cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imperceptible Graphene Electronic Tattoos for Health Monitoring and Human Machine Interface

Here we present an ultrathin, optically and mechanically imperceptible graphene based electronic tattoo (GET) sensors with overall thickness of 350 nm and more than 85% transparency in visible region. Ultrathin and ultralight GET can be laminated on the skin of various parts of the body with different curvature and shape, without the use of adhesives and tapes. GET makes a conformal contact to the microscopic texture of skin which results in low electrode-skin interface impedance and consequently, high quality of electrophysiological signal recording with high signal to noise ratio. The applications of GET in electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), electrooculography (EOG), skin temperature and skin hydration sensing, and human-machine interface (HMI) are presented.
Quality of Care in Pediatrics and Health Disparities: The Increasing Role of Quality Improvement Science

Despite well documented disparities in health and health care, little is known about what types of interventions have the potential to ameliorate disparities [1]. Many clinical providers, organizations, and policy makers do not know where and how to target efforts towards addressing disparities. Innovate approaches are needed to address health disparities and ensure that every child has access to high quality care. Quality improvement (QI) provides one such approach given its demonstrated effectiveness in improving general outcomes in the health care setting. QI can be defined as “a multidisciplinary, systems-focused, data driven method of understanding and improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of health processes and outcomes of care” [2]. It consists of continuous actions that aim to measurably improve health care services and the health status of targeted patient groups by improving uptake of evidence-based, best practices into clinical care [3]. Multiple QI frameworks exist [2]. Example approaches include Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA), Total Quality Management (TQM), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), rapid cycle change, lean thinking, Six Sigma, and Focus, Analyze, Develop, Execute/Evaluate (FADE). Although the evidence isn’t clear on which specific approach works best, all of these models are effective in elucidating a health care organization’s current state, determining areas for improvement, designing and implementing a sequential and iterative strategy to achieve improvement, and subsequently collecting data to monitor progress and adjust the strategy as indicated over time [4, 5]. The ongoing process of QI requires four elements: performance goals, performance measures, QI practices, and feedback and reporting.
Zwischen theoretischer Begründung und praktischer Anwendung: Medienethik auf dem Weg zur kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Teildisziplin

Der Beitrag versteht sich als Einleitung zu den beiden folgenden medienethischen Aufsatzen von Thomas Hausmanninger und Horst Pottker, die aus der letzten Jahrestagung der DGPuK Fachgruppe »Kommunikations- und Medienethik« und des »Netzwerk Medienethik« hervorgegangen sind. In diesem Rahmen wird die Problematik der institutionellen Verankerung der Medienethik als angewandter Ethik im universitaren Lehrbetrieb umrissen. Hinzutreten mussen jedoch Masnahmen auf der Ebene der Medienorganisationen, die den Rahmen fur verantwortliches Medienhandelns uberhaupt erst bereit stellen: Professionsspezifische ethische Werte mussen sowohl auf Subjektseite als handlungsleitende Normen verinnerlicht, als auch in den Medienorganisationen als Leitwerte verankert werden. Neben solcher Steuerfunktion einer angewandten Ethik hat Medienethik in ihrer Reflexionsfunktion die moralphilosophische Aufgabe, das Medienhandeln und das Mediensystem unter ethischem Hinblick zu reflektieren und medienethische Normen und Werte zu begrunden. Es ware ein groser Gewinn, wenn die Medienethik eine vermehrte Beachtung und starkere universitare Institutionalisierung erfuhre und sich als kommunikationswissenschaftliche Teildisziplin etablieren konnte.
WA1.3 - Mid-infrared Applications of SiGeSn Optoelectronic Chips (Plenary)

The emerging SiGeSn heterostructure photonics technology has its roots in my early silicon-photonics results (1985-1991) and SiGeSn bandgap theory (1991). I shall review the real and potential applications of SiGeSn OE chips in the 2 to 5 micron range, monolithic chips hopefully for foundry manufacture.
Can Qigong improve non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease - A pilot randomized controlled trial?

Abstract Non-motor symptoms (NMS) including sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and cognitive decline can significantly impact quality of life in people with PD. Qigong exercise is a mind-body exercise that shows a wide range of benefits in various medical conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Qigong exercise on NMS with a focus on sleep quality. Seventeen participants completed a 12-week intervention of Qigong (n = 8) or sham Qigong (n = 9). Disease severity, anxiety and depression levels, fatigue, cognition, quality of life, and other NMS of the participants were evaluated prior to the intervention and at the end of the 12-week intervention. After the intervention, both Qigong and sham-Qigong group showed significant improvement in sleep quality (p
Chapter 14 – Anorexia Nervosa

Publisher Summary Anorexia Nervosa strikes millions of women each year, usually between the ages of 14 to 40 years. The course of illness is protracted, extremely costly, with high morbidity, and mortality rates. Prevalence in males is much lower but does occur. The diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa is given to someone who refuses to maintain adequate weight, weighs less than 85 percent of what is expected, and has an intense fear of weight gain and absence of menses in postmenarchal females. If the individual has not regularly engaged in binge-eating or purging behavior, she would be considered to be “restricting type.” If the person regularly engages in binge-eating, or purging, she would be considered to be “binge-eating/purging type.” This chapter presents a multifactorial model that indicates the need for diverse treatments that address biological, intrapsychic, familial, and cultural factors. The central difficulty in the treatment of Anorexia is that of motivating adolescents to decrease their drive for thinness and increase their motivation to attain health, an extremely difficult proposition. Two treatment approaches are described: the narrative approach, which focuses its intervention on the co-construction of meaning, with acknowledgment of the importance of cultural beliefs, especially as they are mediated within families, and the Cognitive-Behavioral approach, which emphasizes the importance of irrational thoughts and the patient's perceived need for self-control as the focus of intervention. Finally, the goal of both the treatment is behavioral change and helping the adolescent to regain life outside the influence of Anorexia.
Not Arabi or Ajnabi: Arab Youth and Reorienting Humor

This article examines a type of online content created by Arab youth that mixes local and foreign popular culture and politics. This content is examined in relation to the position of Arab youth within transnational power dynamics looking at how they build on longstanding meanings to define their own unique culture. These creations mixing Arabic and foreign ( arabi–ajnabi ) languages, music, images, and videos, result in content that is humorous specifically to those who are literate in both of the cultures being juxtaposed. Drawing on academic literature on humor, remix, and mash-up culture, this article looks into how this new content, labeled here as reorienting humor , becomes a way for doubly marginalized youth to be cultural agents for themselves and disrupt the direction of cultural flows in a way that creates a disturbance in the power relations and calls into question binaries such as local–global dominant–marginalized, and center–periphery.
Novel Targeted Therapies for Metastatic Thyroid Cancer-A Comprehensive Review.

The knowledge on thyroid cancer biology has grown over the past decade. Thus, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to manage thyroid cancer are rapidly evolving. With new insights into tumor biology and cancer genetics, several novel therapies have been approved for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as lenvatinib and sorafenib, have been successfully utilized for the treatment of radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). In addition, pretreatment with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors (trametinib and selumetinib) has been shown to restore RAI avidity in previously RAI-refractory DTCs. Local therapies, such as external beam radiation and radiofrequency/ethanol ablation, have also been employed for treatment of DTC. Vandetanib and cabozantinib are the two TKIs currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Other novel therapies, such as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) vaccine, have also been utilized in treating MTC. Ongoing trials on selective rearranged-during-transfection (RET) protooncogene inhibitors, such as LOXO-292 and BLU-667, have demonstrated promising results in the treatment of metastatic MTC resistant to non-selective TKIs. The FDA-approved BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination of dabrafenib and trametinib has revolutionized treatment of BRAFV600E mutation positive anaplastic thyroid cancer. Several other emerging classes of medications, such as gene fusion inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, are being actively investigated in several clinical trials. In this review, we describe the molecular landscape of thyroid cancer and novel targeted therapies and treatment combinations available for the treatment of metastatic thyroid cancer.
Is Screw-Fracture Proximity or Residual Fracture Displacement Correlated to Outcomes After Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Mandibular Angle Fractures?

Purpose Computed tomography (CT) imaging is commonly obtained following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of mandibular fractures but the significance of common findings is unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of screw-to-fracture proximity and residual fracture displacement to post-operative complications following ORIF of mandibular angle fractures treated with monocortical fixation techniques. Methods The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study consisting of all patients with mandibular angle fractures treated with ORIF using monocortical fixation at the lateral surface of the mandible from the dates August 1, 2015 to May 31, 2020. The predictor variables were the distance measurements between the 2 closest screws to the fracture and the fracture line and the amount of residual fracture displacement, both measured on postoperative CT. The primary outcome variable was the presence of postoperative inflammatory complications (POICs). Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression and Bayesian variable selection to calculate posterior probability of importance for the variables of interest. Results Of the 285 patients included in the study, 84.6% were men and the average age was 30.8 years. POICs occurred in 22.1% of the patients. Age, smoking, homelessness, noncompliance and drug use were associated with POICs. However, none of the screw-to-fracture distances were associated with POICs, including linear, dichotomous or polynomial transformations of these variables. Additionally, the residual fracture displacement distances and transformations of these distances were also not associated with POICs. Conclusion The present study did not find any evidence to suggest that a closer screw-fracture distance or increased residual fracture displacement on postoperative CT imaging increased the risk of POICs for mandibular angle fractures treated with ORIF using monocortical fixation at the lateral border.
Pathological and Genetic Stratification for Management of Adrenocortical Carcinoma.

Context Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy that affects patients across the age spectrum. Although the overall survival in patients with ACC is poor, there is significant heterogeneity in terms of outcomes, presentation, and underlying genetic drivers. Evidence acquisition This review is based on the evidence collected from primary research studies, expert reviews, and published guidelines. The studies were identified through PubMed search with key words "adrenocortical carcinoma", "prognosis", "pathology" and "genetics". The PubMed search was complemented by authors' expertise, research, and clinical experience in the field of ACC. Evidence synthesis Identification of biomarkers has been critical to gain better insight into tumor behavior and to guide therapeutic approach to patients. Tumor stage, resection status and Ki67 are pathological tumor characteristics that have been identified as prognosticators in patients with ACC. Cortisol excess also correlates with worse prognosis. Clinical and histopathological characteristics help stratify patient outcomes, yet still up to 25% of patients have a different outcome than predicted. To bridge this gap, comprehensive genomic profiling studies have characterized additional profiles that correlate with clinical outcomes. In addition, studies of clinically applicable molecular markers are underway to further stratify outcomes in patients with ACC tumors. Conclusions Clinical predictors in combination with pathological markers play a critical role in the approach to patients with ACC. Recent advances in genetic prognosticators will help extend the stratification of these tumors and contribute to a personalized therapeutic approach to patients with ACC.
Discovering Individual and Collaborative Problem-Solving Modes with Hidden Markov Models

Supporting students during learning tasks is the main goal of intelligent tutoring systems, and the most effective systems can adapt to students based on a model of their current state of knowledge or their problem-solving actions. Most tutoring systems focus on individual students, but there is growing interest in supporting student pairs. However, modeling student pairs involves considerations that may differ from individual students. This paper reports on hidden Markov models (HMMs) of student interactions within a visual programming environment. We compare HMMs for individual students to those of student pairs and examine the different approaches the students take. The resulting models suggest that there are some important differences across both conditions. There is potential for using these models to predict problem-solving modes and support adaptive tutoring for collaboration in problem-solving domains.
Sarcolipin and phospholamban inhibit the calcium pump by populating a similar metal ion-free intermediate state.

Abstract We have performed microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and protein pKa calculations of the muscle calcium pump (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, SERCA) in complex with sarcolipin (SLN) to determine the mechanism by which SLN inhibits SERCA. SLN and its close analog phospholamban (PLN) are membrane proteins that regulate SERCA by inhibiting Ca2+ transport in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Although SLN and PLB binding to SERCA have different functional outcomes on the coupling efficiency of SERCA, both proteins decrease the apparent Ca2+ affinity of the pump, suggesting that SLN and PLB inhibit SERCA by using a similar mechanism. Recently, MD simulations showed that PLB inhibits SERCA by populating a metal ion-free, partially-protonated E1 state of the pump, E1· H + 771 . X-ray crystallography studies at 40–80 mM Mg2+ have proposed that SLN-bound SERCA populates E1·Mg2+, an intermediate with Mg2+ bound near transport site I. To test this proposed mode of SLN regulation, we performed a 0.5-μs MD simulation of E1·Mg2+-SLN in a solution containing 100 mM K+ and 3 mM Mg2+, with calculation of domain dynamics in the cytosolic headpiece and side-chain ionization and occupancy in the transport sites. We found that SLN increases the distance between residues E771 and D800, thereby rendering E1·Mg2+ incapable of producing a competent Ca2+ transport site I. Following removal of Mg2+, a 2-μs MD simulation of Mg2+-free SERCA-SLN showed that Mg2+ does not re-bind to the transport sites, indicating that SERCA-SLN does not populate E1·Mg2+ at physiological conditions. Instead, protein pKa calculations indicate that SLN stabilizes a metal ion-free SERCA state (E1· H + 771 ) protonated at residue E771, but ionized at E309 and D800. We conclude that both SLN and PLB inhibit SERCA by populating a similar metal ion-free intermediate state. We propose that (i) this partially-protonated intermediate serves as the consensus mechanism for SERCA inhibition by other members of the SERCA regulatory subunit family including myoregulin and sarcolamban, and (ii) this consensus mechanism is utilized to regulate Ca2+ transport in skeletal and cardiac muscle, with important implications for therapeutic approaches to muscle dystrophy and heart failure.
Progress towards petascale virtual machines

PVM continues to be a popular software package both for creating personal grids and for building adaptable, fault tolerant applications. We will illustrate this by describing a computational biology environment built on top of PVM that is used by researchers around the world. We will then describe or recent progress in building an even more adaptable distributed virtual machine package called Harness. The Harness project includes research on a scalable, self-adapting core called H2O, and research on fault tolerant MPI. The H2O core can be configured to support distributed web computing like SETI@home, parallel virtual machines like PVM, and OGSA compliant grid environments. The Harness software is being designed to scale to petascale virtual machines. We will describe work at Oak Ridge National Lab on developing algorithms for such petascale virtual machines and the development of a simulator to test these algorithms on simulated 100,000 processor systems.
Intelligent systems integration for data acquisition and modeling of coastal ecosystems

In this paper, we describe the primary data acquisition system for environmental modeling efforts at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Additionally, we describe the design and development issues encountered in the production of two supplemental data acquisition systems. Finally, we present examples of the use of the acquired data for water level prediction modeling efforts.
Topological Reconstruction of a Smooth Manifold-Solid from Its OccludingContour

This paper describes a simple construction for building a combinatorial model of a smooth manifold-solid from a labeled-figure representing its occluding contour. The motivation is twofold. First, deriving the combinatorial model is an essential intermediate step in the visual reconstruction of solid-shape from image contours. A description of solid-shape consists of a metric and a topological component. Both are necessary: the metric component specifies how the topological component is embedded in three-dimensional space. The paneling construction described in this paper is a procedure for generating the topological component from a labeled-figure representing the occluding contour. Second, the existence of this construction establishes the sufficiency of a labeling scheme for line-drawings of smooth solid-objects originally proposed by Huffman (1971). By sufficiency, it is meant that every set of closed plane-curves satisfying this labeling scheme is shown to correspond to a generic view of a manifold-solid. Together with the Whitney theorem (Whitney, 1955), this confirms that Huffman‘s labeling scheme correctly distinguishes possible from impossible smooth solid-objects.
The Policy Dynamics of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

Since 1977, oil produced in northern Alaska has posed a major environmental threat across large areas of Alaska while simultaneously playing a dominant role in the economy of Alaska. This enduring dilemma was created by the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System to transport oil produced on the North Slope of Alaska, a region containing the largest oil field ever developed in North America. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System transports oil through an 800-mile pipeline and ocean-going oil tankers. This complex technological system poses an enduring risk of environmentally damaging oil spills in Alaska. This study applies the punctuated equilibrium theory of policy change to examine the processes and enduring consequences of the national policy reforms that allowed the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
Cloning and Characterization of Transcription of the xylAB Operon in Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus

The genes encoding xylose isomerase (xylA) and xylulose kinase (xylB) from the thermophilic anaerobe Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus were found to constitute an operon with the transcription initiation site 169 nucleotides upstream from the previously assigned (K. Dekker, H. Yamagata, K. Sakaguchi, and S. Udaka, Agric. Biol. Chem. 55:221–227, 1991) promoter region. The bicistronic xylAB mRNA was processed by cleavage within the 5′-terminal portion of the XylB-coding sequence. Transcription of xylAB was induced in the presence of xylose, and, unlike in all other xylose-utilizing bacteria studied, was not repressed by glucose. The existence of putative xyl operator sequences suggested that xylose utilization is controlled by a repressor-operator mechanism. The T. ethanolicus xylB gene coded for a 500-amino-acid-residue protein with a deduced amino acid sequence highly homologous to those of other XylBs. This is the first report of an xylB nucleotide sequence and an xylAB operon from a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium.
T helper 9 (Th9) cellular proliferation and cytokine production is regulated by cAMP responsive element modulator (Crem) (HYP7P.289)

Th9 cells, a CD4+ T cell subset characterized by their robust production of interleukin (IL)-9, can promote allergic inflammation in mice and are associated with atopic disease in humans. Because it might provide targets for therapeutic intervention, it is important to understand the molecular controls governing overall Th9 development and their subsequent effector function. To understand the Th9 transcriptional profile, we recently performed microarray analysis to highlight gene expression enriched in Th9 cells compared to other Th subsets. Crem, which expresses a basic leucine zip domain protein with roles in activating and repressing genes, was among a number of genes with increased expression in Th9 cells. Analysis of mRNA and protein expression among in vitro differentiated Th subsets confirmed Crem was enriched in Th9 cells compared to other subsets. Interestingly, ectopic expression of Crem in Th9 cells repressed their capacity to produce IL-9 upon CD3 re-stimulation while promoting overall cellular proliferation. Crem ectopic expression also promoted cellular expansion in other cultured Th subsets. Conversely, acute siRNA knockdown of Crem mRNA in Th9 differentiated cells resulted in reduced cellular proliferation and enhanced IL-9 production upon CD3 restimulation. Therefore, Crem potentially serves a role in modifying Th9 effector activities upon T cell receptor signaling during allergic disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis: Where are we?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is presently one of the most investigated human disorders. Expansion of knowledge of its pathophysiology has helped in developing novel medications to combat gut inflammation with a considerably degree of success. Despite this progress, much more remains to be done in regard to gaining a more profound understanding of IBD pathogenesis, detecting inflammation before it clinically manifests, implementing lifestyle modifications, and developing agents that can modify the natural course of the disease. One of the limitations to achieve these goals is the lack of integration of the major components of IBD pathogenesis, that is the exposome, the genome, the gut microbiome, and the immunome. An “IBD integrome” approach that takes advantage of all functional information derived from the detailed investigation of each single pathogenic component through the use of systems biology may offer the solution to understand IBD and cure it.
Fe.bleomycin cleaves a transfer RNA precursor and its "transfer DNA" analog at the same major site.

Previously, Fe.bleomycin (BLM) has been shown to mediate RNA cleavage in a fashion more highly selective than that of DNA. Because RNAs often assume secondary and tertiary structures not commonly encountered with DNAs, it was not clear whether the greater selectivity of RNA cleavage was a consequence of differences in the mononucleotide constituents of RNA and DNA, or of the three-dimensional structures of the individual substrates. Accordingly, we prepared a "tDNA" identical in sequence with Bacillus subtilis tRNA(His) precursor, the latter of which is known to be a good substrate for Fe(II).BLM A2 and which undergoes oxidative cleavage predominantly at U35. Remarkably, the tDNA underwent cleavage predominantly at T35. At higher concentrations of Fe(II).BLM A2, the tDNA was extensively degraded, while the tRNA(His) precursor was not. Competition experiments suggested that this was not due to more efficient binding of Fe.BLM to the tDNA; in fact the tRNA precursor appeared to be bound more efficiently. The lesser cleavage of the tRNA(His) may be due to limitations in the facility of chemical transformation following Fe.BLM binding, or else to the formation of RNA lesions that do not lead directly to RNA strand scission.
Completeness, Compactness, and Reflexivity

In a metric space we have characterized completeness in terms of sequences; in general this does not suffice and we need to use —
The Geochemistry of Pesticides

The widespread use of synthetic pesticides since their introduction in the early twentieth century has represented the most extensive release of synthetic compounds that Earth's ecosystems have ever experienced. Predicting the full implications of this phenomenon for the health of living organisms requires an understanding not only of the biological effects of these compounds, but also of the ways in which natural and anthropogenic processes and factors may influence their concentrations in the hydrologic system. This chapter summarizes current understanding of many of the physical, chemical, biological, and hydrologic processes and factors that may affect the concentrations of pesticide compounds (including the pesticides themselves (‘parent compounds’), pesticide adjuvants (‘inerts’), and compounds into which pesticides or adjuvants may be transformed) in air, water, soil, biota, aquatic sediments, and other environmental media. Because previous reviews have devoted considerable attention to several of these topics, greater emphasis is placed here on the factors that influence the rates and mechanisms of transformation of pesticide compounds than on their use, occurrence, biological effects, or partitioning among environmental media. Owing to limitations on existing information, the discussion focuses primarily on current-use pesticides, on volatile adjuvants, and on transformation products that have been detected in the environment.
Variations in the stimulus salience of cocaine reward influences drug‐associated contextual memory

Drugs of abuse act as reinforcers because they influence learning and memory processes resulting in long-term memory of drug reward. We have previously shown that mice conditioned by fixed daily dose of cocaine (Fix-C) or daily escalating doses of cocaine (Esc-C) resulted in short- and long-term persistence of drug memory, respectively, suggesting different mechanisms in acquisition of cocaine memory. The present study was undertaken to investigate the differential contribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits in the formation of Fix-C and Esc-C memory in C57BL/6J mice. Training by Esc-C resulted in marked elevation in hippocampal expression of Grin2b mRNA and NR2B protein levels compared with training by Fix-C. The NR2B-containing NMDAR antagonist ifenprodil had similar attenuating effects on acquisition and reconsolidation of Fix-C and Esc-C memory. However, the NMDAR antagonist MK-801 had differential effects: (1) higher doses of MK-801 were required for post-retrieval disruption of reconsolidation of Esc-C memory than Fix-C memory; and (2) pre-retrieval MK-801 inhibited extinction of Fix-C memory but it had no effect on Esc-C memory. In addition, blockade of NMDAR downstream signaling pathways also showed differential regulation of Fix-C and Esc-C memory. Inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase attenuated acquisition and disrupted reconsolidation of Fix-C but not Esc-C memory. In contrast, the mitogen-activating extracellular kinase inhibitor SL327 attenuated reconsolidation of Esc-C but not Fix-C memory. These results suggest that NMDAR downstream signaling molecules associated with consolidation and reconsolidation of cocaine-associated memory may vary upon changes in the salience of cocaine reward during conditioning.
Use of an ileal roux limb to prevent the roux statis syndrome

The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of an ileal Roux limb, rather than a jejunal Roux limb, would prevent the Roux stasis syndrome that can occur after Roux gastrectomy. An ileal Roux limb was constructed in eight dogs and anastomosed to the gastric remnant after distal hemigastrectomy. Flow of chyme through the jejunum was preserved via an ileojejunostomy and a jejunoileostomy. Six dogs with distal gastrectomy and a conventional Roux gastrojejunostomy served as a control group. Chronic enteric recording electrodes and intraluminal, open-tipped pressure catheters were implanted in all dogs. After recovery, the electrical activity and motility of the Roux limbs and the rates of gastric emptying of liquids and solids were measured. Dogs with a Roux gastroileostomy had a slower frequency of pacesetter potentials in the Roux limb, a greater Roux motility index, and a faster rate of gastric emptying of liquids and solids than did dogs with a Roux gastrojejunostomy. Stomal ulcers, however, developed in seven of the eight ileal Roux limbs but in none of the jejunal Roux limbs. It was concluded that Roux gastroileostomy does ameliorate the Roux stasis syndrome, but there is a greater risk of stomal ulceration in the limb.
Transgenic sickle mice have vascular inflammation

Inflammation may play an essential role in vaso-occlusion in sickle cell disease. Sickle patients have high white counts and elevated levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and adhesion molecules. In addition, circulating endothelial cells, leukocytes, and platelets are activated. We examined 4 transgenic mouse models expressing human α- and sickle β-globin genes to determine if they mimic the inflammatory response seen in patients. These mouse models are designated NY-S, Berk-SAntilles, NY-S/SAntilles (NY-S × Berk-SAntilles), and Berk-S. The mean white counts were elevated 1.4- to 2.1-fold ( P ≤ .01) in the Berk-SAntilles, NY-S/SAntilles, and Berk-S mice, but not in the NY-S mice compared with controls. Serum amyloid P-component (SAP), an acute-phase response protein with 60% to 70% sequence homology to CRP, was elevated 8.5- to 12.1-fold ( P ≤ .001) in transgenic sickle mice. Similarly, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) was elevated 1.6- to 1.9-fold ( P ≤ .05). Western blots, confirming immunohistochemical staining, showed vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) were up-regulated 3- to 5-fold ( P ≤ .05) in the lungs of sickle mice. Ribonuclease protection assays (RPAs) demonstrated VCAM mRNA also was elevated in sickle mice 1.2- to 1.4-fold ( P ≤ .01). Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), a transcription factor critical for the inflammatory response, was elevated 1.9-fold ( P ≤ .006) in NY-S sickle mouse lungs. We conclude that transgenic sickle mice are good models to study vascular inflammation and the potential benefit of anti-inflammatory therapies to prevent vaso-occlusion in sickle cell disease.
Current status of carotid artery angioplasty and stent placement: Impact of recent clinical studies

Carotid angioplasty with stent placement has emerged as an alternative treatment for carotid artery stenosis. Because it is a less invasive procedure and does not require general anesthesia, this intervention is a good choice for patients at high surgical risk. Additional advantages include easier access to anatomically challenging lesions and shorter length of hospital stay with reduced costs. Its major disadvantage is the possibility of debris dislodgement in the aortic arch and supra-aortic vessels during device manipulation, which can lead to cerebral embolism. This concern led to the development of distal protection devices. Several randomized trials have been published without actual proof of superiority of endovascular intervention over the standard treatment except for high-risk patients. In recent years, technical developments, cumulative experience, and new standards for training have reduced the complication rates. Ongoing trials will provide the evidence to demonstrate whether this intervention is superior to carotid endarterectomy, and if so, in which subgroup of patients.
A construction of disjoint steiner triple systems

Abstract A set of n − 2 disjoint Steiner triple systems on n objects is constructed whenever n has the property that the order of 2 modulo n − 2 is an odd number.
Radial artery injury in association with fractures of the trapezium

Three cases of trapezial fractures in which the radial artery was injured are reported. The injuries occurred during the initial trauma in one, when internal fixation was done in the second, and during hardware removal in the third. Six cadaveric wrists were dissected to study the relationship between the course of the artery and the trapezium.
The IBM PCjr

The IBM PCjr is the most recent addition to the IBM Personal Computer family. A major design consideration incorporated in the PCjr is a high level of program compatibility with the IBM Personal Computer and the IBM Personal Computer XT. The first part of this article describes the PCjr's hardware architecture, characteristics, and features. The second part describes the portion of the system design relating to the hardware and software necessary to ensure a high level of compatibility between the PCjr and the IBM Personal Computer as well as the IBM Personal Computer XT.
A case of fistulizing Crohn's disease and erythema nodosum managed with adalimumab

This Case Study considers a 20-year-old female with a history of Crohn's colitis, perirectal abscesses and fistulizing disease who developed painful erythematous nodules in her pretibial region. She was on no medications for her Crohn's disease because of medication side effects and intolerance. Active Crohn's disease with perianal fistula and sigmoid colitis and erythema nodosum were diagnosed and treatment with adalimumab initiated. Background A 20-year-old female presented to her gastroenterologist with fevers and right-labial pain and swelling. Painful erythematous nodules developed in her pretibial region soon after admission to a medical ward. She had a 10-year history of Crohn's colitis, perirectal abscesses and fistulizing disease, and had undergone a diverting ileostomy 16 months earlier; however, she was not on any medication for her Crohn's disease owing to her history of drug intolerance and side effects. Investigations Physical examination, laboratory investigations, examination under anesthesia, proctoscopy, MRI, and skin biopsy. Diagnosis Active Crohn's disease with perianal fistula and sigmoid colitis, and erythema nodosum. Management Subcutaneous injections of adalimumab: an initial 160 mg dose, followed by 80 mg in week 2 and then 40 mg every other week. Antibiotics were also prescribed.
The Cellular Actions of Vasopressin on Corticotrophs of the Anterior Pituitary: Resistance to Glucocorticoid Action

The cellular actions of vasopressin (AVP) in the anterior pituitary were investigated. HPLC analysis of [3H]inositol-labeled cells indicated that AVP stimulated a rapid increase in inositol-1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3), inositol-1,4 bisphosphate, and inositol-4 monophosphate levels. While CRF had no effect on basal IP3 levels, it blocked their stimulation by AVP. CRF-stimulated ACTH secretion and cAMP accumulation were potentiated by AVP. AFter dexamethasone (DEX) treatment (20 nM, 18 h), CRF-dependent ACTH secretion and cAMP accumulation were attenuated but AVP was still able to potentiate both of these actions of CRF suggesting that cellular actions of AVP may be resistant to DEX effects. Therefore, [3H]AVP binding was determined in control and DEX-treated cells. Pretreatment with DEX had no effect on either AVP receptor affinity or on the number of available binding sites. Consistently, stimulation of IP3 production by AVP in DEX-treated cells was comparable to that of control cells. Protein kinase C activators such as 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate and dioctanoylglycerol were either near additive with CRF or also potentiated the action of CRF on ACTH secretion, respectively, even after DEX pretreatment. These results indicate that, in the anterior pituitary, distinct intracellular signaling pathways mediate the actions of CRF and AVP; cAMP mediates CRF actions and IP3/protein kinase C mediate the effects of AVP. Neuromodulation of ACTH secretion by dual effector mechanisms which exhibit a complex mode of interaction and only one of which is negatively influenced by glucocorticoids, provides these cells a mechanisms by which appropriate responses can be elicited under various physiological states.
Going Beyond the National State in the USA: The Politics of Minoritized Groups in Global Cities

This brief essay examines emergent spaces for politics and emergent political actors. The particular concern here is with types of politics that do not run through the formal political system, one with shrinking options for a growing number of US citizens and immigrants. Informal political actors and street-level politics in cities are major instances of this. US cities have a long history of street-level politics. The contents, the purposes, the mobilizers and the enactors of these politics have changed over time. Today’s global cities are a very specific type of place because they bring together both the most globalized sectors of capital and the new transnational professionals, on the one hand, and a growing number of immigrants and native minoritized groups in a single, complex space.
Insect gravitational biology: ground-based and shuttle flight experiments using the beetle Tribolium castaneum

Many of the traditional experimental advantages of insects recommend their use in studies of gravitational and space biology. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an obvious choice for studies of the developmental significance of gravity vectors because of the unparalleled description of regulatory mechanisms controlling oogenesis and embryogenesis. However, we demonstrate that Drosophila could not survive the conditions mandated for particular flight opportunities on the Space Shuttle. With the exception of Drosophila, the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, is the insect best characterized with respect to molecular embryology and most frequently utilized for past space flights. We show that Tribolium is dramatically more resistant to confinement in small sealed volumes. In preparation for flight experiments we characterize the course and timing of the onset of oogenesis in newly eclosed adult females. Finally, we present results from two shuttle flights which indicate that a number of aspects of the development and function of the female reproductive system are not demonstrably sensitive to microgravity. Available information supports the utility of this insect for future studies of gravitational biology.
Modification in the aluminum silicon system

Alloys in the range 0 to 24 wt pct Si have been examined by careful thermal analysis, macroand microscopical study with modification by a mixed alkali fluoride flux, and by separate additions of sodium, potassium, lithium, and strontium. Sodium and strontium exert similar effects and potassium and lithium differing and minor effects; with a mixed alkali flux the influence of sodium is dominant. The normal and modified eutectic arrests in the presence of primary aluminum both show comparable supercoolings and recalescence behavior relative to the horizontal growth temperatures, but this is not observed in hypereutectic alloys containing primary silicon. Both normal and modified eutectics grow radially inward from crucible walls, but the details of the growth fronts are very different: there is no nucleation from the bulk liquid in modified alloys and it is uncertain if this occurs in normal alloys. It is concluded that the structural modification in furnace cooled ingots, as in directionally grown samples, is primarily caused by modified growth of silicon. The mechanism(s) for such modification are briefly discussed.
Codimension-2 bifurcations of coupled BVP oscillators with hard characteristics

This manuscript is to study codimension-2 bifurcations for coupled nonlinear BVP oscillators with hard characteristics. Sufficient conditions are given for the model to demonstrate Hopf, Bogdanov-Takens (BT), double Hopf, and fold-Hopf bifurcations. By computing normal forms of those bifurcations, bifurcation diagrams such as Hopf, homoclinic, double limit cycle, and torus bifurcations are obtained. Some examples are given to confirm the theoretical results.
Blackspot injury of film-wrapped potatoes in relation to bruising and respiratory gases

Film-wrapped potatoes were compared with non-wrapped potatoes for blackspot susceptibility.
Optimal routing strategy in throw-box based delay tolerant network

Routing in intermittently connected networks, or delay tolerant networks, can utilize the assistants from statically deployed computing and communication devices (throw-boxes) at certain locations. In such as a network, a mobile destination node will receive messages from throw-boxes when it moves close to the location. The virtual links between throw-boxes are formed by mobile nodes that are able to carry messages from one box to another. Messages temporally stored at the boxes could be transported among these boxes for being quickly collected by the interested mobile receivers. In many scenarios of mobile networks, mobile nodes reveal the mobility pattern of frequent visits to a few locations. When such locations are deployed with throw-boxes, searching the shortest delay path among boxes becomes a critical issue for the senders. In this paper, we study routing strategies that take considerations of the time-varying delay of the virtual links occurred between arbitrary two throw-boxes, instead of using the expected delay to measure the virtual link. A Markov Chain is introduced to model the realistic link evolution. After that, a policy iteration algorithm is given to derive the optimal policy for message delivery. In evaluating the routing scheme, we analyze UMassDieselNet contact trace to extract the states of the virtual links. The simulation results using the resulting network graph validate the advantages of the proposed routing strategy.
Functional Adaptation to Foster Care: Foster Care Alumni Speak Out

For this qualitative study, 18 foster care alumni, ranging in age from 18 to 25 years, described good foster parents as helping them functionally adapt to foster care. Good foster parents never referred to them as a “foster” child, balanced consistency with individualized application of rules, used terms such as “our family” or “our home,” and included them in extended family gatherings and events. They were emotionally available without being intrusive, especially about stressful events in their lives. They facilitated ongoing contact with people from the child's past without being judgmental. Good foster parents also used their own resources, tried to accommodate personal tastes, and supported extracurricular activities.
The Application of Game Theory in Collective Behavior: A Critique of Berk's “Gaming Approach”

Abstract The game theory approach to collective behavior is examined in this paper by critiquing Richard A. Berk's application of it (1974). Given relative payoffs for different action choices, game theory may offer certain solutions for actors; however, Berk's use of game theory falls short of these solutions. Using matrices to present actors' payoffs is the only appropriate application of game theory used by Berk. A more proper application of game theory solutions to the same payoff values from Berk's work shows how an emergent norm approach might better fit the empirical problem than Berk's contagion approach.
Super‐rotation and diffusion of axial angular momentum: I. ‘Speed limits’ for axisymmetric flow in a rotating cylindrical fluid annulus

‘Super-rotation’ can be defined with respect to the limitations on the magnitude of specific angular momentum, m, in an inviscid fluid. In a viscous fluid, a steady, super-rotating axisymmetric flow is shown to require diffusion of m against its gradient ∇m in the meridional plane. The conditions under which m can be diffused in an incompressible fluid by molecular viscosity against ∇m in a cylindrical system are shown to be consistent with the normal properties of isotropic Newtonian viscosity (i.e. appropriate for the laminar flow of a viscous liquid in the laboratory) when cylindrical curvature is fully represented. A series of numerical simulations of thermally-driven axisymmetric circulations in a cylindrical fluid annulus, subject to various mechanical boundary conditions, is then presented. The role of diffusion in the angular momentum budget of the simulations is examined by diagnosing m, its diffusive flux F (due to molecular viscosity) and divergence ∇·F from the final equilibrium (steady) flow. Up-gradient diffusion (with respect to ∇m) is found to be particularly important for flows in a system with stress-free top and side boundaries and a non-slip base. Similar up-gradient diffusion can also result in angular momentum expulsion effects in a system confined entirely by stress-free boundaries. The characteristic dynamics of super-rotation in a viscous fluid, and the associated limitations upon its magnitude and dependence upon the external conditions and fluid properties, are then explored in a scale analysis for the cylindrical annulus with a non-slip base (based on a scheme due to Hignett, Ibbetson and Killworth). The most rapid super-rotation (with zonal Rossby number > 1) is found to be favoured at moderate rotation rates, with strong cylindrical curvature, and a large meridional aspect ratio and Prandtl number. The results of the scale analysis are verified by means of further numerical experiments.