cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protocol endomyocardial biopsy beyond 6 months-It is time to move on.

The optimal duration and frequency of routine surveillance endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) have been questioned in the current era of heart transplantation (HT), where the advances in immunosuppression and donor selection strategies have led to a decline in acute allograft rejection. We investigated the utility of routine EMB beyond 6 months post-HT. A single-center retrospective review was performed on 2963 EMBs from 220 HT recipients over 10 years. Each EMB was categorized into protocol or symptom-triggered biopsy and reviewed for rejection. Heart transplant recipients with ≥2 known risk factors for rejection were designated as an elevated risk group. The majority of rejections occurred within 3 months following HT. The yield of routine protocol EMBs was significantly lower than symptom-triggered EMBs, not only during the first 6 months post-HT (1.6% vs. 33.3%, P < .0001), but more so during the 6-12 months (0.1% vs 83.0%, P < .0001). A similar pattern was observed in heart transplant recipients at both elevated and standard risk for rejection. In conclusion, EMB was found to be a low-yield screening modality for rejection beyond 6 months post-HT.
Large exciton diffusion coefficients in two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks with different domain sizes revealed by ultrafast exciton dynamics

Large singlet exciton diffusion lengths are a hallmark of high performance in organic-based devices such as photovoltaics, chemical sensors, and photodetectors. In this study, exciton dynamics of a two-dimensional covalent organic framework, 2D COF-5, is investigated using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques. After photoexcitation, the COF-5 exciton decays via three pathways: (1) excimer formation (4 ± 2 ps), (2) excimer relaxation (160 ± 40 ps), and (3) excimer decay (>3 ns). Excitation fluence-dependent transient absorption studies suggest that COF-5 has a relatively large diffusion coefficient (0.08 cm2/s). Furthermore, exciton-exciton annihilation processes are characterized as a function of COF-5 crystallite domain size in four different samples, which reveal domain-size-dependent exciton diffusion kinetics. These results reveal that exciton diffusion in COF-5 is constrained by its crystalline domain size. These insights indicate the outstanding promise of delocalized excitonic processes available in 2D COFs, which motivate their continued design and implementation into optoelectronic devices.
Infusion Therapies for Parkinson's Disease.

Advanced Parkinson’s disease (APD) is marked by significant motor and non-motor complications affecting the patient’s quality of life. Optimization of standard oral therapies (SOT) at some point fails to provide adequate relief. Among the available device-aided therapies, infusion therapies (IT) work on the rationale that continuous striatal dopaminergic stimulation can significantly reduce the motor fluctuations and smoothen the treatment response. This review serves to familiarize readers with available IT for APD with a focus on motor and non-motor effects, and safety. Several recent longitudinal studies have demonstrated a reduction in OFF and an equivalent increase in ON time with the use of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion (LCIG). Additionally, the benefit is noted on dyskinesia and non-motor symptoms. Similarly, backed by long-term clinical experience and open-label studies, a recent double-blind trial validates the efficacy of continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (CSAI). Both IT are accompanied by a high rate of mild to moderate adverse events (AE) that can influence patient selection and clinical utility. While device and procedure-related AE are common for LCIG, infusion site reactions dominate the CSAI AE. IT are a viable and superior alternative for APD over SOT. Both therapies provide meaningful improvement of the motor fluctuations with a positive impact on the quality of life.
Every Student Succeeds (Except for Black Males) Act

In PreK–12 schools throughout the United States, Black male students are the most under-served and punished population. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) misleads Black male advocates and stake...
Audience as Journalistic Boundary Worker: The Rhetorical Use of Comments to Critique Media Practice, Assert Legitimacy and Claim Authority

Through a textual analysis of online comments in response to live broadcast from the San Bernardino shooters’ apartment, we explore the rhetorical strategies the audience used to legitimate its par...
Natural Intertidal Oyster Reef Growth Across Two Landscape Settings and Tidal Ranges

Intertidal oyster reefs are typically restored to offset the loss of reef-associated ecosystem services (e.g., improved water quality, shoreline stabilization, and fish habitat), but the scale of enhanced services is predicated on the health and growth of the restored reef. Previous work on young (<15 years) restored reefs showed the highest growth rates along the sides of reefs where they are aerially exposed 20–40% of the time, but much is still unknown about how those positions in the tidal frame change with landscape setting, tidal range, and reef maturity. This study compared the area of maximum growth among 12 natural intertidal reefs in coastal North Carolina that range between 1395 and 62 years old. The reefs include fringing and patch landscape settings in each of two estuaries with tidal ranges of 0.94 m and 1.51 m. Peak growth rates were similar among landscape and tidal settings and were faster than the rate of sea-level rise (SLR) indicating intertidal reef resilience to accelerating SLR. Flow baffling associated with fringing reefs and higher summer air temperatures in the southern estuary likely contributed to a lower position of the optimal growth zone, where growth rates are highest, in the tidal frame. Intertidal reef growth manifests differently across the range of aerial exposures at varying stages of maturity. Once reefs reached ~50 years old, the elevation of the reef crests equilibrated to ~60–70% aerial exposure and peak growth rates stabilized between 2 and 4 cm year−1 at ~50% aerial exposure. These results are a useful guide for identifying areas and cultch configurations that optimize reef growth rates, enhancing the probability for self-sustaining restored reefs.
Is GILTI Constitutional

In this article, Avi-Yonah argues that the global intangible low-taxed income regime may be an unconstitutional attempt to tax the foreign-source income of foreign entities, and he offers an alternative.
Martial culture, silver screen: war movies and the construction of American identity

Martial Culture, Silver Screen explores how war films inform American national identity. Editors Matthew Hulbert and Matthew Stanley conceive of the war film as an ‘identity-forging apparatus’ that...
Price Reference Effects and Vertical Contracts in the Book Retail Market

In many settings, behavioral economists have documented a price reference effect: the fact that a consumer's willingness to pay for a good is affected by difference between the observed price and the reference price they rationally expect. In this paper, we show that such preferences interact with vertical contracting in a way that can overturn standard textbook intuition. In particular, we show that if this price reference effect is sufficiently large, vertical integration between an upstream producer and a downstream retailer can decrease joint profits, unlike in the textbook case where vertical integration improves profits. The key intuition is that the increase in quantity is smaller when consumers expect lower prices in the new equilibrium. To test whether this force is large in a real-world setting, we develop a model of a downstream retailer who faces behavioral consumers and bargains with an upstream producer. We estimate this model using a novel dataset from a large online book retailer, where we observed retail prices, quantities sold and wholesale prices. Counterfactual simulations show that vertical integration would reduce joint profits by 11%. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating consumer expectations in the analysis of optimal pricing and firm profits.
Information geometry and holographic correlators

We explore perturbative corrections to quantum information geometry. In particular, we study a Bures information metric naturally associated with the correlation functions of a conformal field theory. We compute the metric of holographic four-point functions and include corrections generated by tree Witten diagrams in the bulk. In this setting, we translate properties of correlators into the language of information geometry. Cross terms in the information metric encode non-identity operators in the OPE. We find that the information metric is asymptotically AdS. Finally, we discuss an information metric for transition amplitudes.
Neuronal Subtype and Satellite Cell Tropism Are Determinants of Varicella-Zoster Virus Virulence in Human Dorsal Root Ganglia Xenografts In Vivo

Varicella zoster virus (VZV), a human alphaherpesvirus, causes varicella during primary infection. VZV reactivation from neuronal latency may cause herpes zoster, post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) and other neurologic syndromes. To investigate VZV neuropathogenesis, we developed a model using human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) xenografts in immunodeficient (SCID) mice. The SCID DRG model provides an opportunity to examine characteristics of VZV infection that occur in the context of the specialized architecture of DRG, in which nerve cell bodies are ensheathed by satellite glial cells (SGC) which support neuronal homeostasis. We hypothesized that VZV exhibits neuron-subtype specific tropism and that VZV tropism for SGC contributes to VZV-related ganglionopathy. Based on quantitative analyses of viral and cell protein expression in DRG tissue sections, we demonstrated that, whereas DRG neurons had an immature neuronal phenotype prior to implantation, subtype heterogeneity was observed within 20 weeks and SGC retained the capacity to maintain neuronal homeostasis longterm. Profiling VZV protein expression in DRG neurons showed that VZV enters peripherin+ nociceptive and RT97+ mechanoreceptive neurons by both axonal transport and contiguous spread from SGC, but replication in RT97+ neurons is blocked. Restriction occurs even when the SGC surrounding the neuronal cell body were infected and after entry and ORF61 expression, but before IE62 or IE63 protein expression. Notably, although contiguous VZV spread with loss of SGC support would be predicted to affect survival of both nociceptive and mechanoreceptive neurons, RT97+ neurons showed selective loss relative to peripherin+ neurons at later times in DRG infection. Profiling cell factors that were upregulated in VZV-infected DRG indicated that VZV infection induced marked pro-inflammatory responses, as well as proteins of the interferon pathway and neuroprotective responses. These neuropathologic changes observed in sensory ganglia infected with VZV may help to explain the neurologic sequelae often associated with zoster and PHN.
Scalar Quantization I: Structure and Performance

Quantization is the heart of analog-to-digital conversion. In its simplest form, a quantizer observes a single number and selects the nearest approximating value from a predetermined finite set of allowed numerical values. Ordinarily the input value is analog; that is, it may take on any value from a continuous range of possible amplitudes; furthermore, the output is digital, being uniquely specified by an integer in the set {1, 2, 3, • • •, NN, where N is the size of the set of output values. As a simple example, consider a digital thermometer that can measure temperature in degrees Centigrade and for temperatures in the range of —.49 to 99.49 it can display the value rounded to the nearest integer. Clearly, the input value is analog and the output, a two digit number from a set of size 100, is digital.
Mean, Searls' Estimators of

Some extensions of Searls' estimator of population mean are discussed. Keywords: mean squared error; population mean
Anti-Chinese Sentiment in Latin America: An Analysis of Online Discourse

After a decade long surge in Sino-Latin American trade, the bilateral relationship has gained political and cultural complexity. Recent public opinion polls depict a mildly positive opinion of China in Latin America. Nonetheless, these polls are not well suited to unveiling the framing of anti-Chinese attitudes that are present among the Latin American public. This research draws on Facebook users’ comments on news articles about China found in eight major newspapers from Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. Our main goal is to gain insights into the concepts that structure negative views on China and to reconstruct narratives of anti-Chinese sentiment in Latin America today. Opinions triggered by news about China reveal that “China’s rise” has generated anxieties due mainly to the perceived threats posed by environmental impacts, outward migration, and the demand for natural resources. In addition, these opinions elicit concern over Latin America’s own development.
Cellular dysfunction in the diabetic fibroblast: impairment in migration, vascular endothelial growth factor production, and response to hypoxia

Although it is known that systemic diseases such as diabetes result in impaired wound healing, the mechanism for this impairment is not understood. Because fibroblasts are essential for wound repair, we compared the in vitro behavior of fibroblasts cultured from diabetic, leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice with wild-type fibroblasts from mice of the same genetic background in processes important during tissue repair. Adult diabetic mouse fibroblast migration exhibited a 75% reduction in migration compared to normal fibroblasts (P < 0.001) and was not significantly stimulated by hypoxia (1% O2), whereas wild-type fibroblast migration was up-regulated nearly twofold in hypoxic conditions (P < 0.05). Diabetic fibroblasts produced twice the amount of pro-matrix metalloproteinase-9 as normal fibroblasts, as measured by both gelatin zymography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (P < 0.05). Adult diabetic fibroblasts exhibited a sevenfold impairment in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production (4.5 ± 1.3 pg/ml versus 34.8 ± 3.3 pg/ml, P < 0.001) compared to wild-type fibroblasts. Moreover, wild-type fibroblast production of VEGF increased threefold in response to hypoxia, whereas diabetic fibroblast production of VEGF was not up-regulated in hypoxic conditions (P < 0.001). To address the question whether these differences resulted from chronic hyperglycemia or absence of the leptin receptor, fibroblasts were harvested from newborn db/db mice before the onset of diabetes (4 to 5 weeks old). These fibroblasts showed no impairments in VEGF production under basal or hypoxic conditions, confirming that the results from db/db fibroblasts in mature mice resulted from the diabetic state and were not because of alterations in the leptin-leptin receptor axis. Markers of cellular viability including proliferation and senescence were not significantly different between diabetic and wild-type fibroblasts. We conclude that, in vitro, diabetic fibroblasts show selective impairments in discrete cellular processes critical for tissue repair including cellular migration, VEGF production, and the response to hypoxia. The VEGF abnormalities developed concurrently with the onset of hyperglycemia and were not seen in normoglycemic, leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice. These observations support a role for fibroblast dysfunction in the impaired wound healing observed in human diabetics, and also suggest a mechanism for the poor clinical outcomes that occur after ischemic injury in diabetic patients.
Conclusions and Future Use of Fecal Indicator Bacteria for Monitoring Water Quality and Protecting Human Health

This chapter focuses on the future use of fecal indicator bacteria for monitoring water quality and protecting human health. The mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract is dominated by microorganisms from the following phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Verrumicrobia, and Fusobacteria, in a host-specific manner. The fecal indicator bacteria in the water column physically adsorb and desorb from particles and eventually make their way into soils, sediments, and sand. The negative impact of these pathogens on human health is likely to worsen in the future as many bacteria have been shown to have resistance to multiple antibiotics. Future applications of array-based technology to water quality monitoring will likely become more routine in the future and may soon obviate the use of fecal indicator bacteria as surrogates for pathogens. Deterministic modeling of fecal indicator bacteria in surface waters also needs more research, particularly on pathogen-particle interactions, bacterial inactivation and regrowth, and model validation. More research is also needed to better understand bacterial flux and patterns for modeling water quality at beaches and waterways impacted by nonpoint sources of bacteria. As the access to clean water is fundamental around the world, it is important to have suitable techniques for rapid and accurate detection and quantification of fecal indicator bacteria to protect water quality for drinking, recreational use, and food production.
Central Role of Thrombospondin-1 in the Activation and Clonal Expansion of Inflammatory T Cells

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP) is a transiently expressed matricellular protein known to promote chemotaxis of leukocytes to inflammatory sites. However, TSP and its receptor CD36 are abundantly expressed in chronically inflamed tissues such as the rheumatoid synovium. Here, we show that TSP provides the costimulatory signal that is necessary for the activation of autoreactive T cells. Data presented reveal that TSP-mediated costimulation is achieved through its independent interaction with CD36 on APCs and with CD47 on T cells. We propose that a CD47-TSP-CD36 trimolecular complex is a novel costimulatory pathway that significantly decreases the threshold of T cell activation. Consistent with the paradigm that lesions in rheumatoid synovitis are sites of antigenic recognition, the characteristic focal expression of TSP on APCs such as macrophages and fibroblast-like synoviocytes suggest a central role of TSP in the expansion of tissue-infiltrating T cells.
Nonlinear left-handed transmission line metamaterials

Metamaterials, exhibiting simultaneously negative permittivity e and permeability μ, more commonly referred to as left-handed metamaterials (LHMs) and also known as negative-index materials, have received substantial attention in the scientific and engineering communities [1]. Most studies of LHMs (and electromagnetic metamaterials in general) have been in the linear regime of wave propagation and have already inspired new types of microwave circuits and devices. The results of these studies have already been the subject of numerous reviews and books.This review covers a less explored but rapidly developing area of investigation involving media that combine nonlinearity (dependence of the permittivity and permeability on the magnitude of the propagating field) with the anomalous dispersion exhibited by LHM. The nonlinear phenomena in such media will be considered on the example of a model system: the nonlinear left-handed transmission line. These nonlinear phenomena include parametric generation and amplification, harmonic and subharmonic generation as well as modulational instabilities and envelope solitons.
A Single Valued Time to Pulse Height System Using Tunnel Diodes

Several aspects of interest in a new delayed coincidence apparatus are described. A tunnel diode time to pulse height converter has been built having an inherently single-valued response, rather than the usual double-valued one. The circuit built has an inherent time resolution (full width at half maximum) of 40 psec. The method used to obtain an accurate time calibration and detect small non-linearities in the system response is discussed. A pile-up detector, consisting of a univibrator, an integrator, and a biased diode discriminator is also discussed. Using Naton 136 plastic scintillators, RCA 7850 photomultipliers, zero-crossing triggers and pulse height compensation, Co60 resolution curves having a f.w.h.m. of 250 psec and covering more than four decades are obtained.
Chemigation Pipeline Transport Model for Nonsoluble Pesticide II. Numerical and Field Validation

A computer model describing the injection and transport of a nonsoluble pesticide in a linear move irrigation lateral is developed and validated. Inputs to the model are both intensive and extensive properties of irrigation water and pesticide, and the model outputs chemical concentration in water for each sprinkler along the linear move irrigation lateral. Numerical studies are performed that compare Eulerian and Lagrangian methods and provide the transition between the two methods. The transport model and a model for evaluating drop diameter are used to calculate sprinkler discharge concentration as a function of distance along the pipeline, and the model is compared with field data for a single port injector. The model is also evaluated for multiorifice and multiport injection systems. A technique for optimizing placement of injectors for the multiport system is described and evaluated.
The center of the generic division ring and twisted multiplicative group actions

Abstract Let F be a field and let p be a prime. The problem we study is whether the center, Cp, of the division ring of p×p generic matrices is stably rational over F. Given a finite group G and a Z G -lattice, we let F(M) be the quotient field of the group algebra of the abelian group M. Procesi and Formanek [Linear Multilinear Algebra 7 (1979) 203–212] have shown that for all n there is a Z S n -lattice, Gn, such that Cn is stably isomorphic to the fixed field under the action of Sn of F(Gn). Let H be a p-Sylow subgroup of Sp. Let A be the root lattice, and let L=F( Z S p /H) . We show that there exists an action of Sp on L( Z S P ⊗ Z H A) , twisted by an element α∈ Ext 1 S p ( Z S p ⊗ Z H A,L ∗ ) , such that L α ( Z S p ⊗ Z H A) S p is stably isomorphic to Cp. The extension α corresponds to an element of the relative Brauer group of L over LH. Since Z S p ⊗ Z H A and Z S p /H are quasi-permutations, L( Z S p ⊗ Z H A) S p is stably rational over F. However, it is not known whether L α ( Z S p ⊗ Z H A) S p is stably rational over F. Thus the result represents a reduction on the problem since Z S p ⊗ Z H A is quasi-permutation; however, the twist introduces a new level of complexity.
Simple sequence repeats provide a substrate for phenotypic variation in the Neurospora crassa circadian clock.

Background WHITE COLLAR-1 (WC-1) mediates interactions between the circadian clock and the environment by acting as both a core clock component and as a blue light photoreceptor in Neurospora crassa. Loss of the amino-terminal polyglutamine (NpolyQ) domain in WC-1 results in an arrhythmic circadian clock; this data is consistent with this simple sequence repeat (SSR) being essential for clock function. Methodology/Principal Findings Since SSRs are often polymorphic in length across natural populations, we reasoned that investigating natural variation of the WC-1 NpolyQ may provide insight into its role in the circadian clock. We observed significant phenotypic variation in the period, phase and temperature compensation of circadian regulated asexual conidiation across 143 N. crassa accessions. In addition to the NpolyQ, we identified two other simple sequence repeats in WC-1. The sizes of all three WC-1 SSRs correlated with polymorphisms in other clock genes, latitude and circadian period length. Furthermore, in a cross between two N. crassa accessions, the WC-1 NpolyQ co-segregated with period length. Conclusions/Significance Natural variation of the WC-1 NpolyQ suggests a mechanism by which period length can be varied and selected for by the local environment that does not deleteriously affect WC-1 activity. Understanding natural variation in the N. crassa circadian clock will facilitate an understanding of how fungi exploit their environments.
National Institutes of Health grant awards for pain, nausea, and dyspnea research: an assessment of funding patterns in 2003.

Abstract We introduce an interactive database that permits description and exploration of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding patterns for research on pain, nausea, and dyspnea. The database encompasses both basic science and clinical research. This article describes how we created the database, including the procedures we developed for reviewing and classifying research grants. In addition, it reports NIH grants and funding activity for the year 2003, with a breakdown of funding activity by Institute and funding comparisons across Institutes. It also describes a first attempt to identify clinically significant but underfunded research domains. In 2003, the NIH funded 1148 grants having relevance to the domain of pain, representing 2.5% of the total NIH research budget. Of those, 581 grants, or about 1% of the NIH budget, had a primary focus on pain. Of the diseases and conditions addressed by the current implementation, musculoskeletal conditions were the best represented with 105 grants, whereas cardiac conditions had the fewest number of grants with 7. The NIH funded 43 grants for dyspnea research and a scant 29 grants for nausea studies. We discuss the current limitations of the database and our plans for further development. Perspective The interactive database and classification system for pain, nausea, and dyspnea research funded by the NIH reported on in this article represents an objective and verifiable resource for health policy makers and others interested in NIH funding decisions. The high inter-rater reliability achieved attests to the objectivity of the classification method. Initial analyses demonstrate that these data can usefully track funding patterns by NIH institutes and reveal underfunded areas of research.
Angiosarcoma of kidney

We describe a forty-six-year-old man who died of disseminated angiosarcoma ten months after a radical nephrectomy and postoperative radiation therapy for a renal angiosarcoma. We found 3 other well-documented reports of renal angiosarcoma, all in men. Two of the 3 cases previously reported also had a rapidly fatal course with hematogenous spread of the neoplasm following nephrectomy. Angiosarcoma of the kidney, although rare, is apparently a highly malignant fatal neoplasm, and effective therapy remains unknown.
Intermittent, ambulatory dobutamine infusions in patients with severe congestive heart failure.

Abstract Thirteen ambulatory patients with severe congestive heart failure were treated with weekly outpatient 48-hour infusions of dobutamine. All 13 patients had at least a 25% increase in cardiac output during initial dobutamine titration, with a corresponding improvement in systemic vascular resistance. Improvement in functional class was achieved in only seven patients. Additionally, only three patients survived the 26-week study period. Although no change in ventricular ectopy was noted during the initial dobutamine infusions, six patients experienced sudden death; three other patients died of progressive heart failure and one died from pulmonary embolism. These data suggest that chronic intermittent ambulatory dobutamine infusions are only partly successful in improving symptoms and probably do not prolong survival in patients with severe congestive heart failure. Administration of this form of therapy on a clinical basis should be undertaken cautiously until safety and efficacy are demonstrated in prospective, controlled trials.
Combining active appearance and deformable superquadric models for LV segmentation in cardiac MRI

In this work we automatically segment the left ventricle (LV) in cardiac MR images in the end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) phases using a novel approach that combines statistical and deterministic deformable models. A 3D Active Appearance Model (AAM) is used to segment the ED phase. The AAM texture model is trained on radial samples from gradient magnitude images to make the fitting process faster and more discriminative. A trained ED-to-ES shape correspondence model is used to map a given ED shape to an ES shape. Once the AAM model converges to a shape in ED, the correspondence model is used to get an approximate ES shape. We segment the LV in the ES phase by first fitting a deformable superquadric to the AAM converged shape (in ED) using data range forces and then tracking the LV using image and data range forces (for the ES shape obtained from correspondence model). We test our approach by performing leave-one-out training on a 35 patient datasets. The data comprises 19 normal patients and 16 patients having heart abnormalities (cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction). The composition makes it a challenging data collection with significant shape variation. The performance of our method is evaluated by measuring the mismatch between automatically segmented and expert delineated contours using the Mean Perpendicular Distance (MPD) and Dice metrics. The average MPD is 2.6mm for ED and 3.7mm for ES (error mostly towards the apex and base). The average Dice is 0.9 for ED and 0.8 for ES. These results show good potential for clinical use.
Macromolecules, steroid binding and testosterone secretion by rabbit testes.

THE formation of testosterone by the testis has been studied extensively and the general characteristics of the process have been described1. But the mechanism by which testosterone escapes from the steroidogenic cell and then from the testis is largely unknown2. Eik-Nes3 speculated that testosterone secretion could be explained by the presence of plasma constituents which bind the hormone. These plasma constituents might include erythrocytes, albumin and sex-hormone-binding globulin which have association constants for testosterone of 1×103 (ref. 4), 3×104 (ref. 5) and 1×109 (ref. 6), respectively. On the basis of this information, we hypothesised that testosterone secretion is dependent on diffusion from the steroidogenic cell into the blood and that this diffusion is enhanced by the presence of steroid-binding macromolecules in the blood. We report here a test of this hypothesis.
Cardiovascular Effects of Two Potential β-Hydroxylase Inhibitors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of two potential β-hydroxylase inhibitors, a dithiocarbamate and a thiourea derivative of d-amphetamine, 1 and 2, respectively. These compounds when given intravenously elicited a significant dose-dependent depressor effect in normotensive rats and dogs anesthetized with chloralose–urethane. The hypotensive effect of these compounds appears to be the result of a combination of two action components: (a) the major component, which can be blocked by atropine, exerted through the parasympathetic division and (b) a decreased availability of sympathetic neurotransmitter at the synaptic cleft. A CNS-stimulant effect of these compounds is suggested by their ability to reduce hexobarbital sleeping time in mice and their analeptic effect in all anesthetized animals employed.
Lesch–Nyhan disease in a female with a clinically normal monozygotic twin

Abstract Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND) is an inborn error of purine metabolism caused by defective activity of the enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT, EC 2.4.2.8), resulting from mutation in the corresponding gene on the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq26). The classic phenotype occurs almost exclusively in males and is characterized by hyperuricemia, mental retardation, severe dystonia, and self-injurious behavior. Heterozygous carrier females are usually clinically normal. However, a small number of clinically affected females have been described. In all previous cases there was a mutation in one HPRT allele and non-random inactivation of the X chromosome carrying the normal HPRT gene. We have analyzed a female MZ twin pair discordant for Lesch–Nyhan disease. The mother and both twins are heterozygous carriers of a HPRT splicing mutation (IVS8 + 4A > G; c.609 + 4A > G) and all three express the mutant allele at similar frequencies in peripheral blood T cells. The mother and one sister are clinically normal. In the affected twin, the clinical phenotype is classical for Lesch–Nyhan disease, despite the fact that HPRT activity in the blood was also normal. X inactivation analysis showed a skewed pattern in the fibroblasts of the affected twin sister, with the X chromosome carrying the normal HPRT allele preferentially inactivated. As in many other reported cases of X-linked diseases, the discordant phenotype of the two monozygous twin sisters suggests that the process responsible for monozygotic twinning can trigger skewed X inactivation.
Cerebrovascular bypass and aneurysm trapping for the treatment of an A2-segment anterior cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm and herniation through a skull base defect following trauma

Fractures of the anterior skull base can lead to pseudoaneurysm formation as a result of direct injury to a vessel wall. Pseudoaneurysms in this location are challenging to treat, as both perforator and distal blood supply must be maintained. Additionally, traumatic skull base fractures can lead to a rare condition of cerebral blood vessel herniation through the bony defect, further complicating treatment planning. Treatment of these lesions is essential to (1) prevent the occurrence of potentially fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage and (2) prevent dissection from propagating and compromising blood flow to distal vessels, perforators, and even parent vessels. We present a unique case of a traumatic proximal anterior cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm, herniating through a skull base defect. Treatment consisted of aneurysm trapping and bypass with skull base reconstruction.
Size dependence of second-order hyperpolarizability of finite periodic chains under Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model

The second hyperpolarizability γN( − 3ω;ω,ω,ω) of N double-bond finite chain of trans-polyacetylene is analyzed using the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model to explain qualitative features of the size dependence behavior of γN. Our study shows that γN/N is nonmonotonic with N and that the nonmonotonicity is caused by the dominant contribution of the intraband transition to γN in polyenes. Several important physical effects are discussed to reduce quantitative discrepancies between experimental and our results.
Energy and Angle-Resolved Uptake of Organic Molecules in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid

The surface chemistry of sulfuric acid is of interest to heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry. We have measured the uptake of reactive gases on the surface of concentrated (98.8 wt%) sulfuric acid at 298 K. Our goal is to determine the fraction of gas molecules that dissolve in and react with concentrated sulfuric acid as a function of impact angle ({theta}{sub i}), collision energy (E{sub i}), and basicity (pK{sub BH+}). These gases include industrially important molecules such as alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids. In particular, we have investigated how scattering and salvation compete at high and low impact energies and at grazing and head-on approach directions. We find that the sticking probability (S) decreases slowly with increasing impact energy. Preliminary measurements indicate that S of formic acid, for example, decreases from {approx}73% at E{sub i} = 15 kJ/mole to {approx}67% at E{sub i} = 85 kJ/mole. The sticking probability of low incident energy gas molecules varies more gradually with increasing impact angle than high energy gases. The sticking probability of low energy formic acid changes insignificantly from {theta}{sub i} = 0{degrees} to 50{degrees}, whereas high incident energy formic acid decreases by approximately 10% over the same range. Sticking probabilities do changemore » dramatically with gas functionality and scale monotonically with the molecule`s pK{sub BH+}, which is a measure of the molecule`s solution phase basicity. Thus, S decreases in the order ethanol, dimethyl ether, formic acid, acetaldehyde, and propene.« less
Use of second-generation antipsychotic agents for sleep and sedation: a provider survey.

Objectives Anecdotal evidence suggests that second-generation antipsychotic agents are increasingly used to treat sleep problems. This study sought to quantify the proportion of new prescriptions for second-generation antipsychotic agents started for sleep/sedation and the correlates of such use. Design A cross-sectional survey of provider decision making at the time second-generation antipsychotic agents were prescribed, documenting the reasons for the medication, patient demographics, psychiatric and medical diagnoses, patient health characteristics, and provider background. Setting A single Veterans Affairs Medical Center over a 20-month period. Participants Prescribers of second-generation antipsychotic agents. Interventions N/A. Results Seven hundred seven (32.2%) of 2,613 surveys indicated sleep/sedation was at least one reason for using a second-generation anti-psychotic agent, whereas for 266 (12.1%) it was the only reason. Quetiapine was most frequently prescribed overall as well as for sleep/sedation (47.0% and 73.6% respectively). Second-generation antipsychotic agent use for sleep/sedation was unrelated to sociodemographic characteristics, least likely in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and most likely as a newly started second-generation antipsychotic agent. Conclusion Sleep/sedation is a common reason given for new prescriptions of second-generation antipsychotic agents. Quetiapine is most frequently used for this purpose. A greater understanding of why providers use second-generation antipsychotic agents rather than safer and less costly alternatives for sleep problems may advance the development of interventions to reduce adverse effects.
Epicardial artery-pulmonary artery fistula. Presentation as a continuous precordial murmur.

Abstract A patient with a fistula between several small epicardial arteries and the main pulmonary artery presented with a continuous precordial murmur. The clinical findings were similar to those in patent ductus arteriosus. This unique cause for the murmur was discovered at operation, and the fistula was ligated.
Hydrogen-Peroxide-Enhanced Nonthermal Plasma Effluent for Biomedical Applications

A novel nonthermal plasma dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) system for decontamination, sterilization, and medical applications has been developed. The discharge is physically removed from the disinfection zone, and plasma-induced free radicals are delivered through an air stream. The physical distance between the discharge and the treatment surface can be up to 3 m, making the technology robust and flexible for applications in the medical clinic. The bactericidal properties of the free-radical effluent are enhanced by hydrogen peroxide additives. We report a 6-log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria strains in under 1 min of exposure in vitro and inactivation of Bacillus atrophaes spores and Escherichia coli biofilms. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide additives is seen to be a key variable in inactivation efficacy, suggesting that active species in our experiment may be different than in other DBD configurations. Precise chemical concentration measurements using direct frequency comb spectroscopy show presence of ozone ( O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In vivo multiple exposures of mouse skin to the plasma effluent do not yield any adverse effects.
The use of ultrasound imaging prior to percutaneous tracheostomy

Ultrasound scanning (USS) is commonly used in intensive care units (ICUs) for vascular access procedures, and for pleural and cardiac imaging. However, it is not routine practice to use USS prior to or during percutaneous tracheostomy. We report the case of a patient who was scheduled to have a percutaneous tracheostomy which was abandoned following assessment with ultrasound.
Epidural naloxone reduces intestinal hypomotility but not analgesia of epidural morphine.

Purpose: Epidural morphine is associated with decreased bowel motility and increased transit time. Low doses of intravenous naloxone reduce morphine-induced pruritus without reversing analgesia, but the effect of epidural naloxone on bowel motility has not been studied. Therefore we evaluated bowel motility and analgesia when naloxone was co-administered with morphine into the epidural space. Methods: Forty-three patients having combined thoracic epidural and general anesthesia for subtotal gastrectomy were randomly assigned to one of two study groups. All received a bolus dose of 3 mg epidural morphine at the beginning of surgery, followed by a continuous epidural infusion containing 3 mg morphine in 100 ml bupivacaine 0.125% with either no naloxone (control group, n=18) or a calculated dose of 0.208 µg·kg−1·hr−1 of naloxone (experimental group, n=25) for 48 hr. We measured the time to the first postoperative passage of flatus and feces to evaluate the restoration of bowel function, and visual analog scales (VAS) for pain during rest and movement. Scores were assessed at 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 36 and 48 hr postoperatively. Results: The experimental group had a shorter time to the first postoperative passage of flatus (51.9±16.6 hrvs 87.0±19.5 hr,P<0.001) and feces (95.3±25.0 hrvs 132.9±29.4 hr,P<0.001). No differences were found in either resting or active VAS between the two groups. Conclusion: Epidural naloxone reduces epidural morphine-induced intestinal hypomotility without reversing its analgesic effects.
Nanoparticle synthesis via the photochemical polythiol process

We introduce the photochemical polythiol process, in which we use ambient light to decompose bismuth, antimony, copper, and lead thiolates to metal nanoparticles. Focusing on bismuth, we produce rhombohedral nanoparticles with narrow size distributions. The approach allows a single-phase synthesis of uniform non-noble metal nanoparticles without a secondary size-selection process. It minimizes use of chemicals and solvents and is more environmentally friendly than competing processes described in the literature.
Effects of gamma radiation on Penicillium expansum L. II. Some enzymatic changes in the fungus

Abstract The spore suspensions of Penicillium expansum were irradiated with 50 and 100 krad of gamma radiation. Rates of growth (mycelial dry weight), pectinesterase, polygalacturonase and tissue macerating enzymes were measured 1–7 days after inoculation in Czapek-Dox broth. Mycelial dry weight in irradiated cultures was lower than those in the controls. The activities of polygalacturonase and tissue macerating enzymes were higher than those in the controls after 3 days of post-irradiation incubation. Evidence indicates that the enzyme synthesis rather than the “enzyme release” causes an increase in the activities of pectolytic enzymes.
A classroom training study: The effects of graphic organizer instruction on fourth graders’ comprehension

Abstract Children in two fourth‐grade classrooms (N = 38) participated in a three‐month training study to test the effectiveness of the graphic organizer as a strategy for facilitating comprehension and retention of information in their social studies text. During the training phrase, students in the experimental group received instruction and practice three times a week in the use of organizers to help them remember what they read. Frequent multiple‐choice and free recall tests provided them with opportunities to demonstrate what they had learned. Students in the control group received the same number of instructional contact hours, read the same material, and took the same tests as the experimental subjects, but were denied exposure to graphic organizers. On a post‐training test passage, students in the graphic organizer group recalled significantly more of the total number of idea units than students in the control group for each of two times: immediately after reading the passage and 48 hours later. N...
Frege, the identity of Sinn and Carnap's intension

The paper analyses Frege's approach to the identity conditions for the entity labelled by him as Sinn. It starts with a brief characterization of the main principles of Frege's semantics and lists his remarks on the identity conditions for Sinn. They are subject to a detailed scrutiny, and it is shown that, with the exception of the criterion of intersubstitutability in oratio obliqua, all other criteria have to be discarded. Finally, by comparing Frege's views on Sinn with Carnap's method of extension and intension and the method of intensional isomorphism, it is proved that these methods do not provide a criterion for the identity of Frege's Sinn, even for extensional contexts, that the concept of intension does not coincide, as stated by Carnap, in these contexts, with Frege's concept of Sinn, and that Carnap's claim that in oratio obliqua Frege's semantics leads to an infinite hierarchy of Sinn entities can be questioned at least hypothetically in the light of certain new historical facts.
Recovering Republican Eloquence: John Cheke versus Stephen Gardiner on the Pronunciation of Greek

Abstract The controversy over Greek pronunciation at Cambridge University in 1542, principally between university chancellor Stephen Gardiner and regius professor of Greek John Cheke, marked the emergence of not only the linguistic but also the political agenda of the mid-Tudor Cambridge humanists. This important group included future statesmen and political thinkers such as William Cecil, later Elizabeth's famous minister, Thomas Smith, author of De republica anglorum, and John Ponet, leading exponent of ‘resistance theory’. In the 1542 Greek controversy Cheke and his allies advocated the restoration of an ancient pronunciation they saw as having been the medium of eloquence in the Athenian republic. Their concepts of language provide a template for their political concepts: both language and political structures are generated by the community, reflective of the community's particular character, susceptible to change and capable of improvement. Throughout their subsequent careers and especially in the re...
Capacity metric for chip heterogeneous multiprocessors

Chip Heterogeneous Multiprocessors (CHMs) are increasingly used to execute multichannel, heterogeneous workloads, often in the service of single users. Multichannel inputs can be processed at different rates and in a variety of combinations. We show that performance evaluation of the CHMs that process multichannel workloads requires a new performance metric, capacity, which we introduce in this paper. We show how capacity is a successor to throughput, through an automobile production analogy. We include experimental results to illustrate the form and usefulness of the new metric as well as contrast it with Pareto optimization.