cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of neural therapy versus extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: A randomized-controlled trial

Abstract Introduction Lateral epicondylitis is a common disease of the elbow joint. The main goal of therapy is to reduce pain and increase function. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of neural therapy (NT) versus extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Methods Between August 2018 and November 2018, 76 patients with lateral epicondylitis (26 males, 50 females; mean age: 44, 8 ± 9,5 years; range, 29–65 years) were randomly allocated to either NT or ESWT one session weekly for a total of three weeks. The subjective pain severity was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Duruoz Hand Index (DHI) was used to assess the functional disability before and after treatment and at 12 weeks. Results When the before and after treatment and 12 weeks variances of values were compared between ESWT and NT groups, there were no significant differences in the VAS and DHI scores between the groups(p > 0.05)(VAS score at 12 weeks (effect size = 0, 18, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0,358−1,619) or DHI score (effect size = 0, 13, 95 % CI: -7,627−4,390). However, within the groups, there were significant differences in VAS and DHI scores between before treatment and after treatment(P Conclusion The results of this study show that both ESWT and NT have similar effects in reducing pain and hand function in patients with lateral epicondylitis. However neither of two the treatment modalities showed superiority.
Helpful or Harmful? Theorizing Privatized Corrections: Findings from a Qualitative Study

The theoretical logic underlying correctional privatization is that private organizations provide comparable or better services more cost-efficiently than governments. This logic and its mechanisms...
Performance Analysis and Evaluation of LSTM and GRU Architectures for Houston toad and Crawfish frog Call Detection

Audio signal analysis has become prominent in biological domains toward applications in detecting endangered or threatened species like Houston toad and Crawfish frog. Researchers at Texas State University and Texas A&M University are working on a project to rescue these species and understanding the causes of their decline. Currently the researchers are using an Automated Recording Device (ARD), Toadphone 1, an embedded solution designed for only Houston toad call detection. However, this device's software solution has shown limited success in identifying toad calls consequent of high false-positive rates. This paper experimented with a modified software solution for existing ARD, which is capable of detecting Houston toad and Crawfish frog calls with decreased false-positive rates. Six experiments to detect the calls were designed by using thirty-nine Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) with delta and delta-delta coefficients and sixteen Spectral Sub-band Centroids (SSCs) as audio features within Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) as the classifiers. Results show that LSTM as the classifier with thirty-nine MFCCs audio features, and a 20% validation split produces the highest accuracy for detecting Houston toad and Crawfish frog calls. This architecture has gained 84.7% training, 82.05% validation accuracy, and 84.2% test accuracy with 91.4% test accuracy on Houston toad call and 77.1% on Crawfish frog call.
Postoperative and Survival Outcomes After Cytoreductive Surgery in the Treatment of Metastatic Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Objective To analyze utilization and outcomes of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) after systemic chemotherapy in select patients with metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Material and Methods We identified 1,73 patients with cM1 UTUC from the National Cancer Database who were treated with first-line multiagent chemotherapy from 2004 to 2015. Patients considered surgical candidates based on Charlon-Deyo performance score were stratified into nonsurgical versus surgical arms based on receipt of CRS after systemic therapy. Those receiving radiation, immunotherapy, or other types of treatment were excluded. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Propensity-score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting-adjusted regression models were used to compare OS. Results A total of 1182 patients were included of which 349 (29.5%) were treated with definitive surgery. Median follow-up was 64 months (95% confidence interval:49.8-79.4) for chemotherapy+surgery versus 61.2 (52.2-78.7) for the chemotherapy-alone arms (P = .09). Patients treated with surgery were younger and more commonly treated at academic facilities. Patients who received CRS had improved median-OS versus those treated with chemotherapy alone (13.7 vs 10.8 months, log-rank P-value Conclusion We provide a contemporary report on the survival benefit of CRS after treatment with systemic therapy for M1 UTUC patients. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the role of surgery, when feasible, within multidisciplinary approaches for this relatively, rare disease.
Features of the School Environment That Moderate Adolescent Marijuana Use: An Application and Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior

This study assessed the moderating effects of school facilitating conditions (school opportunities for prosocial involvement, school commitment, academic grades, and truancy) on adolescent marijuan...
Reproductive Behavior of Male Sea Otters

The reproductive system of sea otters is resource defense polygyny in which males defend territories containing resources that attract females. As a result, the predominant trait of social-sexual behavior is segregation by age and sex. Males attempt to mate with females that enter their territories, but they cannot control their movements. An estrous female that is sexually receptive to the male may form a consortship, which typically lasts ~3 days and involves multiple copulations. Copulatory behavior induces reflex ovulation in females. Key components of male sea otter reproductive behavior include sexual segregation, resource defense polygyny, aquatic mating, and no participation in rearing offspring. The reproductive system of sea otters is more similar to some species of Phocidae (true seals) than to other species of otters, likely because mating occurs at sea.
Warranty: A Surrogate of Reliability

Manufacturers of goods and services often endorse the superior quality of their products by offering the consumers a warranty. Often the warranty is for a specified period of time; sometimes it is for a specified time and usage, whichever is the smaller. The automobile is an example of this latter scenario. With either case, the issue of reliability is germane. Quantified measures of reliability are necessary for designing a warranty and for forecasting financial reserves against future warranty claims; they are also very useful in litigation involving violations of the terms of the warranty. This article is an overview. Its aim is to highlight some of the probabilistic, statistical, and econometric issues that the topic of warranties has spawned. Collectively, these issues should constitute the core of any mathematical theory of reliability; thus this entry in an expository perspective on reliability.
Consistent spherical parameterization

Many applications benefit from surface parameterization, including texture mapping, morphing, remeshing, compression, object recognition, and detail transfer, because processing is easier on the domain than on the original irregular mesh. We present a method for simultaneously parameterizing several genus-0 meshes possibly with boundaries onto a common spherical domain, while ensuring that corresponding user-highlighted features on each of the meshes map to the same domain locations. We obtain visually smooth parameterizations without any cuts, and the constraints enable us to directly associate semantically important features such as animal limbs or facial detail. Our method is robust and works well with either sparse or dense sets of constraints.
Transcriptional mapping of plasmid pKK3535: Quantitation of the effect of guanosine tetraphosphate on binding to the rrnB promoters and a λ promoter with sequence homologies to the CII binding region

Abstract We have mapped three promoters on a plasmid that contains the rrn B operon of Escherichia coli and the att P′ region of λ (Brosius et al. , 1980 b ). One of these promoters is a previously unmapped promoter, termed λP L57 , that is located on the att P′ arm of λ, and from which transcription proceeds through the att core sequence. Sequence analysis of this promoter reveals striking homologies to the presumed CII binding sequences of λP I and λP E (Abraham et al. , 1980; Hoess et al. , 1980), suggesting that this promoter may be involved in establishment of lysogeny. The other two promoters we have mapped are those of the rrn B operon. We have used electron microscopy to quantitate the binding of E. coli RNA polymerase to these promoters in the presence and absence of the regulatory nucleotide guanosine tetraphosphate. These studies show that guanosine tetraphosphate specifically decreases the ability of RNA polymerase to bind to each of the two rrn B promoters, while not affecting the binding to the λP L57 promoter.
Systematic review: The use of diuretics and dopamine in acute renal failure: a systematic review of the evidence

Objective To evaluate the impact of diuretics and dopamine for both the prevention and treatment of renal dysfunction in the acute care setting.
Strategic Management Practices of Real Estate Developers in a Volatile Economic Climate

The purpose of this research is to develop a better understanding of the strategic management practices of real estate development firms that have survived in markets characterized by severe econom...
Evaluation of an In Situ Gelable and Injectable Hydrogel Treatment to Preserve Human Disc Mechanical Function Undergoing Physiologic Cyclic Loading Followed by Hydrated Recovery

Despite the prevalence of disc degeneration and its contributions to low back problems, many current treatments are palliative only and ultimately fail. To address this, nucleus pulposus replacements are under development. Previous work on an injectable hydrogel nucleus pulposus replacement composed of n-carboxyethyl chitosan, oxidized dextran, and teleostean has shown that it has properties similar to native nucleus pulposus, can restore compressive range of motion in ovine discs, is biocompatible, and promotes cell proliferation. The objective of this study was to determine if the hydrogel implant will be contained and if it will restore mechanics in human discs undergoing physiologic cyclic compressive loading. Fourteen human lumbar spine segments were tested using physiologic cyclic compressive loading while intact, following nucleotomy, and again following treatment of injecting either phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (sham, n = 7) or hydrogel (implant, n = 7). In each compressive test, mechanical parameters were measured immediately before and after 10,000 cycles of compressive loading and following a period of hydrated recovery. The hydrogel implant was not ejected from the disc during 10,000 cycles of physiological compression testing and appeared undamaged when discs were bisected following all mechanical tests. For sham samples, creep during cyclic loading increased (+15%) from creep during nucleotomy testing, while for implant samples creep strain decreased (-3%) toward normal. There was no difference in compressive modulus or compressive strains between implant and sham samples. These findings demonstrate that the implant interdigitates with the nucleus pulposus, preventing its expulsion during 10,000 cycles of compressive loading and preserves disc creep within human L5-S1 discs. This and previous studies provide a solid foundation for continuing to evaluate the efficacy of the hydrogel implant.
High-Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectroscopic Study of the Decay Ba 133 → Cs 133

The decay of $^{133}\mathrm{Ba}$ to levels in $^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ was studied using Ge(Li) $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectrometers. The energies of the measured $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions are 53.14(8), 160.68(10), 223.08(10), 276.45(8), 302.87(8), 355.99(7), and 383.92(7) keV. The corresponding relative $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray intensities of these transitions are 3.16(39), 0.99(10), 0.72(8), 11.62(82), 29.4(21), 100, and 14.3(10). $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectra in coincidence with the 53.1-, 79.6-, 81.0-, 276.4-, 302.9-, 356.0-, and 383.9-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were obtained. The data are in quantitative agreement with the existing decay scheme. The $K$-shell internal-conversion coefficients were determined, using the present $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray relative intensities and published $K$-shell internal-conversion-electron relative intensities. These results and earlier lifetime measurements and mixing ratios were used to calculate $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray-transition retardation and enhancement factors.
Evaluating the carbon cycle of a coupled atmosphere-biosphere model

We investigate how well a coupled biosphere-atmosphere model, CCM3-IBIS, can simulate the functioning of the terrestrial biosphere and the carbon cycling through it. The simulated climate is compared to observations, while the vegetation cover and the carbon cycle are compared to an offline version of the biosphere model IBIS forced with observed climatic variables. The simulated climate presents some local biases that strongly affect the vegetation (e.g., a misrepresentation of the African monsoon). Compared to the offline model, the coupled model simulates well the globally averaged carbon fluxes and vegetation pools. The zonal mean carbon fluxes and the zonal mean seasonal cycle are also well represented except between 0{sup o} and 20{sup o}N due to the misrepresentation of the African monsoon. These results suggest that, despite regional biases in climate and ecosystem simulations, this coupled atmosphere-biosphere model can be used to explore geographic and temporal variations in the global carbon cycle.
Construction and application of human neonatal DTI atlases

Atlas-based MRI analysis is one of many analytical methods and is used to investigate typical as well as abnormal neurodevelopment. It has been widely applied to the adult and pediatric populations. Successful applications of atlas-based analysis (ABA) in those cohorts have motivated the creation of a neonatal atlas and parcellation map (PM). The purpose of this review is to discuss the various neonatal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) atlases that are available for use in ABA, examine how such atlases are constructed, review their applications, and discuss future directions in DTI. Neonatal DTI atlases are created from a template, which can be study-specific or standardized, and merged with the corresponding PM. Study-specific templates can retain higher image registration accuracy, but are usually not applicable across different studies. However, standardized templates can be used to make comparisons among various studies, but may not accurately reflect the anatomies of the study population. Methods such as volume-based template estimation are being developed to overcome these limitations. The applications for ABA, including atlas-based image quantification and atlas-based connectivity analysis, vary from quantifying neurodevelopmental progress to analyzing population differences in groups of neonates. ABA can also be applied to detect pathology related to prematurity at birth or exposure to toxic substances. Future directions for this method include research designed to increase the accuracy of the image parcellation. Methods such as multi-atlas label fusion and multi-modal analysis applied to neonatal DTI currently comprise an active field of research. Moreover, ABA can be used in high-throughput analysis to efficiently process medical images and to assess longitudinal brain changes. The overarching goal of neonatal ABA is application to the clinical setting, to assist with diagnoses, monitor disease progression and, ultimately, outcome prediction.
Characterization of intra-bandgap defect states through leakage current analysis for optimization of 4H-SiC photoconductive switches

A method of characterizing mid-bandgap defect states in high purity semi-insulating 4H-SiC through leakage current analysis for optimization of SiC photoconductive switches is presented. The method utilizes two custom IV curve tracer systems to measure leakage currents through the material under various voltage/current conditions. The first system is used under low current conditions and is capable of measurements from 0 to 45 kV at currents ranging from 0 to 3 mA with pA resolution. A second system measures the transient discharge of a charged capacitor bank through the material. Due to power dissipation concerns, the second system is used for currents higher than 0.1 mA. Voltage/current measurements in this region (>0.1 mA) are of interest due to the information concerning defect states near the conduction band. These shallow defect states are detrimental to switching performance while offering little benefit to voltage hold-off. From the combined data of these two systems, characteristics of the defect states are extracted and presented. We further elucidate the effect of contact annealing temperature on shallow trap levels in electron-beam irradiated material (2∗1018 1/cm2.
Treatment of Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits with Dietary Vitamins E and C Inhibits Lipoprotein Oxidation but Not Development of Atherosclerosis

New Zealand White rabbits were made hypercholesterolemic by feeding a high cholesterol diet (10 g/kg diet) with or without added antioxidants. The antioxidants used were either probucol (10 g/kg) or vitamin E (10 g/kg) plus vitamin C (0.6 g/kg). Serum cholesterol concentrations were monitored as a function of time. At the end of 10 wk, serum and lipoprotein vitamin E concentrations, the extent of oxidation of lipoprotein fractions (thiobarbituric acid reacting substances), the susceptibility of lipoprotein to oxidation in vitro (conjugated diene formation) and the extent of atherosclerosis (aortic area stained by Sudan IV and plaque thickness) were measured. Rabbits fed diets supplemented with vitamins E and C had markedly higher serum vitamin E concentrations, marked vitamin E enrichment in all lipoprotein fractions, less oxidation in VLDL and LDL and enhanced resistance of LDL to further in vitro oxidation, but did not have significantly less aortic atherosclerosis. Rabbits given supplemental probucol likewise exhibited reduced oxidation of lipoproteins. However, aortic atherosclerosis in these animals was significantly lower, as were serum cholesterol concentrations. Inhibition of lipoprotein oxidation itself was not sufficient to reduce atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed New Zealand White rabbits.
Thermal Fatigue Analysis

Many high temperature turbine components are subjected to rapid temperature changes during start-up and shutdown, leading to nonuniform heating and cooling. Repetition of such thermal loadings leads to thermal fatigue in critical hot section components such as blades, vanes, shrouds and combustors. This type of thermal fatigue is one of the primary failure modes that must be considered in turbine design and analysis.
CAE Model Validation in Vehicle Safety Design

This paperfocuses on the development of a framework of nonlinear finite element model validation for vehicle crash simulation. Integrated computational and test-based methods were discussed for validating computational models under physical, informational and model uncertaintes. Several methods were investigated to quantify transient time-domain data (functional data). The concept of correlation index was proposed to determine the degree to which a model is an accurate representation of the real world from the perspective of the intended uses of the model. The methodologies developed in this paper can also be used for CAE model updating, parameter tuning, and model calibration.
Cyclic Poly(α-peptoid)s and Their Block Copolymers from N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Mediated Ring-Opening Polymerizations of N-Substituted N-Carboxylanhydrides

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-mediated ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-substituted N-carboxylanhydride (NR-NCA) yields cyclic poly(α-peptoid)s with controlled molecular weights (Mn = 3−30 kg mol−1) and narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI = 1.04−1.12). The reactions exhibit characteristics of a living polymerization with minimal chain transfer. This enables the facile synthesis of cyclic diblock copoly(α-peptoid)s through sequential monomer addition. The cyclic polymer architectures were verified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and intrinsic viscosity measurements. Mark−Houwink−Sakurada plot analyses revealed that cyclic poly(α-peptoid)s prepared from NHC-mediated polymerizations exhibit lower intrinsic viscosities than their linear analogues prepared from primary amine-initiated polymerizations. The ratio of their intrinsic viscosities is consistent with the former being mostly cyclic.
Endothelial Cells Mitigate DNA Damage and Restore Function in Irradiated Hematopoietic Stem Cells

radiation therapy than the treatment naive donor tumors. In addition, there was a more heterogeneous radiation response in the reimplanted irradiated and metastatic tumors. Conclusions: Genetically engineered mouse models for BRCA1/2-deficient breast cancer can be used to study underlying genetic and cellular mechanisms of radioresistant tumors and metastatic spread. In addition, this model will also be useful to study the background of the heterogeneous responses of relapsing tumors and metastatic lesions. In particular, therapeutic approaches to increase radiosensitivity and metastasis formation (e.g., PARP inhibitors) can be tested in these models. Ongoing research using these models will help to identify new therapeutic strategies that could guide clinical trials in the future. Author Disclosure: G. Borst: A. Employee; YES. A. Gasparini: None. W. Sol: None. A. Kersbergen: None. J. Jonkers: None. M. Verheij: None. J. Sonke: None. S. Rottenberg: None.
Expiratory flow limitation during exercise in prepubescent boys and girls: prevalence and implications

The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence and implications of expiratory flow limitation (EFL) during exercise in boys and girls. Forty healthy, prepubescent boys (B; n = 20) and girl...
The Antioxidant (–)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Inhibits Rat Hepatic Stellate Cell Proliferation in Vitro by Blocking the Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Reducing the Gene Expression of Platelet-derived Growth Factor-β Receptor

During hepatic fibrogenesis, quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSC) become active and trans-differentiate into myofibroblast-like cells. This process coincides with an increase in cell proliferation, loss of stored vitamin A droplets, and excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix components. HSC activation is coupled with the sequential expression of cytokine receptors, including platelet-derived growth factor-β receptor (PDGF-βR). Although the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood, it is widely accepted that oxidative stress plays critical roles in activation of HSC during hepatic fibrogenesis. We have recently demonstrated that the antioxidant (–)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major component in green tea extracts, significantly inhibited the proliferation of passaged HSC. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Since PDGF is a potent mitogen for HSC and mediates the early proliferative response, it was hypothesized that EGCG might inhibit HSC proliferation by interfering with the PDGF signal transduction. In this report, we demonstrated that EGCG, in two steps, significantly and effectively inhibited the proliferation of primary and passaged HSC. The polyphenolic compound initiated its inhibitory action by rapidly blocking the phosphorylation of tyrosines in PDGF-βR elicited by PDGF in serum. This action was short lived, persisting for a few hours. In addition, this antioxidant inhibited the gene expression of PDGF-βR by blocking the activation of transcription factors activator protein-1 and NF-κB, which were required for the gene transcription. The latter action remained effective for no less than 48 hours. These results provided a novel insight into the mechanisms by which EGCG inhibits HSC growth. The inhibitory effect of the natural antioxidant, its long history of beverage consumption without adverse health effects, and higher potent antioxidant capability make it a good candidate for therapeutic treatment and prevention of hepatic fibrosis.
The Kennedy Administration, the International Federation of Petroleum Workers, and Iraqi Labor under the Ba‘thist Regime

The International Federation of Petroleum Workers (IFPW) was an international trade secretariat based in the United States and secretly funded by the U.S. government. The federation supported the Kennedy administration's policy of rapprochement with Iraq during the country's first Ba’thist regime by defending the regime against criticism of its violent suppression of the Iraqi Communist Party and by fostering the development of Ba’thist-led Iraqi labor unions, free of Communist influence. Simultaneously, left-wing Ba’thist union leaders strove to establish an autonomous, radically democratic, and nonaligned labor movement in the face of their own government's efforts to subordinate unions to government control. The leftist labor leaders also confronted the Iraq Petroleum Company as it attempted to reduce the size of its Iraqi work force. The IFPW focused solely on Cold War goals and did not support the union organizers in their struggles for either labor autonomy or economic security for oil workers.
Stress-Strain and Strength Characteristics of Silt-Clay Transition Soils

AbstractThe influence of nonplastic silt content on the stress-strain, volume change, and strength characteristics of anisotropic silt-clay transition soils is investigated. A series of one-dimensional compression tests, isotropic compression tests, and undrained and drained triaxial tests on three soils of similar base clay but different nonplastic silt contents are performed on cross-anisotropic specimens prepared from consolidation of slurries. Tests with major loading directions both parallel and perpendicular to the specimens’ axis of deposition are performed. It is observed that the tested silt-clay soils are less compressible with increasing silt content during one-dimensional and isotropic compression tests. During drained and undrained triaxial tests, the normally consolidated soils at the same consolidation stress show larger values of stiffness and drained and undrained shear strengths with increasing silt content. The silt-clay soils also show larger pore pressure changes during undrained tria...
Physics: The mind electric

Patrick McCray assesses a biography of Nikola Tesla, the Serbian wizard of the alternating current.
The role of the inertia tensor in kinesthesis.

We report experiments directed at the ability of humans to perceive the spatial orientation of occluded objects, to position an occluded limb relative to targets or directions in the environment, and to match the spatial orientation of occluded contralateral limbs. Results suggest that each of these abilities is tied to the inertial eigenvectors of each object or limb, which correspond to the object's or limb's principal axes of rotational inertia. It is suggested that the mechanisms supporting the perception of intact limbs, neuropathic or anesthetized limbs, prosthetic devices, and hand-held tools and implements via kinesthesis may be one and the same - the detection of movement-produced physical invariants such as the inertia tensor. While the research reported presently has focused on the perception of intact limbs and hand-held objects, future research should be directed at possible generalizations of this work to a variety of clinical populations, including those involving peripheral neuropathies and prosthetic devices.
Integrated land use and transportation interaction: a temporal GIS exploratory data analysis approach

Abstract Land use and transportation interaction is a complex, dynamic process. Many models have been used to study this interaction process during the past several decades. Empirical studies suggest that land use and transportation interaction patterns can be highly variable between geographic areas and at different spatial and temporal scales. This paper presents a temporal geographic information systems (GIS) design that offers exploratory data analysis capabilities to interactively examine land use and transportation interaction at user-specified spatial and temporal scales. A spatiotemporal interaction framework, implemented with temporal GIS databases, provides a foundation for the development of spatiotemporal analysis functions to systematically explore land use and transportation interaction.
Emerging treatments for urinary incontinence.

Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common and distressing problem that can adversely affect a patient's quality of life. Medical treatment is integral in the management of UI, of which there are a number of novel therapeutic targets. Areas covered: In this review, an overview of UI and its associated burden on patients and on the healthcare system is provided. While there are many options for therapy currently available, the focus of this review is emerging therapies that may contribute in the near future to the management of UI. Expert opinion: Healthcare expenditures for diagnosis, evaluation and treatment are substantial and are increasing as the general population ages and as access to healthcare increases. Pharmacological therapy for stress UI is limited and autologous muscle-derived cell therapy holds great promise. Despite the myriad of antimuscarinics for urge UI, all those presently FDA approved have comparable efficacy and adverse events, despite advertisements that suggest otherwise. ...
Computerized measurements of cardiac transmembrane potentials.

Abstract A computerized application to measure cardiac transmembrane potential parameters as well as refractory periods in spontaneous or “paced” hearts is described. The system consists of standard microelectrode equipment for sampling single cardiac cells and a Digital Equipment Corporation LINC computer to collect, analyze and store the data. Immediate or future access to the parameters of a cardiac transmembrane potential (time, voltage, slope) from multiple samples is provided.
A new in situ chemical reactor for studying heterogeneous catalysis by NMR: The GRASSHopper

Abstract A new device/technique, Gas Reactor And Solid Sample Hopper designated GRASSHopper II, is described as an alternative to magic-angle spinning (MAS) for in situ NMR experiments on reacting heterogeneous systems. It is capable of supporting NMR studies of heterogeneous catalysis in the batch mode, in the flow reactor mode and for measurements of chemical kinetics. This new approach is based on the technique of magic-angle hopping (MAH). Characteristics, advantages, limitations and potential areas of application are described. Preliminary results are shown on the formation, subsequent hydrolysis and then regeneration (via dehydration) of (C6H5)3C+ carbocations in zeolite HY cavities, and on the gas–solid polymerization of ethylene on a Cp2ZrCl2/MAO/SiO2 `supported' catalyst.
k-Space symmetry rules for order-disorder reactions

Abstract A mean-field free energy is formulated in k-space and applied to order-disorder reactions in substitutional solid solutions whose average lattice is i'.c.c. or b.c.c. The different symmetry properties of the harmonic and anharmonic contributions are described. The dynamics of concentration fluctuations and the early-stage kinetics of decomposing solutions are governed mainly by the harmonic terms whose basic properties are related to the special points of the first Brillouin zone. Useful predictions can be made about short-range order intensity profiles in the vicinity of the special points with the help of tables of eigenvalues of standard k-space functions derived for pair interactions out to fifth coordination shell. These new concepts are applied to the case of order-disorder reactions in the Ni-Mo system. An explanation given for the appearance of 〈1 1 2 0〉 special point diffuse intensity peaks at all accessible concentrations, from Ni4Mo to Ni2Mo. It is suggested, in general, that the appearance in quenched samples of imperfectly ordered special-point structures is due to a spinodal ordering reaction. A classification of ordering mechanisms is then proposed based on the Landau and Lifshitz symmetry rules for second-kind transitions.
What Gender is the Consumer?: The Role of Gender Connotations in Defining the Political

The 1890s and the 1930s were periods of intense consumer activism during which organized consumers pressured government to regulate business on behalf of the consuming public. In both periods, however, the heightened awareness of the consumer had an impact that extended beyond the realm of grass-roots activism or government regulation. One of the areas profoundly affected by this heightened awareness was political–economic thought. In both periods, political–economic theorists turned their attention to the consumer, debating such issues as whether humans were fundamentally producers or consumers, whether civic identity should be rooted in the consumer or the producer identity, and whether the “good society” was one based on “producerist” or “consumerist” values.
Further characterization of RLM2 and comparison with a related form of cytochrome P-450, RLM2b.

Abstract We have extended the characterization of RLM2, a constitutive form of rat liver cytochrome P -450, using immunochemical means to quantitate its presence in microsomes, to follow its development in maturing male and female rats, and to determine its response to prototypical P -450 inducers. In addition, RLM2 is compared to RLM2b, a form of P -450 with similar migration on SDS-PAGE and NH 2 -terminal amino acid sequence. RLM2b is expressed in both sexes at a level of 0.08 nmol/mg microsomal protein at 2 weeks of age. In female rats, this level is unchanged with maturation. However, in the male, the level declined with maturation to reach 0.02 nmol/mg protein by 12 weeks of age. RLM2 is a male-specific form of cytochrome P -450. Originally absent in the 2-week-old rat, it reached a level of 0.03 nmol/mg protein in the adult male, its appearance and increase coinciding with the onset of puberty. Both phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene induced microsomal levels of RLM2b in the adult male and female rat. RLM2, however, was suppressed in the male rat, 58 and 42%, respectively, by the same treatments. RLM2b and RLM2 each catalyze a unique spectrum of hydroxytestosterone metabolites. RLM2b is highly site specific. In contrast, RLM2 produces several isomeric products in the same region of the testosterone molecule. Substitution of the acetyl group of progesterone for the 17-hydroxy group of testosterone did not alter the site specificity of RLM2b, but did alter it for RLM2, indicating, further, a difference in the active site conformation of the two enzymes. Although RLM2b and RLM2 responded differently to inducers and to a changing physiology during maturation, and were functionally quite distinct, the proteins showed a high degree of immunologic relatedness which is suggestive of significant structural similarities. Structural differences do exist, however, as α-chymotryptic digestion formed a number of peptide fragments that differed between the two proteins.
Potential reliability and validity of a modified version of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale that could be administered remotely

Abstract Background By permitting remote assessments of patients and research participants, telemedicine has the potential to reshape clinical care and clinical trials for Parkinson disease. While the majority of the motor Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) items can be conducted visually, rigidity and retropulsion pull testing require hands-on assessment by the rater and are less feasible to perform remotely in patients' homes. Methods In a secondary data analysis of the Comparison of the Agonist pramipexole vs. Levodopa on Motor complications in Parkinson's Disease (CALM-PD) study, a randomized clinical trial, we assessed the cross-sectional (baseline and 2 years) and longitudinal (change from baseline to 2 years) reliability of a modified motor UPDRS (removing rigidity and retropulsion items) compared to the standard motor UPDRS (all items) using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), stratified by treatment group. Internal consistency of the modified UPDRS (mUPDRS) was measured using Cronbach's alpha, and concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) between the standard motor UPDRS and mUPDRS. Results The mUPDRS versus standard motor UPDRS is cross-sectionally (ICC ≥ 0.92) and longitudinally (ICC ≥ 0.92) reliable for both treatment groups. High internal consistencies were also observed (α ≥ 0.96). The mUPDRS had high concurrent validity with the standard UPDRS at both time points and longitudinally (r ≥ 0.93, p Conclusions A modified version of the motor UPDRS without rigidity and retropulsion pull testing is reliable and valid and may lay the foundation for its use in remote assessments of patients and research participants.
Intracerebroventricular Injection of Cholecystokinin Octapeptide Elevates Plasma Prolactin Levels through Stimulation of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide

We investigated the effect of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) on plasma PRL levels in freely moving male rats. Intravenous injection of CCK-8 did not affect basal plasma PRL levels in doses up to 5000 ng/rat; however, plasma PRL increased significantly after intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of the peptide at a dose of 40 ng/rat. Proglumide (0.2 mg/kg, iv) and benzotript (0.2 mg/kg, iv), specific CCK receptor antagonists, blocked the icv CCK-8-induced increase in plasma PRL levels. There was no apparent effect of icv CCK-8 on the enhancement of PRL release by haloperidol (0.2 mg/kg, iv), sulpiride (0.1 mg/kg, iv), domperidone (0.1 mg/kg, iv), or RO22- 1319 (0.1 mg/kg, iv). However, the apomorphine-induced inhibition of PRL secretion was significantly antagonized by icv CCK-8. Furthermore, icv CCK-8 increased plasma PRL levels in rats depleted of dopamine by pretreatment with reserpine and a-methyl-p-tyrosine. Finally, the elevation in plasma PRL levels produced by icv CCK-8 was substantially ant...
Maturation and secretion of the non-typable Haemophilus influenzae HMW1 adhesin: roles of the N-terminal and C-terminal domains.

Summary Non-typable Haemophilus influenzae is a common cause of human disease and initiates infection by colonizing the upper respiratory tract. The nontypable H. influenzae HMW1 and HMW2 adhesins mediate attachment to human epithelial cells, an essential step in the process of colonization. HMW1 and HMW2 have an unusual N-terminus and undergo cleavage of a 441-amino-acid N-terminal fragment during the course of their maturation. Following translocation across the outer membrane, they remain loosely associated with the bacterial surface, except for a small amount that is released extracellularly. In the present study, we localized the signal sequence to the first 68 amino acids, which are characterized by a highly charged region from amino acids 1‐48, followed by a more typical signal peptide with a predicted leader peptidase cleavage site after the amino acid at position 68. Additional experiments established that the SecA ATPase and the SecE translocase are essential for normal export and demonstrated that maturation involves cleavage first between residues 68 and 69, via leader peptidase, and next between residues 441 and 442. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that HMW1 processing, secretion and extracellular release are dependent on amino acids in the region between residues 150 and 166 and suggested that this region interacts with the HMW1B outer membrane translocator. Deletion of the C-terminal end of HMW1 resulted in augmented extracellular release and elimination of HMW1mediated adherence, arguing that the C-terminus may serve to tether the adhesin to the bacterial surface. These observations suggest that the HMW proteins are secreted by a variant form of the general secretory pathway and provide insight into the mechanisms of secretion of a growing family of Gram-negative bacterial exoproteins.
Clinal Variation for Local Adaptation in a Host-Parasite Interaction

Using a reciprocal cross-infection experiment, we detected clinal variation in the relative ability of trematodes to infect snails taken from the same habitat. Snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) collected from three habitats in a New Zealand lake were exposed to a digenetic trematode (Microphallus sp.) collected from infected snails from the same three locations. The habitats were arranged according to depth, from shallow (the shore bank habitat: less than 1 m deep), to intermediate (the Isoetes habitat: 1.5-3 m), to deep (the Elodea habitat: 4-6 m). Snails were assayed for infection at two points in the development of the parasite: 4-months post infection (the blastocercariae stage), in which the parasite was not yet infective to the final hosts (ducks), and 7-months post infection (the metacercariae stage), in which the worms were fully encysted and competent for transmission to the final host. At 7-months post infection, the results showed that shallow-water parasites were significantly more infective to shallow-water hosts, but deep-water parasites were about equally infective to snails from all three habitats. This result suggests that gene flow by the parasite is primarily from shallow to deep habitats, and that recycling of the parasite and host-parasite coevolution is primarily in shallow water. Such recycling would be consistent with our observations of foraging by the definitive host of the parasite, and may explain the maintenance of high frequencies of sexual individuals around the shallow-water margins of the lake.
SU-GG-T-416: A Quantitative Evaluation of the Effect of CT Scanning Parameters On CT Number to Density Calibration and Dose Calculations

Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of CTimaging parameters on CT number and the effect of using an incorrect CT number to density table in treatment planning systems. Method and Materials: A phantom with 12 density inserts was scanned on a single CT, varying the kV (110 to 130), mAs, pitch, slice thickness, and reconstruction kernel. The variation of CT number was investigated as a function of those variables. At our institution, there are 8 CT number to density tables. The effect of changing the CT number to density table on PTV and organs at risk mean dose was evaluated for clinical breast, prostate, lung, head & neck, brain plans. Results: The only CTimaging parameter that significantly changed the CT number was kV, producing a 6% change in CT number. All other parameters produced variation in the standard deviation of CT number, but not mean values. The effect of varying the CT number to density table on clinical plans produced maximum variation of 2% (head & neck vocal cord) in the mean dose, with other plans (breast, prostate, lung, and brain) producing approximately 1% variation. In investigating these effects by creating large regions of interest and overriding the density in small increments, it was found that there are discrete steps in dose calculations as a function of density in the Pinnacle (v7.6c) treatment planning system. Over the range of 0.3 – 1.7 gm/cm3 there are 20 discrete density bins. Conclusion: The effect of CT scanning using parameters different than those used in the treatment planning system CT number to density table produced up to a 6% change in CT number. At our institution the use of a wrong CT table can introduce errors in TPS calculations of up to 2.0 % on some regions of interest.
Benefits of Storytelling Methodologies in Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Historical Instruction

This study examines the benefits of using stories to teach history to fourth- and fifth-grade students. To determine student attitude toward history, students completed a History Affinity scale prior to and after being exposed to one of two teaching methods. Students in the experimental group listened to and participated in oral narratives during their history lesson, while students in the control group received conventional lecture and notetaking instruction. After data analysis and collection, results indicate a significant increase in history affinity in the positive direction for the experimental group with no change in history affinity for the control group. Conducted among 228 students, all attending the same elementary school in southern Indiana, this study speaks to the potential of improving teaching methods throughout the history curriculum through increased use of storytelling methods.
On User Supplied Evaluations of Time-Shared Computer Systems

Comments are made regarding the collection of user preference data for varying characteristics of time-sharing systems. These ``utility functions,'' when determined for a number of variables, can be used as an aid to managers and designers of time-sharing service facilities. There are, however, several practical problems in assessing utility functions of more than one variable. These stem mainly from the fact that utility functions of several variables are generally not simple additive functions of utilities for single variables. In most cases they are complex functions consisting of many more component utility functions than the number of variables. This difficulty stems from the fact that preferences for a set of variables describing a service facility (such as a time-sharing system) are generally not independent of current values of other variables. This is known as ``utility dependence.'' If, however, a sufficient number of ``utility independence'' relationships can be found (by interview procedures) then it is possible to assess multidimensional utility functions with a more practical effort. Procedures for this assessment and uses of utility functions in managing a time-sharing system are described here.
Interactive Feature Space Explorer© for multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging

Wider information content of multi-modal biomedical imaging is advantageous for detection, diagnosis and prognosis of various pathologies. However, the necessity to evaluate a large number images might hinder these advantages and reduce the efficiency. Herein, a new computer aided approach based on the utilization of feature space (FS) with reduced reliance on multiple image evaluations is proposed for research and routine clinical use. The method introduces the physician experience into the discovery process of FS biomarkers for addressing biological complexity, e.g., disease heterogeneity. This, in turn, elucidates relevant biophysical information which would not be available when automated algorithms are utilized. Accordingly, the prototype platform was designed and built for interactively investigating the features and their corresponding anatomic loci in order to identify pathologic FS regions. While the platform might be potentially beneficial in decision support generally and specifically for evaluating outlier cases, it is also potentially suitable for accurate ground truth determination in FS for algorithm development. Initial assessments conducted on two different pathologies from two different institutions provided valuable biophysical perspective. Investigations of the prostate magnetic resonance imaging data resulted in locating a potential aggressiveness biomarker in prostate cancer. Preliminary findings on renal cell carcinoma imaging data demonstrated potential for characterization of disease subtypes in the FS.