cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced Intubation Rates Following Whole-Lung Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LD-RT) in Patients With COVID-19-Related Pneumonia

Purpose/Objective(s) Low-dose radiotherapy (LD-RT) is a well-established treatment for multiple human inflammatory conditions. Whole-lung LD-RT may be effective in COVID-19-related pneumonia. Materials/Methods Patients hospitalized with COVID-19-related pneumonia receiving supportive care, glucocorticosteroids, and/or remdesivir were administered LD-RT treatment of 0.5 or 1.5 Gy to the bilateral lungs on a prospective, combined phase I/II, multi-site, single-institution trial. Patients were followed for 28 days or until discharge and compared to controls blindly matched by age, comorbidity, duration of symptoms, and disease severity. Eligible patients were confirmed by SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR, unable to wean from oxygen at enrollment, and had radiographic consolidations. Patients were enrolled into 5 cohorts stratified by treatment variables and severity of illness: LD-RT alone vs. LD-RT with concurrent drug therapies, non-intubated vs. intubated status, and low (1.5 Gy) vs. lower (0.5 Gy) radiation dose. Qualitative aims were to establish safety and explore efficacy. Quantitative endpoints were continuous, categorical, and time-to-event, and included clinical recovery, intubation, radiographic changes, and biomarker responses. Intubation endpoints are reported for all cohorts using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier method. Results Outcomes of 80 patients were available for analysis at study closure. In total, 40 of 70 planned patients (57% trial enrollment) received whole-lung LD-RT between April 24 and December 7, 2020 and were compared to 40 matched controls. Cohorts 1&2: Ten non-intubated patients received 1.5 Gy without concurrent COVID-directed drug therapies (10 of 10 planned, 100% cohort enrollment) and were compared to matched controls. Intubation rates were 40% in controls compared to 10% following LD-RT (P = 0.11). Cohort 3: One intubated patient received 1.5 Gy (1 of 20 planned, 5% cohort enrollment). Cohort 4: Twenty separate non-intubated patients received 1.5 Gy with concurrent dexamethasone/remdesivir (20 of 20 planned, 100% cohort enrollment) and were compared to matched controls. Intubation rates were 32% in controls compared to 14% following LD-RT (P = 0.09). Cohort 5: Nine patients received 0.5 Gy with concurrent drug therapies (9 of 20 planned, 45% cohort enrollment) and were compared to matched controls. Zero controls required intubation compared to 11% following LD-RT (P = 0.32). Among all non-intubated patients and matched controls combined (n = 78), mechanical ventilation was required in 28% of controls compared to 12% following LD-RT (reduced 57%, P = 0.05). The trial was prematurely closed due to observed reproducibility of efficacy. A randomized trial is now ongoing. Conclusion In the first, prospective, phase I/II trial of radiotherapy for COVID-19-related pneumonia, a single treatment of whole-lung LD-RT reduced intubation rates by 57% compared to controls in patients receiving supportive care with or without drug therapies (P = 0.05).
An innovative medical school curriculum to enhance exposure to genetics and genomics: Updates and outcomes

Abstract Purpose In 2011, we introduced an innovative parallel curriculum at Baylor College of Medicine, formerly called the Genetics Track Curriculum and now called the Genetics and Genomics Pathway, aimed at providing an opportunity for an enriched educational experience throughout medical school. In this report, we describe our 10-year experience with the program and highlight growth in enrollment as well as academic achievements of graduating students. Methods We reviewed the data of students enrolled in this pathway, including retention, satisfaction, student-driven curriculum changes, scholarly outcomes, and career outcomes. Results From September 2011 to June 2021, 121 students were enrolled in the Genetics and Genomics Pathway program. In total, 64 students (64/121 = 53%) left the program before graduating (the majority, after their first year). Of the 57 remaining students, 29 graduated (29/57, approximately 51%), and 4 of the 29 students (4/29 = 14%) matched into a genetics training program. Conclusion This novel program serves as a mechanism for garnering increased interest and competence in medical genetics. The longitudinal nature of the program fosters enthusiasm for genetics and provides ample opportunity to develop valuable research skills. Given the ongoing shortage of providers in this field, such programs are vital to increase the size of the workforce and broaden the knowledge of providers in diverse fields.
Systemic inflammation in xenograft recipients (SIXR): A new paradigm in pig-to-primate xenotransplantation?

Abstract Inflammation is a complex response that involves interactions between multiple proteins in the human body. The interaction between inflammation and coagulation is well-recognized, but its role in the dysregulation of coagulation in xenograft recipients is not well-understood. Additionally, inflammation is known to prevent the development of T cell tolerance after transplantation. Recent evidence indicates that systemic inflammation precedes and may be promoting activation of coagulation after pig-to-primate xenotransplantation. Activated recipient innate immune cells expressing tissue factor are increased after xenotransplantation, irrespective of immunosuppressive therapy. With immunosuppression, C-reactive protein (C-RP), fibrinogen, and interleukin-6 levels are significantly increased in pig artery patch recipients. In pig organ recipients, increased C-RP levels are observed prior to the development of features of consumptive coagulopathy. Systemic inflammation in xenograft recipients (Sixr) may be a key factor in the development of dysregulation of coagulation, as well as in resistance to immunosuppressive therapy. While genetic modification of the donor pigs provides protection against humoral responses and the development of thrombotic microangiopathy, therapeutic prevention of Sixr may be essential in order to prevent systemic dysregulation of coagulation in xenograft recipients without the use of intensive immunosuppression.
Observational Properties of Cosmic γ-Ray Bursts

Cosmic γ-ray bursts are reviewed, with emphasis on the phenomenology in the X- and γ-ray ranges. Bursts last from around 10 ms to over 1000 s, with complex time histories which defy any coherent explanation, although there is good evidence for a bimodal distribution. Energy spectra span the range from below 10 keV to over 10 GeV with shapes that can be defined with a relatively simple function, although the ratio of the X-ray to γ-ray energy varies widely from one burst to another. The isotropy and inhomogeneity of the burster spatial distribution was the first indication that bursts were at cosmological distances; this has now been confirmed by direct redshift measurements. Some of the future uses of bursts for the study of the early Universe are discussed, as well as some of the remaining challenges in understanding their nature.
Beyond Ideology: An Empirical Study of Partisanship and Independence in the Federal Courts

This Article identifies and measures dimensions of judicial behavior separate from ideology to improve both the understanding of and vocabulary surrounding debates about judges. In particular, it recognizes both independence and partisanship as aspects of judicial behavior that are distinct from ideological activism. Using a new dataset of more than 10,000 cases from eleven U.S. courts of appeals in 2008, this Study computed and applied Partisanship and Independence Scores for 178 judges. Based upon regression analysis of those measures, the identified dimensions of judicial behavior offer superior predictive capabilities of decisions to dissent, to concur separately, and to reverse lower court judgments in a partisan manner than the dominant models used by researchers. There are also several notable findings of statistically significant relationships between the Independence and Partisanship Scores and background characteristics of the judges studied. Of particular note, judges appointed by Republican Presidents are on average twenty percent more partisan in reviewing district court judgments than those appointed by Democrats. Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush are on average responsible for appointing the most partisan judges studied. Further, if a judge had been a law professor, she is more likely to be independent. Legislative or executive experience is associated with lower independence. Work experience at the Department of Justice is correlated with higher partisanship.
Low-cost colorimeter development for the field-based detection of harmful algal blooms

The real-time detection of harmful algal bloom (HAB)-causing organisms is crucial to preventing human illness and death, animal mortalities, and significant economic losses for coastal and fishing communities. However, most identification schemes are time-consuming and costly, which limit their use for rapid risk assessment. To address this problem, a simple colorimetric test for the HAB-causing Alexandrium fundyense/tamarense/catanella dinoflagellate species complex is presented. This work integrates an indicator dye-based bioassay for detecting toxigenic Alexandrium RNA with a custom-built two-color detector. A peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe is used to capture target RNA, and the formation of the PNA-RNA duplex is visible as a solution color change from blue to purple with the addition of the cyanine dye 3,3′-diethyldithiacarbocyanine iodide (DiSC 2 (5)). PNA-RNA hybridization and discrimination against mismatched sequences is achieved within minutes at 25°C. Hybridization signals obtained from the colorimeter are comparable to those from a benchtop spectrophotometer. The advantages of this method represent a step towards field-compatible, easy-to-use and inexpensive detection schemes that require minimal training for successful use.
In situ observations of coronal mass ejections in interplanetary space

Coronal mass ejections, CMEs, in the solar wind at 1 AU generally have distinct plasma and field signatures by which they can be distinguished from the ordinary solar wind. These include one or more of the following: helium abundance enhancements, ion and electron temperature depressions, unusual ionization states, strong magnetic fields, low plasma beta, low magnetic field variance, coherent field rotations, counterstreaming (along the field) energetic protons, and counterstreaming suprathermal electrons. The most reliable of these appears to be counterstreaming electrons, which indicates that CMEs at 1 AU typically are closed field structures either rooted at both ends in the Sun or entirely disconnected from it as plasmoids. About 1/3 of all CMEs have sufficiently high speeds to produce transient interplanetary shock disturbances at 1 AU; the remainder simply ride along with the solar wind. The frequency of occurrence of CMEs in the ecliptic plane, as distinguished by the counterstreaming electron signature, varies roughly in phase and amplitude with the 11-yr solar activity cycle. Near solar maximum they account for ≈ 15% of all solar wind measurements, while near solar minimum they account for less than 1 % of all the measurements. All but one of the 37 largest geomagnetic storms near the last solar maximum were associated with Earth-passage of interplanetary disturbances driven by fast CMEs; that is, CMEs are the prime link between solar and geomagnetic activity. However, more than half of all earthward directed CMEs are relatively ineffective in a geomagnetic sense.
The Newt as a Model for Eye Regeneration

Publisher Summary One animal model can regenerate virtually anything, and more importantly throughout adulthood, is the newt. The newt is an indispensable model for the study of the eye for this reason. Two main components of the eye that are readily studied in the newt are the lens and the retina. Retina and lens regeneration occurs in some species of frog but, here again, only through early development. Newt offers a unique and interesting opportunity to study regeneration of the eye from larvae into adulthood stages. The complex mechanisms of regeneration in the newt involve processes of transdifferentiation. It is necessary to also mention that although the newt is a very valuable model for regeneration research, it is also a challenging model due to slow progress in genetic and molecular biology research and the scarce availability of resources. Lens regeneration also involves transdifferentiation of the pigmented epithelial cells of the iris, or pigmented epithelial cells (PECs). The PECs re-enter the cell cycle, dedifferentiate, and lose their characteristic pigmentation. In vivo, regeneration occurs from the dorsal iris population of PECs. Despite the apparent similarity between the dorsal and ventral PECs, the ability to regenerate through transdifferentiation under normal conditions belongs exclusively to the dorsal PECs.
CONGENITAL ECTODERMAL DYSPLASIA OF THE FACE.

Five children are described who have a previously undescribed collection of defects. The children are all of Puerto Rican ancestry. The features of their defects are: (1) an aged, leonine appearance; (2) absent eyelashes from either lid, or multiple rows of lashes on the upper lids with absence of those of the lower lids; (3) eyebrows which slant sharply upward and laterally; (4) scarlike defects on each temple erroneously attributed at first, to obstetrical forceps injury; (5) skin which is puckered around the eyes, as in an elderly person; (6) a scarlike median ridge of the chin; and (7) a nose and chin which seem rubbery when palpated. The temporal defects and abnormalities of the eyelashes are thought to be due to the multiple effects of a single gene. We suggest that this combination of cutaneous lesions limited to the face is probably the expression of an autosomal reccessive inheritance.
A control architecture for integrated cooperative cruise control and collision warning systems

In this paper, we propose a hierarchical control architecture for an enhanced variant of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC), which would include some Cooperative Forward Collision Warning (CFCW) functionality. Simply put, a CACC system is a more sophisticated variant of cruise control. By a control architecture we mean a specific way of organizing the motion control and navigation functions performed by the cars. It is convenient to organize the functions into hierarchical layers. This way, a complex design problem is partitioned into a number of more manageable sub-problems that are addressed in separate layers. This paper discusses vehicle control requirements and maps them onto a layered control architecture. The formalization of the hierarchy is accomplished in terms of the specific functions accomplished by each layer and of the interfaces between layers. The implementation of the layers is discussed and illustrative examples are provided.
US Census Spatial and Demographic Data in R: The UScensus2000 Suite of Packages

The US Decennial Census is arguably the most important data set for social science research in the United States. The UScensus2000 suite of packages allows for convenient handling of the 2000 US Census spatial and demographic data. The goal of this article is to showcase the UScensus2000 suite of packages for R , to describe the data contained within these packages, and to demonstrate the helper functions provided for handling this data. The UScensus2000 suite is comprised of spatial and demographic data for the 50 states and Washington DC at four different geographic levels (block, block group, tract, and census designated place). The UScensus2000 suite also contains a number of functions for selecting and aggregating specific geographies or demographic information such as metropolitan statistical areas, counties, etc. These packages rely heavily on the spatial tools developed by bivand08 , i.e., the sp and maptools packages. This article will provide the necessary background for working with this data set, helper functions, and finish with an applied spatial statistics example.
Dose-volume modeling of salivary function in patients with head-and-neck cancer receiving radiotherapy.

Purpose: We investigated the factors that affect salivary function after head-and-neck radiotherapy (RT), including parotid gland dose-volume effects, potential compensation by less-irradiated gland tissue, and functional recovery over time. Methods and Materials: Sixty-five patients with head-and-neck tumors were enrolled in a prospective salivary function study. RT was delivered using intensity-modulated RT ( n = 45), forward-planning three-dimensional conformal RT ( n = 14), or three-dimensional conformal RT with an intensity-modulated RT boost ( n = 6). Whole salivary flow was measured before therapy and at 6 months ( n = 61) and 12 months ( n = 31) after RT. A wide variety of dose-volume models to predict post-RT salivary function were tested. Xerostomia was defined according to the subjective, objective, management, analytic (SOMA) criteria as occurring when posttreatment salivary function was Results: A significant correlation was observed between the relative quality-of-life scores and relative stimulated saliva values at 6 months after RT (Spearman's correlation coefficient [R s ] = 0.46, p (−A × mean gland dose), with A equal to 0.054/Gy (68% confidence interval 0.052–0.059), provided a good representation of the data and was incorporated into our multimetric analysis. Using that model, we estimated that a mean parotid dose of 25.8 Gy, on average, was likely to reduce a single parotid gland's flow to 25% of its pretreatment value, regardless of the treatment delivery method. Significant correlations were observed between a logistic multivariate model (incorporating the mean dose-exponential equation, gender, and Karnofsky performance status) and stimulated saliva flow at 6 months (R s = 0.73), stimulated saliva flow at 12 months (R s = 0.54), and quality-of-life score at 6 months (R s = 0.35) after RT. Conclusion: Stimulated parotid salivary gland dose-volume models strongly correlated with both stimulated salivary function and quality-of-life scores at 6 months after RT. The mean stimulated saliva flow rates improved from 6 to 12 months after RT. Salivary function, in each gland, appeared to be lost exponentially at a rate of approximately 5%/1 Gy of mean dose. Additional research is necessary to distinguish among the models for use in treatment planning. The incidence of xerostomia was significantly decreased when the mean dose of at least one parotid gland was kept to
Study of solvent-solute and solute-solute interaction effects on naphthalene in carbon dioxide by NMR measurement of rotational ang angular momentum correlation times in CO2 at sub- and supercritical temperatures

Abstract The effect of temperature variation from subcritical to supercritical conditions on the rotational and angular momentum correlation times of naphthalene dissolved in carbon dioxide is reported. The rotational correlation time, τ c is found to be only slightly dependent upon solution viscosity, unaffected by the CO 2 phase change at about 32°C and is essentially equal to its value in acetone at the same temperature. τ c is approximately twice its gas phase free rotor time. These results are interpreted to indicate that ground state solute-solute interactions are unimportant. The angular momentum correlation time, τ j , undergoes a dramatic increase at the temperature of the phase change indicating an approximately 3.2 fold solvent density augmentation around the naphthalene compared to the bulk gas phase CO 2 density under the experimental conditions beyond the critical temperature. These results indicate that a substantial solvent density augmentation occurs that does not cause measurable changes in the rotational properties of the solute. The solvent augmentation is found to disappear within approximately 2°C on either side of the critical temperature.
Automatic detection of cracks during power plant inspection

Robust inspection is important to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant components. Manually inspecting 100+ hours of video for rarely occurring cracks is a tedious process. However, automatic inspection is challenging as the images often contain highly textured area including weld and concrete surface which causes fragmented and noisy segmentations. Moreover, lack of crack samples cause challenges in training classification methods. In this paper, we propose to improve the detection of cracks by (1) reducing the fragmentation of segmentation by iteratively linking of possibly broken short lines that we call “linelets,” (2) minimize the false positive rate by filtering out area with weld, and (3) using anomaly measure to improve the classification. Testing of 42 real images demonstrates 38% improvement over prior method.
λ-structures and s-structures: Translating the models

Abstract I develop a translation procedure between λ -structures, which correspond to premice in the Friedman–Jensen indexing convention on the one hand and s -structures, which are essentially the same as premice in the Mitchell–Steel indexing scheme.
Prediction of Compressive Strength of Aerated Lightweight Aggregate Concrete by Artificial Neural Network

This paper presents artificial neural network techniques for predicting the compressive strength of Aerated Lightweight Aggregate Concrete (ALAC) based on the effects of the concrete mix parameters. The compressive strength of sixty different concretes with densities ranging from 551 to 1948 kg/m3 was used and trained. The primary mix design variables studied included amount of cement, water, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, surfactant, the volume percentage of air in the matrix (A/M), and the volume percentage of matrix of the total mix (M/T). The training and testing results indicate that the model explains 0.984 and 0.979 of the variability in compressive strength for the single aggregate used in the study, respectively.
Longitudinal changes in white matter following ischemic stroke: a three-year follow-up study.

Information on longitudinal changes in white matter after stroke is limited. The aim of the present study was to quantitatively investigate longitudinal changes in the microstructural integrity of non-lesioned white matter at 1–3 years following ischemic stroke. In a sample of 80 ischemic stroke patients, we obtained diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), an apparent measure of white matter integrity, in radiologically normal-appearing white matter at baseline and 3 years of follow-up. Mixed model regression analysis results showed a significant improvement in FA from baseline during the first 2 years of follow-up that stabilized by the third year of follow-up. These results demonstrate a long-term improvement in apparent white matter integrity following ischemic stroke that continues, at least, into the second year following the insult.
Laminar dependence of neuronal correlations in visual cortex

Neuronal responses are correlated on a range of timescales. Correlations can affect population coding and may play an important role in cortical function. Correlations are known to depend on stimul...
Temperature dependence of length of elastin and its polypentapeptide.

Comparison of the temperature dependence of elastomer length of the cross-linked protein, elastin, and of γ-irradiation cross-linked poly(VPGVG), the polypentapeptide of elastin, with that of latex rubber demonstrate markedly dissimilar behaviors between a classical rubber and the protein and polypeptide elastomers. In the absence of a load latex rubber expands with increasing temperature as is known for classical rubbers comprised of a network of random chains whereas the protein and polypeptide elastomers markedly decrease in length. When under load with a constant applied force, as a classical rubber, latex linearly decreases length with increasing temperature whereas the decrease in length is very non-linear with temperature increase for the protein and polypeptide elastomers. The protein and polypeptide elastomers examined here do not exhibit the characteristic and fundamental temperature dependence of length considered typical of networks of random chains. Accordingly the more complex and even inverse behavior of elastin and the polypentapeptide of elastin in the absence of load require consideration of structural perspectives different from those of a random chain network with negligible interchain interactions.
Utility-aware screening with clique-oriented prioritization.

Most methods of deciding which hits from a screen to send for confirmatory testing assume that all confirmed actives are equally valuable and aim only to maximize the number of confirmed hits. In contrast, “utility-aware” methods are informed by models of screeners’ preferences and can increase the rate at which the useful information is discovered. Clique-oriented prioritization (COP) extends a recently proposed economic framework and aims—by changing which hits are sent for confirmatory testing—to maximize the number of scaffolds with at least two confirmed active examples. In both retrospective and prospective experiments, COP enables accurate predictions of the number of clique discoveries in a batch of confirmatory experiments and improves the rate of clique discovery by more than 3-fold. In contrast, other similarity-based methods like ontology-based pattern identification (OPI) and local hit-rate analysis (LHR) reduce the rate of scaffold discovery by about half. The utility-aware algorithm used to...
So you've been named in a lawsuit?: What happens next?

Follow the latest staging system to recognize patients with this disorder early and help delay disease progression.
Status and importance of optical standards

Optical standards will play an increasingly vital role in optical design, manufacture and testing as optics replace electronics and become the information transfer and analysis media of the 21st century. We will first describe the function and importance of optical standards to the optics community. Then we will describe the status of domestic optical standards and the government position on standards in general. This is followed by a summary of the work being done on international standards for optics. We conclude with a plan for the future that will keep the US optical industry from falling further behind our international competition.
Trypanothione-dependent peroxide metabolism in Trypanosoma cruzi different stages

Different stages of Trypanosoma cruzi are able to metabolize low concentrations of H2O2. Trypomastigotes showed a higher initial rate per mg protein than amastigotes or epimastigotes derived from them. Amastigotes could metabolize H2O2 at a lower rate than the other developmental stages of T. cruzi. A peroxide-metabolizing activity was detected in extracts of T. cruzi epimastigotes. This 'NADPH peroxidase' activity was lost upon dialysis of the extracts and was probably due to a non-enzymatic reaction(s) with endogenous dihydrotrypanothione (T(SH)2) and/or other thiols, thus explaining the inhibition of H2O2 metabolism in intact cells by thiol inhibitors. An amount of non-protein thiols equivalent to an intracellular concentration of 2.0-3.0 mM was found in epimastigotes, which is sufficient to account for the rate of NADPH oxidation observed in the presence of high concentration of peroxides (> 100 microM). Addition of T(SH)2 increased this rate, implying that this thiol could be used as a substrate in that reaction. In addition, this activity was hardly detectable in the extracts in the presence of low concentration of peroxides (< 20 microM), indicating a high Km, which would be incompatible with a true peroxidase activity. Taking into account the high intracellular concentration of thiols measured, this activity probably accounted for the rates of H2O2 metabolism detected in intact T. cruzi. These results also confirm that T. cruzi is an organism with limited ability to detoxify H2O2.
Concept of a miniature optical spectrometer using integrated optical and micro-optical components

We describe the concept of a super compact diffractive imaging spectrometer, with optical components a few millimeters across in all dimensions, capable of detecting optical fluorescence spectra within the entire visible spectral range from 400 nm to 700 nm with resolution of the order of 2 nm. In addition, the proposed spectrometer is capable of working simultaneously with multiple, up to 35, independent input optical channels. A specially designed diffractive optical element integrated with a planar optical waveguide is the key component of the proposed device. In the preliminary experimental tests, a uniform waveguide grating with a microlens was used to mimic operation of the diffractive optical element. A microspectrometer with optical components measured below 1 cm in all dimensions covers the spectral range from 450 nm to 650 nm and shows a spectral resolution of 0.5 nm at wavelengths close to 514 nm and 633 nm.
Multiple-delayed release formulation approach for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most frequent nosocomial pathogens in developed countries. Although several novel antibacterial agents possessing novel mode of action have been developed to date, the continuous effort to investigate an effective combination of front-line drugs is considered important in anti-MRSA drug development. The combination chemotherapy with front-line drugs is expected to provide effective, safe, and less expensive treatment. Oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole combination therapy has been utilized for treatment of several nosocomical infections. Importantly, no antagonism has been reported for combinations of trimethoprim with many other front-line antibiotics. MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals has developed the pulsatile delivery systems of three to four different antibacterial agents, including trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, for the treatment of MRSA infections. The liberation of individual drugs theoretically follows a programmable lag phase (no re...
Factorial Study and Analysis of Factor Variance of General Adaptability Self-Ratings from a Combined Sample of Male and Female Subjects

(1969). Factorial Study and Analysis of Factor Variance of General Adaptability Self-Ratings from a Combined Sample of Male and Female Subjects. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 169-177.
Neuropsychiatric effects of cocaine: SPECT measurements.

Cocaine causes serious neurologic and neuropsychiatric complications. Cocaine-induced seizures are common and appear to be due to the local anaesthetic actions of this compound. Cocaine induced stroke has varied mechanisms. With ischemic stroke there is severe vasospasm induced by rises in brain catecholamines. These changes can persist for many weeks and can be demonstrated using single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). In many patients with psychiatric symptoms induced by cocaine may be due to decreases in cerebral blood flow. In cocaine abuse, treatment strategies based on decreasing cerebral vasospasm need to be developed.
A Historical Review of the AORN Journal

ABSTRACT The purpose of this project was to critically review 35 years of AORN Journal content from 1963 to 1998 to determine if the original mission and goal of the Journal were being met. Content analysis revealed a diverse mixture of feature articles and regular columns that typically targeted perioperative nurses. Feature articles addressed multiple perioperative specialty areas, along with other areas of interest to perioperative nurses. Regular columns provided a means of keeping AORN members informed of educational offerings, policy changes, AORN business, and clinical practice issues. AORN J 71 (March 2000) 6060–619.
P02.53. Examination of the association of diet on persistent cancer related fatigue

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine possible associations between diet and fatigue. Dietary intake using a 4-day food diary was assessed in 40 cancer survivors. Cancer survivors had completed all cancer treatments at least 12 weeks prior and had their fatigue assessed with the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI). Participants were placed into one of three fatigue levels, “no fatigue”, “moderate fatigue”, or “severe fatigue” based on their BFI. Mean differences in food group, eating patterns and nutrient intake were analyzed using ANOVAs, K-means cluster analysis, chisquares and proportional odds model.
The Mnd1 Protein Forms a Complex with Hop2 To Promote Homologous Chromosome Pairing and Meiotic Double-Strand Break Repair

The hop2 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae arrests in meiosis with extensive synaptonemal complex (SC) formation between nonhomologous chromosomes. A screen for multicopy suppressors of a hop2-ts allele identified the MND1 gene. The mnd1-null mutant arrests in meiotic prophase, with most double-strand breaks (DSBs) unrepaired. A low level of mature recombinants is produced, and the Rad51 protein accumulates at numerous foci along chromosomes. SC formation is incomplete, and homolog pairing is severely reduced. The Mnd1 protein localizes to chromatin throughout meiotic prophase, and this localization requires Hop2. Unlike recombination enzymes such as Rad51, Mnd1 localizes to chromosomes even in mutants that fail to initiate meiotic recombination. The Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins coimmunoprecipitate from meiotic cell extracts. These results suggest that Hop2 and Mnd1 work as a complex to promote meiotic chromosome pairing and DSB repair. The identification of Hop2 and Mnd1 homologs in other organisms suggests that the function of this complex is conserved among eukaryotes.
Estrogen receptor-α thymidine and adenine repeat polymorphism and endothelial fibrinolytic regulation in postmenopausal women

Objective We hypothesized that the capacity of the endothelium to release tissue-type plasminogen activator is blunted in postmenopausal women with long (TA) n repeat alleles (≥18 repeats). Study design Forty-two healthy postmenopausal women were studied: 10 women with short allele genotypes (both alleles, Results Tissue-type plasminogen activator release in response to bradykinin was highest in homozygotes for the short allele. The total amount of tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen that was released was significantly higher (>55%) in the short (452 ± 68 ng/100 mL tissue) compared with the mixed (248 ± 27 ng/100 mL tissue) and long allele (290 ± 53 ng/100 mL tissue) groups. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the long (TA) n dinucleotide repeat allele is associated with blunted endothelial tissue-type plasminogen activator release in healthy postmenopausal women.
Functional near-infrared imaging reconstruction based on spatiotemporal features: venous occlusion studies

Noncontact-based near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging devices are developed for noninvasive tissue imaging in various clinical applications. Most of these devices focus on obtaining the spatial information for identification of blood vessels as in subsurface vein localization applications. In the current study, the spatiotemporal mapping of blood vessels based on functional information was performed using NIR optical imaging without the use of external contrast agents. A 710 nm LED source and a compact NIR-sensitive CCD camera system were employed during a simple cuff (0–60 mm Hg) experiment in order to acquire the dynamic NIR data from the dorsum of a hand. The spatiotemporal features of dynamic NIR data were extracted from the cuff experimental data to localize vessels according to blood dynamics. The blood vessels’ structure was reconstructed from the dynamic data based on the spatiotemporal features. Demonstrating the spatiotemporal feature of blood dynamic imaging using a portable noncontact NIR imaging device without external contrast agents is significant for applications such as peripheral vascular diseases and wound screening.
Estimation of thermal conduction loads for structural supports of cryogenic spacecraft assemblies

Abstract Early in the design process of cryogenic space systems there is a critical need for means of estimating the parasitic conduction loads associated with structural supports. In a mature design, the conduction loads can be computed with good accuracy based on the design details. However, for a generic trade study early in the design process, what is desired is a generic relationship (for typical launch loading conditions) between overall support conductance, the Δ T involved, and the supported mass. This work derives such a universal relationship by examining a variety of flight-proven designs for cryogenic structural supports and then normalizing the data given the known relationships between material conductivity and temperature, between launch acceleration level and assembly mass, between launch acceleration loads and stresses and required support-member cross-sections, and between support-member cross-section and conductive load.
Review of the literature on Rijke thermoacoustic phenomena

Abstract Acoustical pressure oscillations generated in a gas by a steady heat source may be separated into two distinct types: (i) Rijke oscillations that occur when a gas flows through a pipe which has both ends open and a steady heat source in the inlet end of the pipe; and (ii) Sondhauss oscillations which occur in a pipe having one closed and one open end, and a steady heat source in the closed end. In this paper the major references on Rijke oscillations are listed and reviewed briefly. The extensive literature on oscillatory combustion occurring in rocket propulsion systems is not reviewed. Whenever possible the analytical methods, experimental work, and results are described and interrelated. Twenty-seven references are included.
Two Centuries of Miami Indian Death Customs

A comparison is made of Miami Indian death customs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as described by French explorers ca. 1702 and by C. C. Trowbridge to Michigan Territorial Governer Lewis Cass in 1825. Changes in customs reflect the influence of time, invasion, and tribal identity on a universal observance. Distinguishing features of nineteenth century customs are the ceremonial provision of a surrogate to replace the deceased and protection of the corpse from an inimical medicine man. Similarities and differences between the death customs of the Miamis and other Great Lakes tribes are also noted.
Astrocytes retrovirally transduced with BDNF elicit behavioral improvement in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Neurotrophic factors that improve the survival of specific neuronal types during development and after exposure to various neuronal insults hold potential for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to exert trophic and protective effects on dopaminergic neurons, the cell type known to degenerate in Parkinson's disease. To determine whether increased levels of biologically produced BDNF affect the function or regeneration of damaged dopaminergic neurons, the effects of grafting astrocytes transduced with the human BDNF gene into the striatum of the partially lesioned hemiparkinsonian rat were examined. Replication deficient retroviruses carrying either human prepro-BDNF or human alkaline phosphatase (AP) cDNA were used to transduce primary type 1 astrocytes purified from neonatal rat cortex. In vitro, BDNF mRNA was expressed by BDNF transduced astrocytes (BDNF astrocytes), but not control AP transduced astrocytes (AP astrocytes), as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The modified astrocytes were injected into the right striatum 15 days after partial lesioning of the right substantia nigra with 6-hydroxydopamine. Transplantation of BDNF astrocytes, but not AP astrocytes, significantly attenuated amphetamine-induced rotation by 45% 32 days after grafting. Apomorphine-induced rotation increased over time in both groups, but was not significantly different in the BDNF-treated group. The modified BDNF astrocytes survived well with non-invasive growth in the brain for up to 42 days. Although BDNF mRNA positive cells were not detected within the graft site using in situ hybridization, alkaline phosphatase immunoreactive (IR) cells were present in control graft sites suggesting that the retroviral construct continued to be expressed at 42 days. Analysis of the density of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR fibers showed no effect of BDNF on TH-IR fiber density in the striatum on the lesioned side. These findings suggest that ex vivo gene therapy with BDNF ameliorates parkinsonian symptoms through a mechanism(s) other than one involving an effect of BDNF on regeneration or sprouting from dopaminergic neurons.
Behavior theory and the social sciences

The evolution of behavioral theory can be largely described in terms of what is assumed to happen between “stimulus” and “response.” In any case these supposed events are generally not directly observable—they take place within a black box. Nine-teenth-century psychologists filled the black box with “faculties,” “motives,” and “instincts.” Early behaviorists refused to speculate about its contents altogether. Later behaviorists gradually introduced hypothetical “intervening variables,” whose supposed nature and assumed relations became the identifying marks of various psychological theories and schools. The recent focusing of interest on the symbolic process and attempts at constructing an “exact” theory of such processes provide an opportunity of combining in psychology the rigorous methods of natural science with the characteristic non-physical content of psychological phenomena.
A Conjoint Analysis of Five Factors Influencing Heavy Vehicle Drivers Perceptions of Workload

Conjoint analysis, a multi-factor subjective scaling technique, was used in a study of heavy vehicle drivers to obtain a measure of their perceived workload demands under different driving conditions. These included combinations of low and high levels of traffic density, lighting, roadway type, visibility, and traction. A tradeoff comparison analysis was used to collect the conjoint scaling data from a subset of the complete 2−2−2−2−2 design. Results indicated that an additive factor representation fit the data very well, but that the five factors had very different importance weights. The drivers’ orderings of perceived demand appeared to be inversely related to their control over the conditions. The two most important factors (traction and visibility) are effectively environmental factors that cannot be easily controlled by the driver. The other three factors (traffic density, highway type, and lighting) can, at least to some extent, come under the control of the driver. Implications of these results an...
The Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Review of the Research on Risk Factors With Implications for Practice

TOPIC. Eating disorders are a significant health problem among children and adolescents. A synthesis of recent research findings on the risk factors for eating disorders describes prevention strategies for practice. PURPOSE. To present research findings on risk factors for eating disorders that specifically relate to prevention for advanced practice. Current investigations are reviewed and critiqued for biologic, psychological, family, and sociocultural risk factors. A critique of the research and findings from important studies describes strategies for prevention of eating disorders for aduanced practice. SOURCES. Published literature and clinical and research expertise of the author. CONCLUSIONS. Identifiable risk factors for eating disorders are found in children as well as adolescents. Findings from risk factor research provide the advanced practice nurse strategies for prevention of eating disorders. Few prevention programs exist; even fewer have been tested. An important clinical and research focus for advanced practice nurses is the prmention of eating disorders.
FEA SIMULATION OF GROWTH OF MULTIPLE THERMOMECHANICALLY INDUCED FATIGUE CRACKS

Using a moving template global-local finite element simulation scheme, a methodology is developed to handle the growth of fatigue cracks in components subject to cyclic thermomechanical environments. The generality of the scheme is such that it can handle: (1) material anistropy, (2) a probablistic definition of properties, (3) the thermomechanical coupling induced by the formation of a new wake on and its concomitant effects on the governing fields, (4) the opening and closure of a wake, and (5) the effects of oxidation of crack wake as it impinges thermal contact resistance. Included in the presentation are the results of several benchmark and demo examples
Coupled orbit–attitude motion of high area-to-mass ratio (HAMR) objects including efficient self-shadowing

Abstract This paper shows the effect of self-shadowing on the coupled attitude–orbit dynamics of objects with high area-to-mass ratios (HAMR) in simulating standard multi layer insulation materials (MLI) as tilted single rigid sheets. Efficient and computationally fast self-shadowing methods have been developed. This includes an approximate self-shadowing method and a rapid exact self-shadowing method. Accuracy considerations are made and the effect of a chosen tessellation is shown. The coupled orbit–attitude perturbations of solar radiation pressure and Earth gravity field are taken into account. The results are compared to the attitude–orbit dynamics, when neglecting self-shadowing effects. An averaged physical shadow-map model is developed and compared to the full self-shadowing simulation. The combined effect of solar radiation pressure and self-shadowing leads to a rapid spin-up of the objects, even though they have uniform reflection properties. As a result, the observed brightness of these objects is subject to rapid changes.
Segmental Duplications and Copy-Number Variation in the Human Genome

The human genome contains numerous blocks of highly homologous duplicated sequence. This higher-order architecture provides a substrate for recombination and recurrent chromosomal rearrangement associated with genomic disease. However, an assessment of the role of segmental duplications in normal variation has not yet been made. On the basis of the duplication architecture of the human genome, we defined a set of 130 potential rearrangement hotspots and constructed a targeted bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) microarray (with 2,194 BACs) to assess copy-number variation in these regions by array comparative genomic hybridization. Using our segmental duplication BAC microarray, we screened a panel of 47 normal individuals, who represented populations from four continents, and we identified 119 regions of copy-number polymorphism (CNP), 73 of which were previously unreported. We observed an equal frequency of duplications and deletions, as well as a 4-fold enrichment of CNPs within hotspot regions, compared with control BACs (P 4-fold within regions of CNP. Almost without exception, CNPs were not confined to a single population, suggesting that these either are recurrent events, having occurred independently in multiple founders, or were present in early human populations. Our study demonstrates that segmental duplications define hotspots of chromosomal rearrangement, likely acting as mediators of normal variation as well as genomic disease, and it suggests that the consideration of genomic architecture can significantly improve the ascertainment of large-scale rearrangements. Our specialized segmental duplication BAC microarray and associated database of structural polymorphisms will provide an important resource for the future characterization of human genomic disorders.