cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Associated with Alternative Medicine Ozone Infusion.

Abstract Background Alternative medicine is frequently used by patients even though most treatments are without demonstrable benefit and have not been properly evaluated for medical safety. Intravenous ozone is a modern form of alternative medicine. Even though ozone has been used medically for more than a century, ozone as an infusion is scientifically untested and potentially dangerous. This case notes a patient who underwent an ozone infusion who experienced syncope and a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction immediately thereafter. Case Report A 50-year-old white woman presented after experiencing syncope after completion of ozone infusion therapy. The ozone infusion consisted of her blood being drawn and ozone gas being injected into the sample. This blood was subsequently transfused back into the patient's blood stream via peripheral intravenous catheter. An initial electrocardiogram revealed no signs of infarction or ischemia, but her initial troponin I was elevated and continued to rise. She was admitted for a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and underwent an extensive cardiac evaluation. It was determined that the oxidative myocardial stress secondary to ozone was associated with the non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Why Should an Emergency Physician be Aware of This? More patients are turning to alternative medicine. Unfortunately, the published literature regarding intravenous ozone exposure is scant; however, a multitude of studies have shown that ozone can have hazardous effects, including that of detrimental cardiovascular oxidative stress. Emergency physicians need to be aware of these novel treatments and their potential undetermined effects.
The robots are back

Steel-eyed murderers you can't help but root for, impossibly glamorous cities and a plot line that's a bit more linear than last time – the new season of Westworld is five-star viewing, says Emily Wilson
LSD1 promotes secretory cell specification to drive BRAF mutant colorectal cancer

Abstract Despite the connection to distinct mucus-containing colorectal cancer (CRC) histological subtypes, the role of secretory cells, including goblet and enteroendocrine (EEC) cells, in CRC progression has been underexplored. Analysis of TCGA and single cell RNA sequencing data demonstrates that multiple secretory progenitor populations are enriched in BRAF-mutant CRC patient tumors and cell lines. Enrichment of EEC progenitors in BRAF-mutant CRC is maintained by DNA methylation and silencing of NEUROD1, a key gene required for differentiation of EECs. Mechanistically, secretory cells and the factors they secrete, such as Trefoil factor 3, are shown to promote colony formation and activation of cell survival pathways in the entire cell population. We further identify LSD1 as a critical regulator of secretory cell specification in vitro and in a colon orthotopic xenograft model, where LSD1 loss reduces tumor growth and metastasis. This work establishes EEC progenitors, in addition to goblet cells, as targetable populations in BRAF-mutant CRC and identifies LSD1 as a therapeutic target in secretory lineage-containing CRC.
Pioneer activity of an oncogenic fusion transcription factor at inaccessible chromatin

Recent advances in the characterization of pioneer factors have led to new questions about domain structures and chromatin recognition. Seemingly separate fields have integrated common scientific problems with the identification of fusion pioneer factor (PF) pairs in childhood cancers. Excitingly, this represents a convergence of fields within science, of pediatric oncology, genomics, epigenetics, and biophysics. With PF-pairs emerging as driver oncogenes in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), our studies investigate these fusion genes as a gestalt phenomenon, where the whole might equal more than the sum of the parts. We developed a new method for ChIP-seq with per-cell normalization (pc-ChIP-seq) to simultaneously define genome size and PAX3-FOXO1 localization in RMS. We report novel pioneer function for the major driver oncogene in RMS, with nucleosome-motif targeting and kinetic displacement of nucleosomes in human cells.
Intervention response among preschoolers with ADHD: The role of emotion understanding.

Abstract Emotion recognition/understanding (ERU), which is the ability to correctly identify emotional states in others as well as one's self, plays a key role in children's social-emotional development and is often targeted in early intervention programs. Yet the extent to which young children's ERU predicts their intervention response remains unclear. The current study examined the extent to which initial levels of ERU and changes in ERU predicted intervention response to a multimodal early intervention program (Summer Treatment Program for Pre-Kindergarteners; STP-PreK). Participants included 230 young children (Mage = 4.90, 80.0% male) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who participated in the 8-week STP-PreK. Children's ERU was measured via a standardized behavioral task. Similarly, standardized measures of academic achievement (Woodcock-Johnson-IV), executive functioning (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders-Task), and social-emotional functioning (Challenging Situation Task) were obtained pre- and post-intervention. Parents and teachers also reported on children's behavioral functioning pre- and post-intervention. Children with better initial ERU made greater improvements in academic, executive functioning (EF), and social-emotional domains, along with decreases in inattention symptom severity. However, pre-intervention levels of ERU were not associated with improvements in parent/teacher report of hyperactivity, oppositional defiant disorder, and overall behavioral impairment. Lastly, changes in ERU only predicted improvement in EF, but not any other school readiness outcomes. We provide preliminary evidence that initial levels of ERU predict intervention response across school readiness domains in a sample of preschoolers with ADHD.
Design of a high-stability heterogeneous clock system for small satellites in LEO

We describe our investigation into the performance of low-power heterogeneous timing systems for small satellites, using real GPS observables from the GRACE Follow-On mission. Small satellites have become capable platforms for a wide range of commercial, scientific and defense missions, but they are still unable to meet the needs of missions that require precise timing, on the order of a few nanoseconds. Improved low-power onboard clocks would make small satellites a viable option for even more missions, enabling radio aperture interferometry, improved radio occultation measurements, high altitude GPS navigation, and GPS augmentation missions, among others. One approach for providing improved small satellite timekeeping is to combine a heterogeneous group of oscillators, each of which provides the best stability over a different time frame. A hardware architecture that uses a single-crystal oscillator, one or more Chip Scale Atomic Clocks (CSACs) and the reference time from a GPS receiver is presented. The clocks each contribute stability over a subset of timeframes, resulting in excellent overall system stability for timeframes ranging from less than a second to several days. A Kalman filter is used to estimate the long-term errors of the CSACs based on the CSAC-GPS time difference, and the improved CSAC time is used to discipline the crystal oscillator, which provides the high-stability reference clock for the small satellite. Simulations using GRACE-FO observations show time error standard deviations for the system range from 2.3 ns down to 1.3 ns for the clock system, depending on how many CSACs are used. The results provide insight into the timing performance which could be achieved on small LEO spacecraft by a low power timing system.
Evaluating the role of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in the treatment of endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS).

5575Background: Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) account for < 20% of uterine sarcomas. They usually express estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR) and are considered hormone sensitive. Due ...
Self-training Converts Weak Learners to Strong Learners in Mixture Models

We consider a binary classification problem when the data comes from a mixture of two isotropic distributions satisfying concentration and anti-concentration properties enjoyed by log-concave distributions among others. We show that there exists a universal constant $C_{\mathrm{err}}>0$ such that if a pseudolabeler $\boldsymbol{\beta}_{\mathrm{pl}}$ can achieve classification error at most $C_{\mathrm{err}}$, then for any $\varepsilon>0$, an iterative self-training algorithm initialized at $\boldsymbol{\beta}_0 := \boldsymbol{\beta}_{\mathrm{pl}}$ using pseudolabels $\hat y = \mathrm{sgn}(\langle \boldsymbol{\beta}_t, \mathbf{x}\rangle)$ and using at most $\tilde O(d/\varepsilon^2)$ unlabeled examples suffices to learn the Bayes-optimal classifier up to $\varepsilon$ error, where $d$ is the ambient dimension. That is, self-training converts weak learners to strong learners using only unlabeled examples. We additionally show that by running gradient descent on the logistic loss one can obtain a pseudolabeler $\boldsymbol{\beta}_{\mathrm{pl}}$ with classification error $C_{\mathrm{err}}$ using only $O(d)$ labeled examples (i.e., independent of $\varepsilon$). Together our results imply that mixture models can be learned to within $\varepsilon$ of the Bayes-optimal accuracy using at most $O(d)$ labeled examples and $\tilde O(d/\varepsilon^2)$ unlabeled examples by way of a semi-supervised self-training algorithm.
Constraint Induced Movement Therapy in Infants and Toddlers with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the leading cause of motor disability in childhood. Recent studies have investigated the effectiveness of constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) as an early intervention ...
On the Origin of Binary Stars

What is now known about binaries in general shows that their genesis is a basic process related to the formation of stars and not an accidental byproduct. The very high overall abundance of binary and multiple stars and their continuous distribution over the entire possible range of orbit sizes, that is, of angular momenta, without fundamental differences between wider and closer pairs, would suffice to establish the point. The pre-stellar state evolves in the direction of decreasing the ratio of angular momentum to mass, and can hardly be assumed to be conservative with respect to either quantity. The classical model of stellar evolution, that of a mass possessing spherical symmetry and lacking angular momentum (no rotation nor orbital motion), often holds as a satisfactory approximation but is clearly not the regularly occurring case in reality.
An adaptive fuzzy multimodal biometric system for identification and verification

Biometric data are the sensitive personal information and the large intra-class variability due to changes of the environment conditions is an issue in these type of data. Adaptive biometric is the solution that has been introduced and can make the systems more accurate and reliable. For this purpose, semi-supervised learning has been shown to be a possible strategy. On the other hand, one problem in semi-supervised learning is selecting the decision threshold for adaption which can make the strategy unstable. In particular, a strong classifier, in a multimodal system, is better if adapted threshold is replaced with an inflexible one. This paper presents a fuzzy system to find the better threshold for adaptation. Experiments on MOBIO face and speech database show that the proposed strategy is a better approach in comparison to normal adaptive method.
Separation of boron isotopes—VII: Reaction of boron halides with some lewis bases containing oxygen, nitrogen or sulphur

Abstract The addition of BCl3 and BF3 to tetrahydrofuran, nitrobenzene, NN-dimethyl analine, N-methyl diphenyl amine, methyl iso-cyanide, thiophenol, and diphenyl sulphide was studied; melting-points of the resulting compounds were obtained. The solubility of BF3 in THF and PhNO2 was measured for several temperatures at 400 and 760 torr. The change in 10B-11B isotopic equilibrium constant with temperature was determined for the PhNO2-BF3 and the THF-BF3 systems.
A causal test of the motor theory of speech perception: a case of impaired speech production and spared speech perception

The debate about the causal role of the motor system in speech perception has been reignited by demonstrations that motor processes are engaged during the processing of speech sounds. Here, we evaluate which aspects of auditory speech processing are affected, and which are not, in a stroke patient with dysfunction of the speech motor system. We found that the patient showed a normal phonemic categorical boundary when discriminating two non-words that differ by a minimal pair (e.g., ADA–AGA). However, using the same stimuli, the patient was unable to identify or label the non-word stimuli (using a button-press response). A control task showed that he could identify speech sounds by speaker gender, ruling out a general labelling impairment. These data suggest that while the motor system is not causally involved in perception of the speech signal, it may be used when other cues (e.g., meaning, context) are not available.
H ∞ optimal control of unknown linear discrete-time systems: An off-policy reinforcement learning approach

This paper proposes a model-free H „ control design for linear discrete-time systems using reinforcement learning (RL). A novel off-policy RL algorithm is used to solve the game algebraic Riccati equation (GARE) online using the measured data along the system trajectories. The proposed RL algorithm has the following advantages compared to existing model-free RL methods for solving H ∞ control problem: 1) It is data efficient and fast since a stream of experiences which is obtained from executing a fixed behavioral policy is reused to update many value functions correspond to different leaning policies sequentially. 2) The disturbance input does not need to be adjusted in a specific manner. 3) There is no bias as a result of adding a probing noise to the control input to maintain persistence of excitation conditions. A simulation example is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Differentiating between cognitive and sensory innovativeness: Concepts, measurement, and implications

Abstract Contrary to previous research in the area, this article argues that consumer innovativeness, or the desire for new experiences, is not an undifferentiated construct but can be distinguished as cognitive and sensory innovativeness. Cognitive (sensory) innovativeness is the preference for engaging in new experiences with the objective of stimulating the mind (senses). The article presents psychometrically valid measures of these constructs and discusses two studies that examine the differences between cognitive and sensory innovativeness. One study, based on 326 undergraduate students, shows that the innovativeness constructs differ in their relationship with other personality traits, such as preference for verbal/visual style of processing. The other study, based on the personal computer, food processor, and video cassette recorder purchase behavior of 245 respondents, shows that cognitive and sensory innovators differ in their responses to innovations and demographic profiles. The research and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.
Accommodating Transient Connectivity in Ad Hoc and Mobile Settings

Much of the work on networking and communications is based on the premise that components interact in one of two ways: either they are connected via a stable wired or wireless network, or they make use of persistent storage repositories accessible to the communicating parties. A new generation of networks raises serious questions about the validity of these fundamental assumptions. In mobile ad hoc wireless networks connections are transient and availability of persistent storage is rare. This paper is concerned with achieving communication among mobile devices that may never find themselves in direct or indirect contact with each other at any point in time. A unique feature of our contribution is the idea of exploiting information associated with the motion and availability profiles of the devices making up the ad hoc network. This is the starting point for an investigation into a range of possible solutions whose essential features are controlled by the manner in which motion profiles are acquired and the extent to which such knowledge is available across an ad hoc network.
Registered report: Discovery and preclinical validation of drug indications using compendia of public gene expression data

The Science Translational Medicine in 2011 (Sirota et al., 2011). The key experiments being replicated include Figure 4C and D and Supplemental Figure 1. In these figures, Sirota and colleagues. tested a proof of concept experiment validating their prediction that cimetidine, a histamine-2 (H2) receptor agonist commonly used to treat peptic ulcers (Kubecova et al., 2011), would be effective against lung adenocarcinoma (Figure 4C and D). As a control they also tested the effects of cimetidine against renal carcinoma, for which it was not predicted to be efficacious (Supplemental Figure 1). The Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology is a collaboration between the eLife.
Risk advantages of platform technologies for biorenewable chemical production

Abstract Recent investments in bio-based chemical development are financing the construction of commercial production facilities, often designed to produce a single biorenewable chemical. Investments in technologies targeting a single biorenewable chemical are subject to significant technological and market risks. Platform technologies that can convert biomass into a range of related biorenewable chemicals can reduce these risks significantly. Researchers are now developing platform technologies that combine bio-and chemical-catalysis, such as a process of converting glucose into fatty alcohols of specific carbon chain length. The financial risk and profitability of investments in platform technology producing fatty alcohol of different chain length were analyzed. A techno-economic model to evaluate single- and platform technologies was developed. A platform technology that can produce two products: 1-decanol and a blend of dodecanol and 1-tetradecanol reduces financial risk of investment by 23% and increases profitability by 55% compared to production via single-product technologies. This financial advantage of two-product technology is eliminated as the cost of switching between products rises above $4 MM for a 14 MT/yr plant. Investments in technologies that can produce a larger number of products provide higher returns lower risk. Other less quantifiable risk advantages of platform technologies that nonetheless important are also discussed.
Bicarbonate transport by rabbit duodenum in vitro: Effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, prostaglandin E2, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Abstract Background: Duodenal surface cells secrete bicarbonate that provides a barrier against injury. The current experiments were performed to identify duodenal bicarbonate regulatory and transport pathways. Methods: Rabbit proximal duodenal mucosa were mounted in chambers under short-circuited conditions. Bicarbonate transport, short-circuit current (Isc), and potential difference (PD) were quantitated in response to prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP). Anoxia (N 2 ), 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and Cl − free solutions, ouabain, and Na-free solutions were also studied, as was the effect of VIP and PGE 2 on duodenocyte cAMP. Results: PGE 2 , VIP, db-cAMP, and theophylline significantly increased bicarbonate secretion, Isc, and PD. Ouabain, Na + -free bathing solutions, and anoxia (N 2 ) inhibited the responses. DIDS and Cl − -free solutions abolished the PGE 2 -induced response, reduced the response to VIP by about 50%, and had no effect on the response to db-cAMP. After PGE 2 and VIP, cAMP concentration increased, yet was likely independent of bicarbonate secretion. Conclusions: Mammalian duodenal HCO 3 − transport requires Na + , Na+K+-adenosine triphospatase and O 2 -dependent metabolic pathways and is stimulated by PGE 2 , VIP, and cAMP, acting by distinct pathways.
Analysis of quench-vent pressures for present design of ITER TF coils

The effects of a quench within the toroidal-field coil (TF) based on current International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) design are examined in a preliminary analysis. The intent is to assist ITER designers while more accurate computer codes are being developed, and to provide a check against these more rigorous solutions. Rigorous solutions to the quench problem are very complex, involving three-dimensional heat transfer, extreme changes in heat capacities and copper resistivity, and varying flow dynamics within the conductors. This analysis addresses all these factors in an approximate way. The result is much less accurate than a rigorous analysis; in fact, an error margin of as much as 30 to 40% is possible. However, it is believed that this analysis can still be very useful to the coil designer. Coil pressures and temperatures vs. time into a quench are presented. Rate of helium vent, energy deposition in the coil, and depletion of magnetic stored energy are also presented. Peak pressures are high (about 43 MPa). This is due to the very long vent path length (446 m), small hydraulic diameters, and high current densities associated with ITER's cable-in-conduit design. >
Exciting Findings and Insights from the Caiman Study at La Suerte: First Lessons from the Scientific Frontline

An interview with Professor Peter Skylstad about his 10 years teaching in the Neotropics. Professor Skylstad has been taking students to Nicaragua and Costa Rica since 2005 to study the natural history of Neotropical environments. His students study the taxonomy, field identification, and ecology of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Functional outcome following rehabilitation of the cancer patient

Abstract Objective: To identify impairments resulting from cancer or its treatment in patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation, to assess the extent of functional gains, and to determine if cancer type, ongoing radiation treatment, or the presence of metastatic disease infuences functional improvement. Design and Setting: A retrospective, case series of cancer patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation at a free-standing, university-affiliated rehabilitation hospital. Participants: A referred sample of 159 patients admitted because of functional impairments resulting from cancer or its treatment during a 2-year time period. Intervention: Comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. Main Outcome Measure: Functional status as measured by the motor score of the Functional Independence Measure. Results: Significant functional gains were made between admission (mean = 42.9) and discharge (mean = 56.0; p p = .025). Conclusion: Individuals impaired by cancer or its treatment benefit from inpatient rehabilitation. The presence of metastatic disease or ongoing radiation should not preclude participation.
PVC detection by the heart-beat interval data -- Markov chain approach.

Abstract In the Markov chain approach, a sequence of heart beat intervals (R-R wave intervals) is automatically transformed into a three-symbol sequence. The symbols may be thought of as S-R-L for short, regular, and long heart beat intervals, respectively. The probability that an observed sequence was generated by each of a set prototype model characteristic of different cardiac arrhythmias is computed. That prototype corresponding to the largest probability of generating the observed sequence is classified as the disorder. If the R-R interval symbol sequence is in fact a Markov chain this procedure has the lowest probability of classification error performance. An explicit formula for the probability of classification error for the two alternative hypothesis test situation is developed. The probability of classification error is demonstrated to be exponentially bounded with n, the number of R-R intervals used for classification purposes. Tests of the Markov chain approach and the analysis of the probability of classification error were performed on clinical test data from patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation with occasional PVC's and on simulated R-R interval data using models derived from the patient data. The occurrence of PVC's in atrial fibrillation could be successfully distinguished from the atrial fibrillation alone situation by the Markov chain approach. The simulation study results were consistent with the theoretical analysis of classification error performance. The probability of misclassification for n fixed is dependent upon the similarity of the prototypic models as measured by the difference between the self entropies of the models. Clinically satisfactory classification performance to distinguish between atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation with occasional PVC's may require n = 400 R-R intervals.
Protein binding of corticosteroids in undiluted rat plasma.

Data obtained from limited ultrafiltration of undiluted rat plasma at 37 C were analyzed by a nonlinear, weighted, least-squares curve-fitting program for the IBM 7090 computer, using multiple mass-action theory. This approach to the binding of corticosteroids by plasma macromolecules obtains values for the apparent physicochemical parameters of binding and simultaneously provides data in a form convenient for physiological interpretation. Rat plasma was found to bind corticosteroids as if it contained 2 macromolecular systems: one resembling the human transcortin system and the other resembling the albumin system. The concentration of the transcortin-like system was increased slightly by estrogen treatment, and considerably by adrenalectomy. Binding was decreased by corticosteroid treatment. The transcortin- like system was present in 2-fold greater amounts in adult females than in adult males, but in lesser, equal amounts in weanling males and females. Cortisol and corticosterone each interfered with th...
Stress-related suicide by dentists and other health care workers. Fact or folklore?

ABSTRACT Background The media repeatedly portrays dentists and other health professionals as being at risk of committing suicide While this message often is accepted without question, there are little reliable data available that verifies this alleged risk. The relationship between professional stress and suicide, if any, has not been substantiated or quantified. Types of Studies Reviewed The author evaluated the contemporary literature on stress and suicide in health professionals in an effort to verify or refute the widely held belief that dentists and other health care professionals are at higher risk of committing stress-related suicide. The author also surveyed dental schools to determine what efforts were being made to provide students with stress-management skills. Results The author found that there is little valid evidence that dentists are more prone to suicide than the general population, although some related data suggest that female dentists may be more vulnerable. Large-scale studies are needed before firmer conclusions can be reached. The author's survey shows that dental students generally receive some education on stress management, but many dental hygiene and graduate students do not. The author makes several recommendations for future research. Clinical Implications Although some dentists leave the profession by way of suicide or career change at a time when their careers should be the most rewarding, available data on stress and its impact on suicide incidence are inconclusive and flawed. The profession needs to identify the causes of stress-related suicides and provide assistance to those people who are affected by stress.
Scaling description of the structure factor of fractal soot composites

This paper studies the static structure factor of a system of fractal aggregates at various degrees of densification. The system we use for this study is carbonaceous soot, which is composed of diffusion limited cluster aggregates with a fractal dimension of 1.8. The range of density is great, from the aerosol to a system of lightly touching clusters and then to ground and compressed samples. The data involve a combination of light scattering and small-angle x-ray scattering over a {ital q} range of 3{times}10{sup {minus}3}{le}q{le}6thinspnm{sup {minus}1}. We are able to explain all the features of the data with scaling arguments based on comparisons of the scattering length scale q{sup {minus}1}, where {ital q} is the magnitude of the scattering wave vector, and the various length scales of the system that are density dependent. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
The effect of socioeconomic status on the language outcome of preterm infants at toddler age

Abstract Background Independently, both prematurity and low socioeconomic status (SES) compromise language outcome but less is known regarding the effects of low SES on outcome of prior preterm infants at toddler age. Aim To assess SES effects on the language outcome of prior preterm infants at toddler age. Study design Retrospective chart review of infants born at ≤ 32 weeks, matched for gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), chronic lung disease (CLD), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), right and left intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH-R, L), and age at Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (BSID-III) testing. Subjects Using insurance status as a proxy for SES, 65 children with private insurance (P-Ins) were matched with 65 children with Medicaid-type insurance (M-Ins). Outcome measures Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III Language Composite. Results M-Ins vs. P-Ins were similar in GA, BW, and age at BSID-III testing (mean 22.6 months adjusted), as well as other matched characteristics (all p ≥ 0.16). BSID-III Language Composite scores were lower in M-Ins than P-Ins (87.9 ± 11.3 vs. 101.9 ± 13.6) with a clinically significant effect size of 0.93 (p Conclusions In this preterm cohort, by toddler age, M-Ins was associated with lower scores on measures of overall language as well as receptive and expressive language skills. Our findings, showing such an early influence of SES on language outcome in a cohort matched for biomedical risk, suggest that very early language interventions may be especially important for low SES preterm toddlers.
Assessment of Physical Activity, Exercise Self-Efficacy, and Stages of Change in College Students Using a Street-Based Survey Method

Abstract This study assessed the level of physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, and stages of change for exercise behavior among college students at a large midwestern university using a street-based survey method. The 50% response rate produced 925 student responses comprising 95% as young (≤24 years of age), 53% female, and 79% Caucasian. One-third of the students did not participate in vigorous physical activity (≤3 days/week). Based on the stages of change questionnaire, 41% of the women and 35% of the men reported they were in the precontemplation or contemplation stages, as they were not active or were not exercising on a regular basis (≤3 times per week for 20 min or longer). Exercise-self efficacy scores were significantly different as a function of exercise stage as predicted by the stages of change theory (R2=0.26, P<.0001). These results are consistent with earlier reports on college students and their level of physical activity. Therefore, the low cost, ease of data collection, and the sh...
Insulin Therapy and Hypoglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Background: Iatrogenic hypoglycemia, the limiting factor in the glycemic management of diabetes mellitus (DM), is the result of therapeutic insulin excess and compromised physiological and behavioral defenses against falling plasma glucose concentrations. Objective: The goal of this article was to review the available evidence on insulin therapy and hypoglycemia, with a focus on type 2 DM. Methods: This review was based on the author's clinical experience, his >3 decades of translational research in the area of hypoglycemia, and his knowledge of the relevant preclinical and clinical literature. Results: Glycemic defenses become compromised rapidly in type 1 DM but slowly in type 2 DM. As a result, the frequency of hypoglycemia increases progressively as patients approach the insulin-deficient end of the spectrum of type 2 DM. Indeed, it appears that most episodes of hypoglycemia, including those of severe hypoglycemia, occur in individuals with type 2 DM. The conventional risk factors for hypoglycemia are based on relative or absolute insulin excess. It is clear that the pathogenesis of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure, and thus an increased risk for iatrogenic hypoglycemia, stems fundamentally from insulin deficiency. Relevant additional risk factors include the degree of insulin deficiency, a history of severe hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia unawareness, or both, as well as recent antecedent hypoglycemia, prior exercise and sleep, and aggressive glycemic therapy per se in advanced type 2 DM, just as in type 1 DM. The prevention of hypoglycemia involves the practice of hypoglycemia risk reductionȔdiscussion of the issue, application of the principles of aggressive therapy, and consideration of both the conventional risk factors and those relevant to compromised glycemic defensesȔin advanced type 2 DM, just as in type 1 DM. With this approach, it is possible to improve glycemic control and reduce the frequency of hypoglycemia in many people with DM. Conclusions: Pending the prevention and cure of DM, people with this disease need safe and effective therapies. Ultimately, that will require glucose-regulated insulin replacement or secretion. In the meantime, insight into the mechanisms of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure may lead to interventions that will further improve the lives of people affected by DM by reducing the frequency of hypoglycemia without compromising glycemic control.( Insulin. 2007;2:127-133)
Asad Abidi, Mark Horowitz and Teresa Meng Elected to U.S. National Academy of Engineering

Former SSCS officers and AdCom members Asad Abidi, Mark Horowitz, and Teresa Meng were among 64 Americans and nine foreign associates elected in January to the National Academy of Engineering Class of 2007.
Novel approaches for the microcalcification problem of non-palpable lesions

Fusion of hard and soft information using correlation pattern recognition and fuzzy logic in an integrated detection/classification system based on the DDSM database of pleomorphic microcalcifications provides a detection rate of 0.47 false positives per image at 100% sensitivity using classical matched filter methods on wavelet denoised full mammograms. Advanced correlation filtering yields 0.85 and 0.58 false positives per image at 100% and 87% sensitivity. Classification results generalisable to unseen images at 71.4% specificity for 100% and 96% sensitivity are in a range likely to be clinically acceptable, based on human vision performance of 73.3% specificity at 97.6% sensitivity.
Food Intake Patterns Are Altered During Long-Term Zinc Deficiency in Rats

Abstract Rats experience anorexia and reduction or cessation in growth after being provided a zinc-deficient diet. While zinc deficient, intake levels may be reduced 50% or more compared to control rats. In the present report, diurnal food intake patterns of male Sprague–Dawley rats were measured during zinc deficiency. In Study 1, rats consuming a modified AIN-93 diet were tested during the dark phase using an automated food weighing system. In zinc-deficient animals (Zn−), the onset of the first meal of the dark phase was delayed compared to zinc-adequate rats (Zn+; 106 ± 47 vs. 23 ± 5 min; p p
Human papillomavirus-related disease in men: not just a women's issue.

The most common cause of mortality related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is cervical cancer. However, male HPV infection is also an important concern, both for the disease burden in men and for the risk of transmission to women. HPV is associated with a variety of cancers in men, including anal cancer and a subset of penile and oral cancers. The incidence of anal and oral cancers related to HPV is increasing in the general population and is growing even faster among individuals who are immunocompromised because of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Penile HPV infection is very common among heterosexual men and remains high throughout a wide range of ages. Likewise, anal HPV infection and anal intraepithelial neoplasia are very common throughout a wide range of ages in both HIV-negative and HIV-positive men who have sex with men. Other HPV-related diseases of clinical importance in men include condylomata acuminata (genital warts) and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine has been shown to be highly efficacious in the prevention of genital warts in women and precancerous lesions of the cervix, vulva, and vagina. In addition, recent interim data have shown that the quadrivalent HPV vaccine is highly effective in reducing external genital lesions in young men. Although the protective efficacy of HPV vaccination in men has not yet been fully established—pending the outcome of public policy discussions and cost-efficacy studies—there may be a strong rationale for vaccinating boys, similar to girls, at an early age when they have had limited or no prior sexual activity.
Molecular hydrodynamic theory of supercooled liquids and colloidal suspensions under shear.

We extend the conventional mode-coupling theory of supercooled liquids to systems under stationary shear flow. Starting from generalized fluctuating hydrodynamics, a nonlinear equation for the intermediate scattering function is constructed. We evaluate the solution numerically for a model of a two-dimensional colloidal suspension and find that the structural relaxation time decreases as ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}}$ with an exponent $\ensuremath{\nu}l~1,$ where $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ is the shear rate. The results are in qualitative agreement with recent molecular dynamics simulations. We discuss the physical implications of the results.
10B-3 Vibrating Interventional Device Detection Using Real-Time 3D Color Doppler

We have previously described guidance of several interventional devices using a real time 3D (RT3D) ultrasound system with 3D color Doppler combined with the ColorMark technology. We then developed an analytical model for a vibrating needle to maximize the tip vibrations and improve the reliability and sensitivity of our technique. In this work, we use the analytical model and improved radiofrequency (RF) and color Doppler filters to detect two different vibrating devices in water tank experiments as well as in an in vivo canine experiment. An atrial septal puncture needle and an endomyocardial biopsy forceps, each vibrating at 1.3 kHz, were inserted into the vascular graft and were tracked using 3D color Doppler. Improved RF and wall filters increased the detected color Doppler sensitivity by 14 dB. In three simultaneous planes from the in vivo 3D scan, we identified both the septal puncture needle and the biopsy forceps within the right atrium using the 2.5 MHz probe. A display filter was used to suppress the unwanted flash artifact associated with physiological motion.
Inventing the future of neurology: Integrated wavelet-chaos-neural network models for knowledge discovery and automated EEG-based diagnosis of neurological disorders

The author has been advancing a multi-paradigm integrated approach for solution of complicated and intractable dynamic pattern recognition problems. The focus of this keynote lecture is data mining and knowledge discovery from time-series signals obtained from complex phenomena. Novel wavelet-chaos-neural network models are presented for signal processing of brain waves as recorded by electroencephalographs (EEGs) for automated EEG-based diagnosis of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Through extensive parametric studies and information reuse and integration certain combinations of parameters from the EEG sub-bands were discovered to be effective markers for seizure detection and epilepsy diagnosis. The model can distinguish among healthy, interictal, and ictal EEGs with a high accuracy of more than 96% substantially better than practicing neurologists and epileptologists. The extension the methodology for early onset diagnosis of the AD will be delineated.
Diode Pumped Solid State Lasers At 2 And 3 µm

The most attractive alternative to flashlamp pumping of solid state lasers is the diode laser. In the past two decades numerous laboratory devices have been assembled which incorporated single diode lasers, small laser diode arrays or LED's for pumping of Nd:YAG, Nd:glass and a host of other Nd lasers. The low power output, low packaging density, and extremely high cost of diode lasers prevented any serious applications for laser pumping in the past. The reason for the continued interest in this area stems from the potential dramatic increase in system efficiency and component lifetime, and reduction of thermal load of the solid-state laser material. The latter not only will reduce thereto-optic effects and therefore lead to better beam quality but also will enable an increase in pulse repetition frequency. The attractive operating parameters combined with low voltage operation and the compactness of an all solid-state laser system have a potential high payoff. The high pumping efficiency compared to flashlamps stems from the good spectral match between the laser diode emission and the rare earth activator absorption bands. A significant advantage of laser diode pumping compared to arc lamps is system lifetime and reliability. Laser diode arrays have exhibited lifetimes on the order of 10,000 hours in cw operation and 109 shots in the pulsed mode. Flashlamp life is on the order of 107 shots, and about 200 hours for cw operation. In addition, the high pump flux combined with a substantial UV content in lamp pumped systems causes material degradation in the pump cavity and in the coolant. Such problems are virtually eliminated with laser diode pump sources. The absence of high voltage pulses, high temperatures and UV radiation encountered with arc lamps leads to much more benign operating features for solid state laser systems employing laser diode pumps. Laser diode technology dates back to 1962 when laser action in GaAs diodes was first demonstrated. However, it took a decade to transform a fragile device requiring cryogenic temperatures into one capable of emitting a continuous beam at room temperature. In the last few years the rapid progress in fabricating diode lasers has increased interest in developing diode pumped solid state lasers. Device fabrication improvements such as double hetero-structures, multiple quantum well structures, monolithic phased arrays and multiple stripe lasers which were made possible by improved manufacturing technologies have produced a dramatic reduction of threshold current and increases of slope efficiency, lifetime and output power.
Use of whole body sodium loss from the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) as an indicator of acid and metal toxicity.

The use of an easily measured physiological change as a method of detecting the effect of toxic mine effluent (acidity, heavy metals) on a standard aquatic test organism was examined. Changes in whole body sodium concentration ofPimephales promelas after exposure for eight hours to mine water in the field were assessed as a physiological indicator of acid and metal pollution from coal mines. Static 96-h lethality tests were also performed in the laboratory in water collected from severely acidic (pH 3.49), moderately acidic (pH 4.65) and circumneutral (pH 6.25) mine effluent impacted streams as well as an artificially prepared (reconstituted) water (RMW) at three similar pH's (but lacking potentially toxic metals). This allowed comparison of the two assays in their sensitivity and ability to detect interactions between heavy metals and acidity. Exposure ofP. promelas to severely acidic mine water caused the same mortality as exposure to RMW, although in the latter the fish died more rapidly (2 vs. 3 h); moderately acidic water was more toxic than RMW lacking metals. No mortality was observed in circumneutral mine water or corresponding RMW. Toxicity as estimated by changes in whole body sodium levels ofP. promelas followed a pattern similar to toxicity as determined by the 96-h lethality tests. Exposures ofP. promelas to moderately acidic mine water at two pHs and trace metals concentrations resulted in significantly different body sodium concentrations and net sodium efflux between groups of fish within six hours. The results suggest that the whole body sodium assay is a useful indicator of coal mine pollution.
Reduction of Chandrasekhar's planetary problem in the case of a specularly reflecting boundary to the standard problem.

Abstract The reduction of Chandrasekhar's planetary problem to the standard problem has been made by several authors (cf. Chandrasekhar (1); Sobolev ;(2) Van de Hulst ;(3) Coulson et al.; (4) Ueno ; (5) Kagiwada and Kalaba ;(6). However, the diffuse reflection and transmission problem in a finite anisotropically scattering atmosphere bounded by a specular reflector has not been reduced to the standard problem. In the present paper, starting with an integral equation governing the source function for Chandrasekhar's planetary problem in the case of a specular reflector, we show how to express the required scattering and transmission functions in terms of the Chandrasekhar's scattering and transmission functions. So far as we know, the reduction formulae are new. They will be useful for the numerical study of Chandrasekhar's planetary problem in the case of a specular reflector with the aid of high-speed digital computer.
Hypochondriacal concerns, anxiety sensitivity, and panic disorder

Abstract Many panic disorder patients have significant levels of hypochondriacal concerns. The present study investigated the relationship between specific symptom characteristics and hypochondriacal concerns in a sample of 50 panic disorder patients at different stages of treatment and recovery. Of the symptom characteristics examined — anxious mood, depressed mood, anxiety sensitivity, current number of panic attacks, and degree of phobic avoidance — hypochondriacal concerns were most highly associated with anxiety sensitivity. This finding is discussed in relation to the role of catastrophic interpretations of somatic symptoms in panic disorder and hypochondriasis. Treatment implications are discussed.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Emerging Techniques for Nuclear Reprogramming

Abstract Introduction of four transcription factors, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, can successfully reprogram somatic cells into embryonic stem (ES)-like cells. These cells, which are referred to as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, closely resemble embryonic stem cells in genomic, cell biologic, and phenotypic characteristics, and the creation of these special cells was a major triumph in cell biology. In contrast to pluripotent stem cells generated by somatic cell nuclear-transfer (SCNT) or ES cells derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst, direct reprogramming provides a convenient and reliable means of generating pluripotent stem cells. iPS cells have already shown incredible potential for research and for therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine within just a few years of their discovery. In this review, current techniques of generating iPS cells and mechanisms of nuclear reprogramming are reviewed, and the potential for therapeutic applications is discussed. Antioxid. R...