cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a Wearable Motion Analysis System for Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) stem from a number of causes such as illnesses, strokes, accidents or battlefield traumas. These injuries can cause issues with everyday tasks, such as gait, and are linked with vestibular dysfunction [1]. Current technology that measures gait parameters often requires time consuming set up and post processing and is limited to the laboratory setting. The purpose of this study was to develop a wearable motion analysis system (WMAS) using five commercially available inertial measurement units (IMU) working in unison to record and output four gait parameters in a clinically relevant way. The WMAS has the potential to be used to 1) help diagnose mTBI or other neurocognitive disorders; 2) provide feedback to a clinician during a training session; 3) collect gait parameter data outside of the laboratory setting to determine rehabilitation progress; 4) provide quantitative outcome measures for rehabilitation efficacy.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Transforming China's Urban Health-care System

China launched its ambitious urban health-care reform in 1998. This paper takes a closer look at three key areas of the reform: the new health-care insurance scheme, the reorganization of health-care institutions, and the new pharmaceutical distribution system. A critical assessment of the past five years indicates that although the reform has had some success in reducing healthcare costs while improving access, the new system also has some structural problems. The success or failure of the new system will be determined by the ability of the program to collect and mange health-care trust funds, and to provide adequate funding for the large number of elderly beneficiaries covered by the program.
Change of mean midlatitude westerlies in 21st century climate simulations

[1] Changes in midlatitude westerlies over the Pacific jet region between the 20th century and 21st century in general circulation models participating in the recent IPCC-Forth Assessment are delineated. Outputs derived from individual models reveal that in almost all models analyzed the seasonal mean midlatitude jet streams in the northern hemispheric Pacific and west Atlantic during boreal winter and in the southern hemispheric Pacific during boreal summer are significantly intensified in warmer 21st century climate compared to the state in the 20th century at the upper part of the core, at 200-100 mb.
Photoluminescence studies of vacancies and vacancy-impurity complexes in annealed GaAs☆

Abstract Photoluminescence measurements made at various depths below the surface of annealed GaAs single crystals are compared with vacancy distribution profiles obtained from electrical measurements. Results on undoped n-GaAs indicate that isolated Ga or As vacancies form non radiative centers. A broad-band emission at 1.20 eV, arising from VGa-donor complexes, is observed in spectra taken from n-type samples doped with Si, Sn or Te. The intensity of the 1.20eV band varies with depth and reaches its maximum value in the region where Ga vacancies are dominant. These results show the consistency between photoluminescence and electrical measurements. A band at 1.37eV has previously been assigned to VAs-acceptor complexes. This band was observed in this study only when the samples had been annealed in ampoules prepared from quartz containing traces of Cu. It is concluded that the 1.37eV band is due to Cu contamination rather than VAs-acceptor complexes.
Measurement of sensitivity of optical fibers for acoustic detection

Acoustically induced optical phase modulation has been measured in single-mode fibers over the acoustic frequency range of 100–1400 Hz. These results are compared to the predictions of a simple strain-optical model. An order of magnitude increase in sensitivity was found for plastic coated fibers.
Pathophysiology of renal fluid retention

Pathophysiology of renal fluid retention. Central to a unifying hypothesis of body fluid regulation is maintenance of arterial circulatory integrity. This may be disturbed by arterial underfilling, either from reduction in cardiac output or by peripheral arterial vasodilation. In cardiac failure (CF), cardiac output falls and the nonosmotic release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and expression of AVP mRNA in the hypothalamus are stimulated. V2 AVP receptor antagonists correct the impaired water excretion in rats with low-output CF, increase solute free water clearance, correct the hyponatremia in congestive CF patients, and normalize urinary concentrations of the aquaporin-2 (AQP-2) water channels. In conditions associated with peripheral vasodilation, such as cirrhosis, nonosmotic release of AVP also occurs, and AQP-2 gene expression in the rat kidney is up-regulated. In cirrhosis, nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation occurs early prior to water retention. V2 antagonists reverse the latter. In normal pregnancy, plasma AVP is relatively high for the degree of hypoosmolality. Pregnant rats up-regulate AQP-2 in the renal papilla, an effect reversed by V2 receptor antagonists. This supports the hypothesis that AVP is an important mediator of renal water retention in pregnancy. In summary, AVP-mediated water retention through collecting duct AQP-2 water channels is important in both low-output CF and high-output states such as cirrhosis and pregnancy. V2 receptor antagonists reverse the water retention and down-regulate AQP-2 water channels.
A stopping rule for least-squares identification

A stopping rule for least-squares identification is developed. The stopping rule is determined by the construction of a confidence ellipsoid. For any predetermined estimation error epsilon >0, if the iterates are inside of an ellipsoidal confidence region with volume less than or equal to epsilon /sup r/, then the recursive online algorithm will be terminated with high probability. >
Reaction Kinetics and Critical Phenomena Saponification of Ethyl Acetate at the Consolute Point of 2-Butoxyethanol + Water

The rate of sponification of ethyl acetate by sodium hydroxide was measured near the consolute point of the liquid mixture, 2-butoxyethanol + water. At temperatures far below the lower critical solution temperature, Tc, the apparent rate constant obeyed the Arrhenius equation. In the one-phase region just beneath Tc, the rate constant decreased below the Arrhenius background, indicating critical slowing down. Because the kinetics of this reaction are second order, the net reaction rate depends upon both (∂ΔG/∂ξ)e and (∂ΔG/∂ξ)e, where Δ G is the Gibbs free energy difference between products and reactants, ξ is the extent of reaction, and subscript “e” refers to chemical equilibrium. On the basis of the Principle of Universality, it is argued that as the temperature approaches Tc, both of these thermodynamic derivatives should go to zero, and the net reaction rate should slow down as is actually observed.
Paracoccidioidomycosis and AIDS: An Overview

The scarcity of reported cases of paracoccidioidomycosis and AIDS remains unexplained. We review the details of the 27 cases reported in the medical literature. Paracoccidioidomycosis occurs in patients with advanced AIDS who are not receiving prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, which is also effective against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Clinical manifestations include prolonged fever, weight loss, generalized lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and skin rash. Diagnosis can often be made by direct microscopic examination and culture of the fungus from skin and lymph node specimens and occasionally from sputum, blood, spinal fluid, and bone marrow specimens. Since antibodies to P. brasiliensis are occasionally detected, the diagnosis should not be ruled out for patients whose serology is negative. Despite specific therapy with different regimens, the overall mortality of paracoccidioidomycosis among patients with AIDS is high (30%). The prognosis can be improved by earlier diagnosis and aggressive therapy with amphotericin B, followed by lifelong immunosuppressive therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Health care providers caring for human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients who live or have resided in areas in which paracoccidioidomycosis is endemic must be aware of the possibility that this systemic mycosis may occur and have potentially severe consequences.
A new type of information retrieval system

In the period 1964-1968, Peter G. Ossorio [10,11,12] developed and tested, on a pilot study basis, a new approach to the problem of automatic document retrieval. Ossorio's studies were entirely successful, as pilot studies, and show the feasibility of using his approach to produce a new kind of retrieval system.These retrieval systems do not operate by word matching. The basic approach is to simulate the judgement of competent human judges of the conceptual content of each document, and the request. This judgement is then used to retrieve those documents with conceptual content most similar to that of the request.Each document is processed only at the time it is added to the data base, in time linear in the number of words in the document that the system recognizes. The retrieval request is in ordinary English. Time for retrieval is linear in the number of documents on file. Documents are retrieved in order of similarity of conceptual content to that of the request. The system works, in certain respects, better on full text documents, providing better descriptions of document content, and more detailed cross-indexing.The new type of system shows a number of interesting features. Among these are:(1) Much better performance than systems using the old techniques;(2) Faithful representation of the judgement of the person(s) whose judgement is being simulated, thus providing the possibility of individualized retrieval systems;(3) Ability to explain to a user why it retrieved certain documents, and not others. With this information, the user can alter his request, or instruct the system to judge things differently;(4) Automatic recognition of requests the system cannot properly handle;(5) Sub-documentary indexing reflecting heterogeneity of material. As is often the case with a new paradigm, Ossorio's work raises at least as many questions as it answers. This paper presents the new approach, and the results of some first explorations in the new field.
Multivariate permutation analysis associates multiple polymorphisms with subphenotypes of major depression

Unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent, disabling condition with multiple genetic and environmental factors impacting disease risk. The diagnosis of MDD relies on a cumulative measure derived from multiple trait dimensions and alone is limited in elucidating MDD genetic determinants. We and others have proposed that MDD may be better dissected using paradigms that assess how specific genes associate with component features of MDD. This within-disease design requires both a well-phenotyped cohort and a robust statistical approach that retains power with multiple tests of genetic association. In the present study, common polymorphic variants of genes related to central monoaminergic and cholinergic pathways that previous studies align with functional change in vitro or depression associations in vivo were genotyped in 110 individuals with unipolar MDD. Subphenotypic characteristics were examined using responses to individual items assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the NEO Five Factor Inventory. Multivariate Permutation Testing (MPT) was used to infer genotype—phenotype relationships underlying dimensional findings within clinical categories. MPT analyses show significant associations of the norepinephrine transporter (NET, SLC6A2) -182 T/C (rs2242446) with recurrent depression [odds ratio, OR 5 4.15 (1.91–9.02)], NET -3081 A/T (rs28386840) with increase in appetite [OR 5 3.58 (1.53–8.39)] and the presynaptic choline transporter (CHT, SLC5A7) Ile89Val (rs1013940) with HAM-D-17 total score {i.e. overall depression severity [OR 5 2.74 (1.05–7.18)]}. These relationships illustrate an approach to the elucidation of gene influences on trait components of MDD and with replication, may help identify MDD sub-populations that can benefit from more targeted pharmacotherapy.
Bringing advanced medical imaging into the operative arena could revolutionize the surgical care of cancer patients.

Figure 1. (A) Preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT maximum intensity projection and (B) cross sectional fused 18F-FDG PET/CT images of a colorectal cancer patient demonstrating a solita...
Uncertainty and Bias in Evaluation of LRFD Ultimate Limit State for Axially Loaded Driven Piles

AbstractSelection of resistance factors within Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) requires accurate assessment of uncertainty and bias in load and resistance. To date, many studies have focused predominantly on the assessment of uncertainty, while the potential for bias appears to be the dominant factor in design for consistent levels of reliability under a variety of situations. Bias comes from factors which have been ignored in design method development but significantly influence resistance when extrapolating from conditions typical of databases to those at a given site. Uncertainty and bias can be quantified as the coefficient of variation and mean (or median) of a data set, respectively, for statistical assessment of load and resistance factors. This paper first presents an overview of statistical assessment of resistance factors, and then discusses factors that influence uncertainty and bias when extrapolating to situations outside of conventional databases of driven pile axial capacity.
Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership

In this new edition of his authoritative work, Samuel Kernell examines the increasingly frequent presidential practice of "going public" - appealing for support directly to the American public, often bypassing Congress. Updated to include timely analyses of the public strategies of President Clinton, who by most measurements has engaged in more public activities than any other president, the third edition carefully traces the history of this practice and explores the key political role played by the news media. Trends in presidential speeches, public appearances, and travel receive special attention as does the influence of public opinion. Kernell contends that the presidential practice of going public has fundamentally altered the relationship between the executive and legislative branches. He supports his argument with many examples of going public from recent presidencies.
Neurosífilis: estudio de 19 casos en Valparaíso, Chile

Existen pocas publicaciones nacionales que analicen los aspectos clinicos de esta patologia, cuyo diagnostico se ha incrementado en la ultima decada. Nuestro objetivo es caracterizar una serie de 19 casos tratados entre 1982 y 1998 en el Servicio de Neurologia del Hospital Carlos van Buren de Valparaiso. Para ello se revisaron retrospectivamente las fichas que cumplieron los criterios diagnosticos actualmente establecidos. Se excluyeron los casos asociados con infeccion por VIH. Del total de casos, el 94% fueron varones, cuyo promedio de edad alcanzo los 51 anos. Solo el 21% tenia antecedentes de lues primaria. Las formas de presentacion mas frecuentes fueron los deficit de pares craneales (36.8%), demencia (26,3%) y compromiso motor piramidal (21%). El VDRL en sangre resulto reactivo en 94% de los pacientes. El liquido cefalorraquideo mostro pleocitosis mononuclear moderada en 13 pacientes, hiperproteinorraquia solo en 6, y el VDRL fue reactivo en 73,6% de los casos. La mayoria se trato con penicilina sodica en dosis de 150.000 UI/Kg./dia, cumpliendo criterios de curacion el 94% de ellos. Se concluye que los resultados concuerdan con la literatura y refuerzan la intencion de buscar dirigidamente esta enfermedad, especialmente entre hombres de edad media con deterioro cognitivo, deficit motor y/o de pares craneales con inicio reciente
GFP Variants with Alternative β-Strands and Their Application as Light-driven Protease Sensors: A Tale of Two Tails

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants that carry one extra strand 10 (s10) were created and characterized, and their possible applications were explored. These proteins can fold with either one or the other s10, and the ratio of the two folded forms, unambiguously distinguished by their resulting colors, can be systematically modulated by mutating the residues on s10 or by changing the lengths of the two inserted linker sequences that connect each s10 to the rest of the protein. We have discovered robust empirical rules that accurately predict the product ratios of any given construct in both bacterial and mammalian expressions. Exploiting earlier studies on photodissociation of cut s10 from GFP (Do and Boxer, 2011), ratiometric protease sensors were designed from the construct by engineering a specific protease cleavage site into one of the inserted loops, where the bound s10 is replaced by the other strand upon protease cleavage and irradiation with light to switch its color. Since the conversion inv...
Closed reentrant lines in heavy traffic: fluid limits and efficiency

In this paper, we show that fluid limits can be used to study the asymptotic throughput of a stochastic closed reentrant line in the infinite population limit. As applications of this technique, the last buffer first serve (LBFS) scheduling policy, and the Harrison-Wein balanced policy for two station networks, are shown to be efficient, i.e., they attain bottleneck throughput in the infinite population limit.
Use of Fatty Acid Analysis to Determine Dispersal of Caspian Terns in the Columbia River Basin, U.S.A.

Lethal control, which has been used to reduce local abundances of animals in conflict with humans or with endangered species, may not achieve management goals if animal movement is not considered. In populations with emigration and immigration, lethal control may induce compensatory immigration, if the source of attraction remains unchanged. Within the Columbia River Basin (Washington, U.S.A.), avian preda- tors forage at dams because dams tend to reduce rates of emigration of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.), artificially concentrating these prey. We used differences in fatty acid profiles between Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) at coastal and inland breeding colonies and terns culled by a lethal control program at a mid-Columbia River dam to infer dispersal patterns. We modeled the rate of loss of fatty acid biomarkers, which are fatty acids that can be traced to a single prey species or groups of species, to infer whether and when terns foraging at dams had emigrated from the coast. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling showed that coastal terns had high levels of C20 and C22 monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas fatty acids of inland breeders were high in C18:3n3, C20:4n6, and C22:5n3. Models of the rate of loss of fatty acid showed that approximately 60% of the terns collected at Rock Island Dam were unlikely to have bred successfully at local (inland) sites, suggesting that terns foraging at dams come from an extensive area. Fatty acid biomarkers may provide accurate information about patterns of dispersal in animal populations and may be extremely valuable in cases where populations differ demonstrably in prey base.
Neural networks as on-line approximators of nonlinear systems

The authors present an approximation theory perspective in the design and analysis of nonlinear system identification schemes using neural network and other online approximation models. The identification procedure considered is based on a discrete-time formulation. Depending on the location of the adjustable parameters, networks are classified into linearly and nonlinearly parametrized networks. Based on this classification, a unified procedure for modeling discrete-time dynamical systems using online approximators is developed. The proposed identification methodology guarantees stability of the overall system even in the presence of modeling errors, and upper bounds for the average output error are obtained in terms of the modeling error. Simulation studies are used to illustrate the results and to compare different approximation models. >
Meta-analysis: Neither quick nor easy

Background Meta-analysis is often considered to be a simple way to summarize the existing literature. In this paper we describe how a meta-analysis resembles a conventional study, requiring a written protocol with design elements that parallel those of a record review.
Competition hierarchies among ants and predation by birds jointly determine the strength of multi-species ant-aphid mutualisms

Protection mutualisms often involve multiple species of protector that vary in quality as mutualists. Because protectors may compete for access to mutualists, concordance between competitive ability and degree of benefi t will determine the overall strength of multi-species mutualisms. We compared the abilities of two similarly sized congener ants as competitors for, and mutualists of pine-feeding aphids, and how insectivorous birds aff ected each ant–aphid mutualism. Formica planipilis and F. podzolica were indistinguishable in forager abundance, but the former was 13-fold more abundant at competition baits and provided 11-fold more benefi ts to aphids. Th ese results highlight how, in a single environment, a great ecological distance can exist between two congener ants of similar size. Insectivorous birds disrupted the two mutualisms to a similar extent, reducing aphid and ant abundance by 91% and 39% respectively. Nevertheless, birds had an important infl uence on the relative benefi ts of the two ants to aphids: where F. planipilis consistently benefi ted aphids, F. podzolica only did so in the absence of birds. Consequently, the presence of insectivorous birds and ant species identity jointly determined whether ant–aphid mutualisms occurred in pine canopies and the strength of such interactions. Our study highlights the inter-relatedness of competition, predation and mutualism, and how competition can serve to strengthen mutualism by fi ltering inferior mutualists.
The physician's responsibility in the education of the cerebral palsied child.

The issue at hand is not whether the physician should assume a responsible role in the education of a cerebral palsied child but rather how he might most effectively contribute. Any doctor who has ever identified himself with the care of normal children is totally familiar with the common questions relating to education, posed to him by their parents. Shall I enter him in school a year early? Should he repeat a grade? Does he need a small private school? Multiply these out to infinity and you approximate a fraction of the meaningful questions directed to the doctor in the instance of any handicapped child.
Survivorship and Population Densities of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) in Recently Modified Suburban Landscapes

Abstract Populations of long-lived animals, such as semi-aquatic turtles, that depend on high survivorship of reproductive adults, are particularly susceptible to the negative effects associated with habitat modification in suburban areas. Survivorship of semi-aquatic turtles in suburban landscapes may be reduced as a result of a number of factors, including the elimination of appropriate nesting habitat and the introduction of human-subsidized predators. Unfortunately, few studies on turtle populations in anthropogenically modified habitats estimate vital rates, and researchers are rarely able to study populations both before and after development. We studied painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) vital rates at 5 ponds in the Charlotte Metropolitan area of North Carolina; 2 ponds and their surrounding habitat underwent development after the first year of study, 1 pond was on a golf course, and 2 were farm ponds. We used Program MARK to generate open population models examining the effects of location and sex ...
On the Archaeological Impulse in Contemporary Spanish Narrative Fiction

Abstract The essay elaborates how Benjamin Prado's Mala gente que camina (2007) deploys an archaeological-historical methodology to uncover a largely unknown practice during Spain's postwar years: the removal of babies and children from Republican prisoners of war and their adoption by families sympathetic to Franco's regime. The novel, which forms part of an emerging sub-genre of self-reflexive historical fiction in which a first-person narrator, from the democratic present, investigates an episode of political violence occurring during the Civil War or the postwar, offers a metaphorical method of making buried history visible through a reflexive attention to the process of archival research. The essay concludes by theorizing how discourses of memory, the archive, and the use of archaeology as motif function together to comment on the ethical responsibility of the writer to engage with his or her political and cultural milieu. Through its reflexive narrative strategy and archival consciousness, Mala gent...
A model for ferroelectric phase shifters

Novel microwave phase shifters consisting of coupled microstriplines on thin ferroelectric films have been demonstrated recently. A theoretical model useful for predicting the propagation characteristics (insertion phase shift, dielectric loss, impedance, and bandwidth) is presented here. The model is based on a variational solution for line capacitance and coupled strip transmission line theory.
Treatment and resolution of zilpaterol hydrochloride toxicity in a Quarter Horse gelding

Summary Zilpaterol hydrochloride is a β-2 agonist utilised as a repartitioning agent in cattle. In recent years, it has also been used illicitly among human athletes and body builders, and administered to racehorses. While there are numerous anecdotal reports of the effects of zilpaterol in horses, this is the first documented clinical case of equine zilpaterol toxicity. The horse presented with marked tachycardia, profuse sweating and generalised muscle fasciculations. Ultimately, treatment was initiated with propranolol and the horse made a complete recovery.
Core-referenced ratiometric fluorescent potassium ion sensors using self-assembled ultrathin films on europium nanoparticles

Nanoengineered fluorescent sensor coatings on colloidal carriers have been developed for use intracellularly. These nanosensors are fabricated via the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technique to form ultrathin polyelectrolyte films containing indicators on fluorescent nanoparticles. The fluorescent nanoparticle templates and the fluorescent indicator are chosen such that their optical properties are complementary, enabling the inert nanoparticle templates to serve as internal intensity references for the fluorescent probe. In this work, the potassium ion indicator, potassium-binding benzofuran isophthalate potassium-binding benzofuran isophthalate was immobilized within poly(styrene sulfonate)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) films assembled on the surface of fluorescent europium nanoparticles. The indicator retains its sensitivity to potassium ions after immobilization within the films and exhibits sensitivity to increases in potassium concentration over a broad range. In addition, the sensors demonstrate excellent leaching stability, with less than 1% of loaded indicator leached after 14 days of wet storage. The core-referenced nanosensor scheme described here is a simple and elegant way to co-immobilize fluorescent indicator and intensity reference within a single nanoscale package, which may be deployed intracellularly; furthermore, the separation of fluorescent indicator from the cellular environment is attractive, as it may prevent complications due to use of liquid-phase fluorescent sensors intracellularly, such as cytotoxicity and probe compartmentalization.
Towards increasing web application productivity

In this paper we present and discuss a template/meta-data based partial code generation system supporting web application development. Seamlessly incorporating the recent top-notch technologies, the framework maximally exploits the capabilities of the underlying implementation technologies. Our approach primarily benefits the framework and code developers. In addition, the complete separation of data model, navigation model, and presentation model reflects on a more general conceptual process that would decouple the technique and methodology from its underlying technology choices. The decoupling between the generated code and the code that is necessarily added later on through other development pathways than the generator deals with the incremental changes and adaptations of the models in the face of an operational system, therefore further enhances the extensibility, maintainability, and reusability of the generated applications.
Dynamic Behavior of Metals Under Tensile Impact—Part 2: Annealed and Cold-Worked Materials

The mechanical behavior of metals subjected to unaxial tensile impact at room temperature is reported. Tests were conducted on 1100 aluminum subjected to light and to heavy cold working; 2024 aluminum after annealing and after light and heavy cold working; C1010 steel in these same three conditions; and OFHC copper and 70–30 brass in an annealed state. In four of the 10 series, the materials were found to possess dynamic stress-strain curves which fell below the static curves. The yield point of the steel was lowered by impact loading. Ratios of dynamic to static ultimate stress were found to range from 0.59–1.3.
Wavelet decomposition of harmonizable random processes

The discrete wavelet decomposition of second-order harmonizable random processes is considered. The deterministic wavelet decomposition of a complex exponential function is examined, where its pointwise and bounded convergence to the function is proved. This result is then used for establishing the stochastic wavelet decomposition of harmonizable processes. The similarities and differences between the wavelet decompositions of general harmonizable processes and a subclass of processes having no spectral mass at zero frequency, e.g., those that are wide-sense stationary and have continuous power spectral densities, are also investigated. The relationships between the harmonization of a process and that of its wavelet decomposition are examined. Finally, certain linear operations such as addition, differentiation, and linear filtering on stochastic wavelet decompositions are considered. It is shown that certain linear operations can be performed term by term with the decomposition. >
Cyclosporine-associated renal arteriopathy resulting in loss of allograft function

Cyclosporine-associated arteriopathy was the cause of graft loss in 40 percent of all allografts that failed in a series of 200 consecutive cadaveric renal transplants. Arteriopathy was diagnosed by biopsy and renal uptake of indium 111m labeled platelets in the face of acute renal deterioration. A moderate thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic picture of hemolytic uremia was also present on peripheral blood smear. Immunofluorescence and histologic characteristics of the allograft biopsy specimens failed to show evidence for acute rejection: immunoglobulin M, immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, C1q, C3, and C4 were not present, and there was no evidence of an interstitial or vascular mononuclear cellular infiltrate. Two clinical presentations have been described. In Group I (seven patients), anuria occurred rapidly within the first 2 weeks after transplantation. In Group II (nine patients) renal function gradually diminished 1 to 5 months after starting cyclosporine therapy. Fifteen of the 16 recipients had progressive and irreversible loss of renal function which was pathologically associated with fibrin deposition, intimal proliferation, and thrombotic occlusion of the cortical interlobular and arcuate arteries, with subsequent focal glomerular ischemia and cortical infarction. One recipient with rapid loss of renal function received an intraarterial allograft infusion of streptokinase and subsequent systemic heparinization, which resulted in return of normal allograft function. The syndrome of cyclosporine-associated arteriopathy has been linked to a lack of or reduced amounts of prostacyclin-stimulating factor or prostacyclin.
Treatment of carotid paraganglioma

Carotid paragangliomas, commonly known as carotid body tumors, are the most commonly reported head and neck paragangliomas. They are slow growing and always associated with the carotid arteries and adjacent nerves. They are rarely malignant. The estimates for familial transmission of this tumor range from 30%-50%. When multiple paragangliomas are present, the most common combination is 2 carotid paragangliomas. There are no absolute indications for surgical resection, but tumors expressing biochemical activity, a growth rate >1-2 mm per year or demonstrating airway or alimentary tract compression should be resected. Patients younger than 50 years should have small-to-medium sized paragangliomas resected. Patients with significant comorbidities or a contralateral cranial nerve dysfunction should not have surgery. Large carotid paragangliomas involving the skull base would likely result in multiple lower cranial nerve dysfunction after resection requiring multispecialty care afterwards. When dealing with bilateral carotid paragangliomas, resection of the smaller tumor first is recommended. Simultaneous carotid paraganglioma excision is discouraged because of acute baroreceptor failure. The second carotid paraganglioma may be observed for growth or it may be radiated depending on symptoms, size, or growth. The role and indications for angiography and embolization are covered elsewhere in this issue. If a carotid paraganglioma is biochemically active, alpha-adrenergic blockade followed by beta blockade is recommended and should be commenced 10 days before surgery. The complications associated with carotid paraganglioma excision are lower cranial nerve palsies and cerebrovascular accidents, although these are quite uncommon for small-to-medium sized tumors. Meticulous surgery and control of the carotid arteries can decrease these morbidities dramatically. Recently, a “top down” or craniocaudal approach to these tumors has gained acceptance among many surgeons. This approach controls the cephalad internal carotid artery and external carotid artery and removes the tumor down to the bifurcation. This technique has decreased the incidence of cranial neuropathy and blood loss in these patients. Following treatment, the uncomplicated patient requires yearly follow-up consisting of physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging. The familial patient should be genetically tested for succinate dehydrogenase mutations. Depending on the type of mutation yearly imaging and evaluation of siblings, parents and children is strongly advised. As metachronous lesions are possible, this follow-up is a lifetime undertaking.
Supply Chain Management: How the Curricula of the Top Ten Undergraduate Universities Meet the Practitioners' Knowledge Set.

The disciplines of logistics and supply chain management have the potential of having many areas of emphasis. Universities that have some kind of emphasis in this field have developed programs that depend on the need of potential employers and their own faculty mix. Several studies have previously looked at how universities deal with this field at the graduate level, mainly as part of their MBA program. In this study, the authors focus on the ten universities in the United States that have the leading undergraduate programs in supply chain management. They look at each of their curriculum in terms of courses and course content and see how each of these universities satisfies a previously established knowledge set for this field of study. They realize that there will most likely never be in the foreseeable future a well-structured and agreed upon common curriculum for teaching this particular subject matter. The intended audiences are businesses that are hiring new graduates and the universities that are looking to start a similar program.
Conditions Equivalent to the Existence of Odd Perfect Numbers

(2006). Conditions Equivalent to the Existence of Odd Perfect Numbers. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 79, No. 5, pp. 389-391.
Effects of alpha-2 blockade on sexual response: experimental studies with Delequamine (RS15385).

The role of alpha-2 receptors and alpha-2 antagonists in central and peripheral mechanisms of sexual response are discussed. It is concluded that the predominant role of the alpha-2 antagonist centrally is to increase arousal which in certain circumstances, is sexual. It is further concluded that the predominant role of the alpha-2 antagonist peripherally is to modulate (block) the norepinephrine (NE)-induced contractility in the smooth muscle of the penis. How the central arousal mechanisms are specifically linked to sexual response is not understood. Experimental studies with a selective alpha-2 antagonist, delequamine, are briefly reviewed and their complex results discussed. Evidence from sleep studies was consistent with delequamine having both central excitatory and inhibitory effects, dependent on dosage. The possibility that men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction might have increased central alpha-2 tone was considered. The apparent loss of responsiveness to the alpha-2 antagonist in older dysfunctional men was discussed. More questions are raised than answered; further research is needed in this area.
Understanding help-seeking intentions in male military cadets: An application of perceptual mapping

Research suggests that men are less likely to seek help for depression, substance abuse, and stressful life events due to negative perceptions of asking for and receiving help. This may be exacerbated in male military cadets who exhibit higher levels of gender role conflict because of military culture. This exploratory study examined the perceptions of 78 male military cadets toward help-seeking behaviors. Cadets completed the 31-item Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS) and a component factor analysis was used to generate five composite variables and compare to validated factors. Perceptual mapping and vector modeling, which produce 3-dimensional models of a group’s perceptions, were then used to model how they conceptualize help-seeking. Factor analysis showed slightly different groupings than the BHSS, perhaps attributed to different characteristics of respondents, who are situated in a military school compared to general university males. Perceptual maps show that cadets perceive trust of doctors closest to them and help-seeking farthest, supporting the concept that these males have rigid beliefs about having control and its relationship to health seeking. Differences were seen when comparing maps of White and non-White cadets. White cadets positioned themselves far away from all variables, while non-White cadets were closest to “emotional control”. To move these cadets toward help-seeking, vector modeling suggests that interventions should focus on their general trust of doctors, accepting lack of control, and decreasing feelings of weakness when asking for help. For non-White cadets a focus on self-reliance may also need to be emphasized. Use of these unique methods resulted in articulation of specific barriers that if addressed early, may have lasting effects on help-seeking behavior as these young men become adults. Future studies are needed to develop and test specific interventions to promote help-seeking among military cadets.
In situ elastic recoil detection analysis of tungsten surfaces during ITER-like helium irradiation

Tungsten surfaces are subjected to helium plasma simulating a tokamak divertor environment in the Dynamics of ION Implantation and Sputtering Of Surfaces (DIONISOS) experiment. For this work, surfaces are analyzed in real-time during irradiation with in situ elastic recoil detection to gain dynamic helium concentration depth profiles. The extreme environment of the divertor simulator requires specific considerations to be implemented to retain the integrity of Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) techniques for surface analysis. The development of the in situ elastic recoil detection measurement technique and the implications of the results regarding the modeling of tungsten surface modification due to helium plasma irradiation will be discussed.
Vorbereitung des Spenders mit Glycin verbessert das Uberleben nach Lebertransplantation im Tiermodell.

Die Transplantation ist Therapie der Wahl in einer zunehmenden Zahl von Lebererkrankungen. Das Angebot von Spenderorganen ist jedoch begrenzt. Mangelhafte initiale Funktion und primares Transplantatversagen treten in bis zu 30% der Falle auf [7]. Dies erfordert dringend die Klarung der Ursachen von Transplantatfunktionsstorungen. Prinzipiell ist eine Beeinflussung der spateren Funktion des Transplantates durch Besonderheiten des Spenders, wahrend der Explantation, durch kalte Ischamie und Reperfusion moglich. Ausgiebig untersucht sind bislang jedoch nur Spenderkriterien, Ischamie und Reperfusion, wobei vor allem der Kupfferzell-abhangige Reperfusionsschaden von Bedeutung ist [6]. Kaum untersucht wurden bislang Einflusse der Spenderoperation auf die Kupfferzell-abhangige initiale Transplantatfunktion.
Statistical Properties of Smoothers

The smoothers discussed in Chapter 2 provide very useful descriptions of regression data. However, when we use smoothers to formally estimate a regression function, it becomes important to understand their statistical properties. In this chapter we discuss issues such as mean squared error and sampling distribution of an estimator, and using smoothers to obtain confidence intervals for values of the regression function. We will consider two types of smoothers: Gasser-Muller type kernel estimators and tapered Fourier series. We choose to focus on Gasser-Muller rather than NadarayaWatson type kernel smoothers since the latter have a more complicated bias representation. Among Fourier series estimators the emphasis will be on truncated series estimators, since there are certain practical and theoretical advantages to using an estimator with a discrete smoothing parameter.
Disease Prevention and Screening

American physician and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., quoted above, and reportedly the inspiration for the “Holmes” in the name Sherlock Holmes, was a champion of prevention. In a time when physicians had precious little to offer in the way of useful remedies, Holmes (Oliver Wendell, Sr., not Sherlock) once quipped that if the drugs of the day were tossed into the sea it would be better for mankind – but all the worse for the fishes. In 1843, Holmes published an article in the New England Quarterly Journal of Medicine and Surgery. His paper theorized that puerperal sepsis just might be transmitted by physician contact. If true, then puerperal sepsis might be prevented by the simple act of hand-washing, a notion that challenged the contemporary belief that physicians, being gentlemen, simply could not have contaminated hands [2]. Students of medical history will note that Holmes’ report predated the 1847 findings of Ignaz Semmelweis (1818–1865) in Vienna by 4 years.
The Transforming Power of High-Quality Surgical Care: Surgery’s Role in Improving Public Health

There is increased understanding of how surgery can transform access to and the impact of public health initiatives internationally. Through innovations in technology, infrastructure, and workforce development, safe and effective surgical procedures can be made available outside urban centers in developing nations where resources are scarce. These advances should influence allocation of resources to such low-cost, high impact health system elements. Prioritization of surgical conditions and interventions is essential to this progress.
International Law, Realism, and Nationalism

On the fringes of the Russian Federation, several conflicts continuously smolder. In examining these conflicts—in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan/Armenia—there are two sets of actors. At the systemic level, the primary actors are nation-states. At the sub-systemic level, the actors are groups of people united by nationalisms. These nationalisms, in turn, are based on either ideology or ethnicity. It is the interaction of these actors at the different levels of analyses that have kept the conflicts alive in a relatively “frozen” state.
Measuring Household and Market Labors

The data that describe the allocation of household tasks and time are drawn from a larger research effort launched in 1976. For that study, the data allowed for an analysis of the apportionment of household and market labors, the content and organization of the household day (Berk and Berk, 1979), and the reactions of women to the “job” of household work (e.g., Berheide et al., 1976; Cannon, 1978; Berk, 1983). Because it was a first attempt to comprehensively portray the domestic work life of women and their families, only intact American households were included in the original sample. Moreover, given that the literature to date had devoted only scant attention to the organization of domestic work, and to avoid the complications posed by agricultural labor (see Hacker, 1977), only urban areas with populations greater than 50,000 were sampled.
Mitochondrial sirtuins sir-2.2 and sir-2.3 regulate lifespan in C. elegans

Mitochondrial sirtuins regulate biochemical pathways and are emerging drug targets for metabolic and age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. Yet, their functions remain unclear. Here, we uncover a novel physiological role for the C. elegans mitochondrial sirtuins, sir-2.2 and sir-2.3, in lifespan regulation. Using a genetic approach, we demonstrate that sir-2.2 and sir-2.3 mutants live 28-30% longer than controls when fed the normal lab diet of E. coli OP50. Interestingly, this effect is diet specific and is not observed when animals are fed the strain HT115, which is typically used for RNAi experiments. While decreased consumption of food is a known mechanism for lifespan extension, this does not account for the increased lifespan in the mitochondrial sirtuin mutants. sir-2.2 and sir-2.3 mutants display altered expression of genes involved in oxidative stress response, including increased expression of the mitochondrial superoxide dismutase sod-3 and decreased levels of catalases ctl-1 and ctl-2. Like their extended lifespan phenotype, these alterations in oxidative stress gene expression are diet dependent. The mitochondrial sirtuin mutants are more resistant to the lifespan extending effects of low levels of superoxide, suggesting that their increased lifespan involves a hormetic response. Our data suggest that sir-2.2 and sir-2.3 are not completely redundant in function and may possess overlapping yet distinct mechanisms for regulating oxidative stress response and lifespan.
The Relevance of Simpson Grade Resections in Modern Neurosurgical Treatment of World Health Organization Grade I, II, and III Meningiomas.

Objective The Simpson grading system has played an important role in surgical resections of meningiomas. The aim of this study was to determine if this grading system predicts meningioma recurrence in a modern cohort of patients with tumors of all World Health Organization grades. Methods Adult patients who underwent primary, nonbiopsy resection of a meningioma at a tertiary care institution between 2007 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Stepwise multivariate proportional hazard analyses were used to identify associations with recurrence after resection. Log-rank analyses were used to compare Kaplan-Meier plots for time to recurrence between each Simpson grade. Results Of 572 patients who met inclusion criteria, 72 (12.6%) presented with recurrence. Factors associated with recurrence after gross total resection (Simpson grades I–III) were non–World Health Organization grade I (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval (CI)] 6.215 [2.864–12.419], P Conclusions Identification and consideration of factors associated with recurrence after gross total or subtotal resections may help guide treatment strategies for patients with meningiomas.