cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relation of transmitral flow velocity patterns to left ventricular diastolic function: New insights from a combined hemodynamic and Doppler echocardiographic study

In an effort to determine what clinically useful information regarding left ventricular diastolic function can be inferred noninvasively with pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography, mitral flow velocity patterns and measured variables were correlated with hemodynamic findings in 70 patients: 30 with coronary artery disease, 20 with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy, 14 with a restrictive myocardial process and 6 without significant cardiac disease. The effect of sudden changes in hemodynamics on the mitral flow velocity pattern was also investigated in a subgroup of patients who had simultaneous recording of mitral flow velocity and left ventricular pressure before and after left ventriculography. Mitral flow velocity recordings from 30 healthy adults served as a reference group. This analysis suggests that 1) the majority of patients with these cardiac disorders demonstrate abnormal mitral flow velocity patterns or variables; 2) markedly different flow velocity patterns can be seen in patients with impaired left ventricular relaxation; 3) the different mitral patterns appear to relate more to myocardial function and hemodynamic status than to the type of disease process present; 4) certain mitral patterns suggest different filling pressures and rates of early diastolic left ventricular filling; 5) an increase in left atrial pressure can "normalize" an abnormal mitral flow velocity pattern and "mask" a left ventricular relaxation abnormality; and 6) the different patterns appear to represent a dynamic continuum with the potential to change from one to another as a result of disease progression, medical therapy or sudden changes in hemodynamics. It is concluded that, despite the indirect method of estimation and certain limitations, mitral flow velocity recordings have clinical potential in assessing left ventricular diastolic function that merits further investigation.
Cultural images and different varieties of English in French television commercials

A report on the impact of English on media advertising in France.English (in all of its creative manifestations) and images associated with English are extremely popular advertising strategies in France. In order to explore the stereotypical images that French consumers commonly associate with different varieties of English and the reasons for such perceptions, this study compares television data collected in France during the summer of 2000 with data featured in an earlier study (Martin 1998).
Diagnosis and Management of Bipolar Disorder in Primary Care: A DSM-5 Update

This review discusses the diagnosis and detection of bipolar disorder in the primary care population with recent changes introduced by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and the pharmacotherapy and psychosocial management of this psychiatric condition.
Coronary α1-adrenergic constrictor tone varies with intensity of exercise

This study tested the hypothesis that an alpha-adrenergic coronary constrictor tone increases with the intensity of exercise and imposes a limitation on transmural myocardial blood flow and contractile function during strenuous levels of exercise. Nine (9) dogs were chronically instrumented to measure left circumflex blood flow (CBF), global myocardial contractile function (dP/dtmax), and regional myocardial contractile function (maximal rate of segmental shortening, dL/dtmax). The dogs were subjected to a graded sub-maximal exercise test with increasing workloads encompassing 4.8 kph and 6.4 kph, 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16% incline. On separate days, either vehicle (sterile water) or the specific alpha 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin (1 microgram.kg-1.min-1) was infused into the circumflex artery during exercise. Removal of an alpha 1-receptor mediated coronary constrictor tone resulted in a 15 +/- 7%, 24 +/- 9%, and 35 +/- 10% greater increase in CBF compared with vehicle at the three most strenuous levels of exercise, respectively. Regional left ventricular blood flow was measured using labeled microspheres in four (4) additional dogs. Endocardial and epicardial blood flow increased equally by 16% during exercise after prazosin, such that the endocardial/epicardial flow ratio did not change. The augmentation in CBF after alpha 1-blockade was associated with significant increases in both regional and global left ventricular contractile function. These studies indicate that a uniformly distributed transmural coronary alpha 1-constrictor tone increases in magnitude with increasing levels of exercise intensity and, as a result, imposes a significant limitation on myocardial function.
False positive CT angiography in brain death.

Introduction Ancillary testing is frequently required in the determination of death by brain criteria, particularly in cases in which the clinical examination is drawn into question. Newer tests, such as computed tomographic angiography (CTA), have garnered enthusiasm for their ease of performance, but have not been validated as acceptable tests compared with a gold standard. Case We present a case of a 31-year-old patient who was felt to have cerebral circulatory arrest on CTA, but was subsequently found to have evidence of preserved cerebral blood flow on transcranial Doppler, thus precluding the diagnosis death by brain criteria. Discussion CTA is not a validated confirmatory test for cerebral circulatory arrest in brain death, and may be falsely positive. Conclusion CTA should be studied further in comparison to validated tests, such as conventional angiography or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), before being accepted as a standard ancillary test in determining death by brain criteria.
Comparison of the effects of the dopamine D2 agonist quinelorane on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neuronal activity in male and female rats

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of quinelorane (LY163502), a potent and selective D 2 dopaminergic (DA) receptor agonist, on the activity of tuberoinfundibular DA neurons in male and female rats as estimated by determining the concentration of the primary metabolite of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), in terminals of these neurons in the median eminence (ME). In males, quinelorane produced dose- and time-related increases in the concentration of DOPAC in the ME which was blocked by the D 2 receptor antagonist raclopride. The activity of tuberoinfundibular neurons in female rats is higher than it is in males because circulating levels of prolactin tonically stimulate these neurons in the female. In female rats, quinelorane markedly lowered plasma concentrations of prolactin but failed to alter DOPAC concentrations in the ME. Pretreatment of female rats with prolactin antiserum induced hypoprolactinemia and reduced DOPAC concentrations in the ME; in these animals quinelorane increased ME DOPAC concentrations. These results indicate that by acting on D 2 receptors quinelorane is able to stimulate tuberoinfundibular DA neurons in both male and female rats, but in female rats the ability of quinelorane to reduce circulating levels of prolactin indirectly reduces the activity of tuberoinfundibular DA neurons and thereby masks the stimulatory action of this drug on these neurons.
Fever and blood sugar in pinottii malaria of pigeons.

SYNOPSIS. Plasmodium pinottii is an avian malaria parasite originally isolated from the Brazilian toucan, and maintained chiefly in the pigeon, in which it is extremely pathogenic. Infections must be transferred by blood inoculation, since gametocytes are no longer produced (and, in any event, the vector is unknown). Unlike most forms of avian malaria, pinottii malaria in the pigeon is characterized by fever, often high, with peaks at the time of parasite reproduction. Blood sugar levels vary considerably even in healthy birds, in which the mean was found to be 267 ± 9.2 SEm mg per 100 ml plasma (range 208–335, based on examination of 14 individuals. Values during fasting approximated those when feeding was ad libitum. Levels tended to rise in the early stages of the infection, reaching a mean of 305 ± 14.5 mg per 100 ml plasma (based on 10 cases) while parasitemia was 20-49%. At death the mean (determined from 46 birds) had dropped to 155.8 ± 15.5 mg per 100 ml. However there is little reason to think that parasite demand on the host's glycogen reserves was a significant factor in causing death, despite the very high parasitemias often reached.
Long-Term Therapy With Benzodiazepines Despite Alcohol Dependence Disorder

The author describes the long-term administration of benzodiazepines to seven male patients (58–70 years old), each with at least a 25-year history of alcohol dependence. Benzodiazepines were prescribed for the treatment of an anxiety disorder or sleep disturbance. All seven patients maintained abstinence during benzodiazepine administration, except for a brief period of relapse in two patients. These patients comprised all of the subjects given benzodiazepines for more than 1 week in a Veterans Affairs substance abuse program over a 3-year period. These case reports suggest that the long-term administration of benzodiazepines to carefully selected alcohol-dependent patients is not necessarily incompatible with abstinence. Guidelines for the use of benzodiazepines in this patient population are reviewed.
Volume illustration for medicine and flows

This talk will start by describing general techniques and principles for effective computergenerated illustrations of volumetric datasets and review the state-of-the-art of volume illustration. It will then describe unique techniques and problems of both medical and flow data and discuss specific solution techniques for each class of data. An in-depth presentation of the work by Ebert's group in this area will be discussed next, including work on interactive stipple rendering, example-based volume illustration, and then Svakhine's system for interactive medical and flow illustration. The talk will conclude with a discussion of implementation and optimization techniques for interactive volume illustration by Svakhine as well as an interactive demonstration of the use of the system for medical education illustration, surgical simulation training, and analyzing three-dimensional fluid flow datasets, such as flow past spacecraft and convective flows.
TEM investigation of Co-Cr film microstructure

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to reconstruct the microstructure of Co-Cr thin films. It was found that the initial layer consists of randomly oriented small crystal grains, that further growth favors well-aligned grains and that microstructural details may be correlated with inferences from ferromagnetic resonance (FMR).
Electron-Spin Resonance of Nitrogen Donors in Diamond

Electron-spin resonance of bound substitutional nitrogen donors in diamond is observed and discussed. The $g$ factor is isotropic at 2.0024\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0005. For a given donor, one of the C-N bond directions is a hyperfine axis with constants $A=40.8$ oersteds, $B=29.2$ oersteds. There are thus four types of donors, equally abundant. A model for the donor wave function is proposed which puts the donor electron principally into an antibonding orbital located on a nitrogen atom and on one of its nearest-neighbor carbon atoms. A C-N bond distortion results which can be regarded as a manifestation of the Jahn-Teller effect. A careful search reveals the presence of an additional weak spectrum due to donors on ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$-${\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ pairs. (The isotope ${\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ which has a nuclear spin of \textonehalf{} has a natural abundance of 1.1%.) The hyperfine constants measured for a ${\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ atom of an N-C pair are ${A}^{\ensuremath{'}}=60.8$ oersteds, ${B}^{\ensuremath{'}}=25.3$ oersteds. The $s$ and $p$ contributions to all 4 measured hyperfine constants are separated to give the values ${O}_{\mathrm{N}}=(\frac{8\ensuremath{\pi}}{3}){{|\ensuremath{\psi}(0)|}^{2}}_{\mathrm{N}}=2.41 \mathrm{atomic}\mathrm{units},$ ${P}_{\mathrm{N}}={〈\frac{[{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}({x}^{2}+{y}^{2})]}{{r}^{5}}〉}_{\mathrm{N}}=0.28 \mathrm{atomic}\mathrm{unit},$ ${O}_{\mathrm{C}}=(\frac{8\ensuremath{\pi}}{3}){{|\ensuremath{\psi}(0)|}^{2}}_{\mathrm{C}}=0.78 \mathrm{atomic}\mathrm{unit},$ ${P}_{\mathrm{C}}={〈\frac{[{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}({x}^{2}+{y}^{2})]}{{r}^{5}}〉}_{\mathrm{C}}=0.25 \mathrm{atomic}\mathrm{unit}.$ These are compared with theoretical values obtained by assuming a simple antibonding wave function composed of nitrogen and carbon tetrahedral orbitals. An increase of several percent in the N-C separation along the hyperfine axis is strongly implied by the comparison.
Phase transition in end-functionalized polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene copolymers

Phase transition in polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene (SIS triblock) copolymers end-capped with carboxylic acid group (-COOH) or sodium carboxylate group (-COONa) was investigated using oscillatory shear rheometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the study, three SIS triblock copolymers having almost an equal block length ratio, but varying molecular weights, were synthesized via sequential anionic polymerization. The number-average molecular weights of the three block copolymers synthesized were 1.8 x 10 4 g/mol (SIS1), 2.3 x 10 4 g/mol (SIS2), and 3.4 x 10 4 g/mol (SIS3). It was found that both SIS1 and SIS2 were homogeneous block copolymers, while SIS3 had lamellar microdomains, and it had an order-disorder transition temperature (T ODT ) of 180 °C. Each of the triblock copolymers was end-capped with a -COOH group to obtain SIS-COOH using high-purity, gaseous carbon dioxide. Subsequently, part of the SIS-COOH was neutralized with sodium hydroxide to obtain SIS-COONa. It was found that SIS1-COOH, SIS1-COONa, and SIS2-COOH remained homogeneous, while SIS2-COONa microphase-separated into a lamella-forming triblock copolymer, as determined from TEM, which has a Tool of 123 °C as determined from oscillatory shear rheometry. The T ODT of lamella-forming SIS3 was found to increase from 180 to 182 °C after it was end-capped with a -COOH group and to 228 °C after it was end-capped with a -COONa group. Cloud point measurements show that (i) the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) of the mixtures composed of polyisoprene (PI) and polystyrene (PS) end-capped with a -COONa group, PI/(PS-COONa) mixtures, is much higher than that of the mixtures composed of PI and PS end-capped with a -COOH group, PI/(PS-COOH) mixtures, and PIPS mixtures, and (ii) the UCST of PI/(PS-COOH) mixtures is only slightly higher than that of PI/PS mixtures. It is concluded that the formation of lamellar microdomains in SIS2-COONa from homogeneous SIS2 after it was end-capped with a -COONa group and a very high T ODT observed for SIS3-COONa are attributable to strong ionic associations and significantly increased repulsive segment-segment interactions between the PI and PS-COONa phases in the block copolymers.
Reinterpretation of the vibrational spectroscopy of the medicinal bioinorganic synthon c,c,t-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(OH)2].

The Pt(IV) complex c,c,t-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(OH)2] is an important intermediate in the synthesis of Pt(IV) anticancer prodrugs and has been investigated as an anticancer agent in its own right. An analysis of the vibrational spectroscopy of this molecule was previously reported (Faggiani et al., Can. J. Chem. 60:529, 1982), in which crystallographic determination of the structure of the complex permitted a site group approach. The space group, however, was incorrectly assigned. In the present study we have redetermined at high resolution crystal structures of c,c,t-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(OH)2] and c,c,t-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(OH)2]·H2O2, which makes possible discussion of the effect of hydrogen bonding on the N–H and O–H vibrational bands. The correct crystallographic site symmetry of the platinum complex in the c,c,t-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(OH)2] structure is used to conduct a new vibrational analysis using both group-theoretical and modern density functional theory methods. This analysis reveals the nature and symmetry of the “missing band” described in the original publication and suggests a possible explanation for its disappearance.
Magnetoelectric Evidence for the Attainability of Time-Reversed Antiferromagnetic Configurations by Metamagnetic Transitions in DyPO 4

The experimental observation and an atomic mechanism of the linear magnetoelectric effect in DyP${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ are reported and shown to provide evidence for the feasibility of isothermal forced switching between time-reversed (i.e., moment-reversed) antiferromagnetic configurations by means of metamagnetic transitions.
Pathogenic mechanism of a human mitochondrial tRNAPhe mutation associated with myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers syndrome

Human mitochondrial tRNA (hmt-tRNA) mutations are associated with a variety of diseases including mitochondrial myopathies, diabetes, encephalopathies, and deafness. Because the current understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms of these mutations is limited, there is no efficient method to treat their associated mitochondrial diseases. Here, we use a variety of known mutations in hmt-tRNAPhe to investigate the mechanisms that lead to malfunctions. We tested the impact of hmt-tRNAPhe mutations on aminoacylation, structure, and translation elongation-factor binding. The majority of the mutants were pleiotropic, exhibiting defects in aminoacylation, global structure, and elongation-factor binding. One notable exception was the G34A anticodon mutation of hmt-tRNAPhe (mitochondrial DNA mutation G611A), which is associated with MERRF (myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers). In vitro, the G34A mutation decreases aminoacylation activity by 100-fold, but does not affect global folding or recognition by elongation factor. Furthermore, G34A hmt-tRNAPhe does not undergo adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing, ruling out miscoding as a possible mechanism for mitochondrial malfunction. To improve the aminoacylation state of the mutant tRNA, we modified the tRNA binding domain of the nucleus-encoded human mitochondrial phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase, which aminoacylates hmt-tRNAPhe with cognate phenylalanine. This variant enzyme displayed significantly improved aminoacylation efficiency for the G34A mutant, suggesting a general strategy to treat certain classes of mitochondrial diseases by modification of the corresponding nuclear gene.
An empirical investigation of the relationship of IS strategy with firm performance

Given the important impact that an IS strategy has on the potential value IS brings to an organization, we develop and test a model of IS Strategy and Firm Performance. Our survey-based study provides strong evidence that firms with defined IS strategies (either IS Innovator or IS Conservative) perform better than those without defined IS strategies. Organizations without a clearly defined IS strategy actually experienced a negative relationship with firm performance. These organizations should realize the potentially negative outcomes of such a lack of strategy and work to extricate themselves before a consistent pattern of investing in IS without clear organizational benefit develops. Furthermore, the study suggests that the IS Innovator strategy is, in particular, associated with more superior firm performance than the IS Conservative strategy under conditions of environmental dynamism. Organizational leaders need to consider the external environments under which their organizations are operating and evaluate the influence those environments may have on their IS strategy's ability to impact performance. Post hoc analysis results also reveal a fourth potential IS strategy, one that strives for ambidexterity. Ambidextrous firms were found to be associated with the most superior performance, leading to a potential extension of the existing IS strategy typology and a call for future research.
Abstract 4174: Variation in UDP glucouronyltransferase (UGT) genes associated with prostate cancer mortality

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Background: We investigated the association of germline genetic variation in hormone biosynthesis and metabolism genes with prostate cancer specific mortality in a cohort of advanced prostate cancer patients. Methods: We genotyped 852 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 97 genes in a cohort of 267 advanced prostate cancer patients at the time of progression to castration recurrence (CRPC) during on-going androgen ablation. Tagging SNPs with minor allele frequency (MAF) of >5% and r2 ≥0.8 were selected from HapMap, NIEHS and Seattle SNP databases. Medical records were queried for cause of death. The primary endpoint of time to prostate cancer specific mortality (PCSM), was pre-defined as time from development of CRPC to death from prostate cancer progression. Principle components analysis was used for gene-levels tests, and to account for multiple testing, we calculated the false discovery rate (FDR). For SNP level results, Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using cox regression. Results: The median age of the cohort was 72 years at CRPC. 43% had a Gleason score (GS)=8-10, 33% a GS=7, and 24% a GS<7. After a median follow up of 1.8 years (IQ range: 0.8-3.3 years), 139 patients died, of which 107 were due to prostate cancer progression. In unadjusted gene level analyses, UGT1A7 (p=0.0059; FDR=0.19), UGT1A10 (p=0.0017; FDR=0.17) and UGT1A3 (p=0.0037; FDR=0.18) were associated with PCSM. After adjusting for age and GS, SNPs strongly associated with PCSM are listed in the [Table][1]. ![Figure][2] Conclusions: Variation in UGT genes involved in hormone metabolism yield prognostic information in CRPC. Further validation is needed to develop these as prognostic biomarkers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4174. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4174 [1]: #F1 [2]: pending:yes
Wanted, Dead or Alive: Media Frames, Frame Adoption, and Support for the War in Afghanistan

This paper attempts to measure the impact of naturally occurring media frames on public support for a policy. Content analysis of network nightly news during late October of 2001 reveals that U.S. media framed the events of September 11 in terms of both war and crime. A concurrent survey of 328 Tennesseans reveals that rather than adopting either a war frame or a crime frame, audiences combined elements of these media frames in various ways and that their subsequent understanding of the events of September 11 had an impact on their support for the war in Afghanistan. The results reveal the complexity of the framing phenomenon in natural environments and suggest the need for better measures of how audiences perceive media frames as well as further investigation into framing as a means of coalition building.
The Confounding of Measured and Unmeasured Variables The Case of Social Status

Given the impossibility of measuring and including more than a few of the variables that ideally belong in a theoretical model, we know that biases are introduced when omitted variables are confounded with measured variables. In particular, professional or ideological biases may affect the labels attached to interrelated sets of variables. In sociology we tend to confound "status effects" with many possible nonstatus effects of objective characteristics such as education, occupation, or income. It is shown that, without the introduction of simplifying assumptions, such status and nonstatus effects cannot be disentangled. The case of "status" and "power" effects is also discussed.
Intramolecular Model for the Reductive Acyl Transfer Catalyzed by α-Keto Acid Dehydrogenases

An intramolecular model was synthesized for the oxidative acyl transfer between thiamin diphosphate on the E1 and lipoic acid on the E2 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex. The model incorporates a 2-α-methoxybenzylthiazolium salt as a precursor of the enamine/2-α-carbanion, and lipoic acid. Upon addition of the base, the enamine/2-α-carbanion is generated (detected at 380 nm) and is oxidized by the lipoic acid. The oxidation is very significantly enhanced by the addition of PhHgCl. It is likely that the Hg(II) shifts the equilibrium toward the reductive acylation. This appears to be the first successful model for the reductive acylation for which all intermolecular models (including control experiments in this laboratory) have failed to date. The reaction requires both a high local concentration of reactants and the trapping of the reduced thiolate by an electrophile. It is also evident from the data that oxidation of the enamine/2-α-carbanion intermediate on the 2-oxoacid dehydroge...
Increasing Diversity of Americans' Faiths Alongside Baby Boomers' Aging: Implications for Chaplain Intervention in Health Settings

Chaplains serving in the health care context provide a ministry to dying patients of inestimable worth as they comfort patients in the last chapter of the journey by being present, listening, and caring. Chaplains also play another important role, helping patients clarify ways in which their beliefs and values might influence health care decisions. This paper reviewed the current trends of spiritual diversity alongside the aging of a large Baby Boomer cohort. Chaplains may be challenged as they participate in the decision-making process, or as they support familes who make decisions about the care of loved ones nearing the end of life. Many of those who seek health care and comfort as the end of life approaches will bring a startling diversity of nonbelief, beliefs, and diverse religious and spiritual practices. This pattern of diversity will profoundly affect patients' decision-making around end-of-life issues. Case studies are used to illustrate possibilities for the chaplain's role at the bedside in th...
An Innovative Method for Evaluating Strategic Goals in a Public Agency: Conservation Leadership in the U.S. Forest Service

This article presents an innovative methodology for evaluating strategic planning goals in a public agency. Computer-coded content analysis was used to evaluate attitudes expressed in about 28,000 on-line news media stories about the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and its strategic goal of conservation leadership. Three dimensions of conservation leadership were distinguished and evaluated separately: stewardship and ethics, use of collaborative planning and decision making, and use of science-based management. Analysis of on-line news media text is a way to quickly and efficiently assess the views of a wide range of stakeholders captured in the news media.
Tables of secondary-electron-production cross sections

The normalized results of relative measurements of electron-production cross sections differential in angle over the 30° to 150° rangeand in ejected energy over the 4- to 200-eV range are tabulated. ** Primary electron energies from 50 to 2000 eV were used in the study of He, N2, and O2. The remaining gases (Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H2, CH4, NH3, H2O, CO, C2H2, NO, and CO2) were studied under 500-eV impact. Measurements were performed in a crossed-beam apparatus with the use of a rotatable electron gun and a fixed hemispherical electrostatic energy analyzer.
Critical Roles of Nuclear Receptor Response Elements in Replication of Hepatitis B Virus

Functional analysis of the roles of the nuclear receptor response elements (NRREs) in the transcription and replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the context of its whole genome has been hampered by the extensive overlapping of the NRREs with the regions encoding viral proteins. We introduced point mutations that inactivate the NRREs individually without altering the open reading frames of viral proteins. These mutations in the context of a plasmid containing 1.2 copies of the HBV genome were transiently transfected into the human hepatoma cell line Huh7. Inactivation of the NRRE in either the preC promoter (NRRE(preC)) or enhancer I (NRRE(enhI)) led to moderate reductions in synthesis of viral RNAs. Concurrent inactivation of both NRREs led to 7- to 8-fold reductions in synthesis of the preC, pregenomic, and preS RNAs and a 15-fold reduction in synthesis of the S RNA. The accumulation of viral DNA in the cytoplasmic nucleocapsids and virion particles in the culture medium was also reduced seven- to eightfold. These results suggest that these NRREs are critical for the efficient propagation of HBV in hepatocytes. In cotransfection experiments we also found that overexpression of PPARalpha-RXRalpha in the presence of their respective ligands led to a fourfold increase in pregenomic RNA synthesis and a four- to fivefold increase in viral DNA synthesis, while it had little or no effect on synthesis of the other viral RNAs. Similar effects were observed with overexpression of PPARgamma-RXRalpha in the presence of their respective ligands. This activation was dependent on NRRE(preC), because the increase in synthesis of viral RNA and DNA was not observed when this site was mutated. Likewise, no activation of synthesis of pregenomic RNA and viral DNA by PPARalpha-RXRalpha was observed in a naturally occurring NRRE(preC)(-) mutant of HBV. Our results suggest that interactions between nuclear receptors and NRREs present in the HBV genome may play critical roles in regulating its transcription and replication during HBV infection of hepatocytes.
Comparison of Two Methods for Promoting Productive Vocabulary in Late Talkers

This investigation compared the effectiveness of two language treatment methods, modeling versus modeling plus evoked production, in promoting productive vocabulary in three toddlers identified as late talkers. A single-subject alternating treatments design was employed in this study in which different sets of words were taught under the two treatment methods during group and individual instruction. Some evidence of differential patterns of response to the treatment types was found for two subjects, but the subjects differed as to which particular treatment method was associated with better performance. Neither treatment method was effective for the third subject. Dynamic assessment measures were only marginally useful in predicting overall lexical learning potential in these subjects, and did not predict response to the two teaching methods. Implications of these results are discussed with regard to the role of language intervention for late talkers.
Estimation of the parameters of a general student’s t distribution

We have observations for a t distribution with unknown mean, variance, and degrees of freedom, each of which we wish to estimate. The major problem lies in the estimate of the degrees of freedom. We show that a relatively efficient yet very simple estimator is a given function of the ratio of percentile estimates. We derive the appropriate estimator, provide equations for transformation and standard errors, contrast this with other estimators, and give examples.
Left hemitruncus associated with tetralogy of fallot: fetal diagnosis and postnatal echocardiographic and cardiac computed tomographic confirmation.

Anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery from the aorta, or hemitruncus, is a rare cardiac malformation. We report a case of left hemitruncus (aortic origin of the left pulmonary artery) associated with tetralogy of Fallot diagnosed in utero. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first such case diagnosed by fetal echocardiography to be described in the literature. The condition was documented by postnatal echocardiogram and cardiac computed tomography. Prompt recognition of this lesion is essential for early repair to improve outcome.
The Benefits, Tensions, and Visions of Portfolios as a Wide-Scale Assessment for Teacher Education

Abstract Wide-scale use of portfolio assessment in teacher education is becoming an increasingly common practice. Explorations of portfolios as tools to stimulate personal reflection, to chart ongoing professional development, and to validate professional credentials are predictable given current understandings of teaching and learning. However, wide-scale use of portfolio assessment requires modification of some basic attributes of a portfolio concept. The purpose of this study is to examine the benefits, tensions, and visions that emerged when the College of Education at Auburn University developed and implemented a college-wide portfolio. Results indicate that a commitment to a portfolio approach to teaching and learning in a teacher education program is a commitment to an ongoing journey of revision and problem solving-a process that represents the essence of the portfolio movement.
Randomized trial of pentoxifylline and vitamin E vs standard follow-up after breast irradiation to prevent breast fibrosis, evaluated by tissue compliance meter.

Purpose To conduct a randomized clinical trial to determine whether the combination of pentoxifylline (PTX) and vitamin E given for 6 months after breast/chest wall irradiation effectively prevents radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF). Methods and Materials Fifty-three breast cancer patients with localized disease were enrolled and randomized to treatment with oral PTX 400 mg 3 times daily and oral vitamin E 400 IU daily for 6 months after radiation (n=26), or standard follow up (n=27). Tissue compliance meter (TCM) measurements were obtained at 18 months to compare tissue compliance in the irradiated and untreated breast/chest wall in treated subjects and controls. Measurements were obtained at 2 mirror image sites on each breast/chest wall, and the average difference in tissue compliance was scored. Differences in TCM measurements were compared using a t test. Subjects were followed a minimum of 2 years for local recurrence, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Results The mean difference in TCM measurements in the 2 groups was 0.88 mm, median of 1.00 mm (treated) and 2.10 mm, median of 2.4 mm (untreated). The difference between the 2 groups was significant ( P =.0478). Overall survival (100% treated, 90.6% controls at 5 years) and disease-free survival (96.2% treated, 86.8% controls at 5 years) were not significantly different in the 2 groups. Conclusions This study of postirradiation breast cancer patients treated with PTX/vitamin E or standard follow-up indicated a significant difference in radiation-induced fibrosis as measured by TCM. There was no observed impact on local control or survival within the first 2 years of follow-up. The treatment was safe and well tolerated. Pentoxifylline/vitamin E may be clinically useful in preventing fibrosis after radiation in high-risk patients.
Selection of anionic dopant for quantifying desialylation reactions with MALDI-FTMS.

Alkylsulfonates are examined as anion dopants for the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) of neutral oligosaccharides. The anion dopants allow neutral oligosaccharides to be examined in the same mixture as acidic oligosaccharides. The alkylsulfonate dopants interact strongly with the oligosaccharide to produce a quasimolecular ion composed of the oligosaccharides and the deprotonated alkylsulfonates. Compounds as small as disaccharides to large branched oligosaccharides can all be examined. The new series of alkylsulfonates works as well as HSO 4 - in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, sensitivity, and ease of preparation in the negative ion mode. The alkylsulfonates are used to construct a calibration curve for obtaining the relative amounts of varying neutral and acidic oligosaccharide mixtures. With the anion dopants, the MALDI-FTMS signals are shown to have a linear relationship with the molar ratios of the neutral and sialylated oligosaccharides. The method is also used to monitor the product of a desialylation reaction by acid hydrolysis.
Nanoscale phase field microelasticity theory of dislocations: model and 3D simulations

The first Phase Field model of evolution of a multi-dislocation system in elastically anisotropic crystal under applied stress is formulated. The model is a modification and extension of our Phase Field Microelasticity approach to the theory of coherent phase transformations. The long-range strain-induced interaction of individual dislocations is calculated exactly and is explicitly incorporated in the Phase Field formalism. It also automatically takes into account the effects of “short-range interactions”, such as multiplication and annihilation of dislocations and a formation of various metastable microstructures involving dislocations and defects. The proposed 3-dimensional Phase Field model of dislocations does not impose a priori constraints on possible dislocation structures or their evolution paths. Examples of simulation of the FCC 3D system under applied stress are considered.
Use of the Defensive Orientation Construct as a Predictor of Acceptance of Feedback

The construct of defensive orientation is elaborated as a bipolar continuum which contrasts internal vs external styles in reacting to environmental events, paralleling the delineations in object relations theory. The tendency to accept feedback was hypothesized to be a function of defensive orientation; their relationship was tested by analyzing the reactions of 63 students to both fictitious and veridical feedback about personality tests. Results confirmed the hypothesis.
Cocluster analysis of thalamo-cortical fibre tracts extracted from diffusion tensor MRI

As the central relay station of the human brain, the thalamus modulates sensory signals to and from the cerebral cortex. The reciprocal connectivity between the cerebral cortex and the thalamus is believed to play an essential role in consciousness and various neurological disorders. Thus, in-vivo analysis of thalamo-cortical connectivity is important for our understanding of normal and pathological brain processes. In this paper, we propose a new partitioning paradigm, called coclustering, in order to segment the thalamus into thalamic nuclei based on their cortical projections. In contrast to the traditional clustering paradigm, a coclustering procedure not only simultaneously partitions cortical voxels and thalamic voxels into groups, but also identifies the corresponding strong connectivities between the two classes of groups. We develop the first coclustering algorithm, Genetic Coclustering Algorithm (GCA), to solve the coclustering problem. We apply GCA to segment the thalamus into thalamic nuclei and visualise main thalamo-cortical fibre tracts.
Diadenosine phosphates and S-adenosylmethionine: novel boron binding biomolecules detected by capillary electrophoresis.

There is evidence that boron has a physiological role in animals and humans, but the search for boron binding biomolecules has been difficult because useful radioactive boron isotopes do not exist. To overcome this limitation we used capillary electrophoresis to identify and quantify boron binding to biomolecules by detecting the negative charge boron imparts to ligands. The effect of molecular structure and proximal electronic charges of adenosine and molecules with adenosine moieties including S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and diadenosine polyphosphates (ApnA) were compared. The boron affinity of the test species varied with the rank order SAMwAp6AwAp5As Ap4As Ap3AwNAD a s Ap2As NADHw5PATPs 5PADPs 5PAMPs adenosines 3PAMPw2PAMPwcAMPw adenine. Test species with vicinal cis-diols bound boron; species without those moieties did not. Boron binding affinity increased when proximal cationic moieties were present. Anionic moieties remote from the cis-hydroxyl binding site also positively influenced boron binding affinity. In the ApnA species, cooperative complexing of boron between the terminal ribose moieties apparently occurred. In these species boron affinity greater than expected for two monocomplexes was observed and binding affinities increased as more phosphate groups (beyond three) were present separating the terminal moieties. Our results indicate that Ap6A, Ap5A, Ap4A, Ap3A, and SAM have higher affinities for boron than any other currently recognized boron ligand present in animal tissues including NAD a . fl 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Comparison of apo A-I-containing subpopulations of dog plasma and prenodal peripheral lymph: evidence for alteration in subpopulations in the interstitial space

Abstract To study in vivo reverse cholesterol transport, dog plasma and lymph apo A-I-containing subpopulations were compared by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Charge and size of subpopulations were similar in plasma and lymph, but the distribution of subpopulations varied considerably. An increase in pre-β and pre-α particles in lymph suggests these changes are a reflection of in vivo reverse cholesterol transport.
PUNISHMENT INITIALLY FACILITATES AND THEN SUPPRESSES IRRITABLE AGGRESSION

This experiment investigated the effects of punishing shock-induced aggression in rats by increasing the intensity of shock when fighting occurred. Aggressor rats, given 1-mA ac inducing shocks, experienced 2-mA punishing shocks whenever they fought with a restrained target. Non-punished controls received the same frequency and duration of either 1-mA or 2-mA inducing shocks. During the first session, punished aggressors fought more frequently than 1-mA controls and also fought at a level which approximated that of the 2-mA controls. Only the control groups showed increases in fighting over the three sessions, and in the third session punished rats fought less than both control groups. This initial acceleration and delayed suppression of fighting by punishment was interpreted within the context of similar effects observed when punishment is superimposed on a variety of aversively motivated behaviors. The data suggest that punishment is an inefficient control procedure for aggression which is aversively mo...
BROMINATION/DEBROMINATION OF 6-BENZOYL-3-ALKYL OR 3-ARYL SYDNONEIMINES

Abstract 6-Benzoyl-3-alkyl or 3-aryl sydnoneimines (cf.3) form the 4-bromo congeners 4 cleanly, in good yield using NBS in DMF. Subsequent debromination occurs efficiently with sodium borohydride or sodium sulfite but in variable yield (and / or complexity) using sodium dithionite.
Optical Kerr switching technique for the production of a picosecond, multiwavelength CO2 laser pulse.

A wavelength-independent method for optical gating, based on the optical Kerr effect, has been demonstrated. Using this method, we produced 100-ps, 10-kW, two-wavelength pulses (10.3 and 10.6 µm) with a signal-to-background ratio contrast of 105 by slicing a long CO2 pulse. The capability of gating consecutive pulses separated on a picosecond time scale with this method is also shown.
Predictability of peak serum gentamicin concentration with dosage based on body surface area

We examined gentamicin dosage based on body surface are (60 mg/m 2 intravenously every eight hours) as a means of attaining therapeutic but nontoxic serum concentrations in 58 patients ranging in age from 0.7 to 73 years. All but one patient had peak serum levels between 3.4 and 8.0 μg/ml. The mean serum gentamicin half-life was shorter in patients less than 10 years of age (76 minutes) than in patients aged 10 to 50 years (116 minutes) and in patients aged 50 to 63 years (184 minutes) (all significant at P
Seminal plasma trace metal levels in industrial workers.

This study compares the seminal plasma trace metal levels of hospital workers with groups of industrial workers in a petroleum refinery, smelter, and chemical plant. The metals measured were the essential metals (copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, and manganese) and the toxic metals (lead, cadmium, and aluminum). The group mean±SE metal level for each group (50 subjects per group) was calculated, and the statistical significance of the group mean differences of the industrial groups with the hospital group (control) was determined by the Student’s t-test.
Interpretation of Some Organic Photochemistry

In the article "Interpretation of some organic photochemistry" by H. E. Zimmerman(19 Aug., p. 837), line 6, paragraph 4, column 1, page 843, should read "that of . . . drawing acircle of radius 2" (not diameter). Line 6 from the bottom, column 2, page 843, should read "system . . . favors a conrotatory opening."
GFAP‐positive hippocampal astrocytes in situ respond to glutamatergic neuroligands with increases in [Ca2+]i

It is becoming increasingly clear that astrocytes play very dynamic and interactive roles that are important for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. In culture, astrocytes express many receptors coupled to increases in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i). In vivo, it is likely that these receptors are important for the modulation of astrocytic functions such as the uptake of neurotransmitters and ions. Currently, however, very little is known about the expression or stimulation of such astrocytic receptors in vivo. To address this issue, confocal microscopy and calcium-sensitive fluorescent dyes were used to examine the dynamic changes in astrocytic [Ca2+]i within acutely isolated hippocampal slices. Astrocytes were subsequently identified by immunocytochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein. In this paper, we present data indicating that hippocampal astrocytes in situ respond to glutamate, kainate, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA), 1-aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (t-ACPD), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and depolarization with increases in [Ca2+]i. The increases in [Ca2+]i occurred in both the astrocytic cell bodies and the processes. Temporally the changes in [Ca2+]i were very dynamic, and various patterns ranging from sustained elevations to oscillations of [Ca2+]i were observed. Individual astrocytes responded to neuroligands selective for both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors with increases in [Ca2+]i. These findings indicate that astrocytes in vivo contain glutamatergic receptors coupled to increases in [Ca2+]i and are able to respond to neuronally released neurotransmitters.
One-Pass Boosting

This paper studies boosting algorithms that make a single pass over a set of base classifiers. We first analyze a one-pass algorithm in the setting of boosting with diverse base classifiers. Our guarantee is the same as the best proved for any boosting algorithm, but our one-pass algorithm is much faster than previous approaches. We next exhibit a random source of examples for which a "picky" variant of Ad-aBoost that skips poor base classifiers can outperform the standard AdaBoost algorithm, which uses every base classifier, by an exponential factor. Experiments with Reuters and synthetic data show that one-pass boosting can substantially improve on the accuracy of Naive Bayes, and that picky boosting can sometimes lead to a further improvement in accuracy.
Managing the citizen: privatized public works and the bureaucratic management of citizenship in post-authoritarian Chile, 1990–2005

Chile's transition to democracy in the early 1990s posed a challenge to the country's newly elected governments: how to manage conflicts and contradictions generated by the simultaneous liberalization of the economy and political arena. In the mid-1990s, residents of Chile's capital city, Santiago, emerged as an unexpected barrier to a market-driven model of urban development. Their protests and claims of authoritarian planning shook elected governments, prompting bureaucratic reforms meant to manage the assault on a coveted state program and the definition of (urban) citizenship. This article examines the construction of the concept of urban citizenship in Chile through the lens of the state's response to organized protests at the neighborhood level against highway projects. It focuses on the bureaucracy charged with the daily management of government policies and the political tensions they generated, illustrating the messy, unpredictable translation of macro-state policies into micro-strategies of soci...