cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drug Therapy in the Heart Transplant Recipient Part IV: Drug–Drug Interactions

Received March 16, 2004; revision received July 23, 2004; accepted September 30, 2004. With improving survival, the heart transplant recipient faces an increasing number of medical problems caused by both aging and the cumulative complications of immunosuppressive drugs.1 The availability of new drugs to treat infection, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, renal insufficiency, diabetes, osteoporosis, gout, and malignancies has resulted in the heart transplant recipient and their physicians facing an almost overwhelming number of important drug–drug interactions. In parts 1 through 3 of this series, we reviewed commonly used immunosuppressive drugs and their pharmacology, as well as the common medical problems faced by the heart transplant recipient. In this article, we provide an overview of the mechanisms of common and important potential drug–drug interactions and guidelines for avoiding these interactions. The risk for drug–drug interactions is increased by advanced age, polypharmacy, medications with a narrow therapeutic index, or medications requiring intensive monitoring. All of these factors except advanced age are present in the heart transplant recipient. A 10-fold interpatient variability may exist in the magnitude of a drug interaction resulting from patient-related and drug-related factors.2 Patient-related factors predisposing to drug interactions include concomitant diseases, genetics, diet, and environmental exposures. For example, commonly used immunosuppressants, antifungal agents, and lipid-lowering medications are metabolized through the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme system and effluxed from cells by the multiple drug resistance transporter protein p-glycoprotein (P-gp). Both systems are found in the liver and gastrointestinal tract and exhibit genetic polymorphism.2 The CYP450 enzymes belong to a superfamily of oxygenases; the primary purpose of these oxygenases is to add a functional group to a drug to increase its polarity and to promote its excretion from the body. If enzymes possess >40% homology, they are grouped together into families designated by an Arabic numeral (eg, the …
Multiple reciprocal relationships between in vivo cellular immunity and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in depression

Major depression is reportedly characterized by increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and by in vivo immune activation. The present study was carried out in order to investigate the relationships between HPA-axis activity and in vivo immune function in depression. Towards this end the following parameters were measured: 24 h urinary cortisol (UC) excretion; basal and post-dexamethasone (DST) plasma cortisol, beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin (beta END/beta LPH) and dexamethasone concentrations; and leucocyte subsets (i.e. lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, CD4+, CD4+CD45RA+, CD4+CD45RO+, CD8+, CD8+CD57+, CD8+CD57-, HLA-DR+, CD25+ T cells, HLA-DR+, CD19+, CD20+, and CD21+ B cells) both pre- and post-DST. Dexamethasone administration (1 mg orally) induced leucocytosis, lymphocytopaenia, monocytopaenia and neutrophilia. HPA-axis non-suppressors exhibited a relative resistance to the enhancing (e.g. neutrophils) or depressant (e.g. lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells) effects of dexamethasone. There were significant correlations between UC excretion and the number of percentage of lymphocytes, monocytes, CD4+CD45RA+ and CD8+CD57- T cells (negatively) and neutrophils (positively). It is concluded that multiple and complex intertwined relationships between HPA-axis hyperactivity and systemic immune stimulation participate in the pathophysiology or pathogenesis of major depression.
Shortcomings of Color Doppler Sonography in Diagnosis of Testicular Torsion

AbstractPurpose: We determined the shortcomings of color Doppler sonography for the diagnosis of testicular torsion.Materials and Methods: We reviewed 5 cases of testicular torsion in which findings on color Doppler sonography were inconsistent with surgical findings.Results: Color Doppler sonography showed blood flow in 2 patients who had necrotic testes at surgery. In 3 other patients blood flow was also normal by color Doppler sonography of whom 2 were treated for epididymitis with subsequent loss of the testes and 1 underwent salvage by immediate exploration.Conclusions: Testicular torsion is a clinical diagnosis requiring consideration of many variables. Color Doppler sonography is helpful but should not be regarded as the definitive discriminator.
Structural Determination of a Process Impurity in a Furan−Pyrrole Heteroatom Exchange Reaction

Electron-deficient pyrrole (1) was derivatized by diazotization with p-nitrobenzene diazonium chloride. Reduction of the diazo intermediates gave 2- and 1-aminopyrroles (3 and 4). The 2-aminopyrrole (3) was determined to be the process impurity formed during a furan−pyrrole heteroatom exchange reaction. An oxidative mechanism for the impurity formation was hypothesized. Nitrogen sparging of the reaction mixture prior to heating eliminated formation of 3.
Comparison of Design Methodologies in the Preliminary Design of a Passenger Aircraft

In this paper we seek to compare the configurations and quality of passenger aircraft resulting from the use of different design methodologies. First, we will optimize the design in the traditional iterative framework that is generally followed in practice. To this we will compare the results obtained following a design methodology based in part on game theoretic principles. We will compare not only the quality of the resulting designs, but also the efficiency of the design process in terms of time and cost.
Developing the Small Particle Heat Exchange Receiver for a Prototype Test

The concept of absorbing concentrated solar radiation volumetrically, rather than on a surface, is being researched by several groups with differing designs for high temperature solar receivers. The Small Particle Heat Exchange Receiver (SPHER), one such design, is a gas-cooled central receiver capable of producing pressurized air in excess of 1100 C designed to be directly integrated into a Brayton-cycle power block to generate electricity from solar thermal power. The unique heat transfer fluid used in the SPHER is a low-density suspension of carbon nano-particles (diameter ∼ 200 nm) to absorb highly concentrated solar radiation directly in a gas stream, rather than on a fixed absorber like a tube or ceramic foam. The nano-particles are created on-demand by pyrolyzing a small flow of natural gas in an inert carrier gas just upstream of the receiver, and the particle stream is mixed with air prior to injection into the receiver. The receiver features a window (or multiple windows, depending on scale) on one end to allow concentrated sunlight into the receiver where it is absorbed by the gas-particle suspension prior to reaching the receiver walls. As they pass through the receiver the carbon nano-particles oxidize to CO2 resulting a clear gas stream ready to enter a downstream combustor or directly into the turbine. The amount of natural gas consumed or CO2 produced is miniscule (1–2%) compared to what would be produced if the natural gas were burned directly to power a gas turbine.The idea of a SPHER, first proposed many years ago, has been tested on a kW scale by two different groups. In the new work, the engineering for a multi-MW SPHER is reported. An in-house Monte Carlo model of the radiation heat transfer in the gas-particle mixture has been developed and is coupled to FLUENT to perform the fluid dynamic calculations in the receiver. Particle properties (size distribution and complex index of refraction) are obtained experimentally from angular scattering and extinction measurements of natural gas pyrolysis in a lab-scale generator, and these are corroborated using image analysis of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) pictures of particles captured on a filter. A numerical model of the particle generator has been created to allow for scale-up for a large receiver. We have also designed a new window for the receiver that will allow pressurized operation up to 10 bar with a 2 m diameter window. Recent progress on overcoming the engineering challenges in developing this receiver for a prototype test is reported.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Biotransformation Reactions by Rhizopus spp.

The Rhizopus spp., in particular Rhizopus oryzae, are among the most frequently used whole cell biocatalysts. The fungus is known to catalyze the bioconversion of various reactive and non-reactive substrates with high regio- and stereoselectivities. The range of products obtained from these reactions has been attributed to the substrate binding modes within the enzyme's active site. More recently, an active site model has been developed to account for the reported bioconversions. The use of this model will prove useful in future syn- thetic and biotechnological applications.
The Developmental Stages of Pseudodiaptomus Coronatus Williams (Copepoda, Calanoida) 1)

Pseudodiaptomus coronatus wurde im Laboratorium gezuchtet; die Nauplius- und die Copepoden-Stadien wurden beschrieben und illustriert.
CALCIUM AND THE REGULATION OF MAMMALIAN CILIARY BEATING

This report summarizes our recent work on the role of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in regulating mammalian ciliary beat frequency (CBF). CBF from a single ovine cilium and [Ca2+]i from the same cell were measured by digital video phase contrast microscopy and fura-2 ratiometric imaging video microscopy, respectively. Cells were stimulated with two exposures to 10 μM acetylcholine (ACh). CBF was recorded during the first and [Ca2+]i during the second stimulation. ACh increased [Ca2+]i and CBF transiently with indistinguishable kinetics and, early in culture, even induced [Ca2+]i oscillations and ciliary frequency modulations with the same peak-to-peak time interval. Cells treated with 1 μM thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the endoplasmic-reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, showed transient [Ca2+]i and CBF increases, again with similar kinetics, which often remained at an elevated plateau. Application of ACh to cells pretreated with thapsigargin produced decreases in both [Ca2+]i and CBF. Finally, changing extracellular Ca2+-concentrations induced corresponding changes in [Ca2+]i that were associated with kinetically similar CBF changes. These data strongly suggested that [Ca2+]i is a critical signal to regulate CBF in mammalian tracheal epithelial cells. In an initial effort to provide constraints on the number and type of reactions that link changes in [Ca2+]i to changes in CBF, simultaneous recordings of both signals from a single cell were analyzed. Such recordings provided higher resolution of the kinetic responses of CBF and [Ca2+]i to ACh as well as they allowed direct assessment of the coupling between [Ca2+]i and CBF. Simultaneous measurements revealed that [Ca2+]i and CBF were perfectly correlated within the CBF measurement time resolution, except for the period of the fastest changes in both signals during the initial ACh exposure. There, changes in CBF lagged the changes in [Ca2+]i by 1–3 ciliary beat cycles (ca. 150–450 ms).
Evidence of a Order-Disorder Transition in the Crystalline Phase of Cd6Yb, 1/1 cubic approximant of icosahedral Cd 5.7 Yb

The electrical and thermal transport properties (electrical resistivity, thermopower, heat capacity and thermal conductivity) of the crystalline phase of the binary Cd6Yb system has been measured over a temperature range from 10 K to 300 K. Evidence for a phase transition in Cd6Yb is observed in the electrical transport properties with distinct changes in the temperature dependence of the resistivity and thermopower around T ≈ 110K. An anomaly in the heat capacity and a thermal conductivity is also observed at this same temperature. Hysteretic behavior is not evident in the temperature dependence of any of the electrical and thermal transport properties. In addition, the elastic properties using resonant ultrasound (RUS) techniques have been investigated over a similar temperature range. A large “resonance dip” is observed in the RUS data at T ≈ 110K, which is indicative of some type of structural change in the crystalline material at this temperature. These data will be presented and discussed in context of the undergoes reversible order-disorder transition in the 1/1 cubic approximant at about 110 K, which makes the system very interesting compared to the quasicrystal phase Cd5.7Yb
In pursuit of marketplace agility: Applying precepts of self-organizing systems to optimize human resource scalability

Presented here is an in-depth look at human resources scalability—an organization's capacity to get the right numbers of the right types of people to the right places at the right times. The authors pose Guiding Principles to Promote Freedom and Flexibility and Guiding Principles to Promote Discipline and Order, and discuss how HR and other business functions can work together to build a far more flexible and effective workplace. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sugar Metabolism during Growth and Development in Sugarcane Internodes

Development of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) genotypes with higher sucrose concentrations is desirable. Activities of sucrose-metabolizing enzymes during development of internodal storage tissue may determine the rate of total sugar accumulation and final sucrose concentration. Internodes of seven commercial cultivars were tagged prior to elongation and sampled at intervals from July until December during two growing seasons. Internode elongation was completed by about 380°C d (base temperature 18°C). Dry matter accumulated until about 800°C d. Water content decreased from about 920 to about 720 g kg -1 fresh weight (FW). Soluble acid invertase and sucrose synthase (sucrose deavage direction) had peaks of activity during elongation, then declined to lower levels. Neutral invertase and sucrose-phosphate synthase activities increased during development. Sugar accumulated, and the sucrose to total sugar ratio approached 1.0 as internodes developed, although the combined sucrose deavage activity of the invertases and sucrose synthase in most internodes was greater than the synthetic activity of sucrose-phosphate synthase. Sugar accumulation rate was not consistently correlated with activity of any enzyme assayed. Sucrose content during internode development was correlated with sucrose-phosphate synthase activity and the difference between sucrose-phosphate synthase and add invertase activities. Sucrose content of mature internodes was not correlated with any enzyme activity. The data do not support the hypothesis that sucrose synthase activity is related to the rate of sugar accumulation, but do support the hypothesis that sucrose-phosphate synthase and add invertase play key roles in determining sucrose concentration during maturation in sugarcane internodes.
Leaf variation in a tree of Pourouma tomentosa (Cecropiaceae) in French Guiana

In the flora of French Guiana we find considerable within-plant variation in leaf form. We observed entire, two-lobed, and three-lobed leaves within five separate levels (tiers) of the canopy of a single individual ofPourouma tomentosa subsp.maroniensis. Five branches from each of the five tiers of the tree were collected around the axis of the trunk. From these branches five secondary branchlets were selected and all leaves excised with information recorded as to nodal position, number of leaf nodes, and fertility status of the main branch. This design produced 1015 leaves representing about 20 m2 of foliar area and about 2.4 kg of blade dry weight. Our objectives were to determine if statistically significant patterns exist for leaf variation and to suggest improvements for future, general collections. The four lower tiers had 62% entire, 10% 2-lobed, and 28% 3-lobed leaves, in contrast to the top tier with 38% entire, 11% 2-lobed, and 51% 3-lobed leaves. The top tier had no fertile branches. in the lower tiers, fertile branches produced 68% entire leaves whereas nonfertile branches produced only 46% entire leaves. In the top tier, lobed leaves made up 73% of surface area, while in the lower tiers, lobed leaves made up only 48% of total surface area. We selected a random subset of 75 leaves from the 1015, for morphometric analysis using two-way ANOVA (tier×leaf type). The boundaries of leaf images were digitized and rendered into Fourier coefficients, yielding leaf surface area and two variables that quantify aspects of shape: dissection index and leaf complexity. The Fourier coefficients were averaged by tier and by leaf type to reconstruct synthetic, average leaf images. Logistic regression was used to predict the position of leaves on the tree and to provide visualization of the relationships between leaf position on the tree and leaf morphological variables. Within the tree crown, leaf surface area and leaf specific mass (LSM) increases with height, although leaf shape does not change with height. LSM does not vary with leaf form; and sun leaves are larger than shade leaves on this tree. We conducted computer sampling experiments based on exact randomization to simulate the process of obtaining all leaf shapes present in an individual tree when making field collections of varying numbers of duplicates. This also points out the importance of noting the presence of within-tree variation in leaf form on herbarium labeds. Failure to recognize leaf variation can lead to incorrect delimitation of species as well as cause overestimates of the number of species in diversity studies.
A randomized controlled trial of methotrexate and cyclosporine in the treatment of psoriasis

Commentary on: Methotrexate versus cyclosporine in moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis
Affect Attunement and Maternal Attachment: A Pilot Study

The notion that individual differences in mothers' representations of their own early childhood attachment relationships impede or facilitate the recognition of an infant's experiences and needs was investigated. Women were classified as secure, dismissing, of preoccupied in relation to attachment on the basis of the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985) and then videotaped in a laboratory setting with their 10- to 13-month-old babies. Maternal attunement behaviors and fantasies about the babies during the attunement moment were recorded and examined in light of individual differences in maternal attachment. The findings reveal that securely attached mothers are more attuned to their babies than are those mothers who are insecurely attached. Secure mothers attune to a range of infant affect, whereas insecure mothers attune to particular affects and not to others. Specifically, dismissing mothers tended not to attune to negative affect, whereas preoccupied mothers randomly attuned to both positive and negative affect states. Qualitative analyses suggest that insecure mothers misattune to infant affects that threaten their internalized attitudes toward attachment. The findings support the hypothesis that the nature of a mother's internal affective experience powerfully influences the affects she acknowledges and attunes to in her child.
Manual Wheelchair Propulsion Over Cross-Sloped Surfaces: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT Manual wheelchair propulsion may be facilitated or impeded depending upon the surface and the environment. One barrier may be the cross-slope of pathways. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the quality of the evidence on the effects of cross-slopes on manual wheelchair propulsion. The goal was to identify and to understand the optimal design for cross-slopes that have the least negative impact for wheelchair users. Fifty-two articles were reviewed by 15 expert reviewers. Six were identified to be relevant to propulsion over cross-slopes. Most studies agree that traversing a cross-slope in a manual wheelchair is more difficult than propelling on a level surface. However, agreement has not been reached as to the percentage increase in effort or the optimal degree of cross-slopes that should be used as an acceptable standard. There is a paucity of research investigating the impact of cross-slopes on wheelchair mobility and community participation.
A Multivariate Analysis of Factors in Attitudinal Levels of Wyoming Adults Toward Music

The purpose of the study was to determine the degree of relationships among five variables in the previous musical and personal experiences of adults in Wyoming with eleven hierarchical levels of their attitudes concerning music. Multivariate analyses, including canonical correlation, stepwise multiple regression, and a full Pearson correlation matrix, were used to test these relationships in the sample. The research established a strong relationship between hierarchical levels of occupation and attitudinal levels, some evidences of relationship of background learning experience in music to criteria, but minimal relationship of age, sex, and community size to these attitudes.
Efficient illumination of color AMLCD projection displays using binary optical phase plates

We have developed a novel technique using binary optical phase plates that spatially separate the visible spectrum into three sub-spectra of red, green, and blue, concentrating the sub-spectra at the appropriate AMLCD's pixel locations. Light efficacy of 1.4 ANSI Im/W was obtained using this technique in a single-LCD system.
Control of oscillations of the DPNH level in a cell-free extract of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis by 3′ 5′ cyclic AMP

Control of the oscillations of the cell-free system of glycolysis of Saccharomycescarlsbergensis is so far most sensitively affected by cyclic AMP. Its effect upon the oscillations is generally to increase their duration, to convert to a more nearly sinusoidal waveform of a shorter period. The reduced state of the oscillations corresponds more sensitively and more rapidly to cyclic AMP than does the oxidized state, and the general effect of cyclic AMP is to shift the steady state oxidation-reduction level in the direction of oxidation. Cyclic AMP can initiate a previously terminated oscillation in cell-free extracts.
A hydrogen economy: opportunities and challenges

A hydrogen economy, the long-term goal of many nations, can potentially confer energy security, along with environmental and economic benefits. However, the transition from a conventional petroleum-based energy system to a hydrogen economy involves many uncertainties, such as the development of efficient fuel-cell technologies, problems in hydrogen production and its distribution infrastructure, and the response of petroleum markets. This study uses the US MARKAL model to simulate the impacts of hydrogen technologies on the US energy system and to identify potential impediments to a successful transition. Preliminary findings highlight possible market barriers facing the hydrogen economy, as well as opportunities in new R&D and product markets for bioproducts. Quantitative analysis also offers insights on policy options for promoting hydrogen technologies.
Approximate Eigenfunctions of the Liouville Operator in Classical Many-Body Systems

A variational criterion is used to find approximate eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the Liouville operator in classical many-body systems. The trial functions are taken to be sums over molecules of functions depending on the position and momentum of a single molecule. In a harmonic lattice, this approach leads to exact eigenfunctions and eigenvalues. In a fluid, the eigenvalue spectrum is continuous, and the eigenfunctions are related to those found by Van Kampen in his study of the linearized Vlasov equation for a plasma. The time dependence of the fluid current density is found by means of these eigenfunctions and eigenvalues. The results show persistent free-particle propagation and damped sound-wave propagation, with relative importance depending on the magnitude of the sound velocity.
Manufacturing Health: Employee Perspectives on Problematic Outcomes in a Workplace Health Promotion Initiative

Workplace health promotion (WHP) advocates promote lifestyle campaigns as an inexpensive way to reduce health care costs and improve employee teamwork while pleasing workers through corporate benevolence. This study problematizes those assumptions by examining employee reactions to the development of a health and recreation center at a car manufacturer. The research provides evidence that depending upon how they are implemented, dominant approaches to health initiatives may actually produce resentment among employees towards the company, create divisions among employees, and alienate employees with differing perspectives about health. It is argued that WHP programs initiatives may be more beneficial for employees if they respond to employee needs by inviting participation early in the planning process, attending to issues of inclusion and exclusion that develop among participants, and respecting multiple approaches to health.
Concerning a “strong” coupling method in the quantized field theory

Abstract A new approximate method especially intended for “strong” coupling variants is proposed for solving the equation of motion in quantized field theory. This method revives the idea of the old “strong” coupling method, with the essential difference that in the new method use is made of the exact reduction of the interaction Hamiltonian of quantized field to diagonal form, without “fixing” the nucleon current.
The Temperature Scales of Columbium, Thorium, Rhodium and Molybdenum at 0.667 μ

To establish temperature scales for columbium, thorium, rhodium and molybdenum spectral emissivities were measured for these metals at $\ensuremath{\lambda}=0.667\ensuremath{\mu}$. The Mendenhall V wedge was used for columbium and rolled cylinders were used for the other metals. Rolled cylinders were more satisfactory for measuring emissivities than specimens in other forms. Rigorous heat treatment was found necessary for accurate results. Emissivities for all four metals were constant with temperatures. Results are:
Role of regulator of G protein signaling in desensitization of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor.

The glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor (GIP-R) is a member of the G protein-coupled receptors. Recent studies have indicated that elevated serum GIP concentrations in type II diabetic patients might induce desensitization of the GIP-R, and this mechanism could contribute to impaired insulin secretion. The cellular and molecular mechanisms governing GIP desensitization are unknown. Here, we report the results of studies on a new family of proteins known as regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) that have been shown to mediate the desensitization process of other receptors. GIP-R and RGS1, -2, -3, and -4 complementary DNAs were cotransfected into human embryonic kidney cells (L293). GIP-stimulated cAMP generation in control cells and in those coexpressing RGS1, -3, and -4 displayed a dose-dependent increase 10 min after GIP treatment. In contrast, RGS2 expression inhibited the GIP-induced cAMP response by 50%, a response similar to that of cells desensitized by preincubation with 10−7 m GIP....
Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy for Premenopausal Women With Breast Cancer

Endocrine therapy is a required element of the management of premenopausal women with early-stage steroid hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. There is uncertainty about how best to implement that therapy using the strategies of tamoxifen and estrogen deprivation as well as how to integrate these approaches with chemotherapy. Other research focuses on identification of improved markers for endocrine response or resistance and on the special side effects of endocrine therapy in young women.
A numerical study of Riemann problems for the two-dimensional unsteady transonic small disturbance equation

We study a two-parameter family of Riemann problems for the unsteady transonic small disturbance (UTSD) equation, also called the two-dimensional Burgers equation. The two parameters, a and b, which define oblique shock initial data, correspond to the slopes of the initial shock waves in the upper half-plane. For each a and b, the three constant states in the upper half-plane satisfy the Rankine--Hugoniot conditions across the shocks. This leads to a two-parameter family of oblique shock interaction problems.In this paper we present a numerical study of global solution behavior for the values of a and b in a previously obtained bifurcation diagram. Our study supplements the related theoretical results and conjectures recently obtained by S. Canic and B. L. Keyfitz. We employ a high resolution numerical method which reveals fine solution structures. Our findings confirm theoretical results and conjectures about the solution patterns and deepen the understanding of the structure of several intricate wave in...
Motor endplate alterations in schizophrenic patients.

NEUROMUSCULAR pathology has been described in a variety of mentally ill patients, primarily those suffering from schizophrenia or the affective psychosis. Some psychotic patients have increased electrical activity of skeletal muscle at rest1, abnormal electromyograms2, perform poorly on various tests of neuromuscular coordination3, have elevated serum creatine phosphokinase activity during an acute psychotic episode4 and show an increased incidence of morphological abnormalities of skeletal muscle5,6. Such studies have suggested that there may be an alteration of muscle innervation in such patients. We have previously reported that psychotic patients have an increased incidence of branching and sprouting of intramuscular nerve twigs6. We now report significant alterations in the morphology of the nerve terminals at the motor endplate in psychotic patients. This suggests that there may be an abnormality of transmission at neuromuscular synapses in some psychotic patients.
153 TREATMENT OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS WITH DISOPYRAMIDE (NORPACE)

Disopyramide (D) has been reported to be an effective antiarrhythmic agent in adults; little experience is available using D in pediatric patients. We have treated eleven patients, ranging in age from 10-18 years (median-13 years) with D for ventricular (8), and supraventricular (3)arrhythmias. Pharmacokinetic data was obtained in selected patients.Two patients were given D intra. venously prior to beginning oral therapy. The T½ of elimination was 4.8 hours. D was primarily excreted unchanged in the urine in the first 24 hours. The oral dosage varied from 100-150mgm every 6 hours, 6-14mg/kg/day, (median 11mg/kg/day). Peak plasma D levels occurred between 2-4 hours after an oral dose and ranged from 3.0-3.5mg%. Of the 8 patients treated with D for ventricular arrhythmias, 6 had excellent control of the arrhythmia. Four of these patients had previously had poor results with Quinidine. In 2 patients D had to be discontinued;one because of GI side effects and the second due to D enhancement of periodic paralysis. Two patients had atrial flutter (AF). In one the AF was converted to sinus rhythm and in the second there was no effect on the AF. A third patient with recurrent supraventricular tachycardia D had to be discontinued because of its anti-cholinergic effects. In conclusion, D appears to be a safe and effective alternative antiarrhythmic agent in pediatric patients, particularly for the treatment of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias.
Analysis of plastic flow in an amorphous soap bubble raft by the use of an inter-bubble potential

Abstract The changes in potential energy, free volume, and internal shear strain in clusters undergoing shear transformations during the shearing of amorphous soap bubble rafts have been analysed by means of a generalized inter-bubble potential initially developed by Nicolson and by Lomer. A unique inverse correlation was found between the activation free energy barriers of transformations and the initial state of free volume of the transforming sites. Two separate branches of correlation, one for concentrated shear transformations and the other for diffuse shear transformations have been identified. When proper scaling between the inter-bubble potential and the appropriate close-packed metal potential is applied to the results, the distribution of activation free energies found from the soap bubble model gives remarkably good agreement with the experimentally measured distributions in metallic glasses obtained by Argon and Kuo earlier. The inverse correlation, found between activation free energy and fre...
Association of Drug Abuse and Child Abuse.

Abstract Objective: To show that children born to mothers who used drugs during pregnancy were at a higher risk of subsequent abuse or neglect than were children from the general population. Methodology: This is a retrospective-prospective study of abuse experiences of children born at an urban medical center between January 1985 and December 1990 to women who used illicit drugs during pregnancy. Children exposed in-utero to drugs were identified using results of toxicology screens from birth and maternal records. Evidence of abuse was obtained from the State Central Registry of Abuse and Neglect. The registry contained information on all reported abuses or neglects, the types, findings, and outcomes of the investigations of reported cases. The outcome measure was whether the children had been abused or not during the study period. Results: One hundred and fifty-five (30.2%) of the 513 children exposed in-utero to drugs were reported as abused or neglected and 102 (19.9%) had substantiated reports giving a rate of 84 abuse and neglect cases per 1,000 years of exposure. The yearly substantiated abuse rates varied, the lowest being 30 cases per 1,000 years of exposure in 1986 and the highest 107 cases per 1,000 in 1987. This rate was two to three times that of children living in the same geographic area in the south side of Chicago. Neglect was reported in 72.6% of cases, with the toddlers being the most vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Natural parents were responsible for maltreatment 88% of the time. On logistic regression analysis, the risk of abuse of children increased 1.56-fold (Confidence Interval = 1.25−2.01) that of nonabusing parents among women who had completed high school education or had some college education and 1.80-fold among women with previous planned abortion, after controlling for confounding variables. Other sociodemographic variables of the child or mother did not significantly increase the odds of abuse. Conclusion: Infants exposed in-utero to drugs have a higher than expected risk of subsequent abuse compared to children in the general population.
Using principles of quality and safety education for nurses in school nurse continuing education

School nurses require ongoing continuing education in a number of areas. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) framework can be utilized in considering school nurses' roles and developing continuing education. Focusing on neurology continuing education, the QSEN framework is illustrated with the example of concussion management in athletes. QSEN strategies can stimulate change to the status quo and outline the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that need to be adapted. With their competencies and knowledge, professional school nurses can incorporate evidence-based practices in conjunction with input from health care providers and families to create high-quality care and positive outcomes for students. Language: en
Understanding Rasch and item response theory models: applications to the estimation and validation of interval latent trait measures from responses to rating scale questionnaires.

Background: Modern psychometric theory is now routinely used in clinical vision research, as well as other areas of health research, to measure latent health states on continuous interval scales from responses to self-report rating scale questionnaires. Two competing theories are commonly employed: Rasch theory and item response theory.Methods: Because the field is currently in transition from using traditional scoring algorithms based on classical test theory to using the more modern approaches, this article offers a tutorial review of Rasch theory and item response theory and of the analytical methods employed by the two theories to estimate and validate measures.
Twenty years of scientific hypnosis in dentistry, medicine, and psychology: A brief communication

Abstract This paper examines the number of hypnosis articles appearing over the past 20 years in the scientific literature. A comprehensive index of all hypnosis articles published from 1966 to 1985 was obtained by using 5 computer reference data bases (Psychological Abstracts, Index Medicus, Psych Info, Psych Alert, Medline, and Index to Dental Literature). Over 3,500 scientific articles on hypnosis were categorized as to year published (1966 to 1985); journal title; and journal discipline (dental, medical, psychological, core hypnosis specialty journals, and interdisciplinary journals). The period 1966–1969 witnessed a relative prominence of hypnosis articles. For the next 12 years, the number of articles modestly declined. During the most recent 4-year period (1982–1985) there has been a sharp increase, with more articles published in this period than any other. The authors conclude: (a) that there is a stable level of acceptance and interest in hypnosis methodologies across years and disciplines and (...
Young Campers in Love: Who Are the Grown-ups in Moonrise Kingdom?

Popular culture, especially movie culture, is the arena where the struggles of the diverse cultures belonging to age groups are carried out. Moonrise Kingdom is an unusual movie, different from the usual summer or coming of age movies. In such movies, different theories of youth are displayed, providing tools for constructing the political bases of marginalization of adolescents. These theories limit the character traits that can be awarded to all subcultural groups, in this case to youth.
Photoproduction of remarkably stable benzylic radicals in cyclodextrin inclusion complexes

Abstract Photolysis of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes of diastereomers of α,α′-dimethyldibenzyl ketone in the solid state resulted in stable benzylic radicals at room temperature. These radicals were characterized by their electron spin resonance (ESR) signals, emission and excitation spectra.
Loss of TFF1 promotes Helicobacter pylori-induced β-catenin activation and gastric tumorigenesis

// Mohammed Soutto 1, 2 , Judith Romero-Gallo 3 , Uma Krishna 3 , M. Blanca Piazuelo 3 , M. Kay Washington 4 , Abbes Belkhiri 2 , Richard M. Peek Jr 3, 5 , Wael El-Rifai 1, 2, 5 1 Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA 2 Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA 3 Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA 4 Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA 5 Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA Correspondence to: Wael El-Rifai, e-mail: wael.el-rifai@vanderbilt.edu Keywords: TFF1, Helicobacter pylori, s-catenin, gastric cancer Abbreviations: TFF1; trefoil factor 1, H. pylori; Helicobacter pylori, knockout; KO, TCF/LEF; T cell factor/lymphoid Received: February 18, 2015 Accepted: April 14, 2015 Published: April 27, 2015 ABSTRACT Using in vitro and in vivo models, we investigated the role of TFF1 in suppressing H. pylori -mediated activation of oncogenic β-catenin in gastric tumorigenesis. A reconstitution of TFF1 expression in gastric cancer cells decreased H. pylori -induced β-catenin nuclear translocation, as compared to control ( p < 0.001). These cells exhibited significantly lower β-catenin transcriptional activity, measured by pTopFlash reporter, and induction of its target genes ( CCND1 and c-MYC) , as compared to control. Because of the role of AKT in regulating β-catenin, we performed Western blot analysis and demonstrated that TFF1 reconstitution abrogates H. pylori -induced p-AKT (Ser473), p-β-catenin (Ser552), c-MYC, and CCND1 protein levels. For in vivo validation, we utilized the Tff1 -KO gastric neoplasm mouse model. Following infection with PMSS1 H. pylori strain, we detected an increase in the nuclear staining for β-catenin and Ki-67 with a significant induction in the levels of Ccnd1 and c-Myc in the stomach of the Tff1 -KO, as compared to Tff1 -WT mice ( p < 0.05). Only 10% of uninfected Tff1 -KO mice, as opposed to one-third of H. pylori -infected Tff1 -KO mice, developed invasive adenocarcinoma ( p = 0.03). These findings suggest that loss of TFF1 could be a critical step in promoting the H. pylori -mediated oncogenic activation of β-catenin and gastric tumorigenesis.
Electrical environment of the uprated Pacific NW/SW HVDC Intertie

The authors summarize the results of a research effort to characterize the electrical environment of the Pacific NW/SW HVDC (northwest/southwest high voltage direct current) Intertie. Forty channels of data were collected simultaneously at 10 test locations, including electric field, ion current density, unipolar ion density, net space charge density, audible noise, radio noise, and important weather parameters. The significant results of the analysis of one year of data collection are that the fields and ions on the negative side of the line are 2-3 times higher than those on the positive side and that all air ion parameters increase with perpendicular wind speed up to 11 m/s at distances from 29 m to 610 m from the line. >
A Classification Tree Based Approach for the Development of Minimal Cut and Path Vectors of a Capacitated Network

This paper presents a holistic method that links together Monte-Carlo simulation, exact algorithms, and a data mining technique, to develop approximate bounds on the reliability of capacitated two-terminal networks. The method uses simulation to generate network configurations that are then evaluated with exact algorithms to investigate if they correspond to a network success or failure. Subsequently, the method implements commercially available software to generate a classification tree that can then be analyzed, and transformed into capacitated minimal cut or path vectors. These vectors correspond to the capacitated version of binary minimal cuts & paths of a network. This is the first time that these vectors are obtained from a decision tree, and in this respect, research efforts have been focused on two main directions: 1) deriving an efficient yet intuitive approach to simulate network configurations to obtain the most accurate information; and given that the classification tree method could for some applications provide imperfect or incomplete information without the explicit knowledge of the reliability engineer, 2) understand the relationship between the obtained vectors, and the real capacitated minimal cut & path vectors of the network, and its reliability. The proposed method has been tested on a set of case networks to assess its validity & accuracy. The results obtained show that the technique described is effective, simple, and widely applicable.
Pulsed Laser Stereophotography Of Plasmas And Dynamically Moving Surfaces

A pulsed laser is used as a light source for illuminating the surface of a dynamic event of 3 mm/μs. At a predetermined time during the dynamic action, a stereo camera is used to record a pair of images of the dynamically moving surface. The stereoimage pair can be quantified for surface contour.
An FEA/MATLAB based machine design tool for switched reluctance motors

Switched reluctance machine (SRM) has a simple and low cost construction owing to the concentrated windings on the stator, no permanent magnets or windings on the rotor. This rugged structure offers many advantages such as high speed, fault tolerant and reliable operation, wide constant power range, low inertia and low inrush currents. However, due to the single source of excitation and dependence of inductance profile on excitation current and rotor position, the mathematical model of SRM is highly nonlinear. Moreover, unlike many other electrical machines, the energy conversion capacity of SRM is greater when working under high magnetic flux densities. In case of SRM with higher number of rotor poles, stator and rotor pole arc angles are limited due to the smaller interpolar gap. Therefore, it's harder to adjust the dimensions of the machine to prevent high saturation at the poles. Considering the nonlinear behavior and design challenges with the higher number of rotor poles, an iterative process is necessary for an SRM design and finite element analysis (FEA) software are widely used to get the inductance and torque profile for the given dimensions. The performance of an SRM is also dependent on torque ripples, which is a function of turn-on and turn-off angles. These parameters cannot be calculated in FEA, because it requires the dynamic control of the phase currents according to rotor position. This paper proposes a MATLAB based design tool, which, for the given machine dimensions and parameters, calculates the geometry and automatically draws and simulates the machine model in FEA software. Moreover using those results, it performs a dynamic simulation in Simulink plots the load torque and phase current profiles and so manages the whole design process. The geometrical and electrical design equations are given and the graphical user interfaces of the design tool are introduced.
Semi-empirical tightbinding bandstructures for II–VI zincblende compounds

Abstract We have used a modified version of the sp 3 s ∗ semi-empirical nearest-neighbor tightbinding formalism to compute the bandstructures of the II–VI zincblende compounds ZnTe, ZnSe, ZnS, and HgSe. Our scheme includes the effects of spin-orbit coupling and, in contrast to previous sp 3 s ∗ schemes which fit differences in diagonal tightbinding matrix elements to atomic energy differences, it fits every tightbinding parameter to available band structure data. The resulting parameters show that the scaling factors for the diagonal matrix elements used in previous sp 3 s ∗ calculations are approximately valid for the compounds considered. The resulting bandstructures are in reasonable agreement with published pseudopotential calculations.
Processing Juvenile Delinquency in Two Cities A Cross-National Comparison

A fundamental proposition in labeling theory is that stigmatization and alienation are conducive to the perpetuation of deviant behavior. From this perspective, the steady increase in juvenile delinquency in the past two decades has been linked to the expansion of functions exercised by the juvenile courts (increasing its potential for stigmatization) and the uncertainty of the courts' processing styles (leading to alienation). This study examines two related hypotheses subsumed by this theoretical explanation. First, because of a sup posed breakdown in alternative informal controls, urban court systems tend to expand their jurisdictions and to process large numbers of juveniles. Second, because they process so many cases. the courts tend to displace their goals.In order to explore these propositions, two juvenile court systems. one in Brazil and the other in the United States, were compared. Both function in metropolitan centers with similar ecological profiles. The cross-national scope of the design enh...
Web-Based High Performance Remote Visualization

This work describes a web browser-based remote visualization capability for large datasets. We discuss recent enhancements including access to databases and remote resources, as well as the addition of two image compression algorithms and their effect on performance. Results indicate that the existing sequential unified- channel image run transmission (SQUIRT) image compression algorithm performs best for large bandwidth situations while the new binary set splitting with k-d trees (BISK) algorithm works better than the previous JPEG compression scheme. The results from a study on encryption effects on the data stream show that encryption does not add a significant amount of overhead.