cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cancer information overload: Discriminant validity and relationship to sun safe behaviors

Abstract Objective Past research suggests a large number of adults feel overwhelmed by the amount of cancer information – a phenomenon labeled cancer information overload (CIO). The current study examines whether CIO is discriminant from other negative message perceptions (reactance, information avoidance) and related to sun safe behaviors. Methods U.S. adults (N = 2,219) completed survey questions assessing CIO, dispositional reactance, defensive/information avoidance, sun safe behavior, and knowledge. Results The results demonstrated that CIO was discriminant from dispositional reactance, information avoidance, and defensive avoidance, and individuals with higher overload were more likely to tan, less likely to have an annual checkup with a healthcare provider, and less knowledgeable about sun safe protection. Unexpectedly, individuals with higher CIO were more likely to wear wide-brimmed hats. Conclusion CIO is distinct from reactance and avoidance, and related to performance/knowledge of sun safe behaviors, and receiving annual healthcare checkups. Practice Implications The correlation between CIO and sun safe behavior differs by behavior; a pattern which suggests practitioners might benefit from adapting their communication strategy based on the target population and behavior.
Integrated Cancer Subtyping using Heterogeneous Genome-Scale Molecular Datasets

Vast repositories of heterogeneous data from existing sources present unique opportunities. Taken individually, each of the datasets offers solutions to important domain and source-specific questions. Collectively, they represent complementary views of related data entities with an aggregate information value often well exceeding the sum of its parts. Integration of heterogeneous data is therefore paramount to i) obtain a more unified picture and comprehensive view of the relations, ii) achieve more robust results, iii) improve the accuracy and integrity, and iv) illuminate the complex interactions among data features. In this paper, we have proposed a data integration methodology to identify subtypes of cancer using multiple data types (mRNA, methylation, microRNA and somatic variants) and different data scales that come from different platforms (microarray, sequencing, etc.). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset is used to build the data integration and cancer subtyping framework. The proposed data integration and disease subtyping approach accurately identifies novel subgroups of patients with significantly different survival profiles. With current availability of vast genomics, and variant data for cancer, the proposed data integration system will better differentiate cancer and patient subtypes for risk and outcome prediction and targeted treatment planning without additional cost and precious lost time.
18 – Specialization and Exchange

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses specialization and exchange. Exchange takes place whenever there is a difference in opportunity costs among traders. Even when one trading partner has an absolute advantage in the production of all goods, there can still be a comparative advantage that makes trade beneficial. This difference makes specialization and exchange an efficient way to allocate resources and achieve production and consumption combinations that are not possible without exchange. All partners to an exchange gain. It is one of the miracles of economics that exchange creates winners without creating any losers. The distribution of the gain among trading partners depends on the exchange rate that prevails and the opportunity costs of the traders. Exchange leads to specialization. When exchange takes place, individuals, firms, and nations can achieve greater consumption combinations by specializing in the goods in which they have comparative advantage and then trading for other goods that they need.
A Brief Account of Animism in Biblical Studies

The study of animism influenced early to mid-twentieth-century biblical scholars, especially on the topic of how ancient Israelites related to nature. Since then, biblical studies have paid less attention to animism, though assumptions about what animism is and how it relates to monotheism continue to shape discussions about nature in the Hebrew Bible. However, since attention to animism has been scant in recent biblical scholarship, these assumptions reflect descriptions of animism put forward by scholars like Edward Burnett Tylor and James George Frazer, which speak of animism as an early and primitive form of religion, inferior to European religions. Biblical scholars doing work in the field of Bible and ecology should instead look to ‘new animism’. Attention to ‘new animism’ can contribute to interpretations of otherwise difficult biblical texts, provide tools of environmental ethics, and perhaps improve dialogues with indigenous communities.
Using single-cell analysis to predict CAR T cell outcomes.

Single-cell analysis provides novel insights into elements of CAR T cell toxicities and response.
Household Retirement Savings: The Location of Savings between Spouses

Retirement planning is often a joint household decision-making process, and therefore the household is often the more appropriate unit of analysis. However, retirement savings in tax advantaged accounts are held in the name of one individual. While spouses have rights to these assets in the case of divorce and in most cases of death, the separation of accounts in name may cause couples to treat their accounts as separate, with each spouse making decisions separately. In order to optimize retirement planning, couples should consider the entire household portfolio together, accounting for the characteristics of the retirement accounts, the age of the spouses, and income differences between spouses. With separate accounts, one spouse may not be aware of the contributions or assets accumulated in the other spouse’s accounts. This may lead to sub-optimal decision-making, as individuals in a couple may not fully optimize across all available retirement accounts. Little is known about how households divide retirement contributions and assets between spouses. In this project, we investigate how households locate contributions across tax deferred savings accounts that are nominally held in one spouse’s name and how these decisions may impact accumulated assets. In particular we first document who within a couple nominally holds retirement assets. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study and Survey of Consumer Finances, we find that household retirement assets and contributions are more likely to be located in accounts held in the husband’s name or the primary earner’s name. In our regression analysis, we find that the location of contributions is largely driven by the distribution of earnings within couples.
Shared Decision-making in Dermatology: A Scoping Review.

Importance Shared decision-making (SDM) can improve the quality of care for patients. The extent to which this tool has been used and the evidence supporting its use in dermatology have not been systematically examined. Objective To perform a scoping review of the literature regarding SDM in dermatology. Evidence review Searches of Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Sciverse Scopus, and EBM Reviews were conduced on July 11, 2019, and March 6, 2020. There were no limits on date, type of article, language, or subject for the initial search. A total of 1673 titles and abstracts were screened by 2 independent reviewers in the Covidence mixed-methods platform. Forty-one full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. For inclusion, articles needed to include a dermatologic diagnosis as well as discussion of SDM or patient decision aids. Two independent reviewers screened 29 full-text articles for inclusion and extracted qualitative data using a set of 26 predefined codes. Qualitative coding was applied to excerpts to categorize the article, define and describe advantages and disadvantages of SDM, understand patient and physician requests for SDM, and discuss methods of implementation. Findings Despite a small number of articles on SDM (n = 29) in dermatology, the selected literature provided consistent messages regarding the importance of SDM for dermatology and a number of strategies and tools for implementation. Medical dermatology was the most common subspecialty studied, with melanoma, psoriasis, and connective tissue diseases most examined. Only 5 publications introduced SDM tools specifically for dermatologic conditions; of these, only 2 tools were validated. Barriers to implementation that were cited included time and a lack of training for clinicians, although the literature also provided potential solutions to these issues. All articles emphasized the value of SDM for both patients and physicians. Conclusions and relevance The literature regarding SDM in dermatology consistently suggests that it is a useful tool for providing patient-centered care. Established tools have been proposed since 2012. More research is needed to implement better practices, especially in dermatologic subspecialties. However, there are substantial suggestions from the literature for strategies and tools with which to begin a shared decision-making practice.
Tumor Spheroid Chemotaxis in Epidermal Growth Factor Gradients Revealed by a 3D Microfluidic Device

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a potent cytokine, is known to promote tumor invasion both in vivo and in vitro. Previously, we observed that single breast tumor cells (MDA-MB-231 cell line) embedded within a 3D collagen matrix displayed enhanced motility but no discernible chemotaxis in the presence of linear EGF gradients using a microfluidic platform. Inspired by a recent theoretical development that clustered mammalian cells respond differently to chemical gradients than single cells, we studied tumor spheroid invasion within a 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) in the presence of EGF gradients. We found that EGF gradients promoted tumor cell detachment from the spheroid core, and the position of the tumor spheroid core showed a mild chemotactic response towards the EGF gradients. For those tumor cells detached from the spheroids, they showed an enhanced chemokinesis response in contrast to previous experimental results using single cells embedded within an ECM. No discernible chemotactic response towards the EGF gradients was found for the cells outside the spheroid core. This work demonstrates that a cluster of tumor cells responds differently than single tumor cells towards EGF gradients and highlights the importance of a tumor spheroid platform for chemotaxis studies.
Play as Interface

This talk outlines the propensities of play to improve human computer interaction. Drawing from his experience addressing complex problems in journalism, misinformation, education, and more the talk outlines the theories that underpin applying play as interface. The idea is not merely the application of games to increase engagement or retention, but instead the integration of playful characteristics to improve problem solving and understanding of computing systems. Much like applying graphical user interfaces of old, playful interactions offer the opportunity to exploit innate characteristics of human interaction and accessibility with the scale and computation prowess of computing. Using play as interface can offer a next-gen solution to HCI problems. This means combining heuristics from game design but augmenting them with real world complexity and application. The talk combines case studies with suggestions for application in a wide variety of HCI challenges. It also champions the universal accessibility of the state of play, recognizing its cross-cultural value, pervasiveness and innate human utility.
Short-term climate variability and atmospheric teleconnections from satellite-observed outgoing longwave radiation. I Simultaneous relationships. II - Lagged correlations

Attention is given to the low-frequency variability of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) fluctuations, their possible correlations over different parts of the globe, and their relationships with teleconnections obtained from other meteorological parameters, for example, geopotential and temperature fields. Simultaneous relationships with respect to the Southern Oscillation (Namais, 1978; Barnett, 1981) signal and the reference OLR fluctuation over the equatorial central Pacific are investigated. Emphasis is placed on the relative importance of the Southern Oscillation (SO) signal over preferred regions. Using lag cross-correlation statistics, possible lagged relationships between the tropics and midlatitudes and their relationships with the SO are then investigated. Only features that are consistent with present knowledge of the dynamics of the system are emphasized. Certain features which may not meet rigorous statistical significance tests but yet are either expected a priori from independent observations or are predicted from dynamical theories are also explored.
Approximate mean-field equations of motion for quasi-two-dimensional Bose-Einstein-condensate systems

We present a method for approximating the solution of the three-dimensional, time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) for Bose-Einstein-condensate systems where the confinement in one dimension is much tighter than in the other two. This method employs a hybrid Lagrangian variational technique whose trial wave function is the product of a completely unspecified function of the coordinates in the plane of weak confinement and a Gaussian in the strongly confined direction having a time-dependent width and quadratic phase. The hybrid Lagrangian variational method produces equations of motion that consist of (1) a two-dimensional (2D) effective GPE whose nonlinear coefficient contains the width of the Gaussian and (2) an equation of motion for the width that depends on the integral of the fourth power of the solution of the 2D effective GPE. We apply this method to the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates confined in ring-shaped potentials and compare the approximate solution to the numerical solution of the full 3D GPE.
Insecure Flight: Broken Boarding Passes and Ineffective Terrorist Watch Lists

This paper discusses a number of existing problems with the airport transportation security system in the United States. The paper discusses two separate, yet equally important issues: the ease with which a passenger can fly without any identification documents at all and the ease with which print-at-home boarding passes can be modified, tampered with, and faked. The significance of these vulnerabilities becomes clear when viewed in light of the United States (US) government's insistence on maintaining passenger watch lists, whose contents are secret and effectiveness depend upon the government being able to verify the identity of each flying passenger. The paper then introduces a method of determining if any particular name is on the no fly list, without ever having to step foot into an airport. The paper introduces a physical denial of service attack against the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at airports, distributed via an Internet virus. Finally, the paper proposes technical solutions to the user modifiable boarding pass problem, which also neutralize the physical denial of service attack. The solutions have the added benefit of meshing with TSA's publicly stated wish to assume responsibility for verifying passengers names against the watch lists, as well as enabling them to collect and store real time data on passengers as they pass through checkpoints, something they are not able to do under the existing system.
Getting the Government in Bed: Regulating the Sex Toy Industry

Despite how common sex toys are in Americans’ homes and beds, the industry remains almost wholly unregulated at both the state and federal level other than the bans on selling or advertising sex toys that existed in some states until recently. While administrative agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulate thousands of other consumer products for dangers such as toxic chemicals, harmful design flaws, or inaccurate and misleading packaging, sex toy manufacturers remain free to engage in all three practices. This Comment explores the harms that can and do occur from poorly designed or improperly used sex toys. It proposes that regulation of the sex toy industry is possible through the CPSC’s petition process, and that doing so would benefit consumers.
Regime Shifts and Changing Volatility in Stock Returns: A Rational Expectations Equilibrium Model

I present an intertemporal asset pricing model of learning to explain the GARCH behavior of stock returns and the intertemporal variation of expected returns. I assume that dividends follow a diffusion process whose drift rate shifts between two unobservable states at random times. I first show that the asset price is increasing and convex in investors' posterior probability of the good state. I then characterize the changes in asset price sensitivity to news, return volatility and expected returns as function of investors' level of uncertainty over the state of the economy.
Cofactor engineering for advancing chemical biotechnology

Cofactors provide redox carriers for biosynthetic reactions, catabolic reactions and act as important agents in transfer of energy for the cell. Recent advances in manipulating cofactors include culture conditions or additive alterations, genetic modification of host pathways for increased availability of desired cofactor, changes in enzyme cofactor specificity, and introduction of novel redox partners to form effective circuits for biochemical processes and biocatalysts. Genetic strategies to employ ferredoxin, NADH and NADPH most effectively in natural or novel pathways have improved yield and efficiency of large-scale processes for fuels and chemicals and have been demonstrated with a variety of microbial organisms.
Modeling lead-time demand for lumpy demand and variable lead time

Slow-moving items that occasionally exhibit large demand transactions are known as lumpy demand items. In modeling lumpy demand patterns, it is often assumed that the arrival of customer orders follows a Poisson process and that the order sizes are given by the geometric distribution. This gives rise to a stuttering Poisson (sP) model of lumpy demand. If lead times are constant, the result is a stuttering Poisson model of lead-time demand. Heretofore, authors such as Ward [18] and Mitchell, Rappold, and Faulkner [12] have assumed constant lead times and thus stopped at the sP model. We develop this model further by introducing the effect of lead-time variability. For illustration, we use the normal and the gamma distributions as characterizations of lead time. The resulting models of lead-time demand are referred to as the geometric Poisson normal (GPN) and the geometric Poisson gamma (GPG). For both these models, the article derives tractable expressions for calculating probabilities. Errors introduced by using the sP, constant lead-time model instead of the exact, variable lead-time model are also illustrated.
Blockage of αβ T-cell development by TCR γδ transgenes

T LYMPHOCYTES recognize antigens by means of T-cell receptors (TCR) composed of αβ (refs 1–3) or γδ heterodimers4–6. The mechanism governing the development of αβ- and γδ-bearing T cells from a common precursor T cell is so far unknown. It has been proposed that T-cell precursors rearrange their γ- and δ-chain genes first, and αβ T cells are generated only from those cells that fail to rearrange productively both γ- and δ-chain genes7,8. Our recent study on γδ-transgenic mice contradicted this hypothesis, however, and indicated that repression of γ-chain gene expression mediated by a transcriptional silencer element has a critical role in the generation of αβ T cells9. Here we report that the generation of a αβ T cells is severely blocked in transgenic mice carrying γ- and δ-chain transgenes without the associated silencer, thereby strengthening the validity of the silencer model of T-cell development.
History of the Pasamonte achondrite: Relative susceptibility of the SmNd, RbSr, and UPb systems to metamorphic events

Abstract The Rb Sr, Sm Nd, and U Pb systematics of the eucrite Pasamonte have been studied in order to investigate the relative susceptibility of the different systems to post-crystallization events and to determine the age and history of the meteorite. The Rb Sr and238U-206Pb data of mineral separates do not define an isochron but the Sm Nd data define an internal isochron which corresponds to the formation age of4.58 ± 0.12b.y. (109 years). The207Pb-206Pb data of mineral separates define an apparent age of4.53 ± 0.03b.y., however we conclude that this age, while in agreement with the Sm Nd age, is not strictly valid since the U Pb data indicate at least three stages of evolution. The U Pb data indicate that the parent body of the meteorite experienced brecciation shortly after the formation of the parent body surface (∼4.2–4.45b.y. ago) and a recent disturbance (collision?)6 ± 30m.y. ago. The latter age is within the range of cosmic ray exposure ages for achondrites.
Memory and Comprehension of Magazine-Based Prescription Drug Advertisements among Young and Old Adults

Abstract Pharmaceutical companies spend growing amounts of money marketing their products to older adults to increase both awareness and demand. Prescription drug advertising appears in magazines and on the radio, television, and internet. Magazine advertisements seem to be the most common and can be examined by readers at their own pace, making it possible for consumers to pay more attention to the ones that pertain to them, and less to the ones that do not. The current study examined the impact of two kinds of magazine-based prescription drug advertisements on younger and older adults: colorful ads (designed to be memorable) and information sheets (designed primarily to inform). The results suggested that: 1) younger adults remember the purpose of drug advertisements (i.e., what condition the drug treats) better than older adults; 2) a negative relationship exists between perceived ambiguity and recall of the drug ad for younger adults, but not older adults; 3) both younger and older adults understand c...
Automatic verification of database transaction safety

Maintaining the integrity of databases is one of the promises of database management systems. This includes assuring that integrity constraints are invariants of database transactions. This is very difficult to accomplish efficiently in the presence of complex constraints and large amounts of data. One way to minimize the amount of processing required to maintain database integrity over transaction processing is to prove at compile-time that transactions cannot, if run atomically, disobey integrity constraints. We report on a system that performs such verification for a robust set of constraint and transaction classes. The system accepts database schemas written in a more or less traditional style and accepts programs in a high-level programming language. Automatic verification fast enough to be effective on current workstation hardware is performed.
Summertime state-level source-receptor relationships between nitrogen oxides emissions and surface ozone concentrations over the continental United States.

Interstate transport of ozone (O3) and its precursors can contribute substantially to state-level surface O3 concentrations, making it difficult for some states to meet the National Ambient Air Qua...
Physico-chemical properties of tumor cells that influence their susceptibility to humoral immune killing.

Abstract Line-10 guinea pig hepatoma cells are susceptible to killing by antibody plus human complement, but resistant to killing by antibody plus guinea pig complement. Tumor cells treated with agents that reversibly increase (adriamycin), decrease (insulin or hydrocortisone), or have no effect (5-fluorouracil) on the susceptibility of the cells to antibody-complement killing were tested for their lipid and fatty acid composition. Hormone-treated (resistant) cells showed an increased total lipid content, an increased cholesterol: phospholipid ratio, and a depressed level of unsaturated fatty acids in the cellular neutral and phospholipids compared to control untreated cells. Adriamycin-treated (sensitive) cells showed exactly the opposite effects. The lipid composition of both hormone- and adriamycin-treated cells returned to control levels when the cells reverted to control levels of susceptibility to antibody-complement killing. 5-fluorouracil-treated cells were indistinguishable from untreated controls in their lipid and fatty acid composition. The chemical composition of the cell, and its effects on the physical properties of the cellular membranes, therefore appears to be fundamental for the ability of these tumor cells to resist humoral immune attack.
Transportation and storage of radioactive materials in the USA

When I sat down to outline these remarks, I reviewed the speech given by former Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Klein at PATRAM 2007. Two of his key points, the need for the next generation of packages to be developed to coincide with the nuclear renaissance and extending the reactor multinational design evaluation programme, or MDEP, to transportation are likely to be slowly accomplished since the need for new packages for the nuclear renaissance will be many years in the future. While the nuclear renaissance appears to be continuing in the USA, albeit at a more measured pace, other fundamental changes in the landscape have driven us to take a closer look at both the transportation and storage of spent nuclear fuel. Just this June, the NRC staff submitted a proposal to the NRC for a plan that supports extended storage and subsequent transportation of spent nuclear fuel. The commission has the plan under active consideration and we await their decision. I will talk more about the plan a little later.
Fine tuning of coercivity in electrodeposited, Co-rich Co–Pt alloy films with perpendicular orientation

We study the effect of applied current density j on the magnetic properties of Co-rich Co–Pt electrodeposited onto Ru(0001)∕Cu(111)∕Si(011). We find that varying j in the range of 10–100mA∕cm2 has a limited influence on film composition but has a strong effect on coercivity Hc. For example, Hc increases from 1600to4700Oe in 100nm thick Co–Pt films simply by increasing current density, providing an easily accessible parameter for the direct tuning of film coercivity. A higher current density increases nucleation density and consequently reduces grain size. It is hypothesized that the increased rate of side reactions at high j induces an increase in interface pH, affecting the hydrolysis equilibria in the electrolyte and leading to a variable incorporation of nonmagnetic matter that preferentially segregates at grain boundaries.
Serine protease inhibitors (serpins).

Abstract Inhibition of serine proteases by serpins (serpin: serine protease inhibitor) is a key mechanism for the control of proteolysis in thrombosis, shock, and inflammation. The various members of the serpin gene superfamily ( α 1 -antitrypsin, ovalbumin, C1-inhibitor, antithrombin III, α 2 -antiplasmin, type-1 plasminogen-activator inhibitor, and so forth) have many characteristics in common. In this article, we review the biochemistry and cell biology of serpins, and we discuss their clinical importance and therapeutic potential.
Unique behavioral effects of β endorphin and their relationship to thermoregulation and hypothalamic function

Abstract Intraventricular (ivt) injections of sub-cataleptic doses of β endorphin in rats were observed to result in wet-dog shakes. Subsequent to the wet-dog shakes, copious salivation accompanied by a clonic, seizure-like state was occasionally observed to occur. This sialogogic effect of β endorphin was blocked by naloxone and diminished by injections of thyrotropin releasing hormone. None of these behaviors were observed following ivt injection of morphine in equi-antinociceptive doses. Furthermore, hypophysectomy was observed to attenuate or block these behaviors. Both the wet-dog shakes and “sialogogic seizures” were demonstrated to be dependent upon dose as well as ambient temperature. It appears possible that the occurrence of initial wet-dog shakes may result in the elevated body temperature which then precipitates excess salivation. Since both β endorphin induced wet-dog shakes and salivation were shown to be correlated with alterations in temperature, it is possible that these effects of β endorphin indicate a physiological role for that peptide in thermoregulation.
Does carotid intima media thickness indicate coronary atherosclerosis

Increased carotid intima media thickness (IMT) is relatively simple, inexpensive, and reproducible noninvasive marker of global atherosclerotic disease. It is a frequently used experimental tool in epidemiologic studies to identify and follow cardiovascular disease. There is evidence that early detection of atherosclerotic disease processes and subsequent therapeutic interventions significantly alter the natural course of the disease. Several large prospective studies have evaluated the usefulness of ultrasonographic measurement of IMT and have demonstrated its role in predicting future cardiovascular events. This article will focus on the relation between carotid artery IMT and coronary heart disease, and its utility and limitations in predicting cardiovascular events.
Studies on the initiation of protein synthesis in mouse myeloma tumors

Abstract 35 S- and 3 H-labeled short, nascent peptides have been extracted from mouse myeloma ribosomes after incubation of myeloma fragments with [ 35 S]methionine and [ 3 H]amino acids. Edman analysis of these peptides reveals that most of the methionine is present at the N terminus but that other N-terminal amino acids are also present. Light chains synthesized by the RPC-20 tumor fragments were purified from ribosomes, cell sap (released light chain) and the incubation medium (secreted light chain). Ribosome-bound light chains were found to possess some N-terminal methionine whereas released and secreted light chains did not. Since methionine is not the N-terminal amino acid of light (L) chains purified from the urine of tumor-bearing mice, the results indicate that methionine initiates L chain biosynthesis in the myeloma. Total nascent 35 S-labeled peptides were extracted from myeloma ribosomes and fractionated on Sephadex G-50. Edman analysis of Chromatographic fractions of varying sizes indicated that the percentage of N-terminal methionine decreased with increasing chain length. This behavior is expected if methionine serves as an initiator amino acid but is removed before completion of the polypeptide chain on the ribosome.
Effects of cytokines on mechanical and epithelial bioelectric responses to methacholine and hyperosmolarity in guinea-pig airways: An in vitro study

Abstract We observed previously that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 18 h after i.p. injection of guinea pigs increased transepithelial potential difference ( V t ), hyperpolarization responses to methacholine, and hyperosmolarity-induced, epithelium-derived relaxing factor (EpDRF)-mediated relaxation responses, in excised and perfused tracheal segments. To investigate their roles in these changes, the effects of cytokines on in vitro epithelial bioelectric and smooth muscle mechanical responses were investigated using the isolated, perfused trachea preparation. Tracheas were incubated (6 h) with LPS or IL-1β, IL-4, IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α, singly or in combination. Incubation with LPS and cytomix (IL-1β + IFN-γ + TNF-α together) had no effect on muscle reactivity to methacholine, but potentiated D-mannitol-induced relaxation. Individually, IL-1β and IFN-γ inhibited methacholine-induced contractions and potentiated D-mannitol-induced relaxation responses. TNF-α increased contractions to methacholine but had no effect on relaxation responses to D-mannitol. Methacholine elicited hyperpolarization in low concentrations and depolarization in high concentrations. The individual cytokines decreased the hyperpolarization response to low methacholine concentrations and increased the depolarization response to high methacholine concentrations but had no effect on V t responses to D-mannitol. Cytomix did not affect V t responses to methacholine, but potentiated both the hyperpolarization and depolarization responses to D-mannitol. In Ussing chambers all agents except IL-1β and IFN-γ increased V t ; IL-1β decreased slightly but none of the other agents affected transepithelial resistance ( R t ). The results indicate that cytokines and LPS alter smooth muscle reactivity to methacholine, potentiate EpDRF-mediated relaxation responses and, thereby, mimic the effects of LPS treatment in vivo , but do not recapitulate LPS' effects on V t responses.
Hepaticojejunostomy Using Short-Limb Roux-en-Y Reconstruction

Importance When performing biliary reconstruction, one of the long-standing tenets of surgery is that Roux-en-Y (RY) reconstruction should use a long hepatic limb to decrease the risk for postoperative cholangitis. However, this practice is not well supported and may also make postoperative biliary endoscopy difficult. While some authors recommend Roux limbs of up to 75 cm, we have routinely used a Roux length of 20 cm to facilitate possible postoperative endoscopic access. Objective To review our experience with short-limb RY hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) and examine the short-term and long-term outcomes following this procedure, as well as the success of future biliary interventions. Design Retrospective medical record review of all patients who underwent short-limb RYHJ by 2 surgeons (N.N.N. and S.D.C.). Setting Tertiary care, university-affiliated teaching hospital. Participants One hundred patients who underwent RYHJ were identified, with 30 of those patients being excluded owing to creation of an RYHJ to intrahepatic bile ducts with concomitant liver resection. Main Outcomes and Measures Patient records were reviewed to determine the incidence of postoperative cholangitis and biliary stricture. Secondary outcomes were the need for postoperative biliary endoscopy and success rates for endoscopic biliary interventions. Results Seventy patients underwent short-limb RYHJ over an 11-year period (2001-2012). Indications included benign stricture (n = 18), malignant stricture (n = 12), choledochal cyst (n = 5), choledocholithiasis (n = 3), idiopathic cholangitis (n = 2), and deceased donor or live donor liver transplant (n = 30). Seven patients, including 4 liver transplant patients, developed clinical or radiographic evidence of postoperative biliary stricture, and all patients underwent successful endoscopic cholangiography. Four of these patients required dilation and/or stone extraction, which were accomplished endoscopically in all cases. Conclusions and Relevance Short-limb RYHJ is safe and associated with a low incidence of postoperative complications. In addition, biliary intervention, when indicated, can be performed endoscopically with a high degree of success. In the absence of any evidence demonstrating longer limbs to be superior, we recommend using short-limb RY reconstruction for HJ.
Aspects of northern bobwhite ecology on south Florida US pastureland

During 2004 and 2005, we monitored breeding season survival, home range, habitat use, density, and reproduction of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in the peninsular region of Florida, USA. We radio-tagged 81 birds across a 20-km2 cattle ranch consisting predominately of rotationally grazed pastureland. Birds were radio-tracked three to five times per week until mortality or the transition to nonbreeding season. We found no difference in home range size among the sexes, ages, or their interaction. Mean home range size pooled for years, sexes, and age class was 56.28 ha (±7.87 SE). Home ranges of bobwhites were not distributed among habitats randomly (second order: Λ = 0.10; 7, 35 df; P = 0.002). In addition, bobwhites did not use the habitats within their home range at random (third order: Λ = 0.14, 5, 35 df; P = 0.02). Estimated seasonal survival was 0.28 (±0.12 SE) and was best explained by the time-dependent model. Reproductive metrics indicated adequate reproduction and values consistent with the bobwhite literature. Bobwhite density (birds per hectare) in 2004 was 0.52 (±0.54 95 % confidence interval [CI]) and 0.75 (±0.51 95 % CI) for 2005. These results suggest that pastureland landscapes managed with rotational grazing can support bobwhite populations, albeit at low densities. More conservation attention should be directed towards improving these systems for bobwhite restoration.
Application of the Cine Computed Tomographic Scan for Precise Localization of the Origin of an Atrial Myxoma: Surgical Implications

Noninvasive imaging techniques are preferred for the diagnosis of intracardiac tumors. A case is presented in which cine computed tomographic scan of an atrial myxoma provided more accurate localization of the tumor and led to modification of the operative approach.
The importance of chirality to antihypertensive drug effects

Abstract Our objective was to determine the chirality of many popular antihypertensive drugs, that is, whether they contained an asymmetric carbon atom and therefore would exist as more than one enantiomer (isomers that are mirror images of one another, like the right hand to the left hand). After conducting a literature search and contacting several pharmaceutical companies and individual authorities on the subject, we tabulated the chiral identity of 27 antihypertensive drugs. Results indicate that 14 (52%) of the 27 antihypertensive agents studied are marketed as racemic mixtures. Because enantiomers generally have disparate clinical and biologic activities, and because information about the relative efficacy and adverse effects of specific enantiomers is generally lacking in the medical literature, we urge that single enantiomers be used in future clinical trials and pharmacologic studies. Rational therapeutics require the study of the individual components of racemic combinations before such compounds are marketed.
Decreased dopamine type 2 receptor availability after bariatric surgery: preliminary findings

Abstract Background: Diminished dopaminergic neurotransmission contributes to decreased reward and negative eating behaviors in obesity. Bariatric surgery is the most effective therapy for obesity and rapidly reduces hunger and improves satiety through unknown mechanisms. We hypothesized that dopaminergic neurotransmission would be enhanced after Roux-en-Y-Gastric Bypass (RYGB) and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) surgery and that these changes would influence eating behaviors and contribute to the positive outcomes from bariatric surgery. Methods: Five females with obesity were studied preoperatively and at ∼ 7 weeks after RYGB or VSG surgery. Subjects underwent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with a dopamine type 2 (DA D2) receptor radioligand whose binding is sensitive to competition with endogenous dopamine. Regions of interest (ROI) relevant to eating behaviors were delineated. Fasting enteroendocrine hormones were quantified at each time point. Results: Body weight decreased as expected after surgery. DA D2 receptor availability decreased after surgery. Regional decreases (mean ± SEM) were caudate 10 ± 3%, putamen 9 ± 4%, ventral striatum 8 ± 4%, hypothalamus 9 ± 3%, substantia nigra 10±2%, medial thalamus 8±2%, and amygdala 9 ± 3%. These were accompanied by significant decreases in plasma insulin (62%) and leptin (41%). Conclusion: The decreases in DA D2 receptor availability after RYGB and VSG most likely reflect increases in extracellular dopamine levels. Enhanced dopaminergic neurotransmission may contribute to improved eating behavior (e.g. reduced hunger and improved satiety) following these bariatric procedures.
Flexible bronchoscopy and interdisciplinary collaboration in pediatric large airway disease

Summary Objective Demonstrate the benefits of a multidisciplinary pediatric airway team prepared to evaluate and treat otolaryngology patients with flexible bronchoscopy. Design Case series. Setting Tertiary, academic children’s hospital. Patients 10 children (5 male, 5 female age range 2 months–16 years) presenting with complex symptoms potentially referable to large airways. Intervention Flexible bronchoscopy for diagnostic (bronchoalveolar lavage, ciliary biopsy, assess ongoing surgical intervention, and rule in or rule out foreign body; N = 6) or therapeutic (evacuate bronchial mucus plug, laser subglottis when patient has fused cervical spine, and distal instillation [fibrin glue for bronchopleural fistula and dornase alpha for plastic bronchitis]; N = 4). Main outcome measure Retrospectively ask if flexible bronchoscopy and interdisciplinary management improved patient care in these select otolaryngology cases. Results 10/10 patients benefited from interdisciplinary management including flexible bronchoscopy. Conclusion Our experience illustrates many uses for flexible bronchoscopy in otolaryngology patients, and suggests that an airway team prepared to use flexible bronchoscopy will create opportunities for improved patient care.
RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT OF ADULTS WITH MODERATE MENTAL RETARDATION

Reliable self-repotting by persons with mental retardation can be enhanced with the addition of picture-cued questioning. The Sheltered Care Environmental Scale (Moos & Lemke, 1979) was chosen as a basis to construct a picture-prompted questionnaire assessing three dimensions of the social environment of residential settings, Conflict, Cohesion, and Independence. A test-retest (6 wk. between testing) design was used to compare picrure-prompted administrations in conrrast to those relying exclusively on verbal questioning. Ten adult residents (M IQ = 52.3; M = 54.8 yr. of age; 6 men, 4 women) of a large Midwestern residential treatment facility voluntarily participated in this study. All clients were verbal, had no sensory impairments, and were ambulatoq. Three subscales were chosen to compare the reliability of verbal and picture-cued environmental repow of the subjects, Conflict, Cohesion, and Independence. Simple Line drawings corresponding to the content of each question were created for simultaneous display with each inquiry during the picture assisted interview. Two pictures were designed for each question representing the contrasting (either/or) views of each question. This pilot study showed that picture-cued questions can increase the temporal reliability of self-report questionnaires when administered to adults with moderate mental retardation. The Pearson correlations obtain4 from the test-retest using the picture-cues format were: Conflict .53, Cohesion .59, Independence .51. The Peanon correlations obtained from the test-retest using only the verbally administered format (no picture cues), the same method as Lewy, Donald, and Karan (1984) who also examined moderately menrally retarded adults, were slightly lower-Conflict .46, Cohesion .30, Independence .43-&an those with the pimre-cued method. This study indicates that the addition of picture cues to currently available assessments may be an economical method of increasing the reliability of residential evaluations obtained from persons who are moderately mentally retarded. A larger study is in process examining these findings. REFERENCES LEWY, A. L., DOLAND, T. R., & KARAN, 0. C. (1984) A baseline assessmen! of the physical and social environment of Alverno. Madison, WI: Waisman Center on
Calibration of flow-volume curves

We have constructed a motor-driven calibrating device which simulates a highly reproducible maximum expiratory flow-volume curve. The calibrator can be used to assess the dynamic performance of spirometric instruments. Regular use of the calibrator helps to ensure constancy of measurements obtained from flow-volume or volume-time recording systems. The calibrator reproduces a standard forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec with an error of 0.6% or less.
Performance models of flexibly routed transportation services

Abstract This paper critically reviews models to predict the performance of flexibly routed transfortation services such as taxi and dial-a-ride. Models of these services have been developed to assist in system design, in evaluation of alternatives, and in regulation. The approaches to modelling such services have been simulation, empirical, deterministic queuing and stochastic processes. Application of several models is illustrated by forecasting the level-of-service on six existing systems. While a good deal of effort has gone into model development and while some of the models appear to be quite accurate, an open question remains as to the acceptance and use of these models by planning and operating agencies.
Re-conceptualizing the Factor Structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality

Rationale This study attempted to differentiate statistically the spiritual and religious factors of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS), which was developed based on theoretical conceptualizations that have yet to be adequately empirically validated in a population with significant health disorders. Participants One hundred sixty-four individuals with heterogeneous medical conditions [i.e., brain injury, spinal cord injury (SCI), cancer, stroke, primary care conditions]. Methods Participants completed the BMMRS as part of a pilot study on spirituality, religion, and physical and mental health. Results A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization identified a six-factor solution (opposed to the expected 8-factor solution) accounting for 60% of the variance in scores, labeled as: (1) Positive Spiritual Experience; (2) Negative Spiritual Experience; (3) Forgiveness; (4) Religious Practices; (5) Positive Congregational Support; and (6) Negative Congregational Support. Conclusions The results suggest the BMMRS assesses distinct positive and negative aspects of religiousness and spirituality that may be best conceptualized in a psychoneuroimmunological context as measuring: (a) Spiritual Experiences (i.e., emotional experience of feeling connected with a higher power/the universe); (b) Religious Practices (i.e., prayer, rituals, service attendance); (c) Congregational Support; and (d) Forgiveness (i.e., a specific coping strategy that can be conceptualized as religious or non-religious in context).