cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Encouraging results with endoscopic vein harvest for infrainguinal bypass

Background Wound complications after infrainguinal vein bypass remain a significant source of morbidity. Endoscopic saphenous vein harvest has emerged as a viable alternative to minimize vein harvest incisions. Methods Infrainguinal bypass using endoscopic vein harvest was performed in 214 limbs in 197 consecutive patients between May 1998 and July 2004. The indication for bypass was limb salvage in 88.3%, claudication in 9.3%, and other in 2.4%. Atherosclerotic risk factors were prevalent, with diabetes mellitus in 68% and dialysis-dependent renal failure in 11.7%. Results The procedure was successful in all but one patient. This patient was early in the series and had a friable varicose vein. Ipsilateral greater saphenous vein was used in 89.7%, contralateral greater saphenous vein in 8.4%, and lesser saphenous vein in 1.9%. Two injuries to the main trunk of the vein occurred early in the series. Assisted primary patency at a mean follow-up of 18 months (range, 1 to 48 months) is 77.2% by life-table analysis. For patients with claudication, rest pain, or minimal gangrene, the average length of stay was 3.15 days (range, 1 to 6 days). Wound complications occurred in 16 patients (7.5%), 10 of these required only local care (class I and II), and 6 had deep wounds threatening the leg or graft (class III). Only 5 patients, all with class III wounds, required readmission to the hospital for graft-related problems. There is no increase in operating room time once the learning curve is overcome. Patient satisfaction is very high. Conclusion Endoscopic saphenous vein harvest is a useful adjunct to infrainguinal vein bypass, with short length-of-hospital stay, few wound complications, and low hospital readmission rates. Endoscopic vein harvest is recommended as the procedure of choice for vein procurement for infrainguinal bypass procedures.
The performance implications of contextual marketing for electronic commerce

Consumers may access the interweb and internet anywhere anytime via wireless devices. The strategy of contextual marketing (CM), or providing customised and contextual information to customers at the point of need in real time, becomes the key to reaching and retaining online customers. This study attempts to empirically explore the new business model of CM and its resulting e-commerce performance in a business-to-consumer setting. Survey data of online users were utilised to examine quantitatively the perceived importance of CM and both its potential positive and negative outcomes. The results provide some initial evidence of its positive influence on users' perceived e-commerce outcomes (eg, site value, user satisfaction and online purchases). In addition, the results indicate that CM does not necessarily lead to a higher level of negative outcomes (eg, consumer complaint behaviours of providing incomplete information and incorrect information online), although one may expect them as the potential dark side of technology development.
Singular Value Decomposition—A general linear model for analysis of multivariate structure in the electroencephalogram

The application of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD)to analysis of EEG and evoked potential data has led to a hypothesis concerning the underlying structure of the EEG recorded from multiple channels. Based on the SVD algorithm the EEG is considered to be the linear combination of a sufficient number of features, each of which is defined in terms of its spatial distribution, temporal distribution, and amplitude. Use of this model leads to clear concepts concerning sampling, data reduction, normalization, and calculation of statistical significance, some of which are less evident when analysis is restricted to a single domain of interest.
A Chiral Ferromagnetic Molecular Metal

The first molecular material with the coexistence of ferromagnetism, metal-like conductivity, and chirality has been prepared using an organic/inorganic approach. In this case, a two-dimensional packing of chiral organic radical cations (responsible for both the electrical conductivity and optical activity) was assembled with a layered bimetallic oxalate-based anionic network (responsible for the magnetic properties). Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations confirmed the presence of a Fermi surface even when the transport properties suggested "insulating"-type behavior at very low temperatures.
Glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins associated with rat brain nuclei

The concentration, composition and sulfate labeling of glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins have been studied in purified nuclei isolated in bulk from rat brain. The concentration of total glycosaminoglycans is 0.142 μmol hexosamine/100 mg protein, comprising 57% chrondroitin 4-sulfate, 7% chondroitin 6-sulfate, 29% hyaluronic acid and 7% heparan sulfate. Control experiments demonstrated that less than 5% of the sulfated glycosaminoglycans associated with nuclei could be accounted for by the nonspecific adsorption of soluble acidic proteoglycans to basic nuclear proteins. Glycoprotein carbohydrate is present at a level of 206 μg/100 mg protein, and has an average composition of 30% N-acetylglucosamine, 29% mannose, 19% N-acetylneuraminic acid, 15% galactose, 4% N-acetylgalactosamine, and 3% fucose. Labeling studies also indicated the presence of ester sulfate residues on the glycoprotein oligosaccharides.
Photo-induced toxicity of anthracene to the green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum

The photo-induced toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), anthracene, to the green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, was characterized. The dose-response relationships among anthracene concentration, ultraviolet (UV) radiation intensity, and algal growth rate and 14C-bicarbonate incorporation were determined. The 22 h EC50 for specific growth rate was inversely related to UV-A radiation intensity and ranged from 37.4 to 3.9 μg/L anthracene. For 14C-bicarbonate incorporation on a volume basis (primary production), the 24 h EC50 ranged from 24.0 to 3.3 μg/L anthracene depending on the UV-A intensity. The incorporation of 14C-bicarbonate on a per cell basis (cellular photosynthesis) was more resistant than cell growth or primary production. The threshold for photo-induced toxicity of anthracene was 1.5–3 μg/L anthracene, however, no UV-A radiation threshold was evident for many of the measurements of toxicity studied. Algae appeared to be slightly more resistant to photo-induced toxicity of anthracene than fishes and invertebrates. An environmental hazard assessment suggests that some aquatic systems are sufficiently contaminated by PAH that a hazard to natural algal communities due to photo-induced toxicity of PAH may be present.
Antimalarial Activity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Protease Inhibitors

Aspartic proteases play key roles in the biology of malaria parasites and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We tested the activity of seven HIV-1 protease inhibitors against cultured Plasmodium falciparum. All compounds inhibited the development of parasites at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. The most potent compound, lopinavir, was active against parasites (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50], 0.9 to 2.1 microM) at concentrations well below those achieved by ritonavir-boosted lopinavir therapy. Lopinavir also inhibited the P. falciparum aspartic protease plasmepsin II at a similar concentration (IC50, 2.7 microM). These findings suggest that use of HIV-1 protease inhibitors may offer clinically relevant antimalarial activity.
Delirium with Severe Symptom Expression Related to Hypercalcemia in a Patient with Advanced Cancer: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Treatment

Delirium is considered to be multifactorial, especially in elderly patients and those with advanced cancer, and can cause significant distress. High baseline vulnerability at the end of life, combined with cachexia, hepatic impairment, general comorbidities, and impaired functional status, can make delirium difficult to correct. Nonetheless, approximately 50% of delirium episodes are potentially reversible and reversible causes should be investigated. Hypercalcemia is one of the reversible metabolic causes of delirium in patients with advanced cancer. Here, we present the case of a patient with metastatic small cell prostate carcinoma who presented to our palliative care clinic with uncontrolled symptoms. A thorough evaluation using appropriate assessment tools revealed that he had delirium, and hypercalcemia was found to be the major etiologic factor. An interdisciplinary team approach (including a nutritionist, pharmacist, counselor, social worker, chaplain, and case manager) was provided. With aggressive symptom management and correction of hypercalcemia and other reversible causes of delirium, the delirium was resolved and the symptoms were controlled. This case illustrates the importance of screening for delirium in patients with severe symptom distress and how the interdisciplinary management of reversible causes of delirium, including hypercalcemia, can improve patients' symptoms and quality of life.
Separation of fucosylated oligosaccharides using high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection.

Abstract Fucosylated oligosaccharides of the βGal(1→4)GlcNAc-, βGal(1→4)Glc-, and βGal(1→3)GlcNAc-series were chromatographed on a high-performance anion-exchange pellicular resin under alkaline conditions (pH ⋍13). Fucosylation of either lactose, lactosamine (Type II chains), or lacto- N -biose (Type I chains) oligosaccharides markedly decreased the retention time (10–38 min) of the non-fucosylated form. The magnitude of the reduction was related to whether fucose replaced Gal [αFuc(1→3)→GlcNAc], whether fucose was α-(1→2)-linked to Gal at the end of a chain, or whether fucose was linked in a subterminal position [α(1→3) or α(1→4)] to Gal or GlcNAc. The results suggest that the decreases in retention times of fucosylated oligosaccharides (10–38 min) is not attributable to the absence of a 6-OH in Fuc but instead to steric and substitution effects which affect the interaction of the most readily ionizable groups of Fuc (2-OH), Gal (2-OH), and GlcNAc (3-OH) with the stationary phase. We show that high-pH anion-exchange chromatography can effectively separate 1→2, 1→3, and 1→4 fucose positional isomers in a single chromatographic step.
A range of condylar hypoplasia exists in Treacher Collins syndrome.

Purpose Temporomandibular joint malformation is a complex deformity in Treacher-Collins syndrome (TCS); however, it is not well characterized. This study aimed to better clarify this pathology by volumetrically assessing the mandibular condyle in patients with TCS compared with normal controls and the relative contribution of the condyle to hemimandibular volume. Materials and Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of pediatric patients with TCS and unaffected controls was performed. The study sample was comprised of Treacher Collins patients. The predictor variable in this study was disease status (TCS diagnosis vs control), and the outcome variable was condylar volume. Demographic information was collected, and 3-dimensional computed tomographic data were analyzed by computerized segmentation (Materialise). Volumes were obtained for TCS condyles and compared with age-matched controls using the Student t test. Results Three-dimensional computed tomographic scans were identified in 10 patients with TCS (20 sides) and 14 control subjects (28 sides). The TCS group included 4 female and 6 male patients (age, 0.3 to 213 mo; average age, 66.5 mo). The control cohort included 7 female and 7 male subjects (average age, 68.8 mo). Evaluation of the mandibular condyle showed that patients with TCS had a significantly smaller condylar volume than control patients (TCS, 178.28 ± 182.74 mm3; control, 863.55 ± 367.20 mm3; P Conclusions The results of the this study suggest that condylar volumes are significantly smaller in patients with TCS compared with age-matched controls, and the condyle represents a smaller fraction of the total mandibular volume for patients with TCS than in unaffected children. In addition, there is considerable variability of condylar size in patients with TCS. These facts portend treatment decisions because a functional temporomandibular joint is necessary and may need to be reconstructed as a first stage before effective implementation of distraction procedures.
Application of a mixed‐layer model to aerosols in the marine boundary layer

A mixed-layer model for the concentration and evolution of marine aerosols is presented. Theambient aerosol spectrum is divided into continental and sea-salt components and transformedto a reference saturation ratio. The temporal evolution of the aerosol spectrum is predicted fromrate equations that require specification of the mixed-layer depth. particle production at thesurface, and particle entrainment into the mixed layer from aloft. The model was tested against amarine data set obtained off Southern California during the CEWCOM-78 experiment. The testwas carried out with two different methods of obtaining the relevant meteorological and aerosolparameters: (i) actual measurements and (ii) dynamic boundary layer model prediction andparameterization. In the first case. the model reproduced the aerosol data within a factor of 1.5.while in the second case, the uncertainty factor was 2.0. In either case. the model only modestlyout-performs a much simpler model, which uses only local specification of the wi...
Pathways to Teacher Certification: Does It Really Matter when It Comes to Efficacy and Effectiveness?.

ABSTRACT The pressure to provide qualified teachers for all students has resulted in reform efforts. including the upgrading of credential and course requirements, as well as the proliferation of so-called alternative routes to teacher certification, which seek to create differentiated pathways into the classroom. In the present study, we compared teacher candidates who followed three pathways leading to certification in adolescence education while attending the same university. A limited number of factors were held constant among pathways, and only factors inherent to the routes were varied. The dependent variables were (1) teacher effectiveness, as measured through Danielson's Observation Scale, and (2) teacher efficacy, as measured through Gibson and Dembo's Teacher Efficacy Scale. No significant differences in efficacy or effectiveness were found, suggesting that the policy of offering a variety of pathways leading to certification might be one that produces similarly qualified teachers.
Specific IgG levels appearing in the cauda epididymidis after systemic immunization of male rabbits

RIA of specific IgG in serum and epididymal fluids following systemic immunization of male rabbits with DNP-BGG showed a mean IgG epididymal fluid/serum molar ratio of 4.0 times 10-3, and in epididymal fluid a mean concentration of 3.8 times 10-7 moles/1 or the equivalent in the caudal lumen of 40 000 anti-DNP IgG molecules/spermatozoon there. This concentration did not change after the distension of the duct seen in the first months after vasectomy nor very markedly in the first 6 days after androgen withdrawal brought by castration. But the mean luminal level of specific IgG did rise some ten-fold in the cauda subjected to body temperature for 6 days. Consideration is given to the prospect that such levels of antibody could compromise fertility if this were directed against some component that is essential for sperm function.
Using Effect Sizes for Research Reporting: Examples Using Item Response Theory to Analyze Differential Item Functioning.

The psychological literature currently emphasizes reporting the "effect size" of research findings in addition to the outcome of any tests of significance. However, some confusion may result from the fact that there are three distinct uses of effect sizes in the psychological literature, namely, power analysis, research synthesis, and research reporting. The authors review these uses of effect sizes and develop a case study of the description of effect size for research reporting in the context of item response theory. For many parametric models, hypotheses are tested by comparing the values of directly interpretable parameters. The authors show that the size of the effect can be expressed by a presentation of the values of the parameter estimates derived from the fitted model. Studies that use item response theory to detect differential item functioning provide illustrations.
Whither the two-level game model of international legal compliance? A Chinese roadmap

The study of rule conformity in the global arena continues to expand in new directions and assume an increasingly rigorous form. Recently, the focus has shifted to the domestic side of the picture as scholars of international law have belatedly discovered that developments on the home front impinge materially on State behaviour and that the legal domain is no exception to the norm. Considerable progress has been achieved in seeking to grasp the nature of this intricate relationship, and understand the flow of influences from the international to the domestic level, but the learning potential is by no means exhausted. The experience of the world’s most populous nation, blessed with a booming economy and significant military capabilities, suggests that time is ripe for venturing beyond generalisations based on a tight set of assumptions and limited socio-political exposure.
Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Impact of Hepatitis C Virus Treatment With Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir in the United States

Background The recently approved drugs, sofosbuvir and ledipasvir, for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment are more efficacious and safer but are substantially more expensive than the old standard-of-care (oSOC). It remains unclear whether and in which patients their improved efficacy justifies their increased cost.
The Internal Energy of Neutral Ethylene Glycol Molecules Created in the Laser Vaporization of Aerosol Particles

Although laser vaporization of aerosol particles plays an important role in aerosol mass spectrometry, relatively little is known about disposal of excess energy in the degrees of freedom of the gas-phase species. A two-laser scheme, in which an infrared laser vaporizes aerosol particles prior to ionization of the vapor plume by a vacuum-ultraviolet laser, permits the determination of the internal energy of the neutral molecules created in laser vaporization. In this work, the fragmentation patterns of vacuum UV (VUV) photoionization mass spectra of ethylene glycol, in conjunction with photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) measurements, determines the internal energy of gas-phase molecules created in the CO2 laser vaporization of neat ethylene glycol particles and ethanol particles mixed with trace ethylene glycol. The internal energy ranges from 1300 to 10250 cm-1 for CO2 laser powers between 25 and 112 mJ/pulse. For neat ethylene glycol, the rate with which the internal and kinetic energy grows wi...
UV-induced crosslinks in the 16S rRNAs of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Thermus aquaticus and their implications for ribosome structure and photochemistry.

Sixteen long-range crosslinks are induced in Escherichia coli 16S rRNA by far-UV irradiation. Crosslinking patterns in two other organisms, Bacillus subtilis and Thermus aquaticus, were investigated to determine if the number and location of crosslinks in E.coli occur because of unusually photoreactive nucleotides at particular locations in the rRNA sequence. Thirteen long-range crosslinks in B.subtilis and 15 long-range crosslinks in T.aquaticus were detected by gel electrophoresis and 10 crosslinks in each organism were identified completely by reverse transcription analysis. Of the 10 identified crosslinks in B.subtilis, eight correspond exactly to E.coli crosslinks and two crosslinks are formed close to sites of crosslinks in E.coli. Of the 10 identified crosslinks in T.aquaticus, five correspond exactly to E.coli crosslinks, three are formed close to E.coli crosslinking sites, one crosslink corresponds to a UV laser irradiation-induced crosslink in E.coli and the last is not seen in E.coli. The overall similarity of crosslink positions in the three organisms suggests that the crosslinks arise from tertiary interactions that are highly conserved but with differences in detail in some regions.
Alternative models of schooling: Budget reallocation and policy change

Abstract Based on previous conclusions that current models of schooling have become obsolete, two major issues have developed. The first is the technical aspects of design and examples of design specifications; the second is the issue of financing the research, development and implementation of new processes of schooling. A change of paradigm offers an improvable model of instruction. Specific recommendations are made for funding necessary programmatic research and development leading to a greater exploitation of technology. It is argued that educational problems cannot be solved by quick-fix policy changes; research and development programs are critical. Alternative means of financing the research are suggested.
Is Reengineering of Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Indicated?: Absolutely

A review of the table of contents of the program for the fourth International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer permits one to conclude that there is high energy in virtually every aspect of either the diagnosis or therapy concerning head and neck cancer. There is, in addition, an emerging interest (in fact, emphasis) on a more global restitution of the head and neck cancer patient, such that rehabilitation, both physical and emotional, as well as a greater acceptance of the benefits of less orthodox methods for treatment can be seen affecting outcomes. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;122:1155-1156
Synthesis of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) in protic media through atom transfer radical polymerization using activators generated by electron transfer

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using activators generated by electron transfer (AGET) was investigated for the controlled polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in a protic solvent, a 3/2 (v/v) mixture of methyl ethyl ketone and methanol. The AGET process enabled ATRP to be started with an air-stable Cu(II) complex that was reduced in situ by tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate. The reaction temperature, Cu catalysts with different ligands, and variation of the initial concentration ratio of HEMA to the initiator were examined for the synthesis of well-controlled poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and a poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) block copolymer. The level of control in AGET ATRP was similar to that in normal ATRP in protic solvents, and this resulted in a linear increase in the molecular weight with the conversion and a narrow molecular weight distribution (weight-average molecular weight/number-average molecular weight < 1.3). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3787–3796, 2006
Scheduling continuous media in a Video-On-Demand server

Advances in storage, compression, and network technology are making support for Video-On-Demand applications feasible. Continuous and real time data needs of this application require resource management and scheduling of storage devices. The paper discusses a model for scheduling storage devices to guarantee rate requirements for continuous media. The authors present an analysis of this class of schedulers and derive a feasibility condition and its buffer requirements. The condition is used for admission control of new requests, operations on existing requests, and to configure block sites and main memory requirements. The analysis presented here yields solutions in the continuous domain. However, due to the discrete nature of the disk scheduler a solution from this analysis cannot be implemented. The authors discuss transformations of the derived solution into one in the discrete domain while ensuring guaranteed data rate. >
Differential Effects of Beta Subunits on the Voltage Sensor of Ca2+ and Voltage-Activated K+ Channels

Large conductance, Ca2+-, and voltage-activated K+ (BK) channels are tetramers composed by four pore-forming subunit (α) and four modulatory β-subunits. BK channels can be activated independently by membrane depolarization or an increase in cytosolic Ca2+. In particular, the presence of the β1-subunit modulates several aspect of channel activity, including the apparent Ca2+ sensitivity and the speed of activation and deactivation. Here, through the measurements of gating currents, we explored the effect of β-subunits on the voltage sensor of the BK channel using macropatches of Xenopus oocyte membrane in the inside-out configuration. Gating currents were recorded in solutions free of permeant ions and integrated during the onset of depolarizing pulses to generated charge-movement versus voltage (Q(V)) curves. Co-expression of the human BK α subunit with β1, resulted in about 70 mV left shift of the Q(V) curve, as compared to those obtained with the α-subunit alone or together with other β-subunits (2,3 & 4). To identify the molecular determinants that confer to the β1 the ability to modulate the voltage sensor of BK channels, we constructed chimeras by exchanging the N- and C-terminus, transmembrane segments, and the extracellular loop between β1 and β2 subunits. Each of this construct alters the effects of the wild-type β1 subunit on the BK channel. Our results show that only β1 affects the workings of the BK voltage sensor and that the cytoplasmic N- and C-terminal and the external loop are necessary to recover the β1 subunit phenotype. On the basis of these results, we propose a possible molecular model where the whole β1 subunit is interacting with the voltage sensor of α-subunit in BK. Supported by Fondecyt grants 1110430 to R.L, 1980635 to AN. CINV is a Millennium Scientific Institute.
A Mutation in Transmembrane Domain II of the 5-Hydroxytryptamine3A Receptor Stabilizes Channel Opening and Alters Alcohol Modulatory Actions

Mutant 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 3A receptors, in which changes were made at Ile294, position 16′, of the second transmembrane domain, were assessed for alterations in macroscopic response kinetics and modulation by alcohols. Function of heterologously expressed receptors was measured in Xenopus oocytes in the two-electrode voltage clamp configuration and in human embryonic kidney 293 cells using whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings with rapid drug application. Compared with the wild-type receptor, a decrease in the 5-HT EC 50 value in the Ile294Thr mutant was observed, whereas an increase in the 5-HT EC 50 value in the Ile294Leu mutant was measured. Ile294Thr receptors showed a marked reduction in the extent of desensitization. Ethanol and 2,2,2-trichloroethanol (TCEt) enhanced 5-HT-mediated currents in wild-type and Ile294Leu receptors, but inhibited or had little stimulatory effect in the Ile294Thr mutant. Kinetic analysis revealed that in the presence of TCEt, the slope of activation was unchanged in the Ile294Thr mutant and increased in the wild-type receptor. Alcohol cutoff was altered with wild-type = heptanol and Ile294Leu = hexanol. Kinetic changes in the Ile294Thr mutant that favor the open channel state, as well as reduction in the rate of channel activation in the presence of TCEt, likely underlie this mutant9s altered response to n -chain alcohols.
Filter-Less Amplification for Rapid Swept-Wavelength Interferometric Measurement of Silicon Waveguide Group Delay Statistics

In the context of rapid and high-resolution swept-wavelength interferometric measurement of dispersion properties of silicon nanophotonic devices, we show that filter-less optical amplification does not perturb the measured statistical distributions of group delay. The scaling behavior of group delay ripple with detected power is also shown to be identical for the unamplified and filter-less amplified cases.
Identifying network communities with a high resolution.

Community structure is an important property of complex networks. The automatic discovery of such structure is a fundamental task in many disciplines, including sociology, biology, engineering, and computer science. Recently, several community discovery algorithms have been proposed based on the optimization of a modularity function $(Q)$. However, the problem of modularity optimization is NP-hard and the existing approaches often suffer from a prohibitively long running time or poor quality. Furthermore, it has been recently pointed out that algorithms based on optimizing $Q$ will have a resolution limit; i.e., communities below a certain scale may not be detected. In this research, we first propose an efficient heuristic algorithm QCUT, which combines spectral graph partitioning and local search to optimize $Q$. Using both synthetic and real networks, we show that QCUT can find higher modularities and is more scalable than the existing algorithms. Furthermore, using QCUT as an essential component, we propose a recursive algorithm HQCUT to solve the resolution limit problem. We show that HQCUT can successfully detect communities at a much finer scale or with a higher accuracy than the existing algorithms. We also discuss two possible reasons that can cause the resolution limit problem and provide a method to distinguish them. Finally, we apply QCUT and HQCUT to study a protein-protein interaction network and show that the combination of the two algorithms can reveal interesting biological results that may be otherwise undetected.
MAKING SENSE OF DESIGN RESEARCH: THE SEARCH FOR A DATABASE

If you are a design researcher or graduate student who enters the keyword “branding” into the typical university library catalogue search engine, you will be as likely to yield books on cattle as on corporate identity. Or if you are a practitioner and want to locate one of the doctoral dissertations on design, completed in a handful of research-oriented PhD programs around the world, you will need a pretty good idea of the title or researcher’s name to find it. And if you are design faculty and find it necessary to access work in non-design disciplines that might be relevant to your scholarship, you will be on your own to winnow the titles from hundreds of books within a Library of Congress topical category to find something truly useful to design. In other words, there are no current databases on design research and few design-sensitive keywords that drive other disciplinary search engines. This work proposes a solution to that dilemma.
The value of a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay in preoperative staging and followup of patients with prostate cancer.

AbstractPurpose: The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay is an extremely sensitive technique of detecting cells expressing prostate specific antigen (PSA). Controversy exists regarding the ability of peripheral blood PSA RT-PCR testing to reflect pathological staging or treatment outcome. We examine the phenomenology of RT-PCR results in patients with prostate cancer, with particular emphasis on the RT-PCR test before and after radical prostatectomy, and correlations with pathological staging and treatment outcome.Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood was obtained from a wide variety of patients with and without prostate cancer, including before and after radical prostatectomy. After ribonucleic acid isolation, complementary deoxyribonucleic acid was generated and amplified with a hot-start technique. RT-PCR results were compared with pathological stage, Gleason score, tumor volume and disease-free status. Correlations between preoperative and postoperative RT-PCR tests were a...
The effect of fetal programming on the expression of genes involved in adult vascular function

ADULT VASCULAR FUNCTION MONICA LONGO, FANGXIAN LU, VENU JAIN, RADEK BUKOWSKI, GARY HANKINS, GARLAND ANDERSON, GEORGE SAADE, University of Texas Medical Branch, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Galveston, Texas OBJECTIVE: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) is involved in the vascular adaptations to pregnancy. We have previously reported that mice born to mothers lacking NOS3 gene have fetal growth abnormalities and abnormal vascular function in later life. This study investigate the potential mechanisms involved in the fetal programming of adult vascular function by evaluating expression of relevant genes in this animal model of fetal programming induced by an unfavorable uterine environment. STUDY DESIGN: Homozygous NOS3 knockout (C57BL/6J-NOS3) and wild type mice (NOS3) were cross-bred to produce litters grown in a maternal environment lacking NOS3 (NOS3] and maternally-heterozygous (NOS3) and litters grown in normal maternal environment, paternally-derived heterozygous (NOS3) and wild type (NOS3). Female offspring at 7-8 weeks of age (n = 4-5/group) were sacrificed. The aorta was isolated and total RNA extracted. TaqMan and appropriate probes for neuronal (NOS1), inducible (NOS2), and cyclooxygenases 1 and 2 (COX1 and COX2), and for pre-developed 18S rRNA probe were used for real-time RTPCR. mRNA quantification was expressed as relative value (ratio to its own 18s rRNA). One-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the aorta, the NOS1, NOS2, and COX1 mRNA expressions were significantly lower in NOS3 and NOS3 female mice compared with NOS3 (P ! .005). COX2 expression was not different between the groups (Table). CONCLUSION: Fetal programming and altered vascular function in adult offspring developing in an unfavorable uterine environment are associated with downregulation of genes active in maintaining normal vascular function.
Does Campaign Spending Really Matter

It has long been considered axiomatic that public receptiveness toward products, ideas, and candidates can be altered by promotional campaigns. Consumers are often the sponsors as well as the targets of such campaigns in the political realm. This study identifies the factors which lead consumers to support political campaigns and estimates the degree to which their preferences can be influenced by campaign spending. The potential effects of proposed spending regulations are also analyzed. Lawrence Shepard is Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and Assistant Economist in the Experiment Station and on the Giannini Foundation, University of California, Davis. He expresses his gratitude to Professor William Bruce Shepard of the Department of Political Science, Oregon State University, for assistance in formulating the problem and to Nancy Shepard who helped uncover campaign spending data in the California State Archives. Professors Douglas Morgan, LIad Phillips, Perry Shapiro, Joseph N. Uhl, and Barbara Zoloth provided economic insight in criticizing earlier drafts of the paper. Giannini Foundation Research Paper 453. POQ 41 (1977) 196-205 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.138 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 05:52:33 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms CAMPAIGN SPENDING 197
Predictors of pressure and stroke volume response to afterload reduction with nitroprusside in patients with congestive heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract Patients with heart failure with low systolic pressure have sensitive stroke volume increases with small doses of nitroprusside. Also, patients with the largest ventricles and lowest systolic pressure have the most insensitive blood pressure decrease with nitroprusside. Thus, this agent may be most helpful for acute use in heart failure patients with the lowest systolic pressure and largest volumes, a population representing the sickest patients.
Integrated Atmosphere Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring Technology Demonstration for Deep Space Exploration

Exploring the frontiers of deep space continues to be defined by the technological challenges presented by safely transporting a crew to and from destinations of scientific interest. Living and working on that frontier requires highly reliable and efficient life support systems that employ robust, proven process technologies. The International Space Station (ISS), including its environmental control and life support (ECLS) system, is the platform from which humanity's deep space exploration missions begin. The ISS ECLS system Atmosphere Revitalization (AR) subsystem and environmental monitoring (EM) technical architecture aboard the ISS is evaluated as the starting basis for a developmental effort being conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) via the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Atmosphere Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) Project.. An evolutionary approach is employed by the ARREM project to address the strengths and weaknesses of the ISS AR subsystem and EM equipment, core technologies, and operational approaches to reduce developmental risk, improve functional reliability, and lower lifecycle costs of an ISS-derived subsystem architecture suitable for use for crewed deep space exploration missions. The most promising technical approaches to an ISS-derived subsystem design architecture that incorporates promising core process technology upgrades will be matured through a series of integrated tests and architectural trade studies encompassing expected exploration mission requirements and constraints.
Ground roll: Rejection using adaptive phase‐matched filters

The technique of phase‐matched filtering dispersive surface waves is extended to permit an adaptive, iterative process by which the signal itself in a seismic trace designs a filter to remove the surface wave. The technique is robust and well‐behaved and requires the specification of only simple parameters for its operation. The technique is applied to data sets from three regions, representing a wide range in the ratio of surface‐wave noise to exploration signal. The technique works very well with poor data sets and also improves good data sets. Since the technique is applied to individual traces, it works in situations for which f‐k filtering might not be feasible due to poor spatial sampling. The technique is computationally more intensive than recursive digital band‐pass filtering of individual traces, but is less intensive than filtering in the f‐k domain.
Evidence for the Factorial Validity of the Dispositional Hope Scale

Confirmatory factor analyses were employed to test the factorial validity and structure of the Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS; Snyder et al., 1991). In a large multiethnic sample (n = 1031), a two-factor representation of the DHS fit the data significantly better than a one-factor model. These findings suggest that the DHS is better conceptualized as being composed of Agency and Pathways components and not as a unidimensional representation of general hope. Multigroup analyses revealed that the factor pattern coefficients were invariant across gender and ethnic groups, respectively, thus establishing metric invariance of the DHS. However, item intercepts, item uniqueness terms, the factor variance for the Agency factor, and both the Agency and Pathways latent factor means statistically differed as a function of gender (but not ethnicity). These findings suggest that while the two-factor structure of the DHS is relatively stable and robust, both measurement and substantive differences as a function of gende...
Health care utilization by migraine patients: a 1998 medicaid population study

Background: In the last decade, a number of studies have documented the economic impact of migraine headaches on society. Although previous research has shown that patients with migraine headache consume a greater amount of health care resources than those without migraine, the economic impact of this condition on a Medicaid population has not been assessed. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the health care resource utilization of patients with and without migraine headache in the Idaho Medicaid population. Methods: Idaho Medicaid claims from 1998 were reviewed to identify cases and controls. Four controls, matched for age, sex, race, and residence, were obtained for each case. Physician services, hospital services, emergency room services, and prescription use were compared between the 2 groups. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine differences between the 2 groups after controlling for potential confounders. Results: Eighty percent of the cases were female, and 94% of the patients were white. Patients with migraine headache had statistically significantly higher health care resource consumption than matched controls (P < 0.05). Total log costs for prescription use, physician services, and hospital services were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the migraine group even after controlling for migraine-associated comorbid conditions and demographic variables. Conclusions: Total health care costs for migraine patients were 1.6 times higher than for matched controls. The results of this study suggest that migraine is a significant economic burden to the Medicaid program.
An Efficient Polynomial-Time Algorithm for Three-track Gate Matrix Layout

Gate Matrix Layout (GML) is a combinatorial optimization problem that arises in several VLSI layout styles. It is known to be equivalent to other important in combinational graph theory including vertex separation and pathwidth. While the general problem is N P-complete, when the relevant parameter is fixed, the decision problem can be solved in polynomial time. While solutions with time-complexities O(n) and O(n 2 ) are known, all of those presented so far are impractical due to the presence of extremely large coefficients
Performance evaluation of the DrugWipe® 5/5+ on-site oral fluid screening device.

This study presents a retrospective performance evaluation of an on-site oral fluid drug screening device DrugWipe® 5/5+ (Securetec). The results obtained by the device were compared with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry confirmation analysis results in whole blood. Data used in the comparison were based on 1,807 real cases in which the Finnish police had conducted an on-site drug test on persons suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. The present data cover only cases wherein the DrugWipe device has shown a positive result for at least one substance. The data were compiled from the databases of Alcohol and Drug Analytics Unit at the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The performance of the DrugWipe was evaluated for its relevant drug groups: amphetamines, cannabis, opiates, and cocaine. The evaluation was carried out by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy as well as the positive and negative predictive values. These calculations were based on the classification of the results as true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives. Additionally, the demographics of the cases and analytical findings in whole blood are discussed. According to this study, the DrugWipe device performed quite well in detecting amphetamines, the most frequently encountered group of illicit drugs in Finnish traffic. The performance of the cannabis, opiate, and cocaine tests was not at the same level.
My early days in distributed computing theory: 1979–1982

I first became involved in Distributed Computing Theory around 1978 or 1979, as a new professor at Georgia Tech. Looking back at my first few years in the field, approximately 1979-1982, I see that they were tremendously exciting, productive, and fun. I collaborated with, and learned from, many leaders of the field, including Mike Fischer, Jim Burns, Michael Merritt, Gary Peterson, Danny Dolev, and Leslie Lamport. Results that emerged during that time included space lower bounds for mutual exclusion; definition of the k-exclusion problem, with associated lower bounds and algorithms; the Burns-Lynch lower bound on the number of registers needed for mutual exclusion; fast network-wide resource allocation algorithms; the Lynch-Fischer semantic model for distributed systems (a precursor to I/O automata); early work on proof techniques for distributed algorithms; lower bounds on the number of rounds for Byzantine agreement; definition of the approximate agreement problem and associated algorithms; and finally, the Fischer-Lynch-Paterson impossibility result for consensus. In this talk, I will review this early work, trying to explain how we were thinking at the time, and how the ideas in these projects influenced later work.
Religious insanity in America: the official nineteenth-century theory.

the opportunity for exploring the alleged role of religion in producing insanity. Enshrined in publications of the U.S. government and in the chief psychiatric texts as part of the official theory of madness, the idea of religious insanity may have served a number of functions for the new profession of psychiatry, as well as offering afflicted families an optimistic interpretation of mental problems. A mixture of medical, moral and religious ideas, the dominant psychiatric theory cast opposition to high-tension, sectarian religion in an apparently scientific context.
Mutations of putP that alter the lithium sensitivity of Salmonella typhimurium.

Summary The putP gene encodes the major proline permease in Salmonella typhimurium that couples transport of proline to the sodium electrochemical gradient. To identify residues involved in the cation binding site, we have isolated putP mutants that confer resistance to lithium during growth on proline. Wild-type S. typhimurium can grow well on proline as the sole carbon source in media supplemented with NaCl, but grows poorly when LiCl is substituted for NaCl. In contrast to the growth phenotype, proline permease is capable of transporting proline via Na+/proline or Li+/proline symport. Therefore, we selected mutants that grow well on media containing proline as the sole carbon source in the presence of lithium ions. All of the mutants assayed exhibit decreased rates of Li+pro-line and Na+/proline cotransport relative to wild type. The location of each mutation was determined by deletion mapping: the mutations cluster in two small deletion intervals at the 5′ and 3′ termini of the putP gene. The map positions of these lithium resistance mutations are different from the locations of the previously isolated substrate specificity mutations. These results suggest that Lir mutations may define domains of the protein that fold to form the cation binding site of proline permease.
Ecosystem Management in the Southeast United States: Interest of Forest Landowners in Joint Management Across Ownerships

In the south-east United States, 70% of the forest area is privately owned, by an estimated 5 M landholders. If ecosystem or landscape-level management is to work, cooperation across private ownerships is essential. As a first step in garnering cooperation among landowners, a mail survey was carried out to understand their characteristics, attitudes, beliefs and interest in ecosystem management. A specific area of the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, typical of rural forest-dominated areas of this region, was chosen as the study site. Forestry-related uses, specifically timber production, are the main reasons why over half the respondents own their land. Only one-third of the respondents are familiar with the concept of ecosystem management. However, about 70% are interested in learning more about joint management with other landowners. The major concerns about participating in joint management are loss of land and timber values. Most of the landowners who would participate in a landscape corridor system, for example, want to maintain control of their land rights and limit outside intervention in the process.
A case of primary laryngeal T-cell lymphoma in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Information concerning the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has grown significantly over the last decade. The virus, with its protean manifestations, has both fascinated and frustrated the clinician since its recognition as a definite clinical entity in 198O.l Currently, as many as 41% of patients with AIDS have head and neck manifestations.’ We report the case of an AIDS patient referred to our otolaryngology department with laryngitis, who ultimately was found to have a primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) of the T-cell type.