cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Largest single-centre experience of dulaglutide for management of diabetes mellitus in solid organ transplant recipients.

Published data regarding the approach to management of diabetes mellitus in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are limited. We performed a retrospective chart review of SOT recipients with diabetes, above 18 years of age, who were usisng dulaglutide. There was a sustained, statistically significant reduction in the primary endpoints of weight, body mass index (BMI) and insulin requirement in 63 SOT recipients at 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. A total of 59, 50 and 13 recipients were followed during 6, 12 and 24 months, with a mean paired difference for weight reduction of 2.07 (P value <0.003), 4.007 (P value <0.001) and 5.23 (P value <0.034) kgs and a BMI reduction of 0.80 (P value <0.001), 1.35 (P value <0.005) and 2.015 (P value <0.045) kg/m2 , respectively. The mean paired difference for insulin reduction before and after dulaglutide treatment was 5.94 units (P value <0.0002). There was no increased risk of malignancy, cardiovascular morbidity, graft-failure or all-cause mortality. Gastrointestinal manifestations were rare, even in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), and required no change in immunosuppressive agents. Thus, dulaglutide may be considered an important option for diabetes management in SOT.
A Market Test of Consumer Response to Information Disclosure

Hedonic price techniques are presented as a method to infer consumer reaction to information that is presented in the marketplace, and to discover where new information or education of consumers is...
Begging for change: Hijras, law and nationalism

This article begins by examining multiple drafts of a parliamentary legislation that aims to provide rights and reservations to transgender persons in India, so as to trace the ways in which hijras...
Relations of Media Production in Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street raised a protest against economic inequality and the power of financial institutions. It produced a profusion of media in print, graphics, video, social media, and live streams, which constituted a media ecosystem, encompassing media practices, technologies, and relations among producers. I argue, first, that Occupy’s media challenged the distortions and omissions of the mainstream media. Second, the works ranged from low-tech (face-to-face oral communication) through traditional (print) to high-tech (digital) media. The digital media were used not as a substitute for live action, however, but to mobilize people for low-tech, face-to-face encounters and demonstrations. Third, occupiers were available because they were young, educated, and savvy in the new media, in which many were aspiring professionals facing difficult career prospects. Finally, media producers adopted a cooperative, nonhierarchical working style, promoting ideals of nonalienated labor.
Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) Biology, Management, and Relevance to GM Plant Detection for Sustainable Organic Agriculture

In today’s global market, some organic farmers must meet regulatory requirements to demonstrate that their plants and feedstocks are genetically modified organism (GMO)-free. Many GM plants are engineered to contain a promoter from the plant virus, Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), in order to facilitate expression of an engineered target gene. The relative ubiquity of this CaMV 35S promoter (P35S) in GM constructs means that assays designed to detect GM plants often target the P35S DNA sequence, but these detection assays can yield false-positives from plants that are infected by naturally-occurring CaMV or its relatives within the Caulimoviridae. This review places CaMV infection and these ambiguous GM plant detection assays in context, serving as a resource for industry professionals, regulatory bodies, and researchers at the nexus of organic farming and global commerce. We first briefly introduce GM plants from a regulatory perspective, and then we describe CaMV biology, transmission, and management practices, highlighting the relatively widespread nature of CaMV infection in both GM and non-GM crops within the Brassicaceae and Solanaceae families. Finally, we discuss current knowledge of public food safety related to the consumption of CaMV-infected produce.
Computational Scale Linking in Biological Protein Materials

The properties of biological materials have been the focal point of extensive studies over the past decades, leading to formation of a research field that connects biology, chemistry and materials science at multiple scales, here referred to as “materiomics.” In this chapter we review atomistic based modeling approaches applied to study the scale-dependent mechanical behavior of biological protein materials, in particular focused on their elastic and fracture behavior. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the application of numerical methods that link atomistic scales to mesoscale material properties. We review the formulation of atomistic simulation methods and exemplify its application in several case studies focused on size effects of the fracture behavior of protein materials. These examples illustrate how atomistic scales of molecular structures can be linked to structural levels at length-scales of tens to hundreds of nanometers and micrometers. A study with a simple model of the nuclear lamin network provides a specific example for this coupling of scales, revealing how protein networks with structural defects respond to mechanical load and how the overall behavior relates to the chemical structure of the protein molecule and its hierarchical structural makeup.
Recent advances in severe accident technology: direct containment heating in advanced light water reactors

The issues affecting high-pressure melt ejection (HPME) and the consequential containment pressurization from direct containment heating (DCH), as they affect advanced light water reactors (ALWRs), specifically advanced pressurized water reactors (APWRs), were reviewed by the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Severe Accident Program (ARSAP). Recommendations from ARSAP regarding the design of APWRs to minimize DCH are embodied within the Electric Power Research Institute ALWR Utility Requirements Document, which specifies (a) a large, strong containment; (b) an in-containment refueling water storage tank; (c) a reactor cavity configuration that minimizes energy transport to the containment atmosphere; and (d) a reactor coolant system depressurization system. Experimental and analytical efforts, which have focused on current-generation plants, and analyses for APWRs were reviewed. Although DCH is a subject of continuous research and considerable uncertainties remain, it is the judgment of the ARSAP that reactors complying with the recommended design requirements would have a low probability of early containment failure due to HPME and DCH.
Diabetes Insipidus After Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery.

Background Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a recognized transient or permanent complication following transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for pituitary tumors. Objective To describe significant experience with the incidence of DI after TSS, identifying predictive characteristics and describing our diagnosis and management of postoperative DI. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of 700 patients who underwent endoscopic TSS for resection of pituitary adenoma (PA), Rathke cleft cyst (RCC), or craniopharyngioma. Inclusion criteria included at least 1 wk of follow-up for diagnosis of postoperative DI. Permanent DI was defined as DI symptoms and/or need for desmopressin more than 1 yr postoperatively. All patients with at least 1 yr of follow-up (n = 345) were included in analyses of permanent DI. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to identify predictors of transient or permanent postoperative DI. Results The overall rate of any postoperative DI was 14.7% (103/700). Permanent DI developed in 4.6% (16/345). The median follow-up was 10.7 mo (range: 0.2-136.6). Compared to patients with PA, patients with RCC (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2-3.9; P = .009) and craniopharyngioma (OR = 7.0, 95% CI: 2.9-16.9; P ≤ .001) were more likely to develop postoperative DI. Furthermore, patients with RCC (OR = 6.1, 95% CI: 1.8-20.6; P = .004) or craniopharyngioma (OR = 18.8, 95% CI: 4.9-72.6; P ≤ .001) were more likely to develop permanent DI compared to those with PA. Conclusion Although transient DI is a relatively common complication of endoscopic and microscopic TSS, permanent DI is much less frequent. The underlying pathology is an important predictor of both occurrence and permanency of postoperative DI.
Calcium Mobilization Mechanisms in Bovine Chromaffin Cells by Vasoactive Peptides: Angiotensin, Bradykinin and Endothelin

Exocytosis of catecholamines from cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells is influenced by both cholinergic ligands and peptides. To define mechanisms of intracellular calcium (Ca2+ i) mobilization by angiotensins (ANG) II & III, bradykinin (BKY) and endothelin, studies using intracellular calcium (Ca2+ i) probes were performed on cells in suspension. Complex dosedependent Ca2+ i kinetics were observed consisting of two components; a rapid spike and an extended plateau. The order of potency for both components of the response is BKY > ANG III ≥ ANG II. At low doses of ANG and BKY, the spike is absent but a slow and sustained plateau remains. Removal of extracellular calcium decreases the BKY response to < 50% with loss of the spike, while the effect on the ANG response is minimal. The Ca2+ i response to ANG and BKY was not altered in cells treated with pertussis or cholera toxin although phorbol ester (PMA) reduced the response 50% after overnight treatment. The response to endothelin (up to 1 μM) was minimal, but a synergistic response was seen in the presence of KC1 (55 mM). Nicotine and low doses of the peptides show additivity in the plateau phase. We conclude that physiological doses of peptides (esp. ANG & BKY) may markedly influence adrenal medullary responses to nicotinic cholinergic stimulation.
Solid-State Exergy Optimized Electric Aircraft Thermal and Fault Management

Future air vehicles will increasingly incorporate electrical powertrains that require very tight system level integration of power, propulsion, thermal, fault protection, and airframe technologies. This paper provides an overview of a new category of thermal energy conversion technology that can be used to enable a fully solid-state integrated thermal and fault management electric aircraft protection system, while synergistically managing and recycling both the low-grade waste heat from electrical components and the high-grade waste heat from engine components. This is achieved with exergy amplification of the powertrain waste-heat, a new class of fast flight-weight breakers, new class of long variable conductance heat pipe with multiple switchable condensers, new class of turbofan integrated heat exchangers and a gradient-based powertrain system optimizer.
Incidence of Mucoid Degeneration of Cruciate Ligaments in Patients Undergoing Primary Total Knee Replacements – A Study of 42 Knees

Mucoid degeneration of the ACL is largely an underdiagnosed condition. These are often misjudged as partial tears of ACL on routine MRI evaluation. Here we histologically analyse the incidence of mucoid degeneration of the cruciate ligaments in 32 patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty in our institute. 10 among them had bilateral total knee replacements making the total sample size 42 knees. ACL samples were sent for histopathological evaluation from 41 knees (one knee was an ACL deficient knee), and PCL samples were sent from patients who underwent total knee replacements with posterior stabilising implants. out of these 41 samples of ACL, 60.9 % turned out to be positive for mucoid degeneration. 9 out of 13 PCL samples (69.5%) turned out to be having mucoid degeneration. This study shows that the real incidence of mucoid degeneration of cruciate ligaments is much more than what is reported in literature. This emphasises the role of preoperative MRI to look for coexisting painful mucoid degeneration even in elderly patients with early osteoarthritis, which is an arthroscopically treatable condition thus delaying the total knee replacements in these patients. The higher incidence of mucoid degeneration in cruciate ligaments associated with advanced arthritis raises the question of functional integrity of PCL in these patients, making the use of posterior stabilising implants more advisable in patients with advanced stages of osteoarthritis.
Can the Biophilia Hypothesis Be Applied to Long-Duration Human Space Flight? A Mini-Review.

The International Space Station (ISS) has around three to six crew members on-board at all times, and they normally stay on the ISS for about five-to-seven months in duration. Since March 2020, 170 long-duration space missions have occurred on the ISS. Thus, long-duration space missions are an integral part of space exploration and will only continue to expand in duration as missions to the Moon and Mars are on the horizon. However, long-duration space missions present several challenges to human crew members. Most of these challenges have been associated with physiological adaptation to microgravity, including motion sickness, muscle atrophy, and cardiovascular deconditioning. While not as well-studied, another major factor to consider when planning long-duration space missions is the psychological impact of the environment on the astronauts. Astronauts living in space will be unable to access natural landscapes and other environments found to have restorative effects on psychological stress and overall well-being. On top of being unable to access these restorative natural environments, astronauts will also be exposed to the stressful, unfamiliar environment of space. The purpose of this mini-review is to first summarize the literature related to stressors associated with space. Next, an overview of the large breadth of literature on the biophilia hypothesis and restorative environments will be provided, as these may serve as relatively simple and cost-effective solutions to mitigate the stress faced during long-duration space missions. Lastly, considerations related to the design of such environments in a space capsule as well as future directions will be presented.
Direct Acceleration Harmonic Control with Current Harmonics Injection Method to Reduce Acoustic Noise and Vibration in Switched Reluctance Machines

This paper introduces a method to control the acceleration in Switched Reluctance Machines (SRM) directly by injection of harmonics on the phase currents. Vibration synthesized acceleration generation is coupled to a dynamic simulation to generate current profiles. The proposed method eliminates the need for the extensive finite element analysis (FEA) to design and implement control methods. Both dynamic simulation and multiphysics FEA analysis for SRM are presented to verify and compare the conventional current and optimum current profile. The final FEA simulations demonstrated that the proposed control method reduces the vibration of SRM by 63.5% while achieving similar torque density compared with the conventionally controlled SRMs.
Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras With Reduced Off-targets

Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs), a class of heterobifunctional molecules that recruit target proteins to E3 ligases, have gained traction for targeted protein degradation. However, pomalidomide, a widely used E3 ligase recruiter in PROTACs, can independently degrade other targets, such as zinc-finger (ZF) proteins, that hold key functions in normal development and disease progression. This off-target degradation of pomalidomide-based PROTACs raises concerns about their therapeutic applicability and long-term side effects. Therefore, there is a crucial need to develop rules for PROTAC design that minimize off-target degradation. In this study, we developed a high-throughput platform that interrogates the off-target degradation of ZF domains and discovered, using this platform, that PROTACs with the current design paradigm induce significant degradation of several ZF proteins. To identify new rules for PROTAC design, we generated a rationalized library of pomalidomide analogs with distinct exit vector modifications on the C4 and C5 positions of the phthalimide ring and profiled their propensities for ZF protein degradation. We found that modifications on the C5 position with nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reduce off-target ZF degradation. We applied our newfound design principles on a previously developed ALK oncoprotein-targeting PROTAC and generated PROTACs with enhanced potency and minimal off-target degradation. We envision the reported off-target profiling platform and pomalidomide analogs will find utility in the design of specific PROTACs.
MO-D-213-02: Quality Improvement Through a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis of Pediatric External Beam Radiotherapy

Purpose: To conduct a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) as per AAPM Task Group 100 on clinical processes associated with teletherapy, and the development of mitigations for processes with identified high risk. Methods: A FMEA was conducted on clinical processes relating to teletherapy treatment plan development and delivery. Nine major processes were identified for analysis. These steps included CT simulation, data transfer, image registration and segmentation, treatment planning, plan approval and preparation, and initial and subsequent treatments. Process tree mapping was utilized to identify the steps contained within each process. Failure modes (FM) were identified and evaluated with a scale of 1–10 based upon three metrics: the severity of the effect, the probability of occurrence, and the detectability of the cause. The analyzed metrics were scored as follows: severity – no harm = 1, lethal = 10; probability – not likely = 1, certainty = 10; detectability – always detected = 1, undetectable = 10. The three metrics were combined multiplicatively to determine the risk priority number (RPN) which defined the overall score for each FM and the order in which process modifications should be deployed. Results: Eighty-nine procedural steps were identified with 186 FM accompanied by 193 failure effects with 213 potential causes. Eighty-one of the FM were scored with a RPN > 10, and mitigations were developed for FM with RPN values exceeding ten. The initial treatment had the most FM (16) requiring mitigation development followed closely by treatment planning, segmentation, and plan preparation with fourteen each. The maximum RPN was 400 and involved target delineation. Conclusion: The FMEA process proved extremely useful in identifying previously unforeseen risks. New methods were developed and implemented for risk mitigation and error prevention. Similar to findings reported for adult patients, the process leading to the initial treatment has an associated high risk.
Some General Properties of Excitable Tissues

This chapter is about electrical signaling in cells, how it works, and how it may have evolved. All animal cells have a membrane potential, and specialized electrical properties have developed in many. Axons, for example, serve as carriers of digital impulses over long distances. In heart cells, the electrical and permeability properties are specialized as timing devices to control the rate of the heartbeat. The contractile apparatus of muscle fibers is under electrical control, and is activated when the membrane potential exceeds a threshold value. Secretion of transmitters, and possibly hormones, is triggered by membrane potential changes. In intestinal cells, the membrane potential aids in the uptake of glucose and amino acids. The uses of cell electricity make an endless list, and one is moved to ask how it all came about. Clearly, nature cannot have foreseen all these applications at the outset, so why did membrane potentials develop to begin with? The answer seems to lie in the necessity for osmotic equilibrium in animal cells.(1)
The Review of the Economic Legislation in April 2014

In April, the following amendments were introduced in the legislation: the size of severance benefits which are paid to laid off executive officers was limited and a new statute on doctoral studies was developed.
Effect of growth hormone on mitochondrial protein synthesis.

Abstract l-[U-14C]Leucine incorporation into the trichloroacetic acid-precipitable fraction of mitochondria after incubation with succinate as energy source was significantly higher with normal rat liver mitochondria than with hypophysectomized rat liver mitochondria. The incorporation was sensitive to inhibition by chloramphenicol, terramycin, dinitrophenol, and NaCN, but not to RNase and cycloheximide. The differences in the rate of incorporation between the two types of mitochondria were not abolished when the endogenous energy source from succinate was replaced by an external ATP-generating mixture or when cold trichloroacetic acid precipitate was extracted with hot 5% trichloroacetic acid or when high concentrations of unlabeled leucine (up to 200 mm) were added. Uptake of l-[U-14C]leucine, in the absence of incorporation, was higher with hypophysectomized rat liver mitochondria than with normal rat liver mitochondria. However, when mitochondria were washed extensively after incubation there was no significant difference in the uptake. Growth hormone treatment of hypophysectomized rats for 5 days significantly increased both in vivo and in vitro incorporation of leucine. The in vitro stimulating effect of growth hormone became apparent as early as 15 min and was significant 30 min after a single intravenous injection of the hormone. These results suggest that growth hormone has a significant effect on liver mitochondrial protein synthesis.
Synthesis of the Four PATCH Evaluations

(1992). Synthesis of the Four PATCH Evaluations. Journal of Health Education: Vol. 23, PATCH: Community Health Promotion, pp. 187-192.
Collaborative Program Development and Evaluation

Abstract This is a story of collaboration between program developers and an evaluator to support the design of the Conflict Resolution in Schools Programs (CRiSP) community initiative. We discuss a variety of evaluation techniques useful in program development to illustrate the benefits of a collaborative approach. The formative stages of the initiative included needs assessment and traditional literature review, followed by the design, implementation, and monitoring of pilot programs. Based on the questions that emerged in the formative research, we launched a comprehensive meta-analysis of conflict resolution education programs to guide the future efforts of the CRiSP initiative. We describe the stages of CRiSP research to date and present highlights of the results from the first two years of formative work and evaluability assessment. Preliminary results of the meta-analysis that describe the predominant characteristics of thirty conflict management programs in primary and secondary schools are also in...
Civil Society in Yemen: The Political Economy of Activism in Modern Arabia

List of tables Preface and acknowledgements Note on transliteration and terminology List of abbreviations Map 1. Civil society in comparative perspective 2. Twentieth-century states and economies 3. Islam, tribes and social services 4. Colonialism, activism and resistance 5. Self-help, social capital and state power 6. Unity, pluralism and political participation 7. Civic responses to political crisis 8. Political movements, cultural trends and civic potential Endnotes Glossary Bibliography Index.
Muscle atonia is triggered by cholinergic stimulation of the basal forebrain: implication for the pathophysiology of canine narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep-related symptoms, such as cataplexy. The exact pathophysiology underlying the disease is unknown but may involve central cholinergic systems. It is known that the brainstem cholinergic system is activated during REM sleep. Furthermore, REM sleep and REM sleep atonia similar to cataplexy can be triggered in normal and narcoleptic dogs by stimulating cholinergic receptors within the pontine brainstem. The pontine cholinergic system is, therefore, likely to play a role in triggering cataplexy and other REM-related abnormalities seen in narcolepsy. The other cholinergic system that could be involved in the pathophysiology of narcolepsy is located in the basal forebrain (BF). This system sends projections to the entire cerebral cortex. Since acetylcholine release in the cortex is increased both during REM and wake, the basocortical cholinergic system is believed to be involved in cortical desynchrony. In the current study, we analyzed the effect of cholinergic compounds injected into the forebrain structures of narcoleptic and control dogs. We found that carbachol (a cholinergic agonist) injected into the BF triggers cataplexy in narcoleptic dogs while it increases wakefulness in control dogs. Much higher doses of carbachol bilaterally injected in the BF were, however, shown to trigger muscle atonia even in control dogs. These results suggest that a cholinoceptive site in the BF is critically implicated in triggering muscle atonia and cataplexy. Together with similar results previously obtained in the pontine brainstem, it appears that a widespread hypersensitivity to cholinergic stimulation may be central to the pathophysiology of canine narcolepsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Service Delivery Standards (ITIL, COBIT, ETOM, ISO/IEC 20000, Etc.)

This article provides a discussion of a list of popular service delivery standards including ITIL, COBIT, eTOM, and ISO/IEC 20000. We started with a discussion of key IT service characteristics and challenges of IT services management. Then, we listed and discussed a list of IT service delivery standards and their key components that can help IT service providers ensure the consistent quality of their service delivery. Keywords: IT service; service standard; service science; ITIL; COBIT; Etom; ISO/IEC 20000
Whitewashing Indigenous Oklahoma and Chicano Arizona: 21st‐Century Legal Mechanisms of Settlement

This article interrogates the various tactics settler colonial legal systems use in establishing and entrenching authority over territories. By comparing a recent Osage Nation reservation court case with Arizona House Bill (HB) 2281, enacted into law as Ariz. Rev. Stats. § 15–112, which has been used to ban Mexican American/Raza Studies (MARS) from the classroom, it is possible to illustrate the varied processes by which legal systems attempt to render U.S. control of land an indisputable norm. In the context of both Oklahoma and Arizona, settler authority over territory is entrenched through the outlawing of institutions that contest its neutrality and universality. This article challenges U.S. settlement by making visible some of the legal processes by which it operates.
The role of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of Tourette's syndrome: an overview.

Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder of childhood onset characterized by multiple motor and phonic tics that fluctuate over time. Tic symptoms often improve by late adolescence, but some children and adults with TS may experience significant tic-related morbidity, including social and family problems, academic difficulties, and pain. When more conservative interventions are not successful, and when certain psychiatric co-morbidities further complicate the clinical profile, treating TS with an atypical antipsychotic medication may be a reasonable second-tier approach. However, the evidence supporting efficacy and safety of the atypical antipsychotics for treatment of tics is still very limited. The objective of this paper is to provide an updated overview of the role of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of TS, with evidence-based guidance on their use. Evidence for efficacy of different typical and atypical antipsychotics for treatment of tics was examined by conducting a systematic, keyword-related search of ‘atypical antipsychotics’ and ‘Tourette’s syndrome’ in PubMed (National Library of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA). Four recent treatment consensus publications were also reviewed. This review focused on literature published from 2000 to 2013 and on available randomized controlled trials in TS. Evidence supporting the use of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of TS is limited. There are few randomized medication treatment trials in TS (i.e. risperidone, aripiprazole, ziprasidone), which employed varying methodologies, thereby restricting meaningful comparisons among studies. Future collaborations among clinical sites with TS expertise employing high-quality study design may better elucidate the role of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of TS.
Infrared Investigation of Acid Activation by PyBOP in Polystyrene/Divinylbenzene Supported Solid-Phase Synthesis

The infrared technology presented in this paper provides a mechanism for the detailed study of PyBOP [(1H-benzotriazole-1- yloxy)tripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate] ester activation in a solid-phase supported chemical system. Prior to this work, formation of the alkoxyphosphonium salt had been postulated as a necessary reactive intermediate for formation of the triazoleactivated ester in the PyBOP activation process; however, observation of the alkoxyphosphonium salt has not been reported at room temperature. The present work not only confirms the presence of the salt but further demonstrates it to be the primary activated species for couplings performed on the solid phase at room temperature. More important than the specific identification of the PyBOP activation method is the general introduction of a set of infrared analytical tools for analysis of solid-phase reaction mechanisms and kinetics.
Extended concept of stair-shape sparsity for the inverse of an asymmetric matrix

Abstract This paper extends the concept of stair-shape sparsity, introduced in a previous work of the author for analysis of a symmetric and sparse matrix, to an asymmetric matrix. The essential idea first considers an asymmetric matrix as a combination of an upper triangular matrix and a lower triangular matrix, and then applies the stair-shape sparsity to the upper and lower triangular matrices. This enables us to avoid the operation of zero fill-ins for the inverse of an asymmetric matrix. The introduced sparsity provides an efficient procedure for the solution of a sparse system of linear equations.
Catecholamine responses to virtual combat: implications for post-traumatic stress and dimensions of functioning

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms can result in functional impairment among service members (SMs), even in those without a clinical diagnosis. The variability in outcomes may be related to underlying catecholamine mechanisms. Individuals with PTSD tend to have elevated basal catecholamine levels, though less is known regarding catecholamine responses to trauma-related stimuli. We assessed whether catecholamine responses to a virtual combat environment impact the relationship between PTSD symptom clusters and elements of functioning. Eighty-seven clinically healthy SMs, within 2 months after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, completed self-report measures, viewed virtual-reality (VR) combat sequences, and had sequential blood draws. Norepinephrine responses to VR combat exposure moderated the relationship between avoidance symptoms and scales of functioning including physical functioning, physical-role functioning, and vitality. Among those with high levels of avoidance, norepinephrine change was inversely associated with functional status, whereas a positive correlation was observed for those with low levels of avoidance. Our findings represent a novel use of a virtual environment to display combat-related stimuli to returning SMs to elucidate mind-body connections inherent in their responses. The insight gained improves our understanding of post-deployment symptoms and quality of life in SMs and may facilitate enhancements in treatment. Further research is needed to validate these findings in other populations and to define the implications for treatment effectiveness.
Crystallization behavior of evaporated Gd‐Fe alloy films

The composition dependence of the as‐deposited structure, the in situ crystallization sequences, and thermal stability were investigated for evaporated Gd‐Fe alloy films. The composition dependence of the structural variations in the as‐deposited alloy films, the glass forming range, and the crystal size variation in the microcrystalline regions are consistent with the predictions of a model using hard spheres of two different sizes. The in situ crystallization reaction of Gd‐Fe alloy films was characterized by the three reaction stages. (1) α‐Fe and α‐Gd were precipitated by the primary crystallization. The growth of primary crystals is characterized by a continuous process. (2) Some intermetallic compounds were formed by a polymorphous reaction. The growth of these phases is characterized by a discontinuous process. (3) The equilibrium phases are formed by decomposition reaction which was not detected in this study. The Gd atom array in the amorphous structure is concluded to be similar to the Fe atoms ...
Insights into scanning probe high-field chemistry of diphenylgermane

Experiments and simulations are used to elucidate a new class of chemical reactions occurring near the tip–sample interface during high field chemistry of diphenylgermane. Current data during writing and bias dependent growth rate are analyzed, supplemented with data from ionization mass spectrometry, and compared with the simulation results.
THz-Bandwidth Fast Light in Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers for Two Pulses in Rapid Succession

We demonstrate fast light advance of 2.7 pulse widths for sub-picosecond pulses in a single semiconductor optical amplifier. Two such pulses, separated by 7 ps, can also be advanced more than 1.8 pulse widths each.
Reading ability and print exposure: item response theory analysis of the author recognition test

In the author recognition test (ART), participants are presented with a series of names and foils and are asked to indicate which ones they recognize as authors. The test is a strong predictor of reading skill, and this predictive ability is generally explained as occurring because author knowledge is likely acquired through reading or other forms of print exposure. In this large-scale study (1,012 college student participants), we used item response theory (IRT) to analyze item (author) characteristics in order to facilitate identification of the determinants of item difficulty, provide a basis for further test development, and optimize scoring of the ART. Factor analysis suggested a potential two-factor structure of the ART, differentiating between literary and popular authors. Effective and ineffective author names were identified so as to facilitate future revisions of the ART. Analyses showed that the ART is a highly significant predictor of the time spent encoding words, as measured using eyetracking during reading. The relationship between the ART and time spent reading provided a basis for implementing a higher penalty for selecting foils, rather than the standard method of ART scoring (names selected minus foils selected). The findings provide novel support for the view that the ART is a valid indicator of reading volume. Furthermore, they show that frequency data can be used to select items of appropriate difficulty, and that frequency data from corpora based on particular time periods and types of texts may allow adaptations of the test for different populations.
IS NIFEDIPINE USE DURING LABOUR AND BREAST-FEEDING SAFE FOR THE NEONATE?1471

Background: Nifedipine is currently being utilized for the treatment of hypertensive conditions in late pregnancy and in the post-partum period. There are insufficient data, however, on possible adverse effects on the neonate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of neonatal exposure to nifedipine at the time of delivery and in the post-partum period.
Photochemical generation and kinetic studies of a putative porphyrin-ruthenium(V)-oxo species

Photo-disproportionation of a bis-porphyrin-diruthenium(IV) μ-oxo dimer gave a porphyrin-ruthenium(III) species and a putative porphyrin-ruthenium(V)-oxo species that can be detected and studied in real time via laser flash photolysis methods. As determined by its spectral and kinetic behavior, the same oxo transient was also formed by photolysis of a porphyrin-ruthenium(III) N-oxide adduct. Second-order rate constants for reactions with several substrates at 22 °C were determined; representative values of rate constants were kox = 6.6 × 103 M−1 s−1 for diphenylmethanol, kox = 2.5 × 103 M−1 s−1 for styrene, and kox = 1.8 × 103 M−1 s−1 for cyclohexene. The putative porphyrin-ruthenium(V)-oxo transient reacted 5–6 orders of magnitude faster than the corresponding trans-dioxoruthenium(VI) porphyrins, and the rate constants obtained in this work were similar to those of the corrole-iron(V)-oxo derivative. The high reactivity for the photochemically generated ruthenium-oxo species in comparison to other porphyrin-metal-oxo intermediates suggests that it is a true ruthenium(V)-oxo species.
Miniature thermal emission spectrometer for Mars 2001 Lander

This paper describes the Mars 2001 Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) being built by Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) under contract to Arizona State University (ASU). Mini-TES is a point (single-pixel) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), covering the spectral range 5 - 28 microns (micrometer) at 10 cm-1 spectral resolution. It is part of the Athena Precursor Experiment (APEX) that will fly to Mars on board NASA's Mars 2001 Lander mission. Mini-TES is designed to provide a key mineralogical remote sensing component of the APEX mission, which includes several other science instruments. Even though Mini-TES is a new design, the Athena mission required proven, flight-tested instrumentation to meet a two-year development schedule. Therefore, SBRS designed Mini-TES based on proven heritage from the successful Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), which was launched in 1996 and is currently providing excellent science data from the MGS, in orbit about Mars. Mini-TES occupies only 15% of the volume and is 83% lighter than MGS TES, yet nearly all the design and technology elements of Mini-TES are direct descendants of proven flight components from MGS TES. Relevance of the Mini- TES to APEX science, overall design, performance, as well as details of the hardware being fabricated at SBRS, are discussed. Possible applications to future missions are also addressed.
Prevalence and predictors of sexual dysfunction 12 months after major trauma: a national study.

Background: To determine the prevalence and predictors of sexual dysfunction (SDF) after moderate-to-severe trauma in a large multicenter study. Methods: The National Study on the Costs and Outcomes of Trauma was a prospective cohort study involving 69 hospitals from 15 regions in 14 states. Men and women aged 18 to 84 years with moderate-to-severe injures participated in 3 and 12 month postinjury interviews. At 12 months, sexual function was assessed using the Functional Capacity Index. Predictors of SDF were determined using adjusted multivariate Poisson regression. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on patients aged 18 to 30 years. Results: Of 10,122 weighted subjects, 3,087 (30.5%) reported some degree of SDF, with the majority reporting severe SDF. On multivariate analysis, independent predictors of SDF included increasing age (aRR 1.02 per year age), decreasing household income category (aRR 1.12-1.60), lower baseline global health status (aRR 1.27-3.54), preexisting diabetes (aRR 134) increasing Injury Severity Score (aRR 1.02 per point increase), pelvic fracture (aRR 1.45), lower extremity fracture (aRR 1.48), and spinal cord injury (aRR 3.73). Conclusions: SDF is common and usually severe after major trauma. Injury severity is a significant independent predictor of SDF. This may be due to persistent physical, psychologic, or social limitations from injury. Given the effect on quality of life, these data support the need in the clinical setting to identify and address SDF after trauma. Further investigation is necessary to determine the mechanism by which injury severity mediates SDF and whether earlier interventions can decrease the later risk of SDF.
Targeting the Raf kinase cascade in cancer therapy--novel molecular targets and therapeutic strategies.

The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are a group of signal transducers with oncogenic potential in an assortment of cell types. Dysregulated signalling from any of the members of this fami...
Drift-free femtosecond timing synchronization of remote optical and microwave sources

Femtosecond-scale synchronization using mode-locked lasers has been limited to periods of just a few minutes. Now it is shown that, by combining a number of laser techniques, sub-10-fs-precision synchronization of remote lasers and microwave sources is possible for more than 10 hours.
First-class extents

Adding environments as first-class entities to a language can greatly enhance its expressiveness. But first-class environments rely on identifiers, the syntax of variables, and thus do not mesh well with lexically-scoped languages. We present first-class extents as an alternative. First-class extents are founded upon lexical variables with dynamic extent. They are defined directly on the variables themselves rather than on their syntax. They therefore do not cause variable name capturing problems that plague first-class environments. Moreover, distinguishing variables from locations allows first-class extents to be orthogonal to imperative and control features.
Do rats prefer information about shock intensity

The question asked in the present research was whether rats prefer information about the intensity of shock to be delivered. Seven albino rats were given random (variable interval 60 sec) shocks of two different intensities (either.5 mA and 1.0 mA or 0 mA and 1.0 mA). By pressing a lever, subjects could, under one condition, produce, or under a second condition, eliminate stimuli correlated with the two shock intensities for 1-min periods. None of the subjects demonstrated any appreciable preference for either condition. For these subjects later given the option of changing from an unsignaled to a signaled shock condition, all changed over to the signaled condition. These results were discussed in terms of predictions derived from the preparation, information, and safety hypotheses.
Function of Rx, but not Pax6, is essential for the formation of retinal progenitor cells in mice.

Summary: Rx plays a critical role in eye formation. Targeted elimination of Rx results in embryos that do not develop eyes. In this study, we have investigated the expression of Otx2,Six3, and Pax6 in Rx deficient embryos. We find that these genes show normal activation in the anterior neural plate in Rx−/− embryos, but they are not upregulated in the area of the neural plate that would form the primordium of the optic vesicle. In contrast, in homozygous Small eye embryos that lack Pax6 function, Rx shows normal activation in the anterior neural plate and normal upregulation in the optic vesicle/retinal progenitor cells. This suggests that neither Rx expression nor the formation of retinal progenitor cells is dependent on a functional copy of the Pax6 gene, but that Pax6 expression and the formation of the progenitor cells of the optic cup is dependent on a functional copy of the Rx gene. genesis 28:135–142, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Comparison of the Moisture Adsorption-Desorption Properties of Corn Starch, U.S.P., and Directly Compressible Starch

AbstractThe moisture adsorption and desorption properties of corn starch, U.S.P., and a directly compressible corn starch were studied. Both systems exhibited Type II adsorption behavior with hysteresis observed in both cases. The B.E.T. method was used to determine monolayer coverage and surface area for both the adsorption and desorption isotherms. It was calculated that the average corn starch granule increased in volume by approximately 9.2% due to swelling in the presence of moisture.
The effects of managerial influence behavior on the transition to self‐directed work teams (SDWTs)

A growing number of organizations are adopting self‐directed work teams (SDWTs), but many firms experience trouble with the transition – the time needed for SDWT development. The addition of a SDWT represents a change in the organization and requires that managers adjust their use of influence behaviors. In this article I examine the impact that managerial influence behaviors have on SDWT development.
[TYR1]-NOCICEPTIN HAS NALOXONE-INSENSITIVE VASODILATOR ACTIVITY IN THE HINDQUARTERS VASCULAR BED OF THE RAT

The heptadecapeptide nociceptin, also known as Orphanin FQ, is a newly-discovered endogenous ligand for the opioid-like G-protein-coupled receptor ORL1. In the present study, in order to investigate the structure-activity relationship for nociceptin, responses to nociceptin, [Tyr1]-nociceptin, nociceptin-(2-17), nociceptin-(1-11), and nociceptin-(1-7) were compared in the hindquarters vascular bed of the rat. Injections of nociceptin (1-30 nmol), [Tyr1]-nociceptin (1-30 nmol), and met-enkephalin (10-300 nmol) induced dose-related decreases in hindquarters perfusion pressure, whereas injections of similar volumes of the saline vehicle had no effect. In terms of relative vasodilator activity, [Tyr1]-nociceptin was similar to nociceptin, and these peptides were approximately 10-fold more potent than met-enkephalin in decreasing hindquarters perfusion pressure. In contrast, nociceptin-(2-17), nociceptin-(1-11), and nociceptin-(1-7) had no significant effect on hindquarters perfusion pressure when injected into the perfusion circuit in doses up to 100 nmol. The decreases in hindquarters perfusion pressure in response to [Tyr1]-nociceptin and nociceptin were not altered by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone at a time when responses to met-enkephalin were reduced significantly. The results of the present study show that [Tyr1]-nociceptin and nociceptin have similar vasodilator activity in the hindquarters vascular bed and that responses to this novel nociceptin analog are not mediated by the activation of a naloxone-sensitive opioid receptor and are not dependent on the presence of the amino acid Phe at the N-terminus of the nociceptin sequence. Moreover, the results of the present study show that nociceptin-(2-17), nociceptin-(1-11), and nociceptin-(1-7) have no activity in the hindquarters vascular bed of the rat when injected in doses up to 100 nmol.