cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intraaortic balloon pumping in children.

Abstract Background . Intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) usage in young children remains a rarity because, first, there is a widespread misconception that the greater elasticity of the aorta in children may prevent effective augmentation, and second, children in low cardiac output states are more likely to have associated right ventricular failure and pulmonary problems. We report our experience with the use of IABP in children undergoing cardiac surgery in whom mechanical support was necessary for the treatment of refractory cardiac failure. Methods . Over a 3-year period, 14 children were identified as requiring IABP support after cardiac surgery. Their median age was 3 years (range 7 days to 13 years) and their median weight was 13.3 kg (range 3.5–51 kg). Indications for IABP use were: failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass (5 patients), sudden deterioration in intensive therapy unit (ITU) (3 patients), progressive deterioration in ITU (4 patients), and prophylactic therapy for known poor preoperative ventricular function (2 patients). Results . Ten of 14 patients (71%) were successfully weaned from the IABP, of whom 8 became long-term survivors (57%). Among the survivors, the mean duration of IABP usage was 127 h (range 12–260 h), while for those who died while on IABP, the mean duration was 15 h (range 8–24 h). The most major IABP-related complication encountered was mesenteric ischemia, which had a fatal outcome. Conclusions . IABP therapy, used as an adjunct to conventional medical treatment, can give properly selected young children in refractory low cardiac output states after heart surgery a greater than 50% chance of long-term survival.
The Relation of Angle of Turning and Position of the Egg to Hatchability of Chicken Eggs

Abstract Funk and Forward (1953) reported that the percentage of hatch might be increased 5 percent or more by turning eggs 45° (total of 90°) as compared to turning them only 30°. In later experiments tests were made in which eggs held in a horizontal position and others trayed small end down were turned 30°, 45°, 60°, and 75°. All eggs were incubated in the same incubator and hatched in the same hatcher at the same time. Table 1 and Fig. 1 show the results of these tests. The number of eggs set in each lot was 1533 or a total of 12,264 eggs. The percentage of hatch of all eggs incubated small-end down was 75.1 percent as compared to 71.3 percent for eggs incubated on their side or in a horizontal position. This work confirms the 1953 report that angle of turning is important but evidently turning eggs 45° from …
Development of en echelon magmatic segments along oblique spreading ridges

En echelon magmatic segments commonly develop along obliquely spreading oceanic ridges. To clarify some of the dynamic aspects of this plate boundary, we performed a series of thermo-mechanical numerical tests. When extension of oceanic lithosphere becomes oblique, deformation within the axial region localizes into distinct upwelling centers. Temperatures are elevated in the upwelling cells, which are shallow mantle features that form the new plate boundary. The predicted features are similar to the axial volcanic ridges documented at Mohns and Reykjanes Ridges, and we conclude that they become the new loci of extensional deforma tion, upwelling, and magmatic activity. These ridges, suborthogonal to the plate spreading direction, only develop when the axis rift zone is weak. The subsegment length and spacing depend primarily on obliquity and axial width. Predicted crustal thickness along the subsegmented axis varies discernibly; this might explain the morphology and satellite gravity of the flanks of oblique spreading ridges.
Exposure to Sexually Objectifying Media and Body Self-Perceptions among College Women: An Examination of the Selective Exposure Hypothesis and the Role of Moderating Variables

Objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) contends that media that places women’s bodies and appearance at a premium can acculturate women to self-objectify (i.e., to view the self primarily in terms of externally perceivable attributes), or to feel anxious or ashamed of their bodies. However, another unexplored possibility is that antecedent levels of self-objectification, appearance anxiety, and body shame could drive the selection or avoidance of sexually objectifying media. The goals of the present study were two-fold: first, to test the directionality of the associations between exposure to sexually objectifying media and body self-perceptions (i.e., does exposure to sexually objectifying media predict body self-perceptions or vice versa); and second, to explore the possible moderating influence of thin-ideal internalization, global self-esteem, and BMI on the relations between exposure to sexually objectifying media and body self-perceptions. A 2-year panel study of female undergraduates was conducted. The results show that Time-1 trait self-objectification, appearance anxiety, and body shame all negatively predicted Time-2 exposure to sexually objectifying media. Moreover, Time-1 exposure to sexually objectifying media predicted an increase in Time-2 trait self-objectification, particularly among women who were low in global self-esteem.
Health Care in the Community, Interdisciplinary Professional Education for Students in Dietetics, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine

Abstract Deans from three colleges selected tenured faculty to design and implement an interdisciplinary course to meet the need for active learning experiences for students across disciplines and an under-served city population with limited access to health care. A two credit course was designed with objectives in 3 areas: l) Community Service–plan and conduct 2-3 health screenings responding to family health needs; identify and prioritize client needs based on a team assessment; facilitate clients' entry into the local health care system; 2) Professional Relationships–develop attitudes of mutual respect and practice collaborative case management; and 3) Professional Education–apply clinical skills in home and clinic settings to the in assessment of clients such as–vital signs, anthropometrics, dietary habits, and blood glucose, cholesterol and hemoglobin. Desirable class size was 21 with equal numbers recruited from seniors in Dietetics and Nursing, and 1st or 2 nd year O.M. students. Small group activities throughout the semester were designed to facilitate cross discipline interactions such as visits to community sites, short presentations on health topics, organization and implementation of 3 health screenings, follow-up home visits and small group counseling. Community members benefit by gaining access to free health screenings, health information, referrals and counseling monitored by seasoned health professionals. Students gain clinical, interpersonal and case management experience. Faculty members broaden their perspectives and knowledge by sharing clinical information and by jointly evaluating students. The colleges and university benefit via visibility within the community. The costs of such a course relate to the faculty time involved in designing and maintaining the interdisciplinary approach in an off-campus setting. The colleges view the high labor cost off the course as far surpassed by the benefits of the university's presence in the community and the benefits to faculty and students.
All that is red is not cellulitis

A 60-year-old patient presented with progressive worsening, non-healing ulcer on her shin with surrounding erythema following a minor trauma and was treated with several antibiotics for presumed cellulitis with no improvement. A skin biopsy eventually suggested pyoderma gangrenosum and a colonic biopsy showed an underlying ulcerative colitis.
Suicide and Substance Abuse

The layman may readily say that committing suicide is evidence that a person was of unsound mind. However, the first clear demonstration of the intimate connection between psychiatric illness and suicide was presented by Robins and colleagues 1 in 1959. The authors found that nearly all of a consecutive series of 134 suicides had been psychiatrically ill. This finding has been replicated in Seattle, 2 in the United Kingdom, 3 in Sweden, 4*5 in Australia, 6 and, most recently, in San Diego. 7 It is no longer news. While it is clear that psychiatric illness is a virtually See also p 589. necessary precondition for suicide, it is not a sufficient reason in itself. We know that persons suffering from depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia are at high risk in comparison to those with other psychiatric illnesses and even more so compared with the general population. However, the low proportion of
Okadaic Acid Induces Early Changes in Microtubule‐Associated Protein 2 and γ Phosphorylation Prior to Neurodegeneration in Cultured Cortical Neurons

Microtubules and their associated proteins play a prominent role in many physiological and morphological aspects of brain function. Abnormal deposition of the microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), MAP2 and tau, is a prominent aspect of Alzheimer's disease. MAP2 and tau are heat-stable phosphoproteins subject to high rates of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. The phosphorylation state of these proteins modulates their affinity for tubulin and thereby affects the structure of the neuronal cytoskeleton. The dinoflagellate toxin okadaic acid is a potent and specific inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. In cultured rat cortical neurons and a human neuroblastoma cell line (MSN), okadaic acid induces increased phosphorylation of MAP2 and tau concomitant with early changes in the neuronal cytoskeleton and ultimately leads to cell death. These results suggest that the diminished rate of MAP2 and tau dephosphorylation affects the stability of the neuronal cytoskeleton. The effect of okadaic acid was not restricted to neurons. Astrocytes stained with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) showed increased GFAP staining and changes in astrocyte morphology from a flat shape to a stellate appearance with long processes.
Luminance range compression for video film digitizers

Video cameras are used in many film digitization and teleradiology systems. However, the density range of medical radiographs often exceeds the dynamic range of the camera, and all diagnostic information in the original image may not be captured. Information in both the high and low density areas of the film can be captured in a single video frame if the transmitted luminance range of the radiograph is reduced. This can be accomplished by spatially modulating the back illumination of the film such that areas of lesser density receive less illumination while areas of greater density receive greater illumination. In this work, the use of a video monitor is shown to be an effective means to provide spatially modulated light for compressing the transmitted luminance range and thereby expanding the apparent dynamic range of the video camera. A simple computer-interfaced video feedback system that determines the appropriate compression mask and a scheme for linearization of system response are described. This system provides an interactive means for control of the degree of range compression.
Preliminary report on the Jones, Ellison, Slocum (JES) repair for symptomatic anterior cruciate deficient knees

A modified Jones intraarticular anterior cruciate re construction was combined with a distal iliotibial band transfer (Ellison) and a pes anserinus transfer (Slo cum) for patients with symptomatic anterior cruciate deficient knees. The procedure was performed on 15 young (average age, 22.5 years) athletes, in a single operation through a long, straight, anterior, midline incision.Preoperatively, all 15 patients (15 knees) had symp tomatic instability and all but one had a positive pivot shift. At follow up (averaging 39 month range 24-60 months) 13 (93%) had the pivot shift eliminated and only one, with 36 months followup, had instability on return to sports. Postoperatively, patients were im mobilized 3 weeks and then were started on a physical therapy program which ended in return to sports at 1 year.
Electronic Structure of a Near Σ11 a-axis Tilt Grain Boundary in α-A12O3

The electronic structure and interatomic bonding of a near Σ11 α-axis tilt grain boundary in α-A12O3 are determined using first-principles calculations based on a model structure constructed by Kenway. This Σ11 boundary, which has a low grain boundary energy, has been the focus of various previous studies, including high-resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM) and pair potential based structural studies. The relaxed structure model, which contains 72 Al atoms and 108 O atoms, is periodic in two dimensions and reproduces the grain boundary structure obtained by HRTEM. To accurately identify the changes arising in the boundary, parallel calculations on the bulk supercell models containing the same number of Al and O atoms with and without surfaces were also carried out. This grain boundary does not have deep levels in the band gap, and its defect states appear mainly near the O-2p derived valence band maximum and the Al-3s derived conduction band minimum. The calculated partial densities of states for Al in the conduction band region are in good agreement with recent measurements on the near-edge energy loss spectrum and the valence electron energy loss spectrum. By means of Mulliken population analysis, the effective charges, the bond order, and the partial density of states of the grain boundary atoms are identified and elucidated. In the region of the grain boundary, there is increased charge transfer from Al to O, arising mainly from the lower coordination number of the grain boundary atoms and therefore the reduction in the covalent bond formation. In addition, it is found that as the Al-O bond lengths decrease, the Al—O charge transfer increases. For this Σ11 boundary, the structural features most associated with grain boundary electronic structure changes are undercoordination and shortened bond lengths.
Effect of Long Term Ejaculation at High Frequency on Output of Sperm, Sexual Behavior, and Fertility of Holstein Bulls; Relation of Reproductive Capacity to High Nutrient Allowance

Eighteen Holstein bulls were used to determine the long term effect of high frequency ejaculation on reproductive performance. From 1 to 7 yr of age, six bulls were ejaculated weekly, and six pairmates were ejaculated six times weekly. For comparison, six bulls were ejaculated one or six times weekly from 1 to 2 yr of age, placed on sexual rest, and then ejaculated six times weekly for 6 wk and twice daily for 14 days at 3, 4, and 5 yr of age. Six time bulls yielded 3.3 times more motile sperm per week than one time bulls. Sexual activity, which was similar for one and six time bulls, was relatively constant to 5 yr of age and then gradually decreased. Sexual rest did not affect subsequent weekly output of sperm. Postthaw motility of sperm was similar for the one time, six time, and sexually rested groups. Fertility at 4, 6, or 8 yr of age did not differ between one and six time bulls. In conclusion, continuous high frequency of ejaculation from 1 to 7 yr of age greatly increased the harvest of sperm from a bull without harming his growth, reproductive capacity, or fertility. Ten other Holstein bulls fed concentrate ad libitum from 17 wk to 2 yr of age attained puberty 2 wk earlier (37 wk of age) and yielded 1.4 times more sperm per week on six times at 3 yr of age than the six time bulls fed limited energy. Raising bulls on maximum energy allowance enables sampling in a progeny testing program by 13 to 14 mo of age.
Lineshape analysis and filter difference method for a high intensity time-of-flight inelastic neutron scattering spectrometer

Abstract The use of polycrystalline filter analysers in inelastic neutron scattering allows relatively high count rates to be achieved. Its application to time-of-flight (TOF) techniques is important because the new pulsed neutron sources are expected to provide higher neutron fluxes than currently available. We present therefore a detailed lineshape analysis for inelastic spectra taken by a TOF filter analyser. By means of a convolution of the instrinsic line shape for the vibrational mode with that for instrumental parameters and the filter transmission function, the asymmetry caused by the latter can be modelled out by a fitting procedure. Most of the drawbacks of this approach are eliminated by taking a difference between two filter analysers with different cutoffs, which results in symmetrized, narrow experimental lineshapes. The analysis is extended to this case and the design along with some experimental results of a successfully operating prototype filter difference spectrometer at the Los Alamos pulsed spallation neutron source (WNR/PSR Facility) are presented.
Measuring national technological performance with patent claims data

Abstract Data on US patent claims were gathered for 1970, 1980, and 1990 through a random sampling of the Official Gazette of the US Patent and Trademark Office . The sample contained 7531 patents. Trends in claims awarded to inventors in France, Japan, the UK, the US and West Germany were examined and compared to trends in patenting. The results showed that much of the heavily discussed growth of Japanese inventiveness, as measured by patent counts, is muted when claims are examined in lieu of patents. An analysis of which indicator offers the “best fit” in correlations with other science and technology indicators — claims or patent counts? — suggests that claims consistently outperform patent counts as an indicator of national technological capacity.
Survey results from the incredible shrinking pipeline (abstract)

The percentage of bachelor's degrees awarded in computer science to women has decreased almost every year over the last decade. That is, even though more women are awarded bachelor's degrees, and even though the percentages of bachelor's degrees awarded to women in disciplines similar to computer science increased, the percentage of bachelor's degrees awarded in computer science to women decreased. Thus, the pipeline, which represents the ratio of women involved in computer science from high school to graduate school, shrinks both from one end to the other _and_ in the middle. Since the number of women at the bachelor's level affects the number of women at levels higher in the pipeline and in the job market, these facts are of great concern to many in the computing community.In this paper, we review the harsh facts concerning the percentage of degrees awarded in computer science to women. When we presented these facts in CACM (October 1997), we requested that the community respond to the facts through an interactive survey. At this time, 120 people have responded to the survey. In this paper, we present the results we have obtained from compiling these 120 survey responses.
Do You See What I See? Examining the Epistemic Barriers to Sustainable Agriculture.

This paper examines the epistemic barriers to sustainable agriculture, which are those aspects of food production that are not readily revealed by direct perception: such as decreases in rates of soil and nutrient loss, increases in levels of beneficial soil micro-organisms, and reductions in the amount of chemicals leaching into the water table. While many of sustainable agriculture's most touted benefits cannot easily or immediately be seen by producers, the opposite can be said of the benefits of conventional agriculture: from, for example, weed-free rows and pest-free fields to tall stalks, large yields, and commodity uniformity. Yet, while its benefits are readily apparent to many operators, the costs of conventional agricultural production often are not because conventional agriculture partly external-izes those costs to society at large. This paper investigates how the tension between the "visible" and the "nonvisible" plays out in the debate between sustainable and conventional agriculture. It concludes by suggesting potential solutions to overcoming these epistemic barriers, so as to make the epistemologically distant aspects of sustainable (namely, the benefits of) and conventional (namely, the costs of) agriculture more visible to all.
Sustained virologic response and other potential genotype-specific roles of statins among patients with hepatitis C-related chronic liver diseases.

Summary Background While statins have shown antiviral effects in different studies, few data are available about their effect among different HCV genotypes. Aim To evaluate the effect of concomitant statin use on sustained virologic response (SVR) and other treatment outcomes among patients with HCV genotypes 1–3. Method Using US Department of Veterans Affairs database, multivariate (MV), propensity score matched (PSM) and repeated measures mixed model analyses were performed on patients who received combination therapy with Peg–IFN and Ribavirin for treatment of HCV genotypes 1–3 between October 2001–December 2011. Concomitant statin users were matched with non-users in each genotype and SVR rates were compared. Changes in serum ALT during treatment was assessed. Results Of 37,611 treated patients, 236 genotype 1 (GT1), 78 genotype 2 (GT2) and 23 genotype 3 (GT3) statin users and non-users were used for PSM. SVR among GT1 patients was 22.8% (overall), significantly higher among statin users (26.3% vs. 19.5% P P = 0.02 from MV). No significant impact of statin use was observed among GT2 (overall SVR – 55.8%, statin users vs. non-users – 53.9% vs. 57.7%, P = 0.32), and GT3 (overall SVR – 58.7%, statin users vs. non-users – 60.9% vs. 56.2%, P = 0.39) patients. Higher baseline LDL was positively associated with SVR while statin use reduced ALT during treatment in GT1 patients. Conclusion In view of additional benefits of statins, and the prohibitive cost of newer HCV therapies, statins could be a potential assist for hard-to-treat GT1 patients especially in resource-poor settings.
Weight Savings Using ASME Section VIII, Division 2, Design-by-Analysis Methods

The 2007 ASME Section VIII, Division 2, Part 5 Design-By-Analysis provides requirements for vessels and components using analytical methods. The authors have spent a considerable amount of time in studying and applying the requirements of the design by analysis methods in Part 5. As a result of this process, the authors have concluded that the main factor for weight savings is the stress criteria used to calculate the thickness by the design-by-analysis method. An example is provided to demonstrate the methods presented.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A Biochemical Lesion in Congenital, Non-obstructive, Non-hæmolytic Jaundice

CONGENITAL, non-obstructive, non-haemolytic jaundice is a syndrome characterized by marked elevation of ‘indirect-reacting’ (free) bilirubin in the blood1. Recent studies have shown that bilirubin forms a polar glucuronide which is readily excreted in the bile1. The synthesis of bilirubin glucuronide has been found to be catalysed by an enzyme system in the microsomes of the liver that transfers glucuronic acid from uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid to a Suitable aglycone2. We wish to describe experiments showing that the accumulation of free bilirubin in this syndrome is the result of a defect in the glucuronide-forming mechanism.
Wanted: A Clearly Articulated Social Ethic for American Health Care

Throughout the past 3 decades, Americans have been locked in a tenacious ideological debate whose essence can be distilled into the following pointed question: As a matter of national policy, and to the extent that a nation's health system can make it possible, should the child of a poor American family have the same chance of avoiding preventable illness or of being cured from a given illness as does the child of a rich American family? The "yeas" in all other industrialized nations had won that debate hands down decades ago, and these nations have worked hard to put in place health insurance and health care systems to match that predominant sentiment. In the United States, on the other hand, the "nays" so far have carried the day. As a matter of conscious national policy, the United States always has and still does openly countenance the practice of rationing health
RELATION BETWEEN ORDER OF COMPLETION AND PERFORMANCE ON TIMED EXAMINATIONS

Summary.-The relation between order of completion and test performance was examined. Subjects were 116 students in two upper-division psychology courses. Tests were timed and contained both objective and nonobjective items. Contrary to previous suggesrlons but consistent with prior empirical findings, there was neither a consistent hear nor curvilinear relation between order of completion and performance. In one class, middle finishers tended to score lower and to be more variable in performance than early and late finishers. Results are discussed in the context of previous research on the relation between time (or order) of completion and test performance.
How principles of domain formation in model membranes may explain ambiguities concerning lipid raft formation in cells

Sphingolipid and cholesterol-rich liquid ordered lipid domains (lipid rafts) have been studied in both eukaryotic cells and model membranes. However, while the coexistence of ordered and disordered liquid phases can now be easily demonstrated in model membranes, the situation in cell membranes remains ambiguous. Unlike the usual situation in model membranes, under most conditions, cell membranes rich in sphingolipid and cholesterol may have a "granular" organization in which the size of ordered and/or disordered domains is extremely small and domains may be of borderline stability. This review attempts to explain the origin of the divergence between of our understanding of rafts in model membranes and in cells, and how the physical properties of model membranes can help explain many of the ambiguities concerning raft formation and properties in cells. How physical principles of ordered domain formation relate to limitations of detergent insolubility and cholesterol depletion methods used to infer the presence of rafts in cells is also discussed. Possible modifications of these techniques that may increase their reliability are considered. It will be necessary to study model membrane systems more closely approximating cell membranes in order gain a complete understanding of raft properties in cells. Very high concentrations of membrane cholesterol and proteins may explain key physical characteristics of domains in cellular membranes, and are the two of the most obvious factors requiring additional study.
An approach to computer-aided inhibitor design: Application to cathepsin L

We have developed an approach to search for molecules that can be used as lead compounds in designing an inhibitor for a given proteolytic enzyme when the 3D structure of a homologous protein is known. This approach is based on taking the cast of the binding pocket of the protease and comparing its dimensions with that of the dimensions of small molecules. Herein the 3D structure of papain is used to model cathepsin L using the comparative modeling technique. The cast of the binding pocket is computed using the crystal structure of papain because the structures of papain and the model of cathepsin L are found to be similar at the binding site. The dimensions of the cast of the binding site of papain are used to screen for molecules from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) of small molecules. Twenty molecules out of the 80 000 small molecules in the CSD are found to have dimensions that are accommodated by the papain binding pocket. Visual comparison of the shapes of the cast and the 20 screened molecules resulted in identifying brevotoxin b, a toxin isolated from the ‘red tide’ dinoflagellate Ptycho brevis (previously classified as Gymonodium breve), as the structure that best fits the binding pocket of papain. We tested the proteolytic activity of papain and cathepsin L in the presence of brevotoxin b and found inhibition of papain and cathepsin L with Kis of 25 μM and 0.6 μM, respectively. We also compare our method with a more elaborate method in the literature, by presenting our results on the computer search for inhibitors of the HIV-1 protease.
Acinar arterial changes with chronic lung disease of prematurity in the surfactant era

Because echocardiographic studies on infants with chronic lung disease (CLD) suggest that pulmonary hypertension (PH) may contribute to its severity, we studied acinar arterial walls in the following surfactant-era infants: controls (n=38): 22-41 weeks of gestational age (GA), exposed briefly to oxygen and positive pressure ventilation, died within 48 hr of birth; prolonged rupture of fetal membranes (PROM) and persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) (n=17); and SCORE (integrated area under curve of average daily FiO2 x average daily MAP) groups (<20, 20-69, and 70-500; mild, moderate, and severe clinical lung disease, respectively, n=35): 23-30 weeks GA, lived 7-79 days. Lungs were stained for elastic tissue and smooth muscle actin. Vessels were assessed for percent of vessel circumference with smooth muscle, extent of elastic laminae in the walls, and percent arterial wall thickness (%AWT) at three levels: terminal to respiratory bronchiole transition (TRB), alveolar duct, and saccule. At the alveolar ductal and saccular levels, percent arterial wall thickness (%AWT) in mild CLD (SCORE < 20) was less than controls (P < 0.05) and those with more severe CLD (SCORE 70-500), indicating that normal postnatal arterial wall thinning may be delayed, or there is remodeling associated with increased %AWT. Severe CLD infants also had a significantly higher percent of circumferential actin than those with milder disease (SCORE < or = 69) and controls. In moderate and severe CLD, there was an increase in extent of the elastic laminae compared to controls and mild CLD. These changes were also significantly greater in PROM and PPHN infants compared to even severe CLD. We conclude that PH is a real possibility in severe CLD infants after discharge at 36 weeks. Grading the severity of CLD at discharge, and echocardiographic studies, may guide subsequent oxygen therapy.
Erosion of a new family of biodegradable polyanhydrides

Studies investigating the erosion mechanism of the newly developed poly (fatty acid dimer: sebacic acid) polyanhydride (p:[FAD:SA]) are described. The overall erosion of different monomer compositions of p(FAD:SA) copolymers was examined to determine whether and to what extent copolymer properties affected polymer erosion. Increasing the hydrophobic monomer (FAD) content up to 50 wt% in the copolymer resulted in longer erosion, whereas further increases up to 70 wt% decreased the erosion period. Polymer crystallinity depended on copolymer FAD content. Copolymer degradation was studied by examining anhydride bond hydrolysis using infrared spectroscopy. Much faster hydrolysis was found in p(FAD:SA) 70:30 compared with more crystalline copolymers of higher SA content. Light microscopy indicates the presence of an erosion zone, a distinct area where mass loss occurs. This erosion zone moves from the outside toward the interior of the polymer matrix. It plays an important role in erosion because any water or monomer must diffuse through this eroded layer. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The effects of aging, housing and ibuprofen treatment on brain neurochemistry in a triple transgene Alzheimer's disease mouse model using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging.

We investigated a triple transgene Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse model that recapitulates many of the neurochemical, anatomic, pathologic and behavioral defects seen in human AD. We studied the mice as a function of age and brain region and investigated potential therapy with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed alterations characteristic of AD (i.e. increased myo-inositol and decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA)). Mice at 6 months of age showed an increase in myo-inositol in the hippocampus at a time when the Aβ is intracellular, but not in amygdala or cortex. Myo-inositol increased as a function of age in the amygdala, cortex and striatum while NAA decreased only in the hippocampus and cortex at 17–23 months of age. Ibuprofen protected the increase of myo-inositol at six months of age in the hippocampus, but had no effect at 17–23 months of age (a time when Aβ is extracellular). In vivo MRI and MRS showed that at 17–23 months of age there was a significant protective effect of ibuprofen on hippocampal volume and NAA loss. Together, these data show the following: the increase in myo-inositol occurs before the decrease in NAA in hippocampus but not cortex; the hippocampus shows earlier changes than does the amygdale or cortex consistent with earlier deposition of Aβ40–42 in the hippocampus and ibuprofen protects against multiple components of the AD pathology. These data also show a profound effect of housing on this particular mouse model.
Phonetic reduction and variation in American Sign Language: A quantitative study of sign lowering.

During normal sign language use, a signer’s productions will often be reduced from the citation forms of signs. This study examines a form of phonetic reduction in American Sign Language, in which signs that are located at the forehead are lowered in space. In particular, we explore the effects of signing rate and phonetic environment on the lowering of specific ASL signs and on their phonetic variation along the other two movement axes. Movement data were captured as native signers produced utterances that were controlled for phonetic environment and signing rate. We found that all signers produced lowered forms as an effect of the phonetic factors that we manipulated. In addition, several rate-induced effects occurred, which we had not predicted. Results are discussed in relation to past research on variation in sign production and in speech.
Endoscopic closure of colon perforation compared to surgery in a porcine model: a randomized controlled trial (with videos)

Background Endoscopic closure of inadvertent or intentional colon perforations might be valuable if comparable to surgical closure. Objective The aim of this study was to compare endoscopic closure of a 4-cm colon perforation in a porcine model with surgical closure in a multicenter study. Setting University hospitals in the United States and Europe. Design and Interventions After creating a 4-cm linear colon perforation, the animals were randomized to either endoscopic or surgical closure. The total procedure time from the beginning of perforation to the completion of procedure was measured. The animals were euthanized after 2 weeks to evaluate healing, unless there was a complication. Results Fifty-four animals were randomized to either surgical or endoscopic closure of colon perforation. Eight animals developed complications, and 7 of these were euthanized before 2 weeks. Twenty-three animals in each group survived for 2 weeks. Surgical closure of the perforation was successful in all animals in that group, and endoscopic closure was successful in 25 of the 27 animals. The median procedure time was shorter in the surgery group compared to the endoscopy group (35 vs 44 minutes, P = .016). Peritonitis, local adhesions, and leak test results were comparable in both groups. Distant adhesions were less frequent in the endoscopic closure group (26.1% vs 56.5%, P = .03). Five of the 186 T-tags (2.7%) were noted in the adjacent viscera. Limitation This porcine study does not mimic clean colon perforation in humans; it mimics dirty colon perforation in humans. Conclusions Endoscopic closure of a 4-cm colon perforation was comparable to surgery, and this technique can be potentially used for closure of intentional or inadvertent colon perforations.
Affiliation, achievement and life events: Contributors to stress appraisals in college men and women

Abstract This study examined the importance of affiliation and achievement matched with particular types of stressful events in relation to appraisal. The purpose of this study was to test Bernstein's (1987) hypothesis that certain central issues high in importance interacting with relevant events predict appraisal. Based on the development tasks and transitions of traditional college youth, 68 undergraduates participated in the study. The analyses showed significant main and interactive effects. Results suggest that the importance of affiliation and congruent events may constitute a vulnerability factor whereas, achievement and congruent events may not. More college men than college women reported achievement-related events. In contrast, more women than men reported interpersonally-related events. Both men and women gave the importance of affiliation and achievement similar moderate to high ratings. The results are discussed in terms of support for the model of centrality which integrates cognitive processes and stressful life events models.
Supervision and the Videotape Recorder

Videotape record ings can be integrated into the art of supervision, says this writer, who reviews on these pages some of the techniques and styles of supervision.
Mass transfer between capillary blood and tissues

The Krogh cylinder type of model for capillary-tissue mass transfer is solved analytically as a conjugated boundary value problem. The analysis avoids recourse to the use of arbitrary interphase mass transfer coefficients. For O2, CO2 and glucose, the model was solved to obtain axial, interfacial, and radial concentration profiles in both the blood and tissue phases, for various conditions, e.g. zero and first order metabolic consumption rates. Both plug and parabolic blood velocity profiles were considered. Blood phase flow rates and diffusivities were varied, as were the magnitudes of the zero order metabolic rate constants and the relative degree of solute binding to hemoglobin. Little computation is required to obtain numerical results from the solutions presented. The results indicate which factors are most important in determining the shapes and magnitudes of concentration profiles in such systems.
On the efficiency of fluid simulation of networks

Performance evaluation of computer networks through tratitional packet-level simulation is becoming increasingly difficult as networks grow in size along different dimensions. Due to its higher level of abstraction, fluid simulation is a promising approach for evaluating large-scale network models. In this paper we focus on evaluating and comparing the computaional effort required for fluid-and packet-level simulation. To measure the computaional effort required by a simulation approach, we introduce the concept of "simulation event rate", a measure that is both analytically tractable and adequate. We identify the fundamental factors that contribute to the simulation event rate in fluid- and packet-level simulations and provide an analytical characterization of the simulation event rate for specific network models. Among such factors, we identify the "ripple effect" as a significant contributor to the computational effort required by fluid simulation. We also show that the parameter space of a given network model can be divided into different regions where one simulation technique is more efficient than the other. In particular, we consider a realistic large-scale network and demonstrate how the computational effort depends on simulation parameters. Finally, we show that flow aggregation can effectively reduce the impact of the ripple effect and that the ripple effect has less impact when simulating the WFQ scheduling policy.
Fibroblasts in Kidney Fibrosis Emerge via Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Fibroblasts are key mediators of fibrosis in the kidney and other organs, but their origin during fibrosis is still not completely clear. Activated fibroblasts likely arise from resident quiescent fibroblasts via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and from the bone marrow. Here, we demonstrate that endothelial cells also contribute to the emergence of fibroblasts during kidney fibrosis via the process of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). We examined the contribution of EndMT to renal fibrosis in three mouse models of chronic kidney disease: (1) Unilateral ureteral obstructive nephropathy, (2) streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy, and (3) a model of Alport renal disease. Approximately 30 to 50% of fibroblasts coexpressed the endothelial marker CD31 and markers of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts such as fibroblast specific protein-1 and α-smooth muscle actin. Endothelial lineage tracing using Tie2-Cre;R26R-stop-EYFP transgenic mice further confirmed the presence of EndMT-derived fibroblasts. Collectively, our results demonstrate that EndMT contributes to the accumulation of activated fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in kidney fibrosis and suggest that targeting EndMT might have therapeutic potential.
External Influences on Modeled and Observed Cloud Trends

Understanding the cloud response to external forcing is a major challenge for climate science. This crucial goal is complicated by intermodel differences in simulating present and future cloud cover and by observationaluncertainty. Thisisthefirstformaldetectionandattributionstudyofcloudchanges overthesatelliteera. PresentedhereinareCMIP5model-derivedfingerprintsofexternallyforcedchanges tothreecloudproperties: the latitudes at which the zonally averaged total cloud fraction (CLT) is maximized or minimized, the zonal average CLT at these latitudes, and the height of high clouds at these latitudes. By considering simultaneous changes in all three properties, the authors define a coherent multivariate fingerprint of cloud response to external forcing and use models from phase 5 of CMIP (CMIP5) to calculate the average time to detect these changes. It is found that given perfect satellite cloud observations beginning in 1983, the models indicate that a detectable multivariate signal should have already emerged. A search is then made for signals of external forcingintwoobservationaldatasets:ISCCPandPATMOS-x.Thedatasetsarebothfoundtoshowapoleward migration ofthezonalCLTpatternthatisincompatiblewithforcedCMIP5models. Nevertheless,a detectable multivariate signal is predicted by models over the PATMOS-x time period and is indeed present in the dataset. Despite persistent observational uncertainties, these results present a strong case for continuedefforts to improve these existing satellite observations, in addition to planning for new missions.
Molecular Markers for the agouti Coat Color Locus of the Mouse

The agouti (a) coat color locus of the mouse acts within the microenvironment of the hair follicle to control the relative amount and distribution of yellow and black pigment in the coat hairs. Over 18 different mutations with complex dominance relationships have been described at this locus. The lethal yellow (Ay) mutation is the top dominant of this series and is uniquely associated with an endogenous provirus, Emv-15, in three highly inbred strains. However, we report here that it is unlikely that the provirus itself causes the Ay-associated alteration in coat color, since one strain of mice (YBR-Ay/a ) lacks the provirus but still retains a yellow coat color. Using single-copy mouse DNA sequences from the regions flanking Emv-15 we have detected three patterns of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) within this region that can be used as molecular markers for different agouti locus alleles: a wild-type agouti (A) pattern, a pattern which generally cosegregates with the nonagouti (a) mutation, and a pattern which is specific to Emv-15. We have used these RFLPs and a panel of 28 recombinant inbred mouse strains to determine the genetic linkage of these sequences with the agouti locus and have found complete concordance between the two (95% confidence limit of 0.00 to 3.79 centimorgans). We have also physically mapped these sequences by in situ hybridization to band H1 of chromosome 2, thus directly confirming previous assignments of the location of the agouti locus.
Marek's disease virus-encoded vIL-8 gene is involved in early cytolytic infection but dispensable for establishment of latency.

Marek9s disease, a lymphoproliferative disease of chickens, is caused by an alphaherpesvirus, Marek9s disease virus (MDV). This virus encodes a virokine, vIL-8, with general homology to cellular CXC chemokines such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) and Gro-α. To study the function of vIL-8 gene, we deleted both copies of vIL-8 residing in the terminal repeat long and internal repeat long region of the viral genome and generated a mutant virus with vIL-8 deleted, rMd5/ΔvIL-8. Growth kinetics study showed that vIL-8 gene is dispensable for virus replication in cell culture. In vivo, the vIL-8 gene is involved in early cytolytic infections in lymphoid organs, as evidenced by limited viral antigen expression of rMd5/ΔvIL-8. However, the rMd5/ΔvIL-8 virus is unimpaired in virus replication in the feather follicle epithelium. vIL-8 does not appear to be important for establishment of latency, since rMd5/ΔvIL-8 and the wild-type virus have similar viremia titers at 14 days postinfection, a period when the virus titer comes primarily from reactivated latent genomes. Nevertheless, because of the impaired cytolytic infections, the overall transformation efficiency of the virus with vIL-8 deleted is much lower, as reflected by the reduced number of transformed cells at 5 weeks postinoculation and the presence of fewer gross tumors. Importantly, the revertant virus that restored the expression of vIL-8 gene also restored the wild-type phenotype, indicating the deficient phenotypes are results of vIL-8 deletion. One of the interesting differences between the MDV vIL-8 gene and its cellular counterpart is the presence of a DKR (Asp-Lys-Arg) motif instead of ELR (Glu-Leu-Arg) preceding the invariable CXC motif. To study the significance of this variation, we generated recombinant MDV, rMd5/vIL-8-ELR, carrying the ELR motif. Both in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that the DKR motif is as competent as ELR in pathogenesis of MDV.
Achieving Maximum Possible Speed on Constrained Block Transmission Systems

We develop a theoretical framework for achieving the maximum possible speed on constrained digital channels with a finite alphabet. A common inaccuracy that is made when computing the capacity of digital channels is to assume that the inputs and outputs of the channel are analog Gaussian random variables, and then based upon that assumption, invoke the Shannon capacity bound for an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. In a channel utilizing a finite set of inputs and outputs, clearly the inputs are not Gaussian distributed and Shannon bound is not exact. We study the capacity of a block transmission AWGN channel with quantized inputs and outputs, given the simultaneous constraints that the channel is frequency selective, there exists an average power constraint at the transmitter and the inputs of the channel are quantized. The channel is assumed known at the transmitter. We obtain the capacity of the channel numerically, using a constrained Blahut-Arimoto algorithm which incorporates an average power constraint at the transmitter. Our simulations show that under certain conditions the capacity approaches very closely the Shannon bound. We also show the maximizing input distributions. The theoretical framework developed in this paper is applied to a practical example: the downlink channel of a dial-up PCM modem connection where the inputs to the channel are quantized and the outputs are real. We test how accurate is the bound 53.3 kbps for this channel. Our results show that this bound can be improved upon.