cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A two-person technique for epidural needle placement and medication infusion.

Traditional techniques of epidural needle placement have not proved satisfactory in patients who have had a previous laminectomy and may have epiduroarachnoiditis. A two-person technique was developed to: 1) simplify performance of difficult, epidural needle placement; 2) allow both resident and staff a simultaneous “hands-on” teaching experience; 3) allow a painless method of medication administration in patients with altered epidural anatomy; and 4) allow a simple method for determination of epidural space pressures. A glass syringe and extension tubing filled with saline are connected to the epidural needle. The needle is advanced by the operator while the pressure is monitored by the assistant. Once in the epidural space, the extension tubing is held vertically to act as a manometer. The column of saline falls and fluctuates with heart beat, providing verification of correct needle placement. Medication is placed in the barrel of the syringe and allowed to infuse by gravity. The two-person technique has achieved both patient and resident acceptance, and allows a painless method of medication administration in patients with altered epidural space anatomy.
Dynamical Downscaling Data for Studying Climatic Impacts on Hydrology, Permafrost, and Ecosystems in Arctic Alaska

Abstract. Climatic changes are most pronounced in northern high latitude regions. Yet, there is a paucity of observational data, both spatially and temporally, such that regional-scale dynamics are not fully captured, limiting our ability to make reliable projections. In this study, a group of dynamical downscaling products were created for the period 1950 to 2100 to better understand climate change and its impacts on hydrology, permafrost, and ecosystems at a resolution suitable for northern Alaska. An ERA-interim reanalysis dataset and the Community Earth System Model (CESM) served as the forcing mechanisms in this dynamical downscaling framework, and the Weather Research & Forecast (WRF) model, embedded with an optimization for the Arctic (Polar WRF), served as the Regional Climate Model (RCM). This downscaled output consists of multiple climatic variables (precipitation, temperature, wind speed, dew point temperature, and surface air pressure) for a 10 km grid spacing at three-hour intervals. The modeling products were evaluated and calibrated using a bias-correction approach. The ERA-interim forced WRF (ERA-WRF) produced reasonable climatic variables as a result, yielding a more closely correlated temperature field than precipitation field when long-term monthly climatology was compared with its forcing and observational data. A linear scaling method then further corrected the bias, based on ERA-interim monthly climatology, and bias-corrected ERA-WRF fields were applied as a reference for calibration of both the historical and the projected CESM forced WRF (CESM-WRF) products. Biases, such as, a cold temperature bias during summer and a warm temperature bias during winter as well as a wet bias for annual precipitation that CESM holds over northern Alaska persisted in CESM-WRF runs. The linear scaling of CESM-WRF eventually produced high-resolution downscaling products for the Alaskan North Slope for hydrological and ecological research, together with the calibrated ERA-WRF run, and its capability extends far beyond that. Other climatic research has been proposed, including exploration of historical and projected climatic extreme events and their possible connections to low-frequency sea-atmospheric oscillations, as well as near-surface permafrost degradation and ice regime shifts of lakes. These dynamically downscaled, bias corrected climatic datasets provide improved spatial and temporal resolution data necessary for ongoing modeling efforts in northern Alaska focused on reconstructing and projecting hydrologic changes, ecosystem processes and responses, and permafrost thermal regimes. The dynamical downscaling methods presented in this study can also be used to create more suitable model input datasets for other sub-regions of the Arctic.
Cancer beliefs and cancer screening behaviors among low income Chinese immigrants - Implications for culturally relevant interventions

Objective : To effectively plan and provide culturally appropriate cancer education and screening services for low income Chinese immigrants, accurate disaggregated data are very much needed in understanding their cultural beliefs, attitudes, and practices toward cancer screening and education. This study explored the views of medically underserved Chinese immigrants in the United States and assessed their beliefs and attitude toward the cause and prevention of breast, cervical, and prostate cancer, and their cancer screening behaviors. Methods: Guided by both the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue and the Health Belief Model, an exploratory research methodology was used. Narrative data from in-depth interviews and focus groups were studied qualitatively. The data analytical procedure was based on immersion in the narrative data, writing memos, sorting data into codes and categories, and comparing themes across interviews. Thirty-nine low-income Chinese men and women participated in 14 in-depth interviews and 4 focus groups. Results: Findings provided evidence of strong influence of Chinese culture on beliefs and attitudes toward cancer, as well as perceptions regarding the cause, risk, susceptibility to, and seriousness of cancer. Participants reported both positive and negative perception toward cancer. Common misconceptions about the causes of cancer included: excessive sexual activities, having a certain blood type, cancer being “contagious”, and women ignoring their reproductive or natural functions by using birth control or not breastfeeding. Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of cultural appropriateness and relevancy in the development and implementation of cancer promotion and cancer screening intervention for the Chinese immigrant population.
Capitalizing on Natural Experiments to Improve Our Understanding of Population Health

The author reflects on the need for natural experiments to improve understanding of population health in public health research. He mentions Dr. John Snow's 1853 study of cholera in the inhabitants of London, England who had drinking water supplied by companies upstream or downstream of London's sewage outflows and his causal theory on cholera's spread. He considers the lack of prominence of natural experiments and talks about the growth of randomized trials and observational research methods.
Heterochrony in brontothere horn evolution; allometric interpretations and the effect of life history scaling

The Brontotheriidae (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) are often used as an illustration of ver- tebrate macroevolutionary trends because their morphological evolution includes significant size in- creases accompanied by the disproportionate lengthening of bony frontonasal horns. The positive phylogenetic allometry for horn length vs. skull length is among the strongest known of such rela- tionships in vertebrate phylogeny. Hypotheses explaining the change from small, incipient horns in Eocene ancestors to longer horns in Oligocene descendants have included two heterochronic mech- anisms, hypermorphosis (extrapolation) and predisplacement (earlier onset time of horn growth). These proposed peramorphic mechanisms derive from interpretation of adult intergeneric allometries in logarithmic data spaces. Analysis of the raw (unlogged) data shows that the simple allometric model previously used is not an appropriate model for this specific problem. The heterochronic in- terpretations derived from them are therefore unsupported (but not disproven) by the allometries. A more appropriate allometric model for the data (full model) does not support any heterochronic in- terpretation. Previously unaccounted for in the heterochronic hypotheses is a complication due to body-size scaling effects on life history stage lengths. Neontological scaling patterns suggest that brontothere size increases were probably accompanied by increasing life spans and longer devel- opmental stages. This effect broadens the types of heterochronies that may be postulated. Semiquan- titative analyses comparing brontotheres with similarly sized extant ungulates show the hypothe- sized effect of larger size on brontothere life history stages. A scaled descendant ontogeny introduces the problem of relative vs. absolute time frames within which to view ontogenetic onset times. Thus, predisplacements, postdisplacements, or nondisplacements may be viewed as relative or absolute with respect to ancestral ontogenies. This raises a fundamental question about how development scales, which in turn affects how heterochronies are interpreted. A scaling effect suggests that bron- tothere horns are more likely postdisplaced in the traditional absolute time sense. Paradoxically then, while the descendant adult horn is peramorphic, its onset time may have shifted in a paedomorphic direction. Data for two Oligocene juvenile brontotheres suggest that most horn growth occurred late in their longer (i.e., descendant) ontogenies (hypermorphosis), and that the horns probably grew at faster rates (acceleration) than in Eocene taxa.
Does this patient need telemetry? An analysis of telemetry ordering practices at an academic medical center

Introduction: The American Heart Association and Choosing Wisely campaign recommend guideline-based usage of telemetry. Inappropriate use leads to increased costs, alarm fatigue, and inefficient nursing care. This study assesses provider ordering practices for telemetry at a US-based academic hospital. Methods: This retrospective study includes all telemetry orders in the medicine and progressive care units from April 2014 to March 2015. Indications were grouped into categories per American Heart Association guidelines. Results: The top 3 cardiac indications included angina/acute coronary syndrome (35.3%), arrhythmias (19.7%), and heart failure (10.2%). However, noncardiac indications accounted for 20.2% of orders, including respiratory conditions (17.4%), infection (17.4%), substance abuse (14.0%), bleeding (12.4%), vital sign monitoring (10.4%), altered mental status (7.0%), and pulmonary embolus/deep vein thrombosis (7.0%). Conclusions: One-fifth of patients were monitored on telemetry for noncardiac indications. We recommend further study on the benefits and risks of telemetry in these patients and systems-based changes for appropriate usage.
Classification of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of lymphoid neoplasms [1, 2] was built upon earlier classifications such as the Lukes-Collins [3], Kiel [4], and Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) [5] classifications. It represents a worldwide consensus on the diagnosis of lymphoid neoplasms, which is updated and refined periodically by incorporating emerging concepts and new data.
The Development of Marxist Thought In the Young Karl Marx

Karl Marx was born a contradiction to the world of his time: from a Jewish family, he would become the world's foremost proponent of atheism; from a culture steeped in German romanticism and Hegelian idealist philosophy, he would become the foremost materialist philosopher; from a profligate son and later, profligate husband and father, he would become the economist who spent hours researching the topic of money for the world-changing "Das Kapital;" and from this man noted for his culture, intelligence, and arrogance would come the destruction of the old order of privilege through the "Communist Manifesto." Karl Marx was a contradiction to his times, and a revolutionary with a burning desire to change the existing society. His thought, however, was not revolutionary in the sense of being original, but a monumental synthesis of influences in his life, which congealed and culminated in three early works: "Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right ," "Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right : Introduction," and the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844."
Ethnoentomological and Distributional Notes on Cerambycidae and Other Coleoptera of Guerrero and Puebla, Mexico

Abstract This article presents both ethnoentomological notes on Nahuatl and Mixtec language terms as they are applied to Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) and distributional records for species collected during three projects carried out in the states of Guerrero and Puebla, Mexico. Some comparative data from other Mesoamerican and Native American languages are discussed. Indigenous common names are mapped onto current taxonomic nomenclature, and an analysis is offered of the logical basis for Indigenous classification: the exclusion of some cerambycids and the inclusion of other beetles in the nominal native “cerambycid” category. New state distributional records for the Cerambycidae collected in this study are offered for Guerrero: Bebelis picta Pascoe, Callipogon senex Dupont, Neocompsa macrotricha Martins, Olenosus serrimanus Bates, Ornithia mexicana zapotensis Tippmann, Stenygra histrio Audinet-Serville, Strongylaspis championi Bates, Lissonotus flavocinctus puncticollis Bates, and Nothopleurus lobigenis Bat...
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder Symptoms by Age in Autism, ADHD, and General Population Samples.

ABSTRACTDisruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a controversial DSM-5 diagnosis. It is not known how DMDD symptoms vary by age and if differences are similar for autism, ADHD, and general population samples. Our study analyzed the two DMDD symptoms (irritable-angry mood and temper outbursts) in 1,827 children with autism or ADHD (with or without oppositional defiant disorder/ODD) and 657 general-population children 2–16 years of age. DMDD symptoms were rated by mothers on the Pediatric Behavior Scale. For all age groups, mean DMDD scores were less than sometimes a problem in the general population and ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-I) samples, greater than sometimes but less than often a problem in autism and ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C), and greater than often a problem in children with autism or ADHD who also had ODD. DMDD symptoms were unrelated to age in children six and older. Preschool children with ADHD-C, ADHD-I, and ODD had more DMDD symptoms than school-age children, but DMDD symptoms did not differ ...
Linked Data for Libraries, Archives and Museums: How to Clean, Link, and Publish Your Metadata

Is there a single book that will answer all our questions about metadata, linked data, and Resource Description Framework (RDF)? Probably not, but Seth van Hooland and Ruben Verborgh have provided ...
Multimode smartphone biosensing: the transmission, reflection, and intensity spectral (TRI)-analyzer

We demonstrate a smartphone-integrated handheld detection instrument capable of utilizing the internal rear-facing camera as a high-resolution spectrometer for measuring the colorimetric absorption spectrum, fluorescence emission spectrum, and resonant reflection spectrum from a microfluidic cartridge inserted into the measurement light path. Under user selection, the instrument gathers light from either the white “flash” LED of the smartphone or an integrated green laser diode to direct illumination into a liquid test sample or onto a photonic crystal biosensor. Light emerging from each type of assay is gathered via optical fiber and passed through a diffraction grating placed directly over the smartphone camera to generate spectra from the assay when an image is collected. Each sensing modality is associated with a unique configuration of a microfluidic “stick” containing a linear array of liquid chambers that are swiped through the instrument while the smartphone captures video and the software automatically selects spectra representative of each compartment. The system is demonstrated for representative assays in the field of point-of-care (POC) maternal and infant health: an ELISA assay for the fetal fibronectin protein used as an indicator for pre-term birth and a fluorescent assay for phenylalanine as an indicator for phenylketonuria. In each case, the TRI-analyzer is capable of achieving limits of detection that are comparable to those obtained for the same assay measured with a conventional laboratory microplate reader, demonstrating the flexibility of the system to serve as a platform for rapid, simple translation of existing commercially available biosensing assays to a POC setting.
Cooperative recruitment of Yan via a high-affinity ETS supersite organizes repression to confer specificity and robustness to cardiac cell fate specification

Cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) are defined by unique combinations of transcription factor-binding sites. Emerging evidence suggests that the number, affinity, and organization of sites play important roles in regulating enhancer output and, ultimately, gene expression. Here, we investigate how the cis-regulatory logic of a tissue-specific CRM responsible for even-skipped (eve) induction during cardiogenesis organizes the competing inputs of two E-twenty-six (ETS) members: the activator Pointed (Pnt) and the repressor Yan. Using a combination of reporter gene assays and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we suggest that Yan and Pnt have distinct syntax preferences. Not only does Yan prefer high-affinity sites, but an overlapping pair of such sites is necessary and sufficient for Yan to tune Eve expression levels in newly specified cardioblasts and block ectopic Eve induction and cell fate specification in surrounding progenitors. Mechanistically, the efficient Yan recruitment promoted by this high-affinity ETS supersite not only biases Yan-Pnt competition at the specific CRM but also organizes Yan-repressive complexes in three dimensions across the eve locus. Taken together, our results uncover a novel mechanism by which differential interpretation of CRM syntax by a competing repressor-activator pair can confer both specificity and robustness to developmental transitions.
Using Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain Consumers’ Intention to Purchase Slow Fashion Apparel

Today, an increasing number of consumers are interested in social responsibility and sustainability which has evolved into attention and support for the more recent slow fashion movement. Slow fashion focuses on the entire supply chain with emphasis on quality workmanship, small production lines, and fair conditions (Fletcher, 2010).
Hydraulic safety margins and air-seeding thresholds in roots, trunks, branches and petioles of four northern hardwood trees.

During drought, xylem sap pressures can approach or exceed critical thresholds where gas embolisms form and propagate through the xylem network, leading to systemic hydraulic dysfunction. The vulnerability segmentation hypothesis (VSH) predicts that low-investment organs (e.g. leaf petioles) should be more vulnerable to embolism spread compared to high-investment, perennial organs (e.g. trunks, stems), as a means of mitigating embolism spread and excessive negative pressures in the perennial organs. We tested this hypothesis by measuring air-seeding thresholds using the single-vessel air-injection method and calculating hydraulic safety margins in four northern hardwood tree species of the northeastern United States, in both saplings and canopy height trees, and at five points along the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Acer rubrum was the most resistant to air-seeding and generally supported the VSH. However, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus americana and Quercus rubra showed little to no variation in air-seeding thresholds across organ types within each species. Leaf-petiole xylem operated at water potentials close to or exceeding their hydraulic safety margins in all species, whereas roots, trunks and stems of A. rubrum, F. grandifolia and Q. rubra operated within their safety margins, even during the third-driest summer in the last 100 yr.
L-Selectin Regulation of Lymphocyte Homing and Leukocyte Rolling and Migration

The recruitment of leukocytes from the blood and lymphatic vascular systems and their extravasation into tissues is critical for host defense against pathogens and response to tissue injury and also contributes to the pathophysiology of many inflammatory diseases. This process is regulated in part by specific leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions with several families of cell adhesion molecules participating in recognition, adhesion, and extravasationl. The selectin family of adhesion molecules mediates the initial interactions of leukocytes with endothelium that allows leukocytes to roll along the venular wa112,3. The selectins bind to sialomucins which serve as scaffolds for the proper presentation of carbohydrate ligands to the selectins. Subsequently, integrins and immunoglobulin superfamily members interact to arrest leukocyte rolling and mediate “firm” attachment to the vascular endothelium. Multiple leukocyte integrins are known to be involved including LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18), Mo-1/Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18), VLA-4 (CD49d/CD29) and perhaps p150/95 (CD11c/CD18). Several members of the Ig superfamily such as Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1, CD106), Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1, CD54), ICAM-2 (CD102) and ICAM-3 (CD50) serve as integrin ligands. The utilization of different selectin, integrin, and immunoglobulin superfamily members by various leukocyte subclasses as they pass through distinct beds of vascular endothelium allows for considerable diversity and specificity in leukocyte migration4. L-selectin is a member of the selectin family of adhesion receptors and plays a central role in governing the migration patterns of different leukocyte classes5,6.
Push Notifications Reduce Emergency Department Response Times to Prehospital ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Author(s): Goebel, Mathew; Bledsoe, Joseph | Abstract: Introduction: Prehospital acquisition of electrocardiograms (ECG) has been consistently associated with reduced door-to-balloon times in the treatment of ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI). There is little evidence establishing best hospital practices once the ECG has been received by the emergency department (ED). This study evaluates the use of a push notification system to reduce delays in cardiac catheterization lab (CCL) activation for prehospital STEMI. Methods: In this prospective before-and-after study, we collected prehospital ECGs with computer interpretation of STEMI from May 2012 to October 2013. Push notifications were implemented June 1, 2013. During the study period, we collected timestamps of when the prehospital ECG was received (email timestamp of receiving account), CCL team activation (timestamp in paging system), and patient arrival (timestamp in ED tracking board). When prehospital ECGs were received in the ED, an audible alert was played via the Vocera WiFi communication system, notifying nursing staff that an ECG was available for physician interpretation. We compared the time from receiving the ECG to activation of the CCL before and after the audible notification was implemented. Results: Of the 56 cases received, we included 45 in our analysis (20 cases with pre-arrival CCL activation and 25 with post-arrival activation). For the pre-arrival group, the interval from ECG received to CCL activation prior to implementation was 9.1 minutes with a standard deviation (SD) of 5.7 minutes. After implementation, the interval was reduced to 3.33 minutes with a SD of 1.63 minutes. Delay was decreased by 5.8 minutes (p l 0.01). Post-implementation activation times were more consistent, demonstrated by a decrease in SD from 5.75 to 1.63 min (p l 0.01). For patients with CCL activation after arrival, there was no significant change in mean delay after implementation. Conclusion: In this small, single-center observational study, we demonstrated that the use of push notifications to ED staff alerting that a prehospital STEMI ECG was received correlated with a small reduction in, and increased consistency of, ED CCL activation.
National trends in hydroxyurea and opioid prescribing for sickle cell disease by office-based physicians in the United States, 1997-2017.

PURPOSE To identify trends in physician drug prescribing practices for sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS We used data from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index to evaluate medications prescribed to children (definition: aged 19 years or younger) and adults (20 years or older) with SCD by office-based physicians in the United States during 1997 to 2017. Prescriptions were evaluated in 3-year intervals. RESULTS The proportion of SCD visits that included new/continued hydroxyurea prescriptions increased from less than or equal to 8% before 2009 to 33% in 2015 to 2017. The increase was significant in visits by children (2.5% in 1997-1999 to 47% in 2015-2017; P = .003 by Spearman's rank-order correlation) but not in adults (6.9% to 11%; P = .12). Opioids, started/continued in 13% (lowest 3-year average) to 35% (highest) of visits by children and 55% to 81% of visits by adults, remained the most frequently prescribed medications for SCD overall. There were no significant changes over time in opioid prescribing for adults (P = .64) or children (P = .38). Hematologists/oncologists accounted for a higher proportion of visits by children (67.2% over 1997-2017) than adults (25.2%), while emergency medicine visits were higher in adults (14.0%) than children (2.6%). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests a robust increase in hydroxyurea prescribing for children with SCD. The BABY HUG trial, which demonstrated safety and efficacy of starting hydroxyurea in infancy and informed current SCD guidelines recommending broader use in children, may have contributed to this increase. However, hydroxyurea prescribing for adults remains infrequent and considerably lower than opioids. Barriers in access to specialist care persist for adults with SCD.
Improving health services for adolescents living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa : a multi-country assessment : original research article

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the aging of HIV-positive pediatric cohorts and growing numbers of adolescents on treatment, coupled with high HIV incidence in this age group, means the number of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) will continue to grow. The clinical, psychological, social, and reproductive health needs of ALHIV remain poorly understood and efforts to mobilize and advocate for their treatment, care, and support have been inadequate. A multi-country assessment of the needs of ALHIV in SSA found that comprehensive, adolescent-friendly services that champion peer support and collaboration between health care organizations can foster successful transitions into adulthood for ALHIV. En Afrique sub-saharienne (ASS), le vieillissement des cohortes pediatriques du VIH-positives et le nombre croissant d'adolescents en traitement, y compris une incidence elevee du VIH dans ce groupe d'âge, signifie que le nombre d'adolescents vivant avec le VIH (AVVIH) va continuer a croitre. Les besoins cliniques, psychologiques, sociaux et de sante de la reproduction chez des AVVIH restent mal compris et les efforts pour mobiliser et plaidoyer pour leur traitement, leurs soins et leur soutien ont ete insuffisants. Une evaluation a travers plusieurs pays des besoins des AVVIH en Afrique subsaharienne a revele que des services complets et adaptes aux besoins des adolescents qui luttent en faveur du soutien par les pairs ainsi que la collaboration entre les organismes de soins de sante peuvent favoriser la reussite des transitions vers l'âge adulte pour les AVVIH.
Empathy with Emerging Generations as a Foundation for Ministry

Ministry leaders’ concerns for young people’s spiritual and religious lives often lead them to adopt programmatic solutions in order to remain relevant to emerging generations. We speculate that a ...
The Design and Implementation of a Method for Evaluating and Building Research Practice Partnerships

We have established a research-practice partnership (RPP) to build a computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT)-focused STEM ecosystem at two middle schools. Creating such an ecosystem to broaden student participation in computing through an RPP approach involves all stakeholders in the research process. Borrowing upon visual participatory research methods, we developed a graphic research instrument to engage teachers in the research process and elicit their perspectives on strategies for building the ecosystem. This experience report describes our research methodology across two distinct cases to demonstrate the utility of this drawing activity as an investigative and partnership development tool. The contribution is in offering a flexible approach to other university-based RPP teams that enables a synergistic partnership development tool and data collection instrument that can be tailored to a variety of RPP contexts, facilitating more productive and equitable ways of engaging stakeholders in the research process. We describe our project contexts and share results from the pilot study with practitioner-members of our RPP teams. We discuss two cases to highlight the contribution this approach made to the development of our partnerships.
Fear of movement and avoidance behaviour toward physical activity in chronic-fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: state of the art and implications for clinical practice.

The paper “Fear of movement and avoidance behaviour toward physical activity in chronic-fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: state of the art and implications for clinical practice” [1] is interesting but problematic. We agree that mild exercise is good but over exercise can cause relapse. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia patients suffer from relapse when is subjected to over exercise. We at the ME/CFS Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York are investigating the postexertional malaise seen in (ME/CFS). This is one of the criteria in the Canadian Consensus of diagnosis of ME/CFS. [2] The notion that ME/CFS is caused by poor conditioning is no longer widely accepted. It is thought that it is an immune system dysfunction, which after onset can be provoked by stress, over exercise or overwork [3]. Indeed, there can be depression, but this depression is secondary to the disease much like any other chronic disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy may be helpful to reverse the secondary depression but one must understand that this depression is indeed secondary and the initial disease entity is in the immune system and must be identified and treated.
Science, Politics, and Groupthink [Health Matters]

Discusses how the COVID-19 health pandemic worldwide was complicated by not only health and medical concerns, but the inclusion of politics, conspiracy theories, and social media.
Asset allocation and downside risk

Economists have long recognised that investors care more about downside risk than total variation, which includes upside gains. This paper develops a new technique, along the lines of Sharpe's (1990, 1992) asset-class model, to measure the performance of an actively managed portfolio with respect to downside risk. The new technique involves choosing a multiple asset-class benchmark with the highest possible correlation with the active strategy return subject to the constraint that the risks are the same. The risk-matched portfolio can be used to measure the performance of an active portfolio with respect to downside risk. Because, by construction the risk of the benchmark is the same as the active portfolio, it is a simple matter to compare the performance of the active to the benchmark using the Sortino ratio. To illustrate the new technique, we compare the performance of exchange traded funds that track S&P equal-weighted and value weighed sector indexes.
Síndroma de roubo da subclávia: um caso clínico de aparente hipotensão

Introducao: A estenose da arteria subclavia proximal, condicionando a sindroma de roubo da subclavia, e frequentemente secundaria a doenca arterial aterosclerotica. Pode ser totalmente assintomatica ou cursar com sintomas de isquemia do membro superior ipsilateral ou sintomas de isquemia transitoria da circulacao cerebral posterior. Apesar de o diagnostico definitivo ser imagiologico, as alteracoes ao exame objetivo sao fortemente sugestivas, nomeadamente um diferencial de pressao arterial entre os dois membros superiores.Descricao do caso: Mulher de 69 anos, com HTA, DM tipo 2, dislipidemia e obesidade, recorreu a consulta por tonturas, cefaleias e descida dos valores tensionais, com dois meses de evolucao, tendo decidido suspender a medicacao anti-hipertensora. Referia episodio previo de cefaleia, disartria subita e sensacao de “lingua presa”, que motivou ida ao servico de urgencia. Neste, quando observada, ja nao apresentava qualquer alteracao objetiva. No exame fisico, na consulta do MF, destacava-se uma PA 108/75mmHg, avaliada no membro superior esquerdo. Devido aos varios fatores de risco ateroscleroticos e ao episodio previo sugestivo de AIT foram pedidos exames complementares de diagnostico, incluindo ecodoppler dos vasos cervicais, que demonstrou um fluxo retrogrado da arteria vertebral esquerda, sugestivo de estenose da arteria subclavia esquerda proximal. Na sequencia, um EO minucioso revelou um diferencial de PA, entre os dois membros superiores (108/79mmHg a esquerda e 170/81 a direita). Foi recomendado retomar a medicacao anti-hipertensora, reforcado o controlo dos multiplos fatores de risco ateroscleroticos e referenciada a cirurgia vascular.Comentario: Neste caso, os valores tensionais eram aparentemente diminuidos; contudo, apos a avaliacao da pressao arterial em ambos os membros superiores, constatou-se que a utente mantinha uma HTA grau 2 nao controlada. Os autores pretendem alertar para a importância de, no meio das muitas tarefas do dia-a-dia, ser mantida uma boa pratica semiologica na determinacao da pressao arterial, em ambos os bracos.
Systemic 8-OH-DPAT challenge causes hyperventilation largely via activating pre-botzinger complex 5-HT1A receptors.

Abstract Systemic 8-OH-DPAT (a 5-HT1A receptor agonist) challenge evokes hyperventilation independent of peripheral 5-HT1A receptors. Though the pre-Botzinger Complex (PBC) is critical in generating respiratory rhythm and activation of local 5-HT1A receptors induces tachypnea via disinhibition of local GABAA neurons, its role in the respiratory response to systemic 8-OH-DPAT challenge is still unclear. In anesthetized rats, 8-OH-DPAT (100 μg/kg, iv) was injected twice to confirm the reproducibility of the evoked responses. The same challenges were performed after bilateral microinjections of (S)-WAY-100135 (a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist) or gabazine (a GABAA receptor antagonist) into the PBC. Our results showed that: 1) 8-OH-DPAT caused reproducible hyperventilation associated with hypotension and bradycardia; 2) microinjections of (S)-WAY-100135 into the PBC attenuated the hyperventilation by ˜60 % without effect on the evoked hypotension and bradycardia; and 3) the same hyperventilatory attenuation was also observed after microinjections of gabazine into the PBC. Our data suggest that PBC 5-HT1A receptors play a key role in the respiratory response to systemic 8-OH-DPAT challenge likely via disinhibiting local GABAergic neurons.
Hyperparameter Optimization Algorithms for Gaussian Process Regression of Brain Tissue Compressive Stress

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is modeled using in vitro mechanical testing on excised brain tissue samples. While such testing is essential for understanding the mechanics of TBI, the results can vary by orders of magnitude due to the varying testing condition protocols. Gaussian process regression (GPR) provides good predictive accuracy of the compressive stress state. Here, the efficacy of different search algorithms in optimizing GPR hyperparameters was evaluated. Bayesian optimization, grid search, and random search were compared. Grid search reached the minimum objective function in fewer iterations, and the final regression model was comparable to that of Bayesian optimization in terms of RMSE and log likelihood in the prediction of compressive stress.
Benzyl Ethers of Sugars

Publisher Summary The benzyl ethers of sugars comprise one of the important classes of derivatives employed in sugar chemistry. These compounds are of value synthetically because the benzyl group can be readily removed under mild conditions by hydrogenolysis. This property, together with the availability of methods for the preparation of certain of these ethers (in high yield) and their relatively inert nature in general, has made them especially useful. A notable example is that in which it is desired to protect a hydroxyl group during a chemical manipulation and to uncover it later without fear of migration or inversion. Of particular value to the sugar chemist is the ability to remove by hydrogenolysis the benzyl group from a benzyl glycoside or sugar ether without reduction of the sugar. Three methods have been utilized successfully in the preparation of benzyl ethers of sugars: (1) with an alkali hydroxide and a benzyl halide, (2) from an alkali salt of a sugar and a benzyl halide, and (3) by opening of an epoxide ring.
Studies on thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG). II. Separation from human serum by affinity chromatography.

Abstract Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) has been separated from human serum by affinity chromatography using Sepharose to which l -thyroxine had been covalently attached. Further purification of the TBG in the material eluted from the T4-Sepharose was carried out by DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography. The final product produced a single stained band on analytic disc-gel electrophoresis. Radio-autography of this material to which tracer amounts of radioactive thyroxine had been added prior to electrophoresis on cellulose acetate showed a single band of thyroxine radioactivity with the electrophoretic mobility of TBG in normal human serum. The calculated yield of TBG by this procedure was 18–37%.
Articulating and implementing connections between a professional writing instruction program and the college of engineering at a (super) large public university

This paper describes a training program for engineering faculty at a large public university in the US designed to improve engineering-specific written communication instruction through better learning outcome articulation, writing assignment design, and a system of classroom exercises. The training program was designed and delivered by the university's writing across the curriculum program. The results of the training and the subsequent work conducted by the engineering faculty suggest that this model can be extended to similar contexts and situations at other institutions.
Mass purification of nucleopolyhedrosis virus inclusion bodies in the K-series centrifuge.

Nucleopolyhedrosis virus inclusion bodies specific for Hemerocampa pseudotsugata, Neodiprion sertifer, Porthetria dispar, and Heliothis zea have been purified by using a continuous-sample-flow-with-isopycnic-banding centrifuge in quantities up to 6 × 1013 polyhedral inclusion bodies per day. Continuous-flow methods for S-ρ type purification have been evolved to deal with mass isolation of bioparticles.
An energy-efficient single-chip FFT processor

A 1024-point single-chip Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) processor that employs algorithm, architecture, and circuit techniques to achieve an energy efficiency over 60x greater than the best known published processor, is presented. It is designed to operate at supply voltages less than 400 mV in a low threshold-voltage CMOS technology, and uses a unique "data-caching" memory architecture and "hierarchical bitline" memories to reduce power.
Translational control in germline stem cell development

Stem cells give rise to tissues and organs during development and maintain their integrity during adulthood. They have the potential to self-renew or differentiate at each division. To ensure proper organ growth and homeostasis, self-renewal versus differentiation decisions need to be tightly controlled. Systematic genetic studies in Drosophila melanogaster are revealing extensive regulatory networks that control the switch between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in the germline. These networks, which are based primarily on mutual translational repression, act via interlocked feedback loops to provide robustness to this important fate decision.
Bonding of epitaxial lift off (ELO) devices with AuSn

Over the past five years, a great deal of work has been done to perform semiconductor die attach with AuSn alloys. Successful die attach has recently been achieved using Au and Sn multilayers which were pre-evaporated on the die or on the substrate. However, bonding techniques with thin (below 5 /spl mu/m) AuSn layers for very thin semiconductor devices have not yet been reported. The increasing demand for more advanced optoelectronic integrated circuits has created the need for combining materials with different lattice constants (e.g. GaAs on Si). In this paper we report a new way for the bonding of Epitaxial Lift Off (ELO) devices onto Substrates. Two of the investigated multilayer structures produce a resulting AuSn alloy with approximately 84 wt.% gold, but can be bonded with a peak temperature below 280/spl deg/C. The bonded samples were investigated with several standard surface analysis techniques. The results show that much thinner bonding layers than already published can be reached. The results of our research allow us to optimize the layer structure, the bonding parameters and diffusion barriers.
Estimating leaf area index in intensively managed pine plantations using airborne laser scanner data

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine whether leaf area index (LAI) can be accurately estimated in intensively managed pine plantations using multiple-return airborne laser scanner (lidar) data. In situ measurements of LAI were made using the LiCor LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer on 109 plots under a variety of stand conditions (i.e., stand age, nutritional regime, and stem density) in North Carolina and Virginia, USA in late summer, 2008. Distributional metrics were calculated for each plot using small footprint lidar data (average pulse density 5 pulses per square meter; up to four returns per pulse) acquired in the month preceding the field measurements. Distributional metrics were calculated for each plot using all vegetation returns, as well as using ten 1 m deep crown density slices (a new technique introduced in this study), five above and five below the mode of the vegetation returns for each plot. These metrics were used as independent variables in best subsets regressions with LAI (measured in situ) as the dependent variable. The best resulting models had an R2 ranging from 0.61 (for a 2-variable model) to 0.83 (for a 6-variable model). The laser penetration index (LPI) was an important variable regardless of the number of variables used. Other important variables included the mean intensity value, the mean and 20th percentile of the vegetation returns, and various crown density slice metrics. These results indicate that LAI can be estimated accurately using lidar data in intensively managed pine plantations over a wide variety of stand conditions.
Detection of small vessels with electron beam computed tomographic angiography using 1.5 and 3 mm collimator protocols

Objectives To evaluate the effect of scanner collimation on the ability to detect small cardiac vessels using electron beam CT coronary angiography (EBA).
Cross-correlation between actinic and visible defect inspection tool for extreme ultraviolet lithography

We present recent experimental results from an actinic (operates at the EUV wavelength) defect inspection system for extreme ultraviolet lithography mask blanks. A method to cross-register and cross-correlate between the actinic inspection system and a commercial visible-light scattering defect inspection system is demonstrated. Thus, random, real defects detected using the visible-light scattering inspection tool can be found and studied by our actinic inspection tool. Several defects with sub-100 nm size (as classified by the visible scattering tool) are found with the actinic inspection tool with a good signal to noise ratio. This result demonstrates the capability of the actinic inspection tool for independent defect counting experiments at a sub-100 nm defect sensitivity level.
CNS site of β-adrenergic blocker-induced hypotension in the cat: A microiontophoretic study of bulbar cardiovascular neurones☆

Abstract For the purpose of localizing the central site and mechanism of β-adrenergic blocker-induced hypotension, propranolol and sotalol were applied by the technique of microiontophoresis to neurones of the bulbar cardiovascular centre in midcollicular decerebratc cats. The excitatory and inhibitory cardiovascular neurones were identified by their response to an increase in the arterial blood pressure induced by intravenous injections of small doses of norepinephrine (NE). Both β-adrenergic blockers exhibited an inhibitory effect on the spontaneous firing rate of excitatory cardiovascular neurones but had no effect on the firing rate of inhibitory cardiovascular neurones. At the same or greater doses, they had no effect on the firing rate of noncardiovascular neurones recorded from the same area. However, at high doses, only propranolol produced a reduction of spike amplitude on each of the 3 types of neurones, indicative of a nonspecific local anaesthetic action which was unrelated to propranolol-induced cardiovascular neurone slowing. In 3 control experiments, sodium nitrite, a direct acting vasodilator agent, was found to have no effect on the activity of the cardiovascular neurones. While these results cannot exclude the possibility of a peripheral influence in β-adrenergic blocker induced-hypotension, it is concluded that the major hypotensive effect is the result of their action on β-adrenergic receptors of bulbar cardiovascular neurones.
First-Principles Determination of the Polarizabilities of Carbon Tubules as a Function of Length

We use the local-density-approximation to the density-functional theory to determine the axial polarizabilities of fullerene tubules as a function of length and winding topologies. Specifically, we present linear polarizabilities for tubules of composition C{sub 12}H{sub 24}, C{sub 36}H{sub 24}, C{sub 40}H{sub 20} and C{sub 60}H{sub 24}. The size-dependent variation in the dipole-coupled gaps between pairs of occupied and unoccupied levels leads to enhancements in the polarizability per valence electron as the length of the tubule increases. The results are compared to recent density-functional based calculations of the linear and nonlinear polarizabilities for fullerene and benzene molecules.
Surface Mechanical Properties of Stone, Resin, and Metal Dies

Surface hardness, surface roughness, effect of scratching, and two-body abrasion were determined for two stone dies, a resin die with dispersed metal powder, and copper- and silver-electroplated dies.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the child's brain

The most significant difference between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) is that the former graphic representation of the cerebrospinal axis and its structures does not use ionizing radiation or the injection of contrast material. The physical principles of MRI and the very characteristic appearances of some pathological processes common in children require special study. Low-proton density areas are generally dark; the short T1 value is responsible for white matter appearing clear; inversion recovery sequences permit study of the progression of myelination.