cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activities of chicken pancreatic proteinases toward synthetic substrates.

SummaryA study was made of the activity of chicken pancreatic enzymes toward synthetic substrates known to be hydrolyzed by bovine trypsin, chymotrypsin, and carboxypeptidase. When activated with bovine trypsin, preparations from chicken pancreas hydrolyzed all of the synthetic substrates tested, and also exhibited proteolytic activity toward denatured hemoglobin. Unactivated preparations exhibited little or no activity toward proteins or synthetic substrates. Trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activities were inhibited by diisopropylphosphofluoridate, and by naturally occurring trypsin inhibitors from soybeans, lima beans, and pancreas. The optimum activity for hydrolysis of trypsin substrates was at pH 8.5 to 9.0, and for chymotrypsin substrates was from pH 8.3 to 8.7. The significance of comparative biochemical studies of proteolytic enzymes of different species is discussed.It is a pleasure to acknowledge the technical assistance of Ruth J. Hurley. We are also indebted to John Bradley, Dept. of Poultr...
Comparative efficacy of BMS-284756, a new fluoroquinolone, versus established antimicrobial regimens for the treatment of experimental intra-abdominal sepsis in rats

Abstract Background: BMS-284756 is a new des-fluoro-(6)-quinolone with broad anti-microbial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive facultative and obligately anaerobic bacteria, including certain quinolone-resistant organisms. Objective: The purpose of this animal study was to examine the efficacy of BMS-284756 in a rat model of intra-abdominal sepsis. Methods: Five groups of 20 rats each were implanted with a gelatin capsule containing a mixed aerobe/anaerobe inoculum derived from the cecal contents of meat-fed rats. The inoculum was quantitatively and qualitatively examined to ensure that appropriate microbial species were present. Group 1 served as saline-treated controls; Group 2 received BMS-284756, 4 mg/d; Group 3 received BMS-284756, 9 mg/d; Group 4 received ampicillin plus sulbactam 77 mg TID; and Group 5 received a combination of gentamicin 2 mg TID plus clindamycin 15 mg TID. Dosage was determined for all antimicrobial agents based on peak and trough serum levels observed in previous tests, adjusting animal dosages according to a body surface area/body weight ratio and comparing these doses and levels to those from studies in humans. The end points were mortality during the first 2 to 4 days after initiation of sepsis and incidence of intraabdominal abscesses noted at necropsy. Results: The mortality rate was 65% in the control group versus 0% in the treatment groups ( P P Conclusions: BMS-284756 is as effective as other established therapeutic regimens in reducing both mortality and the incidence of intra-abdominal abscesses in this animal model. These data suggest that BMS-284756 is an effective treatment for mixed intra-abdominal infections that involve both obligate anaerobes and facultative bacterial species.
Does histologic grade in soft tissue sarcoma influence response rate to systemic chemotherapy

To assess whether chemosensitivity in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is influenced by the histologic grade of the tumor, the authors retrospectively analyzed tumor responses to doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in four prospective studies conducted at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, between 1976 and 1984. A total of 131 patients with metastatic STS were included in these trials. All pathologic material was reviewed by one pathologist (H. M. R.) and graded according to the four-tier grading system of Broders. One hundred and sixteen patients were accepted for analysis. Objective regression rates according to grade were as follows: Grade 4, 55% (22 of 40 patients); Grade 3, 23% (7 of 31 patients); Grade 2, 19% (5 of 27 patients); and Grade 1, 0% (0 of 3 patients). Fifteen nongradable sarcomas were analyzed separately (27% [4 of 15]). In contrast to several reports suggesting that grade does not effect response, the authors found differences in response rates to be statistically significant for Grade 2 versus Grade 4 (P = 0.003) and Grade 3 versus Grade 4 (P = 0.006), but not for Grade 2 versus Grade 3 (P = 0.7). Additional comparisons adjusted for the histologic type of STS, chemotherapeutic regimen, performance status, age, and prior treatment confirmed these results. These results suggested that, in addition to being an important prognostic factor for survival in newly diagnosed STS, histologic grade may correlate with the probability of response and should be considered a stratification factor in future studies. Cancer 68:2354–2358, 1991.
An exploratory study of a subspace iteration method as an alternative to the QR method for Floquet eigenanalysis

Floquet eigenanalysis requires a few dominant eigenvalues of the Floquet transition matrix (FTM). Although the QR method is used almost exclusively, it is expensive for such partial eigenanalysis; the operation counts and, thereby, the approximate machine-time grow cubically with the matrix order. Accordingly, for Floquet eigenanalysis, the Arnoldi-Saad method, a subspace iteration method, is investigated as an alternative to the QR method. The two methods are compared for machine-time efficiency and computational reliability, which is quantified by the condition numbers of the required eigenvalues and the residual errors of the corresponding eigenpairs. The Arnoldi-Saad method takes much less machine-time than the QR method with comparable computational reliability and offers promise for large-scale Floquet eigenanalysis (say, FTM order > 100).
A numerical model for the movement of H2O, H218O, and 2HHO in the unsaturated zone

Abstract Vertical profiles of H 2 18 O and 2 HHO concentrations have yielded useful information on evaporation and infiltration processes in soils. However, in the field, quantitative interpretation of such profiles has been limited by the restrictions inherent in the quasi-steady-state and transient analytical models available to describe the physical processes. This study presents a flexible numerical model that simulates transient fluxes of heat, liquid water, water vapor, and isotopic species. The model can simulate both infiltration and evaporation under fluctuating meteorological conditions and thus should be useful in reproducing changes in field isotope profiles. A transition factor is introduced in the isotope transport equation. This factor combines hydrologic and isotopic parameters and changes slowly with depth in the soil profile but strongly in the evaporation zone, owing to the rapid change in the dominant phase of water from liquid to vapor. Using the transition factor in the isotope transport equation facilitates obtaining the typical shape of the isotope profile (bulge at the evaporation zone). This factor also facilitates producing broad isotope enrichment peaks that may be seen in very dry soils.
Energy dependence of the half-reduction potential of iron-sulfur center 1 in the site I region of the respiratory chain in pigeon heart mitochondria

Abstract The half-reduction potential of iron-sulfur Center la of intact pigeon heart mitochondria becomes more negative when adenosine triphosphate is added. In contrast, the half-reduction potentials of iron-sulfur Centers 1b, 2 and 3 + 4 are not significantly affected by ATP addition. It is suggested that the iron-sulfur Center 1a is involved in the energy transduction process at Site I of the respiratory chain.
Surface Thermal Boundary Condition for Ocean Circulation Models

Abstract By employing a heat budget analysis appropriate to zonally and time averaged conditions within the atmosphere, it is shown that the net downward heat flux Q at the ocean's surface can be expressed as Q = Q2 (TA*–Ts), where TA* is an apparent atmospheric equilibrium temperature, Ts the sea surface temperature, and Q2 a coefficient determined from the zonally and time averaged data. The latter coefficient, which is of the order of 70 ly day−1 (°C)−1, varies with latitude by as much as 20%. It is suggested that the use of the above relation as a flux-type thermal boundary condition would allow for large-scale thermal coupling of ocean and atmosphere. The more common use of specified Ts as a boundary condition clearly does not allow for such coupling.
How do you know

Some thoughts on judging efficacy in treating patients with uveitis How do you know if your patient improves with any particular therapy? In the treatment of patients with vision threatening uveitis, the primary goal of therapy is far from universally accepted. Should the end point be improvement in visual acuity? An obvious choice but flawed since many patients benefit without a discernable change in acuity measurements. Cataract and macular scars can limit the improvement in acuity even as inflammation is controlled. In addition, acuity measurements do not reflect lighting, effort, or the sporadic variability that some patients observe with uveitis. Should the goal be reduced inflammation as judged by examination? How about improved visual function as judged by patient questionnaire or by physician assessment? Can a drug be deemed efficacious if it results solely in the reduction in a potentially toxic medication such as corticosteroid? Is stabilisation of acuity an adequate goal? If judging benefit is so complex, is there a way to use a single instrument to accommodate multiple potential end points? As we enter an era of trying to base medical decision making on evidence, we …
Using Penrose distance to identify potential risk of wildlife–vehicle collisions

Abstract Knowledge of the relationship between wildlife and roads is important for management of wildlife–vehicle collisions, which represent a serious threat to many wildlife populations and to human life and property. Effective reduction of these threats requires identification of variables influencing collision locations, and the use of these variables in spatially-explicit predictive models. We used Penrose distance modeling and 61 confirmed bobcat ( Lynx rufus ) road mortality locations in southern Illinois, USA, to demonstrate a rapid and accurate technique for the spatial mapping of wildlife–vehicle collision risk. We used the Penrose distance statistic to quantify the similarity between the mean multivariate habitat signature at bobcat-collision areas and road sections throughout the study area. Habitat variables assessed included road-related variables (e.g., traffic volume) and land cover characteristics (e.g., mean patch area of the landscape). Bobcat-collision areas were characterized by smaller, less-clustered habitat patches and more, large independent patches of grass cover than were study area roadway sections in general. As expected for a generalist carnivore in highly-suitable habitat, risk mapping indicated that large sections of the roaded landscape had high similarity to bobcat-collision areas. Unlike other modeling techniques used to identify risk of road mortality, our method requires little field data collection and relies on readily available digital spatial data. This technique can be used by wildlife managers and road planners, and may be particularly important in reduction of road mortality for species such as the Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus ), Florida panther ( Puma concolor coryi ), and Texas ocelot ( Leopardis pardalus ), which exist in small populations fragmented by development, and are limited by road mortalities.
Spectral analysis of low frequency components in the electrical activity of the hippocampus during learning.

Abstract Electrographic correlates of learning in the dorsal hippocampus of cats were studied in a training experiment involving a light-dark discrimination task. Separate analyses were made of the period in which the animal discriminates and approaches the goal, of the period following the warning stimulus and of periods of record corresponding with the beginning and the end of each trial. Spectral analysis methods were applied at 1 c/sec resolution for analysis periods as short as 1.6 sec. Comparison of analyses in different stages of learning indicated characteristic and consistent changes in the period of advanced training, above 80% performance level. In this stage of learning sharp peaks of spectral density shift very regularly in steps of 1 c/sec from the pre-stimulus to the approach period. A 6 c/sec frequency was constantly correlated with the first part of the approach period. The consistency of two characteristics, namely the regular shift of frequencies and the sharpness of the peaks in the approach period in this stage of learning, suggests that these electrographic features are correlated with the consolidation processes of the learned behavior in which the hippocampus plays an important role. Distinct differences were found in hippocampal wave patterns accompanying incorrect responses with evidence that “attention sets” immediately preceding the incorrect performance were substantially different from those in correct performances. In the period immediately before reaching the food reward, the EEG often appeared “desynchronized”. A detailed analysis of this phenomenon showed that its main characteristic is an abrupt decrease in amplitude of the waves which was interpreted as a correlate of a very tense state of the animal in front of the food. This attenuation phenomenon succeeds the decision part of the approach behavior and is superimposed on the last part of the approach epoch. The importance of achieving required levels of resolution when working with spectral analyses is discussed in relation to a short analysis period in studies of learning mechanisms.
A sublinear-time randomized approximation algorithm for matrix games

This paper presents a parallel randomized algorithm which computes a pair of @e-optimal strategies for a given (m,n)-matrix game A = [a"i"j] @e [-1, 1] in O(@e^-^2log^2(n+m)) expected time on an (n+m)/log(n+m)-processor EREW PRAM. For any fixed accuracy @e > 0, the expected sequential running time of the suggested algorithm is O((n + m)log(n + m)), which is sublinear in mn, the number of input elements of A. On the other hand, simple arguments are given to show that for @e < 12, any deterministic algorithm for computing a pair of @e-optimal strategies of an (m, n)-matrix game A with +/- 1 elements examines @W(mn) of its elements. In particular, for m = n the randomized algorithm achieves an almost quadratic expected speedup relative to any deterministic method.
Microstructural Dependence Of Aerogel Mechanical Properties

Aerogels are highly porous solids derived from the hypercritical drying of covalently crosslinked gels. SEM, TEM and scattering studies reveal that these materials have an open-cell morphology with a solid matrix composed of interconnected colloidal-like particles (30–200 A) Processing variables and synthetic conditions largely determine the microstructure and morphology. In this study, the structure-mechanical property relationships of silica, resorcinolformaldehyde, and carbon aerogels are examined.
Delayed primary repair of bladder exstrophy: ultimate effect on growth.

Purpose: Late referrals or unsuitable bladder templates often require delayed primary repair of bladder exstrophy. We investigated longitudinal bladder growth rates and eventual outcomes following this approach.Materials and Methods: After institutional review board approval, we reviewed the medical records of patients with classic bladder exstrophy who underwent neonatal or delayed (more than 30 days) primary closure at our institution between 1970 and 2006. Clinical characteristics and annual cystographic bladder capacity before the continence procedure were compared. Failed primary exstrophy repairs were excluded.Results: A total of 33 patients with available bladder capacity measurements underwent delayed exstrophy closure due to small bladder template in 18 (88% male) and late referral in 15 (80% male) at respective median ages of 305 days (range 86 to 981) and 172 days (31 to 676). They were compared to 82 patients (71% male) undergoing neonatal closure at a median of 2 days of life (range 0 to 27)....
White Coat Hypertension: Time for Action

Although increased blood pressure is one of the most powerful predictors of cardiovascular morbidity, the prediction for the individual patient is relatively weak. One reason for this is the inherent variability of blood pressure and the distortions associated with clinic measurement. It is widely accepted that blood pressure measured in the clinic commonly overestimates pressure measured in nonmedical settings and that the discrepancy between the 2 varies greatly from 1 individual to another. On the grounds that it is the average level of blood pressure to which the circulation is exposed over prolonged periods of time that causes the adverse effects of hypertension, rather than the pressure at any 1 moment, such as during a clinic visit, it is logical to suppose that ambulatory blood pressure will give a better prediction of risk than clinic pressure. A subgroup of patients with mild hypertension whose blood pressure is high only in medical settings has been identified as having white coat hypertension; this group typically comprises ≈20% of the hypertensive population.1 This is a potentially useful concept because it may help to define a group of patients who are at relatively low risk of cardiovascular morbidity and hence do not merit antihypertensive drug treatment. However, the definition of white coat hypertension is arbitrary and depends both on the cutoff point chosen to define a hypertensive clinic pressure and a normal ambulatory pressure. In this issue of Circulation, a study reported by Khattar et al2 on the follow-up of a cohort of hypertensive patients established by Dr Jim Raftery at Northwick Park Hospital in London throws new light on the role of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in predicting cardiovascular morbidity. The principal finding was that patients with white coat hypertension were at substantially reduced risk of morbidity compared with …
Carotid artery occlusive disease

Stroke is the third most common cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. Management of identifiable risk factors and careful selection of patients for operative intervention constitute the current approach to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with stroke. A carefully performed carotid endarterectomy (CEA), which has a low periprocedural complication rate, is the only form of mechanical cerebral revascularization for which definitive evidence of clinical effectiveness has been reported. Recently, retrospective case reports and case series have demonstrated the feasibility of carotid angioplasty and stenting as a possible alternative to CEA. In the tradition of the two previous National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored trials--the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) and Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS)--the National Institutes of Health has sponsored a clinical trial (CREST: Carotid Revascularization-Endarterectomy vs Stent Trial) that is currently under way to determine the efficacy and risks of carotid angioplasty and stenting compared with CEA.
Spinal cord injury‐induced expression of TrkA, TrkB, phosphorylated CREB, and c‐Jun in rat lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia

Previous studies have demonstrated increased expression and phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase receptor (TrkA, TrkB) in lumbosacral DRG after chronic (6 weeks) spinal cord (T8-T10) injury. This study examined the effects of acute SCI (48 hours, 2 weeks) on TrkA and TrkB expression and phosphorylation, and CREB and c-Jun expression in DRG. A significant increase in the number of TrkA- (1.5–3-fold; P 0.05), TrkB- (1.3–2.0-fold; P 0.05), and phosphorylated Trk (pTrk)-immunoreactive (1.5–3-fold; P 0.05) cells was observed in the L1, L6, and S1 DRG 48 hours, 2, or 6 weeks after SCI. A significant increase in the number of phosphorylated (p-) CREB-immunoreactive cells was observed in the L1, L2, L6, and S1 DRG 48 hours, 2, or 6 weeks after SCI. The largest changes in p-CREB-immunoreactivity were in L1 and L2 DRG (10-fold; P 0.01) at 48 hours after SCI; however, changes were modest in bladder afferent neurons. After SCI, the overall number of c-Jun-immunoreactive cells in L1, L2, and S1 DRG was dramatically increased (3–10-fold; P 0.01); however, only a low percentage of bladder afferent cells expressed c-Jun-IR before or after SCI. In summary, these results suggest that TrkA or TrkB may be involved in reorganization of micturition pathways after SCI. However, CREB or c-Jun may not be downstream transcription factors in Trk-mediated signaling cascades in micturition reflex pathways after SCI but may play a role in other, nonbladder SCI-induced changes. J. Comp. Neurol. 482:142–154, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: lower urinary tract; neuroplasticity; neurotrophins; transcription factors
Discovery Channel Telescope software progress report: addressing early commissioning and operations challenges

The Discovery Channel Telescope is a 4.3m astronomical research telescope in northern Arizona constructed through a partnership between Discovery Communications and Lowell Observatory. In transition from construction phase to commissioning and operations, we faced a variety of software challenges, both foreseen and unforeseen, and addressed those with a variety of solutions including, isolation of the control systems network, development of an Operations Log application, extension of the interface to instrumentation software, improvements to engineering data analysis, provisions to avoid failure modes, and enhanced user experience. We describe these solutions and present an overview of the current project status.
Manpower requirements in training and certification of technologists and dosimetrists

The rapid expansion of radiation oncology has created a shortage in the number of personnel adequately trained in radiation therapy technology. An estimate of present needs for graduate radiation therapy technologists is on the order of 2000 to 2500 additional individuals. This shortage of technologists and the highly technical nature of radiation oncology not only makes apparent the need for increased activity in training individuals in radiation therapy but also points out the need for continuing education of individuals currently employed in the field. A team of highly trained individuals is required to obtain the optimal results with radiation therapy treatment. The minimum number of health care professionals for any center administering radiation therapy should include a radiation oncologist, a radiation therapy technologist, a nurse and a radiation therapy physicist or dosimetrist under the supervision of a consulting radiation therapy physicist. There is no consensus as to the number of individuals required in each position as the patient load is increased. A discussion of manpower needs in radiation therapy technology and dosimetry, and the role of radiation therapy technologists and dosimetrists in quality assurance will be discussed. The discussion will also include recommendations for minimum or basic staffing requirements for any center administering radiation therapy, regional or community hospitals and optimal standards now in effect at an advanced facility.
Metastasis of a Squamous Cell Carcinoma from the Wrist to the Axilla Without Demonstrable Intervening Growth: A Study by Serial Sections

Opinion is still divided on the manner of lymphatic spread from a primary carcinoma to a distant lymph node. According to the conception perhaps most prevalent among pathologists, extension from the primary to the secondary site occurs by uninterrupted propagation through the intervening lymph channels. The well known investigations of Handley (1) on the spread of carcinoma of the breast contributed largely to the acceptance of this view. Handley summarized his own conclusions with the statements that “carcinoma spreads centrifugally in all directions from its point of origin by permeation of the lymphatic plexuses” … and “the embolic theory of dissemination is only true for exceptional cases.” Long before his treatise on the subject, however, a similar conviction in the minds of surgeons had led to various radical operations, such as the Halsted amputation of the breast, calculated to prevent recurrence of carcinoma by removal not only of the primary and secondary growths, but much of the intervening tissue as well, in a single block. In later years there has been considerable opposition to Handley's view, and surgeons and pathologists alike have repeatedly called attention to the fact that recurrent carcinoma, while common in the regional lymph nodes, seldom occurs in close relation to the intervening lymphatics. In the recent text of Willis (2) the conclusion is reached that most lymph node metastases “owe their origin to detached tumor emboli carried to the glands in the lymph flow”; also that “the suggestion that early cancerous lymph nodal deposits arise not embolically but by continuous lymphatic permeation from the primary tumors is certainly erroneous.” Willis based his argument not only on an extensive review of the literature but on his own repeated failure to find evidence of cancer in serial sections between carcinomas of the breast and metastases in the draining lymph nodes.
USING SECOND LIFE VIRTUAL COMPUTER WORLD AS A TRAINING TOOL FOR THE SUBJECTIVE GLOBAL ASSESSMENT (sga).

The SGA is a clinical tool used to assess protein energy wasting. Although well validated, it is still not widely incorporated into clinical practice. A barrier to use may be the physical assessment section. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to develop a free and effective tool to train clinicians on performing the SGA. Second Life (SL) is a free virtual reality program accessed through the internet using human-like “avatars.” A museum environment was created with panels presenting SGA background information through text, images, and videos of SGA being performed. Users are able to navigate the information by logging onto a provided avatar. After the initial panels, this avatar is able to interact with avatar bots and perform animations which mimic each body assessment within the SGA. Two trial periods were conducted to assess the efficacy of this training tool. The alpha trial consisted of 3 hospital dietitians and 3 nutrition students. These subjects came to the investigators’ facility to test the program. Subjective responses were collected and used to improve the training tool. Feedback was positive regarding the information, delivery, and direction of the project; however, they did complain of difficulty with controlling the avatar. The beta trial consists of users accessing the module remotely. These users include academic and clinical dietitians. Responses are being collected via 5 surveys covering each portion of the module. While 16 dietitians responded to the beta trial, only 4 have completed the training. Current survey responses state: the use of SL is easy and enjoyable; all SGA information was clear and in a desirable format; tactile comparison objects were beneficial for understanding; the in depth description of each assessment is beneficial; the animations that the avatars perform on the bots needs improvement; a patient avatar on which users could perform the full SGA is desirable; the use of SL in the learning process is beneficial, but it can also be distracting; the module increased the users’ familiarity, confidence, and desire to employ the SGA, amongst both current users and those new to the SGA. In summary, this training tool provides clinicians a free and effective way to learn the SGA.
Sem patente não há genérico: acesso farmacêutico e políticas de cópia

Drawing on ethnographic research in Mexico and Argentina, this essay addresses the promise, limits, and specificities of the generic pharmaceutical as a legal, technical, and political artifact. Attending to the complex commercial semiotics of "similarity" in Mexico, and to the powerful figure of the domestic copia in Argentina, I argue that at stake with the rise and expansion of markets for generic drugs is not simply a David and Goliath relationship between the (cheaper, accessible, democratizing) generic and the (expensive) patented original. Also central to a politics of the generic is the shifting line between the licit and the illicit copy. The essay thus poses the question, what are the implications of configuring a political language of "access" around the terms of intellectual property itself?
Exceeding the Pauli limit in (TMTSF)2PF6

Abstract The resistive upper critical field along the b-axis in the molecular organic superconductor (TMTSF)2PF6 is investigated in fields up to 17.5 T and temperatures up to T/T c ∼ 1 60 , at various pressures near the border between spin density wave and metallic states. Previously, we had obtained a novel crossover where Hc2//b exceeded both Hc2//a (in opposition to band structure) and the Pauli paramagnetic limit ( μ o H p ≈2 T ). In an optimum pressure setting reported here, it is found that the onset of superconductivity persists to 9 T (more than 4 times Hp), strongly suggestive of triplet Cooper pairing.
An LC/MS/MS method for improved quantitation of the bound residues in the tissues of animals orally dosed with [14C]benomyl.

Livers of goats orally dosed with [phenyl(U)-14C]benomyl contained radioactive residues which were not extractable using conventional, solvent-based extraction methods. We report a new residue method capable of enhanced extraction of benomyl-derived residues with selective and sensitive quantitation capability for methyl 4-hydroxybenzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate (4-HBC), methyl 5-hydroxybenzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate (5-HBC), and methyl benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate (MBC). This method involves rigorous Raney-nickel reduction of hypothesized thioether bonds between benomyl residues and polar cellular components. Following acidic dehydration (desulfurization), the polar benomyl-derived residues are extracted into ethyl acetate and analyzed by LC/MS/MS. We have shown this method to be superior to alternative extraction approaches. When applied to goat liver tissue containing [phenyl(U)-14C]benomyl-bound residues, the extraction efficiency of total radioactive residues was approximately 30%, and the major benomyl-derived ...
The Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatopulmonary Syndrome

Few prognostic indicators and outcomes reported for patients who have hepatopulmonary syndrome can be consistently reproduced between institutions. The lack of practice recommendations based upon consistent and predictable outcomes creates uncertainty for physicians trying to make the best patient choices. With the scarcity of donor organs, these issues are of particular importance when transplantation in considered as a treatment option. Much uncertainty arises from the basic tasks of making an accurate diagnosis in patients who have symptoms suggestive of hepatopulmonary syndrome. This article focuses on problems that underlie diagnostic accuracy and uses this information to appraise critically outcomes literature.
System Outage Probability Due to PMD in High-Speed Optical OFDM Transmission

In this paper, closed-form analytical bounds on PMD-induced symbol error rate and outage probability in high-speed long-haul optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) systems are derived, evaluated, and verified experimentally in order to assess the PMD tolerance of this modulation format. To obtain the analytical results, the PMD channel is modeled as a linear time-invariant system, whose end-to-end transfer function is used to upper-bound symbol error and outage probabilities in IM/DD optical OFDM transmission. The symbol error rate bounds predicted by the general analytical model are verified experimentally on a 10-Gb/s OFDM system with instantaneous DGD ranging between Deltatau = 0 and 120 ps . The outage probability bounds indicate that, if no RF guard bands are required, OFDM enables high-speed transmission with at least twice the PMD tolerance provided by an equivalent uncompensated OOK-based system at system outage probabilities Pout, sys <10-5 . If RF guard bands are required to mitigate effects of other distortions, it is shown that a penalty in the system PMD tolerance proportional to the intermediate RF subcarrier frequency, f RF, is exerted. Consequently, a tolerance tradeoff exists in IM/DD OFDM systems, wherein f RF as well as baseband constellation size may be viewed as design parameters that can be optimized depending on specific system requirements.
A model for diffusion-controlled solidification of ternary alloys in mushy layers

We describe a model for non-convecting diffusion-controlled solidification of a ternary (three-component) alloy cooled from below at a planar boundary. The modelling extends previous theory for binary alloy solidification by including a conservation equation for the additional solute component and coupling the conservation equations for heat and species to equilibrium relations from the ternary phase diagram. We focus on growth conditions under which the solidification path (liquid line of descent) through the ternary phase diagram gives rise to two distinct mushy layers. A primary mushy layer, which corresponds to solidification along a liquidus surface in the ternary phase diagram, forms above a secondary (or cotectic) mushy layer, which corresponds to solidification along a cotectic line in the ternary phase diagram. These two mushy layers are bounded above by a liquid layer and below by a eutectic solid layer. We obtain a one-dimensional similarity solution and investigate numerically the role of the control parameters in the growth characteristics. In the special case of zero solute diffusion and zero latent heat an analytical solution can be obtained. We compare our predictions with previous experimental results and with theoretical results from a related model based on global conservation laws described in the Appendix. Finally, we discuss the potentially rich convective behaviour anticipated for other growth conditions.
Results of the simulation of a qualitative information display

Check-reading tasks were simulated to determine the effects of several task- and worker-related factors on human performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of: operator sex, exposure time, pointer position, percentage of deviant dials, and background color on the accuracy of check-reading dials. Twenty-eight males and 22 females performed the simulated tasks. No difference was found between the 9 o'clock and the 12 o'clock positions. For shorter exposure times (0.25 and 0.50 s), dials with white background were found superior. However, with 0.75 s exposure time the black dial background was found superior. Even though males did better than females overall, there were no differences between the sexes when exposure time was increased to 0.75 s. Performance was found to be independent of the percentage of deviant dials between 1% and 3%.
Increasing resources effected equity in access to revascularizations for patients with diabetes.

AbstractObjectives. To examine differences in access to coronary revascularization among a cohort of coronary patients with and without diabetes in 1995–2002 in Finland and to examine how rapidly increasing resources effected socioeconomic equity in access to these operations. Design. An individual level nationwide register-based study of newly diagnosed CHD (coronary heart disease) patients (aged 40–79) in Finland. Rates for revascularizations were calculated per 1 000 person years. Socioeconomic differences were examined using Cox regression. Results. Revascularization rates increased from 354 to 443 per 1 000 person years among men with CHD and from 301 to 366 among patients with diabetes. Among women with CHD the numbers were 224 and 249 and among patients with diabetes 208 and 325. Comparing trends for first revascularization between patient groups with and without diabetes differences increased somewhat among men. Among women, revascularization rates increased more among diabetic patients. Lower rev...
Effect of febrile plasma, typhoid vaccine and nitrogen mustard on renal manifestations of human glomerulonephritis.

SummaryAdministration of plasma from patients acutely ill with pneumococcal and streptococcal infections failed to decrease proteinuria or induce diuresis in 2 patients with chronic diffuse glomerulonephritis.Induction of the pyrogenic reaction was accompanied by decrease in proteinuria on 2 occasions in one patient. We are inclined to attribute this result to the concomitant decrease in the rate of glomerular filtration.Therapeutic doses of HN2 reduced proteinuria but diuresis failed to occur in 2 patients with advanced chronic diffuse glomerulonephritis with marked renal functional impairment. However, in one patient with minimal renal functional impairment, administration of HN2 was followed on 2 separate occasions by diuresis, marked reduction in proteinuria and concomitant increase in filtration rate, a combination of effects consistent with a return of glomerular function towards normal.†Our observations indicate that reversal of renal manifestations of human glomerulonephritis can be induced by HN2...
The myocardium in mitral regurgitation: a tale of 2 ventricles.

Muscles (from the tensor tympani to the left ventricle [LV]) are in the business of generating force. In cardiac mechanics, the innate ability to generate force independently of preload is called contractility. A central tenet of cardiology is that the prognosis of most cardiac diseases is determined in large part by the health or disarray of the myocardium conferred by this property of contractility. Before the era of molecular biology, a search for the perfect index of contractility had become a Holy Grail of cardiology. Such an index would be independent of preload, afterload, and cardiac volume and mass; sensitive to changes in inotropy; reproducible; and easy to apply. Perhaps the most accurate of these is end-systolic stiffness (the modulus of systolic stress and strain),1 but the tedium of its clinical use is so daunting that it is rarely used. Thus, although dozens of indexes have been proposed, none fulfilled all of the above requisites, and the search was largely abandoned. Thus, the cardiology world has settled on ejection fraction (EF) with all of its foibles as the preferred index of cardiac function. It measures chamber …
Significance of the type and the size of biomaterial particles on phagocytosis and tissue distribution.

Particulates generated by dissolution or wear of injected or implanted biomaterials may migrate into various tissues and lead to activation of the host's inflammatory and immune responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relevance of size and chemical composition of biomaterial particles on the pattern of particle distribution in host tissues. Adult female B6C3F1 mice were injected intraperitoneally with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles (size 1.4 and 6.4 micro in diameter) and polystyrene (PS) particles (size 1.2, 5.2, and 12.5 micro in diameter), and euthanized 1, 7, and 28 days later. Peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) were collected and the number of cells and percentage of actively phagocytic cells was determined. Macroscopic examination of the tissues in the peritoneal cavity peritoneum revealed visible accumulations of the colored PS particles in the adipose tissues adjacent to the spleen and pancreas, and caudal to the stomach. Distribution of the PS particles appeared similar regardless of the particle size. The location of PMMA particles, which were not colored, could not be distinguished from host tissue and could not be observed in this manner. Intensive phagocytosis of the small and medium sized particles by peritoneal macrophages was observed on day 1, and was diminishing by day 7 after injection. The largest PS particles (12.5 micro) were not engulfed by the peritoneal macrophages. Histological examination of the spleen, lymph nodes, and the adjacent adipose tissues revealed a marked difference in the deposition patterns of the two polymers used. PS particles, regardless of size, were accumulated primarily in the white adipose tissues adjacent to the spleen and pancreas gland, but very few particles were observed in the splenic tissue. On the other hand, mice injected with PMMA particles of either size had enlarged and activated spleens with marked deposits of particles in the red pulp. These results indicate that these PS and PMMA particles induce different patterns and intensities of the host response. The chemical makeup of the particle is more important in the distribution pattern than is the size of the particle.
Computation of discrete cosine transform using Clenshaw's recurrence formula

Clenshaw's recurrence formula is used to derive recursive algorithms for the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT). The recursive DCT algorithm presented requires one fewer delay element per coefficient and one fewer multiply operation per coefficient compared with two other proposed methods. Clenshaw's recurrence formula provides a unified development for the recursive DCT and IDCT algorithms. The recursive algorithms apply to arbitrary length algorithms and are appropriate for VLSI implementation. >
Comparative study of orb web hygroscopicity and adhesive spiral composition in three araneid spiders

Orb web hygroscopicity was examined in three species of araneid spiders, Argiope aurantia, Argiope trifasciata, and Araneus cavaticus. Both whole webs and fractions generated from them (water-soluble and -insoluble fractions; ethanol-soluble and -insoluble subfractions [Etsol and -insol]) were examined at various relative humidities. In general, the water-soluble fraction, consisting of low molecular weight components (LMW) of the adhesive spiral cover, was more hygroscopic than the water-insoluble (protein) fraction. As the Et-sol of the water extract was typically more hygroscopic than the Et-insol, it appears that organic LMW are more responsible for water adsorption by the adhesive spiral cover than inorgnic LMW. Hygroscopicity measurements made on individual synthetic or commercially obtained LMW compounds known to be in the web (both organic and inorganic) agree with this interpretation. As a first attempt toward correlating web hygroscopicity with composition, the water-soluble web fractions from the three species were examined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and the molar percentages of the organic LMW were estimated. To accomplish this, it was necessary to identify the principal organic LMW in the web of A. trifasciata (since, unlike the situation in other araneids which have been studied, GABamide is not the principal organic LMW in A. trifasciata). Using 1H-NMR and thin layer chromatography this compound was identified as N-acetylputrescine. While considerable interspecific variation in the molar percentages of GABamide, N-acetylputrescine, isethionic acid, and N-acetyltaurine was observed, interspecific differences in Et-sol hygroscopicities were not apparent.
The PM and the Pendulum: Dynamic Forecasting of British Elections

We apply a dynamic perspective to forecasting votes and seats in British elections. Our vote model captures the swing of the electoral pendulum between the two major parties while using prime ministerial approval as the (sole) short-run predictor of vote choice. The seat model incorporates the inertia of the previous seat distribution while translating votes into seats. The models forecast the lead of one major party over the other (percentage for votes and number for seats). The statistical estimation includes data on British elections since 1945, although the test for cycles (swing of the electoral pendulum) goes as far back as 1832. The vote model picks the winner of every one of the 1945–2005 elections (out-of-sample forecasts) and is rarely off by more than 2 percentage points. The seat model does almost as well, rarely missing the seat lead by more than 25.
Family forest owner trends in the northern United States

Understanding forest ownership trends is critical for understanding forest trends. In the northern United States, where 55% of the forestland is controlled by families and individuals, it is imperative that we understand the trends within this complex and dynamic group of owners. The US Forest Service conducted forest landowner surveys across this region, and the rest of the United States, in 1993 and 2006. The published results are not directly comparable because of differences in what was reported and how the data were processed. Fortunately, the same sample designs were used and a subset of identical or near identical questions was asked on both surveys so that reprocessing the data allows for trends to be accurately assessed. The average size of family forest holdings decreased from 25 to 20 ac, reasons for owning remained amenity centered, and the owners are now more likely to be older, retired, have a higher income, and more educated.
Predictors of chronic liver disease in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus infection

Introduction. Chronic liver disease (CLD) is becoming a major cause of mortality in patients who are positive with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our aim was to assess the prevalence of CLD in HIV+ individuals. Material and methods. We utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2008) to assess the association of CLD with HIV infection. In eligible participants (18-49 years), HIV infection was defined as positive anti-HIV by enzyme immunoassay further confirmed by Western blot. The diagnosis of CLD included chronic hepatitis C (CH-C), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Clinic-demographic and laboratory parameters were used to assess differences between those with and without HIV infection. Results. 14,685 adults were included. Of those, 0.43 ± 0.08% were HIV-positive and 13.8% had evidence of CLD, including 26.3% in HIV-positive individuals and 13.7% in HIV-negative controls (p = 0.0341). In the U.S. population, independent predictors of CLD included HIV positivity [OR = 1.96 (1.02-3.77), p = 0.04], older age [OR = 1.03 (1.02-1.03), p < 0.0001], male gender [OR = 2.15 (1.892.44), p < 0.0001] and obesity [OR = 2.10 (1.82-2.43), p < 0.0001], while African American race/ethnicity was associated with lower risk for CLD [OR = 0.68 (0.58-0.80), p < 0.0001]. Conclusions. CLD is common in HIV positive individuals. With successful long term treatment of HIV, management of CLD will continue to remain very important in these patients.