cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision aid use during post-biopsy consultations for localized prostate cancer.

Author(s): Holmes-Rovner, Margaret; Srikanth, Akshay; Henry, Stephen G; Langford, Aisha; Rovner, David R; Fagerlin, Angela | Abstract: BackgroundDecision Aids (DAs) effectively translate medical evidence for patients but are not routinely used in clinical practice. Little is known about how DAs are used during patient-clinician encounters.ObjectiveTo characterize the content and communicative function of high-quality DAs during diagnostic clinic visits for prostate cancer.Participants252 men newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer who had received a DA, 45 treating physicians at 4 US Veterans Administration urology clinics.MethodsQualitative analysis of transcribed audio recordings was used to inductively develop categories capturing content and function of all direct references to DAs (booklet talk). The presence or absence of any booklet talk per transcript was also calculated.ResultsBooklet talk occurred in 55% of transcripts. Content focused on surgical procedures (36%); treatment choice (22%); and clarifying risk classification (17%). The most common function of booklet talk was patient corroboration of physicians' explanations (42%), followed by either physician or patient acknowledgement that the patient had the booklet. Codes reflected the absence of DA use for shared decision-making. In regression analysis, predictors of booklet talk were fewer years of patient education (Pn=n.027) and more time in the encounter (Pn=n.027). Patient race, DA type, time reading the DA, physician informing quality and physician age did not predict booklet talk.ConclusionsResults show that good decision aids, systematically provided to patients, appeared to function not to open up deliberations about how to balance benefits and harms of competing treatments, but rather to allow patients to ask narrow technical questions about recommended treatments.
Secure coding practices in Java: challenges and vulnerabilities

The Java platform and its third-party libraries provide useful features to facilitate secure coding. However, misusing them can cost developers time and effort, as well as introduce security vulnerabilities in software. We conducted an empirical study on StackOverflow posts, aiming to understand developers' concerns on Java secure coding, their programming obstacles, and insecure coding practices. We observed a wide adoption of the authentication and authorization features provided by Spring Security---a third-party framework designed to secure enterprise applications. We found that programming challenges are usually related to APIs or libraries, including the complicated cross-language data handling of cryptography APIs, and the complex Java-based or XML-based approaches to configure Spring Security. In addition, we reported multiple security vulnerabilities in the suggested code of accepted answers on the StackOverfow forum. The vulnerabilities included disabling the default protection against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, breaking SSL/TLS security through bypassing certificate validation, and using insecure cryptographic hash functions. Our findings reveal the insufficiency of secure coding assistance and documentation, as well as the huge gap between security theory and coding practices.
Idiomata: Direct manipulation of code through idiomatic views

Currently, front-end web developers spend countless hours overcoming programming challenges while debugging unexpected asynchronous behaviors, writing code to interact with a framework's API, or fixing faults. Such problems demand rethinking programming tools, and for that, we systematically analyzed 301 posts from Stack Overflow, and sought to identify the programming activities developers struggled with and find information barriers that were the primary cause of their challenges. Our results reveal that developers most commonly post questions to change behavior of existing code. Further, specific discussions or changes in code fragments that conceptually have the same intention (e.g. both document.querySelector(“x”) and $(“x”) retrieve references from the DOM), often presented reoccurring challenges that demanded different reasoning to obtain equivalent runtime information (e.g. check if a DOM reference matches what is intended in the output). Code idioms are those concepts underlying patterns in code and by categorizing them, we were able to associate their challenges to execution information barriers that prevent developers from observing relevant state and behavior at runtime (e.g. mapping a DOM reference in a code fragment to its element in the output), and selection barriers that prevent developers from finding or choosing the correct object, method, or parameter values to achieve a desired behavior (e.g. generating code that references a DOM element).
Mentoring students about career and life.

Is it sexist for a mentor to ask a student making career choices about her reproductive plans?
Parallel Computing for Gene Networks Reverse Engineering

Gene networks provide a mathematical representation of gene interactions that govern biological processes in every living organism. Given a gene expression data, the goal of network inference is to reconstruct the underlying regulatory network. The problem is challenging owing to the convoluted nature of biological interactions and imperfection of experimental data. In many cases, the resulting computational models are too complex to execute on a sequential computer and require scalable parallel approaches. In this chapter, we describe network inference methods based on information theory and show a parallel algorithm that enables whole-genome networks reconstruction.
Norm Adaptation and Revision in a Multi-Agent System

In this paper we address the question of assigning social norms to agents: should we attempt to ascribe social norms to agents that will act in complex dynamic environments, or is it possible to allow the agents to adapt to new situations as they arise, and choose their norms accordingly? We argue that adaptation is preferable to prescription, in that agents should be allowed to revise their norms on the fly. A system is constructed in which the performance of multiple agents operating in the same environment can be assessed. Experimental results concerning alternative norm selection strategies are presented and discussed.
Leaving the Barrio and Entering the Culture of College: Padilla Testimonios:

This study uses a testimonios research methodology to explore the familial origins of educational resilience and to report on the entering into the culture of college by four brothers in a Latin@ f...
Diversity of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria of Rhus Tripartitus in arid soil of Algeria (Ahaggar) and their physiological properties under abiotic stresses

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) associated with Ucria ( Rhus tripartitus) represents a good alternative for including this crop in revegetation programs in arid area. In this study, 137 bacterial strains were isolated in Tryptic Soy Agar medium (TSA) from six samples of ucria’s rhizospheric soil (Ahaggar, Algeria), based on colony characteristics, Gram © reaction, oxidase and catalase tests. To evaluate their PGP activities and their physiological characteristics under stress environment, ten tests were made. Sixty strains of 16 genera were selected for their PGPR abilities, which represent 43.79% to the total of rhizobacteria isolated. The maximum bacterial population were Bacillus (35%). 71.66% of isolates were able to solubilize the phosphate, 31.66% were able to produce Indole Acid Acetic (IAA), 58.33% were siderophore producers, 28,33% were able to produce Cyanhydric Acid (HCN) and 70% were able to grow without any source of nitrogen. Indeed, PGPR strains have shown tolerance and/or resistance to several experimental environmental conditions. As a conclusion, the PGPR strains of Ucria’s rhizosphere were shown a good potential for biofertilization and biocontrol of crops, and their tolerance to abiotic stresses is an interesting step to support their utilities.
Evaluating Healthy Vending at the American Heart Association National Center: A Pilot Study.

Purpose:To determine whether a 100% healthy vending model would affect revenue, employee satisfaction, and nutrition in the workplace.Design:This study compared revenue and nutrition data pre- and ...
Naming and Confronting the Challenges of Bilingual Teacher Preparation: A Dilemma for Dual Language Education in California -- Lessons Learned.

At a time when Dual Language programs are growing exponentially, educators’ conversations revolve around the challenges to identify, name, and confront the pressing issues in effective preparation ...
Lidar time-series analysis of a rapidly transgressing low-lying mainland barrier (Caminada Headlands, Louisiana, USA)

Abstract Coastal barriers are the first line of defense against storm surge and wind wave induced hazards. Their response to such events, therefore, require continual assessment. Airborne lidar surveying is a valuable remote sensing technique used to assess the dynamics of coastal dunes driven by the impacts of storms and the subsequent recovery processes. Different from previous research conducted on this topic, where pre- and post-storm surveys are employed to analyze the effects of isolated extreme events, this study makes use of a 15-year lidar survey time series of the Caminada-Moreau Headlands. The Caminada-Moreau Headlands, located in Louisiana, USA, on the Gulf of Mexico's northern coast, is a low-gradient, low-elevation mainland barrier which is rapidly eroding due to sediment deprivation, alongshore sediment transport, relative sea-level rise, and cumulative storm impacts. The time period analyzed, from 1998 to 2013, was notable for the number and intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms making landfall in the region. The analyses of the lidar data show that, while storms have frequently overwashed and destroyed the dunes, natural dune recovery has managed to maintain a nearly stable alongshore-averaged dune volume. On the other hand, change in dune crest elevation in the most vulnerable stretches of the coastline has not kept pace with sea-level rise. The analyses herein further suggest that, for low-elevation dunes which rapidly transition into backbarrier wetlands, the relative quantity of subaerial land surface area to open water, directly landward of the duneline, is an influential parameter affecting barrier shoreline morphodynamics.
Ground Contact Time Imbalances Strongly Related to Impaired Running Economy.

Running economy (RE) is defined as the oxygen consumption (VO2) or caloric unit cost required to move at a specific velocity and is an important performance marker. Ground contact time (GCT) has been associated with RE; however, it has not been established how GCT imbalances between feet impact RE. Purpose Determine the relationship between cadence, GCT, and GCT imbalances and RE. Methods 11 NCAA Division I distance runners (7 male) completed a graded exercise test on a treadmill to determine lactate threshold (LT) and VO2max. Body composition was also assessed via DEXA. Subjects ran with a heart rate monitor capable of measuring cadence, GCT, and GCT balance between feet. VO2 and respiratory exchange ratio were recorded over the last minute of the 5-minute stages. RE expressed as caloric unit cost (kcal·kg-1·km-1) was calculated for the stage determined to be just below the LT (prior to > 4mmol/L) and was correlated with cadence, GCT, and GCT imbalance by Pearson correlations. Results Pearson correlations between RE and the running dynamics measures were as follows: cadence (r = -.444, p = .171), GCT (r = .492, p = .125), GCT Imbalance (r = .808, p < .005). An independent t-test revealed greater (p = .023) leg lean mass imbalances in runners with larger GCT imbalances compared to runners with smaller GCT imbalances. Conclusion GCT imbalances are strongly related to impaired RE. Future research should determine how to improve GCT imbalances and if doing so improves RE.
Communicating with Generation Z: Graphic Design for Instructor-Created Classroom Documents

This paper discusses the need for educators to practice graphic design conventions when creating classroom documents. An analysis of various instructor-created documents reveals common design trends, many of which mimic academic writing styles such as that of the Modern Language Association. Unfortunately, these design approaches do not resonate with today's traditional college students, who belong to Generation Z. Instead, educators should consider ways to embrace graphic design conventions for these documents to improve communication with their students.
Coronavirus Challenges for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing in 2021.

From our initial incredulity and fear to our present state of grim weariness in winter darkness, we enter 2021 still grappling with the coronavirus plague that has rocked our world. We are still re...
Endothelin B receptors impair baroreflex function and increase blood pressure variability during high salt diet.

Abstract Baroreflex function is an integral component maintaining consistent blood pressure. Hypertension is often associated with baroreflex dysfunction, and environmental risk factors such as high salt diet exacerbate hypertension in subjects with baroreflex dysfunction. However, the interactions between high salt diet, baroreflex dysfunction, and hypertension are incompletely understood. The endothelin system is another potent mediator of blood pressure control especially in response to a high salt diet. We hypothesized that the endothelin B (ETB) receptor activation on adrenergic nerves decreases baroreflex sensitivity. We utilized male ETB receptor deficient (ETB-def) rats that express functional ETB receptors only on adrenergic nerves and transgenic (TG) controls to evaluate baroreflex function during normal (0.49% NaCl) and high (4.0% NaCl) salt diets. In conscious rats equipped with telemetry, ETB-def rats had an increased lability of systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to TG controls as indicated by higher standard deviation (SD) of SBP under both normal (10.2 ± 0.6 vs. 12.4 ± 0.9 mmHg, respectively, p = 0.0001) and high (11.7 ± 0.6 vs. 16.1 ± 1.0 mmHg, p = 0.0001) salt diets. In anesthetized preparations, ETB-def rats displayed reduced heart rate (p genotype = 0.0167) and renal sympathetic nerve (p genotype = 0.0022) baroreflex sensitivity. We then gave male Sprague-Dawley rats the selective ETB receptor antagonist, A-192621 (10 mg/kg/day), to block ETB receptors. Following ETB receptor antagonism, even though SBP increased (131 ± 7 before vs. 152 ± 8 mmHg after, p
Characterizing stored red blood cells using ultra-high throughput holographic cytometry

Abstract Holographic cytometry is introduced as an ultra-high throughput implementation of quantitative phase image based on off-axis interferometry of cells flowing through parallel microfluidic channels. Here, it is applied for characterizing morphological changes of red blood cells during storage under regular blood bank condition. The approach allows high quality phase imaging of a large number of cells greatly extending our ability to study cellular phenotypes using individual cell images. Holographic cytology measurements show multiple physical traits of the cells, including optical volume and area, which are observed to consistently change over the storage time. In addition, the large volume of cell imaging data can serve as training data for machine learning algorithms. For the study here, logistic regression is used to classify the cells according to the storage time points. The results of the classifiers demonstrate the potential of holographic cytometry as a diagnostic tool.
Agency-Academic Collaboration in Evidence-Based Practice

SUMMARY Evidence-based practice requires special expertise and ideological commitment which are harder to operationalize than to articulate. Combining the elements of a learning community with the research orientation required of an evidence-based approach to innovation led the authors to revisit the Intervention Design and Development model posited by Rothman and others. Applying it to a staff development initiative provides evidence that an interstitial system composed of academics and agency personnel, drawing on the unique talents and contributions of each, can work together in improving the quality of practice while simultaneously meeting the separate needs of each constituency.
The Information Content of Forward and Futures Prices : Market Expectations and the Price of Risk

Forward and futures rates are frequently used as measures of market expectations. In this paper we apply standard forecast efficiency tests, and some newer exact sign and rank tests, to a wide range of forward and futures rates, and in this way test whether these are in fact rational expectations of future actual prices. The forward and futures rates that we study under a common methodology include foreign exchange forward rates, U.S. and foreign interest rate futures and forward rates, oil futures and natural gas futures. For most, but not all, of these instruments, we find that we can reject the hypothesis that the forward or futures rates are rational expectations of actual future prices. It is well known that foreign exchange forward rates give less accurate forecasts than a random walk, but we show that this is also true for some interest rate futures and forward rates. We conclude that forward and futures prices are not generally pure measures of market expectations: they are also heavily affected by the market price of risk.
Characterization of Mesoscale Predictability

Abstract : One of the major efforts in the atmospheric sciences has been to develop and implement high-resolution forecast models and to improve their parameterization of unresolved physical processes (boundary-layer transport, cloud microphysics ). For the last three decades, the relatively pessimistic predictions of Lorenz (1969) about the predictability of small-scale (i.e., mesoscale) atmospheric features have been largely ignored as routine weather forecasts were conducted at increasingly fine scale. Recent research suggests there are nevertheless, significant limitations to the predictability of mesoscale atmospheric circulations. Our goal is to develop an understanding of the predictability of such circulations in forecasts generated by state-of-the-art high-resolution mesoscale models.
Signal Processing on Graphs: Modeling (Causal) Relations in Big Data

Many big data applications collect a large number of time series, for example, the financial data of companies quoted in a stock exchange, the health care data of all patients that visit the emergency room of a hospital, or the temperature sequences continuously measured by weather stations across the US. A first task in the analytics of these data is to derive a low dimensional representation, a graph or discrete manifold, that describes well the interrelations among the time series and their intrarelations across time. This paper presents a computationally tractable algorithm for estimating this graph structure from the available data. This graph is directed and weighted, possibly representing causation relations, not just correlations as in most existing approaches in the literature. The algorithm is demonstrated on random graph and real network time series datasets, and its performance is compared to that of related methods. The adjacency matrices estimated with the new method are close to the true graph in the simulated data and consistent with prior physical knowledge in the real dataset tested.
Microthrombomodulin. Residues 310-486 from the epidermal growth factor precursor homology domain of thrombomodulin will accelerate protein C activation.

Thrombomodulin is the endothelial cell cofactor for thrombin-catalyzed activation of protein C. Recently, we isolated a 10-kDa thrombin binding fragment, CB3, from the epidermal growth factor precursor homology domain (epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like regions) of thrombomodulin (Kurasawa, S., Stearns, D. J., Jackson, K.W., and Esmon, C.T. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 5993-5996). The CB3 fragment did not, however, support protein C activation. A 29-kDa fragment, called CB23, has now been isolated and corresponds to residues 310-486 in the EGF-like region of thrombomodulin. The CB23 fragment bound thrombin and accelerated thrombin-catalyzed protein C activation. With two separate preparations of CB23, the Km for protein C was 1.6 and 1.9 microM and the Kd for thrombin was 8.9 and 13.2 nM. The carboxyl terminus of CB23 and CB3 was identified by isolation and sequence analysis of a tryptic peptide from CB3. The sequence of this peptide corresponded to Asn457-Ser486, indicating that the carboxyl terminus of these fragments is 6 residues beyond the sixth EGF-like region of thrombomodulin. In addition, although CB3 cannot accelerate protein C activation, CB3 did inhibit the rate of thrombin-catalyzed fibrinopeptide release from fibrinogen. Thus, like native thrombomodulin, CB3 will alter thrombin's substrate specificity, but protein C activation requires additional information all of which can be provided by other regions of the EGF-like domain.
The Impact of Distributed Object Technology on Reengineering (Panel Session Introduction)

Distributed object technology is dramatically changing the nature and economics of reengineering in two important ways. The first is the new approach to reengineering that distributed object technology offers. Traditional reengineering is based on "deep" program understanding and reverse engineering. The cost/benefit ratio of this approach is staying the same in the face of new technologies such as CORBA, Java, and the Web. However, the benefits of "shallow" interface understanding and component wrapping using these technologies is rising rapidly relative to the replacement cost. The second impact is on reengineering of systems that are built using distributed objects. This paper introduces the panel on the impact of distributed object technology and reengineering. It includes the position statements from each of the four panel members: Hausi Muller, Kurt Wallnau, Harry Sneed, and Mike Olsem.
Regulation of heat shock protein 70 release in astrocytes: Role of signaling kinases

The ability to mount a successful stress response in the face of injury is critical to the long-term viability of individual cells and to the organism in general. The stress response, characterized in part by the upregulation of heat shock proteins, is compromised in several neurodegenerative disorders and in some neuronal populations, including motoneurons (MNs). Because astrocytes have a greater capacity than neurons to survive metabolic stress, and because they are intimately associated with the regulation of neuronal function, it is important to understand their stress response, so that we may to better appreciate the impact of stress on neuronal viability during injury or disease. We show that astrocytes subjected to hyperthermia upregulate Hsp/c70 in addition to intracellular signaling components including activated forms of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), Akt, and c-jun N-terminal kinase/stress activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK). Furthermore, astrocytes release increasing amounts of Hsp/c70 into the extracellular environment following stress, an event that is abrogated when signaling through the ERK1/2 and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathways is compromised and enhanced by inhibition of the JNK pathway. Last, we show that the Hsp/c70 is released from astrocytes in exosomes. Together, these data illustrate the diverse regulation of stress-induced Hsp/c70 release in exosomes, and the way in which the balance of activated signal transduction pathways affects this release. These data highlight how stressful insults can alter the microenvironment of an astrocyte, which may ultimately have implications for the survival of neighboring neurons.
Tridiagonal factorizations of Fourier matrices and applications to parallel computations of discrete Fourier transforms

Abstract Let ω n =e −2πi n , and Fn be the n × n matrix defined by F n = 1 n (ω ij n ) , where i and j run from 0 to n – 1. Two different methods are developed for factoring Fn into products of tridiagonal and permutation matrices. One method is based on matrix identities associated with FFTs and the Rader prime algorithm. The other method is based on a numerical technique, never before applied to Fourier matrices, called minimal-variable oblique elimination. New results established in this paper include the establishment of necessary and sufficient conditions for which minimal-variable oblique elimination can be used to compute tridiagonal decompositions of arbitrary square matrices and explicit descriptions of minimal-variable solutions in the case that the descriptions are satisfied, proof that minimal-variable oblique elimination can be applied successfully to Fourier matrices of all orders, and explicit descriptions of various tridiagonal decompositions of PFn for any n × n permutation matrix P. Complexity estimates are derived for both the parallel algorithms resulting from the decompositions and computation of the decompositions, and timings are estimated for processor arrays constructed using GAPP chips.
Leptin Regulates Cardiomyocyte Contractile Function Through Endothelin-1 Receptor–NADPH Oxidase Pathway

Leptin, the obese gene product, plays an important role in the regulation of cardiac function. However, the mechanism behind leptin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile response is poorly understood. This study was designed to examine whether endothelin-1 receptor and NADPH oxidase play any role in leptin-induced cardiac contractile response. Isolated murine cardiomyocytes were exposed to leptin (5, 50, and 100 nmol/L) for 60 minutes in the absence or presence of the ETA receptor antagonist BQ123 (1 micromol/L), the ETB receptor antagonist BQ788 (1 micromol/L), or the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (100 micromol/L) before mechanical function was studied. Superoxide levels were measured by dihydroethidium fluorescent dye and the superoxide dismutase-inhibitable reduction of cytochrome c. NADPH oxidase subunit expression (p22phox, p47phox, p67phox, and gp91phox) was evaluated with Western blot. Leptin depressed peak shortening and maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening (+/-dL/dt), prolonged the duration of relengthening (TR90) without affecting the time-to-peak cell shortening. Consistent with the mechanical characteristics, myocytes treated with leptin displayed a reduced electrically stimulated rise in intracellular Ca2+ (change in fura-2 fluorescence intensity) associated with a prolonged intracellular Ca2+ decay rate. All of the abnormalities were significantly attenuated by apocynin, BQ123, or BQ788. Intracellular superoxide generation was enhanced after leptin treatment, which was partially blocked by apocynin, BQ123, or BQ788. Leptin had no effect on p22phox and gp91phox but upregulated protein expression of p67phox and p47phox, both of which were inhibited by apocynin, BQ123, or BQ788. These results suggest that leptin suppresses cardiac contractile function in ventricular myocytes through the endothelin-1 receptor and NADPH oxidase-mediated pathway.
Assessment of Mitochondrial Functions and Cell Viability in Renal Cells Overexpressing Protein Kinase C Isozymes

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of isozymes is involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Our recent data demonstrate that PKC regulates mitochondrial function and cellular energy status. Numerous reports demonstrated that the activation of PKC-a and PKC-e improves mitochondrial function in the ischemic heart and mediates cardioprotection. In contrast, we have demonstrated that PKC-α and PKC-e are involved in nephrotoxicant-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in kidney cells. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop an in vitro model of renal cells maintaining active mitochondrial functions in which PKC isozymes could be selectively activated or inhibited to determine their role in regulation of oxidative phosphorylation and cell survival. Primary cultures of renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC) were cultured in improved conditions resulting in mitochondrial respiration and activity of mitochondrial enzymes similar to those in RPTC in vivo. Because traditional transfection techniques (Lipofectamine, electroporation) are inefficient in primary cultures and have adverse effects on mitochondrial function, PKC-e mutant cDNAs were delivered to RPTC through adenoviral vectors. This approach results in transfection of over 90% cultured RPTC. Here, we present methods for assessing the role of PKC-e in: 1. regulation of mitochondrial morphology and functions associated with ATP synthesis, and 2. survival of RPTC in primary culture. PKC-e is activated by overexpressing the constitutively active PKC-e mutant. PKC-e is inhibited by overexpressing the inactive mutant of PKC-e. Mitochondrial function is assessed by examining respiration, integrity of the respiratory chain, activities of respiratory complexes and F0F1-ATPase, ATP production rate, and ATP content. Respiration is assessed in digitonin-permeabilized RPTC as state 3 (maximum respiration in the presence of excess substrates and ADP) and uncoupled respirations. Integrity of the respiratory chain is assessed by measuring activities of all four complexes of the respiratory chain in isolated mitochondria. Capacity of oxidative phosphorylation is evaluated by measuring the mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP production rate, and activity of F0F1-ATPase. Energy status of RPTC is assessed by determining the intracellular ATP content. Mitochondrial morphology in live cells is visualized using MitoTracker Red 580, a fluorescent dye that specifically accumulates in mitochondria, and live monolayers are examined under a fluorescent microscope. RPTC viability is assessed using annexin V/propidium iodide staining followed by flow cytometry to determine apoptosis and oncosis. These methods allow for a selective activation/inhibition of individual PKC isozymes to assess their role in cellular functions in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions that can be reproduced in in vitro.
Electron Microscopy of Colocalization of GABA and Tyrosine Hydroxylase Expression in Rat Olfactory Bulb Transplants

Abstract Juxtaglomerular (JG) neurons of rat olfactory bulb (OB) are a subset of inhibitory interneurons within the OB, acting via lateral inhibition to modulate the afferent input of the primary olfactory nerve. The JG neurons, composed of periglomerular, external tufted, and short axon cells, have been found to express various neurotransmitters, including γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) and dopamine. A specific set of neurons within the periglomerular population have also been shown to coexpress these neurotransmitters. Deafferentation or functional odor deprivation of the normal OB causes a loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) (the rate limiting enzyme in the dopamine synthesis pathway) expression within the JG cell population, but appears to have no effect on GABA levels. Our laboratory has developed a transplantation model to further study the effects of deafferentation and subsequent reinnervation within this system. Sections from transplant (TX) OBs were reacted for GABA and TH using immunocytochemical localization protocols and studied by electron microscopy. Numerous neuronal populations were found to be either TH or GABA positive in this study, with a specific subpopulation showing colocalization of both. Although the architecture of the TX OB is somewhat disrupted and the TH- and GABA-positive cells were not as uniform in their arrangement as they are in the normal OB, we found that these cells in the TX OB were morphologically similar to the JG cells of normal OB. Positively labeled profiles were also found to receive and form numerous synaptic contacts with both host olfactory nerve axons as well as with the processes of donor neurons. These synaptic contacts were within areas that resemble the glomeruli of normal OB, suggesting that lateral inhibition may occur within the TX OB as it does in the normal. The coexpression of GABA and TH within specific neurons also indicates that a unique population of JG neurons that occur in normal OB are also found within this transplanted system as well.
A modified nasopharyngeal tube to relieve high upper airway obstruction

Infants with high upper airway obstruction (UAO) are managed with a variety of techniques to relieve their UAO. Among these techniques, the least invasive and safest is the nasopharyngeal tube (NPT). However, the traditional NPT is not always satisfactory, and tracheostomies need to be done. We recently described a modified NPT technique that, in contrast to the traditional tube, does not add airway dead space and resistance, is easy to use, is well-tolerated, has proven highly successful, and allows the simultaneous use of oxygen nasal prongs. This modified NPT has many advantages over the traditional NPT as a temporary management of high UAO that resolves with growth of the infant. This report highlights the respiratory care of 10 infants with high UAO (Pierre Robin syndrome, Down syndrome, Goldenhar syndrome, isolated microngathia, and idiopathic hypotonia) who were managed with a modified NPT. The modified NPT described potentially reduces the need for surgical intervention to relieve high UAO in infants. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2000; 29:299–306. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDIES ON THE CONSERVATION OF LABEL FROM RIBONUCLEOSIDES AND AMINO ACIDS IN PARAMECIUM AURELIA.

Abstract 1. 1. The conservation of label incorporated into Paramecium aurelia from tritiated ribonucleosides or from tritiated leucine was followed by autoradiography with grain counts over specimens fixed at various times. 2. 2. Both kinds of label were completely conserved for at least five cell generations, probably indefinitely, under exponential growth conditions. 3. 3. The decrease in conserved label by dilution with newly synthesized unlabeled material can be used to study cell growth, but the high variance of the results makes it impractical to use this procedure to study the finer details of the growth curve for a single cell generation. 4. 4. The quantitative estimation of the loss of label as a result of various treatments (e.g., ribonuclease treatment of living paramecia and starvation) provides a fairly sensitive and promising method for certain applications in quantitative cytology.
Nuclear Structure Studies of Sr 88 and Y 89 Using 19-MeV Proton Scattering and the Sr 88 (He 3 , d) Reaction

Elastic and inelastic angular distributions were obtained for 19-MeV protons scattered from ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{88}$ and ${\mathrm{Y}}^{89}$. Deuteron angular distributions were also obtained from the ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{88}({\mathrm{He}}^{3}, d)$ reaction and used to study the single-particle nature of the excited states of ${\mathrm{Y}}^{89}$. Spectroscopic information was obtained by comparing the inelastic proton distributions with predictions of the distorted-wave theory using a real collective-model form factor. Proton angular distributions of the low-lying states of ${\mathrm{Y}}^{89}$ and ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{88}$ were compared to determine if the states of ${\mathrm{Y}}^{89}$ could be explained as the weak coupling of the $2{p}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ proton to the core-excited states of ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{88}$. The states at 1.49 and 1.74 MeV in ${\mathrm{Y}}^{89}$ do not appear to be described adequately as core-excited states, while the states at 2.22 (or 2.87) and 2.52 MeV do. The proton angular distributions for those states which could be described in terms of simple shell-model configurations were also analyzed with the distorted-wave theory using shell-model form factors.
Theoretical frameworks for testing relativistic gravity. IV - A compendium of metric theories of gravity and their post-Newtonian limits.

Metric theories of gravity are compiled and classified according to the types of gravitational fields they contain, and the modes of interaction among those fields. The gravitation theories considered are classified as (1) general relativity, (2) scalar-tensor theories, (3) conformally flat theories, and (4) stratified theories with conformally flat space slices. The post-Newtonian limit of each theory is constructed and its Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) values are obtained by comparing it with Will's version of the formalism. Results obtained here, when combined with experimental data and with recent work by Nordtvedt and Will and by Ni, show that, of all theories thus far examined by our group, the only currently viable ones are general relativity, the Bergmann-Wagoner scalar-tensor theory and its special cases (Nordtvedt; Brans-Dicke-Jordan), and a recent, new vector-tensor theory by Nordtvedt, Hellings, and Will.
Shared Borders: The Puppet in Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair

The Records of Early English Drama from Kent, Somerset, and Cambridge reveal connotations of vagrancy, transgressive sexual behavior, and theft associated with both puppets and puppeteers. Puppets had been commonplace for over 300 years before Jonson features them in his 1614 Bartholomew Fair . From the puppets’ first appearance in the list of the ‘Persons of the Play’ to the puppets’ triumph in the final scene, puppets-as-props and puppets-as-players are conflated with actors, exposing the tensions along shared material borders. The puppets both mimic and parody the social construction of the self. Theatrical props such as handkerchiefs and gloves materialized value, power, and sexual availability. They represent and often commodify the absent human character, becoming extensions of the human body.
The effects of imperfect insulator coatings on MHD and heat transfer in rectangular ducts

Abstract The integrity of the electrically insulating coating at the coolant channel walls represents a feasibility issue for a self-cooled liquid metal blanket. The effects of cracks in the insulating layer on MHD pressure drop are investigated, for various crack locations, sizes and resistivities. It is shown that, once the crack resistance exceeds the Hartmann layer resistance, the MHD pressure drop increases significantly. Using the 2-D fully-developed MHD flow code, it has been found that the crack location has a large impact on the MHD pressure drop: for the same crack sizes and resistivities, the pressure gradient increases as the cracks move towards the central plane. The effect of the insulation on heat transfer is discussed. The heat transfer capability is reduced in the presence of the insulator coating.
Military display market segment: avionics (Invited Paper)

The military display market is analyzed in terms of one of its segments: avionics. Requirements are summarized for 13 technology-driving parameters for direct-view and virtual-view displays in cockpits and cabins. Technical specifications are discussed for selected programs. Avionics stresses available technology and usually requires custom display designs.
High-speed image display algorithm for 3-D grid data

In this paper, we propose a high-speed and direct imaging algorithm for constructing equi-valued surfaces from 3D grid data in scientific and enneering fields. Our basic idea is to generate and draw polygons simultaneously by processing the cells spanned by grids in order of decreasing distance from the current viewpoint. Equi-valued surfaces are generated in five tetrahedrons into which the cells are subdivided, and are sent to a graphics device. The execution order of each of the tetrahedrons is identical and determined by the current viewpoint. Since the algorithm does not need a store of intermediate polyhedral data, depth calculation, or depth buffer memory for hidden surface removal, the user can get a quick response to changes of the view direction and of the surface constant C in interactive graphics. This algorithm is particularly powerful for imaging multiple surfaces associated with multiple surface constants in semi-transparent display.
Coupled extensional and bending motion in elastic waveguides

Abstract A variety of different linear elastic waves propagate in long slender rods. These waves do not interact in straight rods; however, extensional and bending waves do interact in slightly curved rods. If curved rods are used as waveguides for extensional waves, wave energy is exchanged between extensional and beding waves. The result has the superficial appearance of viscous attenuation. The petroleum and geothermal industries have an interest in using drill pipe as a waveguide to transmit data by acoustic waves. Attempts have been made to transmit data from transducers in the vivinity of a drill bit to the drill rig at the surface. These efforts have not been successful. Poor signal strenght is a major problem. Historically,the observed reduction in signal strength is attributed to viscous dissipation. This paper proposes an alternative model-mode conversion from extensional waves to bending waves. This model is analyzes both as an eigenvalue problem and a transient finite-difference problem. The results predict measured attenuation levels, and account for many anomalous observations.
Micro-optic design for an acousto-optic rf adaptive filter

Abstract This paper describes potential designs for a miniaturized Acousto-Optic Radio Frequency signal excisionsystem with adaptive frequency control. It is proposed that diffractive micro-optical techniques can be used toreduce the system size to 1 mm height, 10 mm width, and 24 mm length (best case). These dimensions compare insize to an integrated optics waveguide approach, but the micro-optics design uses optimized discrete components.This small dimension comes at the expense of a relatively low time bandwidth product, where a value of N = 200 was used. 1. Introduction Recent developments in adaptive optical power limiting materials have created interest in applying them tohigh-speed adaptive notch filters. One application is interference reduction for wideband RF receivers, such as GPSreceivers. The filtering material may be amenable to an integrated optics implementation; however, over the lastfifteen years only marginal progress toward optimization of an integrated optic Acousto Optic (AO) signal processorhas occurred. In the mean time, remarkable progress in micro-lens fabrication has occurred, and their utilitysuggests that these devices could be used to fabricate high performance miniaturized AO signal processor systems.
The injury pattern of a new law enforcement weapon: The police bean bag

Abstract Study Objective: This case series describes the injury pattern of the police bean bag, a new weapon adopted by US law enforcement agencies. Methods: Retrospective chart review between 1996 and 2000 identified bean bag injuries. Autopsy data were gathered for 1 fatality. Circumstances of the shootings, toxicology results, and psychiatric diagnoses, if any, were recorded. Results: Thirty-nine men and 1 woman between the ages of 16 and 77 years were shot by officers of either the Los Angeles Police Department or the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The fatality was caused by massive hemothorax after thoracic penetration. The locations of serious penetrating injuries included the thoracic cavity, eye, abdomen, arm, and leg. Blunt injuries included splenic rupture, pneumothorax, compartment syndrome, testicular fracture, subcapsular liver hematoma, and cardiac contusion. Complications included hemothorax, pneumopericardium, wound infection, compartment syndrome, and osteomyelitis. Psychiatric consultation was requested for 27 (69.2%) of 39 surviving patients. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) Axis I was used for diagnosis in all 27 patients. Psychosis was diagnosed in 16 (59.3%), suicidal ideation in 15 (55.6%), and major depression in 6 (22.2%) of the 27 cases. Schizophrenia had previously been diagnosed in 7 (25.9%) of the 27 cases. All but 1 of the patients had toxicology screenings performed, and the results of 29 (74.4%) of 39 were positive. Of these 29 positive results, 15 (51.7%) were positive for alcohol and 8 (27.6%) were positive for cocaine. Conclusion: Awareness of the broad scope of potential injuries mandates a thorough evaluation of both blunt and penetrating trauma in patients shot with police bean bags. The scope of these injuries raises significant public health considerations because use of this weapon has been adopted by law enforcement agencies in all 50 states and at least 10 countries. [de Brito D, Challoner KR, Sehgal A, Mallon W. The injury pattern of a new law enforcement weapon: the police bean bag. Ann Emerg Med. October 2001;38:383-390.]
Treatment of distal onychomycosis with avulsion and topical antifungal agents under occlusion.

REPORT OF CASES A 28-year-old man presented with a history of progressive thickening and fragmentation of the left thumbnail over a period of about 1.5 years. Scaling of his left hand previously had been treated successfully with 1% ciclopirox olamine cream applied twice a day for 1 month, but the thumbnail showed no evidence of improvement. He had tried several over-the-counter products for fungus infections of the nail for varying periods of time without success. On physical examination, he showed dystrophic changes of the left thumbnail with subungual hyperkeratosis ( Figure , left). The remainder of his skin examination was unremarkable. Hyphae were observed in scales removed from under the left thumbnail, and a culture yielded Trichophyton rubrum . He was unwilling to take oral medication but agreed to be treated with nail plate removal followed by the topical application of an antifungal agent under an occlusive dressing. THERAPEUTIC CHALLENGE Distal onychomycosis of
UCP1: its involvement and utility in obesity

Energy balance to prevent the development of obesity is dependent on energy expenditure. Although physical activity is the dominant mechanism for dissipating excess energy, a system of thermogenesis that evolved to protect the body from hypothermia is based upon the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in brown adipocytes by the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP1). It has been shown that upregulation of UCP1 by genetic manipulations or pharmacological agents can reduce obesity and improve insulin sensitivity. Recent evidence has shown the existence of two sources for brown adipocytes, one appearing as discrete brown fat depots during fetal development and the other appears during post-natal development as diffuse populations in traditional white fat depots. The latter can be induced by adrenergic stimulation depending on the genetic background of the animals and the nutritional environment. Understanding the biological and environmental factors controlling the expression of these two brown adipocyte populations promises to provide new strategies by which enhanced thermogenesis can be used to reduce obesity.