cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Letting Go: Conceptualizing Intervention De-implementation in Public Health and Social Service Settings.

The discontinuation of interventions that should be stopped, or de-implementation, has emerged as a novel line of inquiry within dissemination and implementation science. As this area grows in human services research, like public health and social work, theory is needed to help guide scientific endeavors. Given the infancy of de-implementation, this conceptual narrative provides a definition and criteria for determining if an intervention should be de-implemented. We identify three criteria for identifying interventions appropriate for de-implementation: (a) interventions that are not effective or harmful, (b) interventions that are not the most effective or efficient to provide, and (c) interventions that are no longer necessary. Detailed, well-documented examples illustrate each of the criteria. We describe de-implementation frameworks, but also demonstrate how other existing implementation frameworks might be applied to de-implementation research as a supplement. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of de-implementation in the context of other stages of implementation, like sustainability and adoption; next steps for de-implementation research, especially identifying interventions appropriate for de-implementation in a systematic manner; and highlight special ethical considerations to advance the field of de-implementation research.
Pharmacokinetics of Protease Inhibitors and Drug Interactions with Psychoactive Drugs

Polypharmacy is common in the treatment of HIV infection, with numerous drug classes being used concurrently (McDonald & Kuritzkes, 1997). The medication list of a typical HIV patient may include antiretrovirals for HIV infection; antimicrobials, antifungals, and antivirals for prophylaxis or treatment of opportunistic infections; antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, or sedative-hypnotics for psychiatric disorders or drug dependence; and a variety of other agents for other manifestations of AIDS (e.g., peripheral neuropathy, cytopenia, wasting, neoplastic process) or for the adverse effects associated with antiretroviral agents (e.g., diarrhea, peripheral neuropathy). With polypharmacy comes the potential for drug interactions. In a report based on a chart review, the hypothetical probabilities of one or more drug interactions were 3 1 %, 42%, and 77%, respectively, if these patients had been started on indinavir, saquinavir, or ritonavir (Van Cleef, Fisher, & Polk, 1997). These estimated percentages were even higher for patients with CDr counts < 100 cells/μL due to the increased usage of drugs for prophylaxis against opportunistic infections. Another chart review revealed that patients who are initiated on protease inhibitor therapy have a high likelihood of concurrently receiving an agent with a potentially serious drug interaction (Preston et al., 1997). Prescribers
Cell Generation, Migration, Death, and Growth in Neural Systems Mediating Social Behavior

The factors mediating social behaviors in vertebrates occupy a central place in both biological and psychological theorizing. The approaches to understanding these factors are as diverse as the factors themselves — ecological, evolutionary, comparative, experiential, situational, temporal, and a host of others. However, the very diversity of social behavior across vertebrates has made questions from still another approach, a neuroanatomical approach, difficult to frame in a meaningful, substantive way. As the brain is the organ of behavior, it has been clear that its structure and functioning are critical in mediating behavior, and that therefore an understanding of how structure-function relationships are produced, modified, and maintained, is of primary importance. Demonstration of neural systems with known social behavioral functions has been hampered by the diversity of behaviors and their intractable variations. However, one class of social behaviors presents a robust and distinctive set of behaviors which readily yield to anatomical examination, that of courtship and mating.
Carotid Interposition Grafting

Carotid interposition grafting (CIG) is an uncommon operation as compared to carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The exposure is similar to CEA for high plaque. In some patients, distal control of the ICA may necessitate balloon occlusion. Interposition graft material can be a tapered PTFE graft, greater saphenous vein graft, or superficial femoral artery conduit in patients with head and neck malignancy invading the carotid artery. Distal anastomosis of the graft to the divided ICA is performed first followed by proximal anastomosis of the divided CCA to the graft. The external carotid artery is usually ligated.
Lissajous Figures, Musical Intervals, and the Just Diatonic Scale

The frequency ratios for the just diatonic scale are obtained by identifying musical intervals corresponding to Lissajous figures. The demonstration integrates the engineering physics of Lissajous patterns with the recognition of musical intervals through simple ear training. A free HTML5 app has been developed for this class activity and the program can be run online or downloaded to the desktop. A video is provided illustrating the use of the software.
Friends University, Caltech and University of Kansas

I was a C+ student in high school, but no less resolved to go to college. Where to go? No one in my family could help. A book I found stated that the best college in the USA was Caltech. So, I decided to go to Caltech. No pretense here, only an incredible dose of naivete and ignorance. To be accepted you had to perform on three 3-hour examinations in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. I decided to prepare for the examinations by going to Friends University, a local Quaker college about a mile from my home. I quit my job at Boeing in August 1944 and enrolled at Friends. Over the next academic year, I registered for classes in physics, chemistry, calculus, spherical trigonometry, and astronomy. I was a straight A student in an environment in which grades measured performance, and mine was high. In the spring of 1945, I sat for all three examinations over three days, passed, and I enrolled at Caltech. It was clear at the outset that Caltech was an academic meat grinder like none I could have imagined. I graduated in 1949, switching from physics to electrical engineering as a senior, and acquiring an interest in economics. I returned to Kansas, this time Lawrence, and the University of Kansas to study for an MA in economics. It was a period of great joy and excrement. I lived in the interracial coop houses at KU and continued to be a racial, social, and political activist. An education in economics was only marginally modifying my socialist outlook, but KU opened a completely new world in economics. I applied at Chicago, MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Tech; accepted at all, I moved to Harvard.
Comment about the article Interpretation of the results of the experiment on generation of parametric X-radiation by relativistic electrons in a single-crystal target, by S.V. Blazhevich and A.V. Noskov

Abstract The strong dependence of the PXR yield on the orientation of the crystal surface, claimed in a recent article by S. Blazhevich and A. Noskov, is questioned. It is argued that, if absorption is neglected, the sum of the ordinary and forward PXR yields does not depend of the surface orientation.
Analysis and Experimental Quantification of 1.2-kV 4H-SiC Split-Gate Octagonal MOSFET

A 1.2-kV rated 4H-SiC split-gate octagonal cell MOSFET (SG-OCTFET) is proposed and successfully fabricated in a 6-in foundry for the first time. The measured results quantify the benefits of the SG-OCTFET structure: improvement in high-frequency figures of merit (HF-FOM) ( $\text{R}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}\times $ C $_{\text {gd}}$ ) by $1.8\times $ , HF-FOM ( $\text{R}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}\times $ Q $_{\text {gd}}$ ) by $1.6\times $ , and FOM ( $\text{C}_{\text {iss}}/\text{C}_{\text {gd}}$ ) by $1.6\times $ compared with the optimized compact OCTFET design due to the reduced gate-to-drain overlap area. An important conclusion of this letter is that unlike commercially available 1.2-kV SiC power MOSFETs with linear cell topology, the 1.2-kV SG-OCTFET design can outperform commercially available 600-V Si super-junction devices.
Affordances of TOEFL writing tasks beyond university admissions

Abstract This review describes in brief the writing sub-sections of the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and discusses its use in university admissions decisions and potential use as a tool for course placement. The primary purpose of the TOEFL is to measure the academic English proficiency of non-native English speakers seeking admission to English- medium universities. The writing portion of the TOEFL consists of an independent writing task and a second writing task that requires test-takers to integrate reading, listening, and writing skills to compose a written text. Currently there is only is limited evidence supporting the use of TOEFL scores for placement (either in ESL programs or in university composition courses), but the review offers guidelines for further investigation into the TOEFL’s potential as an assessment tool for placement.
Effects of tissue culture on the biomechanical properties of porcine meniscus explants.

Abstract Background The meniscus is critical for the normal functioning of the knee joint. The specific aim of this study was to validate an in vitro culture model of meniscus explants for testing the impact of culture conditions on meniscus biomechanical properties. We hypothesized that culturing menisci in the presence of intermediate and high concentration of serum would have a positive effect on the compressive stiffness of the meniscus. Methods Unconstrained microindentation testing was performed on porcine meniscus explants cultured with varying concentrations 1%, 5%, or 10% of fetal bovine serum media. Meniscus explants that were not cultured were used as a control. These tests quantified the Young's Modulus of the listed groups of cultured and uncultured explant tissues. Findings The Young's modulus for 10% cultured explants were significantly higher compared to the control, 1%, and 5% cultured meniscus explants. There was no statistical significance when the Young's modulus between control, 1%, and 5% cultured explants were compared. Interpretation These results suggest that low concentrations of serum do not impart an anabolic effect on meniscus tissue explant biomechanical properties.
NanoCommunication-based flow path mapping for NanoSensors in underground oil reservoirs

Oil reservoir exploration is booming, given the increasing energy demand worldwide. The existence of Impermeable Regions (IR) in the oil reservoir (i.e., underground areas that allow only few hydrocarbons-collecting fluids to pass through) still hinders current production performance to a great extent. Research efforts have been invested into IR detection and mapping. The state of the art solution [1] leverages nanoscale sensor networks to approximately characterize the location of a single IR in the underground oil reservoir. However, the characterization accuracy is rather low. In addition, existing solutions are not applicable to more heterogeneous reservoirs, which reflects, in fact, a more realistic problem scenario. In this paper, we investigate and address the limitations of state of the art solutions in two aspects: 1) we provide a sub-terahertz (THz) communication channel to reflect realism of nanocommunication in the underground; 2) we develop a sensor path (i.e., simulated streamlines along which sensors are assumed to flow) reconstruction workflow to map a more heterogeneous reservoir with more IRs. Through simulations, we show that our proposed solution achieves an improvement of IRs mapping performance, when compared to the state of the art solution.
Racists without racism? From colourblind to entitlement racism online

While colourblind racism has defined the post-Civil Rights era, there has been little evaluation of how everyday social actors conceptualize racism following the recent rise in overt racism and rac...
Ferroelectric enhancement of superconductivity in compressively strained SrTiO 3 films

Author(s): Russell, Ryan; Ratcliff, Noah; Ahadi, Kaveh; Dong, Lianyang; Stemmer, Susanne; Harter, John W | Abstract: SrTiO$_3$ is an incipient ferroelectric on the verge of a polar instability, which is avoided at low temperatures by quantum fluctuations. Within this unusual quantum paraelectric phase, superconductivity persists despite extremely dilute carrier densities. Ferroelectric fluctuations have been suspected to play a role in the origin of superconductivity by contributing to electron pairing. To investigate this possibility, we used optical second harmonic generation to measure the doping and temperature dependence of the ferroelectric order parameter in compressively strained SrTiO$_3$ thin films. At low temperatures, we uncover a spontaneous out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization with an onset that correlates perfectly with normal-state electrical resistivity anomalies. These anomalies have previously been associated with an enhancement of the superconducting critical temperature in doped SrTiO$_3$ films, directly linking the ferroelectric and superconducting phases. We develop a long-range mean-field Ising model of the ferroelectric phase transition to interpret the data and extract the relevant energy scales in the system. Our results support a long-suspected connection between ferroelectricity and superconductivity in SrTiO$_3$, but call into question the role played by ferroelectric fluctuations.
Mental health concerns and barriers to care among future clinical psychologists.

Few studies have examined the mental health of clinical psychology doctoral students, a unique group given their education and training in psychopathology, assessment, and intervention. Students (N = 912) completed an online survey assessing demographics, mental health, mental healthcare utilization, and barriers to care during graduate school. Nearly 25% of participants reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety, 20% reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression or suicidal intent (SI), and more than 10% reported a high risk of alcohol abuse or moderate to severe drug use during graduate school. In comparison to peers, ethnic minority and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) participants reported more symptoms of depression and SI. LGBTQ+ participants reported more nonsuicidal self-injury and drug use. Participants also experienced significant barriers to receiving mental healthcare (e.g., financial difficulties, limited availability, insufficient time). Leadership is encouraged to prioritize the mental health of clinical psychology doctoral students, which may have implications on their service provision.
Inhibition of Lymphangiogenesis and Angiogenesis in Breast Tumor Xenografts and Lymph Nodes by a Peptide Derived from Transmembrane Protein 45A

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting blood vessels, is a process that supports tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. Lymphangiogenesis also facilitates metastasis by increasing dissemination through the lymphatic vessels (LVs). Even after treatment with antiangiogenic agents, breast cancer patients are vulnerable to LV-mediated metastasis. We report that a 14-amino acid peptide derived from transmembrane protein 45A shows multimodal inhibition of lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis in breast cancer. The peptide blocks lymphangiogenic and angiogenic phenotypes of lymphatic and blood endothelial cells induced by tumor-conditioned media prepared from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The peptide delays growth of MDA-MB-231 tumor xenografts and normalizes tumor-conditioned lymph nodes (LNs). These studies demonstrate the antilymphangiogenic and antiangiogenic potential of the peptide against primary tumors and premetastatic, tumor-conditioned regional LNs. Mechanistically, the peptide blocks vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 2 and 3 (VEGFR2/3) and downstream proteins by binding to neuropilin 1/2 (NRP1/2) and inhibiting VEGFR2/3 and NRP1/2 complex formation in the presence of VEGFA/C.
Reliability, mindfulness, and information systems

In a world where information technology is both important and imperfect, organizations and individuals are faced with the ongoing challenge of determining how to use complex, fragile systems in dynamic contexts to achieve reliable outcomes. While reliability is a central concern of information systems practitioners at many levels, there has been limited consideration in information systems scholarship of how firms and individuals create, manage, and use technology to attain reliability. We propose that examining how individuals and organizations use information systems to reliably perform work will increase both the richness and relevance of IS research. Drawing from studies of individual and organizational cognition, we examine the concept of mindfulness as a theoretical foundation for explaining efforts to achieve individual and organizational reliability in the face of complex technologies and surprising environments. We then consider a variety of implications of mindfulness theories of reliability in the form of alternative interpretations of existing knowledge and new directions for inquiry in the areas of IS operations, design, and management.
Physical interaction between CYP1A2 and CYP2B4 causes a disruption of inhibitory CYP1A2 complexes (LB592)

Previous reports showed that CYP1A2 and CYP2B4 can affect each other’s activity when present in the same vesicles with subsaturating NADPH-P450 reductase (CPR). Specifically, systems containing both P450s exhibited increased CYP1A2 and decreased CYP2B4 activities when compared with those containing each P450 alone. These effects were consistent with the formation of CYP1A2•CYP2B4 complexes that affected the affinity of each P450 for CPR, and were corroborated in living cells using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). Previous results also showed that CYP1A2 forms homomeric complexes whose presence was correlated with inhibition of CYP1A2 activity at subsaturating CPR. The goal of this study was to determine if homomeric P450 complexes were disrupted by the presence of another P450 using BRET. First, the potential for CYP2B4•CYP2B4 complexes was examined. Unlike with CYP1A2, we were unable to detect specific CYP2B4•CYP2B4 complexes. Next, we examined the potential for CYP2B4 to disrupt the inh...
THE AGING GUT * : Nutritional Issues

With improvements in health care, living standards, and socioeconomic status, more adults are living to old age. As the population ages, it is increasingly important to understand the factors that affect the nutritional status and thus the health status of older adults. Many factors contribute to inadequate nutrition, including health status, financial capacities, mobility, exercise, and physiologic needs. This article considered only the potential changes in nutritional needs because of alterations in the gastrointestinal tract owing to aging. One of the most remarkable changes with aging is the frequent development of atrophic gastritis and the inability to secrete gastric acid. This process affects approximately a third of older adults in the United States and only recently was recognized to be due to infection by H. pylori in the majority of cases. The lack of gastric acid in atrophic gastritis may lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and influences the absorption of a variety of micronutrients, including iron, folate, calcium, vitamin K, and vitamin B12. Lactose maldigestion is a frequent condition in older adults and is extremely common worldwide. The intolerance of dairy products leads to avoidance of these foods and likely contributes to the development of osteopenia. Overall, the small intestine and pancreas undergo astonishingly few clinically significant changes with aging. The relative preservation of overall gastrointestinal function with aging is likely due to the large reserve capacity of this multiorgan system. Further research is needed to define the precise nutritional needs for older adults because simple extrapolation of values from younger adults is now recognized to be insufficient. In addition, it is no longer acceptable to define adequate nutriture in terms of amounts of vitamins needed to maintain serum levels of a nutrient. Further RDAs must consider the functional implications of adequate nutrition. Nutrients in the elderly will be measured as to whether they result in improvements in markers of chronic disease such as homocysteine or, most importantly, in the prevention of chronic disease such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Advance directives: from the perspective of the patient and the physician.

Abstract American physicians and patients share some common ground in their perspectives on advance directives. The majority in both groups strongly endorse the use of these documents. Both groups believe it is the physician's responsibility to initiate the discussion about advance directives. However, a gap between the two perspectives can be defined. In end-of-life decision making, physicians balance the ethical principle of patient autonomy with other principles such as appropriate withholding of care in the setting of futility. Patients' preferences for end-of-life care are most influenced by expected outcomes. Physicians tend to be selective in their indications for initiating a discussion about advance directives, according to clinical factors. In contrast, most patients want to discuss advance directives with their physician under all circumstances.
Cholinergic activation of the lobster cardiac ganglion

The frequency of rhythmic burst activity of the isolated lobster cardiac ganglion is increased by exogenously applied acetylcholine and muscarinic agonists. Responses of individual motor neurons isolated from the ganglion by transection consist of a slow depolarization and repetitive bursting. The pharmacological profile of the receptors mediating this response is similar to that of vertebrate neuronal muscarinic receptors. Isolated ganglia incubated in the presence of [3H]-choline (18-19 h) exhibited radiolabelled acetylcholine accumulation. It is suggested that ganglionic excitation may be accomplished by extrinsic or intrinsic activation of muscarinic receptors on the motor neurons.
Physics of confined solitons in polyacetylene

Abstract The confinement potential for solitons in polyacetylene due to the interchain π-electron hopping is calculated. The confinement potential localizes neutral solitons within 35 to 70 lattice constants from the edge of the chain, which is consistent with a recent triple magnetic resonance experiment. The photogenerated charged soliton pair forms bound states due to the confinement potential. At low temperatures, the bound pair with large quantum number cascades radiatively down to the ground state, giving rise to the luminescence.
Molecular Models of Natural Acid−Base Indicators

Molecular models of acid−base indicators from natural products are discussed. The molecules added to the JCE Featured Molecules library this month are the keto and enol forms of curcumin, and the acid and base forms of cyanadin, of the 1, 5-diglucoside of cyanadin, and of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone.
Blood Conservation Techniques

Increasing numbers of operations requiring cardiopulmonary bypass have been accompanied by greater demands for blood resources. Improved techniques of blood conservation have diminished the average blood requirements per operation and have increased the percent of operations that can be done without homologous blood. The conservation of blood can be planned according to each patient's requirements. The techniques include preoperative blood donation, intraoperative withdrawal of blood, reinfusion of oxygenator blood, autotransfusion of blood after heparin neutralization, autotransfusion after wound closure, and hemodilution. The availability of techniques for filtration, centrifugation, and washing of blood have improved the safety of autotransfusion. The techniques that gives the best cost/benefit ratio appear to be preoperative withdrawal of blood, reinfusion of centrifuged oxygenator contents, and reinfusion of filtered blood from chest drainage.
Assessing Thalamocortical Functional Connectivity With Granger Causality

Assessment of network connectivity across multiple brain regions is critical to understanding the mechanisms underlying various neurological disorders. Conventional methods for assessing dynamic interactions include cross-correlation and coherence analysis. However, these methods do not reveal the direction of information flow, which is important for studying the highly directional neurological system. Granger causality (GC) analysis can characterize the directional influences between two systems. We tested GC analysis for its capability to capture directional interactions within both simulated and in vivo neural networks. The simulated networks consisted of Hindmarsh-Rose neurons; GC analysis was used to estimate the causal influences between two model networks. Our analysis successfully detected asymmetrical interactions between these networks (p <;10-10, t-test). Next, we characterized the relationship between the “electrical synaptic strength” in the model networks and interactions estimated by GC analysis. We demonstrated the novel application of GC to monitor interactions between thalamic and cortical neurons following ischemia induced brain injury in a rat model of cardiac arrest (CA). We observed that during the post-CA acute period the GC interactions from the thalamus to the cortex were consistently higher than those from the cortex to the thalamus (1.983±0.278 times higher, p = 0.021). In addition, the dynamics of GC interactions between the thalamus and the cortex were frequency dependent. Our study demonstrated the feasibility of GC to monitor the dynamics of thalamocortical interactions after a global nervous system injury such as CA-induced ischemia, and offers preferred alternative applications in characterizing other inter-regional interactions in an injured brain.
Experimental study of behavior and functional capability of ferritic steel elbows and austenitic stainless steel thin-walled elbows

Abstract This paper presents the results of two series of tests performed on 90° large-radius elbows. A first series of 10 tests was conducted on TU 42 C (equivalent to ASME SA 106 grade B) ferritic steel elbows with an outside diameter-to-wall thickness ratio of 6·7. A second series of 15 tests was conducted on Z2 CN 18-10 (equivalent to ASME TP 304 L) austenitic stainless steel elbows with an outside diameter-to-wall thickness ratio of 90. These elbows were subjected to in-plane (opening and closing) and out-of-plane bending moments. Changes in elbow angular deflection and ovalization of the mid-section were recorded as a function of applied moment. Measurements were made well into the plastic region. Influence of pressure, temperature and cyclic loading was also studied. The tests supplied extensive data on the behaviour of thin-walled austenitic stainless steel elbows when subjected to large displacements, including ability of the elbow to carry the flow under high loadings. Analysis in accordance with the requirements of the RCC-M1 was also performed to quantify flow area reduction at stress limits allowed by these rules, in addition to the displacement amplitude margin allowed by the level D service limit criteria with respect to the experimental limit moment. A criteria is proposed which aims to limit secondary stresses under faulted conditions.
Hot Zones Formation During Regeneration of Diesel Particulate Filters

Kai Chen, Karen S. Martirosyan, and Dan LussDept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77024DOI 10.1002/aic.12266Published online May 20, 2010 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).A diesel particulate ﬁlter (DPF) is used to remove particulate matter (PM) from thediesel engine exhaust. The accumulated PM is periodically removed by combustion,which sometimes leads to excessive temperature excursions that melt the ceramic ﬁlter.This behavior cannot be explained by operation under stationary feed conditions. Wepropose that these temperature excursions are a dynamic effect following a rapidchange in the driving mode while the DPF is being regenerated. Speciﬁcally, a rapiddecrease in the exhaust temperature can lead to a counterintuitive large transient tem-perature rise above that which would exist under a higher stationary feed temperature.This unexpected behavior is similar to the well-known wrong-way behavior in packed-bed reactors, even though the axial-dependent ﬂow through the ﬁlter in a DPF israther different from the constant axial ﬂow through a packed bed. We present simula-tions that provide insight about the dependence of the amplitude of this wrong-waytemperature rise on the ﬁltration velocity, the PM loading, dimensions of the DPF,and the amplitude of the rapid temperature decrease and when it occurs after the startof the regeneration. The insight provided by these simulations will help develop opera-tion and control protocols that circumvent or at least decrease the probability of theoccurrence of the destructive melting of the DPF.
Electroanalytical evaluation of antioxidant activity of cerium oxide nanoparticles by nanoparticle collisions at microelectrodes.

We describe a simple, cost-effective and rapid electrochemical screening approach to evaluate antioxidant activity of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) by single nanoparticle collision at microelectrodes. The method is based on direct monitoring of the interaction between a Pt microelectrode and surface bound superoxo and peroxo anions of CeO2 NPs (Ce-O2–/O22–) formed upon exposure to H2O2, selected here as a model reactive oxygen species. We observe an increase in spike current frequency for CeO2 NPs exposed to H2O2, which we attribute to the reduction of surface bound oxygen species when the particles collide with the microelectrode. The results were confirmed with spectroscopic techniques that demonstrate changes in surface reactivity and composition. The spike frequency was found to correlate well with the superoxide dismutase activity of these particles. This approach could enable routine screening of antioxidant NPs using a rapid and inexpensive assay.
The self-telling body

This essay will examine some of the narrative practices emerging in the health care professions — medicine, nursing, social work, and psychotherapy. We have always, of course, understood that the most fertile and clinically salient information we derive about patients comes from listening to them talking about their illnesses. Nonetheless, medicine’s recent past is marked by not so much a suspicion of as a dismissal of word in diagnosing and treating disease. Of late, medicine (and because I am a doctor, I will limit myself to thinking about medicine in the essay) has found sustenance from such fields as trauma studies, oral history, and testimony work. Finally, we are coming around to understanding that our tasks include the duty to bear witness as others tell of trauma and loss.The narrative practice of medicine — or, as I have come to say, the practice of narrative medicine — unites a host of neighboring concerns and approaches. Historically, medicine came into the narrative realms through qualitative social science, especially sociolinguistics, as a means to represent and comprehend the conversations that take place between doctors and patients. Such scholars as Elliot Mishler, Richard Frankel, Catherine Riessman, and Candice West really altered medical practice by making medical discourse amenable to inspection and then analysis. Around the same time, we also turned to literary texts and ways of thinking that help us to enter the worlds of patients, see others’ experience from their perspectives, greet the metaphorical as well as the factual power of words, and be moved by what we hear. Oddly, then, medical practice became a bridge between the qualitative social sciences and literary theory, letting us, from the inside, see how very similar are the efforts of the sociologist examining discourse and the novelist creating it.We doctors feel great good fortune in having the ultimate objective correlative — what might be captivating but ethereal theorizing becomes as practical and concrete and earthy as can be by virtue of being about somebody’s body — particularly somebody’s ailing body. What extreme pleasure that my thinking complicated thoughts and being attuned to the complex ways of language can translate into control of my patients’ blood sugar or relief of their migraines or diagnosis of their coronary artery disease. Narrative medicine becomes, in the end, a heady, brainy, compassionate, corporeal practice that can heal the patient and nourish the doctor at the same time — by virtue of the talk.
Dynamic reflection of RF signals from fluorescent lights: Their spectral analysis and effects on backscattered RFID tag signals

Radio frequency (RF) energy reflected from active power line ballast driven fluorescent tubes are known to be modulated at twice the line frequency. When the lamps are driven by electronic ballasts, it is found that the reflected (backscattered) RF wave is amplitude modulated with sidebands located at multiples of electronic ballast frequency components, extending to hundreds of kilohertz with significant power levels spread within this range. Detailed analysis of the measured sidebands spectrum indicated that the sidebands themselves are modulated at multiples of twice the power line frequency. Fluorescent lamps driven by different types of electronic ballasts operating at different unsynchronized frequencies exhibited different power levels. Consequently in an environment with abundance of active fluorescent lamps, the reflected RF signals can significantly affect the reception of modulated backscattered transponder RFID signals at UHF and higher bands.
Synthesis and structural characterization of cross-linked histidine-phenol Cu(ii) complexes as cytochrome c oxidase active site models.

Tridentate cross-linked histidine–phenol Cu(II) ether and ester complexes, chemical analogs of the active site of several heme–copper oxidases, have been synthesized and crystallized.
The adipose renin-angiotensin system: Role in cardiovascular disease

Several reviews have highlighted the importance of local tissue production of components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) [Bader, M., Ganten, D., 2008. Update on tissue renin-angiotensin systems. J. Mol. Med. 86, 615-621; Krop, M., Danser, A.H., 2008. Circulating versus tissue renin-angiotensin system: on the origin of (pro)renin. Curr. Hypertens. Rep. 10, 112-118; Paul, M., Poyan Mehr, A., Kreutz, R., 2006. Physiology of local renin-angiotensin systems. Physiol. Rev. 86, 747-803]. While the concept of tissue RAS is gaining more widespread acceptance, the concept of local angiotensin II (AngII) production, acting in coordinate or independently of the endocrine RAS, continues to be debated. The primary reasons that local AngII production has been studied by many investigators are that components of the RAS are expressed by multiple cell types, and that the endocrine RAS cannot fully explain all effects of AngII. Moreover, through the development and study of genetically altered models for over-expression or knockdown of individual RAS components within specific cell types, it is becoming increasingly more evident that local RAS contribute to effects of AngII in normal physiology and disease. The purpose of this review is to define the presence and physiological significance of a local RAS in adipose tissue in relation to cardiovascular disease.
Modeling the haloperoxidases : Reversible oxygen atom transfer between bromide ion and an oxo-Mn(V) porphyrin

Abstract The manganese meso -dimethylimidazolium porphyrin complex Mn(III)[TDMImP] reacted with HOBr/OBr − to generate the corresponding oxo-Mn(V)[TDMImP] species. The rate of this process accelerated with increasing pH. A forward rate constant, k for , of 1.65 × 10 6 M −1 s −1 was determined at pH 8. Under these conditions, the oxo-Mn(V) species is short-lived and is transformed into the corresponding oxo-Mn(IV) complex. A first-order rate constant, k obs , of 0.66 s −1 was found for this reduction process at pH 8. The mechanism of this reduction process, which was dependent on bromide ion, appeared to proceed via an intermediate Mn(III)–O–Br complex. Thus, both a fast, reversible Mn(III)–O–Br bond heterolysis and a slower homolytic pathway occur in parallel in this system. The reverse oxidation reaction between oxo-Mn(V)[TDMImP] and bromide was investigated as a function of pH. The rate of this oxo-transfer reaction ( k rev = 1.4 × 10 3 M −1 s −1 at pH 8) markedly accelerated as the pH was lowered. The observed first-order dependence of the rate on [H + ] indicates that the reactive species responsible for bromide oxidation is a protonated oxo-hydroxo complex and the stable species present in solution at high pH is dioxo-Mn(V)[TDMImP], [O Mn(V) O] − . The oxo-Mn(V) species retains nearly all of the oxidative driving force of the hypohalite. The equilibrium constant K equi = k for / k rev for the reversible process was determined at three different pH values ( K equi = 1.15 × 10 3 at pH 8) allowing the measurement of the redox potentials E of oxo-Mn(V)/Mn(III) ( E = 1.01 V at pH 8). The redox potential for this couple was extrapolated over the entire pH scale using the Nernst relationship and compared to those of the manganese 2- and 4- meso - N -methylpyridinium porphyrin couples oxo-Mn(V)[2-TMPyP]/Mn(III)[2-TMPyP], oxo-Mn(V)[4-TMPyP]/Mn(III)[4-TMPyP], OBr − /Br − and H 2 O 2 /H 2 O. Notably, the redox potential of oxo-Mn(V)/Mn(III) for the imidazolium porphyrin approaches that of H 2 O 2 /H 2 O at low pH.
Accelerated decline in apolipoprotein E-epsilon4 homozygotes with Alzheimer's disease

Background: The apolipoprotein E-ϵ4 (APOE-ϵ4) allele is a powerful genetic risk factor for the development of Alzheimer9s disease (AD). AD patients who are APOE-ϵ4 homozygotes have an earlier age at onset, increased amyloid burden, and decreased acetylcholine levels-findings that suggest differences in disease severity or rate of progression. Studies of genotype differences in rate of decline, however, have produced negative results that may be due to methodologic biases. The current study examined rate of decline in the largest sample of APOE-genotyped AD patients for whom longitudinal cognitive data have been reported. Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with probable AD (n = 201) comprised four genotype groups: ϵ2/3 (n = 14), ϵ3/3 (n = 75), ϵ3/4 (n = 82), and ϵ4/4 (n = 30). The Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) was administered at baseline and then annually for 1 to 6 years (mean, 2.5 years). For each subject, a DRS slope was calculated reflecting annual rate of decline. Rate of decline as measured by DRS slope differed according to genotype, with the effect modified by DRS score ( p p p p p p p Conclusions: APOE-ϵ4 homozygosity is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline, whereas the ϵ2 allele slows disease progression. These findings suggest that APOE plays a mechanistic role in the progression of AD, and is not simply related to disease onset.
Determination of the Country of Origin of Garlic (Allium sativum) Using Trace Metal Profiling

A method for determining the country of origin of garlic by comparing the trace metal profile of the sample to an authentic garlic database is presented. Protocols for sample preparation, high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and multivariate statistics are provided. The criteria used for making a country of origin prediction are also presented. Indications are that the method presented here may be used to determine the geographic origin of other agricultural products.
A comparison of shear localization susceptibility in U-0.75 wt pct Ti and W-Ni-Fe during high strain rate deformation

A comparison of shear instability in U-Tivs W alloy during high strain rate deformation is presented. Experimental quasi-static and dynamic deformation data are used to formulate the constitutive description based on the mechanical threshold stress model (MTS). The MTS model is used to predict the deformation behavior of U-Ti and W-alloy beyond the conventionally achievable experimental capabilities. We suggest that uranium alloys are more prone to catastrophic-localized deformation (adiabatic shearing) due to the existence of a soft high-temperature phase, which is reached by uranium alloys undergoing large strains at high strain rate of deformation.
Open neighborhood locating-domination for infinite cylinders

For a graph G that models a facility or a multi-processor network, detection devices can be placed at the vertices so as to identify the location of an intruder such as a thief or saboteur or a faulty processor. Open neighborhood locating-dominating sets are of interest when the intruder/fault at a vertex precludes its detection by a device at that location. For example, a processor might be able to determine whether another processor directly connected to it is faulty, but it cannot be assumed to detect its own fault. In this paper we illustrate these concepts using cylindrical graphs as examples of multi-processor networks.
Unfolded-State Dynamics and Structure of Protein L Characterized by Simulation and Experiment

While several experimental techniques now exist for characterizing protein unfolded states, all-atom simulation of unfolded states has been challenging due to the long time scales and conformational sampling required. We address this problem by using a combination of accelerated calculations on graphics processor units and distributed computing to simulate tens of thousands of molecular dynamics trajectories each up to ∼10 μs (for a total aggregate simulation time of 127 ms). We used this approach in conjunction with Trp-Cys contact quenching experiments to characterize the unfolded structure and dynamics of protein L. We employed a polymer theory method to make quantitative comparisons between high-temperature simulated and chemically denatured experimental ensembles and find that reaction-limited quenching rates calculated from simulation agree remarkably well with experiment. In both experiment and simulation, we find that unfolded-state intramolecular diffusion rates are very slow compared to highly d...
Application of the equations of radioactive growth and decay to geochronological models and explicit solution of the equations by Laplace transformation

Abstract A recently developed method of pore-fluid age determination assumes secular equilibrium in the 238 U decay chain. The efficacy of this approximation is investigated using computer evaluations of the equations that give the time evolution of the 238 U decay chain, i.e. the solution of the equations of radioactive growth and decay. This analysis is performed considering two alternative geochemical scenarios to that of secular equilibrium — only 238 U present initially and 238 U and 234 U present initially. In addition, the effects of the 235 U decay chain are also determined in a similar fashion. These particular examples were chosen to show that more sophisticated geochronological models for many dating applications can be developed using such computer calculations. To facilitate such analyses, a solution of the equations of radioactive growth and decay for an arbitrary initial condition is derived using the Laplace transformation method and matrix algebra. Other solutions — both general and special — that are found in some well-known textbooks are reviewed.
MR imaging of Duane retraction syndrome.

An 11-year-old girl presented with a history of inability to abduct the left eye since birth (Fig. 1, below). Highresolution MR imaging through the brainstem showed the right abducens nerve entering Dorello’s canal (Fig. 2, arrow) and absence of the left abducens, confirming the diagnosis of Duane retraction syndrome (DRS). DRS, as originally described in 1905, is a congenital eye movement disorder consisting of an abduction deficit accompanied by retraction of the globe on attempted adduction [1]. DRS accounts for approximately 1% of strabismus cases in the general population and involves the left eye in about 75% of patients [2]. Although many pathophysiologic processes have been posited as mediating DRS, the most widely accepted is absence or hypoplasia of the abducens nucleus with anomalous innervation of the lateral rectus muscle by branches of the oculomotor nerve [2]. Absence of the abducens nerve on MR imaging can help distinguish DRS from clinical mimickers such as chronic abducens palsy and may assist in presurgical planning for strabismus correction.
Manual irrigation in Middle America

Abstract Application of irrigation water by manually pouring or splashing is an old and widespread practice in Middle America. Two general types of manual irrigation are discussed. In container systems a vessel is used to lift, transfer, and apply water. Wells or other water sources may be as much as 10 m below field level. Although fields and water sources are arranged to minimize irrigation time and effort, only low water delivery rates of 10–20 l/min are possible. Splash systems use various hand scoops or shovels to impell water from canals or other sources at or near field level. Fields can be of any length but must be narrow to allow splash coverage from field-side sources. Delivery rates, limited by availability of water and speed of operator, reach or exceed 60 l/min. Despite great variability of human power units, representative performances can be determined. Careful measurement of times, distances, areas, and quantities permit calculation of other variables, such as water delivery rates and maximum field sizes, and suggest possibilities for further analyses.
Pyrolysis/evaporation study of succinic acid/polyvinyl acetate for reducing nozzle erosion

A nozzle boundary-layer control system is under consideration for application in high-pressure rockets to mitigate the erosion rates of a graphite nozzle. The current design contains multiple center-perforated solid grains of fuel-rich materials consisting of succinic acid and polyvinyl acetate. This combination of the fuel-rich grains was selected due to high carbon and hydrogen contents along with relatively low evaporation temperature for generating fuel-rich gases. The characterization of the pyrolysis behavior of fuel-rich grains is a requirement for any subsequent quantitative analysis pertaining to the effect of the nozzle boundary-layer control system on graphite rocket nozzle erosion rates. Two separate experiments were conducted: 1) to determine the regression rate of solid fuel-rich grains under controlled heat flux or temperature conditions, and 2) to characterize its chemical decomposition and/or evaporation behavior. An empirical correlation between heat flux and surface regression rate of fuel-rich grains was developed. From Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements, the fuel-rich grains were found to melt and evaporate at temperatures up to 773 K. These results have been used in parallel study nozzle throat erosion processes using computational simulation.
Improving TCP/IP performance over wireless networks

TCP is a reliable transport protocol tuned to perform well in traditional networks made up of links with low bit-error rates. Networks with higher bit-error rates, such as those with wireless links and mobile hosts, violate many of the assumptions made by TCP, causing degraded end-to-end performance. In tbis paper, we describe the design and implementation of a simple protocol, called the snoop protocol, that improves TCP performance in wireless networks. The protocol modifies network-layer software mainly at a base station and preserves end-to-end TCP semantics. The main idea of the protocol is to cache packets at the base station and perform local retransmissions across the wireless link. We have implemented the snoop protocol on a wireless testbed consisting of IBM ThinkPad laptops and i486 base stations communicating over an ATT we have achieved throughput speedups of up to 20 times over regular TCP in our experiments with the protocol.