cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Therapy After Acute Myocardial Infarction: The Results Are Not Shocking

The risk of sudden death is highest early after myocardial infarction (MI) and progressively declines over the ensuing 6 to 12 months. Nevertheless, several randomized clinical trials have failed to show a survival benefit for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators when implanted early after MI in high-risk patients. The etiology of this acute MI–sudden cardiac death paradox is unclear, but may be related to the changing nature of the substrate over the several month period after acute MI. Further investigation is needed to delineate the actual causes of death in the early post-MI period and which interventions can be implemented to reduce the increased rate of sudden death that is observed.
Organizing youth work(ers) through the paradox of play

ABSTRACTA recent focus among communication scholars, the study of contradiction and paradox illuminates the inherent irrationality of organizing. The following case study examines how youth labor –...
Korean Americans' Varying Levels of Depressive Symptoms in Relation to the Ethnicities of Their Major Interaction Partners: Comparisons and Explanations

ABSTRACTAfter conducting a survey study with cross-sectional data involving 377 Korean Americans, this study finds that (1) Korean Americans mainly interacting with European Americans report a lowe...
LEGAL UNFAIRNESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION IN CHINA

The scholarship of entrepreneurship has identified the significance of institutional and social factors in accounting for entrepreneurial activity and firm innovation, especially in emerging econom...
“See Me, See Us”: Understanding the Intersections and Continued Marginalization of Adolescent Gifted Black Girls in U.S. Classrooms:

In current research and theoretical models that address racial inequity or gender disparities in gifted education, there is a missing narrative around high-achieving/gifted Black girls and their ex...
Societal Verification for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Arms Control

Societal verification—the use of data produced by the public to support confirmation that a state is in compliance with its nonproliferation or arms control obligations—is a concept as old as nonproliferation and arms control proposals themselves. With the tremendous growth in access to the Internet, and its accompanying public generation of and access to data, the concept of societal verification has undergone a recent resurgence in popularity. This chapter explores societal verification through two mechanisms of collecting and analyzing societally-produced data: mobilization and observation. It describes current applications and research in each area before providing an overview of challenges and considerations that must be addressed in order to bring societally-produced data into an official verification regime. The chapter concludes by emphasizing that the role of societal verification, if any, in nonproliferation and arms control will supplement rather than supplant traditional verification means.
Evaluation of the COVID19 ID NOW EUA assay.

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused a major surge in needed diagnostic capacity. In response, many EUA assays have become available for clinical laboratories, and more recently, the point of care device, Abbott ID NOW. Objectives To determine the analytical performance of the ID NOW assay for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Study design Residual NP samples collected in viral transport media were tested by the ID NOW platform in two independent laboratories. Results were compared to either the CDC or New York EUA assays, which served as reference methods. Results Overall agreement of ID NOW was 78.7%. Sensitivity was 71.7% and specificity was 100%. Notably, all false-negative results correlated to those samples that were weakly positive. Conclusions ID NOW performs well for strong and moderately positive samples but has reduced sensitivity for weakly positive samples. This sensitivity, among other concerns, should be taken into consideration when using this test for patients with a low suspicion for COVID-19 disease.
Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma and Kasabach-Merritt Phenomenon: Management of Coagulopathy and Treatment Options

Historically, all localized vascular tumors of infancy and childhood were classified as “hemangiomas,” and any consumptive coagulopathy associated with a vascular anomaly was termed the Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP). However, with improved understanding of disease pathophysiology and histology, subcategories of vascular tumors are now better defined. Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare vascular tumor with two distinctive features: infiltration across tissue planes and association with the Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (a syndrome of severe thrombocytopenia, hypofibrinogenemia, and consumptive coagulopathy demonstrated in KHE). Another vascular tumor, tufted angioma (TA), is now considered to be closely related to KHE, likely part of a spectrum of histopathology. KHE presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the pediatric hematologist oncologist. Invasive interventions including complete surgical excision and vessel embolization were once the mainstay of therapy but placed KHE patients with KMP at great risk of hemorrhagic complications. Numerous pharmacotherapeutic agents with high systemic toxicity including interferon alpha and a variety of chemotherapeutic agents have gradually been replaced by less-toxic agents and more reliably effective agents including combination vincristine/corticosteroid and sirolimus. A multidisciplinary approach to management with an organized and coordinated therapy plan can help achieve best possible outcome for this locally aggressive vascular tumor.
Shaping Contexts and Developing Invitational Ethos in Response to Medical Authority: An Interview Study of Women Down Syndrome Advocates

In this article, we argue that Down syndrome (DS) advocates seeking to intervene in medical exigences are poorly positioned by their audiences of patients and physicians. To combat this problem, we find that some advocates, specifically mothers of children with DS, recuperate their ethos through two primary rhetorical strategies: shaping contexts and developing invitational ethos. Advocates are able to more freely draw from maternal authority when they shape the contexts of their messages, creating new venues and limiting their audiences. On the other hand, advocates can also appease medical authority by developing an invitational ethos in which they create the conditions for their own participation and offer their own perspectives. Through the use of these two strategies, advocates are able to claim their positions as mothers, while still cultivating positive ethos.
FTAI: Frequency-based Trojan-Activity Identification Method for 3D Integrated Circuits

1Three-dimensional (3D) integration emerges as a promising solution to enable technology further scaling. However, 3D chip fabrication and assembly involve more steps than the manufacturing process for conventional 2D integrated circuits (ICs). Recent literature indicates that the extended supply chain for 3D ICs could bring in new security threats, such as 3D hardware Trojans. This work proposes a Frequencybased Trojan-Activity Identification (FTAI) method to detect 3D hardware Trojans. The FTAI method is capable of differentiating the frequency changes induced by Trojans from those caused by process variation noise. Our case study indicates that the proposed peak distance metric is over 30× higher than the Euclidean distance used in the existing literature. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed method can tolerate more noise than the time-domain Trojan detection method and thus improve the Trojan detection rate by 38.1%.
Right heart catheterization for pulmonary hypertension during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Right heart catheterization is an essential diagnostic modality in the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has resulted in deferral of elective procedures including right heart catheterization. The benefits of proceeding with right heart catheterization, such as further characterization of hemodynamic subtype and severity of pulmonary hypertension, initiation of targeted pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy, as well as further hemodynamic testing, need to be carefully balanced with the risk of potentially exposing both patients and health care personnel to coronavirus disease 2019 infection. This review article aims to provide best clinical practices for safely performing right heart catheterization in pulmonary hypertension patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Nelder-Mead Simplex Channel Estimation for the RF-DNA Fingerprinting of OFDM Transmitters Under Rayleigh Fading Conditions

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a collection of Internet connected devices capable of interacting with the physical world and computer systems. It is estimated that IoT will consist of more than seventy five billion devices by the year 2025. In addition to the sheer numbers, the need for IoT security is exacerbated by the fact that many of the edge devices employ weak to no encryption of the communication link. It has been estimated that almost 70% of IoT devices use no form of encryption. Previous research has suggested the use of Specific Emitter Identification (SEI), a physical layer technique, as a means of augmenting bit-level security mechanisms such as encryption. Radio Frequency-Distinct Native Attributes (RF-DNA) fingerprinting is an SEI technique that has demonstrated success in discriminating radios operating within a noise only channel. This work extends RF-DNA fingerprinting to the discrimination of radios operating under Rayleigh fading conditions through the use of a Nelder-Mead (N-M) simplex-based channel estimator. The N-M estimator estimates the multipath channel directly from the received waveform; thus, eliminating the need for demodulation that is required when using constellation-based estimators. N-M estimator proves superior to three alternative waveform-based estimation approaches under increasing fading paths/reflections and decreasing Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Radio discrimination performance is maximized through the assessment of: (i) RF-DNA fingerprints generated from the magnitude versus phase representation of the Gabor transform’s coefficients, (ii) a statistic-based classifier versus a neural network-based classifier, and (iii) the size of patch used to subdivide the Gabor-based time-frequency response prior to calculation of the RF-DNA fingerprint features. The resulting RF-DNA fingerprinting process achieves an average percent correct classification of 92.3% or greater for Rayleigh fading channels consisting of: two, three, or five reflections/paths at SNR≥15 dB.
An Efficient Scheduling Algorithm for Parallel Planar Rotations of Factors

To enhance the interpretability of factors in an exploratory factor analysis, a factor rotation transforms the initial factor pattern matrix into a rotated factor pattern matrix that optimizes a simplicity function or criterion. For rotations involving more than two factors, the planar rotation method, which rotates component planes one at a time repeatedly, is often used. In the era of big data, the dimensions of the factor pattern matrix can be very large and planar rotations become computationally demanding. To enhance the computational efficiency of planar rotations, this paper proposes an algorithm for scheduling parallel or multithreaded planar rotations. The challenges that motivate the proposed scheduling algorithm are discussed. Real and simulated examples demonstrate the gain of computational efficiency by the proposed scheduling algorithm (The algorithm is based on the results of U.S. Patent No. 10,289,447, entitled “Parallel Process Scheduling for Efficient Data Access”, awarded to W. Clay Thompson and Yiu-Fai Yung.).
Stern-Brocot sequences from weighted mediants

Abstract In this paper we discuss a natural generalization of Stern-Brocot sequences which comes from the introduction of weighted mediants. We focus our attention on the case k = 3 , in which 2 a + c 2 b + d and a + 2 c b + 2 d are the two mediants inserted between a b and c d . Our main result is a determination of which rational numbers between the starting terms appear in the union of the Stern-Brocot sequences.
Bröstrom Repair Review.

Since its introduction in 1966, the Brostrom repair has been the workhorse for the treatment of chronic ankle instability. The procedure has expanded with the advent of arthroscopy, ultrasound, and other techniques. Because chronic ankle sprains/instability pose a barrier to athletes who perform high-level activities for a living, discussions concerning postoperative recovery and return to play criteria are important. Here we present an update on the Brostrom-Gould procedure from preoperative management to return to play.Level of Evidence: Level V.
Use of maturity method to estimate compressive strength of mass concrete

Abstract In this study, maturity method was used to estimate in-place strength of large concrete placements. Four 6-foot (1.8 m) cube concrete blocks were constructed in four different locations, and the strength development curves for these concrete mixtures were established using 6 by 12 inch (150 by 300 mm) cylinder specimens collected from the construction site. Activation energy values for the concrete mixtures were determined in the laboratory and used for equivalent age calculations. Sacrificial temperature sensors embedded throughout the depth of the concrete cubes were used to monitor temperature histories in specific locations up to 28 days. Equivalent age was employed to estimate in-place concrete strength based on the collected temperature histories. Four inch (10 cm) diameter core samples, with 6-foot (1.8 m) in length, were taken from the cubes at 4, 28 and 56 days after construction and the core strengths were compared with the predicted strengths using maturity relationships. Results show that the predicted in-place concrete strength is always higher than the actual core strength on top surface locations. Results from three different cubes show that core compressive strength from mid-section were within ±15% of the predicted values and core results from the bottom section were generally higher than the predicted values.
Depth Profiling by Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

The sections in this article are Introduction: Origin and Principles of Photoacoustic Spectroscopy PA Experimental Methods CS FT-IR PA Methods S2 FT-IR PAS Methods S2 PAS Phase Analysis Applications to Surface Depth Profiling
Contrasting Lower Crustal Evolution Across an Archean: Proterozoic Suture: Physical, Chemical and Geochronologic Studies of Lower Crustal Xenoliths in Southern Wyoming and Northern Colorado

Crustal xenoliths from Quaternary ultrapotassic volcanic rocks at Leucite Hills in southern Wyoming and Devonian State Line kimberlite diatremes in northern Colorado have been examined to compare and contrast Archean and Paleoproterozoic lower continental crust across the Proterozoic Cheyenne Belt. The Leucite Hills xenoliths are dominantly mafic (3.5 to 13.5 wt % MgO), one or two-pyroxene (garnet absent) hornblende granulites. Peak metamorphic conditions (1.1 to 1.3 GPa and ca. 800°C) and the high xenoliths densities (2.7 to 3.1 g/cm 3 ) reveal that the xenoliths are lower crystal. U-Pb zircon and Nd model ages both indicate that the mafic crust is Late Archean (∼2.6 Ga). The State Line xenoliths are Paleoproterozoic, two pyroxene garnet granulites with major element compositions and peak metamorphic conditions (1.1 - 1.2 GPa, 625 - 830°C) similar to the Leucite Hills xenoliths, but with higher Vp and Vs (6.6 to 7.2 km/s and 3.7 to 3.9 km/s vs. 6.2 to 6.9 km/s and 3.5 to 3.9 km/s) due to presence of garnet. Some State Line xenoliths also have low La/Yb N (0.4 to 0.9) and likely represent restite remaining after partial crustal melting at ∼1.4 Ga. These observations reveal that mafic lower cryst north of the Cheyenne Belt has remained hydrous and largely unperturbed thermally since the Late Archean while Paleoproterozoic, less hydrous, lower crust in northern Colorado underwent heating and partial melting after its formation. We speculate that the Archean lower cryst was shielded from the thermal events that extensively affected the Paleoproterozoic cryst by thick, buoyant Archean mantle lithosphere.
Why Can't We Test Our Way to Absolute Food Safety?

Efforts to ensure food safety must take into account long supply chains and unanticipated threats.
Decreased fracture incidence after 1 year of pamidronate treatment in children with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the rate of fracture before and after a 1-year course of intravenous pamidronate in children with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy (CP) who had previously experienced fractures. Method Twenty-five children (nine males, 16 females) with quadriplegic CP in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level IV or V who were treated with intravenous pamidronate for approximately 1 year were identified. All participants had previously experienced at least one non-traumatic fracture. Each received 15 doses of pamidronate over a mean of 13.6 months. Post-treatment observation ranged from 1 to 10 years 6 months (mean 4y 1mo). The fracture rate before and after commencement of treatment was calculated using the person-years method. Results The participants had experienced a total of 86 fractures before treatment began, occurring over 280.6 person-years, giving a fracture rate of 30.6% per year. During the post-treatment observation period, totalling 107.5 person-years, 8 of the 25 children experienced a total of 14 fractures. This fracture rate of 13.0% per year is a statistically significant decrease (p=0.02). Interpretation Pamidronate treatment lowered the rate of fracture, and a 1-year course appears to provide a protective effect after treatment ends. For the majority of participants, this effect lasted 4 years or longer. However, a subset of children suffered a fracture soon after the drug was discontinued. In these children, a longer course of treatment appears to have been necessary.
Arrestin2 expression selectively increases during neural differentiation.

Arrestins and G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are key players in homologous desensitization of G protein-coupled receptors. Two non-visual arrestins, arrestin2 and 3, and five GRKs (GRK2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) are involved in desensitization of many receptors. Here, we demonstrate a steady increase in arrestin2 expression during prenatal development. The density of arrestin2 mRNA is higher in differentiated areas as compared with proliferative zones, whereas arrestin3 mRNA shows the opposite distribution. At embryonic day 14, concentrations of arrestin proteins are similar (32–34 nm). Later in development, arrestin2 expression rises, leading to a fourfold excess of arrestin2 over arrestin3 at birth (48 vs. 11 ng/mg protein or 102 vs. 25 nm). Among GRKs, only GRK5 increased with embryonic age from 124 nm at E14 to 359 nm at birth. Similarly, in vitro differentiation of cultured precursor cells, neurospheres, leads to a significant up-regulation of arrestin2 resulting in > 20-fold excess of arrestin2 (160 vs. 7 nm). GRK5 is the only subtype increased with neurosphere differentiation, although the change is only about twofold. The data demonstrate selective increases in the expression of arrestin2 associated with neural development and suggest specific yet unappreciated roles for arrestin2 in neural differentiation.
A late Pleistocene--Holocene noble gas paleotemperature record in southern Michigan

[1] Noble gas temperatures (NGTs) and 14C derived ages in groundwaters of the Michigan Basin reveal a ground temperature of ∼1°C toward the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) suggesting that groundwater recharge occurred under the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) cover. In addition to the general warming observed since the LGM, the NGT record indicates an abrupt warming event between ∼12.8 and 11.1kyrs BP, correlative to the Bolling-Allerod (BOA) warm phases. Ice-sheet-linked changes in freshwater delivery to the North Atlantic, together with changes in the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) circulation are possible causes of such abrupt climate shifts in northeastern US. Pleistocene waters yielding the lowest NGTs have the highest δ18O and δD values, suggesting an atmospheric circulation pattern distinct from today, with a stronger moisture component from the Gulf of Mexico, possibly due to the presence of the LIS which weakened the Pacific westerly flow.
The SEQUOIA 2000 Project

This paper describes the objectives of the SEQUOIA 2000 project and the software development that is being done to achieve these objectives. In addition, several lessons relevant to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that have have been learned from the project are explained.
On shock capturing for pure water with general equation of state

The numerical investigation of shock phenomena in gas or liquid media where enthalpy is the preferred thermodynamic variable poses special problems. When an expression for internal energy is available, the usual procedure is to employ a splitting scheme to remove source terms for the Euler equations, then upwind-biased shock capturing algorithms are built around the Riemann problem for the conservative system which remains. However, when the governing equations are formulated in terms of total enthalpy, treatment of a pressure–time derivative as a source term leads to a Riemann problem for a system where one equation is not a conservative law. The present research establishes that successful upwind-biased shock capturing schemes can be based upon the pseudoconservative system. The method is applied to numerical simulations of shock wave propagation in pure water.
Rectal ulcers and massive bleeding after hemorrhoidal band ligation while on aspirin

Endoscopic hemorrhoidal band ligation is a well-established nonoperative method for treatment of bleeding internal hemorrhoids (grade 1 to 3). It is a safe and effective technique with a high success rate. Complications with this procedure are uncommon. Although rectal ulceration due to band ligation is a rare complication, it can cause life-threatening hemorrhage especially when patients are on medications which impair hemostasis like aspirin or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We present 2 cases of massive lower gastro-intestinal bleeding in patients who had a band ligation procedure performed 2 wk prior to the presentation and were on aspirin at home. Both the patients were hemodynamically unstable requiring resuscitation. They required platelet and blood transfusions and were found to have rectal ulcers on colonoscopy done subsequently. The rectal ulcers corresponded to the site of band ligation. The use of aspirin by these patients would have caused defects in the hemostasis and may have predisposed them to massive bleeding in the presence of rectal ulcers occurring after the band ligation procedure. Managing aspirin before and after the ligation may be difficult especially since adequate guidelines are unavailable. Stopping aspirin in all the cases might not be safe and the decision should be individualized.
Vehicle requirements model for automated guided vehicle systems

A simulation-based cost model is presented for determining the number of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) needed to meet the material handling requirements in a manufacturing system. The estimation of the number of vehicles is based on the sum of the idle-time costs of vehicles and machines, and the cost of waiting time of parts. While an increase in the number of vehicles reduces the waiting time of parts and the idle time of machines, it increases the idle time of vehicles. The application is illustrated using a hypothetical manufacturing system.
Age-associated decline in responses of naïve T cells to in vitro immunization reflects shift in glucocorticoid sensitivity

Abstract Naive T lymphocytes from young mice can be immunized to protein antigens in vitro if the initial exposure to antigen is followed by a brief period of clonal expansion in the presence of both the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (at 10−8 M) and antibodies to Interleukin-10 (IL-10). These cultures produce cell lines that respond to antigen rechallenge by proliferation and cytokine secretion. T cells from older mice, however, do not respond under these conditions unless the dexamethasone concentration is raised to levels (10−7 M) that are inhibitory for T cells of young mice. Suitably timed exposure to dexamethasone can also increase proliferative responses to polyclonal activation via the CD3 component of the T cell receptor, and again optimal responses are obtained from old mice only at steroid concentrations that are super-optimal for young T cells. Diminished sensitivity to glucocorticoid effects may contribute to the poor responses of aged mice to novel immunogens.
Rubisco: Active-Site Characterization and Mechanistic Implications

Diverse chemical methods and comparative sequence analyses have identified Lys-166, Lys-329, and Glu-48 of Rubisco as active-site residues and have suggested that these residues participate in catalysis. These conclusions have been validated by site-directed mutagenesis; furthermore, hybridization of distinct site-directed mutant proteins demonstrates an intersubunit location of the active site in which side chains from each subunit are required. The ability of mutant proteins, devoid of overall carboxylase activity, to catalyze certain partial reactions suggests that Lys-166 is the base that enolizes ribulose-P2 and that Lys-329 facilitates addition of gaseous substrate to the enediol.
Effect of Various Sources and Sizes of Calcium Carbonate on Egg Quality and Laying House Performance of Red × Rock Sex-Linked Females

Abstract Supplemental calcium sources for Red × Rock sex-linked females were studied. Each of five treatments involved 16 replicates of 24 birds or a total of 384 birds per treatment. The supplemental calcium in the three diets involved was supplied by 1) granular limestone, 2) ⅓ granular limestone plus ⅔ oyster shells or 3) ⅓ granular limestone plus ⅔ calcite crystals. Beginning at 22 weeks of age Diet 1 was fed to three groups of birds and Diets 2 and 3 to the other two groups. At 42 weeks of age, two of the groups of birds receiving the limestone diet were changed to diets containing ⅓ limestone plus ⅔ oyster shells or ⅓ limestone plus ⅔ calcite crystals, respectively. There were no significant supplemental calcium treatment differences in egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency or livability during the laying phase. Body weight differences at 72 weeks of age were not statistically significant. The results of the study indicated that large particles of supplemental calcium have no influence on shell quality if the birds are consuming adequate calcium. There was an indication that a change in calcium supplement during the laying period tends to help maintain egg shell quality to a greater degree than the feeding of a single source of supplemental calcium throughout the experimental period.
Extended and Limited Types of Barrett's Esophagus in the Adult

Abstract Columnar epithelium–lined lower esophagus (CLLE) or Barrett's esophagus was found in 34 patients diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy. In one-half of them, the CLLE extended up to 30 cm from the incisors (limited group) and in the other half, it reached above this level (extended group). Eight patients with stricture and limited CLLE had the lesion in the lower third of the esophagus, whereas 6 of 8 with strictures in the extended group had narrowing in the upper third of the esophagus. Two other patients with extended CLLE were seen with bleeding from Barrett's ulcer, 3 had adenocarcinoma, and the remaining 4 had CLLE without these complications. The three classic histological types were encountered in both groups. However, in the extended group there was more of the intestinal type and less of the junctional type of epithelium, the latter being seen mostly in the limited group. The extended group had very low lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressures (mean, 7.3 mm Hg) with severe reflux. The limited group had a higher mean LES pressure (11.2 mm Hg) with less severe reflux. In both groups, LES pressure and reflux improved following effective antireflux operation; some patients had regression of CLLE. In some patients who continued to have demonstrable reflux and a lack of improvement in LES pressure despite antireflux operation, the disease progressed, as evidenced by extension of CLLE.
Isolation of Actomyosin and Myosin from Post‐Rigor Turkey Breast and Thigh

Myosin/actomyosin (MAM) was extracted from post-rigor turkey breast and thigh muscles using Hasselbach-Schneider solution. Electrophoretic evaluation of the breast muscle protein extract showed it to be 86.4% myosin and 7% actin. Thigh muscle MAM contained 79.4% myosin and 4.7% actin. Slight variations in minor protein bands were observed between the breast and thigh MAM electrophoretic profiles. Gel filtration of MAM on a 2% agarose column separated actomyosin from myosin. Myosin purity was 97.9% and 99.2% for breast and thigh, respectively. Gel filtration data indicated that myosin, unassociated with actin, was the predominate protein extracted from the post-rigor tissue. Myosin was approximately 67-72% of the original MAM.
A general and personal perspective on contrast material research.

Lasser EC. A general and personal perspective on contrast material research. Invest Radiol 1988;23(Suppl 1):S71-S74. Nonionic media have substantially reduced local toxicity in animal and human studies. The impact on systemic toxicity is less clear. In the final analysis, an understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms that appear to play a role in the genesis of reactions invoked with ionic media will be important in understanding the reactions invoked by nonionic media. We believe that bradykinin may contribute significantly to contrast media (CM) reactions. An underlying allergic diathesis may “prime” plasmas for potentiated contact system activation with subsequent bradykinin production. Three factors have been identified in increased concentrations in the plasmas of allergics/asthmatics that potentiate contact system activity in vitro. These are: (1) an endogenous heparin-like material having functional heparin properties; (2) an endogenous heparin-like material without functional heparin properties; and (3) a complex of the plasma inhibitor a2-macroglobulin, with kallikrein, a plasma contact system protease. In clinical studies, we have demonstrated that corticosteroids administered as pretreatment will diminish significantly the incidence of reactions, and that similar pretreatment will diminish the plasma concentrations of heparin-like substances without functional heparin properties. Finally, we have shown in preliminary studies that CM can inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme, the substance having a major responsibility for in vivo bradykinin hydrolysis.
Forming a cube from a sphere with tetratic order.

Composed of square particles, the tetratic phase is characterized by a fourfold symmetry with quasi-long-range orientational order but no translational order. We construct the elastic free energy for tetratics and find a closed form solution for $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1/4$ disclinations in planar geometry. Applying the same covariant formalism to a sphere, we show analytically that within the one elastic constant approximation eight $+1/4$ disclinations favor positions defining the vertices of a cube. The interplay between defect--defect interactions and bending energy results in a flattening of the sphere towards superspheroids with the symmetry of a cube.
Acicerone: An Isoflavone from Astragalus Cicer

Abstract A new isoflavone isolated from fungus-inoculated roots of Astragalus cicer has been identified as 6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-3′,4′-methylenedioxyisoflavone (acicerone).
Characterization of natural chabazite and 5A synthetic zeolites

Abstract Samples of natural chabazite were obtained from four geographical locations and separated in bulk from a basalt matrix. Thermal properties and dehydration characteristics were investigated for each sample and compared with the results obtained from a Type 5A synthetic zeolite. Both DTA and DTG spectra for the chabazite and the 5A zeolite compare with those reported in the literature. The presence of calcium carbonate as an impurity in one chabazite sample was detected by DTA and DTG analysis and identified by X-ray diffraction, mass spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed desportion (TPD). TPD was used to characterize the physical adsorption of water on both chabazite and 5A zeolites. One bonding mechanism was indicated for chabazite with an activation energy, E d , for desorption of 9.6 kcal/mole. Two bonding mechanisms for physical adsorption were detected for the 5A zeolite; one with an E d of 13.7 kcal/mole and the second with an E d of 15.0 kcal/mole.
Textual Evidence on the Nature of Early Barbadian Speech, 1676-1835

On the evidence of textual attestations from 1676-1835, early Barbadian English is shown to have exhibited many more nonstandard features than is generally recognized. Such features, which are commonly, if not exclusively, found in pidgins and creoles, include vowel epenthesis, paragoge and initial s-deletion processes, creole tense-modality-aspect marking, copula absence, the use of invariant no as a preverbal negative and as an emphatic positive marker, the occurrence of one as indefinite article, and a variety of morphologically unmarked pronominal forms.The texts consist of samples of African and Afro-Barbadian speech from historical sources, including ones which linguists have not previously considered. The textual samples are examined century by century, accompanied by a detailed account of the contemporary sociohistorical setting, and interpreted in terms of known and inferred Caribbean patterns of sociolinguistic variation, both in the present and in the past. It is concluded that while early Barbadian speech comprised a range of varieties, creolelike varieties were undoubtedly a part of that range.
Common variants conferring risk of schizophrenia: a pathway analysis of GWAS data

Unlike the typical analysis of single markers in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we incorporated Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and hypergeometric test and combined them using Fisher's combined method to perform pathway-based analysis in order to detect genes' combined effects on mediating schizophrenia. A few pathways were consistently found to be top ranked and likely associated with schizophrenia by these methods; they are related to metabolism of glutamate, the process of apoptosis, inflammation, and immune system (e.g., glutamate metabolism pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and TNFR1 pathway). The genes involved in these pathways had not been detected by single marker analysis, suggesting this approach may complement the original analysis of GWAS dataset.
Recent Developments in Cobalt and Copper in Ruminant Nutrition: A Review

Abstract Cobalt and copper have been recognized as dietary essentials for ruminants since the 1930s, and deficiencies of both minerals have occurred under natural grazing conditions in many countries of the world. Deficiencies are infrequent with drylot feeding, particularly if grains serve as a portion of the diet. Cobalt in the form of vitamin B 12 is interrelated with iron and copper in hematopoiesis and, thus, indirectly involved with molybdenum. Vitamin B 12 may function in the formation of excretion products of selenium and thereby reduce the animal's susceptibility to selenium toxicity. Copper metabolism is influenced by many dietary factors, some of which include sulfate sulfur, molybdenum, zinc, protein level, and protein source. Because of the many factors influencing copper metabolism, it is difficult to determine precise dietary copper requirements and to predict potentially toxic levels of copper for ruminants under different feeding programs. Cobalt is comparatively less toxic than copper. Sheep and young cattle are more susceptible to copper toxicity than are mature cattle and may suffer from poisoning even when dietary copper levels are considered to be in the normal range. Several forms of supplemental cobalt and copper are effective in assuring adequate dietary intakes under deficient conditions.
Synaptic input to cells of the rabbit superior cervical ganglion.

Orthodromic responses in rabbit superior cervical ganglion (s.c.g.) cells were investigated in vitro with intracellular electrodes. Mean RMP was-55.4±0.8 mV, mean input resistance 39.7±1.9 MΩ and membrane time constant 10.8±0.7 ms.
Characterization of the bifunctional aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme ANT(3'')-Ii/AAC(6')-IId from Serratia marcescens.

A newly discovered bifunctional antibiotic resistance enzyme from Serratia marcescens catalyzes adenylation and acetylation of aminoglycoside antibiotics. The structure assignment of the enzymic products indicated that acetylation takes place on the 6‘-amine of kanamycin A and the adenylation on 3‘ ‘- and 9-hydroxyl groups of streptomycin and spectinomycin, respectively. The adenyltransferase domain appears to be highly specific to spectinomycin and streptomycin, while the acetyltransferase domain shows a broad substrate profile. Initial velocity patterns indicate that both domains follow a sequential kinetic mechanism. The use of dead-end and product inhibition, the solvent isotope effect, and the solvent viscosity effect reveals that the adenyltransferase domain catalyzes the reaction by a Theorell−Chance kinetic mechanism, where ATP binds to the enzyme prior to the aminoglycoside and the modified antibiotic is the last product to be released. The acetyltransferase domain follows an ordered bi-bi kineti...
Forward and backward associations in RI-PI differences

The difference between retroactive and proactive inhibition (RI-PI) was investigated after A-B, A-C and A-B, C-D paradigms of learning, and forward and backward tests of recall. RI was generally worse than PI, irrespective of either the interference or recall conditions. These results, together with the finding of backward learning, were taken as support of a symmetrical view of the association process.
Bridging advanced glycation end product, receptor for advanced glycation end product and nitric oxide with hormonal replacement/estrogen therapy in healthy versus diabetic postmenopausal women: a perspective.

Abstract Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most significant cause of death in postmenopausal women. The loss of estrogen biosynthesis with advanced age is suggested as one of the major causes of higher CVD in postmenopausal women. While some studies show beneficial effects of estrogen therapy (ET)/hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) in the cardiovascular system of healthy postmenopausal women, similar studies in diabetic counterparts contradict these findings. In particular, ET/HRT in diabetic postmenopausal women results in a seemingly detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system. In this review, the comparative role of estrogens is discussed in the context of CVD in both healthy and diabetic postmenopausal women in regard to the synthesis or expression of proinflammatory molecules like advanced glycation end products (AGEs), receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGEs), inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS) and the anti-inflammatory endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS). The interaction of AGE–RAGE signaling with molecular nitric oxide (NO) may determine the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and influence the overall redox status of the vascular microenvironment that may further determine the ultimate outcome of the effects of estrogens on the CVD in healthy versus diabetic women.
Lumbar motoneurons of man: I) number and diameter histogram of alpha and gamma axons of ventral root

The numbers of large and intermediate diameter myelinated fibers of 17 ventral lumbar (L3, L4 and L5) spinal roots (vsr) of man (ages 17-81 years) have been evaluated using the improved methods of histologic processing and morphometry now available, semi-automatic methods of measurement and programmed calculation and plotting. A population of small diameter myelinated fibers as found in thoracic (T11) vsr, which are presumed to be preganglionic sympathetic fibers, were essentially absent from L3, L4 and L5 roots. On the average, there were 5716 (70%) large diameter fibers and 2625 (30%) intermediate diameter fibers in the L3 ventral spinal root. Comparable figures for L4 vsr were 4900 (70%) and 2152 30%) and for L5 vsr were 5043 (75%) and 1559 (25%). On the assumption that these lumbar roots contain few if any small diameter myelinated pre-ganglionic sympathetic axons, the large diameter fibers correspond to alpha motoneuron axons and the small diameter fibers to gamma motoneuron axons. With age, a decrease in the number of myelinated fibers was estimated to be 350 fibers per decade (approximately 5% per decade).
Hierarchical Buckling on Surfaces of Soft Laminae

Buckling in solid thin films supported by soft substrates has been well-studied. Many of those buckling features discovered, however, are monotonous without any hierarchical organizations. We report our finding of a substantial 2D hierarchical buckling atop a molecular type of multistacks or lamellae. This multistacked structure is a direct self-assembly from aminopropyltriethoxysilane, in which the polar amine groups promote the absorption of a large amount of water. We found that the resulting soft structures are good candidates to allow the formation of a complex buckling along the surface normal. Revealed cauliflower-like, hierarchical patterns are modeled by considering rigid columns standing on a soft substrate. In return, the hierarchical structures demonstrated could find applications in nanofabrication and enrich emerging fields, such as flexible electronics or optics.
ALTERATIONS IN OXIDATIVE ACTIVITY AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE IN HALOBACTERIUM HALOBIUM IN RESPONSE TO AEROBIC RESPIRATORY INHIBITORS

Aerobic incubation of Halobacterium halobium with low concentrations of cyanide or azide resulted in a twofold increase in activity of the Mn-containing superoxide dismutase (SOD). A similar effect was observed with antimycin A, albeit at a higher concentration. Oxygen consumption increased 100% at concentrations of cyanide, azide, and antimycin A that produced maximal SOD induction. Luminol chemiluminescence of H. halobium cells, indicative of oxidative activity, was elevated in the presence of concentrations of aerobic respiratory inhibitors that corresponded to maximal levels of SOD induction. In addition, oxidation of NADH by cell extracts was maximal at inhibitor concentrations that correlated with the peak induction of SOD. Proton fluxes for H. halobium cells also corresponded to concentration ranges of inhibitor resulting in greatest SOD levels, indicative of a potential uncoupling effect. A similar phenomenon was also observed with the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone. Growth was unaffected by inhibitors at the concentrations used for SOD induction. The results are interpreted as an induction of enhanced levels of SOD through a combination of increased electron flow and an increased oxidative environment.
Genetic deficiency of anti-aging gene klotho exacerbates early nephropathy in STZ-induced diabetes in male mice.

Klotho is a recently discovered anti-aging gene and is primarily expressed in kidneys. In humans, the klotho level decreases with age whereas the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases with age. Diabetic nephropathy is the most common form of CKD, which leads to end-stage renal disease. A decrease in klotho has been found in kidneys of patients with diabetic nephropathy. The purpose of this study is to assess whether klotho gene deficiency affects early diabetic nephropathy in a mouse of model of type 1 diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Male KL+/− mutant and wild-type mice (6–8 weeks) were injected with multiple low doses of STZ. Renal functions and renal blood flow were assessed. Kidneys were collected for histological examination and molecular assays of TGFβ1 and mammalian targets of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Klotho deficiency in KL+/− mutant mice exacerbated STZ-induced increases in urine albumin, blood urea nitrogen, expansion of mesangial matrix in renal glomeruli, and kidney ...
Attentional coping style in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a test of the intolerance of uncertainty hypothesis

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that individuals with elevated levels of obsessive-compulsive personality traits exhibit a compromised ability to tolerate uncertainty. This hypothesis was tested by examining attentional coping style in the face of an ego-threatening event. The Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4) was administered to a pool of undergraduate students in order to recruit an obsessive-compulsive personality (OC) group ( n =60), a normal control (NC) group ( n =60), and an avoidant personality (AV) group ( n =40). Both self-report and observational measures of information-seeking/avoidance were obtained during a laboratory procedure in which participants completed a cognitive ability test. As predicted, the OCPD group (1) spent more time listening to information about the test prior to taking the test, (2) spent less time listening to music prior to taking the test, (3) tended to indicate that they wanted to know their test score more often, and (4) reported significantly higher levels of dispositional monitoring, relative to the two control groups. In addition, self-reported degree of dispositional monitoring was positively correlated with severity of OCP symptoms but not with AVP symptoms. Results provided partial support for the hypotheses of an elevated degree of information-seeking behavior in OCPD.
Clinical experience with naltrexone.

(1975). Clinical Experience with Naltrexone. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Vol. 2, No. 3-4, pp. 365-377.
The advantages of the surface Laplacian in brain-computer interface research.

Abstract Brain–computer interface (BCI) systems frequently use signal processing methods, such as spatial filtering, to enhance performance. The surface Laplacian can reduce spatial noise and aid in identification of sources. In BCI research, these two functions of the surface Laplacian correspond to prediction accuracy and signal orthogonality. In the present study, an off-line analysis of data from a sensorimotor rhythm-based BCI task dissociated these functions of the surface Laplacian by comparing nearest-neighbor and next-nearest neighbor Laplacian algorithms. The nearest-neighbor Laplacian produced signals that were more orthogonal while the next-nearest Laplacian produced signals that resulted in better accuracy. Both prediction and signal identification are important for BCI research. Better prediction of user's intent produces increased speed and accuracy of communication and control. Signal identification is important for ruling out the possibility of control by artifacts. Identifying the nature of the control signal is relevant both to understanding exactly what is being studied and in terms of usability for individuals with limited motor control.
Partial characterization of the hemoglobin from Hubbs' beaked whale (Mesoplodon carlhubbsi).

Abstract 1. 1. Blood samples were obtained from an adult female Hubbs' beaked whale and her fetus. 2. 2. Two major hemoglobins were demonstrated by cellulose acetate electrophoresis and were purified by ion exchange chromatography from each specimen. 3. 3. The relative amounts of these components were different in the adult and fetus. 4. 4. Both of these hemoglobins have a higher affinity for oxygen than normal human hemoglobin. 5. 5. Maternal and fetal hemoglobins were separated and the N-terminal amino acid of each of these hemoglobins was found to be valine. 6. 6. Tryptic peptide separation and amino acid analyses of the purified polypeptide chains indicated that the hemoglobins of the fetal sample were identical to those of the maternal.