cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What causes diminished corticomedullary differentiation in renal insufficiency

Purpose To investigate whether the loss of corticomedullary differentiation (CMD) on T1-weighted MR images due to renal insufficiency can be attributed to changes in T1 values of the cortex, medulla, or both. Materials and Methods Study subjects included 10 patients (serum creatinine range 0.6–3.0 mg/dL) referred for suspected renovascular disease who underwent 99mTc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) renography to determine single kidney glomerular filtration rate (SKGFR) and same-day MRI, which included T1 measurements and unenhanced T1-weighted gradient echo imaging. Corticomedullary differentiation on T1-weighted images was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results SKGFR values ranged from 3.5 to 89.4 mL/minute based on radionuclide studies. T1 relaxation times of the medulla exceeded those of renal cortex by 147.9 ± 176.0 msec (mean ± standard deviation [SD]). Regression analysis showed a negative correlation between cortex T1 and SKGFR (r = −0.5; P = 0.03), whereas there was no significant correlation between medullary T1 and SKGFR. The difference between medullary and cortical T1s correlated significantly with SKGFR (r = 0.58; P < 0.01). In all five kidneys with a corticomedullary contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) <5.0 on T1-weighted images, SKGFR was less than 20 mL/minute. Conclusion In our subject population, loss of CMD with decreasing SKGFR can be attributed primarily to an increased T1 relaxation time of the cortex. Medullary T1 values vary but do not appear to correlate with degree of renal insufficiency. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
First trimester insulin resistance and subsequent preeclampsia: a prospective study.

Insulin resistance is implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, but prospective data are limited. SHBG, a marker of insulin resistance among nonpregnant individuals, has not been studied in detail during pregnancy. We conducted a prospective, nested, case-control study to test the hypothesis that increased insulin resistance, marked by reduced first trimester SHBG levels, is associated with increased risk of subsequent preeclampsia. First trimester SHBG levels were measured in 45 nulliparous women who subsequently developed preeclampsia (blood pressure, > or =140/90 mm Hg; proteinuria, either > or =2+ by dipstick or > or =300 mg/24 h, after 20 wk gestation) and in 90 randomly selected normotensive nulliparous controls. Compared with controls, women who developed preeclampsia had significantly reduced first trimester SHBG levels (302 +/- 130 vs. 396 +/- 186 nmol/liter; P or =25 kg/m(2)), overweight women had lower SHBG levels than lean women (286 +/- 156 vs. 410 +/- 166 nmol/liter; P < 0.01), and within each stratum, women with preeclampsia had lower SHBG levels than their respective controls. In a multivariable analysis, the association between SHBG and preeclampsia strengthened among lean women, such that every 100 nmol/liter increase in serum SHBG was associated with a 55% reduction in the risk of preeclampsia (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.27, 0.77; P < 0.01), whereas in overweight women, the association was mitigated (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.62, 1.69; P = 0.9). We conclude that increased early pregnancy insulin resistance is independently associated with subsequent preeclampsia. First trimester SHBG levels may be a useful biomarker for preeclampsia, especially among lean women who otherwise would be perceived to be at low risk.
Novel redistribution of myosin-containing filaments in cultured keratinocytes identified by a human monoclonal autoantibody.

A time-dependent redistribution of microfilaments was observed in cultured human keratinocytes using a human monoclonal autoantibody specific for myosin. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that 5 days after plating keratinocytes in either 0.1 mM or 2.0 mM Ca++, myosin was distributed uniformly throughout the cytoplasm. At day 6, parallel arrays of myosin-containing microfilaments were prominent in the cell peripheries. At day 7 the microfilaments formed circumferential rings. The distribution of the microfilaments was disrupted by cytochalasin but not by colchicine, indicating that this novel distribution of myosin was not dependent on colchicine-sensitive vimentin intermediate filaments. The time-dependent redistribution of myosin was not influenced by cell population density, cell shape or cell cycle phase, except for mitotic cells in which myosin was distributed diffusely through the cytoplasm. If, as suggested by Kolega (9), microfilaments align parallel to the direction of applied tension, the redistribution of myosin-containing microfilaments in cultured keratinocytes may reflect the increased tension between cells resulting from increasing strength of cell-cell junctions over time. In sectioned human skin, myosin was localized in the peripheral cytoplasm of stratified epidermal cells. Tensions arising from the numerous desmosomal junctions between cellsin vivo could account for this distribution of myosin.
Effect of temperature-sensitive, replication-defective mutations on RNA synthesis of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus.

Abstract The RNA synthesis of replication-deficient, temperature-sensitive mutants of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) with mutations on either RNA 1 or RNA 3 was examined in temperature shift experiments. Viral RNA synthesis by the mutants at 25° was similar to that of wild-type CCMV, but upon shift to 35°, synthesis of mutant virus RNAs declined over a 16-hr period in contrast to continued synthesis by wild-type CCMV. Continued RNA synthesis, though at a reduced level, by the mutants during the initial periods following the shift to 35° demonstrated that the enzymes involved in viral RNA synthesis of the mutants continued activity after the shift to the nonpermissive temperature. There was no clear correlation between a specific, defect in viral RNA synthesis and whether the mutation occurred on either RNA 1 or RNA 3. New replicative complexes appeared not to be produced at 35° suggesting that gene products from both RNA 1 and RNA 3 may function coordinately in the replication complex. One mutant produced a reduced ratio of RNA 3 that was exaggerated upon shift to the restrictive temperature.
Postpartum Women in Outpatient Drug Abuse Treatment: Correlates of Retention/Completion

Abstract This article examines correlates of retention/completion for low-income court-ordered and voluntary postpartum women in two types of outpatient drug abuse treatment: day treatment (an intensive seven-day-a-week, neurobehavioral treatment model program) and traditional outpatient treatment (a conventional five-day-a-week program). Instruments used in this study to assess factors in retention/completion include the Addiction Severity Index, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hudson's Index of Self-Esteem, the Coping Strategies Inventory, the Social Support Questionnaire, and a Barriers to Treatment measure specifically designed for this study. It was found that the women in this study had relatively normal psychosocial profiles, and that their support systems, while small, were relatively satisfying. Very few psychosocial profile elements were found to be predictors, but social support was marginally related to length of slay in treatment. Program type, infant custody, ...
Management of rotator cuff tears: A comparison of arthroscopic debridement and surgical repair.

In a prospective study, 87 consecutive patients with 88 chronic, full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff were randomly assigned to either open surgical tendon repair and anterior acromioplasty (50 shoulders) or arthroscopic debridement and subacromial decompression (38 shoulders). All patients were reexamined 2 to 5 years after the operation with the University of California at Los Angeles 35-Point Scale for Pain and Function of the Shoulder. The average ratings were 30.5 (rotator cuff repair) and 25.1 (arthoscopic debridement/decompression) for each group. The open surgical repair group faired significantly better than the arthroscopic debridement group (p = .0028). Thirteen required subsequent procedures, four with tendon repair and nine with decompression. Five in the decompression group experienced cuff tear arthropathy. Surgical repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears provided results superior to those of arthroscopic debridement and subacromial decompression.
Nanoengineering the Heart: Conductive Scaffolds Enhance Connexin 43 Expression

Scaffolds that couple electrical and elastic properties may be valuable for cardiac cell function. However, existing conductive materials do not mimic physiological properties. We prepared and characterized a tunable, hybrid hydrogel scaffold based on Au nanoparticles homogeneously synthesized throughout a polymer templated gel. Conductive gels had Young’s moduli more similar to myocardium relative to polyaniline and polypyrrole, by 1–4 orders of magnitude. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes exhibited increased expression of connexin 43 on hybrid scaffolds relative to HEMA with or without electrical stimulation.
Automatic parallelism through macro dataflow in high-level array languages

Dataflow computation is a powerful paradigm for parallel computing that is especially attractive on modern machines with multiple avenues for parallelism. However, adopting this model has been challenging as neither hardware- nor language-based approaches have been successful, except, in specialized contexts. We argue that general-purpose array languages, such as MATLAB, are good candidates for automatic translation to macro dataflow-style execution, where each array operation naturally maps to a macro dataflow operation and the model can be efficiently executed on contemporary multicore architecture. We support our argument with a fully automatic compilation technique to translate MATLAB programs to dynamic dataflow graphs that are capable of handling unbounded structured control flow. These graphs can be executed on multicore machines in an event driven fashion with the help of a runtime system built on top of Intel's Threading Building Blocks (TBB). By letting each task itself be data parallel, we are able to leverage existing data-parallel libraries and utilize parallelism at multiple levels. Our experiments on a set of benchmarks show speedups of up to 18x using our approach, over the original data-parallel code on a machine with two 16-core processors.
Genetic Differences in the Effect of Ethanol on Plasma Corticosterone and Nonesterified Fatty Acid in Rats

The influence of genotype on the responsiveness to ethanol in rodents was examined using biochemical measures. Nine different strains of rats were treated with saline or various doses of ethanol, and the changes in plasma corticosterone and of nonesterified free fatty acids were measured 1 hr later. It was found that the BUF/N strain of rats had the lowest response on both measures and also had the lowest blood ethanol levels. The most sensitive strains to ethanol were the ACI/N with respect to corticosterone, and WKY/N and M520/N with respect to nonesterified free fatty acids. The highest blood ethanol levels were seen in the MR/N and the WKY/N strains of rats.
A pre-marketing ALT signal predicts post-marketing liver safety.

Abstract Drug induced liver injury during drug development is evidenced by a higher incidence of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations in treated versus placebo populations and termed an “ALT signal”. We sought to quantify whether an ALT signal in pre-marketing clinical trials predicted post-marketing hepatotoxicity. Incidence of ALT elevations (ALT ⩾ 3 times upper limits normal [× ULN]) for drug and placebo of new chemical entities and approved drugs associated with hepatotoxicity was calculated using the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. Post-marketing liver safety events were identified using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS). The association of FDA AERS signal score (EB05 ⩾ 2) and excess risk of pre-marketing ALT elevation (difference in incidence of ALT ⩾ 3× ULN in treated versus placebo) was examined. An ALT signal of ⩾ 1.2% was significantly associated with a post-marketing liver safety signal (p ⩽ 0.013) and a 71.4% positive predictive value. An absent ALT signal was associated with a high likelihood of post-marketing liver safety; negative predictive value of 89.7%. Daily drug dose information improved the prediction of post-marketing liver safety. A cut-off of 1.2% increase in ALT ⩾ 3× ULN in treated versus placebo groups provides an easily calculated method for predicting post-marketing liver safety.
Discriminability metric based on human contrast sensitivity

We evaluated a metric for predicting the discriminability of different digitized versions of alphanumeric characters. The metric is based on the assumption that there exists a visual filter such that discriminability is monotonic with the contrast energy in the visually filtered difference between stimuli. To test this hypothesis, we presented two same or different digital versions of a master character and asked subjects to indicate whether the characters were the same or different in a forced-choice procedure with feedback. The filtered contrast energy difference was calculated by convolving the difference between stimulus pairs with filters derived from published human contrast sensitivity functions, following an initial nonlinear transformation of stimulus intensity, and summing the squared result. For some types of stimulus difference, such as contrast quantization errors and Gaussian blurring, performance on discrimination tasks is monotonically related to the contrast energy of the filtered difference vector. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that there exists a single psychometric function that can predict the discriminability of different digitized versions of characters when displayed on various devices.
The stability of erythroid stimulating activity in normal human serum.

Abstract Erythroid stimulating activity (ESA) in normal human serum has been shown to be labile to storage even at temperatures as low as −20°C. The addition of phenol to a final concentration of 0.1% preserves the ESA. Serum should be stored with the addition of 0.1% phenol prior to assay for ESA. Because of the variability in the assay procedures two sera cannot be considered to differ significantly in their ESA content unless the measured titers differ by at least a factor of two.
Relationship of Ventricular Ectopy to Oxyhemoglobin Desaturation in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea are considered to be at increased risk of sudden, presumably arrhythmia-related death during sleep. The present study was undertaken to determine the relationship between ventricular ectopy and the severity of oxyhemoglobin desaturation in these patients. Thirty-one male patients with obstructive sleep apnea (mean age, 55 ±11 years) underwent overnight polysomnography. Arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2) was monitored by ear oximetry, and premature ventricular complexes (PVC) were detected using electrocardiographic leads CC5 and CM5. The data were recorded on electromagnetic tape for subsequent computer-assisted analysis to obtain PVC frequency as a function of decile levels of SaO2. Total sleep time averaged 333±75 minutes, the apnea index was 44 ± 26 per hour, and the hypopnea index was 18±24 per hour. Premature ventricular complexes were observed in 23 (74 percent) of the subjects. By analysis of variance, no significant relationship was found between PVC frequency and decile levels of SaO2 for saturations greater than 60 percent; however, in the 16 subjects with SaO2 below 60 percent, a significant increase in PVC frequency was detected with decreasing SaO2 (p
Phased biofeedback approach for epileptic seizure control

Abstract A phased biofeedback method for seizure control was used in an 18-yr-old female. Based on reports that epileptic seizures can be prevented by EEG biofeedback, we employed a phased sequence of relaxation training, EMG feedback, and feedback of alpha and theta EEG frequencies, to develop a low arousal, anti-stress response. Intervention over a 1-yr period resulted in a 46 per cent decrease in monthly seizures. Follow-up showed maintenance of her decreased seizure activity. Self-report and charges in locus of control orientation affirm the learning of an effective anti-stress response.
The geochemistry of oceanic basalts in the vicinity of transform faults: Observations and implications

Abstract Consideration of geochemical data from basalts formed near major Atlantic and Pacific transform faults reveals two significant sets of observations. First, compared to basalts formed far from the transform, basalts near the ridge/transform intersection have, for the same MgO contents, higher abundances of TiO 2 and other incompatible elements, higher La/Sm and La/Yb ratios, and often higher FeO. These enrichments are distinct from and occur in addition to the more variable and fractionated compositions which have been frequently noted [10–13]. Modeling of this “ transform fault effect ” using data from the Tamayo/EPR intersection suggests the chemical systematics are caused by decreasing extents of melting as the transform is approached. Second, there are chemical discontinuities in the major element, trace element and isotopic chemistry of basalts across many transforms. These “ transform discontinuities ” occur in normal ocean crust as well as around hot spots. Consideration of the melting zone in the mantle suggests that the transform fault effect is a natural consequence of the ridge/transform plate boundary. The melting zone beneath a ridge segment must terminate across the transform, leading to lower extents of melting at the transform edge. The surface manifestation of the change in the melting zone may be affected by the age of the transform offset, the spreading rate, the transform spacing and the interaction of mantle flow with the local thermal structure; it may be obscured by episodic magma chamber processes and mantle heterogeneity. The significance of transform discontinuities depends on whether they persist with age. If they do not, then temporally variable crust-forming processes may produce changes along a flow line similar to those at zero age across a transform. If, on the other hand, a discontinuity persists with age, then the transform may be related to a fundamental discontinuity in the underlying mantle. Long-lived transform discontinuities would have profound implications for the nature of plate motions, mantle convection and mantle heterogeneity.
Measuring the effects of invasive species on the demography of a rare endemic plant

The impacts of invasive species are among the greatest threats to the persistence of native species and communities. Yet most work on rare plants has focused on issues such as habitat fragmentation and genetic diversity, while few studies have quantified the impacts of invasive plants on native ones or investigated the underlying mechanisms of those impacts. I used removal experiments to assess the effects of invasive grasses on the seedling and adult demography of an endangered California endemic, Oenothera deltoidesssp. howellii. Invasive plant removal significantly increased O. deltoides seedling recruitment, but had no effect on adult plants. Differences in seedling recruitment were primarily driven by greatly increased seedling emergence rates in removal plots, although there was also some evidence of higher seedling survivorship with invasives removal. Differences in habitat type strongly influenced both the effects of removal treatments and O. deltoides demography, with areas that support natural recruitment showing weaker treatment effects and higher overall recruitment, but lower adult survivorship, compared to those under restoration through planting. These results indicate that inhibition of germination due to reduced soil disturbance, rather than resource competition, appears to be the strongest impact of invasive plants on this rare endemic. Although previous work has documented the importance of changed disturbance regimes in generating invasion impacts, invader effects on rare plants are generally presumed to result from resource competition. Studies like this one highlight the need for a greater emphasis on understanding the mechanisms by which invasive plants impact native ones, and the importance of such information in designing conservation and management strategies.
Left ventricular hypertrophy reversal with labetalol and propranolol: a prospective randomized, double-blind study.

Hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Experimental studies indicate the importance of both the alpha and beta components of the adrenergic nervous system in the development and reversal of LVH. Therefore labetalol (L), a combined alpha and beta blocker, and propranolol (P), a nonselective beta blocker, were evaluated in a randomized, double-blind study of 35 hypertensive patients with echocardiographic evidence of LVH. Following 2 weeks of placebo, L or P was titrated as needed and tolerated to maximum total daily doses of 1600 mg and 640 mg, respectively. A thiazide diuretic was added if necessary for blood pressure control. M-mode echocardiograms were performed at baseline and after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of blood pressure control. The echocardiograms were read independently by two blinded observers for end-diastolic dimension and wall thicknesses, and left ventricular mass. Fractional shortening, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance were derived using standard formulas. Both drugs reduced blood pressure significantly and comparably. Significant changes in the echocardiographic measurements were observed as early as 1 month and usually persisted throughout the study. Both drugs decreased posterior wall thickness; however, only the decrease in propranolol group achieved statistical significance. Septal wall thickness was reduced by L at 3 and 12 months. End-diastolic dimension increased significantly in the L-treated group at 3, 6, and 12 months of therapy, whereas P had no effect on this measurement. As a consequence, the calculated left ventricular mass index was reduced by P throughout the study, but remained essentially unchanged by L until the twelfth month. Neither drug adversely affected fractional shortening. Cardiac output was significantly reduced by P, but unchanged by L, despite similar effects on heart rate by both drugs. Thus, despite their similar effects on blood pressure, L and P had different effects on cardiac morphology, which may reflect varying responses to alpha-and beta-adrenergic blockade.
Solution and fractionation properties of graft polymers

The lattice model is used to predict the solution properties of graft and block polymers. It is found that the solubility of a graft polymer is critically dependent on the heat of interaction of the various components of the polymers with the solvent. Furthermore, the precipitates from fractionations of graft polymer solutions are no longer simple functions of the over-all molecular weight.
Fundamental Studies on Maintenance of the Circulation in Cardiac Asystole by the Mechanocardiac Pulsator

SUMMARY General considerations concerning a realistic approach to heart resuscitation have been discussed. Three methods of mechanical heart compression have been described, and the results obtained were compared with those of hand massage and controls. Some opinions based on the experimental data obtained, as to the characteristics of the reciprocal advantages with manual heart massage, has been evaluated. ventricles of the heart, have been presented. The possible application of mechanical heart compression, after due consideration of the reciprocal advantages with manual heart massage, has been evaluated.
Connectivism: Learning theory and pedagogical practice for networked information landscapes

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe the theory of connectivism as a learning theory that provides a useful framework for understanding how students learn information literacy. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the theory of connectivism and reviews established learning theories that inform the design of information literacy instruction. The author discusses new learning landscapes and emerging conceptualizations of information literacy that parallel the principles of connectivism. Findings – Two emerging information literacy frameworks, metaliteracy and transliteracy, suggest the need for a unifying theory of how students learn information literacy concepts and skills. Literature describing metaliteracy and transliteracy articulates pedagogical practices that reflect a connectivist approach to information literacy instruction. Originality/value – The paper encourages critical inquiry into the ways that emerging theories of learning can improve information literacy education.
CHIPping Away at Base Excision Repair

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Parsons et al. (2008) report that the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP regulates the stability of the base excision repair (BER) proteins XRCC1 and DNA Pol beta, adding a new level of regulation for BER.
Self-Concepts of Gifted Students as Measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale

Self-concepts of gifted children were studied using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale. No significant differences were found among grades, between sexes, or between students enrolled i...
Detecting brain activation in FMRI data without prior knowledge of mental event timing.

Abstract Almost all methods of detecting brain activation in fMRI data depend on prior knowledge of mental event timing. For example, the investigator may be required to stipulate the short time intervals during which mental activity occurs. In addition, the hemodynamic response to mental activity is often assumed to be linearly additive, and the shape of that response is frequently estimated or modeled. Analysis methods that do not make these assumptions still require prior knowledge of characteristics of the spatial distribution of neural activity. This paper describes a new method of analyzing fMRI data that does not rely on any of these assumptions. Instead, our approach is based on the following simple premise: the time course of signal in activated voxels will not vary significantly when an entire task protocol is repeated by the same individual. The model-independence of this approach makes it suitable for “screening” fMRI data for brain activation that may have unanticipated timing. Retrospective examination of the time course of the detected signals may be used to understand the nature of the activity. We demonstrate the method by using it to detect brain activation in two subjects who performed hand sensorimotor tasks according to block and single-trial designs.
Classification of finite-dimensional estimation algebras of maximal rank with arbitrary state–space dimension and mitter conjecture

In the late seventies, the concept of the estimation algebra of a filtering system was introduced. It was proven to be an invaluable tool in the study of non-linear filtering problems. In the early eighties, Brockett proposed to classify finite dimensional estimation algebras and Mitter conjectured that all functions in finite dimensional estimation algebras are necessarily polynomials of total degree at most one. Despite the massive effort in understanding the finite dimensional estimation algebras, the 20 year old problem of Brockett and Mitter conjecture remains open. In this paper, we give a classification of finite dimensional estimation algebras of maximal rank and solve the Mitter conjecture affirmatively for finite dimensional estimation algebras of maximal rank. In particular, for an estimation algebra E of maximal rank, we give a necessary and sufficient conditions for E to be finite dimensional in terms of the drift fi (x) and observation hj (x). As an important corollary, we show that the numb...
Distinct distributions of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptor subunits and a related 53,000 Mr antigen (GR53) in brain tissue

Abstract Polyclonal antibodies against specific carboxy-terminal sequences of known α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptor subunits (GluR1–4) were used to screen regional homogenates and subcellular fractions from rat brain. Affinity purified anti-GluR1 (against amino acids 877–889), anti-GluR2/3 (850–862), and anti-GluR4a and anti-GluR4b (868–881) labeled distinct subunits with the expected molecular weight of ∼105,000. These antigens were shown to have distinct distributions in the brain. While GluR2/3 epitopes had a distribution profile similar to that of the presynaptic marker synaptophysin, GluR1 was notable for its abundance in the hippocampus and its relatively low density in neocortical areas, and GluR4 was highly enriched in cerebellar tissue. An additional antigen (glutamate receptor-related, GR53) of lower molecular weight (50,000–59,000) was recognized in rat, human, frog, chick and goldfish brain samples by anti-GluR4a as well as by anti-GluR1at, an antibody that specifically recognizes the extracellular aminoterminal domain of GluR1 (amino acids 163–188). Both antibodies also labeled antigens of ∼105,000 mol. wt in brain tissue from all species tested. The ∼53,000 mol. wt antigen was concentrated 10–20-fold in synaptic membranes vs homogenates across rat brain regions. Both the 105,000 and the 53,000 mol. wt proteins were also concentrated in postsynaptic densities, and neither of the two antigens were evident in seven non-brain tissue samples. These data indicate that AMPA receptors have regionally different subunit combinations and that some AMPA receptor composites include proteins other than the conventional 105,000 mol. wt GluR subunits.
Acute closure after stenting: not always a thrombus.

This is a classic case of intramural hematoma causing acute myocardial infarction soon after successful stenting. This case illustrates the importance of intravascular ultrasound imaging to diagnose the underlying cause of coronary occlusion after successful stenting to guide the optimal treatment in such cases. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
BOUNDED CONTEXT PARSING AND EASY LEARNABIITY

Natural languages are often assumed to be constrained so that they are either easily learnable or parsable, but few studies have investigated the connection between these two "functional" demands. Without a formal model of parsability or learnability, it is difficult to determine which is more "dominant" in fixing the properties of natural languages. In this paper we show that if we adopt one precise model of "easy" parsability, namely, that of bounded context parsability, and a precise model of "easy" learnability, namely, that of degree 2 learnability, then we can show that certain families of grammars that meet the bounded context parsability condition will also be degree 2 learnable. Some implications of this result for learning in other subsystems of linguistic knowledge are suggested.1
A novel algorithm to extract two-node bridges

Defect based testing is based on the premise that it is possible to extract high probability defects viz. bridges and opens using layout and defect data. We present a very efficient algorithm to extract two-node bridges from layout. Comparison results with a popular tool show that our algorithm is considerably faster and that it has higher capacity.
Mechanisms of Integration: What Parameters Control Output as Function of Input?

With the goal of outlining a frame of reference for considering how organized constellations of neurons integrate and operate to achieve neural function, I define integration, recognize its several, widely disparate levels, and review the middle levels—between the molecular and membrane channel level on the basic side and the memory and motivation level on the cognitive side. It appears that the molecular and subcellular levels are more general and less diverse in different species and parts of the nervous system.
A Virtual Antenna Beamforming (VAB) Approach for Radar Systems by Using Orthogonal Coding Waveforms

An innovative approach is introduced to form virtual transmitting and receiving radar antenna beams simultaneously by transmitting orthogonal coding waveforms from the antenna elements and digitally processing of their echoes at the receiver. Multiple virtual transmitting-receiving beams can be formed simultaneously by employing an equal number of beamforming filters without increasing transmitting power or antenna gain or resolution loss. The virtually formed antenna beams can provide equivalent antenna gains and spatial resolutions as the conventional phased arrays of the same size. Because the actual antenna radiation pattern can be made almost isotropic, the new system has low probability of intercept (LPI) property. With both transmitting and receiving beams virtually implemented through digital filtering, costly radiation phase shift used in phased arrays is not needed for beam scanning in the proposed system.
The affected gene underlying the class K glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) surface protein defect codes for the GPI transamidase

The final step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring of cell surface proteins consists of a transamidation reaction in which preassembled GPI donors are substituted for C-terminal signal sequences in nascent polypeptides. In previous studies we described a human K562 cell mutant, termed class K, that accumulates fully assembled GPI units but is unable to transfer them to N-terminally processed proproteins. In further work we showed that, unlike wild-type microsomes, microsomes from these cells are unable to support C-terminal interaction of proproteins with the small nucleophiles hydrazine or hydroxylamine, and that the cells thus are defective in transamidation. In this study, using a modified recombinant vaccinia transient transfection system in conjunction with a composite cDNA prepared by 5′ extension of an existing GenBank sequence, we found that the genetic element affected in these cells corresponds to the human homolog of yGPI8, a gene affected in a yeast mutant strain exhibiting similar accumulation of GPI donors without transfer. hGPI8 gives rise to mRNAs of 1.6 and 1.9 kb, both encoding a protein of 395 amino acids that varies in cells with their ability to couple GPIs to proteins. The gene spans ≈25 kb of DNA on chromosome 1. Reconstitution of class K cells with hGPI8 abolishes their accumulation of GPI precursors and restores C-terminal processing of GPI-anchored proteins. Also, hGPI8 restores the ability of microsomes from the mutant cells to yield an active carbonyl in the presence of a proprotein which is considered to be an intermediate in catalysis by a transamidase.
ADDT: automatic data distribution tool for porting programs to PVM

An important issue facing users who develop applications on PVM is that of partitioning the data over the different processors and generating communication statements for non-local data accesses. The burden of generating communication statements is alleviated by data parallel languages like HPF. HPF requires the user to specify the distribution of the data in the application. This distribution is specified over the processors on which the application is to execute. A good data distribution depends on the number of processors, the communication latency and the underlying compilation system. We present a method for automatically generating a dynamic data distribution and alignments for a distributed memory environment. This method has been implemented in an automatic data distribution tool called ADDT. ADDT reads in a shared memory parallel program in Fortran and generates as output a HPF program. Our method works by breaking up the input program into sub parts called distribution blocks (DB). It then obtains a set of data distribution for the arrays in each DB using the data layouts from preceding DB's. The algorithms used to obtain a set of data distribution (called candidate distributions) for a DB are discussed. The final data layout for the program has to be selected from these candidate distributions. This selection is formulated as a linear optimization problem which minimizes the communication while minimizing loss of parallelism. We present experimental results obtained by running ADDT on some example programs.
Substituted diphenyl ethers as a broad-spectrum platform for the development of chemotherapeutics for the treatment of tularaemia

Objectives: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease classifies Francisella tularensis as a Category A priority pathogen. Despite the availability of drugs for treating tularaemia, the mortality in naturally acquired cases can still approach 30%. In addition, the usefulness of existing drugs for treatment in response to exposure or for prophylaxis is limited because of toxicity and delivery concerns. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the lead alkyl-substituted diphenyl ether, SBPT04, in the F. tularensis murine model of infection. Methods: SBPT04 was delivered by intraperitoneal (ip) and oral (po) routes, and mice were monitored for morbidity, mortality and relapse of disease. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed to evaluate bioavailability. Phase I and Phase II metabolism of SBPT04 was assessed in mouse and human microsomes. Results: SBPT04, a potent inhibitor of the enoyl-ACP reductase enzyme ftuFabI, has efficacy against F. tularensis in the murine model of infection when delivered by both ip and po routes. SBPT04 delivered ip cleared infection by day 4 of treatment, and SBPT04 delivered po resulted in delayed dissemination. Importantly, SBPT04 delivered ip or po demonstrated efficacy with no signs of relapse of disease. Pharmacokinetic studies show increased serum concentrations following ip delivery compared with po delivery, which correlates with the observed survival rate of 100%. Conclusions: In addition to being a potent lead, this work substantiates substituted diphenyl ethers as a platform for the development of novel broad-spectrum chemotherapeutics to other bacterial agents in addition to F. tularensis.
Hydrolase Compartmentalization Limits Rate of Digestion in Acanthamoeba

. The kinetics of lysosomal enzyme acquisition by newly formed phagosomes was studied by following the rate of digestion of radiolabeled yeast fed to Acanthamoeba. The distribution of hydrolases among phagosomes was assessed by electron microscopic acid phosphatase cytochemistry and by measurement of three glycosidases in isolated early and late phagosomes. The results show that compartmentalization of hydrolases limit the digestion of large phagocytic loads. The hydrolases appear to be sequestered into the early phagosomes and not to be distributed either by small vesicle transport or phagosome-phagosome fusion to those formed later. We infer from these results that newly internalized surface membrane in phagosomes is not rapidly randomized with internal pools, but is recycled to the surface as a function of the digestive process.
Micromotor grating optical switch.

We describe polysilicon micromotors with diffraction gratings fabricated on the polished surface of the polysilicon rotor for optical switching applications. The motors have rotor diameters of 0.5–2 mm with grating elements having periods of 1.80 and 3.86 μm. These microswitches have rise times of 300 μs and settling times of 500 μs when driven by a 65-V switching pulse. The diffractive nature of the optical elements allows for multiple optical outputs from a single input beam. Both static and dynamic optical properties of the gratings are tested with a He–Ne laser at 633 nm.
An Adult Education Model of Resident Participation: Building Community Capacity and Strengthening Neighborhood-Based Activities in a Comprehensive Community Initiative (CCI).

Comprehensive Community Initiatives (CCIs) are of growing interest to social work and the social services field as they are an effort to move away from remediation of individual problems within neighborhoods to a comprehensive change effort that builds resident and institutional capacity for long term sustainability of healthy communities. Built on ongoing lessons learned from the community development field, CCIs are largely foundation supported projects that engage low-income neighborhood residents in a holistic change effort. However, based on what is known about community organizing, CCIs will likely face challenges as long as they involve a top-down approach with an outside funder entering a community to make change. This manuscript frames an adult education model of resident participation that can be used in CCIs and provides a case example illustrating the model in action. A discussion of how the model can be an effective means for communities to take advantage of outside resources while maintaining their power and voice for change is offered in conclusion.
Superstar or Scholar? African American Male Youths’ Perceptions of Opportunity in a Time of Change

Through a Multiple Marginality Framework, this exploratory case study highlights how African American male youth in an urban high school setting perceive the opportunity structure during the historic election of the first African American President. Youth optimism generated by Obama’s election gives students a sense of hope despite the persistent inequality they face in inner-city communities and schools. Findings suggest that the pervasive influence of both structural and cultural factors—such as poverty, racial ideology, racial tracking in schools, and street socialization—help explain students’ aspirations and constrained expectations to pursue professional athletics. The implications of this study call for a reemphasis on the relevancy of school and community factors and influences in improving the perceptions of opportunity for African American males.
The effects of environmental tobacco smoke on children: Information and implications for PNPs.

Abstract Although much information is available about the harmful effects of smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), many children are in contact with ETS in their home every day. Health effects related to ETS vary from minor nasal irritation to an increased susceptibility to sudden infant death syndrome. ETS can also cause future health problems as exposed children become adults. Assessment of ETS exposure is an essential component of a patient's health history, and parents should be educated about the harmful effects of ETS and how to protect young children from it. Strategies for prevention of ETS exposure must be pursued to ensure improved health outcomes for all children. J Pediatr Health Care. (2001). 15, 280-286.
Repeatability and correlation of swimming performances and size over varying time-scales in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Summary 1. Although the repeatability of a trait is of interest for several reasons, few studies have critically examined the repeatability or correlation of metrics of swimming performance. We quantified repeatability of three swimming performances (burst speed during a c-start escape response, critical swimming speed [ U crit ], maximum speed [ U max ]) and size/shape measures over short (within-day), medium (days and weeks), and long (more than a year) time-scales in a small poeciliid fish, the Trinidadian guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ). 2. We found that individual differences in most swimming performance metrics were repeatable on various time-scales. Burst speed during c-start was repeatable within a day, as well as over days and weeks, but it was not repeatable over the span of a year. However, the medium term repeatability was only statistically significant when accounting for the variation of individuals within a day and correcting for attenuation. U crit , U max and size were repeatable on medium time-scales, but only size and U max were repeatable over the span of a year. Our index of shape was not statistically repeatable over any time-scales. 3. When examining the correlations of performances and size, only a few traits were related to each other. U crit and U max were significantly positively related to each other for trial 1 only, but not any of the others. U max and the mean c-start burst speed were correlated on trial 2 only. No other traits were significantly related to each other, and no performance traits were related to size or shape. U crit and U max also did not differ in their overall mean values, suggesting that U max , a more recently described assessment of fish swimming performance, may be a reliable alternative. 4. All traits, except our index of shape, shifted in their mean value over the span of a year. U crit and c-start burst speed decreased significantly, consistent with previous findings on the effects of senescence on neuromuscular systems. However, U max and size increased significantly over a year. 5. The measures of swimming performance used in this study are becoming widely used in ecological and evolutionary studies. Our results suggest that individual differences in these measures are relatively stable on various time-scales. We found no significant relation of these performance metrics with body size or a simple index of shape, and few relations among the performance measures, suggesting that they measure different aspects of locomotor physiology and/or motivation under the test conditions used. Finally, while U crit and c-start burst speed decreased over the span of the year, consistent with theories of senescence, U max significantly increased over a year, suggesting that further studies of this recently described performance metric are needed.
Addendum to: “A variational density-functional calculation of the total atomic binding energy with recently proposed kinetic–energy and exchange–energy functionals”†

Using hydrogen-like wave functions, a two-parameter and a four-parameter variational density-functional calculation of the total atomic binding energy of Ne atom is carried out. The total-energy values, together with values obtained for the electron (number) density at the nucleus, are compared with a previous three-parameter variational density-functional calculation and with single-zeta Hartree-Fock values.
Hyperadrenocorticism in a dog: A case report

A case of hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's Syndrome) in a 7-year-old female Miniature Poodle is presented. The methods of diagnosis and treatment are also described. The case was complicated by respiratory problems associated with probable dystrophic calcification of the lungs.
In Situ X-Ray Diffraction Study of Urea Electrolysis on Nickel Catalysts

electrodes, respectively. Potential stair-step experiments were carried out in a two-electrode cell and platinum foil was used as counter electrode. The cell voltage was stepped from 1.2 V to 1.6 V in 0.1 V increments with 20 minutes step time. The range of the cell volt- age was determined by the potential conversion from three-electrode cyclic voltammograms to a two-electrode system. XRD patterns were obtained on a Rigaku Ultima IV X-Ray Diffrac- tometer. A Rigaku battery cell attachment was modified to perform the in situ XRD study of urea electrolysis on nickel hydroxide cata- lysts. The in situ XRD setup and the schematic of the cell are shown in Figure S1 a-b. The detailed description of the in situ cell design is given in the supplementary information. The electrochemical cell was mounted on the multipurpose sample stage of the Rigaku diffractome- ter and connected with a Solartron 1281 potentiostat for supplying the cell voltages from 1.2 V to 1.6 V. In order to avoid X-ray attenuation, the electrolyte was filled in the cell up to the same level of the working electrode, but it did not cover the top surface of the working electrode.