cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial and Environmental Treatment Approaches for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Neurocognitive Disorders: an Update and Future Directions

Nearly all persons with dementia will exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) at some point during the course of the disease. These symptoms often pose significant challenges for formal and informal caregivers, and their treatment is unclear. Current guidelines recommend implementing nonpharmacological interventions as the first-line approach to managing BPSD. Given the recent proliferation of research evaluating the use of nonpharmacological interventions for BPSD, there is a continuing need to reevaluate and synthesize the findings in this area. The current review examines the evidence for using psychosocial and environmental strategies, focusing on the past 3 years of research efforts and assessing how this research augments what is known from prior reviews. We conclude that the results in the recent literature concerning the efficacy of psychosocial and environmental treatment approaches to behavioral symptoms in dementia continue to be promising, yet results are also mixed. We recommend the consideration of music therapy and tailored activities when utilizing a nonpharmacological approach, as these appear particularly promising throughout the literature. We also find that multisensory stimulation and animal-assisted therapy warrant further evaluation. In contrast, in this and previous reviews, approaches such as bright light therapy and aromatherapy have consistently been shown to be ineffective and, thus, cannot be recommended with confidence based on the evidence. We discuss limitations of current research studies and make recommendations for future research in the area of psychosocial and environmental interventions for BPSD.
Optimizing hepatitis C virus treatment through pharmacist interventions: Identification and management of drug-drug interactions.

Optimizing hepatitis C virus treatment through pharmacist interventions: Identification and management of drug-drug interactions
Reason for Referral Predicts Utilization and Perceived Impact of Early Intervention Services.

Objective Children participating in early intervention (EI) vary in their medical needs and degree of delay, and previous studies have shown significant differences in EI enrollment based on the reason for referral. The effect of reason for referral on service provision and family satisfaction is largely unknown. Methods We used data from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study for our secondary data analysis. The main predictor was the reason for referral: a diagnosed condition, documented developmental delay, or other risk factors. Outcomes included unmet service needs, program dropout, and family satisfaction with services. Results The 2966 participants were mostly white (51.9%), male (60.3%), and had an annual household income at or below $50,000 (77.0%). There were 1924 referred due to diagnosis, 691 due to delay, and 351 due to other risks. Compared with the diagnosis group, children with delays were more likely (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.87) to have unmet service needs and to drop out of EI programs (aOR 1.44, 95% CI, 1.07-1.96); their families were less likely to report that services were highly individualized (aOR 0.80, 95% CI, 0.65-0.98) or had an impact on their children's development (aOR 0.77, 95% CI, 0.62-0.96). Conclusion Children participating in EI because of developmental delays are more likely to have unmet service needs, drop out of services because of a reason other than ineligibility (family or child-related reason), and have lower caregiver satisfaction than those participating because of diagnosed conditions. It is important to determine reasons for these differences and their impact on developmental outcomes.
Arduino based automated STICK GUIDE for a visually impaired person

In this paper a stick guide model represented for visually impaired persons to guide in their way, which consist of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) modules along with sensors like Ultrasonic and Infrared sensors. This is a smart stick that will make the visually impaired persons guiding their way. GPS module is used in this to get the current location information of the person, that location will be sent via Short Message Service (SMS) to the registered numbers using a GSM module, on pressing of a switch whenever he feels he is lost. Ultrasonic sensors are used for obstacle detection through the ultrasonic waves produced by it, and Infrared sensor is used for level detection and both the sensors are interfaced with the vibrator which vibrates on detecting an obstacle. The main objective of this model is to help a blind to live a better life.
Superelastic and pH-Responsive Degradable Dendrimer Cryogels Prepared by Cryo-aza-Michael Addition Reaction.

Dendrimers exhibit super atomistic features by virtue of their well-defined discrete quantized nanoscale structures. Here, we show that hyperbranched amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G4.0 reacts with linear polyethylene glycol (PEG) diacrylate (575 g/mol) via the aza-Michael addition reaction at a subzero temperature (−20 °C), namely cryo-aza-Michael addition, to form a macroporous superelastic network, i.e., dendrimer cryogel. Dendrimer cryogels exhibit biologically relevant Young’s modulus, high compression elasticity and super resilience at ambient temperature. Furthermore, the dendrimer cryogels exhibit excellent rebound performance and do not show significant stress relaxation under cyclic deformation over a wide temperature range (−80 to 100 °C). The obtained dendrimer cryogels are stable at acidic pH but degrade quickly at physiological pH through self-triggered degradation. Taken together, dendrimer cryogels represent a new class of scaffolds with properties suitable for biomedical applications.
Bronchiectasis and Bronchopulmonary Sequestration

The development of bronchiectasis, a suppurative disease of the lung characterized by dilatation of the bronchi, is a multifactorial phenomenon. Initial treatment consists of medical measures; if these fail, surgery should be considered. Bronchopulmonary sequestration is an uncommon congenital malformation in which a portion of lung is separated from normal, functioning lung early in embryonic life. Treatment is resection of the involved area.
Evdoxios Doxiadis, State, Nationalism and the Jewish Communities of Modern Greece

Review of Evdoxios Doxiadis, State, Nationalism and the Jewish Communities of Modern Greece . London: Bloomsbury, 2018. 251 pp.
Ciceronian thought at the Constitutional Convention

ABSTRACTAlthough Cicero was the most revered and read classical figure in colonial America, his influence on the political thought of that era, specifically its most defining moment – the Constitut...
The Effect of Carbonyl Ligands on Osmium and Ruthenium Metal-Metal Bonds

Metal carbonyl clusters have been studied intently to determine their bonding, reactivity, and catalytic activity. While determining the properties of the electronic structure which influence the reactivity of H2Os3(CO)10 we have studied the effect that carbonyl ligands have on metal-metal bonds. The results of this study suggest that the nature of the metal-metal bond is dependent on the angle of the carbonyl ligand, and consequently, that the geometry of the carbonyl ligands around the cluster is dictated by the stabilization of the metal-metal interactions.
Do the write-up: unpacking critics’ responses to Do the Right Thing

Spike Lee has made a compelling critique of some of the critics’ responses to Do the Right Thing (1989, hereafter DTRT)1 1 See Lee, “Spike’s Last Word.”, but I would like to delve a bit deeper. Bef...
Clinical Significance of Greater Implantation Height with SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve.

Background A lower rate of permanent pacemaker (PPM) has been linked to a target aortic implantation height (AIH) >0.70, following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the SAPIEN 3 valve. Based on clinical experience, it was hypothesized that a higher AIH (≥0.85) would lower the rate of PPM implantation. Methods A total of 127 patients (66 females, 61 males; mean age 82 ± 8 years) underwent TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve between May 2015 and July 2016. AIH was defined as the proportion of the valve frame above the aortic annulus in the post-deployment aortogram. A target AIH (≥0.70) was achieved in 113 patients (89%). Cases were stratified into a High Implantation (HI) group (AIH ≥0.85; 33 patients) or a Standard Implantation (SI) group (AIH Results The mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS-PROM) score of all patients was 6.4 ± 3.5%. Preoperative right bundle branch block (RBBB) was prevalent in 13% of SI patients, and in 18% of HI patients (p = 0.56). There were no significant differences in operative mortality (3.2% versus 0%), median length of stay (2 days versus 3 days) and incidence of moderate-to-severe paravalvular leak (3.2% versus 0%; all p >0.410) between SI and HI patients, respectively. Likewise, the incidence of new PPM did not differ between the two groups (12% in HI versus 13% in SI; p ≥0.99). The mean AIH was similar for patients with PPM implantation (0.80 ± 0.08) compared to those without (0.78 ± 0.06; p = 0.520). Preoperative RBBB was significantly associated with PPM implantation (odds ratio (OR) 10.1; p = 0.002), and patients who underwent PPM implantation had a higher operative mortality (12.5% versus 1%; p = 0.040). Conclusions Among TAVR patients who received the SAPIEN 3 heart valve, a higher AIH (≥0.85) was not associated with a lower rate of PPM implantation or increased operative mortality. Prior RBBB was the only independent risk factor for new PPM implantation. Long-term follow up is crucial in determining the clinical significance of PPM implantation.
Olefin Metathesis Catalyst Supported by a Hemilabile NHC Ligand Bearing Polyether Arms: Structure, Activity, and Decomposition

An olefin metathesis catalyst (8) bearing a hemilabile N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand with four methoxyethoxy arms was synthesized and analyzed by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. T...
Families Are Socially Constructed: Pragmatic Implications for Researchers:

Scholars have long recognized that the boundaries of family membership and definitions of family relationships are socially constructed. The social construction of family membership, and the accomp...
A dual efficacy-implementation trial of a novel mobile application for childhood nephrotic syndrome management: the UrApp for childhood nephrotic syndrome management pilot study protocol (UrApp pilot study).

Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome has a relapsing-remitting course in the majority of pediatric patients, demanding vigilant monitoring and self-management. A novel, expert-designed, user-informed mobile application (app), UrApp©, was created to support management tasks, including home urine protein monitoring. The UrApp Pilot Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04075656) is a randomized trial comparing UrApp-supported nephrotic syndrome management with standard-of-care with parallel process evaluation of the intervention delivery. Sixty caregivers of children with newly diagnosed, steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome will be randomized 1:1 to UrApp-supported care or standard-of-care. Follow-up will be 1 year, with primary outcomes of adherence to urine monitoring and medications assessed at 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes at 6 and 12 months include self-efficacy, quality-of-life, hospitalizations and delayed relapse diagnoses. A mixed-methods approach will evaluate UrApp engagement, use retention, features used, user perceptions, and contextual barriers and facilitators of UrApp use. User behavior will be assessed for relationships to the primary and secondary outcomes. A Stakeholder Committee of volunteer trial participants, clinicians, and engineers will examine the trial results and design a pragmatic UrApp-enhanced nephrotic syndrome intervention with potential for wide implementation. The final UrApp intervention will be tested in a user-centered hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial designed with stakeholder input. The UrApp Pilot Study examines the efficacy of a novel app designed specifically for nephrotic syndrome. The protocol involves dual efficacy and process evaluation aims to increase efficiency and incorporates the stakeholders’ perspective in formative assessment to inform intervention redesign and the design of a future user-centered trial. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04075656. Registered on September 2, 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04075656
Neue Entwicklungen beim Bauchdeckenverschluß

Eine zusammenfassende Ubersicht neuerer Techniken und Empfehlungen, die in der englischsprachigen Literatur zu finden sind, wird hier gegeben. Beim primaren Wundverschlus mit fortlaufender Naht nach medianer Laparotomie sollte das Nahtlangen/Wundlangenverhaltnis bei 4–5:1 liegen. Dies erscheint der wesentlichste Schritt zur Vermeidung von Wunddehiszenz oder Narbenhernie zu sein. Die Wahl des Nahtmaterials scheint keine Schlusselrolle fur die Festigkeit der Wunde zu haben. Auf anekdotische Erfahrungen basiert die Verwendung von Netzeinlagen in spezieller Technik beim Verschlus von Narbenhernien zur Vermeidung von Rezidiven. Verschiedene Techniken des temporaren Wundverschlusses konnen beim schwierigen Verschlus des Abdomens zur Anwendung kommen.
Un)Naturality and Chinese queer masculinities on Ailaibulai

This study analyzes the discourses of desire featured on the online queer reality TV program Ailaibulai. The show aired on LeTV in 2016 and was co-produced by a Chinese corporation—Blue City—that t...
Mechanical injury and blood are drivers of spatial memory deficits after rapid intraventricular hemorrhage.

Abstract Aneurysmal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) survivors may recover with significant deficits in learning and memory. The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanism of memory decline after intraventricular aneurysm rupture. We developed an aneurysmal IVH rat model by injecting autologous, arterial blood over the period of two minutes into the right lateral ventricle. We also evaluated the effects of a volume-matched artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) control, thrombin and the mode of delivery (pulsed hand injection versus continuous pump infusion). We performed magnetic resonance brain imaging after 1 and 5 weeks to evaluate for hydrocephalus and histological analysis of the dentate gyrus after 6 weeks. Only animals which underwent a whole blood pulsed hand injection had a spatial memory acquisition and retention deficit 5 weeks later. These animals had larger ventricles at 1 and 5 weeks than animals which underwent a continuous pump infusion of whole blood. We did not find a decline in dentate gyrus granule cell neurons or an impairment in dentate gyrus neurogenesis or differentiation 6 weeks after IVH. Rapid injections of blood or volume resulted in microglial activation in the dentate gyrus. In conclusion, our results point to mechanical injury as the predominant mechanism of memory decline after intraventricular aneurysmal rupture. However, volume-matched pulsed injections of artificial CSF did not create a spatial memory deficit at 5 weeks. Therefore, whole blood itself must play a role in the mechanism. Further research is required to evaluate whether the viscosity of blood causes additional mechanical disruption and hydrocephalus through a primary injury mechanism or whether the toxicity of blood causes a secondary injury mechanism that leads to the observed spatial memory deficit after 5 weeks.
Definition of constitutive and stage-enriched promoters in the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium yoelii

Well-defined promoters are essential elements for genetic studies in all organisms, and enable controlled expression of endogenous genes, transgene expression, and gene editing. Despite this, there is a paucity of defined promoters for the rodent-infectious malaria parasites. This is especially true for Plasmodium yoelii, which is often used to study the mosquito and liver stages of malarial infection, as well as host immune responses to infection. Here six promoters were selected from across the parasite’s life cycle (clag-a, dynein heavy chain delta, lap4, trap, uis4, lisp2) that have been invoked in the literature as controlling their genes in a stage-specific manner. A minimal promoter length for the constitutive pybip promoter that confers strong expression levels was also determined, which is useful for expression of reporters and gene editing enzymes. Instead, it was observed that these promoters confer stage-enriched gene control, as some parasites also effectively use these promoters in other stages. Thus, when used alone, these promoters could complicate the interpretation of results obtained from promoter swaps, stage-targeted recombination, or gene editing experiments. Together these data indicate that achieving stage-specific effects, such as gene editing, is likely best done using a two-component system with independent promoter activities overlapping only in the intended life cycle stage.
A Stroke Detection and Discrimination Framework using Broadband Microwave Scattering on Stochastic Models With Deep Learning

Stroke poses an immense public health burden and remains among the primary causes of death and disability worldwide. Emergent therapy is often precluded by late or indeterminate times of onset before initial clinical presentation. Rapid, mobile, safe and low-cost stroke detection technology remains a deeply unmet clinical need. Past studies have explored the use of microwave and other small form-factor strategies for rapid stroke detection; however, widespread clinical adoption remains unrealized. Here, we investigated the use of microwave scattering perturbations from ultra-wide-band antenna arrays to learn dielectric signatures of disease. Two deep neural networks (DNNs) were used for: 1) stroke detection ("classification network"), and 2) characterization of the hemorrhage location and size ("discrimination network"). Dielectric signatures were learned on a simulated cohort of 666 hemorrhagic stroke and control subjects using 2D stochastic head models. The classification network yielded a stratified K-fold stroke detection accuracy of 94.60% with standard deviation of 2.86% and an AUC of 0.996, while the discrimination network resulted in a mean squared error of <0.004 cm and <0.02 cm, for the stroke localization and size estimation, respectively. We report a novel approach to intelligent diagnostics using microwave wide-band scattering information thus circumventing conventional image-formation.
Elusive Reasons and the Motivational Constraint

The Motivational Constraint says that a consideration is a normative reason for an agent to act only if it is logically possible for the agent to act for that reason, or at least to be moved so to act. Because it is entailed by a number of prominent views about normative reasons, its truth or falsehood has important implications. Mark Schroeder (2007) and Julia Markovits (2014) have criticized the Motivational Constraint for its inconsistency with so-called “elusive reasons.” Elusive reasons are normative reasons that an agent cannot act for. Hille Paakkunainen (2017), Neil Sinclair (2016), and Michael Ridge and Sean McKeever (2012) have offered three strategies for reconciling the Motivational Constraint with elusive reasons. In this paper, I argue that these strategies fail in that conciliatory task. Furthermore, I argue for the existence of a type of elusive reason not heretofore discussed in the literature, and show how these strategies also fail to reconcile this type of elusive reason with the Motivational Constraint.
The Not-So-Simple View of Writing in Struggling Readers/Writers

Research suggests that executive function, motivation, transcription, and composition processes are implicated in the writing quality and productivity of children with and without learning difficul...
Mitigating Bubble Traffic in Gas-Evolving Electrodes via Spinodally Derived Architectures.

Porous electrodes are widely used in the industry because of their high surface area to volume ratio. However, the stochastic morphology of most commercially available porous electrodes results in ...
Dissection of the Molecular Events Occurring During T Cell Cycle Progression

For the first time it has been possible to study the events occurring subsequent to T cell receptor activation with reasonable certainty that the experimental results can be interpreted correctly. We stand at this threshold as a consequence of the identification of the Ti-Tn complex as the receptor for antigen, and the generation of both antagonistic and agonistic monoclonal antibodies reactive with this receptor (1–9). Thus, it has been discerned that activation of T-T3 leads to a rapid (within minutes) increase in intracellular free calcium, and translocation of the calcium-dependent protein kinase (c-kinase) from the cytosol to the membrane (12,13). Subsequently, within a few hours, it is possible to detect transcription of several genes, including those encoding interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-2 receptors, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and the c-myc proto-onncogene (14). Moreover, the genes encoding the IL-2 receptor, IFN-γ and c-myc are induced coordinately even in the presence of cycloheximide, thereby suggesting that a simple pre-existing biochemical pathway is responsible for activating these genes (14). However, despite the recognition that activation of both the antigen receptor and the IL-2 receptor are required for T cell proliferation, the precise function of each of these receptors as regards movement of the t cell through the cell cycle has remained obscure. Thus, it has been unclear as to whether activation of the T cell antigen receptor complex promotes movement of the cells through G1 to a point that requires IL-2 just before S-phase, or whether IL-2 itself is responsible for G1 progression.
A New Approach for Boolean Query Processing in Text Information Retrieval

The main objective of an information retrieval system is to be effective in providing a user with relevant information in response to a query. However, especially given the information explosion which has created an enormous volume of information, efficiency issues cannot be ignored. Thus, to be able to quickly process lists of documents that have the keywords stated in a given query assigned/indexed to them by merging via the Boolean logic of the query is essential in a Boolean query system. A new algorithm, based loosely on concurrent codes, is developed and discussed.
Water and the Living Cell as Seen from the Viewpoint of a New Paradigm

It is common knowledge that without water there is no life. This dependency of life on water is unique: water not only furnishes an essential environment; water is also by far the major component of the substance of life, making up 75 to 85% of all living cells (Ling 1962, p. xxiii).
Complex Dynamical Systems: The Mathematics Behind the Mandelbrot and Julia Sets

The complex dynamics of quadratic polynomials by R. L. Devaney Puzzles and para-puzzles of quadratic and cubic polynomials by B. Branner Julia sets of rational maps by L. Keen Does a Julia set depend continuously on the polynomial? by A. Douady The dynamics of Newton's method by P. Blanchard The spider algorithm by J. H. Hubbard and D. Schleicher Complex dynamics and entire functions by R. L. Devaney.
Dexfenfluramine as a mitogen signal via the formation of superoxide anion

SPECIFIC AIMSFenfluramine (l-Fen) and its dextro-rotary stereoisomer dexfenfluramine (d-Fen) have been used extensively as appetite suppressants and have been associated with the development of bot...
The role of folate receptor autoantibodies in preterm birth

Abstract Objective Cellular uptake of folate is mediated by folate receptor (FR)α. Prior studies indicate that a FRα autoantibody (FRAb) is implicated in poor pregnancy outcomes. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of FRAbs in women with preterm and term pregnancies, and to investigate the role of maternal FRAbs in preterm birth. Methods This prospective observational study included 23 mothers and 25 preterm infants (two twin births) born at gestational age (GA) ≤32 wk and/or birth weight ≤1500 g (group 1) and 25 mother–term infant pairs (infants born at GA ≥37 wk, group 2). Blocking and binding FRAbs in maternal and in cord blood were determined. The association between maternal FRAbs and pregnancy outcome was measured using multiple logistic regression, adjusted for maternal age and previous preterm birth. Results The prevalence of FRAbs was 65.2% in women with preterm birth, which was twofold higher than in those with term pregnancy (28%; relative risk [RR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–4.7). The prevalence of FRAbs in preterm infants (64%) was significantly higher than in term infants (24%; RR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3–5.7). Pregnant women with positive FRAbs had 4.9 times higher odds of having preterm birth (odds ratio, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.4–17.7), adjusted for maternal age and previous preterm birth. Conclusions These findings suggest that the presence of FRAbs might be a contributing factor to preterm birth, which could be prevented with appropriate testing and therapeutic interventions. Further studies are warranted to investigate the possible mechanisms of fetal sensitization resulting in FRAb production in utero and its possible clinical correlates.
The quest for independence of principia logica

The economic science is again in a crisis and a new solution prolegomena to any future study in economics, finance and other social sciences has just been published by the International Institute of Social Economics in care of the MCB University Press in England. The roots of the major financial and economic problems of our time lie in an open conflict between theory and practice. In the 1930s and before the conflict was between classical theory and given realities. In the 1990s the conflict appears between the now prevailing modern, Keynesian theory and the actual realities. In addition during the twentieth century a great argument developed between the two schools of thought, argument which is not yet settled. In one sentence, the prolegomena tried and was successful to solve the conflict between theory and practice and the big doctrinal dispute of the twentieth century. It was a struggle of research and observation over half a century between 1947 and 1997.
Genetic parameter estimates for postweaning traits of beef cattle in a stressful environment.

Postweaning growth data, collected from a Hereford herd located in the Southwest, were used to estimate genetic parameters for weights and gains. The herd was maintained on unsupplemented range forage, and average weight losses from weaning to yearling age were 9% for bulls and 12% for heifers. Data were grouped into years with poor and good environments based on contemporary group means for gain from 8 to 12 mo. Postweaning growth data (12- and 20-mo weights, 8- to 12-mo gain and 12- to 20-mo gain) were analyzed by least squares methods with a model that included year of birth, sire within year of birth, age of dam and a covariate of age for 12- and 20-mo weights. Heritability estimates of 12- and 20-mo weights for bulls were .58 +/- .15 and .55 +/- .22 in good environments vs .32 +/- .11 and 1.09 +/- .15 in poor environments; for heifers these estimates were .19 +/- .08 and .35 +/- .12 in good environments vs .38 +/- .07 and .47 +/- .09 in poor environments. Heritability estimates of 8- to 12-mo and 12- to 20-mo gain for bulls were .32 +/- .14 and .51 +/- .24 in good environments vs .16 +/- .11 and .09 +/- .14 in poor environments; for heifers these estimates were .21 +/- .08 and .14 +/- .10 in good environments vs .10 +/- .06 and .44 +/- .10 in poor environments. Genetic correlations among the preweaning traits of birth and weaning weight and postweaning weight traits were positive and of a moderate to large magnitude, with the exception of birth and 12-mo weight in a poor environment (-.06 +/- .49). Genetic correlations between 8- to 12-mo gain and birth weight in poor environment and weaning weight in all environments were negative (range from -.06 +/- .33 to -.53 +/- .41). Genetic correlations among 12- and 20-mo weights were large and positive in all environments. Relationships among gains were more variable.
Adaptivity for Conceptual and Narrative Flow in Hyperbooks: The MetaLinks System

In this paper we discuss MetaLinks, a framework and authoring tool for web-based adaptive hyper-books. We focus on how features of the system address the problem issues of disorientation, cognitive overload, discontinuous flow (poor narrative flow or poor conceptual flow), and content nonreadiness.
The Corner of the Living: Ayacucho on the Eve of the Shining Path Insurgency

Peru's indigenous peoples played a key role in the tortured tale of Shining Path guerrillas from the 1960s through the first decade of the twenty-first century. The villagers of Chuschi and Huaychao, high in the mountains of the department of Ayacucho, have an iconic place in this violent history. Emphasizing the years leading up to the peak period of violence from 1980 to 2000, when 69,000 people lost their lives, Miguel La Serna asks why some Andean peasants chose to embrace Shining Path ideology and others did not.Drawing on archival materials and ethnographic field work, La Serna argues that historically rooted and locally specific power relations, social conflicts, and cultural understandings shaped the responses of indigenous peasants to the insurgency. In Chuschi, the guerrillas found indigenous support for the movement and dreamed of sparking a worldwide Maoist revolution. In Huaychao, by contrast, villagers rose up against Shining Path forces, precipitating more violence and feeding an international uproar that took on political significance for Peru during the Cold War. "The Corner of the Living" illuminates both the stark realities of life for the rural poor everywhere and why they may or may not choose to mobilize around a revolutionary cause.
Liability and the Health Care Bill: An “Alternative” Perspective

The recently passed health care bill contains many provisions that deserve celebration. Improving access to care is an important first step. Enhancing patient safety and accountability is an important second step, one that proponents of medical malpractice reform often undermine with attempts to restrict the liability of health care providers through “litigation alternatives.” During the health care debate, these advocates frequently raised liability issues (couched in politicized rhetoric), despite studies that show civil litigation is protecting patient safety in the health care system now and will continue to play a significant role in the future.Congress ultimately rejected proposals to create new federal tort law for medical malpractice cases as part of health care reform. Many of these proposals suffered from severe legal, efficiency, and fairness concerns. They also would have amounted to serious intrusions into state power, thus raising constitutional concerns.
A 19-month-old boy with fever and lymphadenopathy

At the beginning your call night, you receive a sign-out from the emergency department (ED) of a 19-month-old, full term, previously health boy with 5 days fever and neck swelling.
New functions for amino acids: effects on gene transcription and translation

Amino acids act to regulate multiple processes related to gene expression, including modulation of the function of the proteins that mediate messenger RNA (mRNA) translation. By modulating the function of translation initiation and elongation factors, amino acids regulate the translation of mRNA on a global scale and also act to cause preferential changes in the translation of mRNAs encoding particular proteins or families of proteins. However, amino acids do not directly regulate the function of translation initiation and elongation factors, but instead modulate signaling through pathways traditionally considered to be solely involved in mediating the action of hormones. The best-characterized example of amino acid-induced regulation of a signal transduction pathway is one involving a protein kinase referred to as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), through which the branched-chain amino acids, particularly leucine, act to modulate the function of proteins engaged in both global mRNA translation and the selection of specific mRNAs for translation. Less understood at this point in time is evidence suggesting that amino acids also act to regulate mRNA translation through mTOR-independent mechanisms. The goal of the present review is to briefly summarize studies, primarily those performed in the laboratories of the authors, that focus on the role of the branched-chain amino acids in the regulation of mRNA translation in skeletal muscle.
Compatibility of ciprofloxacin injection with selected drugs and solutions

The compatibility of ciprofloxacin injection with selected antimicrobials and aminophylline was studied. Ciprofloxacin, amikacin sulfate, aminophylline, clindamycin phosphate, gentamicin sulfate, and tobramycin sulfate were mixed separately in minibags containing 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% dextrose injection; admixtures were stored for up to 48 hours at either 4 degrees C or 25 degrees C. Ciprofloxacin was also combined separately with each of the other drugs and solutions and stored under the same conditions. In addition, ciprofloxacin was combined with metronidazole in ready-to-use mini-bags of the latter drug and stored at 25 degrees C. Drug concentrations were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay or high-performance liquid chromatography. All admixtures were also examined visually. Stability was defined as retention of at least 90% of the original drug concentration with no visual evidence of incompatibility. With one exception, drugs in all single-drug admixtures were stable for 48 hours. The drug concentration eight hours after amikacin was mixed in 0.9% sodium chloride and refrigerated was 89% of the original concentration. When ciprofloxacin was combined with gentamicin, metronidazole, or tobramycin, all of the involved drugs were stable for 48 hours. Compatibility of ciprofloxacin-amikacin admixtures depended on the fluid and storage temperature; all such admixtures were stable for at least eight hours. A precipitate formed immediately whenever ciprofloxacin was mixed with clindamycin and within four hours after ciprofloxacin was mixed with aminophylline. Ciprofloxacin injection was compatible with gentamicin, metronidazole, and tobramycin and incompatible with aminophylline and clindamycin. The compatibility of ciprofloxacin-amikacin admixtures depended on the i.v. solution and storage temperature.
Vitreous boron oxide: Drying and moisture absorption

Abstract Frothing of reagent-grade boron oxide during heating can be avoided by a preliminary vacuum bake out. The rate of removal of trace water is much larger when dry nitrogen is bubbled through the melt than when a vacuum is applied. The moisture absorbed by vitreous boron oxide when exposed to air at room temperature is confined to the neighborhood of the surface. Eventually boric acid is formed. This surface moisture can largely be removed by a vacuum at room temperature. The kinetics of water removal and absorption were measured.
Current issues in cancer rehabilitation

Many patients with cancer enjoy long-term survival and are cured; others may live for extended periods while receiving specific treatment for cancer. This has been accomplished with increasingly complex and multimodal therapy, along with heightened toxicity and longer treatment. Cancer has become a chronic disease for many patients. Contemporary cancer rehabilitation provides a coordinated approach that addresses the physical, psychosocial, vocational, and economic concerns of the patient. Key components of a cancer rehabilitation program should include initial needs assessment with periodic reassessments, direct provision of specific interventions, and referrals to appropriate community resources. Almost all patients with cancer can benefit from a rehabilitation assessment and intervention. Important rehabilitation issues include the physical toxicity of treatment, psychosocial concerns, sexual dysfunction, diet and nutritional concerns, pain management, and vocational and economic problems. Patient groups with unique rehabilitation problems include patients with head and neck cancer or breast cancer, and patients who have undergone osteotomies or amputations. Long-term cancer survivors also have special rehabilitation needs that relate to the delayed effects of treatment on normal tissues, gonadal dysfunction, second neoplasms, employment discrimination, and difficulties obtaining health and life insurance coverage. Rehabilitation assessment and intervention should be incorporated into the routine health care of patients with cancer.
Post-stop-signal adjustments: inhibition improves subsequent inhibition.

Performance in the stop-signal paradigm involves a balance between going and stopping, and one way that this balance is struck is through shifting priority away from the go task, slowing responses after a stop signal, and improving the probability of inhibition. In 6 experiments, the authors tested whether there is a corresponding shift in priority toward the stop task, speeding reaction time to the stop signal. Consistent with this hypothesis, stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) decreased on the trial immediately following a stop signal in each experiment. Experiments 2–4 used 2 very different stop signals within a modality, and stopping improved when the stop stimulus repeated and alternated. Experiments 5 and 6 presented stop signals in different modalities and showed that SSRT improved only when the stop stimulus repeated within a modality. These results demonstrate within-modality post-stop-signal speeding of response inhibition.
Left posterior auditory-related cortices participate both in speech perception and speech production : Neural overlap revealed by fMRI

Recent neuroimaging studies and neuropsychological data suggest that there are regions in posterior auditory cortex that participate both in speech perception and speech production. An outstanding question is whether the same neural regions support both perception and production or whether there exist discrete cortical fields subserving these functions. Previous neurophysiological studies suggest that there is indeed regional overlap between these systems, but those studies used a rehearsal task to assess production. The present study addressed this question in an event-related fMRI experiment in which subjects listened to speech and in separate trials, performed a covert object naming task. Single subject analysis revealed regions of coactivation for speech perception and production in the left posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), left area Spt (a region in the Sylvian fissure at the parietal-temporal boundary), and left inferior frontal gyrus. These results are consistent with lesion data and previous physiological data indicating that posterior auditory cortex plays a role in both reception and expression of speech. We discuss these findings within the context of a neuroanatomical framework that proposes these neural sites are a part of an auditory-motor integration system.
Computation and error analysis of the optical constants of gold in the 280 to 640 eV range from transmission diffraction data

Abstract In this paper, we present optical constants of gold (the real and imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction n =(1−δ)+ i k) omputed from transmission diffraction data taken with gold gratings at SSRL in February and March of 1981. Our error analysis implies maximum uncertainties of about ±8% for δ and about ±20% for k over the entire 280 to 640 eV range. Strong discrepancies between our and previously published values of δ are indicated, and a previously unreported minimum is observed in k in the vicinity of 600 eV.
Interannual variations in snowpack in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem

Ecosystem changes such as glacier recession and alpine treeline advance have been documented over the previous 150 years in the Rocky Mountains of northern Montana and southern British Columbia and Alberta, a region known as the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (CCE). Such changes are controlled, at least partially, by variations in snowpack. The CCE consists primarily of public lands, the majority of which is undeveloped or wilderness. Consequently, this region is well suited for an examination of long-term snowpack variation and associated ecosystem change. Data from nine SNOTEL sites provide an indication of the daily accumulation and ablation of snowpack over the period 1977-2001, as well as the relationship between precipitation, temperature and snowpack. 1 April data from 21 snow courses indicated the extent of regional snowpack variation and trends over the period 1950-2001, and 1 May data from three snow courses in Glacier National Park allow this record to be extended back to 1922. SNOTEL data suggest CCE snowpacks are larger and more persistent than in most regions of the western USA, and that water year precipitation is the primary control on 1 April snow water equivalent (SWE). Snow course data indicate that variations in both 1 April and 1 May mean SWE are closely tied to the Pacific decadal oscillation, an El Nino-southern oscillation-like interdecadal pattern of Pacific Ocean climate variability. Despite relatively stable snowpacks and summer temperatures since 1922, the glaciers in Glacier National Park have receded steadily during this period, implying a significant climatic shift between their Little Ice Age glacial maxima (ca 1860) and 1922. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ascorbate compartmentalization in the CNS

Ascorbic acid, found physiologically as the ascorbate anion, is an abundant water-soluble antioxidant. It is concentrated in the intracellular compartment of all tissues in the body. The CNS has particularly high levels of ascorbate. Recent data from this laboratory indicate that ascorbate is distinctly compartmentalized between neurons and glia, with an average intracellular concentration of 10 mM in neurons and 1 mM in glial cells. These data can be contrasted with those for another important low molecular weight antioxidant, glutathione, which is somewhat more concentrated in glia than in neurons. The present review summarizes evidence for ascorbate compartmentalization between neurons and glia and considers these data in light of evidence for the roles of ascorbate as a neuroprotective antioxidant and as a neuromodulator in the CNS.
The genomic structure and chromosomal location of the human TR2 orphan receptor, a member of the steroid receptor superfamily

Human TR2 orphan receptor, isolated from the testis and prostate, is a member of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. With the screening of a human genomic library and the combination of primer walking and PCR sequencing, we found that the entire TR2 orphan receptor gene coding region and 5′-untranslated region feature 13 introns and 14 exons, and that the consensus splice sequences (GT-AG) are present in all intron-exon boundaries. Within the region that codes for the DNA binding domain, TR2 orphan receptor gene has a distinct intron-exon junction. Whereas all other known steroid receptors have one splice site that separates their first and second zinc fingers in the DNA binding domain, TR2 orphan receptor has a rare splice site located in the middle of its first zinc finger. The identification of specific junction sequences for potential alternative splicing sites helps to explain the existence of multiple forms of TR2 orphan receptor cDNA (TR2-5, 7, 9, 11). The S1 nuclease protection assay for TR2 message revealed that there are multiple transcription initiations, and that the major cap site surrounded by an initiator-like sequence is located at the 104th nucleotide upstream from the translation start codon. Sequence analysis of a 2.7-kb DNA fragment upstream of the TR2 orphan receptor translation start codon unveiled several potential cis-acting elements, such as AP-1, HNF-5, GATA1 binding sites, and GC boxes. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with a high-resolution G-banding technique, we found that the TR2 orphan receptor gene was mapped to human chromosome 12 at band q22, whereas the structurally closely related TR4 orphan receptor gene was mapped to human chromosome 3 at band q24.3.
Further studies on the incubation of tyrosine-UL-C14 with beef thyroid tissue slices.

Summary1. Beef thyroid tissue slices were incubated in the presence of 100 microcuries UL-C14-tyrosine with 3 variations: a) no additions, b) propylthiouracil addition, c) non-radioactive thyronine. 2. Following digestion, analysis proceeded through counter current, paper and thin layer chromatography. The results for each of the experimental designs were the same. 3. Of the 3 major areas of radioactivity seen after counter current, only one could be further subdivided by the systems usually used for separation of iodotyro-sines, and iodothyronines, and this yielded at least 7 peaks in the systems used. 4. No evidence was found for in vitro formation of thyroxine or any of its precursors using tyro-sine as the labeled substrate.Since this work was completed, Nunez. Mauchamp, Macchia and Roche (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1965, vl07, 247) have also reported that they were unable to demonstrate incorporation of tritiated tyrosine into the iodotyrosines of thyroglobulin formed by sheep thyroid slices. Since the ...
Long-term effects of percutaneous laser balloon ablation from the canine coronary sinus.

BACKGROUNDRadiofrequency catheter ablation of left-sided accessory pathways is becoming the first line of therapy for patients with symptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Nevertheless, alternative ablation techniques merit development, at least as supplementary modalities for cases in which conventional ablation approaches may prove unsuccessful. We recently reported the short-term results with transcatheter laser balloon ablation from the coronary sinus in a canine model, proving that the procedure is feasible for the potential ablation of left-sided accessory pathways. We now report the effects of percutaneous transcatheter laser balloon ablation in a chronic canine model.METHODS AND RESULTSTwenty adult mongrel dogs were studied. After baseline coronary arteriography, left ventriculography, and coronary sinus angiography were obtained, 15 dogs received two or three consecutive laser doses from the coronary sinus of 30-40 W for 15-30 seconds, for a total cumulative energy of 1,200-2,400 J. The five ...
Balloon valvotomy for mitral stenosis associated with moderate mitral regurgitation

In summary, the possibility of developing moderate to severe (3+) MR after balloon dilatation was greater in patients with preexisting moderate MR. Nevertheless, improvements in hemodynamics and increases in mitral valve area can be equally achieved using balloon mitral valvotomy for treatment of mitral stenosis in patients with or without moderate MR.