cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma pentraxin 3 and glucose kinetics following acute high-intensity interval exercise versus continuous moderate-intensity exercise in healthy men.

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is mainly synthesized and released by neutrophils to help regulate innate immunity. While plasma PTX3 concentrations are associated with improved glucose metabolism and overall m...
Going to Pieces: Valuing Users, Subscribers and Customers

In conventional valuation, we usually value businesses as aggregated entities, estimating total revenues, earnings and cashflows, across the different businesses and customers that the company has, and then discounting those cash flows back at a discount rate that reflects the weighted risk across the entire company. The reasons for doing so are two-fold. First, the information that we are provided in financial statements, as investors, is often on the aggregated company and not on its constituent parts. Second, again as investors, we are ultimately investing in entire companies, not in their disaggregated units or customers. However, businesses are not only increasingly marketing themselves to investors on the numbers of users, customers and subscribers that they have, but they are building their business models around these constituent parts. While many of them contend that conventional valuation approaches don’t work in this new world order, we disagree and this paper attempts to extend intrinsic value and pricing approaches to value a user, subscriber or member, using Uber, Amazon Prime, Spotify and Netflix as examples. In the process, we lay bare some of the holes in information disclosure and examine the dynamics that drive user/subscriber value.
Investigation of a source model for a new electronic brachytherapy tandem by film measurement.

Purpose To investigate the accuracy of a vendor-supplied source model for a new Xoft Axxent 0-degree titanium tandem by film measurement. Methods We measured the anisotropy factors at varying distances and angles from the tandem in water using radiochromic film (Gafchromic EBT3) and an Epson Perfection v750 desktop flatbed scanner (US Epson, Long Beach, CA). A 0-degree tandem was placed vertically in a water phantom. Four pieces of film, each at varying depths, were positioned orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the tandem for azimuthal anisotropy measurements. Polar anisotropy measurements were taken with the film aligned parallel to the tandem. An absolute dose calibration for the film was verified with a PTW 34013 Soft X-Ray Chamber. The film measurements were analyzed using different color channels. The measured polar anisotropy for varying source positions was compared to the vendor's data. Azimuthal anisotropy was measured as a function of the radius and angle, and normalized to the mean value over all angles at the specified radius. Results The azimuthal anisotropy of the tandem and source was found to be consistent for different positions along the tandem's longitudinal axis and at varying distances from the tandem. Absolute dose using a calibrated parallel plate chamber showed agreement to within 2% of expected TPS values. The custom tandem, which has a thicker tip than the wall, was attenuating the 50 kV photons more than expected, at the angles where the photons had more wall material to traverse. This discrepancy was verified at different distances from the tandem and with different measurement techniques. As distance increased, anisotropy values had better agreement. Conclusions We quantified the agreement between the measured and provided anisotropy factors for a new Xoft Axxent 0-degree titanium tandem. Radiochromic film response at low kV energy was also investigated. Our results showed that vendor-supplied TG-43 values were appropriate for clinical use at majority of the angles. A rigorous quality assurance method for new electronic brachytherapy sources and applicators, along with complete knowledge of all dosimetric measuring tools, should be implemented for all parts of the verification and commissioning process.
Reproducibility of antimicrobial test methods

We review reproducibility results for methods that test antimicrobial efficacy against biofilms, spores and bacteria dried onto a surface. Our review, that included test results for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis and Bacillus subtilis, suggests that the level of reproducibility depends on the efficacy of the antimicrobial agent being tested for each microbe and microbial environment. To determine the reproducibility of a method, several laboratories must independently test the same antimicrobial agent using the method. Little variability among the efficacy results suggests good reproducibility. Such reproducibility assessments currently are hampered by the absence of an objective process for deciding whether the variability is sufficiently small. We present a quantitative decision process that objectively determines whether any method that assesses antimicrobial efficacy is reproducible. Because the perception of acceptable reproducibility may differ among stakeholders, the decision process is governed by a stakeholder’s specifications that necessarily includes the efficacy of the agents to be tested.
Internal Validation of a Predictive Model for Satisfaction After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background As the number of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures continues to rise in the context of bundled payment models, patients dissatisfied postoperatively that require additional care will impose additional cost to the healthcare system. The purpose of this study is to internally validate a predictive model for postoperative patient satisfaction after TKA. Methods In total, 484 consecutive primary TKA patients between January 2014 and January 2016 were included. Patients were stratified into 4 risk tiers based on scores of a retrospectively applied, 11-component novel knee survey for postoperative satisfaction: low risk (>96.5), mild risk (75-96.4), moderate risk (60-74.9), and high risk ( Results The mean (±standard deviation) age was 66.3 ± 9.2 years (range 31.7-100.1) and mean body mass index was 34.2 ± 8.2 kg/m2 (range 16.2-68.4). A knee survey score of 96.5 conferred a 97.5% sensitivity and 95.7% negative predictive value for satisfaction. Patients with higher knee survey scores had greater odds (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.06, P = .003) of postoperative satisfaction. Increasing risk tier was significantly associated with decreased satisfaction (low risk 95.7%, mild risk 93.8%, moderate risk 86.4%, and high risk 80.4%; P = .007). The knee survey was not significantly correlated with complications (r = −0.43, P = .32). Conclusion This novel knee survey conferred a 97.5% sensitivity and 95.7% negative predictive value in identifying at-risk patients for postoperative dissatisfaction after primary TKA.
Minimally Invasive Pectus Excavatum Repair (MIRPE)

Pectus excavatum (PE) involves the inward deformity of the sternum and accompanying cartilage attachments. Compression of the right heart and lungs can cause cardiopulmonary disability. Surgical correction is recommended for severe, symptomatic cases. Pectus excavatum can be corrected with a minimally invasive technique that involves placing temporary intrathoracic support bars under the sternum. These bars are then removed after 2-3 years. The minimally invasive Nuss procedure is the standard of care for PE repair in children and adolescents. Minimally invasive repair in more difficult patient repairs, including older teenagers and adults, has required modifications of the original Nuss technique. Our technique for pectus excavatum repair can be used for successful repair of PE patient of all ages and is described to follow.
Concurrent Treatment for PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder: Review of Outcomes for Exposure- and Nonexposure-Based Treatments:

This review gives an overview of treatments used to concurrently reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief disorder (PGD). For purposes of this review, emphasis is placed on locating and comparing literature on exposure- and nonexposure-based treatments. Across 14 studies, the overall findings suggest that treatments are generally effective in treating PTSD and PGD concurrently and that treatments incorporating exposure-based components performed similarly to those without exposure-based components. However, methodological limitations preclude the ability to draw firm conclusions about the added impact of exposure-based components in traumatic grief treatment. Future directions for research on concurrent treatments for PTSD and PGD are discussed.
Boosting for Dynamical Systems.

We propose a framework of boosting for learning and control in environments that maintain a state. Leveraging methods for online learning with memory and for online boosting, we design an efficient online algorithm that can provably improve the accuracy of weak-learners in stateful environments. As a consequence, we give efficient boosting algorithms for both prediction and the control of dynamical systems. Empirical evaluation on simulated and real data for both control and prediction supports our theoretical findings.
Underutilization of Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment at Discharge from Hospital: Observational Study at US Academic Trauma Center.

Decisions to limit use of life-sustaining treatment occur frequently during hospitalizations, and portable medical orders (also known as Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)) can ensure that patient preferences regarding resuscitation are followed after discharge. To determine the frequency and predictors of completion of POLST orders for adults with change during hospitalization in resuscitation status to Do Not Resuscitate. Retrospective observational study at level 1 trauma and academic hospital in Minneapolis, MN, USA All adults (18 years or older) hospitalized between June 2017 and June 2018, inclusive, with code status changed from Full Code to DNR. For patients with more than one hospitalization during this study interval, only the first hospitalization when DNR was ordered was included in this analysis. Completion of POLST orders by time of discharge. From 2017 to 2018, 160 adults had a change from Full Code to DNR status during index hospitalization and survived to discharge, most (156 patients) to a nursing care facility. Of these, only 50 (31.2%) had POLST orders provided at discharge. Documentation of informed refusal of intubation in addition to DNR status was a significant predictor (OR 4.1, 99% CI 1.5–11.0) of POLST orders on discharge, as was admission to a medical service compared with non-medical service (OR 3.2, 99% CI 1.1–12.2). Palliative care consultants, rather than primary providers on the hospital services, completed most POLST orders. Despite primary hospital providers engaging in conversations regarding resuscitation and entering DNR orders during hospitalization, the majority of patients in our study discharged to other care facilities without POLST orders. POLST orders are a simple palliative care tool available to primary hospital providers to help ensure continuity of plan of care at discharge for patients who wish to avoid invasive life-sustaining treatments and/or cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus and Long-Term Effect on Glycemic Control.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked to worsening glycemic control in patients with diabetes due to insulin resistance. Studies have shown that treating HCV improve...
What Is Minimally Cooperative Behavior

Cooperation defines the social world. What are its limits? What draws the line between cooperation (even if not full cooperation) and mere coordination? What is its relation to joint intentional action? This chapter argues that minimal cooperation—in the sense of cooperation at play in our understanding of the human social world—coincides with minimal joint intentional action, where this is characterized in terms of members of a group having intentions directed at their bringing something about together in accordance with a common plan at the time of action—a shared intention. The strategy is to start with an account of full cooperation and then to consider what features can be discarded while some form of cooperation is retained and then to argue that the account of minimal conditions for shared intentional action captures the sense in which agents are still cooperating. The chapter considers cooperative activities in which there is a constitutive conflict of goals (e.g., competitive games), cooperation on regulating what are constitutively non-cooperative activities (the laws of war), forms of cooperation that make possible forms of conflict that are not embedded in them (quarreling), halfhearted or grudging effort (a work slowdown), failure to provide aid where needed (Bratman’s Ayn Rand singers), or interference with others (partial sabotage of others’ contributions). Finally, the chapter takes up the question whether a decision-theoretic notion of cooperation captures the ordinary social concept without appeal to shared intention (no), whether coercion is compatible with it (yes), and whether it requires rationality (no).
Follicular Lymphoma: Definition, Epidemiology, Pathobiology – Lymphomagenesis, Morphology, Variants, Immunophenotype, Prognostic Factors, Transformation

Follicular lymphoma is the most common, indolent lymphoma in the western world; this chapter discusses the pathobiology that will touch upon the evolutionary history and the role of germinal centers that provide a landscape for B cells to acquire oncogenic mutations leading to malignant transformation. The molecular alterations leading to disease progression, divergent evolutionary pathway, and the role of microenvironment are discussed. The morphological variants and clinical-histologic variants, immunophenotype, prognostic factors, and differential diagnosis are discussed. In summary, the chapter will trace the diagnostic evolution of this entity in the past five decades.
Serial Posterior Cranial Vault Distraction for the Treatment of Complex Craniosynostosis.

ABSTRACT Posterior cranial vault distraction is an important modality in the management of craniosynostosis. This surgical technique increases intracranial volume and improves cranial aesthetics. A single procedure is often inadequate in patients with complex multisuture craniosynostosis, as some will go on to develop intracranial hypertension despite the operation. Considering the negative effects of intracranial hypertension, some patients may warrant 2 planned distractions to prevent this scenario from ever occurring. Three patients with complex multiple-suture synostosis and severe intracranial volume restriction (occipital frontal head circumferences [OFCs] <1st percentile) were treated with 2 planned serial posterior cranial vault distractions at the institution between 2013 and 2018. Demographics, intraoperative data, and postoperative distraction data were collected. The OFC was recorded pre- and postdistraction, at 3- and 6-month follow-up appointments. Patients had a corrected average age of 18 weeks at the time of their initial procedure. There was an average of 38 weeks between the end of consolidation and the time for their 2nd distraction procedure. There was an average age of 79 weeks at the time of the 2nd procedure. All patients had a substantial increase in OFC and improvement of the posterior calvarium shape. The average increase in OFC was 5.2 cm after first distraction and 4.3 cm after 2nd distraction. No postoperative complications were encountered. Planned serial posterior cranial vault distraction is a safe and effective strategy for increasing intracranial volume, improving aesthetic appearance, and preventing the consequences of intracranial hypertension in patients with multisuture craniosynostosis and severe intracranial volume restriction.
Is Diagnostic Arthroscopy at the Time of Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Necessary

Background:Although medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction is well described for patellar instability, the utility of arthroscopy at the time of stabilization has not been fully defin...
Analysis of genomic loci harboring 59,732 human-specific regulatory sequences reveals unique to human regulatory patterns associated with brain development

Abstract Extensive searches for genomic regions harboring various types of candidate human-specific regulatory sequences (HSRS) identified thousands’ HSRS using high-resolution next-generation sequencing technologies and methodologically diverse comparative analyses of human and non-human primates’ reference genomes. Here, a comprehensive catalogue of 59,732 genomic loci harboring candidate HSRS has been assembled to facilitate the systematic analyses of genomic sequences that were either inherited from extinct common ancestors (ECAs) or created de novo in human genomes. Present analyses identified thousands of HSRS that appear inherited from ECAs yet absent in genomes of our closest evolutionary relatives, Chimpanzee and Bonobo, presumably due to the incomplete lineage sorting and/or species-specific loss or regulatory DNA. This pattern is particularly prominent for HSRS that have been putatively associated with human-specific (HS) gene expression changes in cerebral organoid models. Significant fractions of retrotransposon-derived loci transcriptionally-active in human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) are highly conserved in genomes of Gorilla, Orangutan, Gibbon, and Rhesus (1,688; 1,371; 1,148; and 1,045 loci, respectively), yet they are absent in genomes of both Chimpanzee and Bonobo. A prominent majority of regions harboring HS mutations associated with HS expression changes during brain development is highly conserved in Chimpanzee, Bonobo, and Gorilla genomes. Among non-human primates (NHP), dominant fractions of HSRS associated with HS gene expression in both excitatory neurons (347 loci; 67%) and radial glia (683 loci; 72%) are highly conserved in the Gorilla genome. Analysis of 4,433 genes encoding virus-interacting proteins (VIPs) revealed that 95.9% of human VIPs are components of HS regulatory networks that appear to operate in distinct types of human cells from preimplantation embryos to adult DLPFC. Present analyses demonstrate that Modern Humans captured unique combinations of regulatory sequences, divergent subsets of which are highly conserved in distinct species of six NHP separated by 30 million years of evolution. Concurrently, this unique-to-human mosaic of genomic regulatory patterns inherited from ECAs was supplemented with 12,486 created de novo HSRS. Present analyses of HSRS support the model of complex continuous speciation process during evolution of the human lineage that is not likely to occur as an instantaneous event. Genes encoding VIPs may represent a principal genomic target of HS regulatory networks, thus affecting a functionally diverse spectrum of biological processes controlled by VIP-containing liquid-liquid phase separated condensates.
Accuracy and Architecture Studies of Residual Neural Network solving Ordinary Differential Equations.

In this paper we consider utilizing a residual neural network (ResNet) to solve ordinary differential equations. Stochastic gradient descent method is applied to obtain the optimal parameter set of weights and biases of the network. We apply forward Euler, Runge-Kutta2 and Runge-Kutta4 finite difference methods to generate three sets of targets training the ResNet and carry out the target study. The well trained ResNet behaves just as its counterpart of the corresponding one-step finite difference method. In particular, we carry out (1) the architecture study in terms of number of hidden layers and neurons per layer to find the optimal ResNet structure; (2) the target study to verify the ResNet solver behaves as accurate as its finite difference method counterpart; (3) solution trajectory simulation. Even the ResNet solver looks like and is implemented in a way similar to forward Euler scheme, its accuracy can be as high as any one step method. A sequence of numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the ResNet solver.
Competition induces silver spoon effects in developing anuran larvae

Early life conditions can have lifelong impacts on survival and fitness. Silver spoon effects occur when favorable early life conditions provide advantages through adulthood, even if conditions worsen. Alternatively, compensatory growth allows organisms initially reared in unfavorable conditions to grow more quickly than expected should conditions improve. We examined these possibilities in the American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus, by rearing larvae in low and high competition environments and then transferring them to either high- or low-resource levels. We measured growth one-week post-transfer and toadlet size after metamorphosis. We also dissected larvae and toadlets from each treatment to examine effects on organ size. Before transfer, larvae reared with low competition grew significantly faster than those reared with high competition. Consistent with the silver spoon hypothesis, these larvae ate significantly more food, continued to grow faster post-transfer, and metamorphosed into larger toadlets with smaller livers and larger guts than those initially reared with high competition, despite having the same food availability within a resource level. Overall, our study demonstrates that larvae initially reared in favorable conditions maintain a growth advantage through metamorphosis even if resource levels decline. Future studies should explore the effects of this advantage post-metamorphosis and into adulthood.
0112 The number and type of private firearms in the United States: results from the 2019 national firearms survey

Statement of purpose The purpose of this work is to provide updated nationally representative estimates of the US gun stock including novel estimates of the number of guns by gun type and sub-type. Methods/Approach Data for this study came from a web-based, nationally representative survey of 2,950 gun owners conducted in August of 2019. Respondents were asked specific questions about household firearms including the number and types of guns in the home, storage practices, and reasons for ownership. To ensure results representative of the US adult (aged ≥18 years) population in 2019 we used weights that combined pre-sample and study-specific poststratification weights to account for oversampling and survey non-response in all analyses and in reporting weighted percentages and 95% confidence intervals. Results The gun stock is an estimated 270 million guns among approximately 53.8 million gun owners across the United States. 45% are handguns and about 56% are long guns, including an estimated 18.9 million semi-automatic military style rifles. Handguns are the majority of guns owned by those with two or fewer guns while long guns are the increasing majority of guns owned by those with three or more guns. Most of the private gun stock is found at the homes of gun owners (84%), but an estimated 4.5 million handguns can be found in cars. Conclusions In order to effectively account for exposure, interventions and advice to improve storage of private guns should account for the number and types of guns owned, and when storage devices are provided, should consider long guns as well as handguns especially in homes with multiple guns. Significance These estimates reflect firearms exposure and inform firearm injury prevention aimed at reducing household exposure.
Capital Market Prices, Management Forecasts, and Earnings Management

I analyze a managers optimal earnings forecasting strategy and optimal earnings management policy in a setting where both the mean and the variance of the distribution generating the rms cash ows are unknown. The analysis shows that the equilibrium price of the rm is a function of the managers forecast, the rms reported earnings, and the squared error in the managers earnings forecast. The model contains several predictions, including: (i) the manager manipulates earnings to reduce his forecast error at the earnings announcement date; (ii) the rms stock price is more sensitive to the rms actual earnings announcement than to the managers forecast; and (iii) controlling for the level of reported earnings and the magnitude of the earnings surprise, the rms price is higher when it has a positive surprise at the earnings announcement date than when it has a negative surprise.
Twenty-five books a day: Literacy events in subsidized childcare:

The purpose of this case study was to investigate a segment of a data set collected as part of a larger ethnographic study exploring the early language and literacy practices of one unique preschoo...
The Effect of Supreme Court Death Penalty Jurisprudence on the Military Statute of Limitations for Rape

In 2018, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) broke from civilian precedent in a case involving death penalty procedure. The underlying issue in the military case United States v. Mangahas was whether abolition of the death penalty also invalidated the statutorily prescribed capital procedures — in particular, the capital exemption from the statute of limitations. Mangahas held that a charge for which the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) statutorily provides the possibility of capital punishment nevertheless does not trigger the capital exemption from the statute of limitations if the death penalty could not constitutionally be imposed. Specifically, the CAAF held that the un-aggravated rape of an adult was subject to the general military five-year statute of limitations, despite statutory language deeming all rape to be “punishable by death” and thus subject to the capital exemption from the statute of limitations. Note that this holding applies only to rape committed prior to 2007, after which amendments to the UCMJ explicitly provide that all rape is exempt from the statute of limitations. As such, Mangahas insulates all yet unreported pre-2007 rape, since the general five-year statute of limitations has now long since tolled. This Comment argues that the Mangahas decision was incorrect both as a matter of statutory interpretation, as evidenced by unanimous federal civilian case law, and as a prudential matter. The capital exemption from the statute of limitations should attach to all pre-2007 rape despite abolition of the death penalty. Part I of this Comment describes the development of the statute of limitations for rape in the UCMJ and introduces intervening Supreme Court death penalty jurisprudence. Part II explains how Mangahas contravenes the interpretations of every federal civilian Court of Appeals to have addressed the same issue, and outlines the important military values that Mangahas jeopardizes. Finally, Part III describes how either the CAAF itself or the Supreme Court can mend this conflict.
Dmitri Mendeleev and the Periodic System: Philosophy, Periodicity, and Predictions

One of the projects undertaken by chemists during the first half of the nineteenth century was organizing the elements in a meaningful way. By the time of the Karlsruhe Conference in 1860, it was clear that atomic weight was likely the key to creating an organizational scheme that could encompass most, if not all, of the elements rather than small groupings. When Dmitri Mendeleev developed his periodic law in 1869, others had already created systems in which the elements were organized by atomic weight, in which it was postulated that the atomic weights of some elements should be adjusted, and in which gaps were left for elements that had not yet been discovered. These are also hallmarks of Mendeleev’s system, yet it is his system which gained wide attention and acceptance. This paper looks at Mendeleev’s system in relation to those of his contemporaries. Three areas that Mendeleev emphasized as important in his writings will be explored in greater depth: his philosophical understanding of elements, which assisted in the development of the periodic law; his detailed predictions for elements not yet discovered, which showcased the utility of the periodic system; and his stress on the finiteness of periods, which influenced what he saw as the best forms of the periodic table.
Autoimmune pancreatitis

The list of diseases associated with autoantibodies against tissues, cells, or specific autoantigens is growing, and many organs in the body are known to be affected by autoimmune injury. Until recently, the most well-known pancreatic autoimmune disorder was type 1 diabetes mellitus, where there is selective destruction of beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. Although an autoimmune process affecting the exocrine pancreas was suspected over four decades ago, it is only in the past 10 years or so that autoimmune chronic pancreatitis has been recognized as a distinct entity. Here we review the clinical, serologic, radiologic, and histologic features of autoimmune pancreatitis.
Cardiac Amyloidosis in a Child Presenting with Syncope: The First Reported Case and a Diagnostic Dilemma

Cardiac amyloidosis is a rare cause of cardiomyopathy, reported exclusively in adults. We report the first known case presenting in childhood. A 12-year-old boy presented with syncope and diagnosed with ventricular non-compaction by echocardiography. Eventual genetic testing confirmed a TTR gene mutation associated with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis.
BAT activation in diabetic rats undergoing treatment with CL316, 243 and cold exposure

1586 Objectives BAT visualization is decreased in patients with diabetes. To determine if this is a cause or an effect of diabetes, we evaluated FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT) in diabetic rats undergoing treatment with CL316, 243 (a β3 agonist) and/or cold exposure. Methods Female Lewis rats were made diabetic with a single injection of streptozotocin. Test groups of three rats/group were either given CL316, 243 i.p., exposed to cold for four hours, or both; controls were untreated. Rats were given 18F-FDG one hour prior to sacrifice and tissues (blood, brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, GI, leg muscle, BAT, and WAT) were weighed and evaluated in a gamma counter. Results Percentages of the injected dose per gram of tissue as normalized by body weight (%ID/g/kg) are shown in Figure 1. FDG uptake in CL316, 243-activated BAT was significantly higher than in control tissues (p Conclusions FDG uptake in diabetic rats following CL316, 243 treatment was significantly increased. With cold exposure, FDG uptake without β3 stimulation is impaired in diabetic animals. Deficiency of insulin may impair the response of BAT to both β3 and cold stimulation in comparison to non-diabetic rats and may contribute to decreased BAT activity seen in diabetics
Primary atrial tumor. Evaluation of clinical findings in ten cases and review of the literature.

Abstract The case records of 10 patients with primary atrial tumor have been reviewed. In 7 cases the tumor was clinically significant. An erroneous diagnosis of mitral stenosis was frequently made. Useful diagnostic clues for atrial tumor, differentiating it from mitral stenosis, are (1) a history of syncope; (2) positional change in an apical diastolic rumble; (3) positional change in blood pressure and heart rate; and (4) intracardiac calcification not characteristic of mitral valve calcification. Accurate diagnosis and prompt therapy are mandatory in this group of patients who are prone to sudden death.
Imaging other planetary systems from the Moon

This paper studies the problem of using a telescope like the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), only larger and sensitive to a wider range of wavelengths, to image systems of planets like the solar system around other stars. We treat both reflected starlight and thermal radiation from the planets. We include the instrumental effects of aperture diffraction, scattering due to the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of telescope mirror surface errors, and telescope thermal emission. We compute the integration time required to achieve a signal‐to‐noise ratio (S/N)=5 for photon‐statistical random errors only, which is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for detection at a confidence level of 5 standard deviations. A cold telescope on the Moon with 16 m aperture and the optical quality of HST could detect and characterize planets around nearby stars. Its scientific capabilities would be particularly powerful in the infrared. Because the planet signals are generally weaker than the background, sources of systematic error require careful scrutiny.
From Logos to Trinity: The Evolution of Religious Beliefs from Pythagoras to Tertullian

Preface Foreword Anthony Buzzard Introduction 1. The logos in Greek culture 2. The logos in Judaism 3. The development of Jewish messianic traditions: the source of Christian scripture and doctrines 4. Development of the Hellenistic Christian doctrine 5. Justin Martyr and the logos 6. Justin Martyr and the metaphysical triad 7. Tertullian - originator of the Trinity 8. Tertullian and the son of God 9. Thomas Aquinas and the accepted concept of the Trinity Appendix 1. The possible sources for the development of the Christian Trinitarian concepts Appendix 2. Egyptian chronology.
Stimulus duration, neural adaptation, and sweep visual evoked potential acuity estimates.

PURPOSE. Results in several studies have suggested that the visual evoked potential (VEP) amplitude can vary with stimulus duration. The purpose of this study was to determine whether acuity estimates obtained by extrapolation of the sweep VEP are altered by this adaptation effect. METHODS. Sweep VEP data were obtained from 16 healthy observers under binocular viewing conditions. Data were acquired with a commercially available VEP unit using standard electrode recording techniques. Three sweeps (high spatial frequencies, medium spatial frequencies, and low spatial frequencies) were run. The subjects' visual acuity at the monitor distance was 6/6 for the high spatial frequency sweep. For the medium and low spatial frequency sweeps, the subjects were dioptrically blurred to 6/15 (medium spatial frequencies) or 6/30 (low spatial frequencies) at the monitor distance. Each sweep consisted of six spatial frequencies (contrast 80%; temporal frequency (TF) = 7.5 Hz; screen luminance = 100 candela [cd]/m 2 ). For each spatial frequency, the stimulus duration was 8 seconds, partitioned into 1-second bins. A minimum of eight sweeps were obtained per subject. An acuity estimate was obtained for each second's data by fitting a line to the high spatial frequencies (excluding noise) and extrapolating this line to the ^x-axis. With this technique, estimates could not be obtained for 29 of 384 possible acuities. RESULTS. The sweep VEP acuities for the 16 subjects did not change significantly over the 8 seconds of data collection for the high, medium, or low spatial frequency sweep (repeated measures analysis of variance [ANOVA]: high, P = 0.25; medium, P = 0.50; low, P = 0.23). In any given subject, there was a 1- to 2-octave range in acuity estimates over the 8 seconds of stimulus presentation (high, 1.23 ± 0.417 octaves; medium, 1.41 ± 0.593 octaves; low, 1.52 ± 0.475 octaves; mean ± SD). CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that there is not a significant change in sweep VEP acuity estimates over an 8-second stimulus presentation. Thus, neural adaptation does not significantly affect the clinical use of the sweep VEP. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1998;39:2759-2768)
ORIGINAL RESEARCH—ED PHARMACOTHERAPY: Sildenafil Citrate Response Correlates with the Nature and the Severity of Penile Vascular Insufficiency

ABSTRACT Introduction Sildenafil citrate is a highly effective erectogenic agent. However, predicting which patients will respond to this agent is often difficult. While the patient response to this agent is dependent on the nitric oxide–guanylate cyclase–cyclic guanosine monophosphate cascade, the integrity of penile arterial flow and venocclusive mechanism is also important. Duplex Doppler penile ultrasonography can reliably document penile hemodynamics. This study aimed at defining response rates based on degree of penile vascular sufficiency. Methods This study enrolled patients who met strict criteria for sildenafil citrate response who had also undergone penile ultrasound. Correlation was drawn between the nature and the severity of the vascular insufficiency and the response rate to sildenafil citrate. Results The distribution of vascular diagnoses was arteriogenic 64%, venogenic 6%, mixed vascular insufficiency 18%, and normal 12%. The best response was seen in those men with normal vascular studies, 80% responding. Fifty‐three percent of all men with any abnormality on penile ultrasound responded; 65% of men with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED), 25% of patients with venogenic ED, and 6% of men with a mixed vascular insufficiency were responders. There was a correlation between the degree of vascular impairment and the response rate. All men with venogenic ED who responded had mild leak. Conclusion These data demonstrate a correlation between the nature and severity of penile vascular disease and the ability to respond to sildenafil citrate. These data may be useful to the sexual medicine practitioner when counseling patients regarding oral erectogenic therapy.
Alliance, Negotiation, and Rupture Resolution

More than one hundred years have passed since “the talking cure” was introduced as a treatment for psychological problems. Considerable scientific effort over the last 60 years has been spent to determine whether psychotherapy, in general, is effective, and if so, what factors underlie the mechanism of change. With the growing demand of the health care system and the public in general for accountability, there has been a continuous pressure on the mental health field to provide empirical support for the treatments we offer to our patients. This has given rise to the initiatives of the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association to formulate practice guidelines and identify empirically supported interventions and treatments.
Engineering Resistance to Herbicides

Crop resistance can be generated through a selection process or the introduction of a gene via transformation. We will refer to the latter as engineered herbicide resistance. The literature contains numerous studies on engineered plant resistance to various herbicide classes. There is a large distinction between demonstrating a resistance phenotype in plants versus developing a commercial resistant crop that requires consistent performance under varying environmental conditions. Creating an herbicide resistant crop must successfully navigate a maze of key technical issues while satisfying the practical product goals of agronomic equivalence, weed management, economic feasibility, governmental regulatory compliance and public acceptance. Most of our experience has been derived from developing crop resistance to glyphosate. In this review, we will utilise these experiences to describe the essential studies required for the development of a commercial herbicide-resistant crop with emphasis on the development of glyphosate resistance. Keywords: commercialised; experimental; herbicide-resistance strategy
Utility of two-dimensional echocardiography in suspected ascending aortic dissection

Abstract The value of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) in patients with suspected ascending aortic dissection was assessed. During a 5.5-year period, 56 consecutive patients underwent bedside 2-D echo for unexplained chest pain possibly due to ascending aortic dissection. Patients with obvious aortic dissection who proceeded directly to aortography were excluded and in all 56 study cases, 2-D echo was the initial diagnostic test. Using standard criteria, 2-D echo correctly identified all 13 patients with ascending aortic dissection. There were 5 false-positive study results and 38 true-negative results, yielding a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 88% and overall diagnostic accuracy of 91%. In the group of 13 patients with confirmed ascending aortic dissection, 2-D echo identified 4 with pericardial fluid, and 3 of these patients (75%) died within 24 hours. In comparison, 7 patients in the group of 43 without confirmed dissection had pericardial fluid by 2-D echo and only 1 died (p
Human self-rotation by means of limb movements

Abstract A ‘weightless’ astronaut can alter the orientation of his body in space by moving his limbs in an appropriate manner. The feasibility of employing two particular limb maneuvers, one producing pitch motion, and the other yaw, is established analytically, and quantitative results are presented.
Motion velocity thresholds in deaf signers: changes in lateralization but not in overall sensitivity

In a series of three experiments, we tested whether deaf native signers process motion velocity information differently from hearing nonsigners. In Experiment 1, participants watched radially moving dots and were asked to detect the quadrant in which the velocity of the dots had changed. Similar 79% thresholds were observed in the two populations. In Experiments 2 and 3, peripheral and central thresholds were assessed separately as previous studies suggest early deafness leads mainly to changes in the processing of visual peripheral information. Neither condition produced an overall population difference. These negative results were not due to a lack of sensitivity in our experiments. Indeed, as has been previously reported, deaf native signers exhibited better thresholds in the right than in the left visual field, whereas the opposite pattern was observed in the hearing. This effect appears triggered by experience with American Sign Language (ASL) rather than deafness per se. Overall, this study confirms that early deafness does not enhance motion processing, and suggests that most of the changes previously described in the literature are instead attributable to changes in attention, and possibly special alterations of attention-to-motion processes.
Some coordination compounds of 2-(salicylideneaminomethyl)pyridine

Abstract Complexes of a new tridentate Schiff base, 2-(salicylidenaminomethyl)pyridine, with some first row transition metal ions have been isolated and characterized. Analytical, spectral, and magnetic data, which support hexacoordination for the iron(III), cobalt(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes and quinquecoordination for the copper (II) complex, are presented. It has also been shown that the cobalt (II) complex, when exposed to air, irreversibly absorbs one mole of elemental oxygen per mole of complex.
Development of a Constitutive Theory for Short Fiber Yams Part III: Effects of Fiber Orientation and Bending Deformation

This article deals with the effects of fiber orientation and bending deformation on staple yarn behavior. First, the effect of fiber orientation is shown by comparing yarn properties determined using three different fiber orientation cases. Then, for a given fiber orientation distribution, radial distributions of both tensile stress and lateral pressure along the yarn cross section are predicted. The fiber obliquity effect at high yarn twist levels is attributed more to fiber bending deformation. Finally a modified yarn model is proposed that produces predictions in close agreement with existing experimental results.
On the problem of thermal instability of explosive materials

Abstract The steady-state heat conduction equation obeyed by explosive materials is studied in order to be able to guarantee the existence of steady-state solutions when the boundary temperature is low enough, and to obtain some information about the onset of thermal instability. The calculated critical temperatures for a number of explosive materials are compared with those obtained experimentally.
Hypoxia-induced modification of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and dna polymerase β activity in cerebral cortical nuclei of newborn piglets: role of nitric oxide

Abstract Previous studies have shown that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and DNA polymerase β, nuclear enzymes, are associated with cell replication and DNA repair. The present study tests the hypothesis that hypoxia results in increased PARP and DNA polymerase activity in cerebral cortical neuronal nuclei to repair the hypoxia-induced damage to genomic DNA. Studies were conducted in 13 anesthetized and ventilated newborn piglets (age 3–5 days) divided into normoxic ( n =5) and hypoxic ( n =8) groups. Hypoxia was induced by decreasing inspired oxygen from 21% to 7% for 60 min. Cerebral tissue hypoxia was documented biochemically by determining the tissue levels of ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr). Following isolation of the cortical neuronal nuclei, the activity of PARP and DNA polymerase β was determined. During hypoxia, the tissue ATP level decreased by 73% from 4.12±0.67 μmol/g brain to 1.12±0.34 μmol/g brain, and PCr decreased by 78% from 4.14±0.68–0.90±0.20 μmol/g brain. In hypoxic neuronal nuclei, PARP activity significantly increased from 5.88±0.51 pmol NAD/mg protein/h in normoxic nuclei to 10.04±2.02 ( P =0.001). PARP activity inversely correlated with tissue ATP ( r =0.78) and PCr levels ( r =0.81). Administration of N -nitro- l -arginine prior to hypoxia decreased the hypoxia-induced increase in PARP activity by 67%. Endogenous DNA polymerase β activity increased from 0.96±0.13 in normoxic nuclei to 1.39±0.18 nmol/mg protein/h in hypoxic nuclei ( P P r =0.95 and 0.84, respectively) and PCr levels ( r =0.93 and 0.77, respectively). These results demonstrate that the activity of PARP and DNA polymerase β enzymes increase with the increase in degree of cerebral tissue hypoxia. Furthermore, the results demonstrate a direct correlation between the PARP and the DNA polymerase β activity. We conclude that tissue hypoxia results in increased PARP and DNA polymerase β activities indicating activation of DNA repair mechanisms that may result in potential neuronal recovery following hypoxia and the hypoxia-induced increase in PARP activity is NO-mediated.
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Affects Neuronal Migration and Differentiation in Normotypic Cell Cultures from the Cochleovestibular Ganglion of the Chick Embryo

Abstract To study the role of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in the development of sensory neurons, the cochleovestibular ganglion of the chicken embryo provides a well-characterized structure. This permits use of morphological markers in a cell culture preparation comparable to the normal embryo (normocytic). Otocysts were explanted from white leghorn embryos at Hamburger–Hamilton Stages 14–16, when ganglion cell precursors normally start migrating from the otic epithelium. The cultures were supplemented with either fetal bovine serum or human recombinant FGF-2 (in defined medium or serum) for 2 or 5 days. FGF-2 increased explant growth, neuroblast migration, and neurite outgrowth 2- to 10-fold in the first 2 days. Neuronal morphology appeared within 2–3 days with FGF-2, but required at least 4–5 days with serum. FGF-2 in defined medium stimulated early migration and differentiation, but without serum led to degeneration after 5 days. In serum, growth was later and slower but continued for at least 3 weeks. When explants were cultured in serum with a neutralizing antibody to FGF-2, but no FGF added, neuroblast migration and elongation were decreased by 2- to 4-fold, compared to serum alone. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated FGF receptor sites on the migrating ganglionic neuroblasts, on their processes and growth cones, and in the incipient ganglion and otic epithelium at Stages 15–17, both in the embryo andin vitro.The findings suggest that FGF-2 stimulates early migration and differentiation of ganglion cells by activating the receptors of neuroblasts or their precursors in the embryonic otocyst. However, other factors must sustain their later development.
Relationships among childhood sexual abuse, sex guilt, and sexual behavior in adult clinical samples

In the current study we extended the literature on the relationships between sex guilt and sexual behavior to clinical samples of adult females who were either sexually abused [childhood sexual abu...