cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence That CXCR4+ Neural Tissue-Committed Stem Cells (TCSC) Reside/Hide out in the Bone Marrow and Are Mobilized into the Peripheral Blood during Stroke.

Several recent studies in animals as well as humans support the notion that bone marrow (BM)-derived cells participate in brain regeneration. However, the identity of the specific cell type responsible for regeneration remains unknown. Recent work from our laboratory revealed that BM contains a highly mobile population of CXCR4 + cells that express mRNA for various markers of early tissue-committed stem cells (TCSC) and which are distinct from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) (Leukemia 2004:18;29–40). In this study we investigated whether BM also contains a mobile pool of TCSC destined to differentiate into neural cells. The TCSC were isolated from bone marrow by employing chemotactic gradient to SDF-1 or by FACS sorting and subsequently evaluated for a presence of early neural markers by i) real time RT-PCR analysis (nestin, GFAP), ii) immunohistochemical staining (nestin, beta-III tubulin), and iii) by employing functional in vitro assays to study ability of these purified cells to form neurospheres. Our data demonstrate that TCSC for neural cells (i) are present in significant amounts in BM harvested from young (1–2 month-old) while being barely detectable in older (1-year-old) mice; ii) reside in populations of murine BM-derived non-adherent non-hematopoietic Sca-1 + CD45 − cells and in population of human CXCR4 + CD34 + AC133 + CD45 − BMMNC, iii) are mobilized from BM into peripheral blood (PB) during pharmacological mobilization or 24 hours after Bengal-rose induced stroke in mice; iv) SDF-1 is highly upregulated in damaged brain tissue, and v) TCSC are chemoattracted for potential brain regeneration in SDF-1-CXCR4, dependent manner. Thus, we conclude that bone marrow is a potential source of TCSC for brain repair and since purified CD45+ HSC neither express neuronal markers nor differentiate in vitro into neurospheres, we provide for a first time evidence that neural TCSC residing in bone marrow but not “plastic” HSC account for neural differentiation of BM-derived cells. Furthermore, our observation that the number of marrow derived mobile/circulating neural TCSC is the highest in BM of young animals and decreases with age provides a novel insight into aging and may explain why the brain regeneration process becomes less effective in older individuals. Finally, these observations provide rationale for further studies aimed at optimizing therapeutic brain regeneration by BM-derived neural TCSC.
Age-related differences in the response of the L5-S1 intervertebral disc to spinal traction.

Abstract Background Lumbar traction is a common treatment for low back pain; however its mechanisms of action are poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that a key effect of lumbar traction is its capacity to influence fluid movement within the intervertebral disc (IVD). Objectives To determine differences in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) obtained with lumbar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the L5-S1 IVD before, and during, the application of lumbar traction. Design Case series, repeated measures. Methods A static traction load of ∼50% of body-weight was applied to the low back using a novel "MRI-safe" apparatus. DWI of the lumbar spine was performed prior to, and during the application of the traction load. Results Participants were currently asymptomatic and included a young adult group (n = 18) and a middle-aged group (n = 15). The young adult group had a non-significant 2.2% increase in ADC (mean change = 0.03 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, SD = 0.24, 95% CI = −0.09, 0.15). The ADC for the middle-aged group significantly increased by 20% (mean change of 0.18 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, SD = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.28; p = 0.003; effect size = 0.95). There was an inverse relationship between the ADC obtained before traction and the percent increase in ADC that was measured during traction. Conclusion Static traction was associated with an increase in diffusion of water within the L5-S1 IVDs of middle-age individuals, but not in young adults, suggesting age-related differences in the diffusion response. Further study is needed to assess the relationship between these findings and the symptoms of back pain. Level of evidence 4.
Poster: Twirl: : On the Benefits of Adapting Orientation of a WiFi Access-Point

The position of a wireless access point (AP) in wireless networks has been found to have a considerable impact on the overall network performance in indoor scenarios. Recent work has investigated the impact of the AP's location on the received signal strength of clients [1], and has shown that a 1:7x throughput improvement can be achieved by simply moving the AP in a 2ft. x 2ft. region. The benefits of small scale AP mobility is chiefly caused by mitigating multipath effects. In fact, the multipath effect has a significant impact on network performance and can be dramatically altered even with mere centimeter level movement of a Tx or a Rx. In this work, we investigate how network throughput performance can be improved if the AP is able to adapt its orientation. We consider two types of orientation changes - that of the AP's base platform (base orientation), and that of its antennas (antenna orientation). We show using experimental analysis that network throughput performance can be improved 1:8x by simply adapting AP's orientation.
Correlations between the IQs Of Schizophrenic Parents and Their Children

Correlations were obtained between the IQs of children of schizophrenics and the childhood IQs of their parents. No relationship was found between the IQs of children and those of their schizophrenic parents but a significant and normal correlation was found between the IQ scores of these children and those of their nonschizophrenic parents. Because of the latter finding, it was concluded that the lack of correlation between the IQs of children and their schizophenic parents was due to the erratic test performance of schizophrenics, occurring long before the recognized onset of their disorder, rather than that of their children.
Fiscal Policy, Locational Decisions, and Exchange Rates

The paper distinguishes between three different channels through which fiscal policy changes may be transmitted to exchange rates. Based on both the balance of payments identity and empirical observations, it is argued that trade balances and exchange rates may be quite responsive to changes in the relative attractiveness of locating production facilities or storing other "taxable" forms of wealth in different countries. Recognition that fiscal policy has a major influence on asset location decisions may thus be very important for understanding the behavior of exchange rates.
Free Radical Mechanisms in Homogeneous Catalysis

The theme of free radical mechanisms in homogeneous catalysis is an old one as manifested by such long familiar examples as the catalytic roles of metal salts (cobalt, manganese, copper etc.) in the autoxidation of organic compounds. However, research and developments in the field of homogeneous catalysis during the past several decades have tended to deemphasize this theme and to focus for the most part, instead, on processes such as hydrogenation, carbonylation, hydroformylation and certain oxidation reactions which proceed through non-radical mechanisms of the type depicted in Table I, namely mechanisms involving organometallic intermediates (typically 16- or 18-electron species) and characteristic sequences of “two-electron” component steps such as oxidative addition, migratory insertion and reductive elimination. 1–4 The emphasis on such processes has been reinforced by the highly novel chemistry associated with them, as well as by important and distinctive applications, notably homogeneous catalytic processes of unusual selectivity such as asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation. 5 In view of this, it is noteworthy that some of the most recent developments in the fields of homogeneous catalysis and organometallic chemistry have once again focussed attention on free radical mechanisms and suggest that much mechanisms are more important and widespread than previously suspected, not only in new contexts but also in the context of processes, for example certain hydrogenation and hydroformylation reactions, that have previously been interpreted in terms of non-radical mechanisms. 6–9 The present paper describes and discusses some of these developments and their implications.
Cardiac, Vascular, and Skeletal Muscle Systems

Abstract The cardiovascular system is a dynamic integration of form and function comprised of the muscular pump, the valves that assure unidirectional flow of blood, and the vessels that transport that blood. Injury to the components of the cardiovascular system can have serious consequences for the survival of the organism. The skeletal muscle system, though playing a significantly different role in health and well-being, shares biologic and pathobiologic features with the muscular tissue of the cardiovascular system. Accordingly, an understanding of the components of the cardiovascular and skeletal muscle systems as targets of toxicity and their response to injury is important. This chapter reviews the structure and function of the heart, valves, blood vessels, and skeletal muscles. An understanding of anatomy and physiology is leveraged to give insight into the causes of and responses to xenobiotic-induced injury, contemporary methods for detecting and characterizing injuries, and relevant biomarkers for translational monitoring of those injuries.
Endoglin Targeting in Colorectal Tumor Microenvironment

On endothelial cells, the TGFβ/BMP-9 coreceptor, endoglin, emerged as a promising antiangiogenic target in colorectal cancer. Its promiscuous expression by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) emerges to facilitate metastasis. The multitarget impact of neutralizing endoglin may offer added benefit in controlling colorectal cancer.See related article by Paauwe et al., p. 6331.
Square-planar Co(III) in {O4} coordination: large ZFS and reactivity with ROS

Oxidation of distorted square-planar perfluoropinacolate Co compound [CoII(pinF)2]2−, 1, to [CoIII(pinF)2]1−, 2, is reported. Rigidly square-planar 2 has an intermediate-spin, S = 1, ground state and very large zero-field splitting (ZFS) with D = 67.2 cm−1; |E| = 18.0 cm−1, (E/D = 0.27), g⊥ = 2.10, g‖ = 2.25 and χTIP = 1950 × 10−6 cm3 mol−1. This Co(III) species, 2, reacts with ROS to oxidise two (pinF)2− ligands to form tetrahedral [CoII(Hpfa)4]2−, 3.
The Management of Heart Failure in the Age of Reperfusion

It has been established over the past several decades that infarct size is the prime determinant of mortality in the period following acute myocardial infarction (MI)(1). It has also been recognized that the presence of congestive heart failure in the post-infarction period—whether determined clinically (2) or hemodynamically (3), and whether occurring early (3) or late (4)—reflects both infarct size and the likelihood of death.
BAFFLE LEAK FOLLOWING MUSTARD PROCEDURE FOR TRANSPOSITION OF THE GREAT ARTERIES RESULTING IN CARDIOEMBOLIC ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE

Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) is a congenital cardiac defect in which the aorta arises from the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery arises from the left ventricle. This defect causes cyanotic heart disease via the creation of two parallel circulations. A 34-year-old female with D-
Who Would Have Benefited from the Prehospital Use of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA)? An Autopsy Study.

Background Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has been increasingly used as part of damage control resuscitation for patients with non-compressible truncal hemorrhage. We hypothesized that there might be a select group of patients that could have benefited from prehospital placement of the REBOA. Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study including patients who presented to a Level I trauma center with cardiac arrest between January 2014 and March 2018. The findings of a full autopsy were reviewed for the details of internal injuries. A patient was determined to be a REBOA candidate if the patient sustained abdominal organ injuries or pelvic fractures and no associated severe head injuries. The candidate group was compared with the non-candidate group based on prehospital vital signs and other patient characteristics. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify certain prehospital factors associated with candidacy for prehospital REBOA. Results A total of 198 patients met our inclusion criteria. Of those, 27 (13.6%) patients were deemed REBOA candidates. Median Injury Severity Score was 22 (interquartile range 17 to 29). Patients in the candidate group were more likely to have a Glasgow Coma Scale score ≥9 (48% vs 15%; p = 0.012), oxygen saturation >90% (56% vs 35%; p = 0.03), and systolic blood pressure Conclusions Our data suggest that >10% of trauma patients who presented with cardiac arrest could have benefited from prehospital REBOA. Additional prospective studies are warranted to validate the use of field vital signs in selecting candidates.
Do We Finally Know Whether CPAP Improves Quality of Life in Non-Sleepy Patients?

CITATIONWeaver TE. Do we finally know whether CPAP improves quality of life in non-sleepy patients? J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(9):1193–1194.
Building a Human Thymus: A Pointillist View

In this issue of Immunity, Zeng et al. use single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of rare samples to shed light on the emergence of thymic stromal cell types, the first developing T lymphocytes, and their possible pre-thymic precursors in the early human fetus.
Synchronization in Dynamical Systems Coupled via Multiple Directed Networks

We study synchronization and consensus in a group of dynamical systems coupled via multiple directed networks. We show that even though the coupling in a single network may not be sufficient to synchronize the systems, combination of multiple networks can contribute to synchronization. We illustrate how the effectiveness of a collection of networks to synchronize the coupled systems depends on the graph topology. In particular, we show that if the graph sum is a directed graph whose reversal contains a spanning directed tree, then the network synchronizes if the coupling is strong enough. This is intuitive as there is a root node that influence every other node via a set of edges where each edge in the set is in one of the networks.
Design and Fabrication of Wideband Air-Coupled Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers With Varying Width Annular-Ring and Spiral Cell Structures

Air-coupled transducers with broad bandwidth are desired for many airborne applications, such as obstacle detection, haptic feedback, and flow metering. In this article, we present a design strategy and demonstrate a fabrication process for developing improved concentric annular- and novel spiral-shaped capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) that can generate high output pressure and provide wide bandwidth in air. We explore the ability to implement complex geometries by photolithographic definition to improve the bandwidth of air-coupled CMUTs. The ring widths in the annular design were varied so that the device can be improved in terms of bandwidth when these rings resonate in parallel. Using the same ring width parameters for the spiral-shaped design but with a smoother transition between the ring widths along the spiral, the bandwidth of the spiral-shaped device is improved. With the reduced process complexity associated with the anodic-bonding-based fabrication process, a 25- $\mu \text{m}$ vibrating silicon plate was bonded to a borosilicate glass wafer with up to 15- $\mu \text{m}$ deep cavities. The fabricated devices show an atmospheric deflection profile that is in agreement with the FEM results to verify the vacuum sealing of the devices. The devices show a 3-dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 12% and 15% for spiral- and annular-shaped CMUTs, respectively. We measured a 127-dB sound pressure level at the surface of the transducers. The angular response of the fabricated CMUTs was also characterized. The results demonstrated in this article show the possibility of improving the bandwidth of air-coupled devices by exploring the flexibility in the design process associated with CMUT technology.
Long-GRIN-Lens Microendoscopy Enabled by Wavefront Shaping for a Biomedical Microdevice: An Analytical Investigation

We analytically investigate the feasibility of long graded-index (GRIN)-lens-based microendoscopes through wavefront shaping. Following the very well-defined ray trajectories in a GRIN lens, mode-dependent phase delay is first determined. Then, the phase compensation needed for obtaining diffraction limited resolution is derived. Finally, the diffraction pattern of the lens output is computed using the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction theory. We show that diffraction-limited resolution is obtained for a 0.5 mm diameter lens with a length over 1 m. It is also demonstrated that different imaging working distances (WDs) can be realized by modifying the phase compensation. When a short design WD is used, a large imaging numerical aperture (NA) higher than 0.4 is achievable even when a low NA lens (NA = 0.1) is used. The long- and thin-GRIN-lens-based microendoscope investigated here, which is attractive for biomedical applications, is being prioritized for use in a clinical stage microdevice that measures three-dimensional drug responses inside the body. The advance described in this work may enable superior imaging capabilities in clinical applications in which long and flexible imaging probes are favored.
Longitudinal association between subjective and objective memory in older adults: a study with the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project sample

Using the bivariate dual change score approach, the present study investigated the directionality of the SMC-OMP association in a sample of healthy older adults (N = 2,057) from the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project. The sample was assessed throughout 10 years, five time points, and the impact of education, depressive symptoms, and low-memory functioning was tested. The Memory Functioning Questionnaire was used to assess SMC. There was a lack of longitudinal association with no significant coupling effects found between subjective and objective memory. After including depressive symptoms as a covariate, Frequency of Forgetting significantly predicted subsequent negative changes in OMP . A similar result was found for the low-memory functioning group after the inclusion of depression, with the frequency of memory complaints predicting subsequent memory decline . Our results do not support a predictive value of SMC without accounting for the influence of depressive symptoms and low-memory functioning.
Growth-Controlled Broad Emission in Phase-Pure Two-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskite Films

Author(s): Kennard, Rhiannon M; Dahlman, Clayton J; Chung, Juil; Cotts, Benjamin L; Mikhailovsky, Alexander A; Mao, Lingling; DeCrescent, Ryan A; Stone, Kevin H; Venkatesan, Naveen R; Mohtashami, Yahya; Assadi, Sepanta; Salleo, Alberto; Schuller, Jon A; Seshadri, Ram; Chabinyc, Michael L
"The quantitative determination of indolic microbial tryptophan metabolites in human and rodent samples: A systematic review"

Concentrations reported for indolic microbial metabolites of tryptophan in human and rodent brain, cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, saliva and feces were compiled and discussed. A systematic review of the literature was accomplished by key word searches of Pubmed, Google Scholar and the Human Metabolome Data Base (HMDB), and by searching bibliographies of identified publications including prior reviews. The review was prompted by the increasing appreciation of the physiological importance of the indolic compounds in human health and disease. The compounds included were indoleacetic acid (IAA), indole propionic acid (IPA), indoleacrylic acid (IACR), indolelactic acid (ILA) indolepyruvic acid (IPY), indoleacetaldehyde (IAALD), indolealdehyde (IALD), tryptamine (TAM), indole (IND) and skatole (SKT). The undertaking aimed to vet and compare existing reports, to resolve apparent discrepancies, to draw biological inferences from the consideration of multiple analytes across sample types, to survey the analytical methodologies used, and to point out areas in need of greater attention.
Temporally informed random forests for suicide risk prediction.

OBJECTIVE Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet clinicians find it difficult to reliably identify individuals at high risk for suicide. Algorithmic approaches for suicide risk detection have been developed in recent years, mostly based on data from electronic health records (EHRs). Significant room for improvement remains in the way these models take advantage of temporal information to improve predictions. MATERIALS AND METHODS We propose a temporally enhanced variant of the random forest (RF) model-Omni-Temporal Balanced Random Forests (OT-BRFs)-that incorporates temporal information in every tree within the forest. We develop and validate this model using longitudinal EHRs and clinician notes from the Mass General Brigham Health System recorded between 1998 and 2018, and compare its performance to a baseline Naive Bayes Classifier and 2 standard versions of balanced RFs. RESULTS Temporal variables were found to be associated with suicide risk: Elevated suicide risk was observed in individuals with a higher total number of visits as well as those with a low rate of visits over time, while lower suicide risk was observed in individuals with a longer period of EHR coverage. RF models were more accurate than Naive Bayesian classifiers at predicting suicide risk in advance (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.824 vs. 0.754, respectively). The proposed OT-BRF model performed best among all RF approaches, yielding a sensitivity of 0.339 at 95% specificity, compared to 0.290 and 0.286 for the other 2 RF models. Temporal variables were assigned high importance by the models that incorporated them. DISCUSSION We demonstrate that temporal variables have an important role to play in suicide risk detection and that requiring their inclusion in all RF trees leads to increased predictive performance. Integrating temporal information into risk prediction models helps the models interpret patient data in temporal context, improving predictive performance.
Understanding stress cardiomyopathy.

A 76-year-old woman loses a close friend. Several hours later, she has chest pain, diaphoresis, and shortness of breath. She presents to the emergency department, where an ECG shows deep T wave inversion across the precordium. Cardiac troponin is elevated. This presentation is classic for myocardial ischemia and for stress cardiomyopathy. Recognition of stress cardiomyopathy, and its distinction from acute coronary syndrome (ACS), is crucial for the clinician, since their pathophysiology and treatment are quite different. Stress cardiomyopathy is an acute reversible syndrome with characteristic wall motion abnormalities, consisting of apical hypokinesis or dyskinesis with sparing of the basal ventricular segments. Although the final outcome is generally good, early in their clinical course, patientsmay have cardiogenic shock (4 %), malignant ventricular arrhythmias (1–2 %), and death (1–1.5 %) [1]. Stress cardiomyopathy can complicate other conditions in the ICU, notably including subarachnoid hemorrhage. Patients with these more complex presentations often present clinical challenges. This manuscript aims to increase understanding of the identification and pathophysiology of stress cardiomyopathy to help practitioners manage this interesting syndrome.
Regulatory Focus Intensity and Evaluations of Retail Experiences

Previous research indicates that consumers differ in their evaluation of and response to similar retail experiences. Reporting results from three studies, the current research proposes consumers’ regulatory focus intensity as one possible source of this variation. Study 1 examines how consumers’ regulatory focus intensity influences their in-store behavioral intentions following good and bad shopping experiences. Study 2 illustrates how consumers’ regulatory focus intensity impacts their future loyalty intentions after satisfactory retail experiences. In Study 3, the researchers explore how retailers can employ regulatory framing in their communication messages to increase the future loyalty intentions of those chronically less loyal consumers. Lastly, theoretical and managerial implications as well as limitations of this research are discussed.
Both local antigen and inflammation are required to establish resident memory CD8 T cell populations in the lung parenchyma and airways (MUC5P.866)

Microenvironment cues regulating the establishment and maintenance of a pathogen-specific resident memory T (T RM ) cell population in the lung parenchyma and airways are poorly understood. We show that local inflammation is sufficient to “pull” systemic antigen-specific effector T cells into the lung and airways acutely, but these cells are not maintained and do not develop into long-lived T RM . However, administration of both local antigen and inflammation is sufficient to foster the establishment of long-lasting T RM populations in both the lung parenchyma and airways; moreover, local antigen and inflammation is able to compensate for the defect in airway-resident T cell memory (T ARM ) recruitment in mice infected with influenza virus via the intramuscular route as compared to the intranasal route. We also show that mice administered local antigen and inflammation are more protected upon heterologous challenge as compared to mice receiving either local inflammation or local antigen alone. This observation correlates well with our finding that the airway and lung parenchyma T RM populations are not systemically maintained. Follow-up experiments suggest a hypothesis that the lung T RM population could be the replicative reservoir for the T ARM population. Our findings could further the development of cellular-mediated vaccines against respiratory pathogens by defining the parameters for the establishment of pathogen-specific T RM populations in the lung parenchyma and airways.
Subclinical cardiomyopathy and long QT syndrome: an echocardiographic observation.

Objective Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac channelopathy predisposing to syncope and sudden death secondary to LQT-triggered ventricular arrhythmias. Long QT syndrome has been regarded as a purely electrical disease. Recent reports have shown by echocardiography that LQTS patients have contraction abnormalities that are associated with cardiac arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to determine the spectrum and prevalence of echocardiographic anomalies in a large cohort of patients diagnosed genetically and/or clinically with LQTS. Outcome Measures Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic studies performed during medical evaluation in Mayo's LQTS Clinic were reviewed for 216 LQTS patients. Echocardiograms were evaluated for morphologic abnormalities and atrial and ventricular size and function. Left atrial volume was indexed by body mass. Arrhythmic events were defined as a history of aborted cardiac arrest, documented ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, and syncope. Results While 75% of patients had normal standard echocardiograms, 54 patients (25%) had at least one abnormal echocardiographic finding. Most common were subclinical cardiomyopathic changes, including increased left atrial volume index (n = 25), left or right ventricular enlargement (n = 7), and grade I–II diastolic dysfunction (n = 7). Left atrial volume index was higher in LQTS patients with arrhythmic events compared with those without (24.4 ± 5.5 mL/m2 vs. 22.3 ± 6.1 mL/m2, P =.02). Corrected QT intervals and left atrial volume index correlated significantly albeit weakly (r2 = 0.04, P <.01). Concomitant congenital heart disease was found in two patients. Conclusions Subclinical cardiomyopathic changes were found in nearly 20% of LQTS patients. Left atrial enlargement was the most common finding and was associated with prolonged corrected QT and arrhythmic events. These changes may stem from underlying contraction abnormalities caused by ion channel dysfunction.
Dorsal selective rhizotomy through a limited exposure of the cauda equina at L1.

✓ The technique of the dorsal selective rhizotomy as originally developed by Professor Fasano and by the author is described. The rhizotomy is performed through a one-level laminectomy at L-1. Exposure of the conus medullaris and the cauda equina at this level is adequate to thoroughly assess the reflex electrical response to stimulation of the lumbosacral roots and to section the selected roots/rootlets. This approach, based on over 100 surgical procedures, obviates the need for an extensive laminectomy in a growing child without compromising the clinical results.
Selectionist Constraints on Neural Networks

ABSTRACT Repeated cycles of selection among variable units of behavior is offered as a model of adaptive complexity for neural-network researchers because of its simplicity, power, and consistency with behavioral research. How such elementary processes can yield complex behavior is discussed, and aspects of variability, reinforcement, and replication of units are explored in turn. It is concluded that a network that simulates the reinforcement of behavior can be powerful, but that training programs of evolving contingencies are necessary as well. Cogent simulations require an understanding of the behavior to be simulated as well as an appropriate network model.
Synthesis 2000: A unified model of mass communication

The early history of the study of mass communication was generally involved in the process of building models that would fairly represent the mass mediated experience of who says what in which channel to whom with what effect. These models tended to lack isomorphism in that they were not a good fit for the actual communication experience. Consequently, research attention shifted from the development of holistic models to the development ones that more accurately reflected various individual elements within a mass mediated experience or that reflected the use of a particular medium. It is argued in this article that the results of these attempts have disembodied the mass communication process such that there is no longer a unified manner in which to regard the mediated communication experience. The authors posit that the world of the 21st century will present a different kind mass communication milieu, which will require a different kind of conceptualisation of mass communication. From a synthesis of the m...
An Efficient Algorithm for Shortest Paths in Vertical and Horizontal Segments

Suppose one has a line segment arrangement consisting entirely of vertical and horizontal segments, and one wants to find the shortest path from one point to another along these segments. Using known algorithms one can solve this in O(n2) time and in O(n2) space. We show that it is possible to find a shortest path in time O(n1.5 log n) and space O(n1.5). Furthermore, if only one path endpoint is known in advance, it is possible to preprocess the arrangement in the same time and space and then find shortest paths for query points in time O(log n).
Conformal, lightweight textile spiral antenna on Kevlar fabrics

We present a novel conformal, lightweight and load bearing spiral antenna on textiles for conformal applications. The antenna and its integrated planar balun were embroidered using a standard sewing machine with very thin (diameter=0.22mm) Liberator™ E-fibers. There fibers can achieve geometrical accuracy down to 0.3mm and even 0.1mm. This is a 3 fold geometrical accuracy improvement over previous textile designs. To enhance robustness, high-strength Kevlar fabric was employed as the antenna's substrate. Results show a nearly 10∶1 bandwidth (0.3–3GHz) with a peak circularly polarized gain of 3dBi over the band.
Emotional cushioning in pregnancy after perinatal loss

Women pregnant again after prior perinatal loss fear another loss and thus protect their emotions and avoid prenatal bonding. This phenomenon, emotional cushioning, appears to be a complex self‐protective mechanism and is proposed here as a unique combination of circumstances and responses used by women to cope with the anxiety, uncertainty, and sense of vulnerability experienced in these subsequent pregnancies. Related literature is reviewed to clarify and circumscribe what emotional cushioning is. In this mixed‐methods study, a convenience sample of women pregnant after perinatal loss (N=63) completed the Pregnancy Anxiety Scale during and following pregnancy and responded to questions regarding ‘holding back their emotions’ in pregnancy. The purpose was to describe the range and prevalence of emotional cushioning, to compare pre‐ and post‐natal reports of emotional cushioning, and to examine relationships between emotional cushioning and pregnancy anxiety pre‐ and post‐natally. The majority of women (5...
A prospective phase II study of induction carboplatin and vinorelbine followed by concomitant topotecan and accelerated radiotherapy (ART) in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Background Survival of locally advanced/unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has improved with the use of concurrent radiation and chemotherapy over the past decades, but local and distant failure remain high. In addition, a key limiting factor in combining chemotherapy with accelerated radiotherapy (ART) is severe esophagitis. We investigated the toxicity, response rate, and overall survival (OS) with induction carboplatin and vinorelbine followed by concomitant topotecan and ART in patients with locally advanced/unresectable NSCLC. Methods In this phase II trial, stage IIIA or IIIB NSCLC patients with a Karnofsky performance score >60 were eligible. Patients received induction carboplatin (area under the curve=5.5) on days 1 and 22, and vinorelbine (25 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, 22, and 29. During the concurrent chemoradiation, patients received intravenous topotecan (0.5 mg/m2) on days 43 to 47, days 57 to 61, and days 71 to 75 before the morning radiotherapy (RT) fraction. RT was administered in an accelerated fashion at 2 Gy per fraction, twice daily for five consecutive days, every other week, to a cumulative dose of 60 Gy during a 5-week period. Results Thirty-seven patients were accrued; of these, 35 were evaluable. Overall response rate was 71% (14% complete response, 57% partial response). Six of 35 (17%) patients had stable disease. Four (11%) patients progressed during treatment. At a median follow-up of 45 months for surviving patients, the median survival based on Kaplan–Meier estimates is 17.9 months. OS at 1, 2, and 3 years is 62%, 41%, and 33%, respectively. Actuarial 5-year OS is 21%. The median time to first relapse is 12.2 months (9.1–24.7 months). There were no cases of grade 3 or 4 esophagitis. Conclusions This combined-modality regimen yielded encouraging OS rates, with no severe esophagitis. Using four-dimensional RT treatment planning, we plan to further evaluate altered fractionation RT and chemotherapy for this group of patients.
Schnitzler's syndrome associated with pancreatitis: a disease of IL-1 dysregulation

Schnitzler's syndrome (SS) is a rare inflammatory disease of unknown origin characterized by chronic urticaria and monoclonal gammopathy (usually IgM) associated with at least two of the following components: fever, arthralgia or arthritis, bone pain, hepato- and/or splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leukocytosis, and/or abnormal findings on bone morphological investigations. To date, about 100 cases have been described with only 4 being reported in the USA. The mean time to diagnosis from the onset of disease is 5.4 years, given the varied symptoms with which patients may present. The pathogenesis of SS remains unknown but likely involves dysregulation of the IL-1 pathway. We describe here a 48-year-old woman with a monoclonal IgM gammopathy and a 3-year history of chronic pruritic urticarial dermatosis, unexplained fevers, chronic polyarthritis, lymphadenopathy, leukocytosis, hepatomegaly, and weight loss. She also had a history of chronic pancreatitis as well as a family history of recurrent pancreatitis. The diagnosis of Schnitzler's syndrome was made, and she was successfully treated with the IL-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra.
Weight Loss Strategies for Treatment of Obesity

Obesity is one of the most serious and prevalent non-communicable diseases of the 21st century. It is also a patient-centered condition in which affected individuals seek treatment through a variety of commercial, medical and surgical approaches. Considering obesity as a chronic medical disease state helps to frame the concept of using a three-stepped intensification of care approach to weight management. As a foundation, all patients should be counseled on evidence-based lifestyle approaches that include diet, physical activity and behavior change therapies. At the second tier, two new pharmacological agents, phentermine-topiramate and lorcaserin, were approved in 2012 as adjuncts to lifestyle modification. The third step, bariatric surgery, has been demonstrated to be the most effective and long-term treatment for individuals with severe obesity or moderate obesity complicated by comorbid conditions that is not responsive to non-surgical approaches. By using a medical model, clinicians can provide more proactive and effective treatments in assisting their patients with weight loss.
Low-level methylmercury exposure causes human T-cells to undergo apoptosis: evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction.

There is growing evidence that heavy metals, in general, and mercurial compounds, in particular, are immunotoxic to the human immune system. The major focus of our study is to demonstrate that methylmercuric chloride (MeHgCl) kills human lymphocytes by inducing apoptosis. T-cells exposed to 0.6–5 μM MeHgCl for 24 h were analyzed by flow cytometry. Methylmercury-treated cells exhibited increased Hoechst 33258 fluorescence while maintaining their ability to exclude the vital stain 7-aminoactinomycin. Furthermore, T-cells exposed to methylmercury exhibited changes in light scatter patterns that included decreased forward light scatter and increased side light scatter. The light scatter and fluorescent changes were consistent with morphological alterations displayed by cells during apoptosis. Cell death was further evaluated by assessing annexin V binding to the plasma membrane. Methylmercury-treated cells exhibited increased annexin V binding indicative of phosphatidylserine translocation to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. Using the fluorescent probe DiOC6(3), we noted that methylmercury exposure resulted in a decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Ψm). Since a low Ψmis associated with altered mitochondrial function, we also determined if exposure to methylmercury potentiated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. We noted that treated cells generated ROS, as evidenced by oxidation of hydroethidine and the generation of the fluorescent product, ethidium. Finally, we evaluated the effect of methylmercury on T-cell GSH content utilizing the fluorescent probe monochlorobimane; in the presence of MeHgCl, there is a marked loss in reduced cell thiols. The results of the study indicate that a key event in the induction of T-cell apoptosis by mercuric compounds is depletion in the thiol reserve which predisposes cells to ROS damage and at the same time activates death signaling pathways.
Finite element analysis of the skin effect in current carrying conductors

The current density distribution in a conductor of finite size is affected by the presence of eddy currents in the conductor. This phenomenon, generally known as skin effect, causes ohmic losses in the conductors and alters their magnetic induction. This paper presents an analysis of skin effect phenomena using the triangular finite element method. The results obtained by this method are compared with those of classical one-dimensional analysis for (i) a conductor in free space and (ii) a conductor in the presence of an iron boundary.
Affective responses to employee turnover

Abstract U.S. workers' affective responses to turnover were examined. Employees from two organizations were asked about their reactions to the news that a co-worker had quit. The results indicated that the stayers' response to turnover was based on a comparison of their situation with that of their former colleague. The employees' affective responses to their co-workers' departure were influenced by whether their co-worker left for reasons that reflected negatively on the job or for reasons that were unrelated to the job.
Glycine-231 residue of the mouse mitochondrial protonmotive cytochrome b: mutation to aspartic acid deranges electron transport

The mouse LA9 HQN-R11 cytochrome b mutant, in which the glycine residue at position 231 is replaced by aspartic acid, has increased resistance to all inhibitors of the Qn redox center. It is shown here that this single amino acid alteration has multiple and unexpectedly diverse effects upon the mitochondrial protonmotive bc1 complex. (1) The specific activities of both succinate- and ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductases in isolated mitochondria are reduced by approximately 65% in the mutant. The parallel reductions in both oxidoreductase activities are not compatible with simple Q pool kinetics for mitochondrial electron transport. (2) There is also a reduction in the relative concentration of cytochrome b in the mutant when calculated on the basis of mitochondrial protein; this decrease does not account for more than a small portion of the reduced catalytic fluxes. (3) The increased antimycin resistance of the mutant is lost upon solubilization by the detergent dodecyl maltoside of the bc1 complex from mitochondria. (4) In pre-steady-state assays of cytochrome b reduction by quinol, the mutant shows a reduced extent of reduction. It was observed in other experiments that there was less oxidant-induced extrareduction of cytochrome b in the mutant. These results could arise from a lowering of the midpoint potentials of both the cytochrome b-562 and cytochrome b-566 heme groups. Alternatively, these effects may reflect changes at the Qp and Qn quinone/quinol binding sites. (5) An unexplained observation for the mutant is the increased rate of cytochrome c1 reduction in the presence of myxothiazol. (6) These functional alterations in the LA9 HQN-R11 mutant are not accompanied by detectable changes in the spectral properties of the cytochrome b or c1 heme groups.
Extensive but coordinated reorganization of the membrane skeleton in myofibers of dystrophic (mdx) mice.

We used immunofluorescence techniques and confocal imaging to study the organization of the membrane skeleton of skeletal muscle fibers of mdx mice, which lack dystrophin. β-Spectrin is normally found at the sarcolemma in costameres, a rectilinear array of longitudinal strands and elements overlying Z and M lines. However, in the skeletal muscle of mdx mice, β-spectrin tends to be absent from the sarcolemma over M lines and the longitudinal strands may be disrupted or missing. Other proteins of the membrane and associated cytoskeleton, including syntrophin, β-dystroglycan, vinculin, and Na,K-ATPase are also concentrated in costameres, in control myofibers, and mdx muscle. They also distribute into the same altered sarcolemmal arrays that contain β-spectrin. Utrophin, which is expressed in mdx muscle, also codistributes with β-spectrin at the mutant sarcolemma. By contrast, the distribution of structural and intracellular membrane proteins, including α-actinin, the Ca-ATPase and dihydropyridine receptors, is not affected, even at sites close to the sarcolemma. Our results suggest that in myofibers of the mdx mouse, the membrane- associated cytoskeleton, but not the nearby myoplasm, undergoes widespread coordinated changes in organization. These changes may contribute to the fragility of the sarcolemma of dystrophic muscle.
Intra-arterial calcium channel blocker infusion for treatment of severe vasospasm in traumatic brain injury: case report.

Objective The authors describe a case of severe traumatic arterial vasospasm and its subsequent management using angiography and multiple infusions of calcium channel blockers. Clinical presentation A 26-year-old man presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score of 4 after a motor vehicle accident. The patient underwent a bifrontal craniotomy and right frontal decompressive craniectomy for bilateral frontal epidural and subdural hematomas secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Intervention While the patient was in the intensive care unit, severe vasospasm developed, as documented by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, cerebral blood flow monitoring, and angiography. The patient was treated on 3 separate days with either nicardipine or verapamil infusions during angiography. After each infusion, the middle cerebral artery diameter improved (diameter increased 23.1-60.5%). The arterial vasospasm eventually resolved after 22 days, and the patient was discharged to acute rehabilitation. Four months after discharge, the patient had a Barthel index of 90 and has relatively slow speech but was able to ambulate without assistance and follow complex commands. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of multiple intra-arterial calcium channel blocker infusions for severe posttraumatic vasospasm, as assessed by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, cerebral blood flow monitoring, and angiography. This case reinforces that arterial vasospasm does occur in response to traumatic brain injury and further demonstrates that treatment with calcium channel blocker infusions is associated with angiographic changes and a subsequent reversal of ischemic blood flow.
Spinal Manipulative Therapy–Specific Changes in Pain Sensitivity in Individuals With Low Back Pain (NCT01168999)

Abstract Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is effective for some individuals experiencing low back pain; however, the mechanisms are not established regarding the role of placebo. SMT is associated with changes in pain sensitivity, suggesting related altered central nervous system response or processing of afferent nociceptive input. Placebo is also associated with changes in pain sensitivity, and the efficacy of SMT for changes in pain sensitivity beyond placebo has not been adequately considered. We randomly assigned 110 participants with low back pain to receive SMT, placebo SMT, placebo SMT with the instructional set "The manual therapy technique you will receive has been shown to significantly reduce low back pain in some people," or no intervention. Participants receiving the SMT and placebo SMT received their assigned intervention 6 times over 2 weeks. Pain sensitivity was assessed prior to and immediately following the assigned intervention during the first session. Clinical outcomes were assessed at baseline and following 2 weeks of participation in the study. Immediate attenuation of suprathreshold heat response was greatest following SMT ( P = .05, partial η 2 = .07). Group-dependent differences were not observed for changes in pain intensity and disability at 2 weeks. Participant satisfaction was greatest following the enhanced placebo SMT. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT01168999. Perspective The results of this study indicate attenuation of pain sensitivity is greater in response to SMT than the expectation of receiving an SMT. These findings suggest a potential mechanism of SMT related to lessening of central sensitization and may indicate a preclinical effect beyond the expectations of receiving SMT.