cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postoperative Development of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome among Patients Undergoing Endovascular Aortic Repair for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Background Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) has a reported incidence of 9%–14% among trauma patients. However, in patients with similar hemodynamic changes, the incidence of ACS remains unclear. Our aim was to determine the incidence of ACS among patients undergoing endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs) and to identify associated risk factors. Methods A retrospective review was performed for consecutive patients who underwent EVAR for rAAA from March 2010 to November 2016 at our institution. The development of ACS was diagnosed based on a variety of factors, including bladder pressure, laboratory abnormalities, hemodynamic monitoring, and clinical evaluation. Previously validated risk factors for ACS development in trauma and EVAR patients (preoperative hypotension, aggressive fluid resuscitation, postoperative anemia, use of an aorto-uniiliac graft, and placement of an aortic occlusive balloon) were analyzed. Association between patient characteristics and ACS development was analyzed using the Fisher's exact test. Results During the study period, 25 patients had image-confirmed rAAA and underwent emergent EVAR. Mortality rate was 28% (n = 7), and ACS incidence was 12% (n = 3). Of the analyzed risk factors, hypotension on arrival (P = 0.037), transfusion of 3 or more units of packed red blood cells (P = 0.037), and postoperative anemia (P = 0.02) were all significantly associated with postoperative ACS development. In addition, having greater than 3 of the studied risk factors was associated with increased odds of developing ACS (P = 0.015), and having greater than 4 of the studied risk factors showed the strongest association with ACS development (P = 0.0017). Conclusions Overresuscitation should be avoided in patients with rAAA. In addition, patients who present with multiple risk factors for ACS should be monitored very closely with serial bladder pressures and may require decompression laparotomy immediately after EVAR.
Patch-scale effects of an invasive ecosystem engineer on the structure and function of a eutrophic stream

Patch-scale Effects of an Invasive Ecosystem Engineer on the Structure and Function of a Eutrophic Stream
Prevention and treatment of injuries from cave exploration in Hawai'i.

Cave exploration is a popular activity in the United States that can be challenging, thrilling, and dangerous. In addition to common risks associated with caves on the mainland, caves in Hawai‘i may be filled with tidal water, or contain large pools of water that are accessible only through underwater entrances. This paper will discuss common injuries in caves on the mainland United States, as well as cave related injuries in Hawai‘i as reported to the National Speleological Society from 1984–2013.
Effects of Aging on Gonadotropin/Ovarian and Growth Hormone/Ovarian Relationships in Normal Women

Abstract Concurrent with a markedly improved life expectancy for women, attention has been increasingly focused on both age-associated reproductive and metabolic issues. With regard to the reproductive axis it is clear that the ability to achieve and maintain a successful pregnancy declines as a function of age. Although much of this decrease in reproductive potential may reflect changes in the quality of oocytes, it is also possible that age-associated alterations in the reproductive components of the neuroendocrine axis may contribute to this process. However, whether changes in the function of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator activity and/or in the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) by anterior pituitary gonadotropes are a direct consequence of the aging process, or simply reflect changes in gonadal feedback is unclear. An improved understanding of just how the process of aging adversely affects hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function may allow for significantly improved methods with which to enhance fertility in the aging female population. With regard to the somatotropic axis, both hypothalamo-pituitary disease and aging are associated with variable degrees of hypo-somatotropism, the latter defined as depletion of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Both contexts are accompanied by evident dyslipidemia, increased cardiovascular mortality, greater visceral adiposity, reduced bone and muscle mass, impaired psychosocial well-being, and restricted physical aerobic performance. Postmenopausal women manifest combined reductions in systemic GH and estrogen availability. Hypoestrogenemia is relevant to progressive GH deprivation, because repletion of estradiol drives GH secretion in the ovariprival subject. Aggregate clinical data establish this precept in relation to normal and precocious puberty in girls; GnRH agonist-induced downregulation of the gonadal axis in young women; ovariectomy in premenopausal individuals; controlled ovulation induction; short-term administration of antiestrogens; and replacement therapy with diverse estrogens delivered via any of oral, transdermal, intravenous, intranasal, intravaginal, and intramuscular routes. This overview highlights specific neuroendocrine mechanisms by which estradiol stimulates pulsatile GH secretion in the postmenopausal woman.
ARIADNE - a program estimating covariances in detail for neutron experiments

The python program ARIADNE is a tool developed for evaluators to estimate detailed uncertainties and covariances for experimental data in a consistent and efficient manner. Currently, it is designed to aid in the uncertainty quantification of prompt fission neutron spectra, and was employed to estimate experimental covariances for CIELO and ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluations. It provides a streamlined way to estimate detailed covariances by (1) implementing uncertainty quantification algorithms specific to the observables, (2) defining input quantities for typically encountered uncertainty sources and correlation shapes, and (3) automatically generating plots of data, uncertainties and correlations, GND formatted XML and plain text output files. Covariances of the same and between different datasets can be estimated, and tools are provided to assemble a database of experimental data and covariances for an evaluation based on ARIADNE outputs. The underlying IPython notebook files can be easily stored, including all assumptions on uncertainties, leading to more reproducible inputs for nuclear data evaluations. Here, the key inputs and outputs are shown along with a representative example for the current version of ARIADNE to illustrate its usability and to open a discussion on how it could address further needs of the nuclear data evaluation community.
A Framework for Contracted Health IT Performance Assessments.

AbstractLimited research exists which aids in structuring health IT contracts in an era of performance-based payments. We provide an assessment of common approaches to contracting and measuring of performance in practice. We conducted a review of existing literature and compliment this approach with a survey of healthcare professionals directly involved with health IT systems to further understand and classify current approaches. We identified architypes for structuring healthcare IT performance contracts to include: (1) internal operations, (2) external evaluation and (3) joint agreement for the delivery of value-based care.
On the use of 2D moment invariants in the classification of additive manufacturing powder feedstock

Abstract The shapes of near-spherical individual powder particles used as additive manufacturing feedstock are analyzed by means of moment invariants in combination with dimensionality reduction techniques, including t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and hierarchical density-based clustering with noise (HDBSCAN). Affine Cartesian invariants up to the 12th order are found to be the most effective shape descriptors, in particular when used with t-SNE mapping. The methodology described in this paper can capture outlier particle shapes, can distinguish between very similar particle shapes, and has the potential to be implemented as a fully automated classification process to assess to what extent the distribution of the invariants deviates from the expected distribution for a powder that is known to have good additive manufacturing properties.
Commercial Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells: Unfamiliar Roads and Stalled Cars

The FDA approval of the anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel, YESCARTA®) was based on ZUMA-1 (NCT 02348216), a multi-center phase 2 trial of 111 patients with relapsed/refractory large cell lymphoma (Neelapu et al. NEJM 2017). Without a standardized reimbursement pathway, the complex workflow of "commercial" axi-cel may increase delays in care for patients who are otherwise eligible for treatment. We hypothesized that the time to treatment, and probability of receiving treatment with commercial axi-cel, would be inferior to our experience on ZUMA-1 and lead to adverse patient outcomes. From Jan 2016 to Feb 2017, we enrolled 5 patients on ZUMA-1. Using similar eligibility criteria, we intended to treat 25 patients with commercial axi-cel from Nov 2017 to Aug 2018. Time-to-treatment was calculated from date of informed consent (ZUMA-1) or from insurance verification (non-trial patients) and ended at infusion. Time-to-treatment was significantly shorter for ZUMA-1 compared to non-trial patients (mean 31.8 days vs 77.5 days, P:0.003). ZUMA-1 patients were older (mean 64.8 vs. 56.0 years, P:ns), received more lines of chemotherapy prior to initiating the approval process (4.4 vs. 3.3 lines, P:ns), and had a larger volume of disease (largest lesion 36 cm2vs 16.4cm2, P:ns). The majority of non-trial patients (6/8) received bridging chemotherapy (0-2 lines), and there were 5 hospitalizations totaling 27 days. Steroid use was similar between groups (40.0% vs 37.5%) and more non-trial patients received tocilizumab (40.0% vs 62.5%, P=ns), possibly due to updated toxicity guidelines. In the non-trial group, 10 patients became ineligible due to death (6), transfer to another institution (2), clinical decline (1), and loss of follow-up (1) with a mean time to ineligibility of 54.8 days (range 9-91 days). Seven eligible patients are awaiting reimbursement approval (mean 47.3 days, range 5-166 days). ZUMA-1 outcomes were superior to commercial patients with all 5 patients achieving a response by day 30 and all 3 initial partial responses (PRs) deepening to a complete response (CR). In the non-trial group, there were 3 CRs, 2 PRs, 1 stable disease, and 2 patients with disease progression at/before day 30. All ZUMA-1 patients are alive after a median of 721 days vs 7/8 axi-cel patients (median follow-up 78.5 days). In our non-trial experience, treatment with axi-cel resulted in a superior overall survival compared to being untreated (not reached vs 61 days, P:0.01). This single-center experience highlights the ongoing challenges with axi-cel in the real world setting compared with the experience on ZUMA-1, including delays in insurance approval, use of bridging chemotherapy, added chemotherapy toxicity, and increased mortality while awaiting treatment. Standardized reimbursement pathways are needed to ensure timely access to these therapies.
A qualitative study of visitors to small-scale farms on a tropical Island

Although agritourism has received increasing attention among tourism researchers, few studies have focused on the phenomenon as it exists on tropical islands. This article helps to fill this resear...
Chapter 3 – Evolution of Ancient and Modern Amphibians and Reptiles

: Beginning in the Late Devonian, amphibians began to diversify and by the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic, three major clades, the Temnospondyli, the Seymouriamorpha, and the Lepospondyli existed. Metamorphosis occurred in some of these ancient amphibians. Radiations within each of these groups is traced, but most disappeared by the end of the Permian when the Great Extinction occurred, causing the disappearance of nearly 70% of terrestrial organisms. Following the Great Extinction, reptiles and synapsids had become the dominant terrestrial vertebrates by the Triassic. Amphibians experienced a minor diversity explosion with the appearance of at least seven different groups of presumed temnospondyls, including the first ancestors of modern amphibians. The earliest reptiles (amniotes) were relatively small and occurred during the Middle Pennsylvanian. An explosive radiation of reptiles occurred in the Mesozoic, during which they dominated terrestrial and aerial environments and were important predators in the seas. In addition to detailing the fossil record for ancient amphibians and reptiles, the fossil record for the extant groups of amphibians and reptiles is summarized.
Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Macrocyclic Bottlebrushes via Post-Polymerization Modification of a Cyclic Polymer

Polymer bottlebrushes are complex macromolecular nanostructures with polymeric side chains densely grafted to a polymer backbone. In this work, a synthetic strategy for the synthesis of cyclic bott...
Comparison between Probabilistic and Possibilistic Approaches for Structural Uncertainty Analysis

AbstractAnalysis of a structure is a crucial procedure to ensure its reliable design and performance. These analytical procedures are generally performed deterministically. However, the input param...
Forecasting stock prices

Abstract We apply concepts form machine learning to forecast stock prices. First, we introduce the general (3 by 3) forecasting model, in which the financial markets are populated by three types of stocks: Overpriced stocks, underpriced stocks and fairly priced stocks. The objective of the financial analyst or a potential investor is to identify which stock belongs to which classification, and to take the relevant investment decision. Second, we present two different numerical examples to illustrate our forecasting models, and estimate all the relevant statistics, as well as the forecasting accuracy. Third, we introduce the Receiver Operator Curve (ROC), and demonstrate the trade-off between the sensitivity and specificity of the prediction. We also discuss the performance evaluation of forecasting stock prices.
Systemic delivery of TNF-armed myxoma virus plus immune checkpoint inhibitor eliminates lung metastatic mouse osteosarcoma

Solid cancers that metastasize to the lungs represent a major therapeutic challenge. Current treatment paradigms for lung metastases consist of radiation therapy, chemotherapies, and surgical resection, but there is no single treatment or combination that is effective for all tumor types. To address this, oncolytic myxoma virus (MYXV) engineered to express human tumor necrosis factor (vMyx-hTNF) was tested after systemic administration in an immunocompetent mouse K7M2-Luc lung metastatic osteosarcoma model. Virus therapy efficacy against pre-seeded lung metastases was assessed after systemic infusion of either naked virus or ex vivo-loaded autologous bone marrow leukocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results of this study showed that the PBMC pre-loaded strategy was the most effective at reducing tumor burden and increasing median survival time, but sequential intravenous multi-dosing with naked virus was comparably effective to a single infusion of PBMC-loaded virus. PBMC-loaded vMyx-hTNF also potentially synergized very effectively with immune checkpoint inhibitors anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Finally, in addition to the pro-immune stimulation caused by unarmed MYXV, the TNF transgene of vMyx-hTNF further induced the unique expression of numerous additional cytokines associated with the innate and adaptive immune responses in this model. We conclude that systemic ex vivo virotherapy with TNF-α-armed MYXV represents a new potential strategy against lung metastatic cancers like osteosarcoma and can potentially act synergistically with established checkpoint immunotherapies.
Palmar Resurfacing of the Hand With Porcine Urinary Bladder Extracellular Matrix Following Traumatic Injury

Introduction Complex wounds of the hand often result in soft tissue defects that are not amenable to primary closure, vacuum-assisted closure, or tissue expansion. Injuries presenting with large defects involving multiple levels of tissue must be addressed by using techniques at higher rungs on the reconstructive ladder, such as split-thickness grafting, pedicled flaps, or free flaps. When repairing palmar tissue, these techniques fall short due to their failure to approximate structure and function of specialized skin. More recently, dermal substitutes containing a decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) have been used in reconstruction of soft tissue defects, acting as a structural scaffold for the regrowth of native cells. Extracellular matrix products have been shown to improve functional and sensory outcomes in areas requiring highly specialized skin. Urinary bladder matrix (UBM), a porcine ECM scaffold, is unique in that it contains an intact epithelial basement membrane that promotes more organized regrowth through layered structure. Case report This case presents a novel use of this product in resurfacing 80% of a palm after postoperative necrosis following a table saw injury to the right volar palm at the distal crease. The patient had intact sensation and near normal functional outcomes at most recent follow up. Conclusions The UBM may be a valuable adjunct to achieve soft tissue coverage in large, complex hand wounds, particularly those involving the palmar surfaces.
Preferences, Equipoise, and Blinding

Unique challenges for behavioral clinical trials are posed by expectancy bias resulting from the lethal combination of visible treatment status and visible beliefs about these treatments. In contrast to double-blind drug trials where pre-existing beliefs are neutralized by treatments that look identical, behavioral trials evaluate randomized arms that often look different, thus limiting options for design control of biases resulting from preferences. Blinding outcomes assessors is a necessary, but insufficient, approach to minimize expectancy bias in a behavioral trial. Three additional targets should be considered. The mindset of the principal investigator should be scientific and objective, characterized by equipoise and freedom from a preference for a particular trial result. Design control can be maximized by a push to extend the blind to as many entities as possible, by the use of neutral names for trial arms, and by blinding to trial hypotheses but not to aims. Prevention and early detection of adverse implications of expectancy bias can be accomplished by ongoing assessment of risk of bias in such areas as differential retention, adherence, and co-interventions.
Usability at Microsoft

This paper outlines the work of usability engineers at Microsoft. It gives an overview of our organization, our goals, our usability work, and some of the challenges faced in software usability work.
Decoder-assisted frame synchronization in the presence of phase/frequency noise

The optimum decoder-assisted frame synchronization is proposed for convolutionally coded modulation under the perfect channel state information. The proposed synchronization is extended to channels with phase instabilities by incorporating per-survivor processing. The phase noise is jointly estimated by per-survivor processing as frame synchronization proceeds. The proposed frame synchronizer is robust to phase noise at the receiver and shows performance improvement due to coding gain.
Surgical Techniques for the Spine

Thomas R. Haher and Andrew A. Merola, editors. New York: Thieme; 2003. 304 pages. $169.00. This textbook is a comprehensive work that describes numerous techniques of spine surgery. The intent of the editors is to present the techniques of specific surgical procedures as described by the leading authorities in the field. The editors state in the preface that the contributors were chosen on the basis of their expertise on a given topic and that those …
A simple and low‐cost device for generating hyperpolarized contrast agents using parahydrogen

A detailed description of the construction and use of a device for hyperpolarization of select contrast agents is presented. The device is based on molecular incorporation of the spin-order inherent to parahydrogen, followed by order transfer to a metastable heteronuclear alignment. Design considerations and experimental results relating to catalyst/solvent choice and handling, solvent heating, efficient gas entrainment and spin-order transfer are described. The resulting degree of hyperpolarization is shown to be substantial, ranging from a few to over 50%, depending on the choice of target molecule. Finally, the use of the hyperpolarized agent is demonstrated in a series of in vivo images.
Prevalence of multidrug-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa and carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae among specimens from hospitalized patients with pneumonia and bloodstream infections in the United States from 2000 to 2009

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance complicates antibiotic selection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), common in pneumonia and blood stream infections (BSIs), is frequently resistant to multiple antimicrobial classes. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have emerged as a pathogen of concern over the past decade. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of CRE and multidrug-resistant PA (MDR-PA) in pneumonia and BSI hospitalizations. DESIGN Survey of data from a nationally representative sample of microbiology laboratories in 217 hospitals in the United States. METHODS/SETTING We examined Eurofins' The Surveillance Network database from 2000 to 2009 to explore the proportion of all PA in pneumonia and BSI that is MDR. We performed the same analysis for CRE as a proportion of Enterobacteriaceae. We defined MDR-PA as any isolate resistant to ≥3 drug classes. Enterobacteriaceae were CRE if resistant to both a third generation cephalosporin and a carbapenem. RESULTS We identified 205,526 PA (187,343 pneumonia; 18,183 BSI) and 95,566 Enterobacteriaceae specimens (58,810 pneumonia; 36,756 BSI). The prevalence of MDR-PA was ∼15-fold higher than CRE in both infection types (pneumonia: 22.0% MDR-PA vs 1.6% CRE; BSI: 14.7% MDR-PA vs 1.1% CRE). There was a net rise in MDR-PA as a proportion of all PA from 2000 to 2009 (BSI: 10.7%–13.5%; pneumonia: 19.2%–21.7%). The CRE phenotype emerged in 2002 in both infection types, peaking in 2008 at 3.6% in BSI and 5.3% in pneumonia, and stabilized thereafter. CONCLUSIONS Although CRE organisms have emerged as an important pathogen in BSI and pneumonia, MDR-PA remains more prevalent in the United States. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:559–563. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
A Decision-Making Framework for Objective Risk Assessment in Older Adults with Severe Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis

The increasing prevalence of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) in older adults is now considered a major public health concern. Since medical therapy has not been shown to improve prognosis, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are the best options currently available, yet not all patients benefit. Objective assessment of risk versus benefit for SAVR and TAVR is essential. Clinical prediction models (CPM) have been created to augment subjective physician estimates of risk and have been shown to improve the accuracy of risk predictions. This manuscript presents the rationale for a framework of objective evaluation of risk assessment and decision making by linking clinically relevant CPM (life expectancy, Society of Thoracic Surgery, and TAVR risk calculators) with two additional concepts of lag time to benefit and competing risks that are relatively novel to the clinical arena. We believe that such aggregate framework can improve the assessment of risk and benefit and thereby facilitate a more informed and standardized shared decision-making process in the care of older adults with severe symptomatic AS.
Epigallocatechin Gallate and Caffeine Differentially Inhibit the Intestinal Absorption of Cholesterol and Fat in Ovariectomized Rats

We conducted this study to determine whether green tea constituents, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine, affect the intestinal absorption of cholesterol (CH), fat, and other fat-soluble compounds. Ovariectomized rats with lymph cannula were infused intraduodenally with a lipid emulsion containing 14C-labeled CH (14C-CH), alpha-tocopherol (alpha TOH), triolein, and sodium taurocholate, without (control) or with EGCG, caffeine, or EGCG plus caffeine, in PBS, pH 6.5. The lymphatic total 14C-CH was significantly lowered by EGCG (21.1 +/- 2.1% dose), caffeine (27.9 +/- 1.7% dose), and EGCG plus caffeine (19.3 +/- 0.9% dose), compared with the control (32.4 +/- 1.6% dose). The lymphatic output of esterified CH also was significantly lower in rats infused with EGCG (7.9 +/- 0.7 micromol), caffeine (7.6 +/- 0.2 micromol), and EGCG plus caffeine (7.5 +/- 0.6 micromol) than rats in the control group (11.6 +/- 1.7 micromol). Also, EGCG and caffeine significantly lowered the absorption of alpha TOH, another highly hydrophobic lipid. However, the lymphatic outputs of oleic acid (exogenous fatty acid marker) and other fatty acids of endogenous origin were not affected by EGCG but were markedly lowered by caffeine and EGCG plus caffeine. Caffeine significantly lowered the amount of lymph flow, regardless of whether it was infused alone (14.2 +/- 3.9 mL) or with EGCG (18.6 +/- 2.0 mL), compared with EGCG (22.2 +/- 2.2 mL) alone and the control group (23.2 +/- 3.8 mL). The caffeine-induced decline in lymph flow was associated with the lowering of lipid absorption. The results indicate that both EGCG and caffeine inhibit lipid absorption and that the inhibitory effects of the 2 tea constituents are not synergistic but mediated by distinctly different mechanisms.
Policies, decisions and information sources for modeling☆

Abstract A simulation model is based on explicit statements of policies (or rules) that govern decision making in accordance with conditions that may arise within the system being modeled. The decision-making process consists of three parts — the formulation of a set of concepts indicating the conditions that are desired, the observation of what appear to be the actual conditions, and the generation of corrective action to bring apparent conditions toward desired conditions. The model should generate ‘true’ conditions of underlying variables but, in general, these true conditions are not available to people in real systems and should likewise not be used directly for decision making in a model. Distorted and delayed information about actual conditions forms the basis for creating the values of desired and also of apparent conditions. Corrective action will in turn be delayed and distorted by the system before influencing actual and then apparent conditions. In modeling business and economic behavior, and in representing policies and decision making, all kinds of information should be used, not merely numerical data. Rich stores of information about governing policies and economic structure are available from mental data bases built up from experience and observation.
Religious Exploration Among Highly Religious American Adolescents

A qualitative investigation of adolescent religious exploration was conducted with 78 religious adolescents. Interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to identify common themes underlying their experiences of religious exploration. Three key themes emerged. First, various circumstances, contexts, and relationships in adolescents’ lives serve as catalysts for initiating religious exploration. Second, adolescents used many different strategies of exploration. Often exploration is fostered or hindered by social relationships. At other times it is fostered or hindered by salient life experiences, or through other learning processes. Third, in terms of patterns of exploration, adolescents tended to use present identity commitments as a secure base from which to explore other areas of their identity or other aspects of their religiosity. These findings challenge overly simplistic notions of religious exploration as simply doubt, highlight the importance of relational contexts, and point to a mor...
Oxidative dimerization of methane over MgO and Li+/MgO monoliths

Abstract Both nominally pure and Li+-promoted MgO monoliths are catalysts for the oxidative dimerization of methane, with the MgO monoliths being the more active but less selective for the formation of ethane and ethylene. The high activity of the MgO is related, in part, to Ca2+ impurities that concentrate on the surface. The effectiveness of both types of monoliths, however, is not as great as the same materials in a conventional packed-bed configuration. Based on this observation and the low carbon monoxide concentrations it appears that homogeneous reactions in the channels of the monoliths do not contribute significantly to the conversion of methane.
Experimental Study of the Lattice Dynamics of Disordered Vanadium Alloys

We report on the investigation of the vibrational frequency spectrum of disordered alloys of vanadium consisting of ${\mathrm{Be}}_{0.033}$ ${\mathrm{V}}_{0.967}$ ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{0.05}$ ${\mathrm{V}}_{0.95}$, and ${\mathrm{Pt}}_{0.05}$ ${\mathrm{V}}_{0.95}$. Inelastic-neutron-scattering techniques were used to obtain information about the frequency spectrum of these alloys. The alloys were chosen because they scatter neutrons incoherently, and yet the solute atoms can differ widely from vanadium with respect to atomic mass and electron configuration. The disordered vibrational spectra show high-frequency impurity bands upon alloying with light-mass beryllium impurity atoms, large changes in the whole vibrational pattern caused by long-range interatomic potential differences arising from changes in the electronic properties of the nickel and platinum alloys, and most surprisingly, very small changes in the vibrational spectra upon alloying with heavy-mass platinum impurities.
A revision of the Puerto Rican species of lepanthes (Orchidaceae)

Six species of the orchid speciesLepanthes are described as new. A seventh species,L. sanguined, previously known only from Jamaica, is reported from Puerto Rico. The current misspelling ofL. selenitepala, the only species of the genus previously reported from Puerto Rico, is corrected. A key to the eight Puerto Rican species ofLepanthes is presented, and the value of several interesting taxonomic characters is discussed. The possibility of apogamy in this genus is raised, and detailed biosystematic investigations are indicated as necessary for a complete understanding of the group.
Home alone: Methods to maximize tic expression for objective videotape assessments in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

Our objective was to test whether at-home videotapes yield enhanced information on tics compared to office-based videotapes and a patient questionnaire on the current anatomical distribution of tics. Ten subjects with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (age range 8–49 years) who were seen for initial evaluation completed a check list of anatomical areas currently affected with tics, and underwent a videotape examination according to the Rush Videotape Protocol. Each patient/family conducted the same protocol at home at the same time of day within 48 hours. We rated two tapes in random order using the modified published scoring method for the Rush Video-based Tic Rating Scale. Two environments were compared, the doctor's office and at home, with videotapes taken in three conditions: patient engaged in relaxed conversation, patient quietly seated with filmer in the room, and patient quietly seated alone in the room. Data were analyzed using a 2-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Wilcoxon signed rank tests. All patients provided excellent quality videotapes that could be scored without difficulty. Environment (office vs. home) and Condition (conversation, quiet with observer, quiet and alone) were both highly significant (P < .0001) and did not interact (P = .54). The highest tic scores for total tic impairment occurred at home with the patient alone (mean score 14.5), and the lowest yield occurred in the office with an observer present (mean score 5.4), the setting closest to the clinical neurological examination. The Home/Alone video segments revealed tics not otherwise seen. Patient questionnaires on body regions recorded more areas than observed in the office videotape, but patients were unaware of several tics captured on the Home/Alone segment. Patients can produce videotapes for objective tic assessments. Because at-home videotapes consistently yield higher tic expressions than in-office films and capture tics that are not appreciated by patients, this methodology is well-suited for enhanced retrieval of objective data on tic expression. © 2001 Movement Disorder Society.
Liver Injury with Features Mimicking Autoimmune Hepatitis following the Use of Black Cohosh

There are a growing number of cases detailing acute hepatic necrosis in patients taking black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), an over-the-counter herbal supplement for management of menopausal symptoms. Our aim is to illustrate two cases of liver injury following the use of black cohosh characterized by histopathological features mimicking autoimmune hepatitis. Both patients reported black cohosh use for at least six months and had no evidence of another cause of liver disease. Their liver biopsies showed a component of centrilobular necrosis consistent with severe drug-induced liver injury. In addition, the biopsies showed characteristics of autoimmune-like liver injury with an interface hepatitis dominated by plasma cells. Although serum markers for autoimmune hepatitis were not particularly elevated, both patients responded to corticosteroids, supporting an immune-mediated component to the liver injury. Liver injury following the use of black cohosh should be included in the list of differential diagnoses for chronic hepatitis with features mimicking autoimmune hepatitis.
Volume of intracerebral hemorrhage. A powerful and easy-to-use predictor of 30-day mortality.

The aim of this study was to determine the 30-day mortality and morbidity of intracerebral hemorrhage in a large metropolitan population and to determine the most important predictors of 30-day outcome.We reviewed the medical records and computed tomographic films for all cases of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in Greater Cincinnati during 1988. Independent predictors of 30-day mortality were determined using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses.The 30-day mortality for the 188 cases of intracerebral hemorrhage was 44%, with half of deaths occurring within the first 2 days of onset. Volume of intracerebral hemorrhage was the strongest predictor of 30-day mortality for all locations of intracerebral hemorrhage. Using three categories of parenchymal hemorrhage volume (0 to 29 cm3, 30 to 60 cm3, and 61 cm3 or more), calculated by a quick and easy-to-use ellipsoid method, and two categories of the Glasgow Coma Scale (9 or more and 8 or less), 30-day mortality was predicted correctly with a s...
Acute intravenous infusion in freely moving rats through the sagittal and transverse sinuses

Abstract A technique is described which allows drugs to be injected intravenously using the junction of the sagittal and transverse sinuses as the point of entry into the venous system. The procedure is rapid and uses conventional stereotaxic techniques. Subsequent restraint of movement during drug infusion is minimal. Using this method, 15 μg/kg d-lysergic acid diethylamide produced an increase in acoustic startle amplitide within about 1–2min which lasted for about 25 min.
Of children and liberty: an historian's view.

The question of children's rights is considered in historical perspective, and constraints imposed on children by their families are distinguished from those imposed by the state. The philosophical roots of the child's special status in law, the emergence of protective legislation, and the dilemmas inherent in trying to balance the needs of children with the rights of citizenship are examined.
Dormancy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and latency of disease.

There is ample circumstantial evidence from observation of the natural history of tuberculosis in humans and experimental animals thatMycobacterium tuberculosis is capable of adapting to prolonged periods of dormancy in tissues, and that these dormant bacilli are responsible for latency of the disease itself. Furthermore, the dormant bacilli are resistant to killing by antimycobacterial agents. A systematic evaluation of the mechanism of dormancy, and of attempts to abrogate latency will require a better understanding of the physiologic events that attend the shiftdown into dormancy. There are probably two or more stages in the shiftdown ofMycobacterium tuberculosis from active replication to dormancy as bacilli in unagitated cultures settle through a self-generated O2 gradient into a sediment where O2 is severely limited. One step involves a shift from rapid to slow replication. The other involves complete shutdown of replication, but not death. Presumably this last step includes completion of a round of DNA synthesis. The shiftup on resumption of aeration includes at least three discrete sequential steps, the production of RNA, the ensuing synchronized cell division and, finally, the initiation of a new round of synthesis of DNA. Three markers of the process of shiftdown ofMycobacterium tuberculosis to dormancy have been described, namely the changes in tolerance to anaerobiosis, the production of a unique antigen and the ten-fold increase in glycine dehydrogenase production. Additional markers represented in the shiftup and shiftdown process may yet be discovered, and determination of their specific functions should provide insights into the mechanisms of dormancy and latency in tuberculosis, and into strategies for preventing reactivation of the bacilli and development of disease.
Purification of Euglena EF-1L: A cytoplasmic factor that also functions on procaryotic and organellar ribosomes

Abstract The low-molecular-weight form of the cytoplasmic protein synthesis elongation factor-1 (EF-1 L ) from Euglena gracilis has been purified extensively from whole-cell extracts. A four-step purification procedure has been developed which results in a 45-fold enrichment in EF-1 L with 10% recovery of the total EF-1 activity present in the post-ribosomal supernatant. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicates that the EF-1 L is greater than 90% pure. The purified factor is composed of a single subunit of molecular weight 56,000 as determined by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Unlike EF-1s purified to date from other organisms, Euglena EF-1 L catalyzes polymerization on Escherichia coli and Euglena chloroplast ribosomes, as well as on wheat germ ribosomes. The activity of this factor on 70 S ribosomes is about 5% that observed on eucaryotic 80 S ribosomes. This level of catalytic activity is sufficient to obscure the activity of chloroplast EF-Tu and mitochondrial EF-Tu in whole-cell extracts of Euglena . The activity of EF-1 L as measured on either wheat germ or E. coli ribosomes is unstable in the absence of glycerol, is inhibited only slightly by 20 m m , N -ethylmaleimide, is not stimulated by E. coli EF-Ts, and is not inhibited by the antibiotic kirromycin. The relative affinity of EF-1 L for guanine nucleotides was also measured and it was observed that its affinity for GTP is approximately six- to eightfold greater than that for GDP.
Inelastic Scattering from and ( p , α ) Reactions of the Copper Isotopes

The excited states of ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{63}$, ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{65}$, ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}$, and ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{62}$ have been investigated through studies of the proton and alpha-particle groups emitted from isotopically enriched targets of copper. A 6.51-Mev proton beam from an electrostatic accelerator and a high-resolution magnetic spectrograph were used in the investigation. The regions of excitation studied were from the ground state to 3.5 Mev in the case of ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{63}$, 3.1 Mev for ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{65}$, 3.7 Mev for ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}$, and 3.5 Mev for ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{62}$. The $Q$ value for the ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{63}(p, \ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}$ reaction is 3.753\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008 Mev and for the ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{65}(p, \ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Ni}}^{62}$ reaction, 4.341\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008 Mev.
Calpain proteolysis of αII-spectrin in the normal adult human brain

The proteolysis of alphaII-spectrin by calpain may be physiologically involved with synaptic remodeling, long-term potentiation, and memory formation. Calpain activation may also mediate neuronal apoptosis, responses to hypoxic insult, and excitotoxic injury. Surprisingly little is known of the activity of these calpain-mediated processes in the adult human brain. Using an antibody that specifically recognizes calpain-cleaved alphaII-spectrin, we have mapped the topographic distribution of the major alphaII-spectrin break-down product (alphaII-bdp1) in six adult brains examined post-mortem. All brains were from patients without evident neurological disease. Focally positive alphaII-bdp1 was consistently detected in the neuropil of the cortical gray matter, in occasional pyramidal neurons, and in rare reactive astrocytes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Cerebellar Purkinje cells were more frequently, and more intensely, immunopositive. In all fields, staining was most intense in the soma and dendrites of neurons. There was no correlation of the frequency of positive cells with the postmortem interval or clinical condition. While these findings do not rigorously exclude contributions from postmortem calpain activation, they do suggest that a low-level of calpain processing of alphaII-spectrin is likely to be a constitutive process in the adult human brain.
Lack of effect of prior training on subsequent ischaemic and infarcting myocardium and collateral development in dogs with normal hearts.

To determine whether exercise training in animals with normal coronary arteries has a salutary effect on ischaemic myocardium, 24 dogs were randomly assigned to be either trained or confined to cages for three months. All dogs then underwent left thoracotomy for placement of indwelling right and left atrial and aortic catheters and a loose snare ligature around the proximal left circumflex coronary artery. Three days after operation control scintigrams were recorded after injection of thallous chloride-201 in animals running on a treadmill to achieve exercise heart rates of 220 beats·min−1. Four days later the snares were pulled to occlude the left circumflex artery and infarct size determined by measuring venous activity of creatine phosphokinase. Three days after infarction the first post-ligation scintigram was performed after thallium-201 injection in exercising animals. Exercise scans were repeated at 10 days and 2, 4, and 6 weeks after coronary ligation. During the final exercise study collateral blood flow was measured with radioactive microspheres. There was no difference in mean creatine phosphokinase appearance time, peak creatine phosphokinase activity, or measured infarct size between the trained and sedentary dogs. The ratio of thallium-201 activity in left circumflex artery or ischaemic area to left anterior descending artery or normally perfused myocardium fell from 100% before occlusion to 86.6% in the sedentary animals and 80.6% in the trained dogs three days after coronary ligation. Although these falls were significant (p<0.025 and p<0.005 respectively), there was no difference between groups. Over the next five and a half weeks the scintigraphic defect shrank as the thallium-201 ratio gradually increased, but changes were again similar in both groups. At six weeks there was little difference in exercise collateral flow to left circumflex artery myocardium and flow to normal myocardial tissue in cage confined and trained dogs. Therefore, no beneficial effect of exercise training in dogs with normal hearts could be seen on ischaemic or infarcting myocardium or coronary collateral development after coronary ligation.
Determination of regurgitant fraction in isolated mitral or aortic regurgitation by pulsed Doppler two-dimensional echocardiography

Measurements of mitral and aortic valve flows were obtained with two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography in 25 patients with isolated mitral (n = 19) or aortic (n = 6) regurgitation and regurgitant fraction was calculated as the difference between the two flows divided by the flow through the regurgitant valve. Results were compared with measurements of regurgitant fraction determined by combined left ventricular angiography and thermodilution. Regurgitant fraction averaged 56 ± 18% (range 19 to 79) by Doppler echocardiography and 48 ± 17% (range 13 to 72) by angiography. A significant correlation was observed between the two methods (r = 0.91; SEE = 7 %). In contrast, no significant correlation was found between regurgitant fraction measured by either method and the angiography 1+ to 4+ qualitative classification of regurgitation. Doppler echocardiography appears to be an accurate method for the noninvasive quantification of severity of regurgitation in isolated left-sided valve lesions.
Inhibitors of Peptidyl Proline Isomerases As Antivirals in Hepatitis C and Other Viruses

Viruses have small genomes with limited coding capacity. A common strategy by which viral genomes maximize their coding capacity is to express multifunctional proteins that promiscuously interact with various cellular partners to perform an array of essential functions. These interactions often involve flexible, and in some cases intrinsically disordered, viral domains or entire proteins that assume distinct conformations only upon binding cellular partners (see review, [1]). Viral coding capacity is further enhanced by relying on host factors and protein folding machinery to access different conformations and functions. These disordered peptide regions can be computationally recognized by features such as glycine, serine, and proline residues in contexts that are not conducive to β–strands or α–helices (reviewed by [2]). Bioinformatic analysis was used to predict the rigidity of proteins encoded by nearly 3,500 genomes from archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes, and viruses. This analysis suggests that almost all genomes with greater than 50% of their encoded residues in a predicted disordered state are viral genomes [3]. Thus, disordered proteins are enriched in the viral proteome and are common features to a large number of viruses. Flexible viral proteins and/or domains interact with the cellular folding machinery, including proline isomerases. While proline is traditionally thought of as being a rigid amino acid that can “kink” the polypeptide chain, prolines can slowly rotate between two energetically similar configurations, cis or trans. This rotation is only fast enough to be physiologically relevant when facilitated by proline isomerases (rotamases) such as mammalian cyclophilins [4]. At least four structurally distinct classes of cellular proline isomerases exist in bacteria and eukaryotes, and some viruses encode their own proline isomerase [4], [5]. Identification of the host isomerases exploited by viruses and the viral proteins that require them to perform essential viral functions for replication in culture, or more importantly, in animals, presents an obvious antiviral strategy. Whether or not inhibition of host proline isomerases could be an antiviral strategy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) was a subject of debate for several years.