cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in the Clinical Evaluation of Patients With Heart and Lung Disease

Exercise tests are commonly used in clinical practice for both functional and diagnostic assessments. Many exercise tests are designed to produce a single measurement relevant to a specific clinical setting such as a timed walking distance as a measure of functional capacity in rehabilitation candidates or the presence of ECG changes consistent with myocardial ischemia in patients with chest pain. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) measures a broader range of variables related to cardiorespiratory function, including expiratory ventilation (Ve) and pulmonary gas exchange (oxygen uptake [Vo2] and carbon dioxide output [Vco2]), along with the ECG and blood pressure, with the goal of quantitatively linking metabolic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary responses to exercise.1,–,3 With increased availability of instruments for the facile measurement of exercise gas exchange, experience with CPX has expanded from clinical research applications to a broad range of clinical practice settings.4 Interpretation of CPX for clinical purposes includes comparison of data from individual patients with those from healthy and disease populations. Substantial data are available characterizing exercise responses of patients with certain common heart and lung diseases, providing a basis for using CPX to compare individual patients' impairment relative to others from the same populations. Diagnostic applications of CPX, eg, for evaluating unexplained dyspnea or exercise intolerance, also rely on a comparison of patients' data with those of patients with known diagnoses. In clinical practice, in contrast to much of the research related to specific disorders, patients frequently have multiple medical problems, confounding the assessment of impairment or the attribution of symptoms to one or another condition. Although there are few systematic analyses of the effects of coexistent conditions on exercise responses, an advantage of CPX compared with other forms of testing is the potential for gaining insight …
Beyond directed therapeutics--are two drugs always better than one?

Commentary to:Coadministration of UCN-01 with MEK1/2 Inhibitors Potently Induces Apoptosis in BCR/ABL+ Leukemia Cells Sensitive and Resistant to STI571Chunrong Yu, Yun Dai, Paul Dent and Steven Grant
793 EVALUATION OF QUANTITATIVE CULTURES OF SPUTUM FROM CHILDREN WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Eighty-three sputa were obtained from 41 children with cystic fibrosis and maintained on ice until culture within 20 minutes. Quantitative cultures (QNC) were made by inoculating serial 10-fold dilutions of the sputum, homogenized with N-acetyl cysteine, onto blood, chocolate, and eosin methylene blue agar plates. The same sputum samples were then cultured qualitatively (QLC) on the same types of agar. An average of 3.9 bacterial species per sample in a concentration of ≥ 104 CFU/ml were recovered by QNC. Organisms which might be considered “normal flora” were recovered from 57 QNC and 80 QLC. Potential pathogens were recovered from 80 QNC and from 74 QLC. S. aureus, present in QNC in a mean concentration of 3.2 × 107/ml, was recovered from 31 sputum pairs and additionally from 1 QNC and 2 QLC. Ps. aeruginosa, present in QNC in an average concentration of 1.9 × 108/ml,was recovered by both methods 55 times, 3 additional times each by QNC and QLC. H. influenzae was present in QNC in a mean concentration of 3.4 × 108/ml and was recovered by both culture techniques 9 times. It was recovered 26 additional times by QNC and 2 additional times by QLC. In 24 of 24 instances, the H. influenzae recovered by QNC was not typable by counter immunoelectropheresis. Routine qualitative sputum cultures underestimate the frequency with which H. influenzae may be recovered from children with cystic fibrosis.
The Difference a Year Makes: An Exploratory Self-Directed IEP Case Study

The Self-Directed IEP has been found effective in increasing student participation in the first Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting following Self-Directed IEP instruction. To date, no published reports have examined the extent students are involved during their second IEP meeting following Self-Directed IEP instruction. This study presents an exploratory mixed method case study analysis of a student with a learning disability in sophomore and junior year IEP meetings to illustrate the difference a year can make in IEP meeting participation, the development of postschool goals, confidence, maturity, and self-advocacy. Results indicate a marked increase from year one to year two in the student's word count and speaking rate, a more focused postschool employment vision, and an increase in meeting leadership. Discussion of these results and suggestions for additional research are offered.
Export orientation and domestic electricity generation: Effects on energy efficiency innovation in select sectors

Abstract Why are some countries developing many energy efficiency innovations, while others are lagging behind? I argue that export orientation and electricity at low variable cost from nuclear and hydropower plants have an interactive effect on energy efficiency innovation. Export-oriented countries have strong incentives to invest in energy efficiency innovation, as they are in a position to export these technology innovations for global markets. But if inexpensive electricity is supplied in a country, the domestic demand for energy efficiency innovation is missing, and so the home market cannot serve as a springboard for international commercialization. I test this theory against international patent data on energy efficiency innovation in insulation, heating, and lighting for 22 OECD countries, 1991–2007. The statistical analysis indicates that export orientation has large positive effects on energy efficiency innovation in countries that do not rely on nuclear and hydroelectricity.
Increasing the reliability and validity of pain intensity measurement in chronic pain patients

This study examined the effects of increasing the number of assessments on the reliability and validity of measures of average pain intensity. Two hundred chronic pain patients completed 2 weeks of hourly pain ratings. A series of regression analyses were performed, and test-retest stability, internal consistency and validity coefficients were computed to address 4 questions. (1) Are chronic pain patients' reports of pain similar from one day to another? (2) What is the reliability and validity of a single rating of pain intensity when used as an indicant of average pain? (3) How many assessments (data points) are required to obtain estimates of average pain intensity with adequate to excellent psychometric properties? (4) How important is it to sample pain from different days? The results were consistent with predictions based on patients' self-reports of their pain and on psychometric theory. First, the majority of patients did not report similar levels of pain from one day to another, and average pain scores calculated from ratings obtained from a single day were less stable than those calculated from ratings obtained from multiple days. Also, and as expected, the results indicate that a single rating of pain intensity is not adequately reliable or valid as a measure of average pain. However, a composite pain intensity score calculated from an average of 12 ratings across 4 days demonstrated adequate reliability and excellent validity as a measure of the average pain in this sample of chronic pain patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effects of cathinone and amphetamine on the neurochemistry of dopamine in vivo

Abstract The effects of (−)cathinone, the primary psyehoactive alkaloid of the Khat plant, were compared to those of (+)amphetamine in the anterior caudate-putamen and the nucleus accumbens. In vivo microdialysis was used to measure extracellular levels of dopamine and metabolites in both regions of the brain simultaneously, after intraperitoneal administration of 0.8, 1.6 or 3.2 mg/kg of either drug (doses expressed as the salts). Both drugs increased levels of dopamine but decreased levels of metabolites in a dose-dependent manner. However, the relative magnitude of these effects depended upon the specific drug, the dose and area of the brain examined. At the largest dose used, amphetamine had a relatively greater effect than cathinone on dopamine in both caudate and accumbens. However, among smaller doses, this difference was only observed in the nucleus accumbens after administration of 1.6 mg/kg. The results also demonstrated a differential regional effect of both drugs at 3.2 mg/kg, in that both had a greater effect on dopamine in the caudate, as opposed to the accumbens. These findings demonstrate a functional heterogeneity of the striatum of the rat, that may be relevant to the understanding of both normal brain function and the neural responses to psychoactive drugs.
Computer-controlled multiparameter flowfield measurements using planar laser-induced iodine fluorescence

A measurement technique for the mapping of complex compressible flowfields using planar laser-induced iodine fluorescence (PLIIF) is presented. Time-averaged values of all relevant flowfield properties are found : pressure, temperature, velocity, and, for mixing flowfields, injectant mole fraction. Several modifications have been made to a previous version of the PLIIF technique that allow multiple planes of data, needed for studying highly three-dimensional flowfields, to be collected and processed in greatly reduced time and with improved measurement accuracies. The technique is demonstrated with measurements in the flowfield of a Mach 2, rearward-facing step. The technique presented represents a unique tool that allows complex, compressible, three-dimensional flowfields to be mapped out completely and nonintrusively.
A Spinor from Semiderivatives

Fractional derivatives have been known since the time of Leibniz and have been used in various branches of physics. The present paper shows how they can be used to generate a spinor field, much as the gradient operator generates a vector field. These spinor fields are zero kinetic energy solutions to the Dirac equation.
Neurophysiological investigation of idiopathic acquired auditory–visual synesthesia

We present a case of acquired auditory–visual synesthesia and its neurophysiological investigation in a healthy 42-year-old woman. She started experiencing persistent positive and intermittent negative visual phenomena at age 37 followed by auditory–visual synesthesia. Her neurophysiological investigation included video-EEG, fMRI, and MEG. Auditory stimuli (700 Hz, 50 ms duration, 0.5 s ISI) were presented binaurally at 60 db above the hearing threshold in a dark room. The patient had bilateral symmetrical auditory-evoked neuromagnetic responses followed by an occipital-evoked field 16.3 ms later. The activation of occipital cortex following auditory stimuli may represent recruitment of existing cross-modal sensory pathways.
A Sensitive Microassay for Prolyl Hydroxylase: Activity in Normal and Psoriatic Skin

A sensitive micromethod for the assay of prolyl hydroxylase (PH), an enzyme essential for the biosynthesis of collagen, has been developed and used to assess levels of the enzyme in small specimens of normal and pathologic skin. By employing a substrate highly labeled with 3, 4-3H proline and a reduced reaction volume, we have increased the sensitivity of the assay by approximately thirtyfold. The levels of PH in human skin vary by site. Activity in trunk skin, for example, is considerably higher than in forearm skin. Thus, site-matched controls are essential when assessing enzyme levels in disease states. Infiltration of the biopsy site with xylocaine reduces PH activity, indicating that results obtained from specimens containing a local anesthetic must be interpreted with caution. Prolyl hydroxylase levels in psoriatic lesions are approximately fourfold greater than those in normal control or uninvolved psoriatic skin. Since the collagen content of psoriatic skin in normal, increased turnover of collagen in psoriasis may be present.
Photoacclimation of ulva rotundata chlorophyta under natural irradiance

Two vegetative clones (designated 11/85 and 7/86 in accordance with month/year of collection) of the green macroalga Ulva rotundata were collected in the vicinity of Beaufort, North Carolina, USA. Each was grown in an outdoor continuous-flow system in summer (≥20°C) of 1986 and late winter (10° to 17°C) of 1987, in irradiances ranging from 9 to 100% of full sunlight, with and without NH4+enrichment. Continuous enrichment of influent estuarine water (dissolved inorganic nitrogen ∼2 μM, N:P≤5) to 8–12 μM NH4+had only a slight effect on growth rate. Temperature changes of 2 to 3°C had a much greater effect. Prolonged exposure to a given daily irradiance resulted in acclimation, exposure to a given daily irradiance resulted in acclimation, indicated by faster growth of conditioned plants relative to those transferred from a different irradiance. Most of the difference in growth rates between transferred and control plants was attributed to differences in thallus absorptance. Growth was photoinhibited above 40% sunlight at temperatures below ∼15°C, but not above ∼20°C. Following interday irradiance transfers, thallus percent dry weight changed in a manner that suggests different response times for photosynthesis and cell division.
Channel Electron Multipliers: Properties, Development and Applications

The object of this paper is to acquaint high energy physicists with the properties and numerous applications of microchannel plates as well as with the resulting improvements of particle detectors. Properties of channel electron multipliers and of microchannel plates are described. We review and discuss the major applications of these devices, with emphasis on high performance photomultipliers and on electronic imaging at high speeds and low light levels.
A novel approach for the simultaneous repair of large midline incisional and parastomal hernias with biological mesh and retrorectus reconstruction.

Abstract Introduction Patients with concomitant large midline incisional and parastomal hernias present many unique challenges to the reconstructive surgeon. Methods We describe a novel approach of simultaneously repairing the midline incisional and parastomal defect, while prophylactically reinforcing the relocated stoma site with a retrorectus biological graft. Results During the study period, 9 men and 3 women with a mean age of 65 years, body mass index (BMI) 34 kg/m 2 , and American Society of Anesthesiologists score (ASA) 3.1 underwent repair. Hernia defects averaged 338 cm 2 . Seven patients had a myofascial advancement flap. Mean operative time was 277 minutes. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients (33%) and included superficial surgical site infection, transient renal failure, and deep venous thrombosis; in addition, 1 patient died suddenly on postoperative day 3. After a mean follow-up of 14 months, 2 patients have asymptomatic hernia recurrence. Conclusions The use of various advanced abdominal wall reconstructive techniques may offer an acceptable approach to repairing these challenging defects.
Association of alcohol and drug use disorders and completed suicide: an empirical review of cohort studies.

Abstract Background: This study updated and expanded upon Harris and Barraclough's empirical review [Harris, E.C., Barraclough, B., 1997. Suicide as an outcome for mental disorders. A meta-analysis, Br. J. Psychiatry 170, 205–228] of retrospective and prospective cohort studies of alcohol and drug use disorders and suicide. Method: Studies presenting data on alcohol and drug use disorders and suicide originally identified by Harris and Barraclough were used in this study. To find additional studies, (1) the location of English language reports on MEDLINE (1994–2002) were identified with the search terms ‘substance-disorders’ with ‘mortality’ and ‘follow-up’, (2) read throughs were conducted of four prominent alcohol and drug specialty journals from 1966 through 2002, and (3) the reference sections of studies that met criteria were searched for additional reports. This strategy yielded 42 new studies meeting eligibility criteria. Results: The estimated standardized mortality ratios (SMR; 95% confidence interval) for suicide were as follows: alcohol use disorder (979; 95% CI 898–1065; p Conclusions: Additional studies on the association of suicide and mixed drug use, heavy drinking, and alcohol use disorders in women augmented the findings of Harris and Barraclough, along with a novel estimate for intravenous drug use, a byproduct of intensive research on HIV in the past decade. There is a large empirical literature on alcohol use disorders and suicide and a moderate literature on suicide and opioid use disorders and IV drug use. There remains limited prospective data on the association of suicide and other drug use disorders (e.g., cocaine, cannabis).
Numerical Simulation of Ship Maneuvering in Pack Ice

This paper presents preliminary results from a computer program for simulating ship maneuvering in ice covered waters. The program is derived from two programs, Ship Maneuvering Laboratory (SML) and a discrete element numerical modeling program (DECICE). SML is an in-house code developed by Oceanic Consulting Corporation for simulating ship maneuvering in open water. It is based on a ship maneuvering model originally developed by the Japanese mathematical maneuvering group (MMG). DECICE is a discrete element method which was developed by INTERA Technologies and is used to calculate the ice loads on the ship and the interactions between ice pieces. The paper presents a summary of the mathematical methods used together with the results of some case studies for ships EXM004, PSM004 and Esso Osaka Tanker. These computer predictions include turning circle and Zig-Zag maneuvers. Comparisons and discussion of the simulated results between cases with and without ice are also provided.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Polynomial solvability of cost-based abduction

In recent empirical studies we have shown that many interesting cost-based abduction problems can be solved efficiently by considering the linear program relaxation of their integer program formulation. We tie this to the concept of total unimodularity from network flow analysis, a fundamental result in polynomial solvability. From this, we can determine the polynomial solvability of abduction problems and, in addition, present a new heuristic for branch and bound in the non-polynomial cases.
Hormonal regulation of steroidogenic enzyme gene expression in Leydig cells.

Abstract In normal mouse Leydig cells, steady state levels of mRNA of CYP11A, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Δ 5 - > Δ 4 -isomerase (3βHSD), and CYP17 are differentially regulated. There is high basal expression of 3βHSD and CYP11A mRNA, while expression of CYP17 mRNA is absolutely dependent on cAMP stimulation. cAMP is required for maximal expression of all three enzymes. The expression of CYP11A in normal mouse Leydig cells is repressed by glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids also repress both basal and cAMP-induced expression of 3βHSD mRNA, but do not repress the synthesis or mRNA levels of CYP17. cAMP induction of 3βHSD mRNA can be observed only when aminoglutethimide (AG), an inhibitor of cholesterol metabolism, is added to the Leydig cell cultures. The addition of AG also markedly increases cAMP induction of CYP17 mRNA levels. Addition of testosterone or the androgen agonist, mibolerone, to cAMP plus AG treated cultures reduced 3βHSD and CYP17 mRNA levels to levels comparable to those observed when cells were treated with cAMP only. These data indicate that testosterone acting via the androgen receptor represses expression of both CYP17 and 3βHSD. The role of protein synthesis in mediating the cAMP induction of 3βHSD, CYP17 and CYP11A was examined. The addition of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, to cAMP treated cultures for 24 h completely suppressed both constitutive and cAMP-induced 3βHSD mRNA levels. Cycloheximide also repressed cAMP-induced levels of CYP17 to 12% of levels observed in the absence of cycloheximide. In sharp contrast, treatment for 24 h with cycloheximide did not suppress cAMP induction of CYP11A mRNA, but reduced basal levels by approx. 50%. These data indicate that newly synthesized protein(s) are required for cAMP induction of CYP17 and 3βHSD mRNA levels, but not for CYP11A mRNA. A mouse Cyp17 genomic clone containing the entire coding region plus 10 kb of 5′ flanking region has been isolated. Fragments of 5′ flanking sequences were subcloned into vectors containing the CAT reporter gene and transfected into MA-10 Leydig cells. Transfected cells were treated with cAMP and expression was determined by measuring CAT activity. A cAMP responsive element was identified in a region between -245 and -346 bp relative to the transcription initiation site of Cyp17 . Cotransfection into MA-10 Leydig cells of constructs containing 4.5 kb of Cyp17 5′ flanking sequences together with a mouse androgen receptor expression vector demonstrate a dose dependent repression of cAMP-induced Cyp17 transcription by the androgen receptor. Studies with the mouse Cyp11a gene demonstrate that the 5′ flanking region of the gene contains sequences between 2.5 and 5 kb that are necessary for expression of mouse Cyp11a in Leydig cells but not in adrenal cells.
Lability and Reactivity of Nonheme Protein-Bound Nitrite

Nitrite treated nonheme protein was separated from the free nitrite of the reaction mixture by Sephadex G-15 column chromatography. Spectral analysis (absorbance at 330 nm) indicated that tryptophyl residues of the protein had been modified with the NO group. The protein-nitrite complex was not stable, decomposing faster at lower pH and higher temperature. As the extent of the decomposition increased with time, an increasing amount of nitrite was detected by the AOAC method, indicating that the Griess reagent reacted with nitrite after it was regenerated from the NO group. When myoglobin was incubated with the nitrosated protein, nitrosyl hemochrome could be extracted from the reaction mixture in the presence of ascorbic acid. The results indicate the potential reversibility of the protein-nitrite reaction.
Comparison of the ability of quantitative parameters to differentiate surface texture of Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) images

The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of several texture analysis parameters to differentiate textured samples from a smooth control on images obtained with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Surface roughness plays a major role in the realm of material science, especially in integrated electronic devices. As these devices become smaller and smaller, new materials with better electrical properties are needed. New materials with smoother surface morphology have been found to have superior electrical properties than their rougher counterparts. Therefore, in many cases surface texture is indicative of the electrical properties that material will have. Physical vapor deposition techniques such as Jet Vapor Deposition and Molecular Beam Epitaxy are being utilized to synthesize these materials as they have been found to create pure and uniform thin layers. For the current study, growth parameters were varied to produce a spectrum of textured samples. The focus of this study was the image processing techniques associated with quantifying surface texture. As a result of the limited sample size, there was no attempt to draw conclusions about specimen processing methods. The samples were imaged using an AFM in tapping mode. In the process of collecting images, it was discovered that roughness data was much better depicted in the microscope's "height" mode as opposed to "equal area" mode. The AFM quantified the surface texture of each image by returning RMS roughness and the first order histogram statistics of mean roughness, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis. Color images from the AFM were then processed on an off line computer running NIH ImageJ with an image texture plug in. This plug in produced another set of first order statistics computed from each images' histogram as well as second order statistics computed from each images' cooccurrence matrix. The second order statistics, which were originally proposed by Haralick, include contrast, angular second moment, correlation, inverse difference moment, and entropy. These features were computed in the 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° directions. The findings of this study propose that the best combination of quantitative texture parameters is standard deviation, 0° inverse difference moment, and 0° entropy, all of which are obtained from the NIH ImageJ texture plug in.
The distribution of topically applied heavy metals in the soil

Long-term pot experiments were conducted to determine the leaching potential of topically applied lead, cadmium, and nickel through the soil. Four rates of each metal (0, 10, 100 and 200 mg/kg soil), in the nitrate form were used. Metals were extracted with acidic ammonium acetate after 30 weeks of intermittent leaching. The concentration of extractable element varied with the depth in the soil and the type of extractable metal. Lead was confined to the upper few centimeters of soil whereas cadmium moved down to a considerable depth. Nickel was more uniformly distributed over the total soil depth than the other two metals. The concentration gradients observed are discussed with respect to their effect on germination and yield of plants.
Symptomatic endosalpingosis in a postmenopausal woman

The presence of ectopic fallopian tube epithelium (endosalpingosis) in postmenopausal women is rare and usually asymptomatic. A case is presented of symptomatic endosalpingosis in a postmenopausal woman who had none of the previously described predisposing factors.
Large-scale statistics of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation: A wavelet-based approach

We show that the statistical properties of the large scales of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation in the extended system limit can be understood in terms of the dynamical behavior of the same equation in a small finite domain. Our method relies on the description of the solutions of this equation in terms of wavelets, and allows us to model the energy transfer between small and large scales. We show that the effective equation obtained in this way can be consistently approximated by a forced Burgers equation only for scales far from the cutoff between small and large wavelengths. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Upregulation of Runx2 and Osterix during in vitro chondrogenesis of human adipose-derived stromal cells.

Abstract The aim of this study was to create a gene expression profile to better define the phenotype of human adipose-derived stromal cells (HADSCs) during in vitro chondrogenesis, osteogenesis and adipogenesis. A novel aspect of this work was the analysis of the same subset of genes during HADSC differentiation into all three lineages. Chondrogenic induction resulted in increased mRNA expression of Sox transcription factors, COL2A1, COL10A1 , Runx2, and Osterix . This is the first report demonstrating significant upregulation in expression of osteogenesis-related transcription factors Runx2 and Osterix by TGF-β3 induction of HADSCs during in vitro chondrogenesis. These findings suggest that the commonly-used chondrogenic induction reagents promote differentiation suggestive of hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteoblasts. We conclude that alternative strategies are required to induce efficient articular chondrocyte differentiation in order for HADSCs to be of clinical use in cartilage tissue engineering.
A Comparison of 11 O’clock Versus Oblique Femoral Tunnels in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Reconstructed Knee Knee Kinematics During a Simulated Pivot Test

BackgroundTraditionally, a standard femoral tunnel for a single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is positioned 6 to 7 mm anterior to the posterior wall at an 11 o'clock orientation in the femoral notch (right knee). However, some surgeons have advocated placing the femoral tunnel at a more oblique orientation at or near the femoral footprint of the ACL's posterolateral bundle (at approximately 9:30 to 10 o'clock in the notch) to provide the graft with a better mechanical advantage for controlling tibial rotation and eliminating the pivot shift.HypothesisMoving the femoral tunnel from the standard location to an oblique position in the femoral notch will significantly reduce the magnitude of a simulated pivot shift.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsInternal-external tibial rotation and anteroposterior (AP) displacement of the lateral tibial plateau were measured in 17 fresh-frozen cadaveric knees during a simulated pivot-shift event with a single-bundle ACL reconstruction...
Implementing a Prospective Study of Women Seeking Abortion in the United States: Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Recruitment

Abstract Background The Turnaway Study is designed to prospectively study the outcomes of women who sought—but did not all obtain—abortions. This design permits more accurate inferences about the health consequences of abortion for women, but requires the recruitment of a large number of women from remote health care facilities to a study a sensitive topic. This paper explores the Turnaway Study's recruitment process. Methods From 2008 to 2010, the staff at 30 abortion-providing facilities recruited eligible female patients. Eight interventions were evaluated using multilevel logistic regression for their impact on eligible patients being approached, approached patients agreeing to go through informed consent by phone, and enrolled patients completing the baseline interview. Findings After site visits, patients had roughly twice the odds of being approached by facility staff and twice the odds of then agreeing to go through informed consent. When all recruitment steps were considered together, the net effect of site visits was to increase the odds that eligible patients participated by nearly a factor of six. After the introduction of a patient gift card incentive, patients had over three times the odds of agreeing to go through informed consent. With each passing month, however, staff demonstrated a 9% reduced odds of approaching eligible patients about the study. Conclusion Prioritizing scientific rigor over the convenience of using existing datasets, the Turnaway Study confronted recruitment challenges common to medical practice-based studies and unique to sensitive services. Visiting sites and communicating frequently with facility staff, as well as offering incentives to patients to hear more about the study before informed consent, may help to increase participation in prospective health studies and facilitate evaluation of sensitive women's health services.
Strategies Targeting cAMP Signaling in the Treatment of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a leading cause of ESRD worldwide. In PKD, excessive cell proliferation and fluid secretion, pathogenic interactions of mutated epithelial cells with an abnormal extracellular matrix and alternatively activated interstitial macrophages, and the disruption of mechanisms controlling tubular diameter contribute to cyst formation. Studies with animal models suggest that several diverse pathophysiologic mechanisms, including dysregulation of intracellular calcium levels and cAMP signaling, mediate these cystogenic mechanisms. This article reviews the evidence implicating calcium and cAMP as central players in a network of signaling pathways underlying the pathogenesis of PKD and considers the therapeutic relevance of treatment strategies targeting cAMP signaling.
Obfuscatory Relational Work and Disreputable Exchange

This article develops a model of how the structure of exchange can manage such disreputable exchanges as the commensuration of sacred for profane. Whereas existing research discusses the rhetorical reframing of exchange, I highlight structures that obfuscate whether an exchange is occurring and thereby mitigate exchange taboos. I identify three such exchange structures: bundling, brokerage, and gift exchange. Bundling uses crosssubsidization across multiple innocuous exchanges to synthesize a taboo exchange. Brokerage finds a third party to accept responsibility for exchange. Gift exchange delays reciprocity and reframes exchanges as expressions of friendship. All three strategies have alternative meanings and so provide plausible deniability to taboo commensuration. The article concludes by arguing that these sorts of exchange structures represent a synthesis of “nothing but” reductionism and “hostile worlds” moralism, rather than an alternative to them as Viviana Zelizer suggests.
The Rise of the “Fifth Force”

One of the interesting questions in the history and philosophy of science is how a hypothesis is proposed and how it acquires sufficient plausibility to be considered worthy of further theoretical and experimental investigation by the scientific community.1 I am not denying that the suggestion of hypotheses or theories is the free creation of an individual scientist, but I doubt that such creative events occur in a vacuum. Thus, although Newton’s thoughts on the universality of gravitation may have been triggered by the apple falling on his head, it seems unlikely that it would have had that effect had he not already been thinking about gravitation and the motion of the moon.2 I suggest that when a scientist offers a hypothesis they, or the rest of the scientific community, may have been considering the problem for a time. In addition to solving the problem, the hypothesis is also likely to be supported by other empirical evidence, or has some theoretical plausibility because it resembles previous successful solutions of other problems.3 It may also fit in with an existing research program or look like a fruitful or interesting line of research. Another factor may be that the theory has desirable mathematical properties. For example, the Weinberg-Salam unified theory of electroweak interactions did not receive much attention until 1971 when ’t Hooft showed it was renormalizable.4 These may also be reasons why a theorist may pursue an hypothesis.
A Distributed Computing Framework for Parallelization of Coevolution in Multi-sided Conflicts

A large number of military simulation systems dealing with warfare and games with coordinated missions can be described as multi-sided conflicts. These systems usually involve groups sharing various alliances and relationships, each pursuing a range of different goals. A coevolutionary approach in modeling the dynamics of such complex systems allows all sides of the conflict to evolve their strategies or courses of action. The coevolutionary approach used in Sheherazade, a multi-sided simulation environment for Stability and Support Operations (SASO), allows each side to evolve strategies in turns against other strategies captured from the other sides. In such systems, the greater the number of plans that are evaluated, the better the final alternatives are likely to be. To improve the speed and efficiency in generating strategies, a distributed computing modular framework based on the coevolutionary approach used in Sheherazade was designed and implemented to provide the following salient features: provide a more natural model of how different sides interact in a conflict, parallelize the generation of strategies by the different sides, and improve performance by utilizing network computing capabilities.
A biopsychosocial examination of symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV-infected patients

This study evaluated twenty-nine symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV-infected homosexual/bisexual men between eighteen and forty-five in the areas of psychiatric/psychosocial, neuropsychological, family, and immunological functioning. The subjects were referred by physicians, nurses, and mental health professionals from the Tulane/Louisiana State University AIDS Clinical Trials Unit and the C-100 outpatient Primary Care Clinic for HIV-infected patients served within the Charity Hospital of Louisiana at New Orleans. All subjects and their significant others were evaluated between November 1987 and October 1988 at the C-100 Clinic. The outcome measures were mood disturbance, psychological distress, and CD4 cell count. The most significant other family member, as selected by each subject, completed family measures. The subjects experienced psychological distress and neuropsychological problems. Active-behavioral coping appeared adaptive (related to enhanced mood) as did perceived social support (related to positive mood and lower psychological distress). Higher levels of neuropsychological functioning (verbal memory, visual memory, motor speed, and visual-motor sequencing) were associated with enhanced psychosocial functioning and/or immunological status. The findings from this study highlight the importance of conducting longitudinal studies using a multidimensional approach in which HIV-infected persons and their most significant other family members are evaluated within a biopsychosocial model.
Pathogenesis of diverse clinical and pathological phenotypes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Myocardial contractility is generally believed to be increased in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I propose the opposite--that cardiac myocyte contractility is decreased in this disorder. Accordingly, the contractile deficit provides the primary stimulus for increased expression of trophic factors in the heart, which leads to hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and other phenotypes. Variation among individuals in expression of trophic factors would account for the variability of phenotypes. Gene transfer studies in cardiac myocytes showing impaired contractility and increased expression of trophic factors in the myocardium of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy support this hypothesis. Testing of the hypothesis would require measurement of contractility of cardiac myocytes isolated from patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, identification of the main trophic factors in the hearts of these patients, and investigation of whether their inhibition can prevent or lead to regression of the cardiac phenotypes.
The COPD severity score: a dynamic prediction tool for health-care utilization.

A survey-based COPD severity scoring algorithm could prove useful for targeted disease management and risk-adjustment. For this purpose, we sought to prospectively validate a COPD severity score that had previously been cross-sectionally validated. Using a population-based sample of 267 adults with self-reported physician-diagnosed COPD, we examined the extent to which this COPD severity score predicts future respiratory hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and outpatient visits. Structured telephone interviews, conducted at baseline and on an annual basis in two subsequent years, determined COPD severity scores and health-care utilization. A basic predictive model for respiratory-specific health-care utilization was developed using sociodemographics, tobacco history, and medical comorbidity data in multivariate logistic regression analysis. The added predictive value of the COPD severity score over and above this basic model was then evaluated by testing the change in model concordance ind...
Base rates, stereotypes, and judgmental accuracy

The base rate literature has an opposite twin in the social psychological literature on stereotypes, which concludes that people use their preexisting beliefs about probabilistic category attributes too much, rather than not enough. This ironic discrepancy arises because beliefs about category attributes enhance accuracy when the beliefs are accurate and diminish accuracy when they are not. To determine the accuracy of base rate/stereotype beliefs requires research that addresses specific content.
Density functional for spectroscopy: no long-range self-interaction error, good performance for Rydberg and charge-transfer states, and better performance on average than B3LYP for ground states.

We present a new density functional called M06-HF. The new functional has full Hartree−Fock exchange, and therefore it eliminates self-exchange interactions at long range. This leads to good performance in TDDFT calculations of both Rydberg and charge-transfer states. In addition, the functional satisfies the uniform electron gas limit, and it is better than the popular B3LYP functional, on average, for ground-electronic-state energetics.
Practical performance of MU-MIMO precoding in many-antenna base stations

Many-antenna base stations promise manyfold spectral capacity increases in theory. However, our recent experimental work has shown a significant performance gap between the traditional MU-MIMO linear precoding method, zero-forcing, and the method proposed for many-antenna base stations, conjugate. Thus, a critical question in the field of many-antenna base stations is: Under what scenarios,if any, does conjugate precoding outperform zero-forcing in real systems? Towards answering this question, we leverage our experience in building many-antenna base stations to derive a model for the performance of linear precoders in real-world systems. We isolate the primary factors which discrepantly affect these linear precoders, then capture their complex interactions in an analytical model. By combining our real-world capacity results with this analytical model, we find new insight in to the tradeoffs between conjugate and zero-forcing precoding. Our results suggest that conjugate will outperform zero-forcing when there are many simultaneous users, the users have high mobility, or the implementation employs less-capable hardware. We find that our model is not only useful for guiding the hardware design of base stations, but can also facilitate dynamically switching to the optimal linear precoding algorithm in realtime, through adaptive precoding.
A simple system for staining protein and nucleic acid electrophoresis gels

Researchers in molecular biology spend a significant amount of time tending to the staining and destaining of electrophoresis gels. Here we describe a simple system, costing approximately $100 and taking approximately 1 h to assemble, that automates standard nucleic acid and protein gel staining protocols. Staining is done in a tray or, with DNA gels, in the electrophoresis chamber itself following automatic detection of the voltage drop. Miniature pumps controlled by a microcontroller chip exchange the necessary solutions at programmed time intervals. We demonstrate efficient and highly reproducible ethidium bromide and methylene blue staining of DNA in agarose gels and Coomassie blue and silver staining of proteins in polyacrylamide gels.
A framework for balancing control flow and predication

Predicated execution is a promising architectural feature for exploiting instruction-level parallelism in the presence of control flow. Compiling for predicated execution involves converting program control flow into conditional, or predicated, instructions. This process is known as if-conversion. In order to effectively apply if-conversion, one must address two major issues: what should be if-converted and when the if-conversion should be applied. A compiler's use of predication as a representation is most effective when large amounts of code are if-converted and if-conversion is performed early in the compilation procedure. On the other hand the final code generated for a processor with predicated execution requires a delicate balance between control flow and predication to achieve efficient execution. The appropriate balance is tightly coupled with scheduling decisions and detailed processor characteristics. This paper presents an effective compilation framework that allows the compiler to maximize the benefits of predication as a compiler representation while delaying the final balancing of control flow and predication to schedule time.
Efficient declustering techniques for temporal access structures

In this paper we address the problem of declustering temporal data and access structures for parallel architectures consisting of a single processor and multiple disks. To illustrate our techniques we choose the recently proposed Multi-Version Access Structure. We propose two new, efficient techniques called T-proximity and KT-proximity for assigning the data and index nodes of the multiversion access structure to multiple disks. The KT-proximity declustering technique considers both the key and temporal dimensions of the data in the nodes to achieve uniform load distribution and decrease the response time for key-range, time-range and combined range queries. The T-proximity technique considers only the temporal dimension.Extensive simulations of the T-proximity and KT-proximity techniques validate their efficiency. Our results demonstrate that this technique outperforms previous methods based on random, multi-level round-robin, the LoT scheme, and proximity based on time only. Finally, we emphasize that KT-proximity is a general technique applicable to any temporal access structure.
Isolation and characterization of a phospholipase A2 from an inflammatory exudate.

Sterile peritoneal exudates produced in rabbits injected with 1% glycogen contain a phospholipase A activity in a cell-free supernatant fraction that hydrolyzed a synthetic phospholipid (1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine) and phospholipids of autoclaved Escherichia coli. This phospholipase activity (phosphatidylacylhydrolase EC 3.1.1.4) exhibited an apparent bimodal pH optimum (pH 6.0 and pH 7.5) and was Ca2+-dependent; Mg2+ and monovalent cations (Na+ and K+) did not substitute for Ca2+ in the reaction; EDTA was a potent inhibitor. The phospholipase hydrolyzed 1-[1-14C]palmitoyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine to form only radio-active lysophosphatidylethanolamine as the product, indicating that the enzyme had phospholipase A2 specificity. The phospholipase A2 was purified 302-fold by two successive chromatographic steps on carboxymethyl Sephadex. Gel filtration (Sephadex G75) of the purified enzyme resulted in a single peak of biological activity with a molecular weight of approximately 14,800. The same estimate of molecular weight was obtained by SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which yielded a single band. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of this fraction at pH 4.3 revealed a single protein band migrating beyond lysozyme, with the dye front, suggesting that this protein was more basic than lysozyme (pI 10.5). The enzymatic and physical-chemical characteristics of this soluble enzyme were remarkably similar to a recently described phospholipase A(2) of rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes derived from glycogen-induced peritoneal exudates. The possible origin and physiological role of this soluble enzyme are discussed.
Microstructure of atomized Ni 3 Al-B powder

The microstructure of boron-doped Ni3Al powder has been characterized by optical and transmission electron microscopy. Remarkable variations in the solidification morphology and phase reaction were observed as a function of powder size. The degree of boron segregation appeared to be reduced significantly, as the formation of M23B6 boride was suppressed in powder below ∼30 μm diameter. The primary solidification phase was disordered γ–Ni, which underwent a solid-state ordering transition to produce fine γ′–Ni3Al antiphase domains. A bi-modal distribution of domain sizes was observed due to Al segregation. The solidification morphology was dendritic for particles above ∼20 μm, and it changed to cellular below. In powder less than 40 μm diameter, second-phase particles of β–NiAl were found in intergranular regions, likely due to a metastable eutectic reaction of L ⇉ γ + β. The β phase was suppressed only for powder sizes below ∼2 μm. Judging from the tendency of second-phase formation, the Ni3Al–B powder appeared to cool slower than arc-hammer foil and melt-spun ribbon.