cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute experimental venous thrombosis impairs venous relaxation but not contraction.

Abstract Objective Venous thrombosis (VT) damages the vein wall, both physically by prolonged distension and from inflammation. These factors contribute to post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). Interleukin (IL)-6 might play a role in experimental PTS and vein wall responses. Previous assessments of post-thrombotic vein wall injury used static measures such as histologic examination and immunologic assays. The purpose of the present study was to use myography to quantify the changes in contraction and relaxation of murine vessels exposed to an acute VT. Methods Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice were used to determine the baseline vein wall passive tension on a DMT 610m myograph (DMT-USA, Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich), including dosing concentrations of phenylephrine (Phe) and acetylcholine (Ach). WT and IL-6−/− mice underwent VT using inferior vena cava (IVC) ligation (complete stasis) and stenosis (partial stasis), with no-surgery mice used as controls. The mice were harvested at 2 days (2D) and analyzed using a myograph. The vessels were stimulated with Phe and Ach to stimulate a contraction and relaxation response. The endothelial responses to VT were quantified by CD31 immunohistochemistry, Greiss assay, polymerase chain reaction, and Evans blue assay. Results Optimal passive tension was determined to be 2 mN, with an optimal concentration of Phe and Ach of 7E-3M and 1E-5M, respectively. No significant differences were found in the contractions when exposed to Phe between the WT control, WT 2D ligation, and WT 2D stenosis IVC segments and the IL-6−/− mice with and without thrombus (P > .05 for all). When treated with Ach, significantly more relaxation was found in the nonthrombosed control IVC segments than in those IVC segments that had had a 2D thrombus from either ligation- or stenosis-derived thrombotic mechanisms in both WT and IL-6−/− mice. CD31 staining showed ∼20% less luminal endothelium after stasis thrombosis (P ≤ .01) but no loss in the controls (P > .05). Evans blue staining showed a trend toward increased leakiness in post-thrombotic vein walls. No significant difference in the endothelial gene markers or nitric oxide production was found. Conclusions Compared with the controls, acute thrombosis in the total or partial stasis models did not impair IVC contractile responses, suggesting no effect on the medial vascular smooth muscle response. The relaxation response was significantly reduced in the post-thrombotic groups, likely from direct endothelial injury. These findings suggest, at acute points, that VT impairs the endothelial function of a vein wall while retaining the vascular smooth muscle cell function and might be a mechanism that promotes PTS.
Copper/TEMPO Redox Redux: Analysis of PCET Oxidation of TEMPOH by Copper(II) and the Reaction of TEMPO with Copper(I)

Copper salts and organic aminoxyls, such as TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl), are versatile catalysts for aerobic alcohol oxidation. Previous reports in the literature contain conflicti...
Weakly Supervised 3D Reconstruction with Adversarial Constraint

Supervised 3D reconstruction has witnessed a significant progress through the use of deep neural networks. However, this increase in performance requires large scale annotations of 2D/3D data. In this paper, we explore inexpensive 2D supervision as an alternative for expensive 3D CAD annotation. Specifically, we use foreground masks as weak supervision through a raytrace pooling layer that enables perspective projection and backpropagation. Additionally, since the 3D reconstruction from masks is an ill posed problem, we propose to constrain the 3D reconstruction to the manifold of unlabeled realistic 3D shapes that match mask observations. We demonstrate that learning a log-barrier solution to this constrained optimization problem resembles the GAN objective, enabling the use of existing tools for training GANs. We evaluate and analyze the manifold constrained reconstruction on various datasets for single and multi-view reconstruction of both synthetic and real images.
Analyzing social media data to understand consumer information needs on dietary supplements

Despite the high consumption of dietary supplements (DS), few reliable, relevant, and comprehensive online resources could satisfy information seekers. This research study aims to understand consumer information needs on DS using topic modeling, and to evaluate accuracy in correctly identifying topics from social media. We retrieved 16,095 unique questions posted on Yahoo! Answers relating to 438 unique DS ingredients mentioned in sub-section, "Alternative medicine" under the section, "Health" . We implemented an unsupervised topic modeling method, Correlation Explanation (CorEx) to unveil the various topics in which consumers are most interested. We manually reviewed the keywords of all the 200 topics generated by CorEx and assigned them to 38 health-related categories, corresponding to 12 higher-level groups. We found high accuracy (90-100%) in identifying questions that correctly align with the selected topics. The results could guide us to generate a more comprehensive and structured DS resource based on consumers' information needs.
Structural Insights into Electrophile Irritant Sensing by the Human TRPA1 Channel.

Summary Transient receptor potential channel subfamily A member 1 (TRPA1) is a Ca2+-permeable cation channel that serves as one of the primary sensors of environmental irritants and noxious substances. Many TRPA1 agonists are electrophiles that are recognized by TRPA1 via covalent bond modifications of specific cysteine residues located in the cytoplasmic domains. However, a mechanistic understanding of electrophile sensing by TRPA1 has been limited due to a lack of high-resolution structural information. Here, we present the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of nanodisc-reconstituted ligand-free TRPA1 and TRPA1 in complex with the covalent agonists JT010 and BITC at 2.8, 2.9, and 3.1 A, respectively. Our structural and functional studies provide the molecular basis for electrophile recognition by the extraordinarily reactive C621 in TRPA1 and mechanistic insights into electrophile-dependent conformational changes in TRPA1. This work also provides a platform for future drug development targeting TRPA1.
Reliability of CT myelography versus MRI in the assessment of spinal epidural disease.

The spine is the third most common site of metastatic disease after the lungs and liver [1–2]. Several imaging modalities exist for the evaluation of epidural disease, namely computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CT myelography (CTM) involves the injection of contrast material into the cerebrospinal fluid prior to imaging and requires ionizing radiation. Though previously widely used, CTM has steadily fallen out of favor to MRI at many institutions and in some cases, is used alone in radiation therapy planning. MRI is notable for its non-invasive nature, excellent visualization of soft tissues, and lack of exposure to ionizing radiation. CTM, however, can provide improved visualization of bony structures and is more resistant than MRI to geometric distortion and patient motion due to the rapid acquisition of images [3]. Additionally, CTM can be used in patients with contraindications to MRI and can also provide a direct correlation of electron density to doses used for radiation therapy planning [4]. With recent advances in radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated and image-guided radiation therapy, which aim to improve tumor targeting thereby sparing normal tissue, precise tumor localization for treatment planning often requires the use of CT integrated with MRI [5–7]. A previous study comparing CTM and MRI in the evaluation of degenerative disease in the cervical spine found that MRI was superior in its reliability for assessing the degree of nerve root compression while CTM provided greater reliability in the assessment of bony lesions and foraminal stenosis [8]. Other studies focusing on the lumbar spine also found that CTM provided greater reliability and reproducibility in the assessment of the extent of lumbar stenosis than did MRI [9] and that MRI underestimated the degree of spinal root compression in the lumbar spine [10]. While both imaging modalities have complementary advantages, studies to date have not investigated a composite evaluation of spinal epidural disease. Furthermore, given the limitations of MRI, it has not been studied whether there is merit in continuing to use CTM to complement MRI for radiation therapy planning. This study is the first to investigate whether axial and sagittal projections of the spinal epidural space using both T1 and T2-weighted MRI compared to CTM produce compatible levels of inter- and intra-rater reliability in measuring the extent of epidural disease by neuroradiologists trained in both imaging modalities. The results of this study will be useful in determining whether CTM should continue to be used in conjunction with MRI when evaluating spinal metastases and planning radiation therapy.
Sports entrepreneurs and the shaping of the SportsWorld

The modern sports world would not be possible without the impact of innovation and entrepreneurship. Despite their massive influence on the development of global sport and sports markets, entrepren...
Lung Ultrasound Findings in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19

Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has the potential to transform healthcare delivery in the era of COVID-19 with its diagnostic and therapeutic expediency. It can be performed by clinicians already at the bedside, which permits an immediate and augmented assessment of a patient. Although lung ultrasound can be used to accurately diagnose a variety of disease states such as pneumothorax, pleural effusions, pneumonia and interstitial lung disease2, there are limited reports on the sonographic manifestations of COVID-19. There is an urgent need to identify alternative diagnostic modalities that can be immediately employed at the bedside of COVID-19 patients. Methods This study was conducted at two medical centers in the United States from 3/21/2020-6/01/2020. Any adult who was hospitalized with COVID-19 (based on symptomatology and a confirmatory RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2) and received a pulmonary POCUS examination was included. Providers were instructed to use a 12-zone scanning protocol for pulmonary views and save 6 second clips of each lung zone. This study utilized several POCUS devices, including Butterfly IQ, Vave, Lumify, and Sonosite. The collected images were interpreted by the study researchers based on a consensus document developed by the study authors and previously accepted definitions of lung POCUS findings. Results A total of 22 eligible patients who received 36 lung scans were included in our study. Eleven (50%) patients experienced clinical deterioration (defined as either ICU admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, or death within 28 days from the initial symptom onset). Among the 36 lung scans collected, only 3 (8%) were classified as normal. The remaining scans had the following abnormalities: presence of B-lines (n=32, 89%), consolidations (n=20, 56%), pleural thickening (n=17, 47%), and pleural effusion (n=4, 11%). Out of 20 scans with consolidations, 14 (70%) were subpleural and 5 (25%) were translobar. A-lines were present in 26 (72%) of patients, although they were only observed in the majority of the collected lung zones in 5 (14%) of patients. Ultrasound findings were stratified by time from symptom onset to the scan based on the following time periods: early (0-6 days), middle (7-13 days), and late (14-28 days). B-lines appeared early after symptom onset and persisted well into the late disease course. In contrast, pleural thickening increased in frequency over time (early: 25%, middle: 47%, late: 67%). Subpleural consolidations also appeared in higher frequency later in the disease course (early: 13%, middle 42%, late: 56%). Discussion certain lung ultrasound findings may be common in Covid-19, while others may appear later in the disease course or only occur in patients who experience clinical deterioration. Future efforts should investigate the predictive utility of consolidations, pleural thickening and B-lines for clinical deterioration and compare them to traditional radiological studies such as X-rays or CTs.
A Dual-Core 8-17 GHz LC VCO with Enhanced Tuning Switch-less Tertiary Winding and 208.8 dBc/Hz Peak FoM T in 22nm FDSOI

This work presents a low phase noise wide tuning range dual-core transformer-based VCO using a switch-less tertiary magnetic coupling loop. The design employs the benefits of transformer-switching without incurring switch loss and quality factor degradation, and also the benefits of mode-switching without the parasitics from the mode-selection network. The VCO uses dual-mode operation with a constant quality factor capacitors bank and a positive feedback DC-coupled inductive-degenerated output buffer to maximize the tuning range. The VCO, implemented in 22nm FDSOI, achieves a 72% tuning at 8-17 GHz and a figure-of-merit-tuning (FoM T ) of 208.8 dBc/Hz at 11 GHz. The chip operates from an 0.45 V supply with a power consumption of 17-33 mW and a core area of 0.39 mm2. To the authors knowledge, the VCO achieves the highest FoM T and lowest supply for designs over 10 GHz.
Solar-Terrestrial Physics

When teaching “space physics” to graduate students 2 years ago, I soon realized that an up-to-date comprehensive textbook for theoretical space physics was not available. In the book Solar-Terrestrial Physics the editors attempt to provide the theoretical foundations that apply to the various components and processes of the solar-terrestrial system. They are partially successful in fulfilling their goal.
Vector Difference Equations, Substochastic Matrices, and Design of Multi-Networks to Reduce the Spread of Epidemics

Cities have long served as nucleating centers for human development and advancement. Cities have facilitated the spread of both human creativity and human disease, and at the same time, efforts to minimize the spread of disease have influenced the design of cities. The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of epidemics on networks in order to help design a multi-network city of the future aimed at minimizing the spread of epidemics. In order to do this, we start with the SIR model (susceptible, infected, removed) on a network in which nodes represent cities or regions and edges are weighted by flows between regions. Since the goal is to stabilize the zero infections steady state, we linearize the discrete-time SIR model yielding difference equations for the dynamics of infections at each node and then include flows of infections from other nodes. This yields a vector difference equation for the spread of infections. We then generalize the concept of stochastic matrix in order to quantify the dynamics of this update equation. The entries of the update matrix $M$ may vary in time, even discontinuously as flows between nodes are turned on and off. This may yield useful design constraints for a multi-network composed of weak and strong interactions between pairs of nodes representing interactions within and among cities.
Pattern Formation in Dissipative Nonvariational Systems: The Effects of Front Bifurcations

Patterns in reaction-diffusion systems often contain two spatial scales; a long scale determined by a typical wavelength or domain size, and a short scale pertaining to front structures separating different domains. Such patterns naturally develop in bistable and excitable systems, but may also appear far beyond Hopf and Turing bifurcations. The global behavior of domain patterns strongly depends on the fronts' inner structures. In this paper we study a symmetry breaking front bifurcation expected to occur in a wide class of reaction-diffusion systems, and the effects it has on pattern formation and pattern dynamics. We extend previous works on this type of front bifurcation and clarify the relations among them. We show that the appearance of front multiplicity beyond the bifurcation point allows the formation of persistent patterns rather than transient ones. In a different parameter regime, we find that the front bifurcation outlines a transition from oscillating (or breathing) patterns to traveling ones. Near a boundary we find that fronts beyond the bifurcation can reflect, while those below it either bind to the boundary or disappear.
Combination Endoscopic Therapy is Effective for Treatment of Nonbariatric Postoperative Gastroenteric Leaks

Abstract Background and Aims Postoperative leaks of the foregut are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While there is extensive data on the use of luminal stents for treatment of esophageal and postbariatric leaks, limited data exists regarding endoscopic management of gastroenteric leaks. Methods Our single-center retrospective cohort study reviewed 31 patients undergoing endoscopic therapy for nonbariatric postoperative gastroenteric foregut leaks between 2011 and 2018. Fifteen patients who received at least one combination endoscopic therapy (CET) procedure involving placement of a FCSEMS as well as local closure using endoscopic suturing or over the scope clip placement were compared to 16 patients who received only single-modality endoscopic therapy. The primary outcome was clinical success (resolution of the leak, removal of percutaneous drains, and avoidance of surgical reoperation). Multivariable log-binomial regression was performed to determine the association between combination therapy and clinical success. Results Technical success was achieved in 100% of patients and clinical success in 61%. CET achieved clinical success in 13 of 15 (87%) patients compared to 6 of 16 (38%) patients in the single-modality endoscopic therapy group (adjusted risk ratio 2.72 95% confidence interval 1.42-5.20, P = 0.002). Stent migration occurred in 18% of patients and required endoscopic retrieval. Conclusion Our case series demonstrates that a majority of nonbariatric gastroenteric leaks resolved with endoscopic therapy. CET was associated with a significantly higher rate of clinical success compared with single modality therapy involving stenting or local closure alone.
Global Opportunity Index 2018: Emerging G20 Countries and Capital Flow Reversal

Investor appetite for emerging economies’ assets has weakened, but the underlying reasons for this change vary across countries. In this report, we use the Global Opportunity Index (GOI) to identify some of the idiosyncratic country characteristics that matter the most for emerging market economies to attract and retain investors in challenging times. We first gauge a country’s attractiveness to foreign investors by its GOI ranking (i.e., their relatively low GOI ranking implies that the G20 emerging countries tend to perform poorly concerning the business perception and the efficacy of their institutional framework). These two categories capture investors’ opinions on a country relative to expected international standards. Second, our analysis of international investor behavior shows that in mid-2018, investors tended to divert capital from countries with acute external financial vulnerability, worsening domestic political risk, and/or significant exposure to risks from protectionist trade policies. The 2008 financial crisis triggered the last comprehensive discussion on financial reforms — a crisis driven by financial activities in the United States and other advanced economies. Officially, 2019 is the final year for the implementation of Basel III, so it is also an appropriate time to make the necessary adjustments to the global, voluntary regulatory framework. We will focus our analysis on the following four priorities: (1) An adaptable and flexible global framework, (2) The generalization of international standards and best practices, (3) A stronger global data depository and (4) Regulatory and monitoring cooperation.
Impact of ketamine as an adjunct sedative in acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Abstract Purpose Deep sedation is sometimes needed in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Ketamine is a sedative that has been shown to have analgesic and sedating properties without having a detrimental impact on hemodynamics. This pharmacological profile makes ketamine an attractive sedative, potentially reducing the necessity for other sedatives and vasopressors, but there are no studies evaluating its effect on these medications in patients requiring deep sedation for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective, observational study in a single center, quaternary care hospital in southeast Texas. We looked at adults with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation from March 2020 to September 2020. Results We found that patients had less propofol requirements at 72 hours after ketamine initiation when compared to 24 hours (median 34.2 vs 54.7 mg/kg, p=0.003). Norepinephrine equivalents were also significantly lower at 48 hours than 24 hours after ketamine initiation (median 38 vs 62.8 mcg/kg, p=0.028). There was an increase in hydromorphone infusion rates at all three time points after ketamine was introduced. Conclusions In this cohort of patients with COVID-19 ARDS who required mechanical ventilation receiving ketamine we found propofol sparing effects and vasopressor requirements were reduced, while opioid infusions were not.
Activation of mechanosensitive ion channel TRPV4 promotes normalization of tumor vasculature and improves cancer therapy (893.12)

The impaired development of tumor vessels, attributed to their highly permeable, tortuous, and hyper-dilatory properties make it a barrier for the efficient delivery of anti-cancer agents. Although...
Health inequalities and why they matter.

Health inequalities are of concern both becausestudying them may help one learn how to improvehealth and because health inequalities may beunjust. This paper argues that attending tothese reasons why health inequalities may beimportant undercuts the claims of researchersat the World Health Organization in favor offocusing on individual health variation ratherthan on social group health differences. Inequalities in individual health are of littleinterest unless one goes on to study how theyare related to other factors.
Neutron diffraction study of the reduction of NiAl2O4

The reduction of a solid NiAl2O4 cylinder to a metal-ceramic composite consisting of Ni particles in an Al2O3 matrix was monitored in situ at 1220 °C with neutron powder diffraction. The reaction kinetics was determined with a time resolution of 30 min. The reduction is associated with a volume shrinkage. A comparison of finite element calculations and the changes in the measured lattice parameters suggests that creep has relaxed the residual strains that would otherwise result from the volume shrinkage. The data also indicate that structural evolution in unreduced NiAl2O4 via a change in the cationic sublattice towards inverse spinel occurred and that led to a variation in lattice parameters.
Optimization of melt blending process of nylon 6-POSS: Improving mechanical properties of spun fibers

Blends of nylon 6 and a silsesquioxane additive, aminopropyl isobutyl POSS containing 2.5% POSS by weight, were melt-compounded with different process conditions in order to test a previously proposed mechanism for reinforcement of PA6 by POSS. In this work, we proposed that above the POSS melting temperature of 267°C POSS becomes partially soluble in the nylon 6 matrix, leading to smaller domains upon cooling, and the remaining nondiffused POSS agglomerates need to have an acceptable size distribution, typically 16 µm2 or less in area. In this work, we test this hypothesis by producing blends with POSS existing as phase-separated aggregates of even smaller size than before and processing them under various thermomechanical conditions. Although there were no significant differences in the morphology and mechanical properties between the different extruded samples, the results from the spun fibers present significant improvements in tensile properties relative to previous reports. Our results suggest that in order to maximize the tensile strength of melt spun fibers, the extruded blends should be processed at temperatures above the POSS melting temperature and at intermediate shear rates, since these conditions lead to lower debonding between POSS particles and the matrix, and smaller average particle size. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1580–1588, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Changes in the water surface profile of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, between 1923 and 2000

[1] In 1923, a U.S. Geological Survey expedition surveyed the water surface profile of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon with theodolite and stadia rod. In 2000, lidar overflights collected topographic data centered on the river corridor, allowing construction of a new water surface profile and detection of change in the profile since 1923. By registering the surveys with respect to each other on the basis of 11 locations that were independently determined to have been unchanged between 1923 and 2000, 80 rapids were directly compared for change between 1923 and 2000. The average change for all measured rapids was +0.26 m, indicating net aggradation of the coarse-grained alluvium forming the rapids throughout Grand Canyon. In addition, comparison of the two water surface profiles showed enhanced pool-and-rapid morphology. While 50% of the total drop of the river occurred in just 9% of the river distance in 1923, that value increased to 66% by 2000.
Heterotrophic Growth of Blue-Green Algae in Dim Light

A unicellular blue-green alga, Agmenellum quadruplicatum, and a filamentous blue-green alga, Lyngbya lagerheimii, were grown heterotrophically in dim light with glucose as major source of carbon and possibly energy. The dim-light conditions did not support autotrophic growth. The two blue-green algae appeared to have the same metabolic block, namely an incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle, as has been found in other obligately phototrophic blue-green algae. Under dim-light conditions, glucose made a greater contribution to cell constituents (amino acids) of A. quadruplicatum and L. lagerheimii than under high-light conditions.
The Relationships between Pharisees and Chief Priests: Some Observations on the Texts in Matthew, John and Josephus

There are several references in the gospels of John and Matthew which indicate that members of the Pharisaic sect associated with the Jewish chief priests in a quasi-authoritative way to work for common religious or political purposes. Where these references have occurred, they have attracted attention – and indeed suspicion – as being historically inaccurate and the result of a retrojection of the role of the Pharisees in the later first century into the earlier periods of that century.
Learning Objects as Tools for Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Survey of Librarian Usage

Based on information gathered from two discussion sessions moderated by members of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section’s Online Learning Research Committee a survey was conducted to identify how librarians use course/learning management systems and learning objects to deliver instruction. Objectives of the study were to identify the experiences of librarians who are using course/learning management systems; in what context learning objects are being developed and used; and the pedagogical considerations by librarians when creating online learning materials. In addition to discussing the results of the survey, a description of a “Toolkit for Online Learning” created by the Online Learning Research Committee is provided.
The role of aspirin in the prevention of polyp recurrence: What is the right dose?

Large cohort studies have demonstrated efficacy of aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention. Aspirin and other NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a mediator of prostaglandin production. Nonselective (sulindac) and selective COX-2 inhibitors (celecoxib, rofecoxib) induced regression of adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis, with dose-dependent efficacy in one such trial. Randomized, controlled trials of patients with previous adenoma or colorectal cancer have shown significant efficacy at daily aspirin doses of 81 to 325 mg/d, although lowest effective aspirin dose was not clearly established. Cohort studies have underscored the need for very long-term (> 10 years) use of aspirin to reduce rates of colorectal cancer. Confounders included intermittent and variable dosing and the use of other NSAIDs and risk modifying drugs, so no clear aspirin dosing message has come from cohort studies. The randomized, controlled trials and cohort studies have taken place during a time when NSAID drug safety has come under challenge. Adverse cardiovascular events in the selective COX-2 inhibitor trials in nonfamilal adenomas have forced reexamination of the safety of NSAIDs in general. New studies will have to balance efficacy and safety more than ever.
How conventional measures overestimate electroweak fine-tuning in supersymmetric theory

The lack of evidence for superparticles at the CERN LHC, along with the rather high value of the Higgs boson mass, has sharpened the perception that what remains of supersymmetric model parameter space suffers a high degree of electroweak fine-tuning (EWFT). We compare three different measures of fine-tuning in supersymmetric models. First, ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{HS}$ measures a subset of terms containing large log contributions to ${m}_{Z}$ (and ${m}_{h}$) that are inevitable in models defined at scales much higher than the electroweak scale. Second, the traditional ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{BG}$ measures fractional variation in ${m}_{Z}$ against fractional variation of model parameters and allows for correlations among high scale parameters which are not included in ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{HS}$. Third, the model-independent ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{EW}$ measures how naturally a model can generate the measured value of ${m}_{Z}=91.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ (or ${m}_{h}$) in terms of weak scale parameters alone. We hypothesize an overarching ultimate theory (UTH) wherein the high scale soft terms are all correlated. The UTH might be contained within the more general effective supersymmetry theories which are popular in the literature. In the case of ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{HS}$, EWFT can be grossly overestimated by neglecting additional nonindependent terms which lead to large cancellations. In the case of ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{BG}$, EWFT can be overestimated by applying the measure to the effective theories instead of to the UTH. The measure ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{EW}$ allows for the possibility of parameter correlations which should be present in the UTH and, since it is model independent, provides the same value of EWFT for the effective theories as should occur for the UTH. We find that the well-known minimal supergravity model/constrained minimal supersymmetric model is fine-tuned under all three measures so that it is unlikely to contain the UTH. The nonuniversal Higgs model NUHM2 appears fine-tuned with ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{HS,BG}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{3}$. But since ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{EW}$ can be as small as 7 (corresponding to 14% fine-tuning), it may contain the UTH for parameter ranges which allow for low true EWFT.
Photo-Disintegration of the Deuteron at High Energies

Total cross sections and angular distributions for the photo-disintegration of the deuteron for energies between 10 and 150 Mev are computed for various types of central neutron-proton interactions. Most of the explicit computations are carried out for the case of 50 percent ordinary and 50 percent exchange interaction. Neutron-proton interactions considered are of the square well, Yukawa, and exponential type with two effective ranges. Theoretical analysis of the experimental data on high energy neutron-proton scattering excludes the square well, but is compatible with both Yukawa and exponential types of potentials. The Yukawa potential is replaced by an equivalent Hulth\'en potential. For the square-well and exponential potentials explicit analytic solutions were obtained. Our treatment of the case of the exponential potential is rigorous and at the same time almost as simple as that of the Hulth\'en potential. A qualitative discussion of the photoelectric dipole transition is given on the basis of the $f$-sum rule. This shows how exchange forces greatly increase the cross section at high energies. The discussion can be carried out for any exchange ratio. It is pointed out that only the photo-electric dipole and quadrupole cross sections can be obtained independently of specific meson theories of nuclear forces. The results for photo-disintegration show a pattern similar to those on neutron-proton scattering: very little difference between Yukawa and exponential potentials, somewhat larger difference between these two and the square-well potential. There is a pronounced dependence on effective range. In the Appendix a simple derivation of the dipole cross section for the ordinary square well potential is given, based on a transformation involving the equations of motion.
In vivo studies of the SERT-selective [18F]FPBM and VMAT2-selective [18F]AV-133 radiotracers in a rat model of Parkinson's disease☆

Abstract Introduction The utility of [ 18 F]FPBM [2-(2′-((dimethylamino)methyl)-4′-(3-[ 18 F]-fluoropropoxy)phenylthio)benzenamine], a selective serotonin transporter (SERT) tracer, and [ 18 F]AV-133 [(+)-2-Hydroxy-3-isobutyl-9-(3-fluoropropoxy)-10-methoxy-1,2,3,4,6,7-hexahydro-11bH-benzo[a]quinolizine], a selective vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) tracer, were tested in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) unilateral lesioned rat model. Methods Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of three 6-OHDA unilateral lesioned male Sprague Dawley rats (Rats 1–3) were performed with [ 18 F]FPBM and [ 18 F]AV-133 to examine whether changes in SERT and VMAT2 binding, respectively, could be detected in the brain. The brains of the three rats were then removed and examined by in vitro autoradiography with [ 18 F]FPBM and the dopamine transporter ligand, [ 125 I]IPT [ N -(3′-[ 125 I]-iodopropen-2′-yl)-2-beta-carbomethoxy-3-beta-(4-chloro phenyl) tropane, for confirmation. Biodistribution of [ 18 F]FPBM in a separate group of p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) treated rats were also performed. Results PET image analysis showed varying levels of SERT binding reduction (Rat 1=-11%, Rat 2=-4%, Rat 3=-43%; n =2) and a clear and definitive loss of VMAT2 binding (Rat 1=-87%, Rat 2=-72%, and Rat 3=-91%; n =1) in the left striatum when compared to the right (non-lesioned side) striatum. The results from PET imaging were corroborated with quantitative in vitro autoradiography. Rats treated with a selective serotonin toxin (p-chloroamphetamine) showed a significant reduction of [ 18 F]FPBM uptake in the cortex and hypothalamus regions of the brain. Conclusion The preliminary data suggest that [ 18 F]FPBM and [ 18 F]AV-133 may be useful for the examination of serotonergic and dopaminergic neuron integrity, respectively, in the living brain.
The three-dimensional cytoarchitecture of developing murine muscle spindles.

The morphogenesis of muscle spindles in the mouse extensor digitorum longus was studied in closely spaced, serial, ultrathin transverse sections, permitting evaluation of the developing spindles' three-dimensional cytoarchitecture. Afferent nerve terminals are identifiable as early as 15 days in utero, and the adult number of spindles is present at 17 days in utero. By establishing continuity between the clearly identifiable equatorial regions and the polar regions, which are morphologically indistinguishable from surrounding extrafusal fibers, it could be determined that fusimotor innervation was present by the 19th day of the in utero development. In all spindles examined, the efferent innervation occurred extracapsularly. At birth, the adult number (four or five) of intrafusal fibers are found in each spindle, and fusimotor innervation is frequently intracapsular. Evidence is presented supporting the hypothesis that successive generations of intrafusal myotubes are formed by the fusion of mononucleated cells. Newly formed myotubes are preferentially distributed in close relationship to the sensory-innervated region of the primary intrafusal myotube. Analyses of growth parameters indicate that the difference in length and diameter between intrafusal and extrafusal fibers is principally a postnatal phenomenon.
Mimeticism and the spatial context of a map

College students studied a labeled map for either 2.4 or 4.8 min, either with or without the presence of mimetic drawings of the features. Availability of drawings made no difference in either the amount or categorization of free recall. On map-cued recall, subjects in the shorter exposure group who saw drawings remembered significantly more correctly located features and produced more feature representations than subjects in the longer exposure condition. The data support a mediator discovery explanation that treats time as the primary determiner of effective locational mediation.
Extreme-ultraviolet radiation filtering by freestanding transmission gratings

Measurement of energetic neutral atoms fluxes in space requires efficient suppression of exceptionally strong background extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and UV radiation. Diffraction filters make it possible to separate (transmit) charged and neutral particles from the background radiation (which would be suppressed). Recently developed freestanding transmission gratings look especially promising for implementation in a new family of diffraction EUV/UV filters. The first results of our experimental study of filtering properties of freestanding transmission gratings with a period of 200 nm are presented. The grating transmission was measured in the 52-131-nm wavelength range, and grating polarization properties were determined at 58.4 nm. It is shown that transmission gratings can be used efficiently as filters and polarizers in the EUV/UV spectral range.
Antimicrobial nano-fibrous membranes developed from electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers

In this study, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nano-fibrous membranes with fiber diameters of ∼450 nm were prepared by the technique of electrospinning; amidoxime nano-fibrous membranes were then prepared through treatment of PAN nano-fibrous membranes in hydroxylamine (NH2OH) aqueous solution. The –C N groups on the surface of PAN nanofibers reacted with NH2OH molecules and led to the formation of –C(NH2) N–OH groups, which were used for coordination of Ag+ ions. Subsequently, the coordinated Ag + ions were converted into silver nanoparticles (AgNP) with sizes being tens of nanometers. Morphologies, structures, and antimicrobial efficacies (against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli )o f the membranes of electrospun PAN (ESPAN) nanofibers, ESPAN surface functionalized with amidoxime groups (ASFPAN), ASFPAN coordinated with silver ions (ASFPAN–Ag
On the growth of creep voids from potassium-filled bubbles in tungsten wire

Modelisation de la nucleation et de la croissance des cavites de fluage dans la situation ou elles se forment dans les filaments de lampe a partir de bulles pre-existantes remplies de vapeur de potassium. L'effet de la pression de vapeur est inclu dans l'expression de l'energie libre de la formation de cavites
Biofeedback and Hypnosis in Weaning from Mechanical Ventilators

Weaning patients from mechanical ventilation can be hindered by both physical and psychologic factors. Biofeedback has been used successfully as an adjunct in difficult weaning problems. We have used a combination of hypnosis and biofeedback to wean a patient with neurologic disease who previously failed weaning by standard procedures. A 30-year-old woman with respiratory failure secondary to multiple sclerosis with transverse myelitis was given eight sessions of biofeedback over 12 days in which the movements of her chest wall, as monitored by magnetometers, were displayed on an oscilloscope. The patient was praised for targeted respiratory rate, amplitude, and rhythm. These sessions included hypnosis in which the patient was given suggestions of well-being and that she could breathe as she had five years earlier. In this manner the patient was successfully weaned. Respiratory biofeedback and hypnosis appear to be useful adjuncts in weaning patients from ventilators.
Radiation therapy for malignant melanoma of the head and neck

Thirty-one patients with melanoma of the head and neck received split-course radiation therapy (5,000 to 6,000 rads/30 fractions) for loco-regional disease. There was no difference in survival in patients with gross tumors versus patients with no clinical evidence of disease at the start of radiation therapy. The prognosis was notably worse in patients with recurrence in the irradiated field.
A novel approach to study motor neurons from zebrafish embryos and larvae in culture

Zebrafish are becoming increasingly popular models for examining the mechanisms of and treatments for neurological diseases. The available methods and technology to examine disease processes in vivo are increasing, however, detailed observations of subcellular structures and processes are complex in whole organisms. To address this need, we developed a primary motor neuron (MN) culture technique for utilization with zebrafish neurological disease models. Our protocol enables the culturing of cells from embryos older than 24h post-fertilization, at points after MN axonal development and outgrowth begins, which enables MN axons to develop in vivo in the context of the normal endogenous cues of the model organism, while also providing the accessibility of an in vitro system. When utilized with the increasing number of genetically modified or transgenic models of neurological diseases, this approach provides a novel tool for the examination of cellular and subcellular disease mechanisms, and offers a new platform for therapeutic discoveries in zebrafish.
Performance of Commercial Off-the-Shelf Microelectromechanical Systems Sensors in a Pulsed Reactor Environment

Prompted by the unexpected failure of piezoresistive sensors in both an elevated gamma-ray environment and reactor core pulse tests, we initiated radiation testing of several MEMS piezoresistive accelerometers and pressure transducers to ascertain their radiation hardness. Some commercial off-the-shelf sensors are found to be viable options for use in a high-energy pulsed reactor, but others suffer severe degradation and even catastrophic failure. Although researchers are promoting the use of MEMS devices in radiation-harsh environment, we nevertheless find assurance testing necessary.
Alcohol use in motion pictures and its relation with early-onset teen drinking.

Objective: Little is known about the impact of viewing depictions of alcohol in entertainment media on adolescent drinking behavior. Our aims were to assess drinking in a sample of popular contemporary movies and to examine the association of movie alcohol exposure with early-onset drinking in an adolescent sample. Method: We conducted a school-based cross-sectional survey (N=4655) with longitudinal follow-up of never-drinkers (N=2406) involving adolescents ages 10-14 years and recruited from 15 New Hampshire and Vermont schools. Screen depictions of alcohol use were timed for each of 601 popular contemporary movies. Each adolescent was asked if he/she had seen a unique list of 50 movie titles, randomly selected from the larger pool. Movie alcohol use was summed for movies the adolescent had seen, adjusted to reflect exposure to the larger pool and modeled as a continuous variable. Results: Ninety-two percent of the movies in the sample depicted drinking; median screen time for movie alcohol use was 2.5 m...
Implementation of a flu immunization program for homebound elders: a graduate student practicum.

Approximately 80% to 90% of all influenza-associated deaths in the United States occur in people aged 65 years and older. Costs associated with influenza-related hospitalizations have been estimated to range from $750 million to $1 billion during recent epidemics. In spite of these statistics, few programs target elders, who are particularly at risk for influenza. This article describes the development of a graduate student practicum in which an influenza immunization program for homebound elders was implemented. The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretical framework for this intervention. As a result of this program, 88 people received immunizations in the home environment. The need for this type of program is underscored in Health People 2000, which specifically addresses the need to increase vaccine use for those 65 and older. (Geriatr Nurs 1996;17:217–21.)
Effects of modality on virtual button motion and performance

The simple action of pressing a button is a multimodal interaction with an interesting depth of complexity. As the development of computer interfaces supporting 3D tasks progresses, there is a need to understand how users will interact with virtual buttons that generate multimodal feedback. Using a phone number dialing task on a virtual keypad, this study examined the effects of visual, auditory, and haptic feedback combinations on task performance and on the motion of individual button presses. The results suggest that the resistance of haptic feedback alone was not enough to prevent participants from pressing the button farther than necessary. Reinforcing haptic feedback with visual or auditory feedback shortened the depth of the presses significantly. However, the shallower presses that occurred with trimodal feedback may have led participants to release some buttons too early, which may explain an unexpected increase in mistakes where the participant missed digits from the phone number.
α1-Adrenergic Receptor Subtype Function in Cardiomyocytes: Lessons from Genetic Models in Mice

Catecholamines regulate cardiac function primarily by activating b1-adrenergic receptors (ARs) coupled to the stimulatory Gs protein and the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway. However, cardiomyocytes also express a1-ARs that exert important short-term effects on the rate, rhythm, and force of cardiomyocyte contraction. These acute a1-AR-dependent actions are a source of inotropic reserve during pathophysiological conditions such as heart failure, where b-ARs are downregulated and/or uncoupled from G proteins. a1-ARs also induce the morphologic and molecular changes that are considered hallmarks of cardiac hypertrophy. The intracellular signaling pathways activated by cardiomyocyte a1-ARs and their contribution to hypertrophic signaling have been scrutinized by several laboratories. In comparison, progress de®ning the biochemical and/or ionic mechanisms underlying a1-AR regulation of contraction has been relatively slow, at least in part due to the complexities of the regulatory controls activated by a1-ARs and the highly contextual nature of a1-AR signaling. For example, b1-ARs induce stereotypic rapid robust positive chronotropic, inotropic and lusitropic responses; in contrast, a1-AR-dependent modulation of contractile function varies substantially depending upon the species or age of the animal studied as well as the precise experimental conditions used for