cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel joint cupping clinical maneuver for ultrasonographic detection of knee joint effusions

Abstract Introduction Knee effusions occur due to traumatic and atraumatic causes. Clinical diagnosis currently relies on several provocative techniques to demonstrate knee joint effusions. Portable bedside ultrasonography (US) is becoming an adjunct to diagnosis of effusions. We hypothesized that a US approach with a clinical joint cupping maneuver increases sensitivity in identifying effusions as compared to US alone. Methods Using unembalmed cadaver knees, we injected fluid to create effusions up to 10 mL. Each effusion volume was measured in a lateral transverse location with respect to the patella. For each effusion we applied a joint cupping maneuver from an inferior approach, and re-measured the effusion. Results With increased volume of saline infusion, the mean depth of effusion on ultrasound imaging increased as well. Using a 2-mm cutoff, we visualized an effusion without the joint cupping maneuver at 2.5 mL and with the joint cupping technique at 1 mL. Mean effusion diameter increased on average 0.26 cm for the joint cupping maneuver as compared to without the maneuver. The effusion depth was statistically different at 2.5 and 7.5 mL ( P Conclusions Utilizing a joint cupping technique in combination with US is a valuable tool in assessing knee effusions, especially those of subclinical levels. Effusion measurements are complicated by uneven distribution of effusion fluid. A clinical joint cupping maneuver concentrates the fluid in one recess of the joint, increasing the likelihood of fluid detection using US.
Evaluation of a catalase inhibitor in the developmental regulation of maize catalase

A protein which has been shown to inhibit catalase in vitro appears to vary inversely with catalase activity in the maize scutellum during early sporophytic development when assayed using a catalase inhibition assay. This result suggested that the inhibitor protein may play a direct role in regulating catalase activity during this time period. Four experimental approaches were used to evaluate this putative regulatory role, including immunological quantitation of individual catalase isozymes during germination using rocket immunoelectrophoresis, perturbation of normal catalase expression with hydrogen peroxide or allylisopropylacetamide (AIA), examination of a mutant line with an altered catalase developmental program, and direct radioimmunoassay of the inhibitor protein during germination. The results of these experiments indicate that the quantitative changes in catalase activity during development are not mainly due to changes in the expression of the catalase inhibitor. Other possible roles of this protein in catalase regulation are discussed.
Sources of variability in spotted owl population growth rate: testing predictions using long-term mark–recapture data

For long-lived iteroparous vertebrates that annually produce few young, life history theory predicts that reproductive output (R) and juvenile survival should influence temporal variation in population growth rate (λ) more than adult survival does. We examined this general prediction using 15 years of mark–recapture data from a population of California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis). We found that survival of individuals ≥1 year old (ϕ) exhibited much less temporal variability $${\left( {\widehat{{{\text{CV}}}} = 0.04} \right)} $$ , where CV is coefficient of variation, than R $$ {\left( {\widehat{{\text {CV}}} = 0.83} \right)}, $$ and that R was strongly influenced by environmental stochasticity. Although λ was most sensitive ( $$ \hat{e} $$ ; log-transformed sensitivity) to ϕ $$ {\left( {\hat{e} = 0.77} \right)}, $$ and much less sensitive to either R $$ {\left( {\hat{e} = 0.12} \right)} $$ or juvenile survival (survival rate of owls from fledging to 1 year old; $$ \hat{e} = 0.12 $$ ), we estimated that R contributed as much as ϕ to the observed annual variability in λ. The contribution of juvenile survival to variability in λ was proportional to its $$ \hat{e}. $$ These results are consistent with the hypothesis that natural selection may have favored the evolution of longevity in spotted owls as a strategy to increase the probability of experiencing favorable years for reproduction. Our finding that annual weather patterns that most affected R (temperature and precipitation during incubation) and ϕ (conditions during winter related to the Southern Oscillation Index) were equally good at explaining temporal variability in λ supports the conclusion that R and ϕ were equally responsible for variability in λ. Although currently accepted conservation measures for spotted owl populations attempt to enhance survival, our results indicated that conservation measures that target R may be as successful, as long as actions do not reduce ϕ.
Genome Sequences of Two Temperate Phages, ΦCB2047-A and ΦCB2047-C, Infecting Sulfitobacter sp. Strain 2047

ABSTRACT We announce the complete genome sequences of two temperate Podoviridae, Sulfitobacter phages ΦCB2047-A and ΦCB2047-C, which infect Sulfitobacter sp. strain 2047, a member of the Roseobacter clade. This is the first report of temperate podophage infecting members of the Sulfitobacter genus of the Roseobacter clade.
Global virtual university: an experiment between the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the Digital Communities of Japan

The ongoing educational collaboration between the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) and the Digital Communities Information Technology Promotion Center, on behalf of four Japanese universities, has mirrored the changing perceptions of distance learning and the technologies used to delivery the instruction. In October 1997, the Digital Communities initiated a 'public experiment' to use information technology to achieve an information revolution within several Japanese prefectures. One component of this ambitious project, a virtual university experiment, was brought to the attention of the UNCW administration by North Carolina's Office of the Governor. After a series of reciprocal exploratory discussions and site visits by Japanese and American educators and government officials, UNCW, Mie University, Mie Prefectural College of Nursing, Iwate Prefectural University and the University of Tokyo announced the construction and implementation of a two-phase virtual university project at the international forum entitled "Information Big Bang Starting From the Local Communities".
Ensemble Modeling of Kinematic Open Channel Flow Under Uncertain Channel Properties

Nonlocal Lagrangian-Eulerian Fokker-Planck Equation of the kinematic open channel flow process under uncertain channel properties is developed utilizing the method of characteristics. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the developed Fokker-Planck equation is capable of modeling ensemble behavior of the kinematic open channel process under uncertain channel properties.
Staging Prisons: Performance, Activism, and Social Bodies

“Staged activism” is social protest using the tactics of performance, while “activist performance” is conventional stage drama deliberately performed as part of a particular political project. What...
Identification of self through olfaction.

To study olfactory communication in humans, 100 undergraduates ranging from age 18 to 45 yr. wore freshly washed, identical T- shirts continuously for 24 hr. During this time, the participants did not bathe or shower or apply any scent producing substance to their bodies, i.e., deodorants, perfumes. Upon retrieval, each shirt was placed in an identical brown bag. In groups of 10, each participant attempted to identify the T-shirt he had worn the previous 24 hr. The task was administered separately for each individual so that no participants knew the choice by a previous colleague. Analysis shows that the participants were able to identify correctly their own shirts on the first try three-quarters of the time. Furthermore, sex, age, smoking habit of the participant, and menstrual cycle phase in the women were factors in successful outcomes.
The endogenous hydrogen sulfide producing enzyme cystathionine-β synthase contributes to visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome

The pathogenesis of visceral hypersensitivity, a characteristic pathophysiological feature of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), remains elusive. Recent studies suggest a role for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in pain signaling but this has not been well studied in visceral models of hyperalgesia. We therefore determined the role for the endogenous H2S producing enzyme cystathionine-β-synthetase (CBS) in a validated rat model of IBS-like chronic visceral hyperalgesia (CVH). CVH was induced by colonic injection of 0.5% acetic acid (AA) in 10-day-old rats and experiments were performed at 8–10 weeks of age. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervating the colon were labeled by injection of DiI (1,1'-dioleyl-3,3,3',3-tetramethylindocarbocyanine methanesulfonate) into the colon wall. In rat DRG, CBS-immunoreactivity was observed in approximately 85% of predominantly small- and medium-sized neurons. Colon specific DRG neurons revealed by retrograde labeling DiI were all CBS-positive. CBS-positive colon neurons co-expressed TRPV1 or P2X3 receptors. Western blotting analysis showed that CBS expression was significantly increased in colon DRGs 8 weeks after neonatal AA-treatment. Furthermore, the CBS inhibitor hydroxylamine markedly attenuated the abdominal withdrawal reflex scores in response to colorectal distention in rats with CVH. By contrast, the H2S donor NaHS significantly enhanced the frequency of action potentials of colon specific DRG neurons evoked by 2 times rheobase electrical stimulation. Our results suggest that upregulation of CBS expression in colonic DRG neurons and H2S signaling may play an important role in developing CVH, thus identifying a specific neurobiological target for the treatment of CVH in functional bowel syndromes.
Acquired Inhibitors: A Special Case of Bleeding in Older Adults

This literature review is intended to familiarize physicians and healthcare providers of older adults with the potential causes of acute bleeding in older adults and to review diagnostic approaches that can produce prompt identification of acute bleeding and facilitate timely treatment. Adverse events from anticoagulant treatment and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and aspirin use and abuse are among the most common causes of bleeding in older adults. Diagnoses infrequently considered—mild congenital hemophilia, acquired hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and platelet dysfunction—can contribute to acute bleeding in older adults. The approach to management of bleeding varies. Management of acute bleeding in older adults can be challenging because these patients often have chronic comorbidity and have been prescribed long-term concomitant medications that can complicate diagnosis and treatment. Prompt recognition of acquired hemophilia, referral to an expert hematologist, and timely initiation of treatment could improve outcome in older patients who experience bleeding episodes resulting from this condition.
Resurrection of Mantophryne microtis (Anura: Microhylidae) from Synonymy

Abstract I rediagnose the microhylid frog Callulops robustus (Boulenger) based on examination of the type series and recently collected topotypic material. The species is distinguished by its large size, narrowly expanded finger and toe discs lacking or with poorly developed circum-marginal grooves, pustulose dorsal skin, long snout, unpatterned orange-brown or reddish-brown dorsal coloration, and uniformly brown ventral coloration. The species is almost certainly restricted to the type locality, Misima Island, at the easternmost extremity of the geographic range of Callulops. Based on examination of the holotype and recently collected material from the general area of the type locality, I then rediagnose Mantophryne microtis Werner and remove it from synonymy with C. robustus. It is readily distinguished from the latter species by its somewhat smaller body size, well-developed circum-marginal grooves on at least some of the fingers and toes, short snout, and color pattern of tiny white flecks on a dark g...
The 64th Symposium of the Society for General Physiologists: optogenetics and superresolution microscopy take center stage.

Novel optical technologies applicable in cellular physiology and biology were the focus of the 64th annual meeting of the Society of General Physiologists, held September 8–12th, 2010, at Woods Hole. This is the third time the Society has taken up this “nonbiological” theme as a subject for
Local interference pricing for distributed beamforming in MIMO networks

We study a distributed algorithm for adjusting beamforming vectors in a peer-to-peer wireless network with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. Each transmitter precoding matrix has rank one, and a linear minimum mean squared error (MMSE) filter is applied at each receiver. Our objective is to maximize the total utility summed over all users, where each user's utility is a function of the received signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Given all users' beamforming vectors and receive filters, each receiver announces an interference price, representing the marginal cost of interference from other users. A particular transmitter updates its beamforming vector to maximize its utility minus the interference cost to other users. We show that if the utility functions satisfy certain concavity conditions, then the total utility is non-decreasing with each update. We also present numerical results that illustrate the effect of ignoring interference prices from all but the closest users, and relaxing requirements on the frequency of beam and price updates.
Influenza A virus replication is inhibited by tumor necrosis factor-α in vitro

Treatment of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells with ≥ 10 ng/ml of recombinant murine tumor necrosis factor-α (rm TNF-α) prior to inoculation with influenza A/PR/8/34, (H1N1), resulted in decreased production of infectious virus as determined by plaque assay, inhibition of viral protein synthesis and a reduction in cytopathic effect. The inhibition of viral replication in vitro suggests a role for TNF-α in the host's defense against influenza A virus infections.
Aureomycin as a Protein-Sparing Agent and its Influence on Minimum Starter Protein Level Satisfactory for Normal Growth of Dairy Calves

Summary Sixty two-day-old Holstein and Jersey calves were raised to 86 days of age on a limited milk-hay-starter system to determine (a) whether aureomycin spared dietary protein, and (b) the minimum starter protein level satisfactory for normal growth of aureomycin-fed calves reared on a limited milk-hay-starter system. Five starters ranging from 6.3 to 14.2% protein were fed with and without aureomycin. The antibiotic did not spare dietary protein in this experiment, but did give satisfactory gains on a starter containing at least 2% less protein than the starter required to give similar gains without aureomycin. Normal weight gains were made by calves on the 12.2 and 14.2% protein starters when aureomycin was fed. Significant increases in average daily gain, height at withers, heart girth, and starter consumption were obtained when aureomycin was fed. The antibiotic had no significant effect on apparent digestibility of any of the nutrients in the ration, nitrogen retention, blood levels of plasma protein, urea nitrogen or nonprotein nitrogen; however, aureomycin tended to lower slightly the blood levels of urea and nonprotein nitrogen. Aureomycin gave a slight but nonsignificant depression in rectal temperature. Calves on the 12.2 and 14.2% protein starters had significantly higher coefficients of apparent digestibility of crude protein, and the 14.2% protein groups had significantly greater nitrogen retention than did calves on the 6.3% protein starters.
Phase Conjugation and Negative Refraction using Nonlinear Active Metamaterials

We present an experimental demonstration of phase conjugation using nonlinear metamaterial elements. Active split-ring resonators loaded with varactor diodes are demonstrated theoretically to act as phase-conjugating or time-reversing discrete elements when parametrically pumped and illuminated with appropriate frequencies. The metamaterial elements were fabricated and shown experimentally to produce a time-reversed signal. Measurements confirm that a discrete array of phase-conjugating elements act as a negatively refracting time-reversal rf lens only $0.12\ensuremath{\lambda}$ thick.
Rural U.S. women: traditions and transitions affecting health care.

Warren (1972) proposed a means for determining differences between rural and urban social contexts that expands on the population definitions. Essentially, these differences are geographical, social, and economic in nature, and the health status of individuals in either setting may be affected by these variations. The health issues of women that evolve from these rural factors are the focus of this article.
Optimization of Ta–Si–N thin films for use as oxidation-resistant diffusion barriers

We have demonstrated that the optimum Ta–Si–N compositions for use as oxygen diffusion barriers in stacked-capacitor dynamic random-access memory structures with perovskite dielectrics are in the range Ta(20–25 at.%)–Si(20–45 at.%)–N(35–60 at.%). Twenty-two different Ta–Si–N compositions were evaluated, starting from six sputter-deposited Ta–Si alloys of which four were reactively deposited in 2–8% nitrogen in an argon plasma. The barriers were evaluated after an aggressive 650 °C/30 min oxygen anneal to determine if they remained electrically conductive, prevented oxygen diffusion and formation of low dielectric constant oxides, and had minimal interaction with the Pt electrode and underlying Si plug. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, four-point probe sheet resistance, through-film-resistance, and x-ray diffraction analysis techniques were used in the evaluation.
Contrasting Characteristics of Convection over the Northern and Southern South China Sea during SCSMEX

Observations from two enhanced sounding arrays during the May–June 1998 South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) are used to determine and contrast the properties of convection over the northern and southern South China Sea (SCS). A regression analysis between SST data and monthly rainfall indicates that the ENSO signal exerted a strong influence on the rainfall distribution over the SCS during SCSMEX. This resulted in wetter-than-normal conditions along the south China coast and northern SCS, and generally drier-than-average conditions elsewhere, particularly over the Philippine Islands. The monsoon onset as determined by a shift in the low-level winds from easterly to southwesterly over the SCS occurred around mid-May. Over the southern enhanced sounding array (SESA), the onset was characterized by a rainy period associated with the passage of a convectively coupled Kelvin wave. This was followed by a weeklong break and then several episodic rain events with increasingly higher rain rates. Rainfall over the northern enhanced sounding array (NESA), which was largely out of phase with SESA rainfall events, occurred primarily during two 10-day periods separated by a weeklong break. Convective characteristics over the SESA, deduced primarily from heat and moisture budget profiles, indicate a high stratiform rain fraction consisting of alternating periods with decaying mesoscale systems that organized near the western Borneo coastline and shallower convective clouds. In contrast, NESA-averaged profiles were indicative of deep convection with a relatively small stratiform rain fraction, which was confirmed with radar analyses during the onset convective period. The diurnal cycle of convection is a dominant feature throughout much of the SCS. Over both budget regions, early morning (0500–0800 LT) convective systems were frequently initiated near the coasts, then gradually dissipated during the course of the day as the midlevel steering currents moved the systems away from the coastline. These decaying convective systems resulted in an early afternoon (1400 LT) rainfall peak over both sonde arrays.
Toward Parsimony in Shoreline Change Prediction (II): Applying Basis Function Methods to Real and Synthetic Data

Abstract There is a need to supply coastal managers with statistically defensible hazard predictions that can be used to implement coastal setbacks and other management policies. The goal of this article is to evaluate the widely used single-transect method, as well as several new methods: t-binning, IC-binning, polynomial methods, and eigenbeaches, to identify which method(s) best predicts a 50-year eroded shoreline position. The polynomial and eigenbeach methods allow for acceleration (the rates vary with time). The methods are compared using data from nine beaches on Maui, Hawaii, and four sets of synthetic data. Evaluations of the methods are based on an information criterion, color maps of residuals, long-term (50 year) predictions, and cross-validating the most recent shoreline, which has a short-term span of 5–9 years. The newer methods identified significant rates at 74% of the transects, vs. 0% for single-transect on beaches in Maui, Hawaii. The cross-validation results showed that the polynomial...
A Gastric Pathogen Moves Chemotaxis in a New Direction

ABSTRACT For almost 50 years, Escherichia coli has been the model for understanding how bacteria orient their movement in response to chemical cues, but recent studies of chemotaxis in other bacteria have revealed interesting variations from prevailing paradigms. Investigating the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori, Amieva and colleagues [mBio 2(4):e00098-11, 2011] discovered a new chemotaxis regulator, ChePep, which modulates swimming behavior through the canonical histidine-aspartate phosphorelay system. Functionally conserved among the epsilonproteobacteria, ChePep is essential for H. pylori to navigate deep into the stomach’s gastric glands and may be an attractive target for novel antibiotics.
Prehospital-Initiated vs Hospital-Initiated Thrombolytic Therapy: The Myocardial Infarction Triage and Intervention Trial

Objective. —To determine the effect of prehospital-initiated vs hospital-initiated treatment of myocardial infarction on clinical outcome. Design. —Randomized, controlled clinical trial. Setting. —Multicenter study involving 19 hospitals and all paramedic systems in the Seattle, Wash, metropolitan area. Patients. —A total of 360 patients with symptoms for 6 hours or less, no risk factors for serious bleeding, and ST-segment elevation were selected by paramedics and a remote physician for inclusion into the trial. They represented 4% of patients with chest pain who were screened and 21% of those with acute infarction. Interventions. —Patients were allocated to have aspirin and alteplase treatment initiated before or after hospital arrival. Intravenous sodium heparin was administered to both groups in the hospital. Main Outcome Measure. —The primary endpoint was a ranked composite score (combining death, stroke, serious bleeding, and infarct size). The relation between time to treatment and outcome (composite score, infarct size, ejection fraction, and mortality) was also assessed. Results. — Initiating treatment before hospital arrival decreased the interval from symptom onset to treatment from 110 to 77 minutes (P Conclusion. —There was no improvement in outcome associated with initiating treatment before hospital arrival; however, treatment within 70 minutes of symptom onset—whether in the hospital or in the field—minimized the infarct process and its complications. (JAMA. 1993;270:1211-1216)
LINKING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE TO STRATEGIC RESPONSE: SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE U.S. OIL INDUSTRY

A longitudinal design was used to examine the effects of changes in both environmental uncertainty and resource dependence in the external environment on the change in strategic orientation of organizations in the oil industry, using revenue flows during three distinguishable phases of growth. The authors argue that the interactive effects of these two environmental variables yield more meaningful results than either variable observed separately. Implications of the study are discussed, along with recommendations for research.
Sanitary Engineering Education: ICA Assistance in Peru

The Department of Sanitary Engineering, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina has, under the sponsorship of the International Cooperation Administration, an agency of the United States Government, a contractual arrangement to provide technical assistance to the Faculty of Sanitary Engineering of the National University of Engineers, Lima, Peru. The experiences of this project is the subject of this report. The undergraduate teaching program of the Faculty of Sanitary Engineering in Lima has been modernized and made more effective by the recruitment and training of full-time personnel, by the expansion of laboratory teaching, by streamlining and coordinating course content, participating in extension work and by general improvement of all activities.
Sexuality in China

Some of the oldest erotic literature in the world is found in China (Ruan 1991). But there is a cultural paradox that has resulted in some disagreement among scholars about the sexual mores of the Chinese, both currently and historically. Some characterize Chinese society as sexually liberal and innovative (La Barre 1964; Russell 1928; van Gulik 1961; Bullough 1976; Jeffreys 2006), while others label it as cold, oppressive, and asexual (Suen 1983; Tseng and Hsu 1970; Pan 2006).
Elucidating Proteoform Families from Proteoform Intact-Mass and Lysine-Count Measurements

Proteomics is presently dominated by the "bottom-up" strategy, in which proteins are enzymatically digested into peptides for mass spectrometric identification. Although this approach is highly effective at identifying large numbers of proteins present in complex samples, the digestion into peptides renders it impossible to identify the proteoforms from which they were derived. We present here a powerful new strategy for the identification of proteoforms and the elucidation of proteoform families (groups of related proteoforms) from the experimental determination of the accurate proteoform mass and number of lysine residues contained. Accurate proteoform masses are determined by standard LC-MS analysis of undigested protein mixtures in an Orbitrap mass spectrometer, and the lysine count is determined using the NeuCode isotopic tagging method. We demonstrate the approach in analysis of the yeast proteome, revealing 8637 unique proteoforms and 1178 proteoform families. The elucidation of proteoforms and proteoform families afforded here provides an unprecedented new perspective upon proteome complexity and dynamics.
Alteplase Use in Surface-Modified Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in a National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center: A Pharmacoeconomic Analysis

Abstract Background One of the most common complications of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is loss of line patency due to platelet adhesion to the device. A new technology called Endexo (Interface Biologics Inc, Toronto, ON, Canada) has been developed that has been shown to reduce platelet adhesion (in bench studies). The purpose of our study was to determine if the use of PICC lines manufactured with Endexo technology would use fewer alteplase doses such that the increased expense of these lines could be offset by a corresponding reduction in alteplase expense. Methods The control group received our standard-of-care PICC, the study group received the Endexo PICC, and all patients were followed for a maximum of 60 days postinsertion. Statistical and economic analyses were performed to determine whether a significant reduction in alteplase use was observed, and whether the increased cost of the new novel PICCs could be offset by a reduction in alteplase-related expense. Results Our study enrolled patients who underwent 157 PICC insertions in the control group and 145 PICC insertions in the study group. We found no statistical difference in average alteplase doses per line, number of PICCs requiring an alteplase dose, or time to first dose of alteplase between study groups. An economic analysis revealed that at our institution, adopting PICCs with Endexo technology would result in increased expenses. Conclusions In our patient population we were unable to observe a reduction in alteplase use to offset the increased costs of this novel PICC when catheters were followed for a maximum of 60 days postinsertion.
Differentiation of pancreatic ductal carcinoma cells associated with selective expression of protein kinase C isoforms.

Background: The signal transduction pathways important in regulating the growth and differentiation of malignant cells are poorly understood. Recent evidence has implicated activation of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of signaling proteins in pancreatic carcinoma during cytokine-induced cytostasis and differentiation.
The Specification of Myocardial Progenitor Cells in the Ciona Tadpole

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses recent advances in the specification of myocardial progenitor cells in the Ciona tadpole. The directed migration of myocardial progenitor cells in the developing Ciona tadpole is evocative of comparable processes in complex vertebrate systems. The heart progenitors located on either side of the ventral midline migrate to “thoracic” regions of the tadpole, and subsequently fuse at the ventral midline. In Ciona this process appears to depend on asymmetric divisions of myocardial “mother” cells, similar to the asymmetric divisions of CNS neurons in the Drosophila embryo. Ciona possesses a small and compact genome. At about 150 Mb and with approximately 16,000 genes, it contains the same complexity as the Drosophila genome, yet it is chordate and thereby presents an opportunity for studying developmental processes directly applicable to vertebrates. The definitive swimming tadpole is composed of only around 2,500 cells, and a complete lineage map is available. It is possible to trace even complex processes. The transgenic DNAs can be introduced rapidly into large, synchronous populations of developing embryos via electroporation. This procedure permits the rapid characterization of cis-regulatory DNAs, as well as the assessment of gene function through the expression and misexpression of dominant-negative and constitutively-active transcription factors and cell signaling components. The combination of a simple genome, detailed cell lineage information, and the facility of transgenic manipulation places Ciona in a unique position as a model for exploring how gene regulatory networks control cellular morphogenesis.
Short-Term Group Psychotherapy for Shyness

It is ironic that shyness, intrinsically an interpersonal problem, has been treated most frequently with individual therapies. Depending on the underlying model of shyness, the therapies have varied, but they can be characterized broadly as fitting into one of three groups: (a) relaxation and desensitization therapies aimed at alleviating anxiety and disinhibiting behaviors that are a part of the patient’s repertoire but that the patient is unable to perform easily; (b) behavioral therapies designed to enhance social skills that are not yet within the patient’s capability; and (c) cognitive therapies aimed at restructuring the patient’s negative self-image and expectancies in social situations. The typical paradigm has been to develop and implement such therapies in individual treatments. When group work has been done, it is usually employed for reasons of efficiency (i.e., it is more cost-effective to teach several individuals together rather than separately).
Cardiovascular Performance in Embolism

Summary The hemodynamic consequences of acute obstruction of the pulmonary arterial tree result from physiologic changes in the pulmonary circulation. Normal mean pulmonary arterial pressure, about 12 to 15 mm Hg, is one-sixth to one-eighth the systemic pressure. Acute reduction in pulmonary vascular cross-sectional area creates a sudden increase in output load on the right heart chambers resulting in right heart failure. In the absence of preexisting cardiovascular disease, right ventricular decompensation sets in at a mean pressure in the pulmonary artery of approximately 40 mm Hg. At this point, performance of the thin-walled right ventricle deteriorates dramatically. Support of the pulmonary circulation begins with volume resuscitation and inotropic support for the right ventricle. Right coronary perfusion should also be optimized through support of aortic root pressure. Afterload stress to the right ventricle may be reduced with oxygen therapy. There are no other reliable selective pulmonary vasodilators available at this time. The impact of pulmonary embolization and therapy supportive of right ventricular function have recently been studied through assessment of incremental resistance in pulmonary vascular pressure flow curves. The utility of agents such as norepinephrine was confirmed in this model that revealed improved right ventricular function without deterioration in pulmonary vascular bed response. More recent studies utilizing thrombolytic therapy also suggest improved response of the right ventricle and pulmonary vascular bed with immediate administration following pulmonary embolic events. Finally, there are few data describing the utility of different anesthetic regimens in the management of patients during acute cardiopulmonary compromise secondary to pulmonary thromboembolism. Based on the limited data available, a narcotic technique with supplementation using nitrous oxide in inspired concentrations that allows adequate oxygenation can be recommended.
Simplicity as a criterion of theory choice in metaphysics

Metaphysicians frequently appeal to the idea that theoretical simplicity is truth conducive in metaphysics, in the sense that, all other things being equal, simpler metaphysical theories are more likely to be true. In this paper I defend the notion that theoretical simplicity is truth conducive in metaphysics, against several recent objections. I do not give any direct arguments for the thesis that simplicity is truth conducive in metaphysics, since I am aware of no such arguments. I do argue, however, that there is no special problem with the notion that simplicity is truth conducive in metaphysics. More specifically, I argue that if you accept the idea that simplicity is truth conducive in science, then it would be objectionably arbitrary to reject the idea that simplicity is truth conducive in metaphysics.
Sampling the Functional Kolmogorov Forward Equations for Nonstationary Queueing Networks

Nonstationary queueing networks are often difficult to approximate. Recent novel methods for approximating the moments of nonstationary queues use the functional version of the Kolmogorov forward equations in conjunction with orthogonal polynomial expansions. However, these methods require closed form expressions for the expectations that appear in the functional Kolmogorov forward equations. When closed form expressions cannot be easily derived, these methods cannot be used. In this paper, we present a new sampling algorithm to overcome this difficulty; our sampling algorithm accurately estimates the expectations using simulation. We apply our algorithm to priority queues, which are useful for modeling hospital triage systems. We show that our sampling algorithm accurately estimates the mean and variance of the priority queue without spending significantly more computational time than integrating ordinary differential equations. Last, we compare our sampling algorithm to the closed form analytical approx...
Orbital angular momentum of helical necklace beams in colloid-based nonlinear optical metamaterials (Conference Presentation)

Colloidal metamaterials are a robust and flexible platform for engineering of optical nonlinearities and studies of light filamentation. To date, nonlinear propagation and modulation instability of Gaussian beams and optical vortices carrying orbital angular momentum were studied in such media. Here, we investigate the propagation of necklace beams and the conservation of the orbital angular momentum in colloidal media with saturable nonlinearity. We study various scenarios leading to generation of helical necklace beams or twisted beams, depending on the radius, power, and charge of the input vortex beam. Helical beams are build of two separate solitary beams with circular cross-sections that spiral around their center of mass as a result of the equilibrium between the attraction force of in-phase solitons and the centrifugal force associated with the rotational movement. A twisted beam is a single beam with an elliptical cross-section that rotates around it's own axis. We show that the orbital angular momentum is converted into the rotational motion at different rates for helical and twisted beams. While earlier studies reported that solitary beams are expelled form the initial vortex ring along straight trajectories tangent to the vortex ring, we show that depending on the charge and the power of the initial beam, these trajectories can diverge from the tangential direction and may be curvilinear. These results provide a detailed description of necklace beam dynamics in saturable nonlinear media and may be useful in studies of light filamentation in liquids and light propagation in highly scattering colloids and biological samples.
Hydrothermal Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation of Barite Growth: The Role of Spectator Ions in Elementary Step Edge Growth Kinetics and Hillock Morphology

To better understand the role of spectator ions in barite growth, the kinetics of step edge growth on barite (001) surfaces were studied under various salt solutions. Hydrothermal atomic force microscopy (HAFM) was used to investigate the effect of background electrolytes (NaCl, NaBr, and NaNO3) as a function of saturation index and ionic strength (I) on barite growth sourced at dislocations at 108 °C. Results demonstrate that hillock morphology is affected by I, as well as type of anion, where the prevalence of steps aligned on the [010] direction is highest under Cl–. There is a modest increase in kinetic coefficient of 55–130% with a 10-fold increase in I for each salt. In comparing the kinetic coefficients of the salts at low ionic strength (0.01 M), there is a moderate difference, suggesting that the anion may play a role in barium attachment.
The association of malignancy with rheumatic and connective tissue diseases

This article reviews the associations of cancer with rheumatic diseases. Recent epidemiologic data linking the autoimmune connective tissue diseases with malignancy will be emphasized. Reports linking the occurrence of malignancy with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, scleroderma, and vasculitis are described. The effect of immunomodulating drugs in the development of malignancy is discussed. Mechanisms potentially responsible for malignant transformation in the lymphoproliferation of Sjogren's syndrome are described. The relationship of gout to cancer as well as direct effects of cancer on the musculoskeletal system is also reviewed.
Spatial displacement of a single brain metastasis after corticosteroid treatment and its impact on stereotactic radio surgery planning and delivery

Spatial displacement of a single brain metastasis after corticosteroid treatment and its impact on stereotactic radio surgery planning and delivery
Medication adherence in pediatric asthma: A systematic review of the literature.

Objective To provide a systematic review of correlates of adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in pediatric asthma across the individual, family, community, and healthcare system domains. Methods Articles assessing medication adherence in pediatric asthma published from 1997 to 2016 were identified using PsychINFO, Medline, and CINAHL. Search terms included asthma, compliance, self-management, adherence, child, and youth. Search results were limited to articles: 1) published in the US; 2) using a pediatric population (0-25 years old); and 3) presenting original data related to ICS adherence. Correlates of adherence were categorized according to the domains of the Pediatric Self-Management Model. Each article was evaluated for study quality. Results Seventy-nine articles were included in the review. Family-level correlates were most commonly reported (N = 51) and included socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, health behaviors, and asthma knowledge. Individual-level correlates were second-most common (N = 37), with age being the most frequently identified negative correlate of adherence. Health care system correlates (N = 24) included enhanced asthma care and patient-provider communication. Few studies (N = 10) examined community correlates of adherence. Overall study quality was moderate, with few quantitative articles (26.38%) and qualitative articles (21.4%) referencing a theoretical basis for their studies. Conclusions All Pediatric Self-Management Model domains were correlated with youth adherence, which suggests medication adherence is influenced across multiple systems; however, most studies assessed adherence correlates within a single domain. Future research is needed that cuts across multiple domains to advance understanding of determinants of adherence.
Social Relationships and Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People

Social relationships are central to our health and well-being. Substantive research has shown that increasing social engagement and support for physical activity within families, communities, and neighbourhoods can promote physical activity. Evidence also suggests adults’ social lives change well into older adulthood, and these changes impact older adults’ behaviours. Effective physical activity interventions for older adults should integrate adult development theory with known facilitators of physical activity behaviour. Specifically, integrating appropriate social support networks, considering the role of ageism and ageist language, and paying careful attention to the social environment are examined as key components to interventions designed to increase physical activity in older adult populations.
Visual Inspection of Single-Subject Data: An Empirical Analysis.

The ability of therapists and educators to reliably analyze data from single-subject designs using visual inspection of graphed data was investigated. Sixty-one examiners provided a rating of whether a significant change in performance occurred across the baseline and treatment phases of six graphs of hypothetical data. Results revealed considerable disagreement among the raters on four of them. Further analysis suggested that the visual characteristics of a change in variability or change in slope across the baseline and treatment phases were associated with the most disagreement. The advantages and limitations of visual analysis of graphed data were discussed and the argument made that additional information is needed on the process of visual inspection to ensure reliable interpretation of single-subject data.
Circuit primitives for monitoring information flow and enabling redundancy

Critical systems require strict guarantees on information flow security and fault tolerance. We present a novel Boolean circuit methodology that can both monitor information flow throughout the hardware and simultaneously act as a triple modular redundant circuit. This is done by modifying the encoding technique for gate level information flow tracking (GLIFT). This new encoding not only has the added benefit of allowing for redundancy, it also reduces the size of the logic required for information flow tracking compared to the previous GLIFT encodings. This enables the development of high assurance systems on top of hardware with provable integrity and confidentiality properties. The new encoding also allows for these systems to be created with smaller area, lower power, and faster design time.
Mechanistic Study of Wettability Changes on Calcite by Molecules Containing a Polar Hydroxyl Functional Group and Nonpolar Benzene Rings.

Oil extraction efficiency strongly depends on the wettability status (oil- vs water-wet) of reservoir rocks during oil recovery. Aromatic compounds with polar functional groups in crude oil have a significant influence on binding hydrophobic molecules to mineral surfaces. Most of these compounds are in the asphaltene fraction of crude oil. This study focuses on the hydroxyl functional group, an identified functional group in asphaltenes, to understand how the interactions between hydroxyl groups in asphaltenes and mineral surfaces begin. Phenol and 1-naphthol are used as asphaltene surrogates to model the simplest version of asphaltenes. Adsorption of oil molecules on the calcite {1014} surface is described using static quantum-mechanical density functional theory (DFT) calculations and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. DFT calculations indicate that adsorption of phenol and 1-naphthol occurs preferentially between their hydroxyl group and calcite step edges. 1-Naphthol adsorbs more strongly than phenol, with different adsorption geometries due to the larger hydrophobic part of 1-naphthol. MD simulations show that phenol can behave as an agent to separate oil from the water phase and to bind the oil phase to the calcite surface in the water/oil mixture. In the presence of phenol, partial separation of water/oil with an incomplete lining of phenol at the water/oil boundary is observed after 0.2 ns. After 1 ns, perfect separation of water/oil with a complete lining of phenol at the water/oil boundary is observed, and the calcite surface becomes oil-wet. Phenol molecules enclose decane molecules at the water-decane boundary preventing water from repelling decane molecules from the calcite surface and facilitate further accumulation of hydrocarbons near the surface, rendering the surface oil-wet. This study indicates phenol and 1-naphthol to be good proxies for polar components in oil, and they can be used in designing further experiments to test pH, salinity, and temperature dependence to improve oil recovery.
Transitional Care Units: Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts.

In 1981, alarmed at the trend of incident patients selecting in-center hemodialysis over home therapies, Northwest Kidney Centers (NWK) established the first “dialysis orientation unit” under the direction of Dr. Joel Eschbach ([1][1]). The orientation unit provided a 2-month stabilization
Thermodynamic Stability of Polar and Nonpolar Amyloid Fibrils.

Thermodynamic stabilities of amyloid fibrils remain mostly unknown due to experimental challenges. Here, we combine enhanced sampling methods to simulate all-atom models in explicit water in order ...
Do happy people care about society’s problems?

Since ancient times, scholars, individuals, and societies have been preoccupied with the pursuit of happiness. But might individual happiness actually be bad for society and the world? A common con...