cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for ARDS in Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation for > 48 h

Background Low tidal volume (Vt) ventilation for ARDS is a well-accepted concept. However, controversy persists regarding the optimal ventilator settings for patients without ARDS receiving mechanical ventilation. This study tested the hypothesis that ventilator settings influence the development of new ARDS. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients from the Multi Parameter Intelligent Monitoring of Intensive Care-II project database who received mechanical ventilation for ≥ 48 h between 2001 and 2005. Results A total of 2,583 patients required > 48 h of ventilation. Of 789 patients who did not have ARDS at hospital admission, ARDS developed in 152 patients (19%). Univariate analysis revealed high peak inspiratory pressure (odds ratio [OR], 1.53 per SD; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28 to 1.84), increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (OR, 1.35 per SD; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.58), and Vt (OR, 1.36 per SD; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.64) to be significant risk factors. Major nonventilator risk factors for ARDS included sepsis, low pH, elevated lactate, low albumin, transfusion of packed RBCs, transfusion of plasma, high net fluid balance, and low respiratory compliance. Multivariable logistic regression showed that peak pressure (OR, 1.31 per SD; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.59), high net fluid balance (OR, 1.3 per SD; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.56), transfusion of plasma (OR, 1.26 per SD; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.49), sepsis (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.45), and Vt (OR, 1.29 per SD; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.52) were significantly associated with the development of ARDS. Conclusions The associations between the development of ARDS and clinical interventions, including high airway pressures, high Vt, positive fluid balance, and transfusion of blood products, suggests that ARDS may be a preventable complication in some cases.
Enceladus: A hypothesis for bringing both heat and chemicals to the surface

Abstract The eruptive plumes and large heat flow (∼15 GW) observed by Cassini in the South Polar Region of Enceladus may be expressions of hydrothermal activity inside Enceladus. We hypothesize that a subsurface ocean is the heat reservoir for thermal anomalies on the surface and the source of heat and chemicals necessary for the plumes. The ocean is believed to contain dissolved gases, mostly CO2 and is found to be relatively warm (∼0 °C). Regular tidal forces open cracks in the icy crust above the ocean. Ocean water fills these fissures. There, the conditions are met for the upward movement of water and the dissolved gases to exsolve and form bubbles, lowering the bulk density of the water column and making the pressure at its bottom less than that at the top of the ocean. This pressure difference drives ocean water into and up the conduits toward the surface. This transportation mechanism supports the thermal anomalies and delivers heat and chemicals to the chambers from which the plumes erupt. Water enters these chambers and there its bubbles pop and loft an aerosol mist into the ullage. The exiting plume gas entrains some of these small droplets. Thus, nonvolatile chemical species in ocean water can be present in the plume particles. A CO2 equivalent-gas molar fraction of ∼4 × 10−4 for the ocean is sufficient to support the circulation. A source of heat is needed to keep the ocean warm at ∼0 °C (about two degrees above its freezing point). The source of heat is unknown, but our hypothesis is not dependent on any particular mechanism for producing the heat.
Community participation in international development education quality improvement efforts: current paradoxes and opportunities

International development organizations increasingly use “participatory development” approaches to improve the effectiveness of their programs. Participatory frameworks are commonly limited in scope and funder-driven; these top-down approaches to participation have proven to be both ineffective, and at times, contradictory in their impacts. This article describes Malawi’s Participatory Action for School Improvement (PASI) project, which was an effort to transform participatory development approaches in international development education by engaging communities as full partners in the school improvement process. By acknowledging our own ideological intentions and attempting to work with community leaders to shift power dynamics within communities and between communities and funding bodies, PASI fueled significant positive changes in school functioning at a very small cost. The article concludes that PASI might represent a generative community-level cash transfer approach to participatory development.
ROSAT PSPC spectra of six Seyfert 1 galaxies

We present six ROSAT Position-Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations of Seyfert 1 galaxies chosen to have low Galactic line-of-sight absorption (N(sub H) approx. = 10(exp 20)/sq cm). As expected, it is found that all of these sources possess significantly steeper spectra below approximately 1 keV, than that observed at higher X-ray energies. In addition we find evidence for soft X-ray spectral features, which are best parameterized as line emission at approximately 0.63 keV in NGC7469 and approximately 0.75 keV in ESO198-G24. We examine these results in the light of the accuracy of the PSPC spectral calibration. We suggest that Seyfert galaxies are a class of object whose spectra are similar to the diffuse X-ray background in the soft X-ray band. We suggest these data provide the first direct evidence that the sources which dominate the background differ as a function of energy.
The dirichlet problem for a class of fully nonlinear elliptic equations

(1994). The dirichlet problem for a class of fully nonlinear elliptic equations. Communications in Partial Differential Equations: Vol. 19, No. 3-4, pp. 399-416.
Ecologies of actor-networks and (non)social labor within the urban political economies of nature

Abstract On September 16th, 2005 the United States began restricting the entry of commodities shipped from abroad in wood packaging materials that do not conform to phytosanitation measures meant to prevent the spread of pests and pathogens. This action results from expensive lessons learned as global commerce facilitates pandemics like Dutch elm disease. Marxist political ecology is well suited to investigate such scenarios with its emphasis on the social production of nature within accumulation regimes. Some scholars contend, however, that Marxist accounts of the contradictions that result from nature’s commodification relegate nonhuman organisms to an apolitical role in environmental transformation while reinforcing the nature/society dichotomy. Often viewed as antithetical to Marxism, actor-network theory or ANT emphasizes the ability of actants (both human and nonhuman) to enroll other actants into heterogeneous assemblages or networks. Thus, it is claimed that nonhuman organisms can be attributed ontological status in processes of environmental change, much like their human counterparts. Despite this apparent theoretical discord, political ecologists are increasingly integrating aspects of both Marx and ANT into their analyses. But a more explicit articulation of the ontological basis and epistemic import of theoretical synthesis is warranted. This paper therefore prioritizes and links the ontological status of labor in both of these theories in order to expand the definition of urban environmental politics to include the role of nonhuman organisms. By demonstrating the laboring capacity of Dutch elm disease within the networks of urban political economy, the epistemology of environmental politics is thus expanded.
Energetics of Nonlinear Geostrophic Adjustment

Abstract Solutions and energetics for nonlinear geostrophic adjustment with an initial height perturbation of the order of the total fluid depth are computed and compared to solutions derived assuming linear dynamics. Both axisymmetric and zonally uniform profiles in 1½- and 2-layer shallow-water models are considered. Nonlinearities are present due to the finite perturbation in the initial depth and the nonzero centripetal acceleration. The comparison yields differences in both the magnitude and the partition of energy. In the adjusted state of a zonally uniform step, the total energy of the linear solution is a very good approximation to, and is slightly less than, the total energy of the nonlinear solution. Less resemblance is found for a horizontally bounded perturbation where for a positive (negative) perturbation in initial depth, the nonlinear final state has more (less) energy than the linear one. Addition of a second layer increases the contrast between the linear and nonlinear solutions, especia...
Playlist prediction via metric embedding

Digital storage of personal music collections and cloud-based music services (e.g. Pandora, Spotify) have fundamentally changed how music is consumed. In particular, automatically generated playlists have become an important mode of accessing large music collections. The key goal of automated playlist generation is to provide the user with a coherent listening experience. In this paper, we present Latent Markov Embedding (LME), a machine learning algorithm for generating such playlists. In analogy to matrix factorization methods for collaborative filtering, the algorithm does not require songs to be described by features a priori, but it learns a representation from example playlists. We formulate this problem as a regularized maximum-likelihood embedding of Markov chains in Euclidian space, and show how the resulting optimization problem can be solved efficiently. An empirical evaluation shows that the LME is substantially more accurate than adaptations of smoothed n-gram models commonly used in natural language processing.
Metabolic analysis of support personnel in low-seam coal-mines

Abstract Support personnel tasks of brattice construction and rock-dust bag carrying were simulated in a laboratory setting. Two different seam heights (1.07 m and 1.37 m) and two different postures (kneeling and stooping) were studied for stooping construction. For bag carrying, a handle was either used or not. All dependent measures, energy expenditure, heart rate and Borg's rating of perceived exertion, indicated that the kneeling posture was preferred over stooping. Similarly, the use of handles reduced the difficulty of bag carrying.
The transfer of abstract principles governing complex adaptive systems

Four experiments explored participants' understanding of the abstract principles governing computer simulations of complex adaptive systems. Experiments 1, 2, and 3 showed better transfer of abstract principles across simulations that were relatively dissimilar, and that this effect was due to participants who performed relatively poorly on the initial simulation. In Experiment 4, participants showed better abstract understanding of a simulation when it was depicted with concrete rather than idealized graphical elements. However, for poor performers, the idealized version of the simulation transferred better to a new simulation governed by the same abstraction. The results are interpreted in terms of competition between abstract and concrete construals of the simulations. Individuals prone toward concrete construals tend to overlook abstractions when concrete properties or superficial similarities are salient.
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are effective in the management of osteoarthritis.

The use of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis has been a subject of controversy for several reasons. First, the medical community in general took offense at the title of Theodosakis' book, The Arthritis Cure. Second, the medical community is becoming divided into "traditional" and "alternative" camps with deep skepticism between them. Third, the whole nutraceutical industry is essentially unregulated, with manufacturers making outrageous claims on products that have never been tested at all, are often of poor quality, and occasionally lacking in any active ingredient. However, for the nutriceuticals evaluated here, there is abundant in vitro, in vivo, animal clinical, and human clinical evidence of both their efficacy and safety. They deserve a prominent place in the armamentarium of nonsurgical treatment of osteoarthritis.
Optimal teaching environment for laparoscopic ventral herniorrhaphy

The introduction of laparoscopic techniques after residency training has created a new paradigm dependent on laparoscopic workshops. This study tested the benefit of an animate course and evaluated the role of proctoring in learning to perform laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). Surgeons who had taken a 1-day LVHR course (n=59) were polled to determine previous experience with laparoscopic procedures and experience with LVHR after the course. Forty-eight (81%) surgeons completing the course responded. Thirty-two (67%) surgeons had performed 179 LVHRS (mean 5.6) since the course. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups performing and not performing LVHR regarding academic/private practice (P=0.8) or opportunities to perform a ventral herniorrhaphy (P=0.6). Fifteen (31%) surgeons were precepted in their hospital operating room by the lead author. Thirteen (87%) of precepted surgeons had performed a LVHR compared with 19 (58%) of the 33 surgeons taking the course without a precepted intervention (P=0.05). Surgeons with experience performing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, Nissen fundoplication, and common bile duct exploration were more likely to perform LVHR (P=0.0001). Surgeons performing only laparoscopic cholecystectomy tended to be less likely to perform LVHR, nearing statistical significance (P=0.08). Surgeons with prior advanced laparoscopic surgery experience are thus more likely to perform LVHR after participating in a 1-day course. Surgeons precepted in their hospital operating room were also more likely to perform LVHR. Participation in an animate laboratory and a precepted experience can impact the future performance of advanced laparoscopic surgery.
Implications of low lying M1 strengths for interacting boson approximation calculations

It is pointed out that the absolute B-italic(M-italic1) strengths for transitions between low lying states of collective nuclei provide a useful constraint on the possible parametrization of Hamiltonians within the framework of the interacting boson approximation. Some specific examples of recent calculations are cited where, despite good agreement with experimental energies and B-italic(E-italic2) values, some inconsistencies arise when the predictions for low lying M-italic1 strengths are compared with the empirical values.
Hypoxia/Reoxygenation of Human Endothelium Activates PMNs to Detach Endothelial Cells via a PAF Mechanism

Abstract Our previousin vivostudies have implicated phospholipase A2activation and platelet-activating factor (PAF) production as an important mediator of neutrophil (PMN) priming after mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion. Furthermore, ourin vitrostudies demonstrate that PAF priming of PMN enhances PMN respiratory burst and increases PMN adherence to human umbilical vein endothelial cell cultures (HUVEC). Others have shown that cytokine stimulated HUVEC can activate quiescent PMNs to provoke endothelial cell (EC) monolayer disruption via EC detachment by a noncytolytic PMN protease mechanism. Hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R) of HUVEC can also directly stimulate PAF production. Consequently, we hypothesized that HUVEC H/R can activate quiescent PMNs to disrupt the EC monolayer (detachment) through a PAF mediated mechanism. HUVEC were labeled with51chromium (51Cr) and subjected to 45 min hypoxia (95% N2/5% CO2). PMNs freshly isolated by Percoll gradient centrifugation were added to HUVEC and reoxygenated for 120 min. Additionally, H/R HUVEC with PMN pretreated with WEB2170 (a PAF receptor antagonist) was compared to control (non-H/R HUVEC incubated with PMNs). Wells were washed at end incubation, and adherent ECs counted. Detachment = [total counts − sample counts]/total counts × 100. H/R HUVEC plus PMN provoked a 29.3 ± 1.6% detachment of EC compared to 9.3 ± 2.9% detachment in control (non-H/R HUVEC with PMNs). In contrast, H/R HUVEC with PMNs preincubated with WEB2170 had 9.9 ± 3.8% detachment of EC. In summary, HUVEC H/R activated quiescent PMNs to disrupt an EC monolayer (detachment) via a PAF mechanism.
APACHE II Predicts long-term survival in COPD patients admitted to a general medical ward

OBJECTIVE: The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) was developed to predict intensive-care unit (ICU) resource utilization. This study tested APACHE II’s ability to predict long-term survival of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admitted to general medical floors.
Feasibility of dynamic entrainment with ankle mechanical perturbation to treat locomotor deficit

Dynamically entraining human gait with periodic torque from a robot may provide an approach to walking therapy that is uniquely supportive of normal biological function. To test the feasibility of this approach we perturbed the gait of unimpaired human subjects by applying a periodic impulsive ankle torque at various frequencies. Eighteen subjects out of 19 exhibited entrained gaits: for a small range of frequencies their gait periods adapted to synchronize with the mechanical perturbation. In addition, the phase when synchronized was such that the robot perturbation assisted propulsion. These results support a new strategy for walking therapy that exploits an embedded neural oscillator interacting with peripheral mechanics and the resulting natural dynamics of walking, which are essential but hitherto neglected elements of walking therapy.
Device sensitivity of field-plated polysilicon high-voltage TFTs and their application to low-voltage operation

The device sensitivity to the offset length variations in the recently proposed field-plated (FP) polysilicon high-voltage thin-film transistor (HVTFT) has been studied. The device characteristics of the new FP-HVTFTs are found to be much more immune to misalignment errors; this is a very desirable feature, especially for large-area applications. FP-HVTFTs also exhibit lower leakage current than their conventional counterparts for up to 100-V operation. At typical low-voltage operation (e.g. 20 V), an improvement of about three orders of magnitude in the on/off current ratio can be readily achieved. These features, together with the simpler processing and improved turn-on characteristics reported earlier, make the FP-TFT a very promising device architecture for large-area microelectronics. >
Developmentally regulated sphingolipid degradation in Leishmania major

Leishmania parasites alternate between extracellular promastigotes in sandflies and intracellular amastigotes in mammals. These protozoans acquire sphingolipids (SLs) through de novo synthesis (to produce inositol phosphorylceramide) and salvage (to obtain sphingomyelin from the host). A single ISCL (Inositol phosphoSphingolipid phospholipase C-Like) enzyme is responsible for the degradation of both inositol phosphorylceramide (the IPC hydrolase or IPCase activity) and sphingomyelin (the SMase activity). Recent studies of a L. major ISCL-null mutant (iscl−) indicate that SL degradation is required for promastigote survival in stationary phase, especially under acidic pH. ISCL is also essential for L. major proliferation in mammals. To further understand the role of ISCL in Leishmania growth and virulence, we introduced a sole IPCase or a sole SMase into the iscl− mutant. Results showed that restoration of IPCase only complemented the acid resistance defect in iscl− promastigotes and improved their survival in macrophages, but failed to recover virulence in mice. In contrast, a sole SMase fully restored parasite infectivity in mice but was unable to reverse the promastigote defects in iscl−. These findings suggest that SL degradation in Leishmania possesses separate roles in different stages: while the IPCase activity is important for promastigote survival and acid tolerance, the SMase activity is required for amastigote proliferation in mammals. Consistent with these findings, ISCL was preferentially expressed in stationary phase promastigotes and amastigotes. Together, our results indicate that SL degradation by Leishmania is critical for parasites to establish and sustain infection in the mammalian host.
Tau gene alternative splicing: expression patterns, regulation and modulation of function in normal brain and neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract Organization of cytoskeletal elements is critical for cellular migration and maintenance of morphology. Tau protein, which binds to and organizes microtubules, is instrumental in forming and maintaining the neuronal axon. Disturbances in tau expression result in disruption of the neuronal cytoskeleton and formation of pathological tau structures (neurofibrillary tangles, NFTs) found in brains of dementia sufferers. Null tau mice, although viable, exhibit developmental and cognitive defects and transgenic mice which overexpress tau develop severe neuropathies. The neuron-specific tau transcript produces multiple isoforms by intricately regulated alternative splicing. These isoforms modulate tau function in normal brain. Moreover, aberrations in tau splicing regulation directly cause several neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, tau splicing regulation is vital to neuronal health and correct brain function. This review briefly presents our cumulative knowledge of tau splicing—cis elements and trans factors which influence it at the RNA level, its effect on the structure and roles of the tau protein and its repercussions on neuronal morphology and neurodegeneration.
Gauss-Newton and M-estimation for ARMA processes with infinite variance

Abstract We consider two estimation procedures, Gauss-Newton and M-estimation, for the parameters of an ARMA (p,q) process when the innovations belong to the domain of attraction of a nonnormal stable distribution. The Gauss-Newton or iterative least squares estimate is shown to have the same limiting distribution as the maximum likelihood and Whittle estimates. The latter was derived recently by Mikosch et al. (1995). We also establish the weak convergence for a class of M-estimates, including the case of least absolute deviation, and show that, asymptotically, the M-estimate dominates both the Gauss-Newton and Whittle estimates. A brief simulation is carried out comparing the performance of M-estimation with iterative and ordinary least squares. As suggested by the asymptotic theory, M-estimation, using least absolute deviation for the loss function, outperforms the other two procedures.
Effect of the suspension structure on equivalent suspension parameters

This paper examines the uncertainties in modelling a real suspension system that are due to the effect of suspension linkage layout (or structure) on the equivalent suspension parameters of a corresponding mathematical model. In most research on active suspension systems, a quarter-car model of two masses is very often used. However, without considering the influence of the suspension kinematic structure, the simple model may not be as effective as might be expected because of the uncertainties in the suspension parameters. Two sets of identified parameters for different suspension systems are compared to show the effect of suspension structure on the equivalent parameters. The relationships between specific parameters and changes in certain suspension linkage layouts are also investigated. The benefits of the parameter identification are demonstrated in the process of designing two active systems (one using a sky-hook control law and the other using a sliding mode control technique). The results show that suspension structure has a strong effect on the equivalent suspension parameters and this relationship becomes more important as the structure of suspension increases in complexity. The advantage of the identification process is crucial in designing both linear and non-linear active suspension systems.
Failure Deformation and Stress Relaxation of Heated Egg White Gels

Stress-strain relationships were determined for heated egg white gels. Compressive strain at failure was independent of protein concentration, while stress at failure increased with protein concentration. Between the length ratios of 1.6 and 2.4 before and after compression, the heated egg white gels followed the Mooney Rivlin model. In stress relaxation, the asymptotic hypothetical equilibrium modulus increased with protein concentration.
Robust wind shear stochastic controller-estimator

This study analyzes airplane wind shear flight-path control and state estimation in the presence of uncertainties in microburst size and strength. Variations in wind shear shaping filter parameters are computed using a theoretical wind model that agrees in spectral characteristics with actual microbursts. Stratonovich interpretation of stochastic integrals is used to derive a coupled linear quadratic controller-estimator system. Verification of design robustness is carried out using both nonlinear and linearized Boeing 727 longitudinal approach and takeoff flight simulations. Linear simulation results for the coupled system are compared with those for a linear quadratic Gaussian reference design to show improvement in performance. Monte Carlo simulation with nonlinear apprach and takeoff models demonstrates robustness of the coupled controller-estimator system with respect to variations in microburst size and strength.
Nested Arrays in Two Dimensions, Part I: Geometrical Considerations

A new class of two dimensional arrays with sensors on lattice(s) is proposed, whose difference co-array can give rise to a virtual two dimensional array with much larger number of elements on a “dense” lattice. This structure is obtained by systematically nesting two arrays, one with sensors on a sparse lattice and the other on a dense lattice where the lattices bear a certain relation with each other. The difference co-array of such an array with M and N elements respectively on the two lattices, is a two dimensional array with O(MN) elements present contiguously (without holes) on the dense lattice. The difference co-array can be realized on any arbitrary lattice by choosing the dense and sparse lattices appropriately. The generator matrices of the sparse and the dense lattices are related by an integer matrix. The Smith form of this integer matrix is shown to provide a very insightful perspective which is exploited heavily in the construction of nested arrays. The design of the two dimensional nested array gives rise to several interesting geometrical orientations of the co-array which are addressed in detail, and it is shown how the orientations can be manipulated to yield more virtual sensors in a continuum on the dense lattice. The increased number of elements in the virtual difference co-array can be exploited to perform two dimensional direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of many more sources than what traditional methods can achieve. A novel algorithm for application of the nested array in two dimensional direction of arrival estimation is reported in the accompanying part II of the paper.
Cyclooxygenase reaction mechanism of PGHS--evidence for a reversible transition between a pentadienyl radical and a new tyrosyl radical by nitric oxide trapping.

Abstract Incubation of prostaglandin H synthase-1 (PGHS-1) under anaerobic conditions with peroxide and arachidonic acid leads to two major radical species: a pentadienyl radical and a radical with a narrow EPR spectrum. The proportions of the two radicals are sensitive to temperature, favoring the narrow radical species at 22 °C. The EPR characteristics of this latter radical are somewhat similar to the previously reported narrow-singlet tyrosine radical NS1a and are insensitive to deuterium labeling of AA. To probe the origin and structure of this radical, we combined EPR analysis with nitric oxide (NO) trapping of tyrosine and substrate derived radicals for both PGHS-1 and -2. Formation of 3-nitrotyrosine in the proteins was analyzed by immunoblotting, whereas NO adducts to AA and AA metabolites were analyzed by mass spectrometry and by chromatography of 14 C-labeled products. The results indicate that both nitrated tyrosine residues and NO–AA adducts formed upon NO trapping. The predominant NO–AA adduct was an oxime at C11 of AA with three conjugated double bonds, as indicated by absorption at 275 nm and by mass spectral analysis. This adduct amounted to 10% and 20% of the heme concentration of PGHS-1 and -2, respectively. For PGHS-1, the yield of NO–AA adduct matched the yield of the narrow radical signal obtained in parallel EPR experiments. High frequency EPR characterization of this narrow radical, reported in an accompanying paper, supports assignment to a new tyrosyl radical, NS1c, rather than an AA-based radical. To reconcile the results from EPR and NO-trapping studies, we propose that NS1c is in equilibrium with an AA pentadienyl radical, and that the latter reacts preferentially with NO.
A study of leakage rates through mine seals in underground coal mines

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a study on leakage rates through underground coal mine seals. Leakage rates of coal bed gas into active workings have not been well established. New seal construction standards have exacerbated the knowledge gap in our understanding of how well these seals isolate active workings near a seal line. At a western US underground coal mine, we determined seal leakage rates ranged from about 0 to 0.036 m3/s for seven 340 kPa seals. The seal leakage rate varied in essentially a linear manner with variations in head pressure at the mine seals.
Calmodulin Binding to G Protein-coupling Domain of Opioid Receptors

The ubiquitous intracellular Ca2+ sensor calmodulin (CaM) regulates numerous proteins involved in cellular signaling of G protein-coupled receptors, but most known interactions between GPCRs and CaM occur downstream of the receptor. Using a sequence-based motif search, we have identified the third intracellular loop of the opioid receptor family as a possible direct contact point for interaction with CaM, in addition to its established role in G protein activation. Peptides derived from the third intracellular loop of the μ-opioid (OP3) receptor strongly bound CaM and were able to reduce binding interactions observed between CaM and immunopurified OP3 receptor. Functionally, CaM reduced basal and agonist-stimulated35S-labeled guanosine 5′-3-O-(thio)triphosphate incorporation, a measure of G protein activation, in membranes containing recombinant OP3receptor. Changes in CaM membrane levels as a result of overexpression or antisense CaM suppression inversely affected basal and agonist-induced G protein activation. The ability of CaM to abolish high affinity binding sites of an agonist at OP3 further supports the hypothesis of a direct interaction between CaM and opioid receptors. An OP3 receptor mutant with a Lys273→ Ala substitution (K273A-OP3), an amino acid predicted to play a critical role in CaM binding based on motif structure, was found to be unaffected by changes in CaM levels but coupled more efficiently to G proteins than the wild-type receptor. Stimulation of both the OP1 (δ-opioid) and OP3 wild-type receptors, but not the K273A-OP3 mutant, induced release of CaM from the plasma membrane. These results suggest that CaM directly competes with G proteins for binding to opioid receptors and that CaM may itself serve as an independent second messenger molecule that is released upon receptor stimulation.
Electrical Activation and Mechanical Asynchronism in the Cardiac Cycle of the Dog

Right and left ventricular pressure curves and electrocardiogram were recorded in the dog during sinus rhythm and during mechanically induced right and left ventricular premature systoles. The normal range during sinus rhythm for the relationship between onset of right and left ventricular contraction was determined. At one extreme, right ventricular contraction commenced 0.02 second before the left; at the other extreme, left ventricular contraction started 0.03 second before the right. In most instances, the onsets of ventricular contraction were either temporally identical or one ventricle contracted 0.01 second prior to the other.
Stress-relaxation testing. Part I: A new approach to the testing of removable partial denture alloys, wrought wires, and clasp behavior

Presented at the meeting of the American College of Prosthodontists, San Diego, Calif. *Chief, Dental Service, Veterans Administration Hospital, Allen Park, Mich., and Associate Professor, Biomaterials, University of Detroit. **Professor, Department of Dental Materials, University of Michigan; Consultant for Dental Research, Veterans Administration Hospital, Allen Park, Mich. ***Research Associate, Department of Dental Materials, University of Michigan.
An Efficient Method for Conversion of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives to Allylsilanes1

Abstract Treatment of acid halides with trimethylsilylmethyl cerium dichloride affords bis B-silylethyl tertiary alcohols which efficiently undergo a trimethylchlorosilane-promoted Peterson reaction to generate allylsilanes in high overall yield.
Flu vaccines and patient decision making: what we need to know.

PURPOSE To describe and compare patient-perceived barriers and motivators and decision-making conflict between two groups of hospitalized patients, those who received flu vaccines and those who did not. DATA SOURCES Data collection included extracting data from databases and mailing two surveys to 436 discharged patients. One hundred eight patients participated in the study. CONCLUSIONS Top motivators for obtaining a flu vaccine included previous vaccination (93%) and provider recommendation (62%). Top barriers included fear of side effects from the vaccine (35%) and fear of contracting the flu (30%). Motivators, barriers, and patient decisional conflict differed depending upon the patient's vaccination status. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Given the potential negative consequences of contracting the flu, prevention is the best strategy. Prevention is contingent upon motivating patients to obtain an annual flu vaccine. Recommending flu vaccinations, offering vaccinations in convenient locations free of charge, and discussing perceived barriers with patients may increase vaccinations among high-risk patients. Helping to clarify the advantages and disadvantages from the patient's perspective may decrease decisional conflict and increase vaccination rates.
An exploratory study of negative option marketing: good, bad or ugly?

Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory research is to determine the consumer's perceptions of negative option marketing (NOM) offers regarding the value and equity of the offer and perceived opportunistic behavior inherent in the offer. In addition, the paper seeks to examine how a negative option offer versus a positive option offer influences consumer intentions to acquire a financial service.Design/methodology/approach – Using the customer database of a full‐service American bank, a survey was sent to demand deposit account holders. A survey then determined perceptions of the offer, perceptions of the bank making the offer, and intentions to purchase.Findings – Between the negative and positive option scenario sub‐samples, there were no differences in perceptions of value or equity, except in perceptions of opportunistic behavior – the negative option offers yielded significantly higher perceptions of opportunistic behavior. Perceptions of value, equity, and satisfaction with the offer were the same...
Inhibition of β-adrenergic response in cultured epidermal cells by phorbol myristate acetate

Treatment of cultured epidermal cells with the tumor promoter, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), results in a 75% inhibition of the normal isoproterenol stimulated 7-fold increase in cAMP accumulation. Maximum inhibition occurred 3 h after PMA treatment. The effect of phorbol ester on the beta-adrenergic system in mouse epidermis thus appears to be due to its action on the epidermal cell membrane and does not require mediation by macrophages.
Distance measurement by circular scanning of the excitation beam in the two-photon microscope

We developed a method to measure relative distances with nanometer accuracy of fluorescent particles of different color in a two-photon scanning fluorescence microscope, with two-channel photon counting detection. The method can be used in the 10-500 nm range, for distances below the resolution limit of standard far field microscopy. The proposed technique is more efficient than the methods using raster scanning. To achieve maximum sensitivity in the radial direction, the excitation beam is moved periodically in a circular orbit with a radius of the size of the point spread function. The phase and the modulation of the periodic fluorescence signal, calculated by fast Fourier transform, gives the phase and the radial distance of the particle from the center of scanning. The coordinates of particles are recovered simultaneously in the two channels and the relative distance is calculated in real time. Particles can be tracked by moving the center of scanning to the recovered position, while measuring the distance from the second particle. Intensity data are saved and fitted later by a model accounting for light leakage between the channels. The total number of detected photons limited the accuracy of the position and distance measurement. Experiments demonstrating the advantages of the method were performed on fluorescent spheres and single dye molecules immobilized on quartz surface.
Adaptive sensitivity of the surround mechanism of cat retinal ganglion cells.

The spatial distribution of the surround's adaptation mechanism was studied in X-and Y-cells in the cat's retina. Adaptive sensitivity was assessed with adapting annuli with equal-area, but variable position and with adapting annuli with variable size. The results provide evidence that adaptive sensitivity of the surround's adaptive mechanism is higher in the center of the receptive field of Y-cells than of X-cells.
Effect of oleic acid/ethanol and oleic acid/propylene glycol on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of 5-fluorouracil and tamoxifen and the macroscopic barrier property of porcine epidermis

Abstract Transdermal delivery of most drugs is precluded due to the impervious nature of the stratum corneum. Chemical penetration enhancers offer an approach to enhance the transdermal transport of drugs by partitioning into and interacting with skin constituents, inducing a temporary reversible increase in skin permeability. The effect of penetration enhancers (e.g. oleic acid/ethanol and oleic acid/propylene glycol) was investigated on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of a hydrophilic (5-fluorouracil) and a lipophilic (tamoxifen) anticancer drug through porcine epidermis. In vitro transepidermal water loss (TEWL) studies were undertaken to investigate the effect of the above enhancers on the macroscopic barrier properties of the epidermis. Oleic acid/ethanol and oleic acid/propylene glycol significantly enhanced ( P P P >0.05) TEWL in comparison with ethanol and propylene glycol alone. Thus, changes in the permeability of 5-FU and tamoxifen caused by oleic acid/ethanol or oleic acid/propylene glycol could not be correlated with the in vitro TEWL.
A New Aspect of Snowflake Aggregation Theory

Abstract A new theoretical approach to snowflake aggregation is presented which accounts for the fact that snowflakes of the same mass can have a spectrum of fallspeeds. The essence of the approach is to define a modified kernel which can be used in the stochastic collection equation exactly as one would use a standard kernel computed by assuming that snowflakes of the same mass have a unique fallspeed. The modified kernel approach predicts more rapid aggregation than the standard kernel approach, the degree of enhancement being critically dependent on the width of the fallspeed spectrum. For the case of aggregates of dendrites, measurements made by a number of investigators suggest that the width of the fallspeed spectrum is of the same order as the variation in the mean fallspeed over the typical range of snowflake sites. Thus the effect of including the fallspeed spectrum in calculations of aggregation is large, and may even dominate the aggregation process.
The disconnection exponent for simple random walk

LetS(t) denote a simple random walk inZ2 with integer timet. The disconnection exponent\(\bar \gamma \) is defined by saying the probability that the path ofS starting at 0 and ending at the circle of radiusn disconnects 0 from infinity decays like\(n^{ - \bar \gamma } \). We prove that the disconnection exponent is well-defined and equals the disconnection exponent for Brownian motion which is known to exist.
Real-time co-registered ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging system based on FPGA and DSP architecture

Co-registering ultrasound (US) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a logical extension to conventional ultrasound because both modalities provide complementary information of tumor morphology, tumor vasculature and hypoxia for cancer detection and characterization. In addition, both modalities are capable of providing real-time images for clinical applications. In this paper, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Digital Signal Processor (DSP) module-based real-time US/PA imaging system is presented. The system provides real-time US/PA data acquisition and image display for up to 5 fps* using the currently implemented DSP board. It can be upgraded to 15 fps, which is the maximum pulse repetition rate of the used laser, by implementing an advanced DSP module. Additionally, the photoacoustic RF data for each frame is saved for further off-line processing. The system frontend consists of eight 16-channel modules made of commercial and customized circuits. Each 16-channel module consists of two commercial 8-channel receiving circuitry boards and one FPGA board from Analog Devices. Each receiving board contains an IC† that combines. 8-channel low-noise amplifiers, variable-gain amplifiers, anti-aliasing filters, and ADC's‡ in a single chip with sampling frequency of 40MHz. The FPGA board captures the LVDSξ Double Data Rate (DDR) digital output of the receiving board and performs data conditioning and subbeamforming. A customized 16-channel transmission circuitry is connected to the two receiving boards for US pulseecho (PE) mode data acquisition. A DSP module uses External Memory Interface (EMIF) to interface with the eight 16-channel modules through a customized adaptor board. The DSP transfers either sub-beamformed data (US pulse-echo mode or PAI imaging mode) or raw data from FPGA boards to its DDR-2 memory through the EMIF link, then it performs additional processing, after that, it transfer the data to the PC** for further image processing. The PC code performs image processing including demodulation, beam envelope detection and scan conversion. Additionally, the PC code pre-calculates the delay coefficients used for transmission focusing and receiving dynamic focusing for different types of transducers to speed up the imaging process. To further speed up the imaging process, a multi-threads technique is implemented in order to allow formation of previous image frame data and acquisition of the next one simultaneously. The system is also capable of doing semi-real-time automated SO2 imaging at 10 seconds per frame by changing the wavelength knob of the laser automatically using a stepper motor controlled by the system. Initial in vivo experiments were performed on animal tumors to map out its vasculature and hypoxia level, which were superimposed on co-registered US images. The real-time system allows capturing co-registered US/PA images free of motion artifacts and also provides dynamitic information when contrast agents are used.
Healthy lifestyles through an Adaptive Living Program: a pilot study.

This study examined the effects of an Adaptive Living Program (ALP) on quality of life and life satisfaction of 19 low-income adults living in a city-subsidized apartment complex in Michigan. The ALP included 12 modules and three community outings over a 12-week period, two times a week, with each session lasting 1.5 hours. Occupational therapy students conducted the groups under faculty supervision. The RAND SF-36 and a non-standardized tool were used to collect data. Results obtained from the participants' RAND SF-36 pre-test and post-test scores demonstrated no significant difference in the physical, social and emotional health variables. Qualitative information gathered in a 60-minute semi-structured focus group held on the final day of the programme indicated that participants reported that they had increased their quality of life and life satisfaction through developing better social skills, increased knowledge of nutrition and improved interpersonal skills. Methodological limitations included a small sample, limited ethnic population, occasional absences during the group sessions, abbreviated length of programme and application of a non-standardized assessment. Recommendations include a larger sample size of diverse ethnic population with varying ages, an established cut-off date for new evaluations, a lengthened programme, a standardized qualitative questionnaire and alternative quantitative assessment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of Allyl-Terminated Syndiotactic Polypropylene: Macromonomers for the Synthesis of Branched Polyolefins

Low molecular weight syndiotactic polypropylene (syndio-PP) with an olefin end group was synthesized using methylaluminoxane-activated bis(phenoxyimine)titanium dichloride ((PHI)2TiCl2) catalysts. Propylene enchainment occurs by a 2,1-insertion mechanism, and termination by β-hydride elimination produces low molecular weight syndio-PP with allyl end groups. Several new (PHI)2TiCl2 complexes with various ligand modifications were found to display a wide range of activities (turnover frequency (TOF) = 3−1200 h-1) and syndiospecificities ([rrrr] = 0.46−0.93) for propylene polymerization. While the TOF increases with increasing reaction temperature and propylene concentration, the molecular weight of the resulting macromonomer shows little variation. This provides strong support for a chain-transfer mechanism involving one molecule of propylene. The allyl-terminated PPs reported herein can be used to synthesize branched polyolefins or other new polyolefin architectures.
American Agriculture and the Prophecy of Increasing Misery

A Marxian analysis of labor exploitation in American agriculture has indicated that the rate of exploitation has increased more than seven times from 1949 to 1968. Exploitation is defined in a relative sense as a declining of the income share of workers relative to that of capitalists. Labor is defined to include both hired and family workers. While exploitation of hired labor may appear as a familiar notion, the idea is advanced that family labor may have been exploited also.
Update in pediatrics: Focus on fat-soluble vitamins

This article provides an update on fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in the healthy pediatric population and in children with chronic disease states that commonly cause deficiencies, specifically cystic fibrosis and cholestatic liver disease. For each fat-soluble vitamin, the biological function, nutrition availability, absorption, deficiency, toxic states, and monitoring parameters are defined.
Facilitating active social presence and meaningful interactions in online learning

Online learning has minimized many barriers and constraints that are common in traditional learning environments. However, due to the absence of face-to-face contacts, students and instructors are usually faced with the lack of active social presence and meaningful interactions in online learning. This article explores a review of the literature on social presence and various types of interactions in online learning environments in the context of a class project. The findings suggest need for online instructors to explore effective ways to design and facilitate active social presence and meaningful interactions in online learning.