cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Axial fat-saturated FSE imaging of knee: appearance of meniscal tears.

Objective. To observe and describe the appearance of normal, torn, and other abnormal menisci on axial fat-saturated fast spin echo MR images of the knee. Design and patients. Two hundred and sixty-eight consecutive MR examinations of the knee were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty-five cases had surgical correlation available. The MR images were reviewed for the presence of meniscal tears and other meniscal pathology. Normal, torn, and other abnormal menisci were qualitatively assessed to develop descriptive criteria for the respective findings on axial fat-saturated fast spin echo images of the knee. Results. Fifty-nine meniscal tears were found at arthroscopy among the 110 menisci. Normal and abnormal menisci had definable appearances on axial MR images. Axial images showed vertical tears and displaced meniscal fragments well, whereas horizontal tears appeared subtle. Examples of various tears and other pathology demonstrated by axial images were collected. Descriptions for the various tears are proposed based on these findings. Conclusion. Axial fat-saturated fast spin echo images can show a variety of meniscal tears in definable patterns and may potentially provide additional characterization of meniscal tears. Further evaluation is needed to validate the proposed criteria for meniscal tears and to study the accuracy of axial images in the detection and characterization of meniscal tears.
HYPOTHALAMO-NEUROHYPOPHYSIAL SYSTEM IN THE NORMAL AND HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED TELEOST PORICHTHYS NOTATUS GIRARD AND ITS RESPONSE TO CONTINUOUS LIGHT.

The teleost Porichthys notatus has a long infundibular stalk measuring about 3 to 5 mm or more in the adult. The infundibular recess extends into the stalk in the form of a long infundibular funnel. The hypothalamo-hypophysial system is typical of the teleosts. In the hypophysectomized fish where there was no regeneration or reorganiation of the infundibular stalk, aldehyde fuchsin-positive substance progressively increased in quantity in the cell bodies of the preoptic nucleus. When these specimens were subjected to continuous light for 15 days, the staining intensity of the cells of the preoptic nucleus diminished, but greater accumulation of AF-positive substance was noticed along the axonal pathway and in the infundibulum. This suggests that light might act as an activating agent causing the dispersal of the accumulated neurosecretory material from the cells along their axons.
Reliability of two observers scoring the stanford hypnotic susceptibility scale, form C

Abstract 2 observers scored the responses of 60 Ss on a 12-item objective test, Stanford Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form C (Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard, 1962). Mean total scores reported by the 2 Es did not differ significantly. The correlation between the total scores of the 2 Es was .947. Nevertheless, differences in total scores assigned occurred with 40% of Ss, which is a significant departure from perfect agreement. The 2 Es disagreed about correct scoring of 54 items (7.5% of all items scored). The extent of disagreement was significantly greater than 0. Disagreement was not related to the level of susceptibility of Ss, nor to the relative experience of Es with hypnosis. More than half of the disagreements involved systematic differences in the interpretation and application of the scoring criteria for 2 items; item 6: Dream, and item 9: Anosmia to Ammonia. These systematic differences affecting scoring reliability happened to counterbalance to produce similar total scores in this study. Several ...
I-COLLIDE: an interactive and exact collision detection system for large-scale environments

we present an exact and interactive collision detection system, I-COLLIDE, for large-scale environments. Such environments are characterized by the number of objects undergoing rigid motion and the complexity of the models. The algorithm does not assume the objects' motions can be expressed as a closed form function of time. The collision detection system is general and can be easily interfaced with a variety of applications. The algorithm uses a two-level approach based on pruning multiple-object pairs using bounding boxes and performing exact collision detection between selected pairs of polyhedral models. We demonstrate the performance of the system in walkthrough and simulation environments consisting of a large number of moving objects. In particular, the system takes less than 1/20 of a second to determine all the collisions and contacts in an environment consisting of more than 1000 moving polytopes, each consisting of more than 50 faces on an HP-9000/750.
Analysis of direction selectivity arising from recurrent cortical interactions

The relative contributions of feedforward and recurrent connectivity to the direction-selective responses of cells in layer IVB of primary visual cortex are currently the subject of debate in the neuroscience community. Recently, biophysically detailed simulations have shown that realistic direction-selective responses can be achieved via recurrent cortical interactions between cells with nondirection-selective feedforward input (Suarez et al., 1995; Maex & Orban, 1996). Unfortunately these models, while desirable for detailed comparison with biology, are complex and thus difficult to analyze mathematically. In this article, a relatively simple cortical dynamical model is used to analyze the emergence of direction-selective responses via recurrent interactions. A comparison between a model based on our analysis and physiological data is presented. The approach also allows analysis of the recurrently propagated signal, revealing the predictive nature of the implementation.
Cabled Butterfly Closure: A Novel Technique for Sternal Closure

Impaired sternal wound healing remains problematic after median sternotomy and can lead to significant morbidity after cardiac surgical procedures. Although metal plating systems exist for closing the sternum, their use is limited by expense and practicality, and simple wire closure remains the most common technique to close the sternum. We describe a cabling technique for sternal closure that is secure, uses standard sternal wire, and may be used on every patient. We have used the technique routinely in 291 patients with no sternal dehiscence or wound healing problems.
Sequential activation of premotor, primary somatosensory and primary motor areas in humans during cued finger movements

Abstract Objective Human voluntary movements are a final product of complex interactions between multiple sensory, cognitive and motor areas of central nervous system. The objective was to investigate temporal sequence of activation of premotor (PM), primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) areas during cued finger movements. Methods Electrocorticography (ECoG) was used to measure activation timing in human PM, S1, and M1 neurons in preparation for finger movements in 5 subjects with subdural grids for seizure localization. Cortical activation was determined by the onset of high gamma (HG) oscillation (70–150Hz). The three cortical regions were mapped anatomically using a common brain atlas and confirmed independently with direct electrical cortical stimulation, somatosensory evoked potentials and detection of HG response to tactile stimulation. Subjects were given visual cues to flex each finger or pinch the thumb and index finger. Movements were captured with a dataglove and time-locked with ECoG. A windowed covariance metric was used to identify the rising slope of HG power between two electrodes and compute time lag. Statistical constraints were applied to the time estimates to combat the noise. Rank sum testing was used to verify the sequential activation of cortical regions across 5 subjects. Results In all 5 subjects, HG activation in PM preceded S1 by an average of 53±13ms ( P =0.03), PM preceded M1 by 180±40ms ( P =0.001) and S1 activation preceded M1 by 136±40ms ( P =0.04). Conclusions Sequential HG activation of PM, S1 and M1 regions in preparation for movements is reported. Activity in S1 prior to any overt body movements supports the notion that these neurons may encode sensory information in anticipation of movements, i.e., an efference copy. Our analysis suggests that S1 modulation likely originates from PM. Significance First electrophysiological evidence of efference copy in humans.
Behavioral Response of the Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) to Habitat Fragment Size and Isolation in an Urban Landscape

Habitat fragmentation is a significant threat to biodiversity worldwide. Habitat loss and the isolation of habitat fragments disrupt biological communities, accelerate the extinction of populations, and often lead to the alteration of behavioral patterns typical of individuals in large, contiguous natural areas. We used radio-telemetry to study the space-use behavior of the Coachwhip, a larger-bodied, wide-ranging snake species threatened by habitat fragmentation, in fragmented and contiguous areas of coastal southern California. We tracked 24 individuals at three sites over two years. Movement patterns of Coachwhips changed in habitat fragments. As area available to the snakes was reduced, individuals faced increased crowding, had smaller home-range sizes, tolerated greater home-range overlap, and showed more concentrated movement activity and convoluted movement pathways. The behavioral response shown by Coachwhips suggests, on a regional level, area-effects alone cannot explain observed extinctions on habitat fragments but, instead, suggests changes in habitat configuration are more likely to explain the decline of this species. Ultimately, if ''edge-exposure'' is a common cause of decline, then isolated fragments, appropriately buffered to reduce emigration and edge effects, may support viable populations of fragmentation-sensitive species.
Spatiotemporal pattern of neuronal injury induced by DFP in rats: A model for delayed neuronal cell death following acute OP intoxication

Organophosphate (OP) neurotoxins cause acute cholinergic toxicity and seizures resulting in delayed brain damage and persistent neurological symptoms. Testing novel strategies for protecting against delayed effects of acute OP intoxication has been hampered by the lack of appropriate animal models. In this study, we characterize the spatiotemporal pattern of cellular injury after acute intoxication with the OP diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received pyridostigmine (0.1 mg/kg, im) and atropine methylnitrate (20mg/kg, im) prior to DFP (9 mg/kg, ip) administration. All DFP-treated animals exhibited moderate to severe seizures within minutes after DFP injection but survived up to 72 h. AChE activity was significantly depressed in the cortex, hippocampus, subcortical brain tissue and cerebellum at 1h post-DFP injection and this inhibition persisted for up to 72 h. Analysis of neuronal injury by Fluoro-Jade B (FJB) labeling revealed delayed neuronal cell death in the hippocampus, cortex, amygdala and thalamus, but not the cerebellum, starting at 4h and persisting until 72 h after DFP treatment, although temporal profiles varied between brain regions. At 24h post-DFP injection, the pattern of FJB labeling corresponded to TUNEL staining in most brain regions, and FJB-positive cells displayed reduced NeuN immunoreactivity but were not immunopositive for astrocytic (GFAP), oligodendroglial (O4) or macrophage/microglial (ED1) markers, demonstrating that DFP causes a region-specific delayed neuronal injury mediated in part by apoptosis. These findings indicate the feasibility of this model for testing neuroprotective strategies, and provide insight regarding therapeutic windows for effective pharmacological intervention following acute OP intoxication.
FLUORESCENCE IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION: USES AND LIMITATIONS

The development of molecular hybridization techniques such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has had a major Impact on efforts to detect and characterize the genetic changes that give rise to human tumors. With probes designed to Identify specific chromosomes and chromosomal regions, FISH is used routinely by cytogenetics and pathology laboratories to identify recurring chromosomal abnormalities associated with hematologic malignant diseases. In many cases FISH analysis provides increased sensitivity, in that cytogenetic abnormalities have been found In samples that appeared to be normal by morphologic and conventional cytogenetic examination. The combination of cytogenetic, FISH, and molecular analyses provides a powerful approach for diagnosing and subclassifying malignant diseases into clinically and biologically relevant subgroups, In selecting appropriate therapy, and in monitoring the efficacy of therapeutic regimens.
Reversible regulation of HEGF expression in porcine full-thickness wounds

novirus with the cDNA for the E.coli b-galactosidase reporter gene (AdLac-Z) was used. Six millimeter excisional wounds were created on the dorsal ear of New Zealand white rabbits, exposing the cartilage. The wounds were treated with 10 plaque forming units (pfu) of AdLac-Z as either a SC injection around the perimeter of the wound, a collagen-alginate gel or a collagen gel with an avidin-antibody binding system loaded with AdLac-Z applied to the wound. The wounds were evaluated 3,7 and 14 days later for gene expression and the epithelial gap.
Exercise and the Low-Security Inmate Changes in Depression, Stress, and Anxiety

Exercise has a history of alleviating depression, stress, and anxiety in various populations, but research into its effects on low-security prison inmates is limited. Inmates who were exercising or...
Accident precursors, near misses, and warning signs: Critical review and formal definitions within the framework of Discrete Event Systems

Abstract An important consideration in safety analysis and accident prevention is the identification of and response to accident precursors. These off-nominal events are opportunities to recognize potential accident pathogens, identify overlooked accident sequences, and make technical and organizational decisions to address them before further escalation can occur. When handled properly, the identification of precursors provides an opportunity to interrupt an accident sequence from unfolding; when ignored or missed, precursors may only provide tragic proof after the fact that an accident was preventable. In this work, we first provide a critical review of the concept of precursor, and we highlight important features that ought to be distinguished whenever accident precursors are discussed. We address for example the notion of ex-ante and ex-post precursors, identified for postulated and instantiated (occurred) accident sequences respectively, and we discuss the feature of transferability of precursors. We then develop a formal (mathematical) definition of accident precursors as truncated accident sequences within the modeling framework of Discrete Event Systems. Additionally, we examine the related notions of “accident pathogens” as static or lurking adverse conditions that can contribute to or aggravate an accident, as well as “near misses”, “warning signs” and the novel concept of “accident pathway”. While these terms are within the same linguistic neighborhood as “accident precursors”, we argue that there are subtle but important differences between them and recommend that they not be used interchangeably for the sake of accuracy and clarity of communication within the risk and safety community. We also propose venues for developing quantitative importance measures for accident precursors, similar to component importance measures in reliability engineering. Our objective is to establish a common understanding and clear delineation of these terms, and by bringing formal mathematical tools to bear on them, we hope to provide a richer basis and more interpretive possibilities for examining and understanding risk and safety issues.
Determinants of the Extent of Participatory Employment Practices: Evidence from Japan

Prior studies on the effects of participatory employment practices often assume that once introduced, participatory employment practices change little in their nature and scope over time. Using unique micro data that provide detailed information on various attributes of participatory employment practices of Japanese firms as well as the age of such practices, we provide the first direct and systematic evidence that such practices expand significantly in their scope and nature as they age.
THE EVALUATION OF CARDIAC AND PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the diabetic population, accounting for close to 80% of the mortality in diabetic patients in North America (1,2). Patients with diabetes melli...
Increased ACE 2 and Decreased ACE Protein in Renal Tubules From Diabetic Mice. A Renoprotective Combination

Unlike the ubiquitous angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the ACE-related carboxypeptidase 2 (ACE 2) is predominantly expressed in the heart, kidney, and testis. ACE 2 degrades angiotensin (Ang) II to Ang (1-7) and Ang I to Ang (1-9). We investigated the expression of ACE and ACE 2 in a rodent model of type 2 diabetes. ACE and ACE 2 were measured in kidney and heart from 8-week-old no diabetic control (db/m) mice and diabetic (db/db) mice, which at this young age have obesity and hyperglycemia without nephropathy. In renal cortical tissue, ACE mRNA was reduced (db/db 0.31+/-0.06 versus db/m 0.99+/-0.05; P<0.005), whereas ACE 2 mRNA was not (db/db 0.94+/-0.05 versus db/m 1.03+/-0.11, NS). ACE protein was markedly reduced in kidney cortex of db/db mice (db/db 0.24+/-0.13 versus db/m 1.02+/-0.12; P<0.005), and this was associated with a corresponding decrease in renal ACE activity (db/db 12.7+/-3.7 versus db/m 61.6+/-4.4 mIU/mg protein; P<0.001). ACE 2 protein, by contrast, was increased in kidneys from diabetic mice (db/db 1.39+/-0.14 versus db/m 0.53+/-0.04; P<0.005). An increase in ACE 2 protein and a decrease in ACE protein, respectively, were also seen by immunostaining of renal cortical tubules from the db/db mice. In heart tissue, there were no significant differences between db/db and db/m mice in either ACE mRNA and protein or ACE 2 mRNA and protein. We conclude that in young db/db mice, ACE 2 protein in renal cortical tubules is increased, whereas ACE protein is decreased. We propose that the pattern of low ACE protein coupled with increased ACE 2 protein expression may be renoprotective in early stages of diabetes.
In-Plane Uniaxial Magnetic Anisotropy of Cobalt Doped Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 Epitaxial Films

In an effort to develop a magnetic biasing layer for potential applications in integrated devices, we have grown thin films of Y3Fe5O12 with increased uniaxial anisotropy by doping with varying Co2+, concentration. To compensate for the charge differential between Co2+ and Fe3+, Ge4+ and Ce4+ are substituted for Fe3+ and y3+, respectively. These garnet films, prepared using pulsed laser deposition on (110) oriented Gd3Ga5O12 substrates, exhibit excellent crystallinity as determined from X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The addition of Co2+ in Y3Fe5O12 films enhances the in-plane uniaxial anisotropy over an order of magnitude, depending on composition.
Immunologic responses of atopic and normal individuals to aerosolized dextran

Abstract The immunologic response of atopic and normal subjects to an intranasally administered polysaccharide antigen was determined by exposing groups of these individuals to a native dextran at weekly intervals for five months. A pattern of immediate skin reactivity appeared with greater frequency early in the atopic aerosolized group. Almost all subjects regardless of group had small amounts of antibody to dextran prior to intranasal exposure as determined by the bentonite flocculation technique and titers showed a modest increase during the course of immunization. Although the bentonite flocculating antibody appeared to be non-identical with skin-sensitizing antibody, there was a rough correlation between degree of wheal-and-erythema skin reactivity and flocculating antibody in any single subject irrespective of group. These results are similar to those obtained using an aerosolized protein antigen and suggest that the intranasal route of immunization is sufficient for sensitization of atopic as opposed to normal individuals. They further suggest either latent quantitative differences in the immune apparatus of atopic and normal subjects which become manifest by using the intranasal route of immunization or else an enhanced mucosal permeability to inhalant antigens resulting in greater absorption of airborne protein and polysaccharide antigens in such individuals.
Visual disturbance as initial presentation of hairy cell leukemia.

PURPOSE. Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare disorder that occasionally has visual symptoms after diagnosis. The authors present a case of HCL in which bilateral visual symptoms led to the initial diagnosis. METHODS. Observational case report. RESULTS. Bilateral decreased vision to 20/30 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left due to intraretinal and preretinal hemorrhages with no other systemic signs or symptoms prompted a hematologic evaluation in which HCL was found to be the causative disorder in a previously healthy 41-year-old man. CONCLUSIONS. The authors present a rare case in which bilateral visual complaints led to the diagnosis of HCL. Thus, though uncommon, HCL should be considered in the differential diagnosis of otherwise unexplained retinal hemorrhages. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2009; 19: 318-20)
Use of Artificial Intelligence to Shorten the Behavioral Diagnosis of Autism

The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is one of the most commonly used instruments for assisting in the behavioral diagnosis of autism. The exam consists of 93 questions that must be answered by a care provider within a focused session that often spans 2.5 hours. We used machine learning techniques to study the complete sets of answers to the ADI-R available at the Autism Genetic Research Exchange (AGRE) for 891 individuals diagnosed with autism and 75 individuals who did not meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. Our analysis showed that 7 of the 93 items contained in the ADI-R were sufficient to classify autism with 99.9% statistical accuracy. We further tested the accuracy of this 7-question classifier against complete sets of answers from two independent sources, a collection of 1654 individuals with autism from the Simons Foundation and a collection of 322 individuals with autism from the Boston Autism Consortium. In both cases, our classifier performed with nearly 100% statistical accuracy, properly categorizing all but one of the individuals from these two resources who previously had been diagnosed with autism through the standard ADI-R. Our ability to measure specificity was limited by the small numbers of non-spectrum cases in the research data used, however, both real and simulated data demonstrated a range in specificity from 99% to 93.8%. With incidence rates rising, the capacity to diagnose autism quickly and effectively requires careful design of behavioral assessment methods. Ours is an initial attempt to retrospectively analyze large data repositories to derive an accurate, but significantly abbreviated approach that may be used for rapid detection and clinical prioritization of individuals likely to have an autism spectrum disorder. Such a tool could assist in streamlining the clinical diagnostic process overall, leading to faster screening and earlier treatment of individuals with autism.
The Incidence and Severity of Atherosclerosis in Estrogen-Treated Males, and in Females with a Hypoestrogenic or a Hyperestrogenic State

Autopsy records of estrogen-treated men, castrated women, and women with breast carcinoma were analyzed with reference to the degree of atherosclerotic disease. Findings were then compared with those in similar groups of men and women whose estrogen supply was considered normal. Results obtained suggest: (1) that the male treated with estrogen has less atherosclerosis than the normal male; (2) that the oophorectomized female has an incidence of severe atherosclerosis approaching that of the male; and (3) that the hyperestrogenic female with breast carcinoma has less atherosclerosis than the normal female.
Electrophysiology of Gastric Ion Transport

The sections in this article are: 1 Structure of Gastric Mucosa 2 Voltage, Current, Ionic Flux, and Resistance 3 Membrane Permeability and Transport Properties 3.1 Cation and Anion Requirements for Acid Secretion 3.2 Sodium Absorption by Surface Cells and Chloride Secretion by Oxyntic Cells 3.3 Potassium Transport 3.4 Bicarbonate Secretion 3.5 Cell Membrane Potentials and Intracellular Ion Activities 3.6 Equivalent Circuit Analysis With Microelectrodes 3.7 Equivalent Circuit Analysis from Impedance Measurements 3.8 Segregation of Transport Functions and Associated Shunt Pathways 3.9 Electroneutral Hydrogen and Electrogenic Chloride Transport by Oxyntic Cells 4 Summary
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS) are the most common variants of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) and generally have an indolent course. These are subtypes of a diverse group of lymphoid malignancies that develop in the skin, which includes both indolent and aggressive types. MF/SS are neoplasms of CD4+ T cells, expressing a memory effector phenotype. In the early stages, MF/SS can be challenging to differentiate from nonmalignant inflammatory skin disorders, such as psoriasis or nonspecific dermatitis and additional specific biomarkers would improve diagnosis. Gene expression analysis has uncovered many novel transcriptional abnormalities in MF/SS, hinting at epigenetic mechanisms potentially playing a role in the altered regulation. The mechanism for the epigenetic changes is unclear, but these abnormal genes may serve as biomarkers in MF/SS diagnosis, provide insight into the pathogenesis of MF/SS, and lead to new treatment approaches.
Psychosocial Aspects and Work-Related Issues Regarding Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease

The latest Global Burden of Disease Study ranks low back pain as the leading cause of disability worldwide. The one-year incidence has been estimated to be as high as 36 %, while the lifetime prevalence is thought to be close to 80 %. Regardless of treatment most patients enjoy full recovery from their symptoms. However recurrence is common. And while the prevalence is difficult to estimate, some patients go on to develop chronic back pain, typically defined as pain lasting longer than 3 months.
On the development of a code of ethics

ation of Social Workers (NASW) is a good start in the direction of codifying standards of conduct for social workers.1 However, it is only a beginning. For a proper ap praisal of this code, as of any code of pro fessional ethics, one must scrutinize the motivations for it and its effectiveness and consequences. A code of ethics must be evaluated on the basis of (1) the reasons for its existence, (2) its specificity and in clusiveness as a guide to professional con duct, and (3) its enforceability. The author's examination of the codes
Topologically Diverse Human Membrane Proteins Partition to Liquid-Disordered Domains in Phase-Separated Lipid Vesicles

The integration of membrane proteins into “lipid raft” membrane domains influences many biochemical processes. The intrinsic structural properties of membrane proteins are thought to mediate their partitioning between membrane domains. However, whether membrane topology influences the targeting of proteins to rafts remains unclear. To address this question, we examined the domain preference of three putative raft-associated membrane proteins with widely different topologies: human caveolin-3, C99 (the 99 residue C-terminal domain of the amyloid precursor protein), and peripheral myelin protein 22. We find that each of these proteins are excluded from the ordered domains of giant unilamellar vesicles containing coexisting liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases. Thus, the intrinsic structural properties of these three topologically distinct disease-linked proteins are insufficient to confer affinity for synthetic raft-like domains.
Muscimol microinjected in the arcuate nucleus affects metabolism, body temperature & ventilation.

Abstract Effects of microinjection of 2 doses of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor agonist, muscimol (M), into the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus on oxygen consumption and control of ventilation over time and body temperature (BT) at the end of the experiment were compared in adult male and female rats. Relative to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, 0 nmol), BT was decreased only in male rats with both doses of M, while in female rats, the 5 nmol dose depressed oxygen consumption. Ventilation was depressed by 5 nmol M in male and 10 nmol M in female rats by decreasing tidal volume. M did not affect the ventilatory response of male or female rats to hypoxia, whereas in females 5 and 10 nmol M and in males 10 nmol M depressed the ventilatory response to hypercapnia. Thus, in rats GABA A receptors in the arcuate nucleus modulate BT, oxygen consumption, and ventilation in air and in response to hypercapnia in a sexually dimorphic manner.
Static decoupling

The question of "statically decoupling" a linear multivariable system is formally introduced and resolved in this correspondence. Necessary and sufficient conditions for statically decoupling multivariable systems via linear state variable feedback are given and constructively illustrated.
L1A Turbine Flow Characterization in a Cascade Facility with a T-Bar Turbulence Generator

Surface pressure profiles of the L1A low pressure turbine airfoil were obtained at various freestream turbulence intensities and suction surface based Reynolds numbers in a turbine cascade wind tunnel having an upstream T-bar turbulence generating grid oriented parallel to the turbine cassette. Characterizing the flow over low pressure turbine blades is of interest to the Air Force because slow, high-flying engines experience flow separation across low pressure turbine blades, causing a loss of turbine efficiency. This study will enable future turbine blade research at the Air Force Academy by establishing a baseline. Experiments were accomplished with a cassette of L1A blade profiles in the test section of the cascade wind tunnel. Inlet flow uniformity, blade surface static pressures, and blade periodicity were assessed. Inlet total pressure and turbulence intensity were reasonably uniform; however, inlet velocity increased slightly from outboard to inboard. Pressure profiles were compared to previously published data having a conventional turbulence generating grid oriented perpendicular to the inlet flow. Preliminary data shows a strong resemblance to published L1A pressure profiles; however, poor periodicity was observed at higher Reynolds numbers due to facility constraints.
Group C and G streptococci infections: emerging challenges.

1. Gail S Williams, PhD MT(ASCP) SBB CLS (NCA)[⇑][1] 1. is an Assistant Professor at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 1. Address for correspondence: Gail S Williams PhD MT(ASCP) SBB CLS (NCA), Assistant Professor, Northern Illinois University, School of Allied Health Professions, DeKalb IL 60115. (815) 753-6325, (815) 753-1653 (fax). gwilliams{at}niu.edu New reports of serious complications from Group C (GCS) and Group G streptococci (GGS) with probable respiratory entry have been described. Particularly interesting are cases of toxic shock-like syndrome and rheumatic fever in previously healthy patients. Serious GCS and GGS infections will be missed where selective methods for group A streptococci (GAS) only are used on throat specimens. Group A streptococci (GAS) are considered the primary pathogenic β-hemolytic streptococci cultured from the throat.1 GAS throat infections are routinely treated to reduce spread to patient contacts, and to reduce suppurative and non-suppurative complications. Standard protocol is to screen with a rapid test for GAS and perform throat cultures on specimens with negative screening results.2 New, rapid, highly sensitive and specific screening methods have been developed to detect GAS, e.g., optical immunoassay (OIA) by BioStar and DNA probe hybridization by Gen-Probe.3-5 Therefore, recommendations have been made to replace the standard protocol with these screening methods.6-9 These recommendations are based on the assumption that GAS is the only dangerous streptococcal pathogen that may invade the throat. Although GAS are the most frequent streptococci isolated from throat cultures, β-hemolytic GCS and GGS and hemolysin deficient variants cause epidemics of exudative pharyngitis/pharyngotonsillitis.10-16 The rate of positive throat cultures that are GCS rather than GAS positive in certain seasons and geographical areas ranges from 1% to 11%.16 In addition, GCS and GGS are implicated as a cause of serious complications including rheumatic fever in previously healthy children and adults.17-28 Notably, pharyngeal carriage of GGS and/or GCS… ABBREVIATIONS: ASO = anti-streptolysin O; BAP = blood agar plate; GAS = group A streptococci; GCS = group C streptococci; GGS = group G streptococci; OIA = optical immunoassay. [1]: #corresp-1
White Matter Hyperintensity-Adjusted Critical Infarct Thresholds to Predict a Favorable 90-Day Outcome.

Background and Purpose—There is increasing interest in defining stroke lesion volume thresholds to predict poststroke outcome. However, there is a paucity of data on factors that impact the associa...
Life and Mind in Hegel’s Logic and Subjective Spirit

Abstract This paper aims to understand Hegel’s claim in the introduction to his Philosophy of Mind that mind is an actualization of the Idea and argues that this claim provides us with a novel and defensible way of understanding Hegel’s naturalism. I suggest that Hegel’s approach to naturalism should be understood as ‘formal’, and argue that Hegel’s Logic , particularly the section on the ‘Idea’, provides us with a method for this approach. In the first part of the paper, I present an interpretation of Hegel’s method in which life plays a central role. In the second part of the paper, I develop Hegel’s method by providing a reading of Hegel’s Subjective Spirit, focusing on the sections ‘Anthropology’ and ‘Phenomenology’ in particular, arguing that they display the dialectic between life and cognition outlined by Hegel’s Idea.
Word to the Wise: Geode (and Friends)

Open spaces in rocks present places for crystals to grow unimpeded and thus host most of the well-formed crystals desired by mineral collectors. There are many different mechanisms by which open sp...
Significance of Suboptimal Response to Imatinib, as Defined by the European LeukemiaNet, in Long-Term Outcome for Patients (Pts) with Chronic Phase (CP) Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).

The European LeukemiaNet recently published recommendations for evaluating response to imatinib among pts with CML. Criteria for failure and suboptimal responses were proposed. The significance of failure is accepted and constitutes grounds for change in treatment. The prognostic implications of having a suboptimal response are less clear making treatment decisions less clear in this setting. We analyzed the outcome of 281 pts treated with imatinib as frontline therapy for CML in CP: 73 at initial dose of 400mg daily and 208 at 800mg daily. Their median age was 48 yrs (range, 15 to 84 yrs) and their median follow-up 48 months (mo) (2–79 mo). After 3 mo of therapy none of the 273 evaluable pts met definition of suboptimal response according to the European LeukemiaNet, while 3 of 273 (1%) met definition for failure. At 6 mo 10/259 (4%) evaluable had suboptimal response and 9 (3%) failure. At 12 mo 19/246 (8%) had suboptimal and 14 (6%) failure, and at 18 mo 91/224 (41%) had suboptimal and 21 (9%) had failure. The probability of having a suboptimal response at 6 and 12 mo was significantly higher for pts treated with a starting dose of 400mg than those treated at 800mg: at 6 mo [12% suboptimal at 400mg vs 1% at 800mg (p=0.002)] and at 12 mo [17% and 4%, respectively (p<0.001)]. The outcome at 24 months* by the response at specific times was as follows: | Time | Response | % CCyR | % MMR | % Transf | % Event | |:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ------ | ----- | -------- | ------- | | CCyR=Complete cytogenetic remission, MMR=Major molecular remission, Transf=Transformation to accelerated or blast phase, Event=loss of complete hematologic response, loss of major cytogenetic response, transformation, or death | | 6 mo | Optimal | 91 | 60 | 2 | 6 | | | Suboptimal | | | 30 | 50 | | | Failure | | | 22 | 67 | | | P | .001 | .001 | .001 | .001 | | 12 mo | Optimal | 94 | 63 | 2 | 4 | | | Suboptimal | 56 | 25 | | 16 | | | Failure | | | 21 | 57 | | | P | .001 | .001 | .001 | .001 | | 18 mo | Optimal | 98 | 85 | | 1 | | | Suboptimal | 93 | 39 | 2 | 5 | | | Failure | 15 | | 19 | 43 | | | P | .001 | .001 | .001 | .001 |
The Contribution of School Counselors’ Altruism to Their Degree of Burnout

The school counselor role embodies altruistic intention and behavior, but may lead to burnout. This study tested the hypothesized directional relationship that school counselors scoring at higher levels of altruism would have lower levels of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment). The results of the statistical analyses supported the hypothesized relationship, indicating that altruism contributes to lower levels of burnout. This article discusses implications for school counselors and school counselor educators.
Systematic Changes in Figural Memories

A re-examination was made of an experiment reported to support the hypothesis of systematic changes in figural memories. Each S saw a stimulus-figure and made one recognitive judgment at either 5 min., 2 wk., 8 wk., or 6 mo. Progressive changes in recognitive judgments occurred during Experiment I. A more comprehensive test in Experiment II, however, gave evidence that the earlier memorial changes were artifacts of the stimulus-figures or the recognitive forms.
The Kingdom of Sweden (Konungariket Sverige)

Located between Finland and Norway in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Sweden is a parliamentary democracy. At the national level, the people are represented by the Riksdag the Swedish Parliament, which has legislative power. The full name for Sweden (Sverige) is the Kingdom of Sweden (Konungariket Sverige). Sweden is a monarchy in which the office of Head of State has been since 1973 held by Carl XVI Gustaf. The title of King or Queen is inherited by the eldest child of the incumbent. Although the Head of State has no political powers, he/she is regularly informed of the affairs and concerns of the realm and chairs the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs.
A Bounded Intensity Process for the Reliability of Repairable Equipment

In the failure pattern of repairable equipment subjected to reliability deterioration with operating time, the repeated application of the repair actions sometimes produces a finite bound for the i...
Phototransduction: The Visual Cycle

The light-sensitive molecules in vertebrate retinas are the opsins. Absorption of a photon by an opsin receptor induces isomerization of its 11-cis-retinaldehyde chromophore to all-trans-retinaldehyde, which activates the receptor. Subsequently, all-trans-retinaldehyde dissociates from apo-opsin, rendering it insensitive to light. To restore light sensitivity, apo-opsin must recombine with a new 11-cis-retinaldehyde. The regeneration of 11-cis-retinaldehyde from all-trans-retinaldehyde is carried out by a multistep enzyme pathway called the visual cycle in cells of the retinal pigment epithelium. The genes for many enzymes and retinoid-binding proteins of the visual cycle are affected in human-inherited blinding diseases.
The Comparative Effectiveness on Turnout of Positively Versus Negatively Framed Descriptive Norms in Mobilization Campaigns

Are mobilization appeals that include information about descriptive voting norms more effective at increasing turnout when the descriptive norm is framed positively (by highlighting a referent’s de...
Biological Degradation of Soil

Soil microorganisms play key roles in cycling of nutrients, decomposition of wastes and residues, and detoxification of pollutant compounds in the environment. Factors that affect these organisms, and/or their ability to mediate anthropic functions, have received attention in recent years. The purpose of this chapter is to present a review of the present literature that addresses the potential for biological degradation of soil. Biological degradation of soil as described herein refers to the impairment or elimination of one or more “significant” populations of microorganisms in soil, often with a resulting change in biogeochemical processing within the associated ecosystem. “Significant” microorganisms are those for which an ecologically significant role is understood.
Total and Partial Wrist Implant Arthroplasty

The wrist is a common site for arthritis, with 80 % of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complaining of functional impairment due to wrist pain. Osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis are also common causes for symptomatic wrist pain, particularly in patients with severe scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC), scaphoid non-union advanced collapse (SNAC) and secondary radiocarpal arthritis after severe distal radius fracture. Total wrist arthroplasty is attractive to clinicians allowing patients the same benefits provided by arthroplasty of the hip, knee and shoulder joints. A motion-preserving alternative to wrist arthrodesis is of particular importance when treating patients who are debilitated by arthritis affecting multiple joints. Basic activities of daily living, such as perineal care, fastening buttons, combing hair and writing are made easier if some wrist motion is preserved [1, 2], and thus, patients with rheumatoid arthritis typically prefer arthroplasty over arthrodesis to enhance the performance of daily activities [3–5]. Patients with post-traumatic or degenerative osteoarthritis may also select arthroplasty over arthrodesis to better perform specific vocational and other activities.
Mycobacterium bovis BCG spinal osteomyelitis in a patient with bladder cancer without a history of BCG instillation

BCG has been used as intravesical immunotherapy for the treatment of bladder carcinoma. However, this treatment is not harmless and may lead to complications, with a reported incidence of systemic BCG infection ranging from 3% to 7%. We report a case of culture-proven Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) vertebral osteomyelitis in a 72-year-old patient with bladder carcinoma who was treated with intravesical mitomycin C but did not receive BCG. Cultures from biopsy recovered isolate resembling Mycobacterium tuberculosis biochemically, but resistant to pyrazinamide (PZA). The patient was originally started on a four-drug antituberculous regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and PZA. After genotypic analysis identified the organism as M. bovis (BCG), the regimen was changed to isoniazid and rifampin for 12 months. The patient responded well to this treatment. This case is unique as the patient received only intravesical mitomycin and did not receive BCG, implying the possibility of transmission from contaminated equipment.
Context-sensitive network analysis identifies food metabolites associated with Alzheimer’s disease: an exploratory study

Diet plays an important role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) initiation, progression and outcomes. Previous studies have shown individual food-derived substances may have neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects. However, few works systematically investigate the role of food and food-derived metabolites on the development and progression of AD. In this study, we systematically investigated 7569 metabolites and identified AD-associated food metabolites using a novel network-based approach. We constructed a context-sensitive network to integrate heterogeneous chemical and genetic data, and to model context-specific inter-relationships among foods, metabolites, human genes and AD. Our metabolite prioritization algorithm ranked 59 known AD-associated food metabolites within top 4.9%, which is significantly higher than random expectation. Interestingly, a few top-ranked food metabolites were specifically enriched in herbs and spices. Pathway enrichment analysis shows that these top-ranked herb-and-spice metabolites share many common pathways with AD, including the amyloid processing pathway, which is considered as a hallmark in AD-affected brains and has pathological roles in AD development. Our study represents the first unbiased systems approach to characterizing the effects of food and food-derived metabolites in AD pathogenesis. Our ranking approach prioritizes the known AD-associated food metabolites, and identifies interesting relationships between AD and the food group “herbs and spices”. Overall, our study provides intriguing evidence for the role of diet, as an important environmental factor, in AD etiology.
Should Objective Structured Clinical Examinations Assist the Clinical Competency Committee in Assigning Anesthesiology Milestones Competency

Background With the integration of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations into the Anesthesiology primary board certification process, residency programs may choose to implement Objective Structured Clinical Examinations for resident skill assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate Objective Structured Clinical Examination-based milestone assessment and compare with Clinical Competency Committee milestone assessment that is based purely on clinical evaluations. Methods An annual Objective Structured Clinical Examination event was used to obtain milestone assessment of clinical anesthesia year 0-clinical anesthesia year 3 residents for selected milestones in patient care, professionalism, and interpersonal/communication skills. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination scenarios were different for each training level. The Clinical Competency Committee evaluated each resident semiannually based on clinical evaluations of resident performance. The Clinical Competency Committee milestone assessments from 2014 to 2016 that were recorded closest to the Objective Structured Clinical Examination event (±3 months) were compared to the Objective Structured Clinical Examination milestone assessments. A total of 35 residents were included in this analysis in 3 different training cohorts: A (graduates 2016, n = 12); B (graduates 2017, n = 10); and C (graduates 2018, n = 13). All residents participated in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations because their clinical anesthesia year 0 year and Clinical Competency Committee milestone data had been reported since December 2014. Results Both assessment techniques indicated a competency growth proportional to the length in training. Despite limited cumulative statistics in this study, average trends in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination-Clinical Competency Committee relationship indicated: (1) a good proportionality in reflecting competency growth; (2) a grade enhancement associated with Clinical Competency Committee assessment, dominated by evaluations of junior residents (clinical anesthesia year 0-clinical anesthesia year 1); and (3) an expectation bias in Clinical Competency Committee assessment, dominated by evaluation of senior residents (clinical anesthesia year 2-clinical anesthesia year 3). Conclusions Our analysis confirms the compatibility of the 2 evaluation methods in reflecting longitudinal growth. The deviation of Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessments versus Clinical Competency Committee assessments suggests that Objective Structured Clinical Examinations may be providing additional or different information on resident performance. Educators might consider using both assessment methods to provide the most reliable and valid competency assessments during residency.