cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health Care Utilization of Individuals Affected by Homelessness: Illinois, 2011-2018.

Objectives To describe individuals coded as homeless in state-level data comprising of outpatient and inpatient cases over a multi-year period to provide public health surveillance data on the health care utilization and needs of this population. Research design In this cross-sectional study, outpatient and inpatient visits coded for homelessness were identified from the Illinois Hospital Discharge Database from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2018. Demographic characteristics, primary diagnosis and comorbid conditions, and hospital course of treatment were described. Predictors of discharge to a health care facility versus routine discharge to home or self-care were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Results There were 154,173 patient visits predominantly involving males, those aged 25-64 years, and non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans. The majority had comorbidities of depression, psychosis, and/or substance abuse (70.2%) and a routine discharge to home or self-care (81.9%). Discharge to home or self-care relative to another health care institution was associated with having charity coverage and being Black/African American. Conclusions Those experiencing homelessness experience a high burden of health concerns. Hospital billing records can be used to prioritize the distribution of limited public health resources for health care programs and interventions among those experiencing homelessness.
Performance Analysis of Intelligent Reflective Surface Aided Wireless Communications

The fundamental performance metrics of an intelligent reflective surface (IRS)-aided wireless system are presented. By optimizing the IRS phase-shift matrix, the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is maximized at the destination in the presence of both reflected and direct channels. The probability distributions of this maximum SNR are tightly approximated for the moderate-to-large reflective element regime. Thereby, the probability density function and cumulative distribution function of this tight SNR approximation are derived in closed-form for Nakagami-m fading to facilitate a statistical characterization of the performance metrics. The outage probability, average symbol error probability, and achievable rate bounds are derived. By virtue of an asymptotic analysis in the high SNR regime, the diversity order is quantified. Thereby, we reveal that the overall diversity order can be scaled as a function of the number of reflective elements (N) such that Gd = mv + min(mg;mh)N, where mv, mh and mg are the Nakagami-m parameters of the direct, source-to-IRS and IRS-to-destination channels, respectively. The asymptotic achievable rate is derived, and thereby, it is shown that the transmit power can be scaled inversely proportional to N2. The impact of quantized IRS phase-shifts is investigated by deriving the achievable rate bounds. Useful insights are obtained by analyzing the system performance for different severity of fading cases including spatially correlated fading. Our analysis and numerical results reveal that IRS is a promising technology for boosting the performance of wireless communications by intelligently controlling the propagation channels without employing additional active radio-frequency chains.
Encoding innate ability through a genomic bottleneck

Abstract Animals are born with extensive innate behavioral capabilities, which arise from neural circuits encoded in the genome. However, the information capacity of the genome is orders of magnitude smaller than that needed to specify the connectivity of an arbitrary brain circuit, indicating that the rules encoding circuit formation must fit through a “genomic bottleneck” as they pass from one generation to the next. Here we formulate the problem of innate behavioral capacity in the context of artificial neural networks in terms of lossy compression of the weight matrix. We find that several standard network architectures can be compressed by several orders of magnitude, yielding pre-training performance that can approach that of the fully-trained network. Interestingly, for complex but not for simple test problems, the genomic bottleneck algorithm also captures essential features of the circuit, leading to enhanced transfer learning to novel data sets. Our results suggest that compressing a neural circuit through the genomic bottleneck serves as a regularizer, enabling evolution to select simple circuits that can be readily adapted to important real-world tasks. The genomic bottleneck also suggests how innate priors can complement conventional approaches to learning in designing algorithms for artificial intelligence.
E-062 Cobalt platinum stent-assisted coil embolization of a basilar tip aneurysm in a patient with a titanium allergy

Introduction Titanium allergies are rare. Most devices used for cerebral aneurysm treatment contain titanium, and titanium allergy can significantly limit treatment options. We discuss a case report of a patient with titanium allergy who underwent stent-assisted coil embolization of a basilar tip aneurysm with a titanium-free device and the pertinent literature review. Case Report A 57-year-old female with medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and prior skin intolerance to metal jewelry had a CT angiogram of the head and neck for headaches and hypertension with incidentally found basilar tip aneurysm. Diagnostic cerebral angiogram confirmed the 4.3 mm x 5.3 mm x 5.6 mm wide necked basilar tip aneurysm. Given her prior skin metal intolerance, she underwent allergy patch testing with positive reaction to titanium oxide. Initially, given the wide-necked characteristic of her basilar tip aneurysm, embolization was planned utilizing WEB device, composed of Nitinol (combination of nickel and titanium). However, given her titanium allergy, an alternative strategy needed to be employed. After reviewing make up of several devices, she underwent a successful stent-assisted coil embolization of the basilar tip aneurysm with a cobalt platinum coronary bare metal stent. Though it did not conform well to the vessel wall due to its rigid characteristics, it provided good neck coverage and allowed successful coil embolization of the aneurysm. 10-month repeat cerebral angiogram showed no residual filling of the basilar aneurysm or in-stent stenosis. Discussion Titanium allergy is an under recognized entity. Titanium allergies are documented in the literature, with proposed rates in the general population of 0.9-7.9%. Allergy to titanium oxides, as in our patient, is the rarest. Titanium is a component in nitinol-based devices in combination with nickel and surgical clips are also made of titanium. Thus, treatment options for wide necked aneurysms are limited. Allergic reactions to titanium are not well understood, but have been reported as type IV hypersensitivity reactions manifested as cutaneous rashes or delayed-onset in-stent stenosis in cardiac stenting. Neurological reactions to titanium allergies are less well documented. As many implantable medical devices contain various metal alloys including titanium, care should be taken before implanting such devices, including utilizing devices composed of alternative materials in those with known titanium allergies to prevent local or systemic allergic responses. Disclosures J. Santucci: None. A. Mahapatra: None. M. Hussain: None.
Maternal Attentional Control Moderates the Association Between Increased Depression and Controlling Feeding Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Parental distress is associated with less healthful child feeding practices. In this preliminary study, we examined how changes in distress from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic were associat...
Mutation, selection, and quantitative genetic architecture of susceptibility to bacterial pathogens in C. elegans

Understanding the evolutionary and genetic underpinnings of susceptibility to pathogens is of fundamental importance across a wide swathe of biology. Much theoretical and empirical effort has focused on genetic variants of large effect, but pathogen susceptibility often appears to be a polygenic complex trait. Here we investigate the quantitative genetics of survival over 120 hours of exposure ("susceptibility") of C. elegans to three bacterial pathogens of varying virulence, along with the non-pathogenic OP50 strain of E. coli. We compare the genetic (co)variance input by spontaneous mutations accumulated under minimal selection to the standing genetic (co)variance in a set of ~50 wild isolates. Three conclusions emerge. First, with one exception, mutations increase susceptibility to pathogens, and susceptibility is uncorrelated with fitness in the absence of pathogens. Second, the orientation in trait space of the heritable (co)variance of wild isolates is sufficiently explained by mutation. However, pathogen susceptibility is clearly under purifying, apparently directional, selection of magnitude similar to that of competitive fitness in the MA conditions. The results provide no evidence for fitness tradeoffs between pathogen susceptibility and fitness in the absence of pathogens, nor that balancing selection is important in maintaining genetic variation for susceptibility to these bacterial pathogens.
Against “Capitalism”: Eugene McCarraher on “The Enchantments of Mammon” — A Review Essay: The enchantments of mammon: how capitalism became the religion of modernity, by Eugene McCarragher, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2019, 816 pp., £32, ISBN 9780674984615

The Archdaemon “Mammon” may be observed in Paradise Lost, where he “preaches the work ethic” (41) and “leads the excavation crew for Pandemonium” (42). The reader is never told just what “Enchantme...
Investigating the role of familial and peer-related factors on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among U.S. adolescents.

Abstract Introduction Tobacco use is a public health concern, and adolescents are at an increased risk of starting and continuing to use tobacco relative to other age groups. Parent involvement and other social environmental factors may influence the development and persistence of tobacco use behaviors in adolescence. This study used the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study data set, and responses from 7025 adolescent participants were analyzed to illustrate the longitudinal relationship between social environment influences and use of adolescent electronic nicotine delivery systems (i.e., ENDS). Methods Social environmental factors were assessed at Wave 3 and then compared to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) status transitions (i.e., initiation, expansion, persistence) at follow-up. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Initiation and persistence of ENDS use were associated with tobacco availability in the house, perception of having no adverse parent reaction to discovering ENDS use and having a best friend who uses ENDS. Initiation of ENDS use was further associated with having biological relatives who have ever been diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) and persistence of ENDS use was also positively associated with lack of in-house rules. Parents talking about ENDS use with adolescents had no association across all three outcomes. Conclusions Findings suggest that parental and environmental factors alter the risk of initiation and persistence of ENDS and tobacco use in adolescents, and these should be considered when working with this at-risk population.
Wild-type Gross leukemia virus and heritable autoimmune disease of New Zealand mice.

NZB and (NZB × NZW) F1 hybrid mice are a widely studied model of several, sometimes clinically related, human diseases of unknown etiology. These diseases include idiopathic glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, related connective-tissue and autoimmune diseases, and malignant lymphoma. Our work on the animal model reveals interrelated viral (Gross leukemia virus), genetic, and immunologic determinants of disease. These studies may contribute to the further elucidation of the cause, nature, treatment, and prevention of one or more of the corresponding human diseases.
The syndrome of abdominal aortic aneurysm rupturing into the gastrointestinal tract: Summary of the literature and case report

Abstract With the new case, which is reported in this paper, forty-one examples of rupture of an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta into some portion of the gastrointestinal tract are known to be available in the literature. In 71 per cent, rupture was into the third portion of the duodenum. The condition has been six times more frequent in men than in women. While the ages were widely distributed, the occurrence of eight cases between 27 and 32 years-of-age indicates the importance of this condition in relatively young patients. The resulting syndrome combines the features of abdominal aneurysm with those of profuse hemorrhage into the gastrointestinal tract. Hematemesis, often with abundant hemorrhage from the rectum, usually marks the onset of the terminal phase.
Effect of Dietary Fat Saturation on Survival of Mice With L1210 Leukemia

We examined L1210 murine leukemia growth rate and survival of host male DBA/2J mice fed a diet rich in either polyunsaturated fat (16% sunflower oil) or saturated fat (16% coconut oil). The survival of mice that received transplants of L1210 leukemia cells was longer among the animals that had ingested a diet rich in the saturated fat as compared to those fed the more unsaturated fat. In duplicate experiments, the mean survivals of mice fed coconut oil were 200.9 +/- 1.6 and 202.5 +/- 3.4 hours compared to 188.7 +/- 5.3 and 187.6 +/- 3.5 hours for those fed sunflower oil. Tumor growth rate or the rate of DNA synthesis by the leukemia cells did not differ between the two experimental groups. Therefore, the alteration in survival was apparently due to an effect of the diets on the responses of the hosts rather than their effect on tumor size or growth rate.
Optimal timing of operative debridement: a known unknown: commentary on an article by Mara L. Schenker, MD, et al.: “Does timing to operative debridement affect infectious complications in open long-bone fractures? A systematic review”.

Descriptions of debridement for treatment of open fractures are at least as old as The Iliad 1, but the question of the timing of debridement is still unresolved after more than a century of study. The origins of the “six-hour rule” are in animal studies, and even today much of what we know (and think we know) about the timing of debridement and antibiotics and about the relation of such timing to the risk of infection is the result of investigations involving rabbits and rats. The most recent animal studies of the timing of antibiotics, timing of lavage, and timing of debridement still suggest that these are each important in reducing infection when considered separately2, but even these three relatively easy-to-control variables have not been studied in combination, nor have the added variables that would mimic the reality of our modern Emergency Medical Services system, emergency departments, trauma centers, and personnel trained in fracture assessment and stabilization, early use of antibiotics, wound lavage, dressing care, and triage. In 2010, a review of 315 patients by the Lower Extremity Assessment Project (LEAP) Study Group found that the time from injury to operative debridement was not a significant predictor of infection risk3. The authors of the current study …
Novel Mechanisms of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are a common but asymptomatic disease that has high susceptibility to rupture. Current therapeutic options are limited to surgical procedures because no pharmacological approaches have been proven to decrease either expansion or rupture of human AAAs. The current dearth of effective medical treatment is attributed to insufficient understanding of the mechanisms underlying the initiation, propagation and rupture of AAAs. This review will emphasize recent advances in mechanistic studies that may provide insights into potential pharmacological treatments for this disease. While we primarily focus on recent salient findings, we also discuss mechanisms that continue to be controversial depending on models under study. Despite the progress on exploring mechanisms of experimental AAAs, ultimate validation of mechanisms will require completion of prospective double-blinded clinical trials. In addition, we advocate increased emphasis of collaborative studies using animal models and human tissues for determination of mechanisms that explore expansion and rupture of existing AAAs.
Robotic Instrument Insulation Failure: Initial Report of a Potential Source of Patient Injury

Objectives To report our experience with failures in the accessory tip covers that insulate the monopolar robotic cautery scissor instruments and the patient injuries that have resulted. Currently, there is no data in the literature regarding the failure rate of robotic instruments or their accessory components. Methods All robotic surgeries performed at our institution were recorded from July 2008 to January 2009. Instrument tip cover failures were recorded at the time of failure regardless of whether a patient complication occurred. Failure was identified by the arching of the electrical current from the insulated portion of the monopolar scissors or by an intraoperative injury. Results Four-hundred fifty-four robotic procedures were recorded. A total of 12 accessory tip cover failures were discovered, demonstrating a failure rate of 2.6%, with a patient complication rate of 0.6% (25% of all failures). Conclusions Failure in robotic accessory tip covers can lead to patient complications. The cause for failure can be attributed to a variety of electrical and mechanical causes. All centers and surgeons performing robotic surgery should be aware of the potential for this problem to occur, and the possible interventions that may reduce tip cover failure.
Isoxsuprine‐induced changes in maternal and fetal hemodynamics and fetal electroencephalogram

Isoxsuprine has been used in obstetrics in the treatment of premature labor. Its maternal and fetal effects were studied in five ewes with dated gestations of 137 ± 1.25 days (term approximately 147 days). Isoxsuprine (1 mg/min) was infused over a 30-minute period to the anesthetized ewes while maternal and fetal blood pressures, uterine and fetal cerebral blood flows, and fetal brain function were studied. In addition, fetal and maternal acid-base values and fetal cerebral metabolism were measured at baseline, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Isoxsuprine caused maternal hypotension, tachycardia, and metabolic acidosis and temporary reduction of PO2 without affecting oxygen saturation, O2 content, or uterine blood flow. In the fetus hypotension, tachycardia, temporary metabolic acidosis, transient reduction in PO2 and O2 saturation occurred while PCO2, cerebral blood flow, brain glucose consumption, and the electroencephalogram remained essentially unchanged. Fetal pH, PO2, and O2 saturation returned toward baseline values at the end of the experiment.
Altered affective processing in bipolar disorder: an fMRI study.

Background Previous studies have reported that patients with bipolar disorder (BPD) exhibit altered emotional processing and regulation. However, results remain largely inconsistent across studies. The aim of the current study was to further examine affective processing in patients with bipolar disorder.
Chicken lens development: Epithelial cell production and migration

In the earliest stages of chicken lens development, cell division occurred over the entire lens. Cell division first stopped in the posterior side of the lens vesicle, as the cells differentiated into primary lens fibers. After the annular pad developed, cell division occurred, for the most part, in the anterior surface epithelial cells. Shortly after hatching and thereafter, a germinative zone, consisting of a narrow band of epithelial cells adjacent to the annular pad developed. The cells from the germinative zone migrated slowly and differentiated first into annular pad cells and then into lens cortex fibers over an estimated 2-year period. This slow migration of cells in the lens is discussed in relation to the failure of the adult chicken to develop radiation cataracts.
Assessments of lung digestion methods for recovery of fibers.

Evaluation of the pulmonary hazards associated with exposure to fibrous materials tends to be more complicated than assessments required for particulate materials. Fibers are defined by aspect ratios and it is generally considered that physical dimensions play an important role in the pathogenesis of fiber-related lung diseases. Several digestion techniques have been used to recover fibers from exposed lung tissue for clearance studies. Because many of the digestion fluids are corrosive (e.g., bleach, KOH), it is conceivable that the dimensions of recovered fibers are modified during the tissue digestion process, thus creating erroneous data. Accordingly, the authors evaluated two lung digestion methods to assess whether the physical dimensions of bulk samples of fibers were altered following simulated digestion processing. Aliquots of crocidolite and chrysotile asbestos, Kevlar aramid, wollastonite, polyacrylonitrile (pan)-based carbon, and glass fibers were incubated with either saline, bleach, or KOH and then filtered. Scanning electron microscopy techniques were utilized to measure the physical dimensions (i.e., lengths and diameters) of at least 160 fibers per treatment group of each fiber type. Their results showed that the lengths and diameters of glass fibers and wollastonite were altered after treatment with KOH. In addition, treatment with bleach produced a small reductionmore » in both asbestos fiber-type diameters, and greater changes in Kevlar and wollastonite diameters and carbon fiber lengths.« less
Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus I and/or Epstein-Barr virus-infected B-cell lines spontaneously produce acid-labile α-interferon

B-cell lines were established as spontaneous outgrowths of cell cultures from patients with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Three such lines were shown to have integrated human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus 1 (HTLV-I) proviral sequences as well as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Supernatant fluids from these cultured cells were assayed for interferon (IFN) production. Acid-stable α-IFN was found to be produced by one cell line (CF), and acid-labile α-IFN by the other two (HS, MJB). In contrast, HTLV-I-infected T-cell lines did not produce IFN. Some EBV-infected B-cell lines produce acid-labile α-IFN, while others do not. Since α-IFN, both acid stable and acid labile, is found in sera from patients with the polyclonal activation of B cells as a constitutive part of the disease, the above observations suggest a possible role of polyclonal B-cell activation in α-IFN production in these diseases.
Blockade of morphine-withdrawal body shakes by haloperidol.

Abstract Intravenous injections of morphine sulfate in escalating doses caused narcotic dependence, and the rats showed a high rate of “wet- dog” like body shakes during withdrawal. Intraperitoneal injections of haloperidol suppressed these body shakes in a dose dependent manner.
Qadhafi and the challenge of militant Islam

(1998). Qadhafi and the challenge of militant Islam. The Washington Quarterly: Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 159-172.
Cardiac function of the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata

The pressure difference between the cardinal sinus and the pericardium, and the transmural ventricular diastolic pressure at rest and during swimming in the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, was measured to characterize the mechanism of cardiac filling in chronically-instrumented fish and to evaluate cardiac responses to swimming. Echo-Doppler and radiographic imaging were also used to fully describe the cardiac cycle. Swimming induces an increase in preload as manifested by a large increment of cardinal sinus pressure (0.26/0.20 [systolic/diastolic] to 0.49/0.32 kPa) which always exceeds pericardial pressure. Increases in both mean ventricular diastolic transmural pressure (0.30–0.77 kPa) and cardinal sinus pressure during swimming suggest increased cardiac filling by vis a tergo as the mechanism for augmenting cardiac output. In contrast to mammals, the fluid-filled pericardial space of elasmobranchs is considerably larger and the pericardium itself does not move in concert with the heart throughout the cardiac cycle. Also, modest increases in heart rate drastically curtail the duration of diastole, which becomes much less than that of systole, a phenomenon not found in mammals. In the absence of tachycardia (<40 bpm), ventricular filling is characterized by a period of early rapid filling, and a late period of filling owing to atrial systole, separated by a period of diastasis. Ventricular filling in elasmobranchs is thus biphasic and is not solely dependent on atrial systole. Atrial diastole is characterized by three filling periods associated with atrial relaxation, ventricular ejection, and sinus venosus contraction. The estimated ventricular ejection fraction of Triakis (80%) exceeds that of the mammalian left ventricle.
The Helical Turbine and Its Applications for Hydropower Without Dams

The objective of this paper is to introduce an environmentally friendly Helical Turbine that has been developed to operate in free or ultra low-head water currents without dams. The turbine is a cross flow unidirectional rotation machine that makes it particularly valuable for ocean applications, such as reversible tidal streams in ocean bays, estuaries and canals, streams in open ocean, underwater currents generated by wave fluctuations etc.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Solute solvent dynamics and energetics in enzyme catalysis: The SN2 reaction of dehalogenase as a general benchmark

One of the most useful ways of describing and analyzing enzyme catalysis is the description of the enzyme as an effective solvent for the reacting substrate. Here, we illustrate this concept by considering the SN2 reaction of haloalkan dehalogenase (DhlA), analyze the energetics and dynamics of the solvent coordinate, and evaluate their relative catalytic effect. It is demonstrated that almost the entire catalytic effect is associated with the preorganization of the protein−solvent coordinate. It is clarified that this effect is associated with the fact that the transition state is “solvated” by the protein more than in the reference solution reaction. This effect is fundamentally different than the frequently proposed desolvation mechanism. The possible catalytic role of dynamical effects is analyzed by considering several reasonable ways of defining “dynamical contributions to catalysis”. It is found that these contributions are small regardless of the definition used. It is also shown that the effect o...
Chromosome engineering: generation of mono- and dicentric isochromosomes in a somatic cell hybrid system.

The most common isochromosome found in humans involves the long arm of the X, i(Xq), and is associated with a subset of Turner syndrome cases. To study the formation and behavior of isochromosomes in a more tractable experimental system, we have developed a somatic cell hybrid model system that allows for the selection of mono- or dicentric isochromosomes involving the short arm of the X, i(Xp). Simultaneous positive and negative counterselection of a mouse/human somatic cell hybrid containing a human X chromosome, selecting for retention of the UBE1 locus in Xp but against the HPRT locus in Xq, results in a variety of abnormalities of the X chromosome involving deletions of Xq. We have generated 70 such ”Pushmi-Pullyu” hybrids derived from seven independent X chromosomes. Cytogenetic analysis of these hybrids using fluorescence in situ hybridization showed i(Xp) chromosomes in ∼19% of the hybrids. Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction analyses of the Pushmi-Pullyu hybrids revealed a distribution of breakpoints along Xq. The distance between the centromeres of the dicentric i(Xp)s generated ranged from ∼2 Mb to ∼20 Mb. To examine centromeric activity in these dicentric i(Xp)s, we used indirect immunofluorescence with antibodies to centromere protein E (CENP-E). CENP-E was detected at only one of the centromeres of a dicentric i(Xp) with ∼2–3 Mb of Xq DNA. In contrast, CENP-E was detected at both centromeres of a dicentric i(Xp) with ∼14 Mb of Xq DNA. Two other dicentric i(Xp) chromosomes were heterogeneous with respect to centromeric activity, suggesting that centromeric activity and chromosome stability of dicentric chromosomes may be more complicated than previously thought. The Pushmi-Pullyu model system presented in this study may provide a tool for examining the structure and function of mammalian centromeres.
In vitro metabolism of 5,8-dideazafolates and 5,8-dideazaisofolates by mammalian folylpoly- γ-glutamate synthetase

Abstract The in vitro metabolism of a variety of 5,8-dideazafolate and 5,8-dideazaisofolate analogues by pig liver folylpolyglutamate synthetase and the specificity of the enzyme for some polyglutamate derivatives of these analogues have been investigated. All 4-oxo-quinazoline analogues were metabolized to long chain polyglutamate derivatives, primarily the pentaglutamate, whereas 4-amino-quinazolines were metabolized to a lesser extent, with the accumulation of di- and triglutamate derivatives. This pattern of metabolism was consistent with the large drop in V max K m and V max values for folylpolyglutamate synthetase observed with diglutamate derivatives of 4-aminofolate analogues. The extent of metabolism of the various analogues did not correlate with the relative substrate effectiveness of their parent monoglutamate derivatives. The 5-chloro and 5-methyl substitutions of quinazolines enhanced the addition of glutamate residues to 4-amino derivatives but markedly impaired the metabolism of 4-oxo derivatives.
Podiatric problems are associated with worse health status in persons with severe mental illness

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-reported podiatric impairments and their effect on health status in persons with severe mental illness. A sample of psychiatric outpatients ( N =309) underwent interviews assessing medical conditions and health status with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Podiatric health was assessed using nine items from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Eighty percent of patients reported at least one podiatric problem. The most common problems were foot pain (48%), nail disorders (35%) and corns/calluses (28%). Prevalence rates were 4–11 times higher than those reported by the general population in the 1990 NHIS. The total number of podiatric problems was inversely related to eight self-reported health status domains and both summary SF-36 scores (all P ≤.0001). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, psychiatric illness and medical conditions, the total number of podiatric limitations remained significantly associated with lower patient ratings in four of the eight SF-36 domains and both summary scores. We concluded that persons with severe and persistent mental illness have markedly elevated rates of podiatric problems when compared to the general population group. These problems are associated with worsened self-perceived health status. Addressing podiatric health may be a successful way to improve the overall health of this population.
Patterns of Species Co-occurrence in the Antillean Bat Fauna

La faune des chauves-souris des Antilles est marquee par un fort degre de coexistence des especes,avec une dominance des endemiques dans les Antilles du nord et des taxons sud-americains indifferencies dans les Antilles du sud
Mapping Coriolis-coupled quantum dynamics onto parallel computer architectures

Abstract We describe how quantum dynamics calculations with large total angular momentum quantum numbers J can be efficiently carried out on scalable parallel computers. In our approach, different processors i are associated with different allowed values of Ω, the projection quantum number of total angular momentum on a body-fixed axis. Ω can take on values Ω = 0, 1,…, J . One strategy involves associating processors i = 0, 1,…, J directly with the corresponding Ω values. Coriolis coupling permits only Ω ± 1 coupling, which implies only nearest neighbor processors need to communicate. This “Coriolis-coupled” parallel model and certain variations are applied to a triatomic unimolecular fragmentation process. Due to the necessity of communication between processors and load balancing issues, our model does not scale ideally with J . However, for the example considered, one can achieve wall clock times for reasonably high J values that are within about a factor of two of J = 0 calculations.
THE EFFECT OF PREGNANCY ON IMPLANTED EMBRYONIC TISSUE

1. Grafts of embryonic tissue obtained at operation and implanted in the mother, will grow well in case she no longer carries young. The growth is no more rapid than that in favorable nonpregnant aliens, but persists for a longer period without retrogression and results in a greater variety of tissues. The superiority of auto-transplantation over iso-transplantation is responsible for this fact. No evidence of a specific "growth-substance" peculiar to the pregnant state is furnished by the experiment. 2. When a mouse is implanted with embryonic tissue from her own uterus, and she still carries developing young, the fate of the grafts is very different from that just described. They are vascularized from the host but fail to grow or differentiate. Yet they do not die, and after pregnancy is concluded they may start to grow. The finding is strikingly like that noted by others of implanted tumor in pregnant hosts. It seems probable that some general factor affecting the growth of implanted tissues is here concerned.
N‐trimethylchitosan/Alginate Layer‐by‐Layer Self Assembly Coatings Act as “Fungal Repellents” to Prevent Biofilm Formation on Healthcare Materials

Fungal biofilm formation on healthcare materials is a significant clinical concern, often leading to medical-device-related infections, which are difficult to treat. A novel fungal repellent strategy is developed to control fungal biofilm formation. Methylacrylic acid (MAA) is grated onto poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based biomaterials via plasma-initiated grafting polymerization. A cationic polymer, trimethylchitosan (TMC), is synthesized by reacting chitosan with methyl iodide. Sodium alginate (SA) is used as an anionic polymer. TMC/SA multilayers are coated onto the MAA-grafted PMMA via layer-by-layer self-assembly. The TMC/SA multilayer coatings significantly reduce fungal initial adhesion, and effectively prevent fungal biofilm formation. It is concluded that the anti-adhesive property of the surface is due to its hydrophilicity, and that the biofilm-inhibiting action is attributed to the antifungal activity of TMC as well as the chelating function of TMC and SA, which may have acted as fungal repellents. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-immersion tests show that the biofilm-modulating effect of the multilayer coatings is stable for more than 4 weeks. Furthermore, the presence of TMC/SA multilayer coatings improves the biocompatibility of the original PMMA, offering a simple, yet effective, strategy for controlling fungal biofilm formation.
Studying the Water Transport in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell by Neutron Radiography and Relative Humidity Sensors

Water management in a fuel cell is essential to ensure cell performance and life. In this study, a special single cell was designed for the purpose of detecting liquid water and water vapor simultaneously. The major difference between our design and traditional flow field designs is the fact that the anode and cathode channels were shifted sideways, so that they do not overlap in the majority of the active areas. The liquid water is measured by using neutron radiography located at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The water vapor is measured by the 20 relative humidity sensors embedded in the anode and cathode flow field plates. The effects of the relative humidity and stoichiometry of the cathode inlet on relative humidity distribution in the channels and on water accumulation in the gas diffusion layers (GDLs) were investigated in this study. The liquid water accumulation at steady-state was calculated by using imaging mask techniques and least-squares method. The transient behavior of water transport was detected and recorded when a step load change was applied on the cell. It is demonstrated that liquid water tends to accumulate in the gas diffusion layers under the rib. Moreover, the transient behavior of liquid water transport in the GDL and the relative humidity distribution in both the anode and cathode channels at different operating conditions are discussed.
Parallel Synthesis of Glycomimetic Libraries: Targeting a C-Type Lectin

We have developed methods for the parallel synthesis of two libraries of non-carbohydrate-based analogues of mannose on a solid support. The natural product shikimic acid was used as a key building block. The ability of the compounds to block the binding of the C-type lectin MBP-A to a mannosylated surface was assessed in a high-throughput assay. Ten library members with inhibitory activities equivalent to that of alpha-methyl mannopyranoside were identified. [reaction: see text]
Framework for the control of automated material-handling systems using the holonic manufacturing approach

In today's global economy, manufacturing companies must be able to change both the product variety and production quantity without incurring major disturbances in the production process. A manufacturing system capable of performing these changes efficiently needs a control system flexible enough to go from one state to another without significant delays in production. To compensate for the deficiencies of both hierarchical and heterarchical control systems, a control architecture based on the holonic concept is proposed. After presenting the general holonic control architecture, the paper focuses on the integration of the holonic-based control concept in the design of an automated material-handling control system. When performing transport activities in a manufacturing system, due to its architecture, the holonic system can operate both as a hierarchical system, following a predefined schedule during normal operation conditions, and as a heterarchical system in the presence of disturbances.
Addressing social determinants of health at well child care visits: a cluster RCT.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a clinic-based screening and referral system (Well Child Care, Evaluation, Community Resources, Advocacy, Referral, Education [WE CARE]) on families’ receipt of community-based resources for unmet basic needs. METHODS: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial at 8 urban community health centers, recruiting mothers of healthy infants. In the 4 WE CARE clinics, mothers completed a self-report screening instrument that assessed needs for child care, education, employment, food security, household heat, and housing. Providers made referrals for families; staff provided requisite applications and telephoned referred mothers within 1 month. Families at the 4 control community health centers received the usual care. We analyzed the results with generalized mixed-effect models. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty-six mothers were enrolled in the study (168 per arm). The majority of families had household incomes CONCLUSIONS: Systematically screening and referring for social determinants during well child care can lead to the receipt of more community resources for families.
The Yeast GRASP Grh1 Colocalizes with COPII and Is Dispensable for Organizing the Secretory Pathway

In mammalian cells, the ‘Golgi reassembly and stacking protein’ (GRASP) family has been implicated in Golgi stacking, but the broader functions of GRASP proteins are still unclear. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains a single non-essential GRASP homolog called Grh1. However, Golgi cisternae in S. cerevisiae are not organized into stacks, so a possible structural role for Grh1 has been difficult to test. Here, we examined the localization and function of Grh1 in S. cerevisiae and in the related yeast Pichia pastoris, which has stacked Golgi cisternae. In agreement with earlier studies indicating that Grh1 interacts with coat protein II (COPII) vesicle coat proteins, we find that Grh1 colocalizes with COPII at transitional endoplasmic reticulum (tER) sites in both yeasts. Deletion of P. pastoris Grh1 had no obvious effect on the structure of tER–Golgi units. To test the role of S. cerevisiae Grh1, we exploited the observation that inhibiting ER export in S. cerevisiae generates enlarged tER sites that are often associated with the cis Golgi. This tER–Golgi association was preserved in the absence of Grh1. The combined data suggest that Grh1 acts early in the secretory pathway, but is dispensable for the organization of secretory compartments.
Translocation of Organic Substances in Trees. III. The Removal of Sugars from the Sieve Tubes in the White Ash (Fraxinus Americana L.).

It has been shown by various investigators that the substances in the sieve tubes are qualitatively the same throughout the plant. This, together with a number of physiological observations, seems to suggest that substances move through the sieve tubes without their being metabolized (2, 8, 23). There is good evidence, however, that the movement over the short distance from the leaf parenchyma to the sieve tubes is an active process. It has been shown by Phillis and Mason (13) that the sugar concentration of sap expressed from leaf tissue containing mainly mesophyll is much lower than that of sap expressed from the inner part of the bark or of leaf tissue containing mainly veins. This was later confirmed by a number of other workers using a wide variety of plants and different methods. Most important?since concentrations of expressed saps are not directly comparable?is the fact that leaf parenchyma cells have been plasmolyzed by the sieve tube ex?date of the same plant (7, 14). Transfer of substances into the sieve tubes must therefore occur metabolically. This process has been called "loading" by Barrier and Loomis (1). Huber and Bauer refer to it as "secretion" (9) because of the striking physiological similarity to the secretion of sugars in nectaries (10, 20, 21). There are a few reports on this movement dealing with both the chemistry of the transferred material and the physiology of the tissues involved (2, 18, 21), but the details are far from known. A parallel problem to that of the introduction of assimilates into the sieve tubes is that of how the assimilates are removed from these translocation channels. The mere fact that they do leave the sieve tubes has led some investigators to believe that the sieve tubes are "leaking." That this is not the case is indicated by the fact that they are, even at great distance from the leaves, under a high turgor pressure most of the time (see (5)). It will be shown in this paper that the turgor remains high for many days after the leaves have formed abscission layers in the fall, and also after artificial defoliation. The presence of large amounts of stachyose, raffi nose and sucrose make white ash a very interesting object for phloem translocation studies. It is significant that these sugars contain the sucrose unit within their molecules. In order to explain our previous observations it was proposed that there is an enzymatic removal of D-galactose units which results in a gradual break-down of the higher oligosaccharides, stachyose and raffinose, as they move down the tree (24). In the present investigation three ash trees have been defoliated, thus cutting off the supply of photosynthates to the phloem, and the changes that took place in the sieve tubes after this treatment have been followed. A similar study has been made of the changes in the phloem during the natural leaffall in autumn.
Sources of terrestrially-derived organic carbon in lower Mississippi River and Louisiana shelf sediments: Implications for differential sedimentation and transport at the coastal margin

Abstract In this study, we examined the temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial organic carbon sources in lower Mississippi River and Louisiana shelf sediments (during 11 cruises over a 22-month period) to further understand the sorting dynamics and selective transport of vascular plant materials within the primary dispersal system of the river. Bulk δ13C values in lower river sediments ranged from −21.90‰ to −24.64‰ (mean=−23.20±1.09‰), these values were generally more depleted than those found in shelf sediments (−22.5‰ to −21.2‰). The Λ8 (Λ8=sum of vanillyl, syringyl and cinnamyl phenols produced from the oxidation of 100 mg of organic carbon) values in the lower river ranged from 0.71 to 3.74 (mean=1.78±0.23). While there was no significant relationship between Λ8 and river discharge (p>0.05), the highest value occurred during peak discharge in April 1999—which corresponded to the highest observed C/N value of 17.41. The Λ8 values on the shelf ranged from 0.68 to 1.36 (mean=0.54±0.30) and were significantly lower (p
Nicotine and placental iron transport.

Nikotin in 1, 2 und 6 mg/kg taglichen Dosen in Ratten vom 9. bis zum 15. Tage der Trachtigkeit s.c. injiziert verursachte herabgesetzte Gewichtszunahme der Mutter sowie geringeres Wachstum des Fotus und der Plazenta. Bei einer taglichen Dosis von 2 und 6 mg/kg Nikotin war die59Fe-Anreicherung in der Plazenta betrachtlich vermindert.
Separation of self from non-self in the complement system

The alternative complement pathway is a self-contained and independent recognition and effector pathway that evolved to protect the host from microbes. As such, it must separate self from non-self. Via low grade continuous turnover (tickover) of the pivotal C3 component, the alternative complement pathway is always on guard to defend the host. Activated C3 binds continuously to self tissue and to foreign tissue, if present. There is no apparent discrimination at this initiation step. However, the amplification of C3 deposition on self (but not foreign) tissue, a necessity in establishing the effector functions of this pathway, is inhibited by a series of functionally, structurally and genetically related plasma and membrane glycoproteins which down-regulate complement activation. These regulatory molecules are widely distributed on human tissue. The plasma proteins are preferentially active on fluid-phase components while membrane-bound forms act on cell-bound components. Here, John Atkinson and Timothy Farries discuss these inhibitors of complement activation and suggest that their action explains the ability of the alternative pathway to amplify on foreign tissue but be down-regulated on autologous tissue.