cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Evaluation of Antiparkinsonian Activities in Primate Models of Parkinsonism

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses antiparkinsonian activities in the primate models of Parkinsonism. The biochemical and neurological deficits in monkeys with unilateral VMT lesions were compared with human Parkinsonism. Although the depletion of nigrostriatal DA is about 90% in the monkey brain, the only neurological symptoms observed in this animal model are tremor and hypokinesia of the extremities contralateral to the lesion. The administration of dopa and DA agonists to the monkeys with unilateral VMT lesions also results in the occurrence of abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) with different degrees of severity. AIMs occur concomitantly with the relief of tremor. Thus, this primate model reflects the clinical situation in which the antiparkinsonian activity of L-dopa and DA agonists is associated with the occurrence of undesirable side effects, such as AIMs. It is noteworthy that monkeys with unilateral VMT lesions and tremor are more susceptible to the occurrence of AIMs than monkeys with MPTP-induced lesions. These observations support the idea that tremor and AIMs are linked to a common neuropathology.
Online Hierarchical Clustering Approximations.

Hierarchical clustering is a widely used approach for clustering datasets at multiple levels of granularity. Despite its popularity, existing algorithms such as hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC) are limited to the offline setting, and thus require the entire dataset to be available. This prohibits their use on large datasets commonly encountered in modern learning applications. In this paper, we consider hierarchical clustering in the online setting, where points arrive one at a time. We propose two algorithms that seek to optimize the Moseley and Wang (MW) revenue function, a variant of the Dasgupta cost. These algorithms offer different tradeoffs between efficiency and MW revenue performance. The first algorithm, OTD, is a highly efficient Online Top Down algorithm which provably achieves a 1/3-approximation to the MW revenue under a data separation assumption. The second algorithm, OHAC, is an online counterpart to offline HAC, which is known to yield a 1/3-approximation to the MW revenue, and produce good quality clusters in practice. We show that OHAC approximates offline HAC by leveraging a novel split-merge procedure. We empirically show that OTD and OHAC offer significant efficiency and cluster quality gains respectively over baselines.
Multilevel Features for Sensor-Based Assessment of Motor Fluctuation in Parkinson's Disease Subjects

Motor fluctuations are a frequent complication in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) where the response to medication fluctuates between ON states (medication working) and OFF states (medication has worn off). This paper describes a new data analysis approach that can be used along with two wearable IMU (inertial measurement units) sensors to continuously assess motor fluctuations in PD patients while moving in their natural environment. We hypothesized that joint analysis of the sensor data in its spectral, temporal and sensor domain could generate multilevel features that can be used to detect PD-related patterns successfully as the subject's motor state fluctuates between medication ON and OFF states. For this purpose, we utilized time-frequency (TF) representation and multiway data analysis tools (i.e., tensor decomposition) to decompose the TF representation of the two sensors’ data into its multilevel structures, which were next used to extract multilevel features representing the PD symptoms in different medication states. The extracted multilevel features were used in a classification model based on support vector machine to detect medication ON and OFF states. For comparison purposes, we implemented a traditional feature extraction method. We also developed a hierarchical feature extraction method based on the combination of those two methods. The performances of the three methods were evaluated using a dataset of 19 PD subjects with a total duration of 17.54 hours. The multilevel features achieved 8.25% improvement in the accuracy over the traditional features, and the hierarchical features resulted in 10.73% improvement indicating that our approach holds great promise to continuously detect medication states from continuous monitoring of the subjects’ movement. Such information can be used by the treating physician to tailor the adjustments to each subject's unique impairment(s), thereby improving therapeutic decision-making and patient outcomes.
Data-Driven Security Analysis Using Generative Adversarial Networks

In this chapter, we will present a data-driven security framework for modeling the cross-domain security of cyber-physical production systems. Specifically, we will present a novel conditional generative adversarial network-based modeling approach to abstract and estimate the relations between the cyber and physical domains. Using this framework, we will demonstrate how we can determine if various security requirements such as confidentiality, availability, and integrity are met. We will analyze the proposed framework for performing a security analysis of a cyber-physical additive manufacturing system.
Should Animalists Be “Transplanimalists”?

Animalism, the view that human persons are human animals in the most straightforward, non-derivative sense, is typically taken to conflict with the intuition that a human person would follow her functioning cerebrum were it to be transplanted into another living human body. Some animalists, however, have recently called into question the incompatibility between animalism and this “Transplant Intuition,” arguing that a human animal would be relocated with her transplanted cerebrum. In this paper, we consider the prospects for this cerebrum transplant-compatible variant of animalism, which we call “Transplanimalism.” After presenting its account of three related thought experiments, and outlining its key advantages over Standard Animalism, we raise two concerns for Transplanimalism. First, we argue that Transplanimalism, like other closest-continuer accounts of the human person, encounters difficulties with symmetrical fission cases. Second, we introduce a new thought experiment that pushes Transplanimalism into surprisingly counterintuitive results. As a result of these concerns, we conclude that, despite its attractiveness, animalists should not endorse Transplanimalism.
Improved Outpatient Communication Decreases Unplanned Readmission in Necrotizing Pancreatitis

Abstract Background Unplanned readmission rates in necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) are among the highest of any medical disease (72%). Recent work has identified several potentially preventable causes of unplanned readmission in NP. We hypothesized that intensive outpatient communication would identify developing problems and decrease unplanned hospital readmission. Materials and methods A review of NP patients treated at a single institution between 2016 and 2019 compared patients 2 y before (NP-pre, 2016-2018) and 1 y after (NP-post, 2018-2019) the establishment of a dedicated pancreatitis nurse coordinator. Unplanned hospital readmission and emergency room visits were compared between groups. Results A total of 178 NP patients were treated—112 patients in the NP-pre group and 66 patients in the NP-post group. No differences between groups were observed in age, sex, comorbidities, pancreatitis etiology, NP severity, or mortality. A mean of 5.4 ± 0.2 outpatient communications per patient with the pancreatitis nurse coordinator was documented in the NP-post group. Unplanned readmission rates decreased significantly from 64% (NP-pre) to 45% (NP-post; P = 0.02). The frequency of readmission decreased from 1.6 readmissions per patient (NP-pre) to 0.8 readmissions per patient (NP-post; P = 0.001). Readmissions because of symptomatic necrosis, failure to thrive, nonnecrosis infection, and drain dysfunction decreased (P Conclusions Improved outpatient communication identifies treatable problems and significantly decreases unplanned readmission in NP patients.
Development of an integrated digital health intervention to promote engagement in and adherence to medication for opioid use disorder

Buprenorphine-naloxone is an evidence-based treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. However, despite its efficacy, nearly half of participants are unsuccessful in achieving stabilization (i.e., period of time following medication induction in which medication dose is adjusted to be effective in reducing cravings/withdrawal, minimize potential side effects, and eliminate illicit substance use). This paper presents the study design and protocol for a digital health intervention designed to promote engagement in and adherence to buprenorphine treatment, offered through an outpatient addiction treatment center, through motivational enhancement and distress tolerance skills training. Personalized feedback interventions represent a promising method to effectively motivate engagement in and adherence to buprenorphine treatment. These interventions are generally brief, individually tailored, and have the potential to be delivered via mobile platforms. Distress tolerance, a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of substance use. Targeting distress tolerance may improve substance use treatment outcomes by promoting the ability to persist in goal-directed activity even when experiencing physical or emotional distress. The study aims are to: (1) develop and refine an interactive computer- and text message-delivered personalized feedback intervention that incorporates distress tolerance skills training for persons who have elected to initiate outpatient buprenorphine treatment (iCOPE); (2) examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of iCOPE for increasing abstinence, adherence, and retention in treatment compared to a treatment as usual comparison condition; and, (3) examine potential mechanisms that may underlie the efficacy of iCOPE in improving outcomes, including motivation, distress tolerance, self-regulation, and negative affect. Results of this study will be used to determine whether to proceed with further testing through a large-scale trial. This work has the potential to improve treatment outcomes by reducing illicit opioid use, increasing adherence/retention, and preventing future overdose and other complications of illicit opioid use. Trial Registration NCT03842384
User-Perceived Negative Respiratory Symptoms Associated with Electronic Cigarette Use

Introduction Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) expose users to an aerosol containing chemicals, which could affect the respiratory system negatively. This study examined negative respiratory symptoms associated with ECIG use. Methods In 2019, adult current ECIG users from 24 US states who reported experiencing negative respiratory symptoms from ECIG use (n = 49; 44.9% women; mean age = 35.2, SD = 11.5) completed an online survey and brainstormed statements that completed the prompt: "A specific negative effect or symptom related to my breathing, nose, mouth, throat, or lungs that I have experienced from vaping/using my e-cigarette is..." Participants sorted the final list of 56 statements into groups of similar content and rated statements on how true they were for them. Multidimensional scaling analysis identified thematic clusters. Results Eight ECIG use respiratory symptom clusters identified in analysis included Mucus and Congestion, Fatigue, Throat Symptoms, Breathing Problems, Mouth Symptoms, Chest Symptoms, Illness Symptoms, and Nose and Sinus Symptoms. Highly rated (ie, most common) symptoms included dry throat or mouth, fatigue during physical activity, coughing, shortness of breath, excessive phlegm, and bad taste in mouth. Mean cluster ratings did not differ based on lifetime cigarette smoking status (100 lifetime cigarettes smoked), but current cigarette smokers (ie, dual users) rated the Fatigue, Breathing Problems, Mucus and Congestion, and Nose and Sinus Symptoms clusters higher than noncurrent cigarette smokers. Conclusions Participant-identified respiratory symptoms perceived to be ECIG related, many similar to cigarette smoking symptoms. Future research should assess if these symptoms are associated with other negative health outcomes. Implications ECIG use exposes users to chemicals that may have negative health impacts on the respiratory system. Limited research has examined the broad range of negative respiratory symptoms associated with e-cigarette use. This study identified that ECIG-cigarette users perceive their ECIG use to be associated with negative respiratory symptoms. Many e-cigarette user-reported negative respiratory symptoms are similar to those associated with cigarette smoking, though some appear unique to e-cigarette use. Future research should continue to monitor respiratory symptoms reported by ECIG users and whether these are associated with health outcomes over time.
Phase behavior of diblock copolymer−homopolymer ternary blends with a compositionally asymmetric diblock copolymer

The phase behavior of ternary polymer blends comprising poly(cyclohexylethylene) (C) and polyethylene (E) homopolymers and a compositionally asymmetric CE diblock copolymer with fC = 0.67 was inves...
Fostering Interprofessional Geriatric Patient Care Skills for Health Professions Students Through a Nursing Facility-Based Immersion Rotation.

Introduction Interprofessional (IP) clinical care is ideally taught in authentic environments; however, training programs often lack authentic opportunities for health professions students to pract...
Is Physical Alteration a Sufficient Reason to Prohibit Ritual Infant Circumcision

European culture and thought have long disfavored ritual child circumcision, which is obligatory to Jews and Muslims. Much opposition to this practice hinges on the notion that it represents an unwarranted unconsented physical assault on the child. This article takes issue with that conclusion. Furthermore, even if one were to grant this conclusion, the offense is not of sufficient magnitude to warrant government action to halt the practice. On the other hand, suppression of ritual child circumcision may represent an attack against cultures and societies in which circumcision is practiced.
Adaptation of peristaltic pumps for laminar flow experiments

Endothelial cells (ECs) are the primary cellular constituent of blood vessels that are in direct contact with hemodynamic forces over the course of a lifetime. Throughout the body, vessels experience different types of blood flow patterns and rates that alter vascular architecture and cellular behavior. Because of the complexities of studying blood flow in an intact organism, particularly during development, modeling of blood flow in vitro has become a powerful technique for studying hemodynamic dependent signaling mechanisms in ECs. While commercial flow systems that recirculate fluids exist, many commercially available pumps are peristaltic and best model pulsatile flow conditions. However, there are many important in vivo situations in which ECs experience laminar flow conditions, such as along long, straight stretches of the vasculature. To understand EC function under these situations, it is important to be able to consistently model laminar flow conditions in vitro. Here, we outline a method to reliably adapt commercially available peristaltic pumps to reproducibly study laminar flow conditions. Our proof of concept study focuses on 2-dimensional (2D) models but could be further adapted to 3-dimensional (3D) environments to better model in vivo scenarios such as organ development. Our studies make significant inroads into solving technical challenges associated with flow modeling, and allow us to conduct functional studies towards understanding the mechanistic role of flow forces on vascular architecture, cellular behavior, and remodeling during a variety of physiological contexts.
‘I’m being heard right now’: amplifying individual voice through scaffolded focus groups

Qualitative researchers often turn to focus groups as an efficient and effective way to gather data in a collective context. A common critique is that they play into power dynamics present at the s...
Long-Term Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Background Given substantial advances in venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology, long-term support is increasingly feasible. Although the benefits of short-term ECMO as a bridge to recovery in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are well described, the utility and outcomes of long-term support remain unclear. Methods Patients requiring ECMO for ARDS between January 2009 and November 2012 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed separately for those requiring ECMO support for less than 3 weeks or for 3 weeks or longer. Demographic factors, ECMO variables, and outcomes were assessed. Results Fifty-five patients with ARDS received ECMO during the study period, with 11 patients requiring long-term ECMO support and a median duration of 36 (interquartile range: 24 to 68) days. Recovery was the initial goal in all patients. Pre-ECMO mechanical ventilatory support, indices of disease severity, and the ECMO cannulation strategy were similar between the two groups. Eight (73%) patients receiving long-term support were bridged to recovery, and 1 patient was bridged to transplantation after a refractory course. Eight (73%) patients receiving long-term support and 25 (57%) patients receiving short-term support survived to 30 days and hospital discharge. Conclusions Previously, long-term ECMO support was thought to be associated with unfavorable outcomes. This study, however, may provide support for the efficacy of ECMO support even for 3 weeks or more as a bridge to recovery or transplantation.
Neuromuscular blocking agents for electroconvulsive therapy: a systematic review.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the transcutaneous application of small electrical stimuli to the brain to induce generalised seizures for the treatment of selected psychiatric disorders. The clinical indications for ECT as an effective therapeutic modality have been considerably expanded since its introduction. Anaesthesia and neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are required to ensure patients’ safety during ECT. The optimal dose of muscle relaxant for ECT reduces muscle contractions without inducing complete paralysis. Slight residual motor convulsive activity is helpful in ascertaining that a seizure has occurred, while total paralysis prolongs the procedure unnecessarily. Suxamethonium is commonly used, but nondepolarising NMBAs are indicated in patients with certain comorbidities. In this review, we summarise current concepts of NMBA management for ECT.
Theory of a dilute low-temperature trapped Bose condensate

This set of four lectures reviews various aspects of the theory of a dilute low-temperature trapped Bose gas, starting with (I) a review of the Bogoliubov description of the elementary excitations in a uniform system. The treatment is then generalized (II) to include the new physical effects of a confining harmonic trap potential on the condensate and its normal modes. An equivalent hydrodynamic description (III) focuses directly on the density and velocity fluctuations. The physics of vortices (IV) in an incompressible fluid is summarized and extended to the case of a trapped Bose condensate.
Noncommutative Schur functions and their applications

We develop a theory of Schur functions in noncommuting variables, assuming commutation relations that are satisfied in many well-known associative algebras. As an application of our theory, we prove Schur-positivity and obtain generalized Littlewood-Richardson and Murnaghan-Nakayama rules for a large class of symmetric functions, including stable Schubert and Grothendieck polynomials.
Enrollment strategies in early home visitation to prevent physical child abuse and neglect and the “universal versus targeted” debate: a meta-analysis of population-based and screening-based programs

Abstract Objective: Seeking to discern optimal programmatic strategies and inform the “universal versus targeted” debate in early home visitation services to prevent physical child abuse and neglect, a meta-analysis was conducted examining enrollment approaches in early home visitation studies and their reported outcomes. Method: Quantitative meta-analytic techniques were used to compare effect sizes from 19 controlled outcome studies across screening-based and population-based enrollment strategies. Effect sizes were calculated on protective services data and on child maltreatment related measures of parenting. Results: On protective services report data, population-based studies reported a weighted mean effect size attributable to early home visitation of + 3.72%, in comparison to − .07% for screening-based studies. On child maltreatment related measures of parenting, population-based studies reported a weighted mean effect size (r) attributable to early home visitation of + .092, in comparison to + .020 for screening-based studies. Conclusions: The findings indicate that population-based enrollment strategies appear favorable to screening-based ones in early home visitation programs seeking to prevent physical child abuse and neglect. It may be that psychosocial risk screens serve to enroll higher proportions of families for which early home visitation services are less likely to leverage change, and to exacerbate a mismatch between early home visitation service aims and family needs.
Heterologous helminth induced resistance to Ascaris suum in guinea pigs

Abstract The protection inducing capacity of Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum , Haemonchus contortus, Caenorhabditis briggsae and Turbatrix aceti given via the mesenteric vein to a challenge infection with Ascaris suum was evaluated. Embryonated eggs and second stage larvae of T. canis and infective larvae of A. caninum were able to induce a statistically significant level of protective immunity, while the other non-related helminths were unable to protect against a challenge infection.
Crystal structure and substrate specificity of Drosophila 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase.

Background 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase (DDC), also known as aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, catalyzes the decarboxylation of a number of aromatic L-amino acids. Physiologically, DDC is responsible for the production of dopamine and serotonin through the decarboxylation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, respectively. In insects, both dopamine and serotonin serve as classical neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones, and dopamine is also involved in insect cuticle formation, eggshell hardening, and immune responses. Principal Findings In this study, we expressed a typical DDC enzyme from Drosophila melanogaster, critically analyzed its substrate specificity and biochemical properties, determined its crystal structure at 1.75 Angstrom resolution, and evaluated the roles residues T82 and H192 play in substrate binding and enzyme catalysis through site-directed mutagenesis of the enzyme. Our results establish that this DDC functions exclusively on the production of dopamine and serotonin, with no activity to tyrosine or tryptophan and catalyzes the formation of serotonin more efficiently than dopamine. Conclusions The crystal structure of Drosophila DDC and the site-directed mutagenesis study of the enzyme demonstrate that T82 is involved in substrate binding and that H192 is used not only for substrate interaction, but for cofactor binding of drDDC as well. Through comparative analysis, the results also provide insight into the structure-function relationship of other insect DDC-like proteins.
Willingness-to-pay to prevent Alzheimer's disease: a contingent valuation approach.

As the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) increases, the need to develop effective and well-tolerated pharmacotherapies for the prevention of AD is becoming increasingly important. Understanding determinants and magnitudes of individuals’ preferences for AD prevention programs is important while estimating the benefits of any new pharmacological intervention that targets the prevention of the disease. This paper applied contingent valuation, a method frequently used for economic valuation of goods or services not transacted in the markets, to estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) to prevent AD based on the nationally representative Health and Retirement Survey data. The WTP was associated in predictable ways with respondent characteristics. The mean estimated WTP for preventing AD is $155 per month (95 % CI $153–$157) based on interval regression. On average, a higher WTP for the prescription drug for AD prevention was reported by respondents with higher perceived risks, and greater household wealth. The findings provide useful information about determinants and the magnitude of individuals’ preferences for AD prevention drugs for healthcare payers and individual families while making decisions to prevent AD.
Theory of loaded scatterers

A general formulation is given for the problem of electromagnetic scattering by an object having N terminal pairs (or ports) to which N loads or an N-port network is connected. The theory is applicable to back scattering and bistatic scattering, reciprocal and nonreciprocal media, near-field and far-field scattering and passive and active loads. The representation is made in terms of both open-circuit impedance parameters and short-circuit admittance parameters. Variational formulas for all parameters are given. Specialisation to the case of planewave scattering is made. Relationships between scattering parameters and commonly defined antenna parameters are given. Several examples of applications of the theory are included.
Gastroesophageal Reflux in Esophageal Scleroderma: Diagnosis and Implications

Abstract Fifty-three patients with scleroderma were evaluated by history, barium swallow, and esophageal function tests. The most common esophageal symptoms were heartburn and dysphagia. Abnormal motility was seen radiologically in 43 patients, gastroesophageal reflux in only 9. Esophageal function tests demonstrated: (1) abnormal motility in 51 patients and lack of a distal esophageal high-pressure zone in 18; (2) moderate to severe gastroesophageal reflux in 38; and (3) abnormal acid-clearing ability in 50. Eleven patients, including 8 with peptic stricture, underwent the combined Collis-Belsey operation. Symptomatically, reflux was abolished in all and dysphagia in 10. Roentgenograms showed that regression of strictures was complete in 5 and partial in 3. Postoperative esophageal function tests in 9 patients demonstrated a competent distal esophageal valvular mechanism in 7. Gastroesophageal reflux, not impaired motility, is the major cause of esophageal symptoms in scleroderma. Its effective operative control is not contraindicated by systemic disease in these patients.
Stress, satisfaction, and coping: a study of women clerical workers.

Increasing numbers of women in the work force have prompted researchers to study the health impact of their work satisfactions and Stressors. In this study, we examined the quality of the work role as perceived by women who hold clerical jobs. Qualitative data were collected through structured interviews with 87 female clerical workers employed in four organizational settings. All were mothers with one or more children living at home. Work satisfaction, work Stressors, coping strategies, and resources were discussed in the interviews. Categories were developed for each of these areas. The Ethnograph computer program was used after content analysis to code and retrieve the responses for each category.
THE RELEASE OF THROMBOXANE A2 AND PROSTACYCLIN FOLLOWING EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE PULMONARY EMBOLISM

The contributions of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) to the effects of acute pulmonary embolism were evaluated in 18 open-chest rabbits. All rabbits received autologous whole-blood-clot embolus (.4 cc) by way of a catheter in the right ventricle. Pulmonary artery (PA) and left atrial (LA) pressures, and aortic flow (AOQ) were recorded. The stable metabolites of TXA2 (TXB2) and PGI2 (6-Keto PGF1) were assayed by radioimmunoassay at pre- and post-embolization periods (+5, +10, +20, +30, and +40 minutes). Significant elevations of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (normalized), PA pressure, and reduction of AOQ were noted comparing pre-embolus to +5 minute time intervals. A negative correlation was reached between PGI2 and AOQ at +40 minutes (p less than .05). Five of the 13 rabbits died prematurely. At +5 minutes these 5 rabbits had higher PVR (p less than .001) and lower AOQ (p less than .01) than their living counterparts. At +10 minutes AOQ was still significantly lower (p less than .005) and TXB2 was higher (p less than .05) in the premature death group. We conclude that TXB2 is significantly but transiently elevated early following acute pulmonary embolism and may contribute to mortality. In contrast PGI2 does not appear to play an immediate role in the hemodynamic events following embolization but does rise to significant levels later in the course possibly in an attempt to compensate for reduced flow.
An Unusual Case of Tracheoesophageal Fistulae

Acquired tracheoesophageal fistulae (TEF) are commonly due to malignancy (M. F. Reed and D. J. Mathisen, 2003). We present the case of a patient with a deceptive history for TEF and report an approach that provides adequate oxygenation, ventilation, surgical exposure, and postoperative analgesia with excellent outcome.
Drug delivery to brain tumors

We develop a macroscopic model for delivering drug to brain tumors. The model accounts for bulk convective and diffusive transport across the blood-brain barrier and through the interstitial space. Through mathematical analysis and simulations, we assess the effects of changing parameters (within physiological bounds) on drug delivery. We find that there is an optimal treatment for convective drug delivery to the center of the tumor. We interpret this phenomenon in terms of traffic flow. The implications of our analyses on existing chemotherapeutic protocols are discussed.
Perceptual grouping in striate cortical networks mediated by synchronization and desynchronization

One advantage of cortical synchronization as a binding mechanism is its ability to account for phenomena such as perceptual grouping. Such a mechanism requires the ability to synchronize groups of cells and to desynchronize these groups from each other. We present a striate cortical model of perceptual grouping in which synchronization and desynchronization is carried out by a single, common mechanism. Cortical pyramidal cells and interneurons are simulated using multi-compartmental models. Cells in different orientation columns are inter-connected via two sets of long-distance connections that differ in axonal delays and spatial projections. The relative influence of these two connections determines whether synchronization or desynchronization occurs. Once one group of cells synchronizes, inputs from these cells facilitate synchronization in other orientation columns. We address the role of these synchronizing and desynchronizing connections in mediating perceptual grouping and metastable percepts.
Physiology and Emerging Biochemistry of the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor

The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor is one of the best validated therapeutic targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Over several years, the accumulation of basic, translational, and clinical research helped define the physiologic roles of GLP-1 and its receptor in regulating glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. These efforts provided much of the foundation for pharmaceutical development of the GLP-1 receptor peptide agonists, exenatide and liraglutide, as novel medicines for patients suffering from T2DM. Now, much attention is focused on better understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in ligand induced signaling of the GLP-1 receptor. For example, advancements in biophysical and structural biology techniques are being applied in attempts to more precisely determine ligand binding and receptor occupancy characteristics at the atomic level. These efforts should better inform three-dimensional modeling of the GLP-1 receptor that will help inspire more rational approaches to identify and optimize small molecule agonists or allosteric modulators targeting the GLP-1 receptor. This article reviews GLP-1 receptor physiology with an emphasis on GLP-1 induced signaling mechanisms in order to highlight new molecular strategies that help determine desired pharmacologic characteristics for guiding development of future nonpeptide GLP-1 receptor activators.
Narratives of the social scientist: understanding the work of John Ogbu

This article contextualizes the work of the late educational anthropologist John Ogbu in terms of uniquely American narratives that have explanatory and motivational value for different segments of the US population. The narrative Ogbu championed has explanatory value among several educational researchers, and is consistent with an ethnic immigrant narrative that has long held motivational value among African, Asian and European immigrant students in the United States – quite possibly including John Ogbu – who came to the US as an immigrant student himself. While I point out specific problems that undermine the accuracy of Ogbu’s assessments and the quality of his analysis, I also point out that (for better or worse), when it comes to the effectiveness and acceptance of such narratives among different groups of people, historical accuracy and objective truth is not as important as the extent to which the explanations offered hold explanatory and motivational value and resonate with individual or group exp...
Effects of antiglucocorticoid treatment on 5-HT1A function in depressed patients and healthy subjects

Clinical studies suggest that 5-HT1A receptor function may be blunted in depression, while 5-HT1A agonists may possess antidepressant activity. Preclinical findings implicate changes in 5-HT1A receptor sensitivity in the mechanism of antidepressant action. The hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in depression could be related to these observations, since 5-HT1A receptors are inhibited by glucocorticoids. To evaluate the interaction of the HPA and 5-HT1A systems, we pretreated 15 unipolar depressed patients and 12 healthy control subjects with the antiglucocorticoid ketoconazole (KTCZ) prior to administration of a test dose of the 5-HT1A agonist ipsapirone (IPS). Neuroendocrine (ACTH, cortisol, growth hormone), physiological (hypothermia), and behavioral responses to IPS were assessed. As expected, KTCZ inhibited cortisol biosynthesis, but non-HPA responses to IPS were not enhanced. This study failed to show that glucocorticoid modulation of 5-HT1A receptor function is altered in depression.
Need for achievement as a determinant of job proficiency, employability, and training satisfaction of vocational rehabilitation clients

Abstract Job proficiency, personal quality, employability, training satisfaction, manifest anxiety, locus of control, and 16 other personality attributes of 140 vocational rehabilitation clients were investigated in relation to their manifest need for achievement. Correlates of manifest need for achievement found were the subject's appearance ( r = .19, p r = .23, p r = .23, p r = .20, p
Structural and Rheological Properties of Meibomian Lipid

Purpose We explore the unique rheological and structural properties of human and bovine meibomian lipids to provide insight into the physical behavior of the human tear-film lipid layer (TFLL). Methods Bulk rheological properties of pooled meibomian lipids were measured by a commercial stress-controlled rheometer; a home-built interfacial stress rheometer (ISR) probed the interfacial viscoelasticity of spread layers of meibomian lipids. Small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering detected the presence and melting of dispersed crystal structures. Microscope examination under cross polarizers provided confirmation of ordered crystals. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analyzed phase transitions in bulk samples of bovine meibum. Results Bulk and interfacial rheology measurements show that meibum is extremely viscous and highly elastic. It is also a non-Newtonian, shear-thinning fluid. Small- and wide-angle x-ray diffraction (SAXS and WAXS), as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing microscopy, confirm the presence of suspended lamellar-crystal structures at physiologic temperature. Conclusions We studied meibum architecture and its relation to bulk and interfacial rheology. Bovine and human meibomian lipids exhibit similar physical properties. From all structural probes utilized, we find a melt transition near eye temperature at which lamellar crystals liquefy. Our proposed structure for the tear-film lipid layer at physiologic temperature is a highly viscoelastic, shear-thinning liquid suspension consisting of lipid lamellar-crystallite particulates immersed in a continuous liquid phase with no long-range order. When spread over on-eye tear, the TFLL is a duplex film that exhibits bulk liquid properties and two separate interfaces, air/lipid and water/lipid, with aqueous protein and surfactantlike lipids adsorbed at the water/lipid surface.
Slow solidification of a cylinder with constant heat efflux

Abstract An asymptotic solution for the slow solidification of an infinite cylinder with constant surface heat flux is presented. The solidification of a 10 cm. diameter aluminum cylinder in 30 minutes corresponds to a value of 0.00901 for the small parameter. The predictions of the solidification front position based on the first three terms in the asymptotic expansion are presented. The extension to steady-state continuous casting is discussed.
Long-term Peritoneal Dialysis Before Transplantation and Intra-abdominal Infection After Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplantations

Objective: To investigate whether long-term peritoneal dialysis before transplantation entails a higher risk than hemodialysis for intra-abdominal infection after bladder-drained simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantations. Design: Large single-center case-control study. Setting: A large university hospital (referral center). Patients: In all, 189 bladder-drained simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantations were done from January 1, 1986, to December 31, 1994: before transplantations were performed, 32 recipients (17%) were undergoing peritoneal dialysis, 71 recipients (38%) were undergoing hemodialysis, and 86 recipients (46) were not undergoing dialysis. Main Outcome Measures: The intra-abdominal infection rate after transplantation and the rate of graft loss due to infection. Results: Intra-abdominal infections developed in 33 recipients (18%) after transplantation. Graft and patient survival rates were significantly lower for recipients with vs without an infection ( P P =.3). The rate of graft loss due to infection was not significantly different for recipients who were undergoing peritoneal dialysis vs hemodialysis ( P =.1). However, it was higher for recipients who were undergoing dialysis (peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis) vs those patients who were not undergoing dialysis ( P =.04). Conclusions: Candidates for simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation should undergo the transplantation preemptively (ie, before they become dependent on dialysis) because the rate of graft loss due to infection was higher for recipients who were underoing dialysis (irrespective of the dialysis mode). If dialysis cannot be avoided, the choice of peritoneal dialysis vs hemodialysis can be individualized, since these dialysis modes do not have significantly different rates of infection or of graft loss due to infection. Arch Surg. 1996;131:761-766
TU-C-303A-04: Slow Gantry Rotation Acquisition Protocol for Four-Dimensional Digital Tomosynthesis

Purpose: Four‐dimensional digital tomosynthesis (4D‐DTS) was recently introduced as a novel on‐board 4D imaging technique. The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a slow gantry rotation acquisition protocol for 4D‐DTS. A formalism for determining appropriate acquisition parameters based on patients' respiratory characteristics was derived and tested. Methods & Materials: Equations were derived to explain the relationships between slow gantry acquisition parameters (scan speed, frame rate and scan angle) and respiratory characteristics (average period and regularity). Additional equations relate acquisition parameters with resultant scan times, projection numbers and the distribution of projections within phase bins once sorting and binning are complete. Phantom studies were conducted to test the new protocol. A body phantom was mounted on a moving platform to simulate short and long respiratory cycles (3 and 6‐s) and scanned using the slow gantry protocol with a 1.1‐deg/sec scan speed and a 7.8‐fps frame rate. Projections were binned and sorted into 10 phases with 10% phase windows. Resultant distributions of projections within phase bins were compared with expected distributions based on the derived formalism. Reconstructions were completed to investigate dependence on respiratory period. Results: The maximum angular intervals between projections within phase bins were estimated by the formalism to be 3.5 and 6.8° for the 3 and 6‐s profiles, respectively. Actual values ranged 3.4 to 3.6° for the 3‐s profile and from 6.8 to 7.16° for the 6‐s profile. Reconstructions demonstrated the importance of adjusting scan speed according to respiratory cycle length. Conclusion: A 4D‐DTS slow gantry rotation acquisition protocol was developed, implemented, and tested. The derived formalism has proven useful for determining appropriate acquisition parameters based on respiratory characteristics and will be used as a framework for further optimization and testing of the protocol. Conflict of Interest: Partially supported by a Varian research grant.
DOUBLE A-V NODAL RHYTHM.

Five cases of double A-V nodal rhythm have been discussed in detail and the relevant literature has been reviewed. Double A-V nodal rhythm was thought to be due to digitalis intoxication during digitalis therapy for congestive failure in 4 cases.
Enhanced Light Emission from Large-Area Monolayer MoS2 Using Plasmonic Nanodisc Arrays

Single-layer direct band gap semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides are quite attractive for a wide range of electronics, photonics, and optoelectronics applications. Their monolayer thickness provides significant advantages in many applications such as field-effect transistors for high-performance electronics, sensor/detector applications, and flexible electronics. However, for optoelectronics and photonics applications, inherent monolayer thickness poses a significant challenge for the interaction of light with the material, which therefore results in poor light emission and absorption behavior. Here, we demonstrate enhanced light emission from large-area monolayer MoS2 using plasmonic silver nanodisc arrays, where enhanced photoluminescence up to 12-times has been measured. Observed phenomena stem from the fact that plasmonic resonance couples to both excitation and emission fields and thus boosts the light–matter interaction at the nanoscale. Reported results allow us to engineer ligh...
Spectrum and chemical analysis of the double-ring planetary nebula IC 1297

The double-ring planetary nebula IC 1297 resembles NGC 7662 in appearance, although it is of much lower surface brightness. What is remarkable is the great strength of the dielectronic recombination O V line. Although this line is seen as a P Cygni feature in a number of planetary nebulae, it is in those instances accompanied by a strong continuum and other easily recognized features of stellar origin. No star is visible on CCD images of IC 1297. Optical region measurements are supplemented by IUE observations. The following logarithmic abundance values are found: log N(He) = 11.065; log N(forbidden C) = 8.6; log N(N) = 8.1; log N(O) = 8.74; log N(Ne) = 8.16; log N(S) = 7.0; log N(Cl) = 5.4; log N(Ar) = 6.2. The nebula shows no dramatic pattern of nucleogenesis events.
Particle size dispersion during latex growth

The evolution of the latex particle diameter distribution during batch emulsion polymerization is investigated, with emphasis on changes in the breadth of the size distribution. A model utilizing a surface area-dependent volumetric growth rate of a single particle results in a time-invariant standard deviation of the size distribution during periods of particle growth only. This behavior is reconciled with some experimental observations by considering the occurrence of particle nucleation during some part of the growth interval. Conclusions based on the results of the model suggest that higher inhibitor and low emulsifier concentrations favor narrow particle size distributions.
Use of cotton gin trash to enhance denitrification in restored forested wetlands

Abstract Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) has lost about 80% bottomland hardwood forests, mainly to agriculture. This landscape scale alteration of the LMV resulted in the loss of nitrate (NO3) removal capacity of the valley, contributing to nitrogen (N)-enhanced eutrophication and potentially hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Restoration of hardwood forests in the LMV is a highly recommended practice to reduce NO3 load of the Mississippi River. However, restored bottomland forests take decades to develop characteristic ecological functions including denitrifier activity. One way to enhance denitrifier activity in restored wetland forests is to amend the soils with an available carbon (C) source. This research investigated the effects of cotton gin trash (CGT) amendment on denitrification rate and N2O:N2 emission ratio from a restored bottomland forest soils and compared it to those from an adjacent unamended natural forest soils. CGT amendment increased denitrification rates in the restored forest soils to the level of the natural forest soils. N2O:N2 emission ratios from the restored and natural forest soils were highly variable and were not significantly different from each other. These findings suggest that restoration of bottomland hardwood forests in the LMV will require organic carbon amendment to achieve enhanced denitrifier activity for NO3 removal while the restored forest is developing into a mature state over time.
An abdominal tourniquet for regional chemotherapy.

Summary Regional chemotherapy by various perfusion techniques is currently undergoing evaluation in many centers. One of the major technical problems has been perfection of the vascular isolation of a regional area so that adequate concentration of chemotherapeutic agents can be delivered to this site with minimal dosage to other areas of the body. The purpose of this preliminary report has been to describe a large pneumatic abdominal tourniquet that has proved useful in effecting control of abdominal collateral blood vessels. The experience gained in initial trials of this approach for regional iliac marrow protection in 13 patients is presented and would suggest that this can be accomplished. The degree of therapeutic benefit which may result from this technique is currently under investigation. Early experience with this abdominal tourniquet for pelvic perfusion in 7 patients is also described. These studies have shown promise of marked improvement in regional isolation (reduced “leakage”) despite possible problems associated with its use.