cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying and Addressing Social Determinants of Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the health of people from communities of color and people of limited socioeconomic means in a disproportionate way due to social determinants of health (SDoH). The Centers for Disease Control defines SDoH as the "conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of life-risks and outcomes." A related construct, social determinants of learning (SDoL), includes contextual conditions and variables that impact students' ability to optimally participate in their education, including academic and clinical development. SDoL directly impact students' ability to participate in the educational process. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students struggling with SDoH and, by extension SDoL, may be more likely to have sick family members, caregiving responsibilities, food and housing insecurity, and obligations to supplement lost family wages. SDoL are also influenced by individual experiences within and outside of the classroom. Beyond bringing this matter to the attention of our profession, especially clinical and academic educators, we must take action to reach and support students who are at higher academic risk due to the SDoL. The purpose of this paper is to (1) define SDoL, (2) explain how SDoL are impacting doctor of physical therapy and physical therapist assistant students, and (3) discuss actions that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants can take to mitigate the effects of SDoL on current doctor of physical therapy and physical therapist assistant students. IMPACT This Perspective is one of the first explorations of how SDoL affect physical therapy students during the pandemic and provides concrete suggestions on how educators in both academic and clinical settings can help students succeed when they are negatively affected by SDoL.
Is the Welfare State Justified

1. Introduction 2. Central perspectives in political philosophy 3. Health insurance, part I 4. Health insurance, part II 5. Old-age or retirement pensions 6. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part I 7. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part II 8. Conclusion.
Identification of nearly fatal suicide attempts: Self-inflicted injury severity form

The Self-Inflicted Injury Severity Form (SIISF) was developed as an epidemiological research tool for identifying individuals in hospital emergency departments who have life-threatening self-inflicted injuries. Data were collected from 715 patients with self-inflicted injuries in two large hospitals. In 295 of these cases, a second set of data was independently collected for assessment of interrater reliability. Validity was assessed by comparing the SIISF results with simultaneously collected Risk-Rescue Ratings. Assessment of interrater reliability found that only 2.4% of physicians disagreed on the suicide method used. The kappa statistic for method used was .94, indicating excellent agreement. The SIISF was found to distinguish between severe and less severe injuries. Thus, it appears to provide a simple method to distinguish patients who have life-threatening self-inflicted injuries.
Stress among the Homeless

In some ways, homelessness can be viewed as a situation of extreme poverty, thereby reflecting all of the same related health disadvantages. However, there are aspects of homelessness not necessarily encountered by housed people who are poor. These pose unique risks and challenges for health among the homeless generally, and their experience of stress in particular. Indeed, homeless people report significantly higher levels of stress than do housed low-income people, and this is especially true among children. Focusing primarily on the United States, this entry explores ways in which stress results from the condition of homelessness, its effects on the health of homeless people, and the mechanisms of coping that they employ. Keywords: homelessness; mental health; physical health; stress
Selective impairment of glycoprotein metabolism by ethanol and acetaldehyde in rat liver slices.

Abstract The mechanism responsible for the ethanol-induced alterations in glycoprotein metabolism was investigated. Inhibitors of peptide synthesis were utilized in a liver slice system to equalize the pool of protein acceptors available for glycosylation in the control, ethanol- and acetaldehyde-treated slices. The presence of puromycin or cycloheximide in the medium almost completely inhibited the incorporation of [ 14 C]leucine into liver and medium proteins and reduced [ 14 C]glucosamine incorporation into these fractions by 50%. Ethanol (10 mm) alone decreased the glycosylation of hepatocellular proteins and greatly inhibited the output of secretory glycoproteins. When puromycin (or cycloheximide) and ethanol were both present, a further marked decrease in the specific activity of secretory glycoproteins was observed when compared to the slices containing puromycin alone; however, the specific activity of liver glycoproteins was increased. When low concentrations of acetaldehyde, similar to levels generated during in vivo ethanol oxidation, were maintained in the medium by infusion, an identical inhibition of [ 14 C]glucosamine incorporation into medium proteins was observed both in the presence and absence of inhibitors of protein synthesis. The effects of ethanol on hepatic macromolecular secretion independent of its effect on synthesis were determined by prelabeling proteins in a liver slice system with either [ 14 C]leucine or [ 14 C]glucosamine. Both ethanol and acetaldehyde impaired the secretion of these prelabeled proteins into the medium. These results demonstrate that ethanol or its metabolite, acetaldehyde, alter glycoprotein metabolism independent of its effect on general protein synthesis, and suggest that impaired secretion of glycoproteins may be the major manifestation of this altered metabolism.
Forensic nursing implications for organ and tissue transplantation.

Most critical care nurses are aware of the clinical protocols that relate to organ and tissue recovery and transplantation. However, few understand the forensic or legal implications. The shortage of transplantable organs and tissue has prompted the development of a national network for recovering and allocating of suitable organs. Rigorous federal and state laws address the myriad of issues about medicolegal or forensic issues associated with the processes involved in retrieval and use of human organs and tissues. This article describes unique contributions of the forensic nurse in ensuring that medical and legal requirements are appropriately addressed. Language: en
Prothrombotic risk factors in patients with recurrent thrombosis of the arteriovenous fistula

Background. Arteriovenous (AV) fistula thrombosis is a common and expensive complication. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of prothrombotic risk factors in the development of recurrent AV fistula thrombosis. PatientsandMethods. We evaluated 11 patients with chronic renal failure and recurrent thrombosis of their AV fistula who were referred to the Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Pediatric Hematology Unit between January 1998 and June 2005 for prothrombotic risk factors. Results. Of the 11 patients, 6 were children (mean age, 14.8 � 2.6 years), and 5 were adults (mean age, 37.6 � 16.6 years). All patients had had at least 2 episodes of thrombosis in their AV fistula, with an overall total of 31 episodes (mean: 2.8 � 1.3 episodes, range: 2–6 episodes). Eight of the 11 patients (72.7%) had at least one prothrombotic risk factor. Two patients (18.2%) had FV G1691A mutations, and two (18.2%) had prothrombin G20210A mutations. These mutations are more common in patients with recurrent AV fistula thrombosis than in a healthy Turkish population (18.2% versus 7.1% for the FV G1691A mutation and 18.2% versus 2.2% for the prothrombin G20210A mutation; p < 0.05). Conclusion. Recurrent AV fistula thrombosis should be considered as important as other types of recurrent thrombosis, and hereditary prothrombotic risk factors should be investigated to detect patients who have a thrombotic tendency in countries where these hereditary risk factors are common.
Comprehensive Control of Atomic Motion

Recent work provides a general two-step solution to trapping and cooling of atoms. The first step is magnetic stopping of paramagnetic atoms with the use of a sequence of pulsed fields. The second step is single-photon cooling, which is based on a one-way barrier. This cooling method is related intimately to the historic problem of "Maxwell's Demon" and subsequent work by L. Szilard. Here, I discuss the connections between single-photon cooling and information entropy. I also outline future application of these methods to fundamental tests with hydrogen isotopes.
Chloride complexes of cobalt(II) in anion and cation exchangers

Abstract Spectra of Co(II) ions entrapped in cation and anion exchangers containing Cl − have been examined to provide information regarding the nature of the complex ions in these media. Spectroscopic samples were cut from single beads of commercial quaternary amine or sulphonic acid exchangers. The internal Cl − concentration was varied at fixed Co(II) concentration by equilibration with gaseous HClH 2 O mixtures. In both cation and anion exchangers the Co(II) co-ordination changes from octahedral to tetrahedral as the Cl − concentration increases. The spectrum of the tetrahedral species observed in anion exchanger is assigned to CoCl 4 2− . The spectra indicate that no inner sphere complexes are formed involving the fixed ionic groups of the exchangers.
Behavioral and hormonal responses of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) to tourism and nest site visitation

One of the results of human disturbance at seabird colonies may be the provocation of the typical vertebrate adrenocortical response to stressors, but there have been few studies that demonstrate this. The present study demonstrates that simple human presence at the nest site, without effects of capture or handling, is physiologically stressful for breeding Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) that are not accustomed to seeing humans. It also demonstrates that birds that have been exposed to very high levels of human visitation via tourism do not respond to human presence as a stressor, whereas those exposed to moderate levels of disturbance do not show evidence of habituation over a period of a few years. These results suggest that tourist visits should be concentrated in a small part of breeding colonies, allowing birds nesting in the visitation area to habituate, leaving the remainder of the colony free of disturbance.
Local and global passivity relations for Gauss-Newton methods in adaptive filtering

We provide a time-domain analysis of the robustness and stability performance of Gauss- Newton recursive methods that are often used in identification and control. Several free parameters are included in the filter description while combining the covariance update with the weight-vector update; the exponentially weighted recursive least squares algorithm being an important special case. One of the contributions of this work is to show that by properly selecting the free parameters, the resulting filter can be shown to impose certain bounds on the error quantities, thus resulting in desireable robustness and stability properties. We also show that an intrinsic feedback structure, mapping the noise sequence and the initial weight guess to the a priori estimation errors and the final weight estimate, can be associated with such schemes. The feedback configuration is motivated via energy arguments and is shown to consist of two major blocks: a time-variant lossless (i.e., energy preserving) feedforward path and a time-variant feedback path.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sonographic Diagnosis of Paravaginal Defects: A Standardization of Technique

The qualitative and quantitative effects of bladder and vaginal balloon volumes on the sonographic diagnosis of paravaginal defects were evaluated. Transabdominal ultrasound measurements were performed on patients with stage 4 prolapse and coexisting paravaginal defects (study group) as well as on nulliparous patients without prolapse or paravaginal defects (control group). Paravaginal defects were measured, first without a water-filled condom in the vagina, and then sequentially with a 30, 60 and 90 ml water-filled balloon in the vagina at bladder volumes of 150 and 300 ml. Paravaginal defects were detected on transabdominal ultrasound in both groups. In both the study and the control groups the size of the paravaginal defect was directly related to the size of the balloon placed in the vagina (P<0.0001). There were no significant differences in the size of the paravaginal defects measured at a bladder volume of 150 ml compared to those measured at 300 ml. We conclude that transabdominal ultrasound is not useful in detecting paravaginal defects.
A new method of monitoring membrane potential in rat hippocampal slices using cyanine voltage-sensitive dyes

A novel application of voltage-sensitive dyes is described. Hippocampal slices in vitro accumulated voltage-sensitive cyanine dyes under conditions presumed to cause depolarization and hyperpolarization. Increasing extracellular potassium caused a depression of dye uptake that correlated linearly with the membrane potential calculated from the Goldman equation. Veratrine depressed dye uptake, and this effect was blocked by addition of tetrodotoxin or removal of extracellular sodium. Ouabain also depressed dye uptake. Conversely, hyperpolarizing conditions using reduced extracellular sodium caused increased dye uptake. These results support a voltage-dependent mechanism for the uptake of cyanine dyes in hippocampal slices. Application of this phenomenon as an alternative to 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography for mapping neuronal activity will be presented.
Meta-epistemology and the varieties of epistemic infinitism

I will assume here the defenses of epistemic infinitism are adequate and inquire as to the variety standpoints within the view. I will argue that infinitism has three varieties depending on the strength of demandingness of the infinitist requirement and the purity of its conception of epistemic justification, each of which I will term strong pure, strong impure, and weak impure infinitisms. Further, I will argue that impure infinitisms have the dialectical advantage.
Post-transcriptional Control of CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) Expression FORMATION OF A NUCLEAR HuR-C/EBPβ mRNA COMPLEX DETERMINES THE AMOUNT OF MESSAGE REACHING THE CYTOSOL

In 3T3-L1 cells, HuR is constitutively expressed and prior to induction of differentiation localized predominantly to the nucleus. Within minutes of induction of differentiation, nuclear HuR binds to its target ligand mRNAs, and the complexes appear to move to the cytosol. One ligand mRNA is the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) message. To examine the function and importance of the HuR-C/EBPβ interaction, retroviral expression constructs were created in which the HuR binding site was altered by deletion (βdel) or deletion and substitution (βd/s). Expression of these constructs in murine embryonic fibroblasts resulted in significant adipose conversion relative to those cells expressing wild type C/EBPβ. C/EBPβ protein content was increased markedly in both βdel and βd/s, which correlated with the acquisition of the adipocyte phenotype. Analysis of the βd/s cell line demonstrated a robust expression of C/EBPα coincident with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ expression. Total C/EBPβ mRNA accumulation indicated no difference between cells harboring either the wild type C/EBPβ cDNA or βd/s construct. However, cytosolic C/EBPβ mRNA in the cells expressing the βd/s construct was maintained at levels between 2- and 7-fold greater than in the cells expressing the wild type construct. Alteration in mRNA half-life was not responsible for the increased accumulation. Mechanistically, these data suggest that HuR binding results in nuclear retention of the C/EBPβ mRNA and is consistent with HuR control, at least in part, of mRNA processing.
Fuzzy-logic-model-based technique with application to Urdu character recognition

This work is in the field of automated document processing. This work addresses the problem of representation and recognition of Urdu characters based on concepts from Fuzzy logic. In particular, we show that Fuzzy logic is used here to make a classification of 36 Urdu characters into seven sub-classes namely sub-classes characterized by seven proposed and defined fuzzy features specifically related to Urdu characters. We show that here Fuzzy logic provides a remarkably simple way to draw definite conclusions from vague, ambiguous, noisy or imprecise information. In particular, we illustrate the concept of `interest regions' and describe a framing method that provides a way to make the proposed technique for Urdu characters recognition robust and invariant to scaling and translation. We also show that a given character rotation is dealt with by using the Hotelling transform. This transform is based upon the eigenvalue decomposition of the covariance matrix of an image, providing a method of determining the orientation of the major axis of an object within an image. Finally experimental results are presented to show the power and robustness of the proposed Fuzzy logic based technique for Urdu character recognition, its fault tolerance, and high recognition accuracy.
A control problem in a polluted environment

Due to the importance of remediating polluted environments, many mathematical models have been developed to describe population-toxicant interactions. This article considers the situation where the amount of pollution in the environment is restricted to lie below a certain value M. A model is presented and viewed as a control problem in which the toxicant input into the environment is the controllable variable. An explicit formula is computed for the input function that meets certain restrictions. By analytically studying the dynamics of the population, it is possible to provide conditions on how to set M in order to guarantee survival of the population without a significant reduction of its carrying capacity. Numerical and experimental data are described that support these results.
Clinical and radiologic assessment of laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair.

Background: Unlike sliding hiatal hernias, paraesophageal hiatal hernias (PEH) present a risk of catastrophic complications and should be repaired. To assess laparoscopic repair of PEH, we prospectively evaluated the outcome of 38 consecutive patients with type II (20 patients) or III (18 patients) PEH treated laparoscopically. Methods: With the use of 5 or 6 ports, laparoscopic PEH reduction and repair was attempted. One patient (3%) was converted to an open procedure. In the first 12 patients, the hiatus was closed using varying techniques including the placement of prothestic mesh in 6 patients, and the hernia sac was not routinely excised. In the next 25 patients, the hernia sac always was excised and the hiatus routinely sutured posteriorly to the esophagus. Twenty-nine patients also underwent either a Nissen (n= 27) or Toupet (n= 2) fundoplication, which is now performed routinely. Sutured anterior gastropexy was performed selectively in 10 of the first 20 patients, then routinely, using T-fasteners in the last 17 patients. Barium swallow studies were performed on all patients at 3 to 5 months postoperatively. Results: Mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) age was 67 ± 2 year (range, 39–92 years; 11 men, 27 women), and the American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) score was 2.5 ± 0.1. The operating time was 195 ± 10 min: 244 ± 15 min in the first 12 patients and 170 ± 11 min in the last 25 patients (p < 0.001). There were three (8%) intraoperation complications, which were treated without sequelae, and four (11%) grade II postoperation morbidities. Median discharge was 3 days, and return to full activity was 14 days. Two patients (5%) died of cardiovascular disease after discharge. Barium swallow revealed 2/35 (6%) PEH recurrences (1 reoperated), 3 (9%) intrathoracic wraps, and 3 (9%) small sliding hiatal hernias. At follow-up of 1 year or more, 6/28 (21%) patients noted mild symptoms of reflux or bloating, but only 1 patient (4%) required medication for these symptoms. Conclusions: Laparoscopic PEH repair offers a reasonable alternative to traditional surgery, especially for high-risk patients. Rapid recovery is achieved with acceptable morbidity and early outcome. Barium x-rays revealed hiatal abnormalities in a significant fraction of patients, many of whom were asymptomatic. Longer follow-up will be required to determine the ideal strategy for management of these patients.
Acute kidney injury: defining prerenal azotemia in clinical practice and research.

Prerenal azotemia is a common occurrence in hospitalized patients and is generally easier to define in clinical practice than in clinical research. Monitoring the duration of acute kidney injury and biomarkers of kidney function might help distinguish prerenal azotemia from acute tubular necrosis in both clinical practice and research settings.
549. Ultrasound with Microbubbles Enhances Gene Expression of Plasmid DNA Delivered through Portal Vein Injection

Top of pageAbstract [Background and Aim] Ultrasound has been shown to promote gene delivery in skin, skeletal and cardiac muscles, etc. Recently, we have also shown that ultrasound facilitated gene delivery of human factor IX plasmid to mouse liver by intrahepatic injection (Miao et al., Hum Gen Ther 16:893, 2005). The present study was carried out to further optimize and better characterize the application of ultrasound in gene delivery to liver under various conditions of ultrasound and microbubble use, and through portal vein injection instead of intrahepatic injection. [Methods] 50|[mu]|g of luciferase plasmid pGL3 was administered to C57/BL6 mice through intrahepatic or portal vein injection with or without ultrasound. Ultrasound with or without 10% microbubbles (Optison), as well as ultrasound of different parameters including acoustic pressure, pulse length, pulse repetition frequency, and timing of exposures were investigated. At least 3 mice per group were included in each experiment. Livers were harvested 24 h after experimental treatment. Luciferase activity was measured to determine the transfection efficiency. [Results] 1. Ultrasound mediated an average of 56-fold increase in luciferase activity only when microbubbles were present. Ultrasound without microbubbles, or microbubbles alone did not mediate any detectable enhancement of gene delivery. 2. Gene delivery via portal vein was enhanced by ultrasound dose-dependently with increasing peak negative acoustic pressure over the range of 0 |[ndash]| 4.5 MPa at 1.17 MHz, with a peak found at 3 MPa. However, no effect was observed at 0.25 MPa, an acoustic pressure of diagnostic ultrasound reported to be effective in gene delivery to other cell types in vitro or in vivo. 3. Portal vein injection resulted in similar yet more consistent gene expression levels compared with those by direct intrahepatic injection in the left lobe of the liver. Moreover, gene expression was also observed in the other lobes. Thus, portal vein is a better controlled and more efficient route of ultrasound- facilitated gene delivery into the liver. 4. Increasing pulse length (cycles) while decreasing pulse repetition frequency (Hz) to maintain a constant energy exposure at 4.3 MPa peak negative pressure did not improve transfection efficiency. 5. Extending treatment with ultrasound pre- or post-injection of plasmid DNA did not enhance gene delivery efficiency. [Conclusion] Coupled with microbubbles, ultrasound can efficiently and dose-dependently enhance gene expression from plasmid DNA delivered via portal vein injection. These results are consistent with a mechanism involving inertial cavitation.
Fructose-mediated damage to lens α-crystallin: prevention by pyruvate

Post-translational modifications in lens crystallins due to glycation and oxidation have been suggested to play a significant role in the development of cataracts associated with aging and diabetes. We have previously shown that K-keto acids, like pyruvate, can protect the lens against oxidation. We hypothesize that they can also prevent the glycation of proteins competitively by forming a Schiff base between their free keto groups and the free ^NH2 groups of protein as well as subsequently inhibit the oxidative conversion of the initial glycation product to advanced glycation end products (AGE). The purpose of this study was to investigate these possibilities using purified crystallins. The crystallins isolated from bovine lenses were incubated with fructose in the absence and presence of pyruvate. The post-incubation mixtures were analyzed for fructose binding to the crystallins, AGE formation, and the generation of high molecular weight (HMW) proteins. In parallel experiments, the keto acid was replaced by catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), or diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This was done to ascertain oxidative mode of pyruvate effects. Interestingly, the glycation and consequent formation of AGE from K-crystallin was more pronounced than from L-, and Q-crystallins. The changes in the crystallins brought about by incubation with fructose were prevented by pyruvate. Catalase, SOD, and DTPA were also effective. The results suggest that pyruvate prevents against fructose-mediated changes by inhibiting the initial glycation reaction as well as the conversion of the initial glycated product to AGE. Hence it is effective in early as well as late phases of the reactions associated with the formation of HMW crystallin aggregates. fl 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the mortality of dialysis patients

To investigate whether Hurricane Katrina's landfall in August 2005 resulted in excess mortality, we conducted a cohort study of patients who started dialysis between January 2003 and late August 2005 and who received treatment at 94 Katrina-affected clinics in the area. Survival, regardless of patient location after the storm, was followed through February 2006. In adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, Hurricane Katrina (time-varying indicator) was not significantly associated with mortality risk for patients from regions of the Gulf Coast affected by Katrina or those from a subset of 40 New Orleans clinics. Subgroup analyses indicated no significant increased mortality risk by race, income status, or dialysis modality. Sensitivity analyses indicated no significant increased mortality risk for patients from clinics closed for 10 days or longer, patients in their first 90 days of dialysis, or patients not evacuated from the affected areas. Patients remaining in the New Orleans area may have been more vulnerable due to age and comorbidities; however, the change in their mortality risk in the month following the storm was not statistically significant. We suggest that disaster-related education for patients must be ongoing, and that each disaster may present a different set of circumstances and challenges that will require unanticipated response efforts.
EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR AND SEX STEROIDS DYNAMICALLY REGULATE A MARKER OF ENDOMETRIAL RECEPTIVITY IN ISHIKAWA CELLS

The factors regulating human endometrial receptivity remain poorly understood. The alpha v beta 3 integrin cell adhesion molecule appears to be regulated in the human endometrium, appearing on postovulatory days 5-6, corresponding to the time of initial embryo attachment. This integrin has been extensively studied as a potential marker of endometrial receptivity and is aberrantly expressed in the endometrial epithelium of some infertile women. Ishikawa cells are a well differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line that maintain functional estrogen and progesterone receptors and are a useful model to study steroid-mediated events in human endometrial epithelium. This cell line expresses most of the normal endometrial epithelial integrins, including the alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor. The regulation of this integrin was studied with fluorescence immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and Northern blot analysis. Estrogen with or without progesterone treatment down-regulates alpha v beta 3 in this cell line. Several growth factors, including epidermal growth factor and the closely related transforming growth factor-alpha significantly increase the expression of this integrin. We conclude that endometrial differentiation is influenced by both steroid hormones and growth factors. The alpha v beta 3 integrin appears to be an excellent marker to study the molecular events leading to the establishment of uterine receptivity and successful implantation.
An Analytical and Computational Investigation of High-Rate Rheometry

This paper examines a class of experimental techniques used to develop constitutive models for lubricants, by simulating the shearing of a thin lubricant layer while accounting for transient phenomena. The complete transient thermal problem with fully nonlinear constitutive relations is solved, and heat conduction is accounted for both in the lubricant layer and into the walls. Numerical simulations are used to examine the shear stress history, the velocity profile, and the temperature profile as functions of time. As a particular example, the high-rate torsional Kolsky bar rheometer (Feng and Ramesh, 1993) is simulated. The computations indicate that the Kolsky bar experiments, which are.able to examine the time-histories of the stresses and of the motion, can be used to obtain material properties for lubricants at high shear rates. A full numerical analysis may be required to properly interpret some of the data available from the Kolsky bar experiments, since at longer times (greater than that associated with the peak shear stress) the thermal softening may dominate the response and the velocity field may become strongly inhomogeneous. The numerical simulations are performed using both rate-dependent and limiting stress constitutive laws, and the effects of the layer thickness and the rise time of the relative velocities are examined. The simulations show that the film thickness and the rise time of the relative velocities can have strong effects on the character of the solution when the transient phenomena are included in the analysis. The computations also demonstrate that highly inhomogeneous and even localized flows may occur within rheometers as a result of transient effects. The development of these flows depends on the layer thickness, the rise-time of the boundary velocity, the thermal boundary conditions, and the constitutive behavior of the lubricant.
Assessing the Potential of Congressional Responsibility for National Forest Management

This article examines the statutory delegation of authority and responsibility for national forest management by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. By focusing on three primary laws governing national forest management, the article applies a transaction cost approach to assessing and understanding the extent and nature of agency discretion. Observations suggest that specific national forest management crises will prompt modifications of Forest Service authority, coupled with increased constraints on the agency's actions. The transaction costs of congressional inaction in the face of immediate national forest crises appear to exceed those associated with enacting new, more prescriptive legislation, with Congress thereby accepting greater responsibility for the effects of national forest policy choices. However, comprehensive national forest policy reform appears unlikely within this scenario.
Actin mediated calcium dependency of actomyosin in a myxomycete.

Abstract A fraction obtained from Physarum polycephalum by differential centrifugation displays magnesium adenosine triphosphatase activity; at low ionic strength (0.07 M KCl) the rate at which ATP ∗ is split in 0.1 mM CaCl2 is from 1.5 to 6.6 times the rate in 1 mM EGTA ∗ . Both actin and myosin are present in this fraction. On SDS gels several polypeptide bands are present in the range of 39,000 daltons to 14,000 daltons as well as those of actin and myosin. The addition of desensitized rabbit muscle actin to the fraction increased the rate of ATP splitting in EGTA, thereby decreasing the EGTA inhibition 30–50%. We conclude that actomyosin regulation by calcium in this acellular slime mould is, at least in large part, mediated through actin.
Point-of-care coagulation monitoring for cardiovascular patients: past and present.

PATIENTS WITH cardiovascular disease have a host of underlying hemostatic abnormalities that predispose to thrombotic and hemorrhagic disorders. Literature indicates that many of the risk factors for thrombosis in cardiovascular disease are inherited and include disorders of anticoagulation, fibrinolysis, and platelet activity. Other risk factors are acquired and are related to certain controllable and uncontrollable factors, such as diet, smoking, and blood pressure. In these patients, monitoring coagulation to identify potential hypercoagulable states can be crucial. Additional monitoring is necessary when patients with cardiovascular disease undergo surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The hemostatic system is impaired leading to bleeding and the frequent need for transfusion of allogenic blood products; this occurs as a result of hemodilution of the patient’s platelets and coagulation factors by the extracorporeal circuit priming solution and as a result of contact activation, which activates platelets, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. The use of heparin anticoagulation for CPB mitigates these effects but does not completely eliminate them. Protamine, given to reverse heparin’s effects, has antiplatelet properties and anticoagulant effects when given in excess. Because of the numerous hemostatic insults incurred during and after CPB, complex monitoring techniques are necessary to ensure adequate anticoagulation, adequate heparin reversal, and normal platelet function. Specific coagulation monitoring has also been linked with a reduction in hemorrhagic complications and a reduction in transfusions after CPB. This article discusses approved and investigational point-of-care monitors of coagulation and platelet function in cardiovascular patients.
Figures of Grief: Metaphors from a Bereavement Writing Group:

In a community-based bereavement writing group, patterns of metaphor emerged and helped the group members identify and deal with particularly challenging aspects of death and grief, including taboo subjects such as abuse and suicide. The metaphors show how a bereavement writing group functioned to address the needs of people coping with different kinds of grief effectively and efficiently. Analysis of the specific metaphors suggests why figurative language enabled the group to bond quickly and strongly, delve into the complex emotions death elicits, and integrate experiences of loss and grief safely and productively. The patterns of metaphors the group produced in their writing about death and grief are discussed in terms of bereavement processes, and the topics the group used to elicit the figures of speech are presented for further refinement and use.
Technical Communication Unbound: Knowledge Work, Social Media, and Emergent Communicative Practices

This article explores the boundaries of technical communication as knowledge work in the emerging era of social media. Analyzing the results of an annual survey offered each year from 2008 until 2011, the study reports on how knowledge workers use publicly available online services to support their work. The study proposes a distinction between sites and services when studying social media in knowledge work and concludes with an exploration of implications for technical communication pedagogy.
The Effect of Chemotherapy for Malignancy on the Natural History of Aortic Aneurysm

Objective Surgical dogma holds that chemotherapy increases the risk of aneurysm growth and rupture. We sought to determine the effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy on the growth of aortic aneurysms. Methods All patients undergoing chemotherapy for malignancy with coexisting aortic aneurysms at our institution between 2000 and 2011 were identified. Review of electronic medical records and rereview of serial cross-sectional imaging was performed. An additional cohort of patients undergoing aneurysm surveillance during the same period was identified, and demographic and anatomic variables were collected. Planned analysis included descriptive analysis, change in aneurysm diameter over time, and association of growth or need for intervention with type of chemotherapy and type of malignancy. Results Between 2000 and 2011, 125 patients at our institution had a concurrent diagnosis of aortic aneurysm and malignancy requiring cytotoxic chemotherapy. Cross-sectional imaging was available for 91 patients. The predominant malignancy type was lung cancer (34 of 91 [38%]), followed by lymphoma (21 of 91 [23%]) and colorectal cancer (10 of 91 [11%]). Most aneurysms were infrarenal (53 of 91 [58%]). Most patients were treated with more than one class of chemotherapeutic agent over 267 days (interquartile range [IQR], 144-469 days), and most had at least one cycle of alkylating agents (73 of 91), in addition to antimetabolites (42 of 91) and plant alkaloids/terpenoids (40 of 92). Chemotherapy regimens included steroids in 84 patients (92%). The baseline aneurysm diameter was 41.4 mm (IQR, 34.9-51.3 mm) for patients who received chemotherapeutic agents and 46.0 mm (IQR, 40-52 mm) for those who did not. Eight of the 91 patients (9%) underwent aneurysm repair during chemotherapy, but only two required urgent repair due to aneurysm rupture. The rate of aneurysm growth per year for patients who did and did not receive chemotherapy was similar at 2.3 mm vs 2.4 mm ( P = .69). Conclusions In 91 patients over 10 years at our institution, chemotherapy did not increase aneurysm growth compared with patients not undergoing treatment for malignancy.
Design and synthesis of hyaluronan-mimetic gemini disaccharides

An efficient strategy has been designed for the preparation of synthetic mimics of hyaluronan (HA, 1) and its dimerized (Gemini) disaccharides (2a,b) via n-pentenyl glycoside formation. Construction of the target molecules was achieved through a combination of protection/deprotection protocols, imidate glycosylation methodology followed by ozonolysis, and reductive amination. These tailored synthetic mimics could act as versatile building blocks with therapeutic applications in tissue engineering, treatment of cancer and as drug delivery agents.
ORBITAL PERIODS FOR THE CATACLYSMIC BINARIES VZ PYXIDIS, CC CANCRI, AND AH ERIDANI

This paper gives mean spectra and reports orbital periods based on radial velocities taken near minimum light for these dwarf novae, which are all SU UMa stars or candidates. For VZ Pyx I find Porb = 0.07332 ± 0.00003 d (= 105.58 ± 0.04 min), for CC Cnc 0.07352 ± 0.00005 d (= 105.86 ± 0.07 min), and for AH Eri, 0.2391 ± 0.0005 d (= 5.738 ± 0.012 hr). In AH Eri's case orbital frequencies differing by ± 1 cycle d-1 are marginally possible. The period for VZ Pyx is similarly ambiguous, but Kato and Nogami's {knvz} (1997a) superhump period and Remillard et al.'s {rem94} (1994) short time base velocity study constrain the alias choice to a single value. For CC Cnc, a preliminary measurement by Munari et al. {mun} (1991) had indicated a Porb in the 2 to 3 hour period 'gap', but the Porb found here is well short of the gap. AH Eri had been mentioned in the literature as a possible SU-UMa type dwarf nova; the long period found here makes this classification doubtful. The average spectrum of AH Eri shows molecular absorption bands consistent with an M-type secondary star. With the orbital periods in hand, it would now be interesting to obtain new timeseries photometry aimed at confirming or refuting the candidate ~ 40 min photometric modulations in AH Eri and VZ Pyx which have been put forth in the literature.
N-nitrosamines: bacterial mutagenesis and in vitro metabolism.

Many nitrosamines are potent mutagens. The rate-limiting step in their in vitro metabolism to mutagens is usually a single enzymatic reaction catalyzed by one or more of the many cytochrome P-450-dependent mixed-function oxidases present in the microsomal cell fraction. Current evidence indicates that this reaction activates nitrosamines to alpha-hydroxynitrosamines, which have half-lives on the order of seconds. This product decomposes to an aldehyde and a much shorter-lived ultimate metabolite which is probably an alkyl diazonium ion or an alkyl carbocation. This may react with DNA leading to premutagenic adducts. Such adducts represent a very small fraction of the ultimate mutagen, with the rest reacting with water to yield the corresponding alcohol. Evidence for this pathway includes (1) the observation of deuterium isotope effects in metabolism and mutagenesis, (2) products (aldehydes, alcohols, and N2) consistent with this pathway, (3) studies on metabolism of nitrosamines using purified cytochrome P-450, (4) formation of DNA adducts such as O6-alkylguanines which are consistent with those expected from the ultimate mutagen, (5) expected products and genotoxic effects of other sources of activated nitrosamines, e.g., alpha-acetoxynitrosamines, alkanediazotates and related compounds. Hydroxylation of nitrosamines at other positions also occurs in vitro (usually to a lesser extent), but these products are generally stable and must be further metabolized to exert mutagenic effects (with the exception of N-nitrosoalkyl(formylmethyl)amines, which are direct-acting mutagens). Because only low percentages of nitrosamines are metabolized in vitro, the contribution to mutagenesis by secondary metabolism is small. In this respect, in vitro metabolism can differ significantly from in vivo metabolism. Bacterial mutagenesis by nitrosamines has most often been studied in Salmonella typhimurium and to a lesser extent E. coli. Mutagenesis by nitrosamines generally requires a source of microsomes (a 9000 X g supernatant fraction is often used), and NADPH. Liver fractions from Aroclor-1254- or PB-induced rodents have been most frequently employed but liver fractions from untreated animals, and homogenates of other organs (lung, kidney, nasal mucosa, and pancreas) have also been utilized. Liver homogenates from humans are generally similar to those from untreated rats in metabolizing nitrosamines to mutagens but large interindividual variations are observed. Mutagenesis is often most effective using a liquid preincubation, a slightly acidic incubation mixture and hamster liver fractions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Nigrostriatal effects of morphine in two mouse strains

Abstract The effects of morphine on nigrostriatal neurons (substantia nigra and caudate nucleus) were examined in mice of two strains (C58 and DBA), which differ in their locomotor response to morphine. The results did not support the hypothesis that the differences in locomotor response to morphine between the two strains are paralleled by differences in the response of nigrostriatal neurons to the same drug. The general effect of morphine on nigrostrial neurons, irrespective of strain, was to markedly depress their firing rate. Some nigrostriatal neurons initially speeded up but this effect was strain independent. This same general pattern was observed in some neurons recorded within the reticular formation. The results are discussed in relationship to the current concepts of morphine action on dopaminergic systems and the role of the nigrostriatal system in locomotor control.
From extended mind to collective mind

Although the notion of collective intentionality has received considerable attention over the past decade, accounts of collective belief and intention remain individualistic. Most accounts analyze group intentional states in terms of a complex set of individual intentional states and, thus, it is individuals not groups that have intentional states. In this paper, I attempt to undermine one of the motivations for refusing to acknowledge groups as the bearers of mental states. The resistance to collective mental states is motivated by the view that mental states are located in minds and minds are in heads. Since groups do not have heads or brains, they cannot have minds or mental states. There is a significant and important thesis in cognitive science, however, which suggests that the mind is not bounded by skin and bones. If ''the mind ain't in the head'', then this removes a major barrier to the idea of collective minds.
Effect of a Graded Layer on the Dissipated Energy During Fatigue Crack Growth on Plastically Mismatched Interfaces Under Mixed-Mode Loading

Recent work has proposed a dissipated energy theory of fatigue crack growth under mode I loading for homogenous materials and has since been extended to a bimaterial interface geometry under mixed-mode loading. An inherent assumption of this prior work is that a perfect crack exists along the interface joining the top and bottom layers. The current work extends the approach of previous studies to incorporate a grading of plastic properties between the two layers. The plastic dissipation is extracted from 2D parametric finite element models with ABAQUS. Results have shown that incorporation of a graded layer increass the overall amount of plastic dissipation between modes I and II, but is still bounded by the two cases where a minimum and maximum amount of plastic dissipation is accumulated. While the graded layer has a measurable effect, plastic dissipation is still dominated by the mode of loading.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
AMERICA'S SHORT-WAVE AUDIENCE: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER

The last time the American audience for international political broadcasts was examined was in the early 1940's. Reporting on an intensive re-examination of this audience twenty-five years later, the author finds that it consists of two distinct groups whose listening serves different purposes and who differ from each other on a variety of demographic characteristics as well. Don D. Smith is Associate Professor of Sociology at Florida State University.
Plastic proteins and monkey blocks: how lentiviruses evolved to replicate in the presence of primate restriction factors.

Taken together, the existence of viral accessory proteins dedicated to thwarting restriction, evidence that restriction factors evolve under positive selection, and the in vivo impact of restriction in SIV and AIDS models strengthen the hypothesis that restriction factors are major determinants of host range in nature, acting as selective barriers to cross-species transmission of viral pathogens. Novel mechanisms of restriction continue to be discovered. For example, Schlafen-11 exploits differences in human and viral codon usage to restrict HIV-1 [30], and MX2/MXB is a capsid-sensing component of the interferon-induced block to HIV-1 infection [31]–[33]. As more restriction factors are identified and their mechanisms deduced, it will be interesting to ask whether the interplay between restriction factors and viruses is a dominant theme in cross-species transmission, adaptation, and emergence of viruses.