cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (VIRUS): An International Registry of Coronavirus 2019-Related Critical Illness

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has disproportionally strained intensive care services worldwide Large areas of uncertainly regarding epidemiology, physiology, practice patterns, and resource demands for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 require rapid collection and dissemination of data We describe the conception and implementation of an intensive care database rapidly developed and designed to meet data analytic needs in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic-the multicenter, international Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Network Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study Design: Prospective cohort study and disease registry Setting: Multinational cohort of ICUs Patients: Critically ill patients with a diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 Interventions: None Measurements and Main Results: Within 2 weeks of conception of the Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Network Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study, study leadership was convened, registry case report forms were designed, electronic data entry set up, and more than 250 centers had submitted the protocol for institutional review board approval, with more than 100 cases entered Conclusions: The Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Network Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study provides an example of a rapidly deployed, international, pandemic registry that seeks to provide near real-time analytics and information regarding intensive care treatments and outcomes for patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Comparison of mid-term outcomes of total shoulder arthroplasty for B2 and A glenoids treated with trabecular metal glenoid components

Abstract Background Treatment of B2 glenoids in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) has been associated with worse clinical outcomes and increased rates of glenoid loosening. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the mid-term outcomes of TSA using a trabecular metal-backed glenoid in patients with B2 and A glenoids. Methods Patients who underwent anatomic TSA with a trabecular metal-backed glenoid component (second generation trabecular metal glenoid) for primary osteoarthritis and had minimum 5-year follow-up were reviewed. All patients underwent eccentric glenoid reaming to treat biconcavity, if present. Preoperative imaging was reviewed and patients were divided into 2 groups: Type A and Type B2. Mid-term outcome measures including patient-rated outcome scores (Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES]) and shoulder range of motion were determined. ASES score was compared between groups. Radiographs were graded for radiolucent lines and posterior humeral head migration and evaluated for glenoid loosening. Results Twenty-two patients had Type A glenoids and 22 patients had B2 glenoids. Sixteen patients in the A group and 18 patients in the B2 group had full radiographic and physical exam follow-up. Both groups had similar follow-up (6.7 ± 1.1 years A, 6.6 ± 0.9 years B2, P = .88). Groups were similar in terms of age at surgery, gender distribution, body mass index, severity of medical comorbidities, and hand dominance distribution. The B2 patients had a mean preoperative glenoid retroversion of 17.5° ± 6.7° and posterior subluxation of 8.5% ± 5.3%. No patients in either group had evidence of glenoid loosening at follow-up. No patients required revision surgery. Nine of 16 in the A group had evidence of mild radiolucent lines (8 grade 1, 1 grade 2). Eight of 18 patients in the B2 group had mild radiolucencies (all grade 1). Two of 16 Type A and 6 of 18 B2 patients had evidence of posterior humeral migration, but all cases were graded as mild. Both groups had similar follow-up mean ASES scores (95.5 A, 89.0 B2, P = .25). Conclusion At minimum 5-year follow-up, patients who underwent TSA with a trabecular metal-backed glenoid component demonstrated excellent clinical and patient-reported outcomes regardless of preoperative glenoid morphology (A or B2). No patients in either group had evidence of glenoid loosening or required revision surgery. These favorable mid-term outcomes of trabecular metal-backed glenoids in B2 deformities need to be followed longitudinally to determine long-term durability. Level of Evidence Level III; Retrospective Comparative Study
A quantitative overview of biophysical forces impinging on neural function

The fundamentals of neuronal membrane excitability are globally described using the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model. The HH model, however, does not account for a number of biophysical phenomena associated with action potentials or propagating nerve impulses. Physical mechanisms underlying these processes, such as reversible heat transfer and axonal swelling, have been compartmentalized and separately investigated to reveal neuronal activity is not solely influenced by electrical or biochemical factors. Instead, mechanical forces and thermodynamics also govern neuronal excitability and signaling. To advance our understanding of neuronal function and dysfunction, compartmentalized analyses of electrical, chemical, and mechanical processes need to be revaluated and integrated into more comprehensive theories. The present perspective is intended to provide a broad overview of biophysical forces that can influence neural function, but which have been traditionally underappreciated in neuroscience. Further, several examples where mechanical forces have been shown to exert their actions on nervous system development, signaling, and plasticity are highlighted to underscore their importance in sculpting neural function. By considering the collective actions of biophysical forces influencing neuronal activity, our working models can be expanded and new paradigms can be applied to the investigation and characterization of brain function and dysfunction.
A Learning-Based Approach to Parametric Rotoscoping of Multi-Shape Systems

Rotoscoping of facial features is often an integral part of Visual Effects post-production, where the parametric contours created by artists need to be highly detailed, consist of multiple interacting components, and involve significant manual supervision. Yet those assets are usually dis-carded after compositing and hardly reused. In this paper, we present the first methodology to learn from these assets. With only a few manually rotoscoped shots, we identify and extract semantically consistent and task specific landmark points and re-vectorize the roto shapes based on these land-marks. We then train two separate models – one to predict landmarks based on a rough crop of the face region, and the other to predict the roto shapes using only the inferred landmarks from the first model. In preliminary production testing, 26% of shots rotoscoped using our tool were able to be used with no adjustment, and another 47% were able to be used with minor adjustments. This represents a significant time savings for the studio, as artists are able to rotoscope almost 73% of their shots with no manual roto-scoping and some spline adjustment. This paper presents a novel application of machine learning to professional interactive rotoscoping, a methodology to convert unstructured roto shapes into a self-annotated, trainable dataset that can be harnessed to make accurate predictions on future shots of a similar object, and a limited dataset of rotoscoped multi-shape fine feature systems from a real film production.
Guaranteed Blind Sparse Spikes Deconvolution via Lifting and Convex Optimization

Neural recordings, returns from radars and sonars, images in astronomy and single-molecule microscopy can be modeled as a linear superposition of a small number of scaled and delayed copies of a band-limited or diffraction-limited point spread function, which is either determined by the nature or designed by the users; in other words, we observe the convolution between a point spread function and a sparse spike signal with unknown amplitudes and delays. While it is of great interest to accurately resolve the spike signal from as few samples as possible, however, when the point spread function is not known a priori, this problem is terribly ill-posed. This paper proposes a convex optimization framework to simultaneously estimate the point spread function as well as the spike signal, by mildly constraining the point spread function to lie in a known low-dimensional subspace. By applying the lifting trick, we obtain an underdetermined linear system of an ensemble of signals with joint spectral sparsity, to which atomic norm minimization is applied. Under mild randomness assumptions of the low-dimensional subspace as well as a separation condition of the spike signal, we prove the proposed algorithm, dubbed as AtomicLift, is guaranteed to recover the spike signal up to a scaling factor as soon as the number of samples is large enough. The extension of AtomicLift to handle noisy measurements is also discussed. Numerical examples are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Experimental Political Philosophy: Justice Judgments in the Hypothetical Society Paradigm

In this draft of a chapter forthcoming in a book on political psychology, we advocate blending thought experiments with laboratory experiments via a technique we call "the hypothetical society paradigm," which is designed to bring out the inferential advantages of both approaches while minimizing their disadvantages. We discuss the primary benefits of this technique and survey the principal empirical findings thus far obtained using this technique. We also discuss two categories of fruitful future applications of this and related techniques: (a) isolating sources of support and resistance to particular policy proposals with potentially profound societal implications; (b) helping to clarify boundary conditions for the applicability of competing and complementary psychological theories of justice.
The Violence of Conversion: Proselytization and Interreligious Controversy in the Work of Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Critics of Christianity in India have frequently accused Christianity of being a predatory, imperialistic religion with absolutist tendencies, and have framed Christian evangelism as an aggressive, uncouth act. More recently, however, and in an idiom that resonates with many contemporary Indians, Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1930-) has made the more controversial claim that the attempt to convert another person is itself an act of violence. In three parts, the paper 1) describes Dayananda’s claims, while bringing them into conversation with the arguments of earlier critics of Christianity (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi, Sita Ram Goel, Ashok Chowgule, Arun Shourie), 2) analyzes and critique Dayananda’s use of the term “violence,” and 3) demonstrate how the claim that conversion is an act of violence blurs somewhat easily into a justification of acts of violence against those who attempt to convert others. In the end, I argue that whether Dayananda’s claim that proselytization is a form of violence makes sense depends not only on one’s definition of “violence,” but also on one’s definition of “religion.”
Unusual QRS complexes produced by pacemaker stimuli: With special reference to myocardial tunneling and coronary sinus stimulation

Abstract The morphology of pacemaker-induced QRS complexes is not an infallible criterion to locate the position of the stimulating electrodes. 3 Yet the patterns are specific enough to have clinical importance. This is more evident when there are sudden changes in QRS morphology. In these cases, a variation of the position of the electrodes usually occurs, except in patients with atriosynchronized units. Permanent endocardial pacing is a valuable technique for the treatment of A-V conduction disturbances. 17 Although complications do occur, they are rarely fatal. Isolated reports have appeared dealing with right ventricular perforation. In one patient, perforation occurred in a "tunneling" fashion, the catheter transversing 2 cm. of the myocardium; and yet, this patient's death was most probably due to asystole rather than to cardiac tamponade. In another patient, perforation of the interventricular septum was suspected. However, the necropsy showed that the catheter had been stimulating the epicardial surface of the left ventricle through a vein draining in the coronary sinus. Moreover, even the sudden appearance of a RBBB morphology in patients with right ventricular pacemakers should not be considered diagnostic of perforation. This pattern was shown to be due to several causes: (1) stimulation from specific areas within the right ventricle; (2) stimulation through the coronary sinus in its tributaries; and (3) dual A-V conduction in patients with atriosynchronized units.
Advantages of DSM-5 in the Diagnosis of Intellectual Disability: Reduced Reliance on IQ Ceilings in Atkins (Death Penalty) Cases

In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Atkins v. Virginia, which categorically banned the death penalty for capital defendants who have Intellectual Disability. Inclusion in this class is determined by a clinical diagnosis that is made by a judge or jury based largely on expert testimony. The guidelines for a diagnosis of Intellectual Disability was based in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (1992) [DSM-IV]. The American Psychiatric Association has published a fifth edition, the DSM-5, with a clearer and broader definition of Intellectual Disability. This paper explains the advantages of the DSM-5's guidelines and definition of Intellectual Disability in the diagnosis of Intellectual Disability in capital murder cases.
System identification for multi-sensor data fusion

In this paper we discuss the problem of combining sensor information for two main detection problems: 1) two variants of a spatial search problem and 2) a fault detection problem for a three tank system (TTS). In all cases the assumption is that data may be collected from multiple sensors. The goal is then to combine all the information to determine whether an object (or fault) is present in a given area. In our setting there exist two main types of sensors, namely: “small” and “large” sensors. Essentially, it is assumed that small sensors can inspect an area that is relatively small in comparison to that which the large sensor can inspect. By deriving a relationship between small and large sensor measurements we combine data using a maximum likelihood based methodology. In particular, each detection problem is initially formulated as a system identification problem. Here, the large sensor collects data on the full system while small sensors collect data on subsystems. By establishing a connection of this identification problem to existing literature, we can obtain asymptotic convergence and asymptotic normality results.
Hot isostatic processing

Hot Isostatic Processing (HIP) was invented in 1955 at Battelle Memorial Institute as a fuel element fabrication technique [1]. The HIP process was actually used to fabricate several experimental core loadings of fuel elements in the early 1960’s [2]. As a natural outgrowth of these activities, HIP was also used to consolidate powders into complex shapes. Most of these early activities were initiated to consolidate difficult to fabricate materials such as nuclear fuels into useful shapes. Later, the work was extended to materials which were characterized by being expensive, difficult to fabricate, and of a relatively low volume. Since the early HIP equipment was limited to relatively small-volume capabilities, it placed constraints on the possible uses for the process at that time.
CD40 engagement of CD4+ CD40+ T cells in a neo-self antigen disease model ablates CTLA-4 expression and indirectly impacts tolerance.

Biomarkers defining pathogenic effector T (Teff) cells slowly have been forthcoming and towards this we identified CD4(+) T cells that express CD40 (CD4(+) CD40(+) ) as pathogenic in the NOD type 1 diabetes (T1D) model. CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells rapidly and efficiently transfer T1D to NOD.scid recipients. To study the origin of CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells and disease pathogenesis, we employed a dual transgenic model expressing OVA(323-339) peptide as a neo-self antigen on islet β cells and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and a transgenic TCR recognizing the OVA(323-339) peptide. CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells and Treg cells each recognizing the cognate neo-antigen, rather than being deleted through central tolerance, drastically expanded in the thymus. In pancreatic lymph nodes of DO11.RIPmOVA mice, CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells and Treg cells are expanded in number compared with DO11 mice and importantly, Treg cells remain functional throughout the disease process. When exposed to neo-self antigen, CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells do not express the auto-regulatory CTLA-4 molecule while naive CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells do. DO11.RIPmOVA mice develop autoimmune-type diabetes. CD40 engagement has been shown to prevent CTLA-4 expression and injecting anti-CD40 in DO11.RIPmOVA mice significantly exacerbates disease. These data suggest a unique means by which CD4(+) CD40(+) T cells thwart tolerance.
How “Foolish” Are Internet Investors?

We offer the first systematic evidence that stock recommendations published on the Internet move prices and trading volumes. We found that buy announcements for small-cap growth stocks published in the nightly performance recap of The Motley Fool's Rule Breaker Portfolio engender statistically significant abnormal returns. The effects were generally larger than those following secondhand buy recommendations published in the print media or after a stock purchase recommendation on the television program “Wall $treet Week.” Our finding of unusual trading volume also provides evidence consistent with the hypothesis that The Motley Fool buy announcements are closely followed and acted on by Internet investors.
Superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass.

The superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass is an elegant procedure that was developed and first performed by M. Gazi Yasargil. It has been used by neurosurgeons for more than 30 years in the management of neurovascular disorders such as cerebrovascular ischemic disease, moyamoya disease, and complex intracranial aneurysms. Mastering the technique requires not only precise and fine skills but also devoted training in the microsurgery laboratory. The technique presented in this article evolved from the long and vast experience of the senior author (DWN) in performing superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypasses for a variety of cerebrovascular conditions.
Mission Possible: Do School Mission Statements Work?

Does ethical content in organizational mission statements make a difference? Research regarding the effectiveness and results of mission statements is mixed. Krohe (1995, Across the board, 32, 17–21) concluded that much of the good results do not come from the mission statements themselves but from the strategic re-education that happens in producing one. We attempted to discover whether universities that explicitly state their ethical orientation and vision in their mission statements had students with higher perceived character trait importance and activities that reinforce character than universities that did not. While the faculty and administration may receive benefits from mission statement development through strategic re-education as Krohe suggested, do the statements influence the students at the university who may have had no role in its creation? Using a sample of senior business students at 16 universities we found that students at universities with ethical statements in their mission statements had significantly higher perceived character trait importance and character reinforcement than those at universities whose missions lacked ethical statements. This research suggests that schools that explicitly stated ethical content in their␣mission statements do influence student ethical orientation.
State of the Art Survey of Reference Sources in Mathematics and Statistics

As mathematical research is a very specialized field with a relatively small number of practitioners, the list of new reference books in a given year or two is predictably short. The 1975/76 period was no exception; in fact some of the recent reference books which are of broadest interest are actually new editions of standard, established works.
Reversible sketches: enabling monitoring and analysis over high-speed data streams

A key function for network traffic monitoring and analysis is the ability to perform aggregate queries over multiple data streams. Change detection is an important primitive which can be extended to construct many aggregate queries. The recently proposed sketches are among the very few that can detect heavy changes online for high speed links, and thus support various aggregate queries in both temporal and spatial domains. However, it does not preserve the keys (e. g., source IP address) of flows, making it difficult to reconstruct the desired set of anomalous keys. To address this challenge, we propose the reversible sketch data structure along with reverse hashing algorithms to infer the keys of culprit flows. There are two phases. The first operates online, recording the packet stream in a compact representation with negligible extra memory and few extra memory accesses. Our prototype single FPGA board implementation can achieve a throughput of over 16 Gb/s for 40-byte packet streams (the worst case). The second phase identifies heavy changes and their keys from the representation in nearly real time. We evaluate our scheme using traces from large edge routers with OC-12 or higher links. Both the analytical and experimental results show that we are able to achieve online traffic monitoring and accurate change/intrusion detection over massive data streams on high speed links, all in a manner that scales to large key space size. To the best of our knowledge, our system is the first to achieve these properties simultaneously.
Clinical comparisons of the anatomical reconstruction and modified biceps rerouting technique for chronic posterolateral instability combined with posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe a one-stage operation for posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with use of an Achilles tendon-bone allograft and a posterolateral corner reconstruction with use of two different methods, with a comparison of clinical outcomes in the two groups. Methods: Our study included forty-six patients who had undergone posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with use of an Achilles tendon-bone allograft and posterolateral corner reconstruction with either anatomical reconstruction of the lateral collateral ligament and popliteus tendon with use of a tibialis posterior tendon allograft (twenty-one patients; Group A) or the modified biceps rerouting tenodesis (twenty-five patients; Group B) in an alternating fashion. Patients were assessed for knee instability with use of the dial test at 30° and 90°, together with varus and posterior stress radiography. Results: At the two-year follow-up evaluation, although no significant difference was found on posterior stress radiography (mean and standard error, 5.7 ± 0.4 mm for Group A compared with 4.8 ± 0.4 mm for Group B), Group A showed more improvement than Group B on the dial test (16° ± 1° vs. 13° ± 1° at 30° and 17° ± 1° vs. 14° ± 1° at 90°; p = 0.001 for both) and varus stress radiography (3.6 ± 0.3 mm vs. 2.6 ± 0.3 mm; p = 0.024), in the Lysholm (29.5 ± 2.4 vs. 22.3 ± 2.3; p = 0.037) and the International Knee Documentation Committee knee scores (p = 0.041), and less terminal flexion loss (4.0° ± 1.2° vs. 8.8° ± 1.3°; p = 0.013). Conclusions: Combined with posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, anatomical posterolateral corner reconstruction of the popliteus tendon and lateral collateral ligament showed better outcomes compared with the modified biceps rerouting tenodesis, although the mean differences of varus and external rotatory stability between the groups were relatively small. However, the overall difference might have been reduced by the negative value caused by overcorrection in Group B. This study demonstrated that anatomical posterolateral corner reconstruction is a reliable alternative method in addressing posterolateral corner and posterior cruciate ligament insufficiency of the knee, a finding that ideally should be tested in a randomized controlled trial. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Activation of c-fos expression in the rat inferior olivary nucleus by ghrelin

Abstract Ghrelin, a novel 28-amino-acid hormone secreted by gastric oxyntic glands, stimulates food intake and induces adiposity. We examined whether ghrelin activates the inferior olivary nucleus. Systemic administration of ghrelin (37 nmol/kg) induced the expression of c-fos immunoreactivity in inferior olive neurons ( n =6 rats). The number of neurons containing c-fos staining was significantly increased in the ghrelin-treated rats (65±14 vs.11±6 positive neurons, n =5). No significant difference in c-fos -positive neurons was observed between left (32±5) and right (33±6) inferior olivary nuclei. The number of c-fos -positive neurons in rats with bilateral vagotomy was not significantly different from those with intact vagal nerves. The present study demonstrates that ghrelin induces c-fos expression in inferior olivary nucleus via a central mechanism.
Infections associated with transhepatic biliary drainage devices.

Abstract To determine the infectious complications associated with transhepatic biliary drainage devices, an analysis of the records of 38 patients who underwent placement of a pigtail catheter (n = 11), a Ring catheter/ feeding tube (n = 13), or a Carey-Coons endoprosthesis (n = 15) was carried out. Nineteen infectious events occurred in 38 patients with 39 biliary devices. Infections consisted of bacteremia, cholangitis with and without documented bacteribilia, and intrahepatic abscesses and were frequently associated with obstruction (66.7 percent of infectious episodes). The most frequent organisms isolated from blood were Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the most frequent organisms isolated from bile were P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus faecalis. Trends for more frequent occurrence of neoplasms involving the gallbladder or biliary tract, recent surgical procedures and catheter manipulations in infected as compared with noninfected patients, and a delayed time to infection were noted in patients with an endoprosthesis.
A Content Analysis of Chat Transcripts in the Georgetown Law Library

This content analysis study seeks to assess the use of the chat reference service by students, faculty, and alumni at the Georgetown University Law Library—a large, urban academic library located in Washington, DC—during 2008. The transcripts yielded 2,303 reference queries, sixty-four percent of which were ready reference-oriented or instructional in nature. Twenty-five percent of the 2,303 references were known item-type queries, and the final six percent and five percent were, respectively, policy and technical queries. Student users led on all four query types, whereas faculty tended to ask more known-item and technical questions than alumni. The top three months for chat use were September, March, and February. The results indicate that professional librarians familiar with Georgetown's collections should staff the service.
The expert witness in child abuse and neglect: An interdisciplinary process

Abstract The legal system is an important part of a society's response to child abuse and child neglect. Courts need to be guided in their deliberations by experts from many different professions. Consultation and in-court expert testimony is necessary from medicine, psychology, psychiatry, social work and other professions both to prove child abuse and neglect and establish the power of the court to act on behalf of a child but also to guide the court in the intervention strategy most suited to the needs of the child and his family. Non-lawyers often feel uncomfortable in the legal setting. The adversary process is foreign to their training and professional experience. Collaboration with a lawyer greatly improves their effectiveness in court. Lawyers, on the other hand, need to make maximum use of medical and social-psychological experts in the court process in the interests of their clients; but to do so lawyers need a basic understanding of the other professions. With an emphasis on a process of mutual education, the paper presents a framework for collaboration between lawyers and expert witnesses in child abuse and neglect cases. “Expert witness” is defined; informal consultation is encouraged; suggestions for selecting a collaborator are made; initial contracts between lawyer and expert, case conferencing and preparation for trial are discussed; specific advice on direct and cross examination is provided.
Multi-agent intelligent controller design for smart and sustainable buildings

In this paper, a multi-agent intelligent control system is applied to design a control system for smart and sustainable buildings. Smart and sustainable buildings require solving conflicts between energy consumption and indoor comfort level. Also, user preferences should be taken consideration in the control system design. Hierarchical control architecture is introduced and utilized to design such a control system, which includes a central agent-controller and multiple local agent-controllers. The central agent-controller coordinates the local agent-controllers for achieving the maximum user comfort in two different operation modes. The local agent-based control employs multiple fuzzy logic controllers to satisfy different comfort demands. Simulation results are also presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed multi-agent control system for building energy and comfort management.
Onset of and recovery from acute N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide-induced nephrotoxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Abstract The time course for the onset of N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl) succinimide (NDPS)-induced nephrotoxicity was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The ability of rats to recover from a single nephrotoxic dose (100 or 200 mg/kg) of NDPS also was examined. One hour following NDPS administration (200 mg/kg, i.p.), p -aminohippurate (PAH) accumulation by renal cortical slices was decreased 51%. Changes in renal morphology, proteinuria, hematuria, and diuresis were observed at 3 h. Renal damage at 6 h was similar to that seen at 24 h with tubular necrosis greater than that observed at 3 h and some lumina plugged with PAS+ material. Accumulation of both PAH and tetraethylammonium (TEA) by renal cortical slices was decreased; and proteinuria, hematuria, and polyuria were increased at 6 h and 24 h. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was not increased until 24 h. Renal function began to return to normal in rats receiving NDPS (100 mg/kg, i.p.) by 48 h, and functional recovery was complete by 168 h, although slight morphological changes were still evident. However, not all rats receiving NDPS (200 mg/kg, i.p.) recovered by 168 h, and some rats (3 of 7) died of renal failure between 96 h and 168 h. Widespread tubular necrosis and increased kidney weight were also present in this group at 168 h. Thus, NDPS-induced nephrotoxicity was evident by 1 h, established by 6 h and maximum between 24 h and 48 h. Recovery from NDPS-induced nephropathy was found to be dose-dependent, and incomplete in some animals at a dose of 200 mg/kg.
An efficient method for recovering Lyapunov vectors from singular vectors

Lyapunov vectors are natural generalizations of normal modes for linear disturbances to aperiodic deterministic flows and offer insights into the physical mechanisms of aperiodic flow and the maintenance of chaos. Most standard techniques for computing Lyapunov vectors produce results which are norm-dependent and lack invariance under the linearized flow (except for the leading Lyapunov vector) and these features can make computation and physical interpretation problematic. An efficient, norm-independent method for constructing the n most rapidly growing Lyapunov vectors from n − 1 leading forward and n leading backward asymptotic singular vectors is proposed. The Lyapunov vectors so constructed are invariant under the linearized flow in the sense that, once computed at one time, they are defined, in principle, for all time through the tangent linear propagator. An analogous method allows the construction of the n most rapidly decaying Lyapunov vectors from n decaying forward and n − 1 decaying backward singular vectors. This method is demonstrated using two low-order geophysical models.
THE Z DISC OF SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBRILS.

The structure of the Z disc has been studied in thin sections of striated muscle fibers from a wide variety of vertebrates. A common organization is found in all muscles examined. The disc shows a regular pattern made up of dense lines which seem to connect the actin filaments from adjacent sarcomeres. The lines are sometimes disposed to form a regular zigzag configuration; in other orientations with respect to the plane of the section the morphology is confused and, in still other images, the dense lines continuous with the actin filaments seem to go straight through the Z disc. In cross section this structure corresponds to a square pattern of considerable regularity. The intersections in the square pattern mark the location in the plane of the section of the actin filaments from adjacent sarcomeres. Dense lines form the edges of the squares and appear to represent condensations of Z-disc material, i.e., the lines in the zigzag. The possible origin of the structure as a product of the stretching of a membrane is discussed, together with functional interpretations of the Z disc.
Fragmentation of DNA and chromatin during senescence in barley leaves.

Abstract DNA or chromatin from young (7 day) first seedling leaves of barley showed only one component which migrated little into 1% agarose gels on electrophoresis. However, DNA on chromatin from senescent (17-, 19-, and 23-day-old) leaves showed additional dispersed components migrating throughout the length of the gel which increased with age. These low molecular weight components increased even more on autodigestion of chromatin from senescent leaves by its associated DNase or by digestion of DNa from senescent leaves with partially purified chromatin DNase. DNA or chromatin from young leaves also produced gel pattern similar to old leaves on digestion with partially purified chromatin DNase from old barley leaves. Thus, fragmentation of DNA and chromatin by chromatin associated DNase, previously shown to increase 4000% on aging, occurs during senescence in barley leaves.
HYPOCALCEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH PHOTOTHERAPY IN NEWBORN RATS: LIGHT SOURCE DEPENDENCE

Littermate pups of the congenitally jaundiced Gunn rat were studied at 4 days of age. Control animals were shaded from irradiation by opaque cardboard while littermates were exposed to daylight, blue, green or pink fluorescent light. Initially no significant differences were demonstrable between irradiated and control animals with reference to body weight, sex distribution, blood hematocrit, or serum bilirubin and serum calcium concentration. In all control groups, serum bilirubin values were unchanged or increased by the end of the study and serum calcium values were also unchanged. In the light-exposed groups, serum bilirubin values decreased significantly in all except those exposed to pink light. The serum calcium level was decreased significantly only in pups exposed to fluorescent daylight at 5.00 μW/cm2/nm but in none of the other irradiated groups.
Experimental determinations of commercial 'dose calibrator' settings for nuclides used in nuclear medicine.

Abstract Commercial reentrant ionization chambers (‘dose calibrators’) have become the de facto standard instrument for making radioactivity measurements in the radiopharmaceutical industry. Accurate activity measurements, however, depend on the application of the correct calibration factor (dial setting) for the radionuclide in the exact measurement geometry for that particular instrument. Two methods are described for the experimental determination of dial settings for the Capintec CRC-12 dose calibrator. Using these methods, we have determined new calibration factors for 18 F, 62 Cu, 186 Re and 188 Re in several geometries. These new factors are presented, along with previously determined settings, for nuclides commonly used in nuclear medicine. The differences between the calibration factors for the different geometries, as well as the differences between the manufacturer's recommended setting underscore the need for empirically determined dose calibrator settings.
Precipitation on low-angle grain boundaries in Al-Zn-Mg

Weak beam microscopy was used to examine the precipitation of the 17 phase (MgZn2) on low angle grain boundaries which had formed in an Al-2.84 wt pct Zn-1.95 wt pct Mg alloy. The low angle boundaries observed in the partially recovered structure can be separated into two categories, planar and nonplanar. The planar boundaries form either lozenge or hexagonal configurations. The nonplanar boundary dislocation intersections form a “chair”-shaped figure. The geometry of the dislocation strain fields in the boundaries controls the precipitate growth and the size, shape, and position of the precipitates on each boundary type. The lozenge boundary can have both equiaxed and lath shaped precipitates growing upon it. The equiaxed precipitates form only at four dislocation junctions because at this position the strain field distribution is symmetric. The lath precipitates are restricted to grow along dislocations in the boundary whose line direction is coincident with the long axis of the precipitate since in these pinned dislocation segments there are high line tension forces present to resist dislocation bowing. The “chair” boundary contains only lath precipitates, which begin to grow from alternate three dislocation intersections and continue growth along the dislocation line. The contrast observed bordering the lath on each side is produced by lattice dislocations. A proposed explanation for the above observations involves assuming that the dislocations in the chair boundary dissociate into Lomer-Cottrell locks which have constricted-extended node pairs. A lath can begin growth from the constricted node forcing the stair rod dislocation to dissociate. The reaction products of the stair rod can combine with the partials in the Lomer-Cottrell lock to form the observed lattice dislocations.
A mechanism of Bud1p GTPase action suggested by mutational analysis and immunolocalization.

Abstract Background: Yeast cells polarize, bud, and divide in either of two genetically programmed patterns: axial or bipolar. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene BUD1 (also known as RSR1 ) encodes a Ras-related GTPase critical for selection of a bud sites in these patterns. To distinguish between possible mechanisms of Bud1p action, we have examined the function and subcellular localization of Bud1p in a variety of mutant situations. Results Bud1p has 57 % identity to H-ras, except for an 81 amino-acid insertion near the carboxyl terminus. Mutation of the proposed BUD1 effector domain produces a protein which can neither support normal patterns of budding nor interact with CDC24 , which encodes a likely Bud1p effector. A version of Bud1p deleted for the 81 amino-acid unique region is essentially wild-type. Immunofluorescence and cell fractionation indicate that Bud1p remains associated with the membrane throughout its GTPase cycle. Both potential effectors of Bud1p, Bem1p and Cdc24p, are also membrane associated even in the absence of Bud1p, suggesting that Bud1p is not required to dock these proteins from the cytosol but may couple these proteins and others within the plane of the plasma membrane. Conclusion Based upon observations reported here and elsewhere, we propose a novel mechanism of Bud1p GTPase action. Like Ras, Bud1p GTPase is constitutively associated with the plasma membrane; however, concentrated activities of Bud5p GDP–GTP exchange factor and Bud2p GTPase-activating protein at the future bud site promote rapid cycling of Bud1p between GTP- and GDP-bound conformations in a spatially restricted manner. Local GTPase cycling serves to efficiently nucleate complexes between polarity establishment functions that direct cytoskeletal polarization towards the bud site.
Towards Practical Reactive Security Audit Using Extended Static Checkers

This paper describes our experience of performing reactive security audit of known security vulnerabilities in core operating system and browser COM components, using an extended static checker HAVOCLITE. We describe the extensions made to the tool to be applicable on such large C++ components, along with our experience of using an extended static checker in the large. We argue that the use of such checkers as a configurable static analysis in the hands of security auditors can be an effective tool for finding variations of known vulnerabilities. The effort has led to finding and fixing around 70 previously unknown security vulnerabilities in over 10 millions lines operating system and browser code.
Cultural tailoring for mammography and fruit and vegetable intake among low-income African-American women in urban public health centers

Abstract Background It is widely accepted that disease prevention efforts should consider cultural factors when addressing the needs of diverse populations, yet there is surprisingly little evidence that doing so enhances effectiveness. The Institute of Medicine has called for randomized studies directly comparing approaches that do and do not consider culture. Methods In a randomized trial, 1227 lower-income African-American women from 10 urban public health centers were assigned to either a usual care control group, or to receive a series of six women's health magazines with content tailored to each individual. By random assignment, these magazines were generated from either behavioral construct tailoring (BCT), culturally relevant tailoring (CRT) or both (BCT + CRT). The CRT magazines were based on four cultural constructs: religiosity, collectivism, racial pride, and time orientation. All tailored magazines sent to women ages 40–65 promoted use of mammography; magazines sent to women ages 18–39 promoted fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Analyses examined changes from baseline to 18-month follow-up in use of mammography and servings of FV consumed daily. Results Women receiving BCT + CRT magazines were more likely than those in the BCT, CRT, and control groups to report getting a mammogram (76% vs. 65% vs. 64% vs. 55%, respectively), and had greater increases in FV servings consumed daily (+0.96 vs. + 0.43 vs. + 0.25 vs. + 0.59). Conclusions Systematically integrating culture into tailored cancer prevention and control interventions may enhance their effectiveness in diverse populations.
Tuberculin skin test reactivity, anergy, and HIV infection in hospitalized patients

Purpose Detection of latent tuberculosis infection is an important step in the control of tuberculosis because high-risk persons may be given preventive therapy. The value of tuberculin skin testing in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, however, is limited by anergy. We evaluated the prevalence of tuberculin skin test reactivity, anergy, and HIV infection in a group of hospitalized patients in an area where both tuberculosis and HIV infection are prevalent. Patients and methods Three hundred fifty-one patients consecutively admitted to a medical service of a large urban teaching hospital were enrolled in the study. All those with no documented history of a positive tuberculin skin test were evaluated on admission with purified protein derivative (PPD) by the Mantoux test, and with anergy testing using a multiple-puncture device. HIV testing was offered to all patients who did not have a known history of HIV infection, and was performed when informed consent was obtained. Results Forty-one patients (12%) had a documented history of a positive PPD. Of the remaining 310 patients, 62 (20%) had a PPD response of ≥10 mm induration. Fifty-two (15%) of the 351 patients were HIV positive. None of the HIV-infected patients was PPD positive. Anergy was found in 63% of the HIV-infected patients and 28% of the HIV-seronegative patients. Independent risk factors for a positive PPD included age >55, male sex, and hypertension. HIV infection, current steroid use, and a history of cancer were associated with a negative PPD. Independent risk factors for anergy included HIV infection, current corticosteroid use, renal failure, pneumonia, and a history of cancer. Of the 62 new PPD-positive patients, 30 (48%) were candidates for chemoprophylaxis. Additionally, 30 (63%) of 48 HIV-seropositive patients who were completed testing were anergic and might be candidates for chemoprophylaxis. Almost all of the patients eligible for chemoprophylactic therapy would have been detected if only patients at increased risk for developing tuberculosis were screened. Conclusions Tuberculosis infection, HIV infection, and anergy were common in patients admitted to this medical service. Interpretation of PPD reactivity was confounded by a high prevalence of anergy, particularly in HIV-infected patients. A large proportion of patients tested were candidates for chemoprophylaxis. Routine tuberculin skin testing with anergy testing for high-risk patients on admission to the hospital is useful for identifying patients who might benefit from prophylaxis to help control the spread of tuberculosis.
Solute trapping by rapid solidification

Abstract The zinc-rich solid phase in zinc-cadmium alloys has been studied after splat quenching to −196°C. Alloys containing from zero to 5 wt.% were examined by X-ray lattice parameter measurements. The compositions of the resulting solid were found to be larger than the stable or metastable solidus composition at any temperature and therefore a departure from local equilibrium at the liquid-solid interface occurred in the solid. The sign of the departure is opposite to that predicted by theories of Jackson and Borisov for non-equilibrium alloy solidification, which therefore are invalid. Key aspects of a correct theory are discussed.
Trypanosoma gambiense, T. rhodesiense, T. brucei, T. equiperdum, and T. lewisi: Purification and properties of phosphohexose isomerase

Abstract Phosphohexose isomerase was in both soluble and particulate fractions of extracts of Trypanosoma brucei, T. gambiense, T. rhodesiense, and T. equiperdum. These enzymes have been purified some 60-fold by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography. Purified phosphohexose isomerase had: (A) pH optimum 7.5; (B) no metal ion requirement; (C) inhibition by Co2+ Mn2+, p-hydroxymecuribenzoate and pyrophosphate; no inhibition by Ca2+ or Mg2+. The enzymes of T. brucei and T. equiperdum differed from those of T. gambiense and T. rhodesiense with respect to temperature optimum and inhibition by Co2+ and pyrophosphate. Enzymes of the former has an optimum of 41 °C as opposed to 44 °C for the latter, and were inhibited 20% more by Co2+ and pyrophosphate. The T. equiperdum enzyme was inhibited 15% by Mn2+ as compared to 30–40% with the others. Serological cross reactions indicated a close similarity among all the trypanosome phosphohexose isomerases tested.