cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Basement membrane and stroke

Located at the interface of the circulation system and the CNS, the basement membrane (BM) is well positioned to regulate blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Given the important roles of BBB in the development and progression of various neurological disorders, the BM has been hypothesized to contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases. After stroke, a cerebrovascular disease caused by rupture (hemorrhagic) or occlusion (ischemic) of cerebral blood vessels, the BM undergoes constant remodeling to modulate disease progression. Although an association between BM dissolution and stroke is observed, how each individual BM component changes after stroke and how these components contribute to stroke pathogenesis are mostly unclear. In this review, I first briefly introduce the composition of the BM in the brain. Next, the functions of the BM and its major components in BBB maintenance under homeostatic conditions are summarized. Furthermore, the roles of the BM and its major components in the pathogenesis of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke are discussed. Last, unsolved questions and potential future directions are described. This review aims to provide a comprehensive reference for future studies, stimulate the formation of new ideas, and promote the generation of new genetic tools in the field of BM/stroke research.
Complications and Readmissions After Total Knee Replacement in Octogenarians and Nonagenarians.

Introduction:As the US population ages, the need for total hip arthroplasty (THA) is predicted to increase by 174% by 2030. The purpose of our study was to examine the rate and risks of 30-day comp...
Measurement of the neutron capture cross-section on argon

The use of argon as a detection and shielding medium for neutrino and dark matter experiments has made the precise knowledge of the cross section for neutron capture on argon an important design and operational parameter. Since previous measurements were averaged over thermal spectra and have significant disagreements, a differential measurement has been performed using a Time-Of-Flight neutron beam and a $\sim$4$\pi$ gamma spectrometer. A fit to the differential cross section from $0.015-0.15$\,eV, assuming a $1/v$ energy dependence, yields $\sigma^{2200} = 673 \pm 26 \text{ (stat.)} \pm 59 \text{ (sys.)}$\,mb.
Comparing the efficacy and safety of infrared neural stimulation at 1450 nm and 1875 nm (Conference Presentation)

Infrared neural stimulation (INS) is a promising neuromodulation technique capable of exciting neural tissue without the need for exogeneous agents or genetic modification. Due to its high spatial specificity, INS could improve upon traditional methods of selective neural stimulation in both the laboratory and the clinic. As of yet, no study has compared the efficacy and safety of using different INS parameters such as spot size and wavelength. Moreover, differences in the methods of determining energy deposition and laser spot size make it difficult to compare stimulation parameters used in the current literature. Here, we present results comparing INS efficacy using 1450nm and 1875nm light over a range of spot sizes and radiant exposures. Stimulation thresholds were determined using recorded compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) and visible muscle contractions in an in vivo rat sciatic nerve model. Overall, 1450nm light required lower radiant exposures to achieve threshold activation as compared to 1875nm. While radiant exposures remained relatively constant across different spot sizes when using 1450nm, the threshold radiant exposures for 1875nm exposures increased with spot size suggesting deeper nerves fibers tend to be activated. Moreover, exposures using a flat-top beam profile yielded less variability in the stimulation threshold than those using a Gaussian profile. As in previous studies, histology confirmed that damaging radiant exposures are several times greater than the stimulation threshold for both 1450nm and 1875nm. Our results provide valuable insight for future studies involving INS and for further developing INS as both a research and clinical tool.
Fishing out a foreign body for a penetrating renal injury by a dead catfish in a pediatric patient

Abstract Different species of marine and freshwater fish can cause significant morbidity for humans. These include systemic complications associated with their biological toxins or mechanical injury inflicted via fins. Penetrating truncal injuries under these circumstances are rare and may present a diagnostic dilemma and a challenge to manage. We report a 10-year-old male who sustained a penetrating right flank injury from a dead catfish's barb. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen demonstrated a retained barb within the renal parenchyma. He underwent local wound exploration with removal of the foreign body in the operating room. We share our management of this rare and interesting case and discuss management of penetrating aquatic injuries.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of -n[4-(2-trans-[([2,6-diamino-4(3H)-oxopyrimidin-5-yl]methyl)thio]cyclobutyl)benzoyl] -l-glutamic acid a novel 5-thiapyrimidinone inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase

The synthesis and biological evaluation of N-[4-(2-trans-[([2,6-diamino-4(3H)-oxopyrimidin-5-yl]methyl)thio]cyclobutyl)benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid (1) is reported. Compound 1 is a potent dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor (Kj = 12 nM) with excellent in vitro cell culture growth inhibition (L1210, IC50 = 29 nM). Protection experiments showed that the cell growth inhibitory activity was due to DHFR inhibition. The key step in the synthesis was the coupling of a cyclobutylmethylthiol with the 5-bromo-2,6-diamino-4-oxopyrimidine 8.
Comparison of 3 Safety-Net Hospital Definitions and Association With Hospital Characteristics.

Importance No consensus exists on how to define safety-net hospitals (SNHs) for research or policy decision-making. Identifying which types of hospitals are classified as SNHs under different definitions is key to assessing policies that affect SNH funding. Objective To examine characteristics of SNHs as classified under 3 common definitions. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional analysis includes noncritical-access hospitals in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases from 47 US states for fiscal year 2015, linked to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Cost Reports and to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Data were analyzed from March 1 through September 30, 2018. Exposures Hospital characteristics including organizational characteristics, scope of services provided, and financial attributes. Main Outcomes and Measures Definitions of SNH based on Medicaid and Medicare Supplemental Security Income inpatient days historically used to determine Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments; Medicaid and uninsured caseload; and uncompensated care costs. For each measure, SNHs were defined as those within the top quartile for each state. Results The 2066 hospitals in this study were distributed across the Northeast (340 [16.5%]), Midwest (587 [28.4%]), South (790 [38.2%]), and West (349 [16.9%]). Concordance between definitions was low; 269 hospitals (13.0%) or fewer were identified as SNHs under any 2 definitions. Uncompensated care captured smaller (200 of 523 [38.2%]) and more rural (65 of 523 [12.4%]) SNHs, whereas DSH index and Medicaid and uncompensated caseload identified SNHs that were larger (264 of 518 [51.0%] and 158 of 487 [32.4%], respectively) and teaching facilities (337 of 518 [65.1%] and 229 of 487 [47.0%], respectively) that provided more essential services than non-SNHs. Uncompensated care also distinguished remarkable financial differences between SNHs and non-SNHs. Under the uncompensated care definition, median (interquartile range [IQR]) bad debt ($27.1 [$15.5-$44.3] vs $12.8 [$6.7-$21.6] per $1000 of operating expenses;P Conclusions and Relevance Different SNH definitions identify hospitals with different characteristics and financial conditions. The new DSH formula, which accounts for uncompensated care, may lead to redistributed payments across hospitals. Our results may inform which types of hospitals will experience funding changes as DSH payment policies evolve.
Methodological Guidance Paper: High-Quality Meta-Analysis in a Systematic Review:

This methodological guidance article discusses the elements of a high-quality meta-analysis that is conducted within the context of a systematic review. Meta-analysis, a set of statistical techniqu...
Inhibition of glucose uptake and glycogenolysis by availability of oleate in well-oxygenated perfused skeletal muscle

The effects of exogenous oleate on glucose uptake, lactate production and glycogen concentration in resting and contracting skeletal muscle were studied in the perfused rat hindquarter. In preliminary studies with aged erythrocytes at a haemoglobin concentration of 8g/100ml in the perfusion medium, 1.8mm-oleate had no effect on glucose uptake or lactate production. During these studies it became evident that O(2) delivery was inadequate with aged erythrocytes. Perfusion with rejuvenated human erythrocytes at a haemoglobin concentration of 12g/100ml resulted in a 2-fold higher O(2) uptake at rest and a 4-fold higher O(2) uptake during muscle contraction than was obtained with aged erythrocytes. Rejuvenated erythrocytes were therefore used in subsequent experiments. Glucose uptake and lactate production by the well-oxygenated hindquarter were inhibited by one-third, both at rest and during muscle contraction, when 1.8mm-oleate was added to the perfusion medium. Addition of oleate also significantly protected against glycogen depletion in the fast-twitch red and slow-twitch red types of muscle, but not in white muscle, during sciatic-nerve stimulation. In the absence of added oleate, glucose was confined to the extracellular space in resting muscle. Addition of oleate resulted in intracellular glucose accumulation in red muscle. Contractile activity resulted in accumulation of intracellular glucose in all three muscle types, and this effect was significantly augmented in the red types of muscle by perfusion with oleate. The concentrations of citrate and glucose 6-phosphate were also increased in red muscle perfused with oleate. We conclude that, as in the heart, availability of fatty acids has an inhibitory effect on glucose uptake and glycogen utilization in well-oxygenated red skeletal muscle.
Superior Effects of Nebulized Epinephrine to Nebulized Albuterol and Phenylephrine in Burn and Smoke Inhalation-Induced Acute Lung Injury

The severity of burn and smoke inhalation-induced acute lung injury (BSI-ALI) is associated with alveolar and interstitial edema, bronchospasm, and airway mucosal hyperemia. Previously, we have reported beneficial effects of epinephrine nebulization on BSI-ALI. However, the underlying mechanisms of salutary effects of nebulized epinephrine remain unclear. The present study compared the effects of epinephrine, phenylephrine, and albuterol on a model of BSI-ALI. We tested the hypothesis that both α1- and β2-agonist effects are required for ameliorating more efficiently the BSI-ALI. Forty percent of total body surface area, 3rd-degree cutaneous burn, and 48-breaths of cotton smoke inhalation were induced to 46 female Merino sheep. Postinjury, sheep were mechanically ventilated and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics were monitored for 48 h. Sheep were allocated into groups: control, n = 17; epinephrine, n = 11; phenylephrine, n = 6; and albuterol, n = 12. The drug nebulization began 1 h postinjury and was repeated every 4 h thereafter. In the results, epinephrine group significantly improved oxygenation compared to other groups, and significantly reduced pulmonary vascular permeability index, lung wet-to-dry weight ratio, and lung tissue growth factor-β1 level compared with albuterol and control groups. Epinephrine and phenylephrine groups significantly reduced trachea wet-to-dry weight ratio and lung vascular endothelial growth factor-A level compared with control group. Histopathologically, epinephrine group significantly reduced lung severity scores and preserved vascular endothelial-cadherin level in pulmonary arteries. In conclusion, the results of our studies suggest that nebulized epinephrine more effectively ameliorated the severity of BSI-ALI than albuterol or phenylephrine, possibly by its combined α1- and β2-agonist properties.
Neoplastic melanocytic pleural effusion in a Portuguese water dog

A 9-year-old castrated male Portuguese water dog was presented following incomplete excision of a malignant melanoma at the left lip commissure by the referring veterinarian. Physical examination was otherwise unremarkable. The patient was staged using thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, and fine-needle aspirates of the mandibular lymph nodes and spleen. Given the absence of any definitive evidence of metastasis, the malignant melanoma was surgically completely removed. The dog then received four melanoma vaccine doses as an adjuvant therapy and remained clinically healthy for more than 3 months after the last immunization. However, 232 days after the initial discovery of the lip mass, the dog was euthanized due to deterioration and a poor prognosis based on the presence of lung metastases and neoplastic melanocytic pleural effusion. The latter has been rarely reported in dogs, despite the high prevalence of oral malignant melanomas and the tendency of these tumors to metastasize to the lungs.
Passive enhancement of ammonia-water absorption by the addition of surfactants

Abstract Surface-active agents or surfactants have the potential to substantially enhance heat and mass transfer in ammonia-water absorption by reducing the surface tension of the working fluid. The enhancement is caused by interfacial turbulence at the vapor-liquid interface that results from surface tension gradients. A surfactant selection criterion is developed based on the plateau value of surface tension, critical concentration, and the critical Marangoni number required to initiate interfacial turbulence. Based on this criterion, surface-active agents, and their ideal concentrations for the enhancement of ammonia-water absorption are recommended. The preferred additives are found to be 500 PPM of 1-octanol or 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. A heat and mass transfer model is developed to predict the performance of a falling-film absorber due to the addition of surfactants at conditions representative of an absorption heat pump. The model indicates that the overall conductance of the absorber is improved by ~30% by the addition of surfactants. The results from this work can guide intensification of various coupled heat and mass transfer processes using surfactants.
Twas the Devil: Hearing the Constitutional Infirmity of the Modern American Death Penalty in the Bygone Songs of Ozark Folklore

In the midcentury Ozark Highlands, folklorist Mary Celestia Parler collected over 4,500 reel-to-reel recordings of hillfolk singing the songs and spinning the tales of their ancestors. The Ozark Folksong Collection was recently digitized in a preservation effort at the University of Arkansas Libraries, providing new access to the deeply rooted folk knowledge of the region. Murder ballads reveal that murderers were consistently portrayed to generations of Ozarkers as inhuman monsters, purely evil, with an inevitable deservingness of the death penalty uncomplicated by complex behavioral drives or moral vagaries. News reports, commentary, rhetoric, and prosecutorial arguments surrounding twenty-first century executions of capital defendants tried in Ozark counties of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma reflect that Ozarkers still rely on folkloric attributes to understand murderers. As a result, folk knowledge supplants Eighth Amendment principles that require capital sentencing jurors to view defendants as complexly, multidimensionally human and subject to biopsychosocial influences. Because there are regional folk traditions across the country, the folklore-based constitutional infirmity of the modern American death penalty apparent in the Ozarks is sure to occur beyond the hilltops.
The Impact of Problem Sets on Student Learning

The authors examined the role of problem sets on student learning in university microeconomics. A total of 126 students participated in the study in consecutive years. independent samples t test showed that students who were not given answer keys outperformed students who were given answer keys. Multiple regression analysis showed that, along with pre-GPA and student major, a problem set with or without answer key significantly explained student learning in economics. The authors discuss the role of answer keys and implications for teaching university economics courses.
Alleviating Maneuvers (Sensory Tricks) in Cervical Dystonia (P2.046)

Objective: To describe the phenomenology of alleviating maneuvers (AM), also called “sensory tricks” or “geste antagoniste” in cervical dystonia (CD). Background: There is limited information on the phenomenology, clinical characteristics and pathophysiology of AM in dystonia. Design/Methods: Subject data, collected from 10 sites participating in the Dystonia Coalition (http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01373424), included description of localization and phenomenology of AM collected by systematic review of standardized video examinations. Analyses correlated demographic, neurologic, and psychiatric features of CD patients with or without effective AM. Results: Of 154 subjects studied, 138 (89.6%) used AM, of which 60 (43.4%) reported partial improvement, 55 (39.8%) marked improvement, and 4 (0.03%) no effect on dystonic posture. Light touch, usually to the lower face or neck, was utilized by >90%. The presence or location of AM did not correlate with the severity of the dystonia. Conclusion: In this large and comprehensive multicenter study of CD we found no clinical predictors of effective AM. Further studies of sensorimotor integration in dystonia are needed to better understand the pathophysiology of AM. Study Supported by: Office of Rare Diseases Research at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NIH grant NS 065701) and the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Patel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hanfelt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Marsh has received research support from Veterans Health Administration, National Institutes of Health, American Psychiatric Association, and Dystonia Medical Research Association. Dr. Jankovic has received personal compensation for activities with Allergan, Inc., Chelsea Therapeutics, EMD Serono, Merz Pharmaceuticals, Lundbeck, and Teva Neuroscience as a consultant. Dr. Jankovic has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Medlink: Neurology in Clinical Practice. Dr. Jankovic has received research support from Allergan, Inc, Allon Therapeutics, Ceregene, Inc, Chelsea Therapeutics, Diana Helis Henry Medical Research Foundation, EMD Serono, Huntington9s Disease Society of America, Huntington Study Group, Impax Pharmaceuticals, and Ipsen Limited.
The Akhmedov–Park exotic CP2#3CP¯2

Abstract Here we draw a handlebody picture for the exotic C P 2 # 3 C P ¯ 2 constructed by Akhmedov and Park.
The challenge of accountability in complex regulatory networks: The case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

A puzzle that faces public administrators within regulatory governance networks is how to balance the need for democratic accountability while increasingly facing demands from elected officials to optimize oversight of industry by utilizing the expertise of the private sector in developing risk-based standards for compliance. The shift from traditional command and control oversight to process oriented regulatory regimes has been most pronounced in highly complex industries, such as aviation and deepwater oil drilling, where the intricate and technical nature of operations necessitates risk-based regulatory networks based largely on voluntary compliance with mutually agreed upon standards. The question addressed in this paper is how the shift to process oriented regimes affects the trade-offs between democratic, market, and administrative accountability frames, and what factors determine the dominant accountability frame within the network. Using post-incident document analysis, this paper provides a case study of regulatory oversight of the deepwater oil drilling industry prior to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, to explore how the shift to a more networked risk-based regulatory regime affects the trade-offs and dominant accountability frames within the network. The results of this study indicate that a reliance on market-based accountability mechanisms, along with the lack of a fully implemented process-oriented regulatory regime, led to the largest oil spill in US history.
Towards secure agent distribution and communication

Development of acceptable agent-based distributed systems requires secure techniques for agent migration and agent communication. Several Java-based agent frameworks provide these functions to greater or lesser extents. This paper describes an agent distribution framework for intercommunicating agents using Java which targets several key goals: 1) provide an agent dispatch mechanism to selected nodes from secured agent repositories by one or more authenticated agent deployment applets or agents. 2) Adjust the operating environment for each agent depending upon its role-based authenticated security level. 3) Provide inter-agent communication by way of its own published objects as well as a multicast event service. 4) Provide encryption for communications depending on the security requirements. 5) Provide a distributed naming directory of agents populating the network. 6) Monitor agents proactively for appropriate activity. 7) Keep the environment lightweight, making agents small in size, and the package easy to use.
Book Review: Gilles Cuniberti, Grands Systèmes De Droit Contemporains (2d ed., L.G.D.J., 2011)

Professor Cuniberti’s book instructs and engages. He has successfully rendered the pluralism of law through a wealth of information about governments, cultures, religions and judicial systems.
Shrinkage and recyclability of poly(1,2-ethylene-bis(dimethylsiloxane))

Non-shrinking polymers are desirable as encapsulants for strain-free packaging for electronics. Ring-opening polymerizations of cyclic monomers such as lactams, cyclic ethers, and cyclic oligosiloxanes have proven an effective strategy for reducing shrinkage. In this report the authors examined the loss of volume during the ring-opening polymerization of neat 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-l-oxa-2,5-disilacyclopentane to give poly(1,2-ethylene-bis(dimethyl-siloxane)). Monomer 1 is under sufficient strain (8--12 kcal/mole) to permit its facile base-catalyzed polymerization to afford high molecular polymer. Monomer 1 was prepared by hydrolyzing and condensing either 1,2-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)ethane or 1,m2-bis(dimethylethoxysilyl)ethane to give a low molecular weight oligomer. Pyrolysis of this oligomer with potassium hydroxide at 280 C afforded the cyclic monomer in good yield (60--70%). The ease with which the oligomer can be converted to monomer also led the authors to investigate the potential for recycling the high molecular weight polymer.
A combination probe for high-frequency unsteady aerodynamic measurements in transonic wind tunnels

A combination probe for time-resolved measurements for unsteady compressible flows is described. The probe measures stagnation (total) temperature and pressure, static pressure, and flow angles in two planes. From these, the fluctuating mass flux, Mach number, and velocity as well as their components in three directions can be deduced. The combination probe consists of a dual hot-wire aspirating temperature and pressure probe mounted piggyback with a high-frequency angle probe. The angle probe has four surface-mounted silicon pressure sensors. A scheme is described for retrieving from the four pressure signals the stagnation and static pressures, Mach number, and flow angles in two planes. The calibrations forming the basis for this procedure, obtained from steady-state tests, are given. Typical data obtained in the Karman vortex street shed from a cylinder and at the exit of a Mach-0.4 air jet are presented.
Archetypal Psychotherapy: The clinical legacy of James Hillman

1. Introduction 2. Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, and Archetypal Psychology: A Critique of Natural Science Psychology 3. Imaginal Practice 4. Archetypal Psychodynamics 5. Word and Image 6. Aesthetic Sensibility 7. Reflections and Undoing
Observation of fundamental dark spatial solitons in semiconductors using picosecond pulses.

We report what is to our knowledge the first observation of fundamental dark spatial solitons. The solitons are launched in bulk semiconductors using an initial condition with odd symmetry. In order to form the initial condition, a glass platelet is positioned in one half of an incident 30-psecpulse, creating a π phase shift in the spatial profile. Several propagation parameters for the solitons are measured experimentally, and good agreement with theory is obtained.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF WOMAN BATTERING

Based on my experience as a domestic violence researcher, clinician, and forensic consultant, current methods of measurement are inadequate to capture a full understanding of the phenomena of battered women's experience. The reconceptualization of woman battering offered by Smith, Smith, and Earp (this volume) begins to fill a gap in research-and-assessment approaches to the problem of domestic violence. This commentary to Smith et al. addresses three major issues: (a) the importance of reconceptualizing battering as defined only by a series of discrete events, (b) the importance of a multidimensional assessment that includes measurement of discrete events along with an evaluation of battered women's experience, and (c) the continuity or developmental progression of battered victims' experience over time.
Oat, Wheat or Corn Cereal Ingestion before Exercise Alters Metabolism in Humans

This study was designed to determine metabolic and physical performance responses to ingestion of pre-exercise meals with different macronutrient and fiber profiles. Twelve physically active subjects (6 males and 6 females) were used to investigate the metabolic and physical performance consequences of consuming pre-exercise meals consisting of oat, corn, or wheat cereals. A fasting trial served as the control, and all subjects received each treatment in a Latin-square design. Blood samples were drawn before and 85 min after meal ingestion, during 90 min of cycling exercise (60% VO2peak), after a 6.4 km performance ride, and during 60 min of recovery. Expired air samples were collected to determine nutrient utilization. Resting carbohydrate oxidation rates and plasma insulin concentrations after oat ingestion were less than after wheat, and corn and wheat ingestion, respectively (P < 0.05). During exercise, the change in plasma glucose from pre-exercise was greater after consuming wheat and corn compared with oat (P < 0.05), and it was inversely related to pre-exercise plasma insulin concentration (r = -0.55, P = 0.0001). Plasma free fatty acid concentrations were inversely related to plasma lactate concentrations (r = -0.58, P = 0.0001). Free fatty acid concentrations and fat oxidation were greater in fasting trials than all others, but performance ride times did not differ among treatments. Plasma branched-chain amino acid concentrations resembled their respective meal profiles throughout exercise, the performance ride, and recovery. These results indicate that pre-exercise meal composition can influence glucose homeostasis during early exercise and plasma branched-chain amino acid concentrations over a substantial range of metabolic demands.
Photosensitized DNA cleavage promoted by amino acids

A novel class of DNA cleavage agents are reported that derive activity from amino acids tethered to a photoactive intercalator.
Stochastic Spatial Models

In the models we will consider, space is represented by a grid of sites that can be in one of a finite number of states and that change at rates that depend on the states of a finite number of sites. Our main aim here is to explain an idea of Durrett and Levin (1994): the behavior of these models can be predicted from the properties of the mean field ODE, i.e., the equations for the densities of the various types that result from pretending that all sites are always independent. We will illustrate this picture through a discussion of eight families of examples from statistical mechanics, genetics, population biology, epidemiology, and ecology. Some of our findings are only conjectures based on simulation, but in a number of cases we are able to prove results for systems with "fast stirring" by exploiting connections between the spatial model and an associated reaction diffusion equation.
Numerical Simulation of Concentrated Emulsion Flows

The macroscopic flow and detailed microphysics of a concentrated emulsion are described with three-dimensional numerical simulations. Numerical predictions for deformable drop interactions in shear-flow are in very close agreement to direct microscopic measurements. The results illustrate that drop deformation stabilizes drops against coalescence. Numerical simulations are used to describe an emulsion in shear flow at dispersed-phase volume fractions up to 30 percent. Shear-thinning viscosities and large normal stresses are found. The results are used to describe pressure-driven flow of a concentrated emulsion in a cylindrical tube. Blunted macroscopic velocity profiles and shear-thinning apparent viscosities are predicted. Our results suggest that some features of moderately concentrated emulsion flows can be predicted by an effective mean-field model
Affirmative action: What do we know?

In this paper we review the research evidence on the effects of affirmative action in employment, university admissions and government procurement. We consider effects on both equity (or distribution) as well as efficiency. Overall, we find that affirmative action does redistribute jobs, university admissions and government contracts away from white males towards minorities and females, though the overall magnitudes of these shifts are relatively modest. We also find that affirmative action shifts jobs and university admissions to minorities who have weaker credentials, but there is little solid evidence to date of weaker labor market performance among its beneficiaries. While those students admitted to universities under affirmative action have weaker grades and higher dropout rates than their white counterparts at selective schools, they seem to benefit overall in terms of higher graduation rates and later salaries. Affirmative action also generates positive externalities for the minority and low-income communities (in terms of better medical services and labor market contacts), and perhaps for employers and universities as well. More research on a variety of these issues is also clearly needed.
The safety of spinal pedicle screws in children ages 1 to 12

Abstract Background context Pedicle screws have shown to be a safe and effective method of spinal fixation, offering superior multiplanar correction compared with hooks or sublaminar wires in selected situations. Though only food and drug administration (FDA) approved in the adolescent population, they are commonly used in an off-label manner in the preadolescent population. Purpose To determine if the complication rate of the off-label use of pedicle screws for spinal fixation in the preadolescent 0- to 12-year-old population is comparable with the complication rate in the FDA-approved 13- to 18-year-old population. Study design/setting Retrospective medical record and radiograph review. Patient sample A total of 726 pediatric patients who underwent a spinal fusion procedure at a single tertiary institution between January 2003 and December 2008 were reviewed. Outcome measures Incidence of instrumentation failure, infection, neurological complication, and total complications. Methods The study population was divided into two groups based on age: the younger group included 0- to 12-year olds and the older group included 13- to 18-year olds at the time of surgery. Groups were further subdivided based on diagnosis: “A,” neuromuscular scoliosis; “B,” idiopathic scoliosis, and “C,” other spinal deformities. Rates of neurovascular complications, infections, and instrumentation complications were compared statistically between the younger and the older groups. Only patients with greater than or equal to 1-year follow-up and greater than or equal to 2-year follow-up were included in the calculations for infection and instrumentation complication rates, respectively. Results There were 206 patients (33% males, 67% females) in the younger group (0 to 12 years) and 520 (41% males, 59% females) in the older group (13 to 18 years). Overall, younger group had a 13.6% complication rate compared with 16.9% in the older group. Younger subjects showed a 13.4% complication rate because of instrumentation-related complications, 0.5% for neurovascular complications, and an infection rate of 9.2%. The older group showed a 15.4% complication rate because of instrumentation-related complications, 1.92% for neurovascular complications, and an infection rate of 11.0%. Complication rates were statistically insignificant between the two groups. Other complications in the younger group included one patient with aspiration pneumonia, two with ileus, and one with pulmonary and other complications in the older group included one patient with aspiration pneumonia, two with ileus, three with superior mesenteric artery syndrome, and three with wound dehiscence. Conclusions The complication rates in the young pediatric population associated with the off-label use of pedicle screws for spinal fusions are not statistically different from the complication rates associated with the FDA-approved adolescent population.
The tricarboxylic acid cycle in fish

Abstract The enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle have been demonstrated in fish tissue homogenates or mitochondrial preparations. Carp liver mitochondria catalyze the oxidation of TCA intermediates and glutamate accompanied by coupled phosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate. Phosphate esterification approached the theoretical maximum of the electron-transport system of mammals. The degree of respiratory control in fish mitochondrial preparations was found to be similar to that reported for rat liver mitochondria. Cytochromes and flavoprotein components of fish mitochondria were identified by by means of difference spectra and found to be strikingly similar to those of higher mammals.
Using hypertext for college course information

Abstract A hypertext browsing system was compared with a linearly based command-line system for accessing information concerning college transfer courses. Usability engineering guidelines were used in ascertaining student expectations and in designing the hypertext system. A prototype was tested against a linearly based command-line system. Performance in completing two tasks was significantly faster using the hypertext system. User perceptions of the hypertext system were more favorable than those of the linearly based system. These results are discussed relative to other studies which have not found a preference for hypertext systems. Differences in the type of task used as well as the need for incorporating usability engineering guidelines are emphasized.
Programming response maintenance after withdrawing token reinforcement

The present investigation evaluated a strategy designed to maintain behavior after withdrawing a token reinforcement program. In a special education classroom, educably retarded children received token reinforcement for attentive classroom behavior throughout the day. The effect of the contingencies was evaluated on inappropriate motor behaviors. Using a multiple-baseline design across morning and afternoon class sessions, the following phases were presented: Baseline, Token Reinforcement, Tokens plus Peer Praise and Delayed Reinforcement, and Teacher and Peer Praise with a Group Contingency. Phases after the initial token program were designed to gradually fade tokens and substitute “natural” reinforcers (peer praise and activities available in the setting) without a loss of behavior gains made during the token program. In the last phase, tokens were no longer used in the classroom. Two follow-up phases, conducted 2 wk and 9 wk after all contingencies had been withdrawn, showed that inappropriate behavior had been maintained at the low levels achieved during the initial program. The data at the end of the last follow-up phase (approximately 12 calendar wk after any contingency had been in effect) failed to show recovery of inappropriate behavior.
Competitive Unemployment Insurance in the Market Economy

Protection, against unemployment through ‘national insurance’ ignores differences in the risk of unemployment and imposes a higher cost on the worse-off. Professor Michael Beenstock, of the City University Business School, proposes the radical innovation of unemployment insurance supplied by the market to loosen rigidities in the supply of labour, discipline trigger-happy employers, and reduce the burden of taxation.
Pedagogical ethical dilemmas in a responsive evaluation of a leadership program for youth

How do responsive evaluators provide input to program planners when competing ethical principles point to different choices of effective feedback? A team of three evaluators used participant observation, individual and focus group interviews, and analysis of documents to provide input on the development and outcome of a summer program for high school youth. The goal of the program was to prepare diverse young people for the democratic promotion of religious liberty in the local communities where they resided in the USA. The program planners all sought to prepare community youth leaders to foster the freedom of religion, but they varied in how they believed this ought to be achieved. Some of their disagreements centered on pedagogy and what curriculum and instructional practices would best accomplish their goals. The ethical dilemmas these disagreements created for the evaluators are explored, using a set of moral theories from the western philosophical tradition.
Ethical Implications of Risk Stratification in the Acute Care Setting

The increasing complexity of modern hospital care and the decisions that must be made were the reasons we began our research on the Acute Physiology, Age and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) project. As a clinician in an intensive care unit (ICU), I felt very uncomfortable making the sorts of decisions that are common today without any source of information or any reference points. These decisions are not avoidable, they are not discretionary, and they are going to become more frequent in the future because we are treating people at later stages of disease.
Multiscale Integration of -Omic, Imaging, and Clinical Data in Biomedical Informatics

This paper reviews challenges and opportunities in multiscale data integration for biomedical informatics. Biomedical data can come from different biological origins, data acquisition technologies, and clinical applications. Integrating such data across multiple scales (e.g., molecular, cellular/tissue, and patient) can lead to more informed decisions for personalized, predictive, and preventive medicine. However, data heterogeneity, community standards in data acquisition, and computational complexity are big challenges for such decision making. This review describes genomic and proteomic (i.e., molecular), histopathological imaging (i.e., cellular/tissue), and clinical (i.e., patient) data; it includes case studies for single-scale (e.g., combining genomic or histopathological image data), multiscale (e.g., combining histopathological image and clinical data), and multiscale and multiplatform (e.g., the Human Protein Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas) data integration. Numerous opportunities exist in biomedical informatics research focusing on integration of multiscale and multiplatform data.
Research issues in testing business components

The advantages of migrating from traditional monolithic business applications to reusable object-based business components (self-contained software that carries out a certain business task) are well documented. A business system assembled from reusable components is argued to be highly reliable since these components have been tested and used in many other business applications. However, all possible uses of components are not known at design and construction stage. Additionally, integration testing is needed as components are assembled to make business application systems. Component-based software development requires that testing issues be addressed adequately. In this paper, we explore testing related issues in business components and in particular, business application systems that are made by integrating these components. An integration test strategy for business component application systems is proposed.
Electron exchange polymers. XIX. Copolymerization behavior of vinylhydroquinone dibenzoate

The copolymerization behavior of vinylhydroquinone dibenzoate monomer (VHDB), in solution under free radical initiator conditions, with styrene, α-methylstyrene, 4-vinylpyridine, methyl methacrylate, and methyl acrylate, to less than 10% conversion, showed good copolymerizabilities with these conventional monomers. Rates of polymerization are greater in VHDB-rich monomer compositions in spite of the bulky character of the benzoyl group. Q-e values (Alfrey and Price) are given. The resonance term (Q1) for VHDB is near unity, which seems to indicate that the resonance effect in stabilizing the radical is almost as large as that of styrene The polarity term, e1, is assigned a positive value for VHDB. Ultraviolet absorption spectra of the copolymers imply neighboring group interactions in the copolymer chains—interactions implied by the observed Q-e values, and implied in earlier work by electrometric titration behavior.
Analogical instruction within the information processing paradigm: effective means to facilitate learning

Research on the structure of memory has led to evidence that relating unfamiliar information to that which is familiar facilitates the new material's acquisition and retention; moreover, such associations can be efficiently achieved through the use of analogies. The present paper discusses the current information processing conceptualization of memory, the processes of learning by analogy, and the overall desired outcomes of their use to acquire and retain new information. Additionally, instructional implications of how, when, and why to use analogies are discussed.
Mechanism of Internal Oxidation of Alloy 617 in He-CO-CO2 Environments at 1123 K (850 °C)

Alloy 617 was exposed in Cr-Cr2O3 Rhines pack and in He-CO-CO2 gas with the goal of determining the mechanisms that govern the rapid internal aluminum oxidation kinetics of the alloy at 1123 K (850 °C). The predominant mechanism is the accelerated oxygen transport along the incoherent Al2O3-metal interfaces in the internal oxidation zone of Alloy 617, which results in values of oxygen diffusion coefficients up to five orders of magnitude greater than the bulk oxygen diffusion coefficient in pure nickel at 1123 K (850 °C). Another contribution to the rapid internal oxidation is the gas permeability of Cr2O3, which results in enhanced oxygen dissolution in the alloy. Despite formation of a surface Cr2O3 film, the dissolved oxygen concentration attained in Alloy 617 in He-CO-CO2 environments is a factor of 4 greater than that established by the dissociation oxygen partial pressure of Cr2O3 in the Rhines pack exposure. The dissolved oxygen concentrations and oxygen diffusion coefficient values established in this study are used to determine that internal oxidation of Alloy 617 in He-CO-CO2 environments can be mitigated by increasing the Al concentration of the alloy at least to 5.0 at. pct.
STUDIES ON THE ANTIGENIC PROPERTIES OF COMPLEMENT II. ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC AGGLUTININS AGAINST CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF GUINEA PIG COMPLEMENT FIXED ON SENSITIZED SHEEP ERYTHROCYTES

Sheep erythrocytes sensitized with amboceptor and persensitized thereafter with guinea pig complement are agglutinated by rabbit anti-guinea pig globulin and by immune sera obtained by injection of rabbits with fixed complement. In this agglutination neither C'1 nor C'2 takes part. Fixed C'4 acts as an agglutinogen. An additional agglutinogen, distinct from C'4, was found on persensitized cells. This additional agglutinogen appears to be distinct from hemolytically active C'3.
Nonselective β blockade attenuates the recruitment of CD62L- T lymphocytes following exercise

Exercise induces a selective redistribution of CD62L− T lymphocytes. This study examined the effects of β adrenergic receptor blockade on this phenomenon. Twelve healthy men were exercised to exhaustion on a treadmill prior to and following 1 week of treatment with the nonselective β antagonist propranolol or the 1 selective antagonist metoprolol. Dynamic exercise resulted in a significant lymphocytosis (p < 0.001). CD8+CD62L− T cells showed a greater than 3-fold increase in response to exercise (p < 0.001) as compared to CD8+CD62L+ T cells, which showed a more modest increase. Treatment with the nonselective β antagonist propranolol significantly attenuated the preferential increase of circulating CD8+CD62L− lymphocytes (p = 0.01) but had no effect on CD8+CD62L+ T cells. Treatment with the 1 selective antagonist metoprolol did not affect the response of either subset. Our findings replicate a prior study indicating that CD62L expression influences T lymphocyte trafficking in response to exercise and extends those findings by showing that this phenomenon is mediated, in part, via the 2-adrenergic receptor.
Neither endogenous nor exogenous bradykinin stimulates aldosterone in vivo.

It has been suggested that bradykinin (BK) can directly stimulate aldosterone secretion in vitro. Both chronic and acute studies were performed to determine whether we could show a pathway by which BK could stimulate plasma aldosterone in vivo. Chronic studies employed four groups of eight rats fed either a normal sodium or a sodium-restricted diet over 9 days. Half of the rats received infusion of a saline vehicle, and the others received the BK B-2 receptor antagonist HOE-140 at a rate of 200 micrograms/kg.day over 7 days via a sc implanted osmotic minipump. This rate was derived from studies showing that HOE-140 blocked pharmacological doses of exogenous BK. With a normal diet, there was no difference in plasma aldosterone in vehicle-treated rats vs. those treated with HOE-140 (368 +/- 55 vs. 329 +/- 66 pg/ml, respectively). Sodium restriction increased plasma aldosterone 10-fold, but again there was no difference between vehicle-treated rats and those treated with HOE-140 (2964 +/- 439 vs. 3755 +/- 475 pg/ml, respectively). Acute studies employed two groups of six rats. Direct suprarenal intraaortic infusion of 2 micrograms/min BK or saline vehicle was performed over 2 h. Plasma aldosterone was not changed in vehicle-treated groups, but decreased by 22% (P < 0.05) after BK infusion. Thus, blockade of kinin B-2 receptors had no effect on plasma aldosterone in normal or sodium-restricted diet rats. Acute BK infusion did not increase plasma aldosterone. We conclude that although BK may stimulate aldosterone in vitro, we found no physiological correlate to suggest that BK regulates plasma aldosterone in vivo.
Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of the effects of atorvastatin on early recurrent ischemic events in acute coronary syndromes.

An economic analysis was conducted using clinical outcomes in the MIRACL trial that evaluated high-dose atorvastatin versus placebo for 16 weeks after acute coronary syndrome. The direct cost of atorvastatin was largely offset by the associated decrease in cardiovascular events. The net incremental cost of atorvastatin treatment was $157/patient with a cost-effectiveness ratio of $4,086/event avoided.