cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The incidence and risk factors for perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion in primary idiopathic scoliosis surgery

Case–control study. Evaluate the rate and risk factors for perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) in primary idiopathic scoliosis surgery at a single institution. Avoiding perioperative ABT is ideal as transfusions are associated with adverse reactions, increased rates of infection, prolonged hospitalization, additional laboratory testing, and increased cost. Risk factors identified in other studies have differed, and to our knowledge, few studies have identified clinical strategies to predict patients at high risk for ABT. We reviewed 402 idiopathic scoliosis patients who underwent primary posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation (PSFI) at a single institution from 2015 to 2017. Medical records and radiographs were reviewed for all patients. Transfused patients were compared to the remaining cohort to find significant differences and identify predictors of higher ABT risk. ABT occurred in 73 patients (18.2%), with the majority of transfusions occurring intraoperatively (41%) or postoperatively on the day of surgery (25%). The seven surgeons involved varied significantly in incidence of ABT (2.4–35.8%, p = 0.002). Patients who had ABT were younger (13.3 vs. 14.1 years, p < 0.01), had lower BMI (48th vs. 61st percentile, p < 0.001), and lower preoperative hemoglobin (13.1 vs. 13.7 g/dL, p < 0.01). Greater preoperative major Cobb angle (69° vs. 61.5°, p < 0.001), number of fusion levels (11.8 vs. 10.3, p < 0.001), and estimated blood loss (770 vs. 448 mL, p < 0.001) also predicted ABT. ABT was associated with several risk factors, five of which are known preoperatively. Surgeons can use knowledge of these risk factors to assess transfusion risk preoperatively and plan surgery, blood management, and laboratory testing accordingly. The development of best practices for ordering ABT is possible given the variation amongst providers. Level III.
Wide-Scale Green Digital Technologies in the Economy: Future and Nowadays

The paper deals with the issues of trends of the impact of green digital technologies both on the formation of economic processes and on environmental changes.
Neuropsychological assessment of mild cognitive impairment in Latinx adults: A scoping review.

Objective: Latinx populations are rapidly growing and aging in the United States. There is a critical need to accurately and efficiently detect those at risk for dementia, particularly those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI diagnosis often relies on neuropsychological assessment, although cultural, demographic, and linguistic characteristics may impact test scores. This study provides a scoping review of neuropsychological studies on MCI in Hispanic/Latinx populations to evaluate how studies report and account for these factors in diagnosis of MCI. Method: Studies were identified using Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, using search terms (Hispanic* OR Latin* OR "Mexican American*" OR "Puerto Ric*" OR Caribbean) and ("Mild Cognitive Impairment" OR MCI). Studies using neuropsychological tests in diagnosis of MCI for Latinx individuals in the United States were identified. Sample characterization (e.g., country of origin, literacy, language preference and proficiency), neuropsychological testing methods (e.g., test selection and translation, normative data source), and method of MCI diagnosis were reviewed. Results: Forty-four articles met inclusion criteria. There was considerable variability in reporting of demographic, cultural and linguistic factors across studies of MCI in Latinx individuals. For example, only 5% of studies reported nativity status, 52% reported information on language preference and use, and 34% reported the method and/or source of test translation and adaptation. Conclusions: Future studies of diagnosis of MCI in Latinx individuals should report cultural details and use of appropriate neuropsychological assessment tools and normative data. This is important to accurately estimate the prevalence of MCI in Latinx individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Health utility and quality of life in pediatric liver transplant recipients.

To measure HU and HRQOL in pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients, a cross-sectional study of patient-parent dyads was conducted. Direct HU were assessed in 48 adolescents ≥12 years using SG and TTO techniques. Indirect HU were measured by Health Utility Index 2 and HUI3 for subjects ≥12 years and CHU9D for ≥7 years. Patients reported HRQOL using PedsQL™ GC and PedsQL™ TM. A total of 108 dyads participated (55.6% female; 73.2% Caucasian; 42.6% biliary atresia; 35.2% living donor; 37.0% Medicaid). Mean age at survey was 13.6 ± 3.5 years, and time from LT was 8.9 ± 4.9 years. 61.2% were on monotherapy, 25 (23.2%) had acute rejection within 3 years, and 15 (13.9%) had a biliary obstruction within 5 years. Mean indirect HU and HRQOL scores by child report were lower than norms (P < .001). LRD recipients had higher PedsQL™ GC, PedsQL™ TM, and HUI3 scores (P < .01). HU in pediatric LT recipients are lower than norms. Availability of HU scores for post-transplant health states will enable measurement of quality-adjusted life years for future comparative effectiveness studies.
Wetland plant community variation across replicate urban to rural gradients: non-native species as both drivers and passengers in systems impacted by anthropogenic land-use

Anthropogenic land-use change impacts ecological communities in urban and rural landscapes, and wetlands are particularly vulnerable despite the valuable ecosystem services they provide. Urbanized non-wetland systems are often enriched in non-native plant species, and similar patterns in wetlands would have implications for ecosystem function and biodiversity. We evaluated landscape-scale patterns of plant community diversity across gradients of rural to urban land-use, testing whether diversity was related to environmental conditions indicative of surrounding land-use. We surveyed vegetation and collected soil samples from 45 wetlands throughout Ohio, USA. Sites were categorized based on surrounding land-use as intense urban, moderate urban, or rural, representing 15 replicate urban to rural gradients. Non-native richness was 56% greater and non-native relative abundance 74% greater in intense urban sites compared to rural sites. Structural equation modeling indicated that high non-native relative abundance caused reductions in native plant richness but not native Shannon diversity, which was instead related to high concentrations of urban-associated soil contaminants such as cadmium and sodium. Our results support both versions of the driver-passenger model of invasion impacts, depending on the response: native richness is directly limited by competition with non-native species (the driver model), while native diversity is limited more by urban-associated stressors that also affect non-natives (the passenger model). The few wetlands remaining in highly urban areas thus experience a range of constraints affecting multiple dimensions of wetland health. We argue it is in these sites specifically where the benefits of restoring wetland ecosystems will be maximized.
Accelerated Reply Injection for Removing NoC Bottleneck in GPGPUs

The high level of parallelism in GPGPUs has resulted in significantly changed on-chip data traffic behaviors. This demands new research to identify and address the limiting factors of networks-on-chip (NoCs) in the context of GPGPUs. In this paper, we quantitatively analyze the performance of on-chip networks in GPGPUs, and address a serious NoC bottleneck where the reply data from memory controllers experience large contention when being injected to the reply network. To remove this reply injection bottleneck, we propose Accelerated Reply Injection (ARI), a very effective scheme that can supply a fast rate of data traffic from memory controllers to feed the reply injection points, and accelerates the consumption of the injected packets by quickly transferring the packets out of the injection points, thus increasing both supply and consumption of reply traffic injection. Simulation results on a wide range of benchmarks show that the proposed ARI reduces the data stall time in memory controllers by 67.8% on average, and increases IPC by more than 15.4% on average, with less than 1% area overhead.
Demonstration of a SiC Protective Coating for Titanium Implants

To mitigate the corrosion of titanium implants and improve implant longevity, we investigated the capability to coat titanium implants with SiC and determined if the coating could remain intact after simulated implant placement. Titanium disks and titanium implants were coated with SiC using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and were examined for interface quality, chemical composition, and coating robustness. SiC-coated titanium implants were torqued into a Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block to simulate clinical implant placement followed by energy dispersive spectroscopy to determine if the coating remained intact. After torquing, the atomic concentration of the detectable elements (silicon, carbon, oxygen, titanium, and aluminum) remained relatively unchanged, with the variation staying within the detection limits of the Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) tool. In conclusion, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited SiC was shown to conformably coat titanium implant surfaces and remain intact after torquing the coated implants into a material with a similar hardness to human bone mass.
Retroactivism in the Lesbian Archives: Composing Pasts and Futures

Historians of rhetoric have long acknowledged that archives are constructions – careful curations of the stories that power deems worthy of remembering. In Retroactivism in the Lesbian Archives: Co...
Direct Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides to the Middle and Inner Ear Improves Hearing and Balance in Usher Mice.

Usher syndrome is a syndromic form of hereditary hearing impairment that includes sensorineural hearing loss and delayed-onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Type 1 Usher syndrome (USH1) is characterized by congenital profound sensorineural hearing impairment and vestibular areflexia, with adolescent-onset RP. Systemic treatment with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting the human USH1C c.216G>A splicing mutation in a knockin mouse model of USH1 restores hearing and balance. Herein, we explore the effect of delivering ASOs locally to the ear to treat hearing and vestibular dysfunction associated with Usher syndrome. Three localized delivery strategies were investigated in USH1C mice: inner ear injection, trans-tympanic membrane injection, and topical tympanic membrane application. We demonstrate, for the first time, that ASOs delivered directly to the ear correct Ush1c expression in inner ear tissue, improve cochlear hair cell transduction currents, restore vestibular afferent irregularity, spontaneous firing rate, and sensitivity to head rotation, and successfully recover hearing thresholds and balance behaviors in USH1C mice. We conclude that local delivery of ASOs to the middle and inner ear reach hair cells and can rescue both hearing and balance. These results also demonstrate the therapeutic potential of ASOs to treat hearing and balance deficits associated with Usher syndrome and other ear diseases.
Coexistence of Substance Abuse among Emergency Department Patients Presenting with Suicidal Ideation.

Background. Patients who are suicidal commonly seek care in the emergency department (ED). Few studies have examined the coexistence between suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and psychiatric diagnosis. Objectives. This study sought to determine how often suicidal ED patients have coexisting substance abuse and psychiatric diagnosis in addition to describing the characteristics of target population. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, chart reviews were conducted of patients over 12 with suicidal ideation who presented to an academic ED from October 2016 to March 2017. Data abstracted included gender, age, insurance, prior psychiatric diagnoses, substances abused, presence of a suicide attempt, prior suicidality, number of ED visits in the prior year, and disposition. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated. Results. There were 427 patient visits to the ED for suicidality during the study period, of which 54% were male, with a mean age of 34 years. Most patients (92%) had a psychiatric diagnosis, most commonly depression (67%). More than one psychiatric diagnosis was reported in 51% of patients, while 8% had no reported underlying psychiatric diagnosis. Substance abuse was reported in 58% of patients, including marijuana (42%) and opioids (41%). Polysubstance abuse was reported in 42%. Approximately half of the patients had three or more ED visits in the previous 12 months. Most patients were insured by Medicaid (51%), while 59% were admitted for inpatient treatment. Conclusion. Substance abuse and psychiatric diagnosis were reported frequently among patients presenting to the ED with suicidal ideation, often involving more than one substance/diagnosis. Future studies should be aimed at evaluating the relationship between these conditions and determining how to better care for this population.
Diversity, tokenism, and comic books: Crafting better strategies

Abstract This article examines aspects related to diversity and inclusion in the context of media products. Specifically, it looks at key issues surrounding strategies to increase diversity and inclusion in comic books that come up short because of problems of implementation and execution. Using the context of Marvel Comics’ “All-New, All-Different” strategy, whereby the firm created a myriad of new characters from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, we explain how diversity strategy can backfire. In our analysis, both netnographic and interview data show how issues of perceived tokenism and of content creation without appropriate depth can thwart consumer acceptance of diversity and inclusion strategies. Consumer rejection of these strategies can harm both sales and brand equity. Implications for marketing managers and content creators are discussed.
Can Host-Based SDNs Rival the Traffic Engineering Abilities of Switch-Based SDNs?

The software-defined networking (SDN) paradigm offers significant flexibility for network operators. However, the SDN community has focused on switch-based implementations, which pose several challenges. First, some may require significant hardware costs to upgrade a network. Further, fine-grained flow control in a switch-based SDN results in well-known, fundamental scalability limitations. These challenges may limit the reach of SDN technologies. In this work, we explore the extent to which host-based SDN agents can achieve feature parity with switch-based SDNs. Prior work has shown the potential of host-based SDNs for security and access control. Our study finds that with appropriate preparation, a host-based agent offers the same capabilities of switch-based SDN s in the remaining key area of traffic engineering, even in a legacy managed-switch network. We find the approach offers comparable performance to switch-based SDNs while eliminating the flow table scalability and cost concerns of switch-based SDN deployments. In this work, we explore the extent to which host-based SDN agents can achieve feature parity with switch-based SDNs. Prior work has shown the potential of host-based SDNs for security and access control. Our study finds that with appropriate preparation, a host-based agent offers the same capabilities of switch-based SDN s in the remaining key area of traffic engineering, even in a legacy managed-switch network. We find the approach offers comparable performance to switch-based SDNs while eliminating the flow table scalability and cost concerns of switch-based SDN deployments.
4-Aminopyridine: A Single-Dose Diagnostic Agent to Differentiate Axonal Continuity in Nerve Injuries

Introduction Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries (TPNIs) are increasingly prevalent in battlefield trauma, and the functional recovery with TPNIs depends on axonal continuity. Although the physical examination is the main tool for clinical diagnosis with diagnostic work up, there is no diagnostic tool available to differentiate nerve injuries based on axonal continuity. Therefore, treatment often relies on "watchful waiting," and this leads to muscle weakness and further reduces the chances of functional recovery. 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is clinically used in multiple sclerosis patients for walking performance improvement. Preliminary results in conscious mice suggested a diagnostic role of 4-AP in distinguishing axonal continuity. In this study, we thought to evaluate the diagnostic potential of 4-AP on the axonal continuity in unawake/sedated animals. Materials and methods Rat sciatic nerve crush and transection injuries were used in this study. Briefly, rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and mechanically ventilated with oxygen-balanced vaporized isoflurane. Sciatic nerve and triceps surae muscles were exposed by blunt dissection, and a stimulating electrode was placed under a sciatic nerve proximal to the crush injury. A force transducer measured muscle tension response to electrical stimulation of sciatic nerve. Muscle response was measured before crush, after crush, and 30 minutes after systemic 4-AP (150 µg/kg) or local (4-AP)-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA-PEG) treatment. Results We found that both crush and transection injuries in sciatic nerve completely abolished muscle response to electrical stimulation. Single dose of systemic 4-AP and local (4-AP)-PLGA-PEG treatment with crush injury significantly restored muscle responses to electrical stimulation after 30 minutes of administration. However, systemic 4-AP treatment had no effect on muscle response after nerve transection. These results clearly demonstrate that 4-AP can restore nerve conduction and produce muscle response within minutes of administration only when there is a nerve continuity, even in the sedated animal. Conclusions We conclude that 4-AP could be a promising diagnostic agent in differentiating TPNI based on axonal continuity.
City analog: scavenging sonic archives and urban pedagogy

In this essay, we describe a pedagogy for teaching and studying literature and cities through the embodiment of an urban sound scavenger. Extending Walter Benjamin’s figure of the ragpicker to poet...
Collective bursting of free-surface bubbles, and the role of surface contamination

Air bubbles at the surface of water end their life in a particular way: when bursting, they may eject drops of liquid in the surrounding environment. Many uncertainties remain regarding collective effects of bubbles at the water–air interface, despite extensive efforts to describe the bursting mechanisms, motivated by their critical importance in mass transfers between the ocean and the atmosphere in the production of sea spray aerosols. We investigate the effect of surfactant on the collective dynamics and statistics of air bubbles evolving freely at the surface of water, through an experimental set-up controlling the bulk distribution of bubbles with nearly monodisperse millimetric air bubbles. We observe that for low contamination, bubble coalescence is inevitable and leads to a broad surface size distribution. For higher surfactant concentrations, coalescence at the surface is prevented and bubble lifetime is increased, leading to the formation of rafts with a surface size distribution identical to the bulk distribution. This shows that surface contamination has a first-order influence on the transfer function from bulk size distribution to surface size distribution, an intermediate step which needs to be considered when developing sea spray source function as droplet production by bubble bursting depends on the bubble size. We measure the bursting and merging rates of bubbles as a function of contamination through a complementary freely decaying raft experiment. We propose a cellular automaton model that includes the minimal ingredients to reproduce the experimental results in the statistically stationary configuration: production, coalescence and bursting after a finite lifetime.
Sensorless Force Estimation for a Two-Link Manipulator Based Upon Linear Dynamics

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a force observer for a two-link planer manipulator. It is shown that the dynamics of the planer two-link manipulator can be decomposed into a linear portion and a nonlinear portion. A discrete-time full-state observer based upon both the linear dynamics and static friction is designed. The observer utilizes joint angle measurements and motor armature duty cycles to provide an estimate of the external force that is being applied to the manipulator’s end-effector.
Medicine in the 21st century: global problems, global solutions.

Objectives: To discuss application areas of information technology in medicine and health care on the occasion of the opening of the Private Universitat fur Medizinische Informatik und Technik Tirol/University for Health Informatics and Technology Tyrol (UMIT) at Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria. Results and Conclusions: Important application areas of information technology in medicine and health ore appropriate individual access to medical knowledge, new engineering developments such as new radiant imaging methods and the implantable pacemaker/ defibrillator devices, mathematical modeling for understanding the workings of the human body, the computer-based patient record, as well as new knowledge in molecular biology, human genetics, and biotechnology. Challenges and responsibilities for medical informatics research include medical data privacy and intellectual property rights inherent in the content of the information systems.
Circulating gonadotropins, estrogens, and androgens in polycystic ovarian disease.

Serum gonadotropin, estrogen, and androgen levels were measured in samples obtained from 19 patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCO) and from 10 normal women on day 2 to 4 of their menstrual cycles. In patients with PCO, the mean (plus or minus S.E.) concentration was significantly higher (P smaller than 0.001) than the concentrations found in the normal subjects for LH (35 plus or minus 4.6 vs. 12.7 plus or minus 2.6 m.I.U. per milliliter), but not for FSH (10.3 plus or minus 0.7 vs. 8.7 plus or minus 0.9 m.I.U. per milliliter). Estrone (E1) levels (92 plus or minus 4 vs. 52 plus or minus 5 pg. per milliliter) were also significantly higher (P smaller than 0.001), while estradiol (E2) concentrations (58 plus or minus 4 vs. 63 plus or minus 8 pg. per milliliter) were comparable. Testosterone (T) (468 plus or minus 41 vs. 325 plus or minus 34 pg. per milliliter, P smaller than 0.05), androstenedione (delta) (2,083 plus or minus 138 vs. 1,123 plus or minus 153 pg. per milliliter, P smaller than 0.001), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (3.4 plus or minus 0.4 vs. 2.0 plus or minus 0.37 mug per milliliter, P smaller 0.02) were also significantly increased over the values in normal controls. The mean dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was elevated in the patients with PCO (11.3 plus or minus 1.7 vs. 7.5 plus or minus 1.2 mug per milliliter), but was not significantly different. A positive correlation was found between LH levels and both E2 and E1 concentrations in the patients with PCO. These data show a distinct profile of gonadotropin, estrogen, and androgen levels in patients with PCO.
A Non-Fatal Collision: Interpreting RLUIPA Where Religious Land Uses and Community Interests Meet

This paper grapples with the question how best to interpret the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which creates a prophylactic remedy in favor of religious land users burdened by local land use regulations. Where the burden on religious exercise is substantial, RLUIPA subjects the regulation to strict scrutiny review. Several scholars object to RLUIPA on the grounds that it violates principles of federalism and equality between religious and non-religious landowners. Other scholars make the case for an expansive RLUIPA on the ground that the First Amendment privileges religious exercise over other types of land use. This article first attempts to narrow the debate about RLUIPA. It suggests that scholars are arguing about what this article calls the RLUIPA interest gap, the space between religious discrimination hidden behind facially-neutral land use regulations, on one hand, and regulations that are narrowly tailored to compelling state interests, on the other. After reviewing the federal courts’ constructions of RLUIPA’s key terms, this article concludes that the RLUIPA interest gap is narrower than most scholars suppose. Focusing on the RLUIPA interest gap and the implications of that gap for communities grappling with the implications of regulating religious land use should clarify what is and what is not at stake in the debate over RLUIPA’s scope. This article affirms the claim of Natural Law philosophers and religious scholars that religion is a basic human good, which deserves the protection of law. However, it denies that the fundamental value of religion is a reason to give religious land users an exemption from land use regulation that non-religious land users do not enjoy.Next, this article challenges the common assumption that RLUIPA’s strict scrutiny review is necessarily fatal. It attempts to identify some compelling state interests on the basis of which local governing authorities may burden religious land uses. The thesis of this latter part of the argument is that interests in direct protection of basic (underived, ultimate) human goods are compelling, for purposes of strict scrutiny analysis. If this thesis is correct, courts and scholars can more productively focus on the second prong of the strict scrutiny standard: narrow tailoring. A close connection between a community’s compelling interest and the land use decision chosen to protect that interest is a strong indication that the local government has not engaged in religious discrimination.
A Diagnostic Spectral Indicator of the Exposure Age of an Asteroidal Surface

The energy of the SiH vibrational fundamental has been shown be extremely sensitive to the oxidation state of the silicon to which the hydrogen is bound, ranging from 4.4 microns in highly oxidized silicate grains to 4.74 microns in silicon carbide (Moore, Tanabe and Nuth, Ap. J. (Lett.) 373, L31-L34, 1991). Yin, Ghose and Adler (Appl. Spectrosc. 26,355-7, 1972) have shown that the process of ion-sputtering a metal oxide results in chemical reduction, due to the high sputtering yield and volatility of oxygen relative to the metal. These authors have shown that solar wind ion-sputtering of lunar soils could provide an explanation for the observed solar wind darkening of the lunar surface. We hypothesize that a similar ion-reduction process could occur on asteroidal surfaces exposed to the solar wind. A second consequence of solar wind exposure would be the implantation of hydrogen ions into the asteroidal surface. Stein (J. Elec. Mat. 4, 159-174, 1975) has shown that hydrogen-ions implanted into silicon exhibit infrared absorptions between 4.5 and 5.5 microns: similar features should result from the ion-implantation of hydrogen ions into partially reduced silicate minerals and glasses. The position of such features would be indicative of the local chemical environment of the silicon atom to which the hydrogen was bound.
Laser spectroscopy of molecular beams

The winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry discusses the interaction of laser light with molecular beams.
Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin-mediated colonic Cl− secretion is absent in cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background/Aims: Calcium- and adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated Cl− secretions in the human colon are abnormal in cystic fibrosis, but the effect of guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) is unknown. This study examined the effects of the cGMP activator Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) on rectal ion transport of controls and subjects with cystic fibrosis. Methods: In vivo rectal potential difference (PD) was measured in response to 10−7 mol/L STa in adult cystic fibrosis (n = 6) and control subjects (n = 7). Cl− transport was also evaluated in 24-hour primary cultures of human colonocytes using 6-methoxy-quinolyl-acetoethyl ester in response to STa (1 μmol/L) and 8-bromo-cGMP (100 μmol/L) with or without Cl− transport inhibitors. Results: Whereas STa increased rectal potential difference in controls, there was no effect in cystic fibrosis subjects. STa stimulated the cGMP concentration in rectal biopsy specimens from both control and cystic fibrosis subjects approximately twofold. In vitro Cl− transport in non-cystic fibrosis colonocytes increased threefold and fivefold with STa and 8-bromo-cGMP, respectively. These transport increases were inhibited by furosemide and the Cl− channel blocker diphenylamine-2-carboxylate. Conclusions: Human colonocytes secrete Cl− in response to STa and cGMP in normal subjects, but this response is absent in cystic fibrosis.
Use of bomb pulse 14C to age senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the Alzheimer's disease brain

The time course and defining factors involved in the formation of neurofibrillarytangles (NFT) and senile plaques (SP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brainare unknown. Above ground nuclear weapons tests led to significantly increasedlevels of 14C in the carbon cycle. Because SP and NFT are relativelyresistant to degradation, the 14C levels in SP and NFT should reflecttheir year of formation. Through the use of accelerator mass spectrometry(AMS) and the measurement of 14C levels, we have determined theaverage age of formation of isolated SP and NFT fractions of 6 AD subjects.While a heterogeneous process of formation is indicated, NFT pre-date SP inthe majority of cases. In addition, it is clear that NFT and SP have a muchslower carbon turnover rate than normal brain tissue.
The power law distribution for lower tail cities in India

Abstract The city size distribution for lower tail cities has received scant attention because a small portion of the population lives in rural villages, particularly in developed countries, and data are not readily available for small cities. However, in developing countries much of the population inhabits rural areas. The purpose of this study is to test whether power law holds for small cities in India by using the most recent and comprehensive Indian census data for the year 2011. Our results show that lower tail cities for India do exhibit a power law.
Epilepsy Following Neonatal Seizures Secondary to Hemorrhagic Stroke in Term Neonates

Intracranial hemorrhage accounts for about 50% of all pediatric stroke. Studies of term infants with intracranial hemorrhage have shown favorable motor and cognitive outcome. The goal of this study was to examine the risk of developing epilepsy in full-term infants with intracranial hemorrhage. A retrospective study was performed of term neonates (greater than or equal to 37 weeks gestation) with intracranial hemorrhage and confirmed seizures. Fifteen patients with intracranial hemorrhage and neonatal seizures were identified. Four patients did not have follow-up information beyond the neonatal period (1 death, 3 lost to follow-up after initial clinic visit). The average follow-up period for the remaining 11 patients was approximately 22 months. Ten out of the 11 patients (91%) who were followed were seizure-free and off antiepileptic medications. One patient required a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and subsequently developed infantile spasms. The authors found that overall outcome was favorable with respect to development of epilepsy.
Preference and diet type affect macronutrient selection after morphine, NPY, norepinephrine, and deprivation

The orexigenic agents morphine, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and norepinephrine (NE) and deprivation have been reported to induce selection of specific macronutrients: fat, carbohydrate (CHO), CHO, and fa...
Pediatric Physiology: How Does it Differ from Adults?

Safe sedation of pediatric patients requires a thorough understanding of the physiological differences between infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Especially in small infants, there is much less margin for any errors in diagnosis and treatment of respiratory or cardiovascular depression during sedation procedures. This chapter will review developmental aspects of respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, renal, hepatic, hematologic, and temperature homeostatic systems, highlighting the differences between children and adults and emphasizing their relevance to sedation procedures in children.
Gendered Messages in Sex Ed Films

Abstract This article presents a content analysis of gendered messages in contemporary sex education films aimed at adolescents. The data set consists of 28 films, dated from 1990 to 2000. The authors analyzed the films for presence or absence of differential gender scripts across four categories. Additionally, the authors compiled the results of the category-level analysis so as to determine each film's composite gender-based sexuality message. Results indicate that these contemporary sex education films contain different messages about male versus female sexuality. Overall, 63% of individual scripts were gender differentiated, and 89% of films contained at least some gender-differentiated scripts. The films reinforce a sexual double standard in which male erotic desire and sexual agency is legitimized whereas female erotic desire and sexual agency is minimized, and the films convey a “sex as danger” message regarding female sexuality, thus creating a social context conducive to the suppression of female...
Effects of natural human interleukin-6 on thrombopoiesis and tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice

Abstract The growth of inoculated colon 26 adenocarcinoma (colon 26) in mice gradually increased the platelet count owing to murine IL-6 secreted from the tumor, while Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) decreased the platelet count in the hosts, depending on the tumor growth. Natural human IL-6 injections (hIL-6), 280μg/kg/day, stimulated the platelet production in both types of carcinoma-bearing mice. When the administration of mitomycin C or cisplatin decreased the platelet number as a side reaction with a concomitant of suppressing the growth of colon 26 and LLC, respectively, hIL-6 could also increase the platelet count without the augmentation of tumor growth. However, loss of carcass weight was observed in colon 26-bearing mice treated with hIL-6, suggesting the development of cachexia is associated with hIL-6 administration. Despite the possibility of inducing cachexia in some types of tumors, our results suggest that IL-6 could be a useful means of restoring the decreased platelet number in cancer patients after intensive chemotherapy.
Myoclonic seizures and "leg folding" phenomena with clozapine therapy: report of two cases.

Clozapine is an antipsychotic drug recently introduced into the United States for the treatment of refractory schizophrenia. Side effects of major clinical importance include agranulocytosis, seizures, orthostasis, sedation, and hypersalivation (Lieberman et al 1989; Safferman et al 1991). We present here two cases of paroxysmal myoclonus and "'leg folding" phenomena with ciozapine that ceased after reduction of the dose. In one case, illustrative samples of EEG recordings during the myoclonic seizure are also presented. The possible nature of the motor phenomena is briefly discussed.
Derivatization of β-propiolactone in biological mixtures for enhanced gas chromatographic mass spectrometric determinations

Detection and identification of low levels (⩽200 ppb) of free β-propiolactone in complex biological mixtures were achieved through in situ chemical derivatization and subsequent gas chromatographic mass spectrometric determination of the products. β-Propiolactone, when reacted with octadecylamine, followed by trimethylsilylation, yielded a derivative which exhibited both good gas chromatographic characteristics and highly interpretable mass spectrometric data.
Users' interaction with World Wide Web resources: an exploratory study using a holistic approach

Abstract This paper presents the first part of the research on user–Web interaction: a multidimensional model, methodology, and general findings. The objectives of this study are three-fold: (1) to explore factors of user–Web interaction in finding factual information and what happens during this interaction; (2) to develop a conceptual framework for studying user–Web interaction; and (3) to apply a process-tracing method for conducting holistic user–Web studies. The proposed model consists of three components: user, interface, and the World Wide Web. User–Web interaction is viewed as a communication process facilitated through an interface. A process-tracing technique has been designed to capture the processes of user-Web interactions. Twenty-four graduate students participated in this study. Prior to the interaction, each participant was given a questionnaire to report his/her computer and Web experience, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (form Y1 and form Y2) to measure affective states, and an individually administered Embedded Figure Test to measure cognitive style. Each participant used the Web to find answers to two factual questions. Both the processes (continuous screen shots) and the concurrent verbalizations of thoughts were recorded in synchronized video–audio data. The findings provided rich information on users’ cognitive, affective and physical behaviors. The proposed model is used to present the findings of user behavior in connections with interfaces and the Web.
Multifidus Atrophy Is Localized and Bilateral in Active Persons With Chronic Unilateral Low Back Pain

Abstract Beneck GJ, Kulig K. Multifidus atrophy is localized and bilateral in active persons with chronic unilateral low back pain. Objective To compare the lumbar multifidi muscle volume devoid of fat local to the site of pain in persons with and without chronic unilateral lower lumbar pain. Design Prospective cross-sectional design. Setting University biokinesiology laboratory. Participants Active individuals (n=14) with chronic unilateral lower lumbar pain (>1y) were matched for age, height, weight, and activity level with healthy individuals (n=14). Individuals with back pain had minimal disability (Oswestry Disability Index [mean ± SD], 14.9%±6.3%) at the time of testing. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Multifidus and erector spinae muscle volumes at the L5-S1 levels, multifidus muscle volumes at the L4 and S2-3 levels. Results Average multifidus volume was diminished by 18.1% between groups ( P =.026) only at the L5-S1 levels. There was no difference between painful and pain-free sides. There were no volume differences between groups above L5, below S1, or in erector spinae at the L5-S1 levels. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that despite a low level of disability and an activity level similar to that of matched control subjects, considerable localized, bilateral multifidus atrophy is present. Such impaired size of the multifidus will likely reduce its capacity to control intersegmental motion, thus increasing the susceptibility to further injury. Unlike acute unilateral low back pain (LBP), muscle size is reduced bilaterally in persons with chronic unilateral LBP.
Transforming growth factor-β protects human hNT cells from degeneration induced by β-amyloid peptide: involvement of the TGF-β type II receptor

Post-mitotic, human neurons (hNT cells) which have a phenotype similar to that of terminally differentiated neurons of the central nervous system were generated by treating the NT2/D1 human teratocarcinoma cell line with retinoic acid. Treatment of both hNT and NT2/D1 cells with 10−5 M β-amyloid peptide fragment 25–35 (AβP) for 24 h resulted in a decrease in cell viability as determined by MTT incorporation and Trypan blue exclusion, and also induced an apoptotic morphology in hNT cells. Pre-treatment of cells for 24 h with 10 ng/ml TGF-β 1 or 2 before addition of AβP reduced the apoptotic morphology of hNT cells and increased cell viability in hNT cells, but not in NT2/D1 cells. Results of RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and analysis of receptor cross-linking of [125I]TGF-β1 to the cell membrane, all showed that the TGF-β type II receptor is expressed by hNT cells, but not NT2/D1 cells. These results suggest that TGF-β can protect human, terminally differentiated, TGF-β type II receptor-positive neurons from AβP toxicity. We propose that the increased expression of TGF-β in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease may offer some degree of neuroprotection if neurons also express a functional TGF-β type II receptor.
Rate of convergence of Bernstein polynomials for functions with derivatives of bounded variation

Abstract For any x ϵ (0, 1) we first prove that if ƒ x (t) ≡ ¦t − x¦ on [0, 1] then the Bernstein polynomials of ƒx satisfy the asymptotic relation ∑ k = 0 n ¦ k n − x¦( k n ) x k (1 − x) n − k = (2x (1 − x) π ) 1 2 1 √n + O( 1 n ) . This asymptotic relation is then used to study the rate of convergence of Bernstein polynomials for functions with derivatives of bounded variation. An estimate of the rate of convergence is given. This estimate is asymptotically the best possible at points where ƒ′ is continuous.
A graphene accelerometer

This work presents an SU-8 clamped graphene nano-electro-mechanical-system (GNEMS) accelerometer. A suspended graphene membrane is circularly clamped by SU-8, with an additional proof mass made of either SU-8 or gold, located at the center of the membrane. This GNEMS accelerometer is approximately three orders of magnitude smaller than state of the art micro-electromechanical (MEMS) accelerometers with the diameter of the suspended graphene membrane being 3–10 µm and the proof mass diameter being 1–5 µm. Here, we present the fabrication, simulation, and experimental aperiodic calibration results of the GNEMS accelerometer, demonstrating a repeatable response to an input acceleration levels of ∼1000–3000 g.
Heterobivalent library expansion by "living radical" processes: thiocarbonyl addition/elimination, and nitroxide-based reactions with fluorous deconvolution.

Degenerate radical addition fragmentation and nitroxide fragmentation reactions are applied to the expansion of heterobivalent libraries without contamination from homobivalent species. Deconvolution by means of a fluorous tagging process is described.
Use of Emetics to Collect Stomach Contents of Walleye and Largemouth Bass

Abstract Three milliliters of arsenous acid were effective in causing walleye to regurgitate their stomach contents into the throat. Determinations using fluorescent dye in the arsenous acid indicated that 80% of the solution was expelled during the first 5 minutes. Residual arsenic in the fish flesh was well below recommended safe levels. Three milliliters of tartar emetic caused projectile vomiting in largemouth bass. In identical situations, tartar emetic would be more effective than arsenous acid. Apomorphine was not as effective as tartar emetic or arsenous acid.
Heart size of adults in a natural population--Tecumseh, Michigan. Variation by sex, age, height, and weight.

Roentgenological determinations of the transverse diameter and cardiothoracic ratio in 3,985 subjects aged 20 years or more, from Tecumseh, Michigan, represent the first report on the measurement of heart size in a total community. The influence of cardiovasular abnormality, height, and weight on heart diameter and cardiothoracic ratio is determined across all age and sex divisions for the entire adult population. A consistent hierarchy of heart diameter, independent of age, height, and weight, has been demonstrated so that the diameter of the hearts of abnormal males > normal males > abnormal females > normal females. Heart diameter, especially in the males, distinguishes the abnormal segment of the population more effectively than the cardiothoracic ratio, but an age and sex-specific cardiothoracic ratio may be the most valuable in the clinical situation. Both measurements relate directly to age, sex, and weight, but the relation to height is dependent on weight. Study of heart size in a general populat...
Performance analysis of composite web service

Service composition provides a flexible way to quickly enable new application functionalities in next generation networks. Composite services are turned to be more and more complex, and the performance analysis of composite service is an important issue for service providers who want to get better QoS. In this paper, we proposed a stochastic Petri net based approach for modeling Web service composition constructs and calculating the equivalent delay time of the composite Web service. Four basic constructs: sequence, concurrent, choice and loop constructs are mapped into Petri net. Methods to calculate equivalent delay time are illustrated in detail. A complex composite service can be reduced by repeatedly replacing basic constructs within it with equivalent single transition. This approach can be applied in performance analysis for complex composite Web service, as well as complex systems and workflow.
Glycogen, ammonia and related metabolities in the brain during seizures evoked by methionine sulphoximine.

— The levels of ATP, P-creatine, glucose, glycogen, lactate, glutamate and ammonia were measured in mouse brain after administration of the convulsive agent methionine sulphoximine (MSO). No changes were observed in ATP and P-creatine levels either before or during the seizures. Lactate levels were unchanged until the onset of seizures (4–5 hr) at which time the levels increased an average of 65 per cent. Glucose and glycogen levels increased progressively. Just before the onset of seizures the levels had increased 95 and 62 per cent, respectively. During the seizures both substances had increased a total of 130 per cent. Comparable changes were found in cerebral cortex, cerebellum and subcortical forebrain. Through the use of quantitative histochemical methods it was found that the greatest increases in glycogen occurred in layers I and III (layers II and IV were not analysed). Progressively smaller changes were found in layers V and VI and no increase at all was found in the subjacent white matter. Glucose, in contrast to glycogen, increased to about the same degree in all cerebral layers and in subjacent white matter. The increase in glycogen after MSO administration may be related to the fact that MSO also causes an increase in the ratio of brain to serum glucose levels. This would indicate that an increase in intracellular glucose had occurred. Ammonia levels were increased 300–400 per cent in both cerebrum and cerebellum. A time study in cerebellum showed that the increase begins early and reaches maximal levels long before the onset of seizures. Glutamate levels were reduced by small but statistically significant amounts in both cerebrum and cerebellum. Administration of methionine sulphoximine completely prevented seizures and the increase in lactate, but did not prevent the increases in glycogen and glucose. The rise in ammonia was reduced but not prevented. During 20 sec of complete ischaemia (decapitation) ATP, P-creatine and glucose fell somewhat more rapidly than normal in brain of animals undergoing MSO seizures. From the changes it was calculated that the metabolic rate had been increased about 20 per cent by the seizure. A new sensitive and specific enzymic method for determination of tissue ammonia is presented together with evised enzymic procedures for lactate and glutamate.