cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Objectively measured physical activity predicts subsequent energy intake in 300 women.

Objective To determine if 7 d physical activity (PA) predicts energy intake over the same days and if PA on a given day predicts energy intake on the same day, the next day or subsequent days. Design A 7 d prospective investigation. PA was measured using accelerometers worn for seven consecutive days. During the same week, total energy intake (including alcohol) was assessed using weighed food records. Setting Twenty cities in the USA. Subjects Three hundred middle-aged women. Results After controlling for the covariates, energy intake was 36 (se 8) kJ higher for each additional 100000 activity counts (F=19·0, P<0·0001), based on the entire week of monitoring. Women with Low PA (n 75) had a mean energy intake of 8364 (sd 1235) kJ/d (1998 (sd 295) kcal/d), those with Moderate PA (n 150) consumed 8523 (sd 1264) kJ/d (2036 (sd 302) kcal/d) and those with High PA (n 75) consumed 9079 (sd 1473) kJ/d (2169 (sd 352) kcal/d; F=6·4, P=0·0019), a 5023 kJ/d (1200 kcal/d) difference between the High and Low PA groups. PA on a given day was predictive of energy consumption on the same day on four of the seven monitored days, and was predictive of energy intake the next day, with five of six associations significant. PA was not consistently predictive of energy intake on days beyond the next day. Conclusions Over 7 d, PA and energy consumption tend to be positively related. Considered day to day, increased PA is weakly associated with increased energy intake the following day and, to a lesser extent, the same day. Therefore, managing weight by increasing PA may not result in the energy deficit expected.
Renal Toxicities of Novel Agents Used for Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Survival for patients with multiple myeloma has significantly improved in the last decade in large part due to the development of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs. These next generation agents with novel mechanisms of action as well as targeted therapies are being used both in the preclinical and clinical settings for patients with myeloma. These agents include monoclonal antibodies, deacetylase inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, agents affecting various signaling pathways, immune check point inhibitors, and other targeted therapies. In some cases, off target effects of these therapies can lead to unanticipated effects on the kidney that can range from electrolyte disorders to AKI. In this review, we discuss the nephrotoxicities of novel agents currently in practice as well as in development for the treatment of myeloma.
In-vivo quantitative permeability assessment of the focused-ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier opening using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

Pharmacokinetic modeling with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has been established as an in vivo technique that estimates the permeability of the vessels. In this study, the most reliable model for permeability assessment of the focused ultrasound (FUS)-induced BBB opening was determined using DCE-MRI. Six mice were sonicated on the right hippocampal region using FUS at the peak-rarefactional acoustic pressure of 0.30 MPa, after intravenous injection of lipid-shelled microbubbles (4–5 μm in diameter). The general kinetic model (GKM) and the reference region model (RRM) were applied on the dynamic MR images to estimate the K trans values. The GKM-derived K trans for a specific volume of interest was found to be 0.02 ± 0.0123 min−1, while RRM yielded statistically insignificantly higher values, 0.03 ± 0.0167 min−1. Both GKM and RRM exhibited significantly low K trans values in the control region (0 and 8.5 ± 12×10−4 min−1 respectively). The two models showed excellent correlation (R2 =0.97), verifying the consistency of the permeability measurements. However, the poor time-concentration curves of RRM suggest that GKM is more suitable for permeability estimation. In conclusion, GKM was found to be the optimal model for the permeability assessment of the FUS-induced BBB opening and the associated drug delivery efficacy.
Reliability and Reproducibility of Subject Positioning with EOS Low-Dose Biplanar X-ray.

Background EOS low-dose biplanar X-ray used with tantalum bead implantation is an appealing imaging modality to evaluate limb length and physeal growth due its relatively low radiation exposure, excellent inter- and intra-observer reliability, and minimal magnification/shrinkage error.
The importance of data quality for generating reliable distribution models for rare, elusive, and cryptic species.

The availability of spatially referenced environmental data and species occurrence records in online databases enable practitioners to easily generate species distribution models (SDMs) for a broad array of taxa. Such databases often include occurrence records of unknown reliability, yet little information is available on the influence of data quality on SDMs generated for rare, elusive, and cryptic species that are prone to misidentification in the field. We investigated this question for the fisher (Pekania pennanti), a forest carnivore of conservation concern in the Pacific States that is often confused with the more common Pacific marten (Martes caurina). Fisher occurrence records supported by physical evidence (verifiable records) were available from a limited area, whereas occurrence records of unknown quality (unscreened records) were available from throughout the fisher’s historical range. We reserved 20% of the verifiable records to use as a test sample for both models and generated SDMs with each dataset using Maxent. The verifiable model performed substantially better than the unscreened model based on multiple metrics including AUCtest values (0.78 and 0.62, respectively), evaluation of training and test gains, and statistical tests of how well each model predicted test localities. In addition, the verifiable model was consistent with our knowledge of the fisher’s habitat relations and potential distribution, whereas the unscreened model indicated a much broader area of high-quality habitat (indices > 0.5) that included large expanses of high-elevation habitat that fishers do not occupy. Because Pacific martens remain relatively common in upper elevation habitats in the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada, the SDM based on unscreened records likely reflects primarily a conflation of marten and fisher habitat. Consequently, accurate identifications are far more important than the spatial extent of occurrence records for generating reliable SDMs for the fisher in this region. We strongly recommend that practitioners avoid using anecdotal occurrence records to build SDMs but, if such data are used, the validity of resulting models should be tested with verifiable occurrence records.
Obstructive Uropathy in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

AbstractIn an attempt to determine the role of obstructive prostatic hyperplasia as a cause of irreversible renal function the records of 32 men with a diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia and renal failure were reviewed. Patients were classified as either having a serum creatinine of more than or less than 4mg. per 100ml. when they were discharged from the hospital. Admission serum creatinine levels were comparable in both groups. Characteristics of the group with permanently impaired renal function included a longer mean duration of symptoms, higher incidence of urinary tract infection, lower average volume of residual urine and greater incidence of small kidneys with increased parenchymal echogenicity. These data assist in the objective prediction of patients who will have irreversible renal dysfunction when presenting with obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia.
PREDICTIVE MODEL FOR HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED THROMBOSIS IN PEDIATRIC CARDIAC PATIENTS UNDER ONE YEAR OF AGE

Hospital-acquired thrombosis (HAT) in children with congenital and acquired heart disease may be life-threatening. Children <1 year (yr) are at highest risk and strategies to prevent HAT are lacking. We performed a case control study to develop a risk prediction model for HAT in patients <1 yr.
High gain feedback and the stabilizability of multivariable systems

The problems of determining the minimal order of a stabilizing compensator for a fixed linear, multivariable system and for the generic p × m system of fixed degree are considered. An elementary geometric argument gives sufficient conditions for the generic stabilizability by a compensator of order ≤ q. A more delicate geometric argument, involving pole-placement in the high gain limit, is then used to derive necessary conditions, obtained jointly with B.D.O. Anderson, for the lower bound q ≥ 1. Taken together, these results determine the minimal order in certain low dimensional cases. The general upper bound, however, is not always tight and in many cases can be improved upon by more powerful techniques. For example, based on a geometric model for finite and infinite gains, sufficient conditions for q=0 are derived in this paper in terms of a topological invariant (of the "gain space") introduced by Ljusternick and Snirel'mann in the calculus of variations. Using the Schubert calculus, an estimate of the Ljusternick-Snirel'mann category is obtained, yielding a stabilizability criterion which, to my knowledge, contains the previous results in the literature on stabilizability by constant gain output feedback, as special cases.
Micro-spatial variability of soil nitrate following nitrogen fertilization and drip irrigation

Micro-spatial analysis of nitrate (NO3), an environmental contaminant partially attributed to nitrogen fertilization, can be useful for estimating its distribution in soils. A study was conducted to determine the micro-spatial distribution of soil NO3 using kriging and cokriging in a drip-irrigated and nitrogen-fertilized field. One hundred soil samples were collected in a regular grid pattern from a 10 m × 20 m plot, and analyzed for soil NO3 and pH. The effect of reduced sample size on NO3 estimation was also evaluated. The pH data indicated the soils were slightly acidic to neutral with log[NO3] values ranging from 1.66 to 2.95. These parameters were inversely related; which was probably an attribute of soil nitrification process. Sample variograms and cross-variograms suggested that the spatial distribution of pH and log[NO3] could be described by linear models in the area studied, as indicated by small MSE (mean sum error), and RKV (reduced kriging variance) values close to 1. Contour maps based on kriging and cokriging estimates indicated greater homogeneity of the variables in the south-north direction than the east-west, except for zones of high NO3 and low pH in the north-central edge and north-east corner of the grid area. Cokriging of log[NO3] estimation, using pH data, improved MSE, MSSE (mean sum square error), MKV (mean kriging variance), RKV, CEE (correlation between estimated data and error), CEM (correlation between estimated and measured data) by 46, 31, 30, 22, 96, and 98%, respectively, as compared to kriging. Lower cokriging variance for any estimated log[NO3] value, as compared to the kriging analysis, indicated that cokriging provided more accurate estimates. With reduced sample observations (n) for NO3 similar conclusions were obtained; and the estimation accuracy was maintained up to n >70. Cokriging analysis with reduced n also curtailed the analytical cost, and facilitated NO3 estimation by means of pH, which was measured at a cheaper cost.
Septicemia Secondary to Urinary Tract Infection with Colony Counts Less Than 105 CFU/mL

This study evaluates the importance of low-colony-count bacteriuria (less than 10(5) CFU/mL) in septicemia originating from urinary tract infections. In a 14-month period, 260 episodes of septicemia occurred. No clinical or microbiologic evidence for a source other than the urinary tract was evident in 68 (26.2%) cases. Of these 68 patients, 13 (19.1%) had colony counts less than 10(5) CFU/mL, and 6 of the 13 had colony counts less than 10(4) CFU/mL. Nine of the infections were community acquired and four were nosocomial. None of the nosocomial cases were associated with an indwelling catheter; four of the 13 patients were receiving chemotherapy and/or steroid therapy. These data support the thesis that some cases of septicemia in patients other than acutely dysuric women, can be caused by UTIs with low colony counts.
Integration on manifolds

The topic of this chapter is integration over subsets of an r-manifold M ⊂ E n . For this purpose we first study in Section 8.1 regular transformations from E r into M. Then we find that coordinates can be introduced on portions of M, using the inverses of regular transformations. Such a portion S is called a coordinate patch on M. It is not always possible to find a single coordinate system for all of M. However, from the implicit function theorem, coordinates can be introduced locally. Using this fact, together with a device called partition of unity, the integral of a continuous function f over a set A ⊂M is defined in Section 8.3.
Who Sets the Intellectual Agenda? Foreign Funding and Social Science in Peru

This article explores the political economy of social science research in the Global South by analyzing new bibliometric and survey data on Peru, a lower-middle income country with weak domestic funding and institutional support for scholarship. The results of the analysis show that although research in Peru is heavily dependent on foreign funding, the multiplicity of funding institutions gives scholars a surprising degree of autonomy. Still, dependence on foreign funding produces conditions with potentially harmful consequences for the quality and impact of research. Five conditions are considered: multiple institutional affiliations, hyperproductivity, forced interdisciplinarity, parochialism, and a weak national community of scholars.
Building Trust and Resilience among Black Male High School Students: Boys to Men

Centered on a case study of a mid-Atlantic charter school, this book identifies the key factors that help Black male students navigate high school in spite of traditional and historical barriers. Rather than examining their experiences through a deficit model, this book adds to the growing body of data on the importance of positive role models—including parents, peers, teachers, and administrators—in facilitating socio-emotional and academic success at the secondary and postsecondary level. Rhoden demonstrates that encouraging trust and persistence in Black male students are essential components to positive academic and social achievement in the face of perceived and real structural inequalities.
Comparison of an Optimized Ultracentrifugation Method versus Size-Exclusion Chromatography for Isolation of Exosomes from Human Serum

Exosomes are nanosized vesicles that are abundant in biological fluids. In recent years, exosomes have attracted increasing attention as their cargo may provide promising biomarkers for the early diagnosis of and therapy for many diseases, such as cancer. In addition to ultracentrifugation (UC), many alternative methods including size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) have been developed for isolating exosomes. It has been reported that the SEC method provided improved performance relative to the UC method in isolating exosomes from plasma, where the former contained less residual blood protein contamination. We have compared the SEC method with an optimized UC method in isolating exosomes from human serum. This was based on dilution of the serum to reduce the viscosity and a prolonged cycle of UC, followed by another four cycles. We found that >95% of serum proteins were removed without a significant loss of exosome proteins relative to SEC. We also combined one cycle of UC with SEC and found that this method provided improved results relative to the SEC method, although the serum protein contamination was several times higher than that of our optimized UC method. The TEM showed that the size distribution of exosomes isolated from each of the three methods was similar.
RECURRENT CATASTROPHIC IN-STENT THROMBOSIS

Recurrent in-stent thrombosis (IST) is a rare but devastating complication that may be related to patient and stent specific factors or hypercoagulability. Significant morbidity may occur if not identified and treated early. A 56-year-old man with a recent ischemic stroke presented with an acute
Firm-specific assets and the internationalization–performance relationship in the U.S. movie studio industry

Abstract We study the role that firm-specific assets (FSAs) play in the processes underlying the internationalization–performance relationship. International business scholars have begun studying the interrelationship between FSAs, internationalization, and performance; however, this research is still emergent, and has produced inconclusive results. We believe that this may be due, in part, to research designs involving the same FSAs across many industries, even though individual industries may rely on different FSAs in their internationalization strategies. We address this issue in a single industry study of U.S. movie studios, which typically rely on blockbuster production capabilities as FSAs in their internationalization efforts. We show how these FSAs co-evolve with firms’ degree of internationalization, and how each factor mediates the positive effect of the other on performance. Our results highlight the importance of studying specific industries and their salient FSAs when assessing their role of such resources in the internationalization–performance relationship.
Phosphenes: Crafting Resistive Heaters within Thermoreactive Composites

Hybrid practices are emerging that integrate creative materials like paint, clay, and cloth with intangible immaterials like computation, electricity, and heat. This work aims to expand the design potential of immaterial elements by transforming them into manipulatable, observable and intuitive materials. We explore one such immaterial, electric heat, and develop a maker-friendly fabrication pipeline and crafting support tool that allows users to experientially compose resistive heaters that generate heat spatially and temporally. These heaters are then used to couple heat and thermoreactive materials in a class of artifacts we term Thermoreactive Composites (TrCs). In a formal user study, we observe how designing fabrication workflows along dimensions of composability and perceivability better matches the working styles of material practitioners without domain knowledge of electronics. Through exemplar artifacts, we demonstrate the potential of heat as a creative material and discuss implications for immaterials used within creative practices.
Ketamine and Active Ketamine Metabolites Regulate STAT3 and the Type I Interferon Pathway in Human Microglia: Molecular Mechanisms Linked to the Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine

Inflammation is an important biological process which contributes to risk for depression, in part as a result of the production of proinflammatory cytokines and of alterations in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Ketamine has anti-inflammatory properties which might contribute to its antidepressant effects. This study was designed to clarify mechanisms of action for ketamine and its active metabolites, (2R,6R;2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK), which also appear to play a major role in ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects. An HMC3 human microglial cell line was used as a model system to test a possible role for ketamine in immune response regulation that might contribute to its antidepressant effects. Our results highlight the fact that ketamine and its two active metabolites can regulate the type I interferon pathway mediated, at least partially, through signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) which plays a major role in the immune response. Specifically, STAT3 downstream genes that were modulated by either ketamine or its active metabolites were enriched in the "response to type I interferon" pathway. Our data also suggest that STAT3 might play a role in ketamine's antidepressant effects, mediated, at least in part, through eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (EEF2), resulting in the augmentation of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) expression and promoting the synthesis of synaptic proteins postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synapsin I (SYN1).
Multiple social categorization and identity among multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural individuals: Processes and implications.

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the nature and meaning of multiple social categorization in the United States in terms of the three “large-scale social cleavages” (Abrams, 1996, p. 144) of race, ethnicity, and culture. We focus on group-related identities and identity formation in relation to these three broad dimensions of society.
Characterization of Nonlinear Field-Dependent Conductivity Layer Coupled With Protruding Substrate to Address High Electric Field Issue Within High-Voltage High-Density Wide Bandgap Power Modules

In addition to higher blocking voltages of wide bandgap (WBG) power modules, their volume has been targeted to be several times smaller than that of Si-based modules. This translates into higher electric stress within the module and, in turn, a higher risk for unacceptable partial discharge (PD) activities, leading to aging and degradation of both the ceramic substrate and the silicone gel. Due to the small dimensions of power module geometry, in the mm- or $\mu \text{m}$ (for protrusions)-range, and due to its extremely non-uniform electric field geometry, conventional high-voltage testing electrode geometries cannot simulate real conditions. On the other hand, university-based laboratories often cannot provide manufacturing/factory conditions for testing samples and for high-quality materials. Thus, it is difficult to determine the efficacy of electric field control methods through experiments. In these situations, numerical electric field calculation is the only feasible way to evaluate different electrical insulation designs. To this end, the finite-element method (FEM) models of the electrical insulation system used in WBG power modules are developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. It is shown that the current geometrical techniques alone cannot address the high-electric field issue within high-density WBG modules. To address this issue, for the first time, nonlinear field-dependent conductivity (FDC) materials applied to high-electric stress regions in combination with a recently introduced geometrical technique known as the protruding substrate is proposed. In this regard, the nonlinear FDC layer is characterized and various designs to reduce the electric field are evaluated. Moreover, the effect of the operating frequency on the performance of the solution mentioned above will be studied.
Purpose in life is a robust protective factor of reported cognitive decline among late middle-aged adults: The Emory Healthy Aging Study.

Abstract Background: Cognitive abilities tend to decline in advanced age. A novel protective factor of cognitive decline in advanced age is purpose-in-life (PiL), a trait-like tendency to derive life meanings and purpose. However, whether PiL protects against cognitive decline in late-middle-age is unclear. Hence, we examined the association between PiL and perceived cognitive decline, one of the earliest detectable cognitive symptoms before the onset of cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we used a machine learning approach to investigate whether PiL is a robust predictor of cognitive decline when considered with the known protective and risk factors for cognition. Methods: PiL was assessed with a 10-item questionnaire and perceived cognitive decline with the Cognitive Function Instrument among 5,441 Emory Healthy Aging Study participants, whose mean age was 63 and 51% were employed. Association between PiL and perceived cognitive decline was examined with linear regression adjusting for relevant confounding factors. Elastic Net was performed to identify the most robust predictors of cognitive decline. Results: Greater PiL was associated with less perceived cognitive decline after adjusting for the relevant factors. Furthermore, Elastic Net modeling suggested that PiL is a robust predictor of cognitive decline when considered simultaneously with known protective (education, exercise, enrichment activities) and risk factors for cognition (depression, anxiety, diagnosed medical, mental health problems, smoking, alcohol use, family history of dementia, and others). Limitation: This is a cross-sectional study. Conclusions: PiL is a robust protective factor of perceived cognitive decline observed as early as middle age. Thus, interventions to enhance PiL merit further investigation.
20 – Nervous System

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nervous system of the human brain. The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) controls the rest of the body via the peripheral somatic (sensorimotor or voluntary) and autonomic (involuntary) nervous systems. Functional domains within the system are based on contiguous signaling pathways. The nervous system is, perhaps, anatomically and functionally the organ system that differs most between mouse and human. In delineating what separates man from beast, many philosophers and scientists have argued that it is the highly developed human brain and its unique cognitive capacities for reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving. The nervous system poses unique challenges in morphologic assessment. Relative to other organs and body systems, the elements of the normal central nervous system (CNS) are anatomically diverse within and among species, exhibiting major structural changes at both gross and microscopic levels over very short distances and in all three dimensions.
Gene therapy using a novel G6PC-S298C variant enhances the long-term efficacy for treating glycogen storage disease type Ia

The current phase I/II clinical trial for human glycogen storage disease type-Ia (GSD-Ia) (NCT03517085) uses a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector expressing a codon-optimized human glucose-6-phosphatase-α (G6Pase-α or G6PC). DNA sequence changes introduced by codon-optimization can negatively impact gene expression. We therefore generated a novel variant in which a single amino acid change, S298C, is introduced into the native human G6PC sequence. Short term gene transfer study in G6pc-/- mice showed that the rAAV-G6PC-S298C vector is 3-fold more efficacious than the native rAAV-G6PC vector. We have shown previously that restoring 3% of normal hepatic G6Pase-α activity in G6pc-/- mice prevents hepatocellular adenoma/carcinoma (HCA/HCC) development and that mice harboring <3% of normal hepatic G6Pase-α activity are at risk of tumor development. We have also shown that G6Pase-α deficiency leads to hepatic autophagy impairment that can contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. We now undertake a long-term (66-week) preclinical characterization of the rAAV-G6PC-S298C vector in GSD-Ia gene therapy. We show that the increased efficacy of rAAV-G6PC-S298C has enabled the G6pc-/- mice treated with a lower dose of this vector to survive long-term. We further show that mice expressing ≥3% of normal hepatic G6Pase-α activity do not develop hepatic tumors or autophagy impairment but mice expressing <3% of normal hepatic G6Pase-α activity display impaired hepatic autophagy with one developing HCA/HCC nodules. Our study shows that the rAAV-G6PC-S298C vector provides equal or greater efficacy to the codon optimization approach, offering a valuable alternative vector for clinical translation in human GSD-Ia.
Elevated Glycated Hemoglobin Is Associated With Liver Fibrosis, as Assessed by Elastography, in a Population-Based Study of Mexican Americans.

Diabetes is associated with liver disease and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we evaluated the association between liver fibrosis measured by transient elastography and four glucose metabolism measures in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, a population-based, randomly selected cohort of Mexican American Hispanics with high rates of diabetes and liver cancer. We measured liver fibrosis (a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma) in 774 well-characterized cohort participants using transient elastography. We evaluated the association of liver fibrosis with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance using multivariable linear regression models. In multivariable models, log-transformed HbA1c had the strongest association with liver fibrosis (β = 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04-0.69, P = 0.038), after controlling for waist circumference, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, liver fat, and other known confounders. The association was statistically significant among women (β = 0.33, 95% CI 0.10-0.56, P = 0.009) and similar but nonsignificant among men (β = 0.41, 95% CI -0.17 to 0.98, P = 0.593). Waist circumference, platelet count, aspartate transaminase, and liver steatosis were each associated with liver stiffness. Conclusions: Elevated HbA1c is associated with liver fibrosis, a key risk factor for HCC, particularly among women. Our results indicate that Mexican Americans with uncontrolled HbA1c may benefit from routine screening by liver elastography to identify individuals at risk of liver disease progression.
Devices, drugs, and difference: Deep brain stimulation and the advent of personalized medicine

In this chapter, the specific challenges of device regulation are addressed with the suggestion that this analysis might be optimized by analogy to personalized medicine, now ascendant in molecular therapeutics. The challenge of device versus pharmaceutical regulation is made through the example of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Unlike drugs, devices are few in number, expensive to develop and administer, and require discrete medical-surgical interdisciplinary expertise. They are personalized in their scope, are therapeutic and investigative tools, and uniquely face barriers related to intellectual property exchange and conflicts of interest. The recent controversy over FDA’s Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) of DBS in the obsessive-compulsive disorder is offered as evidence of regulatory insufficiency and the failure to distinguish research from therapy due to the therapeutic misconception. An alternative fiscally and methodologically viable research pathway is advanced for quality DBS research.
Poisson Approximations and Convergence Rates for Hyperbolic Dynamical Systems

We prove the asymptotic functional Poisson laws in the total variation norm and obtain estimates of the corresponding convergence rates for a large class of hyperbolic dynamical systems. These results generalize the ones obtained before in this area. Applications to intermittent solenoids, Axiom A systems, Henon attractors and to billiards, are also considered.
Traumatic Brain Injury

Children and adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at high risk for impairments in pragmatic language and social communication more broadly. In this chapter, we provide an overview of epidemiology and outcomes after traumatic brain injury as a context for the study of pragmatics in this group. We then consider models of pragmatics in TBI, and their use in theory and clinical practice, and review findings from illustrative studies in children and adults. Finally, we discuss new approaches to the study of pragmatics in children and adults with TBI, and consider how these approaches can inform research and clinical practice.
Behavioral and Social Determinants of Oral Health in Children With Special Health Care Needs.

* Abbreviation: CYSHCN — : children and youth with special health care needs In this issue of Pediatrics , Lebrun-Harris et al1 analyzed the 2016–2018 National Survey of Children’s Health and found that children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) are more likely to use preventive dental services yet are significantly more likely to have poor oral health, compared with children and youth without special health care needs. At first glance, this finding may seem to be paradoxical on the basis of the assumption that preventive dental service use is causally related to oral health. However, the greatest contributor to poor oral health in CYSHCN is not a lack of preventive dental services. For example, previous researchers have suggested that dental caries among children with autism spectrum disorders likely include a cariogenic diet, sugar-sweetened and xerostomia-causing medications, and poor oral hygiene practices.2–7 As Lebrun-Harris et al1 state, a potential reason for poor oral health among CYSHCN is sociobehavioral, which is not addressed directly through preventive dental visits. Instead, the primary objectives of preventive dental visits for children are typically diagnosis, restorative treatment … Address correspondence to Jacqueline M. Burgette, DMD, PhD, Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261. E-mail: jacqueline{at}pitt.edu
The attraction of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) larvae to baits

An overall tendency for fourth, fifth and sixth instar larvae to feed in a variety of baits was demonstrated. Temperature and relative humidity fluctuations which occurred in the laboratory did not signifi­ cantly affect the behavior of the larvae. Cotton seed hull pellets were the most attractive and inert glass boiling beads were the least attrac­ tive of the materials tested. Moist baits were more attractive than dry or glycol treated baits. Introduction A number of methods have been used to control black cutworms and one of the most popular has been the use of poison baits (Anderson 1902, Bethune 1908, Davis and Turner 1918, Lyle 1928, 1929, Sechriest and Sherrod 1973, 1977, Wilson and Kelsheimer 1955). Presently, applepomace bran is the only filler used in commerical baits for black cut­ worm. Apple-pomace and bran are expensive materials. Therefore, this study was undertaken to see if other relatively inexpensive organic fillers would be suitably attractive to late instar black cutworm larvae. Methods and Materials A black cutworm colony, established from field collected larvae, was maintained according to the general format described by Reese et al. (1972). Fourth, fifth and sixth instar larvae were selected for the
The older patient with a sexual dysfunction

Individuals over 50 who sought evaluation in a Sexual Behaviors Clinic were studied. Commonly male, the group displayed high rates of both organic and psychiatric disorders. Self-referred males were more likely to have psychogenic causes for their complaints.
Successful Replantation of Amputated Nose and Auricle

Amputations of the nose and of the auricle present difficult management problems. Application of simple reattachment techniques, followed by aggressive medical therapy which consists of cooling, anticoagulation, antibiotic coverage, and multiple stab incisions in the amputated tissues, have resulted in the successful replantation of major portions of an amputated nose and an amputated auricle with satisfactory cosmetic results.
Giving Fish a Hand

Gaining Ground The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods. by Jennifer A. Clack. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN, 2002. 383 pp. $49.95, £37.95. ISBN 0-253-34054-3. Through her discussion of when, where, and how vertebrates first came ashore, Clack offers an up-to-date account of our understanding of the fish to tetrapod transition, one of the classic evolutionary stories.
Multiple injection port simulation for resin injection pultrusion

Resin injection pultrusion is a continuous process for manufacturing composite materials. Complete wet-out of the reinforcement fibres in the resin injection chamber is essential for producing good...
Multimedia OC12 parallel interface using VCSEL array to achieve high-performance cost-effective optical interconnections

The multimedia communication needs high-performance, cost- effective communication techniques to transport data for the fast-growing multimedia traffic resulting from the recent deployment of World Wide Web (WWW), media-on-demand , and other multimedia applications. To transport a large volume, of multimedia data, high-performance servers are required to perform media processing and transfer. Typically, the high- performance multimedia server is a massively parallel processor with a high number of I/O ports, high storage capacity, fast signal processing, and excellent cost- performance. The parallel I/O ports of the server are connected to multiple clients through a network switch which uses parallel links in both switch-to-server and switch-to- client connections. In addition to media processing and storage, media communication is also a major function of the multimedia system. Without a high-performance communication network, a high-performance server can not deliver its full capacity of service to clients. Fortunately, there are many advanced communication technologies developed for networking, which can be adopted by the multimedia communication to economically deliver the full capacity of a high-performance multimedia service to clients. The VCSEL array technology has been developed for gigabit-rate parallel optical interconnections because of its high bandwidth, small-size, and easy-fabrication advantages. Several firms are developing multifiber, low-skew, low-cost ribbon cables to transfer signals form a VCSEL array. The OC12 SONET data-rate is widely used by high-performance multimedia communications for its high-data-rate and cost- effectiveness. Therefore, the OC12 VCSEL parallel optical interconnection is the ideal technology to meet the high- performance low-cost requirements for delivering affordable multimedia services to mass users. This paper describes a multimedia OC12 parallel optical interconnection using a VCSEL array transceiver, a multifiber ribbon cable, and MT connectors to achieve a high-performance, low-cost parallel link. A logical model of a multimedia server with parallel connections to an ATM switch, and to clients is presented. The design of the parallel optical link is analyzed. Furthermore, the link configured for testing, the test method, and test results are presented to confirm the analysis and to assure reliable link performance.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Topology design and optimization of nonlinear periodic materials

Abstract This paper explores optimal topologies yielding large band gap shifts in one- and two-dimensional nonlinear periodic materials. The presence of a nonlinearity in a periodic material system results in amplitude-dependent dispersion behavior, leading to novel wave-based devices such as tunable filters, resonators, and waveguides. The performance of these devices over a broad frequency range requires large, tunable band gaps, motivating the present study. Consideration of a one-dimensional bilayer system composed of alternating linear and nonlinear layers shows that optimal designs consist of thin, compliant nonlinear layers. This is at first surprising considering the source of the shift originates from only the nonlinear layer; however, thin layers lead to localized stresses that activate the nonlinear character of the system. This trend persists in two-dimensional materials where optimization studies are performed on plane-stress models discretized using bilinear Lagrange elements. A fast algorithm is introduced for computing the dispersion shifts, enabling efficient parametric analyses of two-dimensional inclusion systems. Analogous to the one-dimensional system, it is shown that thin ligaments of nonlinear material lead to large dispersion shifts and group velocity variations. Optimal topologies of the two-dimensional system are also explored using genetic algorithms aimed at producing large increases in complete band gap width and shift, or group velocity variation, without presupposing the topology. The optimal topologies that result resemble the two-dimensional inclusion systems, but with small corner features that tend to enhance the production of dispersion shift further. Finally, the study concludes with a discussion on Bloch wave modes and their important role in the production of amplitude-dependent dispersion behavior. The results of the study provide insight and guidance on selecting topologies and materials which can yield large amplitude-dependent band gap shifts and group velocity variations, thus enabling sensitive nonlinear devices.
Large N saddle formulation of quadratic building block theories

Abstract I develop a large N saddle point formulation for the broad class of “theories of quadratic building blocks”. Such theories are those in which the sums over internal indices are contained in quadratic building blocks, e.g., φ2 = Σa = 1N φa φa. The formulation applies as well to fermions, derivative coupling and non-polynomial interactions. In a related development, closed Schwinger-Dyson equations for Green functions of the building blocks are derived and solved for large N.
Microtubule-mediated NF-κB activation in the TNF-α signaling pathway

The microtubule cytoskeleton is known to play a role in cell structure and serve as a scaffold for a variety of active molecules in processes as diverse as motility and cell division. The literature on the role of microtubules in signal transduction, however, is marked by inconsistencies. We have investigated a well-studied signaling pathway, TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation, and found a connection between the stability of microtubules and the regulation of NF-kappaB signaling in C2C12 myotubes. When microtubules are stabilized by paclitaxel (taxol), there is a strong induction of NF-kappaB even in the absence of TNF-alpha . Although there was no additive effect of taxol and TNF-alpha on NF-kappaB activity suggesting a shared mechanism of activation, taxol strongly induced the NF-kappaB reporter in the presence of a TNF receptor (TNFR) blocking antibody while TNF-alpha did not. Both TNF-alpha and taxol induce the degradation of endogenous IkappaBalpha and either taxol or TNF-alpha induction of NF-kappaB activity was blocked by inhibitors of NF-kappaB acting at different sites in the signaling pathway. Both TNF-alpha and taxol strongly induce known NF-kappaB chemokine target genes. On the other hand, if microtubules are destabilized by colchicine, then the induction of NF-kappaB by TNF-alpha or taxol is greatly reduced. Taken together, we surmise that the activity of microtubules is at the level of the TNFR intracellular domain. This phenomenon may indicate a new level of signaling organization in cell biology, actively created by the state of the cytoskeleton, and has ramifications for therapies where microtubule regulating drugs are used.
The Effect of Moderate Hypotension on Vasopressin Levels in Normal Humans

ABSTRACT Isosmotic decreases in central venous pressure do not stimulate arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion in normal humans, while symptomatic vasovagal hypotension produces large rises in plasma AVP levels. The effects of an asymptomatic fall in arterial pressure on plasma AVP in humans are poorly documented. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, plasma osmolality, and plasma AVP were measured in seven healthy volunteers during infusion of sodium nitroprusside on two occasions, with and without central venous pressure measurements. On both study days, heart rate increases (5 ± 3 and 8 ± 4 beats/min) and mean arterial pressure reductions (12 ± 3 and 13 ± 2.0 mm Hg) were comparable. Plasma AVP (3.2 ± 1.4 and 4.0 ±1.7 pg/ml at control) did not change on either study day after nitroprusside titration (30–40 minutes) or after an additional 90 minute observation on the first day. When measured on the second day, central venous pressure declined from 5.6 ± 1.9 to 2.9 ± 1.5 mm Hg, p
Personal accounts of consumer/survivors: insights and implications.

The personal accounts of people diagnosed with mental illness have much to teach practitioners. Based on the four articles in this issue, the expanding literature of personal accounts, and the relevant professional literature, some of the salient themes are discussed. Initially, the human context of mental illness is explored, including the diversity among those diagnosed with mental illness and the cataclysmic impact of such a diagnosis on individuals. The recovery process also is examined, including the role of hope, locus of control, coping skills and strategies, and social support and self-help. Finally, the mental health system is considered, including the limitations of the system, patienthood, professional roles and relationships, and psychotherapy. Implications for practitioners are noted. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol/In Session 56: 1447–1457, 2000.
DISCRIMINATION OF 5'-GGGG-3', 5'-GCGC-3', AND 5'-GGCC-3' SEQUENCES IN THE MINOR GROOVE OF DNA BY EIGHT-RING HAIRPIN POLYAMIDES

Eight-ring hairpin polyamides which differ only by the linear arrangement of pyrrole (Py) and imidazole (Im) amino acids were designed for recognition of six base pair DNA sequences containing four contiguous G,C base pairs. The respective DNA binding properties of three polyamides, ImImPyPy-γ-ImImPyPy-β-Dp, ImPyImPy-γ-ImPyImPy-β-Dp, and ImImImIm-γ-PyPyPyPy-β-Dp, were analyzed by footprinting and affinity cleavage on a DNA fragment containing the respective match sites 5‘-TGGCCA-3‘, 5‘-TGCGCA-3‘, and 5‘-TGGGGA-3‘. Quantitative footprint titrations demonstrate that ImImPyPy-γ-ImImPyPy-β-Dp binds the designed match site 5‘-TGGCCA-3‘ with an equilibrium association constant of Ka = 1 × 1010 M-1 and >250-fold specificity versus the mismatch sequences, 5‘-TGCGCA-3‘ and 5‘-TGGGGA-3‘. The polyamides ImPyImPy-γ-ImPyImPy-β-Dp and ImImImIm-γ-PyPyPyPy-β-Dp recognize their respective 5‘-TGCGCA-3‘ and 5‘-TGGGGA-3‘ match sites with reduced affinity relative to ImImPyPy-γ-ImImPyPy-β-Dp, but again with high specificity with regard to mismatch sites. These results expand the DNA sequence repertoire targeted by pyrrole-imidazole polyamides and identify sequence composition effects which will guide further second-generation polyamide design for DNA recognition.
Effects of storage of granulocytes on their fate in vivo

During storage of granulocytes, the chemotactic response deteriorates first and to the greatest extent. Because in vitro assays such as chemataxis may not adequately predict the fate of granulocytes in vivo, we determined the intravascular kinetics and migration into skin windows of indium-111 labeled granulocytes. Granulocytes stored for 24 hours at either 1 to 6 or 20 to 24 degrees C had significantly reduced intravascular recoveries and migration into skin windows. Granulocytes stored for only eight hours at 20 to 24 degrees C had normal intravascular recovery and migration into skin windows. In granulocytes stored for eight hours at 1 to 6 degrees C, the intravascular recovery and migration into skin windows were reduced. Because of the method of calculating migration, this observation suggests that granulocytes which do circulate after storage at 1 to 6 degrees C had decreased ability to migrate into the skin windows. Granulocytes can be stored for up to eight hours at 20 to 24 degrees C without reduction in their ability to circulate and migrate to a site of inflammation. However, since many practical issues in granulocyte storage are not resolved, granulocytes should be transfused as soon as possible after collection.
Acute biliary pancreatitis: does gender and race influence the incidence

Background: Previous studies have indicated that although gallstones are more common in females, acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) is more frequent in men, attributed to a relatively bigger CBD diameter in men than in women (Ann Surg 1991;214:667|[ndash]|70).