cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physostigmine for cardiac and neurologic manifestations of phenothiazine poisoning

Psychotropic drugs such as the phenothiazine neuroleptics and tricyclic antidepressants are known to cause electrocardiographic abnormalities as well as a central anticholinergic syndrome. Physostigmine is known to reverse the central muscarinic anticholinergic manifestations by inhibition of the enzyme cholinesterase. An unusual case of trifluoperazine overdose, in which the patient presented with cardiac arrhythmias and a central anticholinergic syndrome, is presented. Treatment with physostigmine reversed the central anticholinergic syndrome as well as the electrocardiographic abnormalities. Effects of phenothiazines on altering cardiac status are also discussed.
Recent Decisions Provide Some Clarity on How Courts and Government Agencies Will Likely Resolve Issues Involving Standard-Essential Patents

“Telephones talk to each other, the Internet works, and hairdryers plug into electrical sockets because private groups have set ‘interface’ standards, allowing compatibility between products made by different manufacturers.” By allowing compatibility, standards reduce or eliminate costs for consumers who switch between different manufacturers’ products. Standards also increase manufacturing volumes and promote price competition. In the United States, there are about 50,000 standards developed by over 600 private-sector industry groups. Industry groups that negotiate and agree upon technical standards to ensure the compatibility of different manufacturers’ products are called standard-setting organizations (or SSOs). Through member consensus, SSOs typically choose the technology to include in a standard from among competing technologies. “[V]oluntary consensus standards, whether mechanical, electrical, computer-related, or communications-related, have incorporated important
Quantifying the contribution of zooplankton to channel catfish and hybrid catfish growth in nursery ponds

Abstract Channel catfish fry rely heavily on zooplankton to support growth in nursery ponds. However, the extent of zooplankton use by hybrid (channel × blue) catfish fry is unknown. To improve feeding methods for channel and hybrid catfish in nursery ponds, we used stable C and N isotope ratios to quantify the fractional contribution of zooplankton and a commercial feed to fish growth. Channel and hybrid catfish fry had no differences in the timing and extent of zooplankton and feed use in ponds. Both fish types used zooplankton and feed equally to support growth (~50% from each source) from the time of pond stocking, and there were no differences in growth rates by length or weight. The fish used feed to support growth before they were visually observed accepting the feed at the surface of ponds 4 weeks after stocking. Zooplankton are clearly important to support desirable growth of channel and hybrid catfish fry in ponds. Thus, we recommend managers monitor densities of preferred zooplankton prey in ponds and use inorganic fertilization methods to enhance zooplankton production, as necessary. Although feed partially supported zooplankton production in this study, we caution against overfeeding, because this practice is expensive, inefficient, and risks hypoxia formation in ponds. Finding no differences in diets and growth rates between channel and hybrid catfish, we provisionally recommend managers practice similar pond management strategies for both fish types.
Reversing the myth of phase reversals.

The misdiagnosis of epilepsy is and has always been common in both adults and children [1,2]. Approximately 30% of patients with drug-resistant seizures seen at epilepsy centers do not have epileps...
Sexual health after a breast cancer diagnosis in young women: clinical implications for patients and providers

Sexual dissatisfaction after breast cancer treatment is a common phenomenon that, unfortunately, places a significant strain on young women and is becoming more common as treatment regimens rely more and more on anti-endocrine therapies. A PubMed review of peer reviewed manuscripts between the years 1998–2020 evaluating sexual health and wellbeing in cancer patients, primarily young women with breast cancer, was conducted. There are several categories of sexual dissatisfaction women may experience as a result of her breast cancer diagnosis, including menopausal symptoms and dyspareunia, negative body image, reduced sexual desire, strained relationships and partner communication, and anxiety about cancer disclosure in dating relationships. Several methods of addressing each domain have been studied. While hormonal replacement therapy remains controversial, other medication regimens have been shown to be effective in treating menopausal symptoms and dyspareunia. Cognitive behavioral therapy, sex therapy, and couples’ therapy are all effective in addressing a variety of symptoms across multiple domains. Oncologists are often not prepared to discuss sexual health concerns as frequently as women need. Further work is needed to bring easily digestible and meaningful educational opportunities into clinical practice so young breast cancer survivors can receive comprehensive post-cancer survivorship care.
Restricted Mean Survival Time Estimation: Nonparametric and Regression Methods

In survival analyses, the log-rank test is the standard approach to comparison of survival distributions estimated from independent groups. The semiparametric proportional hazards model uses the hazard function as the conduit to assess the influence of covariates x on the survival distribution of an event time T. The accelerated failure time model aligned closely to standard linear regression can estimate summary features such as the mean and percentiles of the survival distribution as functions of x. However, a full specification of a parametric distribution is often needed to analyze a model for $$ E(\log T|{\mathbf{x}}) $$ . A different approach is to model the restricted mean survival time $$ E(\hbox{min} (T,\tau )|{\mathbf{x}}) $$ . The specified time horizon $$ \tau $$ is informed by applications. All approaches must account for censoring in event times. We review analyses for restricted mean survival time based on the method of inverse-probability of censoring weighting, and on pseudo observations and a discussion on specified parametric models. As illustration, we apply the methods to a data set on relapse-free survival time in patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation.
Rapid review of virus risk communication interventions: Directions for COVID-19.

Abstract Objective In response to COVID-19, we conducted a rapid review of risk communication interventions to mitigate risk from viruses to determine if such interventions are efficacious. Methods We searched for risk communication interventions in four databases: Medline, PsycInfo, the ProQuest Coronavirus Research Database, and CENTRAL. The search produced 1572 articles. Thirty-one articles were included in the final review. Results Results showed risk communication interventions can produce cognitive and behavior changes around viruses. Results were more consistently positive for interventions focused on HIV/AIDS as compared to influenza. There was no consistent best intervention approach when comparing peer health, audio/visual, and intensive multi-media interventions. Tailoring risk communication toward a target population, in comparison to not tailoring, was related to better outcomes. Conclusion The results suggest that risk communication interventions can be efficacious at reducing risk from viruses. They also highlight the complexity of risk communication interventions. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms that lead risk communication to reduce risk from viruses. Practical value Results support risk communication interventions to reduce risk from viruses.
Effects of calcium-activated potassium channel modulators on afterhyperpolarizing potentials in identified motor and mechanosensory neurons of the medicinal leech

Calcium-activated potassium (KCa) channels contribute to multiple neuronal properties including spike frequency and afterhyperpolarizing potentials (AHPs). KCa channels are classified as KCa1.1, KCa2, or KCa3.1 based on single-channel conductance and pharmacology. Ca2+-dependent AHPs in vertebrates are categorized as fast, medium, or slow. Fast and medium AHPs are generated by KCa1.1 and KCa2 channels, respectively. The KCa subtype responsible for slow AHPs is unclear. Prolonged, Ca2+-dependent AHPs have been described in several leech neurons. Unfortunately, apamin and other KCa blockers often prove ineffective in the leech. An alternative approach is to utilize KCa modulators, which alter channel sensitivity to Ca2+. Vertebrate KCa2 channels are targeted selectively by the positive modulator CyPPA and the negative modulator NS8593. Here we show that AHPs in identified motor and mechanosensory leech neurons are enhanced by CyPPA and suppressed by NS8593. Our results indicate that KCa2 channels underlie prolonged AHPs in these neurons and suggest that KCa2 modulators may serve as effective tools to explore the role of KCa channels in leech physiology.
Parents' responses to children's ingratitude are associated with children's gratitude and internalizing 3 years later.

The current study is the first to examine how parents respond to children's ingratitude and how such responses impact children's later gratitude and internalizing symptoms. We focused on parental responses in families with children aged 6-9 years when gratitude may be actively forming as part of socioemotional learning and other-oriented behavior. Parent-child dyads (n = 101; 52% female; 81% European American, 9% Asian/Asian American, 5% African American, 4% Latino) completed lab-based assessments at baseline and 3 years later. Results indicate that we can reliably assess and differentiate six parental responses to children's ingratitude (i.e., parental self-blame, distress, punishment, instruction, let-it-be, and give-in) using a novel scenario-based measure. Moreover, parents of older children reported more self-blame, distress, and let-it-be responses than those of younger children. More frequent distress and less frequent punishing and giving-in responses to ingratitude by parents predicted greater parent-reported child gratitude at follow-up whereas more frequent distress and less instruction and giving-in responses predicted greater child-reported gratitude at follow-up. Punishing responses also predicted greater later internalizing symptoms in children, whereas self-blame and distress responses predicted lower subsequent symptoms. Collectively, findings showed that parental responses to children's ingratitude predicted child gratitude and internalizing symptoms 3 years later, even after controlling for other factors comprising the parent ecology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Sterile Leukocytosis Predicts Hemorrhagic Transformation in Arterial Ischemic Stroke: A National Inpatient Sample Study.

OBJECTIVE Hemorrhage transformation (HT) is a known complication of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS). In addition, it is known that the increase of proinflammatory immune cells in the brain tissue after AIS predict worse outcomes. However, it is not clear whether inflammation due to preceding or post-stroke infections affect outcomes and moreover, if systemic inflammatory markers could be useful as a clinical prediction tool for HT post-stroke. Therefore, our objective was to assess the association between systemic pro-inflammatory profile in AIS patients with HT and in-hospital mortality that did not course with acute infections during hospitalization. METHODS This study was conducted using the 2016 and 2017 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) with International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between HT and in-hospital mortality with pro-inflammatory anomalies of white blood cells (WBCs) in AIS patients. Exclusion criteria comprised patients with under 18 years old, and with a diagnosis of gastrointestinal, urogenital, respiratory infection, bacteremia, viral infection, sepsis, or fever. RESULTS A total of 212,356 patients with AIS were included in the analysis. 422 (0.2%) patients had a HT and 10,230 (4.8%) patients died during hospitalization. The most common WBC pro-inflammatory marker was leukocytosis with 6.9% (n=29/422) of HT and 5.5% (n=560/10,230) of patients that died during hospitalization. After adjusting for socio-demographic, comorbidities and treatment factors, leukocytosis was found to be an independent risk factor for both outcomes, HT [OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1-2.3, p=0.024] and, in-hospital mortality [OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3-1.6, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION Sterile leukocytosis is a potential clinical prediction tool to determine which patients are at higher risk of developing HT and die during hospitalization.
Understanding the Multifaceted Acculturation Process of Chinese Immigrants

The study investigated 134 first generation Chinese immigrants about their acculturation process in various domains to determine whether age, age entering United States, language use, and length of residence in United States influence their acculturation experiences. The inter-correlations among the various aspects of acculturation process (e.g. language use, knowledge, behavior and affect pertaining to both US and Chinese domains) were explored to understand the multifaceted nature of acculturation. Results found that English use and residence length are two significant predictors to Chinese Americans’ acculturation levels most domains. A significant positive relationship was also found for many of the interrelationships among various domains of acculturation, indicating multifaceted and bidirectional possibility. Thus, counselors working with first generation immigrants need to explore acculturation experiences across various aspects to gain more accurate understanding of their acculturation status.
Thyroid Hormone Therapy and Incident Stroke

CONTEXT Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability and there is a need to identify modifiable risk factors. OBJECTIVE We aimed to determine the relationship between thyroid hormone treatment intensity and incidence of atrial fibrillation and stroke. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Veterans Health Administration between 2004 and 2017, with a median follow-up of 59 months. The study population comprised 733 208 thyroid hormone users aged ≥18 years with at least 2 thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurements between thyroid hormone initiation and incident event (atrial fibrillation or stroke) or study conclusion (406 030 thyroid hormone users with at least 2 free thyroxine [T4] measurements). RESULTS Overall, 71 333/643 687 (11.08%) participants developed incident atrial fibrillation and 41 931/663 809 (6.32%) stroke. In multivariable analyses controlling for pertinent factors such as age, sex, and prior history of atrial fibrillation, higher incidence of stroke was associated with low TSH or high free T4 levels (ie, exogenous hyperthyroidism; eg, TSH 1.9 ng/dL, OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.30) and high TSH or low free T4 levels (ie, exogenous hypothyroidism; eg, TSH >5.5 mIU/L; OR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.26-1.33; free T4 0.5-5.5 mIU/L and free T4 0.7-1.9 ng/dL). Risk of developing atrial fibrillation and stroke was cumulative over time for both patients with exogenous hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. CONCLUSION Both exogenous hyper- and hypothyroidism were associated with increased risk of stroke, highlighting the importance of patient medication safety.
Age-Associated Neurological Complications of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The outbreak of the novel and highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in hundreds of millions of infections and millions of deaths globally. Infected individuals that progress to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) experience upper and lower respiratory complications that range in severity and may lead to wide-spread inflammation and generalized hypoxia or hypoxemia that impacts multiple organ systems, including the central and peripheral nervous systems. Since the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, multiple reports continue to emerge that detail neurological symptoms, ranging from relatively mild (e.g., impaired taste and/or smell) to severe (e.g., stroke), suggesting SARS-CoV-2 may be neurotropic and/or contribute to nervous system injury through direct and/or indirect mechanisms. To gain insight into the types of neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and their possible relationship with age, sex, COVID-19 severity, and comorbidities, we performed a systematic review of case reports and series published in 2020 - April 4, 2021 of infected patients with neurological manifestations. Meta-analyses were conducted using individual patient data from reports where these data could be extracted. Here, we report neurological injury occurs across the lifespan in the context of infection, with and without known comorbidities, and with all disease severities, including asymptomatic patients. Older individuals, however, are more susceptible to developing life-threatening COVID-19 and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), such as stroke. A mild but inverse correlation with age was seen with CNS inflammatory diseases, such as encephalitis, as well as taste and/or smell disorders. When reported, increased age was also associated with comorbid cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and lipid disorders, but not with obesity. Obesity did correlate with development of critical COVID-19. Discussion into potential pathophysiological mechanisms by which neurological symptoms arise and long-term consequences of infection to the nervous system is also provided.
Comparative Analysis of Time Series and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms for Short Term Load Forecasting

Short-term load forecasting (STLF) has been an interesting subject for power utility companies in the last few decades. In this paper, five different time series forecasting models are employed and integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to study the applicability of the methodologies for short term load forecasting. The AI models are employed and integrated with the seasonal ARIMA methodology to study their effects on STLF, whereas the emerging Facebook Prophet model is utilized along with the conventional Holt-Winter's to evaluate against the original and hybrid ARIMA models. The hybrid ARIMA approach involves modeling the ARIMA residuals and increasing the input features space to include weather parameters in addition to previous days load data. For our case study pertaining to modeling and predicting the load on a short-term basis using the data from a Michigan based utility, the Holt-Winters' model performance exceeded the performance of the remaining methodologies, where it achieved an accuracy of 99% and 98.6% in both the training and testing phases, respectively.
Locating Hormone-Releasing Contraceptive Implants Using Near-Infrared Light.

Background Long-term hormone-releasing contraceptive (etonogestrel) implants are highly effective in preventing pregnancy. In a minority of patients, implants cannot be located by palpation, increasing the risk of complications related to removal. Ultrasonography can be used to locate migrated or deeply inserted implants, but this requires expertise. Thus, alternative methods to locate contraceptive implants are needed. Method Near-infrared light is sometimes used to facilitate venipuncture and has been described as a technique to locate implanted glucose sensors. Herein, I describe using near-infrared light to locate contraceptive implants. The near-infrared light was positioned perpendicularly and held 33 cm away from the arm. As soon as it is powered up, a reflection of the contraceptive implant is noticeable on the skin. The location of the implant is then marked before the removal procedure. Experience This method allowed the easy location of nonpalpable etonogestrel implants in five women. Conclusion Near-infrared light was successful in locating nonpalpable etonogestrel implants. This novel method can be used as an alternative to ultrasonography.
Symmetric Spaces and Ellipses

The paper deals with locally and globally symmetric ℒ-spaces (where no smoothness is required, but, if present, makes the space only a Finsler and not a Riemann space). As an example we mention that a locally symmetric simply connected space without conjugate points satisfying the parallel axiom is Minkowskian, because this seems new even when applied to Riemann spaces. We also find a surprising equivalence of symmetry with a property of ellipses.
Dynamical Selection of Learning Algorithms

Determining the conditions for which a given learning algorithm is appropriate is an open problem in machine learning. Methods for selecting a learning algorithm for a given domain have met with limited success. This paper proposes a new approach to predicting a given example’s class by locating it in the “example space” and then choosing the best learner(s) in that region of the example space to make predictions. The regions of the example space are defined by the prediction patterns of the learners being used. The learner(s) chosen for prediction are selected according to their past performance in that region. This dynamic approach to learning algorithm selection is compared to other methods for selecting from multiple learning algorithms. The approach is then extended to weight rather than select the algorithms according to their past performance in a given region. Both approaches are further evaluated on a set of ten domains and compared to several other meta-learning strategies.
Likelihood Ratio, Skull Roentgenograms, and Clinical Decision-Making

To the Editor.— In the February 1982 issue of Pediatrics, Leonidas et al1 examined the relationship between clinical findings and skull fractures in children evaluated with skull roentgenograms to develop reliable criteria for the ordering of roentgenograms in patients with head trauma. In their analysis, the authors used the liklihood ratio (LR) to characterize quantitatively the relationship between a clinical finding and the presence of a skull fracture. As defined by the authors, the LR is that ratio between the probability of a certain clinical finding occurring in the presence of a fracture and the probability of the same clinical finding occurring in the absence of a fracture.
Sfp-type 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase is required for lysine synthesis, tolerance to oxidative stress and virulence in the plant pathogenic fungus Cochliobolus sativus.

SUMMARY Polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are the major enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, which have diverse activities, including roles as pathogenicity/virulence factors in plant pathogenic fungi. These enzymes are activated by 4′-phosphopantetheinylation at the conserved serine residues, which is catalysed by 4′-phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase). PPTase is also required for primary metabolism (α-aminoadipate reductase, AAR). In the genome sequence of the cereal fungal pathogen Cochliobolus sativus, we identified a gene (PPT1) orthologous to the PPTase-encoding genes found in other filamentous ascomycetes. The deletion of PPT1 in C. sativus generated mutants (Δppt1) that were auxotrophic for lysine, unable to synthesize melanin, hypersensitive to oxidative stress and significantly reduced in virulence to barley cv. Bowman. To analyse the pleiotropic effects of PPT1, we also characterized deletion mutants for PKS1 (involved in melanin synthesis), AAR1 (for AAR) and NPS6 (involved in siderophore-mediated iron metabolism). The melanin-deficient strain (Δpks1) showed no differences in pathogenicity and virulence compared with the wild-type strain. Lysine-auxotrophic mutants (Δaar1) induced spot blotch symptoms, as produced by the wild-type strain, when inoculated on wounded barley leaves or when lysine was supplemented. The Δnps6 strain showed a slightly reduced virulence compared with the wild-type strain, but exhibited significantly higher virulence than the Δppt1 strain. Our results suggest that an unknown virulence factor, presumably synthesized by PKSs or NRPSs which are activated by PPTase, is directly responsible for high virulence of C. sativus on barley cv. Bowman.
Deformed Swept Volume Analysis to NC Machining Simulation with Cutter Deflection

This paper presents a deformed swept volume analysis integrated with machining mechanics for NC machining simulation with consideration of cutter deflection. This analysis uses an extended Sweep Differential Equation approach to represent the swept volumes of flexible moving objects. A mechanics model for cutter-workpiece interaction is used to compute the cutter deflection in end milling. A software program has been developed in C++ to generate the cutter’s deformed swept volume, which is subtracted from the workpiece to simulate the machining process and machined part. The simulation is shown useful to visualizing the machining process and checking machining surface errors.
Selective Innervation of Fast and Slow Muscle Regions during Early Chick Neuromuscular Development

The electrical properties of adult motoneurons are well matched to the contractile properties of the fast or slow muscle fibers that they innervate. How this precise matching occurs developmentally is not known. To investigate whether motoneurons exhibit selectivity in innervating discrete muscle regions, containing either fast or slow muscle fibers during early neuromuscular development, we caused embryonic chick hindlimb muscles to become innervated by segmentally inappropriate motoneurons. We used the in vitro spinal cord–hindlimb preparation to identify electrophysiologically the pools of foreign motoneurons innervating the posterior iliotibialis (pITIB), an all-fast muscle, and the iliofibularis (IFIB), a partitioned muscle containing discrete fast and slow regions. The results showed that the pITIB and the fast region of the IFIB were exclusively innervated by motoneurons that normally supply fast muscles. In contrast, the slow region of the IFIB was always innervated by motoneuron pools that normally supply slow muscles. Some experimental IFIB muscles lacked a fast region and were innervated solely by “slow” motoneurons. In addition, the intramuscular nerve branching patterns were always appropriate to the fast–slow nature of the muscle (region) innervated. The selective innervation was found early in the motoneuron death period, and we found no evidence that motoneurons grew into appropriate muscle regions, but failed to form functional contacts. Together, these results support the hypothesis that different classes of motoneurons exhibit molecular differences that allow them to project selectively to, and innervate, muscle fibers of the appropriate type during early neuromuscular development.
Firearms and Their Role in Homicide and Suicide

: Various arguments against firearms from the standpoint of their role in homicide and suicide are discussed. It is contended by some that murderers are law-abiding citizens who get into trouble because of the availability of firearms. A study in Detroit indicated that both murderers and suicidal persons are prone to misuse the firearm as they would misuse any potential instrument of destruction, independent of gun control measures. If the Second Amendment to the Constitution is to be used by those favoring the right to bear arms, the argument must involve an incorporation of an inherent responsibility toward the use of the firearm; that people wanting to use them should be able to accept reasonable rules and personality qualification as a factor in having the right to obtain them. More effective education and screening of the overly aggressive person or the self-destructive individual are suggested, in terms of school mental health programs, screening at the police precinct level, gun permit application level, and through effective suicide prevention and crisis centers.
Steve Jobs: IT Creative Genius

From the iMac to the iPhone, the effects that Steve Jobs and Apple have had on our lives is clear. The major role Jobs played in these ubiquitous technology developments makes him a modern-day IT hero.
Both the Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 (SOCS-1) Kinase Inhibitory Region and SOCS-1 Mimetic Bind to JAK2 Autophosphorylation Site: Implications for the Development of a SOCS-1 Antagonist

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1 protein modulates signaling by IFN-gamma by binding to the autophosphorylation site of JAK2 and by targeting bound JAK2 to the proteosome for degradation. We have developed a small tyrosine kinase inhibitor peptide (Tkip) that is a SOCS-1 mimetic. Tkip is compared in this study with the kinase inhibitory region (KIR) of SOCS-1 for JAK2 recognition, inhibition of kinase activity, and regulation of IFN-gamma-induced biological activity. Tkip and a peptide corresponding to the KIR of SOCS-1, ((53))DTHFRTFRSHSDYRRI((68)) (SOCS1-KIR), both bound similarly to the autophosphorylation site of JAK2, JAK2(1001-1013). The peptides also bound to JAK2 peptide phosphorylated at Tyr(1007), pJAK2(1001-1013). Dose-response competitions suggest that Tkip and SOCS1-KIR similarly recognize the autophosphorylation site of JAK2, but probably not precisely the same way. Although Tkip inhibited JAK2 autophosphorylation as well as IFN-gamma-induced STAT1-alpha phosphorylation, SOCS1-KIR, like SOCS-1, did not inhibit JAK2 autophosphorylation but inhibited STAT1-alpha activation. Both Tkip and SOCS1-KIR inhibited IFN-gamma activation of Raw 264.7 murine macrophages and inhibited Ag-specific splenocyte proliferation. The fact that SOCS1-KIR binds to pJAK2(1001-1013) suggests that the JAK2 peptide could function as an antagonist of SOCS-1. Thus, pJAK2(1001-1013) enhanced suboptimal IFN-gamma activity, blocked SOCS-1-induced inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation in IL-6-treated cells, enhanced IFN-gamma activation site promoter activity, and enhanced Ag-specific proliferation. Furthermore, SOCS-1 competed with SOCS1-KIR for pJAK2(1001-1013). Thus, the KIR region of SOCS-1 binds directly to the autophosphorylation site of JAK2 and a peptide corresponding to this site can function as an antagonist of SOCS-1.
Promoting a culture of civility in nursing education and practice

Incivility is a growing problem in nursing education and clinical nursing. Incivility often is underreported and tolerated by nurses, faculty, and students. It is necessary to bring attention to the problem of incivility and discuss its negative impact on teaching, learning, and patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to a) explore what is known about incivility by reviewing current literature and b) recommend strategies to promote a culture of civility in nursing education and clinical nursing.
On meshy trees

A graph is termed d-meshy if it can be isomorphicaly embedded in the universal d-dimensional mesh (grid) M d . We investigate the d-meshiness of tree graphs, especially for d = 2. Trees of minimum order that are nonmeshy are identified. It is shown that for any d and n≧2, there exists an h such that the full n-ary tree of height h is not d-meshy. Spreading mesh embeddings of trees that preserve distance from the root are discussed, qs well as the characterization of meshy trees by their degree sequences.
Medication for Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Fall Hazard: A Retrospective Cohort Study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Falls are common in the elderly, especially in those with cognitive impairment. The elderly are often treated with several medications, which may have both beneficial and deleterious effects. The use and type of medication in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and association with falls is limited. We examined the association between falls and medication use in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Diagnosis, demographics, medication use, apolipoprotein E4 allele status and functional activity level at baseline were gathered for 810 participants enrolled in the ADNI, including healthy controls and subjects with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s. Reports detailing adverse event falls were tabulated. Baseline characteristics were compared between subjects with and without one or more falls. Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to evaluate the association between subject characteristics and hazard of the first fall. Age (p < 0.0001), Functional Activities Questionnaire (p = 0.035), Beers List (p = 0.0477) and medications for treating cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s (p = 0.0019) were associated with hazard of fall in the univariate model. In the final multivariate model, after adjusting for covariates, Alzheimer’s medication use (p = 0.0005) was associated with hazard of fall. Medication was changed by the clinician after an adverse fall event in 9 % of the falls. About 7 % of the falls were reported as serious adverse events and 6 % were reported to be severe. We found a significant association between the use of symptomatic medication treating cognitive symptoms in AD and hazard of fall after adjusting for age and Beers List medication use. Additional pharmacovigilance of the association between falls and Alzheimer’s medication use is warranted.
Ampullary disconnection during the course of biliary and duodenal surgery

Ampullary disconnection is fortunately rare. As this experience indicates, the long-term salvage rate is good but demands immediate recognition, precise repair and frequently reoperation to obtain a satisfactory result. One should be aware that the ampulla may be located very proximally in patients with long-standing peptic ulceration. The common duct should be catheterized while reoperation is required in this area in cases of obscured anatomy of the distal bile and pancreatic ducts.
Fatigue Life Reduction in Mixed Lubricated Elliptical Contacts

Highly loaded ball and rolling element bearings are often required to operate in the mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime in which surface asperity contact occurs simultaneously during the lubrication process. Predicting performance of components operating in this regime is important as the high asperity contact pressures can significantly reduce the fatigue life of the interacting components. Rolling contact fatigue is one of the most dominant causes of failure of components operating in mixed lubrication regime. Contact fatigue begins with the initiation of microscopic fatigue cracks in the rolling contact surfaces or within the sub-surface regions due to cyclic shear stresses. Investigation of mixed lubrication effects on performance of machine components is of significant importance in order to understand and enhance their load carrying capacity. This article investigates the effects of mixed lubrication and surface roughness on machine components performance. Results from a mixed lubrication model are utilized to investigate the effects of different operating conditions on fatigue life of the components. Simple rough surfaces consisting of single hemispherical bump as well as complex rough surfaces consisting of a numerically generated 3D rough surface operating under mixed lubrication conditions are studied and results presented. The stress-based Ioannides and Harris model incorporating the fatigue limit is used to evaluate the fatigue life variation. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique is used to significantly reduce the time required for the computation of internal stresses.
Stability and accuracy analysis of direct integration methods

A systematic procedure is presented for the stability and accuracy analysis of direct integration methods in structural dynamics. Amplitude decay and period elongation are used as the basic parameters in order to compare various integration methods. The specific methods studied are the Newmark generalized acceleration scheme, the Houbolt method and the Wilson θ-method. The advantages of each of these methods are discussed. In addition, it is shown how the direct integration of the equations of motion is related to the mode superposition analysis.
SWMM Modeling of a Rural Watershed in the Lower Coastal Plains of the United States

The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) has proven highly effective in modeling urban and suburban watersheds since its conception in 1969. While heavily imple…
The 2010 gulf of Mexico oil well blowout: a little hindsight.

​NoNo profile of events can capture all the facts, the chaos, and the many thousands of pages devoted to what the Gulf of Mexico oil blowout was—and was not. About the Author. Carl Safina holds a PhD in ecology from Rutgers University and has published over 150 research papers, book chapters, books, and articles on seabird ecology, fisheries, and environmental policy. He is founding president of Blue Ocean ... During several visits to the Gulf region in 2010 and in the months I spent writing a book on the subject, the best way I found to make sense of the blowout's many facets was as conceptual topography, its contours shaped by the interlaced factual and emotional features of the event. Perceptions were important drivers of the effects of the event. Economic effects largely reflected perceptions by tourists and seafood consumers, and psychological effects resulted from deep uncertainty over ecological effects and consequently the future viability of fishing and tourism. It seemed an event unfolded in three acts: First, the factors leading up to the blowout. Two, the varied responses during the blowout while oil was still streaming from the well. Third, the post-leak period when assessment, study, and comparison merged the technological, political, emotional, and scientific components that comprised the event [1]. It is tempting to jump from the blowout to a discussion of America's energy needs and the world's energy future. Those larger implications can seem to be the main messages of the blowout. But those messages exist independent of the blowout. That's why I will resist that connection until we discuss the blowout itself.
Direct scaling of vibrotaction: An individual replication

A single S was retested after an intervening period of 3 years using the method of numerical magnitude balance. The stimulus parameters were nearly identical in both experiments. The slope of the subjective magnitude function was the same at higher intensities. Near threshold, the curve was steeper, corresponding to results seen in the data of the two groups in which the individual served as a S.
Reduction of efficiency droop in InGaN-based blue LEDs

We have investigated the efficiency droop in InGaN based multiple-quantum light-emitting diodes (MQWs-LEDs) and double hetero-structure light-emitting diodes (DH-LEDs) by changing the barrier (both thickness and barrier height) within quantum wells. Our results show that for MQW-LEDs, with the decrease of barrier width from 12nm In 0.01 Ga 0.99 N to 3nm In 0.01 Ga 0.99 N, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) droop point is increased from 350 Acm -2 to >1000 Acm -2 , and the slope of EQE drop is also greatly reduced. When the barrier height of the MQW-LEDs is decreased, i.e. barriers changed from In 0.01 Ga 0.99 N (3nm) to In 0.06 Ga 0.94 N (3nm), the EL intensity is reduced to half. In the case of DH-LEDs, 6nm DH-LED shows the highest EL intensity and no EQE droop up to 1000 Acm -2 . When the active region of the DHLED is increased from 6nm to 12nm, the electroluminescence (EL) intensity is reduced to 70% of that of the 6nm DHLED, and the EQE shows negligible droop compared to the 6nm DH-LED due to both enhanced hole injection and reduced electron overflow. These results suggest that heavy effective mass of holes and low hole injection efficiency (due to relatively lower p-doping) leading to severe electron leakage are responsible for the efficiency droop.
Mycorrhizal dynamics under elevated CO2 and nitrogen fertilization in a warm temperate forest

We examined the response of mycorrhizal fungi to free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) and nitrogen (N) fertilization in a warm temperate forest to better understand potential influences over plant nutrient uptake and soil carbon (C) storage. In particular, we hypothesized that mycorrhizal fungi and glomalin would become more prevalent under elevated CO2 but decrease under N fertilization. In addition, we predicted that N fertilization would mitigate any positive effects of elevated CO2 on mycorrhizal abundance. Overall, we observed a 14% increase in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root colonization under CO2 enrichment, which implies that elevated CO2 results in greater C investments in these fungi. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphal length and glomalin stocks did not respond substantially to CO2 enrichment, and effects of CO2 on AM root colonization varied by date. Nitrogen effects on AM fungi were not consistent with our hypothesis, as we found an increase in AM colonization under N fertilization. Lastly, neither glomalin concentrations nor ECM colonization responded significantly to N fertilization or to an N-by-CO2 interaction. A longer duration of N fertilization may be required to detect effects on these parameters.
Body Image Testing System: A microcomputer program for assessing body image

An interactive computer program, the Body Image Testing System (BITS), was developed to assess different components of the body image construct. The BITS program displays a frontal and side view of a human body. Subjects can change the size of each of nine body parts independently (face, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, breasts, stomach, hips, and thighs). Subjects interact with the program until satisfied that the image created matches the instructions. Subjects also provide satisfaction ratings for the nine body segments. To validate BITS, a variety of body image and eating disturbance measures was obtained from over 500 subjects. A factor analysis of actual-ideal differences and a perceptual distortion measure, derived using multiple regression, resulted in five orthogonal factors. Factor 1 measured actual-ideal discrepancy for weight-sensitive body parts. Factor 2 measured the perceptual distortion of weight-sensitive body parts. Additional factors measured perception of face and neck, shoulders, and breasts. The five factor scores plus the satisfaction ratings were strongly associated with actual body size, body fat percentage, and circumference of specific body parts. In addition, there were strong associations between the BITS and other measures of body image. Finally, BITS scores accounted for between 15 and 60% of the variance in measures of eating disturbance.
A coupon is more than a low price: Evidence from a shopping‐simulation study

To maximize consumer response to a price promotion, the manager needs to identify characteristics of the promotion that are critical to its effectiveness. This article describes a technique for doing this and applies the technique to an analysis of cents-off coupons. The result is an exploration of some of the characteristics of coupons, beyond their offer of a low price, that lead to their ability to influence brand trial.
Sensitivity of the NCEP/Noah land surface model to the MODIS green vegetation fraction data set

[1] Land surface processes are strongly controlled by vegetation cover. Current land surface models represent vegetation as a combination of leaf area index (LAI) and green vegetation fraction (GVF) parameters. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of a spatially and temporally detailed Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based GVF on surface processes in the NCEP Noah land surface model. The largest differences between the GVF data set currently used by the Noah model and the new MODIS GVF data set occur in winter and for tree-dominated vegetation classes. The greatest impact of the new GVF data on the surface energy and water balance is seen during the summer, when the transpiration is increased by more than 10 W/m 2 on average for most vegetation types and the July averaged daily transpiration rate is increased by up to 50 W/m 2 for evergreen needleleaf sites.
Change data capture: what is it and how it impacts solutions architecture

This workshop was about real-time data integration. Participants learn not only the basics of real-time data integration, but also, how it works, how customers are using the technology to solve business problems, and implications of change data capture on solutions' architecture.
Multi-national findings on radiation protection of children

This article reviews issues of radiation protection in children in 52 low-resource countries. Extensive information was obtained through a survey by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); wide-ranging information was available from 40 countries and data from the other countries pertained to frequency of pediatric CT examinations. Of note is that multi-detector CT (MDCT) was available in 77% of responses to the survey, typically nodal centers in these countries. Nearly 75% of these scanners were reported to have dose displays. The pediatric CT usage was lower in European facilities as compared to Asian and African facilities, where usage was twice as high. The most frequently scanned body part was the head. Frequent use of 120 kVp was reported in children. The ratio of maximum to minimum CT dose index volume (CTDIvol) values varied between 15 for abdomen CT in the age group 5–10 years and 100 for chest CT in the age group <1 year. In 8% of the CT systems, CTDI values for pediatric patients were higher than those for adults in at least one age group and for one type of examination. Use of adult protocols for children was associated with CTDIw or CTDIvol values in children that were double those of adults for head and chest examination and 50% higher for abdomen examination. Patient dose records were kept in nearly half of the facilities, with the highest frequency in Europe (55% of participating facilities), and in 49% of Asian, 36% of Latin American and 14% of African facilities. The analysis of the first-choice examinations in seven clinical conditions showed that practice was in accordance with guidelines for only three of seven specified clinical conditions.