cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial features of focal infarction after hydralazine treatment in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Rapid occlusion of the middle cerebral artery above the rhinal fissure produces a large ischemic infarct in hypertensive rats, but this occlusion results in a minimal lesion in young normotensive rats. Our purpose was to attenuate rising blood pressure in young stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats with hydralazine before the occlusion to determine if the gross infarct volume is smaller, and if it is, to determine whether length, width, depth, or surface area of the infarct changes, which could suggest a mechanism of protection.Untreated rats (n = 6) and rats receiving hydralazine for 1.5 (n = 6) or 5 (n = 5) weeks were anesthetized, and the middle cerebral artery was rapidly occluded with a ligature. One day later the rats were killed and the brains were fixed in formalin. Fine-grain-release film that is sensitive to spectral properties of the infarct was used to photograph the tissue. Infarcted areas were traced on paper and then digitized for measurements and computations with a microcomputer.Co...
Surgical techniques of nerve grafting (standard/vascularized/allograft)

Tension-free re-approximation of the transected stumps of a peripheral nerve is critical to peripheral nerve reconstruction. A number of techniques, including mobilization and transposition of the damaged nerve, nerve grafts, nerve transfers, and tendon transfers, are available to facilitate reconstruction when primary neurorrhaphy alone will not adequately address the nerve gap. Nerve grafting is the most useful and commonly used technique in the microsurgeon’s armamentarium for managing these segmental nerve injuries or nerve gaps. This article addresses standard nerve grafting techniques and discusses vascularized nerve grafts and peripheral nerve allografts. We also focus on the strategies that have been evaluated in animal models to minimize the requirements for immunosuppression with peripheral nerve allografts.
The Narrative Rhetoric of Mark's Ambiguous Characterization of the Disciples

The article investigates the manner in which the evocation of narrative frames in Mark permits the construction of a complex and ambiguous characterization of Jesus' disciples and inquires into the narrative function of this characterization. The discussion first examines the nature of the implied reader's pre-existent knowledge and beliefs about the disciples. Analysis of the narrative rhetoric of the Gospel then reveals that the narration builds on the reader's pre-existent positive esteem for the disciples by encouraging certain positive aspects of their characterization while introducing negative elements into other aspects. The discussion concludes with a proposal concerning the narrative function of the disciples' characterization within Mark.
Polypeptide fluoroacetate derivatives. Synthesis and 19F n.m.r.

The synthesis and characterization of monofluoroacetyl (MFAc) functionalized haptens are described. These were covalently bound to polypeptide carriers (bovine serum albumin and poly-D-lysine) by primary amine/succinimide ester or primary amine/acid chloride coupling. Epitopic densities of the resulting antigens were determined by both 19F n.m.r. and picryl sulfonic acid assays. 19F n.m.r. experiments defining the stability of MFAc ester and amide linkages as a function of media (including in vitro), time, and temperature are presented. These results indicate that MFAc functionalized antigens are well suited for further immunologic studies.
Analysis of a Turbulent Propeller Inflow

The unsteady turbulent inflow into a swirl-inducing stator upstream of propeller (SISUP) propeller is presented. The upstream Stators and hull boundary layer generate a complex, three-dimensional inflow that was measured using x-wire anemometry. High resolution measurements consisting of 12 locations in the radial direction and 600 in the circumferential direction yielded mean velocity and rms turbulent quantities for a total of 7200 points. The axial, radial, and circumferential velocity fields were thus measured. This enabled the induced velocity due to the stator wakes, the induced velocity due to the propeller, and the turbulent hull boundary layer to be characterized. To assist in decoupling the effects on the velocity field due to the stator and propeller, a potential flow computation of the swirl component was used. Spectra and autocorrelation analysis of the inflow velocity field were used to estimate the integral length scale and lend further insight into the turbulent flow structure. These data can be used to validate computational fluid dynamics codes and assist in developing of turbulent inflow models
A Geographic Mosaic of Plant–Pollinator Interactions in the Eastern Caribbean Islands

The interplay between generalized and specialized plant–animal interactions is a core concept in understanding the evolution of mutualisms. Within the Eastern Caribbean, Heliconia bihai is a dominant forest species in the southern island of St. Vincent where H. caribaea is virtually absent. Heliconia caribaea is most common on the northern island of St. Kitts where H. bihai is restricted to the tops of the highest peaks. Both species are abundant on the central island of Dominica. We compared flowering patterns, nectar characteristics, and visitation frequency of hummingbirds in the two heliconias on the three islands to determine the extent of geographic variations in this plant–pollinator mutualism. The peak flowering season of the two heliconias was observed to be in April–May on all three islands with little within- and between-island variations. Nectar production significantly varied between species and between islands. Visitation patterns by the principal hummingbird pollinators also varied between the islands: (1) on Dominica, only females of a single species of hummingbird pollinated the flowers of H. bihai (sexual specialization), whereas both sexes of the same hummingbird pollinated the flowers of H. caribaea (species specialization); (2) on St. Vincent, both sexes of the same hummingbird pollinated the flowers of H. bihai (species specialization); and (3) on St. Kitts, only females pollinated the flowers of H. bihai (sexual specialization), whereas several species of hummingbird visited the flowers of H. caribaea (species generalization). We propose that the Heliconia–hummingbird interactions in the Eastern Caribbean represent a geographically variable coevolutionary mosaic of plant–pollinator interactions.
Innervation of rat antral gastrin-producing cells.

The innervation of rat antral gastrin-producing cells (G-cells) was studied by light and electron microscopy. Combination of histochemistry for acetylcholinesterase and immunofluorescence for gastrin in the same tissue section showed apparent contact between some of the G-cells and acetylcholinesterase-positive nerves. Electron microscopic observation, however, revealed gaps of 200–500 nm or more between the G-cells and the closest nerve axons which often contained large dense-cored vesicles. The latter may represent the storage sites for neuropeptides previously localized by immunohistochemistry in gastric nerves.
Perspectives on the Social Psychology of Creativity

Scholars began serious study into the social psychology of creativity about 25 years after the field of creativity research had taken root. Over the past 35 years, examination of social and environmental influences on creativity has become increasingly vigorous, with broad implications for the psychology of human performance, and with applications to education, business, and beyond. In this article, we revisit the origins of the social psychology of creativity, trace its arc, and suggest directions for its future.
L-glutamate stimulation of the zona incerta in the rat decreases heart rate and blood pressure.

Microinjections of L-glutamate into the zona incerta of pentobarbital anesthetized rats caused decreases in blood pressure and heart rate. The bradycardic response was reduced by approximately 70% after i.v. administration of atropine methyl nitrate. After combined muscarinic and beta-adrenergic blockade the bradycardic response was reduced to 90% of the control value. This suggests that the bradycardia was mediated primarily by activating the vagal outflow. Blood pressure decreases elicited after pharmacological blockade of the heart with both atropine and timolol were approximately 50% of the control values. This indicates that the zona incerta is also capable of altering stroke volume and/or inhibiting the sympathetic outflow controlling the peripheral blood vessels. By using an injectate containing L-glutamate mixed with [3H]L-glutamate and subsequent analysis of autoradiographic tissue sections, we have determined that the most reactive site is the region of the ventral zona incerta.
Anisotropy and magnetic field dependence of the planar copper NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate in the superconducting state of YBa2Cu3O7.

The authors report mmeasurements of the planar $^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates $^{63}$${\mathit{W}}_{1\mathit{a}}$ ${(}^{63}$${\mathit{W}}_{1\mathit{c}}$) for the static field oriented along the a (c) axis in the superconducting state of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$. These measurements were made on a single sample as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The weak-field results are well explained by several recent calculations in terms of a BCS spin-singlet, orbital-d-wave pairing state. They also find that at low temperatures $^{63}$${\mathit{W}}_{1\mathit{c}}$ varies linearly with the applied magnetic field, suggesting that at high field it is dominated by fluxoid cores.
Flowering in sweet cherry in response to application of gibberellic acid

Abstract Increasing dose of gibberellic acid (GA3, 0–150 mg l−1) reduced flowering of sweet cherry cultivars ‘Bing’ and ‘Lambert’ the year following treatment. Flowering was reduced to a greater extent on 1-year-old wood as compared to older wood. Treatment at the floral cup stage (approximately 2 weeks after bloom) had no effect on flowering. Treatment at the beginning of Stage III of fruit growth (approximately 21 days before harvest) resulted in the largest decrease of flowering of all the treatment times.
Signatures of Nonlinear Dynamics in an Idealized Atmospheric Model

Abstract Signatures of nonlinear dynamics are analyzed by studying the phase-space tendencies of a global baroclinic, quasigeostrophic, three-level (QG3) model with topography. Nonlinear, stochastic, low-order prototypes of the full QG3 model are constructed in the phase space of this model’s empirical orthogonal functions using the empirical model reduction (EMR) approach. The phase-space tendencies of the EMR models closely match the full QG3 model’s tendencies. The component of these tendencies that is not linearly parameterizable is shown to be dominated by the interactions between “resolved” modes rather than by multiplicative “noise” associated with unresolved modes. The method of defining the leading resolved modes and the interactions between them plays a key role in understanding the nature of the QG3 model’s dynamics, whether linear or nonlinear, deterministic or stochastic.
Label transfer reagents to probe p38 MAPK binding partners

Protein kinases are essential enzymes for cellular signaling, and are often regulated by participation in protein complexes. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 is involved in multiple pathways, and its regulation depends on its interactions with other signaling proteins. However, the identification of p38-interacting proteins is challenging. For this reason, we have developed label transfer reagents (LTRs) that allow labeling of p38 signaling complexes. These LTRs leverage the potency and selectivity of known p38 inhibitors to place a photo-crosslinker and tag in the vicinity of p38 and its binding partners. Upon UV irradiation, proteins that are in close proximity to p38 are covalently crosslinked, and labeled proteins are detected and/or purified with an orthogonal chemical handle. Here we demonstrate that p38-selective LTRs selectively label a diversity of p38 binding partners, including substrates, activators, and inactivators. Furthermore, these LTRs can be used in immunoprecipitations to provide low-resolution structural information on p38-containing complexes.
Qualitative and quantitative effects of APOE genetic variation on plasma C-reactive protein, LDL-cholesterol, and apoE protein

A genetic link between lipid metabolism and inflammation has been suggested by the association between variation in the APOE gene and plasma C-reactive protein (CRP). This association was confirmed among Caucasians and extended to an African-American population, and the well-known associations of APOE variation with LDL-C and apoE protein were also observed. While eight common variants in APOE were examined, the association with CRP involved primarily the two nonsynonymous SNPs that define the major epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4 alleles. In particular, the strongest link involved lower CRP levels among carriers of the APOE epsilon4 allele that also contributes to the risk of cardiovascular and Alzheimer's diseases as well as to higher lipid levels. A lesser effect was characterized by lower CRP levels among carriers of a subtype of the epsilon3 allele. The magnitude of the association with plasma CRP was at least as great as the effect of variation in the CRP gene itself. Quantitative analysis suggested that the effect on CRP is more likely a consequence of intrinsic functional differences among the E2, E3, and E4 apoE proteins than different levels of apoE protein or LDL-C in the plasma.
Precession as a probe of the neutron star interior

Strong evidence that some neutron stars precess (nutate) with long periods (∼1 yr) challenges our current understanding of the neutron star interior. I describe how neutron star precession can be used to constrain the state of the interior in a new way. I argue that the standard picture of the outer core, in which superfluid neutrons coexist with type II, superconducting protons, requires revision. One possible resolution is that the protons are not type II, but type I. Another possibility is that the neutrons are normal in the outer core. I conclude with a brief discussion of the implications for detectable gravitational wave emission from millisecond pulsars.
Analysis of the “thermodynamic information content” of a Homo sapiens structural database reveals hierarchical thermodynamic organization

Classification of the amounts and types of lower order structural elements in proteins is a prerequisite to effective comparisons between protein folds. In an effort to provide an additional vehicle for fold comparison, we present an alternative classification scheme whereby protein folds are represented in statistical thermodynamic terms in such a way as to illuminate the energetic building blocks within protein structures. The thermodynamic relationship is examined between amino acid sequences and the conformational ensembles for a database of 159 Homo sapiens protein structures ranging from 50 to 250 amino acids. Using hierarchical clustering, it is shown through fold-recognition experiments that (1) eight thermodynamic environmental descriptors sufficiently accounts for the energetic variation within the native state ensembles of the H. sapiens structural database, (2) an amino acid library of only six residue types is sufficient to encode >90% of the thermodynamic information required for fold specificity in the entire database, and (3) structural resolution of the statistically derived environments reveals sequential cooperative segments throughout the protein, which are independent of secondary structure. As the first level of thermodynamic organization in proteins, these segments represent the thermodynamic counterpart to secondary structure.
Counteradaptation after exposure to displaced visual direction

Counteradaptation, previously demonstrated in connection with adaptation in distance perception, was obtained after exposure to displaced visual direction. When S adapted to a laterally displacing wedge prism by walking during the exposure period, there was not only a change in the perceived visual direction, but also a change m the proprioceptively perceived walking direction. When S adapts to lateral displacement of the visual direction by looking at his stationary or his moving arm, visual adaptation is obtained in the latter, but not in the former, case (Held & Hein, 1958). We obtained a change in the proprioceptively perceived position of the arm when it was stationary during the exposure period, a condition which had not yielded visual adaptation, and a much smaller, not significant, change in the felt position in the case of the actively moved arm. In the present experiments, changes in proprioceptively perceived direction or position amounted to counteradaptation.
Utilitarian Moral Virtue, Admiration, and Luck

Every tenable ethical theory must have an account of moral virtue and vice. Julia Driver has performed a great service for utilitarians by developing a utilitarian account of moral virtue that complements a broader act-based utilitarian ethical theory. In her view, a moral virtue is a psychological disposition that systematically produces good states of affairs in a particular possible world. My goal is to construct a more plausible version of Driver’s account that nevertheless maintains its basic integrity. I aim to accomplish this goal by developing four problems concerning admiration and luck for Driver’s account. Subsequently, I modify the account in a way that partially or entirely mitigates each difficulty. Finally, I attempt to undermine Driver’s rationale for rejecting the modification and explore how well the modified account of moral virtue fits with utilitarian accounts of right action.
The Complex Formulation of the Equations for Two-Dimensional Space-Charge Flow†

ABSTRACT The equations satisfied by an electron for congruent space-charge flow, in the presence of a- magnetic field are quoted. It is shown that if the space-charge is constant along the lines of flow, and the flow is two-dimensional, these space-charge-flow equations may be written in a very simple form using a complex variable formulation. The equations are solved for a constant magnetic field normal to the flow, and flow along conic sections is obtained. The equations are also solved in the presence of space-charge but the absence of magnetic fields, and exact solutions for a periodic flow, similar to periodic focussing, are obtained. Lastly, it is shown that if the flow is along the level lines of a harmonic function, the complex variable formulation may also profitably be used. A solution is obtained in which the flow is along equiangularspirals, and which may be obtained from a space-charge-limited cathode.
A survey of sketch-based 3-D modeling techniques

As 3-D modeling applications transition from engineering environments into the hands of artists, designers, and the consumer market, there is an increasing demand for more intuitive interfaces. In response, 3-D modeling and interface design communities have begun to develop systems based on traditional artistic techniques, particularly sketching. Collectively this growing field of research has come to be known as sketch-based modeling, however the name belies a diversity of promising techniques and unique approaches. This paper presents a survey of current research in sketch-based modeling, including a basic introduction to the topic, the challenges of sketch-based input, and an examination of a number of popular approaches, including representative examples and a general analysis of the benefits and challenges inherent to each.
Primary Hypoparathyroidism in the Dog: Report of 15 Cases and Review of 13 Previously Reported Cases

Fifteen dogs with primary hypoparathyroidism diagnosed at the University of California Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital were compared with 13 previously reported cases. Age, sex, breed, and historical and physical findings were similar in both groups of dogs. Middle-aged females were affected primarily. A history of neurologic or neuromuscular disease was present in all 28 dogs, with 18 dogs having seizures. Posterior lenticular cataract formation secondary to hypocalcemia was suspected in six dogs. The most characteristic biochemical finding in all dogs was profound hypocalcemia (less than 6.5 mg/dl) and mild hyperphosphatemia. Serum magnesium concentrations were decreased in two dogs. Serum parathyroid hormone concentrations were consistent with the diagnosis of primary hypoparathyroidism in eight of nine dogs. Lymphocytic parathyroiditis was diagnosed in the 12 dogs from which tissue was submitted for histopathology. Successful management of the patient depended on frequent monitoring of the serum calcium concentration during initial and maintenance therapy.
A solution-adaptive grid procedure for the three-dimensional parabolized Navier-Stokes equations

A solution-adaptive grid procedure for the three-dimensional parabolized Navier-Stokes equations is developed on the basis of the two-dimensional line-by-line solution-adaptive technique of Harvey et al. (1990). It is shown that the new adaptive grid algorithm provides improved shock resolving characteristics over the conventional flow algorithm. The adaptation process has the ability of aligning grid lines with the existing flow-field structure, yielding increasing resolution of high gradient regions.
DEF-1/ASAP1 Is a GTPase-activating Protein (GAP) for ARF1 That Enhances Cell Motility through a GAP-dependent Mechanism

DEF-1/ASAP1 is an ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein (ARF GAP) that localizes to focal adhesions and is involved in cytoskeletal regulation. In this paper, we use a cell-based ARF GAP assay to demonstrate that DEF-1 functions as a GAP for ARF1 and not ARF6 in vivo. This degree of substrate preference was unique to DEF-1, as other ARF GAP proteins, ACAP1, ACAP2, and ARFGAP1, were able to function on both ARF1 and ARF6. Since transient overexpression of DEF-1 has been shown to interfere with focal adhesion formation and platelet-derived growth factor-induced membrane ruffling, we investigated whether NIH 3T3 cells stably expressing DEF-1 have altered cell motility. Here we report that ectopic DEF-1 enhances cell migration toward PDGF as well as IGF-1. This chemotactic effect appears to result from a general increase in cell motility, as DEF-1-expressing cells also exhibit enhanced levels of basal and chemokinetic motility. The increase in cell motility is dependent on DEF-1 GAP activity, since a DEF-1 mutant lacking the GAP domain failed to stimulate motility. This suggests that DEF-1 alters cell motility through the deactivation of ARF1. In contrast, the inhibition of cell spreading by DEF-1 was not dependent on GAP activity, indicating that spreading and motility are altered by DEF-1 through different pathways.
Electronic charge densities for ZnS in the wurtzite and zincblende structures

Using the Empirical Pseudopotential Method electronic charge densities are calculated as a function of position in the unit cell for ZnS in a zincblende and ideal wurtzite structure. A comparison of the charge densities reveals the presence of a net polarization in the ideal wurtzite structure. Two representative k points are found whose total charge density is in very good agreement with the charge density obtained by summing over many points in the irreducible part of the Brillouin zone.
Penetrating torso trauma.

w s t t r. Calvin Brown: Today’s case is that of a 17-year-old outh who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) ith complaints of abdominal pain and difficulty breathng after sustaining knife stab wounds to the anterior bdominal and lower chest regions. The patient was ssaulted by an unknown assailant and reportedly had bdominal contents protruding through his abdominal all. The patient was found by Emergency Medical ervices (EMS) personnel to be awake, alert, and in bvious discomfort. Vital signs at the scene were: blood ressure 140/78 mm Hg, pulse 115 beats/min, and resirations 30 breaths/min. The patient was transported by MS without incident. Upon arrival in the ED the patient as combative and had one episode of blood-tinged mesis. The past medical history was significant only for sthma. The patient did not take any medications or have ny medication allergies. Is there any other information ou would like to know about the history? Dr. Alex Manini: Was there any further information bout the scene? Was there a lot of blood seen or was a eapon found? Dr. C. Brown: There was minimal blood loss at the cene and although the weapon was not found, the paient estimated a blade length of 5 inches. The initial vital igns in the ED were: blood pressure of 138/80 mm Hg, eart rate 120 beats/min, respiratory rate 32 breaths/min, nd oxygen saturation 91% on room air. The primary urvey revealed a patent airway and symmetric breath
REML estimation in unbalanced multivariate variance components models using an EM algorithm

Estimation of covariance matrices when data are missing is a difficult problem. In the multivariate mixed model setting, problems can arise either because the data are unbalanced or because the response vectors are incomplete. Jennrich and Schluchter (1986, Biometrics 42, 805-820) and Laird, Lange, and Stram (1987, Journal of the American Statistical Association 82, 97-105) have proposed EM algorithms for estimating the parameters associated with longitudinal data models. In this paper a new EM algorithm is proposed for the general multivariate mixed model. The algorithm is derivativefree and based on an algorithm for balanced data proposed by Calvin and Dykstra (1991, Annals Qf Statistics 19, 850-869). Once the algorithm is described it is used to produce estimates of the variance components matrices associated with a completely random two-factor nested model for a bivariate response vector. The data for this example come from Calvin and Sedransk (1991, Journal of the American Statistical Association 86, 36-48), who analyze a study of the quality of care received by cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.
Regionalism in Stanford's Contribution to the Rise of Silicon Valley

In this article I explore the powerful sense of regional solidarity that accompanied the rise of Silicon Valley. From the early years of Stanford University, the university's leaders saw its mission as service to the West and shaped the school accordingly. At the same time, the perceived exploitation of the West at the hands of eastern interests fueled booster-like attempts to build self-sufficient indigenous local industry. Thus, regionalism helped align Stanford's interests with those of the area's high-tech firms for the first fifty years of Silicon Valley's development. The distinctive regional ethos of the West during the first half of the twentieth century is an ingredient of Silicon Valley's already prepared environment, an ingredient that would-be replicators ignore at their peril.
Hydrogen trapping and re-emission in TiB2 coatings for tokamaks upon thermal, pulsed electron and laser annealing

Abstract The trapping and retention of hydrogen ( 1 H) implanted into thin coatings of TiB 2 on POCO graphite substrates has been investigated by isochronal and isothermal annealing as well as pulsed electron and laser annealing. After room temperature implantation, almost all the H implanted at 60 keV is retained in traps with activation energies ranging from 2.04 to 2.63 eV; whereas, low-energy (250 eV), high-flux (0.5 mA/cm 2 ) H implants result in very small retentions (~0.2%). One-half of the 60 keV room temperature implanted H is released after a 20-minute 400°C anneal. Predamaging the TiB 2 by 30 to 140 keV He-implantation produces traps with higher H trapping energies and release temperatures. Depth profile measurements directly show H retrapping at He-produced damage that is nearer the surface than the implanted H, but H trapping at deeper damage or buildup of H at the coating-substrate interface is not observed. Annealing with a 20 ns, 1.5 J/cm 2 pulse from a 1 μm wavelength laser causes a 40% H loss while an 0.8 sec, 2 kW/cm 2 pulse of 8 keV electrons completely purges the H from the coating. These pulsed annealing results are important because such conditions occur in the use of coatings for limiter and armor applications and because pulsed annealing provides a promising tool for surface conditioning and hydrogen release for tritium inventory control.
Resurrection Claims in Non-Christian Religions

While Christian beliefs are presumably much more widely known, especially in the Western world, some adherents to the major non-Christian religions also make claims that some of their historical rabbis, prophets, gurus or ‘messiahs’ rose from the dead. Judging from the relevant religious literature, it appears that such non-Christian claims are often ignored, perhaps because there is little awareness of them. Even if the existence of such beliefs is recognized, almost never is there any in-depth answer to the question of whether such claims could possibly be grounded in supernatural events of history.
A review of lipidomic technologies applicable to sphingolipidomics and their relevant applications

Sphingolipidomics, a branch of lipidomics, focuses on the large-scale study of the cellular sphingolipidomes. In the current review, two main approaches for the analysis of cellular sphingolipidomes (i.e. LC-MS- or LC-MS/MS-based approach and shotgun lipidomics-based approach) are briefly discussed. Their advantages, some considerations of these methods, and recent applications of these approaches are summarized. It is the authors' sincere hope that this review article will add to the readers understanding of the advantages and limitations of each developed method for the analysis of a cellular sphingolipidome.
Factors limiting the number of radiation-induced chromosome exchanges. I. Distance: evidence from non-interaction of x-ray- and neutron-induced breaks.

Soaked seeds of Vicia faba were exposed to fractionated doses of x-rays or x-rays and fast neutrons. When the two-hit (exchange) chromosome aberrations were scored at the first mitosis of the root tip, it was observed that with short fractionation times the radiation-induced breaks from the two x-ray doses could rejoin with one another to form exchanges in proportion to the square of the total dose. If, however, one dose was x-rays and the second neutrons, then no quantitatively determinable interaction occurred between the breaks induced by each of the doses, and the aberration yield was simply the sum of that induced by each fraction. The phenomenon of non-interaction as observed by these dose fractionation studies and also by the linear dose response curve for two-break aberrations induced by neutrons has led to calculations of the distance over which two breaks can rejoin. The distance is evidently much smaller than the previously accepted value of 1 µ.
A weak-coupling expansion for viscoelastic fluids applied to dynamic settling of a body

The flow of viscoelastic fluids is an area in which analytical results are difficult to attain, yet can provide invaluable information. We develop a weak-coupling expansion that allows for semi-analytical computations of viscoelastic fluid flows coupled to immersed structures. In our method, a leading-order polymeric stress evolves according to a Newtonian velocity field, and this stress is used to correct the motion of bodies. We apply the method to the transient problem of a sphere settling through a viscoelastic fluid using the Oldroyd-B model, and recover previous results and observed behavior. The theory presented here is in contrast to the retarded-motion, or low-Weissenberg-number, expansions that have seen much application. One advantage of the weak-coupling method is that it offers information for Weissenberg numbers larger than one. The expansion’s limit of validity is closely related to the diluteness criterion of a Boger fluid. We extend the classical settling problem to include an oscillatory body-force, and show how the introduction of a second time-scale modifies the body-dynamics.
Image processing using adaptive aposteriori Wiener estimation techniques

We describe the generalized, two-dimensional Wiener estimation algorithm in the frequency domain. An adaptive aposteriori estimation technique is then presented. The technique is applied to a specific example and results are illustrated. >
A delay-based model for circuit parallelism

A new formal model for variable-delay simulators is presented for comparing the effects of time base on circuit parallelism. This model more accurately reflects current simulation strategies than previous models. Using this new model the author shows that parallelism is not a nondecreasing function of time base. She bounds parallelism, however, by two functions that converge to the unit-delay parallelism as the time base increases, preserving the intuition that coarser timing models result in greater parallelism. In addition, the author corroborates the model predictions via an empirical study and discusses the impact of the results on synchronous and conservative asynchronous parallel simulations. >
Objective airway monitoring improves asthma control in the cold and flu season: a cluster randomized trial.

Background The goals of asthma care are reductions in risk and impairment, but achieving these goals requires collaborative work between patients and their clinicians. The purpose of this study was to improve inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) adherence and asthma control by cueing therapeutic communication between patients with asthma and their primary care clinicians. Methods We conducted a prospective, cluster-randomized, controlled effectiveness trial to assess the effect of providing visually standardized, interpreted peak flow graphs (CUE intervention) to patients and their clinicians on ICS adherence and asthma control. Asthma control outcomes were analyzed by season to account for seasonal variations in exacerbation frequency. Results Although mean log-transformed ICS adherence was not significantly different between the two groups, there was a trend toward preserved adherence in the intervention group over time ( P = .16). Intervention patients required fewer courses of oral steroids during winter (9% vs 23%, P P P P P P Conclusions Our findings provide evidence of the value of peak flow monitoring for patients with asthma during seasons of greatest vulnerability, the cold/flu season. The peak flow information apparently led to improvements in ICS adherence resulting in less need for prednisone rescue and fewer episodes of worsening symptoms. Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00201188; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov
Paternalism and Psychic Taxes: The Government's Use of Negative Emotions to Save Us from Ourselves

Paternalism has become increasingly popular among policy makers. This Article analyzes whether the government should use psychic taxes as a tool for paternalism. A psychic tax is a government policy that imposes a psychic cost by provoking negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, or shame. This Article focuses specifically on graphic warnings on cigarettes and food. The Food and Drug Administration recently adopted regulations that require graphic warnings on cigarettes, including images of a corpse and of diseased lungs. And policy makers are also considering graphic warnings on food. For example, the government could mandate that food manufacturers place a drawing of an overweight person on unhealthy foods. Proponents of psychic taxes argue that contrary to the rational actor model used in law and economics, people are not perfectly rational and do not always make the best choices for themselves. If failures of rationality cause people to make suboptimal choices, then in theory, the government could use psychic taxes to modify behavior and improve people’s lives. Unfortunately, real-world governments are not perfect, so the implementation of psychic taxes presents a number of potentially serious challenges. The government’s lack of complete information, the possibility of unintended consequences, and a number of other factors make it inherently difficult to predict whether psychic taxes will in fact prove beneficial. Moreover, in some cases, graphic warnings and other psychic taxes may be deceptive. So acceptance of psychic taxes as a legitimate policy tool may lead us down a slippery slope toward policies that are harmful and even abusive. Finally, since the government is likely to target goods that are consumed disproportionately by the poor, the burden of psychic taxes will fall largely upon low-income families.Because of these concerns, this Article expresses skepticism about the use of psychic taxes. Privately produced products and other nongovernmental solutions will often eliminate the effects of irrationality making psychic taxes unnecessary. Even when that is not the case, psychic taxes create the potential for considerable costs, many of which are difficult to quantify in advance. For this reason, the government should not employ psychic taxes without compelling evidence that the benefits will be substantial. In particular, the lack of strong empirical support for graphic warnings on cigarettes and food raises questions about whether these warnings are worthwhile.
perspectives on the clean India campaign, the microbiota and ayurveda.

“…the desire of our physical system as a whole, of which we are usually unconscious…is the wish for health. This is always doing its work, mending and repairing, making new adjustments in cases of accident, and skillfully restoring the balance wherever disturbed. It has no concern with the fulfilment of our immediate bodily desires, but it goes beyond the present time. It is the principle of our physical wholeness, it links our life with its past and its future and maintains the unity of its parts. He who is wise knows it, and makes his other physical wishes harmonise with it.” Sadhana , Rabindranath Tagore, 1915
Spore germination in axenic cultures of Smittium spp. (Trichomycetes).

Harvested asexual spores (trichospores) of Smittium culisetae, S. culicis, S. simulii, and S. mucronatum were used in this study. Only spores of the first three species were able to germinate in vitro, with S. culisetae demonstrating the highest percentage of germination. Germination may be accomplished either by a rapid extension of the inner spore wall in a process that (under the light microscope) resembles germ tube formation, or by rupturing the outer trichospore wall and the total emergence of the inner spore wall and protoplast. Spores germinated better in nonshaken tryptone-glucose-vitamin (TGv) medium than in shaken medium. Smzittium culisetae spores appear to have an inhibitor that reduces the percentage of germination under crowded conditions. Germination in S. culisetae occurred over a relatively wide range of temperatures and pH values, with maxima near 24-30 C and pH 6.0-7.8. Spores of S. culisetae survived storage in liquid nitrogen, but lost their viability at -15 C and when lyophilized.
Conformal FDTD package development based on ACIS and HOOPS

In this paper, we present one advanced technique that is applied to create a robust conformal FDTD software package based on two most popular development tools, namely, ACIS and HOOPS. We first introduce the basic features of ACIS and HOOPS, then describe the key techniques and structures used in the conformal FDTD package, and finally present two illustrative examples to validate the software package.
Pareto Governors for Energy-Optimal Computing

The original definition of energy-proportional computing does not characterize the energy efficiency of recent reconfigurable computers, resulting in nonintuitive “super-proportional” behavior. This article introduces a new definition of ideal energy-proportional computing, new metrics to quantify computational energy waste, and new SLA-aware OS governors that seek Pareto optimality to achieve power-efficient performance.
Early infectious complications among patients treated with induction compared to hypomethylating therapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

The lethality of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is often associated with infectious complications, caused either by direct disruption of normal hematopoiesis by the disease or by marrow suppression d...
Institution shocks and economic outcomes: Allende's election, Pinochet's coup and the Santiago stock market

Abstract To study the effect of political and institutional changes on the economy, we look at share prices in the Santiago exchange during the tumultuous political events that characterized Chile in the early 1970s. We use a transparent empirical strategy, deploying previously unused daily data and exploiting two largely unexpected shocks which involved substantial variation in policies and institutions, providing a rare natural experiment. Allende's election and subsequent socialist experiment decreased share values, while the military coup and dictatorship that replaced him boosted them, in both cases by magnitudes unprecedented in the literature. The most parsimonious interpretation of these share price changes is that they reflected, respectively, the perceived threat to private ownership of the means of production under a socialist government, and its subsequent reversal.
Combining ultrasound and intratumoral administration of doxorubicin-loaded microspheres to enhance tumor cell killing.

Abstract Melanoma is an incurable disease for which alternative treatments to chemotherapy alone are sought. Here, using a melanoma model, we investigated the antitumor potential of combining ultrasound (US) with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). The aim was to achieve synergistic tumoricidal activity through direct and indirect US-mediated damage of tumor cells combined with sustained and potentially controllable release (when combined with US) of DOX from microspheres. An in vitro release assay demonstrated an ability of US to affect the release kinetics of DOX from DOX-loaded PLGA microspheres by inducing a 12% increase in the rate of release. In vitro viability assays demonstrated that combining US with DOX-loaded PLGA microspheres resulted in synergistic tumor cell (B16-F10 melanoma cells) killing. Melanoma-bearing mice were treated intratumorally with DOX (8 µg)-loaded microspheres and subjected to US treatment at the tumor site. This treatment could significantly extend survival (mean survival (MS) = 22.1 days) compared to untreated mice (MS = 10.4 days) and most other treatments, such as blank microspheres plus US (MS = 11.5 days) and DOX (8 µg)-loaded microspheres alone (MS = 13 days). The findings that immune checkpoint blockade did not significantly extend survival of mice treated with DOX (8 µg)-loaded microspheres plus US, and that tumor-free (“cured”) mice were not protected from subsequent tumor rechallenge suggests minimal involvement of the adaptive immune response in the observed antitumor activity. Nevertheless, the synergistic increase in survival of melanoma-challenged mice treated with the combination of US and DOX-loaded microspheres implicates such a treatment methodology as a promising additional tool for combatting otherwise currently incurable cancers.
A chance to cut (the genome) is a chance to cure.

In this issue of Blood,Antoniani et al identify an innovative genome editing approach to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF), which may eventually lead to therapeutic strategies for ameliorating or curing sickle-cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia.1
Disparities in Patient-Reported Interest in Web-Based Patient Portals: Survey at an Urban Academic Safety-Net Hospital

Background: Offering hospitalized patients’ enrollment into a health system’s patient portal may improve patient experience and engagement throughout the care continuum, especially across care transitions, but this process is less studied than portal engagement in the ambulatory setting. Patient portal disparities exist and may lead to differences in access or outcomes. As such, it is important to study upstream factors in a typical hospital workflow that could lead to those disparities in safety-net settings. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics associated with interest in a health care system’s portal among hospitalized patients and reasons for no interest. Methods: Nurses assessed interest in a Web-based patient portal, expressed by the patient as “yes” or “no,” as part of the admission nursing assessment among patients at an academic urban safety-net hospital and recorded responses in the electronic health record (EHR), including reasons for no interest. We extracted patient responses from the EHR. Results: Among 23,994 hospitalizations over a 2-year period, 35.90% (8614/ 23,994) reported an interest in a Web-based portal. Reasons for no interest included the following: not interested/other reason 41.68% (6410/15,380), no ability to use/access computers/internet 29.59% (4551/15,380), doesn’t speak English 11.15% (1715/15,380), physically or mentally unable 8.70% (1338/15,380), does not want to say 8.70% (1338/15,380), security concerns 0.03% (4/15,380), and not useful 0.16% (24/15,380). Among the 16,507 unique patients included in this sample, portal interest was lower in older, African American, non-English speaking, and homeless patient populations. Conclusions: In a safety-net system, patient interest at the time of hospitalization in a Web-based enterprise portal—a required step before enrollment—is low with significant disparities by sociodemographic characteristics. To avoid worsening the digital divide, new strategies are needed and should be embedded within routine workflows to engage vulnerable safety-net patients in the use of Web-based health technologies.
Improving Low-acuity Patient Flow in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A System Redesign

Background Children's National Health Systems pediatric emergency department (ED), is a level 1 trauma center in Washington, DC, which treats over 90 000 patients annually. Approximately 50% of arriving patients are triaged as low acuity, Emergency Severity Index level 4 or 5. With limited space and resources, these patients are treated inefficiently, with average delays from arrival to provider time of 1.3 hours and length of stays (LOS) close to 2.5 hours. Objectives In July 2016, Children's National Health Systems ED initiated a focused approach to improve both patient flow and experience for these low-acuity patients. Methods We assembled a multidisciplinary ED-based task force. The quality improvement initiative began in January 2017 and consisted of 4 steps: (1) front-end space redesign; (2) implementation of a new front-end patient triage and assessment process; (3) increased doctor and nurse staffing; and (4) dissemination of data updates to reinforce awareness and adherence to workflow. Our process outcomes were arrival-to-provider time and LOS for low-acuity patients. Our balancing measures were the rate of return to the ED within 72 hours and arrival to provider times for high-acuity patients. We used statistical process control methodology to measure the effects of our interventions over time. We performed a secondary analysis to measure the response of wait times to total daily volume comparing preintervention to postintervention. Results We decreased the LOS by 11 minutes (9%) and arrival to MD times 21 minutes (35%) for the same period 1 year apart.