cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On international stock market co-movements and macroeconomic risks

We use Bayesian dynamic factor models to disentangle the global and idiosyncratic country-specific factors of the stock market prices and other macroeconomic variables from a large group of countries. We find that the global factors account for significant portions of an individual country's stock market volatility and its macroeconomic fluctuations. The global macroeconomic shocks have strong effects on the stock price movement across countries in addition to domestic macroeconomic shocks. And a country's exposure to the global stock market risk to a large extent reflects that country's exposure to the global macroeconomic risks.
Sources of Calcium for Laying Chickens During Hot Weather

Abstract IT HAS been common knowledge for many years that eggs laid during the hot summer months generally have thinner, more fragile, shells than have those laid during the cool months. The first explanation of this phenomenon that is based on experimental data appeared in the report of Bennion and Warren (1933), who observed that when hens were subjected to high air temperatures their egg shells seemed more fragile. Several years later, Warren and Schnepel (1940), reported that when hens held under controlled air temperatures were subjected to a temperature of 90 degrees F., there was a striking reduction in the thickness of their egg shells. In connection with the latter experiment, Conrad (1939) obtained data showing that the thinning of egg shells under high air temperatures is associated, or at least coincident, with a decrease in the blood calcium level of the laying chicken. Calcium carbonate was used as the . . .
Perceptual and Neural Responses to Sweet Taste in Humans and Rodents

Introduction This mini-review discusses some of the parallels between rodent neurophysiological and human psychophysical data concerning temperature effects on sweet taste.
Neuronal response of the hippocampal formation to injury: blood flow, glucose metabolism, and protein synthesis

Abstract The reaction of the hippocampal formation to entorhinal lesions was studied from the viewpoints of cerebral blood flow ([123I]isopropyl-iodoamphetamine [IMP]), glucose utilization ([14C]2-deoxyglucose), and protein synthesis ([14C]leucine), using single- and double-label autoradiography. Our study showed (i) decreased glucose utilization in the inner part, and increased glucose utilization in the outer part of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus, starting 3 days after the lesion; (ii) increased uptake of [123I]IMP around the lesion from 1 to 3 days postlesion; and (iii) starting 3 days after the lesion, marked decrease in [14C]leucine incorporation into proteins and cell loss in the dorsal CA1 and dorsal subiculum in about one-half of the rats. These changes were present only in animals with lesions which invaded the ventral hippocampal formation in which axons of CA1 cells travel. By contrast, transsection of the 3rd and 4th cranial nerves resulted, 3 to 9 days after injury, in a striking increase in protein synthesis in the oculomotor and trochlear nuclei. These results raise the possibility that in some neurons the failure of central regeneration may result from the cell's inability to increase its rate of protein synthesis in response to axonal injury.
Reactivity and regulation of motor responses in cocaine-exposed infants

Abstract Effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine on the reactivity and regulation of the motor system of 825 four-month-old infants enrolled in the Maternal Lifestyle Study were examined. Videotaped assessments of 338 cocaine-exposed (CE) infants and 487 non-exposed comparison infants were coded by examiners masked to exposure status. Exposure status was determined by meconium assay and maternal self-report of prenatal cocaine use. Infants were presented with a series of 17 visual, auditory and tactile stimuli for 30-s each. Intensity and latency of limb movement responses on a subset of items were analyzed to test the following hypotheses: CE infants are more active in general; CE infants exhibit increased movement levels for a larger proportion of time in response to stimulation; the motor systems of CE infants are more reactive to stimulation (e.g., shorter latencies to respond); and CE infants are poorer regulators of the motor system. Results CE infants were not more active in general and data do not indicate a more highly reactive motor system. However, CE infants exhibited increased movement levels for a larger proportion of time in response to stimulation. Additional analysis of movement exhibited during three tactile items found increased movement lability in CE infants and different patterns of responding, suggesting that the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on the motor system may vary by context. Covariate effects for tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are also reported.
Fibrinogen and platelets in the primary arrest of bleeding. Studies in two patients with congenital afibrinogenemia.

Abstract Two patients with a congenital absence of fibrinogen and a prolonged bleeding time were studied to determine the role of fibrinogen in the primary arrest of bleeding and for further clarification of the fibrinogen requirement for platelet function. The retention of platelets, sampled directly from venous blood, in glass-bead filters was consistently decreased and was markedly increased by pretreatment of the beads with fibrinogen. Adhesion of platelets to connective tissue, however, was normal. In citrated platelet-rich plasma (PRP), abnormalities in primary platelet aggregation by ADP and epinephrine were optimally corrected by fibrinogen in concentrations of 10 to 20 mg per 100 ml. In contrast to the abnormal findings in citrated PRP, both primary platelet aggregation and the release reaction were normal in heparinized PRP. The studies leave unanswered the question of the fibrinogen requirements for platelet aggregation, but indicate that fibrinogen is required as a cofactor in the interaction ...
Comparison of the non-adrenergic action of phentolamine with that of vanadate on cochlear function

Abstract Two drugs, which upon superficial examination appeared to be acting on common processes, have been found upon closer investigation to act by quite different means. Both act primarily at the organ of Corti, causing a pronounced increase of the endocochlear potential and a depression of the cochlear microphonic (CM). These effects are accompanied by the elimination of a negative component of the EP; however, it was found that these three effects are produced by phentolamine in scala media (or, more slowly, in scala tympani) but by vanadate only in scala tympani. This difference in locus of action is manifested further by different changes of the summating potential (SP): phentolamine has little effect on the magnitude of SP − , while vanadate leads to an elevated SP − . In spite of this difference in the ‘zeroth order harmonic’, the second harmonic of the CM is depressed by both agents. It is argued that phentolamine may act either by blocking the acoustically-modulated ion channels in the luminal membranes of the hair cells or by inducing a large, non-selective, paracellular conductance in the organ of Corti. The present results, in conjunction with our previous results (Marcus D.C., DeMott J.E., Kobayashi T., Ge X.-X. and Thalmann R. (1981): Hearing Res. 5, 231–243), are further interpreted as suggesting that vanadate may initially act by depolarizing the hair cells.
On the Edge of Diversity: Bringing African Americans and Latinos Together in a Neighborhood Group

This article describes challenges we encountered when organizing a group of African Americans and Latinos in a community where ethnic tensions had been normative. We relate how the first author, a Caucasian with a university affiliation, entered this diverse community and employed ethnographic methods in an attempt to understand it. The ethnography provides a context for the principal challenge we encountered: ensuring that the group had ethnic balance. Focusing on the group's first meeting, we describe the uncertainty of whether our work would be helpful or harmful to the community. We conclude with reflections on the gaps between science and practice in diverse communities; the utility and limits of ethnography; the multiple ecological levels of influence on the community; dilemmas around a White male taking proactive stances while trying to empower a group consisting mostly of women of color; and the influence of values we brought to the community.
“Was It Something I Said?”: Finding Retinal Pathology Without Actually Examining the Retina

INTRODUCTION Diplopia secondary to maculopathy is a rare disturbance of binocular vision that may present to the orthoptist. The purpose of this study was to identify the distinguishing symptoms and clinical signs of this condition. METHODS A retrospective medical record review of adults presenting with diplopia that could not be relieved with prism or strabismus surgery. RESULTS Six cases were identified. All complained of vertical diplopia, though only one patient had a vertical strabismus. The diplopia improved in dim illumination in all cases. All patients noted monocular visual disturbances, including illusory movement of the image, when fixating with the involved eye. No patient was able to achieve stable binocular single vision with prism. CONCLUSION Symptoms and signs of diplopia secondary to maculopathy include: comitant vertical diplopia that worsens in bright illumination, illusory image movement when monocularly fixating with the involved eye, a tendency to "eat up" prism, and poor fusion potential. Because these patients may present to the orthoptist with no history of retinal disease, it is important to recognize the unique features of this condition.
Communities Need More Than Autonomy

The past twenty-five years have witnessed the transmutation of autonomy from a battle cry of the oppressed to a rallying cry for those who elevate certain kinds of moral commitments--those chosen voluntarily and competently--over all other moral concerns and values. The business contract becomes the supreme model of a sound moral relationship; informed consent, the esseential moral content of the physician-patient relationship. Loyalty, integrity, solidarity, and other such moral concepts, when they do not disappear completely, are shoved aside as little more than interesting curiosities or idiosyncratic preoccupations. When the contract becomes the paradigm of a moral relationship, and the market the regnant model of a just community, much of what makes us human, and our communities livable, is excluded. The concept of autonomy, like all other products of culture, has a history and a context that help to account for its appeal and shed light on its limitations. In the development of bioethics, autonomy emerged as a powerful protest against evil or thoughtless researchers and paternalistic physicians. It found deep ideological resonances within American popular, legal, and political culture: our celebration of the individual, our anger at infringements by others, our constitutionalized protections of personal liberty, and our faith in markets as fair and efficient methods for distributing social goods from bathtubs to--babies? Autonomy was an exceptionally apt tool with which to confront the problems bioethics faced at its birth. But it is not the all-purpose solution that some of its enthusiasts claim. Autonomy sometimes appears to be regarded as a kind of universal moral solvent, at least for some bioethics theorists. That the parties to an encounter come together voluntarily and with full understanding and consent casts a favorable moral glow on the encounter. It does not, however, tell us the whole moral story about that interaction. Nor does it assure us that the sum total of such encounters will provide the cultural support needed for a vibrant and just community, one in which love, loyalty, peace, and other vitally important human values flourish. A near-exclusive emphasis on autonomy is attractive in part because it permits us to avoid many unpleasant and complex realities--the strains of living in communities in which others not only have different interests, but may be ornery and unreasonable besides; the gnawing difficulties and deep satisfactions of enduring family relationships; the confusing, embarrassing, and sometimes ugly particulars of the human psyche. When autonomy is the answer, the question is largely limited to asking whether the person decided freely. Autonomy counsels us not to ask if the decision was wise, or even good in the short run for the person making it. For many decisions, that is sound counsel. …
Deacetylation of Chitosan: Material Characterization and in vitro Evaluation via Albumin Adsorption and Pre-Osteoblastic Cell Cultures

Degree of deacetylation (DDA) and molecular weight (MW) of chitosans are important to their physical and biological properties. In this study, two chitosans, HS (DDA = 73.3%) and AT (DDA = 76.8%), were deacetylated with 45% sodium hydroxide under nitrogen atmosphere at 80 °C or 90 °C for up to 120 min, to obtain two series of chitosans. The polymers produced were characterized for MW by gel permeation chromatography, DDA by titration and UV-vis methods, and crystallinity, hydrophilicity and thermal stability by X-ray diffraction, water contact angle and differential scanning calorimetry respectively. Films, made by solution casting in dilute acetic acid at ambient conditions, were evaluated for biological activity by albumin adsorption and the attachment and growth of a pre-osteoblast cell line. Chitosans with between 80–93% DDA’s (based on titration) were reproducibly obtained. Even though deacetylation under nitrogen was supposed to limit chain degradation during decetylation, MW decreased (by maximum of 37.4% of HS and 63.0% for AT) with increasing deacetylation reaction time and temperature. Crystallinity and decomposition temperature increased and water contact angles decreased with processing to increase DDA. Significantly less albumin was absorbed on films made with 93% DDA chitosans as compared with the original materials and the AT chitosans absorbed less than the HS chitosans. The cells on higher DDA chitosan films grew faster than those on lower DDA films. In conclusion, processing conditions increased DDA and influenced physicochemical and biological properties. However, additional studies are needed to unambiguously determine the influence of DDA or MW on in vitro and in vivo performance of chitosan materials for bone/implant applications.
Piezospectroscopic Determination of Residual Stresses in Polycrystalline Alumina

The residual stresses created in polycrystalline aluminum oxide as a result of its constrained anisotropic thermal contraction are measured with the technique of piezospectroscopy using the fluorescence from trace Cr[sup 3+] impurities. The average residual stresses in the crystallographic a and c directions are determined as a function of grain size for a high-purity alumina, as is the width of the stress distribution (assuming it to be Gaussian). Over the range of grain sizes investigated, from 2 to 16 [mu]m, the residual stresses exhibit a dependence on grain size consistent with the prediction of the Evans-Clarke model of thermal stress relaxation by grain boundary diffusion.
Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein Targets G Quartet mRNAs Important for Neuronal Function

Loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) function causes the fragile X mental retardation syndrome. FMRP harbors three RNA binding domains, associates with polysomes, and is thought to regulate mRNA translation and/or localization, but the RNAs to which it binds are unknown. We have used RNA selection to demonstrate that the FMRP RGG box binds intramolecular G quartets. This data allowed us to identify mRNAs encoding proteins involved in synaptic or developmental neurobiology that harbor FMRP binding elements. The majority of these mRNAs have an altered polysome association in fragile X patient cells. These data demonstrate that G quartets serve as physiologically relevant targets for FMRP and identify mRNAs whose dysregulation may underlie human mental retardation.
Delayed internal fixation of femoral shaft fracture reduces mortality among patients with multisystem trauma.

Background: Fractures of the femoral shaft are common and have potentially serious consequences in patients with multiple injuries. The appropriate timing of fracture repair is controversial. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of timing of internal fixation on mortality in patients with multisystem trauma. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study with use of data from public and private trauma centers throughout the United States that were reported to the National Trauma Data Bank (version 5.0 for 2000 through 2004). The study included 3069 patients with multisystem trauma (Injury Severity Score, ≥15) who underwent internal fixation of a femoral shaft fracture. The time to treatment was defined in categories as the time from admission to internal fixation: t (twelve hours or less), t1 (more than twelve hours to twenty-four hours), t2 (more than twenty-four hours to forty-eight hours), t3 (more than forty-eight hours to 120 hours), and t4 (more than 120 hours). The relative risk of in-hospital mortality when the four later periods were compared with the earliest one was estimated with inverse probability of treatment-weighted analysis. Subgroups with serious head or neck, chest, abdominal, and additional extremity injury were investigated. Results: When compared with that during the first twelve hours after admission, the estimated mortality risk was significantly lower in three time categories: t1 (relative risk, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 0.98; p = 0.03), t3 (relative risk, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.28 to 0.93; p = 0.03), and t4 (relative risk, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.10 to 0.94; p = 0.03). Patients with serious abdominal trauma (Abbreviated Injury Score, ≥3) experienced the greatest benefit from a delay of internal fixation beyond twelve hours (relative risk, 0.82 [95% confidence interval, 0.54 to 1.35] for patients with an Abbreviated Injury Score of <3, compared with 0.36 [95% confidence interval, 0.13 to 0.87] for those with an Abbreviated Injury Score of ≥3) (p value for effect modification, 0.09). Conclusions: Delayed repair of femoral shaft fracture beyond twelve hours in patients with multisystem trauma, which may allow time for appropriate resuscitation, reduces mortality by approximately 50%. Patients with serious abdominal injury benefit most from delayed treatment. These results support delaying definitive treatment of long-bone injuries in patients with multisystem trauma as a means of so-called damage-control in order to reduce adverse outcomes. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
US Food and Drug Administration documents can provide unpublished evidence relevant to systematic reviews.

Abstract Objectives A key systematic review (SR) methodology is comprehensive searching. The Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP) SRs search US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documents to identify unpublished evidence. This study evaluates the success of those efforts. Study Design and Setting We examined DERP reports published since 2003 for the use of FDA preapproval and postmarketing documents. We categorized evidence as (1) unique unpublished studies, (2) supplemental unpublished data, or (3) FDA postmarketing data analysis. Three reviewers independently assigned predetermined impact categories (e.g., qualitative or quantitative usage, fills gaps, confirms findings, and alters conclusions), resolving disagreements through consensus. Results Among 114 DERP reports, 19% included unpublished studies and/or supplemental data and 10% included postmarketing analyses. From 175 preapproval documents, 14% provided eligible unpublished studies and 4.0% supplemental unpublished data that helped confirm previous findings, identify important harms, and fill gaps in knowledge about understudied subpopulations, outcomes, and comparisons. Report conclusion statements changed in 9 of 33 instances of premarketing documents compared with 4 of 12 postmarketing analyses. Conclusions The FDA documents can provide important unpublished evidence for SRs, although in a small proportion of cases. Future research should identify attributes that predict which reviews may benefit most from review of FDA documents.
Signal analyzer with SLM compensation

A signal analyzer is being developed that is based on a periodically tapped optical fiber. The spatial distribution of taps produces a waveform that is weighted by a spatial light modulator (SLM), optically Fourier transformed, and then detected with a video camera to continually display the power spectrum of the signal propagating in the fiber. The analyzer resolution and bandwidth is dependent on the distribution and number of taps. Taps have been formed in the core of fibers using UV light. Both single step beamsplitter and localized phase grating taps have been generated. Bragg grating taps tilted at 45 degrees with respect to the fiber axis were generated in order to diffract light directly out of the side of the fiber.
RNA Replication for the Paramyxovirus Simian Virus 5 Requires an Internal Repeated (CGNNNN) Sequence Motif

A functional RNA replication promoter for the paramyxovirus simian virus 5 (SV5) requires two essential and discontinuous elements: 19 bases at the 3' terminus (conserved region I) and an 18-base internal region (conserved region II [CRII]) that is contained within the coding region of the L protein gene. A reverse-genetics system was used to determine the sequence requirements for the internal CRII element to function in RNA replication. A series of copyback defective interfering (DI) RNA analogs were constructed to contain point mutations in the 18 nucleotides composing CRII, and their relative replication levels were analyzed. The results indicated that SV5 DI RNA replication was reduced by substitutions for two CG dinucleotides, which in the nucleocapsid template are in the first two positions of the first two hexamers of CRII nucleotides. Substitutions for other bases within CRII did not reduce RNA synthesis. Thus, two consecutive 5'-CGNNNN-3' hexamers form an important sequence in the SV5 CRII promoter element. The position of the CG dinucleotide within the SV5 leader and antitrailer promoters was highly conserved among other members of the Rubulavirus genus, but this motif differed significantly in both sequence and position from that previously identified for Sendai virus. The possible roles of the CRII internal promoter element in paramyxovirus RNA replication are discussed.
New Therapeutic Options in Congestive Heart Failure: Part I

The need for new treatments for congestive heart failure (CHF) is clear. Population morbidity and mortality, although they are improving, remain high.1,2⇓ In this article, we review potential future therapies for CHF, building on our understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and insights gained from previous studies of therapeutic interventions. The focus is on ambulatory CHF associated with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, although heart failure with preserved systolic function is also discussed. Given the broad scope of this review, individual areas can be addressed only briefly. The first part of this review deals with the pathophysiological basis of therapy and the use of neurohumoral antagonists in CHF with low LV ejection fraction (LVEF). ### Pathophysiological Basis of Treatment Although the pathophysiology of CHF has recently been reviewed in detail, it is important to mention key concepts as the basis of therapy.3,4⇓ #### Neurohumoral Pathways Over the past 20 years, the “neurohumoral hypothesis” has evolved to focus less on the impact of these pathways on the blood vessels and kidneys and more on the heart (Figure 1, and see below).5 This in part reflects the benefit of β-blockers and spironolactone, treatments that are not vasodilators.6–10⇓⇓⇓⇓ New peptides, such as the endothelins, and other mediators that are not conventional endocrine, autocrine, or paracrine factors, such as cytokines and free radicals, have also been postulated to play a role in CHF.11,12⇓ These, in turn, are now thought to set into motion pathophysiological processes, such as apoptosis, that had not yet been recognized when the neurohumoral model was originally postulated (Figure 1B).13 The interaction between primitive neurohumoral reflexes designed to maintain blood volume and vital organ perfusion and hemostasis has been belatedly recognized.14 Figure 1. A, Original neurohumoral model of CHF. Modified from Reference 5. B, Current …
Thymoproteasome subunit-β5T generates peptide-MHC complexes specialized for positive selection

Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) express a unique thymoproteasome subunit-β5T that plays an essential role in the development of CD8 T cells. In contrast, the immunoproteasome subunit-β5i is expressed in other thymic antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The thymoproteasome may generate peptides that are specialized for positive selection, or it may simply serve to generate peptides that are distinct from other APCs that cause negative selection, thereby promoting an overall larger number of surviving clones to mature and function in the immune system. To distinguish these models, we genetically engineered mice to express distinct peptide repertoires in cTECs vs. other APCs without expressing β5T, by generating β5t5i knockin mice, in which β5i replaced β5T in cTECs. When such animals were crossed to β5i−/− mice, β5i was exclusively expressed in cTECs, whereas β5 was expressed in other cells. However, this mouse did not support normal positive selection, suggesting that β5T generates peptides that are intrinsically better for positive selection (i.e., β5i could not replace β5T) and not merely because these peptides are distinct from peptides presented by other APCs. Finally, using an Nur77GFP reporter, we show that the T cells generated in the absence of β5T have higher reactivity to self, generating predominantly CD44hi memory phenotype peripheral CD8+ T cells. Altogether, our results suggest that the thymoproteasome supports positive selection by generating peptides that are optimized for the selection of weakly self-reactive, naive T-cell clones.
Collaboration Across the Disciplines: An Experiment in Interdisciplinary Pedagogy

The two articles in this section of Literature and Medicine were written by members of an experiment in interdisciplinary pedagogy that gave advanaced Ph.D. students in English an opportunity to collaborate with faculty at Vanderbilt Medical School. The articles are not only excellent contributions to scholarship in their own right but also examples of an exciting new model for interdisciplinary training in the field of literature and medicine. Faculty in medical schools have little practical incentive to collaborate with literary scholars. The study of novels or poems might be a valuable supplement to the education of medical students, but it is hard to see how it can contribute to the funded research of medical faculty. By contrast, investigations of the ethical, social, or cultural implications of medical research from a policy perspective often enhance a research proposal and are sometimes required as a condition of granting agencies. The policy sphere is a relatively new development in our society; it dates back to the mid-1960s, when the first Institutional Review Boards were mandated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and it has grown over the past four decades to affect every aspect of scientific and medical research. 1 No study involving human subjects can go forward today without prior review of its social and ethical implications. Numerous investigators across the university collaborate with medical school faculty to examine how language, values, myth, and emotion affect the practice of medicine. To weigh cultural factors, sociologists assess survey data; anthropologists conduct focus groups; legal scholars interpret court cases; communications scholars study the image of science in journalism, advertising, television, and the web; religious scholars reflect on the impact of faith communities
Evaluation of uniformity of morphological injury of the large colon following severe colonic torsion.

Summary This report describes the evaluation of uniformity of morphological injury of the large colon following severe colonic torsion in 17 horses presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. In 16 horses, twist occurred at the colonic base and in 1 at the sternal and diaphragmatic flexure. Eleven of the 17 horses were subjected to euthanasia at surgery and 6 of 17 following surgical correction within 4 days postoperatively. The objective of this study was to determine if the degree of histological changes present at the pelvic flexure were uniformly distributed throughout the regions of the colon involved in cases of severe colonic torsion.
Purification of recombinant G proteins from Sf9 cells by hexahistidine tagging of associated subunits. Characterization of alpha 12 and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase by alpha z.

A method is described for purification of G protein α and βγ subunits from Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses. The subunit to be purified is coexpressed with an associated subunit bearing a hexahistidine tag. After adsorption of the oligomer to a Ni2+-containing column, the subunit to be purified is eluted specifically by promoting subunit dissociation with AlF4-. The α subunits of Gα, Gq, Gz, and Gα and the β1γ2 subunit complex were easily and efficiently purified by this method. Results were superior to established procedures in all cases. Purified α12 was characterized for the first time. The protein has a slow rate of guanine nucleotide exchange (kon,GTPγS = 0.01 min−1) and a very slow kcat for hydrolysis of GTP (0.1-0.2 min−1). GTPγS (guanosine 5′-3-O-(thio)triphosphate)•α12 does not influence the activity of several adenylyl cyclases or phospholipases. Activated αz inhibits the activity of type I and type V adenylyl cyclases. It is a somewhat more potent inhibitor of type V adenylyl cyclase than is activated αi1.
A polyhedral approach to edge coloring

We formulate the edge coloring problem on a simple graph as the integer program of covering edges by matchings. For the NP-hard case of 3-regular graphs we show that it is sufficient to solve the linear programming relaxation with the additional constraints that each odd circuit be covered by at least three matchings. We give an efficient separation algorithm for recognizing violated odd circuit constraints and a linear programming based constrained weighted matching algorithm for pricing. Computational experiments with the overall linear programming system are presented.
Role of membrane lipid distribution in chlorpromazine-induced shape change of human erythrocytes

This is a study of the morphology and transbilayer lipid distribution of human erythrocytes treated with chlorpromazine (CPZ) over extended time courses. At 0 degree C, treatment of dilauroylphosphatidyl[1-14C]choline-labeled erythrocytes with 120 microM CPZ produced an immediate stomatocytic transformation (t1/2 < 5 min) with no concurrent change in transbilayer distribution of radiolabeled lipid, as determined by bovine serum albumin extractability. At 37 degrees C, CPZ treatment of cells produced two sequential morphological effects: immediate stomatocytosis (t1/2 < 1 min) with no concurrent change in radiolabel transbilayer distribution, followed by gradual increase in stomatocytic extent over several hours, with concurrent redistribution of radiolabeled lipid to the inner monolayer. Cells pretreated with vanadate at 37 degrees C exhibited a triphasic morphological response: CPZ produced immediate stomatocytosis, followed by a transient reversion to echinocytes lasting about 2 h, before returning to stomatocytic morphologies over the next several hours. The echinocytic reversion was accompanied by exposure of phosphatidylserine on the cell surface, as indicated by increased activation of exogenous prothrombinase. These findings suggest that while CPZ induces transbilayer lipid redistribution over extended time periods (which may mediate the complex morphological transformations observed), the early stomatocytic response elicited by addition of CPZ is not due to lipid reorganization.
Hydroxyurea decreases hospitalizations in pediatric patients with Hb SC and Hb SB+ thalassemia.

PURPOSE Patients with hemoglobin SC (Hb SC) and hemoglobin SB+ (Hb SB+) thalassemia suffer from frequent hospitalizations yet strong evidence of a clinical benefit of hydroxyurea (HU) in this population is lacking. Patients with recurrent hospitalizations for pain crisis are offered HU at our institution based on small cohort data and anecdotal benefit. This study identifies outcomes from a large cohort of patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia who were treated with HU for 2 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of 32 patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia who were treated with HU. We reviewed the number, and reasons for hospitalization in the 2 years prior to, and 2 years post-HU treatment as well as laboratory changes from baseline, over 1 year. RESULTS Patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia started on HU for frequent pain, had a significant reduction in hospitalizations over 2 years as compared to the 2 years prior to HU initiation (mean total hospitalizations/year: pre-HU: 1.6 vs post-HU 0.4 hospitalizations, P<0.001; mean pain hospitalizations/year: pre-HU 1.5 vs post-HU 0.3 hospitalizations, P<0.001). Patients demonstrated hematologic changes including an increase in percent fetal hemoglobin (%HbF) pre-post HU (4.5% to 7.7%, P=0.002), mean corpuscular volume (74 to 86 fL, P<0,0001), and decrease in absolute neutrophil count (5.0 to 3.2×10(9)/L, P=0.007). Patients with higher doses of HU demonstrated the greatest reduction in hospitalizations but this was unrelated to absolute neutrophil count. CONCLUSION This cohort of patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia provides additional support for using HU in patients with recurrent hospitalizations for pain. A large randomized multicenter trial of HU to reduce pain admissions should be conducted to confirm these data and provide much needed evidence based recommendations for this population.
Cross Cultural Telemedicine: Sub-Saharan Africa

This STS report addresses the social and cultural factors at play in the use of telemedicine in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in order to inform an understanding of the interaction between technology and society in that region. This research is a review of existing technologies, rather than a report on new technologies. The socio-cultural dimensions of telemedicine are important to consider because telemedicine is a socio-technical system reliant on socio-cultural factors rather than a strictly technical based system. Actor Network Theory is relevant to analyzing this problem and provides insight into the ways that human and non-human players interact and the resulting consequences. Literature review is used to collect data about socio-cultural factors intrinsic to telemedicine and telemedicine’s place in healthcare. I find that collective viewpoints, traditional medicine, and perceptions of illness are interrelated factors that will especially affect the cross-cultural interaction that telemedicine introduces. SSA patients especially value equal treatment and being valued as patients; ultimately, communication will be a vital tool for addressing concerns about treatment and overcoming differences in understanding.
Intel386 EX embedded processor I/sub DDQ/ testing

I/sub DDQ/ testing, along with stuck-at fault, AC timing, and DC testing is increasingly considered a necessity for good product quality. This paper presents an I/sub DDQ/ vector selection methodology, along with vector implementation in the production test program. I/sub DDQ/ fault seeding results show that by stuck-at fault modeling, we can detect single stuck-at nodes that were not detected before. A comparative evaluation of conventional testing methods and I/sub DDQ/ testing is presented. Experimental test results are presented that ascertain the effectiveness of I/sub DDQ/ particularly how it overlaps with stuck-at fault coverage. A practical method that estimates the test coverage overlap is applied to reduce the stuck-at improvement effort and obtain "credit" towards the Intel386 EX processor quality requirements for production. A follow-on experiment for obtaining more data is proposed and data are being collected.
Oxygen reduction to water mediated by a dirhodium hydrido-chloride complex.

The two-electron mixed-valence dirhodium complex Rh20,II(tfepma)2(CNtBu)2Cl2 (tfepma = CH3N[P(OCH2CF3)2]2) reacts with HCl to furnish two isomeric dirhodium hydrido-chloride complexes, Rh2II,II(tfepma)2(CNtBu)2Cl3H. In the presence of HCl, the hydride complex effects the reduction of 0.5 equiv of O2 to 1 equiv of H2O, generating Rh2II,II(tfepma)2(CNtBu)2Cl4, which can be prepared independently by chlorine oxidation of the Rh20,II precursor. The starting Rh20,II complex is regenerated photochemically to close an oxygen-to-water reduction photocycle.
A Generalized, Unstructured Interpolative Interface Method for Rotor-Stator Interactions

A generalized interpolative interface is developed to provide interdomain and intradomain coupling between multielement unstructured grids, including those that require highly stretched anisotropic meshes. The method centers around an extruded interpolative interface that does not require matched unstructured grids on the corresponding surfaces. In the context of rotor/stator interactions, this generalized interpolative interface is utilized between the rotor and stator sections, so that each can be solved within its own frame of reference. The interpolative interface supports the sliding of the rotor relative to the stator, such that variables are transmitted from one domain to the other accordingly. Coupling between the rotor and stator sections is accomplished via solution interpolations from mesh extrusions constructed from the interpolative interface. Further, the same interpolative interface technology is utilized to implement an axisymmetric boundary condition that also does not require matching surface grids on the periodic surfaces. Given that these axisymmetric boundary conditions intersect with the rotor/stator interface, special consideration is required in these areas, and the techniques applied are explained in this work in detail. This interpolative interface scheme is tested and applied via a performance mapping of the SDT2-R4 rotor/stator configuration as documented in Hughes, 1 simulated as a 2 rotor/5 stator passage. Results for this configuration are compared to available experimental data as well as full-wheel simulations of the same, in order to determine the eect of the axisymmetric interfaces on the overall solution. Overall agreement with experimental performance mappings is excellent.
Single Electron Bipolar Conductance Switch Driven by the Molecular Aharonov–Bohm Effect

We demonstrate a conductance switch controlled by the spin-vibronic density of an odd electron on a single molecule. The junction current is modulated by the spin-flip bistability of the electron. Functional images are provided as wiring diagrams for control of the switch’s frequency, amplitude, polarity, and duty-cycle. The principle of operation relies on the quantum mechanical phase associated with the adiabatic circulation of a spin-aligned electron around a conical intersection. The functional images quantify the governing vibronic Hamiltonian.
Chemolithoheterotrophy in a metazoan tissue: sulfide supports cellular work in ciliated mussel gills

Hydrogen sulfide, a common constituent of marine intertidal sediments, is both a potent toxin of aerobic cellular respiration and an electron-rich molecule used by some prokaryotic organisms as a source of energy. In ciliated gills from Geukensia demissa, a marine mussel from sulfide-rich sediments, sulfide oxidation supports cellular work. Evidence for this comes from measurements of ciliary beat frequency (fCB) as a measure of ATP turnover rate, the rate of gill oxygen consumption (m_dot O2) as a measure of ATP production rate, and mitochondrial cytochrome redox state as an indicator of the path of electron flow. Results from experiments performed in the presence and absence of the mitochondrial complex III inhibitor antimycin A to limit endogenous carbon substrate oxidation showed that exposure to sulfide stimulated oxygen consumption and ciliary beating, with cytochrome c being the dominant reduced species. These results, along with the resultant fCB/ m_dot O2 ratio, are qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with the hypothesis that electrons from sulfide oxidation support mitochondrial ATP production. We propose that Geukensia demissa gills use sulfide as a respiratory substrate when given the choice and thus function metabolically as facultative chemolithoheterotrophs. Similar conclusions could not be drawn for the ciliated gills from Mytilus edulis, a marine mussel from aerated habitats, or for the ciliated lungs from the phylogenetically distinct leopard frog Rana pipiens.
Prescription Monitoring Program Trends Among Individuals Arrested in Maine for Trafficking Prescription Drugs in 2014.

Objective To evaluate controlled substance prescribing trends available in the Maine Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) among individuals arrested for prescription drug “trafficking.” The demographic characteristics of the individuals who had matching prescription records in the PMP within 90 days of the arrest were identified. Study Design A population-based, retrospective cohort study using data from the Maine Diversion Alert Program (DAP) and the Maine PMP. The study population consisted of persons arrested for trafficking prescription drugs in Maine during the 2014 calendar year from January 1 to December 31. Results There were 594 trafficking arrests reported by the Maine DAP in 2014. The study population consisted of the 235 persons (40%) with arrests involving controlled prescription medications. The mean age of these persons was 33 years (range 18–77 yrs), and 156 (66%) were male. Arrests involved 154 prescription opioids (65%), seven stimulants (3%), seven benzodiazepines (3%), and 77 unspecified controlled prescription drugs (33%). A minority of individuals (n=57, 24%) had a prescription record in the PMP that matched the substance involved in the arrest. Only one person with matching PMP and arrest records utilized ≥ 5 prescribers, while none used ≥ 5 pharmacies within 90 days before the arrest. Payment methods for matching prescriptions were commercial insurance (n=28, 49%), Medicaid (n=19, 33%), Medicare (n=5, 9%), and cash (n=5, 9%). Conclusions The majority (76%) of persons arrested for prescription drug trafficking did not have PMP records and did not directly obtain the diverted medication from a licensed pharmacy. Traditional red flags, like cash payment and using multiple prescribers or pharmacies, were uncommon. Therefore, arrest records for diversion and PMPs are distinct and complementary tools for identifying individuals at risk for substance misuse.
Thin CVD stacked gate dielectric for ULSI technology

In this paper we have presented an overview of CVD stacked gate dielectrics and specific results which show the advantages of this approach. A gate dielectric with low defect density and high charge-to-breakdown can be achieved by the CVD stacked structure. This gate dielectric process has a stronger resistance to metal contamination. The stacked gate oxide reduces the gate oxide thinning problem at the field oxide edge for both poly buffer LOCOS (PBL) and trench isolation. It improves the charge-to-breakdown value for a manufacturable dry/dry etch process for the nitride/poly mask used for PBL isolation. The stacked gate oxide shows a stronger resistance to the increased potential caused by magnetic field during poly gate etch. Finally, the oxynitride/CVD stacked dielectric further improves the charge-to-breakdown under plasma etch process for nitride/poly mask removal. >
A Canine Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Model for Study of Synthetic Augmentation of Tendon Allografts.

Novel graft types, fixation methods, and means for augmenting anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions require preclinical validation prior to safe and effective clinical application. The objective of this study was to describe and validate a translational canine model for all-inside arthroscopic complete ACL reconstruction using a quadriceps tendon allograft with internal brace (QTIB). With institutional approval, adult research hounds underwent complete transection of the native ACL followed by all-inside ACL reconstruction using the novel QTIB construct with suspensory fixation (n = 10). Contralateral knees were used as nonoperated controls (n = 10). Dogs were assessed over a 6-month period using functional, diagnostic imaging, gross, biomechanical, and histologic outcome measures required for preclinical animal models. Study results suggest that the novel QTIB construct used for complete ACL reconstruction can provide sustained knee stability and function without the development of premature osteoarthritis in a rigorous and valid preclinical model. The unique configuration of the QTIB construct—the combination of a tendon allograft with a synthetic suture tape internal brace—allowed for an effective biologic–synthetic load-sharing ACL construct. It prevented early failure, allowed for direct, four-zone graft-to-bone healing, and functional graft remodeling while avoiding problems noted with use of all-synthetic grafts.
Complete mitochondrial genomes of prasinophyte algae Pyramimonas parkeae and Cymbomonas tetramitiformis.

Mitochondria are archetypal eukaryotic organelles that were acquired by endosymbiosis of an ancient species of alpha-proteobacteria by the last eukaryotic common ancestor. The genetic information contained within the mitochondrial genome has been an important source of information for resolving relationships among eukaryotic taxa. In this study, we utilized mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes to explore relationships among prasinophytes. Prasinophytes are represented by diverse early-diverging green algae whose physical structures and genomes have the potential to elucidate the traits of the last common ancestor of the Viridiplantae (or Chloroplastida). We constructed de novo mitochondrial genomes for two prasinophyte algal species, Pyramimonas parkeae and Cymbomonas tetramitiformis, representing the prasinophyte clade. Comparisons of genome structure and gene order between these species and to those of other prasinophytes revealed that the mitochondrial genomes of P. parkeae and C. tetramitiformis are more similar to each other than to other prasinophytes, consistent with other molecular inferences of the close relationship between these two species. Phylogenetic analyses using the inferred amino acid sequences of mitochondrial and chloroplast protein-coding genes resolved a clade consisting of P. parkeae and C. tetramitiformis; and this group (representing the prasinophyte clade I) branched with the clade II, consistent with previous studies based on the use of nuclear gene markers.