cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of dying well and distressing death by acute care nurses.

Abstract Aim This study aims to identify perceptions of nurses practicing in four adult inpatient units regarding their actions to provide quality end of life care for dying patients, their definitions of dying well, and their symptoms of distress and actions they took for relief. Background Nurses caring for patients who are dying want them to have the best death possible; however, many nurses are not prepared for every death which may occur. Methods Qualitative questionnaire data were collected from 49 nurses on four adult inpatient nursing units to analyze nurse perceptions of distressing death and dying well. Results Three main concepts emerged describing the nurses' definition of dying well: emotional and spiritual support for the patient and family, patient and family control, and promotion of a peaceful environment. Eight categories of nursing actions to promote dying well were identified, which include communication with disciplinary team/nursing staff, provision of optimal physical care, demonstration of caring and compassion, supporting dignity in death for patient/family, education of patient/family to support dying well, emotional support for patient/family, advocacy for dying well, and fostering a peaceful environment. Symptoms of distress among nurses, and actions for relief were also indicated by participants. Conclusion Future research is indicated to expand the sample to more hospitals and more disciplines. Administrators need to enhance their policies such as event debriefing or shifting workloads to support nurses caring for dying patients. They also need to offer nurses education in providing end of life care and how to become more resilient in the face of trauma. Nurses need to be aware of their symptoms and practices to relieve their stress such as crisis debriefing. They also need to seek education on how to educate patients and families about the process of dying and the value of comfort care.
Pathophysiology of the Pericardium

Pericardial heart disease includes pericarditis, (an acute, subacute, or chronic fibrinous, noneffusive, or exudative process), and its complications, constriction, (an acute, subacute, or chronic adhesive or fibrocalcific response), and cardiac tamponade. The pathophysiology of cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis readily explains their respective findings on clinical examination, Doppler echocardiography, and at cardiac catheterization. The primary abnormality of cardiac tamponade is pan-cyclic compression of the cardiac chambers by increased pericardial fluid requiring that cardiac chambers compete for a fixed intrapericardial volume. Features responsible for the pathophysiology include transmission of thoracic pressure through the pericardium and heightened ventricular interdependence. Constrictive pericarditis is a condition in which the pericardium limits diastolic filling and causes dissociation of intracardiac and intrathoracic pressures, and heightened ventricular interdependence. Both conditions result in diastolic dysfunction, elevated and equal venous and ventricular diastolic pressure, respiratory variation in ventricular filling, and ultimately, reduced cardiac output.
Angiotensin Receptor Blockade Improves Cardiac Surgical Outcomes in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome.

Background Perioperative use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) in patients undergoing cardiac operations remains controversial. The current practice of discontinuing renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors preoperatively may negate their beneficial effects in vulnerable populations, including patients with metabolic syndrome, who exhibit elevated renin-angiotensin system activity. We hypothesized that preoperative ARB use is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative complications, compared with ACEi or no drug, in patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods We used propensity matching to derive a cohort of 1,351 patients from 2,998 who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting based on preoperative use of ARBs, ACEis, or no renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors. Our primary end point was a composite of adverse events occurring within 30 days after the operation: new-onset atrial fibrillation/flutter, arrhythmia requiring cardioversion, perioperative myocardial infarction, acute renal failure, need for dialysis, cerebrovascular accidents, acute respiratory failure, or perioperative death. Results At least one adverse event occurred in 524 (38.8%) of matched cohort patients (1,184 [39.6% of all patients]). Adjusting for European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation and metabolic syndrome in the matched cohort, preoperative use of ARBs was associated with a lower incidence of adverse events in patients with metabolic syndrome compared with preoperative use of no renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.19 to 0.99) or ACEis (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.88). Conclusions Preoperative use of ARBs, but not ACEis, confers a benefit within 30 days after cardiac operations in patients with metabolic syndrome, suggesting potential efficacy differences of these drug classes in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and death in ambulatory vs surgical patients.
Estimating the slip resistance from spherical nanoindentation and orientation measurements in polycrystalline samples of cubic metals

Abstract In this paper, we demonstrate the first application of a recently formulated two-step approach to the estimation of the average slip resistance in a cubic polycrystalline metal sample from a collection of spherical nanoindentation and lattice orientation measurements. In the first step, a crystal plasticity finite element model of the spherical nanoindentation experiment is developed, validated, and employed to capture the functional dependence of the indentation yield strength on the crystal lattice orientation at the indentation site. This functional dependence is captured in a compact representation using surface spherical harmonics (SSH) functions. In the second step, measured values of the indentation yield strength and the crystal lattice orientations at the indentation site from a polycrystalline sample are fit to the function established in the first step to provide a robust estimate for the value of the average slip resistance in the sample. The validity of this approach is demonstrated for cast and annealed Fe-3% Si using measurements published in prior literature.
Surgical treatment of chronic cluster headache.

SYNOPSIS This article reports the results of 61 procedures performed on 20 patients and reviews the literature. The procedures consisted of 27 radiofrequency lesions, nine V root sections, five injections of local anaesthetic into the Gasserian ganglion, four greater superficial petrosal neurectomies, seven superficial temporal artery sections, six nerve avulsions and three alcohol injections. The authors conclude that: 1) No one procedure gives consistent longlasting relief. 2) Patients must have a full trial of medical therapy before considered for surgery. 3) Radiofrequency lesions and nerve avulsion are reasonable first stage procedures. 4) Both V root section and petrosal neurectomy appear to be useful as second stage procedures.
Coronary Artery Disease

The learning objectives for this chapter include the following: (1) Defining the mechanism and clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease; (2) Illustrating the typical anatomy of the coronary vasculature and the expected territories affected by impaired coronary perfusion; (3) Describing the mechanism, symptoms, and treatment for acute coronary syndromes; (4) Defining the typical features of perioperative major adverse coronary events (MACE); (5) Discussing the goals of perioperative cardiac risk stratification; and (6) Detailing the most recent (2014) ACC/AHA guidelines for perioperative cardiac risk stratification for noncardiac surgery.
Implementation of a multidisciplinary palliative and supportive care education lecture series.

144Background: Nationwide surveys of residents including those in oncologic specialties reveal that trainees perceive their palliative and supportive care (PSC) educational curriculum as inadequate. For residents, PSC education varies from none at all to an organized department lecture series given by Palliative Medicine physicians. There have been no published experiences of institutional wide PSC lecture series open to all residents, fellows, and medical students. Methods: We piloted a monthly palliative care lecture series from August 2016 to June 2017 at UC Irvine. 12 physicians from 9 clinical departments provided monthly lectures on management of physical symptoms, psychosocial issues, cultural considerations, spiritual needs, care coordination, ethical/legal issues, communication/goals of care, and advance care planning. Lectures were advertised in advance to program directors and emails were sent the week prior to all trainees. At the end of each lecture, attendees were given a voluntary survey th...
Molecular Defects of the Disease-Causing Human Arrestin-1 C147F Mutant

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify the molecular defect in the disease-causing human arrestin-1 C147F mutant. Methods The binding of wild-type (WT) human arrestin-1 and several mutants with substitutions in position 147 (including C147F, which causes dominant retinitis pigmentosa in humans) to phosphorylated and unphosphorylated light-activated rhodopsin was determined. Thermal stability of WT and mutant human arrestin-1, as well as unfolded protein response in 661W cells, were also evaluated. Results WT human arrestin-1 was selective for phosphorylated light-activated rhodopsin. Substitutions of Cys-147 with smaller side chain residues, Ala or Val, did not substantially affect binding selectivity, whereas residues with bulky side chains in the position 147 (Ile, Leu, and disease-causing Phe) greatly increased the binding to unphosphorylated rhodopsin. Functional survival of mutant proteins with bulky substitutions at physiological and elevated temperature was also compromised. C147F mutant induced unfolded protein response in cultured cells. Conclusions Bulky Phe substitution of Cys-147 in human arrestin-1 likely causes rod degeneration due to reduced stability of the protein, which induces unfolded protein response in expressing cells.
Intracellular Multiplication of Bacterial Viruses

La bacteriologie n'a jusqu'ici envisage que le ‘probleme des deux corps,’ bacterie et milieu, que ce milieu soit l'organisme parasite ou le liquide au sein duquel se fait la culture, et ce probleme etait deja bien complexe; il l'etait pourtant beaucoup moins que le ‘probleme des trois corps’ que nous allons aborder, oo nous aurons a envisager les interactions entre le milieu, milieu de culture ou organisme parasite, la bacterie parasitant ce milieu et l'ultramicrobe bacteriophage parasite dans la bacterie. d'Herelle (1921).
Cardiovascular Concerns in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers

BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers can be at increased cardiovascular risk. The goal of this review is to provide information about factors associated with increased cardiovascular risk, methods to prevent cardiovascular toxicities, and recommended screening guidelines. BRCA1/2 mutation carriers who are diagnosed with cancer are often exposed to chemotherapy, chest radiotherapy, and/or HER2 directed therapies, all of which can be cardiotoxic. In addition, BRCA1/2 carriers often undergo prophylactic salpingoopherectomies, which may also increase cardiovascular risks. Understanding the potential for increased cardiovascular risk in individuals with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, as well as gold standard practices for prevention, detection, and treatment of cardiac concerns in this population, is important.
Factors associated with lymphedema in patients/women with node positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and axillary dissection on a prospective clinical trial.

513Background: Lymphedema (LE) is a known complication of breast cancer treatment. Herein we report the factors associated with LE after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and axillary dissection (ALND...
DNA ANALYSIS WITH CAPILLARY ARRAY ELECTROPHORESIS MICROPLATES

Microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis systems have been designed, built and tested that can analyze 12, 48 and 96 DNA samples on a single wafer or microplate using individual, 2-fold multiplex and four-fold multiplex injectors. On these microplates, the fragment sizing sample throughput is as fast as 1 sample/s.
A highly multiplexed broad pathogen detection assay for infectious disease diagnostics.

Rapid pathogen identification during an acute febrile illness is a critical first step for providing appropriate clinical care and patient isolation. Primary screening using sensitive and specific assays, such as real-time PCR and ELISAs, can rapidly test for known circulating infectious diseases. If the initial testing is negative, potentially due to a lack of developed diagnostic assays or an incomplete understanding of the pathogens circulating within a geographic region, additional testing would be required including highly multiplexed assays and metagenomic next generation sequencing. To bridge the gap between rapid point of care diagnostics and sequencing, we developed a highly multiplexed assay designed to detect 164 different viruses, bacteria, and parasites using the NanoString nCounter platform. Included in this assay were high consequence pathogens such as Ebola virus, highly endemic organisms including several Plasmodium species, and a large number of less prevalent pathogens to ensure a broad coverage of potential human pathogens. Evaluation of this panel resulted in positive detection of 113 (encompassing 98 different human pathogen types) of the 126 organisms available to us including the medically important Ebola virus, Lassa virus, dengue virus serotypes 1–4, Chikungunya virus, yellow fever virus, and Plasmodium falciparum. Overall, this assay could improve infectious disease diagnostics and biosurveillance efforts as a quick, highly multiplexed, and easy to use pathogen screening tool.
Natural history of isolated type II endoleaks in patients treated by fenestrated-branched endovascular repair for pararenal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abstract Objective Type II endoleaks (T2ELs) are common after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), but little is known about their natural history in patients treated by fenestrated-branched EVAR (F/BEVAR). We sought to evaluate the natural history of isolated T2EL after F/BEVAR for pararenal aortic aneurysms (PRAs) and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs). Methods Consecutive patients enrolled in a prospective nonrandomized study to investigate F/BEVAR for PRAs and TAAAs at a single institution (2014-2017) were identified. Computed tomography angiography images at discharge and during follow-up were reviewed. Patients with ≥12 months of follow-up were included and divided in two groups for comparison based on the presence or absence of T2ELs. Patients with any non-T2ELs were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with T2EL occurrence. Primary outcomes were absolute and relative sac diameter change and sac diameter increase >5 mm. Secondary outcomes included overall survival, aorta-related death, reinterventions, and conversion or rupture. Results There were 184 patients (136 male [74%]) with PRAs (n = 70 [38%]) and TAAAs (n = 114 [62%]) with an average age of 74 ± 7 years included. Isolated T2ELs were seen in 76 patients (41%); of these, 71 T2ELs (93%) were primary. Patients with T2ELs were more likely to have larger aneurysms (mean baseline diameter, 66 ± 8 mm vs 63 ± 8 mm; P = .01), patent inferior mesenteric artery (66% vs 32%; P 5 mm, and all these instances were recorded in the T2EL group; 8 required reintervention. T2ELs were not associated with decreased overall survival, freedom from aorta-related death, or freedom from any reintervention. Conclusions Isolated T2ELs are common after F/BEVAR for PRAs and TAAAs, usually seen early; they are most often associated with inferior mesenteric or lumbar artery flow and tend to persist in follow-up. Their presence is associated with impaired sac shrinkage and risk of sac growth with subsequent need for secondary interventions. Although not associated with decreased overall survival or loss of freedom from aorta-related death, T2ELs require serial imaging surveillance.
A Random Walk to Nowhere:How the Professors Caused a Real “Fraud-on-the-Market”

This book is about an intellectual fraud, one that has become part of legal doctrine that has greatly influenced decisions all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. The "efficient market hypothesis" (EMH), born from the Random Walk theory, started out as an honest attempt to improve insights into how financial markets work, but eventually became almost a religion that every financial economist had to buy into, or risk professional crucifixion. The EMH began over a half century ago. It posits that share prices reflect all available market information, and that it is impossible to consistently outperform the market. This theory dominated research in the academic financial community from the outset, and has continued to do so for decades. Meanwhile, the evidence for above-average profit-making opportunities in the markets has been unfairly suppressed.
In Silico Tissue Engineering: A Coupled Agent-Based Finite Element Approach.

Over the past two decades, the increase in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and the limited availability of autologous blood vessels and saphenous vein grafts have motivated the development of...
An integrative framework for perceptual disturbances in psychosis

Perceptual disturbances in psychosis, such as auditory verbal hallucinations, are associated with increased baseline activity in the associative auditory cortex and increased dopamine transmission in the associative striatum. Perceptual disturbances are also associated with perceptual biases that suggest increased reliance on prior expectations. We review theoretical models of perceptual inference and key supporting physiological evidence, as well as the anatomy of associative cortico-striatal loops that may be relevant to auditory perceptual inference. Integrating recent findings, we outline a working framework that bridges neurobiology and the phenomenology of perceptual disturbances via theoretical models of perceptual inference.
Narco-Terrorism - A Risk Assessment of Global Terrorist Linkages to the International Drug Trade

Global security analysts have exhaustively examined the nexus between terrorist networks and the international trade in drugs. This article revisits global narco-terrorism and its theories and empirically used various narco-terror groups in different regions to provide a global risk assessment and the linkages of these groups to the international drug trade. The results buttressed the notion that linkages and cooperation of terrorist and organized criminal groups facilitated effective operation that is continually inflicting havoc and confusion in an unrestricted evolutionary global framework, since these groups have made logistical inroads through exploitation of growing global inequalities, deepened poverty, deteriorating standards of living, and the debt challenges facing the developing world. Following a global risk assessment, the theoretical argument proposes the adoption of a macro-economic approach in the framework of a global risk management in the evaluation, monitoring and implementation of policy to effectively combat the challenges of global narco-terrorism.
Living Environment, Mobility, and Wellbeing among Seniors in the United States: A New Interdisciplinary Dialogue:

In view of the demographic profile of the older adults in the United States, in the next two decades, cities and communities need to adapt the form, environment, and transportation systems to accom...
Detecting runs of homozygosity from low-coverage ancient DNA

We present a novel method to detect runs of homozygosity (ROH) from low-coverage genotype data typical for ancient human DNA. ROH are the genetic signature of matings between related parents, and as such, the frequency and length distribution of these blocks can give insight into recent population history and mating patterns. Existing methods identify ROH by scanning for regions that lack heterozygote genotypes, but this strategy frequently fails for ancient individuals: The vast majority of ancient DNA data has low read depth (<3x), which makes reliable diploid genotype calling infeasible. To overcome this limitation, we make use of linkage disequilibrium information from a panel of modern reference haplotypes using a Hidden Markov Model. Our method scans for long stretches where the read data are consistent with only a single haplotype. When tested on simulated and down-sampled pseudo-haploid data from a targeted set of 1.24 million single nucleotide polymorphisms ("1240k SNPs") widely used in ancient DNA, our implementation robustly works for coverage down to 0.5x and can tolerate error rates up to 3%, with high power and low false positive rate for blocks longer than 4 centiMorgans. Therefore, the method can screen a substantial fraction of human genome-wide ancient DNA data for parental relatedness, which will yield new evidence for questions regarding past demography and social organization.
Heart disease mortality during the early pandemic period in the United States.

Importance: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been associated with decreases in acute myocardial infarction diagnoses (AMI) and admissions in the United States. Whether this affected heart disease deaths is unknown. Objective: To determine whether changes in heart disease deaths occurred during the early pandemic period in the US, we analyzed areas without large COVID-19 outbreaks. This isolated the effect of decreased healthcare-seeking behavior during the early outbreak. Design, Setting, and Participants: We performed an observational study of heart disease-specific mortality using National Center for Health Statistics data (NCHS). Weekly provisional counts were disaggregated by jurisdiction of occurrence during 2019 and 2020 for all-cause deaths, COVID-19 deaths, and heart disease deaths. For the primary analysis, jurisdictions were included if; 1) There was no all-cause excess mortality during the early pandemic period (weeks 14-17, 2020); 2) The completeness of that data was estimated by NCHS to be >97% as of July 22, 2020, and; 3) Decreases in emergency department (ED) visits occurred during the study period. We compared heart disease death rates during the early pandemic period with corresponding weeks in 2019 and a pre-pandemic control period of 2020 as a sensitivity analysis. Incident rate and rate ratios were calculated. Exposure: The US COVID-19 outbreak. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incidence of heart disease deaths. Results: Twelve states met the primary inclusion criteria, capturing 747,375,188 person-weeks for the early pandemic period and 740,987,984 person-weeks for the 2019 control period. The mean incidence rate (per 100,000 person-weeks) for heart disease in states without excess deaths during the early pandemic period was 3.95 (95% CI 3.83 to 4.06) versus 4.19 (95% CI 4.14 to 4.23) during the corresponding period in 2019. The incident rate ratio (2020/2019) was 0.91 (95% CI 0.87 to 0.97). No state recorded an increase from either the corresponding period in 2019 or the 2020 pre-pandemic control period. Two states recorded fewer heart disease deaths. Conclusions and Relevance: This observational study found a decrease in heart disease deaths during the early US outbreak in regions without significant COVID-19 burdens, despite decreases in ED utilization. Long term follow-up data are needed.
Effect of horizontal divergence on estimates of firn-air content

Ice-sheet mass-balance estimates derived from repeat satellite-altimetry observations require accurate calculation of spatiotemporal variability in firn-air content (FAC). However, firn-compaction models remain a large source of uncertainty within mass-balance estimates. In this study, we investigate one process that is neglected in FAC estimates derived from firn-compaction models: enhanced layer thinning due to horizontal divergence. We incorporate a layer-thinning scheme into the Community Firn Model. At every time step, firn layers first densify according to a firn-compaction model and then thin further due to an imposed horizontal divergence rate without additional density changes. We find that horizontal divergence on Thwaites (THW) and Pine Island Glaciers can reduce local FAC by up to 41% and 18%, respectively. We also assess the impact of temporal variability of horizontal divergence on FAC. We find a 15% decrease in FAC between 2007 and 2016 due to horizontal divergence at a location that is characteristic of lower THW. This decrease accounts for 16% of the observed surface lowering, whereas climate variability alone causes negligible changes in FAC at this location. Omitting transient horizontal divergence in estimates of FAC leads to an overestimation of ice loss via satellite-altimetry methods in regions of dynamic ice flow.
Induction of CXCL10-Mediated Cell Migration by Different Types of Galectins

Chemokines are an extended group of chemoattractant cytokines responsible for the recruitment of leukocytes into tissues. Among them, interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 (CXCL10) is abundantly expressed following inflammatory stimuli and participates in the trafficking of monocytes and activated T cells into sites of injury. Here, we report that different members of the galectin family of carbohydrate-binding proteins promote the expression and synthesis of CXCL10 independently of interferon-γ. Interestingly, CXCL10 induction was observed when galectins came in contact with stromal fibroblasts isolated from human cornea but not other cell types such as epithelial, monocytic or endothelial cells. Induction of CXCL10 by the tandem repeat galectin-8 was primarily associated with the chemotactic migration of THP-1 monocytic cells, whereas the prototype galectin-1 promoted the CXCL10-dependent migration of Jurkat T cells. These results highlight the potential importance of the galectin signature in dictating the recruitment of specific leukocyte populations into precise tissue locations.
Personality and responses to Covid-19 health and safety prevention

Abstract In this study, we examine the respective effects of prosocial personality and grandiose narcissism on individual social responsibility, and attitudinal and behavioral responses to Covid-19 health and safety preventive measures. We further analyze the extent to which individuals feel targeted by bullies for wearing a mask in order to shed light on the psychological consequences of the current pandemic. We employed a cross-sectional technique using a snowball sampling method to recruit participants from the United States and Canada. We obtained a total of 968 completed surveys. Results of SEM reveal that prosocial personality enhances individual social responsibility and positive responses to health and safety preventive measures, whereas grandiose narcissism augments negative responses. Results highlight that socially responsible individuals report being bullied for wearing a mask. Findings are discussed in light of the characteristics of the respondents, and cultural aspects.
Adams methods for neutral functional differential equations

In this paper Adams type methods for the special case of neutral functional differential equations are examined. It is shown thatk-step methods maintain orderk+1 for sufficiently small step size in a sufficiently smooth situation. However, when these methods are applied to an equation with a "non-smooth" solution the order of convergence is only one. Some computational considerations are given and numerical experiments are presented.
Putting It All Together: What Really Matters?

This chapter highlights the major findings of this case study in which we followed four teacher candidates from student teaching until 2 years after graduation. This chapter also highlights the major contributions of this case study with regard to the important role self-regulation of learning plays in teacher preparation programs. The case study revealed that teacher candidates from diverse backgrounds and disadvantaged conditions could be effective teachers if they have training on self-regulation and have a strong support from an institution, instructors, and peers. By focusing on cutting-edge theoretical and empirical work, this final chapter reveals that institutional support, teacher educators’ commitment to mentor aspiring teachers, and peer support matter in the training and development of aspiring teachers. This chapter calls all teacher educators to implement educational systems conducive to promote self-regulation of learning among teacher candidates who, in order to be effective teachers, need first to understand that they need to be effective learners.
Influence of drug loading and type of ointment base on the in vitro performance of acyclovir ophthalmic ointment

The availability of in vitro performance tests such as in vitro drug release testing (IVRT) and in vitro permeation testing (IVPT) are critical to comprehensively assure consistent delivery of the active component(s) from semisolid ophthalmic drug products. The objective was to study the impact of drug loading and type of ointment base on the in vitro performance (IVRT and IVPT) of ophthalmic ointments using acyclovir as a model drug candidate. The in vitro drug release for the ointments was evaluated using a modified USP apparatus 2 with Enhancer cells. The transcorneal permeation was carried out using rabbit cornea on modified vertical Franz cells. The drug retention in cornea (DRC) was also determined at the end of transcorneal drug permeation study. The in vitro drug release, transcorneal drug permeation as well as DRC exhibited a proportional increase with increasing drug loading in the ointment. On comparing the in vitro drug release profile with transcorneal permeation profile, it appears that drug release from the ointment is controlling acyclovir transport through the cornea. Furthermore, enhanced in vitro transcorneal permeation relative to the in vitro drug release underscores the importance of the interplay between the physiology of the ocular tissue and ointment formulation. The results indicated that IVRT and IVPT could be used to discriminate the impact of changes in drug load and formulation composition of ophthalmic ointments.
Unitarization of the classical statistical s matrix for systems with localization

It has recently been observed that a large reverberant cavity admits a classically motivated random s matrix that is not unitary but that can be made so in a minimally invasive manner. A random process with an envelope {approx}exp(-t/T{sub H}) representing reflection from a structure having no internal time scales other than Heisenberg time T{sub H} was shown to lead to a unitary S matrix exhibiting mesoscopic behaviors not present in the classically inspired original . These included enhanced backscatter, quantum echo, power law tails, and level repulsion. Here the procedure is extended to two systems having, in addition to Heisenberg times, internal time scales corresponding to conduction and diffusion. The repaired S matrices for coupled rooms and one-dimensional random structures with multiple scattering are found to correspond to Wigner K matrices with signatures of localization.
Discount Factor for Durable Goods: Evidence from the Spanish Automobile Market

Incentives for car purchase have been a common concern for politicians in Spain. In this paper, the author wants to focus on two recent policies: Plan VIVE and Plan 2000e, introduced in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The data on car sales in Spain show that after the introduction of the Plan 2000e there was a significant increase in the number of vehicles sold in Spain. But that seems quite contradictory with the features of these plans: if one assumes an average consumer, who borrows money at a certain interest and that repays it in several years, it can be seen that actually it is possible to save more money using the Plan VIVE rather than the Plan 2000e. Provided is evidence to support that the key to understand this puzzle is time preference: car purchase, as many other durable goods, has a very strong intertemporal discount factor. The hypothesis is demonstrated by the fact that, at least in Spain, people prefer an initial lump-sum payment in order to purchase a car rather than a financial program with better conditions.
The ionic mechanisms concerned in generating the i. p. s. ps of hippocampal pyramidal cells

A variety of experimental tests has been initiated in order to discover whether the large hyperpolarizing inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (i.p.s.ps) of hippocampal pyramidal cells are generated by the influx of Cl$^{-}$ down a gradient maintained by an outward pumping of Cl$^{-}$ across the membrane, as has been proposed by Lux, Llinas and associates for other i.p.s.ps. Intravenous infusion of NH$\_{4}$ acetate or intracellular NH$\_{4}$ acetate caused little depression of extracellular field potentials and of i.p.s.ps recorded intracellularly, i.e. there was no evidence for the blockade of an outwardly directed chloride pump. The recovery time constants in seconds from an increase in intracellular chloride, either by chloride injections (22.7 $\pm $ 6.9) or by passage of depolarizing current through K$^{+}$ salt-filled microelectrodes (20.6 $\pm $ 6.8) did not differ from the time constant of recovery from depleted intracellular chloride by passage of hyperpolarizing current through electrodes containing K$^{+}$ salts of impermeant anions (21.1 $\pm $ 5.4). Depletion of the intracellular K$^{+}$ concentration following sodium injections caused a long-lasting depolarizing shift in the i.p.s.p. with a recovery time constant of almost 70 s. These results are identical with those obtained in spinal motoneurons, where the very slow recovery was explained by an inward KCl pump triggered by low internal K$^{+}$. Our results suggest that an outward Cl$^{-}$ pump dependent on internal Cl$^{-}$ concentration does not exist in hippocampal neurons or at least on their somatic membrane. Two alternative hypotheses are given to account for our negative findings with respect to NH$\_{4}$ acetate action on the hyperpolarizing i.p.s.ps and on the rate of Cl$^{-}$ movements across the membrane. First, the original hypothesis as proposed by Eccles and collaborators, in which conductance increases to both Cl$^{-}$ and K$^{+}$ ions produce the hyperpolarizing i.p.s.ps of hippocampal neurons. However, we have no positive evidence for the involvement of K$^{+}$ ions. Secondly, an outward Cl$^{-}$ pump keeps the E$\_{\text{Cl}}$ more negative than the resting potential and the i.p.s.p. is solely caused by Cl$^{-}$ as postulated by Lux, Llinas and associates. This pump is located remotely in the dendrites and is resistant to the action of NH$_{4}$ acetate. This pump would have to be effective in a background manner so that it did not interfere appreciably with the diffusional exchange of Cl$^{-}$ ions across the soma membrane.
Backward causation and the Stalnaker-Lewis approach to counterfactuals

Whether backward causation is logically possible is a deeply controversial matter, and one on which, in the present paper, I shall take no stand. The question to be considered is what relation, if any, there is between the logical possibility of backward causation and a Stalnaker-Lewis-style account of the truth conditions of counterfactuals, and the thesis that I shall be defending is that, if backward causation is logically possible, then a Stalnaker-Lewis-style account of the truth conditions of counterfactuals cannot be sound. 1. Counterfactuals and similarity relations over possible worlds
Tye-dyed teleology and the inverted spectrum

Michael Tye’s considered position on visual experience combines representationalism with externalism about color, so when considering spectrum inversion, he needs a principled reason to claim that a person with inverted color vision is seeing things incorrectly. Tye’s responses to the problem of the inverted spectrum (2000, in: Consciousness, color, and content, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA and 2002a, in: Chalmers (ed.) Philosophy of mind: classical and contemporary readings, Oxford University Press, Oxford) rely on a teleological approach to the evolution of vision to secure the grounds upon which people with normal color vision can be justly called ‘right’ and those with inverted color vision can be called ‘wrong’. I demonstrate that since the inverted spectrum thought experiment requires that both sorts of vision be behaviorally indistinguishable, no biologically acceptable concept of teleology will allow Tye to draw the distinction he needs.
Nonuniform leaching of nitrate and other solutes in a furrow‐irrigated, sludge amended field

Abstract Nitrate leaching losses were estimated using soil core samples from three different locations in a furrow irrigated, N fertilized and sludge amended cotton field. These losses were controlled by irrigation efficiency, as well as sources and quantities of N applied. Statistical comparisons of sample locations and N treatments revealed N treatment to be less significant than the field sampling location. However, sludge amended soils had significantly higher levels of nitrates in the root zone and consequently suffered higher nitrate leaching losses. A NO3‐N profile (30–210 cm) balance indicated that about forty percent (40%) of available NO3‐N was leached below the root zone (0–150 cm) in the upper two‐thirds of the field plots during the pre‐plant irrigation. Whereas, the lower one‐third of the field did not experience significant nitrate losses below the root zone. A one‐dimensional finite difference layered model, was used to estimate the depth of moisture penetration at the field (furrow) locat...
Fatigue crack propagation in poly(methyl methacrylate): Effect of molecular weight and internal plasticization

In spite of the importance of fatigue behavior in engineering plastics, relatively few fundamental studies have been made of the effects of polymer structure, molecular weight, composition, and morphology on fatigue crack propagation (FCP). As, part of a broad program for the study of such effects, the role of molecular weight and internal plasticization has been studied in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) which had been specially prepared and characterized with respect to molecular weight, dynamic mechanical behavior, and, in some cases, stress-strain response. As expected, values of fracture toughness, Kc, varied considerably as the molecular weight was rai ed, from 0.7 MPa, √m at Mv = 1.0 × 105 to 1.1 at Mv, = 4.8 × 106. However, a specific effect of fatigue was noted: over the same range of Kc, values of FCP rate decreased by two orders of magnitude as molecular weight was; increased. It is proposed that this high sensitivity is due to differences in the degree of chain disentanglement effected by the cyclic loading, with consequent differences in the strength of the craze preceding the crack. With PMMA plasticized internally with a low level (10 percent) of n-butyl acrylate (nBA), the FCP rate and Kc, were similar to those of controls, with very high rates shown. At higher nBA levels (up to 30 percent), the sensitivity of FCP rate to stress intensity factor range decreased considerably, Kc, increased by 30 percent and the pre-exponential constant in the growth rate law increased. Plasticization weakens the polymer but at high degrees leads to enough hysteretic heating to induce local creep and crack blunting.
Acute Coronary Occlusion and Reperfusion

93 patients with acute myocardial infarction entered into a multicentre, randomised fibrinolytic therapy study underwent coronary angiography prior to treatment with intracoronary streptokinase or intravenous anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex (APSAC). Subsequent to administration of fibrinolytic therapy, coronary arteriography of the infarct-related artery was also performed at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 minutes. Angiographically defined coronary perfusion was graded as follows: grade 0 — no perfusion; grade 1 — vessel penetration by contrast without perfusion; grade 2 — partial perfusion with delayed flow and/or clearance; grade 3 — normal flow and clearance. Two independent readers at separate sites reviewed all serial angiograms with consensus achieved with a third reader. Disagreement potentially affecting therapeutic outcome (grades 1 vs 2, 0 vs 2, 0 vs 3, and 1 vs 3) occurred for only 15 angiographic views. Evaluation of agreement by the K index demonstrated a reasonable level of agreement for all grades (K = 0.73). In order to assess the effect of angiographic classification and timing upon reperfusion percentage rates, 4 reperfusion criteria were applied to these serial angiograms: group A = grade 2 or 3 flow at 90 minutes; group B = grade 2 or 3 flow at any time; group C = grade 1, 2 or 3 flow at any time in patients with control grade 0 or 1 flow; group D = grade 1, 2 or 3 flow at any time in patients with only grade 0 flow at control. Percentage reperfusion varied widely depending upon reperfusion criteria: group A: streptokinase 49%, APSAC 44%; group B: streptokinase 70%, APSAC 50%; group C: streptokinase 86%, APSAC 67%; group D: streptokinase 79%, APSAC 59%. We conclude that coronary artery angiographic perfusion may be reliably and reproducibly evaluated using semiquantitative grading techniques, but that coronary artery reperfusion rates for streptokinase may vary from 49% to 86% solely depending on the angiographic criteria of reperfusion.
The computed tomographic appearance of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations in dogs.

The appearance of herniated intervertebral disc material in the thoracolumbar vertebral canal was evaluated in 23 dogs using computed tomography (CT). The images were then compared with the myelographic and surgical findings. The normal spinal cord, outlined by epidural fat over intervertebra1 disc spaces, was of intermediate attenuation on transverse CT images. Herniated disc material was identified in all animals as a heterogeneous hyperattenuating extradural mass. The attenuation of the disc material increased with the degree of mineralization. In seven dogs, the herniated material was only slightly more attenuating than the spinal cord. In these dogs, small fragments of mineralized disc material and significant hemorrhage were found in the epidural space at surgery. In dogs with a long standing history of disc herniations, disc material identified in the vertebral canal had a more hyperattenuating and homogeneous appearance than recently herniated disc material. We conclude that mineralized, herniated disc material and hemorrhage can be identified quickly and safely in dogs using CT.
Primer on gadolinium chemistry

Gadolinium is widely known by all practitioners of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but few appreciate the basic solution chemistry of this trivalent lanthanide ion. Given the recent linkage between gadolinium contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, some basic chemistry of this ion must be more widely understood. This short primer on gadolinium chemistry is intended to provide the reader the background principles necessary to understand the basics of chelation chemistry, water hydration numbers, and the differences between thermodynamic stability and kinetic stability or inertness. We illustrate the fundamental importance of kinetic dissociation rates in determining gadolinium toxicity in vivo by presenting new data for a novel europium DOTA-tetraamide complex that is relatively unstable thermodynamically yet extraordinarily inert kinetically and also quite nontoxic. This, plus other literature evidence, forms the basis of the fundamental axiom that it is the kinetic stability of a gadolinium complex, not its thermodynamic stability, that determines its in vivo toxicity. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:1240-1248. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Polarimetric SAR image signatures of the ocean and Gulf Stream features

Polarimetric signatures and related polarimetric properties of microwave ocean backscatter are analyzed for both the ambient ocean and for ocean features such as those associated with the Gulf Stream. Interpretation of the polarimetric signatures for the ocean surface is accomplished using a tilted-Bragg theoretical model. This model is used to calculate the EM fields, to second order, which is necessary to compute the full Stokes matrix and, ultimately, the polarimetric signature. The polarimetric studies lead to a technique for potentially improving the visibility of all azimuthally traveling waves in real-aperture radar (RAR) images and very long waves in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images. This technique utilizes linear polarization signatures to maximize the instrument sensitivity to azimuthally traveling waves. Wave tilts create a modulation of the cell polarization orientation which, in turn, modulates the backscatter. Critical to the success of this technique is that the ocean polarimetric signatures be sharply peaked (i.e., returns be highly polarized). The polarimetric contribution to the overall modulation transfer function is evaluated. >
Flame studies of atomic hydrogen and oxygen using resonant multiphoton optogalvanic spectroscopy

Resonant multiphoton optogalvanic spectroscopy has been used to measure relative concentration profiles of atomic hydrogen and oxygen as a function of height above the burner in a lean, atmospheric-pressure hydrogen/oxygen flame. The relative concentrations were converted to absolute values by comparing them to concentrations calculated assuming partial equilibrium from an absolute OH profile measured using laser absorption spectroscopy. Very good agreement was obtained between the profiles measured with optogalvanic spectroscopy and the profiles calculated from the OH measurements for both atomic species. Detection levels of a few parts-per-million have been demonstrated for these important radicals using relatively modest ultraviolet laser energies of one hundred microjoules per pulse.
Infection of the Retina by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I

HUMAN immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).1 2 3 4 HIV penetrates specific cells bearing the CD4 surface antigen5 , 6 and has been observed in helper T lymphocytes, monocytes, Langerhans' cells, and recently, astrocytes, endothelial cells, oligodendrocytes, and neurons.7 8 9 10 11 HIV-infected cells have been found in the blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, lymph nodes, brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Many patients with HIV infection have a variety of ocular abnormalities not associated with obvious opportunistic infections; these abnormalities include cotton-wool spots and microvascular changes of the retina.20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 These observations, together with the established neurotropism of HIV, . . .
High resolution Raman spectroscopy of gases with laser sources. VII: The rotational spectrum of cyclohexane‐C6H12 and C6D12

The pure rotational Raman spectra of cyclohexane-d0 and cyclohexane-d12 have been photographed under high resolution using a single mode argon laser as the exciting source. The spectra consist of reasonably sharp lines which form well developed R- and S-branches. The molecular constants found from the analysis of the spectra are, for C6H12: B0 = 0.143429 ± 2 × 10−6 cm−1, DJ = (1.56 ± 0.03) × 10−8 cm−1 and, for C6D12: B0 = 0.109469 ± 1 × 10−6 cm−1 and DJ = (0.61 ± ± 0.01) × 10−8 cm−1. These results and possible molecular structures are discussed in terms of the results of recent electron diffraction studies of cyclohexane.