cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 11418: Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardias in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: Acute and Long Term Results

INTRODUCTION Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is an important cause of late morbidity and mortality in the increasing population with surgically corrected congenital heart disease (CHD). Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of VT may prevent VT recurrence. METHODS Thirty-one patients (49±13 years, 71% male) referred for RFCA of VT after repair of CHD (25 Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 2 Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), 2 D-Transposition of the Great Arteries (D-TGA), 1 Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD), 1 Congenital Pulmonary Stenosis (cPS); age of repair 13±10 years) in two centres were included. Ventricular function was evaluated by echocardiography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Ablation targeted anatomical isthmuses for VT re-entry circuits identified by 3D substrate, pace- and/or entrainment mapping. Acute success was defined as non-inducibility of any VT, partial success as elimination of clinical VT, failure as inducibility of clinical VT. Patients (pts) were followed for 43±28 months. RESULTS Before RFCA, 7 (23%) pts had ≥moderate impairment of RV and/or LV function. Pts were inducible for 2.0±1.4 VTs, cycle length 297±74ms. Complete procedural success was achieved in 22 (71%) pts (18 TOF, 2 D-TGA, 1 VSD and 1 AVSD), partial success in 3 pts (2 TOF and 1 VSD) and in 2 pts (1 TOF and 1 cPS) VT induction was not repeated after RFCA (undetermined outcome). Ablation failed in 4 TOF pts (13%) because the targeted anatomical isthmus could not be transected (hypertrophic myocardium in 2, interposed pulmonary homograft in 2). Twenty-four pts (77%) were discharged with an ICD. During follow-up VT recurred in 4 pts (13%); partial success 1 (VSD), failure 1 (TOF), undetermined 2 pts. One pt (complete success, TOF) with progressive heart failure received one ICD shock for VF. Nineteen pts with complete procedure success and preserved RV and LV function (13/19 with ICDs) had no VT recurrence, however 6/13 ICD pts (46%) received inappropriate therapy. Two pts died during follow-up (heart failure 1, acute leukaemia 1). Conclusion RFCA of VT in adults with CHD is highly effective with a low recurrence rate during long term follow up. In patients with complete procedure success and preserved cardiac function disadvantages of ICD may outweigh benefits.
Elder Mistreatment in U.S. Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Women

This study explored the prevalence and correlates of elder mistreatment among community-dwelling Chinese women in the U.S. Data were from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE), a population-based study of U.S. Chinese older adults aged 60 years and above. Of the 1,833 older women, 289 (15.8%) reported suffering from elder mistreatment. Higher educational levels, lower overall health status, and worsening health over the past year were positively correlated with elder mistreatment, while a greater number of children and grandchildren were negatively correlated with elder mistreatment. Considerable efforts should be put into designing tailored interventions to reduce elder mistreatment in U.S. Chinese women.
Simulation of Supersonic Cavity Flow Using 3D RANS Equations

ow at a free stream Mach number of 1.5. The compressible time- dependent Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in three dimensions are solved using the GASPex software employing the k ! turbulence model. The simulations are carried out with three dierent numerical ux schemes, namely Van Leer, Roe and AUSM (Advection Upstream Splitting Method) schemes, and the results are compared with both each other and experimental data. The inuence of computation time for convergence of the power spectrum of the pressure uctuations and the eect of ux limiter on the computed ow are also examined.
Preservation of Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Antigen for Use in Immunofluorescence

The use of indirect immunofluorescence for the identification of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in human bone marrow and peripheral blood may be offset by the lack of a positive control. Since appropriate human material is not usually available for use as a positive control, a human T-cell leukemic cell line (RPMI 8402) and calf thymus were used. Expression of the TdT antigen was retained in cytocentrifuge preparations of RPMI 8402 and thymus imprints when stored at freezer temperatures under dry conditions for at least six months. Storage at 4 °C and exposure to moisture severely compromised TdT antigenicity. The criteria for maximal preservation of the TdT antigens for generating positive controls are also applicable to more immediate TdT immunofluorescence studies of human bone marrow or peripheral blood.
The Semblance of Autonomy: Treatment of Persons with Disabilities Under the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act

This Article illuminates the dangers of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act, which provides a set of model rules designed to clarify and expedite end-of-life health-care decisionmaking for incapacitated patients. The uniform commissioners and many scholars who have commented on the Act have touted the legislation as a model for defending patient autonomy. As this Article will reveal, the impression of autonomy is an illusion. In fact, the Act privileges the perspectives of the able-bodied over those of persons with disabilities, endangers the autonomy of incapacitated patients, and empowers proxy decisionmakers who have incentives to terminate treatment. These risks have become all the more significant with the rise of managed-care programs that create pressures to minimize care.After highlighting the serious risks to vulnerable patients under the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act, the Article offers alternative rules and stronger safeguards to better protect patient autonomy and defend against wrongful health-care decisions. This Article urges states seeking improved end-of-life health-care procedures to codify these or similar protections in order to avoid the lethal shortcomings of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act.
The Influence of Boiler Air Leakage for Boiler Thermal Efficiency

Boiler air leakage will increase the boiler heat loss due to heat in dry flue gas,reducing the boiler thermal efficiency. This article focuses on the calculating measures for boiler thermal efficiency to analyses the air leakage influence for the base temperature of boiler system and temperature of flue gas,then analyzes there impacts for the boiler thermal efficiency,and lists common leakage reason and proposes appropriate solutions to modern large-scale boiler.
In Reply: Starting insulin therapy.

Readers comment on resuming anticoagulation after hemorrhage (April 2015) and on starting insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes (August 2015).
EHR and Physician–Patient Communication

Electronic health records (EHRs) have been used for the last three decades, but only recently have they migrated from the back office into the exam room. Human factors, an engineering approach that deals with optimizing the interface between humans and machines, is a useful framework for understanding the challenges of exam room computing. Two key concepts in human factors research are situational awareness and joint focus of attention. In complex interactional environments, such as a medical visit, using a computer creates multiple attention sites and potential challenges for the doctor–patient relationship. This chapter describes how human factors can be used to understand and improve patient-centered communication in the medical encounter.
Determining transport coefficients for a microscopic simulation of a hadron gas

Quark-gluon plasmas produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions quickly expand and cool, entering a phase consisting of multiple interacting hadronic resonances just below the QCD deconfinement temperature, $T\ensuremath{\sim}155$ MeV. Numerical microscopic simulations have emerged as the principal method for modeling the behavior of the hadronic stage of heavy-ion collisions, but the transport properties that characterize these simulations are not well understood. Methods are presented here for extracting the shear viscosity and two transport parameters that emerge in Israel-Stewart hydrodynamics. The analysis is based on studying how the stress-energy tensor responds to velocity gradients. Results are consistent with Kubo relations if viscous relaxation times are twice the collision time.
Spectral evidence of early-stage spruce beetle infestation in Engelmann spruce

Abstract Spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) outbreaks cause widespread mortality of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii (Parry ex Engelm)) within the subalpine forests of the western United States. Early detection of infestations could allow forest managers to mitigate outbreaks or anticipate a response to tree mortality and the potential effects on ecosystem services of interest. However, the subtle changes in the foliage of infested spruce make early detection difficult. An experiment was conducted in southern Colorado to determine important wavelengths for detecting early-stage (i.e. recently infested) spruce beetle infestation in Engelmann spruce. Spectral reflectance from non-infested and recently infested spruce needles were obtained using the ASDi Field-Spec Pro spectroradiometer. After pre-processing, random forest analysis was used to identify hyperspectral bands and aggregations of hyperspectral bands corresponding to Landsat TM bands and vegetation indices that effectively discriminated between non-infested and infested trees. Results show that the shortwave infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum was a key area for detecting early stages of spruce beetle infestation, likely due to the effects of beetle infestation on water transport within Engelmann spruce. The strong discriminability of bands in the shortwave infrared region indicates a potential for this spectral region to be used to detect early-stage spruce beetle infestation over larger areas using multispectral satellite imagery. In a preliminary trial, we found that a time series of reflectance in Landsat TM band 7 (shortwave infrared) was strongly correlated with the progression through time of a spruce beetle outbreak in southern Wyoming. These findings suggest that multispectral indicators of early-stage spruce beetle outbreak can be developed. These indicators are needed to better understand spatiotemporal dynamics of spruce beetle outbreaks, and can be used by forest managers to detect early stages of spruce beetle infestation and to potentially mitigate some spruce mortality.
Fichter's Typology and Changing Meanings in the Catholic Church

Change is viewed as a process of evolving meanings. Fichter's 1954 typology of Roman Catholic parishioners is examined in light of this view. Data were collected in a non-traditional Roman Catholic parish, after the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council. The typological criteria which Fichter found to clearly distinguish parishioners in stable, traditional parishes are now found to be confused, or even reversed in some cases. Thus it is suggested that the structural criterion for typing parishioners, degree of religious participation, remains useful. On the other hand, the specific meaning content which Fitcher found attached to the different degrees of participation no longer necessarily holds. It is further suggested that the typology be raised to a higher level of conceptualization, valid over time, space, and type of organization. Using level of participation as the criterion, and allowing for meaning change, any organization's members can be classified as nuclear, modal, marginal, or dormant.
Event Generation, Simulation and Reconstruction

To search for new physics, observed collision data should be compared to the expectation from SM processes. SM processes, as well as hypothetical signals, can be modeled with Monte Carlo (MC) event simulations. The generated events are then passed through a full simulation of the CMS detector, to model the interactions events undergo before being detected, as well as the detector response. The first part of this chapter concerns generation and simulation.
Constructivism, Ethics, and Knowing What's Right: A Reply to McNamee, Burr, McWilliams, Osbeck, and Held

Five responses to Raskin and Debany's (this issue) original target article on a constructivist model of ethical meaning making are discussed. The authors responding to the article raise many important issues about constructivist approaches to ethics. Differences between social constructionism and constructivism, the importance of multiple modalities of knowing, and a continuing hope for rapprochement between constructivist and realist perspectives are briefly explored.
What Gets Inside: Violent Entanglements and Toxic Boundaries in Mexico City

Entanglement is a key concept in contemporary anthropology and science and technology studies. By tracing the contingent and uncertain relations that endow objects with seemingly stable boundaries, entanglement allows us to see how such boundaries restrict our ability to know the world better. This article examines the concept of entanglement in the context of contemporary life in a working-class Mexico City neighborhood, Colonia Periferico, and a longitudinal environmental health project that studies the neighborhood’s residents. While entanglement has its uses, the entanglement of working-class bodies with globalizing processes like NAFTA and the ongoing War on Drugs shows that the concept has its limits. For working-class residents, life is already deeply entangled with chronic economic and political instability shaped through the violent ravages of transnational capital. Instead, I trace how residents in Colonia Periferico secure stability through toxic boundaries that protectively keep out the disruptive effects of police and public health surveillance. Colonia Periferico’s boundaries, which include a sewage-filled dam, cement dust, and freeway exhaust, are clearly entangled with residents’ bodies. They get inside. These entanglements are the price paid for a remarkable stability, in which children can play on the streets and attentive care for drug-addicted and disabled residents is part of everyday life. With the goal of knowing the world better, then, we might complicate celebratory calls for the uncertainty of entanglement by taking into account both the practices that make boundaries and what boundaries have to offer.
Prostate Boundary Detection and Visualization in TRUS Images

Ultrasound imaging has been used extensively in various medical specialities. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging is a valuable tool in analyzing the boundary of the prostate, the internal structure of the prostate and guiding the seed insertion during prostate brachytherapy surgery. Boundary determination of the prostate in the TRUS images is difficult due to noise inherent in ultrasound signals. Consequently, the prostate boundary is usually not well defined and often discontinuous. Even among the experts there likely exist variances in reading as to the exact location of the prostate borders. Currently, prostate boundary determination is very time consuming as it is performed manually.
Mechanical recovery with propionyl-L-carnitine

Carnitine has received attention in the past as a naturally occurring compound which can transiently improve or preserve cardiac performance during myocardial ischemia [1]. An example of this preservative effect on mechanical function is shown in Figure 1 from experimental observations in extracorporeally perfused pig hearts at conditions of moderate global ischemia and excess fatty acids (FFA) in coronary perfusion fluid [2]. The exact mechanism for this therapeutic influence has never been identified but hypotheses have centered on a sparing effect from a deleterious lipid burden known to occur in ischemic heart muscle which drains essential energy stores and disrupts membrane integrity and enzyme functions via accumulation of amphiphiles [3, 4]. Unfortunately, by definition, the benefits of carnitine (or any other therapy) in ischemic myocardium must be short-lived since any treatment strategy in the absence of expeditious repletion of oxygen delivery cannot be sustained for long. Irreversible cardiac injury with its accompanying mechanical dysfunction must occur in a matter of minutes-to-hours.
Enterprise Integration — A United States View

This paper describes the efforts by U.S. industry to develop the technology and standards needed to support the concept of Enterprise Integration. Several specific industry programs are described. Also included is a description of how the various U.S. Government agencies are working together through the Next Generation Manufacturing Initiative to address issues such as Enterprise Integration. The specific efforts by the National Institute of Standards and Technology are described, in terms of two programs, the National Advanced Manufacturing Testbed and the Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications.
The Next Generation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Protease Inhibitors: Targeting Viral Resistance

Numerous chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease have been approved as drugs in the past 10 years (reviewed by MOLLA and KOHLBRENNER 1998). In all cases, viral resistance to these compounds has begun to develop. The two viral enzymes most commonly targeted by chemotherapeutic agents are the reverse transcriptase (the viral DNA polymerase) and the protease, which hydrolyzes viral polyprotein-translation products into their mature and active protein components. Both enzymes are essential for viral replication. Protease inhibitors (PIs), nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, and non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors compose the primary classes of HIV-chemotherapeutic agents for these viral enzymes. The discovery of clinically effective HIV-PIs is a classic example of rational/structure-based drug design (reviewed by VACCA and CONDRA 1998 and WLODAWER and VONDRASEK 1998). These compounds were created using strategies of mechanistic enzymology and medicinal chemistry to design potent inhibitors that mimic enzymaticreaction transition states and convert these entities into drug-like molecules.
Becoming Brands: Celebrity, Activism, and Politics

Advancements in technology have introduced new forms of branding that provide vast public visibility through mediated realms of popular culture, which affords celebrities autonomy in the rhetorical...
Comparison of Learning Programming Between Interactive Computer Tutors and Human Teachers

People typically learn programming from teachers in in-person courses or online tutorials. Interactive computer tutors---systems that deliver learning content interactively---have become more prevalent in online settings for teaching skills such as computer programming. Research has shown the efficiency and effectiveness of learning programming from teachers, interactive computer tutors, and a combination of both. However, there is limited understanding of learners' comparative perspectives about their experience learning from these different resources. We conducted an exploratory study using semi-structured interviews, recruiting 20 participants that had experience learning programming from both teachers and interactive computer tutors. We identified factors that learners like and dislike from both learning methods and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of them. Based on our findings, we propose suggestions for designers of interactive computer tutors, and for programming educators.
Lives From Death Row: Common Sinners and Current Pasts

This analysis interrogates Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Live From Death Row to argue that unlike traditional personal narratives or memoirs, the diverse series of vignettes in Abu-Jamal’s most famous publication provoke readers to grapple not solely with his lived experiences on death row or the lived experiences of his fellow inmates; they also call for readers to confront the damming moral, social, and economic impact of mass incarceration on society at large. His internal account of prison life, therefore, depicts the inmates of Pennsylvania’s Huntingdon County prison not as moral aliens but as human beings and what early New England execution sermons describe as “common sinners.” More specifically, Abu-Jamal’s arguments linking the “free” with the condemned work on two basic levels. First and foremost, they illuminate the ways we all share a common history of racism by implicitly revealing the connections between slavery, Dred Scott, Plessey v. Ferguson, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, McCleskey v. Kemp, and the ideological prejudices that still permeate and influence our legal, political, and social systems today. Thus, given Abu-Jamal’s compassionate internal account of prison life; his analysis of the all-to-frequent harsh realities of our justice system; as well as his common-sense plea for reform, this analysis contends that Live From Death Row continues to speak with more contemporary works like Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, Netflix’s 13th, Angela Y. Davis’ Are Prisons Obsolete?, and Abolition Now!. Numbers have changed; policies have evolved; voices of opposition have heightened; yet the lockup continues, making Abu-Jamal’s cry for reform and humanity as essential as ever.
Gauge-invariant observables in gravity and electromagnetism: Black hole backgrounds and null dressings

We address questions regarding construction and implications of gauge-invariant ``dressed'' observables in nontrivial background geometries such as that of a black hole. Formally, such observables can be constructed, e.g., by locating points with geodesics launched from infinity. However, practical complications arise in nontrivial geometries, and in particular for observables behind black hole horizons. Greater simplicity can be achieved by considering null constructions where the dressing lies along a null geodesic, or null surface such as a cone. We first investigate basic properties of these null dressings in the simpler context of electromagnetism. Since null constructions provide simple dressings for gauge-invariant observables inside black holes, they also allow us to investigate the question of compatibility of observables inside and outside black holes, and in particular the idea of black hole complementarity. While such observables in general have nonvanishing state-dependent commutators, the failure to commute does not appear particularly enhanced by the presence of the horizon.
Fluvoxamine vs Placebo and Clinical Deterioration in Outpatients With Symptomatic COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to serious illness as a result of an excessive immune response. Fluvoxamine may prevent clinical deterioration by stimulating the σ-1 receptor, which regulates cytokine production. Objective To determine whether fluvoxamine, given during mild COVID-19 illness, prevents clinical deterioration and decreases the severity of disease. Design, Setting, and Participants Double-blind, randomized, fully remote (contactless) clinical trial of fluvoxamine vs placebo. Participants were community-living, nonhospitalized adults with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, with COVID-19 symptom onset within 7 days and oxygen saturation of 92% or greater. One hundred fifty-two participants were enrolled from the St Louis metropolitan area (Missouri and Illinois) from April 10, 2020, to August 5, 2020. The final date of follow-up was September 19, 2020. Interventions Participants were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg of fluvoxamine (n = 80) or placebo (n = 72) 3 times daily for 15 days. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was clinical deterioration within 15 days of randomization defined by meeting both criteria of (1) shortness of breath or hospitalization for shortness of breath or pneumonia and (2) oxygen saturation less than 92% on room air or need for supplemental oxygen to achieve oxygen saturation of 92% or greater. Results Of 152 patients who were randomized (mean [SD] age, 46 [13] years; 109 [72%] women), 115 (76%) completed the trial. Clinical deterioration occurred in 0 of 80 patients in the fluvoxamine group and in 6 of 72 patients in the placebo group (absolute difference, 8.7% [95% CI, 1.8%-16.4%] from survival analysis; log-rankP = .009). The fluvoxamine group had 1 serious adverse event and 11 other adverse events, whereas the placebo group had 6 serious adverse events and 12 other adverse events. Conclusions and Relevance In this preliminary study of adult outpatients with symptomatic COVID-19, patients treated with fluvoxamine, compared with placebo, had a lower likelihood of clinical deterioration over 15 days. However, the study is limited by a small sample size and short follow-up duration, and determination of clinical efficacy would require larger randomized trials with more definitive outcome measures. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT04342663
Inhibition of Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Overcomes Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in LKB1-Deficient Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

LKB1 inactivating mutations are commonly observed in patients with KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While treatment of NSCLC with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has resulted in improved overall survival in a subset of patients, studies have revealed that co-occurring KRAS/LKB1 mutations drive primary resistance to ICIs in NSCLC. Effective therapeutic options that overcome ICI resistance in LKB1-mutant NSCLC are limited. Here we report that loss of LKB1 results in increased secretion of the C-X-C motif (CXC) chemokines with an NH2-terminal Glu-Leu-Arg (ELR) motif in premalignant and cancerous cells, as well as in genetically engineered murine models (GEMM) of NSCLC. Heightened levels of ELR+ CXC chemokines in LKB1-deficient murine models of NSCLC positively correlated with increased abundance of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSC) locally within the tumor microenvironment and systemically in peripheral blood and spleen. Depletion of G-MDSCs with antibody or functional inhibition via all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) led to enhanced anti-tumor T cell responses and sensitized LKB1-deficent murine tumors to PD-1 blockade. Combination therapy with anti-PD-1 and ATRA improved local and systemic T cell proliferation and generated tumor-specific immunity. Our findings implicate ELR+ CXC chemokine-mediated enrichment of G-MDSCs as a potential mediator of immunosuppression in LKB1-deficient NSCLC and provide a rationale for utilizing ATRA in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with LKB1-deficient NSCLC refractory to ICIs.
Reducing metal artifacts by restricting negative pixels.

When the object contains metals, its x-ray computed tomography (CT) images are normally affected by streaking artifacts. These artifacts are mainly caused by the x-ray beam hardening effects, which deviate the measurements from their true values. One interesting observation of the metal artifacts is that certain regions of the metal artifacts often appear as negative pixel values. Our novel idea in this paper is to set up an objective function that restricts the negative pixel values in the image. We must point out that the naive idea of setting the negative pixel values in the reconstructed image to zero does not give the same result. This paper proposes an iterative algorithm to optimize this objective function, and the unknowns are the metal affected projections. Once the metal affected projections are estimated, the filtered backprojection algorithm is used to reconstruct the final image. This paper applies the proposed algorithm to some airport bag CT scans. The bags all contain unknown metallic objects. The metal artifacts are effectively reduced by the proposed algorithm.
An open source cyberinfrastructure for collecting, processing, storing and accessing high temporal resolution residential water use data

Abstract Collecting and managing high temporal resolution residential water use data is challenging due to cost and technical requirements associated with the volume and velocity of data collected. We developed an open-source, modular, generalized architecture called Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply (CIWS) to automate the process from data collection to analysis and presentation of high temporal residential water use data. A prototype implementation was built using existing open-source technologies, including smart meters, databases, and services. Two case studies were selected to test functionalities of CIWS, including push and pull data models within single family and multi-unit residential contexts, respectively. CIWS was tested for scalability and performance within our design constraints and proved to be effective within both case studies. All CIWS elements and the case study data described are freely available for re-use.
Physician Incentive Compensation Plans in Academic Medical Centers: The Imperative to Prioritize Value.

Abstract The emphasis on clinical volume in physician compensation plans has diminished professional vitality in academic medical centers and increased the cost of health care. Physician incentive compensation plans that focus on clinical volume can distort clinical encounters and fail to incorporate the professionalism and intrinsic motivators of clinicians. We assert herein that physician incentive compensation plans should reward clinical value (quality/cost) rather than clinical volume. The recommended change is compelled by the tenets of medical professionalism, the need to cultivate meaning in clinical practice, and the urgent financial and moral imperatives to improve health outcomes and reduce cost. The design of physician incentive compensation plans should incorporate accurate and valid measures of quality and cost, behavioral economic considerations, transparency and equity, prospective assessment of the impact on key outcomes, and flexible elements that encourage innovation and preserve fidelity to unique practice circumstances. Physicians should be recognized in compensation plans for enhancing the value of care, inspiring and educating the future clinical workforce, and improving public health through discovery.
The President Over the Public: The Plebiscitary Presidency at Center Stage

This chapter begins with a narrower version of the question posed throughout this book—does the public presidency pose a threat to constitutional democracy in America? While the framers may have been somewhat ambivalent about how strong the president should be, with James Madison arguing for a government that limited itself through checks and balances to diffuse power in Federalist 51 while Alexander Hamilton argued for a powerful and energetic executive in Federalist 70, the public arena has certainly provided some presidents with broader powers than perhaps intended. As with other powers of the office, the public aspects of the presidency have had important historical developments, particularly during the twentieth century. The proliferation of daily newspapers at the turn of the twentieth century, followed by the advent of radio, then television, and then the expansion of newer technologies like the Internet and satellite transmissions, have created myriad opportunities for presidents to communicate. Along with the opportunities came the expectation that the president would be an effective communicator, using the bully pulpit to rally for public policies and to share his vision for America with his fellow citizens.
Laboratory Diagnosis of Enteroviral Infections

In the United States alone, the enteroviruses (EVs) are estimated to cause 5 to 10 million symptomatic infections annually. Laboratory diagnosis of the EVs has exploited many of the distinctive characteristics. The predictable and well-studied growth properties of the EVs in in vitro culture systems or animals have made viral culture the mainstay of diagnosis for the past four decades. Recent insights into the surface features of these agents have revitalized efforts to design immunoassays and serologic tests for both initial detection and subsequent serotyping. Recognition of genetic homology among all of the EVs spawned the development of sensitive and specific nucleic acid detections systems, particularly the PCR, promises to revolutionize EV diagnosis. Other EV detection techniques include electron microscopy, immunoassays, and nucleic acid hybridization. The chapter ends with a discussion on serotype identification, diagnosis, and evaluation and interpretation of results.
The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children (1981)

“I was born in the city of Bombay … once upon a time,” begins Saleem Sinai, the narrator of Sir Salman Rushdie's postcolonial classic Midnight's Children . But in keeping with what soon becomes recognizable as his Tristram Shandyish habit, Saleem immediately corrects his opening sentence: “once upon a time,” won't do, not when Saleem was born at midnight on the very day India gained independence from Great Britain, August 15, 1947, and is thus “mysteriously handcuffed to history, my destinies indissolubly chained to those of my country.” Saleem Sinai, also known as “Snotface, Stainface, Baldy, Sniffer, Buddha, and even Piece-of-the-Moon,” will go on to tell his life story, a narrative of identity formation where the identity being formed is not only his but his nation's (4). The trouble with personal and national identities is that they must be both unitary and multiple. “I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done, of everything done-to-me,” Saleem announces: “I am everyone everything whose being-in-the-world affected was affected by mine. I am anything that happens after I've gone which would not have happened if I had not come. Not am I particularly exceptional in this matter; each ‘I,’ every one of the now-six-hundred-million-plus of us, contains a similar multitude” (441). But that a self or a nation that is too divided threatens to crumble out of existence gives its urgency to Saleem's narration: he feels that he is breaking apart, disintegrating into “(approximately) six hundred and thirty million particles of anonymous, and necessarily oblivious dust” – or the population of India (36).
Hierarchical folding of cytochrome c.

Formation of secondary structure during protein folding can now be probed on the submillisecond time scale. By monitoring the formation of α-helix formation during the initial collapse of cytochrome c, its folding mechanism is delineated.
Tissue reactions induced by Schistosoma mansoni in Biomphalaria glabrata.

In Biomphalaria glabrata with a strong natural resistance, Schistosoma mansoni sporocysts are rapidly encapsulated by granulocytes and killed, mainly by the strong phagocytic activity of the cells. Irradiated Echinostoma paraensei sporocysts seem able to suppress the function of the granulocytes.Tissue reactions in snails with self-cure demonstrate: involvement of two types of cells, granulocytes and hyalinocyte-like cells; formation of amoebo-fibrous capsules; limited tendency of granulocytes to become attracted to the parasites; a slow process of parasite destruction; and a possible involvement of humoral factors. It seems that there is partial suppression of the granulocyte function in snails with self-cure.
Diffused matched filter storage in photorefractive optical materials

Optical storage in photorefractive crystals such as UNbO is subject to some of the same problems associated with photogra~hic em~ls1 ons. ~ynamic range limitations are common to both. In a typical o~t1cal Fo~ ner tr~nsfor!': arrangement, the lower spatial frequencies contain the highest intensities and the higher spatial frequencies are much weaker a~d. are ~ubj~ct to being poorly recorded in multiplexed expos~ re~. This invest1gat1on explores and models a simple method for distributing the spectra more evenly throughout the storage media by utilizing a phase diffusing screen.
A comparison between deductive and object-oriented database systems

The author will not pretend to be unbiased in the matter of comparing the deductive and object-oriented approaches to new database systems; he believes that despite some important concepts originating with the object-oriented approach, the deductive family of systems will ultimately dominate. We shall explore some of the reasons why the two approaches do not mix well. Fortunately, most of the features of object-oriented database systems can be incorporated in deductive systems (but not vice-versa). Then we argue that declarativeness is important for at least some of the new applications, and that declarative languages cannot be object-oriented in a nontrivial way. We next contrast the approaches with regard to the way they classify data elements. We close with an examination of the prospects for “classless” data, which is motivated by the prospect of databases where the number of distinct classes would be too large to name systematically. There are a number of challenges to implementing such facilities in either paradigm, and we propose some appropriate research questions.
Symptomatic third ventricular choroid plexus cysts

We describe the imaging findings in 3 children with choroid plexus cysts (CPC) at the foramen of Monro. All CPC measured less than 2 cm and produced symptoms of raised intracranial pressure when located at the foramen of Monro where there was obstruction to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. Among the imaging studies done on our patients, CPC were depicted best by cranial sonography and CT-ventriculography and missed by standard CT and MRI. Misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate shunting with adverse effects. Two of our patients had relief of symptoms after resection of the cyst. One patient with inoperable cardiac defects died and had no surgery performed. Serial CT and sonographic studies in this patient showed progression in the size of the cyst and ventriculomegaly. Cranial sonography and CT-ventriculography are the modalities of choice in evaluating ventriculomegaly when the diagnosis of occult obstructive CPC is entertained in children. Cranial sonography is indicated in infants with an open fontanelle and CT-ventriculography is reserved for older children with hydrocephalus which is not responding to shunting.
Multi-person decision analysis in large scale systems—group decision making☆

Abstract This paper treats the problem of amalgamating the preference orderings of individuals into an overall preference ordering for the society comprised of those individuals. A mathematical rule for doing this is known as a “social welfare function”. The imposition of five seemingly desirable conditions on the social welfare function leads to Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, which states that there is no function which satisfies these five conditions. To circumvent this problem, several proposed restrictions on the social welfare function are discussed. The concept of decentralized group decision making, in which the members of the group are arranged in a hierarchical structure, is described. Here decision making takes place within subgroups and then the subgroups are treated as individuals in the decision making process for the group as a whole. Conditions under which decentralized decision making leads to the same results as centralized decision making are stated and proved.
Review of mathematical models of future oil supply: Historical overview and synthesizing critique

Abstract This review paper assesses oil supply modeling techniques and critically evaluates their usefulness in projecting future oil production. It reviews models that project future rates of oil production, but does not address estimation of oil resources. The following types of models are reviewed: the Hubbert method; other curve-fitting methods such as exponential and Gaussian models; simulation models of resource discovery and extraction; and data-rich “bottom-up” models. Economic models are reviewed more briefly. Forty-five mathematical models of oil depletion of the last century are classified along four dimensions of variability: emphasis on physical or economic aspects of oil production; model scale; hypothetical or mechanistic orientation; and complexity. Models based on quite disparate assumptions (e.g., physical simulation vs. economic optimal depletion) have produced approximately bell-shaped production profiles, but data do not support assertions that any one model type is most useful for forecasting future oil production. In fact, evidence suggests that existing models have fared poorly in predicting global oil production. The greatest promise for future developments in oil depletion modeling lies in simulation models that combine both physical and economic aspects of oil production.
A robuster Scott rank

We give a new definition of Scott rank motivated by our main theorem: For every countable structure A and ordinal α < ω1, we have that: every automorphism orbit is Σ α -definable without parameters if and only if A has a Π α+1 Scott sentence, if and only if A is uniformly boldface ∆α-categorical. As a corollary, we show that a structure is computably categorical on a cone if and only if it is the model of a countably categorical Σ 3 sentence.
Identification in the Calcineurin A Subunit of the Domain That Binds the Regulatory B Subunit

Calcineurin (CaN) is the serine/threonine protein phosphatase (phosphatase 2B) that is activated by binding of Ca2+ to its B subunit and to calmodulin (CaM). This paper identifies residues between the catalytic region and the CaM-binding domain of the A subunit as the domain that binds the regulatory B subunit. A purified fusion protein containing residues 328-390 of the A subunit 1) binds CaN B subunit, and 2) inhibits (IC50 = 0.1 μM) the in vitro stimulation of CaN A phosphatase activity by purified CaN B subunit. A synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 341-360 blocked the binding of CaN B to residues 328-390 in the fusion protein, so 4 hydrophobic residues within this region (Val349-Phe350 and Phe356-Val357) were mutated to either Glu (E mutant) or Gln (Q mutant). The wild-type and mutant A subunits were expressed individually or co-expressed with B subunit in Sf9 cells, purified and characterized. The mutant A subunits were similar to wild-type A subunit in terms of basal phosphatase activity (1-3 nmol/min/mg) and activation by Mn2+/CaM. Addition of purified B subunit to purified wild-type A subunit at a 1:1 molar ratio gave a 40-fold increase in phosphatase activity whereas addition of B subunit to either of the mutant A subunits had no effect on phosphatase activity, even at a 3:1 molar excess of B subunit. Furthermore, when wild-type or mutant A subunits were co-expressed with B subunit and purified on CaM-Sepharose, the B subunit co-eluted with the wild-type A subunit but not with either mutant A subunit. These results demonstrate that residues 328-390 in the A subunit bind B subunit and that the mutated hydrophobic residues are essential.
MOLECULAR BASIS FOR HETEROGENEITY IN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMAS

Abstract Neuroblastomas demonstrate both clinical and biological heterogeneity. We have proposed that neuroblastomas may be classified in three genetically distinct subtypes, based on cytogenetic and molecular analysis. The first comprises those with hyperdiploid or triploid modal karyotypes (or compatible DNA content by flow cytometry), 1p LOH and MYCN amplification are absent, and TRKA expression is high. These patients are likely to be infants with low stages of disease (stages 1, 2, or 4S by the International Neuroblastoma Staging System), and they have a very favourable outcome (> 90% cure). The second group consists of tumours that generally have a near diploid or tetraploid modal chromosome number or DNA content but lack MYCN amplification. They usually have 1p allelic loss, 14q allelic loss or other structural changes, and TRKA expression is usually low. These patients are generally older with advanced stages of disease (stages 3 or 4), and they have a slowly progressive course, with a cure rate of 25–50%. The third group is characterised by tumours with MYCN amplification. These tumours are generally near diploid or tetraploid, with 1p allelic loss, and low or absent TRKA expression. The patients are usually between 1 and 5 years of age with advanced stages of disease, and they have a very poor prognosis (
What a Miracle Really is

Although an immense amount has been written about miracles by philosophers – and theologicans of a philosophical turn of mind – to the point where no one wants to read any more on the subject, there are still two very good reasons for writing about miracles: (1) the concept of a miracle commonly employed simply will not do, so that most of the talk of discovering whether or not some event is miraculous is beside the point; (2) the proper way of looking at what a miracle is involves one in clarifying the very perplexing notions of agency and explanation, and both of these notions are interesting in their own right.
On the measurement of social orientations in the minimal group paradigm

Four procedures for measuring between-group orientations were described and evaluated. These include the procedures developed by Tajfel and his associates, Brewer and Silver, Locksley et al., Ng, and a revised procedure. The revised procedure was designed to measure seven between-group Orientations. Use of the new measure and the Tajfel measure with college sophomores revealed somewhat different results. The Tajfel measure revealed evidence for the typically found pulls, but the new measure revealed only evidence for equality between groups and maximizing joint rewards with an advantage to own group. Use of the new meausure with 15 year-old boys and girls revealed evidence for maximizing own-group reward for both sexes, equality for girls only, and maximizing relative advantage to own group for boys only. For neither sex was maximizing own relative advantage (analogous to Tajfel's MD) the largest orientation.
Investigating the effect of transition metal ion oxidation state on oligodeoxyribonucleotide binding by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Abstract Investigations of the interactions of metals with nucleotides and oligonucleotides are important for a variety of areas, including understanding nucleic acid metabolism and ability of the metals to stabilize or destablize the double-stranded helix of DNA. This report illustrates the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for the study of the fundamental interactions of metal ions with small, single-stranded oligonucleotides, with a specific focus on evaluation of sequential metal ion attachment and binding site(s) determination. Whereas incorporation of Cu (I) into dinucleotides reveals the maximum number of protons that can be replaced by singly charged metal ions, incorporation of iron (II, III) into the same biomolecules is sensitive to steric binding factors as well. These results suggest a mechanism in which complexes of the metal ion and the laser matrix compound (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, or DHB) coordinate with the oligonucleotides and attach metal ions by eliminating neutral DHB molecules. Ions of divalent (Zn2+, Fe2+), trivalent (Fe3+, Ce3+), and tetravalent (Ce4+, Th4+) metals all bind strongly to oligonucleotides and are retained even in the fragment ions. Based on high-resolution mass measurements and fragmentation information, structures are proposed for these gas phase species in which the metal ion coordination to the oligonucleotide involves both phosphate and nucleobase interactions. These studies provide molecular level information about metal ion interactions with oligonucleotides, and may be the basis for determining how certain metal ions can be exploited as selective probes for biomolecular structure interrogation.