cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can This Patient Read and Understand Written Health Information

Context Patients with limited literacy are at higher risk for poor health outcomes; however, physicians' perceptions are inaccurate for identifying these patients. Objective To systematically review the accuracy of brief instruments for identifying patients with limited literacy. Data Sources Search of the English-language literature from 1969 through February 2010 using PubMed, Psychinfo, and bibliographies of selected manuscripts for articles on health literacy, numeracy, reading ability, and reading skill. Study Selection Prospective studies including adult patients 18 years or older that evaluated a brief instrument for identifying limited literacy in a health care setting compared with an accepted literacy reference standard. Data Extraction Studies were evaluated independently by 2 reviewers who each abstracted information and assigned an overall quality rating. Disagreements were adjudicated by a third reviewer. Data Synthesis Ten studies using 6 different instruments met inclusion criteria. Among multi-item measures, the Newest Vital Sign (English) performed moderately well for identifying limited literacy based on 3 studies. Among the single-item questions, asking about a patient's use of a surrogate reader, confidence filling out medical forms, and self-rated reading ability performed moderately well in identifying patients with inadequate or marginal literacy. Asking a patient, “How confident are you in filling out medical forms by yourself?” is associated with a summary likelihood ratio (LR) for limited literacy of 5.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8-6.4) for an answer of “a little confident” or “not at all confident”; a summary LR of 2.2 (95% CI, 1.5-3.3) for “somewhat confident”; and a summary LR of 0.44 (95% CI, 0.24-0.82) for “quite a bit” or “extremely confident.” Conclusion Several single-item questions, including use of a surrogate reader and confidence with medical forms, were moderately effective for quickly identifying patients with limited literacy.
Spontaneous cross-linking of collagen: evidence for metal-catalyzed and oxidative reactions.

Abstract Incubation of aqueous collagen gels at about 37° is known to cause insolubilization. The clot is slowly soluble at 80–90°, but insoluble in strong denaturants; the collagen is probably covalently cross-linked. Cross-linking is retarded by several amino acids, especially by histidine, lysine and arginine, and by EDTA. Removal of EDTA or histidine shortens the inhibition period; removal of arginine eliminates inhibition. Thus, there may be at least two mechanisms of inhibition, one involving metal ions, the other competition for cross-linking agent(s). Cross-linking is also retarded by borohydride treatment and by removal of oxygen.
The late appearance of postpartum eclampsia.

To the Editor.— While we are glad that Dr Michaeli 1 has recognized the phenomenon of late postpartum eclampsia, it is not as unusual as indicated by the reporting of his case. We have managed two such cases, occurring on days 4 and 6 after delivery, in the past two weeks. The entity of late-appearing postpartum eclampsia is clouded with confusion and controversy. As early as 1946, Stander and co-workers 2 reported the possibility that eclampsia can and does occur beyond 72 hours after delivery. There are authors who have clearly reported cases of postpartum eclampsia, documented by renal biopsy specimens and postmortem examination, 3-5 occurring three to 23 days after delivery. Other authors state that the majority of cases occur within the first 24 hours after delivery, with a small number of cases occurring on the second day after delivery and a progressively smaller incidence thereafter. The most recent
Solar X-Ray Spectrum below 25 Angstroms

Below 25 A, the solar spectrum consists primarily of the emission lines of Fe XVII, O VIII, O VII, and N VII. The lines of the more highly ionized atoms, Fe XVII and O VIII, originate in localized active regions. Lines of O VII and N VII emanate from the full disk.
Pandemic Influenza Viruses — Hoping for the Road Not Taken

Since the avian H7N9 influenza A virus that has emerged in China has some types of mutations associated with circulation in humans, some experts predict that it will become pandemic. But firm evidence of such well-defined viral-evolutionary pathways is lacking.
Hyperbilirubinemia in the Late Preterm Infant

Hyperbilirubinemia is the leading cause of rehospitalization in the late preterm infant (Tomashek, Sem in Perinatology. 2006). Immaturity of the infant's gastrointestinal tract and hepatic system, along with immaturity of feeding, leads to an increased risk of hyperbilirubinemia and the need for medical attention. To better understand the risks of hyperbilirubinemia, we will explore the normal bilirubin metabolism and alterations seen in the late preterm. Because the ultimate goal of treatment of hyperbilirubinemia is the prevention of kernicterus, we will also explore the causes of kernicterus and the increased susceptibility in the late preterm.
A Detailed Analysis of Film–Cooling Physics: Part I — Streamwise Injection With Cylindrical Holes

A previously documented systematic computational methodology is implemented and applied to a jet-in-crossflow problem in order to document all of the pertinent flow physics associated with a film-cooling flowfield. Numerical results are compared to experimental data for the case of a row of three-dimensional, inclined jets with length-to-diameter ratios similar to a realistic film-cooling application. A novel vorticity-based approach is included in the analysis of the flow physics. Particular attention has been paid to the downstream coolant structures and to the source and influence of counterrotating vortices in the crossflow region. It is shown that the vorticity in the boundary layers within the film hole is primarily responsible for this secondary motion. Important aspects of the study include: (1) a systematic treatment of the key numerical issues, including accurate computational modeling of the physical problem, exact geometry and high-quality grid generation techniques, higher-order numerical discretization, and accurate evaluation of turbulence model performance; (2) vorticity-based analysis and documentation of the physical mechanisms of jet-crossflow interaction and their influence on film-cooling performance; (3) a comparison of computational results to experimental data; and (4) comparison of results using a two-layer model near-wall treatment versus generalized wall functions. Solution of the steady, time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations were obtained for all cases using an unstructured/adaptive grid, fully explicit, time-marching code with multigrid, local time stepping, and residual smoothing acceleration techniques. For the case using the two-layer model, the solution was obtained with an implicit, pressure-correction solver with multigrid. The three-dimensional test case was examined for two different film-hole length-to-diameter ratios of 1.75 and 3.5, and three different blowing ratios, from 0.5 to 2.0. All of the simulations had a density ratio of 2.0, and an injection angle of 35 deg. An improved understanding of the flow physics has provided insight into future advances to film-cooling configuration design. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the two-layer turbulence model are highlighted for this class of problems.
Effects of in-feed copper and tylosin supplementations on copper and antimicrobial resistance in faecal enterococci of feedlot cattle.

Aims The objective was to investigate whether in-feed supplementation of copper, at elevated level, co-selects for macrolide resistance in faecal enterococci. Methods and Results The study was conducted in cattle (n = 80) with a 2 × 2 factorial design of copper (10 or 100 mg kg−1 of feed) and tylosin (0 or 10 mg kg−1 of feed). Thirty-seven isolates (4·6%; 37/800) of faecal enterococci were positive for the tcrB and all were Enterococcus faecium. The prevalence was higher among cattle fed diets with copper and tylosin (8·5%) compared to control (2·0%), copper (4·5%) and tylosin (3·5%) alone. All tcrB-positive isolates were positive for erm(B) and tet(M) genes. Median copper minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for tcrB-positive and tcrB-negative enterococci were 20 and 4 mmol l−1, respectively. Conclusions Feeding of elevated dietary copper and tylosin alone or in combination resulted in an increased prevalence of tcrB and erm(B)-mediated copper and tylosin-resistant faecal enterococci in feedlot cattle. Significance and Impact of the Study In-feed supplementation of elevated dietary copper has the potential to co-select for macrolide resistance. Further studies are warranted to investigate the factors involved in maintenance and dissemination of the resistance determinants and their co-selection mechanism in relation to feed-grade antimicrobials' usage in feedlot cattle.
Trivalent Chromatin Marks the Way iN

Recently in Cell , Wapinski et al. (2013) investigated the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the direct conversion of fibroblasts to induced neurons (iNs). They found that Ascl1 acts as a pioneer factor at neurogenic loci marked by a closed "trivalent" chromatin state in cells permissive to direct conversion, but not in restrictive cell types.
The leukocyte chemotactic receptor FPR1 is functionally expressed on human lens epithelial cells

Formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) is a G protein-coupled chemoattractant receptor expressed mainly on leukocytes. Surprisingly, aging Fpr1−/− mice develop spontaneous lens degeneration without inflammation or infection (J.-L. Gao et al., manuscript in preparation). Therefore, we hypothesized that FPR1 is functionally expressed directly on lens epithelial cells, the only cell type in the lens. Consistent with this, the human fetal lens epithelial cell line FHL 124 expressed FPR1 mRNA and was strongly FPR1 protein-positive by Western blot and FACS. Competition binding using FPR1 ligands N-formyl-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-Tyr-Lys (Nle = Norleucine), formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine, and peptide W revealed the same profile for FHL 124 cells, neutrophils, and FPR1-transfected HEK 293 cells. Saturation binding with fluorescein-labeled N-formyl-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-Tyr-Lys revealed ∼2500 specific binding sites on FHL-124 cells (KD ∼ 0.5 nm) versus ∼40,000 sites on neutrophils (KD = 3.2 nm). Moreover, formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine induced pertussis toxin-sensitive Ca2+ flux in FHL 124 cells, consistent with classic Gi-mediated FPR1 signaling. FHL 124 cell FPR1 was atypical in that it resisted agonist-induced internalization. Expression of FPR1 was additionally supported by detection of the intact full-length open reading frame in sequenced cDNA from FHL 124 cells. Thus, FHL-124 cells express functional FPR1, which is consistent with a direct functional role for FPR1 in the lens, as suggested by the phenotype of Fpr1 knock-out mice.
Localization of p53 protein and human papillomavirus in anogenital squamous lesions: Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies in benign, dysplastic, and malignant epithelia

p53 Protein is a 53-kd nuclear phosphoprotein believed to play an important role in controlling proliferation of neoplastic and normal cells. This "natural tumor suppressor" can be rendered ineffective (or oncogenic) by mutations in the p53 gene or by interactions with proteins synthesized by DNA-transforming viruses, including specific subtypes of human papillomavirus (HPV). We describe the localization of p53 protein in association with HPV in paraffin sections of a spectrum of benign, dysplastic, and malignant anogenital squamous epithelia using immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization techniques. p53 Was detected in 81% of the 48 cases studied. Immunoreactivity for p53 was seen in 83% of the benign and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), in 73% of the high-grade SILs, and in 86% of the infiltrating squamous carcinomas. In high-grade SILs p53 staining was frequently observed in individual nuclei at various levels of the abnormal epithelium and in the basal layer of the adjacent epithelium, while in squamous metaplasia and low-grade SILs immunostaining for p53 was limited to the basal layer of the epithelium. p53 Was detected in a slightly higher percentage of HPV-positive than HPV-negative epithelia as determined by in situ hybridization. No correlation was observed between p53 immunoreactivity and HPV subtypes. p53 Protein and HPV were detected in anal lesions from a small group of human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals. Antibodies currently available mainly demonstrate mutant forms of p53 protein that are associated with longer half-lives than the wild-type protein, but demonstration of p53 protein overexpression is not necessarily indicative of malignancy.
Molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis by aromatic amines and amides

Abstract The mutagenic properties of 2-acetylaminofluorene-derived DNA adducts, including N -(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene, N -(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene, N -(deoxyguanosin- N 2 -yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene, and several minor oxidation products have been explored, using site-specific techniques. Oligodeoxynucleotides containing a single AAF-derived DNA adduct were prepared by postsynthetic modification and used as templates in primer extension reactions catalyzed by bacterial and mammalian DNA polymerases. Base substitutions and deletions occurring during DNA synthesis were quantified. dG-C8-AAF promoted one- and two-base deletions and small amounts of incorporation of dCMP, dAMP, and/or dTMP opposite the lesion in reactions catalyzed by the 3′→5′ exonuclease-free Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I (exo − ) and polymerase α . dG-C8-AF did not miscode in reactions catalyzed by exo − ; however, base misincorporation and deletions were observed in reactions with pol α . dG-N 2 -AAF promoted small amounts of dAMP incorporation in reactions catalyzed by exo − . The miscoding potential of minor oxidation products of dG-C8-AF was much higher than that of other adducts. Steady-state kinetics were used to measure frequencies of nucleotide insertion opposite the lesion and chain extension from the 3′ terminus. Kinetic data were consistent with the results of primer extension studies. A mutation `hot spot' was constructed and the influence of sequence context on the frequency of deletions generated by dG-C8-AAF was explored systematically in reactions catalyzed by exo − . Based on our results with aminofluorene DNA adducts, we propose a general mechanism for frameshift deletion mutagenesis. Site-specific methods also were used to establish the mutagenic potential of AAF-derived DNA adducts in mammalian cells. dG-C8-AAF and dG-C8-AF exhibited similar mutagenic specificities, predicting the occurrence of G→T transversions and G→A transitions in mammalian cells.
Pain as purgation: The role of pathologizing in the life of the mystic

Since Descartes, man has been defined in terms of body and spirit only. Yet there is a third term that is of crucial importance for the founding of a psychology of suffering. The realm of psyche, or soul, is a “middle ground” between the spirit and the body in which the psychological forces of one's life find expression. A psychological approach to the anguish of the suffering soul can be found within the writings of the early desert fathers as well as in the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. The penitent must learn patience in the face of his suffering, before he can experience the joy of spiritual maturity.
Defects and Diffusion in Si + Implanted GaAs

The effect of extended defects on the diffusion of ion implanted species is an area of concern in the development of process simulators for GaAs. This study explores the effect of type 1 extended defects including voids and dislocation loops on the diffusion of Si implanted into GaAs. Semi-insulating GaAs wafers were implanted with 1 {times} 10{sup 14}/cm{sup 2} Si{sup +} at implant temperatures between {minus}51 C and 80 C and at energies ranging from 20 keV to 200 keV. SIMS results show that the diffusivity of Si decreases with both increasing implant temperature and increasing implant energy. At the same time extrinsic dislocation loop concentrations also increased. For the implant conditions studied, no voids were observed. The diffusion results can only be reconciled with the TEM results if the dislocation loops are behaving in a reactive rather than proactive manner. In other words, the changes in vacancy concentration that are affecting the diffusivity are also affecting the loop concentration. This model is supported by evidence that Si diffusivity is enhanced over the same time interval the dislocation loops are dissolving which is consistent with the loops having a reactive role. It remains unclear whether the existence of loopsmore » significantly affects the total concentration of vacancies and thus diffusion by acting as a competing sink.« less
Primary tumors and tumor-like lesions of the clavicle

Fifty eight patients seen at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center over a 50-year period were reviewed for lesions of the clavicle. A variety of malignant neoplasms, benign neoplasms, and tumor-like lesions were seen. There were 30 malignant neoplasms, the commonest of which were plasmacytomas, osteosarcomas, and Ewing sarcomas. There were five postradiation sarcomas. An unusual granulocytic sarcoma with dense sclerosis was described. Among the benign lesions were two osteochondromas, two hemangiomas, and a giant cell tumor secondary to Paget disease. The tumor-like lesions included six aneurysmal bone cysts and five eosinophilic granulomas. There were two patients with chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis and one each with sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis (Sonozaki syndrome) and condensing osteitis. An unusually large lesion of pseudogout and a large brown tumor were also included in the series.
Networks Versus Need: Drivers of Urban Out-Migration in the Brazilian Amazon.

As urbanization rates rise globally, it becomes increasingly important to understand the factors associated with urban out-migration. In this paper, we examine the drivers of urban out-migration among young adults in two medium-sized cities in the Brazilian Amazon—Altamira and Santarem—focusing on the roles of social capital, human capital, and socioeconomic deprivation. Using household survey data from 1,293 individuals in the two cities, we employ an event history model to assess factors associated with migration and a binary logit model to understand factors associated with remitting behavior. We find that in Altamira, migration tends to be an individual-level opportunistic strategy fostered by extra-local family networks, while in Santarem, migration tends to be a household-level strategy driven by socioeconomic deprivation and accompanied by remittances. These results indicate that urban out-migration in Brazil is a diverse social process, and that the relative roles of extra-local networks versus economic need can function quite differently between geographically proximate but historically and socioeconomically distinct cities.
Detection of minimal residual disease in blood and bone marrow in early stage breast cancer

BACKGROUND: The significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood and of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow (BM) in patients with early stage breast cancer is unclear. In this study, the authors investigated the occurrence of CTCs and DTCs in women with early stage breast cancer and evaluated the correlation of their presence with other prognostic markers. METHODS: Blood and BM aspirations were collected at the time of primary breast surgery. CTCs were detected by using the CellSearch assay, and DTCs were detected by immunostaining BM aspirates for pancytokeratin. The presence of CTCs and DTCs was correlated with tumor classification (T1 vs T2), tumor histologic grade, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and lymph node (LN) status. RESULTS: Of 92 patients who were included in the study, 49 had T1 tumors, and 43 had T2 tumors. CTCs were detected in 31% of patients, and DTCs were detected in 27% of patients. There was no correlation between the occurrence of CTCs and DTCs with the tumor classification (T1 vs T2) or histologic grade. CTCs were detected in 33% of patients with ER-positive disease versus 26% of patients with ER-negative disease, in 32% of patients with PR-positive disease versus 30% of patients with PR-negative disease, and in 25% of patients with HER2-positive disease versus 31% of patients with HER2-negative disease. DTCs were observed in 23% of patients with ER-positive disease versus 37% of patients with ER-negative disease, in 22% of patients with PR-positive disease versus 32% of patients with PR-negative disease, and in 0% of patients with HER2-positive disease versus 29% of patients with HER2-negative disease. CTCs and DTCs were nearly equally prevalent in both LN-positive women and LN-negative women. There was no significant correlation between the occurrence of CTCs or DTCs with tumor classification (T1 vs T2), tumor histologic grade, positive ER status, positive PR status, or positive HER2 status, and axillary LN status. CONCLUSIONS: CTCs and DTCs in women with early stage breast cancer did not correlate with the standard prognostic indicators that were considered. The implications of their occurrence in patients with early stage disease will require further large-scale studies. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Renormalization-group analysis of coupled superconducting order and stripe order in 1 + 1 dimensions

In this paper, we perform a renormalization-group analysis in the $(1+1)$-dimensional version of a previously proposed effective-field theory describing (quantum) fluctuating stripe and superconductor orders. We find four possible phases corresponding to stripe order/disorder combined with superconducting order/disorder.
MRI of weight bearing and movement

Conventional, static magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is able to provide a vast amount of information regarding the anatomy and pathology of the musculoskeletal system. However, patients, especially those whose pain is position dependent or elucidated by movement, may benefit from more advanced imaging techniques that allow for the acquisition of functional information. This manuscript reviews a variety of advancements in MRI techniques that are used to image the musculoskeletal system dynamically, while in motion or under load. The methodologies, advantages and drawbacks of stress MRI, cine-phase contrast MRI and real-time MRI are discussed as each has helped to advance the field by providing a scientific basis for understanding normal and pathological musculoskeletal anatomy and function. Advancements in dynamic MR imaging will certainly lead to improvements in the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. It is difficult to anticipate that dynamic MRI will replace conventional MRI, however, dynamic MRI may provide additional valuable information to findings of conventional MRI.
"You Just Can't Count on Things Anymore" Perceptions of Increased Variability in the Present

The present studies investigate one possible explanation as to why things are sometimes viewed as having become more variable in the present than they were in the past. It is proposed that such perceptions arise when variable information in the present is contrasted with a heterogeneity-reducing summary for the past. In order to test this hypothesis, subjects in two studies were asked to compare a collection of individual items with either the prior average alone or with the prior range and average. It was found that when comparisons were made to the prior average alone, people were much more likely to conclude that variability had increased.
Dose-related effects of continuous levodopa infusion in rats with unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra

Preclinical studies in rats have demonstrated markedly different effects of intermittent and continuous levodopa administration on many biochemical and functional parameters yet the dose regimens employed have not been fully evaluated. In this study, rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine nigral lesions were administered levodopa (0-1200 mg/kg/day) and benserazide (25 mg/kg/day) subcutaneously via osmotic minipump and studied 20-22 h later for rotational behavior, striatal dopamine concentration, and regional cerebral glucose utilization (RCGU). Levodopa infusion at 100 mg/kg/day resulted in minimal rotation and minimal striatal dopamine replacement but did increase RCGU in the subthalamic nucleus and decrease RCGU in the lateral habenula, consistent with a selective inhibition of the striatopallidal GABAergic (indirect striatal output) pathway. Levodopa infusion at 100 mg/kg/day did not significantly increase RCGU in the entopeduncular nucleus (EP) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), as does the acute injection of levodopa (25-50 mg/kg), indicating that this levodopa dose elicits only part of the spectrum of metabolic effects elicited by acute levodopa injection. Higher doses of levodopa (400-1200 mg/kg/day) resulted in moderate rates of rotation, dose-dependent increases in striatal dopamine, and increased RCGU in the EP and SNr, consistent with activation of the striatonigral GABAergic (direct striatal output) pathway. In the EP and SNr, the two major output nuclei of the basal ganglia, levodopa infusion at 800 and 1200 mg/kg/day reproduced the metabolic effects elicited by acute injection of levodopa. These results demonstrate, for the first time, dose-dependent effects of levodopa on distinct populations of striatal output neurons which may be relevant to the pathogenesis of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease. The minimal dopamine replacement and partial functional effects elicited by levodopa infusion at 100 mg/kg/day indicate the need for caution in the interpretation of prior studies of continuous levodopa infusion which employed this dose.
Regional differences in calcium-release channels from heart.

Abstract The heart is a heterogeneous tissue composed of several cell types tailored for specialized functions. We found that intracellular channels also exhibit regional specialization. In cardiac and skeletal muscle these channels are called the calcium-release channel and are identified by activation with either calcium or caffeine and inhibition by the hexavalent cation ruthenium red. The calcium-release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum from the interventricular septum has a smaller conductance (31 pS vs. 100 pS) and has longer open and closed times when compared with the channel from left-ventricular free wall. An additional calcium-permeable channel with an even smaller conductance (17 pS) was found in the septum, and this channel is similar to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-gated channel from smooth muscle and different from the calcium-release channel (ryanodine receptor) from skeletal and cardiac muscle. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-activated channel may be derived from specialized conducting tissue that is relatively abundant in the septum, whereas the other calcium-release channels may be derived from regionally specialized myocardial cells in the septum and free wall.
Techniques of body composition assessment: a review of laboratory and field methods.

Abstract Body composition is one of the major health-related components of fitness. Thus, it is important for health and fitness professionals to have a general understanding of the most commonly used techniques for assessing body composition. This review presents the developmental background and underlying principles and theory of four laboratory (hydrodensitometry, air displacement plethysmography, isotope dilution, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) and four field (bioelectrical impedance analysis, near-infrared interactance, skinfolds, and anthropometry) methods of body composition assessment. In addition to a description of the methods, the validity, and reliability, strengths, and limitations of each measurement tool are examined. Highlights of the laboratory methods include the relatively new Bod Pod® air displacement device, which is a promising assessment tool more convenient than hydrodensitometry but still lacking substantial validity testing and the ability of dual-energy x-ray absorptiomet...
Controlling your TV with gestures

Vision-based user interfaces enable natural interaction modalities such as gestures. Such interfaces require computationally intensive video processing at low latency. We demonstrate an application that recognizes gestures to control TV operations. Accurate recognition is achieved by using a new descriptor called MoSIFT, which explicitly encodes optical flow with appearance features. MoSIFT is computationally expensive - a sequential implementation runs 100 times slower than real time. To reduce latency sufficiently for interaction, the application is implemented on a runtime system that exploits the parallelism inherent in video understanding applications.
Gesture Subtype–Dependent Left Lateralization of Praxis Planning: An Event-Related fMRI Study

Ideomotor apraxia is a disorder mainly of praxis planning, and the deficit is typically more evident in pantomiming transitive (tool related) than intransitive (communicative) gestures. The goal of the present study was to assess differential hemispheric lateralization of praxis production using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-based analysis demonstrated significant activations in posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and premotor cortex (PMC) association areas, which were predominantly left hemispheric, regardless of whether planning occurred for right or left hand transitive or intransitive pantomimes. Furthermore, region of interest–based calculation of mean laterality index (LI) revealed a significantly stronger left lateralization in PPC/PMC clusters for planning intransitive (LI = −0.49 + 0.10, mean + standard deviation [SD]) than transitive gestures (−0.37 + 0.08, P = 0.02, paired t-tests) irrespective of the hand involved. This differential left lateralization for planning remained significant in PMC (LI = −0.47 + 0.14 and −0.36 + 0.13, mean + SD, P = 0.04), but not in PPC (−0.56 + 0.11 and −0.45 + 0.12, P = 0.11), when both regions were analyzed separately. In conclusion, the findings point to a left-hemispheric specialization for praxis planning, being more pronounced for intransitive gestures in PMC, possibly due to their communicative nature.
QT interval dispersion: Dispersion of ventricular repolarization or dispersion of QT interval?

The QT interval (QTI) has long been useful as a clinical index of the duration of ventricular repolarization, particularly as a marker of prolonged repolarization and its well-established association with arrhythmogenic cardiac states. Likewise, inhomogeneity (dispersion) of repolarization has been linked definitively to increased susceptibility to reentrant arrhythmias. Recent studies have reported the use of QTI dispersion as a meaningful clinical index to identify patients at risk, but the interpretation of the measurement has been controversial. A Langendorff-perfused, isolated canine heart suspended in a torso-shaped, electrolytic tank filled with NaCl-sucrose solution was used to investigate the relationship between body surface QTIs and ventricular repolarization measured directly from the cardiac surface by using activation-recovery intervals, which have been documented to reflect the duration of local action potentials as well as local refractory periods. The data showed poor correlation between cardiac surface activation-recovery intervals and QTIs, as well as the insensitivity of QTIs to regional repolarization shortening in the presence of prolonged repolarization elsewhere. Furthermore, the data confirmed that torso tank QTI dispersion does not reflect directly the full range of measured ventricular repolarization inhomogeneity. It is concluded that body surface QTI dispersion is not a reliable index of repolarization dispersion.
Effects of barium on isolated frog spinal cord.

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of Ba 2+ were studied in vitro on the isolated frog spinal cord. 2. 2. Ba 2+ (25μM–5mM) caused a concentration-dependent depolarization of ventral (VR) and dorsal (DR) roots. TTX and MgP 2+ substantially reduced the depolarization suggesting that interneuronal effects were involved. 3. 3. Ba 2+ (25–500μM) markedly increased the frequency and duration of spontaneous VR and DR potentials and substantially enhanced the duration (and frequently the amplitude) of VR and DR potentials evoked by DR stimulation. Higher concentrations of Ba 2+ (1–5 mM) reduced both spontaneous and evoked potentials. 4. 4. Bs 2+ (25–500 μ M) enhanced the amount of K. + released by a DR volley and by application of l -glutamate and l -aspartate. The cation reduced VR and DR root depolarizations produced by elevated [K + ] 0 . 5. 5. VR potentials induced by l -glutamate, l -aspartate, GABA and glycine and DR depolarizations caused by GABA were reduced by Ba 2+ . 6. 6. These results show that Ba 2+ has complex actions on reflex transmission, interneuronal activity, the postsynaptie actions of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids and the evoked release of K + .
Laparoscopic treatment of recurrent dysphagia following transthoracic myotomy for achalasia.

Background: The choice of treatment of recurrent dysphagia following transthoracic myotomy is unclear. Often pneumatic dilatation is tried first, followed by esophagectomy in case of failure. We pr...
Modeling asynchrony in distributed databases

A new relationship type is proposed which permits describing the issues raised when information is distributed over autonomous workstations. Such federated environments are becoming the dominant form of distributed systems. Fully synchronous update of replicated data is not feasible in such systems. The proposed identity connection identifies data which should eventually match, but which can be in differing states for some time intervals. The concept permits modeling of the systems which are now becoming common in data processing.
Pathologizing the Poor: Implications for Preparing Teachers to Work in High-Poverty Schools

The recent economic downturn highlights that poverty continues to be a significant social problem. Mindful of this demographic reality, it is imperative for teacher educators to pay close attention to the manner in which teachers are prepared to educate students from impoverished backgrounds. Given the number of frameworks that offer reductive recommendations for teaching students from impoverished backgrounds, we seek to accomplish two goals with this work: (a) to summarize mythologies about poverty that impact student–teacher relationships and (b) to offer new perspectives on educating students from impoverished backgrounds by providing anchor questions teacher educators can explore with pre-service teachers.
The Labelling of Glucose-6-phosphate in Pea Slices Supplied with 14C Glucose, and the Assessment of the Respiratory Pathways in Air, in 10% CO2 and in 2% O2 in N

A method is proposed for estimating the proportion of C02 of respiration derived from the PPP and the TCAC by measuring the specific activity of the respired C02 and those of its precursors in the tissue. In practice the specific activity of C-l of G-6-P and of the carboxyl carbon atoms of pyruvate and malate have been taken as the precursors. To apply this method there must be good evidence that these compounds are not in 'pools' in the cell. In air in the sliced pea cotyledon 25-40% of the respired C02 arose from the PPP. In both 10% C02 in air and in 2% 02 in N there was a slowing in the rate of respiration and a large increase in the proportion of the C02 deriving from the PPP. It is argued that in each case the cause of this was different.
Simulation and the Monte Carlo Method

From the Publisher: Provides the first simultaneous coverage of the statistical aspects of simulation and Monte Carlo methods, their commonalities and their differences for the solution of a wide spectrum of engineering and scientific problems. Contains standard material usually considered in Monte Carlo simulation as well as new material such as variance reduction techniques, regenerative simulation, and Monte Carlo optimization.
Optimal strategies for modeling the reciprocal of creatinine versus time in renal transplant recipients and patients with native chronic renal disease.

Abstract Few studies have evaluated the least squares (LS) or alternative regression methods to estimate loss of renal function using the reciprocal of creatinine over time in renal transplant recipients or have compared their performances in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). We evaluated the LS and alternative methods using the proportion of explained variance, measured by R 2 , and prediction of the final creatinine level. The study included two groups of transplant recipients: (1) patients who developed graft failure (FAIL; n=31) and (2) patients with an episode of biopsy-proven acute rejection with or without subsequent renal function loss (BXAR; n=98) and a third group of individuals with CRI (n = 28). The LS method performed poorly in both transplant groups (mean R 2 range, 0.35 to 0.44; 32% to 45% with final creatinine actual − creatinine predicted ± 0.05 mg/dL), but better in the CRI group (mean R 2 , 0.57; 75% with final creatinine actual − creatinine predicted ± 0.05). The best alternative was the two-phase regression line after exclusion of outliers, which provided similar results across the FAIL, BXAR, and CRI groups (mean R 2 , 0.71, 0.64, and 0.73; 81%, 84%, and 96% with final creatinine actual − creatinine predicted ± 0.05, respectively; P = not significant) and had the best performance in patients with greater nadir creatinine values. The LS method is not suited to measure kidney function loss in renal transplant recipients. Use of the two-phase regression line after exclusion of outliers is a more reliable method in renal transplant recipients, especially patients with impaired baseline function, and has results similar to those of patients with CRI. © 2002 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
Diagnosis of diabetes.

This article reviews recommendations for diabetes screening, which vary with respect to whether and how to screen. The American Diabetes Association recommends screening persons 45 of age or older or with other risk factors by means of fasting glucose or glycated hemoglobin testing.
Total quality control in insect mass production for insect pest management1

Total quality control in insect mass production involves eight generic elements: Management, Research, Methods Development, Material, production, Utilization, Personnel and Quality Control. Management determines policy, performs planning and administration and controls program design as it evolves. Research is the source of new technologies and Methods Development creates new operational procedures. Material encompasses purchasing, establishing specifications and standards, assigning responsibility for quality materials and verifying compliance, and storage
Welcoming children into our homes: a theological reflection on adoption

The purpose of this essay is to gain some clarity on a theological understanding of adoption as a witness to Christian faith. Contrary to contemporary portrayals of adoption as a reproduction option, the principal thesis of this essay is that adoption is rooted in charity. Adoption signifies a loving act of providing familial care and belonging for a child who would otherwise have none. In developing this thesis, baptism and foster care are examined in regard to Christian claims about the nature of the parent-child relationship. It is argued that since children do not belong to their parents, but are entrusted to their care by God, parental authority is therefore limited. Consequently, the parent-child relationship is embedded within a larger community of faith in which a child is affirmed as both gift and sign of hope.
Evidence of homing behavior in the coral reef mysid Mysidium gracile

Mysid swarms at benthic coral reef sites disperse into the water column in the evening and reform at the exact same location the following morning, possibly reflecting homing behavior of individual mysids. To facilitate tracking of individual mysids, we radiolabeled part of a swarm of Mysidium gracile with the gamma-emitting radioisotope 65Zn and released the labeled animals back to the focal swarm on a reef in Discovery Bay, Jamaica. We collected the focal swarm and surrounding swarms the next morning to determine the location of the labeled individuals following nighttime dispersal. Seventy-seven percent of the radiolabeled mysids returned to the same site the next day, and 13% of the labeled individuals were recovered from other nearby swarms. This recovery rate cannot be attributed to random reaggregation and suggests that mysids use a homing behavior to facilitate swarm reformation. This is the first unequivocal evidence of homing behavior in demersal zooplankton.
GeoS: Geodesic Image Segmentation

This paper presents GeoS, a new algorithm for the efficient segmentation of n-dimensional image and video data. The segmentation problem is cast as approximate energy minimization in a conditional random field. A new, parallel filtering operator built upon efficient geodesic distance computation is used to propose a set of spatially smooth, contrast-sensitive segmentation hypotheses. An economical search algorithm finds the solution with minimum energy within a sensible and highly restricted subset of all possible labellings. Advantages include: i) computational efficiency with high segmentation accuracy; ii) the ability to estimate an approximation to the posterior over segmentations; iii) the ability to handle generally complex energy models. Comparison with max-flow indicates up to 60 times greater computational efficiency as well as greater memory efficiency. GeoS is validated quantitatively and qualitatively by thorough comparative experiments on existing and novel ground-truth data. Numerous results on interactive andautomatic segmentation of photographs, video and volumetric medical image data are presented.
Forensic video reconstruction

This paper describes an application that enables quick reconstruction of interconnected events, sparsely captured by one or more surveillance cameras. Unlike related efforts, our approach does not require indexing, advance knowledge of potential search criteria, nor a solution to the generalized object-recognition problem. Instead, we strategically pair the intelligence and skill of a human investigator with the speed and flexibility of a parallel image search engine that exploits local storage and processing capabilities distributed across large collections of video recording devices. The result is a system for fast, interactive, brute-force video searching which is both effective and highly scalable.
Drugs Company Profits In The United States: Are They Excessive? Evidence From Public Administration Perspectives

Historically, the drug industry has been one of the most profitable in the United States of America and has been attributed to the relatively high cost of drugs compared to other developed countries. The call on drug companies to reduce the costs has increased tremendously with the industry strongly resisting, claiming costs are justified to support research and development of newer and better drugs. This debate is currently ongoing in the legislature with strong lobbying from both sides of the divide. Hence, the main objective of this research is to determine the reasons for the high cost of prescription drugs in the United States compared to other countries and suggest ways to make drugs more affordable. The solution to the problem will most likely come from a compromise by both sides involving government funded research and production of generic drugs by companies. This would bring down the cost of drugs while ensuring continuation of research and development and guarantee reasonable profits for the drug industry.
Network structure and influence of the climate change counter-movement

An application of network science reveals the institutional and corporate structure of the climate change counter-movement in the United States, while computational text analysis shows its influence in the news media and within political circles.
Indigenous threats and white counterfactuals: The semiotics of race in elite print media coverage of Ecuador’s 1990 Indigenous uprising

This article explores the role that images of a threatening racial other play in the exercise of power and demonstrates that the discursive framing of such threats provides insight into how responses to perceived risks become possible and politically desirable. Specifically, it examines print press coverage of the 1990 Indigenous uprising in Ecuador to examine how white-elites sought to defend the public invisibility of whiteness by framing Indigenous protestors as threatening racial others. Coverage of the 1990 uprising in Ecuador’s major newspapers encouraged a moral panic about the potential threat that ‘out of place’ Indigenous protestors presented to white, urban society. In the absence of widespread Indigenous violence during the protest, white-elite print media formulated counterfactual accounts of the event that stressed the potential of Indigenous violence to upset national stability as a means to justify the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous political actors as national threats.
Escape conditioning in snakes employing vibratory stimulation

Eight rat snakes were given 50 paired presentations of light and vibratory stimulation. Ss were tested in a two compartment chamber with a 12 hr. interval between each trial. Moving from one compartment to the other terminated and permitted escape from the vibratory stimulus. Data from two Ss was discarded because of inadequate responsiveness. Except for the terminal block of trials Ss demonstrated a progressive decline in escape time. Individual Ss, however, were highly variable in their performance.
Effects of Fatigue on Intermuscular Common Drive to the Quadriceps Femoris

The purpose of this investigation was to examine intermuscular common drive to motor units in the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis during isometric contractions of the leg extensors. A secondary purpose was to investigate the effects of fatigue on the common drive. Fourteen healthy subjects (mean ± SD, age = 21.7 ± 1.5 years) volunteered to perform two separate isometric contractions of the leg extensors at 50% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). These contractions were performed before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) a fatigue protocol of 10, 10 s isometric MVCs with 10 s of rest in between (i.e., 10 s on, 10 s off). During the PRE and POST isometric contractions, surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were detected from the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis and decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. A mean firing rate curve was then calculated for each motor unit, and the curves for the vastus lateralis were cross-correlated with those from the vastus medialis. The results showed that the average peak cross-correlation coefficients were always between 0.39 and 0.55, with coefficients for individual motor unit comparisons occasionally as high as 0.93. However, these coefficients were not affected by fatigue. These findings demonstrated a significant level of intermuscular common drive that was generally unaffected by fatigue.
Correction force for releasing crack tip element with XFEM and only discontinuous enrichment: How to smoothly release the crack tip element with only discontinuous enrichment in XFEM?

This paper deals with numerical crack propagation and makes use of the extended finite element method in the case of explicit dynamics. The advantage of this method is the absence of remeshing. The use of XFEM with Heaviside functions only gives a binary description of the crack tip element: cut or not. Here, we modify the internal forces with a correction force in order to smoothly release the tip element while the virtual crack tip travels through an element. This avoids creating non physical stress waves and improves the accuracy of the evaluation of the stress intensity factors during propagation.