cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Functional Independence of Skinner's Verbal Operants: Conceptual and Applied Implications

Much has been said about B. F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior. This commentary specifically focuses on the functional independence of B. F. Skinner's verbal operants. While researchers have long been interested in this topic, the research literature on this topic has produced mixed results; it has shown that the verbal operants may be both functionally independent and functionally interdependent. This commentary considers the conceptual and applied implications of these mixed findings. The distinction between constructs and events is highlighted, with specific attention to how this distinction relates to the consideration of the verbal operants in behavior analysis. The value of further research on the functional independence of the verbal operants is considered, as well as the type of research studies that might be useful toward developing interventions for individuals with language delays. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
12.10 – Austenite Formation and Microstructural Control in Low-Alloy Steels

The condition of austenite during steel processing is critical to subsequent processing, and it can be controlled advantageously to optimize downstream processing to reach the desired final microstructure and properties. The formation of austenite, typical austenitization heat treatments, the effects of composition, heating rate and microstructure, and austenite structural development are discussed.
Blurring Material and Rhetorical Walls: Children Writing the Border/Lands in a Second-Grade Classroom.

Spurred by burgeoning racist and xenophobic immigration policy and rhetoric, we analyzed the writing of seven second-grade children about their experiences of living connections that span the Unite...
Effects of Miocene–Pliocene global climate changes on continental sedimentation: A case study from the southern Central Andes

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; National Geographic Young Explorer's grant [9744-15]; Geological Society of America Graduate Student Research grant
Regular and Chaotic Motions in Dynamical Systems Introduction to the Problems

The purpose of this introduction is twofold; first, to sketch the origin of some of the problems that will be discussed in detail later, and, second, to introduce some of the concepts which will be used. In a subject like analytical mechanics, with such a long history and such hard problems, a little sense of history is both enlightening and consoling.
Integrating the Environment, Urban Planning, and Transport: Where Does Economics Fit in?

This paper considers the role that economics can play in integrating the environment, urban planning and transportation. The main challenge in moving towards sustainable development is in developing the holistic framework that integrates the environment, economy, and social stability highlighted in the Brundtland Report of 1987. There is a frequent misunderstanding that economics is purely concerned with the market and with prices in markets; e.g. the setting of transit prices and the financial viability of airlines. This has never been the case, and indeed, much of the current debate about the environment can be found, albeit in the context of the knowledge of the time in economic writings from at least the 1920 s or earlier. The paper highlights some of the contributions that economics can make in the particular case of handing environmental matters when concerned with urban planning and transport. Within this framework we are concerned with matters of social equity as well as narrower, and more traditional notions of efficiency. It will make use of a number of case studies to provide illustrations of where economics has proved useful.
Probability I: An Introduction to Discrete Probability

Asset pricing involves the prediction of future events and as such relies very heavily on the mathematical theory of probability. In this chapter, we begin a discussion of basic probability. This discussion will continue in later chapters, as the need for more information arises in connection with subsequent topics to be covered in the book.
Novel protein therapeutics for systolic heart failure: chronic subcutaneous B-type natriuretic peptide.

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to translate our laboratory investigations to establish safety and efficacy of 8 weeks of chronic SC B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) administration in human Stage C heart failure (HF). Background B-Type natriuretic peptide is a cardiac hormone with vasodilating, natriuretic, renin-angiotensin inhibiting, and lusitropic properties. We have previously demonstrated that chronic cardiac hormone replacement with subcutaneous (SC) administration of BNP in experimental HF resulted in improved cardiovascular function. Methods We performed a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled proof of concept study comparing 8 weeks of SC BNP (10 μg/kg bid) (n = 20) with placebo (n = 20) in patients with ejection fraction Results Eight weeks of chronic SC BNP resulted in a greater reduction of LV systolic and diastolic volume index and LV mass index as compared with placebo. There was a significantly greater improvement of Minnesota Living with Heart Failure score, LV filling pressure as demonstrated by the reductions of E/e' ratio, and decrease in left atrial volume index as compared with placebo. Glomerular filtration rate was preserved with SC BNP, as was the ability to activate plasma 3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (p Conclusions In this pilot proof of concept study, chronic protein therapy with SC BNP improved LV remodeling, LV filling pressure, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure score in patients with stable systolic HF on optimal therapy. Renin-angiotensin was suppressed, and glomerular filtration rate was preserved. Subcutaneous BNP represents a novel, safe, and efficacious protein therapeutic strategy in human HF. Further studies are warranted to determine whether these physiologic observations can be translated into improved clinical outcomes and ultimately delay the progression of HF. (Cardiac Hormone Replacement With BNP in Heart Failure: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy; NCT00252187 )
Variability in infusion pressure and continuous flow rate delivered from pressurized bag pump flush systems.

Using 10 different infusion bag pressure pumps, indicated manometer pressures were compared with measured infusion pressures proximal to the flow-regulating device in an in vitro experiment. Flow rates delivered through the flow-regulating device were gravimetrically measured at different monitored pressure levels. Significant differences were found between manometer and measured infusion pressures among the tested pressure bagpumps (e.g. 500 ml bag volumepressurized to 300 mmHg manometerpressure: 219.6 +/- 7.8 to 407.2 +/- 2.7 mmHg). The infusion pressures were additionally affected by the vertical level of the infusion bag pump and by the volume of the infusion bag. Flow rates delivered through the flow-regulating device were directly correlated to the measured infusion pressure (r2= 0.9926). Differences inflow rates can have a considerable impact on maintaining catheter patency and avoidance of fluid overload and retrograde flushing into the central arterial circulation in neonates and small children. A simple manoeuvre using the invasive pressure transducer allows monitoring and adjustment of the infusion pressure in the clinical setting.
Some Exit Time Estimates for Super-Brownian Motion and Fleming-Viot Process

Estimates for exit time from an interval of length 2r before a prescribed time T are derived for solutions of a class of stochastic partial differential equations used to characterize two population models: super-Brownian motion and Fleming-Viot Process. These types of estimates are then derived for the two population models. The corresponding large deviation results are also applied for the acquired bounds.
Design and Modeling of a Smart Wave Energy Converter

This chapter presents theoretical analysis of the Smart-WEC at different wave conditions (regular and irregular waves). The Smart-WEC is a new type of point absorber wave energy converter that stores energy from the waves and form a completely self-contained, persistent, energy source platform suitable for powering distributed ocean systems (e.g., AUV). Power generated is then transferred through a novel UWPT technology. A direct drive linear generator, which eliminates mechanical parts like gear boxes, is adopted in the Smart-WEC device.
B cell ADAM17 controls T cell independent humoral immune responses through regulation of TACI and CD138.

ADAM17 is known to contribute to the immune system through its shedding of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). However, the role of ADAM17 in B cell biology is not well characterized. To determine whether B cell ADAM17 contributes to T cell-independent humoral immune responses, we crossed CD19 Cre transgenic mice with mice bearing a floxed allele of ADAM17 (ADAM17CD19). In this study, we show a B cell intrinsic role for ADAM17 in regulating marginal zone B cell (MZB) numbers in mice. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the loss of B cell ADAM17 results in reduced MZB numbers in the naive state and after immunization with T-independent antigen, yet enhanced humoral immunity to T cell independent antigens. We additionally find elevated TACI and CD138 levels on plasma cells following immunization in ADAM17CD19 mice. Overall, these findings suggest that B cell ADAM17 may orchestrate T independent immune responses through both MZB numbers and plasma cell antibody production.
Response to: '"Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced inflammatory arthritis persists after immunotherapy cessation" by Braaten et al: another point of view' by Cappelli et al.

We were interested to read the letter by Ceccarelli et al regarding their experience with Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced inflammatory arthritis (IA) at Sapienza University.1 Their findings support that ICI-induced IA is a heterogeneous disease with differing outcomes. The differences in the cohorts studied may also give us insight into the risk factors …
A history and recent efforts of selected physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling topics

Abstract Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling is a computational process that simulates the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of a substance in the body of an organism based on the interrelationships among key physiological, biochemical, and physicochemical factors using mathematical equations. This chapter provides a summary of the history and recent efforts of PBPK modeling in several applications, including (1) drug discovery and development, (2) toxicology and risk assessment, (3) veterinary pharmacology and animal-derived food safety assessment, and (4) nanomedicine and nanotoxicology. The history of PBPK modeling software programs, books, and the Society of Toxicology Biological Modeling Specialty Section is also briefly introduced. The authors’ perspective on the current and future applications of PBPK modeling in different fields, especially in toxicology and risk assessment, is presented.
SPECTRAL AUTOCORRELATION FUNCTION IN WEAKLY OPEN CHAOTIC SYSTEMS : INDIRECT PHOTODISSOCIATION OF MOLECULES

The authors derive the statistical limit of the spectral autocorrelation function and of the survival probability for the indirect photodissociation of molecules in the regime of nonoverlapping resonances. The results are derived in the framework of random matrix theory and hold more generally for any chaotic quantum system that is weakly coupled to the continuum. The correlation hole that characterizes the spectral autocorrelation in the bound molecule diminishes as the typical average total width of a resonance increases.
Clean Room Considerations for Avoiding Molecular Contamination

Control of contamination for optical products, especially those operating in the ultraviolet spectrum, is examined from three perspectives: materials involved, personnel controls, and environmental conditions. These control functions assume even greater significance when large clean room facilities are required for complex aerospace assemblies, and many clean room products or industry standard practices are not necessarily applicable. Every material introduced into a clean room environment is a potential contaminant, and must be reviewed as part of the operational screening process. Plastics commonly used in the design of clean room products can sometimes outgas and thus degrade optical performance. Facilities rework modifications, local or remote, can introduce contaminants into the air handling system which could produce deleterious effects on critical hardware. Lessons learned and the solutions that have been developed at Perkin-Elmer are discussed in several key areas: modular clean room procurement, ...
Exploring the Social, Psychological, and Behavioral Mechanisms of Heat Vulnerability in the City of Phoenix, AZ

We tested mediation models using structural equation modeling (SEM) to better understand the pathways that lead to negative heat-health outcomes for socially vulnerable households and individuals i...
Frequency and perceived effectiveness of mental health providers' coping strategies during COVID-19.

There has been an emphasis on understanding the detrimental effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on individuals’ wellbeing. Healthcare workers, including mental health providers, may experience increased emotional and behavioral health concerns to a greater degree than the general public. The objective of the present study was to examine the frequency and the perceived effectiveness of various coping strategies implemented by mental health practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as differences across career stages (i.e., trainees versus licensed practitioners [LPs]). Survey data were collected from mental health practitioners (N = 888) assessing the strategies they used to manage COVID-19-associated anxiety/distress and the perceived effectiveness of these strategies. Bonferroni-adjusted chi-square tests and t-tests were conducted to assess differences by career stage. Overall, respondents used various coping strategies, most commonly behavioral strategies such as distraction/engaging in an enjoyable activity (88.63%), spending time with loved ones (77.82%), and exercise (72.64%). Over one-quarter reported using alcohol to cope (28.27%). Respondents generally perceived their coping strategies as somewhat to very effective; no strategies were generally perceived as ineffective. Compared to LPs, trainees were significantly more likely to manage COVID-19-related anxiety/distress using supervision (p < .001) and substances other than alcohol or tobacco (p < .001). There were no significant differences in how effective trainees and LPs perceived each strategy. U.S. mental health practitioners’ use of predominantly behavioral coping strategies, which were generally perceived as effective, during the first months of COVID-19 offers implications for interventions as the pandemic progresses.
The START study: An evaluation to study the impact of a natural experiment in high school start times on adolescent weight and related behaviors.

Background Research has shown that early high school start times, which are asynchronous with adolescent biology, are one of the most significant obstacles to youth being able to net sufficient sleep. Given that adolescence is a critical period that sets the stage for long-term obesity risk behavior patterns, there is an need to understand the obesity-related implications of increased sleep as a result of intervention and policy changes. Methods We evaluated a community-based natural experiment in school start time policy modification when several Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN metro area school districts shifted to later school start times in Fall 2016. We collected data on student weight and related risks (via paper survey, objective weight and height measurement, dietary recall, and sleep actigraphy) before and after two districts (two high schools) shifted their start times later and in a comparison district (three high schools) which kept their start times early (7:30am) through the course of the study. Our specific aims were: 1) Determine how a shift to a later high school start time relates to objectively measured weight change over time. 2) Identify the relationship between school start times and obesity-related behaviors over time.At baseline we had 2,133 returned surveys (93% participation) and 2,037 (86% participation) objective height/weight measurements from 9th grade students (class of 2019) in the five schools. The sample was 87.7% white, 12.8% reported qualifying for free/reduced price lunch (a measure of lower socio-economic status), and the mean age was 15.2 (SD=0.35) years. Discussion The products of this research will clarify causal connections between sleep and obesity among adolescents as well as provide evidence for whether a school start time policy can minimize unhealthy weight gain.
Violence and Trolling on Social Media: History, Effects of Online Vitriol

Sara Polak and Daniel Trottier have assembled an eclectic group to address Violence and Trolling on Social Media: History, Affect, and Effects of Online Vitriol.
Rapid non-destructive volumetric tumor yield assessment in fresh lung core needle biopsies using polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

Adequate tumor yield in core-needle biopsy (CNB) specimens is essential in lung cancer for accurate histological diagnosis, molecular testing for therapeutic decision-making, and tumor biobanking for research. Insufficient tumor sampling in CNB is common, primarily due to inadvertent sampling of tumor-associated fibrosis or atelectatic lung, leading to repeat procedures and delayed diagnosis. Currently, there is no method for rapid, non-destructive intraprocedural assessment of CNBs. Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a high-resolution, volumetric imaging technique that has the potential to meet this clinical need. PS-OCT detects endogenous tissue properties, including birefringence from collagen, and degree of polarization uniformity (DOPU) indicative of tissue depolarization. Here, PS-OCT birefringence and DOPU measurements were used to quantify the amount of tumor, fibrosis, and normal lung parenchyma in 42 fresh, intact lung CNB specimens. PS-OCT results were compared to and validated against matched histology in a blinded assessment. Linear regression analysis showed strong correlations between PS-OCT and matched histology for quantification of tumors, fibrosis, and normal lung parenchyma in CNBs. PS-OCT distinguished CNBs with low tumor content from those with higher tumor content with high sensitivity and specificity. This study demonstrates the potential of PS-OCT as a method for rapid, non-destructive, label-free intra-procedural tumor yield assessment.
Legal Needs and Medical Legal Partnerships

A health-harming legal need arises when a patient’s health is negatively impacted by the violation of his or her rights that impact one or more of the social determinants of health (SDOH). Examples include eviction, poor housing conditions, improper denial/termination of Medicaid or food stamps, and unfair employment practices. Without specific screening tools and training, it is difficult for the healthcare team to recognize that these social risks are actually rooted in legal needs. When identified, these needs are best addressed by referral to a lawyer. Medical legal partnerships (MLPs) are a mechanism to address legal needs within the healthcare system that integrates a lawyer and legal team into the healthcare team to address patients’ health-harming legal needs. The team can be consulted for a legal problem, much as any other consultant is called when a problem in their area of expertise is identified. Through legal advocacy, the MLP attempts to meet patients’ needs with the goal of improving health. Advocacy can range from simple advice and counsel to written advocacy to full representation in a lawsuit. When truly integrated, the legal team functions as a specialist service working in tandem with social workers and case managers, allowing each team member to function at the top of their license with fluid interdisciplinary referrals as they identify different patient needs. Addressing health-harming legal needs improves patients’ physical and mental health outcomes.
MUfoldQA_G: High-Accuracy Protein Model QA via Retraining and Transformation

Abstract Protein tertiary structure prediction is an active research area and has attracted significant attention recently due to the success of AlphaFold from DeepMind. Methods capable of accurately evaluating the quality of predicted models are of great importance. In the past, although many model quality assessment (QA) methods have been developed, their accuracies are not consistently high across different QA performance metrics for diverse target proteins. In this paper, we propose MUfoldQA_G, a new multi-model QA method that aims at simultaneously optimizing Pearson correlation and average GDT-TS difference, two commonly used QA performance metrics. This method is based on two new algorithms MUfoldQA_Gp and MUfoldQA_Gr. MUfoldQA_Gp uses a new technique to combine information from protein templates and reference protein models to maximize the Pearson correlation QA metric. MUfoldQA_Gr employs a new machine learning technique that resamples training data and retrains adaptively to learn a consensus model that is better than naive consensus while minimizing average GDT-TS difference. MUfoldQA_G uses a new method to combine the results of MUfoldQA_Gr and MUfoldQA_Gp so that the final QA prediction results achieve low average GDT-TS difference that is close to the results from MUfoldQA_Gr, while maintaining high Pearson correlation that is the same as the results from MUfoldQA_Gp. In CASP14 QA categories, MUfoldQA_G ranked No. 1 in Pearson correlation and No. 2 in average GDT-TS difference.
Being Penn State: The Role of Joe Paterno's Prototypicality in the Sandusky Sex-Abuse Scandal

More than any other man, Mr. Paterno is Penn State – the man who brought the institution national recognition, the man who built a football program based on honor for 46 years, the winningest football coach in Division I history…Paterno is at the core of the university's sense of identity. (Guarino, 2011, November 10)We believe that Alderfer's (2013) intergroup analysis of the Penn State scandal can be enriched by focusing on the special role that Joe Paterno played in the events leading up to the 2010 grand jury that brought the scandal to light outside the university community. On the basis of the social identity theory of leadership (Hogg, 2001), we argue that the community afforded Paterno the trust that he appears to have abused to suppress the scandal because he embodied the norms, values, and goals of Penn State in a way that made him prototypical of the university. By making the broader group category salient, Paterno was able to shape the behavior of representatives of many sub-groups described by Alderfer within the administration, athletics, and community. Coupled with a high degree of institutional ambiguity, Paterno's prototypicality likely enabled him to suppress the “constructive diversity” (p. 123) of checks and balances that should have operated at Penn State. This disruption to effective intergroup processes prohibited necessary oversight over the PSU athletic program and the Second Mile that otherwise might have uncovered Jerry Sandusky's crimes much earlier.
Precursors of Vasopressin and Oxytocin

Publisher Summary It is now known that in addition to transcription and translation processes, various signal sequences and post-translational processing events are also involved in determining the type of peptides that are secreted by the cell. This chapter describes unequivocal criteria for the identification of precursors of peptides with regard to both vasopressin and oxytocin. These criteria include (1) demonstration in classical pulse-chase experiments in intact cellular systems that a larger form of the peptide is first synthesized and subsequently decreases in radioactivity as the radioactive peptide is formed, (2) demonstration by in vitro translation experiments that a larger precursor form of the peptide is synthesized, and (3) utilizing modem recombinant DNA techniques to clone cyclic DNA (cDNA) obtained from a purified messenger RNA (mRNA) template using reverse transcriptase. A variety of biosynthesis studies conducted in vivo and in vitro have shown that the vasopressin precursor is a 19–23,000 molecular weight glycoprotein, which contains vasopressin at its N-terminus, neurophysin in the middle, and a 39 amino acid glycopeptide at the C-terminus. While, the 15–16,000 molecular weight oxytocin precursor is not glycosylated. The vasopressin precursor has been completely sequenced by recombinant DNA methods, thereby providing insights into the nature of the glycopeptide as well as post-translational processing mechanisms. However, many questions remain to be answered such as the nature of the post-translational processing enzymes and mechanisms that fashion the final peptide products or the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional and translational regulation of the precursors during functional activity.
Income Inequality, Managers' Compensation and the Falling Rate of Profit: Reconciling the US Evidence

Evidence based on US government statistics indicates that the rate of profit fell and employees’ share of output was trendless between 1970 and the Great Recession. This paper defends that evidence...
Program of early development in the mammal: Changes in patterns and absolute rates of tubulin and total protein synthesis during oogenesis and early embryogenesis in the mouse

The absolute rates of total protein synthesis and tubulin synthesis during oogenesis and early embryogenesis in the mouse have been determined by measuring specific activities of the endogenous methionine pool and rates of incorporation of [35S]methionine into total protein and tubulin. The absolute rate of protein synthesis decreases from 43 to 33 pg/hr/oocyte during meiotic maturation, while the size of the endogenous methionine pool remains essentially unchanged at 65 fmole/oocyte (R. M. Schultz, M. J. LaMarca, and P. M. Wassarman, 1978, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 75, 4160). The one-cell mouse embryo synthesizes protein at a rate of 45 pg/hr/embryo, so that fertilization is accompanied by about a 40% increase in the absolute rate of total protein synthesis. The eight-cell compacted embryo synthesizes protein at the rate of 51 pg/hr/embryo. The size of the endogenous methionine pool increases dramatically during early embryogenesis, from 74 fmole in the unfertilized ovum to 137 and 222 fmole in the one-cell embryo and eight-cell compacted embryo, respectively. Tubulin is one of the major proteins synthesized by the mouse oocyte and embryo since the absolute rate of tubulin synthesis is, on the average, 1.3% that of total protein synthesis. The absolute rate of tubulin synthesis decreases from 0.61 to 0.36 pg/hr/oocyte during meiotic maturation and then increases to 0.60 pg/hr/embryo in the one-cell embryo and to 0.66 pg/hr/embryo in the eight-cell compacted embryo. During meiotic maturation and early embryogenesis the direction and magnitude of changes in the rate of tubulin synthesis closely parallel those of total protein synthesis. Although equimolar amounts of tubulin subunits are present in microtubules, the ratio of the absolute rate of synthesis of the β subunit to that of the α subunit is about 2.0 throughout meiotic maturation and early embryogenesis. High-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of [35S]methionine-labeled proteins reveals that many of the newly synthesized proteins that first appear during meiotic maturation of the oocyte continue to be synthesized in the one-cell embryo. Nearly all of the proteins synthesized in the one-cell embryo are also synthesized in the unfertilized ovum, although some changes in the pattern of protein synthesis are associated with fertilization. Therefore, the developmental program for early embryogenesis in the mouse appears to be activated during meiotic maturation of the oocyte. These results are compared with those obtained using oocytes and embryos from nonmammalian animal species.
Cloning of cell-specific secreted and surface proteins by subtractive antibody screening

To identify and clone genes that encode cell- or tissue-specific secreted and surface proteins, a polyclonal antiserum was raised against a complex mixture of surface or secreted proteins from the target cell, followed by immunodepletion of antibodies that recognize proteins from a nontarget cell or tissue. The depleted antiserum is used to screen bacteriophage cDNA expression libraries. Because of our interest in how adipocytes communicate with other cells, we have used this method to clone cDNAs encoding secreted and plasma membrane proteins that are induced during adipocyte differentiation. We describe several of these, including a novel plasma membrane-associated protein, S3-12.
How Does Emotional Intelligence Fit into the Paradigm of Veterinary Medical Education

The term ''emotional intelligence'' (EI) has become very popular in the business world and has recently infiltrated veterinary medical education. The term purports to encompass those qualities and skills that are not measured by IQ tests but do play an important role in achieving success in life. Veterinary medical educators often incorporate these in a category called ''non-technical competencies'' (which includes, for example, communication skills) and acknowledge that veterinarians need more training in this area in order to be successful. Although EI looks promising as a means for teaching these non-technical competencies to students and practitioners, there are some challenges to its application. To begin with, there are three competing models of EI that differ in definition and measuring instruments. Although some research has suggested that high EI is associated with success in school and in business, there are no studies directly correlating high EI with greater success in the veterinary profession. Nor have any studies confirmed that increasing a student's EI will improve eventual outcomes for that student. It is important that educators approach the implementation of new techniques and concepts for teaching non-technical competencies the same way they would approach teaching a new surgical technique or drug therapy. EI is an intriguing and promising construct and deserves dedicated research to assess its relevance to veterinary medical education. There are opportunities to investigate EI using case control studies that will either confirm or discredit the benefits of incorporating EI into the veterinary curriculum. Implementing EI training without assessment risks wasting limited resources and alienating students.
A personal experience with coronary artery bypass grafting, carotid patching, and other factors influencing the outcome of carotid endarterectomy

Objective This study was conducted to investigate the influence of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), carotid patching, and other factors on the outcome of all carotid endarterectomies (CEAs) performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary referral center. Methods The series includes 2262 CEAs (335 bilateral) in 1521 men and 741 women (33%) with median ages of 66 and 68 years, respectively. Surgical indications were asymptomatic stenosis for 1503 procedures (66%), retinal ischemia or cerebral transient ischemic attacks each for 271 (12%), and prior stroke for 217 (9.6%). CEA was done as an isolated operation in 1959 patients and was performed in conjunction with simultaneous CABG in 303 (13%). Primary arteriotomy closure was used for 783 CEAs (35%), vein patching for 1232 (54%), and synthetic patching for 247 (11%). Outcome event rates were assessed by logistic regression analysis, proportional hazards models, and Kaplan-Meier estimations. Results Postoperative mortality (odds ratio [OR], 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 7.5; P = .001), stroke (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.6 to 6.4; P = .001), and combined stroke and mortality rates (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.0 to 5.8; P P = .41) in both settings. Vein patching had a lower risk for ipsilateral stroke (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.86; P = .015) than primary closure, but was not significantly different from synthetic patching ( P = .10). The documented incidence of postoperative carotid thrombosis was 1.5% with primary closure, 0.6% with vein patching, and 2.0% with synthetic patching ( P = .088). Overall Kaplan-Meier survival was 92% at 1 year, 71% at 5 years, 41% at 10 years, and 20% at 15 years, but long-term mortality rates were higher after simultaneous CEA/CABG (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.5; P = .002) than after CEA alone. Late strokes or retinal infarctions have been reported after 97 (5.0%) of the 1923 operations for which follow-up was available, 51 (2.3%) of which were ipsilateral to CEA. The incidence of ≥60% recurrent stenosis was independently influenced by carotid patching (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.92; P = .019) but not by the choice of patch material ( P = .11). Conclusions These results substantiate the common observation that patients who require simultaneous CEA/CABG have a higher risk for adverse outcomes than patients who undergo isolated CEA. Carotid patching provided significant benefit with respect to the risks for ipsilateral postoperative stroke and ≥60% recurrent stenosis.
Expectant fathers: influence of perinatal education on stress, coping, and spousal relations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effects of father-focused discussion perinatal classes with traditional childbirth classes on expectant fathers' stress/psychological symptom status, coping strategies, social support, and spousal relations (both supportive behavior toward their partners and couple-conflict behavior). Relative to fathers in traditional childbirth classes, those in father-focused discussion classes significantly increased their use of reasoning during conflicts and their housework activity. Both groups of fathers reported a significant increase in social network support and an increase in baby/pregnancy-related activity. Neither group substantially increased their overall coping responses, although men in the father-focused group significantly changed their coping efforts by seeking more social support, particularly getting information and emotional support from their partner's physician. Implications for perinatal education practice are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered.
Tumor Fas (APO-1/CD95) up-regulation results in increased apoptosis and survival times for rats with intracranial malignant gliomas.

Objective The cellular "death" receptor Fas has been proposed to be a potential specific target for anti-glioma therapy. However, little is known regarding the effects of Fas expression on glioma viability in vivo. The goal of this study was to clarify the relationships among Fas expression, apoptosis, and survival rates for high-grade astrocytomas. Methods Fas expression was measured in several human glioblastoma multiforme cell lines and a malignant rat glioma cell line (36B10), before and after Fas up-regulation by gene transfer. Expression was correlated with the degree of Fas-mediated cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced after Fas activation. Subsequently, rats underwent intracranial implantation of either wild-type or genetically altered 36B10 cell lines, for study of the effects of Fas up-regulation on survival rates. Results Low levels of cell surface Fas expression in glioblastomas multiforme were correlated with their limited susceptibility to Fas-mediated cytotoxicity. Through Fas receptor up-regulation, relationships among increased Fas expression, Fas-mediated cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were demonstrated. The percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis after exposure to a Fas ligand-producing cell line increased from 4% in the sham-transfected line (36B10-) to 27% in the Fas-transfected line (36B10-Fas). After intracranial implantation of these tumors into rats, the median survival time increased significantly from 14 days (36B10 and 36B10-) to 24.5 days (36B10-Fas), which represents a 75% increase in the survival time for the greater Fas-expressing group (P = 0.0005). Conclusion It seems that the overall low rate of apoptosis in high-grade astrocytomas is related to low levels of cell surface Fas expression. With increases in cellular Fas expression, rates of Fas-mediated apoptosis and survival rates were increased.
Characterizing Voltage-Dependent Conformational Changes in the ShakerK+ Channel with Fluorescence

We examined voltage-dependent conformational changes in three specific regions of the Shaker potassium channel with site-directed fluorescent labeling: the fourth transmembrane segment (S4), the second transmembrane segment (S2), and the putative pore region. The fluorescence changes displayed distinctive properties that correlate with gating, activation, and slow inactivation of the channel. The fluorescence signals measured near the S2 and S4 segments suggest that the S2 segment may undergo voltage-sensitive conformational changes that precede those in the S4 segment. In contrast, fluorescence changes in the pore correlated with the voltage dependence and time course of ionic activation and slow inactivation. Spectroscopy indicated that the mechanism of fluorescence change involves voltage-dependent quenching of the probe in an aqueous environment by other parts of the protein.
Superinfecting mycobacteria home to established tuberculous granulomas

A central paradox of tuberculosis immunity is that reinfection and bacterial persistence occur despite vigorous host immune responses concentrated in granulomas, which are organized structures that form in response to infection. Prevailing models attribute reinfection and persistence to bacterial avoidance of host immunity via establishment of infection outside primary granulomas. Alternatively, persistence is attributed to a gradual bacterial adaptation to evolving host immune responses. We show here that superinfecting Mycobacterium marinum traffic rapidly into preexisting granulomas, including their caseous (necrotic) centers, through specific mycobacterium-directed and host cell-mediated processes, yet adapt quickly to persist long term therein. These findings demonstrate a failure of established granulomas, concentrated foci of activated macrophages and antigen-specific immune effector cells, to eradicate newly deposited mycobacteria not previously exposed to host responses.
Theory into Practice: Aristotelian Principles in Aristarchean Philology

he peripatetic influence on many of the fields developed at Alexandria is undeniable: chronology, ethnography, paradoxography, glossography, literary biography, and bibliography (pinakes), as well as medicine and mechanics, 1 owe much to the Aristotelian school and its approach to Wissenschaft. In recent years, against Pfeiffer’s refusal to see any link between Aristotle and the Alexandrian grammarians,2 scholars like Gallavotti, Nickau, Luhrs, Porter, Montanari, Richardson, and Matthaios3 have argued in favor of the influence of Aristotle on Alexandrian philology and in particular on Aristarchus’ scholarship. Some parallels between Aristotle and Aristarchus can be found in the distinction between Homer and the Cyclic poets; in the idea of the tevloI of a work (in particular, the famous statement that the Odyssey had reached its tevloI at 23.296);4 in the theory that the Iliad and the Odyssey are creations of one poet, Homer (schol. Il. 5.60a, 11.147a); and in the importance of the principle of consistency (Homer does not contradict himself ). In this paper, I would like to return to this issue, focusing in particular on the intellectual relationship between Aristotle and Aristarchus. Passages from the Rhetoric and above all from the Poetics will be compared to the Aristarchean sources from the Homeric scholia. In order to proceed in my analysis, I will take into account only the scholia maiora to the Iliad and the Odyssey and, among them, only those by Aristonicus and, with more caution, by Didymus.5 These, I believe, are the only secure sources for Aristarchean
Foliar response of black cherry (Prunus serotina) clones to ambient ozone exposure in central Pennsylvania.

During late summer of 1996 and 1997 we examined ozone-induced foliar injury in a plantation of 111 black cherry trees (ramets) comprising 15 clones originating from wild ortets growing in the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania, and the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. The experimental plantation was a clonal seed orchard in Centre County, Pennsylvania, started in 1971 using ortet buds grafted onto seedling rootstocks of mixed origin. Clones differed significantly in severity of foliar injury symptoms (F=31.83, p 50% leaf area affected than other clones during both years. In contrast, clone R-14, which is from the same area in northcentral Pennsylvania as R-12, exhibited significantly less injury (LAA<6%). Although ambient O3 concentrations were similar in both years, foliar injury was significantly greater (15.7%) in 1996 than in 1997 (9.9%). This is probably explained by lower stomatal conductance in 1997 caused by drier and hotter weather patterns in June and July of that year. Despite very different weather patterns and overall levels of injury in 1996 and 1997, mean clonal injury was significantly correlated between both years of assessment (r=0.92, p<0.001). Within tree crowns, foliage in lower and inner crown positions was significantly more injured than foliage in upper and exterior crown positions. There was no evidence of geographically based population differences in sensitivity to foliar O3 injury. On the contrary, results demonstrate that wild genotypes of proximal geographic origin may differ greatly in sensitivity.
Capsule Commentary on Hoffman et al., Self-Reported Health Status Predicts Other-Cause Mortality in Men with Localized Prostate Cancer: Results from the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study

Routine screenings for prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers are generally not recommended for individual with limited life expectancy.1 Despite the consensus from specialty societies and clinical practice guidelines, these tests are commonly performed in individuals with high risk of mortality within 5 years.2 The frequency with which these tests are overused speaks to the challenge of estimating life expectancy in clinical practice. To address this challenge, Hoffman and colleagues3 offer an important contribution to the growing literature on how to best target clinical services based on life expectancy estimates.4,5 This study offers clinicians a practical aid—a nomogram—a tool that can be readily used in clinical practice to estimate the probability of other-cause mortality at 10 and 15 years in men. The nomogram’s estimates are based on the 10 and 15-year other-cause mortality estimates from the population-based Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study (PCOS) cohort. The study estimates other-cause mortality as a function of the study participant’s self-reported health status 6 months following prostate cancer diagnosis, race, and age. While the study aims to create a tool to facilitate screening decisions, it is important to note that the underlying study population of men diagnosed with prostate cancer may not be representative of all men eligible for screening. This study provides a potentially new and practical tool to facilitate the appropriate targeting of prostate cancer screening to men most likely to benefit. Additional research is needed to examine the feasibility of the nomogram in practice, and its applicability to other types of cancer. If this type of tool can be reasonable integrated into practice, quality measures and Medicare payment policies can promote its use to promote appropriate cancer screenings and patient-shared decision-making.
Permanent Radiation Effects in Complementary-Symmetry MOS Integrated Circuits

The predominant effect of radiation on a typical metal-oxidesemiconductor (MOS) transistor is a shift in the threshold or "cut-off" voltage of the device. Since these devices are in other respects extremely well suited to space applications, the problem of estimating and accommodating the anticipated threshold voltage shift has been examined. This paper presents guidelines which will assist the designer to predict the limits within which the values of these changes will fall. These predictions are based on extensive tests of complementary-symmetry MOS devices, as well as the more conventional MOS transistors and integrated circuits. A parallel research program has provided a better understanding of the damage effects. The first part of the paper presents the results of radiation-testing a wide variety of MOS devices that canbe used for estimating the anticipated threshold voltage shift at various dose levels. The second part of the paper presents data on the behavior of MOS devices when gate bias during irradiation is applied intermittently instead of continuously.
Hot-electron-microcalorimeters with 0.25 mm2 area

Abstract I present measurements on hot-electron microcalorimeter with a normal-insulator superconductor tunnel-junction thermometer that is used for the detection of X-rays. With an absorber area of 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm, pulses of 20 μs in duration were observed that gave a 30 eV FWHM resolution for 6 keV X-rays and an 18 eV resolution for heat pulses. This detector has sufficient resolution, detector area, and speed to warrant application in materials analysis.
Visceral Artery Aneurysms and Pseudoaneurysms—Should They All be Managed by Endovascular Techniques?

Visceral artery aneurysms (VAA) and pseudoaneurysms (VAPA) can be life-threatening conditions with high incidence of rupture and hemorrhage. Greater availability and increased use of advanced imaging technology has led to the increased incidental detection of asymptomatic visceral aneurysms. In addition, increased percutaneous endovascular interventions have raised the incidence of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms. Due to this, both VAA and VAPA have become an increasingly frequent diagnosis confronting the vascular surgeon. Over the past decade, there has been steady increase in the utilization of minimally invasive, non-operative interventions, for vascular occlusive and aneurysmal disease. All VAA and VAPA can technically be fixed by endovascular techniques but that does not mean they should. These catheter-based techniques constitute an excellent approach in the elective setting, particularly in patients who are poor surgical candidates due to their comorbidities or who present a hostile abdomen. However, in the emergent setting it may carry a higher morbidity and mortality. We review the literature about open and endovascular approach for the treatment of VAA and VAPA both in the elective and emergent setting.
Simulation of Particle Separation on an Inclined Electric Curtain

Electric curtains have been shown in experiments to successfully remove charged dust particles from a surface using phase-modulated oscillating electric fields on parallel electrodes. Experimental limitations on charge and velocity measurement of individual particles have restricted understanding of the physical mechanism of this phenomenon. A discrete-element method for simulating particle motion in electric curtains is discussed and applied to study particle motion induced by an upward-traveling wave on an inclined electric curtain. The upward particle motion induced by the traveling wave is opposed by downward gravitational motion. Particles are influenced by van der Waals adhesion and electrostatic interaction, both to the surface and to each other. These different effects result in a complex particle flow that sometimes leads to separation of particles of different sizes but, in other cases, leads to particles moving together in one direction.