cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A protocol for heterologous expression and functional assay for mouse pheromone receptors.

Innate social behaviors like intermale aggression, fear, and mating rituals are important for survival and propagation of a species. In mice, these behaviors have been implicated to be mediated by peptide pheromones that are sensed by a class of G protein-coupled receptors, vomeronasal receptor type 2 (V2Rs), expressed in the pheromone-detecting vomeronasal organ (VNO) (Chamero et al., Nature 450:899–902, 2007; Haga et al., Nature 466:118–122, 2010; Kimoto et al., Curr Biol 17:1879–1884, 2007; Leinders-Zufall et al., Nat Neurosci 12:1551– 1558, 2009; Papes et al., Cell 141:692–703, 2010) Matching V2Rs with their cognate ligands is required to understand what receptors the biologically relevant pheromones are acting on. However, this goal has been greatly limited by the unavailability of appropriate heterologous tools commonly used to carry out receptor deorphanization, due to the fact that this family of receptors fails to traffic to the surface of heterologous cells. We have demonstrated that calreticulin, a housekeeping chaperone commonly expressed in most eukaryotic cells, is sparsely expressed in the vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs). Stable knock down of calreticulin in a HEK293T derived cell line (R24 cells) allows us to functionally express V2Rs on the surface of heterologous cells. In this chapter we describe protocols for maintenance and expansion of the R24 cell line and functional assays for V2Rs using these cells.
Ingarden and the Prague school

Commentators have pointed out a number of noteworthy connections between Prague School Structuralism and the phenomenological tradition. Examining Roman Ingarden's Das literarische Kunstwerk – first published in German in 1931 – vis-a-vis the theories of the Prague School yields additional insight into the phenomenological contexts of Czech Structuralism. Yet the importance of Ingarden's aesthetics for literary bohemistics is not merely historical. Above and beyond the obvious influence of Ingarden on Prague theorists like Felix Vodicka, Ingarden's stratification of the literary text into four levels or modalities of signification, and his emphasis on the world-creating properties of fictional discourse, reveal the possibilities and limits of both the Structuralist and the phenomenological orientations. Indeed, viewed in tandem with the polyfunctionalist theories of the Prague School, Ingarden's aesthetic theory shows how we might work toward a richer, more productive approach to verbal art generally – an approach that draws on phenomenological and functionalist ideas, but that also recasts those ideas in light of more recent developments in linguistic and literary theory, especially developments associated with linguistic pragmatics and possible worlds semantics.
Inferring structures of kinetic intermediates in Ca(2+)-triggered exocytosis.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the inferring structures of kinetic intermediates in Ca2+-triggered exocytosis. The fusion of biological membranes proceeds through a series of intermediates that are generated by structural transitions in proteins and deformation of lipid bilayers. In membrane fusion during Ca2+-triggered exocytosis, the key proteins have been identified and subjected to structural analysis. These proteins have been used to develop hypothetical mechanisms for exocytosis, often invoking explicit structures for key kinetic intermediates. The structures of these intermediates posit unique relations between proteins and lipids. The fusion of two membranes requires the distortion and controlled disruption of lipid bilayers. After being brought very close together, two lipid bilayer membranes are strained to the point where they can relax to a new bilayer structure in which the previously separate membranes have become contiguous. Elucidating the mechanism of membrane fusion is in essence an effort to characterize the distortions and to search for structures that can serve as kinetic intermediates.
Image enhancement of computer-acquired gastrointestinal bleeding images

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding may be detected using a noninvasive nuclear medicine imaging procedure to assess and/or localize specific areas of hemorrhage in patients who may be actively bleeding. However, dilution of tracer in the bowel may cause difficulty in interpretation. Image enhancement of computer-acquired images allows optimum display of a wide count range of information to aid the nuclear medicine physician in interpretation. A case is reported in which this enhancement technique was utilized for proper diagnosis. An 83-yr-old white female with prior history of GI bleeding and persistent blood in her stools was given {sup 99m}Tc-sulfur colloid (SC) intravenously and subsequently imaged.
Abstract 4155: USP11 regulates UV-induced DNA damage repair and cell survival associated with skin cancer

UV radiation is a major risk factor for skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States. UV exposure leads to DNA damage by formation of dimers between adjacent pyrimidine bases. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) process is responsible for removal of UV-induced DNA damage. When the damage is left unrepaired due to inefficient NER in disorders like xeroderma pigmentosum, it leads to skin tumorigenesis. Although the main players of the NER pathway have been characterized, the molecular regulation of the pathway is less understood. Understanding the regulation, particularly post-translational regulation, of the NER pathway has the potential to yield modulators of NER efficiency to prevent skin cancer. We found that chronic UV irradiation led to down-regulation of ubiquitin specific peptidase 11 (USP11) in mouse skin tissue. We also found that USP11 is decreased in skin tumors in mice and humans. Moreover, high-throughput proteomics analysis had predicted that USP11 may interact with NER factor XPC. Hence, we undertook this study to determine the role of USP11 in NER and cellular response to UV. We found that USP11 promoted the NER pathway by regulating XPC activity. USP11 promoted XPC deubiquitination and retention at the DNA damage sites. We also found that USP11 interaction with ubiquitinated XPC was enhanced post-UV irradiation, and that USP11 was recruited to the chromatin post-UV damage. Further, squamous cell carcinoma cells showed reduced survival with inhibition of USP11 after UV exposure. Our findings indicate that USP11 plays an important role in maintaining NER capacity, and suggest that USP11 acts as a tumor suppressor via its role in DNA repair. Citation Format: Palak Shah, Lei Qiang, Seungwon Yang, Keyoumars Soltani, Yu-Ying He. USP11 regulates UV-induced DNA damage repair and cell survival associated with skin cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4155.
Superusers: Drivers of health care resource utilization in the national trauma population.

Abstract Background Health care spending is driven by a very small percentage of Americans, many of whom are patients with prolonged durations of stay. The objective of this study was to characterize superusers in the trauma population. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank for 2008–2012 was queried. Superusers were defined as those with a duration of stay in the top 0.06% of the population and were compared with the remainder of the population to determine differences in demographic characteristics, comorbidities, prehospital factors, and outcomes. Multivariate analysis was used to determine independent predictors of being classified as a superuser. Results A total of 3,617,261 patients met inclusion criteria, with 34,728 qualifying as superusers. Mean duration of stay for superusers was 58.7 days compared with the average 4.6 days (P Conclusion Age, sex, race, and insurance were associated with prolonged use of inpatient care in the trauma patient population. Specific comorbidities and complications are associated with being a superuser. This subset of the trauma population confers a disproportionate burden on the health care system and can serve as a potential target for intervention.
Current pharmacological treatment guidelines for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Psoriasis is a common chronic skin condition that is prevalent worldwide. Despite the numerous treatment options available, discrepancies exist between international guidelines.Areas covered: This review aims to evaluate the current international guidelines for the systemic treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.Expert commentary: Most guidelines are unanimous on medication dosing and laboratory monitoring. However, even the most up-to-date guidelines do not include many of the new biologic medications. Guidelines will require frequent updates to include the newer treatments and will soon need to state a recommendation on the use of biosimilars.
A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Fairness in Search.

While search efficacy has been evaluated traditionally on the basis of result relevance, fairness of search has attracted recent attention. In this work, we define a notion of distributional fairness and provide a conceptual framework for evaluating search results based on it. As part of this, we formulate a set of axioms which an ideal evaluation framework should satisfy for distributional fairness. We show how existing TREC test collections can be repurposed to study fairness, and we measure potential data bias to inform test collection design for fair search. A set of analyses show metric divergence between relevance and fairness, and we describe a simple but flexible interpolation strategy for integrating relevance and fairness into a single metric for optimization and evaluation.
Donald Trump and the 2016 New Hampshire Primary

How did Donald Trump, whom most Republican leaders believed was wrong on many key issues and dangerously unelectable, win the 2016 nomination? Trump was helped by press coverage that did not treat him as a serious candidate, by a large field of opponents who spent more time attacking each other than they did him, by a lack of clear signals from party leaders, and a series of strategic blunders by his opponents. Additionally, Trump’s issue positions allowed him to appeal to both hardline conservatives and the moderate primary voters who play an outsized role in Republican presidential nomination contests.
Delayed γ Rays from Thermal-Neutron Fission of U 235 and Pu 239

Measurements of the time dependence of delayed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray activities from thermal-neutron fission of ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ and ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$ have been performed with a plastic scintillation detector for the time interval 0.01-4.0 sec after fission. Absolute intensities were obtained by normalizing these data to the results of Fisher and Engle which cover the time interval 0.2-45.0 sec after fission. The present results are in satisfactory agreement with Griffin's theoretical extrapolations to the msec region.
The Relationships Between Sport Club Activities and University and Member Attachment

Given the social purpose of sport clubs, an anticipated outcome of club participation is a sense of attachment to the university and campus community. However, the sport behaviors that contribute t...
A customizable deep learning model for nosocomial risk prediction from critical care notes with indirect supervision.

Objective Reliable longitudinal risk prediction for hospitalized patients is needed to provide quality care. Our goal is to develop a generalizable model capable of leveraging clinical notes to predict healthcare-associated diseases 24-96 hours in advance. Methods We developed a reCurrent Additive Network for Temporal RIsk Prediction (CANTRIP) to predict the risk of hospital acquired (occurring ≥ 48 hours after admission) acute kidney injury, pressure injury, or anemia ≥ 24 hours before it is implicated by the patient's chart, labs, or notes. We rely on the MIMIC III critical care database and extract distinct positive and negative cohorts for each disease. We retrospectively determine the date-of-event using structured and unstructured criteria and use it as a form of indirect supervision to train and evaluate CANTRIP to predict disease risk using clinical notes. Results Our experiments indicate that CANTRIP, operating on text alone, obtains 74%-87% area under the curve and 77%-85% Specificity. Baseline shallow models showed lower performance on all metrics, while bidirectional long short-term memory obtained the highest Sensitivity at the cost of significantly lower Specificity and Precision. Discussion Proper model architecture allows clinical text to be successfully harnessed to predict nosocomial disease, outperforming shallow models and obtaining similar performance to disease-specific models reported in the literature. Conclusion Clinical text on its own can provide a competitive alternative to traditional structured features (eg, lab values, vital signs). CANTRIP is able to generalize across nosocomial diseases without disease-specific feature extraction and is available at https://github.com/h4ste/cantrip.
Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution

Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution is a book that is largely focused on trying to understand the streaming service and its claim of global accessibility. Taking the global roll ...
Stochastic Evolutionary Systems

Random evolutions are natural abstract models for various real processes which elapse under the influence of random factors of a random media.
Evaluation of a Novel Antiplatelet Therapy Strategy in Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BackgroundTicagrelor presents less thrombotic risk compared to clopidogrel in acute coronary syndromes. However, its role in dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)-naive patients with stable ischemic hea...
Effect of varenicline directly observed therapy versus varenicline self-administered therapy on varenicline adherence and smoking cessation in methadone-maintained smokers: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Level of adherence to tobacco cessation medication regimens is believed to be causally related to medication effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of varenicline directly observed therapy (DOT) on varenicline adherence and smoking cessation rates among smokers with opioid use disorder (OUD) receiving methadone treatment. DESIGN Multicenter, parallel-group two-arm randomized controlled trial. SETTING Urban opioid treatment program (OTP) in the Bronx, New York, USA. PARTICIPANTS Daily smokers of ≥ 5 cigarettes/day, interested in quitting (ladder of change score 6-8), in methadone treatment for ≥ 3 months, attending OTP ≥ 3 days/week. Participants' mean age was 49 years, 56% were male, 44% Latino, 30% Black, and they smoked a median of 10 cigarettes/day. INTERVENTIONS Individual, block, random assignment to 12 weeks of varenicline, either directly observed with methadone (DOT, n = 50) or via unsupervised self-administered treatment (SAT, n = 50). MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was adherence measured by pill count. The secondary outcome was 7-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence verified by expired carbon monoxide (CO) < 8 parts per million. FINDINGS Retention at 24 weeks was 92%. Mean adherence was 78.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 71.8-85.2%] in the DOT group versus 61.8% in the SAT group (95% CI = 55.0-68.6%); differences were driven by DOT effects in the first 6 weeks. CO-verified abstinence did not differ between groups during the intervention (P = 0.26), but was higher in the DOT than the SAT group at intervention end (DOT = 18% versus SAT = 10%, difference = 8%, 95% CI = -13, 28); this difference was not significant (P = 0.39) and was not sustained at 24-week follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Among daily smokers attending opioid treatment programs, opioid treatment program-based varenicline directly observed therapy was associated with early increases in varenicline adherence compared with self-administered treatment, but findings were inconclusive as to whether directly observed therapy was associated with a difference in tobacco abstinence.
Gaseous 3He nuclear magnetic resonance probe for cryogenic environments

Normal nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes cannot be used to make high frequency resolution measurements in a cryogenic environment because they lose their frequency resolution when the liquid sample in the probe freezes. A gaseous 3He NMR probe, designed and constructed to work naturally in such cryogenic environments, is demonstrated at 4.2 K and 5.3 T to have a frequency resolution better than 0.4 ppb. As a demonstration of its usefulness, the cryogenic probe is used to shim a superconducting solenoid with a cryogenic interior to produce a magnetic field with a high spatial homogeneity and to measure the magnetic field stability.
The Willful Blindness Doctrine: Justifiable in Principle, Problematic in Practice

This article was presented at “Guilty Minds: A Virtual Conference on Mens Rea and Criminal Justice Reform” at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Under the willful blindness doctrine widely employed in federal criminal prosecutions, courts expand a statutory “knowledge” or “willfulness” requirement to encompass “willful blindness” or “deliberate indifference.” The WB doctrine bridges the gap between recklessness and knowledge, treating a subcategory of recklessness cases as if they were knowledge cases—namely, those cases in which defendant is not merely aware of a substantial risk that the incriminating fact exists, but also deliberately avoided confirmation of the incriminating fact. This article closely examines different versions of the WB doctrine as well as its application in recent cases. Careful analysis suggests that the doctrine, although justifiable in the abstract as a matter of principle and policy, is highly problematic in practice. With respect to the first element of WB, courts offer little guidance about how much suspicion defendant must harbor that the incriminating fact exists. With respect to the second element, courts give varying and often inadequate explanations of the meaning of “conscious” or “deliberate avoidance” or “deliberate ignorance.” For example, they often do not resolve whether a simple failure to inquire into the facts suffices. I conclude that courts should either significantly narrow the doctrine or, better, suspend its use until empirical research demonstrates that it can be accurately, consistently, and fairly implemented. More generally, there is a compelling need for more empirical study of how ordinary people and legally trained actors understand such mens rea terms as knowledge, belief, recklessness, willful blindness, and deliberate avoidance.
"When you have a high life, and you like sex, you will be afraid": a qualitative evaluation of adolescents' decision to test for HIV in Zambia and Kenya using the health belief model.

HIV testing among adolescents is significantly lower than among adults and many adolescents living with HIV do not know their status. Adolescent perceptions of HIV testing are poorly understood and may negatively affect testing uptake. Using a qualitative design, this study sought to explore perceptions about HIV testing and treatment among adolescents living with HIV and adolescents of unknown HIV status in Lusaka, Zambia and Kenya. Study participants were adolescents aged 15–19 years old. The adolescents living with HIV were recruited from HIV support groups at health facilities. Adolescents of unknown HIV status were recruited from existing adolescent groups within the community. In both Zambia and Kenya, four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with adolescents living with HIV and four FGDs were conducted with adolescents whose HIV status was unknown, for a total of 16 FDGs. FGDs consisted of 6–12 participants, a moderator, and a note-taker. FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into transcripts. Transcripts were coded in the qualitative analysis software program MAXQDA v. 12. Data reduction and summary tables were generated to help identify themes across the two study population groups. Data were interpreted within the health belief model. Adolescents discussed the challenges of facing a positive HIV test result, including fear of a positive result and need to change their lifestyle, fear of social isolation, and perception of the lost opportunity to achieve future dreams. Most adolescents of unknown status were not as aware of the benefits of learning their HIV status, nor were they aware of the ability to live a long and healthy life on ART. HIV-positive adolescents reported that the messages targeted towards adolescents focus on the need to remain HIV-negative, as opposed to the benefits of knowing one’s status. Adolescents described age and requirements for parental permission as a significant limitation in their ability to access HIV testing. Adolescents require more information about the benefits of testing early and the ability to live a long and healthy life on ART. Educating adolescents that HIV testing is a normative behavior among their peers could strengthen HIV testing among adolescents.
Platelet Reactivity Testing for Aspirin Patients Who Sustain Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage.

Abstract Background Patients who take aspirin and sustain traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (tICH) are often transfused platelets in an effort to prevent bleeding progression. The efficacy of platelet transfusion is questionable, however, and some medical societies recommend that platelet reactivity testing (PRT) should guide transfusion decisions. The study hypothesis was that utilization of PRT to guide platelet transfusion for tICH patients suspected of taking aspirin would safely identify patients who did not require platelet transfusion. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with blunt tICH who received PRT for known or suspected aspirin use between June 2014 and December 2017 at a level I trauma center. Chart abstraction was conducted to determine home aspirin status, and PRT values were used to classify patients as therapeutic or nontherapeutic on aspirin. Differences were assessed with Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests. Results 157 patients met study inclusion criteria, and 118 (75%) patients had documented prior aspirin use. PRT results were available approximately 1.7 h (IQR: 0.9, 3.2) after arrival. Upon initial PRT, 70% of patients were considered inhibited and 88% of those patients had aspirin documented as a home medication. Conversely, 18% of patients with home aspirin use had normal platelet reactivity. Clinically significant worsening of the tICH did not significantly differ when comparing those who received platelet transfusion with those who did not (8% versus 7%, P = 0.87). Conclusions Platelet reactivity testing can detect platelet inhibition related to aspirin and should guide transfusion decisions for head injured patients in the initial hours after trauma.
Understanding memorably negative provider care delivery experiences: Why patient experiences matter for providers.

BACKGROUND Negative experiences contribute to provider dissatisfaction and burnout. Prior research suggests that negative experiences have greater impact on individuals than positive experiences. METHODS Interviews were conducted with surgical and oncology care providers (107 MDs, 253 non-MDs) working in 10 geographically diverse, academic and community hospitals across the U.S. Using a thematic network approach, we identified core themes describing drivers of memorably negative experiences. We applied logistic regression with adjustments for multiple comparisons to evaluate the relationship between demographic characteristics and types of experiences. RESULTS We identified 13 themes from 360 experiences and from these, developed a framework describing how work culture, environment, individual factors, and patient experiences lead to memorably, negative provider experiences. Providers most frequently described negative work environment experiences (158/360) and poor communication experiences with patients and other care professionals (151/360). Across themes, one third of respondents attributed memorably negative experiences to patient experiences (119/360). Midwest providers described patient centeredness more than other providers (OR = 3.9, p < 0.001). Providers from the Northeast, MDs compared to non-MDs, and providers with 15+ years of work experience identified negative insurance-related experiences more frequently (OR = 0.2, P = 0.007; OR = 2.9, P = 0.002 OR = 4.2, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS We offer a framework for understanding negative experiences among providers. Our study suggests that across a broad set of causes, improving patient experiences could substantially improve the negative, memorable experiences of providers. IMPLICATIONS Addressing negative patient experiences may have the double benefit of improving patient care and reducing provider burnout. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
VidaTalk™ patient communication application "opened up" communication between nonvocal ICU patients and their family

Abstract Objectives To explore family members’ perceptions of an electronic communication application, VidaTalk™, their communication experience, and emotional reactions to communication with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care units. Research methodology/design Qualitative phase of a mixed-methods study nested within a randomised controlled trial. Family members in the intervention group received the VidaTalk™ app as a communication aid during their intensive care stay. Seven family members participated in 18 semi-structured email interviews after discharge between May and December 2018. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Setting Families were recruited in multiple intensive care units located in one university hospital. Main outcome measures Communication experience with the VidaTalk™ and emotions while communicating with the patient. Basic qualitative description and constant comparative techniques were used to code and analyse the text using ATLAS_ti (Version 7.5.18). Findings The VidaTalk™ opened up family-patient communication by allowing clear communication and expanding communication content. Family members felt happy and thankful to communicate with the patient. They also expressed feelings of relief and less frustration and less stress while communicating with the patient.​ On the other hand, the patient’s ability to express their worries or anxiety sometimes made families feel sad or distressed. Conclusion The VidaTalk™ was helpful for family-patient communication. The VidaTalk™ may help families reduce psychological distress. However, ​expanded communication with critically ill patients may cause other negative feelings.
Systemic inflammation is associated with inferior disease control and survival in stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Background The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) correlates with patient survival in various types of solid malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, limited information is available on the prognostic implication and disease-specific survival of SII in patients undergoing definitive chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for stage III NSCLC. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 125 patients who underwent curative intent CRT for stage III NSCLC with sufficient laboratory assessment from 2010-2019. SII was calculated at the time of diagnosis as platelet count × neutrophil count/lymphocyte count. Chi-squared analysis was used to compare categorical variables. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to estimate progression-free survival (PFS), disease specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS) rates, with Cox regression used to determine absolute hazards. Results At a median follow-up of 19.7 months, 5-year OS, DSS, and PFS rates were 22.6%, 30.9%, and 13.4%, respectively. A low SII (<1,266) at diagnosis was independently associated with an improved OS (HR: 0.399, 95%, CI: 0.247-0.644, P<0.001), DSS (HR: 0.383, 95%, CI: 0.228-0.645, P<0.001), and PFS (HR: 0.616, 95%, CI: 0.407-0.932, P=0.022). We did not detect an association between SII and freedom from recurrence (FFR), freedom from locoregional recurrence (FFLRR), or freedom from distant recurrence (FFDR). NSAID (1,483.4 vs. 2,302.9, P=0.038) and statin usage (1,443.9 vs. 2,201.7, P=0.046) were associated with a lower SII while COPD exacerbations (2,699.7 vs. 1,573.7, P=0.032) and antibiotic prescriptions (2,384.6 vs. 1,347.9, P=0.009) were associated with an elevated SII. These factors were not independently associated with improved survival outcomes. Conclusions Low SII scores were independently associated with improved OS, DSS, and PFS rates in patients with stage III NSCLC undergoing definitive CRT. NSAIDs and statin usage may be associated with lower SII at diagnosis of NSCLC. This study suggests that SII may be an effective prognostic indicator of patient mortality. Further investigation of the therapeutic potential of these agents in patients with an elevated SII in this setting may be warranted.
Seatbelt Sign as an Indication for Four-vessel Computed Tomography Angiogram of the Neck to Diagnose Blunt Carotid Artery and Other Cervical Vascular Injuries:

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the neck has become the most common modality for diagnosing blunt carotid artery injury (BCAI). The protocol at our institution includes CTA on trauma patients with a seatbelt sign. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a solitary seatbelt sign is an indication for CTA of the neck to diagnose BCAI. We conducted a retrospective review of patients from 2000 to 2010 who received CTAs as a result of a seatbelt sign performed at our Level I trauma center. Four hundred eighteen patients received CTAs based on the presence of a seatbelt sign. Two hundred twenty-six had skeletal injuries, obvious soft tissue injuries, and/or positive findings on imaging, including 11 positive vascular findings with two BCAIs found. Patients with noncarotid vascular injuries on CTA had a higher Injury Severity Score than patients with solitary seatbelt signs (11.4 ± 7.6 vs 3.4 ± 4.2, P < 0.01). The correlation between seatbelt sign and positive finding on CTA was weak (r = 0.007). Patients with vascular findings on CTA also had obvious hard/soft tissue injuries and/or positive findings on standard trauma imaging. This suggests that a protocol for CTA of the neck for patients with a seatbelt sign can be reserved for those with associated injuries on physical examination and/or findings on standard trauma imaging.
Receipt of exercise counseling by older women.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the national prevalence of reported receipt of clinician exercise counseling across four age groups of women (50–64, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85) and to determine whether age or health are barriers to reported receipt of exercise counseling. DESIGN: 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Six thousand three hundred eighty-five women aged 50 and older who responded to the 2000 NHIS, representing an estimated 34.5 million noninstitutionalized women nationally. MEASUREMENTS: Exercise counseling, disease burden, functional dependency, and physical inactivity were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 6,385 women, 52.2% were aged 50 to 64, 24.8% were aged 65 to 74, 18.0% were age 75 to 84, and 5.1% were aged 85 and older. Overall, 28.3% reported that a clinician had recommended that they begin or continue to perform any type of exercise or physical activity during the previous year: 31.4% of women aged 50 to 64, 29.2% of women aged 65 to 74, 21.6% of women aged 75 to 84, and 14.4% of women aged 85 and older. Women aged 75 to 84 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.6–1.0) and women aged 85 and older (AOR=0.6, 95% CI=0.4–0.9) were substantially less likely to report clinician counseling about exercise, before and after adjustment. Further adjustment for illness burden and functional dependency did not attenuate the effect of receipt of exercise counseling. CONCLUSION: Reported receipt of exercise counseling by older women is low nationally. Despite known benefits of late-life exercise, women aged 75 and older are less likely to report receiving exercise counseling from their clinicians than women aged 50 to 64. Interventions should be aimed at increasing clinician counseling about exercise, especially to older women.
Cyclic nucleotides and glycoproteins during formation of cholesterol gallstones in prairie dogs

Abstract Male prairie dogs received in standard diets either 0.08% cholesterol (control, n=30) or 1.2% cholesterol (lithogenic, n=31). Animals were killed at days 2–4, 7, 10, 21, and 39 to determine the temporal sequence of changes in mucosal cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate in the gallbladder and of cholesterol saturation, glycoproteins, cholesterol crystals, and gallstones in bile of prairie dogs fed a cholesterol-rich lithogenic diet. Glycoprotein concentration in bile in the lithogenic group was significantly elevated compared to controls on all days of death. Saturation of bile and formation of cholesterol crystals occurred only in the lithogenic group, detected first after 7 days of feeding. Gallstones were found in the lithogenic group only. Elevation of cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate in the mucosa of gallbladders was found in the lithogenic group only, beginning at day 10. In summary, increased glycoproteins in bile preceded cholesterol saturation and crystallization which, in turn, preceded increased mucosal cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate.
Auto evaluación de personas enfermas de esquizofrenia empleando el Cuestionario Sevilla Calidad de Vida

Objetivos: conocer la percepcion subjetiva de Calidad de Vida de un grupo de personas enfermas de esquizofrenia empleando el Cuestionario Sevilla y analizar su relacion con variables clinicas y neuropsicologicas. Metodologia: 50 pacientes respondieron el cuestionario Sevilla y fueron evaluados con una bateria neuropsicologica y con las escalas PANSS y EEAG. Resultados: la mayoria de los pacientes manifesto un nivel elevado de satisfaccion vital. Existe una relacion inversa, estadisticamente significativa, entre la subescala desfavorable del Cuestionario Sevilla, los puntajes de la escala GAFFy los sintomas negativos, de psicopatologia general y el item de Insight de la PANSS. Conclusiones: Las personas enfermas de esquizofrenia podrian informar adecuadamente respecto de su calidad de vida. La satisfaccion vital de los pacientes depende de factores distintos de los resultados directos del tratamiento medico.
Analysis of the decay psi -->vector

An analysis of eight two-body Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka-rule-violating decays of $\ensuremath{\psi}$ to a vector and a pseudoscalar is carried out. The analysis uses the vector-dominance model and a standard parametrization of the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) process. It is pointed out that for two of the rates a second-order OZI process makes a substantial contribution. Seven of the eight rates are consistent with each other and the model; only $\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\eta}$ is inconsistent. The average value of ${G}_{\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\pi}}$ extracted from the data is 8.85 Ge${\mathrm{V}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, consistent with the chiral result ${G}_{\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\pi}}=\frac{{{m}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}}^{2}}{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}{{F}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{3}}=9.3$ Ge${\mathrm{V}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Field experiments of television violence with children: Evidence for an environmental hazard?

The findings from 20 field experiments were examined to determine the short-term effects of viewing aggression-laden television shows on child social behavior. The available literature provides little support for an effect that is peculiar to aggressive content. In fact, although almost all studies showed elevated levels of antisocial behavior following the viewing of similar material, they also revealed similar, and sometimes greater, effects in response to low or nonaggressive fare. These findings are discussed with regard to their clinical relevance for preventive medicine and implications for imposing "wholesome" television programming on child viewers.
Ultra-late erysipeloid angiotropic metastatic malignant melanoma.

In 1998, a 70-year-old white man developed a slowly increasing swelling of the right lower extremity of 5 months' duration. During the 3 weeks prior to presentation, the patient noted intensifying erythema accompanied by increasing tenderness and warmth on palpation. A clinical diagnosis of cellulitis was made and the patient underwent a 2-week course of oral cephalexin, 500 mg four times a day, without improvement. Dermatology was consulted. The pertinent past medical history included: (i) wide local excision of a Clark's level II malignant melanoma from the left lower back in 1980; (ii) metastatic malignant melanoma involving the bladder removed by cystectomy in 1995, together with left inguinal node resection followed by systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy; (iii) recurrent metastatic malignant melanoma on the right inguinal node, resected, and followed by docetaxel therapy in 1997 with resolution. Physical examination disclosed an ill-looking, elderly man with a moderately well-demarcated, elevated, slightly tender, edematous, warm, erythematous, confluent plaque involving the proximal right lower extremity and the right lower flank, suggestive of erysipelas (Fig. 1). Histologic examination revealed infiltration of the superficial and deep dermal vessels (mainly small venules) by highly anaplastic cells (Fig. 2). The vascular lumina were occluded with the neoplastic cells and focal microthrombi formation. Immunohistochemical staining for S-100 protein, HMB-45, and vimentin confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. CD31 immunostaining decorated the endothelial lining of the dermal vessels. Tissue cultures and special stains for bacteria and fungi were negative. A diagnosis of erysipeloid metastatic malignant melanoma involving the vessels was made. The patient and the family declined further aggressive treatments, and the patient died within a few weeks under hospice care. Figure 1. Moderately well-demarcated, edematous, erythematous plaque on the right lower flank and proximal right lower extremity with tenderness and warmth on palpation Download figure to PowerPoint Figure 2. Malignant melanoma cells infiltrating a dermal vessel. The vascular lumen demonstrates occlusion by anaplastic cells Download figure to PowerPoint
Quantitative Determination of Geranyl Diphosphate Levels in Cultured Human Cells

Geranyl diphosphate (GPP), a 10-carbon isoprenoid, is a key intermediate in the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway. This pathway, in addition to leading to sterol synthesis, results in the synthesis of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), which serve as substrates for protein isoprenylation reactions. Basal levels of GPP in mammalian cells previously have been undetectable. Here we present a novel, sensitive, nonradioactive method which allows for measurement of GPP in mammalian cells. This methodology involves extraction of isoprenoids from cultured cells followed by enzymatic conjugation of GPP to a fluorescent dansylated-peptide via farnesyl transferase and quantification with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The lower limit of detection of GPP is 5 pg, or 0.015 pmol. Basal levels of GPP were determined in three human multiple myeloma cell lines (RPMI-8226, U266, H929). Treatment of cells with inhibitors of the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway results in marked changes in GPP levels: the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin decreases GPP levels by over 50%, while the FPP synthase inhibitor zoledronic acid increases GPP levels 16- to 107-fold. This method also allows for the simultaneous measurement of GPP, FPP, and GGPP, thus leading to improved understanding of the pathway in a multitude of biological systems. Furthermore, as drugs targeting this pathway are developed, their biological activity can be more directly linked to effects on isoprenoid levels.
Microwear on quartz: fact or fiction?

Abstract This paper presents the results of initial investigations of use wear traces left on experimental quartz tools. The edges of experimentally used quartz flakes were examined using both a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The wear traces were compared with those on flakes of Brandon flint (used for the same amount of time on the same materials) a rock whose polish attributes have been well documented and described. Alteration of the worked edge and the surface of the quartz takes the form of scarring (edge damage), pitting of varying intensity, striae and sometimes a change in the surface texture. The scanning electron microscope effectively heightened and revealed textural changes on the surface of the quartz, which otherwise might be obscured by its highly reflective nature.
Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett film preparation and study of a metalloporphyrin dimer molecule

Two iron complexes of a porphyrin dimer molecule were synthesized and studied at the air-water interface and in Langumir-Blodgett (LB) films. Surface pressure-area isotherm and UV-vis absorption spectroscopic studies revealed an interesting molecular switching behavior between the two iron porphyrin complexes under basic or acidic conditions. Such a reversible structural transition does not only occur in solution phase, but readily takes place in the deposited Langmuir-Blodgett films. Domains with strip or disk-like shapes were formed in the Langmuir films of the metalloporphyrin complexes when barbituric acid was added into the subphase, an indication of supramolecular network formation between the metalloporphyrin dimer and barbituric acid molecules. Magnetic property studies of the Langmuir-Blodgett films of the iron porphyrin complexes by magnetic force microscopy provide further insights into relationships between the magnetic response and molecular structures of the metalloporphyrin LB films.
Mixed function oxidase activity in freshwater fishes: aldrin epoxidation and parathion activation.

Abstract Experiments are described which demonstrate that freshwater fishes possess mixed function oxidase (MFO) enzymes which catalyze the epoxidation of aldrin and the activation of parathion in vivo. These reactions apparently occur in the liver as evidenced by rapid aldrin accumulation in the liver followed by simultaneous aldrin decrease and dieldrin increase. MFO inhibitors, sesamex and SKF 525A, antagonized both parathion activation and toxicity, but antagonized only the epoxidation of aldrin. A mutual antagonism between parathion and aldrin is shown in which simultaneous treatment reduces the metabolism of both compounds. The action of sesamex is clearly in liver as evidenced by inhibition of in vitro activation of parathion. These results suggest that MFO systems in freshwater fishes may be a rule rather than an exception and that previous failures to demonstrate in vitro epoxidation of aldrin may be the result of inadequate methodology. Our findings also substantiate observations that aldrin epoxidation is not necessarily an activation.
Conservative approach to tardive dyskinesia-induced neck and upper back pain

The management of schizophrenia typically involves the use of antipsychotics (neuroleptics). Use of such medications, however, can result in tardive dyskinesia, or the involuntary contracture of muscles, and associated symptomatic somatic dysfunction. The authors present a case of a 29-year-old woman who presented to a family medicine clinic for ongoing management of schizophrenia with noticeable tardive dyskinesia and complaints of neck and upper back pain. Conventional management of tardive dyskinesia involves either a change in or reduction of the offending antipsychotic. In the present case, the patient received osteopathic manipulative treatment in addition to conventional care for the management of her neck and upper back pain. Although not curative, osteopathic manipulative treatment can provide palliative relief for patients with tardive dyskinesia.
Prolactin-releasing peptide and its homolog RFRP-1 act in hypothalamus but not in anterior pituitary gland to stimulate stress hormone secretion.

The RF-amide peptides (RFRPs), including prolactin (PRL)-releasing peptide-31 (PrRP-31) and RFRP-1, have been reported to stimulate stress hormone secretion by either direct pituitary or indirect hypothalamic actions. We examined the possible direct effects of these peptides on PRL and adrenocorticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH]) release from dispersed anterior pituitary cells in culture and on PRL and ACTH secretion following intracerebroventricular (icv) administration in vivo. Neither peptide significantly altered PRL or ACTH release from cultured pituitary cells (male rat donors). Central administration of 1.0 and 3.0 nmol of PrRP-31, but only the higher dose of RFRP-1, significantly elevated serum corticosterone levels in conscious male rats. The effect of PrRP-31 was not blocked by pretreatment (iv) with the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) antagonist, α-helical CRH 9–41; however, pretreatment of the animals (iv) with an antiserum to CRH significantly lowered the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to central administration of PrRP-31. On the other hand, the release of PRL was significantly elevated by 3.0 nmol of RFRP-1, but not PrRP-31, in similarly treated, conscious male rats. Pretreatment with the catecholamine synthesis inhibitor, α-methyl-para-tyrosine, prevented the stimulation of PRL secretion observed following central administration of RFRP-1. RFRP-1 similarly did not alter PRL secretion in rats pretreated with the dopamine, D2 receptor blocker, domperidone. These results suggest that the RF-amide peptides are not true neuroendocrine regulators of stress hormone secretion in the rat but, instead, act centrally to alter the release of neuroendocrine factors that do act in the pituitary gland to control PRL and ACTH release. In the case of RFRP-1, stimulation of PRL secretion is potentially owing to an action of the peptide to inhibit dopamine release into the median eminence. The corticosterone secretion observed following central administration of PrRP-31 does not appear, based on our current results, to be solely owing to an action of the peptide on CRH-producing neurons but, instead, may be a result of the ability of PrRP-31 to increase as well the exposure of the corticotrophs in vivo to other ACTH secretagogues, such as oxytocin or vasopressin.
Gate-tunable memristive phenomena mediated by grain boundaries in single-layer MoS2

Memristors with gate-tunable charge transport characteristics are fabricated from monolayer MoS2 by exploiting specific grain boundary configurations with respect to the electrodes. Continued progress in high-speed computing depends on breakthroughs in both materials synthesis and device architectures1,2,3,4. The performance of logic and memory can be enhanced significantly by introducing a memristor5,6, a two-terminal device with internal resistance that depends on the history of the external bias voltage5,6,7. State-of-the-art memristors, based on metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures with insulating oxides, such as TiO2, are limited by a lack of control over the filament formation and external control of the switching voltage3,4,6,8,9. Here, we report a class of memristors based on grain boundaries (GBs) in single-layer MoS2 devices10,11,12. Specifically, the resistance of GBs emerging from contacts can be easily and repeatedly modulated, with switching ratios up to ∼103 and a dynamic negative differential resistance (NDR). Furthermore, the atomically thin nature of MoS2 enables tuning of the set voltage by a third gate terminal in a field-effect geometry, which provides new functionality that is not observed in other known memristive devices.