cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Danger Signals in the Pathogenesis and Perpetuation of Critical Illness.

The innate immune system induces inflammation through induction of multiple pathways including the TNFα/NF-κB signaling as well as the NLRP3 inflammasome cascade activation with production of inflammatory molecules. Pathogen associated molecular patterns are immunogenic costimulatory molecules that can activate the innate immune system in the presence of foreign pathogens. These molecularly distinct, foreign, particles initiate inflammatory and cell death cascades of the innate immune response through the binding of pathogen recognition receptors such as toll like receptors. The concept of danger associated molecular patterns was proposed in the 1990s based on observations that noninfectious critical illness produces similar inflammatory reactions. Endogenous danger signals are commonly intracellular molecules, such as nuclear or mitochondrial nucleic acids, that have individual biologic roles in non-inflammatory states. However, once released into the extracellular space, these molecular patterns stimula...
Expected Economic Growth and Corporate Tax Planning

This study investigates whether expected economic growth is associated with corporate tax planning. We predict that higher expected economic growth increases the net present value of tax planning opportunities and thus increases investment in tax planning. Consistent with our prediction, we find that one-year ahead cash ETRs are negatively associated with GDP growth forecasts. A series of cross-sectional analyses show this association is more pronounced for firms that are highly cyclical, financially constrained, and more likely to experience a shift in their tax clientele. In supplemental analysis, we find that expected economic growth only influences firms' investment strategies that directly reduce tax expense on the financial statements while current macro-level financial constraints influence firms' investment in strategies that defer cash taxes paid. Our study highlights that growth expectations at the macroeconomic level are an important determinant of time series variation in corporate tax planning.
A Functional Response Metric for the Temperature Sensitivity of Tropical Ecosystems

AbstractEarth system models (ESMs) simulate a large spread in carbon cycle feedbacks to climate change, particularly in their prediction of cumulative changes in terrestrial carbon storage. Evaluat...
On the relationships between higher and lower bit-depth system measurements

The quality of an imaging system can be assessed through controlled laboratory objective measurements. Currently, all imaging measurements require some form of digitization in order to evaluate a metric. Depending on the device, the amount of bits available, relative to a fixed dynamic range, will exhibit quantization artifacts. From a measurement standpoint, measurements are desired to be performed at the highest possible bit-depth available. In this correspondence, we described the relationship between higher and lower bit-depth measurements. The limits to which quantization alters the observed measurements will be presented. Specifically, we address dynamic range, MTF, SiTF, and noise. Our results provide guidelines to how systems of lower bit-depth should be characterized and the corresponding experimental methods.
Neuroimaging investigations of dorsal stream processing and effects of stimulus synchrony in schizophrenia

Impairments in auditory and visual processing are common in schizophrenia (SP). In the unisensory realm visual deficits are primarily noted for the dorsal visual stream. In addition, insensitivity to timing offsets between stimuli are widely reported for SP. The aim of the present study was to test at the physiological level differences in dorsal/ventral stream visual processing and timing sensitivity between SP and healthy controls (HC) using MEG and a simple auditory/visual task utilizing a variety of multisensory conditions. The paradigm included all combinations of synchronous/asynchronous and central/peripheral stimuli, yielding 4 task conditions. Both HC and SP groups showed activation in parietal areas (dorsal visual stream) during all multisensory conditions, with parietal areas showing decreased activation for SP relative to HC, and a significantly delayed peak of activation for SP in intraparietal sulcus (IPS). We also observed a differential effect of stimulus synchrony on HC and SP parietal response. Furthermore, a (negative) correlation was found between SP positive symptoms and activity in IPS. Taken together, our results provide evidence of impairment of the dorsal visual stream in SP during a multisensory task, along with an altered response to timing offsets between presented multisensory stimuli.
Alcohol use among patients with HIV infection.

Abstract Objective. To evaluate alcohol use in patients with HIV infection, assess ethnic and social associations, and describe outcomes. Material and methods. Design: cohort study. Setting: Academic HIV-Liver Clinic. Patients: 431 HIV-infected patients (371 men, 60 women); 249 patients with HIV/HCV coinfection, 115 HIV alone, and 67 with HIV/HBV. Intervention: alcohol use was estimated at first interview and reported as the estimated average lifetime consumption in grams/day. Outcome measures: laboratory values, liver fibrosis, decompensation and mortality. Results. Twenty-two percent of patients in the entire cohort had high risk lifetime average alcohol consumption, defined as ≥ 50 mg/day. Fifty-six percent of patients had quit all alcohol when first evaluated, but follow-up showed that 26% continued high risk consumption. By univariate analysis high alcohol consumption was associated with Latino ethnicity, injection drug use (IDU) and hepatitis C (HCV) coinfection. Multivariable analysis showed only IDU to be independently associated with high alcohol consumption (RR = 4.1, p = 0.0005). There were no significant differences in laboratory values, including CD4 cell counts, except for a trend towards higher transaminases and liver fibrosis scores, between high and low alcohol users. All-cause mortality was statistically higher in the high (37%) vs. low (25%, p = 0.03) alcohol use group, and was associated with both IDU (RR = 2.2, p = 0.04) and the amount of alcohol consumed (RR = 1.1, p = 0.04). Liver decompensation and mortality were both higher in the high use group but of borderline significance. Using an ordinal grouping, we found a strong correlation (R = 0.88) between alcohol consumption and the percentage of liver death over total deaths, with lowest mortality rates found in those use of 10 g/day or less. Conclusions. Unsafe use of alcohol is prevalent in HIV-infected patients and stoppage is not universal. There is a significant impact on all-cause mortality and a trend towards higher liver morbidity and mortality. IDU is significantly and independently associated with high ethanol intake. Practitioners should strongly recommend that HIV patients minimize alcohol use.
Endocrine and metabolic responses to cold in baboons.

When mammals are stressed by cold, the endocrine system is stimulated leading to increased “chemical” thermogenesis and a rise in resting metabolic rate. Probably most fundamental to this response is increased activity of the sympathicoadreno-medullary system, and/or augmented sensitivity to the calorigenic action of catecholamines, especially norepinephrine. Thus, when cold stimuli are applied peripherally (e.g., exposure to a cold environment), or internally (e.g., cooling the hypothalamus, spinal cord, or abdomen), the sympathicoadrenomedullary system is activated in all mammalian species studied, including rat, pig, goat, sheep, rhesus monkey, baboon, and man (3).
America's lost dogs.

Few traces remain of the domesticated dogs that populated the Americas before the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century. On page 81 of this issue, Ni Leathlobhair et al. ( 1 ) shed light on the origins of the elusive precontact dog population through genetic analysis of ancient and modern dogs. Building on earlier work, they show that American dogs alive today have almost no ancestry from precontact dogs, a monophyletic lineage descended from Arctic dogs that accompanied human migrations from Asia. Instead, the authors found that their closest remaining relative is a global transmissible cancer carrying the DNA of a long-deceased dog. It remains unclear why precontact dogs survived and thrived for thousands of years in the Americas only to swiftly and almost completely disappear with the arrival of Europeans.
Response by Saberi and Day to Letter Regarding Article, “Exercise and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Time for a Change of Heart”

We would like to thank Drs Rajtar-Salwa and Dimitrow for their interest in our article1 and for their thoughtful comments. We wish to clarify that we did not make any claims to the safety of long-term exercise training in individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We agree that there are a level of uncertainty about and a need for future studies to examine outcomes in individuals engaging in higher-intensity exercise or competitive sports. We highlighted recent data challenging the widely held view that HCM is the most common cause of sudden death in young athletes and the absence of data that sports participation increases sudden …
Pediatric Readiness in Critical Access Hospital Emergency Departments.

Purpose Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), often the first point of access for emergency care, see few children and are challenged to remain proficient in caring for pediatric patients. Our analysis provides guidance to facilitate increasing CAHs staffs' ability to provide effective pediatric emergency care. Methods The National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessment of 4,146 emergency departments (EDs) was linked with the CAHs list from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Pediatric readiness was assessed using the weighted pediatric readiness score (WPRS). A WPRS of 100 indicates that the ED meets essential guidelines for pediatric readiness. Using descriptive statistics, we also compared low (fewer than 5 children a day) and medium patient volume (5-14 children a day) EDs in 6 core areas of readiness. Findings Eighty-six percent (1,140) of CAHs were linked to the NPRP. In the study, 80% were low and 20% medium volume. The median WPRS was 59.0 for low and 67.3 for medium volume. While some differences were found by patient volume, overall 63% of CAHs had a pediatric emergency care coordinator, 34% had a pediatric patient care review process, 62% had interfacility transfer guidelines, and 45% weighed children only in kilograms. CAHs participating in a facility recognition program had significantly higher median WPRS scores (84.3) compared to those not participating (59.5). Conclusion CAHs have challenges in being ready to care for children in the areas of pediatric emergency care coordinators, policies, procedures, and patient safety. Minimal cost interventions are available to increase the readiness of CAHs to care for children.
Temperate deciduous shrub phenology: the overlooked forest layer

Temperate deciduous shrub phenology plays a pivotal role in forest ecology by regulating the timing of suitable habitat and food of a range of organisms as well as influencing the timing and duration of the carbon uptake period especially in early spring and late autumn when trees are leafless. However, given the overwhelming influence of canopy trees on forest ecosystem functioning, shrubs are often ignored in ecosystem modeling. Isolating the shrub contribution to C flux or satellite-derived forest phenology is challenging. In addition, since shrubs are more likely to be invasive than trees, future changes to shrub species composition are likely, with consequent implications for both over- and understory species composition and ecosystem functioning. Surprisingly, given their multifaceted role, our review revealed that studies on temperate deciduous shrub phenology are limited with the majority focusing on managing invasive shrubs in USA forests. In addition, results of some studies using a large number of species from a range of geographical locations suggested that, in general, invasive shrubs leafed out earlier and retained leaves longer than native species. However, this may not be directly applicable to local conditions with a smaller range of locally adapted species. Therefore, in order to fully understand the role of shrub phenology in temperate deciduous forests, in terms of invasive species, response to climate change and subsequent influence on C balance it will be necessary to establish phenological monitoring sites in which both tree and shrub phenology are recorded concurrently across a range of geographical locations.
Immediate Swelling After Trauma to the Knee

A 26-year-old otherwise healthy male presents to the clinic with right knee pain after a skiing accident 3 days ago. The patient landed awkwardly after attempting a jump and experienced the immediate onset of right knee pain necessitating ski patrol to bring him down the mountain. The patient reports hearing a “popping” noise when landing. Shortly after he noticed swelling around his knee, he was still able to bear weight on his leg. Today in clinic, the patient can ambulate with a single crutch on a slightly flexed knee without the knee buckling. On physical exam, a large effusion is present over his anterior knee. There is mild warmth and tenderness to palpation around the medial joint line. Muscle compartments in the leg are soft and pulses are 2+. Neurologic exam reveals normal motor and sensory function distal to the knee. The patient is able but hesitant to perform active or passive knee range of motion secondary to pain. There is increased knee laxity of 1 cm when an anterior force is applied to the tibia at 30° and 90°. There is no laxity with varus or valgus stress applied to the knee. Compression and axial rotation across the knee joint while extending it from a fully flexed position produces neither pain nor a palpable or audible snap.
Response to Comment on Scholtens Et Al. Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Follow-up Study (HAPO FUS): Maternal Glycemia and Childhood Glucose Metabolism. Diabetes Care 2019;42:381-392

As described in our article (1), the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study and HAPO Follow-up Study (HAPO FUS) allowed examination of associations between maternal glucose levels during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at ∼28 weeks’ gestation, across the continuum, with child glucose metabolism at ages 10–14 years. The comment by Hulman (2) on our article (1) raises questions about exploratory trajectory analyses that complemented main regression analyses of these secondary predictors and outcomes. First, regarding exploration of a cubic model, after the fasting blood draw, the HAPO protocol specified recording the number of minutes following glucose consumption for two subsequent blood draws: times ranged 50–70 min and 110–130 min. Using times in minutes as reported, cubic fits were explored, along with linear and quadratic models that included both fixed and random effects. …
Stability of dispersions

The critical concentration, C, is defined as the concentration at which there is a change in the size distribution of the surfactant aggregates from a monotonically decreasing curve (below C), to one that possesses a maximum and a minimum above the critical concentration. The transition in shape occurs at a size distribution that displays an horizontal inflexion point. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) has a value close to the critical value C [3.1] and [3.2].
Satellite and close range analysis for the surveillance and knowledge improvement of the Nasca geoglyphs

Abstract: Traditionally the history of remote sensing began during the First World War when aerial photography became a valuable reconnaissance tool. However, moving back more than a thousand years, the real pioneers of remote observation were probably the Nasca, a pre-Hispanic civilization living in southern Peru, between 100BC and 700 AD. They used ‘earth observation’ as a mean of cultural expression drawing the geoglyphs (known as Nasca Lines) only visible from above. These drawings were made on flat desert surface of the Pampa by removing or clearing sand or stones, to create paths for ritual functions to please the gods and create harmonious relationships between man and environment. In this paper, the Nasca geoglyphs in Pampa de Atarco, are object of remote sensing based investigations with the twofold aim to identify and characterize them as well as to analyse and monitor their fragile state of conservation, threatened mainly by vandalism and off road vehicles. The approach herein proposed includes the integration and reuse of diverse remote sensing dataset, from multispectral satellite to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based LSAR data and close range photogrammetry. In particular, a multidate (2002–2013) very high resolution (VHR) optical satellite dataset has been processed in the spatial and temporal domain using textural indicators, including Skewness, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and automatic classification tools which allowed us to enhance the visibility of disturbance features and to automatically extract them. The best results in terms of enhancement and automatic extraction capability of disturbance features have been obtained by Skewness. Moreover, the reuse of UAV L SAR-based correlation map, available free of charge from NASA, provided useful information on the state of disturbance from 2013 to 2015, widening the observation time window of the VHR satellite data set from 2002 to 2013. Finally, the integrated use of satellite VHR data with UAV-based photographs and DTMs, processed using structure from motion (SfM), allowed us to characterize, identify and reconstruct the relative chronological sequence of geoglyphs thus providing new insights and opening new perspectives for archaeological studies.
Social Edge Intelligence: Integrating Human and Artificial Intelligence at the Edge

In this vision paper, we propose a new concept, "Social Edge Intelligence (SEI)", where the artificial intelligence (AI) and human intelligence (HI) are tightly integrated to address a set of critical research challenges in edge computing applications. The SEI concept is motivated by two technical trends: 1) the recent rapid advancement of AI techniques in many edge and mobile applications (e.g., mobile sensing, smart homes, intelligent transportation systems), and 2) the emergence of the crowdsourcing platforms (e.g., Amazon MTurk, Waze) that are used to explore the wisdom of common individuals. We envision that an unprecedented opportunity has been unleashed to integrate AI with human intelligence at the edge of the network to obtain the best of both worlds. In this vision paper, we will review several real-world applications under the SEI vision and discuss the fundamental research challenges in implementing SEI in those applications. We also observe that approaches originated from multiple disciplines (e.g., information theory, machine learning, AI, statistics) are desirable to address the emerging challenges in SEI applications. Finally, we conclude the paper by outlining a few research directions for future work in this exciting direction.
Impact of Aspirin Dosing on Thrombotic Outcomes in Patients with the HVAD

Purpose Standard therapy with aspirin is recommended for patients after HVAD™ implantation. Bleeding in HVAD™ patients may lead to aspirin dose reductions or discontinuation to prevent future events. Previous studies in mixed cohorts of VAD patients have evaluated modified antiplatelet regimens with varied results regarding thrombotic outcomes. This study aims to report the impact of dose-reduced aspirin on thrombotic outcomes in HVAD™ patients. Methods This was a single-center retrospective evaluation of adult HVAD™ patients implanted from 7/1/2014 to 12/5/2018, maintained on therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin. Outcomes were compared between two aspirin dosing groups: per-protocol aspirin (162 mg and 325 mg), and dose-reduced aspirin (0 mg and 81 mg). The primary endpoint was the composite incidence of ischemic stroke or pump thrombosis during the first year after implant. Secondary endpoints included ischemic stroke, pump thrombosis, gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. Results Seventy-six patients were analyzed (Table 1). No difference was observed between the two groups with respect to the composite primary endpoint of ischemic stroke or pump thrombosis (Figure 1). No statistically significant differences were observed in any of the secondary endpoints. Conclusion Numerically more events were observed in the dose-reduced aspirin group. In this cohort, dose reduction did not afford any benefit with regards to hemocompatability-related adverse events, indicating HVAD™ patients should be maintained on per-protocol aspirin dosing. More studies may add to the impactful nature of the results found in this investigation.
A novel dual-band dual-polarized shared-aperture antenna with high isolation

This paper presents a novel dual-band (DB) dual-polarized (DP) shared aperture antenna with high isolation by using a combination of microstrip dipoles and dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) for S and C bands, respectively. In the S band, two sets of proximity coupled stacked microstrip dipoles which crossed at the center are employed to achieve dual-linear polarization (DLP) and obtain desired bandwidth (BW), isolation, and pure polarization. The rectangle DRA with hybrid feed is selected as the C band element for its advantages of small base area and high isolation, and a 2 × 2 array is presented with the “pair-wise” anti-phase feed technique to achieve a low cross-polarized level. Moreover, benefited from the back feed scheme, the proposed antenna has a symmetrical structure and has the potential of expanding into a larger aperture. The proposed antenna has been manufactured and measured, and the results agree well with simulations, which prove the validity of the proposed design.
The Use of Nanotrap Particles in the Enhanced Detection of Rift Valley Fever Virus Nucleoprotein

Background Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a highly pathogenic arthropod-borne virus that has a detrimental effect on both livestock and human populations. While there are several diagnostic methodologies available for RVFV detection, many are not sensitive enough to diagnose early infections. Furthermore, detection may be hindered by high abundant proteins such as albumin. Previous findings have shown that Nanotrap particles can be used to significantly enhance detection of various small analytes of low abundance. We have expanded upon this repertoire to show that this simple and efficient sample preparation technology can drastically improve the detection of the RVFV nucleoprotein (NP), the most abundant and widely used viral protein for RVFV diagnostics.
Simulation of walnut drying under hot air heating using a nonequilibrium multiphase transfer model

A nonequilibrium multiphase moisture and heat transfer model was developed to simulate the drying of a single walnut under hot air heating. The walnut was modeled as a 3-layer sphere by differentia...
Prediabetes and What It Means: The Epidemiological Evidence.

Prediabetes is an intermediate stage between normal glycemia and diabetes and is highly prevalent, especially in older age groups and obese individuals. Five different definitions of prediabetes are used in current practice, which are based on different cut points of HbA1C, fasting glucose, and 2-h glucose. A major challenge for the field is a lack of guidance on when one definition might be preferred over another. Risks of major complications in persons with prediabetes, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and death, also vary depending on the prediabetes definition used. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions can be cost-effective, prevent diabetes, and improve cardiovascular risk factors in adults with prediabetes. However, the practical implementation of lifestyle modification or the use of metformin for treating prediabetes is inadequate and complicated by a lack of agreement on how to define the condition. Establishing consensus definitions for prediabetes should be a priority and will help inform expansion of insurance coverage for lifestyle modification and improve current screening and diagnostic practices.
Does Patient Sex Affect Ultrasound Cutoff Values for Severity Grading of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Purpose A growing body of evidence supports ultrasound (US) as an alternative first-line confirmatory test for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Recent studies have demonstrated a correlation of US cross-sectional area with electrodiagnostic (EDX)-determined severity; however, it is unclear whether patient sex affects the cutoff values used for determining severity. The purpose of this study was to determine if patient sex affects US graded severity when using EDX as the reference standard. Methods A cohort of 367 women and 46 men, aged 18–90 years, from 1 orthopedic hand surgeon’s practice underwent EDX and US. Distal motor latency and distal sensory latency of the median nerve were recorded. Severity was classified using a modified Bland severity scale. The US measurements of the cross-sectional area of the median nerve at the wrist crease were acquired by a fellowship-trained hand surgeon. Separate receiver operator characteristic curve analyses of the male and female groups were performed for US cutoff values. Results The cutoff value in both the female (F) and male (M) patients was 11 mm2 for mild (area under the curve = 0.76 F; 0.78 M), 12 mm2 for moderate (area under the curve = 0.75 F; 0.73 M), and 13 mm2 for severe (area under the curve = 0.75 F; 0.71 M) CTS. The sensitivity of the cutoffs for mild, moderate, and severe CTS in the female and male groups was 49% and 56%, 44% and 50%, and 49% and 44%, respectively. The specificity of the cutoffs for mild, moderate, and severe CTS in the female and male groups was 75% and 79%, 74% and 82%, and 83% and 78%, respectively. Conclusions Patient sex does not appear to have a significant impact on the determination of CTS severity graded using US cutoff values. Ultrasound can be used to grade the severity of CTS with a 75% to 85% specificity but low sensitivity. A cutoff value of 13 mm2 can be used to classify CTS as severe. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder in rural areas: A literature review of mental health and social support.

Abstract Problem Caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report high levels of stress, social isolation, and poor mental health. Social and emotional support may buffer negative effects of stress for caregivers of children with ASD, however, those living in rural areas may be disadvantaged due to social isolation and increased distance from resources. This scoping review examined the literature regarding the mental health and impact of support for rural caregivers of children with ASD. Eligibility criteria Articles were limited to those available in the English language and conducted in a high income country. Articles had to include a population of rural caregivers of children with ASD and focus on caregiver mental health and/or the impact of support on caregiver mental health. Sample Searches were conducted with Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, and PsycINFO and 22 articles were included. Results Study findings indicate overall poor mental health for rural caregivers of children with ASD. Formal and informal support appear to be beneficial in decreasing stress for rural caregivers of children with ASD. However, a few studies indicated that formal support may add stress to rural caregivers. Conclusion There is limited information regarding support needs and the impact of support services on the mental health of rural caregivers of children with ASD. Implications There is a need to increase access to support resources in rural areas for caregivers of children with ASD. Healthcare professionals, including nurses, can play a fundamental role in supporting, educating, and connecting caregivers to other support services.
From Arms to Trees: Opportunity Costs and Path Dependence and the Exploration-Exploitation Tradeoff

The literature on the exploration-exploitation tradeoff has anchored on the n-armed bandit problem as its canonical formal representation. This structure, however, omits a fundamental property of e...
Investigation of Striae Patterns in Laser Crystals

This research involves studying the concentration variations of dopant ions in the striae patterns observed in crystals. These patterns may be due to the temperature variations during growth process. Materials to be investigated are 2 µm laser materials which are of great interest for atmospheric remote sensing measurements. Trivalent Thulium (Tm3+) sensitized trivalent holmium (Ho3+) doped crystals are used for 2 µm lasers. Tm is used to enhance Ho emission in the 2 µm wavelength region. Tm absorbs well at the wavelength ~780 nm which is suitable for diode laser pumping. The energy transfer process called “The Cross Relaxation Process” which takes place among Tm ions is described as follows: An excited Tm ion in the 3H4 state decays to the 3F4 state by exciting another Tm ion in the 3H6 ground state to the 3F4 state. Tm in the 3F4 state then transfers its energy to the upper laser level 5I7 of Ho enhancing the 2 µm emission from this level. The cross relaxation process has been found to be highly concentration dependent. However, even when high concentrations of Tm are examined, the decay of the 3H4 manifold has always been found to have a nonexponential curve. The noneven concentration distribution in the striae patterns could contribute to this behavior of the Tm decay curve. Absorption, emission and lifetime measurements are being conducted on 5 to 11% at. Tm doped crystals using an excitation source with a small beam diameter (smaller than the width of striae).
Semantic organizational strategy predicts verbal memory and remission rate of geriatric depression

Objective This study tests the hypothesis that the use of semantic organizational strategy during the free-recall phase of a verbal memory task predicts remission of geriatric depression. Methods Sixty-five older patients with major depression participated in a 12-week escitalopram treatment trial. Neuropsychological performance was assessed at baseline after a 2-week drug washout period. The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised was used to assess verbal learning and memory. Remission was defined as a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of ≤7 for 2 consecutive weeks and no longer meeting the DSM-IV-TR criteria for major depression. The association between the number of clusters used at the final learning trial (trial 3) and remission was examined using Cox's proportional hazards survival analysis. The relationship between the number of clusters utilized in the final learning trial and the number of words recalled after a 25-min delay was examined in a regression with age and education as covariates. Results Higher number of clusters utilized predicted remission rates (hazard ratio, 1.26 (95% confidence interval, 1.04–1.54); χ2 = 4.23, df = 3, p = 0.04). There was a positive relationship between the total number of clusters used by the end of the third learning trial and the total number of words recalled at the delayed recall trial (F(3,58) = 7.93; p < 0.001). Conclusions Effective semantic strategy use at baseline on a verbal list learning task by older depressed patients was associated with higher rates of remission with antidepressant treatment. This result provides support for previous findings indicating that measures of executive functioning at baseline are useful in predicting antidepressant response. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient scalable solid-state neutron detector

We report on scalable solid-state neutron detector system that is specifically designed to yield high thermal neutron detection sensitivity. The basic detector unit in this system is made of a 6Li foil coupled to two crystalline silicon diodes. The theoretical intrinsic efficiency of a detector-unit is 23.8% and that of detector element comprising a stack of five detector-units is 60%. Based on the measured performance of this detector-unit, the performance of a detector system comprising a planar array of detector elements, scaled to encompass effective area of 0.43 m2, is estimated to yield the minimum absolute efficiency required of radiological portal monitors used in homeland security.
Adipose-selective targeting of the GLUT4 gene impairs insulin action in muscle and liver

The earliest defect in developing type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, characterized by decreased glucose transport and metabolism in muscle and adipocytes. The glucose transporter GLUT4 mediates insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes and muscle by rapidly moving from intracellular storage sites to the plasma membrane. In insulin-resistant states such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, GLUT4 expression is decreased in adipose tissue but preserved in muscle. Because skeletal muscle is the main site of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, the role of adipose tissue GLUT4 downregulation in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and diabetes is unclear. To determine the role of adipose GLUT4 in glucose homeostasis, we used Cre/loxP DNA recombination to generate mice with adipose-selective reduction of GLUT4 (G4A-/-). Here we show that these mice have normal growth and adipose mass despite markedly impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes. Although GLUT4 expression is preserved in muscle, these mice develop insulin resistance in muscle and liver, manifested by decreased biological responses and impaired activation of phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase. G4A-/- mice develop glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinaemia. Thus, downregulation of GLUT4 and glucose transport selectively in adipose tissue can cause insulin resistance and thereby increase the risk of developing diabetes.
Using Maple and the calculus reform material in the calculus sequence

Computer Mathematics Systems and Calculus Reform Material are topics of discussion in many Mathematics Departments. There are many questions about how to best use each of these in mathematics courses. Research into the way that college students learn mathematics will have a great impact on the way that we teach mathematics and how we use these tools. We discuss some of the questions and offer my experience in using both tools together to have one reinforce the other.
Productivity Change in Ocean Shipping after 1870: A Comment

The recent contribution by Knauerhase in this Journal raises some important issues regarding productivity change in ocean shipping in the late nineteenth century. The study is limited to the German fleet for the period from 1871 to 1887, but the findings do bear on the decline of freight rates after 1870. The traditional argument, which is now less in vogue, is that steam played the significant role in the last half of the nineteenth century and was the main source of advancing productivity. The novelty and importance of the findings by Knauerhase is that they support this hypothesis. The evidence given by Graham, on the other hand, points to the 1870's as a period when the sailing vessel underwent significant productivity change and experienced revived growth. This position has been buttressed by North, who argues that sail dominated the long-haul routes where most of the goods were carried and where the reduction in freight rates was most dramatic.
Regional differences in sexually dimorphic protein expression in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR)

Hypertension is sexually dimorphic and modified by removal of endogenous sex steroids. This study tested the hypothesis that endogenous gonadal hormones exert differential effects on protein expression in the kidney and mesentery of SHR. At ~5 weeks of age male and female SHR underwent sham operation, orchidectomy, or ovariectomy (OVX). At 20–23 weeks of age, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured in conscious rats. The mesenteric arterial tree and kidneys were collected, processed for Western blots, and probed for Cu Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), and Alpha 2A adrenergic receptor (A2AR) expression. MAP was unaffected by ovariectomy (Sham 164 ± 4: Ovariecttomy 159 ± 3 mm Hg). MAP was reduced by orchidectomy (Sham 189 ± 5:Orchidectomy 167 ± 2 mm Hg). In mesenteric artery, SOD1 expression was greater in male versus female SHR. Orchidectomy increased while ovariectomy decreased SOD1 expression. The kidney exhibited a different pattern of response. SOD1 expression was reduced in male compared to female SHR but gonadectomy had no effect. sEH expression was not significantly different among the groups in mesenteric artery. In kidney, sEH expression was greater in males compared to females. Ovariectomy but not orchidectomy increased sEH expression. A2AR expression was greater in female than male SHR in mesentery artery and kidney. Gonadectomy had no effect in either tissue. We conclude that sexually dimorphic hypertension is associated with regionally specific changes in expression of three key proteins involved in blood pressure control. These data suggest that broad spectrum inhibition or stimulation of these systems may not be the best approach for hypertension treatment. Instead regionally targeted manipulation of these systems should be investigated.
Neonatal giant cell hepatitis: histological and etiological findings.

BackgroundNeonatal giant cell hepatitis (NGCH) is an important diagnostic consideration in infants who present with jaundice. In this study, we examined 2 separate tertiary care center cohorts of individuals with NGCH to better understand the potential etiologies and their histological correlates.Me
Determinants of photosensitization by purpurins.

— Studies were carried out on two purpurins, NT2 and an analog, Sn.NT2H2. Both are photosensitizers, but the latter is substantially more effective against neoplastic cells in vivo. These hydrophobic dyes can be solubilized via Cremophor EL emulsions. We found both dyes to be approximately equitoxic to murine leukemia L1210 cells in culture, in terms of intracellular concentrations. But uptake of NT2 was 10-fold less efficient than Sn.NT2H2, i.e. a 10-fold higher extracellular level of NT2 was needed to produce an equitoxic response. Fluorescence measurements indicate that NT2 partitions to a very hydrophobic intracellular environments; its phototoxicity was related to inhibition of biosynthesis of DNA. In contrast, SN.NT2H2 was accumulated at more hydrophilic loci (the apparent dielectric constant is consistent with a membrane interface) and mediated photodamage at sites of membrane transport.
Decision-based software development

Current software development paradigms focus on the products of the development process. Much of the decision-making process which produces these products is outside the scope of these paradigms. The decision-based software development (DBSD) paradigm views the design process as a series of interrelated decisions which involve the identification and articulation of problems, alternatives, solutions and justifications. Decisions made by programmers and analysts are recorded in a project database. Unresolved problems are also recorded and resources for their resolution are allocated by management according to the overall development strategy. This decision structure is linked to the products affected by the relevant decisions and provides a process-oriented view of the resulting system. Software maintenance uses this decision view of the system to understand the rationale behind the decisions affecting the part of the system to be modified. The relationships between decisions help assess the impact of changing one or more decisions. We describe D-HyperCase, a prototype Decision-Based Hypermedia System and give results of applying the DBSD approach during its development.
Comparing clinician-applied loads for routine difficult and shoulder dystocia deliveries

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to examine and compare clinician-applied loads during simulated vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN: We developed a birthing model and a microcomputer data acquisition system and used them to measure clinician-applied extraction forces, moment, and rates for three perceived categories of delivery. In 39 experiments, clinicians simulated delivery of the fetal shoulders during vaginal delivery for routine, difficult, and shoulder dystocia deliveries. RESULTS: Clinicians averaged 84 N combined force and 473 N-cm neck-bending moment for routine deliveries, 122 N and 697 N-cm for difficult deliveries, and 163 N and 700 N-cm for shoulder dystocia deliveries ( p p CONCLUSION: We conclude that simulating shoulder dystocia in the laboratory may be useful in measuring extraction forces and neck-bending moment and that birthing models can be used to train clinicians in force, moment, and rate perception.
Brown Norway chromosome 1 congenic reduces symptoms of renal disease in fatty Zucker rats.

We previously reported that a congenic rat with Brown Norway (BN) alleles on chromosome 1 reduces renal disease of 15-week old fatty Zucker rats (ZUC). Development of renal disease in fatty BN congenic and fatty ZUC rats from 9 through 28 weeks is now examined. Analysis of urine metabolites by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed a significantly increased urinary loss of glucose, myo-inositol, urea, creatine, and valine in ZUC. Food intake was lower in the BN congenic rats at weeks 9–24, but they weighed significantly more at 28 weeks compared with the ZUC group. Fasting glucose was significantly higher in ZUC than congenic and adiponectin levels were significantly lower in ZUC, but there was no significant genotype effect on Insulin levels. Glucose tolerance tests exhibited no significant differences between ZUC and congenic when values were normalized to basal glucose levels. Quantitative PCR on livers revealed evidence for higher gluconeogenesis in congenics than ZUC at 9 weeks. Plasma urea nitrogen and creatinine were more than 2-fold higher in 28-week ZUC. Twelve urine protein markers of glomerular, proximal and distal tubule disease were assayed at three ages. Several proteins that indicate glomerular and proximal tubular disease increased with age in both congenic and ZUC. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) level, a marker whose levels decrease with distal tubule disease, was significantly higher in congenics. Quantitative histology of 28 week old animals revealed the most significant genotype effect was for tubular dilation and intratubular protein. The congenic donor region is protective of kidney disease, and effects on Type 2 diabetes are likely limited to fasting glucose and adiponectin. The loss of urea together with a small increase of food intake in ZUC support the hypothesis that nitrogen balance is altered in ZUC from an early age.
Myelodysplasia and Malignancy-Associated Vasculitis

While the link between malignancy and vasculitis has been known for some time, the association of vasculitis and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has only recently been reported. This article reviews the most current and landmark publications regarding MDS, as well as malignancy-associated vasculitis. We include theories of paraneoplastic associations, immune pathogenesis including an associated cytokine transcriptional factor (interferon regulatory factor-1 [IFN-1]), and the relationship to treatment. Key clinical features that suggest underlying malignancy in patients with vasculitis are highlighted. Although the association between vasculitis and malignancy is rare, leukocytoclastic vasculitis is the most common vasculitis associated with MDS, hematologic malignancies as well as solid tumors. We review several articles that demonstrate a paraneoplastic association between vasculitis and various malignancies, but overall, the connection is still unclear and not well defined. Certain features that suggest a true paraneoplastic association are outlined. Further studies are needed to advance our understanding of this complex topic.
Some Algebras Similar to the Enveloping Algebra of s1(2)

Abstract Consider the algebra R = ℂ[A,B,H] subject to relations where and . We study these algebras for different f and c. We study highest weight modules and finite dimensional simple modules. We introduce the categories p with p ≥ 1, with an interesting decomposition in categories p I and p II . We also consider the BGG-category and develop new techniques towards the study of .
Increased cytotoxic T cells with effector phenotype in aplastic anemia and myelodysplasia.

Abstract Objective We hypothesized that an active autoimmune process in aplastic anemia (AA) corresponds to the expansion of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) displaying mature effector phenotype. We determined whether the numbers of effector CTLs in blood of patients with bone marrow failure syndromes are elevated and correlate with the disease activity and responsiveness to immunosuppression. Patients and Methods We analyzed samples from patients with AA, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), polytransfused patients with nonimmune-mediated hematologic disease, and normal controls for the presence of effector T lymphocytes using four-color flow cytometry. Expression of CD57 and loss of CD28 on CD8+CD3+ CTL were used as markers for the terminal effector phenotype. In addition, intracellular staining for perforin and granzyme B was preformed. The numbers of effector CTL did not differ between healthy individuals and hematologic controls and the two groups were pooled. Results The percentages of CD8+CD28− and CD8+CD28−CD57+ cells were significantly higher in AA and MDS patients than in controls. There was a trend toward a gradual decrease in the effector CTLs from the high values observed in untreated new patients and patients who did not respond to immunosuppression, intermediate levels for partial responders and complete responders, to the lowest levels seen in controls. However, severity of pancytopenia did not correlate with the size of the effector cell population. In contrast to CD57+ CTLs, expression of perforin or granzyme B in the cytotoxic effector cells did not differ in AA patients from those of controls. Conclusions Our results indicate that phenotypically defined effector CTLs are increased in AA and MDS and the effector phenotype may be useful to isolate and characterize antigen-specific T cells in AA in order to delineate the possible inciting or driving agents in AA.
Structure and function of the membrane deformation AAA ATPase Vps4

The ATPase Vps4 belongs to the type-I AAA family of proteins. Vps4 functions together with a group of proteins referred to as ESCRTs in membrane deformation and fission events. These cellular functions include vesicle formation at the endosome, cytokinesis and viral budding. The highly dynamic quaternary structure of Vps4 and its interactions with a network of regulators and co-factors has made the analysis of this ATPase challenging. Nevertheless, recent advances in the understanding of the cell biology of Vps4 together with structural information and in vitro studies are guiding mechanistic models of this ATPase.
pH-responsive stabilization of glutamate dehydrogenase mRNA in LLC-PK1-F+ cells

During chronic metabolic acidosis, the adaptive increase in rat renal ammoniagenesis is sustained, in part, by increased expression of mitochondrial glutaminase (GA) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GD...