cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CMR Imaging Assessing Viability in Patients With Chronic Ventricular Dysfunction Due to Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Trials

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assessing myocardial viability in patients with chronic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to coronary artery disease using 3 techniques: 1) end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT); 2) low-dose dobutamine (LDD); and 3) contrast delayed enhancement (DE). Background CMR has been proposed to assess myocardial viability over the past decade. However, the best CMR strategy to evaluate patients being contemplated for revascularization has not yet been determined. Some centers advocate DE CMR due to its high sensitivity to identify scar, whereas others favor the use of LDD CMR for its ability to identify contractile reserve. Methods A systematic review of MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Embase for all the prospective trials assessing myocardial viability in subjects with chronic LV dysfunction using CMR was performed using a standard approach for meta-analysis for diagnostic tests and a bivariate analysis of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). Results A total of 24 studies of CMR evaluating myocardial viability with 698 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies used DE, 9 studies used LDD, and 4 studies used EDWT. Our meta-analysis indicates that among CMR methods, DE CMR provides the highest sensitivity as well as the highest NPV (95% and 90%, respectively) for predicting improved segmental LV contractile function after revascularization, followed by EDWT CMR, whereas LDD CMR demonstrated the lowest sensitivity/NPV among all modalities. On the other hand, LDD CMR offered the highest specificity and PPV (91% and 93%, respectively), followed by DE CMR, whereas EDWT showed the lowest of these parameters. Conclusions DE CMR provides the highest sensitivity and NPV, whereas LDD CMR provides the best specificity and PPV. In light of these findings, integrating these 2 methods should provide increased accuracy in evaluating patients with chronic LV dysfunction being considered for revascularization.
SCOTUS Rules in Epic Systems: What It Means for Securities Arbitration

In a 5-4 decision split along ideological lines, the Supreme Court on May 21 held in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, No. 16-285, that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) permits employers to use arbitration clauses containing class action waivers, notwithstanding the National Labor Relations Act’s (“NLRA”) protections of workers’ rights to act collectively. Justice Neil Gorsuch authored the majority Opinion, joined by Justices Alito, Kennedy, and Thomas, and Chief Justice Roberts. The Court’s liberal wing dissented in a blistering Opinion authored by Justice Ginsburg, joined by Justices Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor. This article covers what the decision may mean for the securities industry.
Research in Cooperatives: Developing a Politically Conscious Research Methodology

ABSTRACTCooperatives are distinct from conventional businesses and the technical documents they produce challenge assumptions about documentation practices. To better understand these differences, ...
Abstract LB-322: Identification of a novel fusion protein SPTAN1-ABL1 in a child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Functional characterization and therapeutic implications

Precursor T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a genetically heterogenous hematologic malignancy resulting from accumulation of molecular lesions in a multistep process. Although survival rates have improved considerably, event free survival for patients with T-ALL are generally inferior compared to B-cell ALL. Genetic alterations are important determinants of responsiveness to therapy and serve as targets for molecularly tailored therapies. More than 75 chimeric fusion genes have been reported in T-ALL, the majority of which encode factors involved in transcriptional regulation, while only a smaller percentage codes for tyrosine kinases. We report a case of relapsed T-ALL, despite low risk stratification at the time of diagnosis, harboring a novel fusion protein SPTAN1-ABL1. Primary bone marrow specimen collected at diagnosis was transplanted in NSG-B2m mice and propagated as a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) line. For transcriptomic characterization, RNA isolated from primary and PDX samples was subjected to error-corrected targeted next-generation sequencing using ArcherDX FusionPlex HemeV2 kit. Bioinformatics analysis identified the novel SPTAN1-ABL1 gene fusion in which exon 2 of SPTAN1 was fused with exon 4 of ABL1. This fusion was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Translation of the fusion product sequence showed in-frame fusion leading to the generation of a chimeric protein containing N-terminal SPTAN1 and C-terminal ABL1 with intact kinase domain. SPTAN1 encodes non-erythryocytic-1-spectrin-alpha protein, an actin-binding protein, with N-terminal domain possessing oligomerization activity. Because oligomerization of ABL1 promotes its kinase activity, it is possible that SPTAN1-ABL1 possesses constitutive kinase activity. The full-length SPTAN1-ABL1 fusion protein was cloned in a mammalian expression vector and expressed in BaF3 cells. SPTAN1-ABL1 fusion was detected at similar allelic frequencies in primary and PDX samples indicating the concordance between the two. Furthermore, treatment of engrafted mice with dasatinib (Qd10, 5 mg/Kg, p.o.) significantly prolonged survival compared to untreated mice (n=5 each, P Citation Format: Anilkumar Gopalakrisnapillai, Erin Crowgey, Demetria Ruhl, Darcy Hamill, Nitin Mahajan, Todd Druley, E. Anders Kolb, Sonali P. Barwe. Identification of a novel fusion protein SPTAN1-ABL1 in a child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Functional characterization and therapeutic implications [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-322.
Medical simulation and the surgical resident: Creating synergies through focus on education and morbidity reduction in general laparoscopy

Minimally invasive surgery continues to grow in terms of overall case volumes and clinical applications, with ever-evolving operative indications. Despite obvious advantages, numerous implementation challenges and diverse complications associated with laparoscopy exist. The understanding of technical nuances, anesthesia-related considerations, and perioperative physiologic alterations is paramount to acquisition and maintenance of skills for minimally invasive surgery specialists. To effectively meet the increasing demand for laparoscopic procedures, it is important that surgeons are adequately trained in operative techniques, requisite cognitive skills, safety practices, and the management of associated complications. This task can be accomplished through medical simulation of appropriate scenarios which can emphasize education and prevention in a safe learning environment. This focused review outlines key complications of laparoscopy and how medical simulation can be of assistance in the residents' educational experience. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care, Practice-based learning and improvement, Systems-based practice.
Motion reduction for quantitative brain sodium MR imaging with a navigated flexible twisted projection imaging sequence at 9.4 T.

Abstract Quantitative measurement of the tissue sodium concentration (TSC) provides a metric for tissue cell volume fraction for monitoring tumor responses to therapy and neurodegeneration in the brain as well as applications outside the central nervous system such as the fixed charge density in cartilage. Despite the low detection sensitivity of the sodium MR signal compared to the proton signal and the requirement for a long repetition time to minimize longitudinal magnetization saturation, acquisition time has been reduced to less than 10 min for a nominal isotropic voxel size of 3.3 mm with the improved acquisition efficiency of twisted projection imaging (TPI) at 9.4 T. However, patient motion can degrade the accuracy of the quantification even within these acquisition times. Our goal has been to improve the robustness of quantitative sodium MR imaging by minimizing the impact of motion that may occur even in cooperative patients. We present a method to spatially encode a lower resolution navigator echo after encoding the free induction decay signal for the quantitative image at no time penalty. Both the imaging and navigator data are sampled with flexTPI readout trajectories. Navigator images are generated at a higher temporal resolution (∼1 min) albeit at lower spatial resolution (8 mm) than the quantitative high-resolution images. The multiple volumes of navigator echo images are then aligned to extract the translational and rotational motion parameters assuming rigid-body motion. These parameters are used to align the k-space data during the acquisition of each volume of the quantitative images. Our results show significantly reduced image blurring with this method when the subject's head moved randomly by up to 7° between the navigator acquisitions.
Anomalous Diffusion Through Membranes

Diffusive permeation through certain membranes has been reported to proceed anomalously faster toward increased surface concentrations. Such diffusion requires the existence of a fixed singular surface within the membrane where its diffusion coefficient becomes zero or infinite. Examples are provided. Part of this work appears in the Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions II, 1973, vol. 69, at page 330.
Research on Data Mining of Wind Disaster of Power Transmission Line Based on Clustering Analysis

This Paper conducts effective mining to wind vibration disaster data of power transmission line conductor by using the clustering analysis method. The main influential factors which cause different types of wind vibration disasters are analyzed. This paper laying a foundation for the subsequent correlation analysis and machine learning model. On the basis of K-Means method, the significant degrees of different influential factors on forecast of galloping, wind deviation and sub-span oscillation disaster are studied. The results show that: the span, conductor icing thickness and wind direction are main influential factors of conductor galloping; the included angle between wind and conductor and span are main influential factors of insulator wind vibration; the span, spacer span, and number of spacers are main influential factors of subspan oscillation.
Effects of clinic first educational interventions on resident wellness and engagement

Background and objectives Tensions between clinical and hospital training, along with dysfunctional family medicine training clinics, have resulted in continuity clinic being the least favorite part of training for some residents. These factors are all contributors to burnout. We hypothesized that following Clinic First action steps to prioritize and enhance outpatient clinic would positively affect resident wellness and clinic engagement. This study describes our interventions and their effects within the Oregon Health a Science University (OHSU) Family Medicine 4-year Portland residency program. Methods In July 2017 the Oregon Health a Science University Family Medicine Portland residency program implemented scheduling and curricular interventions inspired by the Clinic First model. We conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional study using focus groups and surveys to understand the effects of these interventions on resident wellness and engagement. Results Clinic First-inspired interventions, particularly a 2+2 scheduling model, decreased transitions within the day, and a clinic immersion month were associated with improved residents' perception of wellness. These interventions had variable effects on clinic engagement. Eighty-eight percent of interns surveyed about the month-long clinic orientation in the beginning of residency reported that they felt prepared managing continuity patients in the clinic setting and their upcoming rotations. Conclusions This study demonstrates that Clinic First-inspired structural changes can be associated with improvement in resident perceptions of wellness and aspects of clinic engagement. This can give educators a sense of hope as well as tangible steps to take to improve these difficult and important issues.
Eliminating the First Inactive State and Stabilizing the Active State of the Cardiac Regulatory System Alters Behavior in Solution and in Ordered Systems

Calcium binding to troponin C (TnC) is insufficient for full activation of myosin ATPase activity by actin-tropomyosin-troponin. Previous attempts to investigate full activation utilized ATP-free m...
Utility of Pupillary Light Reflex Metrics as a Physiologic Biomarker for Adolescent Sport-Related Concussion.

Importance Concussion diagnosis remains clinical, without objective diagnostic tests available for adolescents. Known deficits in visual accommodation and autonomic function after concussion make the pupillary light reflex (PLR) a promising target as an objective physiological biomarker for concussion. Objective To determine the potential utility of PLR metrics as physiological biomarkers for concussion. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective cohort of adolescent athletes between ages 12 and 18 years recruited between August 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018. The study took place at a specialty concussion program and private suburban high school and included healthy control individuals (n = 134) and athletes with a diagnosis of sport-related concussion (SRC) (n = 98). Analysis was completed June 30, 2020. Exposures Sports-related concussion and pupillometry assessments. Main Outcomes and Measures Pupillary light reflex metrics (maximum and minimum pupillary diameter, peak and average constriction/dilation velocity, percentage constriction, and time to 75% pupillary redilation [T75]). Results Pupillary light reflex metrics of 134 healthy control individuals and 98 athletes with concussion were obtained a median of 12.0 days following injury (interquartile range [IQR], 5.0-18.0 days). Eight of 9 metrics were significantly greater among athletes with concussion after Bonferroni correction (maximum pupil diameter: 4.83 mm vs 4.01 mm; difference, 0.82; 99.44% CI, 0.53-1.11; minimum pupil diameter: 2.96 mm vs 2.63 mm; difference, 0.33; 99.4% CI, 0.18-0.48; percentage constriction: 38.23% vs 33.66%; difference, 4.57; 99.4% CI, 2.60-6.55; average constriction velocity: 3.08 mm/s vs 2.50 mm/s; difference, 0.58; 99.4% CI, 0.36-0.81; peak constriction velocity: 4.88 mm/s vs 3.91 mm/s; difference, 0.97; 99.4% CI, 0.63-1.31; average dilation velocity, 1.32 mm/s vs 1.22 mm/s; difference, 0.10; 99.4% CI, 0.00-0.20; peak dilation velocity: 1.83 mm/s vs 1.64 mm/s; difference, 0.19; 99.4% CI, 0.07-0.32; and T75: 1.81 seconds vs 1.51 seconds; difference, 0.30; 0.10-0.51). In exploratory analyses, sex-based differences were observed, with girls with concussion exhibiting longer T75 (1.96 seconds vs 1.63 seconds; difference, 0.33; 99.4% CI, 0.02-0.65). Among healthy control individuals, diminished PLR metrics (eg, smaller maximum pupil size 3.81 mm vs 4.22 mm; difference, −0.41; 99.4% CI, −0.77 to 0.05) were observed after exercise. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that enhancement of PLR metrics characterize acute adolescent concussion, while exercise produced smaller pupil sizes and overall slowing of PLR metrics, presumably associated with fatigue. Quantifiable measures of the PLR may serve in the future as objective physiologic biomarkers for concussion in the adolescent athlete.
Significantly delayed polyglactin 910 suture-related pseudoinfection in a Yucatan pig

Polyglactin 910 is a synthetic braided, absorbable suture commonly used in surgery. Though polyglactin 910 suture-related pseudoinfection is well documented in the human literature, it has not been previously reported in the veterinary literature. A 3-year-old female, ovariectomized but otherwise experimentally naive Yucatan pig was evaluated for a several week history of bilateral multifocal abscesses in the area of the paralumbar fossa, which continued to worsen despite oral antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. The multi-focal abscesses continued to worsen and additional diagnostics were pursued including cytology, culture (aerobic, anaerobic and fungal), and bloodwork. All supported a non-infectious etiology. Biopsy results indicated a suture-related pseudoinfection. Despite treatment including parenteral antibiotics, pain medications and superficial surgical debridement, the dermatologic lesions worsened. Euthanasia was elected. Post-mortem necropsy demonstrated a suture-related pseudoinfection with extrusion of suture material from the ovarian pedicle ligatures through the body wall and skin leading to numerous sterile abscesses in the bilateral paralumbar fossa. This is the first published report of a significantly delayed polyglactin 910 suture-related pseudoinfection in a Yucatan pig. While likely an isolated incident, it supports further research into this area. Additionally for critical research studies using Yucatan pigs, pre-surgical assessment with hypersensitivity patch testing may be appropriate.
From Economic Recovery to Health Resilience.

Chokski discusses economic recovery to health resilience For decades, scholars have debated not whether the economy and public health are interlinked, but how Several recent studies indicate a strong and persistent correlation between lower incomes and excess mortality, though this link sometimes manifests over years or even generations As it has with so much else, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has compressed time in a way that reveals the interconnection between the economy and public health With the change in the federal administration, there is a renewed chance to challenge the false dichotomy of economic growth vs public health and adopt policies that advance both together
Partial shading by solar panels delays bloom, increases floral abundance during the late-season for pollinators in a dryland, agrivoltaic ecosystem

Habitat for pollinators is declining worldwide, threatening the health of both wild and agricultural ecosystems. Photovoltaic solar energy installation is booming, frequently near agricultural lands, where the land underneath ground-mounted photovoltaic panels is traditionally unused. Some solar developers and agriculturalists in the United States are filling the solar understory with habitat for pollinating insects in efforts to maximize land-use efficiency in agricultural lands. However, the impact of the solar panel canopy on the understory pollinator-plant community is unknown. Here we investigated the effects of solar arrays on plant composition, bloom timing and foraging behavior of pollinators from June to September (after peak bloom) in full shade plots and partial shade plots under solar panels as well as in full sun plots (controls) outside of the solar panels. We found that floral abundance increased and bloom timing was delayed in the partial shade plots, which has the potential to benefit late-season foragers in water-limited ecosystems. Pollinator abundance, diversity, and richness were similar in full sun and partial shade plots, both greater than in full shade. Pollinator-flower visitation rates did not differ among treatments at this scale. This demonstrates that pollinators will use habitat under solar arrays, despite variations in community structure across shade gradients. We anticipate that these findings will inform local farmers and solar developers who manage solar understories, as well as agriculture and pollinator health advocates as they seek land for pollinator habitat restoration in target areas.
Student and Faculty Diversity is Insufficient to Ensure High-Quality Medical Spanish Education in US Medical Schools.

Medical Spanish education aims to reduce linguistic barriers in healthcare and has historically been led by Hispanic/Latinx students and faculty, often without formal training or institutional support. We surveyed 158 US medical schools about their medical Spanish programs. We then examined national trends in Underrepresented in Medicine and Hispanic/Latinx faculty and students as factors associated with meeting medical Spanish basic standards for curricula, educators, assessment, and course credit. We received responses from 125 schools (79%), of which 98 (78%) reported offering some form of medical Spanish. Schools with greater racial/ethnic diversity were more likely to have medical Spanish required courses (P-values < 0.01) but not curricular electives. Overall, likelihood of meeting all basic standards did not differ by diversity characteristics. High-quality medical Spanish requires more than recruitment of diverse students and faculty. Institutions should prioritize meaningful inclusion by supporting evidence-based curricula and faculty educators.
FraudFox: Adaptable Fraud Detection in the Real World

The proposed method (FraudFox) provides solutions to adversarial attacks in a resource constrained environment. We focus on questions like the following:
Host phenology can drive the evolution of intermediate virulence strategies in some obligate-killer parasites

The traditional mechanistic trade-offs resulting in a negative correlation between transmission and virulence are the foundation of nearly all current theory on the evolution of parasite virulence. Several ecological factors have been shown to modulate the optimal virulence strategies predicted from mechanistic trade-off models, but these ecological factors have not yet been shown to be sufficient to explain the intermediate virulence strategies observed in any natural system. The timing of seasonal activity, or phenology, is a common factor that influences the types and impact of many ecological interactions but is difficult to incorporate into virulence evolution studies. We develop a mathematical model of a disease system with seasonal host activity to study the evolutionary consequences of host phenology on the virulence of obligate-killer parasite. Results from this model demonstrated that seasonal host activity is sufficient to drive the evolution of intermediate parasite virulence in some types of natural disease systems, even when a traditional mechanistic trade-off between transmission and virulence is not assumed in the modeling framework. The optimal virulence strategy in these systems can be determined by both the duration of the host activity period as well as the variation in the host emergence timing. Parasites with low virulence strategies are favored in environments with long host activity periods and in environments in which hosts emerge synchronously. The results demonstrate that host phenology can be sufficient to select for intermediate optimal virulence strategies, providing an alternative mechanism to account for virulence evolution in some natural systems.
Efficient transformations for Klee's measure problem in the streaming model

Given a stream of rectangles over a discrete space, we consider the problem of computing the total number of distinct points covered by the rectangles. This is the discrete version of the two-dimensional Klee's measure problem for streaming inputs. Given 0 < ? , ? < 1 , we provide ( ? , ? ) -approximations for bounded side length rectangles and for bounded aspect ratio rectangles. For the case of arbitrary rectangles, we provide an O ( log ? U ) -approximation, where U is the total number of discrete points in the two-dimensional space. The time to process each rectangle and the total required space are polylogarithmic in U. The time to answer a query for the total area is constant. We construct efficient transformation techniques that project rectangle areas to one-dimensional ranges and then use a streaming algorithm for the one-dimensional Klee's measure problem to obtain these approximations. The projections are deterministic, and to our knowledge, these are the first approaches of this kind that provide efficiency and accuracy trade-offs in the streaming model.
Dendritic Synchrony and Transient Dynamics in a Coupled Oscillator Model of the Dopaminergic Neuron

Transient increases in spontaneous firing rate of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons have been suggested to act as a reward prediction error signal. A mechanism previously proposed involves subthreshold calcium-dependent oscillations in all parts of the neuron. In that mechanism, the natural frequency of oscillation varies with diameter of cell processes, so there is a wide variation of natural frequencies on the cell, but strong voltage coupling enforces a single frequency of oscillation under resting conditions. In previous work, mathematical analysis of a simpler system of oscillators showed that the chain of oscillators could produce transient dynamics in which the frequency of the coupled system increased temporarily, as seen in a biophysical model of the dopaminergic neuron. The transient dynamics was shown to be consequence of a slow drift along an invariant subset of phase space, with rate of drift given by a Lyapunov function. In this paper, we show that the same mathematical structure exists for the full biophysical model, giving physiological meaning to the slow drift and the Lyapunov function, which is shown to describe differences in intracellular calcium concentration in different parts of the cell. The duration of transients was long, being comparable to the time constant of calcium disposition. These results indicate that brief changes in input to the dopaminergic neuron can produce long lasting firing rate transients whose form is determined by intrinsic cell properties.
The Triangle Condition for Contact Processes on Homogeneous Trees

We complete work of C. C. Wu, by showing that for contact processes on homogeneous trees with degree at least 3 the triangle condition is satisfied below the second critical point. In particular it holds at the first critical point and therefore at this critical point the contact process has mean-field critical exponents.
Navigation for Data Analysis Systems

Statistical strategies are formal descriptions of the actions and decisions involved in applying statistical tools to a problem. One difficult problem, beyond strategy design issues, is ensuring an effective interaction between the the user and the implementation of the strategy. In this paper we review some existing techniques that have been effective in mediating the interaction between users and expert statistical systems for data analysis. We explore the relationship between navigation and statistical decision-making and consider features common to both areas. Our analysis leads to the identification of navigation functions that we believe could improve almost any system for statistical data analysis.
Engineering an autonomic partitioning framework for Grid-based SAMR applications

Dynamic structured adaptive mesh refinement (SAMR) methods for the numerical solution to partial differential equations yield highly advantageous ratios for cost/accuracy when compared to methods based upon static uniform approximations. However, distributed Grid-based SAMR implementations present significant challenges. This chapter presents ARMaDA, an autonomic partitioning framework that provides adaptive, system and application sensitive partitioning, load balancing and configuration support to address these challenges. The overall goal of ARMaDA is to manage the dynamism and space-time heterogeneity of SAMR applications and Grid environments, and support the efficient and scalable execution of Grid-based SAMR implementations.
Status of varicella vaccine for healthy children.

Many readers of Pediatrics have undoubtedly wondered about the status of varicella vaccine with regard to licensure. After all, Takahashi and colleagues carried out the first clinical trials with live attenuated OKA strain vaccine in 1973, and since then, the vaccine has been studied extensively, with largely favorable results, in both healthy and leukemic children. In actuality, prelicensing studies were delayed because of the development of unacceptable reactions in leukemic children who received certain lots of vaccine. Rashes occurred more frequently than in earlier studies in which different lots of vaccine were used, and in four children moderately severe disease requiring hospitalization and treatment with acyclovir developed.
Dark Matter, LFV and Neutrino Magnetic Moment in the Radiative Seesaw Model with Triplet Fermion

In this paper we work in the framework of a radiative seesaw model with triplet fermion $\Sigma$. Due to the $Z_2$ discrete flavor symmetry, the lightest neutral component of $\Sigma$ is stable and thus can be a dark matter candidate. Its mass can be solely determined by the dark matter relic abundance, which is bout 2.594 TeV. The model also predict a dark matter-nucleus scattering cross section that would be accessible with future dark matter direct detection searches. We further investigate constraints on the parameter space of the model from the lepton-flavor-violating processes and neutrino transition magnetic moments, induced by the Yukawa interaction of the $\Sigma$ with the left-handed lepton doublets.
‹Former for flukt›: En lesning av Oddmund Hagens 90-tallsprosa

Mitt utgangspunkt her er Oddmund Hagens bok nr. 14, Flukt (2002) som har genrebestemmelsen novelle. Sitatet "berre i flukt finst det redning" er bokas innledende motto og uttrykker en gedigen pastand; innlysende sann pa ene siden (en overmakt ma man flykte fra for ikke a bli knust), pa andre siden hoyst diskutabel (noen ganger bor man ta kampen opp for ikke a bli drevet pa flukt for resten av livet). En flukt kan sikkert fore til redning, men ogsa til fortapelse. Uansett vil jeg anta at Oddmund Hagens bok kommer til a naerme seg fluktens vesen - eller dens uvesen - med en undersokende holdning, og illustrere dette vesen med ulike fluktsituasjoner enten de skyldes akutte ytre farer, trusler mot menneskeverd og verdighet, eller mer trivielt er manovrer for a slippe unna ansvar og forpliktelser.
Headphone localization of speech

Three-dimensional acoustic display systems have recently been developed that synthesize virtual sound sources over headphones based on filtering by head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), the direction-dependent spectral changes caused primarily by the pinnae. In this study, 11 inexperienced subjects judged the apparent spatial location of headphone-presented speech stimuli filtered with nonindividualized HRTFs. About half of the subjects 'pulled' their judgments toward either the median or the lateral-vertical planes, and estimates were almost always elevated. Individual differences were pronounced for the distance judgments; 15 to 46 percent of stimuli were heard inside the head, with the shortest estimates near the median plane. The results suggest that most listeners can obtain useful azimuth information from speech stimuli filtered by nonindividualized HRTFs. Measurements of localization error and reversal rates are comparable with a previous study that used broadband noise stimuli.
La matérialité décadente et l'économie: entre la fascination et la ruse

Decadent literature is characterized by numerous descriptions of material luxury, whether in decoration, clothing and trinkets. This treatment of materiality has generally been interpreted by critics as a literary refusal of the bourgeois world, which was seen to be obsessed with productive work. But the evolution of the bourgeoisie in the last decades of the 19 th century leads to new types of consumption precisely based on the useless and the unnecessary. It must then be understood that the literary representation of luxury is in part influenced by the behavior of the rising haute bourgeoisie of the time. Therefore, the decadent materialism could be seen not as a transgressive figure, but as a figure of disengagement, strongly influenced by the social codes of its time. However, in the most interesting literary texts, the representation of beautiful objects is problematized, marked by negativity, the gift and the play on the decorative status of the text. This representation sets up the terms of a real economic counter-discourse.
Psychomotor stimulant effects of the stereoisomers of chlorpheniramine.

The behavioral effects of the histamine H1 antagonistsd- andl-chlorpheniramine and of the H2 antagonist zolantidine were determined in squirrel monkeys responding under a fixed-interval (FI) 3-min schedule of stimulus-shock termination. Althoughd-chlorpheniramine is known to be much more potent thanl-chlorpheniramine for antagonizing H1 receptor-mediated effects of histamine or displacing [3H]-mepyramine from histamine H1 receptors, similar doses of racemic chlorpheniramine and thed- andl-isomers (3.0–10.0 mg/kg) produced comparable increases in rates of responding. Zolantidine (1.0–17.0 mg/kg) did not alter or, at the highest dose, markedly decreased responding. These findings suggest that the psychomotor stimulant effects of chlorpheniramine involve actions other than the blockade of histamine H1 or H2 receptors. Selected H1 antagonists and cocaine are known to have comparable rateincreasing, reinforcing, and discriminative stimulus effects and, recently, the enantiomers of chlorpheniramine have been shown to displace [3H]-cocaine from binding sites in CNS with approximately equal potency. Possibly, such actions mediate behavioral effects common to H1 antagonists and cocaine.
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy of Finite-Sized Particles

A theory is presented to study fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for particles with size comparable to the beam waist of the observation volume. Analytical correlation curves are derived for some experimentally interesting particle geometries. It is found that the finiteness of the particle generally decreases the value of the correlation amplitude and increases the correlation time compared to a point particle model. Furthermore, not only the size but also the distribution of fluorophores affects the shape of the correlation function. This is experimentally demonstrated with surface and internally labeled fluorescent spheres. In addition, experiments are performed on fluorescent spheres of different radii to validate the model by comparing the results to theoretical predictions.
Children's, teachers; and parents' perceptions of play

Children 2 through 6 years of age were interviewed, and their parents and preschool teachers completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of play. Most parents defined play as something for fun or amusement, while teachers saw it both as fun and as an opportunity for cognitive and social development. Parents and teachers alike said they promoted play by providing a variety of materials; parents also said they played with their children. The majority of teachers did not view play as an integral part of the curriculum, but instead described a learn-play dichotomy. Parents did not support having their children spend a large amount of time in play during preschool. Children's favorite play activities according to children and their parents and teachers were outdoor play, dramatic play, blocks, and art activities.
Dimensionless numbers for the analysis of air sparging aimed to reduce fouling in tubular membranes of a membrane bioreactor

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) combine conventional wastewater treatment and membrane filtration to create a system that uses very efficient, specialized microbes, produces a high quality effluent, and leaves small footprint. Fouling remains the major drawback of membrane processes, including MBR systems. Recently, one of the more frequent strategies employed to combat fouling and its consequent reduction in production is air sparging, in which injecting gas bubbles to the membrane generates high shear stress and scours cake layers from the membrane surface. This study mainly focused on permeate flux enhancement by air sparging. The results showed that air sparging over several weeks significantly increased permeate flux. In interpreting the findings, the dimensionless fouling and shear stress numbers are utilized. The fouling number is the ratio of the Peclet number for mass transfer and the Sherwood number. It was found that fouling resistance significantly decreased with air injection ratios between 0.4 and 0.5. This paper introduces a new approach: dividing the fouling number by the Reynolds number, which basically corresponds to the ratio of the Schmidt and Sherwood numbers. That dimensionless number, subsequently called the viscous fouling number shows qualitatively the same graph as the fouling number if viscosity remains constant. If viscosity changes during the filtration process, the fouling number and the viscous fouling number diverge from each other. Using the viscous fouling number instead of the fouling number may be especially useful for processes where fluctuations in viscosity are significant, as they are in MBR.
Carbon Nanotube Free-Standing Membrane of Pt/SWNTs as Catalyst Layer in Hydrogen Fuel Cells

A simple and promising fuel-cell architecture is demonstrated using a carbon nanotube free-standing membrane (CNTFSM) made from Pt supported on purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (Pt/SWNT), which act as the catalyst layer in a hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell without the need for Nafion in the catalyst layer. The CNTFSM made from Pt/SWNT at a loading of 0.082 mg Pt cm–2 exhibits higher performance with a peak power density of 0.675 W cm–2 in comparison with a commercially available E-TEK electrocatalyst made of Pt supported on XC-72 carbon black, which had a peak power density of 0.395 W cm–2 at a loading of 0.084 mg Pt cm–2 also without Nafion in the catalyst layer.
Analysis of locus heterogeneity in Waardenburg syndrome types 1 and 2 using highly informative microsatellite markers.

We performed linkage and locus heterogeneity analyses of Waardenburg syndrome (WS) types 1 and 2 using 9 DNA markers from 2q35-q37, including two highly polymorphic microsatellites very closely linked
Cusp mirror - Heat pipe evacuated tubular solar thermal collector

Abstract A solar thermal collector was constructed based on an internal 1.15X cusp concentrator, thermal insulation involving a vacuum and selective absorber, and thermal transfer to a manifold via heat-pipe action. Performance of the collector was compared with that of an evacuated, selectively coated, flat-plate absorber equipped with flow-through heat transfer. It was shown that with single collector tubes, mirror losses lowered the optical efficiency of the cusp, heat-pipe collector below that of the flat plate, while the smaller absorber area of the heat pipe reduced thermal losses at absorber temperatures above ambient. Thus, a crossover in efficiency occurred such that the flat plate was more efficient at low ΔT H while the cusp-heat pipe was more efficient at high ΔT H . Testing of modules showed that manifold losses and gains could dominate these collector effects when the collector area approximately equaled the manifold area.
Molecular epigenesis, molecular pleiotropy, and molecular gene definitions.

Recent work on gene concepts has been influenced by recognition of the extent to which RNA transcripts from a given DNA sequence yield different products in different cellular environments. These transcripts are altered in many ways and yield many products based, somehow, on the sequence of nucleotides in the DNA. I focus on alternative splicing of RNA transcripts (which often yields distinct proteins from the same raw transcript) and on 'gene sharing', in which a single gene produces distinct proteins with the exact same amino acid sequence. These are instances of molecular pleiotropy, in which distinct molecules are derived from a single putative gene. In such cases the cellular and external environments play major roles in determining which protein is produced. Where there is molecular pleiotropy, alternative gene concepts are naturally deployed; molecular epigenesis (revision of sequence-based information by altering molecular conformations or by action of non- informational molecules) plays a major role in orderly development. These results show that gene concepts in molecular biology do, and should, have both structural and functional components. They also show the need for a plurality of gene concepts and reveal fundamental difficulties in stabilizing gene concepts solely by reference to nucleotide sequence.
Hormone therapy and antioxidant vitamins do not improve endothelial vasodilator function in postmenopausal women with established coronary artery disease: a substudy of the Women's Angiographic Vitamin and Estrogen (WAVE) trial

Abstract We measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD) by high-resolution brachial ultrasound in 61 women who participated in the Women's Angiographic Vitamin and Estrogen (WAVE) trial, a randomized controlled trial. There were no significant differences in the baseline demographics of women receiving hormone therapy (0.625mg/day of conjugated equine estrogen plus 2.5mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate for women who had not had a hysterectomy) or placebo; or vitamins (400 IU of Vitamin E and 500mg of Vitamin C twice daily) or placebo. Baseline FMD was impaired in all subjects (3.3±7.6%). Neither hormone therapy (4.1±5.2% at baseline, 4.2±5.0% at 3 months, and 4.1±6.5% at 34 months) nor antioxidant vitamins (3.0±8.3% at baseline; 3.5±4.6% at 3 months; 3.1±7.6% at 34 months) improved FMD (all p -values=NS). Endothelium-independent vasodilation, induced by nitroglycerin (NTG) was similar at baseline and was not affected by either therapy. In univariate and multivariate analysis, neither hormone therapy nor antioxidant vitamins were associated with FMD. Women with established coronary artery disease have impaired flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery that does not improve after 3 months or up to 34 months of treatment with postmenopausal hormone therapy or antioxidant vitamins.
A novel action of the newly described prolactin-releasing peptides: cardiovascular regulation.

Abstract The physiological relevance of the recently described prolactin-releasing peptides (PrRPs) has yet to be established. Here, we demonstrate the low potency of the PrRPs (minimum effective dose: 100 nM), compared to that observed for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, minimum effective dose: 1.0 nM), to stimulate prolactin (PRL) release from cultured pituitary cells harvested from lactating female rats. Anatomic studies question the role of these peptides in neuroendocrine control of lactotroph function. Instead, peptide and peptide receptor mapping studies suggest potential actions in hypothalamus and brainstem unrelated to the control of anterior pituitary hormone secretion. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of both PrRP-20 and PrRP-31 (0.4 and 4.0 nmol) resulted in significantly increased mean arterial blood pressure in conscious, unrestrained rats [peak elevations vs. baseline: PrRP-20, 10% and 16%, low and high dose peptide; PrRP-31, 7% and 10%; compared to the response to 0.1 nmol angiotensin II (A II), 15–17%]. Similar doses of peptide did not significantly alter water drinking in response to overnight fluid deprivation, or thirst or salt appetite in response to an isotonic hypovolemic challenge. Thus, the effect on blood pressure appeared relatively specific. We suggest that these peptides, identified originally as ligands for a receptor found in abundance in pituitary gland, play a broader role in brain function and that the ability of them to stimulate PRL release may not represent their primary biologic function.
Effects of perceived parental school support and family communication on delinquent behaviors in latinos and white non-latinos

The authors examined the roles of perceived parental school support and family communication in the context of delinquent behaviors in Mexican American and White non-Latino adolescents. Family communication was defined as the degree to which adolescents endorsed that they communicated with their parents about a variety of topics. The Parental School Support scale was administered to assess adolescents' perceptions of parental support for academic pursuits. Data analysis included the relationship between these variables and their predictive relationship to delinquency, and the relationship to gender and ethnicity. Results demonstrated that adolescents' perceptions of family communication and parental school support were related to the likelihood of committing delinquent acts. There were no significant differences in gender or ethnicity in perceived levels of family communication and parental school support.
Groups Work for Women: Gender and Group Identity in Social Dilemmas

Behavior in social-dilemma (mixed-motive) situations has been of great interest to economists, psychologists, and negotiation scholars. In this study, we used a threshold social-dilemma game to examine factors that have not yet been investigated and that may have an impact on behavior in these settings: gender and group identity. We found that, for women, interacting with members of a naturally occurring group increased coordination and efficiency, while for men, interacting with members of a naturally occurring group decreased coordination and efficiency. Psychological literature on gender differences and group interdependence explains these differences. We conclude by discussing the implications of these results for gender differences in negotiation behavior.
DETECTION OF IMPURITY TUNNELING IN SOLIDS VIA COHERENT PHONON COUPLING AND DIRECT NEUTRON SCATTERING

A theoretical treatment is given of the observation of molecular tunneling in solids by the coherent interaction of the tunnel-split excitations with acoustic phonons and by direct neutron inelastic scattering. Results are applied to the case of rotation tunneling of CN- dumbbells in KBr and KB1 and to the motion of H atoms in two-well traps associated with oxygen impurities in niobium. Comparison is made with experiment.
Glycerolipid biosynthesis in rat adipose tissue: VIII. Effect of obesity and cell size on [14C]acetate incorporation into lipids.

[14C]Acetate incorporation into different lipid fractions was measured as a function of adipocyte size by using the larger and smaller adipocytes derived from Sprague-Dawley rats. In both the larger and smaller adipocytes, [14C]acetate was incorporated into phospholipid, diacylglycerol, free fatty acid and triacylglycerol fractions. Although the rates of lipid formation were significantly higher in the larger adipocytes compared to the smaller ones, the proportions of the various lipids formed from [14C]acetate did not change significantly as a function of cell size. In some experiments, isolated adipocytes derived from obese Zucker rats were fractionated further to isolate an adipocyte preparation which was similar in size to those obtained from lean animals. The matching adipocytes derived from lean and obese animals did not differ significantly with respect to lipid formation from [14C]-acetate. These studies suggest that the larger adipocytes are more active in lipogenesis from [14C]-acetate than the smaller ones and that the increased capacity of lipogenesis in obese adipose tissue noted proviously (Biochem. J., 170, 153–160, 1978) is not an intrinsic property of all the obese adipocytes, but is limited mainly to the larger adipocytes.
Redistributing Work in Aging Europe

As Europe ages, the proportion of people who work will decline unless older individuals remain in the labor force. Such reform could be part of a more general redistribution of work. If a greater share of the population worked, then the average number of hours worked per week could be reduced. This could particularly help younger people and increase Europe's low birth rates. The challenges facing Germany, Europe's most populous country, are highlighted, but statistics are also given for five other European countries and, for comparison, the United States. Social science research is needed to provide policy-relevant knowledge about life-course options.