonly observed decrease in relapse risk among those who are able to sustain smoking abstinence during the initial weeks of a cessation effort.
Vertex operators for closed strings

A systematic construction of vertex operators for bosonic on-shell physical particles is presented for the closed bosonic, type-II, and heterotic strings in their critical dimensions. Anomalous Weyl dependences arising from contractions are explicitly calculated. Space-time gauge invariances are traced back to the presence of total derivative operators. For fermionic strings the use of superfields leads to both conceptual and computational simplifications.
Application of pattern recognition and feature extraction techniques to volatile constituent metabolic profiles obtained by capillary gas chromatography

Abstract The applicability of threshold logic units, a form of nonparametric pattern recognition, to the processing of metabolic profile data obtained by high-efficiency glass capillary column gas chromatography has been investigated. The test data included profiles of the volatile constituents of urine from normal individuals and from individuals with diabetes mellitus. A feature extraction algorithm allowed for dimensionality reduction and indicated the constituents most important in the normal versus pathological distinction. With an optimum number of dimensions, a normal versus pathological prediction rate of 93.75% was achieved. Gas chromatography—mass spectrometry was utilized to identify important profile constituents.