cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of BK Viral Nephropathy in the Renal Allograft Biopsy: Role of Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization

Early recognition of BK viral nephropathy is essential for successful management. Our aim in this study was to evaluate a novel fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay for detection of BK virus in renal transplant biopsies in the context of standard detection methods. Renal allograft biopsies (n = 108) were analyzed via HE 24 of 108 showed a discrepancy in ≥1 testing modalities. Comparison of H&E, IHC, and FISH showed no statistical difference in detection of BK virus. However, performing comparisons between the different tissue-based assays in the context of plasma or urine real-time PCR results showed significant improvement in detection of BK by FISH over H&E (P = 0.02) but not IHC (P = 0.07). This novel FISH-based approach for BK virus identification in renal allograft biopsy tissue mirrored real-time PCR results and showed superior performance to detection of inclusions by H&E. Therefore, use of FISH for BK virus detection in the setting of renal allograft biopsy is a useful and sensitive detection method and could be adopted in any laboratory that currently performs FISH analysis.
Improved Mechanical Properties of Polymer Films Dried from the Swollen State in Uniaxial and Biaxial States of Strain

The technique employed in the investigations reported in this review emphasizes postponing the formation of anisotropic domains in semi-flexible polymers so as to better orient them along a common director. Most of the materials investigated were prepared by the following sequence of steps: (i) Identifying polymer chains of sufficient stiffness to give liquid-crystalline, anisotropic phases (either homopolymers, or block copolymers consisting of stiff and flexible sequences) (ii) Cross linking the chains, in the presence of solvent, thus conferring sufficient solidity for the polymer to remain in a deformed state for any length of time, with the solvent preventing the premature ordering of the stiff chains or sequences (iii) Deforming the swollen network uniaxially or biaxially to induce segmental orientation (iv) Removing the solvent, at constant length or at constant force, in the hope of causing a first-order transition to a single-phase, homogeneous, and highly-ordered material.1–15
Single machine scheduling with stochastically dependent times

This paper examines the behavior of several single machine scheduling problems when presented with times that are random and potentially dependent. A position-based learning effect model is revisited and optimal schedules are derived under several typical performance measures. A sum-of-processing-time based model is proposed to incorporate the learning effects and deteriorations in one unified framework. Optimal schedules are derived to minimize the maximum lateness or jointly minimize the completion times under the proposed model, and the model is used to solve the optimal issuing problem.
Trauma-Informed Care: Helping the Healthcare Team Thrive

Many individuals have experienced trauma, which can adversely impact health. Healthcare professionals may have experienced trauma at home or at work or secondary (vicarious) trauma. These experiences of trauma can contribute to compassion fatigue and ultimately to the epidemic of burnout among healthcare professionals. In order to provide trauma-informed care and best serve patients, healthcare professionals must recognize and respond to their own experiences of trauma. There are evidence-based strategies grounded in neurobiology that can mitigate the adverse effects of trauma and foster resilience for both health professionals and our patients, many of which center on mindfulness and positive psychology. Assessment of “wellness” on the individual and institutional levels is valuable when designing and implementing change. Healthcare professionals can use a number of trauma-informed strategies to support personal, organizational, and patient wellness and resilience, in turn, leading to healing-centered engagement and higher quality care for our patients and greater well-being for ourselves.
Age-related associations between substance use and sexual risk behavior among high-risk young African American women in the South

Abstract Background We assessed age-related associations between substance use and sexual risk behavior using data from three HIV prevention trials that enrolled young African American women. Methods We used integrative data analysis to pool data from 1862 individuals aged 16–25 years. We used time-varying effect models to examine associations between substance use (alcoholic drinks per month, recent marijuana use, cigarettes smoked per day) and sexual risk behaviors (monthly frequency of vaginal sex, multiple sex partners, condomless sex), adjusting for the fixed effect of trial. Results In models that included all three substances, cigarette smoking was not associated with any outcome. Alcohol quantity was associated with greater frequency of sex at all ages, an increased likelihood of having multiple sex partners from about age 17–24 years, and an increased likelihood of condomless sex after about age 18.5 years. Associations between alcohol quantity and sex frequency were relatively stable; associations with having multiple sex partners and condomless sex increased beginning at about age 22 years. Marijuana use was associated with greater sex frequency at approximate ages 16.5–24 years and an increased likelihood of having multiple sex partners at ages 18–24 years. Associations with sex frequency were relatively stable; associations with having multiple sex partners increased from about age 18 and peaked at about age 23 years. Conclusions We observed developmentally-dependent relationships between both alcohol and marijuana and sexual risk behavior. The findings underscore the need to address substance-related sexual risk among young African American women and may inform optimal timing of intervention.
Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Increases With Combinations of Antithrombotic Agents and Patient Age.

Background & Aims The safety of different antithrombotic strategies for patients with 1 or more indication for antithrombotic drugs has not been determined. We investigated the risk and time frame for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients prescribed different antithrombotic regimens. We proposed that risk would increase over time and with combination regimens, especially among elderly patients. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of nationwide claims data from privately insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees who received anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agents from October 1, 2010, through May 31, 2017. Patients were stratified by their prescriptions (anticoagulant alone, antiplatelet alone, or a combination) and by their primary diagnosis (atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, or venous thromboembolism). The 1-year GIB risk was estimated using parametric time-to-event survival models and expressed as annualized risk and number needed to harm (NNH). Results Our final analysis included 311,211 patients (mean ages, 67 years for monotherapy and 69.8 years for combination antithrombotic therapy). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with bleeding after anticoagulant or antiplatelet monotherapy (∼3.5%/year). Combination antithrombotic therapy increased GIB risk compared with anticoagulant (NNH, 29) or antiplatelet (NNH, 31) monotherapy, regardless of the patients' diagnosis or time point analyzed. Advancing age was associated with increasing 1-year probability of GIB. Patients prescribed combination therapy were at the greatest risk for GIB, especially after the age of 75 years (GIB occurred in 10%–17.5% of patients/y). Conclusions In an analysis of nationwide insurance and Medicare claims data, we found GIB to occur in a higher proportion of patients prescribed combinations of anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents compared with monotherapy. Among all drug exposure categories and cardiovascular conditions, the risk of GIB increased with age, especially among patients older than 75 years.
Interactive Impacts of Rice Water Weevil1 and Sheath Blight Pathogen on Rice Yield

In the southern US, rice, Oryza sativa L., is frequently attacked simultaneously by rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, and sheath blight pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani J.G. Kuhn. Field studies were used to determine the impact of L. oryzophilus infestation on development of sheath blight and combined effects of both L. oryzophilus and R. solani on yield of rice cultivars, ‘Cocodrie’ and ‘Jefferson’. Infestation by L. oryzophilus had no influence on severity of sheath blight in either Cocodrie or Jefferson. Grain yield of both cultivars was significantly less in response to infestation by L. oryzophilus. Infection by R. solani alone significantly reduced yield only in the susceptible cultivar Cocodrie. Percent yield losses in Cococdrie in response to exposure to L. oryzophilus and R. solani alone and in combination were 5.6, 23.9, and 20.0%, respectively. Similarly, percent yield losses in Jefferson in response to exposure to L. oryzophilus and R. solani alone and in combination were 7.3, 10.6, and 5.4%, respectively. Combined impact of infestation by L. oryzophilus and infection by R. solani on yield did not differ significantly from the impact of pathogen infection alone in Cocodrie. The combined impact of R. solani and L. oryzophilus on yield in Jefferson did not vary significantly from the impact of either alone. Results suggested that L. oryzophilus did not affect severity of sheath blight in rice, and the combined impact of L. oryzophilus and R. solani on rice yield was less than additive. Understanding the interaction between L. oryzophilus and R. solani, important pests of rice in the southern US, will help manage these pests more effectively.
Older Adult Factors Associated With Identified Need for Family Caregiver Assistance During Home Health Care

Family caregivers make important contributions to home health care for older adults, but knowledge of the specific roles they assume is lacking. We analyzed data from 1,758 community-dwelling Medic...
Estrogen Differentially Affects Expression of Calcium Handling Genes in Female and Male Adult Cardiomyocytes

Premenopausal women have a lower risk of developing heart disease compared with postmenopausal women and age-matched men. However, the debate about whether estrogen is cardioprotective is ongoing due to conflicting results from basic science and clinical trials as well as signaling pathways that make interpretation of effects difficult. Calcium handling in the contracting cells of the heart, the cardiomyocytes, is one of the most important pathways involved in heart function. We sought to determine if calcium-handling genes are regulated by estrogen in a sexually dimorphic manner to explain differences in heart health between men and women. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from the hearts of healthy male and female rats and were treated with different doses of estrogen (300pM, 10nM). Expression of a set of calcium handling genes was then measured to determine the effect of estrogen. Our results demonstrate that estrogen differentially regulates calcium-handling genes in female and male cells, an effect that is also dose-dependent. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine expression of this comprehensive set of calcium-handling genes in response to estrogen and to consider its effects separately on cardiomyocytes isolated from males and females.
The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, and Capitalism in Seventeenth-Century North America and the Caribbean (Gerald Horne)

Review of Gerald Horne's The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, and Capitalism in Seventeenth-Century North America and the Caribbean. Monthly Review Press, 2018. B
Synthesis and Properties of Bulk Metallic Glasses

During the past few years, a number of metallic alloys have been reported in the literature which exhibit glass forming ability when cooled from the melt at cooling rates of less than 100 K/s and as low as 1 K/s. This permits formation of large three dimensional specimens of metallic glass. Further, these glasses remain stable against crystallization when heated to temperatures far above Tg, the glass transition temperature. The undercooled melt, or labile, can be studied and characterized over a broad temperature range between Tg and Ti, the latter being the thermodynamic liquidus temperature of the alloy. A brief summary of the constitution, synthesis, glass forming ability, and thermophysical properties is given for one family of these new bulk metallic glasses. The origins of the exceptional glass forming ability are discussed.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with oligometastatic cancer.

7085Background: The SABR-COMET randomized clinical trial found that stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) improved outcomes among cancer patients with oligometastatic disease. Yet, the cost of ...
Community health workers in humanitarian settings: Scoping review.

Background There is a need for greater understanding of experiences implementing community-based primary health care in humanitarian settings and of the adjustments needed to ensure continuation of essential services and utilization of services by the population, and to contribute to effective emergency response. We reviewed the evidence base on community health workers (CHWs) in humanitarian settings, with the goal of improving delivery of essential services to the most vulnerable populations. Methods We conducted a scoping review of published and grey literature related to health and nutrition services provided by CHWs in humanitarian settings. Extracted data from retained documents were analyzed inductively for key themes. Results Of 3709 documents screened, 219 were included in the review. Key findings from the literature include: 1) CHWs were often able to continue providing services during acute and protracted crises, including prolonged periods of conflict and insecurity and during population displacement. 2) CHWs carried out critical emergency response activities during acute crises. 3) Flexible funding facilitated transitions between development and humanitarian programming. 4) Communities that did not have a locally-resident CHW experienced reduced access to services when travel was limited. 5) Community selection of CHWs and engagement of respected local leaders were crucial for community trust and acceptance and high utilization of services. 6) Selection of local supervisors and use of mobile phones facilitated continued supervision. 7) Actions taken to maintain supplies included creating parallel supply chains, providing buffer stocks to CHWs, and storing commodities in decentralized locations. 8) When travel was restricted, reporting and data collection were continued using mobile phones and use of local data collectors. 9) CHWs and supervisors faced security threats and psychological trauma as a result of their work. Conclusions To achieve impact, policy makers and program implementers will have to address the bottlenecks to CHW service delivery common in stable low-income settings as well as the additional challenges unique to humanitarian settings. Future interventions should take into account the lessons learned from years of experience with implementation of community-based primary health care in humanitarian settings. There is also a need for rigorous assessments of community-based primary health care interventions in humanitarian settings.
Structure Prediction from Neutron Scattering Profiles: A Data Sciences Approach

One of the main goals of neutron data analysis is to determine the internal structure of materials from their neutron scattering profiles. These structures are defined by a crystallographic class label and a set of real-valued parameters specific to that class. Existing structure analysis approaches use computationally expensive loop refinements methods that routinely take days, and even weeks, to complete. Additionally, the outcomes often rely on the fidelity of physical models that are computed during the refinement process.
Ketamine for treatment-resistant bipolar depression-need for more data!

Treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBD) is a significant but less well-defined and quantified condition compared to treatment-resistant depression (TRD, unipolarity implied). Ketamine, a novel glutamatergic anesthetic agent repurposed as a rapid-acting antidepressant, is considered a third-line treatment with Level 3 evidence for acute bipolar I and II depression.1 While there are numerous studies of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of off-label intravenous (IV) racemic ketamine and its FDA-approved enantiomer intranasal esketamine for TRD the evidence base of ketamine for TRBD is much less.
Identification of characteristics that distinguish superior performing middle managers from average performing middle managers within management information systems

Management Information Systems Departments (MIS) have often failed in efforts to implement computer systems that meet users' requirements. MIS management action has been identified as causes of computer systems implementation failures. The performance of a midwest manufacturing corporation's MIS organization is probably consistent with other MIS organizations in industry. However, some managers within this midwest corporation's MIS organization are more effective than others. The question that requires an answer is: why are some MIS managers more effective than others in this midwest corporation's MIS organization? Richard Boyatzis (1982) identified nineteen competencies that are common among managers. Boyatzis found that differences in manager performance can be explained using his Job Competence Assessment Method. This research used a modified version of the Boyatzis Job Competence Assessment Method to identify the competencies that distinguish superior from average performing middle managers within a midwest manufacturing corporation. The subjects of this research were senior and middle MIS managers within this midwest manufacturing corporation. There are ten senior and fifty five middle managers within this midwest MIS organization. The survey and interview methods were used to collect data about managerial competencies and middle manager job performance. The MIS senior managers each prioritized the nineteen competencies (established by Boyatzis). The MIS senior managers each assessed the performance of one superior and one average middle manager, via an interview, conducted by the researcher using a modified version of the Boyatzis Job Competence Assessment Method. SPSSXs' condescripitive formula, step wise analysis (discriminant analysis), cluster analysis and pair wise t-test were be used to determine significance. The results of the research found: 1) That all clusters and 17 competencies distinguished superior from average performing middle managers; 2) There was no strong correlation between the MIS Competency Model of Management and the MIS manager performance assessment; and 3) The Boyatzis Model can used to help distinguish superior from average performing managers.
An Empowering Pedagogy Sequence for Teaching Technology

AbstractThose who teach technology must deal with individuals who possess varying levels of expertise, from the fearful to the fearless. Both demand individual attention while group instruction grinds to a halt. After 15 years of refining the technology teaching process, I have crafted a pedagogy sequence that addresses diverse experience levels and produces a class of confident technology wielders out of both the fearful and the fearless. This pedagogy sequence can be adapted to any technology instruction at any level. It’s a method that economically conserves class time, promotes empowerment, and requires proficiency.
Imaging Cardiac Metabolism

Cardiac metabolism is the process that converts energy-providing fuels to ATP, the energy currency in the cell. ATP is largely used to maintain myocardial contraction and to regulate the membrane pumps and movements of ions in and out of the cell. For a given physiologic environment, the heart consumes the most efficient metabolic fuel. In the normally oxygenated heart, fatty acids account for the majority of ATP production with glucose making only a small contribution to the ATP production, unless there is an insulin surge. During an acute increase in work load (for example, inotropic stimulation), the heart immediately mobilizes its metabolic reserve contained in glycogen (transient increase in glycogen oxidation) and meets the needs for additional energy from the oxidation of carbohydrate substrates (glucose and lactate). When the oxygen supply is decreased, the heart protects itself from an oxygen-deficient state by switching its energy source to glycolysis, downregulating mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, and reducing contractile function. Thus, the tight coupling between metabolism and contractile function in the heart offers a unique opportunity to assess cardiac performance at different levels in vivo: coronary flow, myocardial perfusion, oxygen delivery, metabolism, and contraction.
Utilization and transport of hexoses by mutant strains of Salmonella typhimurium lacking enzyme I of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system.

Abstract Mutant strains of Salmonella typhimurium that lack Enzyme I of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system cannot take up several sugars either by group translocation or by facilitated diffusion. A second mutation, which resulted in a 25-fold enhancement of the ATP-dependent manno(fructo)kinase activity, partially restored the ability of the cells to take up the sugars that this enzyme phosphorylates. It is suggested that phosphorylation of these sugars is required for their release from a membrane carrier into the cytoplasm. Preliminary evidence indicates that the mutation affecting the constitutively synthesized manno(fructo)kinase results in increased levels of the protein, rather than in a structural change affecting catalytic activity. The mutation may represent one of few known examples suggesting that the levels of constitutive enzymes are under genetic regulation.
Design of Primary and Secondary Cells II . An Equation Describing Battery Discharge

A discussion is given of the derivation and application of an equation which gives an excellent description of a wide variety of cell and battery discharges. This equation gives the cell potential during discharge as a function of discharge time, current density, and certain other factors. It makes possible a complete description of cell discharge characteristics, using a minimum of experimental data and at the same time pinpointing experimental errors. It can also be used to describe cell charges, capacities, power evolution, and to predict capacities. A description is given of a simple numerical method for fitting this equation to a particular set of battery discharge curves. A graphical method is described for comparing characteristics of various types of cells.
Robust estimation algorithm for spectral Neugebauer models

Colorimetric models are used to predict printer output colors from a set of toner control values. The so-called Neugebauer model predicts the spectral reflectance of the printed colors. This paper presents an algorithm for estimating the parameters of the Neugebauer model from a set of measured reflectances. The algorithm requires a bound on the magnitude of the output reflectance errors. A case study using a high-end color printer suggests that this algorithm yields robust spectral models, which are less sensitive (to undesirable variations in the data) than the models obtained with the methods of least squares and total least squares.
Digestion of fibrinogen by trypsin: I. Kinetic studies of the reaction

Abstract The digestion of fibrinogen by trypsin, as followed in the pH-stat, can be described in terms of three distinct reaction classes: (a) A fast reaction involving the splitting of 12 peptide bonds during which clottability is lost, (b) a slower reaction involving 80 peptide bonds, associated with the appearance of a slower sedimenting component in the ultracentrifuge and indicating the production of large fragments, and (c) a slow reaction which covers the remaining bonds susceptible to trypsin and which results in the fragmentation of the molecule into small peptides. The digestion was also followed in the viscosimeter, ultracentrifuge and polarimeter, and the liberation of non-protein nitrogen measured. The disappearance of clotting ability associated with the first phases of the reaction was studied, and certain conclusions were drawn concerning the mechanism of this inactivation process.
Studies on the Soluble Antigen of Influenza Virus. III. The Decreased Incorporation of S. Antigen into Elementary Bodies of Increasing Incompleteness.

Abstract A comparison was made of the extent of incorporation of S antigen into fully infectious and partially incomplete elementary bodies (EB) as derived from allantoic fluids following inoculation of diluted standard virus on the one hand, and of undiluted native or heated (37°) standard, or undiluted passage seeds, on the other. Whereas on the average, 40 HA units (chicken red cells) of fully infectious EB ( ID 50 HA > 10 6 ) were required to yield one unit of S antigen after exposure to ether, increasingly more HA units were needed as the ID 50 HA ratios of the progenies decreased; i.e., for each successive tenfold reduction in the ID 50 HA ratio the number of HA units required increased in twofold steps. EB preparations derived from infected allantoic membranes yielded regularly less S antigen than those obtained from the allantoic fluids of the corresponding chick embryos in accordance with the fact that the tissue-bound virus materials always reveal ID 50 HA ratios 8–15 log 10 units lower than the progenies liberated from the cells. Furthermore, ether was found to be more detrimental to the hemagglutinating and antigen activities of EB suspensions derived from tissues than of those found in the allantoic fluids, suggesting that the former are as yet structurally deficient. The decreasing incorporation of S antigen into incomplete virus particles cannot be ascribed to a lack in its production in the tissues, since similar quantities were found free in the infected membranes as long as the total yield of hemagglutinins was not reduced. Exposure of incomplete virus derived from infected HeLa cell cultures to ether gave results similar to those observed with EB suspensions obtained from allantoic membranes. The implications of these findings have been discussed.
Evolution of Relational DBMSs Toward Object Support: A Practical Viewpoint

Object-oriented data base management systems (OO DBMSs) have been the focus of intense research and commercial development activities in the last few years. Yet, many problems remain to be solved. In this paper, we discuss some aspects of supporting the object-oriented paradigm. In particular, we deal with type and collection hierarchies, complex objects, constraints and field level types. We argue in favor of modifying a relational data base management system in order to support 00 features rather than building an OO DBMS from scratch. In so doing, we have tried to benefit from the implementation and user experiences gained from the different implementations of the relational model. We also discuss some issues that are not currently being given as much importance by the OO DBMS developers as they deserve.
Effects of selected polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners on hepatic glutathione, glutathione-related enzymes, and selenium status: implications for oxidative stress.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) induce drug metabolism that may lead to the bioactivation of PCBs themselves or alternatively may lead to oxidative events within the cell. The goal of the present study was to determine the influence of congeneric PCBs, selected as substrates for or inducers of drug metabolism, upon hepatic glutathione, glutathione-related enzymes, and selenium status. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats received two i.p. injections per week of PCB 3 (4-chlorobiphenyl), PCB 28 (2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl), PCB 38 (3,4,5-trichlorobiphenyl), PCB 77 (3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl), PCB 153 (2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl), or both PCBs 77 and 153 (100 micromol/kg/injection) and were killed at the end of 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Whole liver homogenates, hepatic cytosol, and microsomes were prepared. Both glutathione reductase and glutathione transferase activities were increased significantly in both male and female rats receiving PCB 77, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, as well as in those receiving both PCBs 77 and 153. No significant trend was observed in the levels of hepatic total glutathione. PCB 77 treatment decreased hepatic selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGPX) activity in both male and female rats significantly. This decrease in activity following PCB 77 treatment was accompanied by a decrease in the cytosolic selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase gene (GSPx1) transcript, as well as a decrease in hepatic total selenium levels. These data support the concept that exposure to the coplanar PCB 77 suppresses, via gene regulatory mechanisms, the cellular antioxidant enzyme SeGPX and that this decrease involves selenium. Lower halogenated PCBs that may be bioactivated to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing metabolites, and higher halogenated PCBs that are not Ah receptor agonists, were inactive.
K(+)- and HCO3(-)-dependent acid-base transport in squid giant axons II. Base influx.

We used microelectrodes to monitor the recovery (i.e., decrease) of intracellular pH (pHi) after using internal dialysis to load squid giant axons with alkali to pHi values of 7.7, 8.0, or 8.3. The dialysis fluid (DF) contained 400 mM K+ but was free of Na+ and Cl-. The artificial seawater (ASW) lacked Na+, K+, and Cl-, thereby eliminating effects of known acid-base transporters on pHi. Under these conditions, halting dialysis unmasked a slow pHi decrease caused at least in part by acid-base transport we refer to as "base efflux." Replacing K+ in the DF with either NMDG+ or TEA+ significantly reduced base efflux and made membrane voltage (Vm) more positive. Base efflux in K(+)-dialyzed axons was stimulated by decreasing the pH of the ASW (pHo) from 8 to 7, implicating transport of acid or base. Although postdialysis acidifications also occurred in axons in which we replaced the K+ in the DF with Li+, Na+, Rb+, or Cs+, only with Rb+ was base efflux stimulated by low pHo. Thus, the base effluxes supported by K+ and Rb+ appear to be unrelated mechanistically to those observed with Li+, Na+, or Cs+. The combination of 437 mM K+ and 12 mM HCO3- in the ASW, which eliminates the gradient favoring a hypothetical K+/HCO3- efflux, blocked pHi recovery in K(+)-dialyzed axons. However, the pHi recovery was not blocked by the combination of 437 mM Na+, veratridine, and CO2/HCO3- in the ASW, a treatment that inverts electrochemical gradients for H+ and HCO3- and would favor passive H+ and HCO3- fluxes that would have alkalinized the axon. Similarly, the recovery was not blocked by K+ alone or HCO3- alone in the ASW, nor was it inhibited by the K-H pump blocker Sch28080 nor by the Na-H exchange inhibitors amiloride and hexamethyleneamiloride. Our data suggest that a major component of base efflux in alkali-loaded axons cannot be explained by metabolism, a H+ or HCO3- conductance, or by a K-H exchanger. However, this component could be mediated by a novel K/HCO3- cotransporter.
The choice of municipal government structure and public expenditures

Numerous empirical studies have attempted to measure the effect of varying government structures on public expenditures. I argue that these prior may have produced biased estimates, as they are predicated on the assumption that government structures are exogenous.
Intention and attention: different functional roles for LIPd and LIPv

Establishing the circuitry underlying attentional and oculomotor control is a longstanding goal of systems neuroscience. The macaque lateral intraparietal area, LIP, has been implicated in both processes, but numerous studies have produced contradictory findings. Anatomically, LIP consists of a dorsal and ventral subdivision, yet the functional significance of this division remains unclear. We co-injected muscimol, a GABAa agonist, and manganese, an MR-lucent paramagnetic ion, into different portions of LIP, testing the effect of the resulting reversible inactivation on saccade planning and attention, and visualized each injection using anatomical MRI. We find that LIPd is primarily an oculomotor planning region, while LIPv contributes to both attentional and oculomotor processes. Additional testing reveals that, even within LIPv, the two functions are dissociable. Thus our novel muscimol+Mn-MRI technique establishes clear structure-function relationships that distinguish LIPv from LIPd, and reveals dissociable circuits for attention and eye movements in the posterior parietal cortex.
Problems of Romanticism in Transpersonal Psychology: A Case Study of Aikido

Romanticism is becoming increasing prevalent in transpersonal psychology, subverting efforts to develop scientific approaches in this subfield of psychology. As a case study of some of romanticism's problems, the martial art and transpersonal system of Aikido is examined in regard to cultural errors and unwarranted supernatural assumptions. Specifically, 6 latent cultural errors (related to location, authority, time, ethnicity, narcissism, and transmission) are identified and critiqued while supernatural claims are challenged with alternative scientific explanations. In view of romanticism's problems in fostering such cultural errors and embracing supernatural explanations when more ordinary ones suffice, the importance of transpersonal psychology's resisting the challenge of romanticism is advocated and suggestions for the further development of this subfield as a science are provided.
Changing opioid use for right lower quadrant abdominal pain in the emergency department

Objectives To compare the use of opioid analgesia in the treatment of emergency department patients with acute right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain between 1998 and 2003 and to explore the relationship between opioid use and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scanning. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting in 1998 and 2003 to an urban emergency department with a triage complaint of RLQ pain. The authors abstracted use and timing of abdominal CT scanning and opioid analgesia. Other predictor variables were patient demographics. Risk ratio for receiving opioids with CT scan versus without CT scan, stratifying by year, were calculated. Proportional-hazards analysis was used to control for time in the emergency department. Results Of the 187 patients seen in 1998, 38 (20%) underwent CT scanning and 43 (23%) received opioids. Of the 137 patients seen in 2003, 77 (56%) underwent CT scanning and 72 (53%) received opioids. In 1998, the risk ratio for receiving opioids in patients who underwent CT scanning (vs. without) was 3.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.3 to 6.1); in 2003, it was 1.5 (95% CI = 1.0 to 2.1). Opioids were overwhelmingly given before CT scanning in those patients who received both (81% in 1998 and 98% in 2003). The mean time to administration of the first opioid dose in 1998 was 155 minutes and in 2003 was 94 minutes. The proportional-hazards analysis confirmed a strong association between CT scanning and opioid administration in 1998 (relative hazard, 2.7; 95% CI = 1.5 to 5.1) and substantial attenuation of the association in 2003 (relative hazard, 1.3; 95% CI = 0.8 to 2.1). The hospitalization rate was not significantly different in 2003 (33%) versus 1998 (27%) (p = 0.28). The risk ratio of receiving opioids in admitted patients was 2.8 (95% CI = 1.7 to 4.6) in 1998 and 2.0 (95% CI = 1.5 to 2.7) in 2003. Conclusions Opioid administration to patients with RLQ pain has dramatically increased between 1998 and 2003. During these five years, the number of patients receiving opioids more than doubled and the time to first administration of opioids decreased by one hour. The authors show that this cannot be attributed to an increased use of CT scanning.
Analysis of transient permeation as a technique for determination of sorption and diffusion in supported membranes

Systematic membrane selection, process design as well as elucidation of structure–property relationships for pervaporation and vapor permeation require knowledge of sorption and diffusion properties. Direct measurement of sorption is not possible in the case of commercial membranes due to the presence of a support layer. Sorption measurements may also be difficult if the polymer is synthesized or crosslinked directly on the support and its properties are different from the bulk polymer. This work describes a technique to obtain sorption as well as diffusion parameters for supported membranes using transient permeation data. Computer simulations for transient permeation were carried out using sorption and diffusion data from the literature. It was demonstrated that the desired parameters could be estimated using data having a reasonable degree of error (±2%) by the least squares method. Alternatively, a time-lag analysis may be used instead of direct regression of the parameters by the least squares method. A general method for estimating the sorption as well as diffusion parameters using the time-lag and steady-state flux is described. Analytical solutions are derived for the various transport models, wherever possible.
Coupling modes of a ring resonator side coupled to a microstrip line

Two distinct but very close resonant peaks of a ring resonator side coupled to microstrip line are experimentally found to be due to odd- and even mode coupling. Introducing proper breaks in the ring maintained the resonance characteristic of one mode while shifting the other peak away from the region of interest.
One size does not fit all: how the tobacco industry has altered cigarette design to target consumer groups with specific psychological and psychosocial needs

Aims To identify whether the tobacco industry has targeted cigarette product design towards individuals with varying psychological/psychosocial needs. Design Internal industry documents were identified through searches of an online archival document research tool database using relevancy criteria of consumer segmentation and needs assessment. Findings The industry segmented consumer markets based on psychological needs (stress relief, behavioral arousal, performance enhancement, obesity reduction) and psychosocial needs (social acceptance, personal image). Associations between these segments and smoking behaviors, brand and design preferences were used to create cigarette brands targeting individuals with these needs. Conclusions Cigarette brands created to address the psychological/psychosocial needs of smokers may increase the likelihood of smoking initiation and addiction. Awareness of targeted product development will improve smoking cessation and prevention efforts.
The nature of the embryo-protective interaction of propyl gallate with hydroxyurea

Hydroxyurea (HU) is a swiftly acting cytotoxic teratogen and an inhibitor of DNA synthesis. Within 2 h of maternal treatment, HU causes necrosis in proliferating tissues of rabbit embryos on gestational day 12. Co-administration of the antioxidant propyl gallate (PG) delays the onset of necrosis until 6 h and ameliorates the teratogenic effects seen at term. Since HU also causes a rapid, profound decrease in uterine blood flow in pregnant rabbits, it is necessary to determine whether HU and PG interact within the pregnant female or within the embryo. In order to establish that the site of HU-PG interaction is embryonic, HU, PG, HU-PG, or vehicle was injected directly into implantation sites. When embryos were examined microscopically at 4 h, necrosis was observed only in the HU-treated embryos, indicating that the palliative interaction between HU and PG takes place within the embryo. To resolve whether the alleviation of HU-induced embryotoxicity was due to decreased HU levels within HU-PG embryos, HU concentrations were measured in embryos from HU-and HU-PG-treated maternal rabbits at 15 min to 8 h post injection. The HU levels of the two groups differed significantly only at 4 h. The rates of uptake during the linear phase (times from 15 min to 3 h) did not differ. When HU concentration was plotted versus time, measurements of the areas under the curve also did not differ. To determine whether PG alters the HU-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis, 3H-thymidine incorporation into embryonic DNA was assayed at 2 h after HU, HU-PG, or vehicle injections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Circulating and tumor-infiltrating myeloid cell subsets in patients with bladder cancer

Both cancer-related inflammation and tumor-induced immune suppression are associated with expansion of myeloid cell subsets including myeloid-derived suppressor cells. However, little known regarding characteristics of myeloid cells in patients with bladder cancer. In this study, we analyzed myeloid cells from peripheral blood (PBMC) and tumor tissue that were collected from patients with superficial noninvasive and invasive urothelial carcinomas. Our results demonstrate that PBMC from bladder cancer patients contain two major CD11b myeloid cell subsets: granulocyte-type CD15 high CD33 low cells and monocyte-type CD15 low CD33 high cells. The number of circulating granulocytic but not monocytic myeloid cells in cancer patients was markedly increased when compared to healthy individuals. Both myeloid cell subsets from cancer patients were highly activated and produced substantial amounts of proinflammatory chemokines/cytokines including CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, GCSF, IL-8 and IL-6. Granulocytic myeloid cells were able to inhibit in vitro T cell proliferation through induction of CD4 1 Foxp3 1 T regulatory cells. Analysis of bladder cancer tissues revealed that tumors were infiltrated with monocyte–macrophage CD11b 1 HLA-DR 1 and granulocytic CD11b 1 CD15 1 HLA-DR - myeloid cells. Collectively, this study identifies myeloid cell subsets in patients with bladder cancer. We demonstrate that these highly activated inflammatory myeloid cells represent a source of multiple chemokines/cytokines and may contribute to inflammation and immune dysfunction in bladder cancer.
Chest radiographic features of thoracic metastatic disease in adolescents with colon cancer

This study describes chest radiographic features of thoracic metastatic disease (TMD) in patients referred for colon cancer to a pediatric oncology hospital. The study group was comprised of 9 patients (7 males, 2 females, age 13–19 years) with serial chest radiographs demonstrating TMD from colon cancer. All patients had a chest radiograph performed within the 2 months prior to death. The median interval from diagnosis of colon cancer to appearance of radiographic TMD was 3 months. Four of nine patients had TMD at presentation, eight of nine patients within 2 years of diagnosis. All abnormalities progressed on serial radiographs. The median interval from appearance of radiographic abnormalities to death was 2 months. Radiographic findings included pleural effusions (n=6), lymphadenopathy (n=5), lymphangitic carcinomatosis (n=4), solitary pulmonary nodule (n=2), and lobar atelectasis (n=1). Five patients with pleural effusions initially had right-sided effusions. Radiographic TMD in adolescents with colon cancer usually occurs within 2 years of diagnosis. Once TMD manifests, the prognosis is dismal. Findings include pleural effusions, lymphadenopathy, lymphangitic carcinomatosis, solitary pulmonary nodules, and lobar atelectasis. We suggest that metastatic colon carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis for lymphangitic spread of tumor in adolescents.
Apnea, intermittent hypoxia and blood transfusions: it works, but now what?

Apnea of prematurity and recurrent hypoxemia episodes occur very frequently in preterm infants, especially in those less than 28 weeks gestational age. Despite an extensive literature on the pathophysiology, epidemiology and clinical course of apnea of prematurity, it remains unclear whether it is harmful to the developing brain. Limited data suggest that the total number of days with apnea and later resolution of episodes are associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcome in premature infants.1 However, it is difficult to separate any potential adverse effects of apnea from the degree of immaturity at birth, as the incidence of apnea is inversely proportional to gestational age.
Determining the accuracy of caudal needle placement in children: a comparison of the swoosh test and ultrasonography.

Summary Background: The aim of the present study was to compare two confirmatory tests - the ‘swoosh’ test (auscultation during caudal injection) and real time ultrasound imaging (both transverse 2D imaging and color flow Doppler imaging) in pediatric patients receiving a caudal epidural block. Methods/Materials: This was a retrospective observational study of caudal injections administered to 83 pediatric patients (0–11 years) presenting for elective surgery over a 4 month time period. While injecting small aliquots of local anesthetic, a standard stethoscope was placed over the lower lumbar spine to auscultate for the ‘swoosh’ test. An ultrasound machine (Sonosite Titan, Sonosite Inc., Bothell, WA, USA) was then utilized for real-time visualization of caudal injectate. Each test performed during the caudal injection (swoosh, turbulence on 2D imaging, or color flow on Doppler imaging) was recorded as positive, negative or equivocal. Results: Eighty out of 83 patients (96.4%) had a successful caudal block based on minimal or no perioperative narcotic use, minimal or no response to surgical stimulation, the presence of motor blockade and patient comfort in the PACU. Ultrasound was significantly superior to ‘swoosh’ for sensitivity (96.3% vs 57.5%), negative predictive (40% vs 5.6 value) % and likelihood ratio (2.89 vs 1.73). Specificity and positive predictive value were not different between ‘swoosh’ and ultrasound. Of the ultrasound tests, turbulence was more sensitive than color flow Doppler (95.0% vs 78.8%). Conclusion: Ultrasonography is superior to the ‘swoosh’ test as an objective confirmatory technique during caudal block placement in children. We found the presence or absence of turbulence during injection within the caudal space to be the best single indicator of caudal success. We think ultrasonography should be used, if available, when teaching this technique.
X-ray gain in neonlike ions from inner-shell ionization of sodiumlike ions by suprathermal electrons.

We propose a new scheme for obtaining soft x-ray gains in neonlike ions. The scheme relies on inner-shell ionization of sodiumlike ions by suprathermal electrons. Since this amplifier will operate with, in principle, no population in the neonlike ground state, the power requirements for scaling to higher $Z$ may be reduced, and the problem of line trapping is eliminated. Model calculations for selenium are presented to verify measurable gain and the experimental feasibility of the scheme is briefly discussed.