cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is there a gender disparity in treatment of coronary artery disease

It is important to highlight why we should focus on women's cardiovascular health in particular. In contrast to historical thought, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not just a “man's disease” as CVD is the no. 1 killer in women [1]. One third of all deaths in women are due to CVD, one woman dies of heart disease every minute, and CVD kills more women than men every year (since 1984). Contrary to popular belief, heart disease deaths are 11 times higher than breast cancer deaths. More women die of heart disease each year than all types of cancer plus all other diseases combined [2]. An emphasis must be placed on prevention of CVD as once women are diagnosed with a myocardial infarction (MI), their outcomes are worse than those of men. Women are more likely to die within a year of MI than their male counterparts. Of women who survive an MI, nearly half will be disabled by heart failure within 6 years. The cause for this disparity in outcome is likely multifactorial; however, older age at onset of CVD and lack of awareness may contribute to poorer outcomes than those of men [2]. Overall, heart disease mortality rates have substantially declined in the US. From 1999 to 2005, US cardiac deaths decreased by 25%, translating into 160,000 fewer deaths in 2005 (Fig. 1) Several factors contributed to this progress, including improved treatment of established CVD, widespread statin use, aggressive antihypertensive management, antismoking legislation, and tobacco excise taxes. Unfortunately, despite this significant progress in the overall population, women as well as other subgroups, such as African Americans, people living in the southern United
Geothermal Energy Production at Geologic CO2 Sequestration sites: Impact of Thermal Drawdown on Reservoir Pressure

Abstract Recent geotechnical research shows that geothermal heat can be efficiently mined by circulating carbon dioxide through naturally permeable rock formations -- a method called CO 2 Plume Geothermal -- the same geologic reservoirs that are suitable for deep saline aquifer CO 2 sequestration or enhanced oil recovery. This paper describes the effect of thermal drawdown on reservoir pressure buildup during sequestration operations, revealing that geothermal heat mining can decrease overpressurization by 10% or more.
Microwave Measurements of Steady-State and Decaying Plasmas

Some results are given of an experimental study of the loss mechanism for electrons in plasmas. Steady-state and decaying plasmas were studied by means of microwave interferometers. Values of the electron-ion recombination coefficient for nitrogen and argon are given. The effect of water vapor as an impurity upon the electron-ion recombination rate of air is demonstrated. Data is also given on the transmission of microwave through an ionized layer about a body in a supersonic gas stream and the effect upon transmission of water vapor addition to the stream.
Assessment of the thermal degradation characteristics of isomeric poly(styrene)s using TG, TG/MS and TG/GC/MS

Abstract Atactic poly(styrene) is thermally less stable than would be expected for a purely head-to-tail polymer. To determine whether or not head-to-head units in the polymer might be responsible for this instability the degradation of both a typical atactic head-to-tail poly(styrene) and the corresponding fully head-to-head polymer has been examined using several thermal techniques—all involving thermogravimetry as a basic component. At low temperatures, e.g., 280 °C, the initial degradation is identical for the two polymers. However, while the degradation for the head-to-head polymer is well-behaved over long periods of time that for the head-to-tail polymer undergoes change relatively early in the reaction period. Further, the nature of the volatile fragments produced by degradation at 280 °C is strikingly different for the two polymers. The volume of volatiles formed is much smaller for the head-to-head polymer than for the head-to-tail polymer. Volatile products from decomposition of the head-to-head polymer reflect cleavage of the polymer main chain at head-to-head linkages while decomposition of the head-to-tail polymer smoothly generates only styrene monomer. At higher temperatures, 320 and 350 °C, degradation of the head-to-head polymer is still well-behaved while that for the head-to-tail polymer becomes much more complex. It can be concluded that degradation of the head-to-head polymer reflects scission of head-to-head linkages over a wide range of temperature. In contrast, the nature of the degradation of the head-to-tail polymer is strongly temperature dependent. At low temperatures (
Mediodorsal thalamic lesions impair acquisition of an eyeblink avoidance response in rabbits.

Abstract Rabbits received ibotenic acid lesions of the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MD) or sham lesions. These animals were compared on four sessions of instrumental avoidance conditioning, during which an eyeblink (EB) response during the presentation of a tone-conditioned stimulus prevented the occurrence of a paraorbital electric shock unconditioned stimulus. Lesions of MD retarded acquisition of the EB avoidance response, but did not affect asymptotic performance. Concomitant heart rate (HR) changes were little affected by MD lesions, although there was some evidence that such changes were slightly larger in MD-lesioned animals. These results suggest that MD participates in some general aspect of the learning process, perhaps by affecting other behavioral processes such as ‘attention’ or ‘arousal’.
Slow and fast invariant manifolds, and normal modes in a two degree-of-freedom structural dynamical system with multiple equilibrium states

Many problems in structural dynamics involve coupling between a stiff (high frequency) linear structure and a soft (low frequency) non-linear structure with multiple static equilibrium states. In this work, we analyze the slow and fast motions of a conservative structural system consisting of a non-linear oscillator with three equilibrium states coupled to a stiff linear oscillator. We combine analysis (singular perturbations) with geometry (manifolds) and computation to show that the system possesses invariant manifolds supporting either slow or fast motions. In particular, under appropriate conditions, a global slow invariant manifold passes through the three static equilibrium states of the system. The slow manifold is non-linear, orbitally stable, and it carries a continuum of in-phase periodic motions, including a homoclinic motion. We generalize the classical notion of vibrations-in-union to include systems with multiple equilibria, and thus identify the slow invariant manifold with a slow, non-linear normal mode of vibration.
Transmembrane domain oligomerization propensity determined by ToxR assay.

The oversimplified view of protein transmembrane domains as merely anchors in phospholipid bilayers has long since been disproven. In many cases membrane-spanning proteins have evolved highly sophisticated mechanisms of action.1-3 One way in which membrane proteins can modulate their structures and functions is by direct and specific contact of hydrophobic helices, forming structured transmembrane oligomers.4,5 Much recent work has focused on the distribution of amino acids preferentially found in the membrane environment in comparison to aqueous solution and the different intermolecular forces that drive protein association.6,7 Nevertheless, studies of molecular recognition at the transmembrane domain of proteins still lags behind those of water-soluble regions. A major hurdle remains: despite the remarkable specificity and affinity that transmembrane oligomerization can achieve,8 direct measurement of their association is challenging. Traditional methodologies applied to the study of integral membrane protein function can be hampered by the inherent insolubility of the sequences under examination. Biophysical insights gained from studying synthetic peptides representing transmembrane domains can provide useful structural insight. However, the biological relevance of the detergent micellar or liposome systems used in these studies to mimic cellular membranes is often questioned; do peptides adopt a native-like structure under these conditions and does their functional behaviour truly reflect the mode of action within a native membrane? In order to study the interactions of transmembrane sequences in natural phospholipid bilayers, the Langosch lab developed ToxR transcriptional reporter assays.9 The transmembrane domain of interest is expressed as a chimeric protein with maltose binding protein for location to the periplasm and ToxR to provide a report of the level of oligomerization (Figure 1). In the last decade, several other groups (e.g. Engelman, DeGrado, Shai) further optimized and applied this ToxR reporter assay.10-13 The various ToxR assays have become a gold standard to test protein-protein interactions in cell membranes. We herein demonstrate a typical experimental operation conducted in our laboratory that primarily follows protocols developed by Langosch. This generally applicable method is useful for the analysis of transmembrane domain self-association in E. coli, where β-galactosidase production is used to assess the TMD oligomerization propensity. Upon TMD-induced dimerization, ToxR binds to the ctx promoter causing up-regulation of the LacZ gene for β-galactosidase. A colorimetric readout is obtained by addition of ONPG to lyzed cells. Hydrolytic cleavage of ONPG by β-galactosidase results in the production of the light absorbing species o-nitrophenolate (ONP) (Figure 2).
Functional Changes During High Output Failure Produced by Daily Hemorrhage in Dogs with Pulnionic Stenosis

The relationship of changes in cardiovascular and renal hemodynamic function to sodium excretion has been studied following daily hemorrhage in dogs with pulmonic stenosis and in normal dogs. The animals with pulmonic stenosis developed signs of right heart failure, but the normal dogs failed to show evidence of cardiac decompensation during the course of the anemia. The two most striking differences in the responses of the 2 groups of dogs were the increase in mean right atrial pressure and the occurrence of sodium retention, both of which were observed only in the dogs with pulmonic stenosis. The increase in cardiac output and the renal functional changes were similar in the 2 groups of animals; glomerular filtration rate was unchanged or increased in the majority of dogs with pulmonic stenosis and heart failure.
Gene Expression Profiling of Peritoneal Metastases from Appendiceal and Colon Cancer Demonstrates Unique Biologic Signatures and Predicts Patient Outcomes

Background Treatment of peritoneal metastases from appendiceal and colon cancer with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) shows great promise. Although long-term disease-free survival is achieved in some cases with this procedure, many patients have recurrence. Oncologists have treated such recurrences of appendiceal cancer similarly to colorectal carcinoma, which has been largely ineffective. This study uses gene expression analysis of peritoneal metastases to better understand these neoplasms. Study Design From a prospectively maintained database and tissue bank, 41 snap frozen samples of peritoneal metastases (26 appendiceal, 15 colorectal) from patients undergoing HIPEC with complete cytoreduction and more than 3 years of follow-up underwent global gene expression analysis. Distinct phenotypes were identified using unsupervised hierarchical clustering based on differential gene expression. Survival curves restratified by genotype were generated. Results Three distinct phenotypes were found, 2 consisting of predominantly low grade appendiceal samples (10 of 13 in Cluster 1 and 15 of 20 in Cluster 2) and 1 consisting of predominantly colorectal samples (7 of 8 in Cluster 3). Cluster 1 consisted of patients with good prognosis and Clusters 2 and 3 consisted of patients with poor prognosis (p = 0.006). Signatures predicted survival of low- (Cluster 1) vs high-risk (Cluster 2) appendiceal (p = 0.04) and low-risk appendiceal (Cluster 1) vs colon primary (Cluster 3) (p = 0.0002). Conclusions This study represents the first use of gene expression profiling for appendiceal cancer, and demonstrates genomic signatures quite distinct from colorectal cancer, confirming their unique biology. Consequently, therapy for appendiceal lesions extrapolated from colonic cancer regimens may be unfounded. These phenotypes may predict outcomes guiding patient management.
Corporate Conflicts of Interest

The Equity Funding case is noteworthy for the large number of active partic? ipants: the head of the firm, with the assistance of other top managers and numerous employees, began falsifying insurance policies in 1965, which among other steps involved company forgery parties where fake policies, medical records and even death records were created. Of course, these fake policies brought in no revenue directly. But they supported false revenue estimates that pumped up the company stock price, allowing it to make acquisitions with its stock, and the policies were often resold to other reinsurance companies. In turn, manufactured death claims for fictitious policies that had been sold in the reinsurance market were part of the scam. By the time 22 company employees were indicted in 1973, they had recorded 64,000 false policies and had issued $25 million in counterfeit bonds? and $100 million of corporate assets was missing. The company's auditors were found guilty of fraud for failing to detect the scam and served prison time (Dirks and Gross, 1974).
Informing the design of an automated wayfinding system for individuals with cognitive impairments

Individuals with cognitive impairments are often prevented from independently living, working, and fully participating in their community due to wayfinding concerns. We conducted two user studies of a mobile wayfinding aid designed to support such individuals. The first study examined usability issues related to wayfinding outdoors. The results were positive overall, but showed that the directions we used were at times too low-level, requiring strict adherence to the route and therefore highly precise message timing. The second study examined the use of landmarks to provide directions at a higher-level, as a way to overcome the limitations of the directions we were using. We found that certain types of landmark-based directions were significantly easier to follow, but individual performance varied across most direction types. The findings from both studies show that individuals with cognitive impairments would benefit from a wayfinding system that is capable of supporting customizable and adaptable direction selection.
Maximum likelihood estimates of allele frequencies and error rates from samples of related individuals by gene counting

Summary: Graphical modeling is used to extend the gene counting method to compute maximum likelihood estimates of allele frequencies for samples of individuals related in extended pedigrees. Genotypes may be missing or partially observed, and error rates can be simultaneously estimated. Availability: The Java classes and Javadocs pages for $$\mathsf{\hbox{ GeneCountAlleles }}$$can be obtained from bioinformatics.med.utah.edu/~alun, which also has more information on its use and file formats. Contact: alun@genepi.med.utah.edu
EHR prescription for small, medium, and large hospitals: an exploratory study of Texas acute care hospitals

Hospitals invest in information technology to lower costs and to improve quality of care. With presidential leaders backing an in place policy that requires Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to be implemented in all hospitals by 2014 and the unveiling of a $1.2 billion grant for these systems, it is essential to understand the operational impacts of EHRs. This study explores EHRs in a hospital environment and investigates their relationship to quality of care and patient safety. EHRs are categorised into four functional groups: patient information data, results management, order entry, and decision support. This new knowledge will provide a better understanding of the relationship between EHRs and operational outcomes by showing the impact of various EHR functions on patient safety and quality of care.
Designing effective program visualization tools for reducing user's cognitive effort

Program visualization holds great potential for conveying information about the state and behavior of a running program. However, barriers exist to the realization of this potential, and the limited knowledge about the factors that affect program visualization makes the identification of these barriers difficult. We present arguments that the economy of information and tasks related to the visualization environment has a significant impact on the user's performance in solving algorithmic problems. We apply this knowledge to develop an approach for creating application-specific visualizations solely through interactions with program visualizations and textual views of the computation, thus promoting economy of interaction. The approach consists of a multiple technical contributions that are surveyed in the paper.
The Effects of Self-Management in General Education Classrooms on the Organizational Skills of Adolescents With ADHD:

Self-management procedures have been used in school settings to successfully reduce problem behaviors, as well as to reinforce appropriate behavior. A multiple-baseline across participants design was applied in this study to evaluate the effects of using a self-management procedure to enhance the classroom preparation skills of secondary school students with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Three male students enrolled in a public secondary school were selected for this study because teacher reports suggested that these students were insufficiently prepared for class and inconsistently completed assignments. The intervention involved training in self-management procedures focusing on the improvement of classroom preparation skills. Following the intervention, the training process was systematically faded. Results were consistent across the 3 participants in enhancing classroom preparation behaviors. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Microwave nondestructive evaluation of dielectric materials with a metamaterial lens

A novel microwave Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) sensor was developed in an attempt to increase the sensitivity of the microwave NDE method for detection of defects small relative to a wavelength. The sensor was designed on the basis of a negative index material (NIM) lens. Characterization of the lens was performed to determine its resonant frequency, index of refraction, focus spot size, and optimal focusing length (for proper sample location). A sub-wavelength spot size (3 dB) of 0.48 lambda was obtained. The proof of concept for the sensor was achieved when a fiberglass sample with a 3 mm diameter through hole (perpendicular to the propagation direction of the wave) was tested. The hole was successfully detected with an 8.2 cm wavelength electromagnetic wave. This method is able to detect a defect that is 0.037 lambda. This method has certain advantages over other far field and near field microwave NDE methods currently in use.
Early Steps of Supported Bilayer Formation Probed by Single Vesicle Fluorescence Assays

We have developed a single vesicle assay to study the mechanisms of supported bilayer formation. Fluorescently labeled, unilamellar vesicles (30-100 nm diameter) were first adsorbed to a quartz surface at low enough surface concentrations to visualize single vesicles. Fusion and rupture events during the bilayer formation, induced by the subsequent addition of unlabeled vesicles, were detected by measuring two-color fluorescence signals simultaneously. Lipid-conjugated dyes monitored the membrane fusion while encapsulated dyes reported on the vesicle rupture. Four dominant pathways were observed, each exhibiting characteristic two-color fluorescence signatures: 1) primary fusion, in which an unlabeled vesicle fuses with a labeled vesicle on the surface, is signified by the dequenching of the lipid-conjugated dyes followed by rupture and final merging into the bilayer; 2) simultaneous fusion and rupture, in which a labeled vesicle on the surface ruptures simultaneously upon fusion with an unlabeled vesicle; 3) no dequenching, in which loss of fluorescence signal from both dyes occur simultaneously with the final merger into the bilayer; and 4) isolated rupture (pre-ruptured vesicles), in which a labeled vesicle on the surface spontaneously undergoes content loss, a process that occurs with high efficiency in the presence of a high concentration of Texas Red-labeled lipids. Vesicles that have undergone content loss appear to be more fusogenic than intact vesicles.
Proteomics of microparticles after experimental pulmonary embolism

Abstract Introduction Microparticles (MPs) are small fragments of apoptotic or activated cells that may contribute to pathological processes in cardiovascular diseases. In studies of MPs in clinical cohorts, it is unclear if observed changes in MP composition are a cause or a result of the cardiovascular disease being studied. The present studies employed a well-characterized rat model of experimental pulmonary embolism (PE) to determine if there were changes in MP characteristics as a result of pulmonary vascular occlusion. Methods PE was produced by infusing 25 μm polystyrene microspheres into the jugular vein of anesthetized rats. MPs were isolated by differential centrifugation of arterial blood 18 hr after PE. Proteins were separated by 1D gel electrophoresis and identified from tryptic digests by ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Power Law Global Error Model (PLGEM). Changes in two proteins were confirmed by Western blot. Results Experimental PE produced pulmonary hypertension, mild systemic hypotension, hypoxia, hypercapnia and lactic acidosis. MPs showed significant elevation in proteins involved in clotting (fibronectin precursor, fibrinogen alpha, beta and gamma and von Willebrand factor) and several macroglobulin proteins, such as alpha-2-macroglobulin precursor compared with vehicle-treated control rats. Consistent with recent observations of hemolysis in PE, haptoglobin precursor protein, a major protein of hemoglobin clearance, decreased significantly in the PE animals. Plasma d-Dimer concentrations were significantly elevated, indicating that experimental PE produced a pro-coagulant state. Conclusions These findings suggest that experimental PE produced significant, changes in MP characteristics to a prothrombotic phenotype.
Optimum Two-Dimensional Uniform Spatial Sampling for Microwave SAR-Based NDE Imaging Systems

Microwave imaging systems for nondestructive evaluation, based on 3-D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques, utilize either a real aperture, composed of many antennas mounted next to one another, or a synthetic aperture, generated by raster scanning a single antenna. To obtain a quality SAR image, the spatial sampling must be dense enough to accurately sample the electric field reflected from a target. Conversely, the quantity of spatial samples may be optimally reduced, resulting in reduced system complexity and required resources for systems employing real apertures and reduced imaging time for synthetic aperture systems. In the literature, it has been reported that the optimum sampling step size is equal to the theoretical resolution, as per the Nyquist rate. It has also been reported that an image generated using a sampling step size equal to the theoretical resolution may not possess the same spatial resolution as predicted. Also, as expected and reported, resolution is dependent upon the distance between the target and the aperture, aperture dimensions, and antenna beamwidth. However, existing formulations of SAR resolution do not account for all of the physical characteristics of a measurement (e.g., 2-D limited-size aperture, electric field decreasing with distance from the measuring antenna, etc.). This paper presents a theoretical formulation of resolution and a study into optimum uniform spatial sampling by analyzing simulated 3-D SAR images according to metrics representing image quality, namely, half-power resolution and RMS error between practically sampled images and an ideally sampled image. The results of this simulation demonstrate optimum sampling given design requirements that fully explain resolution dependence on sampling step size. Also, it is found that there is additional widening of the 2-D spectral estimation of the data due to the aperture-limited nature of the measurements, which further influences the choice of sampling step size. Subsequently, the simulated results are compared to experimental results corroborating the efficacy of the formulation. Finally, design curves and procedures are proposed for selecting sampling step size as per resolution requirements.
Using dynamic programming to create isotopic distribution maps from mass spectra

Motivation: This article presents a method to identify the isotopic distributions within a mass spectrum using a probabilistic classifier supplemented with dynamic programming. Such a system is needed for a variety of purposes, including generating robust and meaningful features from mass spectra to be used in classification. Results: The primary result of this article is that the dynamic programming approach significantly improves sensitivity, without harming specificity, of a probabilistic classifier for identifying the isotopic distributions. When annotating isotopic distributions where an expert has performed the initial ‘peak-picking’ (removal of noise peaks), the dynamic programming approach gives a true positive rate of 96% and a false positive rate of 0.0%, whereas the classifier alone has a true positive rate of only 47% when the false positive rate is 0.0%. When annotating isotopic distributions in machine peak-picked spectra, which may contain many noise peaks, the dynamic programming approach gives a true positive rate of only 22.0%, but it still keeps a low false positive rate of 1.0% and still outperforms the classifier alone. It is important to note that all these rates are when we require exact matches with the distributions in annotated spectra; in our evaluation a distribution is considered ‘entirely incorrect’ if it is missing even one peak or contains even one extraneous peak. We compared to the THRASH and AID-MS systems using a looser requirement: correctly identifying the distribution that contains the mono-isotopic mass. Under this measure, our dynamic programming approach achieves a true positive rate of 82% and a false positive rate of 1%, which again outperforms the classifier alone. The dynamic programming approach ends up being more conservative than THRASH and AID-MS, yielding both fewer true and false peaks, but the F-score of the dynamic programming approach is significantly better than those of THRASH and AID-MS. All results were obtained with 10-fold cross-validation of 99 sections of mass spectra with a total of 214 hand-annotated isotopic distributions. Availability: Programs are available via http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~mcilwain/IDM Contact: mcilwain@cs.wisc.edu
Evaluation of Proposed Earthquake Precursors

AGU's Evaluation of Proposed Earthquake Precursors presents the first results of a project carried out by the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI) to evaluate claims about precursors to earthquakes. Only three of 28 nominations were accepted for the Preliminary List of Significant Precursors that IASPEI is compiling for the International Decade for Natural Hazards Reduction. The project's purpose is to build a consensus among the scientific community as to which phenomena may be real precursors and useful for earthquake prediction studies. Because the spectrum of opinion on significant precursors is so broad, evaluation is crucial; some researchers believe that hundreds of significant precursor case histories exist, while others reject all that have been presented.
Use of Arabidopsis mutants and genes to study amide amino acid biosynthesis.

Studies of enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation in higher plants have an impact on both basic and applied plant research. First, basic research in this area should uncover the mechanisms by which plants regulate genes involved in a metabolic pathway. Second, because nitrogen is a rate-limiting element in plant growth (Hageman and Lambert, 1988), it may be possible to increase the yield or improve the quality of crop plants by the molecular or genetic manipulation of genes involved in nitrogen assimilation. Research on nitrogen assimilation into amino acids has been complicated by the fact that some of these reactions are catalyzed by multiple isoenzymes located in distinct subcellular compartments. With traditional biochemical approaches, it has been impossible to sort out the function of each isoenzyme in plant nitrogen metabolism. The discovery that genes for chloroplastic and cytosolic isoenzymes of glutamine synthetase (GS) are expressed in distinct cell types (Edwards et al., 1990; Carvalhoet al., 1992; Kamachi et al., 1992)suggeststhat traditional biochemical studies, which begin with tissue disruption, artificially mix isoenzymes that may not coexist in the same cell type in vivo. Thus, in vitro biochemical methods commonly used to define the rate-limiting enzyme in a pathway in unicellular microorganisms may lead to erroneous interpretations when employed to study plant metabolic pathways. An alternative way to define the in vivo function of a particular isoenzyme or to define a rate-limiting enzyme in a pathway is by mutant analysis, as shown by studies of Escherichia coli and yeast. Plant mutants defective in particular isoenzymes of GS or ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GOGAT) have been identified in screens for photorespiratory mutants in Arabidopsis and barley (Somerville and Ogren, 1980,1982; Wallsgrove et al., 1987). More recently, Arabidopsis mutants with alterations in the activity of additional enzymes of nitrogen assimilation have been identified using a screening method that does not depend on a growth phenotype (Schultz and Coruzzi, 1995). The in vivo role of the mutated isoenzyme
Transport of the Critically Ill Child

During the past several decades, the transport of critically ill patients to and between hospitals has gradually improved. The major indications that necessitate emergency transport for adult patients are trauma and acute cardiac disease, and the establishment of transport teams trained in the care of these conditions has improved the outcome of adult patients. In critically ill children, the indications for emergency transport differ from those in adults; pediatric patients are most likely to be transported for respiratory and neurologic emergencies. The outcome for critically ill children is optimal when a dedicated pediatric transport team functions in the setting of a regional critical-care outreach program. Such a program emphasizes stabilization of the child's condition at the local hospital, followed by transport to a pediatric intensive-care facility by a specially trained pediatric transport team. In this review, we present an overview of the principles and operating procedures of such pediatric transport teams.
In vitro human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells osteogenesis in akermanite: poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds

This study compared the metabolic activity, cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells cultured on four different scaffolds (poly-e-caprolactone, akermanite:poly-e-caprolactone composites, akermanite and β-tricalcium phosophate) with or without osteogenic media supplementation for up to 21 days. The hypothesis was that human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells osteogenesis in akermanite-containing scaffolds would be greater than the other scaffold types independent of the media supplementation. According to the results, human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells loaded on different scaffolds and cultured in both media conditions displayed significant changes in the metabolic activity and cell proliferation. After 21 days of culture in osteogenic medium, the human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells loaded onto akermanite-based scaffolds had greater calcium deposition and osteocalcin expression relative to human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells loaded onto β-tricalcium phosophate and poly-e-caprolactone. In vivo investigations are needed to further assess the bone tissue engineering potential of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells loaded to akermanite:poly-e-caprolactone composites.
Teaching Survival English Skills and Assessment of Collateral Behavior

An ABAB reversal design was used to test the effects of contingent access to a language laboratory on the academic achievement and off-task behavior of a 16-year-old Spanish-speaking high school st...
Applications of set theoretic methods to color systems

A vector-space approach to color systems has been shown to be useful in describing metameric effects and producing metamers under different illuminations. The vector-space approach has also been used to describe color scanning and reproduction systems. This article extends the applications presented in previous work by introducing set theoretic concepts which allow the addition of realistic constraints. The set theoretic methods allow the full range of solutions of color problems to be explored by allowing a set of solutions to a particular problem formulation. The applications discussed here include producing realizable metamers and the design of scanning filters.
Characterization of the Precipitates of Poorly Water Soluble Drugs and Determination of the Solubilities in Human Gastro-Intestinal Fluids by Microsopy

Gastrointestinal (GI) fluids were collected from 5 volunteers, and the pH of each fluid measured. Solutions of poorly water soluble sompounds in polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) and absolute ethanol were introduced in measured aliqouts, to 2 mL portions of the GI fluids that were preheated to 37 C. The fluids were examined microscopically after each addition to determine the solubility of the drugs in those fluids and what type of precipitate would result. Melting temperatures of the compounds ranged from 40 C to 200 C. In all cases, the precipitate formed oily droplets in the GI fluids when the solubility limit was exceeded. Oily droplet formation was independent of molecular structure, melting temperature, and fluid pH. Compounds of low water solubility would be expected to form oily droplets in biological fluids, which would enhance absorption regardless of pH. GI fluid pH values were found to vary widely among individual samples from 1.49 to 7.08 (gastric) and 2.18 to 7.06 (intestinal).
Strengthening Teacher Presence Through Mindfulness: What Educators Say About the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) Program

School personnel encounter numerous occupational stressors unique to their profession, and these stressors place educators at risk of job-related stress and burnout. Given the prevalence of stress and burnout among school personnel, concrete interventions designed to address the unique demands and enhance coping resources of school personnel are necessary. One promising mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) for school personnel, Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE), is introduced and explored. Using semi-structured interviews, the current study investigated how participants applied mindfulness strategies learned through the mindfulness-based intervention CARE. Participants reported shifting their emotional reactivity and approach to students by applying mindfulness through (1) present-centered awareness of emotions, (2) emotional reappraisal of situations, and (3) use of metaphors introduced through the CARE program. Results suggest that the CARE program is a promising approach to support school personnel experiencing stress and burnout.
The Effects of Improved Roads on Wages and Employment: Evidence from Rural Labour Markets in Indonesia

This paper examines the impact of road quality on labour supply and wages using household panel data from rural Indonesia. The analysis uses fixed-effect instrumental variable estimation by first d...
Histopathology of Central Nervous System of Mice Inoculated with Poliomyelitis Virus

Harmon, Shaughnessy and Gordon1 reviewed the contradictory results of former authors in inoculating rodents with the virus of poliomyelitis. They reported that after intraperitoneal or intracranial injection of the virus into mice the majority of them died sporadic deaths. The autopsy revealed gross lesions of lung consolidation, “but no microscopic sections were prepared from the tissues of mice”.The brain and spinal cords of 12 mice which had been injected with poliomyelitis virus by Dr. Nungester2 together with those of 7 controls were cut serially and longitudinally and stained with cresylviolet. Four of the inoculated mice did not show any inflammation of the central nervous system. In 3 others mild inflammatory reactions in isolated segments of the dorsal and lumbar spinal cord were found in the form of perivascular leucocytic infiltration of one or 2 rows of cells and of a mild meningitis at the posterior surface in one case. In 3 other mice the leucocytic infiltration had spread into the posterior...
A Modified Integrated Genetic Model for Risk Prediction in Younger Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background Although cytogenetics-based prognostication systems are well described in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), overall survival (OS) remains highly variable within risk groups. An integrated genetic prognostic (IGP) model using cytogenetics plus mutations in nine genes was recently proposed for patients ≤60 years to improve classification. This model has not been validated in clinical practice.
SLControl: PC-based data acquisition and analysis for muscle mechanics

SLControl is a computerized data acquisition and analysis system that was developed in our laboratory to help perform mechanical experiments using striated muscle preparations. It consists of a com...
Lattice thermal conductivity of Bi, Sb, and Bi-Sb alloy from first principles

Using first principles, we calculate the lattice thermal conductivity of Bi, Sb, and Bi-Sb alloys, which are of great importance for thermoelectric and thermomagnetic cooling applications. Our calculation reveals that the ninth-neighbor harmonic and anharmonic force constants are significant; accordingly, they largely affect the lattice thermal conductivity. Several features of the thermal transport in these materials are studied: (1) the relative contributions from phonons and electrons to the total thermal conductivity as a function of temperature are estimated by comparing the calculated lattice thermal conductivity to the measured total thermal conductivity, (2) the anisotropy of the lattice thermal conductivity is calculated and compared to that of the electronic contribution in Bi, and (3) the phonon mean free path distributions, which are useful for developing nanostructures to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity, are calculated. The phonon mean free paths are found to range from 10 to 100 nm for Bi at 100 K.
Towards dynamic flow regime management for floodplain restoration in the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana.

Abstract This study proposes a novel approach for establishing adaptive environmental-flow prescriptions for rivers, channels, and floodways with substantial flow augmentation and a limited decision space using the highly altered Atchafalaya River Basin (ARB) in Louisiana as an example. Development of the ARB into the primary floodway of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project has contributed to hydrologic changes basin-wide that have altered the river-floodplain interface threatening important ecosystems, notably the expansive baldcypress-water tupelo swamp forests. Current restoration efforts only address the spatial distribution of water in local areas of the basin; however, the timing, frequency, magnitude, and duration of ecologically-important high and low flows are determined at the basin-wide scale by the daily implementation of a federal flow mandate that limits available water management options. We used current hydrologic conditions and established flow-ecology relationships from the literature to develop an environmental flow prescription for the ARB that provides basin-wide flow targets to complement ongoing restoration efforts. Hydrologic analysis of current flows and the flow-ecology requirements for these wetland forests revealed an overlap in the range of flow variability under the current water management model, suggesting environmental flows can be complementary with the desired hydraulic and geomorphic characteristics of the floodway. The result is a first step towards an adaptive flow regime that strives to balance important flow-ecology relationships within a decision space limited by a federal flow mandate. We found high potential for success in managing water for nature while accommodating other management needs for the river.
A Preliminary Summary

Finland has long been an exemplary nation. Many people have admired its demonstrations of financial integrity, its military effectiveness, its ability to coexist peacefully with the Soviet Union on one side and democratic nations on the other; not a few have respected its contemporary economic viability earned in the face of overwhelming odds, and still others its modern urban planning and development.
The Mapping of Man

“...One does not argue over tastes for the same reason one does not argue over the Rocky Mountains—both are there, will be there next year, too, and are the same for all men,” write two Nobel Laureates in economics. Since its 1977 publication, George J. Stigler and Cary S. Becker’s article, “De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum” (Tastes are Indisputable), has been often cited, much disputed, and has deeply influenced the social science tastes of numerous scholars. There are more reasons to follow this rather arcane debate than to be reminded of how much a relief it is that you no longer have to hand in term papers. At issue are questions such as to what extent can we simplify the world to get a handle on it, without doing violence to it? (All men have the same tastes??). Most profoundly at question is how to best understand the ways we make choices, not merely in the marketplace but also when we choose friends, mates, even—when we fight addiction. Most profoundly, at issue is the extent to which people are creatures of history and culture as against being free to chart their own course.
A pilot study of body image perceptions, and attitudes toward obesity in hospitalized psychotic and non-psychotic patients

Abstract Objective Body image perceptions, and attitudes toward obesity were examined and compared between psychotic and non-psychotic patients with a mood disorder. Methods 80 psychotic patients and 36 non-psychotic patients with a mood disorder admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric unit participated in the study. On admission, each patient completed a visual silhouettes scale of actual self and ideal self, as well as the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scale. Results Analogous to the general population, psychotic and non-psychotic patients had similar body image perceptions, and experienced discrepancy between actual and ideal body image. Female patients with serious mental illness (SMI) picked a heavier actual self body image, and experienced greater discrepancy between actual and ideal body image compared to male patients with SMI. Psychotic and non-psychotic patients experienced similar mostly neutral attitudes toward obese persons, however there was a trend for depressed patients to have more negative attitudes toward obese persons compared to non-depressed patients. Discussion The presence of an acute psychotic episode did not affect body perceptions, or obesity attitudes; however depressed patients had more negative obesity attitudes. Similar to the general population, females with SMI overassessed their body size, and experienced more body dissatisfaction compared to males with SMI.
Contribution of Four Comorbid Conditions to Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mortality Risk

Introduction The prevalence of key forms of morbidity such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease have increased dramatically in the U.S. and elsewhere for decades. Hypertension is etiologically related but its prevalence has been reduced through improved treatment. These diseases are known to have higher than expected rates of comorbidity, but it is not known whether and how these cluster together differentially by race, nor the degree to which they contribute to racial disparities in mortality. Methods Using data from the National Health Interview Survey mortality follow-up (1997–2009, analyzed in 2016), this paper modeled interdependencies between each combination of these four types of morbidity, overall and net of demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral controls. It then analyzed whether these diseases mediate the relationship between race/ethnicity and mortality risk using discrete time complementary log–log survival models. Results American Indians and blacks had significantly elevated rates of comorbidity compared with whites, and Asians’ and Pacific Islanders’ rates were often significantly lower than whites’. Controlling for these diseases significantly moderated the mortality risk disparity between African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islanders and whites. This remained true when individual health behaviors and neighborhood fixed effects were statistically adjusted for. Notably, the full controls model statistically eliminated the association between African American race and mortality risk. Conclusions These diseases contribute significantly to racial/ethnic mortality disparities, particularly between blacks and whites. Future research should consider the mediating role of these diseases for the relationship between social conditions and mortality risks.
A framework for understanding and advancing intertemporal choice research using rodent models

Intertemporal choices are common and consequential to private and public life. Thus, there is considerable interest in understanding the neural basis of intertemporal decision making. In this minireview, we briefly describe conceptual and psychological perspectives on intertemporal choice and then provide a comprehensive evaluation of the neural structures and signals that comprise the underlying cortico-limbic-striatal circuit. Even though great advances have been made, our understanding of the neurobiology of intertemporal choice is still in its infancy because of the complex and dynamic nature of this form of decision making. We close by briefly discussing recommendations for the future study of intertemporal choice research.