cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of lorcainide in patients with symptomatic ventricular tachycardia

Abstract One hundred patients with inducible ventricular tachycardia (VT) on electrophysiologic studies underwent serial drug testing with procainamide, lidocaine and lorcainide to determine comparative efficacy. Acute intravenous administration was followed by repeat programmed electrical stimulation (PES) studies on separate days for each antiarrhythmic agent. Lorcainide prevented VT induction in 69% of the 100 patients studied, procainamide in 50% of the 75 patients studied and lidocaine in 30% of 53 patients. After PES and serial drug testing, 46 patients were started on lorcainide, 9 on procainamide and 45 on other antiarrhythmic drug regimens. Eighty percent of the patients have remained on lorcainide therapy, whereas 47% have continued on other drug therapies started over 17.5-month mean follow-up period. Despite sleepwake disturbances and a need for sedation at night, lorcainide therapy was well tolerated in this population and remained an effective antiarrhythmic agent with prolonged administration.
Upper bounds on the size of error-correcting runlength-limited codes

The maximum achievable rate of an error-correcting runlength-limited code is considered. Runlength-limited codes find wide applications in magnetic and optical recording, baseband. pulse transmission, and fiber optic communications. When a runlength-limited code is used on a noisy channel, error-correction control is often needed in order to obtain the desired system reliability. It is well-known that the error-correcting capability of a code is closely related to its distance properties. In this paper, asymptotic upper bounds for the maximum achievable rate of a runlength-limited code are derived as a function of the code's minimum Hamming distance.
Advances in Risk Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes: Integrating Genetic Scores With Framingham Risk Models

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a worldwide epidemic affecting 8.3% of the current global adult population (1), with a growing prevalence in both developed and developing nations. It is estimated that of 29.1 million U.S. individuals with T2D, 8.1 million (27.8%) are undiagnosed—up from 7.0 million (27.1%) in 2010. T2D is strongly heritable, with estimates ranging from 30% to 70% (2). As elevated blood glucose can precede the diagnosis of T2D by up to 10 years, irreversible T2D-related complications including neuropathies and renal disease often begin to develop before diagnosis. Lean offspring of T2D patients are more likely to be insulin resistant than lean offspring of nondiabetic subjects, which appears to be caused in part by inherited mitochondrial defects that result in reduced glucose and fatty acid oxidation efficiency, leading to lipotoxicity and fat accumulation inside of muscle cells (3). With the rapid advancement of high-throughput genotyping technologies and the aggregation and meta-anlysis of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and gene-centric T2D studies (4–6), >70 loci have been identified, although only ∼10% of the genetic variance of T2D risk is explained by these signals. Over the last five years, the field has progressed toward integrating genetic risk scores (GRS) with conventional T2D risk scores such as the Framingham Offspring Study risk score (FORS) (7). If sufficient improvement in risk prediction can be attained with integration of GRS into conventional risk models, there may be clinical utility in earlier identification of higher-risk individuals, particularly those individuals with lower BMI or who lack the traditional nongenetic risk factors. In 2008, the first T2D GRS analysis in the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) used an 18-SNP T2D risk score in 2,377 T2D-free participants followed for 28 years, of whom 225 (9.5%) developed T2D. …
Ultrafast electron injection from metal polypyridyl complexes to metal-oxide nanocrystalline thin films

Abstract Interfacial electron transfer (ET) between molecular adsorbates and semiconductor nanoparticles has been a subject of intense recent interest. In this paper, we review our recent work in understanding ultrafast photoinduced electron injection from ruthenium and rhenium polypyridyl complexes to metal oxide nanoparticles. Electron injection rates were measured using femtosecond IR spectroscopy, which provided a direct probe of adsorbate vibrational spectra and IR absorption of injected electrons in semiconductor. The consequence of competition between ultrafast electron injection and intramolecular relaxation in these transition metal complexes was carefully examined. A two-state injection model was proposed to account for biphasic kinetics, allowing a comparison of injection rate in different systems. The components of the chromophore(donor)–bridge–nanoparticle (acceptor) complexes were systematically varied to examine their effect on ET rate. The observed trends were discussed by considering the change in the strength of electronic coupling and density of accepting states in semiconductor and compared with Marcus theory of interfacial electron transfer.
Detecting deviations from metronomic timing in music: Effects of perceptual structure on the mental timekeeper

The detectability of a deviation from metronomic timing—of a small local increment in interonset interval (IOI) duration—in a musical excerpt is subject to positional biases, or “timing expectations,” that are closely related to the expressive timing (sequence of IOI durations) typically produced by musicians in performance (Repp, 1992b, 1998c, 1998d). Experiment 1 replicated this finding with some changes in procedure and showed that the perception-performance correlation is not the result of formal musical training or availability of a musical score. Experiments 2 and 3 used a synchronization task to examine the hypothesis that participants’ perceptual timing expectations are due to systematic modulations in the period of a mental timekeeper that also controls perceptual-motor coordination. Indeed, there was systematic variation in the asynchronies between taps and metronomically timed musical event onsets, and this variation was correlated both with the variations in IOI increment detectability (Experiment 1) and with the typical expressive timing pattern in performance. When the music contained local IOI increments (Experiment 2), they were almost perfectly compensated for on the next tap, regardless of their detectability in Experiment 1, which suggests a perceptual-motor feed-back mechanism that is sensitive to subthreshold timing deviations. Overall, the results suggest that aspects of perceived musical structure influence the predictions of mental timekeeping mechanisms, thereby creating a subliminal warping of experienced time.
Pattern-based full-chip process verification

This paper discusses a novel pattern based standalone process verification technique that meets with current and future needs for semiconductor manufacturing of memory and logic devices. The choosing the right process verification technique is essential to bridge the discrepancy between the intended and the printed pattern. As the industry moving to very low k1 patterning solutions at each technology node, the challenges for process verification are becoming nightmare for lithography engineers, such as large number of possible verification defects and defect disposition. In low k1 lithography, demand for full-chip process verification is increasing. Full-chip process verification is applied post to process and optical proximity correction (OPC) step. The current challenges in process verification are large number of defects reported, disposition difficulties, long defect review times, and no feedback provided to OPC. The technique presented here is based on pattern based verification where each reported defects are classified in terms of patterns and these patterns are saved to a database. Later this database is used for screening incoming new design prior to OPC step.
SU‐C‐BRF‐02: Surface Imaging Based Analysis of Intra‐Fraction Motion for Breast Radiotherapy Patients

Purpose: To quantify and characterize intrafraction motion for breast radiotherapy treatments using 3D surface imaging. Methods: Thirty free breathing breast patients were monitored with 3D surface imaging over a total of 831 monitoring sessions. Mean translations and rotations were calculated over each minute, each session, and over all sessions combined. The percentage of each session that the root mean square (RMS) of the linear translations were outside of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm were determined for each patient. Correlations between mean translations per minute and time and between standard deviation per minute and time were evaluated using Pearson's r value. Results: The mean RMS translation averaged over all patients was 2.63 mm +/- 1.63 mm. The patients spent an average of 52%, 24%, 11%, and 5% of the monitoring time outside of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm RMS tolerances, respectively. The RMS values averaged over all patients were 2.95 mm +/- 1.67 mm, 3.21 +/- 2.11, and 3.57 mm +/- 2.23 mm over the 5th, 10th, and 15th minutes of monitoring, respectively. The RMS values (r = 0.95, p = 0) and the standard deviations of the RMS values (r = 0.97, p = 0) both showed strong significant correlations with time. Conclusion: The majority of patients treatment time is spent within 5 mm of the isocenter. Patient position tends to drift with increasing time in the session. Treatment length should be considered when determining planning margins. An 8 mm margin on a target volume would account for two standard deviations of motion for a treatment up to 15 minutes in length.
Rheological properties of ionic and nonionic polyacrylamide solutions

Non-Newtonian shear viscosities were measured over six decades of strain rate k for 13 solutions of both the ionic and nonionic forms of polyacrylamide. By using the Weissenberg rheogoniometer with both the cone-and-plate and the parallel-plate attachments, the normal stress functions σ1 (k2) and σ2(k2) were obtained for four of the solutions. From the measurements of the shear viscosity and the normal stresses at low rates of strain, characteristic times τ and τN, respectively, were determined for each solution. The quantity τ was then used to nondimensionalize the strain rate τk, and when plotted versus the reduced shear viscosity, found successfully to correlate the experimental data for all the polyelectrolyte solutions over the entire range of τk and the data for the concentrated solutions of the nonionic polymer over a smaller range of τk. However, in order to correlate the normal stress data for the polyelectrolyte solutions, a second reduced strain rate (τNk) was used. Thus, two different times were required to correlate all the observed data. The shear viscosity data for the dilute solutions of the nonionic polymer were well represented by the two-parameter, non-Newtonian intrinsic viscosity function that has been computed by Fixman.
Neprilysin: an enzyme candidate to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

It is well established that the extracellular deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide plays a central role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, either preventing the accumulation of Aβ peptide in the brain or accelerating its clearance may slow the rate of AD onset. Neprilysin (NEP) is the dominant Aβ peptide-degrading enzyme in the brain; NEP becomes inactivated and down-regulated during both the early stages of AD and aging. In this study, we investigated the effect of human (h)NEP gene transfer to the brain in a mouse model of AD before the development of amyloid plaques, and assessed how this treatment modality affected the accumulation of Aβ peptide and associated pathogenetic changes (eg, inflammation, oxidative stress, and memory impairment). Overexpression of hNEP for 4 months in young APP/ΔPS1 double-transgenic mice resulted in reduction in Aβ peptide levels, attenuation of amyloid load, oxidative stress, and inflammation, and improved spatial orientation. Moreover, the overall reduction in amyloidosis and associated pathogenetic changes in the brain resulted in decreased memory impairment by ∼50%. These data suggest that restoring NEP levels in the brain at the early stages of AD is an effective strategy to prevent or attenuate disease progression.
The formation and back isomerization of iso-H2C–Br–Br on a 100-ps time scale following 255-nm excitation of CH2Br2 in acetonitrile

Abstract Following 255-nm excitation of CH 2 Br 2 in acetonitrile, the formation and decay of the iso -H 2 C–Br–Br species is monitored through its visible transient absorption in the 338–612 nm range. The sub-100 ps decay time constant contrasts the previously reported stability of this isomer on a nanosecond timescale in cyclohexane. Different possible decays channels of iso -H 2 C–Br–Br are simulated using CCSD and CCSD(T) calculations and we found that the isomerization back to the CH 2 Br 2 structure is the lowest energy decay pathway in acetonitrile. The energy barrier for the reverse isomerization process decreases from 10.6 to 3.7 kcal mol −1 , in cyclohexane and acetonitrile, respectively.
Chronic Low Back Pain Patients' Perceptions on Self-Management, Self-Management Support, and Functional Ability

Chronic low back pain is the most commonly reported chronic pain condition, with an exceedingly high prevalence. The economic burden to society is remarkable with ensuing functional disablement. Although self-management (SM) and self-management support (SMS) are now being recommended to address chronic low back pain, there is a paucity of research on SM, SMS, and functional ability in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of chronic low back pain patients on their self-management (SM), self-management support (SMS), and functional ability. This qualitative manuscript is part of the data derived from a larger study using a non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive design. Open-ended questions on SM, SMS, and functional ability resulted in an abundant amount of substantive information. Participant responses provided significant themes. Taking medications and maintaining physical activity were dominant SM activities. Major participant-perceived SMS activities were prescribing medications, providing other treatments, and giving encouragement. Participants' concerns regarding their functional ability centered on anxiety and fear. This study can facilitate improved understanding on the SM, SMS, and functional ability of patients with chronic low back pain. There is an increased need for education and support of patients' mental state to facilitate SM. It is equally important for health care professionals to be proficient in providing SMS. These findings provide essential foundation toward evaluating the impact of SM and SMS on functional ability and other chronic low back pain outcomes.
Dependence of vibrational transition probabilities on the orientation angle in the three-dimensional BC + A collission

Abstract The dependence of vibrational transition probabilities on molecular orientation in the three-dimensional BC + A collision at high velocities has been investigated. For O 2 + Ar collisions calculation of the 0 → 1 vibrational transition probability shows that the collinear orientation is very inefficient for vibrational transitions above the collision velocity of about 10 6 cm/sec when the impact parameter is greater than the Lennard-Jones parameter (i.e., b ⪢ σ). When b
Operant Conditioning of Specific Patterns of Neural and Muscular Activity

In awake monkeys we recorded activity of single "motor" cortex cells, four contralateral arm muscles, and elbow position, while operantly reinforcing several patterns of motor activity. With the monkey's arm held semiprone in a cast hinged at the elbow, we reinforced active elbow movements and tested cell responses to passive elbow movements. With the cast immobilized we reinforced isometric contraction of each of the four muscles in isolation, and bursts of cortical cell activity with and without simultaneous suppression of muscle activity. Correlations between a precentral cell and specific arm muscles consistently appeared under several behavioral conditions, but could be dissociated by reinforcing cell activity and muscle suppression.
The strengthening mechanism of a magnesia core ceramic.

Abstract A high-expansion core material containin magnesia and forsterite may be used to make all-ceramic dental crowns with porcelain-fused-to-metal body porcelains. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strengthening mechanism for the magnesia core material. Six batches of the magnesia core material were made by reacting magnesia with a silica glass with holding times ranging from 17 to 120 min. The flexural strength was measured using three-point loading according to the ISO specification for dental ceramics. The forsterite content was measured using quantitative x-ray diffraction. A statistically significant correlation was found between the forsterite content and flexural strength. The proposed mechanism for strengthening is the precipitation of fine forsterite crystals in the glass matrix surrounding unreacted magnesia. Longer reaction times produced more dissolution of magnesia and subsequent precipitation of forsterite. This method results in a new strengthening mechanism for dental ceramics which have previously relied on the incorporation of alumina, leucite or ceramic whiskers.
BREASTFEEDING AND INFANT MORTALITY: UNTANGLING THE COMPLEX WEB OF CAUSALITY

Much of the research which has been interpreted as showing the positive effect of breastfeeding on child survival is rendered inconclusive by errors in study design. Complexities of the breastfeeding/mortality relationship are discussed and a research strategy is outlined, based on secondary analysis of existing data, which would generate more reliable estimates of the benefits of breastfeeding.
Mechanism of Molecular Oxygen Reduction at the Cathode of a PEM Fuel Cell : Non-Electrochemical Reactions on Catalytic Pt Particles

Various catalytic reactions in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are discussed, and the effects of different steps, parallel pathways, and side reactions are analyzed for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mechanism. A suitable mechanism table is formulated for the prominent pathway of ORR. The kinetics of the proposed nonelectrochemical reactions on platinum surfaces are then studied using the B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) with the Wadt and Hay relativistic ECPs and basis sets augmented with a 4f function on Pt. The reactions considered are O2(ads) ↔ O(ads) + O(ads) (1), O2H(ads) ↔ O(ads) + OH(ads) (2), H2O(ads) ↔ H(ads) + OH(ads) (3), OH(ads) + OH(ads) ↔ O(ads) + H2O(ads) (4), and OH(ads) + O(ads) ↔ O(ads) + OH(ads) (5). Calibration calculations are carried out for reaction 1 on a single Pt atom using the CASSCF/MRCI method with a cc-pVDZ/relativistic ECP basis set for Pt and the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set for O. Comparison with B3LYP DFT calculations shows that the latter method overestimat...
Physical activity and weight gain over 20 years.

To the Editor: Dr Hankinson and colleagues reported on the relationship of activity and body mass index (BMI) over 20 years in a large, ethnically diverse cohort of young to middle-aged adults participating in the CARDIA study. Weight gain is a major underlying risk factor for mortality secondary to the development of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In their analysis, being in the highest tertile of activity was associated with a reduction in the rate of increase in both BMI and waist circumference. However, individuals in this highest activity tertile still experienced significant increases in both BMI and waist circumference over time. In their study, was there an activity level that was associated with no increase in BMI or waist circumference? If so, that level of activity might actually prevent increases in BMI during the transition from young adulthood to middle age. Did that activity level differ by sex or race? Also, was there an ideal ratio of activity to caloric intake at which the observed increases in BMI were minimized? Such information would be useful in counseling young adults about the level of activity needed to maintain a healthy weight and minimize the risk of obesity-related morbidity and mortality.
Forage yield and quality of Corn cultivars developed in different eras

Gains in corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield over time are well documented, but corresponding changes in forage and stover yield and quality have received less attention. Our objective was to describe yield and quality changes of representative cultivars used by farmers in the northern Corn Belt. Six open-pollinated cultivars used prior to 1930, 24 cultivars representing four 15-yr eras between 1931 and 1990, and six modern cultivars, for a total of 36 cultivars, were divided into early- and late-maturity trials. Each trial was grown at three locations in Wisconsin during 1997 and 1998. Since 1930, corn forage dry matter yield has increased at the rate of 0.128 to 0.164 Mg ha -1 yr -1 with stover dry matter yields increasing at the rate of 0.043 to 0.054 Mg ha -1 yr '. Forage crude protein has not changed significantly with time. Forage neutral detergent fiber concentration has decreased 0.825 to 0.948 g kg -1 yr ', while forage in vitro digestibility increased 0.538 to 0.612 g kg 1 yr 1 . Stover neutral detergent fiber concentration and in vitro digestibility have not changed over time. Since 1930 forage, stover, and ear yield have increased 1.4, 0.7, and 2.4% yr 1 , respectively. This trend will no doubt continue, but greater progress might be made if corn forage breeding improvement concentrates on yield and quality changes in stover.
Write to Read: A Tale of Two Techniques

(1983). Write to Read: A Tale of Two Techniques. Journal of College Reading and Learning: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 26-33.
Creative Experiential Interventions to Heighten Emotion and Process in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) uses interventions aimed to identify couples’ interactional processes and underlying emotions related to attachment needs. An examination of creative inter...
Static interconnection network extensibility based on marginal performance/cost analysis

The paper examines the trade-off between cost and performance of a hypercube based computer interconnection network founded on a detailed cost analysis model. A cost function is proposed which considers the economies of scale of bandwidth available through optical fibre communications and the nonincremental increase in node complexity resulting from variations in network size. When considering topology choice, an important consideration is expansion. Any comparison of expansion should be done through marginal analysis: weighing the additional benefits (performance) against the additional cost resulting from expansion. To demonstrate this technique, four interconnection networks are considered: boolean n-cube, nearest neighbour mesh hypercube, generalised hypercube, and spanning multiaccess channel hypercube. Systems with equalised performance are studied, investigating the variations in cost. This permits the investigation of the trade-off of performance/cost between high capacity communication channels and increased number of channels and degree.
Correlation analysis of ESR spectra on a small computer

Abstract A correlation approach to computer solutions of electron spin resonance spectra has been adapted for use on a small computer. The correlation analysis is capable of finding solutions for complex, well-resolved spectra, including those containing spin-1 species such as nitrogen. Even for spectra that can be solved readily by hand, a tuning procedure using correlation as a criterion for goodness of fit saves much time and effort. A fast procedure for adjusting hyperfine constants to within approximately 0.05% of the scan range is presented. Fast methods of calculation for other parts of the correlation analysis are described and their application to the aminophenoxy and the tetramethylaminophenoxy radicals is shown.
Advanced Optical Microphone

This paper introduces a new type of optical microphone that is characterized by structural simplicity and low cost, while retaining all the features offered by more expensive technologies such as laser interferometry. Operation of the new microphone relies on a reflective pattern that is etched on one side of the microphone's diaphragm. An image of the pattern is captured by a charge-coupled device, and pattern recognition is performed in real time to determine the diaphragm's instantaneous position. Hence, the complex task of detecting the minute variations in the diaphragm's position are performed by cheap, high speed optical electronics rather than by means of interferometry as shown in the literature.
PCV9: AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE (CHF) IN THE LOUISIANA MEDICAID PROGRAM

OBJECTIVE: To examine the cost of illness of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) in the Louisiana Medicaid program. METHODS: Study design: A retrospective review of the medical and pharmacy claims data (1999–2000) in the Louisiana Medicaid program. We reviewed pharmacy and medical claims data for the years 1999–2000 from the Louisiana Medicaid program. The data were obtained from Unisys, the fiscal intermediary for the Louisiana Medicaid program, in a PC compatible format. We extracted the claims for CHF patients on the basis of the ICD-9-CM codes. A total of 13,947 patients met the study criteria, which included at least one primary or secondary diagnosis of CHF and availability of claims data for at least one year after the first CHF diagnosis related claim. We reviewed all the charges incurred for a one-year period after the initial CHF claim. RESULTS: The total cost for CHF patients for one year was over $182 million. The majority of the patients (73.63%) were female and accounted for 70% of the total cost. The mean age was 70 years and the largest portion of the total cost (55%) came from those 65 years and older. Of the 13,947 patients 11,065 (79%) were hospitalized at an average cost of $4,679 per hospitalized patient. Approximately 87% of the study population received prescription drugs at an average cost of $2,897 per prescription drug user. Hospitalizations and prescription drugs contributed 28% and 19.38% respectively to the total cost. Almost one third of the total cost was due to long-term care at $13,817 per utilizer. Costs for CHF diagnosis related claims were 14% of all costs. CONCLUSION: CHF represents a significant financial burden from the perspective of the Louisiana Medicaid program. Improved management of the condition is needed to reduce the cost of treatment associated with CHF.
Isospora citolli n. sp. from the Rock Squirrel, Citellus variegatus Utah*

SUMMARY. Isospora citelli n. sp. is described from the rock squirrel, Citellus variegatus Utah, from Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Its oocysts are subspherical, 22.4 by 21.5 μ, with a smooth, two-layered wall, an oocyst refractile globule and a sporocyst residuum, but without a micropyle or oocyst residuum.
Neuroimaging in geriatric psychiatry: integrative research as the next frontier.

T articles in this issue of the Journal represent asignificant advance in the application of neuroimaging methods to understand some of the most challenging questions regarding pathophysiology of late-life neuropsychiatric disorders. The articles are important examples of how neuroimaging methods, when combined with genetic or longitudinal methods or when integrated into a clinical trial can provide data relevant to neurobiologic mechanisms or biomarkers of clinical or cognitive outcomes. The neuroimaging field is always challenged by issues of clinical utility, given the complex and expensive procedures. The articles in the issue suggest the clinical utility for such issues as using imaging to predict cognitive decline and treatment response. Furthermore, the studies in this issue illustrate how studying geriatric populations provides a unique opportunity for mechanistic and biomarker studies that can then be applied to the study of younger neuropsychiatric patients. A clearer picture of the neuroanatomic substrates underlying aspects of aging, cognition, and mood is emerging from the novel application of increasingly sophisticated neuroimaging tools. Studies have now advanced beyond finding simple cross-sectional assessments of anatomic differences between populations. A highlight of many of these studies is the use of longitudinal analyses to examine the dynamic nature of neuroimaging findings associated with dis-
Accelerated recovery from acute hypoxia in obese mice is due to obesity-associated up-regulation of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

The proinflammatory consequences of obesity are thought to be due, in part, to macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue. There are, however, potential antiinflammatory consequences of obesity that include obesity-associated up-regulation of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA). Here we show that obesity-associated up-regulation of IL-1RA speeds recovery from hypoxia. We found that high-fat diet-fed (HFD) mice recovered from acute hypoxia 5 times faster than normal-diet-fed (ND) mice. HFD mice had a 10-fold increase in serum IL-1RA when compared with ND mice. White adipose tissue (WAT) was a significant source of IL-RA, generating 330 ± 77 pg/mg protein in HFD mice as compared with 15 ± 5 pg/mg protein in ND mice. Peritoneal macrophages isolated from HFD mice showed little difference in IL-1RA production when compared with ND mice, but WAT macrophages from HFD mice generated 11-fold more IL-1RA than those from ND mice. When ND mice were given an ip transfer of the stromal vascular fraction portion of WAT from HFD mice, serum IL-1RA increased 836% and recovery from acute hypoxia was faster than in mice that did not receive a stromal vascular fraction transfer. To determine whether IL-1RA was important to this accelerated recovery, ND mice were administered exogenous IL-1RA prior to hypoxia, and their recovery matched that of HFD mice. Inversely, when IL-1RA was immunoabsorbed in HFD mice with IL-1RA antiserum, recovery from acute hypoxia was attenuated. Taken together these data demonstrate that HFD-induced obesity speeds recovery from hypoxia due to obesity-associated up-regulation of IL-1RA.
Ankylosing hyperostosis of the cervical spine.

A patient with severe ankylosing hyperostosis of the cervical spine is reported and the differential diagnosis discussed.
On the matroids in which all hyperplanes are binary

Abstract In this paper, it is shown that, for a minor-closed class M of matroids, the class of matroids in which every hyperplane is in M is itself minor-closed and has, as its excluded minors, the matroids U 1.1 ⊛ N such that N is an excluded minor for M . This result is applied to the class of matroids of the title, and several alternative characterizations of the last class are given.
3D point of gaze estimation using head-mounted RGB-D cameras

This paper presents a low-cost, wearable headset for 3D Point of Gaze (PoG) estimation in assistive applications. The device consists of an eye tracking camera and forward facing RGB-D scene camera which, together, provide an estimate of the user gaze vector and its intersection with a 3D point in space. The resulting system is able to compute the 3D PoG in real-time using inexpensive and readily available hardware components.
TNF-α Antagonism with Etanercept Decreases Glucose and Increases the Proportion of High Molecular Weight Adiponectin in Obese Subjects with Features of the Metabolic Syndrome

Context and Objective: Obesity is associated with activation of the TNF-α system, increased inflammatory markers, and insulin resistance. Although studies in rodents suggest that attenuation of TNF activity improves glucose homeostasis, the effect of prolonged inhibition of TNF-α with etanercept on inflammation and glucose homeostasis in a human model of obesity is not known. Design and Participants: Forty obese subjects with features of metabolic syndrome were randomized to etanercept or placebo, 50 mg twice weekly for 3 months, followed by 50 mg once weekly for 3 months. Outcome Measures: Subjects underwent oral glucose tolerance testing and measurement of serum inflammatory biomarkers and adipokines. Subcutaneous fat biopsy was performed in a subset for measurement of adipokine and TNF-α mRNA expression. Results: Visceral adiposity was significantly associated with serum concentrations of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), TNFR2, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and adipose tissue expression of TNF-α and SOCS-3 (all P < 0.05). Insulin resistance as assessed by homeostasis model assessment was significantly associated with TNFR1, C-reactive protein, IL-6, and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) (all P < 0.05). Etanercept significantly improved fasting glucose (treatment effect vs. placebo over 6 months, −10.8 ± 4.4%, P = 0.02). Etanercept also increased the ratio of high molecular weight adiponectin to total adiponectin (+22.1 ± 9.2% vs. placebo, P = 0.02), and decreased levels of sICAM-1 (−11 ± 2% vs. placebo, P < 0.0001). In contrast, body composition, lipids, C-reactive protein, and IL-6 were unchanged after 6 months. Conclusions: Prolonged therapy with etanercept improved fasting glucose, increased the ratio of high molecular weight to total adiponectin, and decreased sICAM-1 in obese subjects with abnormal glucose homeostasis and significant subclinical inflammation.
Critical care considerations of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objective:To review the available clinical data on the critical care complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).Data Source:The MEDLINE database and references from the identified articles related to the critical care in HSCT.Conclusion:HSCT is an important treatment for a varie
An update on drug-drug interactions with biologics for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis

Objective: Moderate-to-severe psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that often requires systemic therapy and biologics are the newest systemic treatment available. A favorable aspect of biologics is that they are thought to have minimal risks for drug–drug interactions compared to oral systemic medications such as cyclosporine and methotrexate. However, this assumption has not been recently or adequately reviewed. We reviewed the literature to identify possible drug–drug interactions with biologics and other medications. Methods: We searched PubMed for published case reports, clinical studies, reviews, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labels discussing possible drug–drug interactions with biologics for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Results: There were only a small number of published articles describing drug–drug interactions with biologics. Our review identified two case reports, five clinical studies, and three pharmacokinetics reviews. The majority of articles did not observe cli...
Interpretive gridding by anisotropic kriging

Most interpolation algorithms perform poorly on data sampled along profiles crossing features whose length scales are small along the profiles but large transverse to them, such as lineaments. Rather than reproducing the linear features, these algorithms create a series of closures around the profiles. By introducing additional information into the algorithm, in particular by using an anisotropic covariance model for kriging that contains a priori information about the lineations, more realistic results can be obtained. An algorithm of this type produces a much more reasonable map of aeromagnetic data from the Cobb Offset zone of the Juan de Fuca Ridge than either minimum curvature gridding or isotropic kriging.
UMTS the next generation of mobile radio

Europe's third-generation mobile communication system will transform the capabilities of cellular networks. The authors describe some of the implications for users, network operators and would-be licence holders of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System).
Influence of Hen Age and Molting Treatments on Shell Egg Exterior, Interior, and Contents Microflora and Salmonella Prevalence During a Second Production Cycle

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if increasing hen age and 3 different molting treatments influenced the total microflora counts or the prevalence of Salmonella spp. on the exterior of the egg shell, within the interior shell, or in the contents. Eggs from Hy-Line W-98 and Bovans White layer strains were sampled approximately every 28 d from 70 to 114 wk of age, with the molting period from 66 to 70 wk of age. Layers were utilized from the 35th North Carolina Layer Performance and Management Test and managed under identical husbandry practices. This study consisted of nonfasted, nonmolted, and feed-restricted treatments with the use of 135 eggs per layer strain, for a total of 270 eggs sampled per period. The exterior, interior shell, and contents were spiral plated onto plate count agar to calculate the total aerobic counts. Additional preenrichment, enrichment, conformational, and biochemical procedures were performed to test for the presence of Salmonella spp. Hen age and molting treatment significantly (P
Effect of intravenous enalaprilat in moderate and severe systemic hypertension

Abstract The antihypertensive effect and tolerability of enalaprilat, an intravenously administered angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, was studied in 65 patients with moderate or severe hypertension. In this randomized, double-blind study, enalaprilat was compared with placebo in 42 (22 enalaprilat, 20 placebo) moderate hypertensive (diastolic blood pressure [BP] 100 to 114 mm Hg) patients. It was compared with furosemide in 23 (12 enalaprilat, 11 furosemide) severe hypertensive (diastolic BP 115 to 130 mm Hg) patients. Enalaprilat (1.25 or 5.0 mg), placebo (5% dextrose) or furosemide (40 or 80 mg) was given every 6 hours intravenously up to 48 hours. In the moderate hypertension stratum, the mean supine diastolic BP was significantly (p ≤ 0.01) reduced from baseline at all timepoints in the enalaprilat group. These diastolic BP reductions were significantly (p ≤ 0.01) greater in the enalaprilat group than the placebo at 1 to 24 hours (−12 vs −4 mm Hg), with 59% of the patients responding to enalaprilat compared with 30% of the patients responding to placebo. An even greater reduction (p ≤ 0.01) was seen at 25 to 48 hours (−14 vs −7 mm Hg, with 73% enalaprilat vs 58% placebo responders). Significant (p ≤ 0.01) reductions in mean, supine systolic BP were also seen at 1 to 24 hours (−22 vs −2 mm Hg) and 25 to 48 hours (−24 vs −8 mm Hg) during the 48 hours of the double-blind treatment phase in the enalaprilat group compared with placebo. In the severe hypertension stratum, significant (p ≤ 0.05) reductions were noted in the mean supine diastolic BP in the enalaprilat group compared with the furosemide group at 1 to 12 hours (−17 vs −8 mm Hg) with 36 versus 20% of the patients responding and at 13 to 24 hours (−17 vs −8 mm Hg) with 33 versus 11% of the patients responding. No significant difference in systolic BP was seen between enalaprilat and furosemide; however, both enalaprilat and furosemide significantly reduced mean supine systolic BP compared with baseline. Thus, enalaprilat is an effective, well-tolerated agent for the treatment of moderate and severe systemic hypertension.
Addiction Among Immigrants and Migrants: Epidemiology and Treatment

The author discusses the addiction problems of several categories of immigrants, “travelers,” and refugees and presents categories and case histories of various typical presentations along with recommendations for individual and organized community approaches to treatment of the classes of alcoholism, addiction, substance abuse, and comorbidity.
Compliant, copper based chip to substrate connections

The nature of the copper electroless bonding of copper pillars to substrates with different size gaps distances was studied. The direct pillar-to-pillar bonding of two copper pillars with narrow gap ( 100 µm) showed that a metal connection occurred at the preferred locations, however, the growth of copper was associated with spurious plating. The bond strength of the two copper pillars by the electroless plating process was at least 170 MPa (shear force divided by the contact area) after annealing at 180°C. A computational simulation of stress evolution in a silicon die connected to a organic substrate by copper pillars was performed using a half-GPD (generalized plain deformation) model to evaluate the thermomechanical strain. The model showed that the maximµm stress is less than 175 MPa, and the use of polymer collars around the copper pillar decreases the value to <115 MPa.
Conditioned morphine tolerance in the rat: Absence of a compensatory response and cross-tolerance with stress.

Abstract In four separate experiments with rats as subjects, strong evidence was obtained that tolerance development to morphine analgesia occurs most rapidly when morphine delivery is paired with salient contextual cues. However, contextual cues previously paired with morphine did not elicit conditioned drug-compensatory responses when presented to nondrugged animals. These results were obtained by different analgesia assessments, with different drug-administration--analgesia-test latencies, and in environments differing with respect to stress level. Stress level did influence nociceptive response, as it was found that the combination of bright illumination, white noise, and a strong odor resulted in antinociception in the absence of drug. Moreover, rats that had a history of receiving morphine in this stressful context were tolerant to this stress-induced antinociception, but only when morphine was present in their systems. In the final two studies, this antinociception, which was cross-tolerant with morphine, was characterized with respect to naloxone reversibility and brain levels of met- and leu-enkephalin as determined by radioimmunoassay.
High frequency loss characterization of FCPBGA package materials with humidity and temperature variation

As electronic device modules are operated in varying temperature and humidity conditions over cycles, package substrates experience material property changes including electrical characteristics in different environment conditions with electrical performance affected in particular at high frequencies. This paper presents temperature and moisture effect on electrical performance of high speed interconnects through raw material characterization and high frequency loss measurements on package interconnect. Measurements on raw material and differential test conductor structures show a great loss dependence on temperature and moisture with a significant loss increase in higher temperature and moisture condition at high frequencies The paper also discusses package loss budget to application space relation taking into account those effects in high speed designs.
Interactive Point-based Isosurface Exploration and High-quality Rendering

We present an efficient point-based isosurface exploration system with high quality rendering. Our system incorporates two point-based isosurface extraction and visualization methods: edge splatting and the edge kernel method. In a volume, two neighboring voxels define an edge. The intersection points between the active edges and the isosurface are used for exact isosurface representation. The point generation is incorporated in the GPU-based hardware-accelerated rendering, thus avoiding any overhead when changing the isovalue in the exploration. We call this method edge splatting. In order to generate high quality isosurface rendering regardless of the volume resolution and the view, we introduce an edge kernel method. The edge kernel upsamples the isosurface by subdividing every active cell of the volume data. Enough sample points are generated to preserve the exact shape of the isosurface defined by the trilinear interpolation of the volume data. By employing these two methods, we can achieve interactive isosurface exploration with high quality rendering
Laser Flash Photolysis Generation and Kinetic Studies of Corrole–Manganese(v)‐Oxo Intermediates

Corrole-manganese(V)-oxo intermediates were produced by laser flash photolysis of the corresponding corrole-manganese(IV) chlorate complexes, and the kinetics of their decay reactions in CH2Cl2 and their reactions with organic reductants were studied. The corrole ligands studied were 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (H3TPFC), 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole (H3TPC), and 5,15-bis(pentafluorophenyl)-10-(p-methoxyphenyl)corrole (H3BPFMC). In self-decay reactions and in reactions with substrates, the order of reactivity of (Cor)Mn(V)(O) was TPC > BPFMC > TPFC, which is inverted from that expected based on the electron-demand of the ligands. The rates of reactions of (Cor)Mn(V)(O) were dependent on the concentration of the oxidant and other manganese species, with increasing concentrations of various manganese species resulting in decreasing rates of reactions, and the apparent rate constant for reaction of (TPFC)Mn(V)(O) with triphenylamine was found to display fractional order with respect to the manganese-oxo species. The kinetic results are consistent in part with a reaction model involving disproportionation of (Cor)Mn(V)(O) to give (Cor)Mn(IV) and (Cor)Mn(VI)(O) species, the latter of which is the active oxidant. Alternatively, the results are consistent with oxidation by (Cor)Mn(V)(O) which is reversibly sequestered in non-reactive complexes by various manganese species.
The Fragility of Ecological Pedagogy: Elementary Social Studies Standards and Possibilities of New Materialism.

The greatest challenge facing the field of environmentalism includes ontological questions over the human subject and its desensitization from landscapes of experience. In this article the authors draw from field experiences in New York City elementary schools (such as observations of teachers, NYS Scope and Sequence Standards for Social Studies, and the Common Core State Standards) to demonstrate how curricular engagements with nature and the environment are persistently caught within humanist traditions that place agency and action as sovereign to humanness. It uses new materialist ontologies to suggest how hybrid relations among humans, non-humans, and matter can be read by way of interactions among assemblages and entanglements that are alive, vibrant, and powerful. While much of environmentalism is bound to political action with nature as passive backdrops, the authors suggest that individual and everyday responses to ecological devastation may better reside in our capacity to act creatively, even ho...
Poverty as we never knew it: THE source of vulnerability for most of humankind

ABSTRACTMost of humankind lives in poverty. Over 1.2 billion people survive on less than $1.25 per day, and around 2.7 billion people survive on less than $2.50 per day. Of course, these statistics do not take into account those living in relative poverty within the very highest development nations in the world. Yet few within entitled sectors of the global economy have had much to do with people living in poverty, except for occasional and indirect contact. Even basic ideas about poverty lack clarity; for example, what is the line between poor and not poor both within and among countries? Is it only about income or do other resources matter or act as substitutes for money when impoverished consumers engage their markets? Is poverty in the USA the same or different than poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa? Answers to such questions are provided in this commentary through an examination of three different research projects conducted in poverty communities. Together, they reveal distinct patterns of results betwe...