cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A qualitative study of emergency department patients who survived an opioid overdose: Perspectives on treatment and unmet needs

Objective Emergency medicine clinicians are uniquely positioned to deliver interventions to enhance linkage to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the acute overdose period, yet little is known about patient perspectives to effectively engage patients immediately following opioid overdose. Our objective was to explore patients' perspectives on substance use treatment, perceived needs, and contextual factors that shape the choice of patients seen in the Emergency Department (ED) to engage with treatment and other patient support services in the acute post-opioid overdose period. Methods We administered a brief quantitative survey and conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 adult ED patients receiving care after an acute opioid overdose between June 2016 and August 2017 in an urban, academic ED. We used constant comparison method and thematic analysis to identify themes across 4 levels of a modified social ecological model (individual, interpersonal, organizational and structural). Results The average age of the sample was 33.5 years old (SD+/- 9.33); 83% white and 12% Black; 67% male; and 83% diagnosed with opioid use disorder, with a mean of 3.25 (SD+/-2.64) self-reported lifetime opioid overdoses. Eight themes were identified as influencing participants' consideration of OUD treatment and other services: (1) perceptions about control of drug use; (2) personal experience with substance use treatment; (3) role of interpersonal relationships; (4) provider communication skills; (5) stigma; (6) availability of ED resources; (7) impact of treatment policies; and (8) supports for unmet basic needs. Conclusions Patients receiving ED care following overdose in our ED are willing to discuss their opioid use and its treatment in the ED and report a variety of unmet needs. This work supports a role for ED-based research evaluating a patient-oriented approach to engage patients after opioid overdose.
Pairing of segmentation clock genes drives robust pattern formation.

Gene expression is an inherently stochastic process1,2; however, organismal development and homeostasis require cells to coordinate the spatiotemporal expression of large sets of genes. In metazoans, pairs of co-expressed genes often reside in the same chromosomal neighbourhood, with gene pairs representing 10 to 50% of all genes, depending on the species3–6. Because shared upstream regulators can ensure correlated gene expression, the selective advantage of maintaining adjacent gene pairs remains unknown6. Here, using two linked zebrafish segmentation clock genes, her1 and her7, and combining single-cell transcript counting, genetic engineering, real-time imaging and computational modelling, we show that gene pairing boosts correlated transcription and provides phenotypic robustness for the formation of developmental patterns. Our results demonstrate that the prevention of gene pairing disrupts oscillations and segmentation, and the linkage of her1 and her7 is essential for the development of the body axis in zebrafish embryos. We predict that gene pairing may be similarly advantageous in other organisms, and our findings could lead to the engineering of precise synthetic clocks in embryos and organoids. The pairing of genes is essential for robust expression of segmentation clock genes during development in zebrafish embryos.
Impaired protein adduct removal following repeat administration of subtoxic doses of acetaminophen enhances liver injury in fed mice

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely used analgesic and is safe at therapeutic doses. However, an overdose of APAP is hepatotoxic and accidental overdoses are increasingly common due to the presence of APAP in several combination medications. Formation of protein adducts (APAP-CYS) is central to APAP-induced liver injury and their removal by autophagy is an essential adaptive response after an acute overdose. Since the typical treatment for conditions such as chronic pain involves multiple doses of APAP over time, this study investigated APAP-induced liver injury after multiple subtoxic doses and examined the role of autophagy in responding to this regimen. Fed male C57BL/6J mice were administered repeated doses (75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) of APAP, followed by measurement of adducts within the liver, mitochondria, and in plasma, activation of the MAP kinase JNK, and markers of liver injury. The role of autophagy was investigated by treatment of mice with the autophagy inhibitor, leupeptin. Our data show that multiple treatments at the 150 mg/kg dose of APAP resulted in protein adduct formation in the liver and mitochondria, activation of JNK, and hepatocyte cell death, which was significantly exacerbated by inhibition of autophagy. While repeated dosing with the milder 75 mg/kg dose did not cause mitochondrial protein adduct formation, JNK activation, or liver injury, autophagy inhibition resulted in hepatocyte death even at this lower dose. These data illustrate the importance of adaptive responses such as autophagy in removing protein adducts and preventing liver injury, especially in clinically relevant situations involving repeated dosing with APAP.
Relationship of patient characteristics and inpatient rehabilitation services to 5-year outcomes following spinal cord injury: A follow up of the SCIRehab project.

To examine associations of patient characteristics and treatment quantity delivered during inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation with outcomes at 5 years post-injury and compare them to...
Patient-Reported Health Status in Relation to Change in Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function during Left Ventricular Assist Device Support

Purpose Patients with heart failure (HF) frequently experience loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It is unknown if loss of muscle mass and/or strength in patients with HF is associated with quality of life (QoL) reductions. Understanding the relationship between loss of muscle mass, strength and HF-specific patient reported health status is essential in defining the clinical importance of skeletal muscle wasting. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data collected prospectively between 5/2016-3/2020 from patients with advanced systolic HF requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. There were 3 visits: 0 (baseline), 3 and 6 months of LVAD support. Each visit included whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to calculate appendicular lean mass (ALM), a hydraulic hand dynamometer for handgrip strength, and a Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). KCCQ is a HF-specfic measure of patient-reported health status, symptoms, physical/social functioning and QoL, with summary scores ranging 0-100 (higher indicates better health status) and domain-specific subscores. Linear mixed effects models were used to evaluate relationships between ALM, handgrip strength and KCCQ scores over time, adjusted for potential confounders. Results The cohort was 90% (36/40) male with mean age 57 ±12 years. The median HF duration was 50 months. From baseline to 6 months, there was a significant increase in KCCQ scores (baseline: 46.6 ±19.0, n=40; 3 months: 65.4 ±18.3, n=35, p Conclusion Among patients with advanced HF, skeletal muscle mass and patient-reported health status are positively associated and both significantly increase over the first 6 months of LVAD support. While muscle strength does not significantly change with time, it is significantly associated with patient-reported health status. Further research is necessary to fully evaluate the significance of restoring muscle mass and function to optimize patient-reported QoL.
An Adult With Hair Loss! a Rare Case of Non-Classical 3β Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (3β HSD) Deficiency

Introduction: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is the most frequent cause of adrenal insufficiency and ambiguous genitalia in newborn. Unlike 21-hydroxylase and 11β- hydroxylase deficiencies, classical 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β HSD) deficiency affects steroid biosynthesis in both the adrenals and the gonads. We present a rare case of suspected 3β HSD in an adult with hair loss. Case: 33 years old with female with no PMH/prior pregnancies was referred to endocrinology for low testosterone, male pattern hair loss and decreased libido for 2 years. At onset of symptoms, she was following an intensive exercise regimen for weight loss and was using Oxandrolone for 2 months to promote muscle mass. She now reports increased axillary and pubic hair growth but loss of scalp hair as well as fatigue. Menarche was at 14 years. Menstrual cycles are regular but with hypomenorrhea. Physical examination showed normal BP, signs of male pattern hair loss on scalp. light terminal hair growth over abdomen, middle thighs and around areola but without galactorrhea. Labs remarkable for normal sodium and potassium, A1c 5.2%, ACTH of 7.2, Cortisol of 8.2 (5–25 µg/dl), TSH of 1.43 (0.5–5.0 mIU/L), Free T4 of 1.28 (0.8–1.8 ng/dl), Estrone 102 (17–200 pg/ml), Normal DHEA 133, Total testosterone <3 (8–60 ng/dl), Free testosterone 0.4 (0.3–1.9 ng/dL), LH 7 (1.0–18.0 mIU/mL), FSH 9.6 (2.0–12.0 mIU/mL), Estradiol 45.9 (15–350 pg/mL),low 17-hydroxyprogesterone of 11 (<80 ng/dL), DHEA-S of 88 (31–228 µg/dL), low Androstenedione of 28 (80–240 ng/dL) and Dihydrotestosterone 6.3 (normal). MRI brain revealed a normal pituitary gland, slightly enlarged for age. Co-syntropin stimulation test has been delayed due to the pandemic. Discussion: 3β HSD converts delta-5 steroids (pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, DHEA, androstenediol) to delta-4 steroids (progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, testosterone) respectively. Delta-4 steroids were low in our patient. Increased ratio of delta 5 steroids: delta 4 is characteristic of 3β HSD. Most cases of 3β HSD deficiency present as neonates with hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and ambiguous genitalia but a non-salt wasting form has occasionally been described in older patients. The non-classical form often manifests as menstrual irregularities and hirsutism along with possible male pattern hair loss of varying degrees in women. The normal levels of estradiol and estrone are likely due to peripheral conversion of androstenedione by aromatase. 3β HSD deficiency is usually treated with steroids which helps resolve most symptoms. References: Simard J, Rheaume E, Mebarki F, Sanchez R, New MI, Morel Y, Labrie F. Molecular basis of human 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1995 Jun;53(1–6):127–38.
Demo: Persistent people tracking and face capture using a PTZ camera

In forensic applications, it is very helpful to capture the face images of the tracked people. However, regular CCTV cameras only capture a small number of pixels on the face region. A promising solution to this problem is to use a network of PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras since the zoom capacities of PTZ cameras offer the option of a close view on demand. In this paper, we address the problem of persistent people tracking and automatic face capture using a single PTZ camera. The detected faces are associated with the corresponding people and trajectories. The time-critical and dynamic nature of our problem complicates our task. Different from previous work which use a mixture of wide angle cameras and PTZ cameras, we explore the limits to what can be expected from a single PTZ camera. The system first detects and tracks pedestrians in zoomed-out mode, then selects, using a scheduler, a person to zoom in. After zoom in, we come back to wide area mode, and solve the person-to-person, face-to-person and face-to-face data association problems. Extensive experiments in challenging outdoor uncontrolled conditions demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Validation of Prognostic Scores in Patients With Metastatic Urothelial Cancer Enrolling in Phase I Targeted Therapy or Next Generation Immunotherapy Trials.

Abstract Introduction Enrolling patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in phase I trials provides an opportunity to identify biological drug activity. Developing prognostic scores may aid in patient selection for phase 1 trials. Patients and Methods :We analyzed records of patients with mUC who participated in targeted therapy and immunotherapy phase I clinical trials at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). The Bellmunt and Bajorin scores were calculated as bladder cancer-specific prognostic scores. The Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) and MDACC scores were calculated as phase I prognostic scores. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model. The prognostic value of the Bellmunt, Bajorin, RMH, and MDACC scores were assessed using the Likelihood ratio (LR) χ2 test and the c-index. Results Between 2015 and 2019, 43 patients were enrolled in phase I trials and 12 were enrolled in >I trial leading to a total of 57 trial participants (TPs). Ninty-seven percent of TPs received prior platinum therapy and 60% received a prior checkpoint inhibitor. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were significantly shorter with increasing Bajorin, RMH, or MDACC scores, but not with increasing Bellmunt score. The RMH (c-index=0.658, LR χ2=11.8, P=.008) and MDACC scores (c-index =0.66, LR χ2=12.76, P=.01) outperformed the Bajorin score (c-index=0.522, LR χ2=1.22, P=.5) and the Bellmunt score (c-index=0.537, LR χ2=0.36, P=.9) in predicting overall survivalover. The Bajorin, RMH, and MDACC scores, but not the Bellmunt score, were also predictive of progression-free survival (PFS)prog. The RMH and MDACC scores again outperformed the Bajorin scoreand the Bellmunt score for predicting PFS. Conclusion The RMH and MDACC phase I prognostic scores accurately predicted survival in patients with mUC and outperformed the bladder cancer-specific scores at time of enrollment on phase 1 clinical trials. The RMH and MDACC scores could optimize selection of patients with mUC for phase I clinical trials.
Comprehension benefits of visual-gestural iconicity and spatial referencing:

Studies have shown that iconicity can provide a benefit to non-signers during the learning of single signs, but other aspects of signed messages that might also be beneficial have received less att...
Unusually High Prevalence of Stroke and Cerebral Vasculopathy in Hemoglobin SC Disease: A Retrospective Single Institution Study.

INTRODUCTION Unlike homozygous hemoglobin SS (HbSS) disease, stroke is a rare complication in hemoglobin SC (HbSC) disease. However, recent studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of silent stroke in HbSC disease. The factors associated with stroke and cerebral vasculopathy in the HbSC population are unknown. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of all patients with sickle cell disease treated at the University of Missouri, Columbia, over an 18-year period (2000-2018). The goal of the study was to characterize the silent, overt stroke, and cerebral vasculopathy in HbSC patients and compare them to patients with HbSS and HbS/β thalassemia1 (thal) in this cohort. We also analyzed the laboratory and clinical factors associated with stroke and cerebral vasculopathy in the HbSC population. RESULTS Of the 34 HbSC individuals, we found that the overall prevalence of stroke and cerebral vasculopathy was 17.7%. Only females had evidence of stroke or cerebral vasculopathy in our HbSC cohort (33.3%, p = 0.019). Time-averaged means of maximum velocities were lower in the HbSC group than the HbSS group and did not correlate with stroke outcome. Among HbSC individuals, those with stroke and cerebral vasculopathy had a marginally higher serum creatinine than those without these complications (0.77 mg/dL vs. 0.88 mg/dL, p = 0.08). Stroke outcome was associated with recurrent vaso-occlusive pain crises (Rec VOCs) (75 vs. 25%, p = 0.003) in HbSC patients. The predominant cerebrovascular lesions in HbSC included microhemorrhages and leukoencephalopathy. CONCLUSION There is a distinct subset of individuals with HbSC who developed overt, silent stroke, and cerebral vasculopathy. A female predominance and association with Rec VOCs were identified in our cohort; however, larger clinical trials are needed to identify and confirm specific clinical and laboratory markers associated with stroke and vasculopathy in HbSC disease.
Integrated Instruction Scheduling and Register Allocation Techniques

An algorithm for integrating instruction scheduling and register allocation must support mechanisms for detecting excessive register and functional unit demands and applying reductions for lessening these demands. The excessive demands for functional units can be detected by identifying the instructions that can execute in parallel, and can be reduced by scheduling some of these instructions sequentially. The excessive demands for registers can be detected on-the-fly while scheduling by maintaining register pressure values or may be detected prior to scheduling using an appropriate representation such as parallel interference graphs or register reuse dags. Reductions in excessive register demands can be achieved by live range spilling or live range splitting. However, existing integrated algorithms that are based upon mechanisms other than register reuse dags do not employ live range splitting. In this paper, we demonstrate that for integrated algorithms, register reuse dags are more effective than either on-the-fly computation of register pressure or interference graphs and that live range splitting is more effective than live range spilling. Moreover the choice of mechanisms greatly impacts on the performance of an integrated algorithm.
Theories of Criminal Law in the Sentencing Decisions of the International Criminal Tribunals

This article attempts to determine the sentencing philosophy used by the judges at the international criminal tribunals (ICTs) by quantitatively and qualitatively examining the aggravating and mitigating factors used in sentencing decisions. The article begins with a brief description of several prevailing characteristics that distinguish the sentencing decisions at the ICTs from national sentencing decisions. Next the article describes how different criminal law philosophies justify using different sentencing factors, and then divides the various factors used by the ICTs according to the criminal law philosophies with which they align. Using this division, the article conducts a quantitative and qualitative analysis of ICT decisions to determine which types of sentencing factors are used by the tribunals. The purpose of this analysis it to try and determine which criminal philosophy the ICTs adhere to. The conclusion of both quantitative and qualitative analysis, however, is that ICT decisions are incoherent in that they use, in individual decisions, sentencing factors that promote different and at times conflicting sentencing philosophies. The article concludes by arguing that this lack of coherency is both substantively unjust and injurious to the legitimacy of international criminal law.
Recent advances in stellarator development

Large stellarator research programs are being pursued in Europe and Japan (>$1 billion in new facilities). These programs are important to the US because the similarities and differences between stellarators and tokamaks can be used both to improve our understanding of toroidal confinement and to develop an improved reactor concept. Stellarators have performance similar to that of comparable tokamaks. New large stellarator experiments under construction with superconducting coils will have parameters comparable to those of present tokamaks. Significant experimental and theoretical progress has been made in understanding transport, finite-beta behavior in three-dimensional toroidal geometry, and concept improvement. Ideas to further improve the stellarator concept will be tested in new experiments. Recent studies have improved the stellarator reactor concept and shown that stellarators can be competitive with tokamaks as reactors.
Black Looks: Race and Representation

Preface to the New Edition Introduction 1. Loving Blackness as Political Resistance 2. Eating the Other 3. Revolutionary Black Women 4. Selling Hot Pussy 5. A Feminist Challenge 6. Reconstructing Black Masculinity 7. The Oppositional Gaze 8. Micheaux's Films 9. Is Paris Burning? 10. Madonna 11. Representations of Whiteness 12. Revolutionary "Renegades"
Underutilized β-carotene–rich Crops of Vietnam:

Solutions to micronutrient deficiencies that capitalize upon indigenous resources and foodstuffs offer a long-term mechanism for elevating the health status of disadvantaged people. In populations where intakes of animal foods are inadequate and food sources of retinol are not economically possible, efficient use of carotene-rich plants may prevent vitamin A deficiency. In Vietnam the gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) is an excellent source of β-carotene (17–35 mg per 100 g of edible portion). This fruit is familiar to indigenous people and is easy to grow. However, it has been underutilized because it is available only three months a year, there have been no efforts to educate the at-risk population about its nutritional benefit, and research efforts in production or preservation techniques have been lacking. This paper describes the fruit, compares its nutritional value with that of familiar carotenoid-rich fruits, details its traditional usage in preparing rice, and discusses the acceptance ...
Improvements in recall and food choices using a graphical method to deliver information of select nutrients

Consumers have difficulty using nutrition information. We hypothesized that graphically delivering information of select nutrients relative to a target would allow individuals to process information in time-constrained settings more effectively than numerical information. Objectives of the study were to determine the efficacy of the graphical method in (1) improving memory of nutrient information and (2) improving consumer purchasing behavior in a restaurant. Values of fiber and protein per calorie were 2-dimensionally plotted alongside a target box. First, a randomized cued recall experiment was conducted (n=63). Recall accuracy of nutrition information improved by up to 43% when shown graphically instead of numerically. Second, the impact of graphical nutrition signposting on diner choices was tested in a cafeteria. Saturated fat and sodium information was also presented using color coding. Nutrient content of meals (n=362) was compared between 3 signposting phases: graphical, nutrition facts panels (NFP), or no nutrition label. Graphical signposting improved nutrient content of purchases in the intended direction, whereas NFP had no effect compared with the baseline. Calories ordered from total meals, entrees, and sides were significantly less during graphical signposting than no-label and NFP periods. For total meal and entrees, protein per calorie purchased was significantly higher and saturated fat significantly lower during graphical signposting than the other phases. Graphical signposting remained a predictor of calories and protein per calorie purchased in regression modeling. These findings demonstrate that graphically presenting nutrition information makes that information more available for decision making and influences behavior change in a realistic setting.
Effects of aging on left ventricular structure and function

To better characterize the cardiac structural and functional changes that are associated with aging, Doppler-echocardiography was performed on 23 young (mean age, 25 years) and 30 old (mean age, 70 years) healthy normotensive subjects. Left ventricular cavity dimensions and wall thickness were determined and left ventricular mass index was calculated from M-mode echocardiograms. Stroke volume was calculated from Doppler-measured aortic flow. Diastolic filling was evaluated by pulsed Doppler echocardidgraphy of mitral inflow. Posterior wall thickness (1.0 vs 0.8 cm, p < 0.05) and relative wall thickness (0.42 vs 0.35, p < .05) were significantly greater in the elderly subjects compared with the younger subjects. Left ventricular mass index increased on average 0.25 gm/m2/yr but was not significantly increased in the elderly compared with the younger subjects (89 vs 77 gm/m2). Shortening fraction and stroke volume did not differ between the two groups. Diastolic filling was dramatically altered with aging, and the elderly subjects demonstrated a doubling of percent atrial contribution (37% vs 19%, p < 0.0001) and halving of peak early-to-peak atrial velocity ratio (0.85 vs 1.77, p < .01).
Oxidative mitogenesis: participation of CD2 antigen in the generation and/or transduction of obligatory accessory signals.

Abstract We investigated the role of cluster designation 2 (CD2) antigen in the activation of human T cells using either soluble phase or crosslinked monoclonal anti-CD2 antibodies and oxidizing mitogens as probes. Soluble phase anti-CD2 inhibited oxidative mitogenesis when accessory signals were delivered with accessory cells and not when 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate or interleukin 2 provided the required accessory signals. Soluble phase anti-CD2 also inhibited accessory cell-dependent increases in intracellular free calcium concentration and cell-to-cell contact among oxidizing mitogen-treated T cells and accessory cells. Crosslinked anti-CD2, on the other hand, generated the required accessory signals and functioned as an accessory cell substitute. Also, signals initiated by crosslinked anti-CD2 were able to replace accessory cell signals only, and not the mitogenic signals initiated with the oxidizing mitogens. Collectively, these findings indicate that the CD2 antigen participates in the generation and/or transduction of accessory signals obligatory for oxidative mitogenesis.
Proton‐ionizable crown compounds. 19. The synthesis of chiral dialkyl‐substituted triazolo‐18‐crown‐6 macrocycles

Four new chiral macrocyclic polyether ligands containing the proton-ionizable triazole subcyclic unit have been prepared. The triazolo-crowns contain two isopropyl, two isobutyl, two (S)-sec-butyl or two benzyl substituents on chiral macro ring carbon atoms. A racemic triazolo-18-crown-6 containing two (1-naphthoxy)methyl substituents was also prepared.
SNAT2 Amino Acid Transporter Is Regulated by Amino Acids of the SLC6 γ-Aminobutyric Acid Transporter Subfamily in Neocortical Neurons and May Play No Role in Delivering Glutamine for Glutamatergic Transmission

System A transporters SNAT1 and SNAT2 mediate uptake of neutral α-amino acids (e.g. glutamine, alanine, and proline) and are expressed in central neurons. We tested the hypothesis that SNAT2 is required to support neurotransmitter glutamate synthesis by examining spontaneous excitatory activity after inducing or repressing SNAT2 expression for prolonged periods. We stimulated de novo synthesis of SNAT2 mRNA and increased SNAT2 mRNA stability and total SNAT2 protein and functional activity, whereas SNAT1 expression was unaffected. Increased endogenous SNAT2 expression did not affect spontaneous excitatory action-potential frequency over control. Long term glutamine exposure strongly repressed SNAT2 expression but increased excitatory action-potential frequency. Quantal size was not altered following SNAT2 induction or repression. These results suggest that spontaneous glutamatergic transmission in pyramidal neurons does not rely on SNAT2. To our surprise, repression of SNAT2 activity was not limited to System A substrates. Taurine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and β-alanine (substrates of the SLC6 γ-aminobutyric acid transporter family) repressed SNAT2 expression more potently (10×) than did System A substrates; however, the responses to System A substrates were more rapid. Since ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein are known to bind to an amino acid response element within the SNAT2 promoter and mediate induction of SNAT2 in peripheral cell lines, we tested whether either factor was similarly induced by amino acid deprivation in neurons. We found that glutamine and taurine repressed the induction of both transcription factors. Our data revealed that SNAT2 expression is constitutively low in neurons under physiological conditions but potently induced, together with the taurine transporter TauT, in response to depletion of neutral amino acids.
Effect of chaos on plasma filament dynamics and turbulence in the scrape-off layer

Naturally occurring error fields as well as resonant magnetic perturbations applied for stability control are known to cause magnetic field-line chaos in the scrape-off layer (SOL) region of tokamaks. Here, 2D simulations with the BOUT++ simulation framework are used to investigate the effect of the field-line chaos on the SOL and in particular on its width and peak particle flux. The chaos enters the SOL dynamics only through the connection length, which is evaluated using a Poincare map. The variation of experimentally relevant quantities, such as the SOL gradient length scale and the intermittency of the particle flux in the SOL, is described as a function of the strength of the magnetic perturbation. It is found that the effect of the chaos is to broaden the profile of the sheath-loss coefficient, which is proportional to the inverse connection length. That is, the SOL transport in a chaotic field is equivalent to that in a model where the sheath-loss coefficient is replaced by its average over the unperturbed flux surfaces. The model does not include the effects of chaotic features other than the parallel connection length.
Household Technology Use: Integrating Household Life Cycle and the Model of Adoption of Technology in Households

Recently, the model of adoption of technology in households (MATH) was developed and tested in the context of household personal computer (PC) adoption. In this study, we apply MATH to predict personal computer (PC) use. We conducted a nationwide survey including 370 households that owned at least one PC. Results indicate that attitudinal beliefs are extremely important in determining use of a PC in the household. In contrast to previous work examining adopters, normative and control beliefs were not significant in predicting use. Furthermore, several determinants of adoption that were important at different stages of the household life cycle were found nonsignificant in predicting use for the same stages of the household life cycle. Overall, the results demonstrate that the belief structure for household PC use is different from that of household PC adoption. Further, the results provide additional evidence regarding the importance of including household life cycle in studies of household technology adop...
Dimension reduction in the linear model for right-censored data: predicting the change of HIV-I RNA levels using clinical and protease gene mutation data.

With rapid development in the technology of measuring disease characteristics at molecular or genetic level, it is possible to collect a large amount of data on various potential predictors of the clinical outcome of interest in medical research. It is often of interest to effectively use the information on a large number of predictors to make prediction of the interested outcome. Various statistical tools were developed to overcome the difficulties caused by the high-dimensionality of the covariate space in the setting of a linear regression model. This paper focuses on the situation, where the interested outcomes are subjected to right censoring. We implemented the extended partial least squares method along with other commonly used approaches for analyzing the high-dimensional covariates to the ACTG333 data set. Especially, we compared the prediction performance of different approaches with extensive cross-validation studies. The results show that the Buckley–James based partial least squares, stepwise subset model selection and principal components regression have similar promising predictive power and the partial least square method has several advantages in terms of interpretability and numerical computation.
High-speed real-time processing of cross-wire data

Abstract A method is described for processing cross-wire data at high speed in real time. The basis for the high speed is the assumption of simple cosine cooling for the heat transfer because the expression for the effective cooling velocity is reduced to a linear function of the applied velocity components. The calibration inversion is greatly simplified because the measurements are linearly dependent on the effective cooling velocity of each wire, which can be expressed uniquely in terms of a single variable such as output voltage. This makes it practical to use a pair of one-dimensional look-up table arrays such that the number of elements corresponds exactly to the measurement resolution over the full range. This is the fastest possible method because the word returned by the analog-to-digital converter can be used directly as the index of the array and linear interpolation is avoided. It is shown that it is unnecessary to calculate U and V for each pair of cross-wire samples when Reynolds stress and triple products are required, and this further reduces the number of floating-point calculations. Finally, the method has been implemented in a true doublebuffered scheme in which there is a high degree of parallelism between the data acquisition and data processing calculations. The parallelism means that the extra experimental run time introduced by the data processing calculations is only minimal. Although the method assumes simple cosine cooling, the difference (typically 2° or 3°) between the effective wire angle obtained by neglecting the longitudinal cooling component and the actual wire angle provides compensation. The errors are less than 2% for typical wires and flow angles less than 25. The results of a Monte Carlo simulation indicate that the errors are only slightly larger than the errors observed when the longitudinal cooling component is fully accounted for. The method is suitable for flows in which the turbulence intensity is moderately high.
Small-Intestinal Transit during Total Parenteral Nutrition in the Rat

This investigation was designed to test the hypothesis that alterations in small-bowel motility are associated with total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Motility, as reflected by intestinal transit, was studied in rats maintained by TPN for 7–10 days and compared to that of rats fed an oral diet isocaloric with the intravenously administered solution. Transit was measured by injecting radioactively labeled chromium (Na251CrO4) into the duodenum via permanently implanted catheters. Fifteen minutes after injection of the label, animals were killed and the linear distribution of the isotope in the gut was determined. The leading edge of radioactivity traversed 75–87% (95% confidence limit) of the gut length in enterally fed rats and 83–97% in rats on TPN. The difference between the average position of these fronts for the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In addition, the regression of percent radioactivity traversing or present in a given segment on gut length yielded a slope with 95% confidence limits of −10.48 to −15.02 for orally fed control rats and −9.83 to −12.87 for rats on TPN. Differences between these slopes were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Results support the conclusion that factors which regulate small-bowel motility are not altered significantly by TPN during the time that other functional and structural changes reportedly occur.
Binder Functionality in Tabletted Systems

(1995). Binder Functionality in Tabletted Systems. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy: Vol. 21, No. 9, pp. 1091-1114.
Polymerized organosiloxanes decorated onto carbon nanofibers forming shish-kebab architectures under highly alkaline conditions

Abstract Decoration of polymers onto nanoparticles has drawn much scientific and technological interest due to the potential for directed assembly of large-scale nanoarchitectures. However, there have been no previous reports on such decoration of polymers derived from highly-ordered inorganic–organic nanolayered features that have the potential to chemically bond to the nano-reinforcement. In this work, polymers derived from octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODMS) were successfully decorated onto carbon nanofibers (CNFs) yielding unique hybrid shish-kebab structures. Interestingly, only under highly alkaline conditions were shish-kebab structures formed onto the CNFs. Chemical characterization of the polymeric shish-kebab structure was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), indicating extended hydrocarbon chains with crosslinking of the siloxane groups. For the siloxane polymer with the distinctive shish-kebab forming structure, NMR results showed that there was an incomplete reaction of siloxane groups, which may have facilitated heterogeneous crystallization of the polymer onto the Ox-CNFs. Potential applications for these unique nanohybrid structures are discussed.
Imaging longitudinal changes in articular cartilage and bone following doxycycline treatment in a rabbit anterior cruciate ligament transection model of osteoarthritis.

Objective The development of osteoarthritis following traumatic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is well established. However, few reliable indicators of early osteoarthritic changes have been established, which has limited the development of effective therapies. T1ρ and T2 mapping techniques have the ability to provide highly accurate and quantitative measurements of articular cartilage degeneration in vivo. Relating these cartilaginous changes to high-resolution bone-densitometric evaluations of the late-stage osteoarthritic bone is crucial in elucidating the mechanisms of development of traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) and potential therapies for early- or late-stage intervention.
Compliant Or Stiff: Two Differing Mechanisms of Actin Network Stabilization by Calponin and Tropomyosin

The cellular actin cytoskeleton plays a central role in the ability of cells to properly sense, propagate, and respond to external stresses and other mechanical stimuli. Calponin, an actin-binding protein found both in muscle and non-muscle cells, has been implicated in actin cytoskeletal organization and regulation. While currently thought to stabilize actin in the cell, the mechanisms of this stabilization are poorly understood due to the complicated nature of the living cell. Here we use a simplified in vitro model system to dissect the specific roles of individual actin binding proteins within a complex network environment.We studied the mechanical properties of actin networks in the presence of basic calponin and smooth muscle aortic tropomyosin. These two actin-binding proteins have distinct effects on single actin filaments; while calponin binds over subdomain 2 of actin and makes actin more flexible, tropomyosin lies along the long-pitch helix of actin and buttresses the filament. We constructed in vitro crosslinked actin networks and studied their strain behavior both macro- and microscopically using bulk rheology and active microrheology. Actin networks decorated with either calponin or tropomyosin exhibited increased tensile strength despite the very different effects these proteins have on individual actin filaments. While calponin-decorated actin networks exhibited delayed strain stiffening, tropomyosin-decorated actin networks underwent stress relaxation through local network failure. When the two actin-binding proteins were present together, each of these effects were apparent, and the network tensile strength were further increased.This work demonstrates two very different mechanisms by which calponin and tropomyosin increase the tensile strength of actin networks through purely mechanical interactions.Project funded by the NIH (HL086655), and the Harvard Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (DMR-0820484).
Molecular Weight Dependence of Viscoelastic Properties in Two-Dimensional Physical Polymer Networks: Amphiphilic Lipopolymer Monolayers at the Air−Water Interface

Lipopolymers are known to form a two-dimensional physical network (physical gel) at the air−water interface that is stabilized by two different types of associative interactions: microcondensation of alkyl chains of lipopolymers to form small clusters and physical junction zones linking neighboring polymer chains stabilized by hydrogen bonding of water molecules. In this study we present surface rheology and film balance experiments on amphiphilic PEG lipopolymers of different molecular weights of their polymer moiety (MW: 750, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000) at the air−water interface. Our experimental data show that the gelation transition shifts within the MW range of 1000−5000 to smaller areas per molecule as the polymer chain length gets shorter until it reaches a specific minimum area where no further change is observed (MW = 1000). Surface rheology data of the storage modulus indicate a qualitative difference between higher MW species (MW: 2000, 3000, 5000) and lower MW species (MW: 750, 1000). While t...
Naltrexone modulates body and brain development in rats: A role for endogenous opioid systems in growth

Abstract Preweaning rats receiving daily injections of 20, 50, or 100 mg/kg naltrexone, a potent opiate antagonist, has body and brain weights that were increased 16–22% and 6–13%, respectively, from control levels on day 21 (weaning). All of these dosages of naltrexone blocked the opiate receptor for 24 hr/day as measured in opiate challenge experiments. Dosages of 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg naltrexone, which blocked the opiate receptor for less than 12 hr/day, inhibited growth. Repetitive administration of low dosages (3 mg/kg naltrexone, 3 times daily), which blocked the receptor 24 hr/day, increased body and brain development by 31% and 10%, respectively, whereas a cumulative dosage of 9 mg/kg naltrexone given once daily retarded growth. These results show that developmental events are dictated by the duration of opiate receptor blockade and provide compelling evidence that endogenous opioid systems play a crucial role in growth.
Tritopic (cascade) and ditopic complexes of halides with an azacryptand.

Structural aspects of the binding of halides in the octaaza cryptand (1,4,11,14,17,24,29,36-octa-azapentacyclo[12.12.12.26,9.219,22.231,34]-tetratetraconta-6(43),7,9(44),19(41),20,22(42),31(39),32,34(40)-nonaene, N(CH2CH2NHCH2-p-xylyl-CH2NHCH2CH2)3N), L1, were examined for fluoride, chloride, and bromide. Crystallographic results for two different fluoride complexes indicated cascade-like coordination, with two fluoride ions inside the tren-based cavity, bridged by a water molecule. In the two different chloride structures, a single chloride and a water molecule occupied the cavity. The bromide structure contained two crystallographically independent cationic cryptands. Unit A consisted of a bromide on one side of the cavity and three disordered water molecules situated between the cryptand arms on the other side. Unit B also had a bromide inside the cavity at one side, but a single molecule of water was centered at the other side of the cavity. Association constants for the three ions, determined by NMR ...
Organ Failure Avoidance and Mitigation Strategies in Surgery

Postoperative organ failure is a challenging disease process that is better prevented than treated. Providers should use close observation and clinical judgment, and checklists of best practices to minimize the risk of organ failure in their patients. The treatment of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) generally remains supportive, outside of rapid initiation of source control (when appropriate) and targeted antibiotic therapy. More specific treatments may be developed as the complex pathophysiology of MODS is better understood and more homogenous patient populations are selected for study.
New directions for flashbulb memories: comments on the ACP Special Issue

This commentary briefly addresses each of the ten papers in the special issue. The commentator's assessment is mixed: some of the papers seem to represent little or no advance, while others open up whole new areas of research. A number of concepts new to this area are introduced, including event memory (which was probably biased by extensive media coverage), expressive writing (which may have helped at least some participants deal with the stresses of 9/11), and the subjective probabilities of success and failure (which may have been temporarily shifted across whole populations). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Short Photoperiods Impair Spatial Learning and Alter Hippocampal Dendritic Morphology in Adult Male White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus)

Although seasonal changes in brain morphology and function are well established in songbirds, seasonal plasticity of brain structure and function remain less well documented in mammals. Nontropical animals display many adaptations to reduce energy use to survive winter, including cessation of reproductive activities. Because of the high energetic costs of brain tissue, we hypothesized that male white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) would reduce brain size in response to short days as well as regress their reproductive systems. Because short days may decrease hippocampal volume and impair spatial learning and memory in rodents and because of the potential for seasonal plasticity in the hippocampus, we hypothesized that photoperiod alters hippocampal morphology to affect spatial learning and memory. Mice housed in either long or short days for 10 weeks were examined for performance in a water maze; brains were then removed and weighed, and hippocampal volumes were determined. We also measured dendritic morphology and spine density in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus. Short days decreased brain mass and hippocampal volume compared with long days. Short days also impaired long-term spatial learning and memory relative to long days but did not affect sensory discrimination or other types of memory. Short days decreased apical (stratum lacunosum-moleculare) CA1 spine density, as well as increased basilar (stratum oriens) CA3 spine density. Results from this study suggest that photoperiod alters brain size and morphology, as well as cognitive function. Understanding the mechanisms mediating these photoperiod-induced alterations may provide insight for treatment of seasonal cognitive and affective disorders.
Baculovirus p35 and Z-VAD-fmk inhibit thapsigargin-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is inhibited by the antiapoptotic oncogene, Bcl-2, and is mediated by a cascade of aspartate-specific cysteine proteases, or caspases, related to interleukin 1-beta converting enzyme. Depending on cell type, apoptosis can be induced by treatment with thapsigargin (TG); a selective inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated calcium-ATPase. The role of caspases in mediating TG-induced apoptosis was investigated in the Bcl-2-negative human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468. Apoptosis developed in MDA-MB-468 cells over a period of 24-72 h following treatment with 100 nM TG, and was prevented by Bcl-2 overexpression. TG-induced apoptosis was associated with activation of caspase-3 and was inhibited by stable expression of the baculovirus p35 protein, an inhibitor of caspase activity. Also, TG-induced apoptosis was inhibited by treating cells with Z-VAD-fmk, a cell-permeable fluoromethylketone inhibitor of caspases. These findings indicate that TG-induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells is subject to inhibition by Bcl-2 and is mediated by caspase activity. This model system should be useful for further investigation directed toward understanding the role of calcium in signaling apoptosis, and its relationship to Bcl-2 and the caspase proteolytic cascade.
A 16-channel monolithic silicon nanophotonic receiver

A single-die monolithically integrated multichannel silicon nanophotonics receiver is fabricated in IBM 90nm CMOS Nanophotonics technology node. Electrical eye diagrams for 16 channels exhibit open eyes up to 20Gbps with a 127mW/channel power efficiency.