cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of provider training on patient education for pediatric early food introduction.

Background Pediatric food allergies (FAs) present significant health and economic problems. Currently, there are no cures for FAs. Recent studies suggest that early introduction (EI), between 4 and 6 months of age, of commonly allergenic foods (CAFs) may reduce the risk of developing FAs. This contradicts the current standard of care, food avoidance. Local problem A federally qualified health center saw 894 patients aged 0-24 months during a 12-month period with only 18.9% receiving nutrition education. New dietary recommendations to prevent FA were not in place. Methods A retrospective chart review was used to evaluate use of an order set with patient education on EI to CAFs in the electronic medical record (EMR). Interventions Providers attended training on EI to CAFs and use of the EMR order set. Data were collected on the use of the order set over a 3-month period. Results Provider training significantly improved knowledge of FA as well as EI guidelines. After 3 months of implementation, 25.95% of eligible encounters contained the EI order set; 52% of patients received the order set during the measurement period. In the impact population, patients 4-12 months of age, 74.55% of patients received the order set. Conclusions Evidence-based clinical content in EMR order sets coupled with provider training ensure clinical decision support in identifying, monitoring, and optimizing quality care standards.
Changes in prefrontal cortical activity and turning in response to dopaminergic and cholinergic therapy in Parkinson's disease: A randomized cross-over trial.

Abstract Introduction Cholinergic dysfunction contributes to mobility deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD). People with PD rely on limited prefrontal executive-attentional resources for the control of locomotion, including turning. Cortical and behavioral responses to cholinergic augmentation during turning remains unclear. We examined prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity while turning-in-place and spatiotemporal measures of turns in response to usual dopaminergic medication and adjunct cholinergic augmentation. Methods This study consisted of a single-site, randomized, double-blind crossover trial. Twenty PD participants were assessed in the levodopa-off state and then randomized to either levodopa + donepezil (5 mg) or levodopa + placebo treatments for two weeks followed by a 2-week washout before crossover. The primary outcome was change from off state in PFC activity while turning-in-place (assessed with functional near-infrared spectroscopy). Secondary outcomes were changes in spatiotemporal turning measures (assessed with body-worn inertial measurement units) and accuracy in the secondary task. Results Nineteen participants completed the trial. While levodopa + placebo had no effect on PFC activity when turning-in-place with a dual-task, levodopa + donepezil led to a large reduction in PFC activity (effect size, −0.82). Spatiotemporal measures of turning improved with both treatments, with slightly greater effect sizes observed for levodopa + donepezil. Additionally, the accuracy in the concurrent cognitive task improved only with levodopa + donepezil (effect size, 0.63). Conclusion The addition of cholinergic therapy with donepezil (5 mg/day for 2 weeks) to standard dopaminergic therapy reduced the burden on prefrontal executive-attentional resources while turning with a dual-task and improved secondary task accuracy and turning.
Mass Shooting Outcomes: A Comparison of Completed, Attempted, Failed, and Foiled Incidents in America

This study examines completed, attempted, failed, and foiled mass shooting outcomes in the United States (2000–2019). Comparative analyses of these four outcomes determine differences in the offend...
Sildenafil, pharmacology of a highly selective PDE5 inhibitor

The roles of cAMP (cyclic AMP) and cGMP (cyclic GMP) in regulating myriad physiological and pathophysiological processes are well established, and our understanding of the actions of these nucleotides continues to rapidly expand. Cyclic AMP was discovered in the late 1950s by Dr. Earl Sutherland; the discovery of this novel compound derived from his studies on the regulation of glycogen metabolism. The vast number of biological systems affected by cAMP action was quickly appreciated [1]. Cyclic GMP in biological tissues was discovered somewhat later in 1963 [2]. However, aside from the role of cGMP in visual transduction, scientists had difficulty in establishing a definitive role for cGMP in physiological processes. The importance of cGMP as a second messenger in relaxation of vascular smooth muscle emerged in the 1970s, and today we realize the impact of this molecule in many other systems [3, 4, 5]. The role of cGMP in smooth muscle is the basis for the efficacious actions of nitrovasodilators such as nitroglycerin in the treatment of angina pectoris or cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (MED).
STAT3 signaling after traumatic brain injury.

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 710–720. Abstract Astrocytes respond to trauma by stimulating inflammatory signaling. In studies of cerebral ischemia and spinal cord injury, astrocytic signaling is mediated by the cytokine receptor glycoprotein 130 (gp130) and Janus kinase (Jak) which phosphorylates the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3). To determine if STAT3 is activated after traumatic brain injury (TBI), adult male Sprague–Dawley rats received moderate parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury or sham surgery, and then the ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus were analyzed at various post-traumatic time periods for up to 7 days. Western blot analyses indicated that STAT3 phosphorylation significantly increased at 30 min and lasted for 24 h post-TBI. A significant increase in gp130 and Jak2 phosphorylation was also observed. Confocal microscopy revealed that STAT3 was localized primarily within astrocytic nuclei. At 6 and 24 h post-TBI, there was also an increased expression of STAT3 pathway-related genes: suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, nitric oxide synthase 2, colony stimulating factor 2 receptor β, oncostatin M, matrix metalloproteinase 3, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β, interleukin-2 receptor γ, interleukin-4 receptor α, and α-2-macroglobulin. These results clarify some of the signaling pathways operative in astrocytes after TBI and demonstrate that the gp130-Jak2-STAT3 signaling pathway is activated after TBI in astrocytes.
The isolation and identification of the C17 saturated isoprenoid hydrocarbon 2,6,10-trimethyltetradecane from a Devonian shale : The role of squalane as a possible precursor

Abstract A C17 saturated isoprenoid hydrocarbon, 2,6,10-trimethyltetradecane, has been isolated from the Antrim Shale and has been characterized on the basis of capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This represents the first report of this isoprenoid alkane in crude oils and sediments. A standard C17 isoprenoid has been synthesized from farnesol. The possibility that a C30 isoprenoid, such as squalane, may be a precursor of the isoprenoid alkanes has been investigated. The relatively small proportion of the C17 isoprenoid in the Antrim Shale suggests that phytol is the probable precursor. Two C19 isomeric alkanes have been synthesized and their mass spectra compared with that of another C19 isomeric alkane, pristane. The close similarity of these spectra emphasizes the care necessary is assigning structures to organic compounds isolated from crude oils and sediments, particularly hydrocarbons, without additional confirmation from other physical measurements.
Use of robotics in assessing the adaptive capacity of the rat lumbar spinal cord.

We have developed a robotic device that can record the trajectory of the hindlimb movements in rats. The robotic device can also impose programmed forces on the limbs during stepping. In the present paper we describe experiments using this robotic device, i.e. the rat stepper, to determine whether step training improves the locomotor capacity of adult rats that received complete spinal cord transections as neonates. We also determined to what extent the locomotor patterns can be maintained when the step cycle is physically perturbed by the robotic device. The results of the present study demonstrate that a robotic device can be used effectively to quantify the improvements in the locomotor capacity of spinal transected rats that occurs over a period of step training. The present results also demonstrate that when an external force is imposed to disrupt the step cycle, the spinal cord has the neural control elements necessary to normalize the kinematics over a number of steps, in the face of the disrupted forces.
Mutant LGI1 inhibits seizure-induced trafficking of Kv4.2 potassium channels.

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 611–621. Abstract Activity-dependent redistribution of ion channels mediates neuronal circuit plasticity and homeostasis, and could provide pro-epileptic or compensatory anti-epileptic responses to a seizure. Thalamocortical neurons transmit sensory information to the cerebral cortex and through reciprocal corticothalamic connections are intensely activated during a seizure. Therefore, we assessed whether a seizure alters ion channel surface expression and consequent neurophysiologic function of thalamocortical neurons. We report a seizure triggers a rapid (< 2 h) decrease of excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC)-like current-induced phasic firing associated with increased transient A-type K+ current. Seizures also rapidly redistributed the A-type K+ channel subunit Kv4.2 to the neuronal surface implicating a molecular substrate for the increased K+ current. Glutamate applied in vitro mimicked the effect, suggesting a direct effect of glutamatergic transmission. Importantly, leucine-rich glioma-inactivated-1 (LGI1), a secreted synaptic protein mutated to cause human partial epilepsy, regulated this seizure-induced circuit response. Human epilepsy-associated dominant-negative-truncated mutant LGI1 inhibited the seizure-induced suppression of phasic firing, increase of A-type K+ current, and recruitment of Kv4.2 surface expression (in vivo and in vitro). The results identify a response of thalamocortical neurons to seizures involving Kv4.2 surface recruitment associated with dampened phasic firing. The results also identify impaired seizure-induced increases of A-type K+ current as an additional defect produced by the autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy gene mutant that might contribute to the seizure disorder.
Regulating the Academic “Marketplace of Ideas”: Commercialization, Export Controls, and Counterintelligence

Two revolutions, not one, are transforming the research enterprise in American academia. One is the commercialization of research. The other is the regulation of research by the national security state that was accelerated by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and focuses increasingly on the risk of sensitive knowledge leaking to China and other countries of concern. Commercialization temporarily restricts knowledge circulation to secure a patent for personal and institutional gain. Regulation controls the flow of knowledge to select foreign nationals using multiple instruments, including export controls, along with informal surveillance by the FBI. Ironically, the neoliberal urge to roll back the state and commercialize research in a competitive global knowledge economy exposes the American academic research system to the risk of “industrial” espionage and rolls out the regulatory apparatus of the national security state. Alongside offices of technology transfer on campus we now have offices of export control and compliance. Faculty and graduate students have accommodated themselves to this new situation, even while they regret it; many are concerned by the challenge that it poses to academic freedom, intellectual dynamism and political openness.
The Banana Tree at the Gate: A History of Marginal Peoples and Global Markets in Borneo

The "Hikayat Banjar," a native court chronicle from Borneo, characterizes the irresistibility of natural resource wealth to outsiders as "the banana tree at the gate." Michael R. Dove employs this phrase as a root metaphor to frame the history of resource relations between the indigenous peoples of Borneo and the world system. In analyzing production and trade in forest products, pepper, and especially natural rubber, Dove shows that the involvement of Borneo's native peoples in commodity production for global markets is ancient and highly successful and that processes of globalization began millennia ago. Dove's analysis replaces the image of the isolated tropical forest community that needs to be helped into the global system with the reality of communities that have been so successful and competitive that they have had to fight political elites to keep from being forced out.
"Self-screening" of rhodopsin in rod outer segments.

Microspectrophotometry (MSP) shows rhodopsin highly concentrated (about 3.0 mmol/l) in rod outer segments (ROS). Calculation of the in vivo absorption spectrum of human rhodopsin from such data reveals a striking failure to agree with the action spectrum of human rod vision. Agreement is good between the spectral distribution of absorption coefficients and the action spectrum, but the "concentration-broadening" (or "self-screening") introduced by the high end on absorbance at this concentration results in a misfit among the largest in the 93 years comparisons of this kind have been made! To deal with this anomaly, it has been suggested that "concentration-broadening" is inappropriate for rhodopsin in rod vision. This proposal was tested by comparing rod action spectra of 15-day-old and adult rats, since the lengths of ROS increase by a factor of about two in maturation. Three lines of evidence are inconsistent with it. Although the conundrum remains unexplained, it cannot be dismissed by supposing "self-screening" inappropriate for night vision.
Pure and mixed gas sorption of carbon dioxide and ethylene in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Abstract The sorption of CO2, C2 H4 and mixtures of these gases in poly(methyl methacrylate) at 35°C has been characterized at pressures up to 6.5 atm. The pure gas sorption isotherms exhibit significant concave curvature to the pressure axis and are described well by the dual mode sorption model. The mixed gas sorption data indicate that significant decrements in the solubility of each component in the mixture occur relative to the pure component case at equivalent partial pressures. This phenomenon is predicted accurately by the dual mode sorption model, which accounts for competition between mixture components for sorption in the polymer. The model requires only pure component sorption parameters to describe the mixture behaviour over the full range of composition. The mixture data reveal that the model should be formulated in terms of the gas phase fugacity rather than the partial pressures of the gases at high pressures where non-ideal gas mixture behavior may occur. Deviations between mixed gas sorption data and model predictions based on pure component dual mode parameters are small (± 2.1%) and probably negligible for most purposes for the pressure range studied.
Complex behaviour of a coal sample in a large scalein situ compression test

A large scalein situ compression test of a laminated coal cube is described. The cube was uniformly loaded by a system of hydraulic jacks supplied simultaneously from one pump. At the same time both load and deformations were controlled. Deformations were measured by 60 longitudinal gauges located at the side surface of the cube in the regular net. Due to the heterogeneity of the rock the readings showed scatter. As a first approximation, the scattered data were fitted to the plane using the least square method. Orientations of the planes were analysed and show permanent relative movement between adjacent lamina indicating complex behaviour of the cube under loading. Detailed analysis of this behaviour indicated that the cube was subjected to both bending and twisting.
A comparative review of hydrologic issues involved in geologic storage of CO2 and injection disposal of liquid waste

The paper presents a comparison of hydrologic issues and technical approaches used in deep-well injection and disposal of liquid wastes, and those issues and approaches associated with injection and storage of CO{sub 2} in deep brine formations. These comparisons have been discussed in nine areas: (1) Injection well integrity; (2) Abandoned well problems; (3) Buoyancy effects; (4) Multiphase flow effects; (5) Heterogeneity and flow channeling; (6) Multilayer isolation effects; (7) Caprock effectiveness and hydrogeomechanics; (8) Site characterization and monitoring; and (9) Effects of CO{sub 2} storage on groundwater resources There are considerable similarities, as well as significant differences. Scientifically and technically, these two fields can learn much from each other. The discussions presented in this paper should help to focus on the key scientific issues facing deep injection of fluids. A substantial but by no means exhaustive reference list has been provided for further studies into the subject.
Extreme frequencies of lattice vibrations for disordered binary alloys

Abstract The extreme frequencies of various branches of the spectrum for a binary substitutional alloy can be estimated by using a variational procedure. In particular, the maximum frequency of the optical modes can be determined approximately as a function of the various force constants and the composition.
Improved signal analysis performance at low sampling rates using raised cosine empirical mode decomposition

Successful signal analysis using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm requires a high degree of oversampling. This requirement arises from the need to precisely identify the local extrema of the signal to recover the signal envelope using natural cubic spline interpolation. Here, an EMD algorithm is introduced that uses the raised cosine interpolant. Raised cosine interpolation allows high fidelity reconstruction of the signal envelope when the local extrema cannot be precisely identified owing to low sampling rates. The superior signal analysis performance of this technique at low sampling rates is demonstrated using synthetic signals.
Evidence to suggest that extracellular acetate is accumulated by rat hippocampal cholinergic nerve terminals for acetylcholine formation and release.

Abstract It is well established that extracellular choline is transported into central cholinergic nerve terminals by `high' and `low' affinity processes to form the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). The intent of the present investigation was to ascertain whether extracellular acetate might also be transported into central cholinergic nerve terminals to form ACh. To test this possibility, rat hippocampal tissue was incubated with varying concentrations of extracellular [1-14C]acetate (0.1–100 μM) and the uptake of [1-14C]acetate and the amount of [14C]ACh formed by the tissue determined. The results indicated that the uptake of extracellular [1-14C]acetate was temperature-dependent and saturable having an apparent Michaelis constant (Km) of 22 μM. The formation of [14C]ACh in the tissue as a function of extracellular [1-14C]acetate appeared to occur by both `high' and `low' affinity processes with apparent Km values of 0.5 and 19.6 μM, respectively. In other experiments, three inhibitors (lithium, allicin and sodium) of acetyl CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.1 acetate: CoA ligase), the enzyme which converts acetate to acetyl CoA when ATP and CoA are present, inhibited [1-14C]acetate uptake and the amount of [14C]ACh formed from that [1-14C]acetate. Additionally, vesamicol, an inhibitor of ACh transport into synaptic vesicles, blocked the filling of a synaptic vesicle-enriched fraction of hippocampal tissue with newly synthesized [14C]ACh formed from extracellular [1-14C]acetate. High K+ depolarization of hippocampal tissue loaded with extracellular [1-14C]acetate not only increased the synthesis but also the release of [14C]ACh. These results suggest that extracellular acetate is recycled by rat hippocampal cholinergic nerve terminals for the formation and release of ACh. They also suggest that the enzyme acetyl CoA synthetase mediates extracellular acetate uptake into hippocampal cholinergic nerve terminals by metabolizing it to acetyl CoA and thereby creating a diffusion gradient for it to follow. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Timing of Investment and International Expansion Performance in China

This study examines the multivariate and univariate performance effects of timing of FDI in an emerging economy at the business unit level. A longitudinal analysis of industry-wide, firm-specific data on FDI timing and foreign venture performance in China reveals that timing has a significant influence on overall, as well as on individual, aspects of venture performance. It is observed that early entrants outperform late movers in terms of local market expansion and asset turnover, whereas late movers are superior to early entrants with regard to risk reduction and accounting return during the initial period of international expansion. Factor analysis confirms that the importance of timing in affecting FDI decisions is as significant as that of internalization, ownership, or location factors.
Clinical relevance of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1 and 2 in acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome

We have previously reported that high levels of cellular vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein correlated with short survival of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). As VEGF exerts its effects via two receptors, VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) and VEGFR-2, we evaluated the significance of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 protein levels in AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and their relationship to VEGF protein levels. Western blot analysis and radioimmunoassay confirmed and quantified specific protein levels in bone marrow samples from 41 MDS and 66 AML previously untreated patients. VEGFR-1 levels were significantly higher in AML than in MDS (P = 0.0004), but no significant difference was found in the VEGFR-2 levels (P = 0.5). No significant correlation between VEGFRs levels and duration of survival was found. VEGF protein levels were significantly higher in MDS than in AML (P < 0.0001). A Cox proportional-hazard regression model showed increasing VEGF levels to significantly correlate with shorter survival of patients with MDS (P = 0.008), a finding similar to our previous report of the inverse relationship between VEGF levels and survival of AML patients. We found a significant correlation between VEGF and VEGFR-2 levels in both AML and MDS (P < 0.0000001 andP < 0.0002 respectively) but not between VEGF and VEGFR-1 levels. These data suggest that VEGF expression, rather than the expression of its receptors, is the determining factor in the biological behaviour of AML and MDS, and that VEGFRs are differentially expressed in AML and MDS.
The formation of relativistic cosmic jets

I review current ideas on the launching, acceleration, collimation and propagation of relativistic jets and the influence of strong magnetic fields in the process. Recently, several important elements of the entire jet “engine” structure have been shown to play key roles in the production of an astrophysical jet. Depending on the type of system, these include the spin of the central black hole, the thermal and/or magnetic state of the accretion flow, the presence of a re-collimation point in the jet outflow far away from the central object, and the behavior of MHD shocks and kink instabilities in the final jet. While these physical processes probably are at work in all types of relativistic jets (and many even in more benign stellar outflows), I shall concentrate on ones produced by lower luminosity black hole sources, both in active galactic nuclei and in X-ray binaries. I also will discuss the connection between the theoretical concepts and the large body of observational data now available on these systems.
Integrating primary care and methadone maintenance treatment: Implementation issues

Abstract Linking primary medical care with methadone maintenance treatment brings critical services to drug users, many with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other illnesses. However, a variety of important philosophical, ethical, and systems issues may impede the process of implementing a “linked” service delivery model. Conflicting paradigms, such as the traditional “doctor-patient” relationship with its emphasis on continuity of care and the substance abuse treatment model of limit-setting and behavioral consequences, create tension in the treatment system. This article describes these tensions and uses clinical vignettes to demonstrate how to address these implementation issues. In conclusion, solutions are proposed for successfully integrating services for medically ill substance abusers.
Applications of high resolution ICP-AES in the nuclear industry

Application of high resolution ICP-AES to selected problems of importance in the nuclear industry is a growing field. The advantages in sample preparation time, waste minimization and equipment cost are considerable. Two examples of these advantages are presented in this paper, burnup analysis of spent fuel and analysis of major uranium isotopes. The determination of burnup, an indicator of fuel cycle efficiency, has been accomplished by the determination of {sup 139}La by high resolution inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (HR-ICP-AES). Solutions of digested samples of reactor fuel rods were introduced into a shielded glovebox housing an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and the resulting atomic emission transmitted to a high resolution spectrometer by a 31 meter fiber optic bundle. Total and isotopic U determination by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is presented to allow for the calculation of burnup for the samples. This method of burnup determination reduces the time, material, sample handling and waste generated associated with typical burnup determinations which require separation of lanthanum from the other fission products with high specific activities. Work concerning an alternative burnup indicator, {sup 236}U, is also presented for comparison. The determination of {sup 235}U:{sup 238}U isotope ratios in U-Zr fuel alloysmore » is also presented to demonstrate the versatility of HR-ICP-AES.« less
Effects of hydroprene exposure on the physiology and insecticide susceptibility of German cockroaches (Orthoptera: Blattellidae).

We determined nonlethal physiological effects of hydroprene on the German cockroach, Blattella germanica L., and the effects of hydroprene exposure on German cockroach susceptibility to traditional insecticides. Live and dry weights of German cockroach adults exposed as nymphs to the juvenile hormone analog hydroprene increased significantly (6-35%) in both sexes. The change in weight was affected by hydroprene dose and time after adult emergence. Hydroprene treatment did not affect total body lipids and carbohydrates consistently. However, total body urates of males and females increased significantly. The susceptible and multiresistant German cockroach strains were significantly more susceptible to propoxur at the lower hydroprene application rate (0.697 mg per tub) than the untreated cockroaches. Hydroprene application also significantly lowered the LD•• for chlorpyrifos of the multiresistant strain at the lower hydroprene application rate. However, hydroprene failed to affect chlorpyrifos susceptibility of the susceptible strain.
Magnetic Field Effects in Electrochemistry. Voltammetric Reduction of Acetophenone at Microdisk Electrodes

The influence of an external magnetic field on the electrochemical reduction of acetophenone (AP) at Pt and Au microdisk electrodes (radii = 0.1, 6.4, 12.5, and 25 μm) is described. Voltammetric measurements in CH3CN/[n-Bu4N]PF6 solutions containing between 3 mM and 8 M AP demonstrate that the mass-transfer-limited reduction of AP at a microdisk electrode may be significantly enhanced or diminished by an external magnetic field, depending on the redox concentration, the electrode radius, and the angular orientation of the microdisk relative to the field. A mechanism for the magnetic field effect is presented that considers the force arising from the divergent radial flux of electrogenerated radical anion (AP•-) through a uniform magnetic field. Viscous drag on the field-accelerated ions results in convective fluid flow that alters the rate at which electroactive AP is transported to the surface. Both lateral and cyclotron fluid motion can be established within a microscopic volume element (∼30 nL) near th...
Imaging the microvascular response to ultrasound-stimulated therapy in a preclinical animal model of breast cancer

Ultrasound (US)-stimulated therapy has been shown beneficial for improving drug delivery in solid tumors; however there are potential bioeffects that are not fully understood. This study evaluates the presence of bioeffects associated with USstimulated therapy through the use of multimodal methods. Tumor-bearing mice underwent US-stimulated therapy by exposing systemically circulating microbubbles (MBs) to US treatment at various acoustic pressures of 0.4 MPa (low) or 3.4 MPa (high). Mice were imaged at baseline, day 1, or day 2 with multimodal methods to evaluate tumor response to US-stimulated therapy. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging evaluated vascular permeabilization. Contrast-enhanced US imaging calculated temporal changes in tumor perfusion. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to evaluate microvessel density, red blood cell extravasation, inflammation, apoptosis, and stress. At low acoustic pressures, US-stimulated therapy resulted in a 137.6% increase in tumor perfusion as measured with contrast-enhanced US imaging on day 1, which subsided to 12.4% by day 2. Conversely, high pressure US-stimulated therapy progressively decreased perfusion by 13.1% and 60.5% on days 1 and 2, respectively, which matched patterns observed using MR imaging. Low pressure US-stimulated therapy produced intensity increases of 132.0% (day 1) and 43.6% (day 2) from MR contrast agent accumulation at the tumor site. Histological analysis of CD31 confirmed decreased microvessels in the high pressure US-stimulated therapy group. Overall, US-stimulated therapy employing high pressure US pulse sequences produced a decrease in tumor perfusion that inhibited molecular delivery; however low pressure US-stimulated therapy temporarily increases both tumor perfusion and vascular permeability.
Fractal Reconstruction of Breast Perfusion Before and After Hyperthermia Treatments

Thermal modeling for hyperthermia breast patients can provide relevant information to better understand the temperatures achieved during treatment. However, human breast is much perfused, making knowledge of the perfusion crucial to the accuracy of the temperature computations. It has been shown that the perfusion of blood in tumor tissue can be approximated using the relative perfusion index (RPI) determined from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI). It was also concluded that the 3D reconstruction of tumor perfusion can be performed using fractal interpolation functions (FIF). The technique used was called piecewise hidden variable fractal interpolation (PHVFI). Changes in the protocol parameters for the dynamic MRI sequences in breast patients allowed us to be able to acquire more spatial slices, hence the possibility to actually verify the accuracy of the fractal interpolation. The interpolated slices were compared to the imaged slices in the original set. The accuracy of the interpolation was tested on post-hyperthermia treatment data set. The difference between the reconstruction and the original slice varied from 2 to 5%. Significantly, the fractal dimension of the interpolated slices is within 2–3% from the original images, thus preserving the fractality of the perfusion maps. The use of such a method becomes crucial when tumor size and imaging restrictions limits the number of spatial slices, requiring interpolation to fill the data between the slices.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Opioid Addiction and Pregnancy: Perinatal Exposure to Buprenorphine Affects Myelination in the Developing Brain

Buprenorphine is a μ-opioid receptor partial agonist and κ-opioid receptor antagonist currently on trials for the management of pregnant opioid-dependent addicts. However, little is known about the effects of buprenorphine on brain development. Oligodendrocytes express opioid receptors in a developmentally regulated manner and thus, it is logical to hypothesize that perinatal exposure to buprenorphine could affect myelination. To investigate this possibility, pregnant rats were implanted with minipumps to deliver buprenorphine at 0.3 or 1 mg/kg/day. Analysis of their pups at different postnatal ages indicated that exposure to 0.3 mg/kg/day buprenorphine caused an accelerated and significant increase in the brain expression of all myelin basic protein (MBP) splicing isoforms. In contrast, treatment with the higher dose caused a developmental delay in MBP expression. Examination of corpus callosum at 26-days of age indicated that both buprenorphine doses cause a significant increase in the caliber of the myelinated axons. Surprisingly, these axons have a disproportionately thinner myelin sheath, suggesting alterations at the level of axon-glial interactions. Analysis of myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) expression and glycosylation indicated that this molecule may play a crucial role in mediating these effects. Co-immunoprecipitation studies also suggested a mechanism involving a MAG-dependent activation of the Src-family tyrosine kinase Fyn. These results support the idea that opioid signaling plays an important role in regulating myelination in vivo and stress the need for further studies investigating potential effects of perinatal buprenorphine exposure on brain development. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Theory of Board Control and Size

We extend the traditional view of corporate boards as monitors to include a role for outside board members as suppliers of expertise or information. Indeed, both outsiders and insiders may have private information relevant to the decision. Because of the agency problem between managers and owners (who are assumed to be represented by the outside directors), neither party will communicate his or her information fully to the other. Outsiders in our model control agency problems by making some decisions themselves. When they do, the refusal of insiders to communicate their information fully becomes costly. Therefore, shareholders can sometimes be better off by having boards controlled by insiders. We characterize whether the board is optimally controlled by insiders or outsiders, the optimal number of outsiders, and resulting profits as functions of the importance of insiders’ and outsiders’ information, the extent of agency problems, and some other factors. This leads to an endogenous relationship between profits and the number of outside directors that furthers our understanding of some documented empirical regularities.
Association between socioeconomic status and obesity in adults: Evidence from the 2001 to 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

OBJECTIVES The present study examined relationships between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity and body mass index (BMI) as well as the effects of health-related behavioral and psychological factors on the relationships. METHODS A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted on Korean adults aged 20 to 79 years using data from the 2001, 2005, and 2007 to 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate odds ratios of obesity and mean differences in BMI, respectively, across SES levels after controlling for health-related behavioral and psychological factors. RESULTS We observed significant gender-specific relationships of SES with obesity and BMI after adjusting for all covariates. In men, income, but not education, showed a slightly positive association with BMI (p<0.05 in 2001 and 2005). In women, education, but not income, was inversely associated with both obesity and BMI (p<0.0001 in all datasets). These relationships were attenuated with adjusting for health-related behavioral factors, not for psychological factors. CONCLUSIONS Results confirmed gender-specific disparities in the associations of SES with obesity and BMI among adult Korean population. Focusing on intervention for health-related behaviors may be effective to reduce social inequalities in obesity.
Preparative-scale isolation and purification of procaryotic and eucaryotic ribosomal 5 S RNA: Bacillus subtilis, Neurospora crassa, and wheat germ.

Abstract Ribosomal 5 S RNA from three different organisms has been isolated in high yield and purity. Without prior isolation of ribosomes, a presoak in buffer followed by phenol extraction, DE-32 ion-exchange chromatography, and Sephadex G-75 gel-permeation chromatography yields at least 5–10 mg of electrophoretically homogeneous 5 S RNA from 100 g of cells. Ribonuclease activity is eliminated by various combinations of low temperature, sodium dodecyl sulfate, phenol, and bentonite. High-molecular-weight contaminants are suppressed by either 65°C heat treatment or lowered sodium dodecyl sulfate concentration. For the eucaryotes, 5.8 S RNA contamination is reduced either by low temperature in the initial solubilization or by postponing 65°C heat treatment until after the phenol extraction step.
Processing and interpretation of preflight FUSE spectra

H2 and Pt-Ne gal map spectra acquired during the pre- flight optical testing of the FUSE have been studied in order to refine the science data processing procedure. Using automated spectral line identification software and raytrace models of instrument point spread functions, a pre-flight optical performance assessment was completed. The method by which the raw 2D FUSE detector data are converted into calibrated, 1D spectra is described and illustrated using spectrograph integration and test data (I and T). A pre- flight estimate of the resolving power of FUSE is presented along with a thorough description of the associated approximations used to convert measured values of (lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) to resolving power. The PSF of data from spectrograph I and T and optical-end-to-end testing are presented, and the test factors causing their different appearances is discussed.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Local and interregional economic analysis of large US Department of energy waste management projects

An economic simulation model was used to understand the local and interregional economic impacts of four alternative waste management technologies proposed for the US Department of Energy's Savannah River nuclear weapons site. The simulations of the four technologies, each of which will cost at least a billion dollars, were done for the period 2000-2015. The analyses show that differences in project costs are not directly reflected in local economic impacts because of differences among the technologies during the design, testing and construction phases; differences in locations where the design and pilot-testing would occur; and choices about how any of the technologies would be funded.
On the interaction of stimulated spin-flip raman scattering and stimulated recombination radiation in InSb

We have studied the interaction of stimulated spin-flip Raman scattering and stimulated recombination radiation in n-InSb using a CW CO pump laser. A change in linewidth and output power of second Stokes spin-flip radiation is observed when the tuning curve of the first Stokes stimulated spin-flip radiation and the stimulated recombination radiation cross. The observations are explained using a simple rate equation model.
Modern Financial Theory, Corporate Strategy, and Public Policy: Another Perspective

Modern financial theory (MFT) is not widely recognized beyond the confines of a relatively small segment of academia. An examination of the theory's main assertions reveals that MFT may be more compatible with corporate strategy and public policy than is commonly recognized. Disciplinary interaction is encouraged.
Up-scaling methods based on variability-weighting and simulation for inferring spatial information across scales

Appropriate up-scaling methods to infer spatial information from a finer to a coarser spatial resolution are required when remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) are used to generate multi-scale maps that are needed for agriculture, forestry, natural resources, environmental systems, and landscape ecology. The existing methods used in commercial GIS and image analysis packages such as Window Averaging (WA) often do not work well because of different limitations. In this study we developed and compared five widely used WA methods including three spatial variability-weighted methods and two simulation methods. These methods were assessed in a case study for aggregating and using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images for mapping vegetation covers and for inferring a topographical factor related to soil erosion from finer to coarser resolutions. The results showed that the Beta Distribution Simulation (BDS) method was better than WA regardless of the distributions of the spatial data, while t...
Ezrin mediates growth and survival in Ewing’s sarcoma through the AKT/mTOR, but not the MAPK, signaling pathway

Recent reports on the role of the membrane-cytoskeleton linker protein ezrin in sarcomas showed an effect on the formation of metastases, dependent on the level of ezrin expression. In this study, we explore the role of ezrin in Ewing's sarcoma, a frequently fatal mesenchymal neoplasm of children and young adults. Through both immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblot studies we find ubiquitous, high-level expression of ezrin in Ewing's sarcoma. In contrast to the observations in osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, we demonstrate that inhibition of ezrin-mediated signal transduction, through the expression of a non-phosphorylatable T567A mutant, slows primary growth of Ewing's sarcoma cells in vitro. This reduction in growth is a result of increased apoptosis in the mutant expressing cells. We further show that expression of this mutant reduces the ability of Ewing's sarcoma cells to form experimental metastases in vivo. Molecular examination reveals that the action of ezrin in Ewing's sarcoma is dependent on the AKT/mTOR signal transduction cascade, but not MAP Kinase. These results, therefore, demonstrate that, in Ewing's sarcoma, the biology of ezrin is distinct from that described in other sarcomas. This study further validates ezrin as a potential therapeutic target.
SPECTROSCOPY OF ONE- AND TWO-ELECTRON URANIUM

The spectra from n = 2 → n = 1 transitions of hydrogen-like and helium-like uranium have been observed. Possible experiments to study quantum electrodynamics in these systems are discussed.
Overuse activity in the presence of scapular dyskinesis leads to shoulder tendon damage in a rat model.

Shoulder tendon injuries are common clinical conditions and are a significant source of pain and dysfunction. These conditions are more common in individuals who perform repetitive overhead activities and in individuals who have abnormal scapular kinematics, termed scapular dyskinesis (SD). However, the long term consequences associated with overuse activity in the presence of SD are unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of overuse in combination with SD on joint mechanics and properties of the rotator cuff and biceps tendons. A rat model of scapular dyskinesis was used. Ninety adult male Sprague–Dawley rats (400–450 g) were randomized into three groups: nerve transection (SD), sham nerve transection + overuse (OV), or nerve transection + overuse (SD + OV). Rats were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after surgery. Shoulder function and passive joint mechanics were evaluated over time and tendon properties (mechanical, histological, organizational, and compositional) were measured. Results demonstrated that overuse activity and SD are each independently detrimental to tendon properties (e.g., diminished mechanical properties, disorganized collagen). However, tendon damage caused by the addition of overuse may be worse, with more parameters altered, than damage caused by the addition of SD. This study helps define the mechanical mechanisms leading to tendon damage and provides a framework for distinguishing treatment strategies for active patients and those with abnormal scapular mechanics.
Permutation Tests Applied to Antibiotic Drug Resistance

Abstract Two multivariate forms of the permutation test are used to test the independence of antibiotic drug resistance of E. coli isolated from 14 farm families and their livestock. For each farm two 48-variable vector observations are used to represent the number of people and number of animal groups with E. coli having each of 48 different resistance patterns. The significance tests are based on the distribution of the extent of pattern matching under the 14! ways in which one set of fourteen 48-variable vectors can be permuted and matched to the other set.
Medical ethics in the primary care setting.

Abstract Much popular and professional understanding of ‘medical ethics’ is nowadays located in quandary ethics, exotic life-and-death decision-making, and tertiary care settings. Medical ethics in the primary care setting is concerned with very different matters. Among these are issues having to do with basic self-understandings of health professionals and patients and their fiduciary relationships; with fundamental social, political and economic notions which will and do shape the allocation and distribution of health care resources; with the goals and purposes appropriate to medical interventions of various sorts; and with the care of the whole person rather than the limited attention to a particular illness or disease syndrome. The commitments of primary care medicine challenge in radical ways some cherished claims of modern liberal societies by questioning the limits of autonomous individualism and by affirming the indispensability of social justice.
The characteristics of impulsive solar EUV bursts

We examine a number of high time resolution intensity-time profiles of EUV impulsive bursts as observed by the Harvard College Observatory EUV Spectroheliometer carried aboard the Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount. These bursts are found to be synchronous (to within the instrumental time resolution of 5.5 s) in all wavelengths observed, corresponding to emissions from temperatures ranging from upper chromospheric to coronal. The distribution with temperature of a suitably defined emission measure parameter is also examined as a function of time throughout the bursts and a marked similarity in the shape of this distribution, both between different events and throughout the time history of any particular event, is noted. The significance of these observations for physical processes associated with EUV bursts is briefly discussed.