cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing positive pressure delivered from commercial and WHO-style pediatric bubble CPAP devices.

BACKGROUND/AIM Low-cost commercial bCPAP devices have been deployed in resource-limited settings to treat neonatal respiratory failure. The use of these devices has increased access to pediatric respiratory support for infants. However, constrained resources may result in substitution of recommended consumables and/or use in older age groups. We hypothesized that commercially available bCPAP devices, the standard WHO-style device and various improvised adaptations would all generate effective, safe positive pressure at the patient interface. METHODS Performance of 2 commercially available bCPAP devices was tested against the standard WHO-style bCPAP device, as well as several improvised modifications of these devices, by measuring positive pressure delivered at the patient interface. Variables tested included different flow rates, patient interfaces and respiratory circuit tubing. RESULTS Both commercial devices utilized according to manufacturer recommendations generated the expected positive pressure at the patient interface. When testing the recommended WHO-style bCPAP device with recommended materials as well as other improvised modifications, we found variable and potentially unpredictable generation of positive pressure at the patient interface. CONCLUSIONS Modified or improvised bCPAP devices should be used with extreme caution as the support provided may be more or less than expected depending on respiratory tubing and flow rates employed. Our data support the effectiveness of bCPAP in newborns and young infants. But, to our knowledge, there are no bCPAP patient interfaces for older children effective with low liter flow devices. Therefore, based on these results, we recommend against using WHO-style bCPAP devices for non-infant patients with respiratory failure and instead recommend using standard oxygen therapy with nasal cannulae or face-masks, as well as early consideration of transfer to a higher level of care.
Superfluid Density of 3He

Measurements of superfluid density in 3He via fourth sound in an open parallel plate “superleak” show an unexpected pressure and pore size dependence and an unexpectedly small change at the B → A transition.
Connecting Rod Optimization for Weight and Cost Reduction

An optimization study was performed on a steel forged connecting rod with a consideration for improvement in weight and production cost. Since the weight of the connecting rod has little influence on its total production cost, the cost and the weight were dealt with separately. Reduction in machining operations, achieved by change in material, was a significant factor in manufacturing cost reduction. Weight reduction was achieved by using an iterative procedure. Literature survey suggests cyclic loads comprised of static tensile and compressive loads are often used for design and optimization of connecting rods. However, in this study weight optimization is performed under a cyclic load comprising dynamic tensile load and static compressive load as the two extreme loads. Constraints of fatigue strength, static strength, buckling resistance and manufacturability were also imposed. The fatigue strength was the most significant factor in the optimization of the connecting rod. An estimate of the cost savings is also made. The study results in an optimized connecting rod that is 10% lighter and 25% less expensive, as compared to the existing connecting rod.
Modeling radar systems using hierarchical dataflow

The synchronous dataflow model is used in a variety of visual programming environments to describe and design digital signal processing systems. In this paper, we present two main improvements over existing methodologies. Both are concerned with convenient manipulations of multidimensional data. The first describes a systematic method for transposing multidimensional data structures embedded within a one dimensional stream. This enables the use of scalar stream operators for processing multidimensional data. The second shows how higher-order functions combined with visual hierarchy can be used to build intuitive, maintainable, and scalable applications that operate on multidimensional data. These techniques are combined to design a beamforming radar simulation using the Ptolemy simulation environment.
Regulation of synaptic transmission at the photoreceptor terminal: a novel role for the cation–chloride co‐transporter NKCC1

Key points • The Cl− uptake cotransporter, Na+–K+–2Cl− type 1 (NKCC1), is expressed in the distal synaptic layer of the vertebrate retina, where photoreceptor terminals contact the dendrites of horizontal and bipolar cells. • Light adaptation, dopamine and a D1 receptor agonist increased the expression levels of phosphorylated NKCC1, the active form of the transporter inserted in the cell membrane. • Pharmacological blockage of NKCC1 with bumetanide increased the rod- and cone-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents in horizontal cells. • Inhibiting NKCC1 increased exocytotic membrane capacitance, intracellular Ca2+ levels, and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel currents in both rod and cone terminals, all of which are associated with increased transmitter release. • This study describes a new function of NKCC1, specifically the suppression of transmitter release at the photoreceptor terminals, a process that serves to prevent the depletion of glutamate and protect retinal neurons from its putative cytotoxic effects. Abstract The Na+–K+–2Cl− co-transporter type 1 (NKCC1) is localized primarily throughout the outer plexiform layer (OPL) of the distal retina, a synaptic lamina that is comprised of the axon terminals of photoreceptors and the dendrites of horizontal and bipolar cells. Although known to play a key role in development, signal transmission and the gating of sensory signals in other regions of the retina and in the CNS, the contribution of NKCC1 to synaptic transmission within the OPL is largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the function of NKCC1 at the photoreceptor–horizontal cell synapse by recording the electrical responses of photoreceptors and horizontal cells before and after blocking the activity of the transporter with bumetanide (BMN). Because NKCC1 co-transports 1 Na+, 1 K+ and 2 Cl−, it is electroneutral and its activation had little effect on membrane conductance. However, recordings from postsynaptic horizontal cells revealed that inhibiting NKCC1 with BMN greatly increased glutamate release from both rod and cone terminals. In addition, we found that NKCC1 directly regulates Ca2+-dependent exocytosis at the photoreceptor synapse, raising the possibility that NKCC1 serves to suppress bulk release of glutamate vesicles from photoreceptor terminals in the dark and at light offset. Interestingly, NKCC1 gene and protein expressions were upregulated by light, which we attribute to the light-induced release of dopamine acting on D1-like receptors. In sum, our study reveals a new role for NKCC1 in the regulation of synaptic transmission in photoreceptors.
Despite the Odds: The Political Economy of Social Sector Reform in Latin America

Whether considering health, education, or pension systems, and regardless of the extent of change proposed, conventional political economy indicates that reform initiatives are likely to be met with stiff opposition and lukewarm support. The social sectors are a classic case in which political calculations based on the identification of winners and losers or on the distribution of power within institutional contexts militate against change. Not surprisingly, given these expectations, political economists generally anticipate that reform initiatives will fail. Despite the political odds against such outcomes, in the 1990s, a significant number of countries in Latin America introduced major changes in the way health and education systems operated and set in motion fundamental changes in the structure of pension systems. This paper explores why reforms are adopted more frequently than political economy models predict. Analysis of the process of reform must be incorporated into political analysis if concepts and models are to become more helpful in understanding when and why change occurs. In this process, reformers and their strategic decisions, as well as the organizational characteristics of winners and losers and the constraints introduced by political institutions, become key factors in determining reform destinies.
Identification of two types of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms by cDNA cloning and immunoblot analysis

Abstract We previously reported the characterization of a rabbit uterus cDNA clone (SMHC29) which encoded part of the light meromyosin of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (Nagai, R., Larson, D.M., and Periasamy, M. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 85, 1047-1051). We have now characterized a second cDNA clone (SMHC40) which also encodes part of the light meromyosin but differs from SMHC29 in the following respects. Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrates that the two myosin heavy chain mRNAs are identical over 1424 nucleotides but differ in part of the 3'-carboxyl coding region and a portion of the 3'-nontranslated sequence. Specifically, SMHC40 cDNA encodes a unique stretch of 43 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus, whereas SMHC29 cDNA contains a shorter carboxyl terminus of 9 unique amino acids which is the result of a 39-nucleotide insertion. Recent peptide mapping of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain identified two isotypes with differences in the light meromyosin fragment that were designated as SM1 (204 kDa) and SM2 (200 kDa) type myosin (Eddinger, T. J., and Murphy, R.A. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 3807-3811). In this study we present direct evidence that SMHC40 and SMHC29 mRNA encode the two smooth muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms, SM1 and SM2, respectively, by immunoblot analysis using antibodies against specific carboxyl terminus sequences deduced from SMHC40 and SMHC29 cDNA clones.
Teaching Choice Making to Children with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities in Preschool and Kindergarten Classrooms.

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention package that included visual accommodations, daily preference assessments, and naturalistic instructional strategies on the accuracy of choi...
Is the Western diet adequate in copper

Copper has been known to be essential for health for more than three quarters of a century. Myriad experiments with animals reveal that the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and nervous systems are most sensitive to deficiency. Copper in the Western diet has been decreasing at least since the 1930s; half of the adult population consumes less than the amount recommended in the European Communities and the United Kingdom. At least one fourth of adults consume less than the estimated average requirement published for the United States and Canada. Hundreds of people have been reported in journals about medicine and neurology rather than nutrition to have impaired copper nutriture based on the criteria of low copper concentrations and low activities of enzymes dependent on copper in various fluids and tissues. In contrast, only 46 people have participated in depletion/repletion experiments needed to define requirements. Almost 1000 people have benefited from supplements containing copper in controlled trials. People deficient in copper are being identified increasingly; it is unknown if unusually high requirements or unusually low diets are causal. Alzheimer's disease, ischemic heart disease and osteoporosis are the most likely human illnesses from low copper intakes.
White Men Do It Too: Racialized (Homo)sexualities in Postcolonial Hausaland

This article explores how, in talk about sex, Nigerian Hausa men who self-identify as homosexual or womanlike and a Euro-American gay male ethnographer reified racially distinct sexualities against a backdrop of perceived sexual similarity. These discursive transformations indexed and (reconstructed prototypes of ethnic, racial and national identities, and articulated speakers' claims to, or denials of, those identities. Such claims are connected to the global workings of wealth and power, and the discourses of desire and difference that inform and sustain them.
Comparison of Temporal Perception of Fruitiness in Model Systems Sweetened with Aspartame, an Aspartame + Acesulfame K Blend, or Sucrose

Sweetness and fruitiness of equisweet solutions of aspartame (APM), an aspartame + acesulfame-K blend (APM/AK) or sucrose were evaluated in binary (BIN) (sweetener and orange flavor) and tertiary (TER) (BIN and citric acid) systems by time-intensity (TI) methodology. Sweetener solutions adjusted to the viscosity of sucrose (APM* and APM/AK*) showed small inconsistent differences from their unthickened counterparts. In BIN systems, APM and APM* had the longest duration (DUR) of sweetness and fruitiness. In TER systems, APM* increased maximum intensity (MAX) and DUR of fruitness and S decreased sourness MAX and DUR relative to APM and APM/AK blends. Fruitiness MAX was perceived later than sweetness, whereas sweetness DUR persisted longer than fruitiness.
Nuclear Susceptibility of Liquid Helium-3 under Pressure

New measurements of the nuclear susceptibility of liquid helium-3 between 0.045 and 1.3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and up to 30.7 atm will be described. At the lowest temperatures, the susceptibility for all pressures has almost reached a constant value. The effective Fermi temperature ${{T}_{F}}^{**}$ from these measurements is found to vary from 0.43\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at 0.5 atm to about 0.26\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at 30.7 atm. From these measurements and recent specific-heat data of several authors, the spin-dependent exchange constant is calculated and is found to decrease with increasing pressure and density. The spin specific heat calculated from susceptibility according to Goldstein's theory is compared to available data. The susceptibility results are compared to recent data of Anderson, Reese, and Wheatley.
Separation and Structural Determination of the Olefinic Components of Poison Ivy Urushiol, Cardanol and Cardol

THE noxious saps of numerous members of the Anacardiaceae, such as Japanese lac, poison ivy, cashew nut shell liquid, etc., contain phenolic bodies carrying long unsaturated side-chains attached to the benzene ring. Earlier investigators1 have in certain cases established the length and the position of these alkenyl side-chains; but prior to the present investigation only very limited information was available concerning the structural details of the unsaturation. There is no doubt, however, that the unsaturation in the side-chain plays an important part both in the physiological properties2 and industrial uses3 of these compounds.
CA 125 and the detection of recurrent ovarian cancer: a reasonably accurate biomarker for a difficult disease.

Since the first description of the assay by our group more than 25 years ago,1 measurement of serum CA125 has contributed to the care of patients with ovarian cancer in several different ways. The original application of CA125 was in monitoring response of ovarian cancer during chemotherapy and in detecting persistent disease following primary treatment.2 In patients whose cancers shed sufficient quantities of CA125 to be elevated in peripheral blood, biomarker levels have tracked tumor volume with up to 90% accuracy.3 After cytoreductive surgery and combination chemotherapy, persistent elevation of CA125 levels has correlated with persistent disease in >90% of cases.2,3 CA125 is not, however, optimally sensitive and up to 50% of patients with normal levels of CA125 following chemotherapy were found to have small volumes of persistent disease at second look operations.2,3
Some Framing Questions About Racism and Evaluation: Thoughts Stimulated by Professor John Stanfield’s “Slipping Through the Front Door”

Abstract Professor Stanfield’s article (this issue) stimulated several questions that are briefly discussed. How does the lens of race shape and effect our understandings and actions? How do we talk with each other about race and racism? How do we engage each other on these issues authentically at a time dominated by political correctness? What methods and measures fairly capture and communicate the experiences of people of color and the poor? Given the reality-shaping power of racial categories, what variables and categories are meaningful and appropriate? What program outcomes and evaluative judgments are conditioned by racially-shaped assumptions, presumptions, and politics? How do we make ourselves aware of such conditioning and its implications? How do we understand and deal with the paradoxes of race relations without trivializing them by the very act of labeling them as paradoxes? For those of us who are white, where do we look for guidance in matters of race and racism? For those so inclined, how do we find and follow the path to transformation?
Patterns of childhood mortality in a region of Belarus, 1980–2000

The public health infrastructure of the former Soviet Union was impacted by both the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and the Soviet breakup in 1991. This paper examines mortality patterns among children aged 1-14 years within the Mogilev region of Belarus between 1980 and 2000. This study utilized a regional cohort design that included all childhood deaths (ages 1-14 years) occurring among persons residing within the Mogilev oblast of Belarus between 1980 and 2000. Patterns of death and death rates were examined across three intervals: 1980-1985 (pre-Chernobyl), 1986-1991 (post-Chernobyl and pre-Former Soviet Union (FSU) breakup) and 1992-2000 (post-Chernobyl and post-FSU breakup) based upon administrative death files. Annual death rates among children aged 1-4 years declined between 1980 and 2000, while mortality rates among children aged 5-9 years and 10-14 years remained steady over this time period. Average annual mortality rates among males aged 5-9 years and 10-14 years increased significantly between 1986 and 1991. Compared to the baseline interval, mortality among both males and females aged 1-4 years was significantly decreased during 1986-1990 and 1992-2000. In general, mortality rates among males were 24%-95% greater compared to females. Injuries and poisonings accounted for the largest proportion of deaths across all age and gender groups examined. Subsequent to the Chernobyl disaster, significant decreases were noted in mortality rates among children aged 1-4 years while mortality rates among children aged 5-9 and 10-14 remained stable. Conclusion: Similar to the findings in other countries, injuries and poisonings predominated as the leading cause of death among Belarussian children.
Two immune arms to stop one gut

Postoperative ileus complicates the recovery from intestinal surgery with a great economic burden. How this morbid condition spreads throughout the entire gut remains unknown, but new findings show that a T helper type 1 (TH1)-mediated immune response is involved. Its components may be possible therapeutic targets (pages 1407–1413).
Saturated fat supplementation interacts with dietary forage neutral detergent fiber content during the immediate postpartum and carryover periods in Holstein cows: Production responses and digestibility of nutrients

Forty-eight multiparous cows were used in a randomized complete block design experiment with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine the interaction between a highly saturated free FA supplement (SFFA) and dietary forage neutral detergent fiber (fNDF) content on production responses and nutrient digestibility of dairy cows in the postpartum period. Treatment diets were offered from 1 to 29d postpartum (postpartum period; PP) and contained 20 or 26% fNDF (50:50 corn silage:alfalfa silage and hay, dry matter basis) and 0 or 2% SFFA [Energy Booster 100 (Milk Specialties Global, Eden Prairie, MN); 96.1% FA: 46.2% C18:0 and 37.0% C16:0]. From 30 to 71d postpartum (carryover period), a common diet (~23% fNDF, 0% SFFA) was offered to all cows to evaluate carryover effects of the treatment diets early in lactation. During the PP, higher fNDF decreased dry matter intake (DMI) by 2.0 kg/d, whereas SFFA supplementation increased it by 1.4kg/d. In addition, high fNDF with 0% SFFA decreased DMI compared with the other diets and this difference increased throughout the PP. Treatments did not affect 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield during the PP but did during the carryover period when SFFA supplementation decreased 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield for the low-fNDF diet (51.1 vs. 58.7kg/d), but not for the high-fNDF diet (58.5 vs. 58.0kg/d). During the PP, lower fNDF and SFFA supplementation decreased body condition score loss. A tendency for an interaction between fNDF and SFFA indicated that low fNDF with 2% SFFA decreased body condition score loss compared with the other diets (-0.49 vs. -0.89). During the PP, lower fNDF and 2% SFFA supplementation decreased feed efficiency (3.5% fat-corrected milk/DMI) by 0.30 and 0.23 units, respectively. The low-fNDF diet with 2% SFFA decreased feed efficiency compared with other diets early in the PP, but this difference decreased over time. Supplementation of SFFA in the PP favored energy partitioning to body reserves and limited DMI depression for the high-fNDF diet, which might allow higher-fNDF diets to be fed to cows in the PP. However, SFFA supplemented in the low-fNDF diet during the PP affected production negatively in the carryover period. Dietary fNDF and SFFA interacted, affecting performance in the PP with carryover effects when cows were fed a common diet in early lactation.
Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of relic radio bubbles in clusters

In order to better understand the origin and evolution of relic radio bubbles in clusters of galaxies, we report on an extensive set of two-dimensional MHD simulations of hot buoyant bubbles evolving in a realistic intracluster medium (ICM). Our bubbles are inflated near the base of the ICM over a finite time interval from a region whose magnetic field is isolated from the ICM. We confirm both the early conjecture from linear analysis and the later results based on preformed MHD bubbles, namely, that very modest ICM magnetic fields can stabilize the rising bubbles against disruption by Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. We find in addition that amplification of the ambient fields as they stretch around the bubbles can be sufficient to protect the bubbles or their initial fragments even if the fields are initially much too weak to play a significant role early in the evolution of the bubbles. Indeed, even with initial fields less than 1 μG and values of β = Pg/Pb approaching 105, magnetic stresses in our simulations eventually became large enough to influence the bubble evolution. Magnetic field influence also depends significantly on the geometry of the ICM field and on the topology of the field at the bubble/ICM interface. For example, reconnection of antiparallel fields across the bubble top greatly reduced the ability of the magnetic field to inhibit disruptive instabilities. Our results confirm earlier estimates of 108 yr for relic radio bubble lifetimes and show that magnetic fields can account for the long-term stability of these objects against disruption by surface instabilities. In addition, these calculations show that lifting and mixing of the ambient ICM may be a critical function of field geometries in both the ICM and the bubble interior.
Instance-linked attribute tracking and feedback for michigan-style supervised learning classifier systems

The application of learning classifier systems (LCSs) to classification and data mining in genetic association studies has been the target of previous work. Recent efforts have focused on: (1) correctly discriminating between predictive and non-predictive attributes, and (2) detecting and characterizing epistasis (attribute interaction) and heterogeneity. While the solutions evolved by Michigan-style LCSs (M-LCSs) are conceptually well suited to address these phenomena, the explicit characterization of heterogeneity remains a particular challenge. In this study we introduce attribute tracking, a mechanism akin to memory, for supervised learning in M-LCSs. Given a finite training set, a vector of accuracy scores is maintained for each instance in the data. Post-training, we apply these scores to characterize patterns of association in the dataset. Additionally we introduce attribute feedback to the mutation and crossover mechanisms, probabilistically directing rule generalization based on an instance's tracking scores. We find that attribute tracking combined with clustering and visualization facilitates the characterization of epistasis and heterogeneity while uniquely linking individual instances in the dataset to etiologically heterogeneous subgroups. Moreover, these analyses demonstrate that attribute feedback significantly improves test accuracy, efficient generalization, run time, and the power to discriminate between predictive and non-predictive attributes in the presence of heterogeneity.
Cantilever deflection associated with hybridization of monomolecular DNA film

Recent experiments show that specific binding between a ligand and surface immobilized receptor, such as hybridization of single stranded DNA immobilized on a microcantilever surface, leads to cantilever deflection. The binding-induced deflection may be used as a method for detection of biomolecules, such as pathogens and biohazards. Mechanical deformation induced due to hybridization of surface-immobilized DNA strands is a commonly used system to demonstrate the efficacy of microcantilever sensors. To understand the mechanism underlying the cantilever deflections, a theoretical model that incorporates the influence of ligand/receptor complex surface distribution and empirical interchain potential is developed to predict the binding-induced deflections. The cantilever bending induced due to hybridization of DNA strands is predicted for different receptor immobilization densities, hybridization efficiencies, and spatial arrangements. Predicted deflections are compared with experimental reports to validate the modeling assumptions and identify the influence of various components on mechanical deformation. Comparison of numerical predictions and experimental results suggest that, at high immobilization densities, hybridization-induced mechanical deformation is determined, primarily by immobilization density and hybridization efficiency, whereas, at lower immobilization densities, spatial arrangement of hybridized chains need to be considered in determining the cantilever deflection.
Interactions of aminomethylphosphonic acid and sarcosine with montmorillonite interlayer surfaces

The smectite clay, montmorillonite, can be found in many soils throughout the world. In addition to its importance in agriculture and soil remediation, montmorillonite has extensive applications in industry both in its natural form and as a component of composite materials. The adsorptive properties of montmorillonite have been explored in relation to its interactions with the common herbicide glyphosate. This herbicide, when exposed to microorganisms in the soil is degraded, forming two products: aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and sarcosine. The atomic-level interactions of these compounds with the montmorillonite interlayer surfaces are studied here using molecular mechanics. The final outcomes of these calculations are analyzed in terms of the proximity of the montmorillonite surface to the moieties of the degradation products. The phosphonate moiety was found to be the most important source of interactions for AMPA, while for sarcosine there was an even distribution between the amino and carboxylic moieties, and Na+ ion mediated surface complexes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Pathological crystallization of human immunoglobulins

Condensation of Igs has been observed in pharmaceutical formulations and in vivo in cases of cryoglobulinemia. We report a study of monoclonal IgG cryoglobulins overexpressed by two patients with multiple myeloma. These cryoglobulins form crystals, and we measured their solubility lines. Depending on the supersaturation, we observed a variety of condensate morphologies consistent with those reported in clinical investigations. Remarkably, the crystallization can occur at quite low concentrations. This suggests that, even within the regular immune response to infections, cryoprecipitation of Ig can be possible.
Start with the discovery: Improving capacity factors analysis with the appreciative inquiry approach

Several decision-aid frameworks attempt to provide an optimal solution to the complex, challenging problem of delivering water supply and sanitation services to communities in need. However, a failure in proper needs assessment or handoff causes systemic failure of an installed system. Capacity factors analysis (CFA) is one such framework that focuses on personalized technology-specific alternative recommendations; and it faces similar challenges. While helpful in many ways, designers using CFA still make critical assumptions with regards to community's expressed needs and only passively include the community members in the design process. Appreciative inquiry (AI) is introduced as a means to bridge this gap and increase community empowerment. The AI approach is a four-phase process: discovery, dream, design, and destiny. The process starts with asking community members about their strengths and capabilities, follows with their vision of the community, creates a space for collaborative design, and ends with implementation. A service-learning experience in Tshapasha is provided to demonstrate AI's benefits. The results are compared to a CFA-focused study of Tshapasha from 2011.
Fashioning a bareback pedagogy: towards a theory of risky (sex) education

In this paper, the author moves to think through the practice of barebacking to investigate the ways in which sex education fashions subjects and vice versa. Using recent scholarship and the emergence of barebacking, the author thinks through the discourses on this sexual culture and how doing so might allow sex education to move beyond merely thinking about sex to a more risky version of sex education. The author's intentions are to counter-intuitively use the figure of the ‘barebacker’ as a lifestyle for thinking through sex education in the twenty-first century to explore potential pedagogical insights where pedagogy is viewed not simply as methods of teaching or the art of teaching but as the process of fashioning the self through relationships with knowledge, the self and other. The phenomenon of the barebacker allows for an exploration of possible ways of coming into presence. This task requires grappling with the risks inherent in sex education to engage how subjects emerge in relationship to other...
In vitro thymosin effect on T lymphocytes in alcoholic liver disease

The in vitro effect of thymosin fraction 5, a thymic gland extract, on thymus-dependent lymphocytes was studied in 12 patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and in 18 patients with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis (CAC). The baseline number and proportion of spontaneous rosette-forming T lymphocytes were significantly reduced in AH as compared to the controls. No such decrease was seen in CAC. When the lymphocytes of patients with AH were incubated in the presence of thymosin fraction 5, the subsequent number and proportion of rosette-forming T lymphocytes showed a significant increase. There was no significant reponse to thymosin in CAC or in control subjects. There appears to be a subset of immature T lymphocytes in patients with AH that is responsive to exogenous thymic factors with subsequent activation of the capacity to form spontaneous rosettes.
Development and implementation of a beam theory model for shape memory polymers

Abstract In this paper we focus on the development of a beam theory for a small strain continuum model of thermoviscoelastic shape memory polymers (SMP). Rather than a history integral model that is common for viscoelastic materials, a thermodynamically based state evolution model developed by Ghosh and Srinivasa (2011a) is used as the basis for the beam model based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. An example of a three-point bend test is simulated using the beam theory model. The numerical solution is implemented by using an operator split technique that utilizes an elastic predictor and dissipative corrector. The key idea is that the elastic predictor is based on the solution to a beam theory boundary value problem while the dissipative corrector is entirely local (and hence can be parallelized) and is applied by considering the beam as a two or three dimensional body. This enables a very rapid solution of the problem yet maintaining fidelity of the distribution of inelastic strains across the cross-section. A displacement based convergence criterion is used in each time step. This algorithm is validated by using a three-point bending experiment for three different material cases: elastic, plastic and thermoplastic response. Time step convergence and mesh density convergence studies are carried out for the thermoviscoelastic FEM model. Finally, we implement and study this model for a SMP beam undergoing three-point bending strain recovery and stress recovery thermomechanical loading.
A Vacuum Chamber System for High Radiation Environment

As the radiation environment in the proximity of high energy beams becomes an ever increasing problem, the need for radiation resistant vacuum chambers and seals of inorganic materials has become apparent. The long range plans for the ZGS have been in this direction. A three-year development program has resulted in a design which will withstand radiation levels several orders of magnitude greater than at present. Such a chamber will be installed early in 1968?five years after original machine startup.
Microstructural modifications in a dynamically consolidated microcrystalline nickel titanium alloy powder

Spherically shaped, microcrystalline NiTi alloy powder with both nonhomogeneous particle-size distribution (2 to 60μm diameter) and chemical composition, was consolidated with a shock input energy of 316 kJ kg%^(−1). Upon shock compaction, the two-phase NiTi powder particles (containing 45wt% Ti and 65 wt% Ti) were bonded together, generally by interparticle melting and subsequent welding. The melted material at interparticle regions was observed to have rapidly solidified to largely amorphous and/or microcrystalline phases. Particle interiors were also subjected to extensive plastic deformation which resulted in deformation twinning, grain elongation and some recrystallization to defect-free grains. Unique microstructural modifications occurring due to inhomogeneous thermal and mechanical processing during the dynamic consolidation process, are reported here.
VOIDING DYSFUNCTION IN A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WITH MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOPATHY

DISCUSSION Primary defects in mitochondrial function are implicated in more than 100 diseases,’ ranging from rare inherited childhood diseases to Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases of aging. As in the cases reported many are caused by a mutation in the mitochondrial genome and are maternally inherited, since maternal mitochondria alone are transferred to the zygote. Because there are 2 populations of mitochondria, mutant and wild type, children of an affected mother may be more, equally or less severely affected. In our family the population of mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid with the T to G transversion at position 8993 in the children was obviously higher than in the mother, and led to earlier onset and more severe disease. Voiding dysfunction related to mitochondrial disease, although not documented in the literature, may be predicted by the propensity of the disease to affect nerve and muscle cells. Additionally, both of our patients demonstrated ataxia, which has significant, although variable, effects on voiding, including of detrusor hyperreflexia, detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia or detrusor areflexia.2 Our cases demonstrated urodynamically and clinically distinct voiding dysfunction, underscoring the heterogenicity of the disease. The mother presented with mixed urinary incontinence and eventually had a complex of detrusor instability and poor emptying. These symptoms parallel detrusor hyperreflexia with impaired contractility, perceived to be related to aging and perhaps to mitochondrial deterioration. The daughter had findings of a contracted, clinically and urodynamically unstable bladder with good emptying. Due to the coexistence of neurological impairment and mitochondrial cytopathy, the symptoms may be related to progressive detrusor disease with bladder contraction, upper motor neuron disease, autonomic neuropathy or the disparate urodynamic consequences of ataxia. We would predict significant voiding dysfunction and recommend urological screening of patients with mitochondrial cytopathy. REFERENCES
Self-Administration in the Pharmacological Treatment of Impotence

Recent innovative research into the physiology and pharmacology of erection and the introduction of intracavernous injection of vasoactive agents have revolutionised our approach to the diagnosis and treatment of impotence. A thorough understanding of the rationale, indications, precautions and potential complications of intracavernous self-injection is essential for successful management. The commonly used drugs for injection are papaverine, either alone or in combination with phentolamine, and alprostadil (prostaglandin E1). The major adverse effects include priapism, prolonged erection, and fibrosis of the erectile tissue. With the proper technique and appropriate dosage, this is a safe, minimally invasive, and highly effective treatment.
Biologic solutions for degenerative disk disease

Study design Literature review. Objective Review the potential use of biologic therapies for the treatment of degenerative disk disease. Summary of background data Degeneration of the intervertebral disk is a common occurrence which, although asymptomatic in most instances, may result in axial skeletal pain, radiculopathy, and myelopathy. Significant progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of degenerative disk disease and as a result, new biologic therapies, including molecular, gene, and cell-based strategies, are being investigated to halt and reverse disk degeneration. Results Growth factors, inflammatory inhibitors, proteinase inhibitors, and intracellular regulatory proteins are among the molecular therapies that have been studied with encouraging results in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. However, the utility of these therapies in humans may be limited because of the limited therapeutic duration. Gene therapies have the potential to overcome the limited therapeutic duration of molecular treatments by transferring genes to the cells within the disk to encode for therapeutic proteins with potential long-term local production. Gene therapy for disk regeneration has been successful in a number of animal studies, but significant concerns exist with the safety of the many vectors used for gene transfer. Cell-based therapies, including reimplantation of nucleus pulposus cells expanded in culture and stem cell therapies, have also been studied extensively in animal models with good results. The EuroDisc clinical trial is currently underway in Europe exploring the reimplantation of disk cells that are removed at the time of diskectomy and expanded ex vivo. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are readily available without ethical concerns, are being studied extensively for disk regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into a phenotype similar to native nucleus pulposus cells and have shown the potential for disk regeneration in animal studies. Conclusions Biologic therapies for intervertebral disk regeneration have produced very encouraging results in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Despite successful experimental results, these therapies face a number of hurdles before acceptance for human use including safety concerns, efficacy in high-order animal and human studies, and issues with the role and timing of these treatments.
FURTHER PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF THE TOP-8 : A BRIEF INTERVIEW-BASED MEASURE OF PTSD

The TOP-8 scale was developed as a brief, clinician-administered scale for use in assessing responses to treatment in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Further psychometric evaluation of the scale has now been undertaken and is reported and discussed here. Depression and Anxiety 9:135‐137, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Myosin heavy chain isoform expression following reduced neuromuscular activity: potential regulatory mechanisms.

In this review, the adaptations in myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform expression induced by chronic reductions in neuromuscular activity (including electrical activation and load bearing) of the intact neuromuscular unit are summarized and evaluated. Several different animal models and human clinical conditions of reduced neuromuscular activity are categorized based on the manner and extent to which they alter the levels of electrical activation and load bearing, resulting in three main categories of reduced activity. These are: 1) reduced activation and load bearing (including spinal cord injury, spinal cord transection, and limb immobilization with the muscle in a shortened position); 2) reduced loading (including spaceflight, hindlimb unloading, bed rest, and unilateral limb unloading); and 3) inactivity (including spinal cord isolation and blockage of motoneuron action potential conduction by tetrodotoxin). All of the models discussed resulted in increased expression of fast MHC isoforms at the protein and/or mRNA levels in slow and fast muscles (with the possible exception of unilateral limb unloading in humans). However, the specific fast MHC isoforms that are induced (usually the MHC-IIx isoform in slow muscle and the MHC-IIb isoform in fast muscle) and the degree and rate of adaptation are dependent upon the animal species and the specific model or condition that is being studied. Recent studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms by which electrical activation and load bearing alter expression of MHC isoforms at the cellular and genetic levels are also reviewed. Two main mechanisms have been proposed, the myogenin:MyoD and calcineurin:NF-AT pathways. Collectively, the data suggest that the regulation of MHC isoform expression involves a complex interaction of multiple control mechanisms including the myogenin:MyoD and calcineurin:NF-AT pathways; however, other intracellular signaling pathways are likely to contribute.
Bilateral irreversible severe vision loss from cosmetic iris implants.

Purpose To report a case of bilateral neovascular glaucoma with central retinal vein occlusions secondary to cosmetic iris implantation. Design Interventional case report. Methods setting: Tertiary care center; ophthalmology clinic. patient: A 25-year-old woman presented with persistent bilateral blurry vision after simultaneous bilateral cosmetic iris implantation. Examination showed best-corrected visual acuity of hand motion in the right and 20/400 in the left eye with intraocular pressures (IOP) of 48 mm Hg in the right and 40 mm Hg in the left eye on maximal medical therapy. She had bilateral neovascularization of the iris and angle with synechial angle closure, surgical aniridia, central retinal vein occlusion, and end-stage glaucomatous optic neuropathy. She was diagnosed with neovascular glaucoma in both eyes, associated with cosmetic iris implants. intervention procedures: Humphrey 24-2 visual field testing, optic nerve coherence tomography, and fundus imaging were performed. After bilateral intravitreal bevacizumab and panretinal photocoagulation, Ahmed glaucoma drainage devices were implanted in both eyes. main outcome measures: IOP, anterior chamber inflammation, neovascularization. Results Despite aggressive treatment, severe permanent bilateral vision loss ensued. Conclusion We strongly advise against the use of anterior chamber iris implants for cosmetic indications. Close monitoring of implanted individuals is necessary. Explantation should be considered at the earliest sign of adverse reaction.
NASCAR-related philanthropy and the distilled spirits sponsor category

The National Association for Stock Car Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) has a long history with its roots in distilled spirits. While NASCAR has a long association with beer sponsors, distilled spirits sponsors were unwelcome until 2004. Since then, a number of spirits brands have sponsored the NASCAR federation, driver teams and individual races. NASCAR requires its sponsoring spirits brands dedicate 20% of their budgets to promoting responsible alcohol use. However, how does NASCAR’s corporate charitable foundation look when subjected to the same standard required of its spirits sponsors? The NASCAR Foundation’s philanthropic giving relative to alcohol programmes is examined for the first two years of distilled spirits sponsorships. This research concludes that The NASCAR Foundation does not meet the standard it requires of its sponsoring partners.
Penetration of fire partitions by plastic DWV pipe

The hazard of fire propagation across a wall or floor has been found to be very real in the case of many pipe-floor penetrations and in the case of pipe-wall penetrations under adverse air pressure differentials and where the system on the unexposed side of the wall is vented.
Alcoholism risk, tobacco smoking, and P300 event-related potential

Abstract Objective The P300 event-related potential (ERP) is sometimes larger for individuals at low- compared to high-risk for alcoholism. These effects are inconsistent, and how P300 is affected by tobacco smoking in the context of alcoholism risk is unknown. The present study used P300 to examine the inter-relationship between alcoholism heritability and smoking status. Methods P300 was elicited with a visual discrimination task from young adults at low- and high-risk for alcoholism. Half of the subjects in each risk category reported that they did not smoke cigarettes, and the other half reported that they smoked regularly, with equal numbers of male and female subjects assessed. ERPs were recorded, and subjects were instructed to respond only to an infrequently presented target stimulus that occurred in a series of standard and distracter stimuli. Results P300 amplitude from the target stimuli was larger for the low-risk compared to high-risk subjects overall. However, smoking status demonstrated even stronger effects, with non-smokers producing consistently larger component amplitudes than smokers and accounting for more variance than alcoholism risk. These group factors also significantly affected P300 scalp topography. No reliable alcoholism risk or smoking group effects were obtained for the ERPs from the other stimuli. Conclusions The findings suggest that P300 measures of alcoholism risk in young adults are moderated by smoking status. Theoretical implications are discussed.