cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulation of eryptosis by broad-spectrum insect repellent N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET).

Abstract N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) is the most widely used insect repellent in the world. Adverse effects following DEET exposure are well documented. Moreover, DEET has been shown to possess cytotoxic and apoptotic properties in nucleated cells. Although red blood cells (RBCs) lack intracellular organelles, they nevertheless undergo programmed cell death termed eryptosis. Compromised RBC health contributes to the development of anemia; a condition affecting 25% of the global population. This study investigated the interaction between DEET and human RBCs, and explored accompanying biochemical and molecular alterations. RBCs at 5% hematocrit were incubated in presence and absence of 1–5 mM (0.02%–0.1%) of DEET for 6 h at 37 °C. Hemolysis was spectrophotometrically determined by hemoglobin release, while major eryptotic events were analyzed by flow cytometer. Phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure was detected with Annexin-V-FITC, cell volume by forward scatter (FSC) of light, intracellular calcium with Fluo-3/AM, and reactive oxygen species with 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA). DEET caused slight hemolysis at 4 and 5 mM, and significantly increased Annexin-V-FITC and Fluo3 fluorescence, with reduced FSC at 5 mM. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ abolished DEET-induced Fluo3 fluorescence but had no effect on Annexin-V binding. Importantly, blockade of eryptotic signaling mediators p38 MAPK, caspases, protein kinase C, casein kinase 1, or necroptotic kinases receptor-interacting protein 1 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein, with small molecule inhibitors, did not ameliorate DEET-mediated PS externalization. In conclusion, DEET elicits suicidal erythrocyte death; an event characterized by loss of membrane asymmetry, cell shrinkage, and elevations in intracellular Ca2+ mainly through dysregulated Ca2+ influx.
Consumers’ Perceptions of Using Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) for Research Purposes

ABSTRACTHealth Information Exchanges (HIEs) help various organizations to use aggregated clinical data for research purposes. Consumers may concern that private companies could access their persona...
Percutaneous axillary artery approach for ductal stenting in critical right ventricular outflow tract lesions in the neonatal period.

Objectives We aimed to assess the experience using a percutaneous axillary artery approach for insertion of arterial ductal stents in patients with critical right ventricular outflow tract lesions at two tertiary pediatric cardiology centers. Background Patent ductus arteriosus stenting is an accepted palliative alternative to BT shunts for neonates with critical right heart lesions. Access to tortuous ductus' may be challenging via the femoral artery, whereas the carotid artery presents a low risk of stroke. Recently, the axillary artery has been utilized for access in these patients. Methods We performed a retrospective review of neonates who underwent stent placement or angioplasty using percutaneous axillary artery approach at two tertiary care centers from October 2016 to November 2018. Medical records were reviewed to ascertain demographic, clinical, and outcome data. Results Axillary artery access was performed in 20 patients (16 primary ductal stents and 4 re-interventions) at a median (IQR) procedural weight of 3.4 (3-3.9) kg. Median (IQR) procedural time was 110 (75-150) min. The median (IQR) ICU stay and intubation times were 14 (0-94) hr and 5 (0-40) hr, respectively. There were three access-related vascular complications which were managed conservatively with no long-term effects. Two patients subsequently died due to non-procedure related causes. Conclusions Ductal stenting via a percutaneous axillary artery approach is a viable option in neonates with critical right ventricular outflow tract lesions. This approach provides an additional access site for PDA stenting which may be utilized in patients with vertical duct morphology.
DNA-SWCNT Biosensors Allow Real-Time Monitoring of Therapeutic Responses in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly desmoplastic cancer with limited treatment options. There is an urgent need for tools that monitor therapeutic responses in real-time. Drugs such as gemcitabine (GEM) and irinotecan elicit their therapeutic effect in cancer cells by producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In this study, specific DNA- wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), which precisely monitor H2O2, were used to determine the therapeutic response of PDAC cells in vitro and tumors in vivo. Drug therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in vitro by monitoring differences of H2O2 in situ using reversible alteration of Raman G-bands from the nanotubes. Implantation of the DNA-SWCNT probe inside the PDAC tumor resulted in ~50% reduction of Raman G-band intensity when treated with GEM versus the pre-treated tumor; the Raman G-band intensity reversed to its pretreatment level upon treatment withdrawal. In summary, we demonstrate using highly specific and sensitive DNA-SWCNT nanosensors that dynamic alteration of a key analyte can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapeutics both in vitro and in vivo.
JPL’s Approach to Low Cost Mission Operations — An Overview

Since the beginning of the NASA space program, each center has been tasked with the design, development and operations of a set of project resources necessary to accomplish its mission objectives. Those resources during the earlier years of the program could have been described as unbounded in comparison with today’s resource restrictions. As NASA’s program matured in the 1980’s and even more so in the early 1990’s, it became evident that with the reductions in project resources significant changes were needed if the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) were to have any program at all. Therefore, since the mid-1980’s JPL has undertaken steps in an effort to remain fiscally responsible while maintaining its role as the “leader in the exploration of the universe”.
Optical Frequency Comb Generation Utilizing Mach-Zehnder Modulator and Multi-Laser Sources

Optical frequency comb generators (OFCG) can offer many attractive applications such as optical communications [1],
Session Intro: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ENHANCING CLINICAL MEDICINE.

Machine learning and deep learning have revolutionized our ability to analyze and find patterns in multi-dimensional and intricate datasets. As such, these methods have the ability to help us decipher the large volume of data generated within healthcare. These tools hold the promise of enhancing patient care through several modalities, including clinical decision support, monitoring tools, image interpretation, and triaging capabilities. For the 2020 Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing's session on Artificial Intelligence for Enhancing Clinical Medicine, we highlight novel research on the application of artificial intelligence to solve problems within the field of medicine.
Biological Functions of HMGN Chromosomal Proteins

Chromatin plays a key role in regulating gene expression programs necessary for the orderly progress of development and for preventing changes in cell identity that can lead to disease. The high mobility group N (HMGN) is a family of nucleosome binding proteins that preferentially binds to chromatin regulatory sites including enhancers and promoters. HMGN proteins are ubiquitously expressed in all vertebrate cells potentially affecting chromatin function and epigenetic regulation in multiple cell types. Here, we review studies aimed at elucidating the biological function of HMGN proteins, focusing on their possible role in vertebrate development and the etiology of disease. The data indicate that changes in HMGN levels lead to cell type-specific phenotypes, suggesting that HMGN optimize epigenetic processes necessary for maintaining cell identity and for proper execution of specific cellular functions. This manuscript contains tables that can be used as a comprehensive resource for all the English written manuscripts describing research aimed at elucidating the biological function of the HMGN protein family.
Impact of an Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in an Outpatient Multiple Myeloma Clinic.

Abstract Improvements in cancer treatment and supportive care, as well as the approval of oral chemotherapy medications over the past decade, have resulted in an increasing number of cancer patients treated in outpatient settings. Transitioning cancer treatments to the outpatient setting places greater emphasis on proper medication counseling and optimal side effect management. Current literature demonstrates improvements in medication adherence and effective cancer related symptom management with the addition of an oncology pharmacist 5 , 6 . Historically the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) has not employed pharmacists into their ambulatory oncology clinics. As of August 2018, UCMC is evaluating the opportunity for pharmacist roles in these clinics. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the clinical and financial impact of an oncology clinical pharmacist specialist in an interdisciplinary multiple myeloma (MM) clinic. This will be evaluated by monitoring the interventions made by the pharmacist in clinic through a validated scoring tool. This tool associates a value for each type of intervention made based on current literature and internal evaluations at UCMC. The oncology clinical pharmacist specialist will be available for consult by the MM clinic staff. The pharmacist may be consulted for any medication related inquiry. Based on the consult the pharmacist will categorize their interventions into twelve predefined intervention categories. Study results showed the implementation of a clinical pharmacy specialist into MM clinic over 39 clinic days resulted in 241 patient consults and 474 interventions made by the pharmacist. The most frequent interventions made by the pharmacist were medication teaching (97), dose adjustments by pharmacist (82) and medication reconciliation (63). Based on the dollar values associated with each intervention type, the value of interventions made by the pharmacist during the study period was $189,441 with a predicted annual value of $757,764.
Ultrasonic Attenuation and Backscattering in Duplex Alloys for Materials Characterization

It is well known that the microstructure can affect a propagating ultrasonic beam. For example, the sound velocity is significantly affected by crystallographic texture. In addition, during flaw detection, the microstructure can backscatter energy, creating noise which can mask signals from small flaws. Furthermore, a flaw signal can be attenuated by absorption and scattering of energy. These effects can have deleterious effects on flaw detection and characterization. However, due to the link between backscattered grain noise, attenuation and the microstructure, measurement of these ultrasonic quantities can be used as accurate materials characterization methodologies if appropriate models exist. Theoretical predictions of attenuation have been made successfully in the past in materials consisting of texture free, equiaxed grains. However, there is a lack of adequate models describing the attenuation and backscattering in duplex alloys with texture such as commonly used steels and titanium alloys. The multiple scattering, which controls the attenuation, is of particular interest. In this paper, we will present theoretical predictions and experimental measurements of attenuation and backscattering in duplex alloys, with the practical goal of producing a theory to quantify material properties when coupled with appropriate ultrasonic measurements.
Altered cerebral perfusion in bipolar disorder: A pCASL MRI study.

BACKGROUND Neurovascular abnormalities are relevant to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD), which can be assessed using cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging. CBF alterations have been identified in BD, but studies to date have been small and inconclusive. We aimed to determine cortical gray matter CBF (GM-CBF) differences between BD and healthy controls (HC) and to identify relationships between CBF and clinical or cognitive measures. METHODS Cortical GM-CBF maps were generated using Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (pCASL) for 109 participants (BD, n = 61; HC, n = 48). We used SnPM13 to perform non-parametric voxel-wise two-sample t-tests comparing CBF between groups. We performed multiple linear regression to relate GM-CBF with clinical and cognitive measures. Analysis was adjusted for multiple comparisons with 10,000 permutations. Significance was set at a voxel level threshold of P < .001 followed by AlphaSim cluster-wise correction of P < .05. RESULTS Compared to HCs, BD patients had greater GM-CBF in the left lateral occipital cortex, superior division and lower CBF in the right lateral occipital, angular and middle temporal gyrus. Greater GM-CBF in the left lateral occipital cortex correlated with worse working memory, verbal memory, attention and speed of processing. We found using voxel-wise regression that decreased gray matter CBF in the bilateral thalamus and cerebellum, and increased right fronto-limbic CBF were associated with worse working memory. No clusters were associated with clinical variables after FDR correction. CONCLUSIONS Cortical GM-CBF alterations are seen in BD and may be related to cognitive function, which suggest neurovascular unit dysfunction as a possible pathophysiologic mechanism.
Modelling and estimation of combustion variability for fast light-off of diesel aftertreatment

Combustion phasing retard is commonly used on diesel engines to achieve faster aftertreatment light-off and lower tailpipe emissions. Aggressive combustion phasing retard can achieve higher exhaust gas enthalpy at the cost of increased combustion variability, which can create vehicle noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) issues. To avoid such issues while maximising exhaust heating, feedback from cylinder pressure sensors can be used to control the coefficient of variation of the indicated mean effective pressure (CoVIMEP) to a maximum allowable value. Therefore, a control-oriented combustion model that captures the stochastic properties of the cycle-to-cycle variability for IMEP has been developed for control design. Unbiased estimation methods for the CoVIMEP using finite impulse response (FIR) and infinite impulse response (IIR) filters are discussed. Finally, the performance of the estimation strategy is tested during an engine warm-up phase to show that it is a suitable alternative for generating a feedback signal for control.
Reopening dentistry after COVID-19: Complete suppression of aerosolization in dental procedures by viscoelastic Medusa Gorgo

The aerosol transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has impacted the delivery of health care and essentially stopped the provision of medical and dental therapies. Dentistry uses rotary, ultrasonic, and laser-based instruments that produce water-based aerosols in the daily, routine treatment of patients. Abundant aerosols are generated, which reach health care workers and other patients. Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 virus and related coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, continued expansion throughout the USA and the world. The virus is spread by both droplet (visible drops) and aerosol (practically invisible drops) transmission. The generation of aerosols in dentistry-an unavoidable part of most dental treatments-creates a high-risk situation. The US Centers for Disease Control and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration consider dental procedures to be of "highest risk" in the potential spreading of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. There are several ways to reduce or eliminate the virus: (i) cease or postpone dentistry (public and personal health risk), (ii) screen patients immediately prior to dental treatment (by appropriate testing, if any), (iii) block/remove the virus containing aerosol by engineering controls together with stringent personal protective equipment use. The present work takes a novel, fourth approach. By altering the physical response of water to the rotary or ultrasonic forces that are used in dentistry, the generation of aerosol particles and the distance any aerosol may spread beyond the point of generation can be markedly suppressed or completely eliminated in comparison to water for both the ultrasonic scaler and dental handpiece.
The Structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud Stellar Halo Derived Using OGLE-III RR Lyr Stars

We use the recently released OGLE-III catalog of 17,692 fundamental mode RR Lyr (RRab) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) to investigate the structure of its stellar halo. We apply conservative cuts in period, amplitude, and magnitude to remove blends and other contamination. We use period-luminosity and period-color relations to determine distance and extinction of every star in our final sample of 9393 stars. In order to determine the scatter of our method, we compare the distributions of distances in two regions at the edges of the covered area with a central region. We determine the intrinsic line-of-sight dispersion in the center to be 0.135 mag or 3.21 kpc (FWHM of 0.318 mag or 7.56 kpc), assuming zero depth in one of the edge regions. The conservative cuts we apply reduce the derived depth significantly. Furthermore, we find that the distribution of RRab stars is deformed in the sense that stars on the eastern side are closer than on the western side. We model the RRab distribution as a triaxial ellipsoid and determine its axes ratios to be 1:2.00:3.50 with the longest axis inclined by 6° from the line of sight. Another result of our analysis is an extinction map of the LMC and a map of internal reddening, which we make publicly available.
Preparing Adult Learners for Success in Blended Learning through Onboarding: A pilot study

Blended learning offers adult learners unique opportunities for instructional continuity given work and personal commitments. However, learners participating in blended learning may experience a sense of isolation and/or problems with technology. To address the challenges of a blended program, an expanded orientation, called "onboarding," was designed to ensure learners feel connected to their program and clearly understand the programmatic requirements. Onboarding spans six months and includes a series of activities to provide learners with technological, interaction, and self-directed learning skills needed to succeed in a blended program. Results from the evaluation survey reveal that learners feel most engaged with the program through one-to-one interactions with their academic advisors and interactions with peers in an online discussion board. In addition, learners primarily found the onboarding process straightforward and mostly expressed a desire for more explicit instructions. The onboarding, catering to adult learner needs, provides a combination of personal interactions and self-paced activities, offers hands-on experience of the technologies that learners will be using in the program, and contextualizes all the technical activities within programmatic requirements. Providing a comprehensive onboarding process can help returning learners in their transition to blended learning
The Role of COVID-19, Race and Social Factors in Pregnancy Experiences in New York State: The CAP Study.

Given that New York State's (NYS) was the first epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (US), we were interested in potential racial/ethnic differences in pregnancy-related experiences among women pregnant during versus prior to the pandemic. We surveyed 1,525 women (18-44 years) proportionate to geographic and sociodemographic distribution between June 9, 20 and July 21, 20. We carried out bivariate analysis of various social and pregnancy-related factors by racial/ethnic identity (White, Black, Hispanic) and binary logistic and linear regression assessing the association between race/ethnicity, pregnancy prior to/during the pandemic, demographic characteristics, health and social wellbeing, and employment as an essential worker with pregnancy-related healthcare delays and changes. Overall, Black and Hispanic women were significantly more likely to experience a host of negative prenatal and postpartum experiences. In general, multivariate analyses revealed that individuals who were pregnant during the pandemic, lived in NYC, participated in social welfare programs, lacked health insurance, and/or were essential workers were more likely to report delays in prenatal and postpartum care and/or more changes/negative experiences. In light of previous evidence of racial disparities in birth experiences, the higher rates of negative pregnancy/birth-care and postpartum/newborn-care experiences among Black and Hispanic women in bivariate analysis warrant further inspection given that their aggregation for multivariate analysis may have obscured differences at the level of individual events. Findings support continued efforts for universal health insurance and improved social welfare programs. Guidelines are needed to protect essential workers' access to health services, particularly related to pregnancy given the time-sensitive nature of this care.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2021.1997893 .
Integrating religion into the education of mental health professionals

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the integrating religion into the education of mental health professionals. Inclusion of religion and spirituality in clinical training would appear essential. Teaching methods for religion and spirituality should be tailored to the abilities of the professor and students. Faculty who intend to teach about religion and spirituality may consider gathering a collection of videotaped interviews from patients who consent to their use for education. A formal course on religion and spirituality has the advantage of somewhat greater exposure to the topic and more opportunity to provide exposure to clinical literature. Unfortunately, many clinical training directors view teaching about religion and spirituality as unimportant and decline to allow more than a single session to address it. But now a days, both the religious diversity of Americans and professional, and public interest in religion and spirituality are increasing. The past several years have seen a rise in scientific conferences and research reports on the interface of religion and spirituality with mental and physical health .As this trend continues, the need to teach trainees will increase as mental health clinicians confront increasingly diverse religious traditions and values.
Appendices and Indices Figures and Plates

The most essential requirement for any measuring unit is its constancy. In historical chronology, however, this condition is satisfied only in three cases: by the Egyptian years of 365 days, by the days themselves, counted consecutively as “julian days” beginning with day 0 = −4712 Jan. 1, and finally by the seven-day week.
Do semantic contextual cues facilitate transfer learning from video in toddlers

Young children typically demonstrate a transfer deficit, learning less from video than live presentations. Semantically meaningful context has been demonstrated to enhance learning in young children. We examined the effect of a semantically meaningful context on toddlers’ imitation performance. Two- and 2.5-year-olds participated in a puzzle imitation task to examine learning from either a live or televised model. The model demonstrated how to assemble a three-piece puzzle to make a fish or a boat, with the puzzle demonstration occurring against a semantically meaningful background context (ocean) or a yellow background (no context). Participants in the video condition performed significantly worse than participants in the live condition, demonstrating the typical transfer deficit effect. While the context helped improve overall levels of imitation, especially for the boat puzzle, only individual differences in the ability to self-generate a stimulus label were related to a reduction in the transfer deficit.
Martingale Representation Theorem

This note gives a brief history of the “martingale representation theorem”, one of the most powerful and fundamental theorems in stochastic calculus. Various forms of the theorem are presented so that a broad picture of the theorem can be seen from different perspectives. Some new extensions of the theorem, especially those connected to mathematical finance theory, are provided at different levels of depth as pointers for future study. Keywords: multiple Wiener-Ito integrals; martingale representation; Brownian filtration; discontinuous martingales; hedging; market completeness
Исследование Рисков Российского и Зарубежного Финансовых Рынков в Условиях Возросшей Турбулентности Экономических Процессов (Study of Risks and Russian Foreign Market Turbulence in Increased Economic Processes)

Стремительное развитие финансовых рынков, появление новых и все более сложных финансовых инструментов, эволюция платежных систем – все это приводит к формированию новых рисков, а, следовательно, к необходимости совершенствовать методику прогнозирования кризисных явлений. В данной работе приводится обзор основных проблем и тенденций в российском финансовом секторе во взаимосвязи с процессами в мировой экономике, который является основой для изучения рисков финансовой стабильности в РФ.The rapid development of financial markets, the emergence of new and more complex financial instruments, evolution of payment systems - all this leads to the formation of new risks, and thus the need to improve the methods crisis forecasting. This paper provides an overview of key issues and trends in the Russian financial sector in relation to the processes of the world economy, which is the basis for the consideration of the risks to the financial stability of the Russian Federation.
Effects of chronic morphine administration on mu opioid receptor-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS autoradiography in rat brain.

Chronic opiate administration results in the development of tolerance and dependence, but the regulation of mu opioid receptor function during this process is not clearly understood. To localize changes in mu opioid receptor-coupled G-protein activity in various brain regions after chronic morphine treatment, the present study examined mu opioid agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding to brain sections by in vitro autoradiography. Rats were treated for 12 d with increasing doses (10– 320mg . kg-1 . d-1) of morphine. Control rats were injected with either saline or a single acute injection of morphine (20 mg/kg). mu opioid- stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding was measured by autoradiography of brain sections in the presence and absence of the mu opioid-selective agonist DAMGO. In rats injected with a single acute dose of morphine, no significant changes were detected in basal or agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding in any region. In sections from chronic morphine- treated rats, however, DAMGO-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding was reduced significantly compared with control rats in the following brain- stem nuclei: dorsal raphe nucleus, locus coeruleus, lateral and medial parabrachial nuclei, and commissural nucleus tractus solitarius. No significant changes were observed in several other brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, thalamus, and substantia nigra. These data indicate that chronic morphine administration results in reductions in mu opioid activation of G-proteins in specific brainstem nuclei involved in physiological homeostasis and autonomic function, which may have implications in the development of opiate tolerance and physical dependence.
Organochlorine insecticide residues in the free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) at Bracken Cave, Texas.

Fifty-nine free-tailed bats ( Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana ) were collected at Bracken Cave, Texas, and analyzed for organochlorine insecticides and polyehiorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Residues of DDE in the brain were greater in 12 young collected from the floor than in 15 young taken from the ceiling, but food deprivation, not higher residues in the brain, apparently caused young to fall. Among 18 pregnant females, residues of DDE and DDT were highest in yearlings. The first lactation by yearlings caused their residue loads to drop sharply. Thereafter, increasing age was accompanied by increasing residues but amounts generally did not exceed those in yearlings. Residue levels in embryos were a function both of levels in the female parent and degree of embryonic development. Residues accumulated rapidly in nursing young, and lactating females may excrete from 1.3 to 16.2 (mean = 4.3) micrograms of DDE in milk per day. Maximum individual residue loads may be attained toward the end of nursing, and mobilization of these residues during southward migration may subject Bracken Cave free-tails to maximum lifetime residues in the brain. Comparison of our data with residue data for the free-tail population at Eagle Creek Cave (Arizona) in 1970 produced the following conclusions: (1) residues of DDE appeared similar in pregnant females, embryos, lactating females, and fallen young for the two populations; (2) residues of DDT and dieldrin appeared greater in pregnant females at Bracken Cave; (3) DDE and DDT occurred at greater levels in guano samples from Bracken Cave. On this basis, the population decline observed at Eagle Creek Cave between 1963 and 1969 does not appear to be related to the residues observed in the 1970 samples taken from that cave.
Individuated finger control in focal hand dystonia: An fMRI study

Objectives To better understand deficient selective motor control in focal hand dystonia by determining changes in striatal activation and connectivity in patients performing individuated finger control.
Photoionization hole burning on the 4f7(8S72) → 4f65d(Γ8) zero-phonon transition of Eu2+ in CaF2 and Ca1−xLaxF2 + x

Abstract Persistent spectral hole burning due to two-step photoionization of the 413 nm zero-phonon transition of Eu 2+ in CaF 2 and CaF 2 mixed with LaF 3 is described. A pattern of broad holes and a sharp central hole is the result of removing from the absorption, the spectral profile of individual ions which have one of their transitions resonant with the burning laser. The structure of the broad holes is observed in both the pure and mixed crystals and results from the ground state electronic splitting and the hyperfine splittings in the ground and excited states. Efficiencies for the second photoionization step are found to be ∼ 10 −3 in the pure CaF 2 and ∼ 50% in mixed crystals with 1% LaF 3 . Gating of the hole burning is observed with 514nm light with burn rate enhancements of up to 100.
Parallelization of WHILE loops on pipelined architectures

Modulo scheduling theory can be applied successfully to overlap Fortran DO loops on pipelined computers issuing multiple operations per cycle both with and without special loop architectural support. This paper shows that a broader class of loops—REPEAT-UNTIL, WHILE, and loops with more than one exit, in which the trip count is not known beforehand—can also be overlapped efficiently on multiple-issue pipelined machines. The approach is described with respect to a specific machine model, but it can be extended to other models. Special features in the architecture, as well as compiler representations for accelerating these loop constructs, are discussed. Performance results are presented for a few select examples.
Kleptoparasites: a twofold cost of group living for the colonial spider, Metepeira incrassata (Araneae, Araneidae)

Several species of kleptoparasitic and araneophagic spiders (Araneae: Family Theridiidae, Subfamily Argyrodinae) are found in colonial webs of the orb-weaving spider Metepeira incrassata (Araneae, Araneidae) from Mexico, where they steal food and/or prey upon their spider hosts. Census data from natural M. incrassata colonies reveal that the incidence of these species increases with colony size. This pattern may reflect the presence of several other orb-weaving spiders, each with their own kleptoparasitic species, invading larger M. incrassata colonies. As the number of these associated spiders increases, so does the density and number of Argyrodinae species in M. incrassata colonies, suggesting that associated spiders might reduce their own kleptoparasite load by building their webs within M. incrassata colonies. This represents a twofold cost to M. incrassata, as a field enclosure experiment revealed that a primarily kleptoparasitic species (Argyrodes elevatus) may reduce prey available to their hosts, but a kleptoparasitic/araneophagic species (Neospintharus concisus) inflicts high mortality upon M. incrassata. However, the cost of kleptoparasitism and predation by these species may be offset in part for M. incrassata individuals in large colonies by certain defensive mechanisms inherent in groups, i.e., “attack-abatement” and “selfish herd” effects. We conclude that increased occurrence of kleptoparasitic and/or predatory Argyrodinae spiders is a consequence of colonial web building and is an important potential cost of group living for colonial web-building spiders.
Markers of bone metabolism in women receiving aromatase inhibitors for early-stage breast cancer.

Abstract The aromatase inhibitors have been widely incorporated into the adjuvant breast cancer care of postmenopausal women with estrogen and/or progesterone receptor–positive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitor use is associated with an increased risk of lowering bone mineral density and accelerating the risk of fragility fractures. Optimizing bone health includes appropriate nutrition and exercise, as well as screening for and treatment of low bone mass. Assessment of an individual's risk of fracture typically includes measuring the bone mineral density and other clinical risk factors, and there are evolving data as to the potential added information obtained by measuring biochemical markers of bone metabolism.
The use of a rapid new technique in the demonstration of cutaneous catecholamines.

The demonstration of cutaneous monocamines was first made possible by the histoflourescent technique of Falck et al., J. Histochem. Cytochem., 10, 348, 1962, a very difficult and time consuming technique, available to only a few investigators. The present technique, using glyoxylic acid condensation requires no special equipment or expertise, and takes only 20 min from animal to microscope. Using this technique, it has been demonstrated that standard random skin flaps in the rat and pig are generally devoid of catecholamines in their entirety within 4 days of elevation, and catecholamine depletion also occurs by 4 days within 5 mm of any cutaneous incision. Catecholamine depletion, implying sympathectomy, could not be produced in the groin-based abdominal flap of the rat by section of the nerve in the caudal superficial epigastric pedicle, but could be produced by section of the filamentous fibers present between the abdominal wall and the skin.
Reduction of nosocomial acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a community hospital through adherence to standard precautions

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The number of patients culture-positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at a 235-bed community acute care hospital had been slowly increasing since data were first collected. According to policy, MRSA-positive patients were placed in contact precautions. In 2002 the infection control committee changed this policy as it appeared to have little or no effect on the incidence of nosocomial spread but had a negative impact on patient care. The new policy eliminated use of contact precautions; instead only standard precautions would be followed on MRSA patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that standard precautions “should control the spread of MRSA in most instances” but that “if MRSA is judged by the hospital's infection control program to be of special clinical or epidemiologic significance, then contact precautions should be considered.” Prior to the policy change, there was an average of 10 nosocomial cases of MRSA/month (1.61/1000 patient days). Following the elimination of contact precautions, the incidence of nosocomial MRSA decreased and has sustained. The average number of nosocomial cases of MRSA 2 years later was METHODS: Prior to implementing the policy, the infection control practitioner (ICP) met with medical staff committees to discuss the proposed change and its rationale, to educate physicians, and to gain their support. There was mixed support, but ultimately the policy change was accepted. The ICP implemented an educational program for all staff focusing on three things: MRSA and its transmission; the prevalence of MRSA at the facility and incidence of nosocomial spread; and the fundamentals of standard precautions, emphasizing the importance of strict adherence with all patients. Educational efforts focused on a paradigm shift whereby prevention of transmission through standard precautions rather than reliance on patient isolation was emphasized. RESULTS: Nosocomial MRSA significantly decreased following discontinuation of contact precautions. The rate went from 9.67 cases/mo to 4.33 cases/mo. Patient care was positively impacted. CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions which focused on adherence to standard precautions resulted in improved quality of patient care and decreased nosocomial MRSA. Education of staff proved to be far more important in decreasing nosocomial spread than did initiating contact precautions.
High-performance work systems in health care management, part 2: qualitative evidence from five case studies.

Background : A capable workforce is central to the delivery of high-quality care. Research from other industries suggests that the methodical use of evidence-based management practices (also known as high-performance work practices [HPWPs]), such as systematic personnel selection and incentive compensation, serves to attract and retain well-qualified health care staff and that HPWPs may represent an important and underutilized strategy for improving quality of care and patient safety. Purpose : The aims of this study were to improve our understanding about the use of HPWPs in health care organizations and to learn about their contribution to quality of care and patient safety improvements. Methodology/approach : Guided by a model of HPWPs developed through an extensive literature review and synthesis, we conducted a series of interviews with key informants from five U.S. health care organizations that had been identified based on their exemplary use of HPWPs. We sought to explore the applicability of our model and learn whether and how HPWPs were related to quality and safety. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative analysis. Findings : In each of the five organizations, we found emphasis on all four HPWP subsystems in our conceptual model-engagement, staff acquisition/development, frontline empowerment, and leadership alignment/development. Although some HPWPs were common, there were also practices that were distinctive to a single organization. Our informants reported links between HPWPs and employee outcomes (e.g., turnover and higher satisfaction/engagement) and indicated that HPWPs made important contributions to system- and organization-level outcomes (e.g., improved recruitment, improved ability to address safety concerns, and lower turnover). Practice implications : These case studies suggest that the systematic use of HPWPs may improve performance in health care organizations and provide examples of how HPWPs can impact quality and safety in health care. Further research is needed to specify which HPWPs and systems are of greatest potential for health care management.
Sclerosponge growth rate as determined by 210Pb and Δ14C chronologies

Measurements of bomb-produced radiocarbon and 210Pb provide concordant estimates of the growth rate of the sclerosponge Ceratoporella nicholsoni collected from the reef slope of northern Jamaica. Radiocarbon measurements of older growth bands in the same specimen are similar to the time history of radiocarbon in coral bands from two sites in the northwestern Atlantic. Furthermore, 210Pb and stable Pb analyses reveal that the sclerosponge incorporates this element at much higher concentrations than corals.
On the relation between infrasound, seismicity, and small pyroclastic explosions at Karymsky Volcano

[1] Ground- and atmospheric-propagating elastic waves are integrated with digitized video to reconstruct important parameters during the onset of eruptions at Karymsky Volcano in 1999. Muzzle velocities, which range from 10 to 55 m/s for 34 analyzed explosive events, are found to be very well correlated with eruption velocities synthesized from infrasonic trace data. Acoustic modeling proposed here invokes a linear acoustic source consistent with a 3-m piston that accelerates upwards. Timing of acoustic arrivals relative to video records of material emission is used to constrain fragmentation sources depths, which are assumed to be coincident with infrasound generation. These sources are generally shallow, with an observed vertical range of about 15 m. Systematic changes in source depth are observed during two nights of data collection and are attributed to variations in the depth of the magma free surface. Relative timing of acoustic and seismic arrivals is used to identify the presence of seismicity prior to fragmentation. This seismicity is emergent and low intensity, but significant because it precedes the presumed fragmentation events by variable amounts up to 4 s. The primary short-period seismic phases appear coincident with the initiation of fragmentation and infrasound generation. Because of the complexity of the seismic Green's function, it is not possible to correlate amplitude from a specific seismic pulse with observed eruption intensity.
Attention Bias for Sexual Words in Female Sexual Dysfunction

Cognitive models suggest that attention processes maintain sexual dysfunction. However, few published studies have examined attention bias, and even fewer have studied female participants with sexual dysfunction. Using the Female Sexual Function Index, the authors classified undergraduates as experiencing sexual dysfunction (n = 28) or not (n = 28). The authors assessed whether participants showed attention bias for sexual words using a modified dot-probe task. As expected, female participants with sexual dysfunction showed an attention bias to sexual words, whereas control participants did not. The authors discuss implications for models of sexual dysfunction and clinical intervention.
Diffuse aneurysmal disease

A 72-year-old woman admitted for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI) had medical history notable for coronary artery disease with two episodes of MI that were diagnosed at an outlying hospital and treated medically. She was also noted to have an infrarenal abdominal aneurysm for the preceding 5 years, measured most recently at 4.8 cm and also managed medically. Other past medical history included hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperlipidemia, and peripheral vascular disease with left femoropopliteal bypass surgery. On admission, the patient’s vital signs were stable, but her cardiac markers were elevated with peak troponin-I at 37 ng/ml. Her electrocardiogram showed ST depression in the inferior leads. She was treated with unfractionated heparin and eptifibatide. Coronary angiography revealed triple-vessel coronary artery disease with multiple coronary artery aneurysms in the right coronary artery (RCA) and left anterior descending artery. The largest aneurysm in the proximal RCA measured 2.7 3.1 cm. The patient underwent triple-vessel coronary artery bypass surgery with no complications. Giant coronary artery aneurysm is a rare entity that has been previously reported.1 Association with other aneurysmal diseases such as abdominal aneurysm has also been reported, but remains a very rare phenomenon.2, 3 Underlying causes associated with dilatations of blood vessels systemically include degenerative processes (atherosclerosis being a major cause), infections (such as syphilis), inflammation (such as Kawasaki Disease and Behcet’s syndrome2), and congenital anomalies.
The treatment of massive hepatomegaly in stage IV-S neuroblastoma.

Abstract Three children with Stage IV-S neuroblastoma and massive hepatomegaly were treated with low dose radiotherapy to the liver (1200–1400 rad at 125–150 rad per day). Radiotherapy was efficacious in reducing liver size in our small series; the three patients are alive without disease at 2, 3, and 4 years, respectively, following treatment. Although all three patients are doing well, our data suggest a low threshold for radiation kidney damage in children less than 6 months old. Since treatment strategy is designed to reverse liver enlargement and not to deliver a curative dose, radiation treatment should be designed to avoid the kidneys.
Structure of La1.5Ba1.5Cu3O7.3

Abstract The structure of La 1.5 Ba 1.5 Cu 3 O 7.3 has been determined from neutron powder diffraction data. This structure is closely related to that of the superconductors of the type YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . However, the La 1.5 Ba 1.5 Cu 3 O 7.3 structure is tetragonal with excess oxygen. There is therefore considerable disorder with respect to the linear (CuO) n chains.
Analysis by NMR Spectroscopy of the Structural Homology between the Linear and the Cyclic Peptide Recognized by Anti-human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Monoclonal Antibody TP25.99*

The anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I monoclonal antibody (mAb) TP25.99 has a unique specificity since it recognizes both a conformational and a linear determinant expressed on the β2-μ-associated and β2-μ-free HLA class I heavy chains, respectively. Previously, we reported the identification of a cyclic and a linear peptide that inhibits mAb TP25.99 binding to the β2-μ-associated and β2-μ-free HLA class I heavy chains (S. A. Desai, X. Wang, E. J. Noronha, Q. Zhou, V. Rebmann, H. Grosse-Wilde, F. J. Moy, R. Powers, and S. Ferrone, submitted for publication). The linear X19 and cyclic LX-8 peptides contain sequence homologous to residues 239–242, 245, and 246 and to residues 194–198, respectively, of HLA class I heavy chain α3 domain. Analysis by two-dimensional transfer nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy of the induced solution structures of the linear X19 and cyclic LX-8 peptides in the presence of mAb TP25.99 showed that the two peptides adopt a similar structural motif despite the lack of sequence homology. The backbone fold is suggestive of a short helical segment followed by a tight turn, reminiscent of the determinant loop region (residues 194–198) on β2-μ-associated HLA class I heavy chains. The structural similarity between the linear X19 and cyclic LX-8 peptides and the lack of sequence homology suggests that mAb TP25.99 predominantly recognizes a structural motif instead of a consensus sequence.