cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding State-Level Variations in the US Infant Mortality: 2000 to 2015.

Objective To exploit state variations in infant mortality, identify diagnoses that contributed to reduction of the infant mortality rate (IMR), and examine factors associated with preterm-related mortality rate (PMR). Study Design Using linked birth-infant deaths files, we examined patterns in the leading causes of IMR. We compared these rates at both national and state levels to find reduction trends. Creating a cross-sectional time series of states' PMR and some explanatory variables, we implemented a fixed-effect regression model to examine factors associated with PMR at the state level. Results We found substantial state-level variations in changes of the IMR (range = − 2.87–2.08) and PMR (−1.77–0.67). Twenty-one states in which the IMR declined more than the national average of 0.99 (6.89–5.90) were labeled as successful. In the successful states, we found reduction in the PMR accounted for the largest decline in the IMR—0.90 fewer deaths. Changes in the other subgroups of leading causes did not differ significantly in successful and unsuccessful states. Conclusion Trends in the causes of mortality are heterogeneous across states. Although its impact is not large, reducing the percentage of pregnant women with inadequate care is one of the mechanisms through which the PMR decrease.
Drivers of juror's malpractice assessments in auditor litigation involving offshoring and overtime: Generation and a management Mindset

Abstract The Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) estimated audit firms' lawsuit costs roughly equaled 15% of their 2008 annual revenues, and auditors still remain frequent targets of shareholder litigation today. However, settlements have declined following two critical Supreme Court rulings. Higher standards of liability in Janus v. First Derivatives have changed the landscape; audit firms are much more willing to litigate, sensing a greater likelihood to prevail. In this environment, the importance of juror perceptions of audit quality is critical. Simultaneously, juror perceptions of audit firm motives are equally important, as standards related to scienter remain ambiguous (Tellabs v. Makor). Our research manipulates variables directly germane to both perceptions of audit quality and scienter. Our research is also important because the accounting profession still provides no clear standards of audit quality. Without standardized measures, we expect jurors to seek easily understood information when tasked to assess audit quality and inferring scienter. We examine how jurors use their prior experiences to assess overtime and offshoring practices in rendering verdicts in instances of alleged “audit failures”. Specifically, we hypothesize (and find) more youthful jurors (who face more pressure to work more hours than did prior generations) interpret excessive overtime practices more negatively; and jurors with more managerial experience (who reflect a more high-level construal mindset focused on goals) interpret offshoring practices more favorably.
Development of Emulgel Delivery of Mupirocin for Treatment of Skin Infection

Aim To design controlled release topical delivery of mupirocin for the treatment of skin infection. Background Mupirocin is an antibacterial drug. Mupirocin works to kill the bacteria, which include strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. It is also used for the treatment of inflammation of a hair follicle. The half-life of mupirocin is only 20-40 min. It has very slight solubility in water. Patent literature had shown work on ointment, antibiotic composition, nasal and topical composition. Emulgel is a duel control release system for the topical delivery of hydrophobic drugs. Objective The objective was to formulate emulgel with controlled delivery of mupirocin using Sepineo P 600. Methods Soya oil, tween 80 and polyethylene glycol 400 (Oil:Surfactant:Cosurfactant) were used for emulsion formulation. Emulgel was optimized by 32 factorial design. Sepineo P 600 and hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose K4M were used as independent variables. Drug excipient compatibility analysis was carried out by FTIR, UV and DSC spectra. Emulgel was evaluated for its physical characterization, in vitro release, ex vivo release, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory study. Results DSC, UV and FTIR analysis confirmed drug excipient compatibility. FE SEM showed a size range between 228-255 nm. Zeta potential was found to be -25.1 mV, which showed good stability of the emulsion. Design expert software showed F2 as an optimized batch. Release studies indicated that the controlled release of drugs forms Sepineo P 600 gel due to its higher gelling capacity. Batch F2 showed comparable results with marketed formulation against Staphylococcus aureus. For batch F2, 40 μg/ml was the minimal inhibitory concentration. Conclusion Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory study proved successful development of stably controlled release mupirocin emulgel.
Keeps me awake at night: The potential of the COVID-19 pandemic to affect sleep quality among sexual minority men in the U.S.A

Sleep health, a crucial component and predictor of physical and mental health, has likely been adversely impacted by the stress and disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief report sought to assess self-reported sleep quality among sexual minority men across the U.S.A. in the early months of the pandemic. In a cross-sectional online survey of a racially-diverse sample of 477 sexual minority men (mean age of 41.2; range 18-75 years) recruited from popular geo-social networking apps in early May 2020, participants reported on their recent experiences regarding sleep and mental health (anxiety, depression, and pessimistic repetitive future thinking). Almost 75% endorsed some level of restless sleep in the past week, 203 (42.6%) reported worse-than-usual sleep quality since the pandemic, and 77 (16.1%) reported sleeping longer than usual but not feeling better rested. Further, of the 280 reporting worse-than-usual sleep or feeling not rested, almost 85% reported that worry about the pandemic had been contributing to their troubles with falling or staying asleep. Rates of worsened sleep were highest among those whose financial situation had been adversely affected and those not in full-time employment, whereas restless sleep was highest among those in the Northeast region of the U.S.A., which, during the study's timeframe of late April and early May 2020, was the most severely affected by the pandemic. Greater emotional distress was associated with each sleep variable. Addressing and improving sleep health is critical to overall health and requires particular attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robot-Assisted Surgery for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma is a rare malignancy for which surgery provides definitive management. Open radical nephroureterectomy was the gold standard treatment, but laparoscopic and robot-assisted approaches are alternative options. Kidney-sparing approaches are feasible for carefully selected patients with ureteral cancer. This article discusses the evaluation of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma and definitive management using robot-assisted surgical approaches. Patients with urothelial carcinoma of the upper tract can be treated with robot-assisted nephroureterectomy, distal ureterectomy, and segmental ureterectomy.
The unintended effects of health information base rates on health risk estimates and behavioral intentions

Social marketers and health advertisers often use statistical health information to craft customized messages for specific consumer segments. However, the composition of these segments can vary gre...
Integrated Terahertz Transceivers for Multi-node Link Discovery and Localization

In this work, frequency-to-space mapping principle is exploited to demonstrate the simultaneous localization of multiple wireless nodes in 2D angular space in a single- shot fashion. This is achieved through on-chip, dual-port, frequency dispersive leaky-wave antennas operating in the frequency range of 360-400 GHz. The on-chip transceiver is fabricated on industry standard 65 nm CMOS process. We demonstrate 2D localization of wireless nodes with an accuracy of 1.95◦ at a resolution bandwidth of 20 Hz using cross- correlation based technique.
Medial entorhinal cortex lesions produce delay-dependent disruptions in memory for elapsed time.

Abstract Our memory for time is a fundamental ability that we use to judge the duration of events, put our experiences into a temporal context, and decide when to initiate actions. The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), with its direct projections to the hippocampus, has been proposed to be the key source of temporal information for hippocampal time cells. However, the behavioral relevance of such temporal firing patterns remains unclear, as most of the paradigms used for the study of temporal processing and time cells are either spatial tasks or tasks for which MEC function is not required. In this study, we asked whether the MEC is necessary for rats to perform a time duration discrimination task (TDD), in which rats were trained to discriminate between 10-s and 20-s delay intervals. After reaching a 90% performance criterion, the rats were assigned to receive an excitotoxic MEC-lesion or sham-lesion surgery. We found that after recovering from surgery, rats with MEC lesions were impaired on the TDD task in comparison to rats with sham lesions, failing to return to criterion performance. Their impairment, however, was specific to the longer, 20-s delay trials. These results indicate that time processing is dependent on MEC neural computations only for delays that exceed 10 s, perhaps because long-term memory resources are needed to keep track of longer time intervals.
Myocardial uptake of 68Ga-DOTATATE: correlation with cardiac disease and risk factors

BACKGROUND Myocardial uptake on 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT is often observed and its clinical relevance is poorly understood. PURPOSE To detect any correlation between myocardial uptake of 68Ga-DOTATATE and presence of cardiac disease or risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this institutional review board-approved retrospective study, we reviewed 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT scans in our institution between 1 May 2018 and 30 September 2018. A semi-quantitative score (MUS) for myocardial uptake of 68Ga-DOTATATE was developed by measuring mean standardized uptake value (SUV) in five myocardial regions, corrected by blood pool activity, and MUS was validated between two readers. We investigated the relationship between MUS and presence of cardiac disease or risk factors, including Framingham score and coronary calcification. RESULTS A total of 145 scans were included (79 women; mean age = 56.9 ± 13.7 years). Inter-reader agreement was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient (r) = 0.964 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.903-0.987; P < 0.001). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between MUS and presence of coronary calcifications (Spearman rho = 0.20; P = 0.016). MUS was higher in patients with heart disease or risk factors (n = 83, mean MUS 2.03, 95% CI = 1.85-2.21) compared to those without (n = 23, mean MUS 1.40, 95% CI = 1.17-1.62; P < 0.001), although the cardiac disease group was older with a higher percentage of men (62.0 years, 57.8% men compared to 47.6 years, 13.0% men; P value <0.0001 for both comparisons). CONCLUSION For patients undergoing 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT scan, an elevated MUS might indicate an underlying heart disease.
Imagining Hope: William F. Lynch’s Psychology of Hope

This article is a follow-up to my recent article on Erving Goffman’s Asylums (1961), an analysis of the mental hospital environment. I focus here on William F. Lynch’s book Images of Hope (1965) which was written when Lynch was a scholar in residence at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. in 1962. I take particular note of the fact that Lynch perceived the book to be a venture into the psychology of hope, and that he based this psychology on the complementary relationship of hope and imagination. I also consider the relationship that he draws between hope and help; the dynamic of hope and hopelessness; the roles of wishing and waiting in the development of a mature sense of hope; and the imagination as an instrument of coping. I conclude that among the selves that comprise our composite Self, the hopeful self is essential to life itself.
Pathophysiology: Nutrition in Illness

This chapter outlines the differences in metabolic responses to starvation, and to starvation complicated by acute illness. In starvation there is conservation of body stores and feeding will increase anabolism and repletion of stores, whilst in starvation plus acute illness, the changes in counter-regulatory hormonal control induce mobilization of stores and feeding will increase catabolism and not replenish body stores. This is critical to understand as it accounts for many of the complications of interventional feeding in the critically ill, where feeding in a previously well-nourished patient with good body stores will exacerbate protein oxidative losses and hyperglycemia, and feeding in a nutritionally depleted patient will support the flow of nutrients to vital organs, but will not replenish body stores until the stress of acute illness abates and the regulatory hormonal control switches back to net anabolism.
Inventory Dynamics in a Simple Disequilibrium Macroeconomic Model

A simple piecewise linear macroeconomic model with buffer stock inventories is formulated and analyzed in this paper. Buffer stocks partly eliminate rationing of the demand for goods, since rationing appears only when a stock-out is possible. This means that the region of classical unemployment necessarily shrinks and will even disappear when buffer stocks absorb all the randomness of the aggregate demand for goods. Inventory dynamics with constant wages and prices have steady states either in the region of Keynesian unemployment or repressed inflation. In the former case the motion is oscillatory and either converges or ends in a limit cycle, while in the latter it is monotonic. Some of the complications caused by flexible wages and prices are sketched, but the results depend heavily on the nature of wage and price adjustments.
Experiences in Visual Thinking

* Fresh approach to engineering design, innovation challenges, and stereotypical thinking; provides alternative methods that come closer to the heart of the visual creative process.
Limits in soil ingestion data: The potential for imputing data when soil ingestion estimates are below the detection limit

Abstract The formation of a soil ingestion distribution based on pooling data from current soil ingestion studies is appealing. An important issue in forming such a distribution is what to do with negative soil ingestion estimates for particular subjects, because they comprise approximately 10 to 40% of the total soil ingestion estimates. A method of correcting for the negative estimates of soil ingestion is to make use of the “soil ingestion detection limit”;. An appropriate methodology for forming estimates of such detection limits is available in the literature. This paper discusses appropriate use of the existing soil ingestion detection limit methodology in forming a pooled database using current soil ingestion study data. The discussion focuses attention on the current limitations of children's soil ingestion data and potential pitfalls in applying the detection limit model when generating a soil ingestion distribution. In summary, currently available soil ingestion data are not sufficiently reliabl...
Retinoid status and the control of keratin expression and adhesion during the histogenesis of squamous metaplasia of tracheal epithelium.

Abstract We induced vitamin A depletion to define early and late changes during the histogenesis of squamous metaplasia of hamster tracheal epithelium. An early change is the “minimal morphological change” (MMC), in which the mucociliary epithelium is separated from the basement membrane by a continuous layer of basal cells. Immunohistochemistry showed an exclusive localization of the keratins K5 and K14 in basal cells of normal and MMC epithelia. At the MMC stage no staining was observed above the basal layer with antibodies to K5, but upon progression of the lesion to a squamous focus all cells from basal to terminally differentiated were positive for K5 and K14. In contrast, when we used antibodies to the keratins K6 or K13 all cells were negative in the normal epithelium and in the MMC epithelium. Successive layers of suprabasal squamous cells found in squamous metaplasia failed to express normal epidermal differentiation marker keratins K1 and K10 but expressed the proliferation marker keratin K6 and the internal stratified epithelium keratin K13, not normally found in the epidermis or in the trachea. Hamster tracheal epithelial cells could be maintained in culture in serum-free medium for at least 4 weeks in the presence of retinoic acid (RA). In non-RA-containing medium, cells from vitamin A-deficient hamsters showed markedly reduced growth and an increase in the expression of keratins K5, K6, K13, and K14. Since our previous work had implicated retinoids in the control of cell adhesiveness, we were interested to find out whether changes in cell adhesion occur in vitamin A-deficient hamster tracheal epithelial cells, compared to normal cells. Functional assays demonstrated that hamster tracheal epithelial cells, obtained from non-RA-treated tracheas or maintained in culture, displayed reduced attachment to laminin, compared to RA-treated cells. Immunofluorescence studies did not show a decrease either in the α 6 integrin subunit, which was localized in the basal aspect of basal cells, or in basement membrane laminin. However, the expression of laminin-binding protein 37 decreased as the epithelium changed from pseudostratified to stratified. Therefore, a coordinated pattern of changes in keratin gene expression, as well as in the expression of laminin-binding protein 37, the precursor to the cell surface laminin receptor 67LR, and in adhesive properties takes place in tracheal epithelium when its phenotype changes from mucociliary to the preneoplastic stage of squamous metaplasia.
An Evaluation of Stability-Based Methods for Transition of Three-Dimensional Flows

The current eigenvalue procedures which assume the relationship between the two wave numbers α and β in the Orr-Sommerfeld equation to predict transition in three-dimensional flows are evaluated against the saddle-point method of Cebeci and Stewartson which computed this relationship by requiring ∂α/∂β to be real. Studies for an infinite swept wing indicate that all procedures agree well with the experimental data. The results for a prolate spheroid, however, indicate that the saddle-point method leads to satisfactory results whereas that based on an assumed relationship between a and β does not.
The Comparative Enzymology of Creatine Kinases II. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Four purified creatine kinases have been studied with respect to their s value, sedimentation equilibrium, and elution volume on gel filtration. These studies indicate that the creatine kinases all have approximately the same molecular weight, near 80,000. The chicken muscle enzyme at low pH in the presence of a reducing agent had a molecular weight one-half that of the native enzyme. On electrophoresis in starch gel the enzymes all migrated differently. The two creatine kinases from muscle (chicken and rabbit) remained near the origin while the brain enzymes (chicken and rabbit) migrated toward the cathode. The dissociation of the enzymes in urea has been studied; when two dissimilar enzymes are dissociated together in urea and allowed to recombine, both parent enzymes, plus a hybrid enzyme, are formed. Two moles of iodoacetate per mole of enzyme will inactivate the creatine kinases; p-hydroxymercuribenzoate will bind to the enzymes but upon dilution recovery of enzymic activity occurs. The results indicate that creatine kinase has a dimeric structure.
Thresholds, mode switching, and emergent equilibrium in geomorphic systems

Landform and landscape evolution may be convergent, whereby initial differences and irregularities are (on average) reduced and smoothed, or divergent, with increasing variation and irregularity. Convergent and divergent evolution are directly related to dynamical (in)stability. Unstable interactions among geomorphic system components tend to dominate in earlier stages of development, while stable limits often become dominant in later stages. This results in mode switching, from unstable, divergent to stable, convergent development. Divergent-to-convergent mode switches emerge from a common structure in many geomorphic systems: mutually reinforcing or competitive interrelationships among system components, and negative self-effects limiting individual components. When the interactions between components are dominant, divergent evolution occurs. As threshold limits to divergent development are approached, self-limiting effects become more important, triggering a switch to convergence. The mode shift is an emergent phenomenon, arising from basic principles of threshold modulation and gradient selection. As an example, the relationships among flow concentration, erosive force, and channel incision in fluvial systems are examined in the context of mode switching and thresholds. The commonly observed divergence in channel growth and fluvial dissection and network development, eventually transitioning to a stable, convergent configuration, is an emergent outcome of gradient selection and threshold modification, and does not imply any goal functions of balancing mass fluxes or limiting change. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitric Oxide, Chronic Joint Inflammation, and Pain

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some basic concepts of NO biology that provide an understanding of the role that NO may play in the pathophysiology of chronic joint inflammation and pain perception. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by symmetric polyarticular inflammation of synovia-lined joints, remarkable joint swelling, deformation, and pain. Chronic pain is one of the most serious symptoms associated with RA and affects the quality of life of the patients. Prominent histopathological features of the chronically inflamed synovia include neovascularization, hyperemia, infiltration of large numbers of leukocytes, and bone and cartilage degradation. Coincident with this extensive inflammatory infiltrate is the enhanced expression of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the sustained overproduction of the free radical, nitric oxide (NO). NO modulates the inflammatory response directly or indirectly and plays an important role in pain perception. Therefore, there is increasing interest in defining the role that it may play in the pathogenesis of RA and chronic pain.
Estrogen modifies the temperature effects of progesterone.

To test the hypothesis that progestin-mediated increases in resting core temperature and the core temperature threshold for sweating onset are counteracted by estrogen, we studied eight women (24 ±...
Overlapping direct repeats stimulate deletions iin specially designed derivatives of plasmid pBR325 in Escherichia coli

Abstract Current misalignment mutagenesis models have identified certain sequences such as direct and inverted repeats, which can stabilize transient misalignments on single-stranded DNA, as major structural parameters for deletions. We have constructed derivatives of the plasmid pBR325 to investigate further the relative roles of such sequences under controlled conditions. The plasmid derivatives pOCE15, pRS1 and pRS4, were obtained by cloning fragments of the same approximate size (60–64 bp) but different sequence into the unique EcoR1 site of the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase ( cat ) gene of plasmid pBR325. The insert of pOCE15 is a perfectly palindromic lac operator fragment. Both pRS1 and pRS4 carry the same non-palindromic fragment but differ from each other in the sequence at the right (3′) end of the insert. Plasmid pRS4 differs from pRS1 by a 9-bp duplication containing an additional EcoR1 site at the 3′ end of the insert. This arrangement yields of overlapping imperfect 17–18 bp and perfect 11 bp direct repeats at the deletion termini and creates multiple opportunities for the stabilization of misaligned intermediates. The deletion rate, measured from the reversion of chloramphenicol sensitivity (Cm s ) to resistance (Cm r ), was always highest in pRS4, intermediate in pOCE15 and lowest in pRS1, with an approximate ratio of 100:10:1. We have also obtained evidence for the participation of RecA in the genesis of deletions in these pBR325-derived plasmids.
Improved Nearest-Neighbor Parameters for Predicting DNA Duplex Stability†

Thermodynamic data were determined from UV absorbance vs temperature profiles of 23 oligonucleotides. These data were combined with data from the literature for 21 sequences to derive improved parameters for the 10 Watson−Crick nearest neighbors. The observed trend in nearest-neighbor stabilities at 37 °C is GC > CG > GG > GA ≈ GT ≈ CA > CT > AA > AT > TA (where only the top strand is shown for each nearest neighbor). This trend suggests that both sequence and base composition are important determinants of DNA duplex stability. On average, the improved parameters predict ΔG°37, ΔH°, ΔS°, and TM within 4%, 7%, 8%, and 2 °C, respectively. The parameters are optimized for the prediction of oligonucleotides dissolved in 1 M NaCl.
The application of proteomics in defining the T cell antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The complete sequencing of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome offers a unique opportunity to fully elucidate the biology of this human pathogen. One aspect of significant importance is the definition of T cell antigens. This report describes the development and implementation of a proteomic approach to defining such antigens. Large quantities of subcellular protein fractions of M. tuberculosis were resolved by two-dimensional liquid phase electrophoresis (2-D LPE), resulting in 355 and 299 fractions of culture filtrate and cytosolic proteins, respectively. Analysis of these fractions against splenocytes of C57Bl/6 mice infected with M. tuberculosis resulted in the identification of 37 fractions that stimulated a dominant T cell response, as measured by the production of interferon-γ. Additionally, when the 2-D LPE fractions were assayed against splenocytes harvested at 10 and 40 days post infection significant changes in the T cell response were observed. Molecular characterization of the proteins contained in each of the 38 immunodominant fractions by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry resulted in the identification of 30 individual proteins. Many of these represented previously defined antigens. However 17 of these proteins were novel T cell antigens. The data presented demonstrate that proteomics offers a rapid and facile approach for elucidation of immunodominant T cell antigens of pathogenic bacteria.
Some results in Floquet theory, with application to periodic epidemic models

In this paper, we present several new results to the classical Floquet theory on the study of differential equations with periodic coefficients. For linear periodic systems, the Floquet exponents can be directly calculated when the coefficient matrices are triangular. Meanwhile, the Floquet exponents are eigenvalues of the integral average of the coefficient matrices when they commute with their antiderivative matrices. For the stability analysis of constant and nontrivial periodic solutions of nonlinear differential equations, we derive a few results based on linearization. We also briefly discuss the properties of Floquet exponents for delay linear periodic systems. To demonstrate the application of these analytical results, we consider a new cholera epidemic model with phage dynamics and seasonality incorporated. We conduct mathematical analysis and numerical simulation to the model with several periodic parameters.
High Amylose Resistant Starch Diet Ameliorates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease

Inflammation is a major mediator of CKD progression and is partly driven by altered gut microbiome and intestinal barrier disruption, events which are caused by: urea influx in the intestine resulting in dominance of urease-possessing bacteria; disruption of epithelial barrier by urea-derived ammonia leading to endotoxemia and bacterial translocation; and restriction of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables which are common sources of fermentable fiber. Restriction of these foods leads to depletion of bacteria that convert indigestible carbohydrates to short chain fatty acids which are important nutrients for colonocytes and regulatory T lymphocytes. We hypothesized that a high resistant starch diet attenuates CKD progression. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a chow containing 0.7% adenine for 2 weeks to induce CKD. Rats were then fed diets supplemented with amylopectin (low-fiber control) or high fermentable fiber (amylose maize resistant starch, HAM-RS2) for 3 weeks. CKD rats consuming low fiber diet exhibited reduced creatinine clearance, interstitial fibrosis, inflammation, tubular damage, activation of NFkB, upregulation of pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant, and pro-fibrotic molecules; impaired Nrf2 activity, down-regulation of antioxidant enzymes, and disruption of colonic epithelial tight junction. The high resistant starch diet significantly attenuated these abnormalities. Thus high resistant starch diet retards CKD progression and attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in rats. Future studies are needed to explore the impact of HAM-RS2 in CKD patients.
Radionuclide imaging of cardiac pathology : a mechanistic perspective

Cardiac imaging is performed for a variety of indications using different radiotracers and ligands. The most common is the use of thallium-201 and Tc-labeled tracers for myocardial perfusion imaging. Its uses are manifold, and range from the diagnosis of coronary artery disease to the risk stratification of patients and prognostication. Ischemia is being imaged with nitroimidazole compounds, myocardial necrosis with antimyosin and myocardial infiltration with gallium-labeled leukocytes and somatostatin receptor analogs. The status of myocardial innervation has been evaluated with radiolabeled MIBG. Metabolism in the heart in the normal and ischemic state can be studied with PET and SPECT using fatty acid and glucose analogs. The expression of accessory molecules on the surface of cardiac myocytes in patients with cardiac allograft rejection is now possible. Clearly, much has been accomplished for imaging the heart and pathology related to it. The past has been satisfying, the present interesting and the future promises to be even more exciting!
Differential response of myofibrils and 10-nm filaments to a cocarcinogen†

Multinucleated myotubes containing large numbers of striated myofibrils and large numbers of longitudinally-oriented 10-nm filaments were treated with the cocarcinogen phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) for 24, 48 or 72 hours. The inhibitory effects of PMA on the accumulation of myofibrils was evident within 24 hours, and by 72 hours virtually all striated myofibrils had disappeared. In contrast, the density of the 10-nm filaments was greatly enhanced in these myofibril-depleted myotubes. These effects were not due to a generalized cytotoxicity, for PMA stimulated the replication of the presumptive myoblasts and fibroblasts present in these cultures. 24 hours after removing the PMA, these myotubes assembled a new set of striated myofibrils and the density of 10-nm filaments diminished proportionately.
Fast RPC on the SHRIMP Virtual Memory Mapped Network Interface

The emergence of new network interface technology is enabling new approaches to the development of communications software. This paper evaluates the SHRIMP virtual memory mapped network interface by using it to build two fast implementations of remote procedure call (RPC). Our first implementations, called vRPC, is fully compatible with the SunRPC standard. We change the RPC runtime library, the operating system kernel is unchanged, and only a minimal change was needed in the stub generator to create a new protocol identifier. Despite these restrictions, our vRPC implementation is several times faster than existing SunRPC implementations. A round-trip null RPC with no arguments and results under vRPC takes about 33 ?s. Our second implementation, called ShrimpRPC, is not compatible with SunRPC but offers much better performance. ShrimpRPC specializes the stub generator and runtime library to take full advantage of SHRIMP's features. The result is a round-trip null RPC latency of 9.5 ?s, which is about 1 ?s above the hardware minimum.
Clandestine marriage in England, 1500-1850

While marriages were supposed to be celebrated publicly by priests, in churches where the parties were known, many couples had reasons - among them parental disapproval, religious nonconformity, property considerations and previous entanglements - to marry in other ways. Nor was this difficult where there was no unified marriage code, where a simple exchange of vows, might constitute a valid marriage, and where unbeneficed priests were prepared to perform the ceremony in return for a drink. Clandestine marriage had represented a problem to the church and state, and to the rights of property, since the Middle Ages, eluding a variety of attempts to control it. By the 18th century it had become a scandal, with Fleet parsons marrying thousands of couples a year. In 1753 Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act nullified such irregular marriages, only to drive them to adopt other guises until the introduction of civil marriage in 1836. This study explores the nature and scale of clandestine marriage. The author describes why it attracted so many customers and why it was so hard to suppress. It aims to provide a different perspective on a central social and religious institution.
Computational Analysis of the Single Molecule AFM Force Spectroscopy Data

AFM force spectroscopy is a widely applied to various molecular systems providing an important information on the strength of intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. However, a structural characterization of the systems is limited by the lack of theoretical approaches capable of direct comparison with experiment. Steered Molecular Dynamic (SMD) simulation is widely used for modeling of the AFM pulling experiments, but it is typically performed at pulling rates 5 nm/ns which are 107 times higher than those for typical experimental conditions. Here we describe the computational approach utilizing Monte Carlo Pulling (MPC) simulation enabling us to model AFM pulling experiments at conditions corresponding to experimental ones. Tested by the comparison with experimental data for titin I-band(PDB ID: 1TIT), the approach was applied to modeling of the AFM force spectroscopy experiments on probing of interaction of misfolded peptides CGNNQQNY and Aβ14-23 within dimers. The structures of the CGNNQQNY dimers were obtained from the Replica Exchanged MD simulations. The results for antiparallel out-of-register β sheet of CGNNQQNY produce the force ∼100 pN which is in line with the experimental data. At the same time, pulling of antiparallel in-register β sheet provides much higher rupture force, suggesting that CGNNQQNY monomers adopt the out-of-register arrangement in the dimer. Similar analysis applied to Aβ14-23 peptide demonstrated that the out-of-register antiparallel β-sheet arrangement of monomers is realized for this peptide as well. The elevated rupture forces for Aβ14-23 compared to CGNNQQNY dimers is explained by elevated contribution of hydrophobic, salt bridge and aromatic interactions in Aβ peptide.
Detection of specific extracellular matrix molecules in drusen, Bruch's membrane, and ciliary body.

We used specific antibodies to localize a variety of extracellular matrix components by indirect immunofluorescence reactions on cry-ostat sections of drusen-bearing human donor eye tissue. These included collagen types I through V, fibronectin, laminin, heparan sulfate-containing basement membrane proteoglycan as well as antibodies to human IgG and IgM. The composition of drusen with respect to these specific molecules varied greatly, even within the same region of an eye. Hard or nodular drusen were more likely to show a discrete organized layer of specific basement membrane molecules over their apical surfaces than were diffuse type drusen. Diffuse but not nodular drusen generally contained fibronectin. Immunohistochemical reactivity of Bruch's membrane showed age-related accumulation of type I collagen and localized changes associated with some drusen.
A FETI-DP method for the parallel iterative solution of indefinite and complex-valued solid and shell vibration problems

The dual-primal finite element tearing and interconnecting (FETI-DP) domain decomposition method (DDM) is extended to address the iterative solution of a class of indefinite problems of the form (K-σ 2 M)u = f, and a class of complex problems of the form (K-σ 2 M+iσD)u = f, where K, M, and D are three real symmetric matrices arising from the finite element discretization of solid and shell dynamic problems, i is the imaginary complex number, and a is a real positive number. A key component of this extension is a new coarse problem based on the free-space solutions of Navier's equations of motion. These solutions are waves, and therefore the resulting DDM is reminiscent of the FETI-H method. For this reason, it is named here the FETI-DPH method. For a practically large a range, FETI-DPH is shown numerically to be scalable with respect to all of the problem size, substructure size, and number of substructures. The CPU performance of this iterative solver is illustrated on a 40-processor computing system with the parallel solution, for various a ranges, of several large-scale, indefinite, or complex-valued systems of equations associated with shifted eigenvalue and forced frequency response structural dynamics problems.
Multimethod behavioral treatment of long‐term selective mutism

This single-subject, experimental research design examined the efficacy of treating severe, long-term selective mutism in a 9-year-old male using shaping, multiple re-inforcers, natural consequences, stimulus fading, and mild aversives. Different treatment regimens were implemented in the home and school environments. A multiple baseline design across settings with changing criterion was used to evaluate the home intervention, and an A-B-A design was used for the school intervention. The home intervention resulted in an increase in the number of verbalizations in each setting and prompted generalization to additional settings. The school intervention increased the number of people spoken to, but the results were not maintained at follow-up nor did they generalize outside of the training situation. Possible explanations for the discrepancy in maintenance and generalization data between the two programs are presented.
An investigation on the tuning of a microstrip patch antenna using carbon nanotube thin films

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered for designing antennas, but their losses result in poor radiation efficiency, especially at microwave frequencies. However, their outstanding carrier mobility, large surface area per unit mass and adjustable surface chemistry make them ideal for functions such as reconfigurability and tuning. In this paper, we investigate the tunability of a patch antenna using a CNT thin film placed across a set of electrodes connected to the non-radiating edge. In a passive implementation, the surface impedance of the CNT film can be changed by altering its thickness. Through simulations, the effect of varying the surface impedance is parametrically examined to demonstrate about 500 MHz tunability in a patch antenna resonant at 6.6 GHz. Antenna losses are minimized by confining the CNT film to a small area outside the radiator.
Economic-demographic models for forecasting interregional migration.

A class of spatial economic–demographic forecasting models is proposed. The models combine elements of traditional Markov and economic gravity models. A base-period probability structure is modifie...
Prothrombotic state at hospital discharge increases 1-year mortality in pneumonia and sepsis survivors.

Prothrombotic conditions, like myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism, are more common after respiratory infections, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesized that the imbalance between procoagulant and fibrinolytic response during community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) persists at hospital discharge and increases the risk of 1-year mortality.
Toward a Neocolonial Model of Adolescent Crime and Violence

A theoretical framework is offered that addresses the limitations of mainstream structural theories and the colonial model in explaining high rates of crime and violence among African American youth. The neocolonial model analyzes the effects of race, social class, and the interactive effect of these variables on structural experiences and illustrates how these factors affect attitudes and behaviors. Making both inter- and intragroup comparisons, the perspective posits that lower-class African American youth, especially males, are at most risk of selecting violent and criminal responses.
The solubility of a dye-detergent complex in phospholipid vesicles

Abstract The solubility of the dye-detergent complex, Coomassie brilliant blue-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CBB-CTAB), in various phospholipids vesicles and in amniotic fluid phospholipid was determined as well as the aqueous/organic distribution ratio of the solubilized products in an aqueous-organic two-phase system. The solubility of the complex depended on the phospholipid head group and decreased in the order: (PG) ≈ PI ≈ PS > PC ≈ DPPC > PE > SM (PG, phosphatidylglycerol; PI, phosphatidylinositol; PS, phosphatidylserine; PC, phosphatidylcholine; DPPC, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine; PE, phosphatidylethanolamine; SM, sphingomyelin). Dye solubilized in anionic phospholipid vesicles distributed to the aqueous phase, while that solubilized in zwitterionic phospholipid vesicles distributed to the organic phase. CBB solubilized in a binary mixture of lecithin and anionic phospholipid (PG, PI) vesicles containing more than 30 mol% of the anionic phospholipid distributed preferentially to the aqueous phase. On the other hand, dye solubilized in PC/PI (more than 30 mol% PI) vesicles containing SM and in amniotic fluid phospholipid distributed proportionally to the aqueous and organic phases. In both lipid mixtures, the dye products partitioning into the aqueous phase formed before those partitioning into the organic phase. The data indicated that the association between the dye complex and phospholipid is sensitive to the phospholipid composition of the vesicles.
What do we mean by "Asian"?

Systems of ethno-racial categorization have a long and varied history in different countries, their transformations often closely linked to changes in the socio-political landscape. In the United States the ethnic and racial classification system used by the federal government consists of five broad categories. In this article, I examine the problematic characteristics of the "Asian" category, a rubric that encompasses very disparate ethnic groups and nationalities. I suggest that the use of ethno-racial categories such as “Asian” in mental health research has a negative impact on the validity of findings: while research data is often collected from only a few of these ethnic groups, study results are, in effect generalized, and applied to the broad "Asian" category as a whole.However, before addressing these consequences of overly broad ethno-racial categories, it is important to briefly trace the origins of their current usage in the United States.
ASSESSEMENT OF SOIL COLLAPSE PREDICTION METHODS

Expansive and collapsible soils are some of the most widely distributed and costly of geologic hazards. These soils are subject to changes in volume and settlement in response to wetting and drying, often resulting in severe damage to structures. Collapsing soils are generally characterized by sudden and large volume decrease at constant stress when inundated with water. A geotechnical engineer needs to be able to identify readily the soils that could collapse and to determine the amount of collapse that may occur. Various methods of predicting collapse from simple and rapidly-performed index have therefore been suggested by several workers in the field. In this investigation, most of the well known collapses identifying criteria are reviewed and evaluated. New interpretations and a new method that permits rapid and safe prediction of collapse have been put forward.
Home Environment and School Performance: A Ten-Year Follow-up and Examination of Three Models of Environmental Action.

The home environments of 42 10- and 11-year-old children were examined when they were infants and again during middle childhood. Significant correlations were observed between home environments measured at both 2 years and 10 years and the children's SRA achievement test scores and their classroom behavior. However, the home environment at 6 months was only related to a limited number of classroom behaviors. Partial correlations were used to test 3 models of environmental action: Model I (primacy of early experience), Model II (predominance of the contemporary environment), Model III (cumulative effects in stable environments). Strongest relations were noted for the contemporary environment, but all 3 models received some support. Correlations between HOME scores and children's competence in middle childhood revealed a complex portrait that was not explainable with reference to a single model of environmental action. The version of the HOME Inventory used with families of elementary school children is also introduced.
Success and motivation among college students

The present research explores college students’ explanations of their success and failure in challenging activities and how it relates to students’ efficacy, value, and engagement. The results suggest most students hold one primary reason for success during the challenging activity, including grade/extrinsic, mastery/intrinsic, amotivation/working, social, and performance. These task reasons for success, if assumed to be goals, were more numerous than those suggested by goal theory. Task reason for success was important for engagement, intrinsic value, difficulty compared to others, and effort. As expected, engagement and intrinsic value were highest for those with mastery reasons but lowest for those in amotivation or those who succeeded because they made the grade. Unexpectedly, success was more important for motivation and experience of the activity. These results suggest that it is important to examine not only student goals, but also whether or not students reach their goals.
Note on dual transformations in φ 4 field theories

The dual transformations introduced by Chang and Magruder in two- and three-dimensional ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ field theories are rederived and extended to four dimensions by using homogeneous renormalization-group equations.
Fractal study of polystyrene latex and silica particle aggregates

Aggregation kinetics and fractal structures of salt-induced fractal aggregates of polystyrene colloid and cationic-surfactant (TPB)-induced fractal silica aggregates have been studied. For polystyrene colloid in the quasi-fast regime of aggregation, the fractal dimensions (df) largely deviate from the diffusion limited cluster aggregation (DLCA) value of 1.75. For TPB-induced silica clusters, all the df values obtained under different regimes of aggregation have essentially the same value 2.10 ± 0.05. The question of restructuring is raised.