cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Stellar Content of the Bulges of Spiral Galaxies: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?

for a true picture of the stellar content of the bulges of spiral galaxies it is necessary to combine spectroscopic and photometric observations from the ultraviolet to the infrared. In early-type spirals one generally finds a metal-rich, old population with no excess of low mass stars. In later type systems there is an increasing contribution from young stars. The population in the Galactic bulge is representative and does not contain a significant number of stars with large IR excesses.
The Role of Stochastic Forcing in Generating ENSO Diversity

AbstractNumerous oceanic and atmospheric phenomena influence El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability, complicating both prediction and analysis of the mechanisms responsible for generating ...
Escalator to extinction.

Thirty years ago, biologists began to predict how climate change would alter species’ ranges, extinctions, and their roles in ecosystems (1). Since then, evidence has begun to confirm these nascent predictions. The current global temperature rise of ∼1 °C has shifted species up mountains and latitudes (2), altered the timing of key life events such as flowering and migration (3), and eradicated populations and species (4). As the climate continues to change, these impacts on biodiversity are expected to accelerate (5). In PNAS, Freeman et al. (6) add to the growing drumbeat of climate change’s pervasive impacts on nature by demonstrating the mountaintop extirpations of five tropical bird populations. In 1985, tropical biologists charted an elevational transect in the mountains of Cerro de Pantiacolla, which rise from the Amazonian lowlands in Peru. Along this transect, they recorded each bird they encountered. Three decades later, biologists returned to resurvey the original transect. Such historical resurveys offer a particularly effective way to gauge biotic changes in response to long-term environmental responses, assuming they apply similar methods and effort. Oftentimes, these comparisons are difficult to ascribe to climate change because other factors, such as land use, also change during this time. In this study, the study area remained undisturbed, making it an exceptional long-term catalog of nature’s history. What did change was temperature, which rose 0.4 °C between surveys. After comparing observations between 1985 and 2017, the biologists discovered that the upper elevational ranges of birds had shifted upslope an average of 68 m, which was consistent with the temperature rise. Mountaintop species suffered the most. High-elevation species lost on average 110 m of elevational range and substantial habitat … [↵][1]1Email: mark.urban{at}uconn.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Comparing Vitamin D Supplementation Versus Placebo for Urgency Urinary Incontinence: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES To estimate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation to reduce urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) episodes. DESIGN Pilot, two-arm, randomized trial conducted from 2013 to 2017. Interventions were 12 weeks of weekly oral 50,000 IU vitamin D3 or placebo. SETTING Academic, university-based outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS Community-dwelling postmenopausal women, 50 years or older, with at least three UUI episodes on 7-day bladder diary and serum vitamin 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) of 30 ng/mL or less. MEASUREMENTS The primary efficacy estimate was the percentage change in UUI episodes. Secondary estimates included changes in other lower urinary tract symptoms, along with exploratory subgroup analysis by race/ethnicity and obesity. RESULTS We randomized 56 women (aged 50-84 years; mean = 60.5 ± 8.2 years), 28 to vitamin D and 28 to placebo; 51 completed treatments. Mean serum 25(OH)D at baseline (21.2 ± 5.2 and 18.2 ± 5.6, P = .30) improved to 57.9 ± 16.3 ng/mL with vitamin D3 and 21.9 ± 8.2 ng/mL with placebo (P < .001). UUI episodes per 24-hour day decreased by 43.0% with vitamin D3 compared to 27.6% with placebo (P = .22). Among black women (n = 33), UUI episodes decreased by 63.2% with vitamin D3 compared to 22.9% with placebo (P = .03). Among obese women, UUI episodes decreased by 54.1% with vitamin D compared to 32.7% with placebo (P = .29). For all women, changes in voiding frequency (P = .40), nocturia (P = .40), urgency (P = .90), incontinence severity (P = .81), and overactive bladder symptom severity (P = .47) were not different between arms. CONCLUSIONS Postmenopausal women with UUI and vitamin D insufficiency demonstrated a greater than 40% decrease in UUI episodes, which did not reach statistical significance compared to placebo, except in the subset of black women. The results of this pilot study support further investigation of vitamin D3 alone or in combination with other treatments for UUI, particularly for women in higher-risk subgroups. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:570-575, 2019.
Population Pharmacokinetic Analyses and Model Validation of Tolvaptan in Subjects With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Tolvaptan is the first approved drug treatment to slow kidney function decline in adults at risk of rapidly progressing autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The objective is to develop (1091 subjects, 7335 observations) and validate (678 subjects, 3012 observations) a population pharmacokinetic model to describe tolvaptan pharmacokinetics in ADPKD subjects. The final model was evaluated with a bootstrapping method. The final model was internally and externally evaluated using visual predictive checks (VPC). Pharmacokinetics was best described by a 1-compartmental model with 0-order absorption, nonlinear relative bioavailability (F1), and first-order elimination. Accounting for changes in F1 significantly improved the model: as the dose increased from 15 mg to 120 mg, F1 decreased by 36%. Population estimates for clearance/F (CL/F), volume of distribution/F (Vd/F), duration of absorption (D1), the highest dose at which F1 is lowest, and the amount of dose at which F1 is 50% were 12.6 L·h-1 , 110 L, 0.58 hour, 182 mg, and 166 mg, respectively. The interindividual variability was 64% in CL/F, 70% in Vd/F, and 238% in D1. Residual variability was described by a combined-error model. The VPC (500 data sets simulated) showed that 76% to 92% of the observed data fell within the 90% prediction intervals. The model stability assessed by a 1000-run bootstrap analysis showed that the mean parameter estimates of data were within 10% of those obtained with the final model. The developed model is robust and stable. Internal and external validation confirmed the model ability to describe the data optimally.
Upsurge of Homicides and Its Impact on Life Expectancy and Life Span Inequality in Mexico, 2005–2015

Objectives. To quantify the effect of the upsurge of violence on life expectancy and life span inequality in Mexico after 2005.Methods. We calculated age- and cause-specific contributions to change...
LSD1 Inhibitors Induce Fetal Hemoglobin in Primary Human Erythroid Cells

Significant amount of clinical literatures have supported that high level of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) improves the disease pathophysiology of β-globinopathies [sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia]. Thus, we certainly can treat β-globinopathies by increasing the HbF level in adult erythroid cells. We originally reported that the lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) plays an important role in the regulation of the fetal γ-globin genes. Inhibition of LSD1 by using RNAi and monoamine oxidase inhibitor tranylcypromine (TCP) in primary human erythroid progenitor cells induces HbF to therapeutic levels. Furthermore, LSD1 inhibitor RN-1 treatment of SCD mice results in increased HbF synthesis and leads to effective improvement of many aspects of the disease pathology normally associated with SCD. Most recently, we examined thein vivo effects of some additional, publically available small molecule chemical inhibitors of LSD1 (including GSK-LSD1, LSD1-C12, LSD1-C76, OG-L002, and S2101) on HbF synthesis and erythroid physiology in SCD mice. There was a statistically significant increase in the percentage of HbF positive cells after 4 weeks of treatment with GSK-LSD1 or OG-L002 in SCD mice. Here, we report the effects of these two inhibitors in primary human erythroid cell derived from peripheral blood CD34+ cells. We isolated CD34+ cells using MACS column and cultured them using the two-phase-culture system. After seven days in expansion phase (phase 1) and three days in differentiation phase (phase 2), cells were treated with different doses of GSK-LSD1 and OG-L002 LSD1 inhibitors along with controls (DMSO, hydroxyurea and TCP) for 3 or 5 days in phase 2 culture. Flow cytometric assays showed that the percentage of HbF positive cells were significantly high when CD34+ cells treated with OG-L002 LSD1 (~50% at 0.1 µM) or GSK-LSD1 (~30% at 0.1 µM) as compared to control DMSO (~20%) after 5 days. These results suggest that GSK-LSD1 and OG-L002 could be two new promising HbF inducers based on LSD1 inhibition. These findings provide additional evidence to support that LSD1 comprises a useful molecular target for possible therapeutic intervention in treating SCD. Further study will be necessary to address the potential therapeutic effects of the compounds in SCD patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
GLACIER TRENDS IN THE CAUCASUS, 1960s TO 1980s

Records of terminus positions for the 1960s to 1980s have been obtained for 51 glaciers in the Greater Caucasus Mountains between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, between latitude 40° and 44° N and longitude 40° and 49° E. These records have been analyzed as percentage of glaciers observed retreating, advancing, and stationary, displayed as a five-year moving average. The main result is the absence of the clear trend towards glacier advance found in the Alps between the 1960s and 1980s by both Patzelt (1985) and Wood (1988), suggesting a phase difference in the climates of the Alps and the Caucasus. [Key words: glaciers, glaciology, Greater Caucasus Mountains, Alps.]
Foreword to “Nursing Home Performance: Organizational and Environmental Factors”:

This special collection explores the organizational and environmental factors influencing nursing home performance. The papers in this special collection fall into 3 broad themes. The first theme addresses issues related to nursing home quality measures and public reporting. The second group of papers examines how organizational resources and the environment may influence nursing home performance. The third group of papers examines the relationships among management, strategy, and performance. Findings from this special collection can inform managers and policy makers on best practices and policies that can enhance organizational performance and ultimately ensure access to long-term care.
Challenges of Designing Heterogenous (multi-PDK) Packages

Given the complexity of today’s chips, packages and boards, ICs based on both silicon and non-silicon materials are now required to design optimal high-performance systems. As a result, engineers are integrating multiple heterogeneous technologies in a single product, which not only affects the performance and functionality of ICs but also introduces a new set of challenges for semiconductor companies. In 2017, Cadence announced a novel, front-to-back cross-platform solution that streamlines and automates the design of a package or module featuring off-chip devices and multiple ICs based on differing process design kits (PDKs).In addition to streamlining the front-to-back design of chips and packages, this solution allows IC designers the ability to seamlessly include system-level layout parasitics in the IC verification flow. This help to reduce design cycles by seamlessly combining package/board layout connectivity data with the IC layout parasitic electrical model. The resulting automatically generated “system-aware” schematic can then be easily used to create a testbench for final circuit-, system-level simulation. Previously, designers were only able to include system-level layout parasitics based on time-consuming ad hoc methods. By automating this entire flow, the new Cadence solution eliminates the highly manual and error-prone process of integrating system-level layout parasitic models back into the IC designer’s flow, reducing days of work to mere minutes.In late 2018, Cadence announced a partnership with National Instruments coupled to the second generation of this solution. The new solution further streamlines the concurrent design of multi-die systems and sub-systems while adding additional 3D electromagnetic (EM) extraction/modeling capabilities and additional capabilities for package/module-level layout. This effort takes designing chips, packages and boards to a whole new level…something we call “System Design Enablement”. This presentation will cover the current challenges of designing heterogenous packages/modules and provide an overview of the new Cadence Virtuoso RF Solution.
A 48 Year Old Male Alcoholic with Multiple Plaques

A 48 year old male alcoholic is brought in by ambulance to an urban emergency department with symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. He has presented on several occasions within the last 12 months for the same symptoms of tremor, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and a clear history of “running out of booze.” His past medical history is otherwise significant for hypertension diagnosed on a previous admission, for which he is non-compliant with medication outside the hospital. He denies any medication allergies.
Urinary cadmium clearance, its relationship to glomerular filtration rate and implications for cadmium epidemiology

Decreasing renal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in association with increasing blood cadmium levels was reported in epidemiological studies of general populations. Dependence of cadmium clearance on GFR has implications for interpreting causation in these studies. Associations between cadmium clearance and creatinine clearance, a metric of GFR, were evaluated in a sample of the U.S. population. Blood to urine cadmium clearance and serum creatinine clearance were estimated in approximately 6000 individuals included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2009-2016). Linear regression models explained approximately 45% of variance in cadmium clearance in adults, with 74% of the explained variance attributed to creatinine clearance and 25% explained by age. In adolescents (12- 99% of the explained variance attributed to creatinine clearance. The models predicted that halving creatinine clearance would result in a 40% decrease in cadmium clearance and a 20% rise in blood cadmium. Dependence of cadmium clearance on GFR has implications for assigning causation to studies in which increasing blood cadmium levels have been associated with increasing risk of low GFR. Statistical associations between blood cadmium and low GFR, such as elevated odds ratios in upper percentile strata of populations, may be partially a consequence of lower cadmium clearance in association with low GFR that is reverse causation.
Systems thinking approach to hazard analysis for complex robots

Robots often encounter unforeseen situations. In the past, traditional safety analyses have been used to identify such scenarios. These techniques use reductionist thinking and often miss hazards, especially relating to the environment. Systems thinking on the other hand, employs a holistic perspective that focuses on interactions between system components and between the system and its environment. In this paper, a systems thinking based methodology is developed to identify faults and hazards in a robot system. The method is implemented on a small case study to describe its application.
Added sugar intake during pregnancy: Fetal behavior, birth outcomes, and placental DNA methylation.

Pregnancy is a critical time for the effects of environmental factors on children's development. The effect of added sugar intake on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes remains understudied despite increasing dietary intake in the United States. This study investigated the effect of added sugar on fetal programming by examining the association between maternal added sugar consumption, fetal movement, birth outcomes, and placental DNA methylation. Further, primary human fibroblasts were cultured under normal or high glucose conditions to assess the effect of high glucose exposure on cells' DNA methylation. We found that higher added sugar intake across pregnancy was associated with reduced 3rd-trimester fetal movement (p < .05) and shorter gestation (p < .01). Our sample size was not powered to detect the alteration of individual placental CpG with genome-wide significance. However, a secondary analysis suggested that added sugar consumption was associated with differential methylation of functionally related gene families across pregnancy. Consistent with this, high glucose exposure in primary cultured human fibroblasts altered the methylation of 17% of all CpGs, providing converging evidence for an effect of sugar on DNA methylation. Our results suggest that diets high in added sugar during pregnancy may have implications for offspring health via prenatal programming effects measurable before birth.
Electronic Vaping-Induced Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus Pneumonia and Empyema

Pneumonia is a severe acute inflammation of the lower respiratory tract due to infectious pathogens. Pathogens responsible include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Pneumonia categorizations include community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. It is the single most common cause of infection-related mortality in the United States. Among the typical bacterial CAP causes, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is responsible for less than 5% of all cases. Among the S. aureus, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) is slightly more common than the methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). CAP caused by S. aureus is associated with worse clinical outcomes compared to streptococcal pneumoniae. Although S. aureus CAP occurs throughout the year, it is less common except during the influenza season when there is a spike. Multiple studies have stratified risk factors for MRSA infection. MSSA pneumonia in immunocompetent young patients is uncommon due to healthy host defense mechanisms. However, certain individual risk factors promote infection, such as intravenous drug abuse. Recent multiple research studies implicate increased virulence of S. aureus in colonized patients after exposure to electronic cigarette vapor exposure (ECVE), resulting in pneumonia. A PubMed search revealed no MSSA community-acquired bacterial pneumonia due to ECVE. We report a 38-year-old female who developed acute MSSA pneumonia, which was complicated by left empyema due to ECVE from JUUL device with third-party compatible cannabidiol pods. The patient completed treatment successfully with a chest tube placement followed by fibrinolysis and intravenous antibiotics.
The application of artificial intelligence and data integration in COVID-19 studies: a scoping review.

Objective To summarize how artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied in COVID-19 research and determine whether these AI applications integrated heterogenous data from different sources for modeling. Materials and methods We searched 2 major COVID-19 literature databases, the National Institutes of Health's LitCovid and the World Health Organization's COVID-19 database on March 9, 2021. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, 2 reviewers independently reviewed all the articles in 2 rounds of screening. Results In the 794 studies included in the final qualitative analysis, we identified 7 key COVID-19 research areas in which AI was applied, including disease forecasting, medical imaging-based diagnosis and prognosis, early detection and prognosis (non-imaging), drug repurposing and early drug discovery, social media data analysis, genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data analysis, and other COVID-19 research topics. We also found that there was a lack of heterogenous data integration in these AI applications. Discussion Risk factors relevant to COVID-19 outcomes exist in heterogeneous data sources, including electronic health records, surveillance systems, sociodemographic datasets, and many more. However, most AI applications in COVID-19 research adopted a single-sourced approach that could omit important risk factors and thus lead to biased algorithms. Integrating heterogeneous data for modeling will help realize the full potential of AI algorithms, improve precision, and reduce bias. Conclusion There is a lack of data integration in the AI applications in COVID-19 research and a need for a multilevel AI framework that supports the analysis of heterogeneous data from different sources.
Linking Attitudes, Policy, and Forest Cover Change in Buffer Zone Communities of Chitwan National Park, Nepal.

Deforestation in Nepal threatens the functioning of complex social–ecological systems, including rural populations that depend on forests for subsistence, as well as Nepal’s biodiversity and other ecosystem services. Nepal’s forests are particularly important to the nation’s poorest inhabitants, as many depend upon them for daily survival. Two-thirds of Nepal’s population relies on forests for sustenance, and these pressures are likely to increase in the future. This, coupled with high population densities and growth rates, highlights the importance of studying the relationship between human communities, forest cover trends through time, and forest management institutions. Here, we used surveys to explore how household attitudes associated with conservation-related behaviors in two rural communities—one that has experienced significant forest loss, and the other forest gain—compare with forest cover trends as indicated by satellite-derived forest-loss and -regeneration estimates between 2005 and 2013. Results found a significant difference in attitudes in the two areas, perhaps contributing to and reacting from current forest conditions. In both study sites, participation in community forestry strengthened support for conservation, forest conservation-related attitudes aligned with forest cover trends, and a negative relationship was found between economic status and having supportive forest conservation-related attitudes. In addition, on average, respondents were not satisfied with their district forest officers and did not feel that the current political climate in Nepal supported sustainable forestry. These findings are important as Nepal’s Master Plan for the Forestry Sector has expired and the country is in the process of structuring a new Forestry Sector Strategy.
The environmental consequences of the conservation tillage adoption decision in agriculture in the united states

The environmental consequences of conservation tillage practices are an important issue concerning the impact of agricultural production on the environment. While it is generally recognized that water runoff and soil erosion will decline as no tillage and mulch tillage systems are used more extensively on cropland, what will happen to pesticide and fertilizer use remains uncertain. To gain some insight into this, the conservation tillage adoption decision is modelled. Starting with the assumption that this dicision is a two step procedure – the first is the decision whether or not adopt a conservation tillage production system and the second is the decision on the extent to which conservation tillage should be used – appropriate models of the Cragg and Heckman (dominance) type are estimated. Based on farm-level data on corn production in the United States for 1987, the profile of a farm on which conservation tillage was adopted is that cropland had above average slope and experienced above average rainfall, the farm was a cash grain enterprise, and it had an above average expenditure on pesticides and a below average expenditure on fuel and a below average expenditure on custom pesticide applications. Additionally, for a farm adopting a no tillage production practice, an above average expenditure was made on fertilizer.
Simulating high‐resolution soil moisture patterns in the Shale Hills watershed using a land surface hydrologic model

Soil moisture is a critical variable in the water and energy cycles. The prediction of soil moisture patterns, especially at high spatial resolution, is challenging. This study tests the ability of a land surface hydrologic model (Flux-PIHM) to simulate high-resolution soil moisture patterns in the Shale Hills watershed (0.08 km2) in central Pennsylvania. Locally measured variables including a soil map, soil parameters, a tree map, and lidar topographic data, all have been synthesized into Flux-PIHM to provide model inputs. The predicted 10-cm soil moisture patterns for 15 individual days encompassing seven months in 2009 are compared with the observations from 61 soil moisture monitoring sites. Calibrated using only watershed-scale and a few point-based measurements, and driven by spatially uniform meteorological forcing, Flux-PIHM is able to simulate the observed macro spatial pattern of soil moisture at ~10-m resolution (spatial correlation coefficient ~ 0.6) and the day-to-day variation of this soil moisture pattern, although it underestimates the amplitude of the spatial variability and the mean soil moisture. Results show that the spatial distribution of soil hydraulic parameters has the dominant effect on the soil moisture spatial pattern. The surface topography and depth to bedrock also affect the soil moisture patterns in this watershed. Using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) in place of a local tree survey map makes a negligible difference. Field measured soil type maps and soil type-specific hydraulic parameters significantly improve the predicted soil moisture pattern as compared to the most detailed national soils database (Soil Survey Geographic Database, or SSURGO, 30-m resolution). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cystometry: II. Central nervous system organization of detrusor reflex

Micturition is a brain stem reflex dependent on the integrity of reticulospinal and sensory pathways in a manner similar to respiration and blood pressure regulation. The detrusor reflex which is evoked by bladder distention and may appear in the normal cystometrogram is a result of the integrity of the circuit. Interruption of the spinal cord pathways of this loop by trauma or by spinal cord tumors results in abolition of detrusor reflex. Partial interruption results in an uninhibited detrusor reflex.
A critical overview of neural network pattern classifiers

A taxonomy of neural network pattern classifiers is presented which includes four major groupings. Global discriminant classifiers use sigmoid or polynomial computing elements that have 'high' nonzero outputs over most of their input space. Local discriminant classifiers use Gaussian or other localized computing elements that have 'high' nonzero outputs over only a small localized region of their input space. Nearest neighbor classifiers compute the distance to stored exemplar patterns and rule forming classifiers use binary threshold-logic computing elements to produce binary outputs. Results of experiments are presented which demonstrate that neural network classifiers provide error rates which are equivalent to and sometimes lower than those of more conventional Gaussian. Gaussian mixture, and binary three classifiers using the same amount of training data. >
Segmenting Chromospheric Images with Markov Random Fields

The solar chromosphere roughly consists of three types of region: plage, network, and background. Thresholding individual pixel intensities is typically used to identify these regions in solar images. We have incorporated spatial information by using a Bayesian setup with an image prior that prefers spatially coherent labelings; resulting segmentations are more physically reasonable. These priors are a first step in developing an appropriate model for chromospheric images.
Particle interactions in matter at the terascale: The cosmic-ray experience

Abstract Cosmic-rays with energies up to 3 × 10 20 eV have been observed, as have astrophysical neutrinos with energies above 1 PeV. In this talk, I will discuss some of the unique phenomena that occur when particles with TeV energies and above interact with matter. The emphasis will be on lepton interactions. The cross-sections for electron bremsstrahlung and photon pair conversion are suppressed at high energies, by the Landau–Pomeranchuk–Migdal (LPM) effect, lengthening electromagnetic showers. At still higher energies (above 10 20 eV), photonuclear and electronuclear interactions dominate, and showers become predominantly hadronic. Muons interact much less strongly, so can travel long distances through solids before losing energy. Tau leptons behave similarly, although their short lifetime limits how far they can travel. The hadronic interaction cross-section is believed to continue to increase slowly with rising energy; measurements of cosmic-ray air showers seem to confirm this prediction.
Use of a Reflectance Spectrophotometer in Evaluating Shade Change Resulting from Tooth-Whitening Products

Historically, shade change assessment associated with vital bleaching treatment regimens has been visually evaluated through the use of shade guide tabs. Innovations in the industry of dentistry have brought forth new technologies capable of measuring such changes via the capture and analysis of reflected wavelengths of light. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This article introduces the use of a 45/0 reflectance spectrophotometer and identifies the advantages and limitations associated with such a technology in the assessment of shade change owing to vital bleaching.
Immunopathogenesis of HIV-1 infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), the etiologic agent of AIDS, typically elicits progressive and ultimately profound immunosuppression in untreated persons. Once HIV-1 infection is established, the clinical progression is generally steady and associated with progressive destruction of the immune system. Without treatment, HIV-1 disease progresses to AIDS over a median interval of about 10 years, eventually causing death in most cases. The course of HIV-1 disease is likely determined by the interaction between the virus and its host, by the rapidity of viral replication, and the magnitude of the immune response that is generated. An understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection is critical to the ultimate development of an effective vaccine, which is the only hope for global control of this virus. In this review, we will discuss the virology of HIV-1, explore its immunopathogenesis, and discuss the ensuing immune responses that are generated and the potential mechanisms for immunoprotection.
Effect of acute hypovolemic hypotension on cerebral metabolism in newborn piglets

To evaluate the temporal changes in cerebral energy metabolism in shock during the perinatal period, we studied cerebral blood flow (CBF) and other metabolic variables in newborn piglets subjected an acute hypovolemic hypotension (HVH). By 30 minutes following HVH, the cardiac output dropped 64%, but the CBF was maintained. Serum glucose rose 110% baseline, resulting in an increase in brain glucose delivery. Cerebral metabolic rate of glucose also increased 246%, while that of oxygen remained unaffected. Further, at 30 minutes of HVH, systemic arterial lactate levels increased 250%, but cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate levels remained in the normal range. By contrast, at 60 minutes following HVH, the CBF dropped 60%, the cerebral metabolic rate for glucose dropped 45%, and that of oxygen 43% of the respective baseline values. A profound systemic lactatemia was noted (500% baseline value), with a concomitant rise in the CSF lactate levels to 190% baseline value. These findings suggest that post-hemorrhagic hypovolemia can be divided into two arbitrary, but distinct phases: 1) An initial phase of relative compensation lasting approximately 30 minutes, during which time the brain utilization of metabolic substrates is well preserved. 2) A later phase of decompensation by 60 minutes of HVH, during which time the CBF as well as brain utilization of metabolic sustrates drop significantly. By this time a loss of blood-CSF or brain-CSF barrier for lactate can be seen. The findings of this study may have important implications in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock in the perinatal period.
Note on the Kolmogorov Statistic in the Discrete Case.

A simple demonstration of the conservative character of the Kolmogorov test in the case of discrete distributions is given.
Surface-Based Scaffold Design: A Mechanobiological Approach

Despite recent need-based advances in orthopedic scaffold design, current implants are unsuitable as “total” scaffold replacements. Both mechanical requirements of stiffness/strength and biological stipulations dictating cellular behavior (attachment, differentiation) should be included. The amount of mechanical stimulation in the form of stresses, strains, and energies most suitable toward implant design is presently unknown. Additionally unknown is if whole-bone optimization goals such as uniform and non-uniform driving forces are applicable to a scaffold-bone interface. At the very least, scaffolds ready for implantation should exhibit mechanical distributions (dependent on loading type) on the surface within the typical mechanical usage window. Scaffold micro-architectures can be strategically shifted into that window. The overall goal of this study was to produce microarchitectures tailored to a more uniform mechanical distribution, while maintaining the morphological properties necessary to sustain its mechanical integrity. The mechanical adjustment stimuli investigated were von Mises stress, strain energy density, maximum principle strain, and volumetric strain. Scaffold models of a similar volume fraction were generated of three initial architectures (Rhombitruncated Cuboctahedron, hollow sphere, and trabecular-like bone cube) using high resolution voxel mapping. The resulting voxels were translated into finite element meshes and solved, with a specially written iterative solver created in Fortran90, under confined displacement boundary conditions. The result was verified against a commercial software. Once the mechanical distributions were identified one of two methods was chosen to alter the configuration of material in Cartesian space. The success of the alteration was judged through a diagnostic based on the histogram of mechanical values present on the surface of the micro-architecture. The first method used a compliant approach and, for the case of stress, reinforced locations on the surface with large stresses with extra material (strategically taken from the least stressed portions). The second method used a simulated annealing approach to randomly mutate the initial state in a “temperature” dependent manner. Results indicate that the mechanical distributions of the initial scaffold designs vary significantly. Additionally, the end state of the adjustment demonstrated anisotropy shifts toward the direction of loading. Moreover, the adjustment methods were found to be sensitive both to the mechanical parameter used for adjustment and the portion of the surface adjusted at each increment. In conclusion, scaffolds may be adjusted using a mechanical surface-based objective, as the surface of the scaffold is crucial toward its in vivo acceptance. This technique provides some mathematical specificity toward the whole of computer-aided tissue engineering.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Crisis information concerns: Information needs of domestic violence survivors

The personal crisis of coping with or escaping from a violent relationship requires that survivors have accurate, current, appropriate, and contextually-useful information. Police and shelter staff, who are the governmental and private sector first-responders, make substantial efforts to provide that information both at the moment of crisis and in the often lengthy period of after-shocks. Their repeated efforts to more fully anticipate and understand survivor information needs over time are informed by interactions with large numbers of survivors. Growing from this reservoir of knowledge and experience, this 10-city study uses in-depth interviews with 19 intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors, 14 shelter staff, 10 shelter directors, and 14 police officers to identify information needs in IPV survivors' efforts to escape from or cope with IPV. The person-in-progressive-situation model of everyday life information-seeking (ELIS) theory provides the analytic framework. Analysis revealed three progressive situations with attendant clusters of information needs: (1) considering a change from an abusive situation, (2) adjusting to change while in the shelter and/or criminal justice system, and (3) preparing for post-shelter and/or post-police life. In addition, continual legal information needs form a fourth situation since law and regulations weave throughout all three of the progressive situations. Service and research implications are discussed.
Volume per stock‐keeping unit for an assortment: A merchandise planning tool

Assortment planning, the determination of the range of choices to be made available at a given time, is a primary merchandising function. Many people with different job titles in both apparel manufacturing and retailing make decisions that impact merchandise assortments. The purpose of this paper is to explain the concept of assortment diversity as measured by volume per stock‐keeping unit for an assortment (VSA), describe the relationship of VSA to per cent gross margin (%GM), and propose topics for further research.
Clinical outcomes of high-dose-rate brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy in the management of clinically localized prostate cancer.

Abstract Purpose To report prostate-specific antigen (PSA) relapse-free survival and treatment-related toxicity outcomes after combining high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods and Materials Between 1998 and 2009, 229 patients were treated with HDR brachytherapy followed 3 weeks later by supplemental EBRT. The HDR brachytherapy boost consisted of three fractions of 192 Ir (5.5–7.5 Gy per fraction), and EBRT consisted of intensity-modulated radiotherapy delivering an additional 45.0–50.4 Gy directed to the prostate gland and seminal vesicles. Median follow-up was 61 months. Results Seven-year PSA relapse-free survival for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients were 95%, 90%, and 57%, respectively ( p Conclusion HDR prostate brachytherapy in conjunction with supplemental EBRT results in excellent biochemical relapse-free survival rates with a low incidence of severe late genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicities. The use of short-term neoadjuvant androgen deprivation did not influence long-term biochemical tumor control in this cohort.
Effective potential for complex Langevin equations

Abstract We construct an effective potential for the complex Langevin equation on a lattice. We show that the minimum of this effective potential gives the space–time and Langevin time average of the complex Langevin field. The loop expansion of the effective potential is matched with the derivative expansion of the associated Schwinger–Dyson equation to predict the stationary distribution to which the complex Langevin equation converges.
Occult rupture of a main stem bronchus

This report described a patient with multiple injuries in whom a major bronchial tear was not diagnosed early because the lung reexpanded initially. When pulmonary sepsis intervened and the bronchial injury was discovered, repair could not be accomplished because of continuing sepsis. The case emphasizes the need for early bronchoscopic evaluation in suspected bronchial injury even in the face of multiple other injuries which may draw the focus of attention away from a correctible bronchial disruption.
A dual closed-loop control system for mechanical ventilation.

Objective. Closed-loop mechanical ventilation has the potential to provide more effective ventilatory support to patients with less complexity than conventional ventilation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an automatic technique for mechanical ventilation. Methods. Two closed-loop control systems for mechanical ventilation are combined in this study. In one of the control systems several physiological data are used to automatically adjust the frequency and tidal volume of breaths of a patient. This method, which is patented under US Patent number 4986268, uses the criterion of minimal respiratory work rate to provide the patient with a natural pattern of breathing. The inputs to the system include data representing CO2 and O2 levels of the patient as well as respiratory compliance and airway resistance. The I:E ratio is adjusted on the basis of the respiratory time constant to allow for effective emptying of the lungs in expiration and to avoid intrinsic positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). This system is combined with another closed-loop control system for automatic adjustment of the inspired fraction of oxygen of the patient. This controller uses the feedback of arterial oxygen saturation of the patient and combines a rapid stepwise control procedure with a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm to automatically adjust the oxygen concentration in the patient's inspired gas. The dual closed-loop control system has been examined by using mechanical lung studies, computer simulations and animal experiments. Results. In the mechanical lung studies, the ventilation controller adjusted the breathing frequency and tidal volume in a clinically appropriate manner in response to changes in respiratory mechanics. The results of computer simulations and animal studies under induced disturbances showed that blood gases were returned to the normal physiologic range in less than 25 s by the control system. In the animal experiments under steady-state conditions, the maximum standard deviations of arterial oxygen saturation and the end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 were ± 1.76% and ± 1.78 mmHg, respectively. Conclusion. The controller maintained the arterial blood gases within normal limits under steady-state conditions and the transient response of the system was robust under various disturbances. The results of the study have showed that the proposed dual closed-loop technique has effectively controlled mechanical ventilation under different test conditions.
Telescience and advanced technologies

Space Station and its associated laboratories, coupled with the availability of new computing and communications technologies, have the potential of significantly enhancing scientific research. Telescience involves the interaction of scientific researchers and equipment on earth with on-board personnel and equipment as well as with other researchers, remote ground-based resources, mission control personnel, and space station developers. To assure that this potential is met, scientists and managers associated with the Space Station project must gain significant experience with the use of these technologies for scientific research, and this experience must be fed into the development process for Space Station.In this talk, a pilot program is described that is attempting to address this problem. University researchers are conducting rapid prototyping testbeds employing new telescience technologies and ideas. These testbeds are specific research experiments within the scientific discipline areas that will use Space Station laboratories. The experiments are being carried out in a coordinated manner to allow the critical questions to be answered by groups of scientists working with technologists in a rapid prototyping testbed environment.The rapid prototyping testbeds are not like a typical testbed. Rather than being used to evaluate and integrate systems on the way to deployment, the rapid prototyping testbeds constitute a Technology Evaluation Environment (TEE), allowing users to interact with advanced technologies in the conduct of scientific research in order to develop the required base of experience to permit development and evaluation of requirements and specifications.
Pictorial superiority effects in oldest-old people.

In this article, we examined memory for pictures and words in middle-age (45-59 years), young-old (60-74 years), old-old (75-89 years) and the oldest-old adults (90-97 years) in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study. Stimulus items were presented and retention was tested in a blocked order where half of the participants studied 16 simple line drawings and the other half studied matching words during acquisition. Free recall and recognition followed. In the next acquisition/test block, a new set of items was used where the stimulus format was changed relative to the first block. Results yielded pictorial superiority effects in both retention measures for all age groups. Follow-up analyses of clustering in free recall revealed a greater number of categories were accessed (which reflects participants' retrieval plan) and more items were recalled per category (which reflects participants' encoding strategy) when pictures served as stimuli compared to words. Cognitive status and working memory span were correlated with picture and word recall. Regression analyses confirmed that these individual difference variables accounted for significant age-related variance in recall. These data strongly suggest that the oldest-old can utilize nonverbal memory codes to support long-term retention as effectively as do younger adults.
Characterization and importance of air leak after lobectomy.

Background Air leak after pulmonary resection is a common occurrence that is incompletely characterized. Our objectives were to determine prevalence of air leak and identify its risk factors, characterize its duration and discover its correlates, and evaluate its clinical importance. Methods Air leak was studied in 319 patients undergoing isolated anatomic lobectomy between January 1998 and July 2001. Risk factors for air leak were identified by logistic regression of patient characteristics, indications for lobectomy, lobe resected, and fissure management. Factors associated with air leak duration were sought by time-related analysis. Association of complications with air leak was evaluated by propensity-matched pairs analysis. Results Prevalence: Air leak prevalence was 58% (186 patients). It occurred less frequently after left lower lobectomy ( p p = 0.008). It was surgeon dependent ( p = 0.007) but not associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Duration: The 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of air leak duration were 1.6, 3, and 7 days, respectively. No factors, including fissure management, were reliably associated with air leak duration. Importance: Air leak was associated with more complications (30% vs 18%, p = 0.07) and protracted hospital course ( p = 0.02). Conclusions Postoperative air leak is a common occurrence after lobectomy, but fortunately it is self-limiting in most patients. Air leak is independently associated with longer hospital stay and other postoperative complications. Surgical technique is important and may be the only modifiable factor.
Marfan Syndrome, MPGN, and Bacterial Endocarditis

D C sethi. s arfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder characterized by cular, skeletal, and cardiovascular manifestations. ardiovascular manifestations include dilatation and issection of the proximal aorta and mitral valve rolapse. Marfan syndrome is estimated to have a revalence of 1 case/10,000 people, and at least 5% of cases occur in the absence of a family istory, suggesting parental germ-line defects. Renal complications are uncommon in patients ith Marfan syndrome. We describe a patient with arfan syndrome with proteinuria and renal insufciency. Renal biopsy showed membranoproliferaive glomerulonephritis (MPGN) that led to the etection of an unsuspected systemic disease involvng the kidney. In this report, we discuss one of the mportant secondary causes of MPGN.