cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs with cyclophosphamide.

A review of 60 cases of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) in the dog was performed in order to characterize the disease and to identify potential prognostic indicators. Dogs ranged in age from 1 to 13 years, with a mean age of 6.5 years. The 2 most commonly affected breeds were Cocker Spaniels and Labrador Retrievers. Fifty-two of the 60 dogs tested (87%) were autoagglutination positive and spherocytes were present in 45 (75%). Forty-one (89%) of 46 patients tested positive for the presence of immunoglobulin on the red blood cell surface (Coombs assay). The most common clinical signs at presentation were lethargy, weakness, pale mucous membranes, icterus, hemoglobinuria, and anorexia. PCV less than 25% was present in 59 (98%) dogs. At the time of presentation, 35 dogs (58%) had a nonregenerative anemia, whereas 25 patients (42%) had a regenerative response. Thrombocytopenia was seen in 41 (68%) dogs. Nine of 34 dogs (26%) had a prolonged prothrombin time, 19 of 34 (56%) had a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin clotting time, and 12 of 34 (35%) had abnormal fibrinogen concentrations. All dogs received prednisone at immunosuppressive doses (2.2–4.4 mg/kg PO as a single or divided dose every 24 hours) and cyclophosphamide as primary therapy. Forty-one dogs (63%) received cyclophosphamide at 50 mg/m2 q24h for 4 days, whereas 9 dogs (15%) received an initial high dose (200 mg/m2) followed by 3 days of a lower dose (50 mg/m2 q24h). No statistical difference in survival times was found for either protocol. Thirteen dogs were treated with azathioprine in addition to cyclophosphamide and prednisone. The median survival time of dogs that received all 3 drugs was 370 days as compared to 9 days for those dogs that were treated with cyclophosphamide and prednisone alone. Thirty-one (52%) dogs died from the disease, 13 (22%) dogs were alive, and 15 (25%) dogs were lost to follow-up. The median length of survival for all dogs was 21 days. Eight dogs that were discharged from the hospital suffered a relapse (PCV 25%).
A fluid limit for a cache algorithm with general request processes

We introduce a formal limit, which we refer to as a fluid limit, of scaled stochastic models for a cache managed with the least-recently-used algorithm when requests are issued according to general stochastic point processes. We define our fluid limit as a superposition of dependent replications of the original system with smaller item sizes when the number of replications approaches ∞. We derive the average probability that a requested item is not in a cache (average miss probability) in the fluid limit. We show that, when requests follow inhomogeneous Poisson processes, the average miss probability in the fluid limit closely approximates that in the original system. Also, we compare the asymptotic characteristics, as the cache size approaches ∞, of the average miss probability in the fluid limit to those in the original system.
Protein synthesis in developing muscle: Incorporation of 14C-leucine into protein by muscle minces☆

Abstract Muscle tissue obtained from hind limbs of tadpoles of Rana catesbiana in thyroxin-stimulated growth has been reduced to a mince which displays a rapid and efficient incorporation of 14C-leucine into protein. Subcellular fractions are prepared following the incorporation experiments and the time course of incorporation of 14C-leucine into the protein of ribosomes, reticulum, soluble phase and myosin is described. The muscle ribosomal fraction is the most active in incorporating the amino acid into protein, and it is demonstrated that newly synthesized protein can be “chased” from the ribosomes while the specific activity of the myosin and other fractions continues to increase.
Protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) regulates growth and invasion of endometrial cancer cells

The etiology of endometrial cancers remains poorly understood, particularly with respect to signal transduction pathways underlying the development and progression of the more aggressive, type II steroid-independent tumors. Protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) regulates cellular processes critical to malignancy and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancers. The objective of these studies was to determine the functional role of PKCα in endometrial cancer cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and invasion. PKCα expression in endometrial cancer cell lines was examined by Western blotting. PKCα levels were increased in type II HEC-50, HEC-1-A and HEC-1-B cell lines relative to the type I Ishikawa and RL-95-2 lines. Retroviral constructs were used to either overexpress PKCα or selectively knockdown levels by shRNA in Ishikawa and HEC 50 cells, respectively. Knockdown of PKCα expression in HEC-50 cells resulted in a diminished growth rate and attenuation of anchorage-independent growth. Correspondingly, Ishikawa cells overexpressing PKCα protein exhibited increased proliferation, resistance to growth factor deprivation and enhanced anchorage-independent growth. Consistent with the observed changes in cell proliferation, PKCα also modulated cyclin D1 promoter activity in both cell lines. A reduction in PKCα levels rendered HEC-50 cells significantly less invasive, whereas PKCα overexpression enhanced invasion of Ishikawa cells. These data indicate that PKCα promotes growth and invasion of endometrial cancer cells, suggesting that PKCα dependent signaling pathways could provide novel prognostic indicators or therapeutic targets, particularly in clinically aggressive type II endometrial tumors. J. Cell. Physiol. 220: 112–118, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Perceptual selectivity is task dependent: the pop-out effect poops out.

An attempt was made to determine why evidence for perceptual selectivity based on conceptual category (e.g., digits vs. letters) has been found in some experiments but not in others. Experiments using the partial-report paradigm find no partial-report superiority when the report is cued by category, whereas, in recent visual search studies, evidence for perceptual selectivity has been obtained for arrays containing a single item that was categorically different from the other items (e.g., a digit among letters). Using a search task, Experiment 1 investigated the possibility that the number of categorically different items in the arrays could be a determinant of selectivity. One, two, or three digits and a variable number of letters were presented on each trial, and subjects determined if a particular digit was present. No evidence of selectivity was obtained, even for the one-digit condition. Experiment 2 verified this result, and Experiment 3 extended the failure of selectivity to a search task in which the possible targets differed in color from the distractor items. In Experiment 4, subjects counted the number of digits or red letters in arrays in which black letters were the distractor items. The counting task was used to eliminate the requirement in our previous tasks that the subjects search forspecific items. Evidence was obtained in the counting task for selectivity based on the color difference but not on the categorical difference. The color stimuli used in the counting task were essentially the same as those that did not yield any evidence of selectivity in the search task. The results suggest that task demands are an important determinant of whether or not perceptual selectivity will occur.
Angular Momentum: From Traditional to Progressive Satanism in the Order of Nine Angles

In the last decade, a ‘sinister milieu’ has developed out of the eponymous ‘traditional’ Satan-ism promoted and further developed by the Order of Nine Angles, which emerged in the British occult scene in the 1980s. This milieu includes a diversity of Satanic and post-Satanic currents which have established the ‘sinister’ as a significant sub-category of Left-Hand Path ideology. Some groups affiliated with the Order of Nine Angles to varying degrees have ad-vanced the concept of the sinister in novel directions removed from the category of ‘Satan-ism,’ further specifying the sinister milieu’s conception of the Left-Hand Path.
Crystallization and Preliminary X-Ray Analysis of the dsDNA Bacteriophage HK97 Mature Empty Capsid

Abstract HK97 is a temperate dsDNA bacteriophage of Escherichia coli that is structurally similar to phage lambda, with an icosahedral head of triangulation ( T ) number 7. Although the capsids of several large dsDNA phages have been studied extensively using a variety of biophysical approaches, no high-resolution structure is available. We have grown crystals of mature but empty bacteriophage HK97 capsids that diffract to at least 3.5 A using synchrotron radiation. The HK97 Head II crystals are the first capsid crystals from a dsDNA bacteriophage that diffract X-rays to high resolution. A capsid precursor (prohead) was made in vivo by expressing capsid proteins in E. coli. This prohead was purified, converted to Head II in vitro, and used to grow crystals. The empty Head II has the same form as the mature HK97 capsid, but without DNA. The crystals were grown in a mixture of ammonium sulfate and PEG 8000, directly in an X-ray capillary to minimize crystal handling. The unit cell is monoclinic, with dimensions a = 580 A, b = 625 A, c = 790 A, β = 90.0° and two particles per unit cell.
Effects of training and exhaustive exercise on the mitochondrial oxidative capacity of brown adipose tissue

Oxidation of pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, palmitoylcarnitine, succinate, and ferrocytochrome c by interscapular-brown-adipose-tissue (BAT) mitochondria of untrained and trained rats were measured at rest and alter running to exhaustion. At rest, BAT mitochondria from trained rats showed significantly lower activities (<50%) for the oxidation of all the substrates. In untrained rats the activities of the enzymes for the oxidation of all the substrates except pyruvate and succinate were lower at exhaustion compared to the resting state when expressed on a per-gram-fresh-Weight basis. In trained rats all of the enzyme activities increased as a result of exhaustive exercise. These differences between the two groups of rats in the post-exercise changes in oxidative capacities suggest that following an initial adaptation, resulting in a large decrease in mitochondrial oxidative activity, training protects the residual oxidative pathways against exercise-induced inactivation. These data show that unlike exposure to cold, or overfeeding, a physiological stimulus such as exercise reduces the oxidative capacity of BAT, and therefore may reduce the thermogenic activity of the tissue in endurance-trained rats as has been addressed in the scientific literature.
A new contact model to improve the simulated ratio of unconfined compressive strength to tensile strength in bonded particle models

Abstract The bonded particle model (BPM) has been increasingly used to simulate and analyze the mechanical behavior of rocks. However, traditional BPMs that use symmetric particles bear the intrinsic limitation of severely overestimating the tensile strength of simulated rock and leading to unrealistically low unconfined compressive strength to tensile strength (UCS/T) ratio. Researchers have proposed different methods to increase the UCS/T ratio in BPM simulations; but they all have limitations. In this paper, a new contact model which properly considers the contribution of moments to normal and shear contact stresses and the condition at which the contact fails was proposed and implemented in the three-dimensional Particle Flow Code (PFC3D). The new contact model does not impose significant additional calculation burden. Detailed parametric studies were performed to evaluate the effect of different microscopic parameters on the UCS/T ratio of BPM specimens. The results indicate that the moment contribution, cohesion and tensile strength are three key factors affecting the UCS/T ratio. When the value of the moment contribution parameters is smaller than 0.5, a wide range of UCS/T ratios can be achieved by changing the cohesion and/or tensile strength values. Finally, the new contact model was used to simulate two widely studied rocks, Lac Du Bonnet (LDB) granite and Carrara marble, and the obtained UCS/T ratios were in good agreement with the measured values from laboratory experiments.
Relationships among self-rated and psychometrically determined vocational aptitudes and interests

This study investigated the relationships between self-ratings and test scores of vocational aptitudes and interests. Participants were 564 eighth-grade students in four middle schools who rated 6 aptitudes and 12 interests on the Self Rating Form and later completed the Occupational Aptitude Survey and Interest Schedule. A canonical correlational analysis between self-ratings and test scores revealed 10 statistically significant canonical variates accounting for 97% of the common variance. Univariate correlations between the same-named constructs for self-ratings and test scores ranged from .10 to.56. The results are discussed in terms of the related literature.
The Hylleraas–CI integrals in molecular, calculations. II. Three-and four-electron integrals and tests for two-electron many-center integrals

In a previous paper, formulas for two-electron integrals over Cartesian Gaussian functions occurring in the Hylleraas-CI method have been given. This paper reports on the extension of those formula to three- and four-electron integrals and presents test results obtained by using the two-electron integrals for H2 With only 2 p-type polarization functions on each atom, the ground state energy calculated for H2 is only about 20 cm−1 higher than the exact value.
Photo-Cross-Linking Studies Suggest a Model for the Architecture of an Active Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Integrase-DNA Complex †

The virally encoded integrase protein carries out retroviral integration, which requires specific interactions with the two ends of the viral DNA, and also with host DNA that is the target of integration. We attached a photo-cross-linking agent to specific viral and target DNA sites to identify regions of the integrase polypeptide that are in close proximity to those substrate features in the active integrase -DNA complex. The active form of integrase is a multimer. The higher-order organization of the active integration complex was therefore investigated by determining whether specific cross-links occurred to the active- site containing protomer. Both viral and target DNA cross-links to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase mapped predominantly to integrase protomers in trans to the active site, in a multimeric integrase complex. The results provide the basis for a model of the protein-DNA architecture of an active HIV-1 integration complex that suggests specific functions for the N-terminal, core, and C-terminal domains of retroviral integrase. One implication of this model is that the integrase multimer that mediates concerted integration of the viral DNA ends is composed of at least eight integrase protomers.
Localization of Radiating Sources along the Hull of a Submarine Using a Vector Sensor Array

Mappings of sound sources on submarine hulls provide an important diagnostic tool for analyzing the radiated signature, and evaluating noise deficiencies and silencing improvements of U.S. Navy submarines. The acoustic imaging problem is particularly difficult because the resolution of signals required to provide useful information is usually on a scale that it is several times smaller than the acoustic wavelength. Recent testing with acoustic vector sensors (combined pressure and particle velocity sensors) has demonstrated that these devices can provide substantial improvements in source resolution over currently available pressure sensor arrays. The algorithms used to process data from arrays of vector sensors (tri-axial particle velocity sensors combined with pressure sensors) will be described and acoustic intensity images produced by simulated radiation from submarine hulls during recent testing at SEAFAC, the U.S. Navy acoustic signature measurement facility in Behm Canal, Alaska, will be presented.
ELMO1 variants and susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy in American Indians.

Abstract Variants in the engulfment and cell motility 1 gene, ELMO1 , have previously been associated with kidney disease attributed to type 2 diabetes. The Pima Indians of Arizona have high rates of diabetic nephropathy, which is strongly dependent on genetic determinants; thus, we sought to investigate the role of ELMO1 polymorphisms in mediating susceptibility to this disease in this population. Genotype distributions were compared among 141 individuals with nephropathy and 416 individuals without heavy proteinuria in a family study of 257 sibships, and 107 cases with diabetic ESRD and 108 controls with long duration diabetes and no nephropathy. We sequenced 17.4 kb of ELMO1 and identified 19 variants. We genotyped 12 markers, excluding those in 100% genotypic concordance with other variants or with a minor allele frequency P = 0.001) and rs10951509 (OR = 2.42 per copy of A allele [1.31–4.48]; P = 0.002), both of which are located in intron 13 and are in strong pairwise linkage disequilibrium ( r 2 = 0.97). These associations were in the opposite direction from those observed in African Americans, which suggests that the relationship between diabetic kidney disease and ELMO1 variation may involve as yet undiscovered functional variants or complex interactions with other biological variables.
Indonesia's banking crisis: a new perspective on $50 billion of losses

The Asian crisis devastated the Indonesian banking sector and led to astronomical losses, almost entirely paid for by the government, i.e. by the general public. The paper provides a new perspective on the crisis, stressing that bank losses are not the same as losses to the economy: most of the ‘losses’ of the banks are actually transfers to borrowers and depositors. It should be possible to recover part of the amounts concerned through taxation of the major beneficiaries. The paper contrasts the conventional approach, embedded in business accounting, used to manage the banking crisis, with an alternative approach that relies on national accounting concepts. It shows how the latter can provide a new perspective, elucidating the massive transfers of wealth that took place during the crisis. This suggests possible improvements in bank resolution strategies, through the identification and quantification of the main transfers of wealth, followed by their taxation.
Separation of E. coli tRNATyr precursor RNA from E. coli tRNA by hydroxyapatite chromatography

Abstract Escherichia coli tRNATyr precursor RNA can be easily and quickly separated from unfractionated E. coli tRNA and the RNase P cleavage product of the precursor RNA by hydroxyapatite chromatography. The difference in the elution properties of the tRNATyr precursor RNA and the RNase P cleavage product derived from it or the mature tRNATyr is not due only to their differences in molecular weight. The chromatographic properties of the precursor RNA have been exploited to develop a fast method for enriching E. coli RNA preparations for precursor RNA and also a rapid assay for RNase P.
The Thesis Simulation: An Approach for Teaching Research Skills in a Remote, Non-Thesis Program

Remote education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is becoming increasingly popular. With advances in technology (utilizing satellite uplinks, VCR compatible video production facilities and computer conferencing), high-quality, flexible, remote education is now feasible. However, particularly at the graduate level, achieving the ultimate goal of providing the same educational opportunities off-campus as on-campus is not a simple process. For example, providing research skill development is difficult in the remote education environment. In human factors, such skill development can not be easily overlooked or under-emphasized since many available career opportunities require significant research efforts.Traditionally, a large portion of research skill is developed during the conduct of a thesis project. Unfortunately, many remote students are not in a position to fulfill thesis requirements with out significant tenure (up to one year) on campus. Such requirements can preclude many students from ...
31 GROWTH HORMONE SECRETORY PATTERNS - AID TO DIAGNOSIS OF GROWTH PROBLEMS

Since GH responses to provocative (PGH) stimuli are often not reflective of physiological GH secretion, PGH was compared with integrated physiological GH secretion (ICGH) in 133 children and adolescents ages 4-18, with abnormal growth ( 95th % for height and/or abnormal growth velocity). ICGH was determined by continuous ambulatory blood withdrawal pump (collected in one hr aliquots) over 12 h (1800-0600) or 24 h (1800-1800) in 87, or by 12 h intermittent q 20 min sampling (1800-0600) in 46 patients. The following morning all children had either arginine-insulin (AI) induced hypoglycemia (118) or oral clonidine (C) (15) tests. Serum somatomedin C, T/E2, bone age and T4 were also correlated with growth velocity and GH responses. In 33, 24 h ICGH correlated highly with, but was not more informative than 12 h ICGH (1800-0600) performed in all patients. Discordant GH levels (PGH vs ICGH, × and peaks) were present in 47 of 120 (40-50% of children with constitutional delay (CD) of growth), depending on the criteria for normality used. Low ICGH (<2 ng/ml) was seen in 42, and borderline ICGH (2-3 ng/ml) in 21. Low (<7 ng/ml) or borderline (7-10 mg/ml) GH responses to AI or C were seen in 48 and 19 children respectively. ICGH was useful in excluding a Dx of GH deficiency (GHD) in 14 patients with low PGH, while the Dx GHD was further substantiated in 26 patients. ICGH proved most valuable in patients with CD-delayed adolescence and/or emotional stress where “transient” GHD and discordant GH values are often obtained on pharmacologic testing.
Some overlooked problems in polymer crystallization

A number of observations of the morphology of crystalline polymers are described that, we believe, are not adequately explained in terms of current theory and modeling. These include evidence for primary nuclei of excessive thickness, linear variations in planar growth face directions with crystallization temperature, fold planes parallel (only) to the long axis of solution grown crystals, lamellar doubling in melt crystallized lamellae, discrepancies between small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron microscopy measurements of lamellar thickness and in the SAXS periodicities, and the effects of a molten free surface on the resulting morphology following crystallization.
Contractions of space-time groups and relativistic quantum mechanics

The relation of the conformal group to various earlier proposed relativistic quantum mechanical dynamical groups (and other related groups) is studied in the framework of projective geometry, by explicitly constructing the contractions of the six-dimensional coordinate transformations. Five-dimensional realizations are then derived. An attempt is made to improve our physical insight through geometry.
Use of a hanging weight system for coronary artery occlusion in mice.

Murine studies of acute injury are an area of intense investigation, as knockout mice for different genes are becoming increasingly available 1-38 . Cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IP) remains an area of intense investigation. To further elucidate its molecular basis, the use of knockout mouse studies is particularly important 7, 14, 30, 39 . Despite the fact that previous studies have already successfully performed cardiac ischemia and reperfusion in mice, this model is technically very challenging. Particularly, visual identification of the coronary artery, placement of the suture around the vessel and coronary occlusion by tying off the vessel with a supported knot is technically difficult. In addition, re-opening the knot for intermittent reperfusion of the coronary artery during IP without causing surgical trauma adds additional challenge. Moreover, if the knot is not tied down strong enough, inadvertent reperfusion due to imperfect occlusion of the coronary may affect the results. In fact, this can easily occur due to the movement of the beating heart. Based on potential problems associated with using a knotted coronary occlusion system, we adopted a previously published model of chronic cardiomyopathy based on a hanging weight system for intermittent coronary artery occlusion during IP 39 . In fact, coronary artery occlusion can thus be achieved without having to occlude the coronary by a knot. Moreover, reperfusion of the vessel can be easily achieved by supporting the hanging weights which are in a remote localization from cardiac tissues. We tested this system systematically, including variation of ischemia and reperfusion times, preconditioning regiments, body temperature and genetic backgrounds 39 . In addition to infarct staining, we tested cardiac troponin I (cTnI) as a marker of myocardial infarction in this model. In fact, plasma levels of cTnI correlated with infarct sizes (R2=0.8). Finally, we could show in several studies that this technique yields highly reproducible infarct sizes during murine IP and myocardial infarction 6, 8, 30, 40, 41 . Therefore, this technique may be helpful for researchers who pursue molecular mechanisms involved in cardioprotection by IP using a genetic approach in mice with targeted gene deletion. Further studies on cardiac IP using transgenic mice may consider this technique.
Comparing data-dependent and data-independent embeddings for classification and ranking of Internet images

This paper presents a comparative evaluation of feature embeddings for classification and ranking in large-scale Internet image datasets. We follow a popular framework for scalable visual learning, in which the data is first transformed by a nonlinear embedding and then an efficient linear classifier is trained in the resulting space. Our study includes data-dependent embeddings inspired by the semi-supervised learning literature, and data-independent ones based on approximating specific kernels (such as the Gaussian kernel for GIST features and the histogram intersection kernel for bags of words). Perhaps surprisingly, we find that data-dependent embeddings, despite being computed from large amounts of unlabeled data, do not have any advantage over data-independent ones in the regime of scarce labeled data. On the other hand, we find that several data-dependent embeddings are competitive with popular data-independent choices for large-scale classification.
The application of program slicing to regression testing

Abstract Software maintainers are faced with the task of regression testing: retesting a program after a modification. The goal of regression testing is to ensure that bug fixes and new functionality do not adversely affect the correct functionality inherited from the original program. Regression testing often involves running a large program on a large number of test cases; thus, it can be expensive in terms of both human and machine time. Many approaches for reducing the cost of regression testing have been proposed. Those that make use of program slicing are surveyed.
Nonaxisymmetric Hydrodynamic Instability and Subcritical Transition to Turbulence in the Inner Region of Thin Keplerian Disks

The nonlinear growth of a nonaxisymmetric instability (the Papaloizou-Pringle instability) is followed numerically in thin Keplerian disks with the use of a time-dependent two-dimensional polytropic hybrid Fourier-Chebyshev spectral method of collocation. The nonaxisymmetric instability (a corotation resonance) develops in the inner disk when the inner boundary is rigid (corresponding here to the surface of an accreting compact star). All the modes of the instability have high Q-values and a period of rotation on the order of the Keplerian period at the inner edge of the disk. The high-order modes have growth rates larger than the low-order modes. When the viscosity is large, the higher modes are the first to be damped and saturate at moderate values: the energy is contained in the low-order modes, which dominate the flow. When the viscosity is low, the high-order modes dominate the flow, while the low-order modes do not grow at all: the energy is contained in the higher modes. When the order m and the amplitude a of the unstable mode are high enough (in the present calculations m 15 and a 0.3 for α = 0.001), the flow undergoes a subcritical transition to turbulence. The turbulence is confined in the inner region of the disk, inside the resonant cavity, where it sustains itself because of the overreflection of waves (i.e., like the nonaxisymmetric instability itself). Some of the low-order modes are dominant during transient phases of the turbulent flow. The turbulence obtained in this work cannot account for angular momentum transport in the disk. However, the instability provides a new robust mechanism to explain the appearance of short-period oscillations (dwarf nova oscillations and quasi-periodic oscillations) observed in the inner disk of cataclysmic variables and other related systems.
Factors affecting the degree of QT prolongation with drug challenge in a large cohort of normal volunteers

Background The degree of QT prolongation by drug is highly variable and related to risk for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia due to drugs. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine factors that affect the degree of QT prolongation by drugs. Methods QT and QTc were measured before and after administration of the QT-prolonging drug ibutilide in 253 normal volunteers aged 18 to 40 years. Drug effect on QTc prolongation was defined as ΔQTc = QTc after drug minus QTc before drug. Results Ibutilide prolonged QT from 396 ± 31 ms to 418 ± 39 ms (P Conclusion QT prolongation by ibutilide does not correlate to baseline QTc and does not differ between men and women. Overweight and obese subjects have greater drug effect on QTc than subjects with normal or low body mass index. These findings have implications for drug-induced long QT syndrome.
Alcohol consumption and risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in the Women's Health Initiative.

Purpose The relationship between alcohol consumption and preference of alcohol type with hazard of melanoma (MM) and risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) was examined in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study (OS).
The microstructure of covered interest arbitrage in a market with a dominant market maker

Abstract Measured by transaction volume, foreign exchange swaps are the largest market in the world. However, there are very few empirical studies of swap rates. Theoretically, covered interest parity is commonly assumed. But what factors determine arbitrage opportunities? We create a unique microstructure model of exchange rate activity to identify theoretical predictions regarding covered interest arbitrage in a market with a dominant market maker. Using a unique data set of actual, recorded swap transactions, not price quotes, the model is verified as we find economically significant returns that depend in part on market volatility, contract irregularity and trader identity.
Thickness and birefringence of retinal nerve fiber layer of healthy and glaucomatous subjects measured with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and birefringence may both precede clinically detectable glaucomatous vision loss. Early detection of retinal nerve fiber layer changes may enable treatment to prevent permanent loss of vision. Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) can provide objective information on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and birefringence. PS-OCT scans around the optic nerve head (ONH) of two healthy young volunteers were made using 10 concentric circles of increasing radius. Both the mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and mean retinal nerve fiber birefringence for each of 48 sectors on a circle were determined with data analysis. Birefringence of healthy RNFL is constant as a function of scan radius but varies as a function of position around the ONH, with higher values occurring superior and inferior to the ONH. Measured double pass phase retardation per unit depth values around the ONH range between 0.10 and 0.35°/μm, equivalent to birefringence values of 1.2•10 -4 and 4.1•10 -4 respectively, measured at a wavelength of 840 nm. Consequently, conversion of phase retardation measurements (as obtained with scanning laser polarimetry) to RNFL thickness measurements, assuming a constant birefringence value, will yield thickness values that are incorrect.
A region of the insulin receptor important for ligand binding (residues 450-601) is recognized by patients' autoimmune antibodies and inhibitory monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Chimeric receptors containing different portions of the homologous human insulin receptor, insulin-like growth factor I receptor, and insulin receptor-related receptor were utilized to identify the epitopes recognized by various anti-insulin receptor antibodies. The antibodies studied included 12 monoclonal antibodies to the extracellular domain of the human insulin receptor as well as 15 patients' sera with autoimmune anti-insulin receptor antibodies. All of the patients' sera and all 8 monoclonal antibodies that inhibit insulin binding were found to recognize an epitope contained within residues 450-601 of the alpha subunit of the receptor. In contrast, 2 monoclonal antibodies that do not inhibit insulin binding were found to recognize the cysteine-rich region of the alpha subunit. Chimeric insulin receptors that had residues 450-601 replaced with the homologous residues of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor exhibited a decreased ability to bind insulin. In contrast, insulin-like growth factor I receptors that have had the comparable region replaced with that of the insulin receptor showed no decrease in their ability to bind ligand. These results indicate that residues 450-601 of the insulin receptor are important for insulin binding and include the major site for recognition by inhibitory monoclonal antibodies and patients' autoimmune anti-receptor antibodies.
Temperature and cycle-time dependence of rumpling in platinum-modified diffusion aluminide coatings

Cyclic-oxidation-induced rumpling of platinum-modified diffusion nickel aluminide coatings on a typical second-generation superalloy is strongly dependent on temperature above 1100 °C with little or no rumpling occurring at lower temperatures. There is also a dependence on the dwell time per cycle. For a given cumulative exposure at the oxidation temperature, shorter cycles result in a greater roughening than longer cycles.
Anesthesia for brain tumor resection using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) with the Polestar N-20 system: experience and challenges

The Polestar N-20 Scanner (Medtronic Navigation, Louisville, CO) is an intraoperative magnetic resonance image (iMRI) guidance system designed for neurosurgery. Sixty-five patients underwent craniotomy for tumor resection using the iMRI during the period from April 2005 to December 2006. Anesthesiologists used an iMRI-compatible patient monitoring system (Veris MR, MEDRAD, Indianola, PA), anesthesia machine (Aestiva/5 MRI, Datex-Ohmeda, Madison, WI), and infusion pumps (Continuum; MEDRAD). Average setup time for each case (from intubation to incision) was one hour, 33 minutes and showed learning improvement over the 21-month period. The challenges facing the anesthesiologists in these cases included the need to use longer intravenous (IV) catheters and gas delivery and sampling lines, which increased dead space. Electrocardiographic signals became contaminated with electrical noise during iMRI scan procedures, which made it difficult to distinguish rhythm changes. None of our iMRI patients underwent a repeat resection, whereas the repeat resection rate for conventional tumor resection is reported to be as high as 30%. The use of a small, low-field iMRI system provided adequate imaging for resection of lesions without the need of repeat resections in the weeks following the initial procedure, and did not significantly alter the anesthetic procedure. A team effort between the anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, and MRI technicians is paramount for the practical and efficient use of these iMRI systems.
Investigation of sasw as evaluation technique to evaluate asphalt pavement with UTW

UTW has a ten-year history of excellent service in the rehabilitation of highway and airfield pavements. From the case study, SASW shows considerable promise as an evaluation tool for existing asphalt pavement. In particular, the method shows potential in supplementing FWD tests by providing realistic layer thickness information. Combinations of different NDT techniques, such as FWD, DCP and SASW tests, are recommended for such evaluations. More validation tests and systematic studies are needed to build confidence in the SASW technique for this application.
Immunocytotoxicity effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on mouse lymphocytes.

The in vivo effects of 3 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH): 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[e]pyrene (BeP) on the ability of mouse lymphocytes to bind and kill target tumor cells in vitro were measured. C57 and C3H inbred mice were preimmunized with P815 tumor cells and then treated with a single i.p. injection of corn oil alone or with varying doses of the above PAH compounds (0.5-50 mg/kg body wt). At different post-injection times, antigen sensitized splenic lymphocytes (SL) and peritoneal exudate lymphocytes (PEL) were measured for binding and killing rates, using a single cell assay. MCA doses of 5 and 50 mg/kg inhibited SL: target cell binding 29-42% and PEL: target cell binding 23-60%. BaP had a similar significant dose dependent suppression on SL and PEL binding. Target cell killing rates by SL and PEL from MCA and BaP treated C57 and C3H mice were consistently suppressed at significant levels, compared to oil injected controls (P less than 0.05). On the other hand, binding and killing rates by SL and PEL from BeP treated mice showed an inconsistent and borderline significance at the above dose levels. When measured as a function of post-injection time of MCA, binding rates of SL from both mouse strains remained essentially unchanged after 10, 30 and 45 days. Target cell killing by SL from C3H and C57 mice, however, was suppressed 55-65% after 10-30 days post-injection. At 45 days post-injection, the capacity of SL to kill target tumor cells was restored to 64-70% of control values. The results suggest that binding is an early event that depends on dose, whereas target cell killing is a function of dose and post-injection time.
A new design concept for multifunctional fasteners using smart materials

In this paper, a new design concept for multifunctional fasteners using smart materials is presented. The proposed piezoelectric devices, named 'smart fasteners,' can be fabricated by modifying the design of ordinary fasteners such that they have a piezoelectric element and a control unit embedded in their body. These smart fasteners can not only clamp structural members like ordinary fasteners but also measure the response of the structure and generate forces to enhance the dynamic performance of the structure. Due to their fastener-type design, they are more convenient to install onto or remove from structures compared to conventional piezoceramic patch actuators for which a bonding epoxy layer needs to be applied. In order to demonstrate their applicability in active vibration controls, a simulation study was conducted on a fixed-fixed beam structure. Since the control force is applied at the boundary of the structure where the smart fasteners are attached, a new control algorithm called Active Boundary Control (ABC) was developed using the Lyapunov's direct method. The simulation results show that smart fasteners can be used to suppress vibration of the beam by applying the Lyapunov-based Active Boundary Control algorithm.
Strategic forum selection and compliance in interstate dispute resolution

This paper investigates strategic forum selection approaches and compliance with interstate dispute resolution settlements. Research shows that (a) management design features, like decision control...
Cell culture-selected substitutions in influenza A(H3N2) neuraminidase affect drug susceptibility assessment

Assessment of drug susceptibility has become an integral part of influenza virus surveillance. In this study, we describe the drug resistance profile of influenza A(H3N2) virus, A/Mississippi/05/2011, collected from a patient treated with oseltamivir and detected via surveillance. An MDCK cell-grown isolate of this virus exhibited highly reduced inhibition by the neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs) oseltamivir (8,005-fold), zanamivir (813-fold), peramivir (116-fold), and laninamivir (257-fold) in the NA inhibition assay. Sequence analysis of its NA gene revealed a known oseltamivir-resistance marker, the glutamic acid-to-valine substitution at position 119 (E119V), and an additional change, threonine to isoleucine at position 148 (T148I). Unlike E119V, T148I was not detected in the clinical sample but acquired during viral propagation in MDCK cells. Using recombinant proteins, T148I by itself was shown to cause only a 6-fold increase in the zanamivir 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) and had no effect on inhibition by other drugs. The T148I substitution reduced NA activity by 50%, most likely by affecting the positioning of the 150 loop at the NA catalytic site. Using pyrosequencing, changes at T148 were detected in 35 (23%) of 150 MDCK cell-grown A(H3N2) viruses tested, which was lower than the frequency of changes at D151 (85%), an NA residue previously implicated in cell selection. We demonstrate that culturing of the A(H3N2) viruses (n = 11) at a low multiplicity of infection delayed the emergence of the NA variants with changes at position 148 and/or 151, especially when conducted in MDCK-SIAT1 cells. Our findings highlight the current challenges in monitoring susceptibility of influenza A(H3N2) viruses to the NAI class of antiviral drugs.
Effects of floating planes in three-dimensional packaging structures on simultaneous switching noise

The effects of floating conductors in three-dimensional (3-D) packaging structures are investigated. The simulations are based on a frequency-dependent integral equation formulation for the calculation of the magnetoquasistatic current distribution in complex interconnect structures. The calculated current distributions are used to develop an inductance/resistance equivalent circuit representation of the package that can be used as a subcircuit in SPICE for simultaneous switching noise calculations. The model is frequency dependent and captures the effect that multiple solid/meshed ground/power planes, pins, vias and traces have on overall package inductive performance. The impact of floating planes, such as a heat spreader under a ball grid array (BGA) structure, on the mutual inductances of the structure is demonstrated. The frequency dependence of the floating plane effects is examined also. The behavior of the induced eddy currents in the floating plane is investigated also, particularly in the vicinity of interconnect discontinuities. Switching noise results obtained using SPICE simulation and the generated inductance/resistance equivalent package models show the effects of floating planes on switching noise.
Manipulation of vascular function by blood flukes

Abstract Schistosomes (blood flukes) are long lived, intravascular parasites that afflict ~200 million people worldwide. Here we review the potential ability of these parasites to exert control on local vascular physiology. We examine schistosome kallikrein-like proteins that drive vasodilation. We review biogenic amine metabolism in the parasites that involve the vasodilator histamine and its receptors and the vasoconstrictor serotonin and its receptor. Schistosomes can trigger the release of histamine from host cells and can import serotonin. We consider the ability of schistosomes to generate and release the eicosanoid vasodilators PGD 2 and PGE 2 and the vasoconstrictors LTB 4 and LTC 4 . The literature on nitric oxide metabolism in these blood flukes is assessed. Finally the potential impact of other schistosome metabolic processes (e.g. exogenous adenosine generation and acetylcholine degradation) on vascular function is appraised. An increased understanding of these processes could lead to novel anti-parasitics as well as new therapies to treat vascular dysfunction.
Matrix Cracking in Ceramic‐Matrix Composites

Matrix cracking in ceramic-matrix composites with unbonded frictional interface has been studied using fracture mechanics theory. The critical stress for extension of a fiber-bridged crack has been analyzed using the stress-intensity approach. The analysis uses a new shear-lag formulation of the crack-closure traction applied by the bridging fibers based on the assumption of a constant sliding friction stress over the sliding length of the fiber-matrix interface. The new formulation satisfies two required limiting conditions: (a) when the stress in the bridging fiber approaches the far-field applied stress, the crack-opening displacement approaches a steady-state upper limit that is in agreement with the previous formulations; and (b) in the limit of zero crack opening, the stress in the bridging fiber approaches the far-field fiber stress. This lower limit of the bridging stress is distinctly different from the previous formulations. For all other conditions, the closure traction is a function of the far-field applied stress in addition to the local crack-opening displacement, the interfacial sliding friction stress, and the material properties. Numerical calculations using the stress-intensity approach indicate that the critical stress for crack extension decreases with increasing crack length and approaches a constant steady-state value for large cracks. The steady-state matrix-cracking stress agrees with a steady-state energy balance analysis applied to the continuum model, but it is slightly less than the matrix-cracking stress predicted by such theories of steady-state cracking as that of Aveston, Cooper, and Kelly. The origin of this difference and a method for reconciliation of the two theoretical approaches are discussed.
Problem Solution Project Transforming Curriculum and Empowering Urban Students and Teachers

This article presents findings of 6 years of implementing a Problem Solution Project, an assignment influenced by service learning, problem-based learning, critical theory, and critical pedagogy whereby teachers help children tackle real problems. Projects of 135 teachers in an urban certification/master’s program were summarized by cohort year and grade-level taught. A subset of 22 projects was analyzed qualitatively to determine the decision-making process, degree of implementation, evidence of teacher and student empowerment, and extent of curriculum integration. Results confirm the Problem Solution Project as a powerful way to meet curriculum standards while empowering teachers and children.