cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postanesthesia ultrasound facilitates creation of more preferred accesses without affecting access survival.

Abstract Objective The results of preoperative ultrasound (pre-US) vein mapping for hemodialysis access creation can be affected by environmental and clinical factors, such as ambient temperature, acute illness, recent phlebotomy, and hypovolemia. These factors may inadvertently exclude otherwise viable veins as options for access creation. We hypothesized that repeating the ultrasound vein mapping immediately preoperatively after anesthesia administration (post-US) identifies additional veins not appreciated by pre-US, thereby altering the operative plan and producing more preferred accesses, particularly more forearm accesses. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients (N = 323) at one institution who underwent pre-US followed by creation of a permanent dialysis access (fistula or graft) between January 2008 and December 2013. By applying the Silva criteria to pre-US vein mapping reports, a preoperative surgical plan was established. There were 99 patients who underwent only pre-US (group I); an additional post-US was performed in 224 patients (group II). Using multivariable logistic regression, we tested the association of post-US (group II) with pre-US alone (group I) with a change in operative plan and placement of a more preferred access (ie, more distal and autogenous). We also analyzed access survival using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and determined maturation rates for accesses in groups I and II. Results In group II, there were more changes in operative plan after controlling for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-3.25), and more preferred accesses were created (adjusted odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-3.27). In addition, more autogenous accesses were created in group II when initially only upper arm graft options had been identified (P = .01); overall, more forearm accesses were created in group II (P = .03). There was no significant difference in access maturation and patency in comparing accesses in group I and group II, despite creation of autogenous accesses in group II that are usually associated with higher rates of access failure. In fact, forearm radial-cephalic autogenous accesses created in group II had secondary patency rates of 91% at 2 years. Conclusions Our study supports the hypothesis that the use of post-US in addition to pre-US leads to placement of more preferred accesses while maintaining maturation and patency rates. Ultrasound evaluation after anesthesia should be considered a step in the process of care for hemodialysis access creation to improve outcomes.
Evaluation of Crush Protection Devices for agricultural All-Terrain Vehicles

Statistics show that there are a large number of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rollover-related injuries and fatalities in the agriculture sector. Properly designed and installed Crush Protection Devices (CPDs) can potentially decrease the operator injuries in an ATV rollover accident. The CPD of a vehicle protects the operator by increasing the crush protection zone (CPZ) under the overturned vehicle. Several operational and safety evaluation criteria for ATVs equipped with CPDs were developed in this study. Some of criteria were evaluated in previous studies but required further assessment. Previous studies regarding the CPD performance in ATV rollover accidents were reviewed. Also, several factors related to operational and safety criteria for three designs of CPD (Quadbar, Lifeguard, and Air-Quad) mounted on 13 ATV models were measured. Factors include the shape and volume of the rear and side CPZ and the increase in the height of the centre of gravity height when the ATV is equipped with a CPD. The results of this study showed that the installation of a CPD increases the CPZ volume compared to the baseline ATV, in the event of a rollover accident. The AIR-Quad, Quadbar, and Lifeguard systems increased the rear CPZ volume with an average of 0.48 m3 (111% increase), 0.39 m3 (92% increase), and 0.15 m3 (35% increase), respectively, compared to the average CPZ of a baseline ATV which is 0.44 m3. Also, a CPD increases the distance between the seat reference point and the ground surface during a rollover accident.
Geriatric Assessment in Multicultural Immigrant Populations

While the traditional comprehensive geriatric assessment provides valuable information essential to caring for older adults, it often falls short in multicultural immigrant populations. The number of foreign-born older adults is growing, and in some regions of the United States of America (U.S.), they encompass a significant portion of the older adult population. To ensure we are caring for this culturally diverse population adequately, we need to develop a more culturally competent comprehensive geriatric assessment. In this review, we explore ways in which to do this, address areas unique to multicultural immigrant populations, and identify limitations of the current assessment tools when applied to these populations. In order to be more culturally sensitive, we should incorporate the concepts of ethnogeriatrics into a comprehensive geriatric assessment, by addressing topics like healthcare disparities, language barriers, health literacy, acculturation level, and culturally defined beliefs. Additionally, we must be sensitive to the limitations of our current assessment tools and consider how we can expand our assessment toolkit to address these limitations. We discuss the limitations in cognitive screening tests, delirium assessments, functional and mental health assessments, advance care planning, and elder abuse.
Preserving Education as a Public Good: Lessons from the Grassroots:

The article provides an overview of my book, The Fight for America’s Schools: Grassroots Activism in Education. The book examines how grassroots activists in Pennsylvania and New Jersey challenged ...
Generating Infinitely Many Satisfactory Colorings of Positive Integers

Abstract An n -satisfactory coloring of the n -smooth integers is an assignment of n colors to the positive integers whose prime factors are at most n so that for each such m , the integers m , 2 m , … , n m receive different colors. In this note, we give a short proof that infinitely many 6-satisfactory colorings of the 6-smooth integers exist and show how the technique of the proof can be applied more generally, including for n ∈ { 8 , 10 , 12 } .
An Evaluation of Researcher Motivations and Productivity Outcomes in International Collaboration and Partnerships at a U.S. Research-Intensive University

This paper examines factors that influence faculty at a research-intensive U.S. public land grant university to engage in international collaborations and partnerships. Using a mixed-mode (web, mail, and telephone) survey, we collected data from 764 researchers at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA, to provide a baseline and current context of demographic characteristics, motivations, barriers, and academic outcomes in relation to international research collaboration. Our results suggest that funding, reduced organizational and institutional barriers, effective institutional support, previous global experience, and research outcomes can encourage faculty to engage in international collaboration. We also found that faculty involved in international collaboration, on average, exhibited higher productivity and a positive correlation with scholarly output, especially through joint publications and student training. The results of this study may provide a reference for research-intensive institutions interested in optimizing their internationalization agendas through partnerships, and examining their policies, strategies, and messaging to increase faculty engagement in collaborative research that promotes co-creation, reciprocity, mutually beneficial partnership, and organizational transformation.
On Heavy Metal: Existential Rage and the Neurotic Artist:

Many artists are seen as neurotic and some believe this occurs because of their underpinning struggle to ameliorate the existential angst that often arises from living out an embodied human life. A...
The Integrative Migraine Pain Alleviation through Chiropractic Therapy (IMPACT) trial: Study rationale, design and intervention validation.

Abstract Introduction Approximately 15% of the US population experiences migraine, with women afflicted three times as often as men. While medications are often used as first-line treatments, up to 50% of people with migraine pursue complementary and integrative medicine. One promising non-pharmacological approach for migraine is chiropractic care, due to the co-occurrence of migraine disease and musculoskeletal tension and pain. To date, no large-scale trials have evaluated the impact of a comprehensive model of chiropractic care on migraine. Methods The Integrative Migraine Pain Alleviation through Chiropractic Therapy (IMPACT) study is a two-arm pilot pragmatic randomized clinical trial evaluating a multimodal chiropractic care intervention plus enhanced usual care (UC) vs. enhanced UC alone for adult women with episodic migraine. A total of 60 women aged 20–55 who meet criteria for episodic migraine will be randomly assigned to an evidence-informed, musculoskeletal focused multimodal chiropractic care (10 sessions over 14 weeks) plus enhanced UC vs. enhanced UC alone. Enhanced UC includes conventional care, migraine education materials, and biweekly check-in phone calls. Study specific aims include: 1) Determine safety and feasibility of the study design; 2) Provide preliminary data on the effectiveness of chiropractic care on migraine frequency, severity, duration and medication use; and 3) Provide preliminary estimates of the effects of chiropractic care on disability, health-related quality of life, and psychosocial well-being. Discussion Findings will be used to inform the design of a full-scale trial evaluating chiropractic care for women with episodic migraines.
Functional Status at Liver Transplant Waitlisting Correlates With Greater Odds of Encephalopathy, Ascites, and Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis.

Background & aims Whether higher liver transplant (LT) waitlist mortality in patients with poor functional status (FS) is mediated by higher prevalence of cirrhosis complications is not clear. We aim to evaluate the impact of FS on risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), ascites, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) among adults listed for LT. Methods Using 2005–2018 United Network for Organ Sharing LT data, we retrospectively evaluated the impact of FS on prevalence of ascites, HE, and SBP among adults listed for LT using Karnofsky Performance Status Score categories (KPSS-1: FS 80–100%, KPSS-2: 60–70%, KPSS-3: 40–50%, KPSS-4: 10–30%), stratified by underlying liver disease etiology. Between-group comparisons used chi-squared methods and adjusted multivariate logistic regression. Results Among 100,618 adults listed for LT (68.8% male, 72.4% non-Hispanic white) 35.2% were KPSS-1, 36.6% KPSS-2, 15.7% KPSS-3, and 12.6% KPSS-4 at time of LT waitlist registration. Patients with worse FS were significantly more likely to have ascites, HE, and SBP at time of waitlist registration (KPSS-1 vs. KPSS-4: ascites, 66% vs. 93%; HE, 81% vs. 49%; SBP, 4% vs. 16%, p Conclusion Worse FS is associated with higher odds of cirrhosis complications including ascites, HE, and SBP, which was observed across all liver disease etiologies.
An unusual presentation of dyspnea following septal ablation for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Residual or recurrent symptoms after septal reduction therapy are most often related to inadequate relief of left ventricular outflow gradients. We recently encountered a 71-year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and prior alcohol septal ablation who had a unique constellation of findings causing her symptoms. She was found to have four potential causes for her symptoms, residual midventricular obstruction, apical distribution of hypertrophy reducing end-diastolic volume, constrictive pericarditis, and marked arterial stiffness, as reflected by aortic atherosclerosis. She underwent complete pericardiectomy, transaortic septal myectomy, transapical myectomy, and replacement of a heavily calcified ascending aorta.
Lipoprotein Lipase Overexpression in Skeletal Muscle Attenuates Weight Regain by Potentiating Energy Expenditure.

Moderate weight loss improves numerous risk factors for cardiometabolic disease; however, long-term weight loss maintenance (WLM) is often thwarted by metabolic adaptations that suppress energy expenditure and facilitate weight regain. Skeletal muscle has a prominent role in energy homeostasis; therefore, we investigated the effect of WLM and weight regain on skeletal muscle in rodents. In skeletal muscle of obesity-prone rats, WLM reduced fat oxidative capacity and downregulated genes involved in fat metabolism. Interestingly, even after weight was regained, genes involved in fat metabolism genes were also reduced. We then subjected mice with skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase overexpression (mCK-hLPL), which augments fat metabolism, to WLM and weight regain and found that mCK-hLPL attenuates weight regain by potentiating energy expenditure. Irrespective of genotype, weight regain suppressed dietary fat oxidation and downregulated genes involved in fat metabolism in skeletal muscle. However, mCK-hLPL mice oxidized more fat throughout weight regain and had greater expression of genes involved in fat metabolism and lower expression of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism during WLM and regain. In summary, these results suggest that skeletal muscle fat oxidation is reduced during WLM and regain, and therapies that improve skeletal muscle fat metabolism may attenuate rapid weight regain.
Peridomestic conditions affect La Crosse virus entomological risk by modifying the habitat use patterns of its mosquito vectors

Anthropogenic land-use change may affect the transmission risk for endemic vector-borne diseases such as La Crosse encephalitis. In this study, we applied a comparative ecological approach to evaluate differences in vector species abundance, gonotrophic status, and environmental variables among six residential habitats (historical case houses) and six paired adjacent forest patches in a La Crosse virus endemic area of North Carolina. A total of 93,158 container Aedes spp. eggs were obtained by ovistrips and 1,040 resting mosquito adults were collected by large-bore aspiration from 10 June through 8 October, 2010. At sites characterized by high densities of artificial containers, the totals of eggs and adult mosquitoes were higher in the peridomestic plots. At sites characterized by lower densities of artificial containers, the totals of eggs and adult mosquitoes were higher in the forested plots. Although Aedes triseriatus, the primary La Crosse virus vector, was more commonly found in forested habitat overall, in sites characterized by high density of artificial containers, it was found in higher abundance in the peridomestic habitat. Similarly, the proportion of gonotrophically active (parous and gravid) mosquitoes was higher in the peridomestic habitat for sites with highartificial container density. Our study suggests that La Crosse virus transmission risk may be higher at peridomestic habitats with higher densities of artificial containers and thus reinforces the importance of public health measures to improve source reduction efforts.
High temporal resolution measurements of movement reveal novel early-life physiological decline in C. elegans.

Age-related physiological changes are most notable and best-studied late in life, while the nature of aging in early- or middle-aged individuals has not been explored as thoroughly. In C. elegans, studies of movement vs. age generally delineate three distinct phases: sustained, youthful movement; a discrete onset of rapidly progressing impairment; and gross immobility. We investigated whether this first period of early-life adult movement is simply a sustained “healthy” level of high function followed by a discrete “movement catastrophe” — or whether there are early-life changes in movement that precede future physiological declines. To determine how movement varies during early adult life, we followed isolated individuals throughout life with a previously unachieved combination of duration and temporal resolution. By tracking individuals across the first six days of adulthood, we observed declines in movement starting as early as the first two days of adult life, as well as high interindividual variability in total daily movement. These findings suggest that movement is a highly dynamic behavior early in life, and that factors driving movement decline may begin acting as early as the first day of adulthood. Using simulation studies based on acquired data, we suggest that too infrequent sampling in common movement assays limits observation of early-adult changes in motility, and we propose feasible alternate strategies and a framework for designing assays with increased sensitivity for early movement declines.
Some Unusual Transformations of a Highly Reactive α-Bromocaranone

Abstract The facile synthesis of a highly reactive α-bromocaranone from (+)-carene is reported. This intermediate was found to generate diverse chiral building blocks through radical or carbocation mediated cyclopropyl fragmentation reactions in moderate to excellent yields. Furthermore, the formation of an unexpected carvone derivative prompted several control studies that provided mechanistic insight into an unusual transformation. This study not only demonstrates the synthesis of a variety of chiral building blocks but provides insight into the reactivity of keto-halo-cyclopropanes in general.
Probabilistic Linear-Time Model Checking: An Overview of the Automata-Theoretic Approach

We describe the automata-theoretic approach to the algorithmic verification of probabilistic finite-state systems with respect to linear-time properties. The basic idea underlying this approach is that for any linear temporal formula we can construct an automaton that accepts precisely the computations that satisfy the formula. This enables the reduction of probabilistic model checking to ergodic analysis of Markov chains.
Control-oriented feedback communication schemes

In this paper, we show a general equivalence between feedback stabilization through an analog communication channel and a communication scheme based on feedback which is a generalization of that of Schalkwijk and Kailath. We also show that the achievable transmission rate of the scheme is given by the Bode's sensitivity integral formula, which characterizes a fundamental limitation of causal feedback. Thus, control theory tools can be used to design feedback communication schemes. We consider single and multi-user Gaussian channels. In all the cases, we recover or improve best known achievable rates.
From Complex Networks to Intelligent Systems

Much progress has been made in our understanding of the structure and function of brain networks. Recent evidence indicates that such networks contain specific structural patterns and motifs and that these structural attributes facilitate complex neural dynamics. Such complex dynamics enables brain circuits to effectively integrate information, a fundamental capacity that appears to be associated with a broad range of higher cognitive functions. Complex networks underlying cognition are not confined to the brain, but extend through sensors and effectors to the external world. Viewed in a quantitative framework, the information processing capability of the brain depends in part on the embodied interactions of an autonomous system in an environment. Thus, the conceptual framework of complex networks might provide a basis for the understanding and design of future intelligent systems.
Planning Long-Term Care for Heterogeneous Older Populations

Any evaluation of the U.S. elderly and oldest-old populations, and their need for both acute and long-term care (LTC) services, must be designed to recognize the heterogeneity of these populations. This heterogeneity is represented across many dimensions. One such dimension is chronological age, with the typical needs of the oldest-old (those aged 85 and over) for longterm care being very different from those of the young-old (those aged 6574). These populations are also quite heterogeneous in terms of the medical and functional problems that determine their service needs. For example, certain components of these populations, such as persons affected by arthritic and other degenerative joint conditions, can expect to have stable but relatively low-intensity LTC needs. Others, such as persons with hip fractures, may need high levels of care, but possibly for relatively short periods of time, some of them with good chances of rehabilitation and recovery. Some groups, such as those with degenerative neurological conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease), can expect to need permanent and high levels of LTC; others, with more acute, potentially lethal conditions (e.g., cancer), can expect to need high levels of LTC, but for moderate periods of time. For most populations at very advanced ages, heterogeneity is increased by the high prevalence of persons with multiple health and functional problems. Another major source of heterogeneity is the differential likelihood for males and females of surviving to very advanced ages and the consequent sex differential in the probability of surviving one’s spouse—a major determinant of differences in the availability of informal care resources and in the risk of long-term institutionalization (Manton So do, in press). Failure to account for the various types of heterogeneity in health policy planning produces difficulty in anticipating changes in the mix of acute and LTC services required by the elderly population, difficulty in evaluating the ability to substitute between different types of acute, post-acute, and LTC services, and difficulty in projecting the mixture and level of service demand.
Outreach as a Critical Link to State Support for Public Research Universities

During the past decade, institutional leaders and reforming bodies such as the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities have argued that institutional change is necessary in order to restore public confidence in higher education. The perception that higher education has been unresponsive to the needs of society has been accompanied by a continued and drastic slide in state support for higher education over the past twenty years. Given the significance of the state’s role in financing higher education, this article examines the characteristics of outreach programs that contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of state support for public universities. Case studies of three public research universities illustrate the importance of outreach structure, communication processes, and faculty rewards as essential elements contributing to stronger state-institutional relationships, and thus, expanded state funding opportunities for these types of institutions.
Demand-side Perspectives in International Business: Themes and Future Directions

Abstract Demand-side perspectives represent a burgeoning research area in the fields of technology innovation, entrepreneurship and strategic management, yet are only at an early stage in the field of international business. Demand-side research looks outside the focal organization toward consumers and product markets to explain managers' strategic decisions — decisions that increase value created within a value system by emphasizing: consumer benefits experienced; thematic similarity (i.e., products and services that are used in performance of the same activity); value systems/ecosystems rather than a single focal organization only; and value creation for consumers rather than value capture for a firm. Demand-side research can be valuable for expanding the strategic actions available to multinational organizations and international social enterprises by integrating geographical expansion and business diversification in ways that can create the most value for heterogeneous end users both across and within national boundaries. This adds conceptual complexity to the international business field by raising international consumer issues to the strategic level – with, for example, investments in mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances – rather than the more typical single-business or functional marketing levels. This added complexity has the potential to extend international business theories in new ways.
Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual Contexts

Post-modern, post-structural, and post-colonial thought have brought to the fore new and productive metaphors for understanding social life, challenging normative ideologies that restrict the deployment of certain personal identities. By surfacing implicit power relations traditionally accepted as common sense (Bourdieu, Foucault), locating fissures and intertextualities within discourses previously considered stable and coherent (Bakhtin, Derrida), and elucidating third spaces between dichotomous identity labels (Butler, Bhabha), critical thinkers in this vein have undermined the notion of an essentially stable self and encouraged exploration of social identity as a complex and shifting phenomenon. These commitments in turn offer profound critiques of socio-political structures in the name of liberating oppressed – or dispreferred – selves. However, with their inherently political stance and disregard for strict empirical inquiry, these discourses have simultaneously generated their own counter-productive biases and naiveties.
The Earliest Christan Gnosticism

In recent years new methods of approaching the study of gnosticism have arisen. The older synthesis of Bousset, with its somewhat over-schematized picture of gnostic thought, and the severely critical analysis of de Faye, with its emphasis on our ignorance of gnostic beginnings, have failed to retain general approval. The newer methods have stressed an existentialist or psychological understanding of the gnostics, and questions of source-analysis and chronology have faded into the background. Often the problem of development within gnostic thought is not seriously considered.
A micromethod for absorption of specific antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Abstract A procedure for absorbing specific antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system (ELISA) has been developed. This is accomplished by serial absorption of the serum using less than 20 μg antigen. The sera can then be used in an ELISA system to test reactivity with other antigens. The system was tested by absorbing anti-myelin or anti-cerebroside antibodies and comparing these results with bulk absorption.
Human preference for nonconflict vs conflict situations

Ss responded in two conditions, one of conflict and one of nonconflict. In the conflict condition, responding both added and subtracted points, while in the nonconflict condition, responding only added points. The net gain in points, however, was equal in both situations. After 10 sessions of responding in both conditions, Ss could control which was in effect by pressing a second manipulandum. Response rates were slightly higher in the nonconflict condition than in the conflict. The responses to change to the nonconflict condition, however, were much greater than those to change to the conflict condition.
The immune response to Naegleria fowleri amebae and pathogenesis of infection

The genus Naegleria is comprised of a group of free-living ameboflagellates found in diverse habitats worldwide. Over 30 species have been isolated from soil and water but only Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) has been associated with human disease. Naegleria fowleri causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a fatal disease of the central nervous system. The pathogenesis of PAM and the role of host immunity to N. fowleri are poorly understood. Strategies for combating infection are limited because disease progression is rapid and N. fowleri has developed strategies to evade the immune system. The medical significance of these free-living ameboflagellates should not be underestimated, not only because they are agents of human disease, but also because they can serve as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria.
Relations Between Daily Activities and Adolescent Mood: The Role of Autonomy

This study explored the combined influences of daily activities and autonomy in activity engagement on adolescent daily positive and negative moods. Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) were used to obtain information about 8th- and 10th-grade students' (N = 517) mood, activities, and situation throughout the day. Participants responded to random prompts on the EMA device and, when prompted, rated mood adjectives and reported on their current activity and perceived autonomy in activity engagement. Mixed-effects regression models examined changes in mood across specific activity categories. Positive mood significantly improved when engaging in numerous activities; negative mood improved during social activities as well as "party" and "hanging out" events but was fairly consistent across other activities. Stronger mood-activity relations were found after controlling for autonomy in activity engagement.
Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) synthesis and immunolocalization in bovine meniscus

Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) is synthesized and secreted into the synovial fluid by articular chondrocytes and synovial cells, lining the cavity of joints. A thin layer of PRG4 is also present at the articular surface, where it appears to be involved in boundary lubrication. This study investigated if PRG4 is also synthesized and secreted by the cells within meniscus, and if PRG4 is also present in, and at the surface of, meniscus. PRG4 was visualized in sections of bovine calf menisci by immunohistochemistry. PRG4 was detected in two regions: (1) at the femoral and tibial surfaces of the meniscus, and within cells below these surfaces; and (2) within and near cells along the radial tie fibers and circumferential fibers. From meniscus tissue harvested from these surfaces, PRG4 was extracted with 4 M GuHCl and quantified by ELISA. There was 0.20 ± 0.01 and 0.25 ± 0.04 μg PRG4/cm2 area of lateral and medial meniscus surface, respectively. ELISA analysis of spent medium from other samples of meniscus surface tissue incubated in medium supplemented with serum and ascorbate showed that 8.1 ± 1.1 μg PRG4/cm2 area of meniscus surface was secreted over six days. These results demonstrate that PRG4 is synthesized and secreted by certain cell populations in the meniscus, and that PRG4 is present in the meniscus at surfaces and also internal fibers where it may contribute to boundary lubrication.
The spiral interplanetary magnetic field: a polarity and sunspot cycle variation.

Spacecraft observations near the earth of the average direction of the interplanetary magnetic field during the sunspot maximum year 1968 showed a deviation from the spiral field of Parker's classical description. The included angle between the average field direction when the field polarity was away from the sun and the average direction when the field polarity was toward the sun was 168 degrees , rather than 180 degrees as predicted by Parker. This effect appears to have a sunspot cycle variation.
Does Lovaza (Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters – OFA) Improve Clopidogrel Associated P2Y12 Inhibition in Stroke Patients? (P03.004)

Objective: Does Lovaza have synergistic P2Y12-platelet inhibition in patients on Clopidogrel? Background The action of OFA in preventing cerebrovascular disease remains unknown. In addition to altering lipid profiles, OFA may have platelet aggregation inhibitory effects as previously reported. Clopidogrel inhibits platelets via the P2Y12-receptor. The P2Y12-inhibiton is measured to determine clopidogrel effectiveness using the VerifyNow analyzer. OFAs may alter clopidogrel associated platelet inhibition via a possible synergistic effect on P2Y12-inhibition. The purpose of this study was to determine whether OFA could improve the P2Y12-inhibition in patients with low percentage of platelet-inhibition after a loading dose (300 or 600mg) of clopidogrel. Design/Methods: This is a retrospective single center study of 1794 inpatients with cardio/cerebrovascular disease, including stroke/TIA, and on clopidogrel regime. The exclusion criteria were: patients on OFA before the P2Y12-inhibition test, whose clopidogrel response tests were done prior or Results: Patients who converted to a >20%P2Y12-inhibition in the lovaza+clopidogrel group was 69.23%(18/26) while the clopidogrel alone group was 73.33%(22/30), with no statistical difference noted (p>0.05). Also computed was the average change in percent inhibition between the two groups. The lovaza+clopidogrel group had an average change in percent inhibition of 21.74%, while the clopidogrel alone group had an average change of 23.07%, with no significant difference between groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: This study did not find additional P2Y12 platelet-inhibition but OFAs might inhibit platelet aggregation through other mechanisms. Disclosure: Dr. Li has nothing to disclose. Dr. Li has nothing to disclose. Dr. Baxter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mehta has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Teva, and Gerson Lehrman Group as a consultant or speaker.
Assessment of psychiatric outcome. II. Simple Simon analysis.

Abstract Simple Simon analysis is a method of describing the outcome of a patient's illness over time in simple terms that should be meaningful to the ordinary clinician and that give some insight into process trends occurring over the selected period. It can be used to compare individual patients or subsets of patients over a given period of time. The necessary procedures, computations and tabulations are described.
Patterns and forms of Latino cultural landscapes: southwest Detroit, a case of incremental re-adaptive use

Latino immigrants are transforming and retrofitting lifeless, dilapidated, auto-oriented urban areas to create distinctive pedestrian-oriented places filled with urban activities and cultural representation. Two of the central questions this paper seeks to address are, why do Latino neighborhoods form in large urban areas and what are the forces that shape them? I have discovered that a three-part approach is critical in documenting the influence that Latinos have on communities. Part one looks at the current changes in the demographic landscape and patterns of consumption. Part two explores the issues and topics relating to neighborhood selection based on the presence of socio-cultural infrastructure and support. Part three looks in detail at the physical aspects of urban composition and neighborhood structure. By better understanding the issues contained in each part of the creation of a Latino neighborhood, policy makers, civic leaders, urban planners and designers can more effectively repopulate and f...
Requirement for cAMP/calcium response element but not AP-1 site in fibroblast growth factor-2-elicited activation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in PC12 cells

Abstract Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) mediates numerous important physiological processes, including differentiation and survival of dopaminergic neurons. FGF-2 was found to trigger elevation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression in PC12 cells that was sustained for 1–8 days. FGF-2 induced chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter activity under control of the TH promoter, indicating that the induction is transcriptionally mediated. The transcriptional activation of TH by FGF-2 was examined using various deletions and point mutations of the 5′ flanking region controlling CAT reporter activity. In contrast to the reported mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of TH expression by NGF and phorbol esters, the AP-1 site at −205/−199 was not required for the activation by FGF-2. A construct containing only 60 nucleotides of the promoter was still inducible by FGF-2. However, a construct with a point mutation in the CRE/CaRE was not responsive to induction by FGF-2. These findings indicate that the CRE/CaRE, but not the AP-1, element is required for induction by FGF-2 and point to differences between NGF and FGF-2 in the regulation of TH gene expression.
Cooperative Communications With Unreliable Relays

The advantage of cooperative communications often depends on the relay that can reliably receive a message from a source node, process it, and forward it to its intended destination node. In this paper, we consider the situation in which the relays cannot reliably decode the message due to a low signal strength or high interference. We propose a new cooperative relaying strategy that utilizes the information provided by unreliable relays to improve the reliability of decoding at the destination. The basic idea is to allow the relays to forward their decoder outputs as long as the destination can decode the message using the information provided by the source and all relays (called global information). The motivation is that even if each relay may not be able to decode the message based on its local information, the destination may still decode it using the global information. Only when the destination cannot decode the message, the relays discard their incorrect decoder outputs. We analyze the end-to-end outage probability of the proposed scheme as a function of the transmission rate, signal-to-noise ratio, and number of relays. We show that the proposed scheme can provide a significant improvement over the conventional schemes, particularly when the relays cannot reliably decode the message. If the SNR is high enough or the transmission rate is below a threshold, the proposed scheme can provide the same outage probability that can be provided by the genie-aided relaying that assumes perfect knowledge on the message by all relays.
New germacranolides from Liatris species

Abstract Three closely related cis -Δ 4 -diepoxygermacranolides were isolated from two Liatris species. Structures of eleganin from L. elegans (Walt.) Michx, and liscundin and liscunditrin from L. secunda (Ell.) Small. were established by NMR spectrometry, chemical transformations and correlation with punctaliatrin previously isolated from L. punctata Hook. Reinvestigation of the latter species yielded another germacranolide liatripunctin whose structure is reported.
Exact required time analysis via false path detection

This paper addresses how to compute required times at intermediatenodes in a combinational network given required times atprimary outputs. The simplest approach is to compute them basedon topological delay analysis without any consideration of falsepaths. In this paper, however, we take into account false pathsbetween the intermediate nodes and the primary outputs explicitlyto characterize the timing constraints at the nodes more accurately.We show that this approach leads to a technique for computing amore refined and relaxed timing constraint than that obtained bytopological analysis. We generalize the notion of required timesfrom a single constant to a relation where a signal is required atdifferent times depending on the values of the other signals.
Interactions of time of day and sleep with between-session habituation and extinction memory in young adult males

Within-session habituation and extinction learning co-occur as do subsequent consolidation of habituation (i.e., between-session habituation) and extinction memory. We sought to determine whether, as we predicted: (1) between-session habituation is greater across a night of sleep versus a day awake; (2) time-of-day accounts for differences; (3) between-session habituation predicts consolidation of extinction memory; (4) sleep predicts between-session habituation and/or extinction memory. Participants (N = 28) completed 4-5 sessions alternating between mornings and evenings over 3 successive days (2 nights) with session 1 in either the morning (N = 13) or evening (N = 15). Twelve participants underwent laboratory polysomnography. During 4 sessions, participants completed a loud-tone habituation protocol, while skin conductance response (SCR), blink startle electromyography (EMG), heart-rate acceleration and heart-rate deceleration (HRD) were recorded. For sessions 1 and 2, between-session habituation of EMG, SCR and HRD was greater across sleep. SCR and HRD were generally lower in the morning. Between-session habituation of SCR for sessions 1 and 2 was positively related to intervening (first night) slow wave sleep. In the evening before night 2, participants also underwent fear conditioning and extinction learning phases of a second protocol. Extinction recall was tested the following morning. Extinction recall was predicted only by between-session habituation of SCR across the same night (second night) and by intervening REM. We conclude that: (1) sleep augments between-session habituation, as does morning testing; (2) extinction recall is predicted by concurrent between-session habituation; and (3) both phenomena may be influenced by sleep.
Time-Frequency Analysis of Pseudodifferential Operators

In this paper we apply a time-frequency approach to the study of pseudodifferential operators. Both the Weyl and the Kohn–Nirenberg correspondences are considered. In order to quantify the time-frequency content of a function or distribution, we use certain function spaces called modulation spaces. We deduce a time-frequency characterization of the twisted product \(\) of two symbols σ and τ, and we show that modulation spaces provide the natural setting to exactly control the time-frequency content of \(\) from the time-frequency content of σ and τ. As a consequence, we discuss some boundedness and spectral properties of the corresponding operator with symbol \(\).
A bag cell neuron-specific antigen localizes to a subset of dense core vesicles in Aplysia california

The bag cell neurons of Aplysia govern egg-laying through the release of a number of bioactive peptides which are processed from a common precursor. Immunoelectron microscopic studies suggest that sorting at the trans-Golgi segregates peptides from the amino terminal and carboxy terminal of the precursor into distinct classes of dense-cored vesicles (DCVs). Here we identify a novel bag cell-specific antigen (4F6 antigen) using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Immunoprecipitations and Western blots demonstrate that the MAb4F6 specifically recognizes a protein of 80 kDa and does not react with the egg-laying hormone precursor, processing intermediates or final products. The 4F6 antigen is localized in a subset of DCVs which also contain peptides derived from the amino terminus of the precursor. These results further demonstrate the complexity of vesicular sorting in the bag cells and also identify a novel tissue specific antigen localized to DCVs.
Hydrolysis of Extracellular ATP by Ectonucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase (ENTPD) Establishes the Set Point for Fibrotic Activity of Cardiac Fibroblasts

The establishment of set points for cellular activities is essential in regulating homeostasis. Here, we demonstrate key determinants of the fibrogenic set point of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) by focusing on the pro-fibrotic activity of ATP, which is released by CFs. We tested the hypothesis that the hydrolysis of extracellular ATP by ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (ENTPDs) regulates pro-fibrotic nucleotide signaling. We detected two ENTPD isoforms, ENTPD-1 and -2, in adult rat ventricular CFs. Partial knockdown of ENTPD-1 and -2 with siRNA increased basal extracellular ATP concentration and enhanced the pro-fibrotic effect of ATP stimulation. Sodium polyoxotungstate-1, an ENTPD inhibitor, not only enhanced the pro-fibrotic effects of exogenously added ATP but also increased basal expression of α-smooth muscle actin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, collagen synthesis, and gel contraction. Furthermore, we found that adenosine, a product of ATP hydrolysis by ENTPD, acts via A2B receptors to counterbalance the pro-fibrotic response to ATP. Removal of extracellular adenosine or inhibition of A2B receptors enhanced pro-fibrotic ATP signaling. Together, these results demonstrate the contribution of basally released ATP in establishing the set point for fibrotic activity in adult rat CFs and identify a key role for the modulation of this activity by hydrolysis of released ATP by ENTPDs. These findings also imply that cellular homeostasis and fibrotic response involve the integration of signaling that is pro-fibrotic by ATP and anti-fibrotic by adenosine and that is regulated by ENTPDs.
Predictability or adaptivity?: designing robot handoffs modeled from trained dogs and people

One goal of assistive robotics is to design interactive robots that can help disabled people with tasks such as fetching objects. When people do this task, they coordinate their movements closely with receivers. We investigated how a robot should fetch and give household objects to a person. To develop a model for the robot, we first studied trained dogs and person-to-person handoffs. Our findings suggest two models of handoff that differ in their predictability and adaptivity.
Pharmaceutical Applications of the Sodium Salt of Carbopol 934

This study indicates that a number of medicinal agents can be satisfactorily suspended using the dry sodium salt of Carbopol 934. The emulsifying properties of this agent are also reported.
An alternative to SH2 domains for binding tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins

Src homology 2 (SH2) domains bind specifically to tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins that participate in signaling by growth factors and oncogenes. A protein domain was identified that bound specifically to the tyrosine-phosphorylated form of its target protein but differs from known SH2 sequences. Phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domains were found in two proteins: SHC, a protein implicated in signaling through Ras; and SCK, encoded by a previously uncharacterized gene. The PTB domain of SHC specifically bound to a tyrosine-phosphorylated 145-kilodalton protein. PTB domains are an alternative to SH2 domains for specifically recruiting tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins into signaling complexes and are likely to take part in signaling by many growth factors.
Fasting c-peptide and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 levels help to distinguish childhood type 1 and type 2 diabetes at diagnosis.

Background Children with new onset diabetes (n = 175) were evaluated over 12-months. Patients were presumptively diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (n = 26) based on obesity, a relative with T2DM, the ability to wean from insulin, and absence of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD-65) antibodies. We hypothesized that markers of insulinization at diagnosis, including fasting C-peptide and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP)-1, in addition to initial CO(2) levels and urine ketones, would help in distinguishing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) from T2DM. Results Children with T1DM (84 male, 65 female) had a mean age of 8.7 +/- 4.3 yr and a racial background of 78% white, 19% black, and 3% other. In contrast, children with T2DM (13 female, 13 male) had a mean age of 14.2 +/- 3.1 yr with a racial background of 58% black, 27% white, and 15% other. Fasting C-peptide level was 0.38 +/- 0.37 ng/mL in T1DM vs. 2.66 +/- 2.14 ng/mL in T2DM; a C-peptide of 0.85 ng/mL had 83% sensitivity in distinguishing T1DM from T2DM. Fasting IGFBP-1 level was 38.1 +/- 39.1 ng/mL (T1DM) vs. 3.6 +/- 4.5 ng/mL (T2DM); a value of 3.6 ng/dL could distinguish the two types of diabetes with 93% sensitivity. Urinary ketones were found in 79% of children with T1DM compared with 56% of those with T2DM, and the magnitude was associated with type of diabetes. Initial CO(2) level for T1DM was 17.9 +/- 6.9 mmol/L vs. 22.7 +/- 5.7 mmol/L for T2DM; a value of 21.5 mmol/L could distinguish the two types of diabetes with 83% sensitivity. Conclusions In addition to obesity, family history of T2DM, and absence of GAD-65 antibodies, children with new-onset T2DM may be distinguished from those with T1DM by a combination of biochemical parameters (C-peptide, IGFBP-1, CO(2), and urine ketones).